وَكَانَand he wasيَقُولُsaying
And he used to say:
أَشْتَهِيI craveاللَّحْمَthe meatالَّذِيthatقَدْhasتَهَرَّأَbecome tender
I crave meat that has become very tender,
وَأَشْتَهِيand I craveأَيْضًاalsoالَّذِيthatفِيهِin itبَعْضُsomeالصَّلَابَةِfirmness
and I also crave the one that has some firmness.
وَقُلْتُand I saidلَهُto himمَرَّةًonce
And I said to him once:
مَاhowأَشْبَهَكَsimilar to youبِالَّذِيto the one whoقَالَsaid
How similar you are to the one who said:
أَشْتَهِيI craveلَحْمَthe meat ofدَجَاجَتَيْنِtwo chickens
I crave the meat of two chickens.
قَالَhe said
He said:
وَمَاand whatتَصْنَعُwill you doبِذَٰلِكَwith thatالْقَائِلِspeaker
What will you do with that speaker?
هَوْذَاhere I amأَنَاIأَشْتَهِيcraveلَحْمَthe meat ofدَجَاجَتَيْنِtwo chickens
Here I am craving the meat of two chickens:
وَاحِدَةًoneخِلَاسِيَّةًof Khilasi breedمُسَمَّنَةًfattened
one fattened Khilasi chicken,
وَأُخْرَىand anotherخَوَامِزَكَةًof Khawamzaka breedرَخْصَةًtender
and another tender Khawamzaka chicken.
وَقُلْتُand I saidلَهُto himمَرَّةًonce
And I said to him once:
قَدْindeedرَضِيتُI am satisfiedبِأَنْthatيُقَالَit be said
Are you satisfied that it be said:
عَبْدُAbdاللَّهِAllahبَخِيلٌis stingy
Abdullah is stingy?
قَالَhe said
He said:
لَاnotأَعْدَمَنِيdeprive meاللَّهُAllahهَٰذَاthisالِاسْمَname
May Allah not deprive me of this name.
قُلْتُI said
I said:
وَكَيْفَand how
And how?
قَالَhe said
He said:
لَاnotيُقَالُit is saidفُلَانٌso-and-soبَخِيلٌis stingy
It is not said that so-and-so is stingy
إِلَّاexceptوَهُوَwhile heذُوpossessor ofمَالٍwealth
unless he is wealthy.
فَسَلِّمْso hand overإِلَيَّto meالْمَالَthe wealth
So hand over the wealth to me,
وَادْعُنِيand call meبِأَيِّwith anyاسْمٍnameشِئْتَyou wish
and call me whatever name you wish.
قُلْتُI said
I said:
وَلَاand notيُقَالُit is saidأَيْضًاalsoفُلَانٌso-and-soسَخِيٌّis generous
And it is not said that so-and-so is generous
إِلَّاexceptوَهُوَwhile heذُوpossessor ofمَالٍwealth
unless he is wealthy.
فَقَدْfor indeedجَمَعَhas gatheredهَٰذَاthisالِاسْمُnameالْحَمْدَpraiseوَالْمَالَand wealth
For this name combines praise and wealth,
وَاسْمُand the nameالْبُخْلِof stinginessيَجْمَعُcombinesالْمَالَwealthوَالذَّمَّand blame
while the name of stinginess combines wealth and blame.
فَقَدْso indeedاخْتَرْتُI have chosenأَخَسَّهُمَاthe baser of the twoوَأَوْضَعَهُمَاand the meaner of the two
So I have chosen the baser and meaner of the two.
قَالَhe said
He said:
وَبَيْنَهُمَاand between themفَرْقٌa difference
But there is a difference between them.
قُلْتُI said
I said:
فَهَاتِهِthen bring it
Then bring it forth.
قَالَhe said
He said:
فِيinقَوْلِهِمْtheir sayingبَخِيلٌstingyتَثْبِيتٌconfirmationلِإِقَامَةِof the establishmentالْمَالِof wealthفِيinمُلْكِهِhis possession
In their saying 'stingy' is a confirmation of the wealth remaining in his possession,
وَفِيand inقَوْلِهِمْtheir sayingسَخِيٌّgenerousإِخْبَارٌinformationعَنْaboutخُرُوجِthe departureالْمَالِof wealthمِنْfromمُلْكِهِhis possession
and in their saying 'generous' is information about the wealth leaving his possession.
وَاسْمُand the nameالْبَخِيلِof the stingyاسْمٌis a nameفِيهِin itحِفْظٌpreservationوَذَمٌّand blame
The name 'stingy' is a name containing preservation and blame,
وَاسْمُand the nameالسَّخِيِّof the generousاسْمٌis a nameفِيهِin itتَضْيِيعٌwastingوَحَمْدٌand praise
and the name 'generous' is a name containing waste and praise.
وَالْمَالُand wealthزَاهِرٌflourishingنَافِعٌbeneficialمُكْرِمٌhonoringلِأَهْلِهِto its ownersمُعِزٌّglorifying
Wealth is flourishing, beneficial, honoring its owners, and glorifying,
وَالْحَمْدُand praiseرِيحٌis windوَسُخْرِيَةٌand mockery
while praise is wind and mockery,
وَاسْتِمَاعُكَand your listeningلَهُto itضَعْفٌweaknessوَفُسُولَةٌand laxity
and your listening to it is weakness and laxity.
وَمَاand howأَقَلَّlittleغِنَاءُthe benefitالْحَمْدِof praiseوَاللَّهِby Allahعَنْهُfor him
How little is the benefit of praise, by Allah, for him
إِذَاwhenجَاعَhungeredبَطْنُهُhis bellyوَعَرِيَand became nakedجِلْدُهُhis skin
when his belly hungers and his skin is exposed,
وَضَاعَand lostعِيَالُهُhis familyوَشَمِتَand rejoicedبِهِat himمِنْthose whoكَانَused toيَحْسُدُهُenvy him
and his family is lost, and those who used to envy him rejoice at him.
وَكُنَّاand we wereعِنْدَatدَاوُدَDawoodبْنِson ofأَبِيAbiدَاوُدَDawoodبِوَاسِطَin Wasit
And we were with Dawood ibn Abi Dawood in Wasit
أَيَّامَduring the daysوِلَايَتِهِof his governanceكَسُكَّرَof Kaskar
during his governance of Kaskar.
فَأَتَتْهُand came to himمِنَfromالْبَصْرَةِBasraهَدَايَاgiftsفِيهَاin themزُقَاقُskinsدِبْسٍof honey/molasses
Gifts came to him from Basra, including skins of honey,
فَقَسَمَهَاand he divided themبَيْنَنَاamong us
and he divided them among us,
فَكُلٌّand everyoneأَخَذَtookمَاwhatأُعْطِيَwas givenغَيْرَهُother than him
and each one of us took what was given to someone else.
فَأَنْكَرْتُand I disapprovedذَٰلِكَthatمِنْfromمَذْهَبِهِhis way
I disapproved of that from his way,
وَلَمْand notأَعْرِفْI knowجِهَةَthe directionتَدْبِيرِهِof his management
and I did not know the direction of his management.
فَقُلْتُand I saidلِلْمَكِّيِّto the Meccan
So I said to the Meccan:
قَدْindeedعَلِمْتَyou knowأَنَّthatالْحِزَامِيَّal-Hizamiإِنَّمَاonlyيَجْزَعُis distressedمِنَfromالْإِعْطَاءِgivingوَهُوَwhile itعَدُوُّهُhis enemy
You know that al-Hizami only is distressed by giving, which is his enemy,
فَأَمَّاbut as forالْأَخْذُtakingفَهُوَit isضَالَّتُهُhis questوَأُمْنِيَّتُهُand his wish
but as for taking, it is his quest and his wish.
وَإِنَّهُand indeed heلَوْifأُعْطِيَwas givenأَفَاعِيَsnakesسِجِسْتَانَof Sijistan
And indeed, if he were given snakes of Sijistan,
وَثَعَابِينَand snakesمِصْرَof Egyptوَحَيَّاتِand serpentsالْأَهْوَازِof al-Ahwaz
and snakes of Egypt, and serpents of al-Ahwaz,
لَأَخَذَهَاhe would have taken them
he would have taken them,
إِذْsinceكَانَwasاسْمُthe nameالْأَخْذِof takingوَاقِعًاfallingعَلَيْهَاupon them
since the name of taking applies to them.
فَعَسَاهُso perhaps heأَرَادَintendedالتَّفْضِيلَpreference
Perhaps he intended preference (by making us take each other's share)?
Footnotes
- 1.خَوَامِزَكَةُ: ضَرْبٌ مِنَ الدَّجَاجِ، وَيُقَالُ: كَوَامِزَةُ، وَهِيَ الَّتِي تَقْبِضُ عَلَى الشَّيْءِ بِمَخَالِبِهَا.
Khawamzaka: a type of chicken, also called Kawamiza, which seizes things with its claws.
- 2.فُسُولَةٌ: أَيْ ضَعْفٌ وَخَوَرٌ، وَالْفَسْلُ: الرَّدِيءُ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ.
Fusula: meaning weakness and feebleness; al-fasl is the inferior of everything.
- 3.شَمِتَ بِهِ: أَيْ فَرِحَ بِمَصِيبَتِهِ وَاغْتَبَطَ بِهَا.
Shamita bihi: meaning he rejoiced at his misfortune and was delighted by it.