وَلَاand notيَتَنَاوَلُhe takesإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْهِhis hands
And he does not take except what is before him.
وَلَاand notيُلَاحِظُhe noticesمَاwhatبَيْنَbetweenغَيْرِهِothers
And he does not notice what is with others.
وَلَاand notيَتَشَهَّىhe cravesالْغَرَائِبَstrange things
And he does not crave strange delicacies.
وَلَاand notيَمْتَحِنُhe testsالْإِخْوَانَthe brothersبِالْأُمُورِwith mattersالثَّمِينَةِprecious
And he does not test friends with expensive things.
وَلَاand notيَهْتِكُhe tearsأَسْتَارَveilsالنَّاسِpeopleبِأَنْby thatيَتَشَهَّىhe cravesمَاwhatعَسَىperhapsأَلَّاnotيَكُونَbeمَوْجُودًاexisting
And he does not tear people's veils by craving what might not exist.
وَكَيْفَand howتَصْلُحُis set rightالدُّنْيَاthe worldوَكَيْفَand howيَطِيبُis pleasantالْعَيْشُlife
And how can the world be set right, and how can life be pleasant?
مَعَwithمَنْone whoإِذَاwhenرَأَىhe sawجَزُورِيَّةًa camel meat dishالْتَقَطَhe picked upالْأَكْبَادَthe liversوَالْأَسْنِمَةَand the humps
With one who, when he sees a camel meat dish, picks out the livers and the humps.
وَإِذَاand whenعَايَنَhe sawبَقَرِيَّةًa beef dishاسْتَوْلَىhe seizedعَلَىonالْعِرَاقِthe ribsوَالْقَطْنَةِand the fat
And when he sees a beef dish, he seizes the ribs and the fat.
وَإِنْand ifأَتَوْاthey broughtبِجَنْبِwith a sideشِوَاءٍof roast meatاكْتَسَحَhe swept awayكُلَّeveryشَيْءٍthingعَلَيْهِon it
And if they bring a side of roast meat, he sweeps away everything on it.
لَاnotيَرْحَمُhe has mercyذَاownerسِنٍّageلِضَعْفِهِfor his weakness
He does not have mercy on an aged person for his weakness.
وَلَاand notيَرِقُّhe is tenderعَلَىonحَدَثٍa young oneلِحِدَّةِfor the sharpnessشَهْوَتِهِof his appetite
And he is not tender towards a young one for the sharpness of his appetite.
وَلَاand notيَنْظُرُhe looksلِلْعِيَالِto the familyوَلَاand notيُبَالِيhe caresكَيْفَhowدَارَتْturnedبِهِمُon themالْحَالُthe situation
And he does not look to the family, and he does not care how the situation turns out for them.
وَإِنْand ifكَانَit isلَاnotبُدَّavoidمِنْfromذَلِكَthatفَمَعَthen withمَنْone whoلَاnotيَجْعَلُmakesنَصِيبَهُhis shareفِيinمَالِيmy wealthأَكْثَرَmoreمِنْthanنَصِيبِيmy share
And if it is unavoidable, then with one who does not make his share in my wealth more than my share.
وَأَشَدُّand more severeمِنْthanكُلِّallمَاwhatوَصَفْنَاwe described
And more severe than all that we described.
وَأَخْبَثُand more wickedمِنْthanكُلِّallمَاwhatعَدَدْنَاwe counted
And more wicked than all that we enumerated.
أَنَّthatالطَّبَّاخَthe cookرُبَّمَاperhapsأَتَىbroughtبِاللَّوْنِa dishالطَّرِيفِnovel
That the cook may bring a novel dish.
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsقَدَّمَpresentedالشَّيْءَthe thingالْغَرِيبَstrange
And perhaps he presents something strange.
وَالْعَادَةُand the customفِيinمِثْلِlikeذَلِكَthatاللَّوْنِdishأَنْthatيَكُونَit isلَطِيفَdelicateالشَّخْصِamountصَغِيرَsmallالْحَجْمِsize
And the custom for such a dish is that it is delicate in amount, small in size.
وَلَيْسَand it is notكَالطُّفْشِيلِيَّةِ1like Tufshiliyya
And it is not like Tufshiliyya [footnote 1].
وَلَاand notكَالهَرِيسَةِ2like Harisa
And not like Harisa [footnote 2].
وَلَاand notكَالفِجْلِيَّةِlike Fujliyyaوَلَاand notكَالكَرْنَبِيَّةِ3like Karnabiyya
And not like Fujliyya, and not like Karnabiyya [footnote 3].
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsعَجَّلَhe hurriedعَلَيْهِon itقَدَّمَهُhe presented itحَارًّاhotمُمْتَنِعًاresisting
And perhaps he hurries it, presenting it hot and resisting.
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsكَانَit isمِنْofجَوْهَرٍsubstanceبَطِيءِslowالْفُتُورِcooling
And perhaps it is of a substance that cools slowly.
وَأَصْحَابِيand my companionsفِيinسُهُولَةِeaseازْدِرَادِ4swallowingالْحَارِّhot foodعَلَيْهِمْon themفِيinطِبَاعِnatureالنَّعَامِof ostriches
And my companions, in the ease of swallowing hot food, are in the nature of ostriches [footnote 4].
وَأَنَاand Iفِيinشِدَّةِseverityالْحَارِّof hot foodعَلَيَّon meفِيinطِبَاعِnatureالسِّبَاعِof wild beasts
And I, in the severity of hot food on me, am in the nature of wild beasts.
فَإِنِfor ifانْتَظَرْتُI waitedإِلَىuntilأَنْthatيُمْكِنَit is possibleأَتَوْاthey cameعَلَىonآخِرِهِits end
For if I wait until it is possible, they have consumed it all to the end.
وَإِنْand ifبَادَرْتُI hastenedمَخَافَةَfearالْفَوْتِ5of losing out
And if I hastened for fear of missing out [footnote 5].
وَأَرَدْتُand I wantedأَنْtoأُشَارِكَهُمْshare with themفِيinبَعْضِهِsome of itلَمْnotآمَنْI am safeضَرَرَهُits harm
And if I wanted to share with them in some of it, I am not safe from its harm.
وَالْحَارُّand the hot foodرُبَّمَاperhapsقَتَلَkillsوَرُبَّمَاand perhapsأَعْقَمَcauses sterilityوَرُبَّمَاand perhapsأَبَالَmakes one urinateالدَّمَblood
And hot food may kill, and may cause sterility, and may cause one to urinate blood.
ثُمَّthenقَالَhe said
Then he said.
هَذَاthisعَلِيٌّAliالْأَسْوَارِيُّal-Aswari
This is Ali al-Aswari.
أَكَلَhe ateمَعَwithعِيسَىIsaبْنِson ofسُلَيْمَانَSulaimanبْنِson ofعَلِيٍّAli
He ate with Isa ibn Sulaiman ibn Ali.
فَوُضِعَتْand was placedقُدَّامَهُمْbefore themسَمَكَةٌa fishعَجِيبَةٌamazingفَائِقَةُexceedingالسُّمْنِfatness
And an amazing fish, of exceeding fatness, was placed before them.
فَجَلَطَhe slappedبَطْنَهَاits bellyجَلْطَةًa slap
Then he slapped its belly a slap.