عِنْدَهُat his placeفِيinأَدْنَىlowestبَيْتٍhouseأَوْorفِيinدِهْلِيزِهِhis vestibule،,
At his place in the lowest house or in his vestibule,
وَلَمْand notأُلْزِمْهُI did not oblige himمِنْfromمُؤْنَتِي1my provisionsشَيْئًاanything،,
And I did not oblige him to pay anything of my provisions,
حَتَّىuntilإِذَاwhenانْصَدَعَcrackedعَمُودُpillarالصُّبْحِ2of dawnخَرَجْتُI went outفِيinأَوَائِلِthe early partالْمُدْلِجِينَ3travelers at dawn»»..
Until when the pillar of dawn cracked, I went out with the early travelers.
فَدَقَّAnd he knockedعَلَيْهِon itالْبَابَthe doorدَقَّknockوَاثِقٍof a confident،,
And he knocked on the door the knock of a confident,
وَدَقَّand knockedمُدِلٍّwith pride،,
and knocked with pride,
وَدَقَّand knockedمَنْone whoيَخَافُfearsأَنْthatيُدْرِكَهُovertakes himالْعَسَسُthe patrolأَوْorأَحَدٌsomeoneيَتْبَعُهُfollows him،,
and knocked like one who fears that the patrol might catch him or someone is following him,
وَفِيand inقَلْبِهِhis heartمِنَofالْخَوْفِfearمَاthat whichيَزِيدُincreasesعَنِbeyondالْكِفَايَةِsufficiency..
and in his heart there was more fear than enough.
فَلَمْand notيَشُكَّdoubtأَبُوAbuمَازِنٍMazinأَنَّهُthat itدَقَّknockصَاحِبِof a possessorهَدِيَّةٍof a gift،,
Abu Mazin did not doubt that it was the knock of a gift-bringer,
فَنَزَلَso he descendedسَرِيعًاquickly..
so he came down quickly.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenفَتَحَhe openedالْبَابَthe door،,
And when he opened the door,
وَنَظَرَand lookedلِجَبَلٍat Jabal،,أَبْصَرَhe sawالْمَوْتَdeath..
and looked at Jabal, he saw death.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenرَآهُhe saw himجَبَلٌJabalوَاجِمًا4silentلَاnotيُحِيرُhe returnsكَلِمَةًa word،,
And when Jabal saw him silent, not returning a word,
قَالَhe saidلَهُto him::
he said to him:
«"إِنِّيIndeed Iخِفْتُfearedمَعَرَّةَthe harmالْعَسَسِof the patrolوَخَوْفَand the fearأَحَدٍof someoneيَضُرُّنِيharms meأَوْorيَتْبَعُنِيfollows me،,
"Indeed I feared the harm of the patrol and the fear of someone harming me or following me,
فَمِلْتُso I inclinedإِلَيْكَto youلِأَبِيتَto spend the nightعِنْدَكَat your place..
so I inclined to you to spend the night at your place."
فَتَسَاكَرَThen he feigned drunkennessأَبُوAbuمَازِنٍMazin،,
Then Abu Mazin feigned drunkenness,
وَأَرَاهُand he showed himأَنَّthatوُجُومَهُhis silenceإِنَّمَاonlyكَانَwasبِسَبَبِbecause ofالسُّكْرِdrunkenness..
and showed him that his silence was only due to drunkenness.
فَفَتَحَSo he openedفَاهُhis mouth،,وَحَرَّكَand movedلِسَانَهُhis tongue،,
So he opened his mouth and moved his tongue,
وَقَالَand said::
and said:
«"سَكْرَانُDrunkوَاللهِby God،,أَنَاIوَاللهِby Godسَكْرَانُdrunk»»..
"Drunk, by God, I am, by God, drunk."
قَالَHe saidلَهُto himجَبَلٌJabal::
Jabal said to him:
«"كُنْBeكَيْفَhoweverشِئْتَyou wish..
"Be however you wish.
نَحْنُWeفِيinأَيَّامِdaysالرَّبِيعِof spring،,لَاnotشِتَاءَwinterوَلَاand notصَيْفَsummer،,
We are in spring days, no winter and no summer,
وَلَسْتُand I am notأَحْتَاجُin needإِلَىofسَطْحٍa roofفَأُغِمَّso I would oppressعِيَالَكَyour familyبِالْحَرِّwith the heat،,
and I do not need a roof so I would oppress your family with heat,
وَلَسْتُand I am notأَحْتَاجُin needإِلَىofلِحَافٍa blanketفَأُكَلِّفَكَso I would oblige youأَنْtoتُؤْثِرَنِيprefer meبِالدِّثَارِ5with the covering..
and I do not need a blanket so I would oblige you to prefer me with the covering.
وَأَنَاAnd Iكَمَاasتَرَىyou seeثَمِلٌ6intoxicatedمِنَfromالشَّرَابِdrink،,شَبْعَانُfullمِنَfromالطَّعَامِfood،,
And I, as you see, am intoxicated from drink, full from food,
وَمِنْand fromمَنْزِلِthe houseفُلَانٍof so-and-soخَرَجْتُI came out،,وَهُوَand he isأَخْصَبُmost abundantالنَّاسِof peopleرَحْلًاin provisions..
and from the house of so-and-so I came out, and he is the most abundant of people in provisions.
وَإِنَّمَاand onlyأُرِيدُI wantأَنْthatتَدَعَنِيyou let meأُغْفِيdozeفِيinدِهْلِيزِكَyour vestibuleإِغْفَاءَةًa dozeوَاحِدَةًone،,
And I only want you to let me doze in your vestibule one doze,
ثُمَّthenأَقُومُI stand upفِيinأَوَائِلِthe early partالْمُبَكِّرِينَof those who go early»»..
then I will stand up with the earliest risers."
قَالَHe saidأَبُوAbuمَازِنٍMazin((وَأَرْخَىand he relaxedعَيْنَيْهِhis eyesوَفَكَّيْهِand his jawsوَلِسَانَهُand his tongue))
Abu Mazin said (and he relaxed his eyes and his jaws and his tongue)
ثُمَّthenقَالَhe said::
then said:
«"سَكْرَانُDrunk،,وَاللهِby God،,أَنَاIسَكْرَانُdrunk،,لَاnotوَاللهِby GodمَاwhatأَعْقِلُI understandأَيْنَwhereأَنَاI am،,وَاللهِby GodمَاnotأَفْهَمُI understandمَاwhatتَقُولُyou say»»..
"Drunk, by God, I am drunk, no by God, I do not comprehend where I am, by God, I do not understand what you say."
ثُمَّThenأَغْلَقَhe closedالْبَابَthe doorفِيinوَجْهِهِhis face،,وَدَخَلَand entered،,
Then he closed the door in his face and entered,
لَاnotيَشُكُّdoubtingأَنَّthatعُذْرَهُhis excuseقَدْindeedوَضَحَbecame clear،,وَأَنَّهُand that heقَدْindeedأَلْطَفَwas subtleالنَّظَرَthe considerationحَتَّىuntilوَقَعَhe fell uponعَلَىuponهَذِهِthisالْحِيلَةِtrick..
not doubting that his excuse was clear, and that he had considered subtly until he hit upon this trick.
Footnotes
- 1.مُؤْنَتِي: مَا أَنْفِقُهُ عَلَى نَفْسِي مِنْ طَعَامٍ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ.
My provisions: what I spend on myself of food or other.
- 2.عَمُودُ الصُّبْحِ: أَوَّلُ ضَوْءٍ يَظْهَرُ فِي الْفَجْرِ وَيَتَصَدَّعُ، أَيْ يَنْفَلِقُ.
Pillar of dawn: the first light that appears at dawn and splits, i.e., breaks open.
- 3.الْمُدْلِجِينَ: جَمْعُ مُدْلِجٍ، وَهُمُ الَّذِينَ يَسِيرُونَ فِي آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ أَوْ أَوَّلِهِ.
Travelers at dawn: plural of mudlij, those who travel late at night or early morning.
- 4.وَاجِمًا: سَاكِتًا مِنَ الْحُزْنِ أَوِ الْخَوْفِ.
Silent: quiet from sadness or fear.
- 5.الدِّثَارُ: مَا يُتَدَثَّرُ بِهِ مِنْ كِسَاءٍ أَوْ غِطَاءٍ.
Covering: what one wraps oneself in of clothing or covering.
- 6.ثَمِلٌ: مُتْعَبٌ بِالسُّكْرِ، مُخْتَلٌّ بِسَبَبِ الشَّرَابِ.
Intoxicated: affected by drunkenness, disordered by drink.