ثُمَّThenيَقُولُhe saysلِلَّذِيto the one whoيَلِيهِfollows him::«أَبَاO Abuفُلَانٍso-and-soمَاwhatأَدْمَكَmade you eat fat?»
Then he says to the one next to him: 'O Abu so-and-so, what made you eat fat?'
؟?فَيَقُولُSo he replies::«الشِّبْرَاقَاتُ1the shibraqatوَالْأَخْبِصَةُand the khabisوَالْفَالُوذَجَاتُ2and the faludhajat»
He replies: 'The shibraqat, the khabis, and the faludhajat.'
قَالَHe said::«طَعَامُFood ofالْعَجَمِthe Persians،,وَعَيْشُand life ofكِسْرَىKhosrow،,وَلُبَابُand the core ofالْبُرِّwheat،,بِلُعَابِwith saliva ofالنَّحْلِbees،,بِخَالِصِwith pureالسَّمْنِghee»
He said: 'Food of the Persians, life of Khosrow, the core of wheat, with bee honey, with pure ghee.'
،,حَتَّىuntilأَتَىhe cameعَلَىtoآخِرِهِمْthe last of them؛;كُلُّallذَلِكَthatيَقُولُhe says::«بِئْسَHow bad isالْعَيْشُthe lifeهَذَاthis..لَيْسَNotهَذَاthisعَيْشُlife ofآلِfamily ofالْخَطَّابِAl-Khattab..كَانَwasابْنُson ofالْخَطَّابِAl-Khattab..يُضْرَبُis struckعَلَىonهَذَاthis»
...until he reached the last of them; all the while he says: 'How bad is this life! This is not the life of the family of Al-Khattab. Ibn Al-Khattab used to be struck for this.'
..فَلَمَّاWhenانْقَضَىendedكَلَامُهُhis speechأَقْبَلَturnedعَلَيْهِto himبَعْضُهُمْsome of them،,فَقَالَand said::«يَاOأَبَاAbuسَعِيدٍSa'idمَاwhatأَدْمَكَmade you eat fat?»
When his speech ended, some of them turned to him and said: 'O Abu Sa'id, what made you eat fat?'
؟?قَالَHe said::«يَوْمًاOne dayلَبَنٌmilk،,وَيَوْمًاand one dayزَيْتٌoil،,وَيَوْمًاand one dayسَمْنٌghee،,وَيَوْمًاand one dayتَمْرٌdates،,وَيَوْمًاand one dayجُبْنٌcheese،,وَيَوْمًاand one dayقَفَارٌdry food without meat،,وَيَوْمًاand one dayلَحْمٌmeat..عَيْشُLife ofآلِfamily ofخَطَّابٍKhattab»
He said: 'One day milk, one day oil, one day ghee, one day dates, one day cheese, one day dry without meat, and one day meat. That is the life of the family of Khattab.'
..ثُمَّThenقَالَhe said::قَالَsaidأَبُوAbuالْأَشْهَبِAl-Ashhab::كَانَused toالْحَسَنُAl-Hasanيَشْتَرِيbuyلِأَهْلِهِfor his familyكُلَّeveryيَوْمٍdayبِنِصْفِwith halfدِرْهَمٍdirhamلَحْمًاmeat..فَإِنْIfغَلَاit became expensiveفَبِدِرْهَمٍthen with a dirham..فَلَمَّاWhenحُبِسَwas withheldعَطَاؤُهُhis stipendكَانَتْwasمَرَقَتُهُhis brothبِشَحْمٍwith fat..
Then he said: Abu Al-Ashhab said: Al-Hasan used to buy meat for his family every day for half a dirham. If it became expensive, then for a dirham. When his stipend was withheld, his broth was made with fat.
وَنُبِّئْتُAnd I was informedعَنْfromرَجُلٍa manمِنْfromقُرَيْشٍQurayshأَنَّهُthat heكَانَused toيَقُولُsay::«مَنْWhoeverلَمْnotيُحْسِنْdoes wellيَمْنَعْto refuseلَمْnotيُحْسِنْdoes wellيُعْطِto give»
And I was informed about a man from Quraysh that he used to say: 'Whoever does not know how to refuse well does not know how to give well.'
..وَإِنَّهُAnd that heقَالَsaidلِابْنِهِto his son::«أَيْOبُنَيَّmy son؛;إِنَّكَindeed youإِنْifأَعْطَيْتَyou giveفِيinغَيْرِother thanمَوْضِعِplace ofالْإِعْطَاءِgivingأَوْشَكَit is likelyأَنْthatتَسْتَعْطِيَyou ask people for somethingالنَّاسَpeopleفَلَاand notتُعْطَىyou will be given»
And he said to his son: 'O my son, if you give inappropriately, you may soon ask people for something and not be given.'
..ثُمَّThenأَقْبَلَhe turnedعَلَيْنَاto us،,فَقَالَand said::هَلْIs it notعَلِمْتُمْyou knewأَنَّthatالْيَأْسَdespairأَقَلُّlessمِنَthanالْقَنَاعَةِcontentmentوَأَعَزُّand more precious؟?
Then he turned to us and said: 'Did you not know that despair is less than contentment and more precious?'
إِنَّIndeedالطَّمَعَgreedلَاnotيَزَالُceasesطَمَعًاgreed،,وَصَاحِبُand the owner ofالطَّمَعِgreedلَاnotيَنْتَظِرُdoes not waitلِأَسْبَابٍfor causes،,وَلَاand notيَعْرِفُdoes not knowلِلطَّمَعِfor greedالْكَاذِبِfalseمِنَfromالصَّادِقِtrue..
Indeed greed remains greed, and the greedy person does not wait for causes, and does not distinguish false greed from true.
وَالْعِيَالُAnd dependentsعِيَالَانِare two kinds::شَهْوَةٌan appetiteمُفْسِدَةٌcorruptingوَضِرْسٌand a toothطَحُونٌ3grinding،,وَأَكْلُand eatingالشَّهْوَةِof appetiteأَثْقَلُheavierمِنْthanأَكْلِeatingالضِّرْسِof the tooth؛;
And dependents are two kinds: a corrupting appetite and a grinding tooth, and eating from appetite is heavier than eating from the tooth.
وَقَدْand indeedزَعَمُواthey claimedأَنَّthatالْعِيَالَdependentsسُوسُmoth ofالْمَالِwealth،,وَأَنَّهُand thatلَاnoمَالَwealthلِذِيfor owner ofعِيَالٍdependents..
And they claimed that dependents are the moth of wealth, and that there is no wealth for the one with dependents.
وَأَنَاAnd Iأَقُولُsayإِنَّthatالشَّهْوَةَappetiteتَبْلُغُreachesمَاwhatلَاnotيَبْلُغُreachesالسُّوسُthe moth،,وَتَأْتِيand comes uponعَلَىuponمَاwhat
And I say that appetite reaches what the moth does not reach, and it comes upon what...