قَصْعَةٌ1a bowl،,وَأَنْتَand youتَأْكُلُeat،,فَمِنْso fromأَيِّwhatشَيْءٍthingكَانَتِwasالْقَصْعَةُthe bowl،,وَأَيُّand whatشَيْءٍthingكَانَwasفِيهَاin it؟?
A bowl «1», and you are eating, so from what was the bowl made, and what was in it?
قَالَHe said::قَيْءُVomitكَلْبٍof a dog،,فِيinقِحْفِ2skullخِنْزِيرٍof a pig..
He said: Vomit of a dog in the skull «2» of a pig.
وَقِيلَAnd it was saidلِرَجُلٍto a manمِنَfromالْعَرَبِthe Arabs::قَدْindeedنَزَلْتَyou have stayedبِجَمِيعِwith allالْقَبَائِلِthe tribes،,فَكَيْفَso howرَأَيْتَdid you seeخُزَاعَةَKhuza'a؟?
And it was said to a man of the Arabs: You have stayed with all the tribes, so how did you find Khuza'a?
قَالَHe said::جُوعٌHungerوَأَحَادِيثُand stories..
He said: Hunger and stories.
وَنَزَلَAnd he stayedعَمْرُوAmrبْنُibnمَعْدِيMa'diكَرِبَ3Karibبِرَجُلٍwith a manمِنْfromبَنِيthe family ofالْمُغِيرَةِAl-Mughira،,وَهُمْand theyأَكْثَرُmostقُرَيْشٍQuraishطَعَامًاfood،,فَأَتَاهُso he brought himبِمَاwhatحَضَرَwas available،,وَقَدْand indeedكَانَwasفِيمَاin whatأَتَاهُhe brought himبِهِwith itفَضْلٌabundance،,فَقَالَso he saidلِعُمَرَto UmarبْنِibnالْخَطَّابِAl-Khattab،,وَهُمْand theyأَخْوَالُهُhis maternal uncles::لِئَامُThe stingyبَنِيof the family ofالْمُغِيرَةِAl-MughiraيَاOأَمِيرَCommanderالْمُؤْمِنِينَof the Faithful..
And Amr ibn Ma'di Karib «3» stayed with a man of Banu al-Mughira, who were the most plentiful of Quraish in food, so he brought him what was available, and there was surplus in what he brought him, so he said to Umar ibn al-Khattab, and they were his maternal uncles: The stingy of Banu al-Mughira, O Commander of the Faithful.
قَالَHe said::وَكَيْفَAnd how؟?
He said: And how?
قَالَHe said::نَزَلْتُI stayedبِهِمْwith themفَمَاand notقَرَوْنِيthey hosted meغَيْرُexceptقَوْسٍbowوَكَعْبٍand ankleboneوَثَوْرٍ4and bull..
He said: I stayed with them, and they did not host me with anything but a bow, an anklebone, and a bull «4».
قَالَHe saidعُمَرُUmar::إِنَّIndeedذَلِكَthatلَشِبَعٌis satiety..
Umar said: That is indeed satiety.
وَكَمْAnd how manyقَدْindeedرَأَيْنَاwe have seenمِنَofالْأَعْرَابِthe Bedouinsمِنْone whoنَزَلَstayedبِرَبِّwith the ownerصِرْمَةٍ5of a small herd،,فَأَتَاهُso he brought himبِلَبَنٍmilk،,وَتَمْرٍand dates،,وَحَيْسٍ6and hais،,وَخُبْزٍand bread،,وَسَمْنٍand gheeسَلَاءٍ7melted،,فَبَاتَso he spent the nightلَيْلَتَهُhis nightثُمَّthenأَصْبَحَhe woke upيَهْجُوهُsatirizing him::كَيْفَhowلَمْnotيَنْحَرْhe slaughterلَهُfor him((وَهُوَand heلَاnotيَعْرِفُهُknows him))بَعِيرًاa camelمِنْfromذَوْدِهِhis herd،,أَوْorمِنْfromصِرْمَتِهِhis small herd..
And how many of the Bedouins have we seen who stayed with the owner of a small herd «5», so he brought him milk, dates, hais «6», bread, and melted ghee «7», so he spent his night then woke up satirizing him: Why did he not slaughter for him (while he did not know him) a camel from his herd, or from his small herd.
وَلَوْAnd ifنَحَرَhe slaughteredهَذَاthisالْبَائِسُwretched manلِكُلِّfor everyكَلْبٍdogمَرَّpassedبِهِby him،,بَعِيرًاa camelمِنْfromمَخَافَةِfear ofلِسَانِهِhis tongue،,لَمَّاnotدَارَhe would have circledالْأُسْبُوعُthe weekإِلَّاbutوَهُوَand heيَتَعَرَّضُexposes himselfلِلسَّابِلَةِ8to the travelers،,يَتَكَفَّفُbeggingالنَّاسَpeople،,وَيَسْأَلُهُمُand asking themالْعَلَقَ9for a gift..
And if this wretched man had slaughtered for every dog that passed by him a camel, out of fear of his tongue, he would not have completed the week except while exposing himself to the travelers «8», begging people, and asking them for a gift «9».
Footnotes
- 1.القَصْعَةُ: إِنَاءٌ مِنْ خَشَبٍ أَوْ خَزَفٍ يُؤْكَلُ فِيهِ.
Al-qaṣʿah: a bowl made of wood or clay in which food is eaten.
- 2.القِحْفُ: جُزْءٌ مِنَ الْجُمْجُمَةِ أَوْ عَظْمٌ مُقَعَّرٌ.
Al-qihf: a part of the skull or a concave bone.
- 3.عَمْرُو بْنُ مَعْدِي كَرِبَ: صَحَابِيٌّ وَفَارِسٌ مَعْرُوفٌ.
Amr ibn Ma'di Karib: a companion (of the Prophet) and a famous knight.
- 4.القَوْسُ: قِطْعَةٌ مِنَ اللَّحْمِ تُتْرَكُ فِي أَسْفَلِ الْقِدْرِ، وَالكَعْبُ: مِنْ لَحْمِ البَعِيرِ، وَالثَّوْرُ: مِنْ لَحْمِهِ.
Al-qaws: a piece of meat left at the bottom of the pot; al-kaʿb: a portion of camel meat; al-thawr: a portion of its meat.
- 5.الصِّرْمَةُ: القَطِيعُ مِنَ الْإِبِلِ.
Aṣ-ṣirmah: a herd of camels.
- 6.الحَيْسُ: خَلِيطٌ مِنْ تَمْرٍ وَسَمْنٍ وَأَقِطٍ.
Al-ḥays: a mixture of dates, ghee, and dried cottage cheese.
- 7.السَّلَاءُ: السَّمْنُ الْمُذَابُ.
As-salāʾ: melted ghee.
- 8.السَّابِلَةُ: الْمُسَافِرُونَ وَالمَارَّةُ.
As-sābilah: travelers and passers-by.
- 9.العَلَقُ: الشَّيْءُ يُعْطَاهُ السَّائِلُ.
Al-ʿalaq: something given to a beggar.