قَالَHeفَتَرَاءَيْنَاwe showed ourselvesلَهُto him
He said: We showed ourselves to him,
ثُمَّthenقَبَضْنَاwe seizedعَلَيْهِhim
then we seized him,
فَجَزِعَand he panickedوَفَزِعَand became terrified
and he panicked and became terrified
وَقَالَand said
and said:
مَنِWhoالْقَوْمُ؟are the people?
Who are the people?
فَقَالَThen saidبَرُونُBarun
Barun said:
أَنَاI amحَاجِبُthe chamberlain ofأَمِيرِthe Commander ofالْمُؤْمِنِينَthe Faithful
I am the chamberlain of the Commander of the Faithful,
وَهَذَاand this isفُلَانٌso-and-soوَفُلَانٌand so-and-so
and this is so-and-so and so-and-so.
قَالَHe said
He said:
وَمَاAnd whatالَّذِيwhichتُرِيدُونَ؟do you want?
And what is it that you want?
قَالَSaidبَرُونُBarun
Barun said:
فَأَعْلَمْتُهُSo I informed himمَاof whatأَمَرَcommandedبِهِwith itأَمِيرُthe Commander ofالْمُؤْمِنِينَthe Faithful
So I informed him of what the Commander of the Faithful had commanded
مِنْofأَخْذِهِtaking himإِلَىtoمَجْلِسِهِhis assembly
regarding taking him to his assembly.
قَالَHe said
He said:
ذَرْنِيLeave meأُوصِthat I may make a will
Leave me to make a will,
فَإِنِّيfor indeed Iلَاdo notآمَنُهُfeel secure about him
for I do not feel secure about him.
ثُمَّThenتَقَدَّمَhe stepped forwardإِلَىtoبَعْضِsomeالْعَلَّافِينَof the fodder sellers
Then he stepped forward to some of the fodder sellers
فِيinفَرْضَةِthe port ofالْفِيلِthe Elephant
in the Elephant Port,
فَأَخَذَand he tookبَيَاضاًa blank paper
and he took a blank paper
وَأَوْصَىand dictatedفِيهِin itوَصِيَّةًa willخَفِيفَةًbrief
and dictated a brief will in it
وَدَفَعَهَاand handed itإِلَىtoالْغُلَامِthe boy
and handed it to the boy,
وَسِرْنَاand we set offبِهِwith him
and we set off with him.
فَلَمَّاSo whenمَثُلَhe stoodبَيْنَbeforeيَدَيِthe hands ofالْمَأْمُونِAl-Ma'mun
So when he stood before Al-Ma'mun,
زَبَرَهُhe rebuked himوَقَالَand said
he rebuked him and said:
مَنْWhoأَنْتَare youوَبِمَاذَاand with whatاسْتَوْجَبَdid they deserveالْبَرَامِكَةُthe Barmakidsمَاwhatتَفْعَلُهُyou doفِيinدُورِهِمْ؟their houses?
Who are you, and why did the Barmakids deserve what you are doing in their houses?
قَالَHe said
He said:
يَاOأَمِيرَCommander ofالْمُؤْمِنِينَthe Faithfulلِلْبَرَامِكَةِfor the Barmakidsعِنْدِيwith meأَيَادٍfavorsخَضْرَةٌfresh/green
O Commander of the Faithful, the Barmakids have fresh favors with me,
أَفَتَأْذَنُso do you permitلِيmeأَنْthatأُحَدِّثَكَ؟I speak to you?
so do you permit me to speak to you?
فَقَالَHe said
He said:
سَدِيداًSpeak what is right
Speak what is right.
قَالَHe said
He said:
أَنَاIيَاOأَمِيرَCommander ofالْمُؤْمِنِينَthe FaithfulالْمُنْذِرُAl-Mundhirبْنُson ofالْمُغِيرَةِAl-Mughirah
I, O Commander of the Faithful, am Al-Mundhir ibn Al-Mughirah,
مِنْfromأَهْلِthe people ofدِمَشْقَDamascus
from the people of Damascus.
كُنْتُI wasبِهَاin itمِنْfromأَوْلَادِthe children ofالْمُلُوكِkings
I was among them from the children of kings,
فَزَالَتْso departedعَنِّيfrom meنِعْمَتِيmy blessing/wealth
so my wealth departed from me
كَمَاjust asتَزُولُit departsعَنِfromالرِّجَالِmen
just as it departs from men.
فَلَمَّاSo whenرَكِبَتْنِيweighed me downالدُّيُونُdebts
So when debts weighed me down
وَاحْتَجْتُand I neededإِلَىtoبَيْعِsellingمَسْقِطِthe birthplace ofرَأْسِيmy head
and I needed to sell my birthplace
وَرُؤُوسِand the heads ofآبَائِيmy fathers
and the heads of my fathers,
أَشَارُواthey advisedعَلَيَّmeبِالْخُرُوجِwith going outإِلَىtoالْبَرَامِكَةِthe Barmakids
they advised me to go out to the Barmakids.
فَخَرَجْتُSo I went outمِنْfromدِمَشْقَDamascusوَمَعِيand with me
So I went out from Damascus, and with me
نَيِّفٌoverوَثَلَاثُونَthirtyامْرَأَةًwomanوَصَبِيّاًand boyوَصَبِيَّةًand girl
were over thirty women, boys, and girls,
وَلَيْسَand there was notمَعَنَاwith usمَاwhatيُبَاعُcould be soldوَلَاnorمَاwhatيُرْهَنُcould be mortgaged
and we had nothing to be sold or mortgaged,
حَتَّىuntilدَخَلْتُI enteredبَغْدَادَBaghdad
until I entered Baghdad
وَنَزَلْنَاand we stayedبِبَابِat the gate ofالشَّامِAl-Sham
and stayed at Bab Al-Sham
فِيinبَعْضِsome ofالْمَسَاجِدِthe mosques
in one of the mosques.
وَدَعَوْتُAnd I called forبِثُوَيْبَاتٍsmall garmentsلِيof mineقَدْwhichكُنْتُI hadأَعْدَدْتُهَاprepared them
And I called for some small garments of mine which I had prepared
لِأَسْتَمِيحَto beg favorsبِهَاwith themالنَّاسَfrom people
to seek charity from people with them,
وَتَرَكْتُهُمْand I left themجِيَاعاًhungry
and I left them hungry,
وَرَكِبْتُand I rodeشَوَارِعَthe streets ofبَغْدَادَBaghdad
and I rode the streets of Baghdad.
فَإِذَاThen loأَنَاIبِمَسْجِدٍat a mosqueمُزَخْرَفٍdecorated
Then lo and behold, I was at a decorated mosque
وَفِيهِand in it wereمِائَةُa hundredشَيْخٍold men
in which were a hundred old men,
قَدْwho hadطَبَّقُواwrappedطَيَالِسَتَهُمْtheir cloaksبِأَحْسَنِin the bestزِيٍّattireوَزِينَةٍand adornmentوَبِزَّةٍand dress
who had wrapped their cloaks in the best attire, adornment, and dress.
وَإِذَاAnd beholdخَادِمَانِtwo servantsعَلَىatبَابِthe door ofالْمَسْجِدِthe mosque
And behold, there were two servants at the door of the mosque,
فَطَمِعْتُso I covetedفِيinالْقَوْمِthe people
so I had hopes in the group
وَوَلَجْتُand I enteredالْمَسْجِدَthe mosque
and entered the mosque
وَجَلَسْتُand satبَيْنَbetweenأَيْدِيهِمْtheir hands
and sat among them,
وَأَنَاwhile Iأُقَدِّمُwas bringing forwardوَأُؤَخِّرُand delaying
fidgeting nervously
وَالْعَرَقُand sweatيَسِيلُwas flowingمَنِّيfrom me
and sweat was pouring from me
لِأَنَّهَاbecause itلَمْwas notتَكُنْbeingصِنَاعَتِيmy profession
because this was not my profession.
فَأَنَاSo I wasلِذَلِكَlike thatإِذَاwhenأَنَاIبِخَادِمٍwith a servant
While I was in that state, lo, a servant
قَدْhadأَقْبَلَapproachedوَقَالَand saidلِلْخَادِمَيْنِto the two servants
approached and said to the two servants:
ازْعِجُواDrive awayالْقَوْمَ،the people
Drive away the people.
فَأُزْعِجَSo was driven awayالْقَوْمُthe peopleوَأَنَاand Iمَعَهُمْwith them
So the people were driven away, and I with them.
فَأَدْخَلُونَاSo they made us enterدَارَthe house ofيَحْيَىYahyaبْنِson ofخَالِدٍKhalid
They made us enter the house of Yahya ibn Khalid,
وَدَخَلْتُand I enteredمَعَهُمْ،with them
and I entered with them.
فَإِذَاAnd loبِيَحْيَىYahya wasجَالِساًsittingعَلَىonدُكَّةٍa benchلَهُof hisوَسَطَin the middle ofبُسْتَانٍ،an orchard
And lo, Yahya was sitting on a bench of his in the middle of an orchard,
فَسَلَّمْنَاand we greetedوَهُوَwhile heيَعُدُّنَاwas counting usمِائَةَa hundredرَجُلٍmanوَوَاحِداً،and one
and we greeted him while he was counting us as a hundred and one men,
وَبَيْنَand betweenيَدَيْthe hands ofيَحْيَىYahyaعَشَرَةٌtenمِنْofوُلِدِهِ،his children
and before Yahya were ten of his sons.
وَإِذَاAnd beholdغُلَامٍa boyأَمْرَدَbeardlessحِينَwhenعَذَّرَsproutedخِدَاهُhis cheeks
And behold, a beardless youth whose cheeks had just sprouted hair
قَدْhadأَقْبَلَapproachedمِنْfromبَعْضِsome ofالْمَقَاصِيرِthe chambers
approached from one of the chambers,
بَيْنَbeforeيَدَيْهِhimمِائَةُa hundredخَادِمٍservantمَتَنَطِّقُونَgirded
preceded by a hundred servants, girded,
فِيinوَسَطِthe middle ofكُلِّeveryخَادِمٍservantمِنْطَقَةٌa beltمِنْofأَلْفِa thousandمِثْقَالٍmithqals
with around the waist of every servant a belt worth a thousand mithqals,
مَعَwithكُلِّeveryخَادِمٍservantمَجْمَرَةٌa censerمِنْofذَهَبٍgoldوَرِجْلٌand a foot/standمِنْofذَهَبٍgold
with each servant being a censer of gold and a stand of gold,
فِيinكُلِّeveryمَجْمَرَةٍcenserقِطْعَةٌa pieceمِنَofالْعُودِagarwoodكَهَيْأَةِlike the shape ofالْفِهْرِa grinding stone
in every censer a piece of agarwood like the shape of a grinding stone,
قَدْhavingضُمَّbeen joinedإِلَيْهِto itمِثْلُهُits likeمِنَofالْعَنْبَرِambergrisالسُّلْطَانِيِّroyal
to which was added its like of royal ambergris,
فَوَضَعُوهُso they placed itبَيْنَbeforeيَدَيِthe hands ofالْغُلَامِthe boy
so they placed it before the boy.
وَجَلَسَAnd satالْغُلَامُthe boyإِلَىnext toجَنْبِside ofيَحْيَىYahya
The boy sat next to Yahya,
ثُمَّthenقَالَsaidيَحْيَىYahyaلِلزَّبْرَقِيِّto Al-Zabarqiyالْقَاضِيthe judge
then Yahya said to Al-Zabarqiy the judge:
تَكَلَّمْSpeakفَقَدْfor indeedزَوَّجْتُI have marriedابْنَتِيmy daughterعَائِشَةَAishaمِنْtoابْنِson ofعَمِّيmy paternal uncleهَذَاthisمِنْfromبَيْتِhouse ofنَارِfire ofالنُّوبَهَارِNawbahar
Speak, for I have married my daughter Aisha to this cousin of mine from the House of the Fire of Nawbahar.