فَقَدْindeedبَلَغَhe reachedفِيinالْبُخْلِmiserlinessوَالتَّكْدِيَةِand beggingوَفِيand inكَثْرَةِabundanceالْمَالِof wealthالْمَبَالِغَthe degreesالَّتِيthatلَمْnotيَبْلُغْهَاreached themأَحَدٌanyone
Indeed, he reached degrees in miserliness, begging, and abundance of wealth that no one else had reached.
وَكَانَand he wasيَنْزِلُstayingفِيinشِقِّquarterبَنِيof Banuتَمِيمٍ1Tamimفَلَمْand notيَعْرِفُوهُthey recognized him
He used to stay in the quarter of Banu Tamim, but they did not recognize him.
فَوَقَفَand stoodعَلَيْهِbefore himذَاتَoneيَوْمٍdayسَائِلٌa beggarوَهُوَwhile heفِيinمَجْلِسٍa gatheringمِنْofمَجَالِسِهِمْtheir gatherings
One day a beggar stood before him while he was in one of their gatherings.
فَأَدْخَلَand he putيَدَهُhis handفِيinالْكِيسِthe purseلِيُخْرِجَto take outفَلْسًاa fils (small coin)وَفُلُوسُand the fils coinsالْبَصْرَةِof Basraكِبَارٌlargeفَغَلِطَso he made a mistakeبِدِرْهَمٍwith a dirhamبِغَلِيٍّ2by mistakeفَلَمْand notيَفْطِنْhe noticedحَتَّىuntilوَضَعَهُhe placed itفِيinيَدِthe handالسَّائِلِof the beggar
He put his hand into his purse to take out a fils, and the fils coins of Basra were large, so he mistakenly took out a dirham, and he did not realize until he had placed it in the beggar's hand.
فَلَمَّاand whenفَطَنَhe noticedاسْتَرَدَّهُhe took it backوَأَعْطَاهُand gave himالْفَلْسَthe fils
When he noticed, he took it back and gave him the fils.
فَقِيلَand it was saidلَهُto himهَذَاthisلَاnotنَظُنُّهُwe think itيَحِلُّis permissibleوَهُوَand itبَعْدُafter thatبِمِثْلِكَfor someone like youقَبِيحٌugly
It was said to him, "We do not think this is permissible, and it is ugly for someone like you."
قَالَhe saidقَبِيحٌuglyعِنْدَكُمْin your viewوَأَمَّاbut as forأَنَاIفَإِنِّيthen Iلَمْdid notأَجْمَعْI gatheredهَذَاthisالْمَالَwealthبِعُقُولِكُمْwith your mindsفَأُفَرِّقَهُso I would distribute itبِعُقُولِكُمْwith your minds
He said, "Ugly in your view, but as for me, I did not gather this wealth with your minds, so I would distribute it with your minds."
لَيْسَnotهَذَاthisمِنْofمَسَاكِينِthe poorالدَّرَاهِمِof dirhamsهَذَاthisمِنْofمَسَاكِينِthe poorالْفُلُوسِof fils
This one is not from the poor of dirhams; this is from the poor of fils.
وَاللهِby GodمَاnotأَعْرِفُهُI know himإِلَّاexceptبِالْفِرَاسَةِ3by physiognomy
By God, I only know him by physiognomy.
قَالُواthey saidوَإِنَّكَand indeed youلَتَعْرِفُdo knowالْمُكَدِّينَthe beggars
They said, "And indeed you know the beggars?"
قَالَhe saidوَكَيْفَand howلَاnotأَعْرِفُهُمْI know themوَأَنَاand Iكُنْتُwasكَاجَارٍ4a beggarفِيinحَدَاثَةِyouthسِنِّيof my age
He said, "And how would I not know them? I was a beggar in my youth."
ثُمَّthenلَمْnotيَبْقَremainedفِيinالْأَرْضِthe landمُخْطَرَانِيٌّ5a beggarوَلَاnorمُسْتَعْرِضُone who showsأَقْفِيَةٍ6backsوَلَاnorشَحَّاذٌbeggarوَلَاnorكَاغَانِيKaghaniوَلَاnorبَانْوَانُBanwanوَلَاnorقُرْسِيٌّQursiوَلَاnorعَوَّاءٌAwwaوَلَاnorمُشَعِّبٌMusha''ibوَلَاnorفُلُورٌFulurوَلَاnorمَزِيدِيٌّMazidiوَلَاnorإِسْطَبْلٌIstablإِلَّاexceptوَكَانَwasتَحْتَunderيَدِيmy hand
Then there remained no beggar in the land, nor one showing his back, nor a beggar, nor Kaghani, nor Banwan, nor Qursi, nor Awwa, nor Musha''ib, nor Fulur, nor Mazidi, nor Istabl, but was under my control.
وَلَقَدْand indeedأَكَلْتُI ateالزَّكُورِيَّthe Zukuriثَلَاثِينَthirtyسَنَةًyearsوَلَمْand notيَبْقَremainedفِيinالْأَرْضِthe landكَعْبِيٌّKa''biوَلَاnorمُكَدٍّbeggarإِلَّاexceptوَقَدْand indeedأَخَذَتْtookالْعِرَافَةَthe beggarshipعَلَيْهِupon him
And indeed I ate Zukuri for thirty years, and there remained no Ka''bi nor beggar but I had taken the beggarship upon him.
حَتَّىuntilخَضَعَsubmittedإِلَىtoإِسْحَقَIshaqقَتَّالِfighterالْحَرِّ7of heatوَبِنْجَوَيْهِand Binjawayhشَعْرِhairالْجَمَلِof the camelوَعَمْرِوand Amrالْقُوقِيلِal-Qawqilوَجَعْفَرَand Ja''farكُرْدِيِّKurdiكَلَكٍKalakوَقَرْنَand Qarnأَيْرَهِhis penisوَحَمُّويَهْand Hammuyahعَيْنِeyeالْفِيلِof the elephantوَشَهْرَامَand Shahramحِمَارِdonkeyأَيُّوبَof Ayyubوَسَعْدَوَيْهِand Sa''dawayhنَائِكِfornicator withأُمِّهِ8his mother
Until Ishaq the fighter of heat, Binjawayh camel hair, Amr al-Qawqil, Ja''far Kurdi Kalak, Qarn of his penis, Hammuyah eye of the elephant, Shahram donkey of Ayyub, and Sa''dawayh fornicator with his mother, all submitted to him.
وَإِنَّمَاand onlyأَرَادَhe intendedبِهَذَاby thisأَنْthatيُؤْسِيَهُمْhe gives themمِنْfromمَالِهِhis wealthحِينَwhenعَرَفَhe knewحِرْصَهُمْtheir greed
He only intended by this to give them something from his wealth when he knew their greed.