بِأَصْوَاتٍwith voicesمُلْتَفَّةٍgatheredعَلَىatالْبَابِthe door
With voices gathered at the door,
وَإِذَاand beholdصَاحِبِيmy companionيَنْتَفِيdeniesوَيَعْتَذِرُand apologizes
and behold, my companion denies and apologizes,
وَإِذَاand beholdالْجِيرَانُthe neighborsقَدْalreadyاِجْتَمَعُواgatheredإِلَيْهِaround him
and behold, the neighbors had gathered around him,
وَقَالُواand said
and said:
مَاwhatهَذَاis thisالثَّلْطُ1dungالَّذِيthatيَسْقُطُfallsمِنْfromجَنَاحِكَyour wing
What is this dung that falls from your wing,
بَعْدَafterأَنْthatكُنَّاwe wereلَاnotنَرَىseeingإِلَّاexceptشَيْئًاsomethingكَالبَعْرِlike pelletsمِنْfromيُبْسِdrynessالْكَعْكِof the cake
after we used to see only something like dry crumbs from the cake?
وَهَذَاand thisثَلْطٌdungيُعَبِّرُexpressesعَنْaboutكُلِّeveryغَضٍّfreshness
And this dung indicates every fresh thing.
وَلَوْلَاand were it notأَنَّكَthat youانْتَجَعْتَ2have sought pastureعَلَىonبَعْضِsomeمَنْthose whoتَسْتُرُyou coverوَتَوَارَىand hideلَأَظْهَرْتَهُyou would have shown it
And were it not that you have grazed upon someone whom you cover and hide, you would have shown it.
وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidالْأَوَّلُthe first
And the first (poet) said:
السَّتْرُConcealmentدُونَapart fromالْفَاحِشَاتِthe indecenciesوَلَاand notيَلْقَاكَmeets youدُونَwithoutالْخَيْرِthe goodمِنْfromسِتْرِa covering
Concealment is for indecencies, and no good reaches you without a covering.
وَلَوْلَاAnd were it notأَنَّthatهَذَاthisطَلِبَةُa requestالسُّلْطَانِof the Sultanلَمَاwould notتَوَارَىhe hide
And were it not that this is a request of the Sultan, he would not hide.
فَلَسْنَاFor we are notنَأْمَنُsafeمِنْfromأَنْthatيَجُرَّhe bringsعَلَىuponالْحَيِّthe tribeبَلِيَّةًa calamity
For we are not safe from him bringing a calamity upon the tribe.
وَلَسْتَAnd you are notتُبَالِيcaringإِذَاifحَسُنَتْimprovesحَالُكَyour conditionفِيinعَاجِلِthe immediateأَيَّامِكَdays of yours
And you do not care if your condition improves in your immediate days,
مَاwhatيُفْضِيleads toبِكَyouالْحَالُthe situationوَمَاand whatتَلْقَىyou will meetعَشِيرَتَكَyour clan
what the situation will lead you to, and what you will face from your clan.
فَأَمَّاSo eitherأَنْthatتُخْرِجَهُyou bring him outإِلَيْنَاto usوَإِمَّاorأَنْthatتُخْرِجَهُyou take him outعَنَّاfrom us
So either you bring him out to us, or you take him away from us.
»قَالَsaidعَبْدُAbdالنُّورِal-Nur
Abd al-Nur said:
فَقُلْتُSo I said
So I said:
هَذِهِThisوَاللهِby Godالْقِيَافَةُis the physiognomyوَلَاand notقِيَافَةَthe physiognomyبَنِيof the sonsمُدْلِجٍ3of Mudlij
This, by God, is the physiognomy, and not the physiognomy of the Banu Mudlij.
إِنَّاIndeed weلِلَّهِbelong to GodخَرَجْتُI have gone outمِنَfromالْجَنَّةِparadiseإِلَىtoالنَّارِhellfire
Truly, we belong to God! I have gone from paradise to hellfire.
وَقُلْتُAnd I said
And I said:
هَذَاThisوَعِيدٌis a threatوَقَدْand indeedأَعْذَرَexcusedمَنْwhoأَنْذَرَwarned
This is a threat, and he who warns has excused himself.
فَلَمْAnd notأَظُنُّI thinkأَنَّthatاللُّؤْمَthe miserlinessيَبْلُغُreachesمَاwhatرَأَيْتُI sawمِنْfromهَؤُلَاءِthese
And I did not think that miserliness could reach what I saw from these,
وَلَاnorظَنَنْتُI thoughtأَنَّthatالْكَرَمَgenerosityيَبْلُغُreachesمَاwhatرَأَيْتُI sawمِنْfromأُولَئِكَ4those
nor did I think that generosity could reach what I saw from those.
[الْأَصْمَعِيُّAl-Asma'iوَجُلَسَاؤُهُand his companions]
Al-Asma'i and his companions
شَهِدْتُI witnessedالْأَصْمَعِيَّAl-Asma'iيَوْمًاone day
I witnessed Al-Asma'i one day,
وَأَقْبَلَand he turnedعَلَىtoجُلَسَائِهِhis companionsيَسْأَلُهُمْasking themعَنْaboutعَيْشِهِمْtheir living
and he turned to his companions, asking them about their livelihood,
وَعَمَّاand about whatيَأْكُلُونَthey eatوَيَشْرَبُونَand drink
and about what they eat and drink.
فَأَقْبَلَSo he turnedعَلَىtoالَّذِيthe oneعَنْonيَمِينِهِhis right
So he turned to the one on his right and said:
فَقَالَand said
He said:
أَبَاO fatherفُلَانٍof so-and-soمَاwhatإِدَامُكَis your condiment
O father of so-and-so, what is your condiment?
قَالَHe saidاللَّحْمُmeat
He said: Meat.
قَالَHe saidأَكُلَّeveryيَوْمٍdayلَحْمٌmeat
He said: Meat every day?
قَالَHe saidنَعَمْyes
He said: Yes.
قَالَHe saidوَفِيهِAnd in itالصَّفْرَاءُthe yellowالْبَيْضَاءُthe whiteوَالْحَمْرَاءُand the redوَالْكَدْرَاءُand the turbidوَالْحَامِضَةُand the sourوَالْحُلْوَةُand the sweetوَالْمُرَّةُand the bitter
He said: And in it is the yellow, the white, the red, the turbid, the sour, the sweet, and the bitter?
قَالَHe saidنَعَمْyes
He said: Yes.
قَالَHe saidبِئْسَhow badالْعَيْشُthe lifeهَذَاthisلَيْسَis notعَيْشُthe lifeآلِof the family
He said: How bad is this life! This is not the life of the family...
Footnotes
- 1.الثَّلْطُ: سَلْحُ الطَّائِرِ، وَهُوَ مَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْ بَطْنِهِ رَقِيقًا.
Al-Thalt: the excrement of a bird, which comes out of its belly watery.
- 2.انْتَجَعَ: طَلَبَ الْكَلَأَ فِي مَوَاضِعِهِ.
Intaja'a: to seek pasture in its places.
- 3.بَنُو مُدْلِجٍ: قَبِيلَةٌ مَعْرُوفَةٌ بِالْقِيَافَةِ وَالْفِرَاسَةِ.
Banu Mudlij: a tribe known for physiognomy and insight.
- 4.أَيْ: مَا رَأَيْتُهُ مِنْ كَرَمِ أُولَئِكَ الأَقْوَامِ.
That is, what I saw of the generosity of those people.