فيinالْقِسْمَةِthe division
Regarding the division.
قَالَHe saidأَنَاIكَاتِبُهُam his writerوَصَدَاقَتِيand my friendshipأَقْدَمُis olderوَمَاand notذَاكَthatبِهِwith him
He said: 'I am his scribe, and my friendship is older, and that is not with him.'
وَإِنَّand indeedهُهُنَاhereأَمْرًاa matterمَاwhatنَقَعُwe settleعَلَيْهِupon it
And there is a matter here that we have not settled upon.
فَلَمْand notيَلْبَثْhe delayedأَنْthatدَخَلَhe enteredعَلَيْنَاupon usفَسَأَلْتُهُand I asked himعَنْaboutذَلِكَthatفَتَعَصَّرَhe hesitatedقَلِيلًاa little
He did not delay before entering upon us, and I asked him about that, so he hesitated a little.
ثُمَّthenبَاحَhe revealedبِسِرِّهِhis secret
Then he revealed his secret.
قَالَHe saidوَضِيعَتُهُhis lossأَضْعَافُis many timesرِبْحِهِits profitوَأَخْذُهُand taking itعِنْدِيwith meمِنْfromأَسْبَابِthe causesالْإِدْبَارِof decline
He said: 'Its loss is many times its profit, and taking it is, in my view, among the causes of decline.'
قُلْتُI saidأَوَّلُthe firstوَضَائِعِهِof its lossesاحْتِمَالُis enduringالشُّكْرِthe thanks
I said: 'The first of its losses is enduring the thanks [it entails].'
قَالَHe saidهَذَاthisلَمْnotيَخْطُرْoccurredلِيto meقَطُّeverعَلَىonبَالٍmind
He said: 'This never occurred to me at all.'
قُلْتُI saidفَهَاتِso giveإِذًاthenمَاwhatعِنْدَكَyou have
I said: 'Then give what you have.'
قَالَHe saidأَوَّلُthe firstذَلِكَof thatكِرَاءُthe hireالْحَمَّالِof the porter
He said: 'The first of that is the porter's hire.'
ثُمَّthenهُوَitعَلَىonخَطَرٍdangerحَتَّىuntilيَصِيرَit becomesإِلَىtoالْمَنْزِلِthe house
Then it is at risk until it reaches the house.
فَإِذَاand whenصَارَit becameإِلَىtoالْمَنْزِلِthe houseصَارَit becomesسَبَبًاa causeلِطَلَبِfor seekingالْعَصِيدَةِthe 'aseedaوَالْأَرُزَّةِand the rice dishوَالْبَسْتُنْدُودِand the bastandud
And when it reaches the house, it becomes a cause for requesting 'aseeda, rice dish, and bastandud.
فَإِنْand ifبِعْتُهُI sell itفِرَارًاfleeingمِنْfromهَذَاthisصَيَّرْتُمُونِيyou made meشُهْرَةًa famous storyوَتَرَكْتُمُونِيand you left meعِنْدَهُwith itآيَةًa lesson
And if I sell it to flee from this, you have made me a tale [of warning], and left me with it as a lesson.
وَإِنْand ifأَنَاIحَبَسْتُهُI kept itذَهَبَit goesفِيinالْعَصَائِدِthe 'aseedasوَأَشْبَاهِand similarالْعَصَائِدِto 'aseedasوَجَذَبَand it pullsذَلِكَthatشِرَاءَthe buyingالسَّمْنِof ghee
And if I keep it, it goes into 'aseedas and similar dishes, and that draws the purchase of ghee.
ثُمَّthenجَذَبَit pulledالسَّمْنُgheeغَيْرَهُother than itوَصَارَand becameهَذَاthisالدِّبْسُmolassesأَضَرَّmore harmfulعَلَيْنَاto usمِنْthanالْعِيَالِthe dependents
Then ghee pulled other things, and this molasses became more harmful to us than dependents.
وَإِنْand ifأَنَاIجَعَلْتُهُmade itنَبِيذًاa beverageاحْتَجْتُI needإِلَىtoكِرَاءِthe hireالْقُدُورِof potsوَإِلَىand toشِرَاءِbuyingالْحَبِّthe grainوَإِلَىand toشِرَاءِbuyingالْمَاءِthe waterوَإِلَىand toكِرَاءِthe hireمَنْof one whoيُوقِدُlightsتَحْتَهُunder itوَإِلَىand toالتَّفَرُّغِdevoting oneselfلَهُto it
And if I make it a beverage, I need to hire pots, buy grain, buy water, hire someone to light a fire under it, and devote myself to it.
فَإِنْand ifوَلَّيْتُI assignedذَلِكَthatالْخَادِمَthe servantاسْوَدَّbecame blackثَوْبُهَاher garmentوَغَرِمْنَاand we incurredثَمَنَthe priceالْأَشْنَانِof the ashnanوَالصَّابُونِand soapوَازْدَادَتْand she increasedفِيinالطُّعْمِfoodعَلَىaccording toقَدْرِthe amountالزِّيَادَةِof increaseفِيinالْعَمَلِwork
And if I assign that to the servant, her garment becomes black, we incur the cost of ashnan and soap, and she increases in food according to the increase in work.
فَإِنْand ifفَسَدَit spoiledذَهَبَتْwentالنَّفَقَةُthe expenseبَاطِلًاin vainوَلَمْand notنَسْتَخْلِفْwe did not recoverمِنْهَاfrom itعِوَضًاa substituteبِوَجْهٍin any wayمِنْofجَمِيعِallالْوُجُوهِthe ways
And if it spoils, the expense goes in vain, and we do not recover a substitute from it in any way whatsoever.
لِأَنَّbecauseخَلَّvinegarالدَّاذِيof dadhiيَخْضِبُit dyesاللَّحْمَthe meatوَيُغَيِّرُand changesالطَّعْمَthe tasteوَيُسَوِّدُand blackensالْمَرَقَthe brothوَلَاand notيَصْلُحُit suitsلِلْإِصْطِبَاغِfor dipping
Because dadhi vinegar dyes the meat, changes the taste, blackens the broth, and is not suitable for dipping.
Footnotes
- 1.كِرَاءُ: أُجْرَةُ الْحَمَّالِ.
Kira': The porter's fee.
- 2.الْعَصِيدَةُ: طَعَامٌ مِنْ دَقِيقٍ وَسَمْنٍ.
Al-'Aseeda: A dish made of flour and ghee.
- 3.الْبَسْتُنْدُودُ: نَوْعٌ مِنَ الْحَلْوَى أَوِ الطَّعَامِ.
Al-Bastandud: A type of sweet or food.
- 4.الْحَبُّ: الْحُبُوبُ كَالْقَمْحِ أَوِ الشَّعِيرِ.
Al-Habb: Grains such as wheat or barley.
- 5.الْأَشْنَانُ: نَبَاتٌ يُسْتَعْمَلُ لِلتَّنْظِيفِ وَالْغَسِيلِ.
Al-Ashnan: A plant used for cleaning and washing.
- 6.يَخْضِبُ: يُلَوِّنُ أَوْ يَصْبُغُ.
Yakhdibu: It colors or dyes.