al bukhala al jahiz

Page 57

فِنَاءُcourtyardحَائِطٍof a wallلَهُfor itظِلٌّshadeشَدِيدُintenselyالسَّوَادِblackبَارِدٌcoldنَاعِمٌsoft

A walled courtyard had a deeply black shade, cold and soft.

وَذَلِكَand thatلِثِخَنِbecause of the thicknessالسَّاتِرِof the screenوَالْكَتْنَازِand the compactnessالْأَجْزَاءِof the partsوَلِبُعْدِand because of the distanceمَسْقِطِof the falling placeالشَّمْسِof the sunمِنْfromأَصْلِthe baseحَائِطِهِof its wall

That was because of the thickness of the screen, the compactness of its parts, and the distance of the sun's projecting point from the base of its wall.

فَطَالَand prolongedبِنَاwith usالْحَدِيثُthe talkوَجَرَيْنَاand we went onفِيinضُرُوبٍvarious kindsمِنَofالْكَلَامِconversation

And our talk became long, and we went on in various kinds of conversation.

فَمَاand notشَعَرْنَاwe feltإِلَّاexceptوَالنَّهَارُand the dayقَدِalreadyانْتَصَفَbecame halfوَنَحْنُand weفِيinيَوْمٍa dayقَائِظٍscorching

And we were unaware until the day had reached its midpoint, and we were in a scorching day.

فَلَمَّاand whenأَرَدْنَاwe wantedالرُّجُوعَthe returnوَوَجَدْتُand I foundمَسَّthe touchالشَّمْسِof the sunوَوَقْعَهَاand its strikeعَلَىonالرَّأْسِthe headأَيْقَنْتُI became certainبِالْبِرْسَامِof the pleurisy

And when we wanted to return, and I found the sun's touch and its strike on the head, I became certain of the pleurisy.

فَقُلْتُand I saidلِأَبِيto AbuإِسْحَاقَIshaqوَالْوَلِيدُand al-Walidإِلَىbesideجَنْبِيmy sideيَسْمَعُhearsكَلَامِيmy speech

And I said to Abu Ishaq, while al-Walid was beside me listening to my speech:

الْبَاطِنَةُthe inner partمِنَّاfrom usبَعِيدَةٌfar awayوَهَذَاand thisيَوْمٌdayمُنْكَرٌterribleوَنَحْنُand weفِيinسَاعَةٍan hourتُذِيبُmeltsكُلَّeveryشَيْءٍthing

The inner city is far from us, and this is a terrible day, and we are in an hour that melts everything.

وَالرَّأْيُand the opinionأَنْthatنَمِيلَwe inclineإِلَىtoمَنْزِلِthe houseالْوَلِيدِof al-Walidفَنَقِيلَand we take a siestaفِيهِin itوَنَأْكُلَand we eatمَاwhatحَضَرَis available

The wise opinion is that we lean toward al-Walid's house, take a siesta there, and eat whatever is available.

فَإِنَّهُfor itيَوْمٌis a dayشَدِيدٌsevereفَإِذَاand whenأَبْرَدْنَاwe cool downتَفَرَّقْنَاwe separate

For it is a severe day; when we cool down, we will separate.

وَإِلَّاand if notفَهُوَthen it isالْمَوْتُdeathلَيْسَnotدُونَهُwithout itشَيْءٌanything

Otherwise it is death, with nothing besides it.

قَالَhe saidالْوَلِيدُal-Walidرَافِعًاraisingصَوْتَهُhis voice

Al-Walid said, raising his voice:

أَمَّاas forعَلَىonهَذَاthisالْوَجْهِmannerلَاnotيَكُونُit will beوَاللهِby Godأَبَدًاever

As for this manner, it will never happen, by God.

فَضَعْهُso put itفِيinسُوَيْدَاءِthe coreقَلْبِكَof your heart

So put it in the core of your heart.

فَقُلْتُand I saidلَهُto him

And I said to him:

مَاwhatهَذَاis thisالْوَجْهُmannerالَّذِيthatأَنْكَرْتَهُyou disapprovedعَلَيْنَاregarding usرَحِمَكَmay God have mercy on youاللهُGod

What is this manner that you disapproved regarding us, may God have mercy on you?

هَلْis thereهَهُنَاhereإِلَّاexceptالْحَاجَةُthe needوَالضَّرُورَةُand the necessity

Is there anything here except need and necessity?

قَالَhe saidإِنَّكَyouأَخْرَجْتَهُput itمُخْرَجَin the mannerالْهُزْءِof jest

He said: You put it in the manner of jest.

قُلْتُI saidكَيْفَhowأُخْرِجُهُdo I put itمُخْرَجَin the mannerالْهُزْءِof jestوَحَيَاتِيand my lifeفِيinيَدِكَyour handمَعَwithمَعْرِفَتِيmy knowledgeبِكَof you

I said: How do I put it in the manner of jest, while my life is in your hand, along with my knowledge of you?

فَغَضِبَand he became angryوَنَتْرِيدُهُand we took himمِنْfromأَيْدِينَاour handsوَفَارَقَنَاand he left us

And he became angry, and we took him from our hands, and he left us.

وَلَاand notوَاللهِby Godمَاnotاعْتَذَرَhe apologizedإِلَيْنَاto usمِمَّاfor whatرَكِبْنَاwe didبِهِwith itإِلَىuntilالسَّاعَةِthis moment

And by God, he has not apologized to us for what we did with him up to this moment.

وَلَمْand notأَرَI sawمَنْwhoيَجْعَلُmakesالْأَسَىthe consolationفِيinالْمَنْعِthe refusalإِلَّاexceptهُوَhe

And I have seen no one who makes the consolation in the refusal except him.

وَإِلَّاand exceptمَاwhatكَانَwasمِنْfromأَبِيAbuمَازِنٍMazinإِلَىtoجَبَلِJabalالْعُمَيّal-Umeyy

And except for what was from Abu Mazin to Jabal al-Umeyy.

جَبَلٌJabalوَأَبُوand AbuمَازِنٍMazin

Jabal and Abu Mazin:

وَكَانَand he wasجَبَلٌJabalخَرَجَwent outلَيْلًاby nightمِنْfromمَوْضِعٍa placeكَانَhe wasفِيهِin it

And Jabal had gone out at night from a place where he was.

فَخَافَand he fearedالْعَسَسَthe patrolوَلَمْand notيَأْمَنْtrustأَحَدًاanyoneيَتْبَعُهُwho would follow himفَيَضُرَّهُand harm him

He feared the night patrol and did not trust anyone who might follow him and harm him.

فَقَالَand he saidلَوْifدَقَقْتُI knockedالْبَابَthe doorعَلَىonأَبِيAbuمَازِنٍMazinفَبِتُّand I would spend the night

And he said: If I knocked on Abu Mazin's door, and I would spend the night

Footnotes

  1. 1.يَوْمٌ قَائِظٌ: شَدِيدُ الْحَرِّ.

    A scorching day: extremely hot.

  2. 2.الْبِرْسَامُ: مَرَضٌ يُصِيبُ الرَّأْسَ وَالْجَوَانِبَ.

    Pleurisy: a disease that affects the head and sides.

  3. 3.الْبَاطِنَةُ: بَاطِنُ الْبَصْرَةِ.

    Al-Batina: the inner part of Basra.

  4. 4.نَقِيلُ: نَأْخُذُ الْقَيْلُولَةَ.

    We take a siesta.

  5. 5.الْعَسَسُ: الطَّوْفُ بِاللَّيْلِ لِحِرَاسَةِ النَّاسِ.

    The night patrol: going around at night to guard the people.