عَلَيْكَupon youالنَّفَقَةُthe expenditureوَتَكِرُّand you turnمِنْهُfrom itوَإِنَّكَand indeed youلَتُغَالِي1are extravagantبِالْخَبَّازِwith the bakerوَالطَّبَّاخِand the cookوَالشِّوَاءِand the roasterوَالْخَبَّاصِand the taster
Upon you is the expenditure, and you turn from it; and indeed you are extravagant with the baker, the cook, the roaster, and the taster.
ثُمَّthenأَنْتَyouمَعَwithهَذَاthisكُلِّهِall of itلَاnotتَشْهَدُهُyou witness itعَدُوًّاan enemyلِتَغُمَّهُ2to grieve him
Then, for all this, you do not attend it as an enemy to grieve him, nor as a friend to please him.
وَلَاnorوَلِيًّاa friendفَتَسُرَّهُand delight himوَلَاnorجَاهِلًاan ignorantلِتُعَرِّفَهُto teach himوَلَاnorزَائِرًاa visitorلِتُعَظِّمَهُto honor himوَلَاnorشَاكِرًاa thankful oneلِتُثَبِّتَهُto encourage him
Nor as a friend to delight him, nor as an ignorant to teach him, nor as a visitor to honor him, nor as a grateful one to confirm him.
وَأَنْتَand youتَعْلَمُknowحِينَwhenيَتَنَحَّىhe moves asideمِنْfromبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْكَyour handsوَيَغِيبُand he disappearsعَنْfromعَيْنَيْكَyour eyes
And you know when he moves aside from before you and disappears from your sight.
فَقَدْindeedصَارَhe has becomeنَهْبًاspoilمُقَسَّمًاdividedوَمُتَوَرِّعًاand distributedمُسْتَهْلَكًاconsumed
He has become divided spoil and distributed, consumed.
فَلَوْso ifأَحْضَرْتَهُyou brought himمَنْone whoيَنْفَعُbenefitsشُكْرُهُhis gratitudeوَيَبْقَىand remainsشُكْرُهُhis gratitudeوَيَبْقَىand remainsعَلَىoverالْأَيَّامِthe daysذِكْرُهُhis remembrance
So if you brought someone whose gratitude benefits, whose gratitude remains, and whose remembrance lasts over the days,
وَمَنْand one whoيُمَتِّعُكَgives you pleasureبِالْحَدِيثِwith conversationوَالِاسْتِمَاعِand listeningوَمَنْand one whoيُمْتَدُّis extendedبِهِby itالْأَكْلُthe eatingوَيَقْصُرُand is shortenedبِهِby itالدَّهْرُtime
And one who delights you with conversation and listening, and one by whom eating is prolonged and time is shortened,
لَكَانَwould have beenذَلِكَthatأَوْلَىmore worthyبِكَfor youوَأَشْبَهَand more fittingبِالَّذِيwith that whichقَدَّمَتْهُyou presentedيَدُكَyour hand
Then that would be more worthy of you and more fitting with what your hand has presented.
وَبَعْدُand afterفَلِمَthen whyتُبِيحُdo you allowمَصُونِof protectedالطَّعَامِfoodلِمَنْto one whoلَاdoes notيَحْمَدُكَthank youوَمَنْand one whoإِنْifحَمِدَكَhe thanked youلَمْdid notيُحْسِنْdo wellأَنْthatيَحْمَدَكَhe thank you
And after that, why do you permit protected food to one who does not thank you, and one who, if he thanked you, would not thank you well?
وَمَنْand one whoلَاdoes notيَفْصِلُdistinguishبَيْنَbetweenالشَّهِيِّthe appetizingالْقَدِيِّthe oldوَبَيْنَand betweenالْغَلِيظِthe coarseالزَّهِمِ3the greasy
And one who does not distinguish between the appetizing old and the coarse greasy?
قَالَhe saidيَمْنَعُنِيprevents meمِنْfromذَلِكَthatمَاwhatقَالَsaidأَبُوfather ofالْفَاتِكِthe bold
He said: What prevents me from that is what Abu al-Fatik said.
قَالُواthey saidوَمَنْand whoأَبُوis father ofالْفَاتِكِthe bold
They said: And who is Abu al-Fatik?
قَالَhe saidقَاضِيjudge ofالْفِتْيَانِ4the youths
He said: The judge of the youths.
وَإِنِّيand indeed Iلَمْdid notآكُلْeatمَعَwithأَحَدٍanyoneقَطُّeverإِلَّاexceptرَأَيْتُI sawمِنْهُfrom himبَعْضَsomeمَاof whatذَمَّهُhe blamedوَبَعْضَand someمَاof whatشَنَّعَهُhe denouncedوَقَبَّحَهُand vilified
And indeed, I never ate with anyone except that I saw from him some of what he blamed and some of what he denounced and vilified.
فَشَيْءٌso somethingيَقْبُحُis uglyبِالشُّطَّارِfor the cleverفَمَاthen whatظَنُّكَis your thoughtبِهِabout itإِذَاifكَانَit isفِيamongأَصْحَابِpeople ofالْمُرُوءَاتِmanly virtuesوَأَهْلِand people ofالْبُيُوتَاتِnoble houses
So something that is ugly for the clever, then what do you think of it if it is among people of manly virtues and people of noble houses?
قَالُواthey saidفَمَاthen whatقَالَsaidأَبُوfather ofالْفَاتِكِthe bold
They said: Then what did Abu al-Fatik say?
قَالَhe saidقَالَsaidأَبُوfather ofالْفَاتِكِthe boldالْفَتَىthe young manلَاnotيَكُونُisنَشَّالًاa snatcherوَلَاnorنَشَّافًاa gulperوَلَاnorمِرْسَالًاa guzzlerوَلَاnorلَكَّامًاa stufferوَلَاnorمَصَّاصًاa sucker
He said: Abu al-Fatik said: The young man is not a snatcher, nor a gulper, nor a guzzler, nor a stuffer, nor a sucker,
وَلَاnorنَقَّاضًاa pickerوَلَاnorدَلَّاكًاa wiperوَلَاnorمُقَوِّرًاa round-biterوَلَاnorمُغَرْبِلًاa sifterوَلَاnorمُحَلْقِمًاa throat-stufferوَلَاnorمُسَوِّغًاa swallowerوَلَاnorمُلَغِّمًاa morsel-takerوَلَاnorمُخَضِّرًاa greens-eater
Nor a picker, nor a wiper, nor a round-biter, nor a sifter, nor a throat-stuffer, nor a swallower, nor a morsel-taker, nor a greens-eater.
فَكَيْفَso howلَوْifرَأَىsawأَبُوfather ofالْفَاتِكِthe boldاللَّطَّاعَthe smackerوَالْقَطَّاعَand the cutterوَالنَّهَّاشَand the biterوَالْمُدَّادَand the stretcherوَالدَّفَّاعَand the pusherوَالْمُحَوِّلَ5and the changer
So how would it be if Abu al-Fatik saw the smacker, the cutter, the biter, the stretcher, the pusher, and the changer?