فَلَيْسَso notعَلَيْهِupon himقَطْعُcuttingالطَّرِيقِthe roadبَلْbut ratherعَلَيَّupon meقَطْعُcutting
So it is not upon him to cut the road, but upon me to cut.
وَأَتَىAnd cameابْنُson ofأَشْكَابَAshkabالصَّيْرَفِيُّthe money-changerصَدِيقٌa friendلَهُto himيَسْتَسْلِفُasking to borrowمِنْهُfrom himمَالًاmoney
And Ibn Ashkab the money-changer, a friend of his, came to him asking to borrow money.
فَقَالَSo he said
So he said:
لَوْIfشِئْتُI wantedأَنْthatأَقُولَI sayلَقُلْتُI would have saidوَأَنْand thatأَعْتَلَّI make an excuseاعْتَلَلْتُI would have made an excuseوَأَنْand thatأَسْتَعِيرَI borrowبَعْضَsomeكَلَامِspeechمَنْof one whoيَسْتَلِفُborrowsمِنْهُfrom himإِخْوَانُهُhis brothersفَعَلْتُI would have done
If I wanted to say, I would have said; and if I wanted to make an excuse, I would have made one; and if I wanted to borrow some speech from one whose brothers borrow from him, I would have done so.
وَلَيْسَand notأَرَىI seeشَيْئًاa thingخَيْرًاbetterمِنَthanالتَّصْحِيحِthe settling (payment)وَقَشْرِand peelingالْعَصَا1the stick
And I see nothing better than settling the debt and peeling the stick ⟦1⟧.
لَيْسَnotأَفْعَلُI will do
I will not do.
فَإِنِthen ifالْتَمَسْتَyou seekلِيfor meعُذْرًاan excuseفَهُوَthen it isأَرْوَحُmore refreshingلِقَلْبِكَfor your heartوَإِنْand ifلَمْnotتَفْعَلْyou doفَهُوَthen it isشَرٌّworseلَكَfor you
Then if you seek an excuse for me, it is more refreshing for your heart, and if you do not, it is worse for you.
وَضَاقَAnd became distressedالْفَيْضُal-Faydبْنُson ofيَزِيدَYazidضِيقًاdistressشَدِيدًاsevere
And al-Fayd ibn Yazid became severely distressed.
فَقَالَso he said
So he said:
وَاللهِBy Allahمَاnotعِنْدَنَاwith usمِنْofشَيْءٍa thingنَعَوِّلُwe relyعَلَيْهِupon itوَقَدْand indeedبَلَغَhas reachedالسِّكِّينُthe knifeالْعَظْمَ2the bone
By Allah, we have nothing to rely on, and the knife has reached the bone ⟦2⟧.
وَالْبَيْعُand the saleلَاnotيَكُونُwill beإِلَّاexceptمَعَwithطُولِlengthالْمُدَّةِthe period
And the sale will only happen with a long period.
وَالرَّأْيُand the opinionأَنْthatنُنْزِلَwe landهَذِهِthisالنَّائِبَةَcalamityبِمُحَمَّدِwith Muhammadابْنِson ofعَبَّادٍ3Abbad
And the opinion is that we land this calamity with Muhammad ibn Abbad ⟦3⟧.
فَإِنَّهُfor heيَعْرِفُknowsالْحَالَthe situationوَصِحَّةَand correctnessالْمُعَامَلَةِthe transactionوَحُسْنَand goodnessالْقَضَاءِthe repaymentوَمَاand whatلَنَاfor usمِنَofالسَّبَبِthe reasonالْمُنْتَظَرِthe awaited
For he knows the situation, and the correctness of the transaction, and the goodness of repayment, and what we have of the awaited reason.
فَلَوْso ifكَتَبْتَyou wroteإِلَيْهِto himكِتَابًاa letterلَسَرَّهُit would delight himذَلِكَthatوَلَسَدَّand would fillمِنَّاfrom usهَذِهِthisالْخَلَّةَgapالْقَائِمَةَthe standingالسَّاعَةَthe hour
So if you wrote a letter to him, that would delight him and would fill this standing gap from us at this hour.
فَتَنَاوَلَSo he tookالْقَلَمَthe penوَالْقِرْطَاسَand the paperلِيَكْتُبَto writeإِلَيْهِto himكِتَابَthe letter ofالْوَاثِقِal-Wathiqالْمُدِلِّthe confident
So he took the pen and paper to write to him the letter of al-Wathiq the confident.
لَاnotيَشُكُّdoubtingأَنَّهُthat heسَيَتَلَقَّىwill receiveحَاجَتَهُhis needبِمِثْلِwith likeمَاwhatكَانَwasهُوَheالْمُتَلَقِّيthe receiverلَهَاof itمِنْهُfrom him
Not doubting that he would receive his need in the same way he used to receive it from him.
وَمَضَىAnd wentبَعْضُsomeمَنْof those whoكَانَwasفِيinالْمَجْلِسِthe gatheringإِلَىtoمُحَمَّدٍMuhammadابْنِson ofعَبَّادٍAbbadلِيُبَشِّرَهُto give him good newsبِسُرْعَةِof quicknessوُرُودِarrivalحَاجَةِneed ofالْفَيْضِal-Faydإِلَيْهِto him
And some of those who were in the gathering went to Muhammad ibn Abbad to give him good news of the quick arrival of al-Fayd's need to him.
فَأَتَاهُSo came to himأَمْرٌa matterلَاnotيَقُومُwill standلَهُfor himإِلَّاexceptبِأَنْby thatيَتَقَدَّمَhe precedesبِالْكِتَابَةِwith the writingلِيَشْغَلَهُto occupy himبِحَاجَتِهِwith his needإِلَيْهِto himعَنْfromحَاجَتِهِhis needإِلَيْهِto him
So a matter came to him that he could not handle except by preceding with the writing, to occupy him with his need to him instead of his need to him.
فَكَتَبَSo he wroteإِلَيْهِto him
So he wrote to him:
مَالِيMy wealthيَضْعُفُis weakeningوَالدَّخْلُand the incomeقَلِيلٌlittleوَالْعِيَالُand the dependentsكَثِيرٌmanyوَالسِّعْرُand the priceغَالٍhigh
My wealth is weakening, income is little, dependents are many, and prices are high.
وَأَرْزَاقُنَاand our provisionsمِنَfromالدِّيوَانِthe diwanقَدِindeedاحْتُسِبَتْhave been accountedوَقَدْand indeedتَفَتَّحَتْhave openedعَلَيْنَاupon usمِنْfromأَبْوَابِdoorsالنَّوَائِبِof calamitiesفِيinهَذِهِtheseالْأَيَّامِdaysمَاwhatلَمْnotيَكُنْwasلَنَاfor usفِيinحِسَابٍaccount
And our provisions from the diwan have been accounted, and indeed doors of calamities have opened upon us in these days, which we had not in our calculations.
فَإِنْthen ifرَأَيْتَyou seeأَنْthatتَبْعَثَyou sendإِلَيَّto meبِمَاwith whatأَمْكَنَكَyou canفَعَجِّلْthen hastenبِهِwith itفَإِنَّfor indeedبِنَاto usإِلَيْهِto itأَعْظَمَgreatestالْحَاجَةِthe need
Then if you see fit to send me what you can, then hasten with it, for indeed we have the greatest need of it.
Footnotes
- 1.قَشْرُ الْعَصَا: مَثَلٌ يُضْرَبُ فِي الِاقْتِصَادِ وَعَدَمِ الْإِسْرَافِ.
Peeling the stick: a proverb used about frugality and not being wasteful.
- 2.بَلَغَ السِّكِّينُ الْعَظْمَ: أَيْ بَلَغَ الْأَمْرُ غَايَتَهُ.
The knife reached the bone: meaning the matter reached its extreme limit.
- 3.مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ: رَجُلٌ مَعْرُوفٌ بِالْجُودِ وَالْكَرَمِ.
Muhammad ibn Abbad: a man known for generosity and kindness.