مَسْأَلَةٌ،A question,فَأَجَبْتَنَاand you answered usعَنْaboutمَسْأَلَتَيْنِ.two questions.
A question, and you answered us about two questions.
قِصَّةُThe story ofالْعِرَاقِيِّthe Iraqiمَعَwithالْمَرْوَزِيِّ:the Marwazi:
The story of the Iraqi with the Marwazi:
وَمِنْAnd amongأَعَاجِيبِthe wondersأَهْلِof the peopleمَرْوَof Marwمَاwhatسَمِعْنَاهُwe heardمِنْfromمَشْيَخَتِنَاour eldersعَلَىoverوَجْهِthe courseالدَّهْرِ،of time,
And among the wonders of the people of Marw is what we heard from our elders over the course of time:
وَذَلِكَ:That is:إِنَّIndeed,رَجُلًاa manمِنْfromأَهْلِthe peopleمَرْوَof Marwكَانَused toوَلَاand notيَزَالُceaseيَحُجُّperform Hajjوَيَتَّجِرُ،and trade,
That is: Indeed, a man from the people of Marw used to continually perform Hajj and trade,
وَيَنْزِلُand he would stayعَلَىwithرَجُلٍa manمِنْfromأَهْلِthe peopleالْعِرَاقِ،of Iraq,فَيُكْرِمُهُand he would honor himوَيَكْفِيهِand suffice himمُؤُونَتَهُ.his expenses.
and he would stay with a man from the people of Iraq, and he would honor him and cover his expenses.
ثُمَّThenكَانَhe usedكَثِيرًاoftenمَاwhatيَقُولُto sayلِذَلِكَto thatالْعِرَاقِيِّ:Iraqi:
Then he used to often say to that Iraqi:
«لَيْتَWould thatإِنِّيIقَدْindeedرَأَيْتُكَsee youبِمَرْوَ،in Marw,
"Would that I see you in Marw,
حَتَّىso thatأُكَافِئَكَ،I may repay you,
so that I may repay you,
لِقَدِيمِfor the oldإِحْسَانِكَ،your kindness,وَمَاand whatتَجَدَّدَis renewedلِيfor meمِنَofالْبِرِّgoodnessفِيinكُلِّeveryمَرَّةٍ.time.
for your old kindness and the goodness renewed for me every time.
فَأَمَّاBut as forهَهُنَاhere,فَقَدْindeedأَغْنَاكَmade you self-sufficientاللهُGodعَنِّي»of me."
But here, God has made you independent of me."
قَالَ:He said:
He said:
فَعُرِضَتْThen presentedلِذَلِكَto thatالْعِرَاقِيِّ،Iraqi,بَعْدَafterدَهْرٍa long time,طَوِيلٍ،long,حَاجَةٌa needفِيinتِلْكَthatالنَّاحِيَةِ؛region;
He said: Then a need presented itself to that Iraqi, after a long time, in that region;
فَكَانَand it wasمِمَّاamong whatهَوَّنَmade easyعَلَيْهِfor himمُكَابَدَةَthe enduranceالسَّفَرِ،of travel,وَوَحْشَةَand the lonelinessالِاغْتِرَابِ،of being away from home,
and it was among what made easy for him the endurance of travel and the loneliness of exile,
مَكَانُthe placeالْمَرْوَزِيِّof the Marwaziهُنَاكَ.there.
the place of the Marwazi there.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenقَدِمَhe arrived,مَضَىhe wentنَحْوَهُtowards himفِيinثِيَابِthe clothesسَفَرِهِ،of his travel,
And when he arrived, he went towards him in his travel clothes,
وَفِيand inعِمَامَتِهِhis turbanوَقَلَنْسُوَتِهِ1and his capوَكِسَائِهِ،and his cloak,
and in his turban and his cap [1] and his cloak,
لِيُحَطَّto place downرَحْلَهُhis saddleعِنْدَهُ،with him,
to place down his saddle with him,
كَمَاasيَصْنَعُdoesالرَّجُلُa manبِثِقَتِهِ،with his trusted one,وَمَوْضِعِand placeأُنْسِهِ.of his intimacy.
as a man does with his trusted friend and place of comfort.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenوَجَدَهُhe found himقَاعِدًاsittingفِيamongأَصْحَابِهِ،his companions,
And when he found him sitting among his companions,
أَكَبَّhe leaned overعَلَيْهِon himوَعَانَقَهُ،and embraced him,
he leaned over him and embraced him,
فَلَمْbut he did notيَرَهُsee himأَثْبَتَهُ،acknowledge him,وَلَاnorسَأَلَaskعَنْهُabout himسُؤَالَthe questionمَنْof one whoرَآهُhad seen himقَطُّ.ever.
but he did not acknowledge him, nor did he ask about him as one would who had ever seen him.
قَالَHe saidالْعِرَاقِيُّthe Iraqiفِيinنَفْسِهِ:himself:
The Iraqi said to himself:
«لَعَلَّ"Perhapsإِنْكَارَهُhis denialإِيَّايَof meلِمَكَانِis because ofالْقِنَاعِ»؛the face veil";
"Perhaps his denial of me is because of the face veil";
فَرَمَىso he threw offبِقِنَاعِهِ،his face veil,وَابْتَدَأَand beganمُسَاءَلَتَهُ،questioning him,
so he threw off his face veil and began questioning him,
فَكَانَbut he wasلَهُto himأَنْكَرَ.even more denying.
but he was even more denying to him.
فَقَالَ:So he said:
So he said:
«لَعَلَّهُ"Perhapsأَنْthatيَكُونَit isإِنَّمَاonlyأُتِيَhe was struckمِنْfromقِبَلِthe directionالْعِمَامَةِ»؛of the turban";
"Perhaps he was only struck because of the turban";
فَنَزَعَهَاso he removed itثُمَّthenانْتَسَبَ،identified himself,وَجَدَّدَand renewedمُسَاءَلَتَهُ،his questioning,
so he removed it, then identified himself, and renewed his questioning,
فَوَجَدَهُand he found himأَشَدَّmost severeمَاin whatكَانَwasلَهُfor himإِنْكَارًا.denial.
and he found him most severe in denial.
قَالَHe said«فَلَعَلَّهُ"So perhapsإِنَّمَاonlyأُتِيَhe was struckمِنْfromقِبَلِthe directionالْقَلَنْسُوَةِ»؛of the cap";
He said: "So perhaps he was only struck because of the cap";
وَعَلِمَAnd he knewالْمَرْوَزِيُّthe Marwaziأَنَّهُthat thereلَمْdid notيَبْقَremainشَيْءٌany thingيَتَعَلَّقُto clingبِهِto itالْمُتَغَافِلُthe heedlessوَالْمُتَجَاهِلُ،and the ignorant,
And the Marwazi knew that there was nothing left for the heedless and the ignorant to cling to,
فَقَالَ:so he said:
so he said:
«لَوْ"Even ifخَرَجْتَyou came outمِنْfromجِلْدِكَyour skin,لَمْnotأَعْرِفْكَ»:I would not know you":
"Even if you came out of your skin, I would not know you":
تَرْجَمَةُThe translationهَذَاof thisالْكَلَامِspeechبِالْفَارِسِيَّةِ:into Persian:
The translation of this speech into Persian:
«اَكْرَازْبُوسْتْ"If from the skinبَارُونْoutبِيَائِيyou come,نَشْنَاسْتَمْ»2I would not know you"
"If you come out from the skin, I would not know you" [2]
Footnotes
- 1.القَلَنْسُوَةُ: غِطَاءٌ يَلْبَسُهُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ تَحْتَ الْعِمَامَةِ، وَتُسَمَّى أَيْضًا الطَّاقِيَّةَ أَوِ الْقَبْعَةَ.
The cap: a covering that a man wears on his head under the turban, also called a skullcap or a hat.
- 2.هَذَا النَّصُّ الْفَارِسِيُّ كَتَبَهُ الْمُؤَلِّفُ بِالْحُرُوفِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ كَمَا نُطِقَ بِهِ فِي الْفَارِسِيَّةِ، وَمَعْنَاهُ: لَوْ خَرَجْتَ مِنْ جِلْدِكَ لَمْ أَعْرِفْكَ، وَهُوَ مَعْنَى الْعِبَارَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ.
This Persian text was written by the author in Arabic letters as it is pronounced in Persian, and its meaning is: 'If you came out of your skin, I would not know you.' It corresponds to the meaning of the Arabic expression.