أَصْحَابَنَاour companionsفَتَغَافَلَand he feigned heedlessnessأَبُوAbuالْفَتْحِal-Fath
Our companions, but Abu al-Fath feigned heedlessness.
ثُمَّthenأَعَادَhe repeatedعَلَيْهِto himالْقَوْلَthe statementفَتَغَافَلَand he feigned heedlessness
Then he repeated the statement to him, but he feigned heedlessness.
فَلَمَّاand whenأَعَادَhe repeatedعَلَيْهِto himالْقَوْلَthe statementالرَّابِعَةَthe fourth timeقَالَhe said
And when he repeated the statement to him the fourth time, he said...
مَالَكَWhat is wrong with youوَيْلَكَwoe to youلَاdo notتَقْطَعُهُcut it (the speech)بَيْنَهُمْamong themقَطَعَmay cutاللهُAllahأَوْصَالَكَyour joints
"What is wrong with you, woe to you! Do not interrupt them; may Allah cut your joints!"
قَالَhe saidتُبْتَلَىyou are afflictedعَلَىatيَدَيْthe hands ofغَيْرِيother than meأَصْلَحَكَmay Allah set you rightاللهُAllah
He said: "You are afflicted at the hands of someone other than me; may Allah set you right."
فَخَجَّلْنَاهُand we made him feel ashamedمَرَّةًonceوَضَحِكْنَاand we laughedمَرَّةًonceوَمَاand notضَحِكَlaughedصَاحِبُنَاour companionوَلَاand norخَجِلَfelt ashamed
So we made him feel ashamed once, and we laughed once, but our companion neither laughed nor felt ashamed.
وَزُرْتُهُand I visited himأَنَاIوَالْمَكِّيُّand al-Makkiوَكُنْتُand I wasأَنَاIعَلَىonحِمَارٍa donkeyمُكَارِيٍّof a muleteerوَالْمَكِّيُّand al-Makkiعَلَىonحِمَارٍa donkeyمُسْتَعَارٍborrowed
And I visited him, I and al-Makki, and I was on a muleteer's donkey, and al-Makki on a borrowed donkey.
فَصَارَand it becameالْحِمَارُthe donkeyإِلَىtoأَسْوَأَworse thanمِنْfromحَالِthe condition ofالزُّورِthe visit
And the donkey became in a worse state than that of the visit.
فَكَلَّمَand he spokeالْمَكِّيُّal-Makkiغِلْمَانَهُhis servantsفَقَالَand said
So al-Makki spoke to his servants and said...
لَاdo notأُرِيدُI wantمِنْكُمُfrom youالتَّبْنَthe strawفَمَاand whatفَوْقَهُabove itاسْقُوهُgive it to drinkمَاءًwaterفَقَطْonly
"I do not want from you straw or what is above it; give it water only."
فَسَقَوْهُand they gave it to drinkمَاءَwater ofبِئْرٍa wellفَلَمْand notيَشْرَبْهُdrink itالْحِمَارُthe donkeyوَقَدْwhile alreadyمَاتَdiedعَطَشًاthirst
So they gave it well water, and the donkey did not drink it, even though it was dying of thirst.
فَأَقْبَلَand he turnedالْمَكِّيُّal-Makkiعَلَيْهِto himفَقَالَand said
So al-Makki turned to him and said...
أَصْلَحَكَmay Allah set you rightاللهُAllahإِنَّهُمْtheyيَسْقُونَare giving to drinkحِمَارِيmy donkeyمَاءَwater ofبِئْرٍa wellوَمَنْزِلُand the house ofصَاحِبِthe owner ofالْحِمَارِthe donkeyعَلَىonشَارِعِthe street ofدِجْلَةَTigrisفَهُوَso it (the donkey)لَاdoes notيَعْرِفُknowإِلَّاexceptالْعَذْبَthe sweet (water)
"May Allah set you right! They are giving my donkey well water; and the owner's house is on the Tigris street; so it knows only sweet water."
قَالَhe saidفَامْزِجُوهُso mix itلَهُfor himيَاOغُلَامُboy
He said: "So mix it for him, O boy."
فَمَزَجُوهُand they mixed itفَلَمْand notيَشْرَبْهُdrink itفَأَعَادَand he repeatedالْمَسْأَلَةَthe requestفَأَمْكَنَهُand he enabled himمِنْofأُذُنِthe ear ofمَنْone whoلَاdoes notيَسْمَعُhearإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatيَشْتَهِيhe desires
So they mixed it, but it did not drink. So he repeated the request, and he enabled him to talk to an ear that hears only what it desires.
وَقَالَand he saidلِيto meمَرَّةًonceيَاOأَخِيmy brother
And he said to me once: "O my brother,"
إِنَّindeedأُنَاسًاpeopleمِنَfromالنَّاسِthe peopleيَغْمِسُونَthey dipاللُّقْمَةَthe morselإِلَىup toأَصْبَارِهَاits depthsفِيinالْمِرِّيthe fish sauce (murri)
"Indeed, some people dip the morsel up to its depths in fish sauce,
فَأَقُولُso I sayهَؤُلَاءِtheseقَوْمٌpeopleيُحِبُّونَloveالْمُلُوحَةَsaltinessوَلَاand notيُعْجَبُونَthey are pleasedبِالْحَامِضِwith sourness
So I say: These are people who love saltiness and are not pleased with sourness.
فَمَاand notأَلْبَثُI delayأَنْthatأَرَىI seeأَحَدَهُمْone of themيَأْخُذُhe takesحَرْفَthe edge ofالْجُرْدَقَةِthe breadفَيَغْمِسُهَاand he dips itفِيinالْخَلِّthe vinegarالْحَاذِقِsharpوَيُغْرِقُهَاand he submerges itفِيهِin it
And soon I see one of them take the edge of the bread, dip it in sharp vinegar, and submerge it in it.
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsرَأَيْتُI sawأَحَدَهُمْone of themيُمْسِكُهَاhe holds itفِيinالْخَلِّthe vinegarبَعْدَafterالتَّغْرِيقِthe submergingسَاعَةًan hourفَأَقُولُso I say
And perhaps I saw one of them hold it in the vinegar after submerging it for an hour, so I say...
هَؤُلَاءِtheseقَوْمٌpeopleيَجْمَعُونَthey combineحُبَّthe love ofالْحُمُوضَةِsournessإِلَىwithحُبِّthe love ofالْمُلُوحَةِsaltiness
"These are people who combine the love of sourness with the love of saltiness."
ثُمَّthenلَاnotأَلْبَثُI delayأَنْthatأَرَاهُمْI see themيَصْنَعُونَthey doمِثْلَlikeذَلِكَthatبِالْخَرْدَلِwith mustard
Then soon I see them do the same with mustard.
وَالْخَرْدَلُand the mustardلَاnotيُرَامُis to be sought (i.e., extremely hot)
And mustard is not to be trifled with.
قُلْsayلِيto meأَيُّwhatشَيْءٍthingطَبَائِعُthe temperaments ofهَؤُلَاءِtheseوَأَيُّand whatضَرْبٍkindهُمْthey areوَمَاand whatدَوَاؤُهُمْtheir medicineوَأَيُّand whatشَيْءٍthingعِلَاجُهُمْtheir treatment
Tell me: what are the temperaments of these people? And what kind are they? And what is their medicine? And what is their treatment?