جَعَلَHe madeفِيinالْجَنَاحِthe wingخَرْقًاa holeبِقَدْرِas much asعَيْنِهِhis eye
He made a hole in the wing as much as his eye.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenطَالَتْprolongedالْأَيَّامُthe daysصَارَhe beganيَنْظُرُto lookمِنْthroughشَقِّthe crackبَابٍof a doorكَانَwasمَسْمُورًاnailed shut
And when the days became long, he began to look through a crack in a door that was nailed shut.
ثُمَّThenمَاwhatزَالَhe continuedيَفْتَحُهُopening itالْأَوَّلُthe firstفَالْأَوَّلَthen the first
Then he kept opening it gradually, bit by bit.
إِلَىuntilأَنْthatصَارَhe beganيُخْرِجُto bring outرَأْسَهُhis headوَيُبْدِيand showوَجْهَهُhis face
Until he began to bring out his head and show his face.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenلَمْnotيَرَhe sawشَيْئًاanythingيُرِيبُهُthat alarmed himقَعَدَhe satفِيinالدِّهْلِيزِthe corridor
And when he did not see anything that alarmed him, he sat in the corridor.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenازْدَادَhe increasedفِيinالْأُنْسِfamiliarityجَلَسَhe satعَلَىatبَابِthe doorالدَّارِof the house
And when he felt more at ease, he sat at the door of the house.
ثُمَّThenصَلَّىhe prayedمَعَهُمْwith themفِيinمُصَلَّاهُمْtheir prayer placeوَدَخَلَand entered
Then he prayed with them in their prayer place and entered.
ثُمَّThenصَارَhe becameبَعْدَafterذَلِكَthatوَجَلَسَand sat
Then after that he sat down.
وَالْقَوْمُAnd the peopleعَرَبٌwere Arabsفَكَانُواand they wereيُفِيضُونَengagingفِيinالْحَدِيثِconversation
And the people were Arabs, and they would engage in conversation.
وَيَذْكُرُونَand they would mentionمِنَfromالشِّعْرِpoetryالشَّاهِدَthe witnessوَالْمَثَلَand the proverb
And they would mention from poetry the evidence and the proverb.
وَمِنَand fromالْخَبَرِthe reportsالْأَيَّامَthe daysوَالْمَقَامَاتِand the stations
And from the news they would mention the battles and the gatherings.
وَهُوَAnd heفِيinذَلِكَthatسَاكِتٌsilent
And he was silent during all that.
إِذْwhenأَقْبَلَturnedعَلَيْهِto himذَاتَoneيَوْمٍdayفَتًىa young manمِنْهُمْfrom them
When one day a young man from them turned to him.
خَرَجَhe went outعَنْfromأَدَبِهِمْtheir etiquetteوَأَغْفَلَand neglectedبَعْضَsomeمَاwhatرَاضُوهُthey had trained himبِهِwith itمِنْofسِيرَتِهِمْtheir conduct
He departed from their etiquette and neglected some of the conduct they had taught him.
فَقَالَand he saidلَهُto himيَاOشَيْخُold man
And he said to him, "O old man."
إِنَّاIndeed weقَوْمٌa peopleنَخُوضُwe delveفِيintoضُرُوبٍvarious kinds
We are a people who delve into various matters.
فَرُبَّمَاand perhapsتَكَلَّمْنَاwe speakبِالْمَثْلَبَةِwith blameوَأَنْشَدْنَاand we reciteالْهِجَاءَsatire
And perhaps we speak with blame and recite satire.
فَلَوْAnd if onlyأَعْلَمْتَنَاyou informed usمِمَّنْfrom whomأَنْتَyou areتَجَنَّبْنَاwe would avoidكُلَّeverythingمَاthatيَسُوءُكَoffends you
So if you had told us who you are from, we would avoid everything that might offend you.
وَلَوْAnd ifاجْتَنَبْنَاwe avoidedأَشْعَارَpoemsالْهِجَاءِof satireكُلَّهَاall of them
And if we avoided all satirical poems.
وَأَخْبَارَand newsالْمَثَالِبِof faultsبِأَسْرِهَاentirelyلَمْnotنَأْمَنْwe would be safeأَنْthatيَكُونَbeثَنَاؤُنَاour praiseوَمَدِيحُنَاand our eulogyلِبَعْضِfor someالْعَرَبِof the Arabsمِمَّاof whatيَسُوءُكَoffends you
And even if we avoided all reports of faults entirely, we would not be safe from our praise and eulogy of some Arabs being something that offends you.
فَلَوْSo ifعَرَّفْتَنَاyou made known to usنَسَبَكَyour lineageكَفَيْنَاكَwe would spare youسَمَاعَhearingمَاwhatيَسُوءُكَoffends you
So if you made your lineage known to us, we would spare you hearing what offends you.
مِنْfromهِجَاءِthe satireقَوْمِكَof your peopleوَمِنْand fromمَدْحِthe praiseعَدُوِّكَof your enemy
From the satire of your people and the praise of your enemy.
فَلَطَمَهُThen he slapped himشَيْخٌan old manمِنْهُمْfrom themوَقَالَand said
Then an old man from them slapped him and said.
لَاNoأُمَّmotherلَكَfor you
"May you have no mother!"
مِحْنَةٌA trialكَمِحْنَةِlike the trialالْخَوَارِجِof the Kharijitesوَتَنْقِيرٌand a scrutinizingكَتَنْقِيرِlike the scrutinizingالْعَيَّابِينَof the fault-finders
A trial like the trial of the Kharijites, and a scrutinizing like the scrutinizing of the fault-finders!
وَلِمَAnd whyلَاnotتَدَعُyou leaveمَاwhatيُرِيبُكَalarms youإِلَىtoمَاwhatلَاdoes notيُرِيبُكَalarm you
And why do you not leave what alarms you for what does not alarm you?
فَسَكَتَSo he remained silentإِلَّاexceptعَمَّاabout whatتُوقِنُyou are certainبِأَنَّهُthat itيَسُرُّهُpleases him
So he remained silent except about what you are certain pleases him.
قَالَHe saidوَقَالَand he saidعَبْدُAbdالنُّورِal-Nur
He said: And Abd al-Nur said.
ثُمَّThenإِنَّindeedمَوْضِعِيmy placeنَبَاbecame uneasyبِيwith meلِبَعْضِdue to someالْأَمْرِthe matter
Then indeed my place became uneasy with me due to some matter.
فَتَحَوَّلْتُSo I movedإِلَىtoشِقِّthe districtبَنِيof BanuتَمِيمٍTamim
So I moved to the district of Banu Tamim.
فَنَزَلْتُAnd I lodgedبِرَجُلٍwith a manفَأَخَذْتُهُand I took himبِالثِّقَةِwith trust
And I lodged with a man, and I took him as trustworthy.
وَأَكْمَنْتُAnd I hidنَفْسِيmyselfإِلَىuntilأَنْthatأَعْرِفَI knowسَبِيلَthe wayالْقَوْمِof the people
And I concealed myself until I could learn the way of the people.
وَكَانَAnd there wasلِلرَّجُلِfor the manكَنِيفٌa privyإِلَىbesideجَانِبِthe sideدَارِهِof his house
And the man had a privy beside his house.
يَشْرَعُit openedفِيintoطَرِيقٍa roadلَاnotيَنْفُذُit goes through
It opened into a road that was not a through road.
إِلَّاexceptمَنْwhoeverمَرَّpassedبِهِby itفِيinذَلِكَthatالشَّارِعِstreetرَأَىsawمَسْلَكَthe passageالْغَائِطِof excrementمِنْfromخَلَاءِthe toiletذَلِكَthatالْجَنَاحِthe wing
Except whoever passed by it in that street saw the place of excrement from the toilet of that wing.
وَكَانَAnd wasصَاحِبُthe ownerالدَّارِof the houseضَيِّقَnarrowلِعَيْشٍin livelihoodفَاتَّسَعَand he became ampleبِنُزُولِيby my lodgingعَلَيْهِwith him
And the owner of the house was narrow in livelihood, and he became ample by my lodging with him.
فَكَانَAnd they wereالْقَوْمُthe peopleإِذَاwhenمَرُّواthey passedبِهِby itيَنْظُرُونَthey lookإِلَىatمَوْضِعِthe placeالزَّبْلِof dungوَالْغَائِطِand excrement
And when the people passed by it, they would look at the place of dung and excrement.
فَلَاAnd notيَذْهَبُgoesقَلْبِيmy heartإِلَىtoشَيْءٍanythingمِمَّاof whatكَانُواthey wereيَذْهَبُونَgoingإِلَيْهِto it
And my heart did not go to anything of what they were going to.
فَبَيْنَاAnd whileأَنَاIجَالِسٌsittingذَاتَoneيَوْمٍdayإِذْwhenأَنَاI
And while I was sitting one day, suddenly I...