قَالَ:He said:
He said:
وَوَجَّهْتُAnd I directedبِالْكِتَابِwith the bookفَدَفَعَهُso he handed itإِلَىtoالرَّشِيدِ،al-Rashid,
And I sent the book, so he handed it to al-Rashid,
فَقَالَ:and he said:وَاللَّهِBy Allah,مَاI have notرَأَيْتُseenشِعْراًpoetryأَشْبَهَmore resemblingبِمَاwhatنَحْنُwe areفِيهِinمِنْthanهَذَا،this,
and he said: By Allah, I have not seen any poetry more resembling what we are in than this,
وَاللَّهِby Allah,لَكَأَنِّيit is as ifقَصَدْتُI intendedبِهِ.it.
by Allah, it is as if I had intended it.
فَقَالَSo saidيَحْيَى:Yahya:فَأَنْتَthen you areوَاللَّهِby Allahالْمَقْصُودُthe intended oneبِهِby itيَاOأَمِيرَCommanderالْمُؤْمِنِينَ،of the Faithful,
Yahya said: By Allah, you are the one intended by it, O Commander of the Faithful,
هَذَاthisيَقُولُهُsays itالْعَبَّاسُal-Abbasبْنُson ofالْأَحْنَفِal-Ahnafفِيinهَذِهِthisالْقِصَّةِ.story.
this is said by al-Abbas ibn al-Ahnaf in this story.
فَلَمَّاSo whenقَرَأَhe readالْبَيْتَيْنِthe two coupletsوَأَفْضَىand reachedإِلَىtoقَوْلِي:my saying:رَاجِعٌreturningمَنْhe whoيَهْوَىlovesعَلَىdespiteرَغْمٍ،reluctance,
And when he read the two couplets and reached my saying: "He who loves returns despite reluctance,"
اسْتَفْرَغَhe burst outضَاحِكاًlaughingثُمَّthenقَالَ:he said:
he burst out laughing, then said:
إِنِّيIndeed Iوَاللَّهِby Allahأُرَاجِعُهَاreturn to herعَلَىdespiteالرَّغْمِ،reluctance,
"By Allah, I do return to her despite reluctance,"
وَقَالَ:and said:يَاOغُلَامُboy,نَعْلَيَّ،my sandals,
and said: "O boy, my sandals!"
فَنَهَضَSo he aroseوَأَذْهَلَهُand distracted himالْجَذَلُthe exultationوَالسُّرُورُand joyعَنْfromأَنْthatيَأْمُرَhe orderلِيfor meبِشَيْءٍ.anything.
So he arose, and exultation and joy distracted him from ordering anything for me.
فَدَعَانِيSo called meيَحْيَىYahyaوَقَالَ:and said:إِنَّIndeedشِعْرَكَyour poetryقَدْhasوَقَعَfallenبِغَايَةِwith the utmostالْمُوَافَقَةِappropriatenessوَأَذْهَلَand distractedأَمِيرَthe Commanderالْمُؤْمِنِينَof the Faithfulالسُّرُورُjoyعَنْfromأَنْthatيَأْمُرَhe orderلَكَfor youبِشَيْءٍ.anything.
Yahya called me and said: "Your poetry has come at the utmost moment of appropriateness, and joy distracted the Commander of the Faithful from ordering anything for you."
قُلْتُ:I said:لَكِنَّHoweverهَذَاthisالْخَبَرَnewsلَمْdid notيَقَعْhappenمِنِّيfrom meبِغَايَةِwith utmostالْمُوَافَقَةِ.appropriateness.
I said: "However, this news did not happen from me with the utmost appropriateness."
قَالَ:He said:إِذاًThenأُوَقِّعُهُ.I will sign/decree it.
He said: "Then I will decree it."
ثُمَّThenجَاءَcameإِنْسَانٌa personفَسَارَّهُand whispered to himبِشَيْءٍabout somethingفَنَهَضَso he stood upوَنَهَضْتُand I stood upلِنُهُوضِهِ.for his standing.
Then a person came and whispered something to him, so he stood up, and I stood up when he stood.
فَقَالَ:He said:يَاOعَبَّاسُAbbas,أَمْسَيْتَyou have becomeأَنْبَلَthe noblestالنَّاسِ،of people,أَتَدْرِيdo you knowمَاwhatسَارَّنِيwhispered to meبِهِwith itهَذَاthisالرَّسُولُ؟messenger?
He said: "O Abbas, you have become the noblest of people. Do you know what this messenger whispered to me?"
قُلْتُ:I said:لَا.No.
I said: "No."
قَالَ:He said:ذَكَرَHe mentionedأَنَّthatمَارِدَةَMaridaتَقَلَّتْmetأَمِيرَthe Commanderالْمُؤْمِنِينَof the Faithfulلَمَّاwhenعَلِمَتْshe learnedبِمَجِيئِهِof his comingفَقَالَتْ:so she said:كَيْفَHowكَانَwasهَذَاthisيَاOأَمِيرَCommanderالْمُؤْمِنِينَ؟of the Faithful?
He said: "He mentioned that Marida met the Commander of the Faithful when she learned of his coming and said: 'How was this, O Commander of the Faithful?'
فَأَعْطَاهَاSo he gave herالشِّعْرَthe poetryوَقَالَ:and said:هَذَاThis isالَّذِيwhatجَاءَbroughtبِي!me!"
So he gave her the poetry and said: 'This is what brought me!''
قَالَتْ:She said:فَمَنْThen whoيَقُولُهُ؟says it?
She said: 'Then who says it?'
قَالَ:He said:الْعَبَّاسُAl-Abbasبْنُson ofالْأَحْنَفِ.Al-Ahnaf.
He said: 'Al-Abbas ibn Al-Ahnaf.'
قَالَتْ:She said:فَبِكَمْThen with how muchكُوفِئَ؟was he rewarded?
She said: 'Then with how much was he rewarded?'
قَالَ:He said:مَاI have notفَعَلْتُdoneشَيْئاً.anything.
He said: 'I have not done anything.'
قَالَتْ:She said:إِذاًThenوَاللَّهِby AllahلَاI will notأَجْلِسَنَّsitحَتَّىuntilيُكَافَأَ!he is rewarded!"
She said: 'Then by Allah, I will not sit down until he is rewarded!'
فَأَمِيرُSo the Commanderالْمُؤْمِنِينَof the Faithfulقَائِمٌis standingلِقِيَامِهَاdue to her standingوَأَنَاand Iقَائِمٌam standingلِقِيَامِهِمَاdue to their standingوَهُمَاand theyيَتَنَاظَرَانِare discussingفِيregardingصِلَتِكَ،your reward/gift,
So the Commander of the Faithful is standing because of her standing, and I am standing because of their standing, while they are discussing your reward, and all of this is for you.
فَهَذَاso thisكُلُّهُall of itلَكَ.is for you.
so this all belongs to you.
قُلْتُ:I said:مَاWhatلِيdo I haveمِنْofهَذَاthisإِلَّاexceptالصِّلَةَ!the reward!
I said: "What do I have of this except the reward!"
فَضَحِكَSo he laughedوَقَالَ:and said:هَذَاThisأَحْسَنُis betterمِنْthanشِعْرِكَ.your poetry.
So he laughed and said: "This is better than your poetry."
فَأَمَرَSo orderedلِيfor meأَمِيرُthe Commanderالْمُؤْمِنِينَof the Faithfulبِمَالٍwith wealthكَثِيرٍmuchوَأَمَرَتْand orderedهِيَsheلِيfor meبِمَالٍwith wealthدُونَهُless than itوَأَمَرَand orderedلِيfor meالْوَزِيرُthe vizierبِمَالٍwith wealthدُونَless thanمَاwhatأَمَرَتْorderedبِهِwith itوَحُمِلْتُand I was mountedعَلَىuponمَاwhatتَرَوْنَyou seeمِنَofالظَّهْرِ.mounts.
So the Commander of the Faithful ordered a large amount of wealth for me, she ordered a lesser amount of wealth for me, and the vizier ordered an amount less than what she ordered for me, and I was provided with the mounts you see.
ثُمَّThenقَالَsaidلِيto meالْوَزِيرُ:the vizier:تَمَامُThe completionالْيَدِof the favorعِنْدَكَwith youأَنْis thatلَاyou do notتَخْرُجَleaveمِنَfromالدَّارِthe houseحَتَّىuntilيُؤَثَّلَis establishedلَكَfor youبِهَذَاwith thisالْمَالِ،wealth,
Then the vizier said to me: "The perfection of the favor toward you is that you do not leave the house until this wealth is invested and established for you,"
فَاشْتَرَيْتُso I boughtلِيfor myselfضِيَاعاًestatesتُغِلُّyieldingعِشْرِينَtwentyأَلْفَthousandدِرْهَمٍdirhamsوَدُفِعَand there was paidإِلَيَّto meبَقِيَّةُthe rest ofالْمَالِ.the money.
so I bought for myself estates yielding twenty thousand dirhams, and the rest of the money was paid to me.
فَهَذَاSo thisهُوَisخَبَرِيmy newsالَّذِيthat whichعَاقَنِيdelayed meعَنْكُمْ،from you,فَهَلُمُّواso comeحَتَّىso thatأُقَاسِمَكُمُI share with youالضِّيَاعَthe estatesوَأُفَرِّقَand divideبَيْنَكُمُamong youالْمَالَ.the wealth.
So this is my news that delayed me from you, come then so that I may share the estates with you and divide the wealth among you.
فَقُلْنَا:So we said:هَنَأَكَMay Allah blessاللَّهُfor youمَالَكَ،your wealth,كُلُّنَاall of usيَرْجِعُreturnإِلَىtoنِعْمَةٍcomfortمِنْfromأَبِيهِhis fatherوَأَهْلِهِ.and his family.
So we said: "May Allah bless your wealth for you, all of us return to comfort from his father and family."
فَأَقْسَمَSo he sworeوَأَقْسَمْنَاand we sworeفَقَالَ:and said:أَنْتُمْYou areأُسْوَتِيmy peers/equalsفِيهِ.in it.
So he swore and we swore, and he said: "You are my equals in it."
قُلْنَا:We said:أَمَّاAs forهَذَاthisفَنَعَمْ،then yes,فَامْضُواso proceedبِنَاwith usإِلَىtoالْجَارِيَةِthe slave girlحَتَّىso thatنَشْتَرِيَهَا.we buy her.
We said: "As for this, then yes, so proceed with us to the slave girl so that we may buy her."
قَالَ:He said:فَمَضَيْنَاSo we proceededإِلَىtoصَاحِبَتِهَا،her owner,وَكَانَتْand she wasجَارِيَةًa slave girlجَمِيلَةًbeautifulحُلْوَةًsweetلَاnotتُحْسِنُshe excelsشَيْئاًin anythingأَكْثَرَmoreمِمَّاthanبِهَاin herمِنَofالظَّرْفِ،charm/elegance,
He said: So we proceeded to her owner, and she was a beautiful, sweet slave girl who excelled in nothing more than the charm she possessed,
وَكَانَتْand she wasتُسَاوِيworthعَلَىatوَجْهِهَاmost/face valueخَمْسِينَfiftyوَمِائَةَand one hundredدِينَارٍ،dinars,
and she was worth one hundred and fifty dinars,
فَاسْتَامَتْso demandedبِهَاfor herصَاحِبُتُهَاher ownerخَمْسَfiveمِائَةِhundredدِينَارٍdinarsفَأَجَبْنَاهَاso we responded to herبِالتَّعَجُّبِwith astonishmentفَحَطَّتْso she loweredمِائَةً.one hundred.
so her owner asked five hundred dinars for her, and we responded with astonishment, so she lowered it by one hundred.
فَقَالَSo saidلَنَاto usالْعَبَّاسُ:Al-Abbas:يَاOفِتْيَانِyoung menإِنِّيindeed Iأَحْتَشِمُfeel too shyوَاللَّهِby AllahأَنْthatأَقُولَI sayبَعْدَafterمَاwhatقُلْتُمْyou saidوَلَكِنَّbutهِيَshe isجَارِيَةٌa slave girlفِيinنَفْسِيmy soulبِهَاthrough herيِتَمُis completedسُرُورِي،my joy,
Al-Abbas said to us: "O young men, by Allah I feel too shy to speak after what you have said, but she is a slave girl upon whom my heart is set and through whom my joy will be complete,
إِنَّindeedهَذِهِthisالْجَارِيَةَslave girlأُرِيدُI wantإِيثَارَto privilegeنَفْسِيmyselfبِهَاwith herوَأَكْرَهُand I dislikeأَنْthatتَنْظُرَshe looksإِلَيَّat meبِعَيْنِwith the eye ofمَنْone whoقَدْhasمَاكَسَbargainedفِيoverثَمَنِهَاher priceفَدَعُونِيso let meأُعْطِهَاgive herخَمْسَfiveمِائَةِhundredدِينَارٍ.dinars.
I want to keep this slave girl for myself, and I dislike that she should look at me with the eye of someone who bargained over her price, so let me give her five hundred dinars."
قُلْنَا:We said:قَدْShe hasحَطَّتْloweredمِائَةً!one hundred!
We said: "She has lowered it by one hundred!"
قَالَ:He said:وَإِنْEven ifفَعَلَتْ.she did.
He said: "Even if she did."
فَصَادَفَتْSo she foundمَوْلَاتُهَاher mistressرَجُلاًa manحُراًfreeوَأَخَذَتْand she tookمِنَfromالثَّمَنِthe priceثَلَاثَمِائَةٍthree hundredوَجَهَّزَتْهَاand equipped herبِالْبَاقِيwith the restفَمَاand soزَالَhe continuedلَنَاfor usعَشِيراًa companionحَتَّىuntilفَرَّقَseparatedبَيْنَنَاbetween usوَبَيْنَهُand himالْمَوْتُ.death.
So her mistress found a generous man and took three hundred of the price and equipped her with the rest, and he remained a companion to us until death separated us and him.