al bukhala al jahiz

Page 76

فَلَمَّاAnd whenرَأَيْتُI sawمَذْهَبَهُhis wayوَحُمْقَهُand his foolishnessوَغَلَبَةَand the overcomingالْبُخْلِof stinginessعَلَيْهِupon himوَقَهْرَهُand its subduingلَهُhim

And when I saw his way and his foolishness, and the overcoming of stinginess upon him and its subduing him,

قُلْتُI saidمَاWhatلَهُمْfor themعِنْدِيwith meعِلَاجٌremedyهُوَit isأَنْجَعُmore effectiveفِيهِمْin themمِنْthanأَنْthatيُمْنَعُواthey be preventedالصِّبَاغَthe dyeكُلَّهُall of it

I said: What remedy do they have with me that is more effective in them than that they be deprived of all the dye?

قَالَHe saidلَاNoوَاللهِby Godإِنَّindeedهُوَheغَيْرُهُother than that

He said: No, by God, it is not that!

وَصَدِيقٌAnd a friendلَنَاof oursآخَرُanotherكُنَّاwe wereقَدِindeedابْتُلِينَاwe were testedبِمُؤَاكَلَتِهِwith eating with himوَقَدْand indeedكَانَhe wasظَنَّthinkingأَنَّاthat weقَدْalreadyعَرَفْنَاهُknew himبِالْبُخْلِby stinginessعَلَىregardingالطَّعَامِfood

And we had another friend with whom we had been tested by eating, and he suspected that we had recognized his stinginess about food.

وَهَجَسَand it occurredذَلِكَthatفِيinنَفْسِهِhis mindوَتَوَهَّمَand he assumedأَنَّاthat weقَدْalreadyتَذَاكَرْنَاtalked aboutأَمْرَهُhis matter

And that occurred in his mind, and he assumed that we had discussed his affair.

فَكَانَSo he used toيَتَزَيَّدُexaggerateفِيinتَكْثِيرِincreasingالطَّعَامِfoodوَفِيand inإِظْهَارِshowingالْحِرْصِeagernessعَلَىforأَنْthatيُؤْكَلَit be eaten

So he used to exaggerate in increasing the food and in showing eagerness that it be eaten.

حَتَّىuntilقَالَhe saidمَنْwhoeverرَفَعَraisesيَدَهُhis handقَبْلَbeforeالْقَوْمِthe peopleغَرَّمْنَاهُwe fined himدِينَارًاa dinar

Until he said: Whoever raises his hand before the people, we fine him a dinar.

فَيَرَىand he seesبَعْضُهُمْsome of themأَنَّthatغَرَمَpayingدِينَارٍa dinarأَوْلَىis more appropriate

And some of them see that paying a dinar is more appropriate,

فَذَلِكَso thatمِنْهُfrom himمُحْتَمَلٌis bearableفِيforرِضَىsatisfyingنَفْسِهِhis egoوَمَاand whatيَرْجُوhe hopesمِنْofنَفْعِbenefitذَلِكَthatلَهُfor him

So that from him is bearable for satisfying his ego and for what he hopes of benefit from that for himself.

وَلَقَدْand indeedخَبَّرَنِيinformed meخَبَّازٌa bakerلِبَعْضِfor someأَصْحَابِنَاof our companionsأَنَّهُthat heجَلَدَهُflogged himعَلَىforإِنْضَاجِcooking wellالْخُبْزِbread

And a baker of some of our companions informed me that he flogged him for not baking the bread well.

وَأَنَّهُand that heقَالَsaidلَهُto himأَنْضِجْbake wellخُبْزِيmy breadالَّذِيthatيُوضَعُis placedبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيَّmy hands

And that he said to him: Bake my bread well that is placed before me,

وَاجْعَلْand makeخُبْزَbreadمَنْwhoeverيَأْكُلُeatsمَعِيwith meعَلَىtoمِقْدَارٍan amountبَيْنَbetweenالْمِقْدَارَيْنِthe two amounts

And make the bread of those who eat with me to an amount between the two amounts.

وَأَمَّاand as forخُبْزُbreadالْعِيَالِof the familyوَالضَّيْفِand the guestفَلَاthen do notتُقَرِّبَنَّهُbring it nearمِنَtoالنَّارِfireإِلَّاexceptبِقَدْرِto the extentمَاthatيَصِيرُbecomesالْعَجِينُthe doughرَغِيفًاa loafوَبِقَدْرِand to the extentمَاthatيَتَمَاسَكُit holds togetherفَقَطْonly

As for the bread of the family and the guest, do not bring it near the fire except to the extent that the dough becomes a loaf and holds together only.

فَكَلَّفَهُand he tasked himالْعَوِيصَ1the difficult thing

He tasked him with the difficult thing.

فَلَمَّاand whenأَعْجَزَهُit defeated himذَلِكَthatجَلَدَهُhe flogged himحَدَّthe punishmentالزَّانِيof the adultererالْحُرِّthe free

And when that defeated him, he flogged him with the punishment of the free adulterer.

فَحَدَّثْتُand I toldبِهَذَاthisالْحَدِيثِthe storyعَبْدَAbdاللهِAllahالْعَرُوضِيَّ2al-Arudi

And I told this story to Abd Allah al-Arudi.

فَقَالَand he saidأَلَمْdid notتَعْرِفْyou knowشَأْنَthe matterالْجَدْيِof the goat

He said: Did you not know the case of the goat?

ضَرَبَhe floggedالشِّوَاءَthe roasterثَمَانِينَeightyسَوْطًاlashesلِمَكَانِbecause ofالْإِنْضَاجِthe cooking well

He flogged the roaster eighty lashes, for the sake of proper cooking.

وَذَلِكَand thatأَنَّهُbecause heقَالَsaidلَهُto himضَعِputالْجَدْيَthe goatفِيinالتَّنُّورِthe oven

That is because he said to him: Put the goat in the oven

حِينَwhenنَضَعُwe placeالْخِوَانَthe tableحَتَّىso thatأَسْتَبْطِئَكَI find you slowأَنَاIفِيinإِنْضَاجِهِits cookingوَتَقُولُand you sayأَنْتَyouبَقِيَremainedقَلِيلٌa little

When we place the table, so that I find you slow in cooking it, and you say: A little remains.

ثُمَّthenتَجِيئُنَاyou bring usبِهِwith itوَكَأَنِّيand as if Iقَدْalreadyأَعْجَلْتُكَhurried you

Then you bring it to us, as if I had urged you.

فَمَاذَاso whatوُضِعَwas placedبَيْنَbetweenأَيْدِيهِمْtheir handsغَيْرُother thanمُنْضَجٍcooked wellاحْتَسَبْتُI countedعَلَيْهِمْagainst themبِإِحْضَارِby bringingالْجَدْيِthe goat

So what was placed before them other than properly cooked? I was credited for bringing the goat.

فَإِذَاand ifلَمْnotيَأْكُلُوهُthey eat itأَعَدْتُهُI returned itإِلَىtoالتَّنُّورِthe oven

And if they do not eat it, I returned it to the oven.

ثُمَّthenأَحْضَرْتَنَاهُwe brought itالْغَدَthe next dayبَارِدًاcoldفَيَقُومُso it servesالْجَدْيُthe goatالْوَاحِدُthe oneمَقَامَpositionجَدْيَيْنِtwo goats

Then we brought it the next day cold, so the one goat serves the place of two goats.

فَجَاءَand cameبِهِwith itالشَّوَاءُthe roasterيَوْمًاone dayنَضِيجًاwell-cookedفَعَمِلَand workedفِيهِon itالْقَوْمُthe people

And the roaster brought it one day well-cooked, and the people worked on it (ate).

فَجَلَدَهُso he flogged himثَمَانِينَeightyجَلْدَةًlashesجَلْدَthe floggingالْقَاذِفِof the slandererالْحُرَّةِthe free woman

So he flogged him eighty lashes, the flogging of the slanderer of a free woman.

حَدَّثَنِيtold meأَحْمَدُAhmadبْنُibnالْمُثَنَّىal-Muthannaعَنْaboutصَدِيقٍa friendلِيof mineوَلَهُand he hasضَخْمُlargeالْبَدَنِbodyكَثِيرُmuch

Ahmad ibn al-Muthanna told me about a friend of mine, and he has a large body, much...

Footnotes

  1. 1.العَوِيصُ: الأَمْرُ الصَّعْبُ.

    Al-Awis: the difficult matter.

  2. 2.العَرُوضِيُّ: نِسْبَةً إِلَى عِلْمِ العَرُوضِ.

    Al-Arudi: a reference to the science of prosody.