مَدْرَكَانِtwo achievable things،,فَإِنْthen ifنَحْنُweوَجَدْنَاfoundإِنْسَانًاa personيَصْعَدُهَاclimbing it،,فَإِنَّهَاthen indeed itسَحِيقَةٌvery tallمُنْجَرِدَةٌ1bare،,وَلَمْand notيَطِيرَاthey two flew،,فَإِنَّهُمَاso indeed they twoقَدْalreadyصَارَاbecameنَاهِضَيْنِready to fly،,جَعَلْنَاwe madeالْوَاحِدَthe oneطَبَاهِجَةً2breakfast،,وَالْآخَرَand the otherكَرْدَنَاجًاdinner،,فَإِنَّهُfor it isيَوْمُday ofكَرْدَنَاجٍdinner»"
Two achievable things, then if we found a person climbing it, and it is very tall and bare (footnote 1), and they two did not fly, for they had become ready to fly, we made one of them breakfast (footnote 2) and the other dinner, for it is a day of dinner.
فَطَلَبُواand they soughtفِيamongالْجِيرَانِthe neighborsإِنْسَانًاa personيَصْعَدُclimbingتِلْكَthatالنَّخْلَةَpalm tree،,فَلَمْbut notيَقْدِرُواthey were ableعَلَيْهِon it؛;فَدَلُّوهُمْso they directed themعَلَىtoأَكَّارٍa farmerلِبَعْضِbelonging to someأَهْلِpeople ofالْحَرْبِيَّةِal-Harbiyya،,
So they sought among the neighbors a person to climb that palm tree, but they could not find one able to do it; so they directed them to a farmer belonging to some of the people of al-Harbiyya.
فَمَاand notزَالَceasedالرَّسُولُthe messengerيَطْلُبُهُseeking him،,حَتَّىuntilيَقَعَhe came uponعَلَيْهِon him،,فَلَمَّاand whenجَاءَhe cameبِهِwith himوَنَظَرَand lookedإِلَىatالنَّخْلَةِthe palm tree،,قَالَhe said::«"هَذِهِthisلَاnotتُصْعَدُis climbedوَلَاand notيُرْتَقَىis ascendedعَلَيْهَاon itإِلَّاexceptبِالتَّبْلِيَاwith pulleyوَالْبَرْبَنْدِ3and rope ladder،,فَكَيْفَso howأَرُومُهَاI attempt itأَنَاIبِلَاwithoutسَبَبٍmeans»"؟?
The messenger kept seeking him until he found him. When he came with him and looked at the palm tree, he said: 'This one cannot be climbed nor ascended except with a pulley and a rope ladder (footnote 3); so how can I attempt it without means?'
فَسَأَلُوهُso they asked himأَنْthatيَلْتَمِسَhe seekلَهُمْfor themذَلِكَthat،,فَذَهَبَso he wentفَغَبَرَand remainedمَلِيًّاa long time،,ثُمَّthenأَتَاهُمْhe brought themبِهِit،,فَلَمَّاand whenصَارَhe wasفِيinأَعْلَاهَاits topطَارَflewأَحَدُهُمَاone of themوَأَنْزَلَand brought downالْآخَرَthe other،,فَكَانَso it wasهُوَheالطَّبَاهِجُthe breakfastوَالْكَرْدَنَاجُ4and the dinner،,وَهُوَand it isالْغَدَاءُthe lunchوَهُوَand it isالْعَشَاءُthe supper،,وَandكَتَبَwroteإِبْرَاهِيمُIbrahimبْنُson ofسَيَّابَةَ5Sayyabaإِلَىtoصَدِيقٍa friendلَهُof his،,يُسَاوِيهِequal to himفِيinالْأَدَبِliterature،,وَيَرْتَفِعُand risingفِيinالْحَالِstatus،,وَكَانَand wasكَثِيرَpossessor of muchالْمَالِwealth،,كَثِيرَpossessor of muchالصَّامِتِmoney (gold)،,يَسْتَسْلِفُhe would borrowمِنْهُfrom himبَعْضَsomeمَاof whatيَرْتَفِقُhe benefitsبِهِwith it،,إِلَىuntilأَنْthatيَأْتِيَهُcomes to himبَعْضُsomeمَاof whatيَأْمُلُhe hopes،,فَكَتَبَso wroteإِلَيْهِto himصَدِيقُهُhis friendهَذَاthisيَعْتَذِرُapologizing،,وَيَقُولُand saying::
So they asked him to seek that for them, so he went and remained a long time, then brought it to them. When he was at its top, one of them flew and brought down the other, so it was the breakfast and the dinner (footnote 4), and it is the lunch and the supper. And Ibrahim ibn Sayyaba (footnote 5) wrote to a friend of his, his equal in literature and rising in status, and he was rich and possessed much gold, he would borrow from him some means to benefit with until some of what he hoped for came to him. So his friend wrote to him apologizing and saying:
«"إِنَّindeedالْمَالَwealthمَكْذُوبٌlied aboutلَهُfor itوَعَلَيْهِand against it،,وَالنَّاسُand peopleيُضِيفُونَattributeإِلَىtoالنَّاسِpeopleفِيinهَذَاthisالْبَابِmatterمَاwhatلَيْسَis notعِنْدَهُمْwith them،,وَأَنَاand Iالْيَوْمَtodayمُضَيِّقٌ6in tight circumstances،,وَلَيْسَتِand notالْحَالُthe situationكَمَاasنُحِبُّwe would like،,وَأَحَقُّand most deservingمَنْof those whoعُذْرِexcuseالصَّدِيقُthe friendالْعَاقِلُthe wise»"،,فَلَمَّاand whenوَرَدَarrivedكِتَابُهُhis letterعَلَىtoابْنِibnسَيَّابَةَSayyaba،,كَتَبَhe wroteإِلَيْهِto him::«"إِنْifكُنْتَyou wereكَاذِبًاlyingفَجَعَلَكَthen made youاللهُGodصَادِقًاtruthful،,وَإِنْand ifكُنْتَyou wereمَلُومًاblameworthyفَجَعَلَكَthen made youاللهُGodمَعْذُورًاexcused»"،,
'Indeed wealth is lied about for it and against it, and people attribute to people in this matter what is not with them. And I am today in tight circumstances (footnote 6). And the situation is not as we would like. And the most deserving of excuse is the wise friend.' So when his letter arrived to Ibn Sayyaba, he wrote to him: 'If you were lying, then may God make you truthful; and if you were blameworthy, then may God make you excused.'
[[عِلْمُknowledge ofالْعَرَبِthe Arabsفِيinالطَّعَامِ:food:]]
[The knowledge of the Arabs about food:]
قَالَsaidعَمْرُوAmrالْجَاحِظُal-Jahiz::احْتَجْنَاwe neededعِنْدَat the time ofالتَّطْوِيلِprolongation،,وَحِينَand whenصَارَbecameالْكِتَابُthe book،,
Amr al-Jahiz said: We needed, at the time of prolongation, and when the book became...
Footnotes
- 1.سَحِيقَةٌ مُنْجَرِدَةٌ: أَيْ عَالِيَةٌ لَا شَيْءَ فِيهَا.
Very tall and bare, i.e., high with nothing on it.
- 2.طَبَاهِجَةٌ: الطَّبَاهِجُ وَالطَّبَاهَجُ وَالطَّبْهَجُ: مَا يُؤْكَلُ فِي الْغَدَاةِ.
Tabāhijah: breakfast; something eaten in the morning.
- 3.التَّبْلِيَا وَالْبَرْبَنْدُ: أَدَوَاتٌ تُسْتَعْمَلُ لِتَسْهِيلِ الصُّعُودِ إِلَى النَّخْلِ.
A pulley and a rope ladder: tools used to facilitate climbing palm trees.
- 4.فَكَانَ هُوَ الطَّبَاهِجُ وَالْكَرْدَنَاجُ: أَيْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ الطَّائِرُ وَلِيمَةً لِلْإِفْطَارِ وَالْعَشَاءِ.
So it was the breakfast and the dinner, i.e., that bird was a feast for breakfast and supper.
- 5.إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَيَّابَةَ: أَدِيبٌ وَكَاتِبٌ عَبَّاسِيٌّ.
Ibrahim ibn Sayyaba: an Abbasid literary figure and scribe.
- 6.مُضَيِّقٌ: أَيْ ضَيِّقُ الْحَالِ، مُعْسِرٌ.
In tight circumstances, i.e., of straitened means, in difficulty.