وَجَشَعِهِمْand their greed،,وَسُوءِand badness ofجِوَارِهِمْtheir neighborhood..
And their greed and bad neighborliness.
وَكَانَand he wasقَاصًّاa storytellerمُتَكَلِّمًاan eloquent speakerبَلِيغًاarticulateدَاهِيًاcunning،,
He was a storyteller, an eloquent speaker, articulate, and cunning.
وَكَانَand wereأَبُوAbuسُلَيْمَانَSulaimanالْأَعْوَرُthe one-eyed،,وَأَبُوand AbuسَعِيدٍSa'idالْمَدَائِنِيُّal-Mada'iniالْقَاصَّانِthe two storytellersمِنْfromغِلْمَانِهِhis disciples..
And Abu Sulaiman al-A'war and Abu Sa'id al-Mada'ini, the two storytellers, were among his disciples.
وَهُوَand he isالَّذِيthe one whoقَالَsaidلِابْنِهِto his sonعِنْدَatمَوْتِهِhis death::
He is the one who said to his son at his death:
«"إِنِّيIndeed, Iقَدْhaveتَرَكْتُleftلَكَfor youمَاthat whichتَأْكُلُهُyou eat itإِنْifحَفِظْتَهُyou preserve it،,وَمَاand whatلَاnotتَأْكُلُهُyou eat itإِنْifضَيَّعْتَهُyou waste it..»"
"I have left you something that you may consume if you preserve it, and something that you will not consume if you squander it."
وَلَمَّاand whenوَرَّثْتُكَI bequeathed youمِنَofالْعُرْفِthe good reputeالصَّالِحِrighteous،,وَأَشْهَدْتُكَand I made you witnessمِنْofصَوَابِthe correctnessالتَّدْبِيرِof management،,وَعَوَّدْتُكَand I accustomed youمِنْtoعَيْشِthe lifeالْمُقْتَصِدِينَof the moderate،,خَيْرٌis betterلَكَfor youمِنْthanهَذَاthisالْمَالِwealth..
And when I bequeathed to you a share of righteous good repute, made you witness sound management, and accustomed you to the life of the frugal, that is better for you than this wealth.
وَلَوْand ifدَفَعْتُI gaveإِلَيْكَto youآلَةًa meansلِحِفْظِfor preservation ofالْمَالِwealthعَلَيْكَupon youبِكُلِّwith everyحِيلَةٍtrick،,ثُمَّthenلَمْnotيَكُنْthere beلَكَfor youمُعِينٌa helperمِنْfromنَفْسِكَyourself،,لَمَاnotانْتَفَعْتَyou would have benefitedبِشَيْءٍby anythingمِنْofذَلِكَthat..
And if I had given you a means to preserve the wealth by every stratagem, yet you had no helper from yourself, you would not have benefited from any of that.
بَلْratherيَعُودُreturnsذَلِكَthatالنَّهْيُthe forbiddingكُلُّهُall of itإِغْرَاءًincitementلَكَto you،,وَذَلِكَand thatالْمَنْعُthe preventionتَهْجِينًاa disgraceلِطَاعَتِكَto your obedience..
Rather, all that forbidding becomes a provocation to you, and that prevention a disparagement of your obedience.
قَدْindeedبَلَغْتُI reachedفِيinالْبِرِّthe landمُنْقَطَعَthe farthest pointالتُّرَابِof the dust،,وَفِيand inالْبَحْرِthe seaأَقْصَىthe furthestمَبْلَغِreachالسُّفُنِof ships..
I have reached on land the ends of the earth, and on sea the furthest extent of ships.
فَلَاso notعَلَيْكَupon youأَلَّاthat notتَرَىyou seeذَاthe oneالْقَرْنَيْنِof the two horns؛;وَدَعْand leaveعَنْكَasideمَذَاهِبَthe accountsابْنِof Ibnشَرْيَةَ1Shariyah،,فَإِنَّهُfor heلَاnotيَعْرِفُknowsإِلَّاexceptظَاهِرَthe apparentالْخَبَرِof the report..
So you need not worry that you did not see Dhul-Qarnayn; and leave aside the tales of Ibn Shariyah, for he knows only the outward form of the tradition.
وَلَوْand ifرَآنِيhad seen meتَمِيمٌTamimالدَّارِيُّ2al-Dari،,لَأَخَذَhe would have takenعَنِّيfrom meصِفَةَthe descriptionالرُّومِof the Romans..
Had Tamim al-Dari seen me, he would have taken from me the description of the Romans.
وَلَأَنَاand indeed I amأَهْدَىbetter guidedمِنَthanالْقَطَاthe sandgrouse،,وَمِنْand thanدُعَيْمِيصٍ3Du'aimis،,وَمِنْand thanرَافِعِRafi'الْمِخَشِّ4al-Mikhashsh
And I am better guided than the sandgrouse, and than Du'aimis, and than Rafi' al-Mikhashsh.
إِنِّيindeed, Iقَدْhaveبِتُّspent the nightبِالْقَفْرِin the desertمَعَwithالْغُولِthe ghoul،,وَتَزَوَّجْتُand I marriedالسِّعْلَاةَ5the si'lah (female demon)،,وَجَاوَبْتُand I answeredالْهَاتِفَthe caller from the unseen،,وَرُغْتُ6and I inclinedعَنِaway fromالْجِنِّthe jinnإِلَىtoالْحَنِّ7the han،,وَاصْطَدْتُand I huntedالشَّقَّ8the shaqq،,وَجَاوَبْتُand I answeredالنِّسْنَاسَ9the nisnas،,وَصَحِبَنِيand accompanied meالرَّئِيُّ10the specter،,وَعَرَفْتُand I knewخُدَعَthe deceitsالْكَاهِنِof the soothsayer،,وَتَدْسِيسَand the machinationsالْعَرَّافِof the diviner،,وَإِلَىand toمَاwhat
Indeed, I have spent the night in the wilderness with the ghoul, married the si'lah, answered the hatif, turned away from the jinn to the han, hunted the shaqq, answered the nisnas, was accompanied by the ra'i, and knew the deceits of the soothsayer and the machinations of the diviner, and to what...
Footnotes
- 1.ابْنُ شَرْيَةَ: هُوَ عُبَيْدُ بْنُ شَرْيَةَ الْجُرْهُمِيُّ، مِنْ أَخْبَارِيِّيِ الْعَرَبِ.
Ibn Shariyah: He is 'Ubayd ibn Shariyah al-Jurhumi, one of the Arab traditionists.
- 2.تَمِيمُ الدَّارِيُّ: صَحَابِيٌّ، كَانَ يَقُصُّ الْأَخْبَارَ وَيَرْوِي عَنِ الْأُمَمِ السَّالِفَةِ.
Tamim al-Dari: A companion of the Prophet, who used to narrate tales and relate stories of past nations.
- 3.دُعَيْمِيصٌ: رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ كَانَ مَشْهُورًا بِالْهِدَايَةِ فِي الْفَلَوَاتِ.
Du'aimis: A man of the Arabs renowned for guidance in deserts.
- 4.رَافِعُ الْمِخَشِّ: شَخْصٌ مَعْرُوفٌ بِالْهِدَايَةِ أَيْضًا.
Rafi' al-Mikhashsh: A person also known for guidance.
- 5.السِّعْلَاةُ: أُنْثَى الْغِيلَانِ.
The si'lah: A female ghoul.
- 6.رَاغَ: مَالَ وَعَدَلَ.
Ragha: He inclined and turned away.
- 7.الْحَنُّ: جِنْسٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ، وَقِيلَ: مَلَائِكَةٌ.
Al-hann: A type of jinn; or, it is said, angels.
- 8.الشَّقُّ: طَائِرٌ يُشْبِهُ النِّصْفَ مِنَ الْإِنْسَانِ.
The shaqq: A bird resembling half of a human.
- 9.النِّسْنَاسُ: خَلْقٌ يَقْفِزُ عَلَى رِجْلٍ وَاحِدَةٍ.
The nisnas: A creature that hops on one leg.
- 10.الرَّئِيُّ: التَّابِعُ مِنَ الْجِنِّ.
The ra'i: The familiar spirit from the jinn.