وَاللهِBy Allahإِنِّيindeed Iلَأُفَضِّلُpreferالدَّهَاقِينَ1the peasants
By Allah, I indeed prefer the peasants.
حِينَwhenعَابُواthey criticizedالْحَسُوَ2the sipping
When they criticized the sipping of soup.
وَتَقَزَّزُواand they were disgustedمِنَbyالتَّعَرُّقِgnawing meat from bones
And they were disgusted by gnawing on bones.
وَبَهْرَجُواand they dazzledصَاحِبَthe owner ofالتَّمْشِيشِ4the showy food
And they dazzled the one who brought fancy dishes.
وَحِينَand whenأَكَلُواthey ateبِالْبَارِجِينِ5with forks
And when they ate with forks.
وَقَطَعُواand they cutبِالسِّكِّينِwith the knife
And they cut with a knife.
وَلَزِمُواand they adhered toعِنْدَatالطَّعَامِthe foodالسَّكْتَةَsilence
And they maintained silence during meals.
وَتَرَكُواand they leftالْخَوْضَchatter
And they refrained from idle talk.
وَاخْتَارُواand they choseالزَّمْزَمَةَlow murmuring
And they opted for quiet murmuring.
أَنَاIوَاللهِby AllahأَحْتَمِلُI can bearالضِّيقَnarrownessوَالضَّيِّفَنَand cramped quarters
I, by Allah, can bear narrow and cramped places.
وَلَاand notأَحْتَمِلُI can bearاللَّعْمُوظَthe greedy eaterوَلَاand notالْجِرْدَبِيلَthe voracious eater
But I cannot bear the greedy or voracious eater.
وَالْوَاغِلُand the uninvited guestأَهْوَنُis easierعَلَيَّon meمِنَthanالرَّاشِنِ6the one who guests
And the uninvited guest is easier for me than the one who insists on being invited.
وَمَنْAnd whoيَشُكُّdoubtsأَنَّthatالْوَحْدَةَsolitudeخَيْرٌis betterمِنْthanجَلِيسِthe companionالسَّوْءِof evil
And who doubts that solitude is better than a bad companion?
وَأَنَّand thatجَلِيسَthe companionالسَّوْءِof evilخَيْرٌis betterمِنْthanأَكِيلِthe dining partnerالسَّوْءِof evil
And that a bad companion is better than a bad dining partner?
لِأَنَّbecauseكُلَّeveryأَكِيلٍdining partnerجَلِيسٌis a companion
Because every dining partner is a companion.
وَلَيْسَand notكُلُّeveryجَلِيسٍcompanionأَكِيلًاis a dining partner
But not every companion is a dining partner.
فَإِنْso ifكَانَit isلَاnoبُدَّescapeمِنَfromالْمُؤَاكَلَةِcommensality
So if there is no escape from eating together.
وَلَاand noبُدَّescapeمِنَfromالْمُشَارَكَةِsharing
And no escape from sharing.
فَمَعَthen withمَنْone whoلَاdoes notيَسْتَأْثِرُkeep for himselfعَلَيَّover meبِالْمُخِّthe bone marrow
Then with one who does not hog the marrow from me.
وَلَاand notيَنْتَهِزُsnatchبَيْضَةَthe egg ofالْبَقِيلَةِ7the purslane
And does not snatch the egg of the purslane plant.
وَلَاand notيَلْتَهِمُdevourكَبِدَthe liver ofالدَّجَاجَةِthe chicken
And does not devour the chicken liver.
وَلَاand notيُبَادِرُrush toإِلَىtoدِمَاغِthe brain ofرَأْسِthe head ofالسَّلَاءَةِ8the salamander
And does not rush to the brain of a salamander's head.
وَلَاand notيَخْتَطِفُsnatchكُلْيَةَthe kidney ofالْجَدْيِthe goat kid
And does not snatch the kidney of a young goat.
وَلَاand notيَزْدَرِدُgulp downقَانِصَةَthe gizzard ofالْكَرَكِيِّ9the crane
And does not gulp down the gizzard of a crane.
وَلَاand notيَنْتَزِعُpull outشَاكِلَةَthe hip ofالْحَمَلِ10the lamb
And does not pull out the hip of a lamb.
وَلَاand notيَقْتَطِعُcut offسُرَّةَthe navel ofالشِّيصَانِ11the small bad dates
And does not cut off the navel of a small bad date.
وَلَاand notيَعْرِضُapproachلِعُيُونِthe eyes ofالرُّؤُوسِthe heads
And does not approach the eyes of the heads.
وَلَاand notيَسْتَوْلِيseizeعَلَىonصُدُورِthe breasts ofالدَّجَاجِthe chickens
And does not seize the breasts of chickens.
وَلَاand notيُسَابِقُraceإِلَىtoأَسْقَاطِthe scraps ofالْفِرَاخِthe young birds
And does not race to the scraps of young birds.
وَلَاand notيَتَنَاوَلُtakeإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatبَيْنَin front ofيَدَيْهِhis hands
And does not take except what is in front of him.
وَلَاand notيُلَاحِظُobserveمَاwhatبَيْنَin front ofيَدَيْthe hands ofغَيْرِهِothers
And does not eye what is in front of others.
Footnotes
- 1.الدَّهَاقِينُ: جَمْعُ دِهْقَانٍ، وَهُوَ الْفَلَّاحُ أَوْ رَئِيسُ الْقَرْيَةِ.
Ad-dahāqīn: plural of dihqān, meaning the peasant or the village chief.
- 2.الْحَسُو: شُرْبُ الْمَرَقِ وَالطَّعَامِ السَّائِلِ بِرَشْفٍ صَوْتِيٍّ.
Al-ḥasū: drinking broth or liquid food with audible sipping.
- 4.التَّمْشِيشُ: أَنْ يُظْهِرَ الرَّجُلُ الطَّعَامَ بِأَلْوَانٍ وَأَصْنَافٍ مُبَاهَاةً وَتَفَاخُرًا.
At-tamshīsh: that a man displays food in various colors and kinds out of ostentation and pride.
- 5.الْبَارِجِينُ: آلَةُ الْأَكْلِ ذَاتُ الثَّلَاثِ شُعَبٍ، وَهِيَ مَا يُعْرَفُ بِالشَّوْكَةِ الْيَوْمَ.
Al-bārijīn: a three-pronged eating tool, what is known today as the fork.
- 6.الرَّاشِنُ: الَّذِي يَلِحُّ عَلَى النَّاسِ فِي ضِيَافَتِهِ بِغَيْرِ دَعْوَةٍ.
Ar-rāshin: the one who insists on being invited to people's hospitality without an invitation.
- 7.الْبَقِيلَةُ: نَبَاتٌ مِنْ فَصِيلَةِ الرِّجْلِيَّاتِ يُؤْكَلُ وَرَقُهُ، وَيُسَمَّى الرِّجْلَةَ أَوِ الْفَرْفَحِينَ.
Al-baqīlah: a plant from the purslane family whose leaves are eaten, also called rijlah or farfakhīn.
- 8.السَّلَاءَةُ: دَابَّةٌ مِنَ الْعَظَاءِ تَعِيشُ فِي النَّارِ زَعَمُوا، وَضَرَبُوا بِهَا الْمَثَلَ فِي الْحَرَارَةِ.
As-salā'ah: a creature of the lizard kind said to live in fire, used as a metaphor for extreme heat.
- 9.الْكَرَكِيُّ: طَائِرٌ مِنْ فَصِيلَةِ الْكُرْكِيِّ، طَوِيلُ الْعُنُقِ وَالسَّاقَيْنِ.
Al-karakī: a bird of the crane family, with long neck and legs.
- 10.الشَّاكِلَةُ: الْوَرِكُ أَوْ مَا بَيْنَ الْوَرِكِ وَالْفَخِذِ.
Ash-shākilah: the hip or the area between the hip and the thigh.
- 11.الشِّيصَانُ: ضَرْبٌ مِنَ التَّمْرِ رَدِيءٌ صَغِيرٌ يَابِسٌ.
Ash-shīṣān: a type of poor-quality dates that are small and dry.