رَأَيْتُI sawصَاحِبَownerسَقَطٍ1of a fallقَدِindeedاعْتَقَدَ2acquiredمِائَةَhundredجَرِيبٍ3jarib (land measure)فِيinأَرْضِlandالْعَرَبِof the Arabs
I saw a merchant who had fallen on hard times ⟦1⟧ acquire ⟦2⟧ a hundred jaribs ⟦3⟧ of land in the Arab territory.
وَلَرُبَّمَاand perhapsرَأَيْتُهُI saw himيَبِيعُsellingالْفُلْفُلَpepperبِقِيرَاطٍfor a qiratوَالْحُمُّصَand chickpeasبِقِيرَاطٍfor a qirat
And perhaps I saw him selling pepper for a qirat and chickpeas for a qirat.
فَأَعْلَمُso I knowأَنَّهُthat heلَمْnotيَرْبَحْprofitفِيinذَلِكَthatالْفُلْفُلِpepperإِلَّاexceptالْحَبَّةَthe grainوَالْحَبَّتَيْنِand the two grainsمِنْfromخَشَبِwoodالْفُلْفُلِof pepper
So I know that he did not profit from that pepper except a grain or two, from the pepper plant.
فَلَمْand notيَزَلْceaseيَجْمَعُcollectingمِنَfromالصِّغَارِthe smallالْكِبَارَthe largeحَتَّىuntilاجْتَمَعَgatheredمَاwhatاشْتَرَىhe boughtبِهِwith itمِائَةَhundredجَرِيبٍjarib
He kept collecting from small to large until he gathered enough to buy a hundred jaribs with it.
⟦مَاءُwaterالنُّخَالَةِof bran⟧
Bran Water
ثُمَّthenقَالَhe saidاشْتَكَيْتُI complainedأَيَّامًاfor daysصَدْرِيmy chestمِنْfromسُعَالٍa coughكَانَwasأَصَابَنِيafflicted me
Then he said: 'I complained for days of my chest, from a cough that had afflicted me.'
فَأَمَرَنِيand ordered meقَوْمٌsome peopleبِالْفَانِيذِ4with fanidh (a sweet)السُّكَّرِيِّsugary
Some people ordered me to use sugary fanidh ⟦4⟧.
وَأَشَارَand advisedعَلَيَّmeآخَرُونَothersبِالْخَزِيرَةِ5with kharīra (a broth)تُتَّخَذُmadeمِنَfromالنَّشَاسْتَجِ6starchوَالسُّكَرِand sugarوَدُهْنِand oilاللَّوْزِof almondوَأَشْبَاهِand similarذَلِكَto that
Others advised me to use kharīra ⟦5⟧ made from starch ⟦6⟧, sugar, almond oil, and the like.
فَاسْتَثْقَلْتُand I found heavyالْمَئُونَةَthe burdenوَكَرِهْتُand I dislikedالْكُلْفَةَthe expenseوَرَجَوْتُand I hopedالْعَافِيَةَrecovery
I found the burden heavy, disliked the expense, and hoped for recovery.
فَبَيْنَاand whileأَنَاIأُدَافِعُwarding offالْأَيَّامَthe daysإِذْwhenقَالَsaidلِيto meبَعْضُsomeالْمُوَفَّقِينَof the successful
While I was warding off the days, one of the successful said to me:
عَلَيْكَupon youبِمَاءِwith waterالنُّخَالَةِof branفَأَحْسِسْهُ7sip itحَارًّاhot
'Use bran water, sip it ⟦7⟧ hot.'
فَحَسَوْتُand I sippedفَإِذَاand beholdهُوَitطَيِّبٌpleasantجِدًّاvery
So I sipped it, and behold, it was very pleasant.
وَإِذَاand beholdهُوَitيَعْصِمُ8prevents hungerجِدًّاvery
And it was very satiating ⟦8⟧.
فَمَاand notجُعْتُI became hungryوَلَاnorاشْتَهَيْتُI cravedالْغَدَاءَlunchفِيinذَلِكَthatالْيَوْمِdayإِلَىuntilالظُّهْرِnoon
I did not get hungry nor crave lunch that day until noon.
ثُمَّthenمَاnotفَرَغْتُI finishedمِنْfromغَدَائِيmy lunchوَغَسْلِand washingيَدَيَّmy handsحَتَّىuntilقَارَبْتُI approachedالْعَصْرَlate afternoon
Then I had not finished my lunch and washing my hands until I approached late afternoon.
فَلَمَّاand whenقَرُبَapproachedوَقْتُtimeغَدَائِيmy lunchمِنْfromوَقْتِtimeعَشَائِيmy dinnerطَوَيْتُI skippedالْعَشَاءَdinnerوَعَرَفْتُand I knewقَصْدِيmy aim
When the time of my lunch approached the time of my dinner, I skipped dinner and knew my aim.
فَقُلْتُand I saidلِلْعَجُوزِto the old womanلِمَwhyلَاnotتَطْبُخِينَyou cookلِعِيَالِنَاfor our familyفِيinكُلِّeveryغَدَاةٍmorningنُخَالَةًbran
So I said to the old woman: 'Why don't you cook bran every morning for our family?'
فَإِنَّfor indeedمَاءَهَاits waterجِلَاءٌcleansingلِلصَّدْرِfor the chestوَقُوتُهَاand its substanceغِذَاءٌnourishmentوَعِصْمَةٌand satiety
For its water is cleansing for the chest, its substance is nourishment and satiety.
ثُمَّthenتُجَفِّفِينَyou dryبَعْدُafterwardsالنُّخَالَةَthe branفَتَعُودُso it returnsكَمَاasكَانَتْit was
Then you dry the bran, so it returns as it was.
فَتَبِيعِينَهُand you sell itإِذَاwhenاجْتَمَعَit accumulatesبِمِثْلِfor likeالثَّمَنِthe priceالْأَوَّلِfirstوَنَكُونُand we will beقَدْindeedرَبِحْنَاwe profited
Then you sell it, when it accumulates, for the same price as the first, and we would have profited.
Footnotes
- 1.سَقَطَ
fell
- 2.اعْتَقَدَ بِمَعْنَى امْتَلَكَ أَوِ اشْتَرَى
acquired in the sense of owned or bought
- 3.الْجَرِيبُ مِقْدَارٌ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ مَعْرُوفٌ
The jarib is a known measure of land
- 4.الْفَانِيذُ حَلْوَى مِنَ السُّكَّرِ
Fanidh is a sweet made from sugar
- 5.الْخَزِيرَةُ حَسَاءٌ يُتَّخَذُ مِنَ النَّشَا وَاللَّحْمِ وَغَيْرِهِ
Kharīra is a broth made from starch, meat, and other things
- 6.النَّشَاسْتَجُ هُوَ النَّشَا
Nashastaj is starch
- 7.أَحْسِسْهُ أَيِ اشْرَبْهُ شُرْبًا رَفِيقًا
Ahsis-hu means sip it gently
- 8.يَعْصِمُ أَيْ يَمْنَعُ الْجُوعَ
Ya‘sim means it prevents hunger