al bukhala al jahiz

Page 285

وَلَوْand even ifأَنَّهَاthat theyلَمْnotتَدْفَعِpush awayالرُّسْلَthe gifts/milkدَمَهَاtheir blood

And even if they (the camels) did not push away the gifts (milk) with their blood, ...

رَأَىsawبَعْضُهَاsome of themمِنْfromبَعْضٍsomeأَنْسَابَهَاtheir lineagesدَمَاblood (accusative)

Some of them saw their lineages from others as blood.

وَيُقَدِّمُونَand they presentاللَّحْمَthe meatعَلَىoverالتَّمْرِthe dates

And they present meat over dates.

أَلَاindeedتَرَاهُyou see himيَقُولُsaying

Do you not see him saying:

قَرَتْنِيshe gave me hospitalityعَبِيدُAbid (proper name)تَمْرَهَاher datesوَقَرَيْتُهَاand I gave hospitality to herسَنَامَthe humpمُصَرَّاةٍa she-camel that has not been milked for a long timeقَلِيلِlittleرُكُوبِهَاriding her

Abid gave me hospitality with her dates, and I gave her hospitality with the hump of a she-camel that had not been milked for a while and was rarely ridden.

فَهَلْthen doesيَسْتَوِيequalشَحْمُfat ofالسَّنَامِthe humpإِذَاwhenشَتَاwinter cameوَتَمْرُand dates ofجَوَاثَاJuwatha (place)حِينَwhenيُلْقَىis thrownعَسِيبُهَاits palm branch

Does the fat of the hump equal the dates of Juwatha when its palm branch is thrown (i.e., when dates are ripe)?

وَلَيْسَand notيَكُونُisفَوْقَaboveعَقْرِslaughteringالْإِبِلِthe camelsوَإِطْعَامِand feedingالسَّنَامِthe humpشَيْءٌanything

And there is nothing above slaughtering camels and feeding the hump.

وَالْعَقْرُand al-aqrهُوَisالنَّجْدَةُvalorوَاللَّبَنُand milkهُوَisالرُّسْلُthe gift (milk)

And al-aqr is valor, and milk is the gift.

قَالَsaidالْهُذَلِيُّal-Hudhali

Al-Hudhali said:

لَوْifأَنَّthatعِنْدِيwith meمِنْofقُرَيْمٍQurayim (tribe)رَجُلًاa manلَمَنَعُونِيthey would have prevented (defended) meنَجْدَةًvalorأَوْorرُسْلًاmilk

If I had a man from Qurayim, they would have defended me with valor or milk.

وَقَالَand saidالْهُذَلِيُّal-Hudhali

And al-Hudhali said:

أَلَاindeedإِنَّverilyخَيْرَthe best ofالنَّاسِpeopleرُسْلًاin milkوَنَجْدَةًand valor

Indeed, the best of people in milk and valor

وَقَالَand saidالْمِرِّارُal-Mirrarبْنُson ofسَعِيدٍSa'idالْفَقْعَسِيُّal-Faq'asi

And al-Mirrar ibn Sa'id al-Faq'asi said:

لَهُمْfor themإِبِلٌcamelsلَاnotمِنْfromدِيَّاتٍblood moneyوَلَمْand notتَكُنْwereمُهُورًاdowniesوَلَاand notمِنْfromمَكْسَبٍearningغَيْرِother thanطَائِلٍof little value

They have camels not from blood money, nor were they downies, nor from an earning of little value.

وَلَكِنْbutحَمَاهَاprotected themمِنْfromشَمَاطِيطَscattered groupsغَارَةٍof a raidخِلَالَthroughالْعَوَالِيthe spear shaftsفَارِسٌa horsemanغَيْرِnotمَائِلٍinclining (fleeing)

But a horseman, not inclining (fleeing), protected them from scattered groups of a raid through the spear shafts.

مُخَيِّسَةٍhumbled/trainedفِيinكُلِّeveryرُسْلٍmilkوَنَجْدَةٍand valorوَمَعْرُوفَةٌand knownأَلْوَانُهَاtheir colorsفِيinالْمَعَاقِلِthe fortresses

They are humbled in every milk and valor, and their colors are known in the fortresses.

وَقَدْand indeedوَصَفُواthey describedالثَّرِيدَthe tharid (bread soaked in broth)فَقَالَand saidالرَّاعِيal-Ra'i (the shepherd poet)

And they described tharid, and al-Ra'i said:

فَبَاتَand he spent the nightيَعُدُّcountingالنَّجْمَthe starمِنْfromمُسْتَحِيرَةٍa round (dish)سَرِيعٍswiftعَلَىonأَيْدِيhands ofالرِّجَالِthe menجُمُودُهَاits solidification

And he spent the night counting the stars, from a round (dish) whose solidification is swift on the hands of men.

Footnotes

  1. 1.قَرَتْنِي عَبِيدُ تَمْرَهَا وَقَرَيْتُهَا سَنَامَ مُصَرَّاةٍ قَلِيلِ رُكُوبِهَا

    Abid gave me her dates as hospitality, and I gave her the hump of a she-camel that had not been milked and was rarely ridden.

  2. 2.فَهَلْ يَسْتَوِي شَحْمُ السَّنَامِ إِذَا شَتَا وَتَمْرُ جَوَاثَا حِينَ يُلْقَى عَسِيبُهَا

    Does the fat of the hump equal the dates of Juwatha when its palm branch is thrown?

  3. 3.أَلَا إِنَّ خَيْرَ النَّاسِ رُسْلًا وَنَجْدَةً

    Indeed, the best of people in milk and valor.

  4. 4.لَهُمْ إِبِلٌ لَا مِنْ دِيَّاتٍ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ مُهُورًا وَلَا مِنْ مَكْسَبٍ غَيْرِ طَائِلٍ

    They have camels not from blood money, nor were they downies, nor from an earning of little value.

  5. 5.وَلَكِنْ حَمَاهَا مِنْ شَمَاطِيطَ غَارَةٍ خِلَالَ الْعَوَالِي فَارِسٌ غَيْرُ مَائِلٍ

    But a horseman, not inclining, protected them from scattered groups of a raid through the spear shafts.

  6. 6.مُخَيِّسَةٍ فِي كُلِّ رُسْلٍ وَنَجْدَةٍ وَمَعْرُوفَةٌ أَلْوَانُهَا فِي الْمَعَاقِلِ

    They are humbled in every milk and valor, and their colors are known in the fortresses.

  7. 7.مُسْتَحِيرَةٍ

    a round dish (of tharid)