مِمَّنْfrom whomيُمَازِحُhe jokesبِهٰذَاwith thisكَثِيرًاmuch،,وَرَأَيْنَاهُand we saw himيَتَظَرَّفُ1he acts elegantlyبِهِwith it،,وَيَجْعَلُand he makesذٰلِكَthatالظَّرْفَeleganceسُلَّمًاa ladderإِلَىٰtoمَنْعِpreventingشَيْنِهِ2his defect..
He is one of those who jokes about this a lot, and we saw him acting elegantly with it, and making that elegance a ladder to preventing his defect.
[[قِصَّةُStory ofأَبِيAbuجَعْفَرٍJa'farالطَّرْسُوسِيِّal-Tarsusi::]]
[Story of Abu Ja'far al-Tarsusi:]
لَمْnotأَرَI sawمِثْلَlikeأَبِيAbuجَعْفَرٍJa'farالطَّرْسُوسِيِّal-Tarsusi::
I have never seen anyone like Abu Ja'far al-Tarsusi:
زَارَhe visitedقَوْمًاpeopleفَأَكْرَمُوهُand they honored himوَطَيَّبُوهُand they perfumed him،,وَجَعَلُواand they putفِيinشَارِبِهِhis mustacheوَسَبَلَتِهِ3and his beardغَالِيَةً4perfume،,فَحَكَّتْهُand it itched himشَفَتُهُhis lipالْعُلْيَاthe upper،,فَأَدْخَلَso he insertedإِصْبَعَهُhis fingerفَحَكَّهَاand scratched itمِنْfromبَاطِنِinsideالشَّفَةِthe lip،,مُخَالَفَةًcontrary toأَنْthatتَأْخُذَtakeإِصْبَعُهُhis fingerمِنَfromالْغَالِيَةِthe perfumeشَيْئًاsomethingإِذَاifحَكَّهَاhe scratched itمِنْfromفَوْقُabove..
He visited some people, and they honored him and perfumed him, and they put perfume on his mustache and beard. Then his upper lip itched, so he inserted his finger and scratched it from inside the lip, avoiding that his finger would take anything from the perfume if he scratched it from above.
وَهٰذَاand thisوَشِبْهُهُand its likeإِنَّمَاonlyيَطِيبُis pleasantجِدًّاvery،,إِذَاwhenرَأَيْتَyou seeالْحِكَايَةَthe storyبِعَيْنِكَwith your own eye،,لِأَنَّbecauseالْكِتَابَthe bookلَاnotيُصَوِّرُit picturesلَكَfor youكُلَّeverythingشَيْءٍthing،,وَلَاand notيَأْتِيit comesلَكَto youعَلَىٰuponكُنْهِهِits essence،,وَعَلَىٰand uponحُدُودِهِits limitsوَحَقَائِقِهِand its realities..
This and the like are only very pleasant when you see the story with your own eyes, because the book does not picture everything for you, nor does it come to you with its essence, its limits, and its realities.
[[قِصَّةُStory ofأَبِيAbuمُحَمَّدٍMuhammadالْخُزَامِيِّal-Khuzami::]]
[Story of Abu Muhammad al-Khuzami:]
وَأَمَّاand as forأَبُوAbuمُحَمَّدٍMuhammadالْخُزَامِيُّal-Khuzami،,عَبْدُAbdاللهِAllahبْنُibnكَاسِبٍKasib،,كَاتِبُscribe ofمُوَيْسٍMuways،,وَكَاتِبُand scribe ofدَاوُدَDawudبْنِibnأَبِيAbuدَاوُدَDawud،,فَإِنَّهُindeed heكَانَwasأَبْخَلَmore stingyمِنْthanبَرَأَcreatedاللهُAllah،,وَأَطْيَبَand more generousمِنْthanبَرَأَcreatedاللهُAllah..
As for Abu Muhammad al-Khuzami, Abd Allah ibn Kasib, the scribe of Muways and the scribe of Dawud ibn Abi Dawud, he was the most stingy of Allah's creatures, and the most generous of Allah's creatures.
وَكَانَand he hadلَهُfor himفِيinالْبُخْلِstinginessكَلَامٌspeech،,وَهُوَand he isأَحَدُone ofمَنْthose whoيَنْصُرُهُdefends itوَيُفَضِّلُهُand prefers it،,وَيَحْتَجُّand arguesلَهُfor it،,وَيَدْعُوand callsإِلَيْهِto it..
He had a speech in defense of stinginess, and he was one of those who defends it, prefers it, argues for it, and calls to it.
وَأَنَّهُand that heرَآنِيsaw meمَرَّةًonceفِيinتِشْرِينَTishrinالْأَوَّلِthe first،,وَقَدْand alreadyبَكَّرَearlyالْبَرْدُthe coldشَيْئًاsomething،,فَلَبِسْتُso I woreكِسَاءًa cloakلِيof mineقُومَسِيًّا5Qumisiخَفِيفًاlight،,قَدْalreadyنِيلَwas takenمِنْهُfrom it..فَقَالَand he saidلِيto me::مَاhowأَقْبَحَuglyالسَّرَفَextravaganceبِالْعَاقِلِfor the sensible،,
And that he saw me once in Tishrin al-Awwal, when the cold had come early, so I wore a light Qumisi cloak of mine, which was already worn. He said to me: 'How ugly is extravagance for the sensible man,'
Footnotes
- 1.يَتَظَرَّفُ: يُظْهِرُ الظَّرْفَ وَالْأَدَبَ.
He acts elegantly: he shows elegance and refinement.
- 2.شَيْنِهِ: عَيْبِهِ وَمَا يُعَابُ عَلَيْهِ.
His defect: his flaw and what is blamed on him.
- 3.سَبَلَتِهِ: شَعْرُ شَفَتِهِ السُّفْلَى وَمَا حَوْلَهَا.
His beard: the hair of his lower lip and around it.
- 4.غَالِيَةً: طِيبٌ مِنْ أَخْلَاطٍ مَعْرُوفَةٍ.
Perfume: a scent made of well-known ingredients.
- 5.قُومَسِيًّا: مَنْسُوبٌ إِلَى قُومِسَ بَلَدٍ بِفَارِسَ.
Qumisi: attributed to Qumis, a place in Persia.