fadl al kilab ibn al marzuban

Page 26

أَخْبَرَنِيTold meعَلِيُّAliبْنُson ofمُحَمَّدٍMuhammadقَالَwho said

Ali bin Muhammad told me, saying:

حَدَّثَنِيNarrated to meابْنُIbnالْحُسَيْنِal-HusseinبْنِbinشَدَّادٍShaddadقَالَwho said

Ibn al-Hussein bin Shaddad narrated to me, saying:

وَلَّانِيAppointed meالْقَسْمُal-Qasimخِلَافَةَas deputy forأَحْمَدَAhmadبْنِbinمَيْمُونٍMaimunبِنَيْسَابُورَin Nishapur

Al-Qasim appointed me as deputy for Ahmad bin Maimun in Nishapur.

فَنَزَلْتُSo I stayedفِيinبَعْضِsomeمَنَازِلِهَاof its houses

So I stayed in one of its houses,

فَوَجَدْتُand I foundفِيinجِوَارِيmy neighborhoodجُنْدِيّاًa soldierمِنْfromأَصْحَابِهِhis companions

and I found in my neighborhood a soldier from his companions,

يُعْرَفُknownبِنَسِيمٍas Nasim

known as Nasim,

كَانَwho usedيَرْسُمُto orderتَنْظِيفَthe cleaning ofغُلَامِهِhis servant

who used to order the cleaning of his servant.

وَإِذَاAnd wheneverكَلْبٌa dogلَهُof hisيَخْرُجُgoes outبِخُرُوجِهِwith his going out

A dog of his would go out when he went out,

وَيَدْخُلُand enterبِدُخُولِهِwith his entering

and enter when he entered.

وَإِذَاAnd wheneverجَلَسَhe satعَلَىonبَابِهِhis doorstep

And whenever he sat on his doorstep,

قَرَّبَهُhe brought it closeوَغَطَّاهُand covered itبِدُوَاجٍwith a rugكَانَthat wasعَلَيْهِupon him

he would bring it close and cover it with a rug that was upon him.

فَسَأَلْتُSo I askedالرَّاسِبِيَّal-Rasibiعَنْaboutمَحَلِّthe status ofالْغُلَامِthe servant

So I asked al-Rasibi about the status of the servant,

وَكَيْفَand howيَقْنَعُis contentالْأَمِيرُthe commanderمِنْهُwith himبِدُخُولِfor enteringالْكَلْبِthe dogعَلَيْهِupon him

and how the commander could be content with the dog entering upon him,

وَيَرْضَىand is pleasedمِنْهُwith himبِذَلِكَwith that

and pleased with him for that,

وَلَيْسَwhile it is notبِكَلْبِa dog ofصَيْدٍgame

even though it is not a hunting dog.

قَالَHe saidأَبُوAbuالْوَلِيدِal-WalidسَلْهُAsk himعَنْaboutحَدِيثِهِhis story

Abu al-Walid said, "Ask him about his story,

فَإِنَّهُfor heيُخْبِرُكَwill tell youبِشَأْنِهِabout his matter."

for he will tell you about his matter."

فَأَحْضَرْتُSo I broughtالْغُلَامَthe servant

So I brought the servant

وَسَأَلْتُهُand asked himعَنِaboutالسَّبَبِthe reasonالَّذِيby whichاسْتَحَقَّhe deservedبِهِtherebyهَذِهِthisالْمَنْزِلَةَpositionمِنْهُfrom him

and asked him about the reason by which he deserved this position from him.

فَقَالَHe saidهَذَاThisخَلَّصَنِيsaved meبَعْدَafterاللَّهِAllahعَزَّMightyوَجَلَّand Majesticمِنْfromأَمْرٍa matterعَظِيمٍtremendous

He said, "This [dog] saved me, after Allah Almighty, from a tremendous matter."

فَاسْتَبْشَعْتُSo I found monstrousهَذَاthisالْقَوْلَstatementمِنْهُfrom him

So I found this statement from him monstrous

وَأَنْكَرْتُهُand rejected itعَلَيْهِagainst him

and rejected it for him.

فَقَالَSo he saidلِيto meاسْمَعْListen toحَدِيثَهُhis storyفَإِنَّكَfor youتَعْذُرُنِيwill excuse me

He said to me, "Listen to his story, for you will excuse me.

كَانَThere wasيَصْحَبُنِيaccompanying meرَجُلٌa manمِنْfromأَهْلِthe people ofالْبَصْرَةِBasra

A man from the people of Basra used to accompany me,

يُقَالُcalledلَهُfor himمُحَمَّدُMuhammadبْنُbinبَكْرٍBakr

called Muhammad bin Bakr.

لَاNotيُفَارِقُنِيhe separated from me

He never separated from me;

يُؤَاكِلُنِيhe ate with meوَيُعَاشِرُنِيand socialized with meعَلَىoverالنَّبِيذِwineوَغَيْرِهِand other thingsمُنْذُforسِنِينَyears

he ate with me and socialized with me over wine and other things for years.

فَخَرَجْنَاSo we went outأَهْلِto the people ofالدِّينَوَرِDinawar

Then we set out toward Dinawar.

فَلَمَّاAnd whenرَجَعْنَاwe returnedوَقَرَبْنَاand drew nearمِنْtoمَنْزِلِنَاour home

When we returned and drew near to our home,

كَانَthere wasفِيinوَسَطِيmy waistهِمْيَانٌa money beltفِيهِin which wasجُمْلَةُa sum ofدَنَانِيرَdinars

there was a money belt around my waist containing a sum of dinars,

وَمَعِيand with meمَتَاعٌgoodsكَثِيرٌmuchأَخَذْتُهُwhich I tookمِنَfromالْغَنِيمَةِthe spoils

and I had with me many goods which I had taken from the spoils,

قَدْwhichوَقَفَamountedعَلَيْهِtoبِأَسْرِهِin its entirety

amounting to a great deal.

فَنَزَلْنَاSo we dismountedإِلَىatمَوَاضِعَplacesفَأَكَلْنَاand ateوَشَرِبْنَاand drank

So we stopped at a place, and we ate and drank.

فَلَمَّاThen whenعَمِلَtook effectالشَّرَابُthe wine

When the wine took effect,

عَمَدَhe turnedإِلَيَّtoward meفَشَدَّand tiedيَدَيَّmy handsإِلَىtoرِجْلَيَّmy feet

he turned toward me and tied my hands to my feet,

وَأَوْثَقَنِيand bound meكِتَافاًsecurely

binding me securely,

وَرَمَىand threwبِيmeفِيintoوَادٍa valley

and threw me into a valley.

وَأَخَذَAnd he tookكُلَّallمَاwhatمَعِيwas with me

He took everything that was with me

وَتَرَكَنِيand left meوَمَضَىand went away

and left me and went away.

وَآيَسْتُAnd I despairedمِنَofالْحَيَاةِlife

I despaired of life,

وَقَعَدَand satهَذَاthisالْكَلْبُdog

and this dog sat [here]...