fadl al kilab ibn al marzuban

Page 28

إِحْضَارِيMy summoningوَكِيلًاan agentلَهُfor him

My summoning of an agent for him

يُقَالُwho is saidلَهُto himإِبْرَاهِيمُIbrahimبْنُson ofدَارَانَDaran

who is called Ibrahim bin Daran

وَطَالَبْتُهُand I demanded of himبِإِحْضَارِto bringالْأَدِلَّاءِthe guides

and I demanded that he bring the guides

لِمُسَامَحَةِin order to reachقَرْيَةٍa villageتُعْرَفُknownبِبَاصِيرِيas Basiriالسُّفْلَىthe Lower

to reach a village known as Lower Basiri

فَقَالَso he saidلِيto meيَاOسَيِّدِيmy master

So he said to me, "O my master,

قَدْindeedوَجَّهْتُI have dispatchedفِيregardingذَلِكَthat

I have already sent for that purpose."

فَقُلْتُSo I saidلَهُto himأَنَاIعَلَىuponالطَّرِيقِthe roadجَالِسٌsitting

So I said to him, "I am sitting on the road,

وَمَاand has notاجْتَازَpassedبِيby meأَحَدٌanyone

and no one has passed by me."

فَقَالَHe saidلِيto meأَمَاDid you notرَأَيْتَseeالْكَلْبَthe dog

He said to me, "Did you not see

الَّذِيwhichكَانَwasبَيْنَbetweenأَيْدِينَاour hands

the dog that was with us?

قَدْI haveوَجَّهْتُdispatchedبِهِwith it

I have sent it."

فَغَلِظَSo became harshذَلِكَthatمِنْfromقَوْلِهِhis speech

That statement of his displeased me,

وَنِلْتُand I violatedمِنْofعِرْضِهِhis honor

and I spoke ill of his honor,

وَأَمَرْتُand I orderedبِمَاwith whatأَنَاIأَسْتَغْفِرُask forgivenessاللَّهَof GodعَزَّMightyوَجَلَّand Majesticمِنْهُfor it

and I commanded something for which I seek forgiveness from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.

فَقَالَSo he saidإِنْIfلَمْnotيَحْضُرِattendالْقَوْمُthe peopleالسَّاعَةَnow

He said, "If the people do not arrive right now,

فَأَنْتَthen youمِنْfromدَمِيmy bloodفِيinحِلٍّabsolution

then you are absolved of responsibility for my blood."

فَمَاSo notمَكَثَhe delayedبَعْدَafterهَذَاthisالْقَوْلِstatement

He delayed after this statement

إِلَّاexceptسَاعَةًan hourحَتَّىuntilوَافَىarrivedالْقَوْمُthe peopleمُسْرِعِينَhurryingوَالْكَلْبُand the dogبَيْنَbetweenأَيْدِيهِمْtheir hands

for only an hour before the people arrived hurriedly with the dog leading them.

فَسَأَلْتُهُSo I asked himكَيْفَhowتُحَمِّلُهُdo you load it withالرِّسَالَةَthe message

So I asked him, "How do you entrust it with the message?"

فَقَالَHe saidأَشُدُّI tieفِيuponعُنُقِهِits neckرُقْعَةًa note

He said, "I tie a note around its neck

بِمَاwith whatأَحْتَاجُI needإِلَيْهِto it

containing what I need

وَأَطْرَحُهُand I release itعَلَىontoالْمَحَجَّةِthe main highway

and I release it onto the main highway.

فَيَقْصِدُSo it makes forالْقَوْمَthe peopleوَقَدْand they haveعَرَفُواknownالْخَبَرَthe news

It heads toward the people, who already know the matter,

فَيَقْرَؤُونَand they readالرُّقْعَةَthe noteفَيَمْتَثِلُونَand they carry outمَاwhatفِيهَاis in it

so they read the note and carry out what is in it."

وَحَدَّثَنِيAnd narrated to meلِصٌّa thiefتَائِبٌrepentantقَالَwho said

A repentant thief narrated to me, saying:

دَخَلْتُI enteredمَدِينَةًa cityقَدْthatذَكَرُوهَاthey had mentioned itإِلَيَّto me

"I entered a city that had been mentioned to me,

فَجَعَلْتُand I beganأُطَالِبُto seekشَيْئًاsomethingأَسْرِقُهُto steal it

and I started looking for something to steal,

فَلَمْbut I did notأُصِبْfind

but I found nothing.

وَوَقَعَتْAnd fellعَيْنِيَّmy two eyesعَلَىuponصَيْرَفِيٍّa money-changerمُوسِرٍwealthy

Then my eyes fell upon a wealthy money-changer.

فَمَاSo continuouslyزِلْتُdid Iأَحْتَالُdevising tricksحَتَّىuntilسَرَقْتُI stoleكِيسًاa bagلَهُbelonging to him

I kept scheming until I stole a bag of his

وَانْسَلَلْتُand slipped away

and slipped away.

فَمَاSo notجُزْتُdid I passغَيْرَother thanبَعِيدٍfar

I had not gone far

وَإِذَاwhen suddenlyعَجُوزٌan old womanمَعَهَاwith herكَلْبٌa dog

when an old woman with a dog

قَدْhadوَقَعَتْthrown herselfعَلَىuponصَدْرِيmy chest

threw herself upon my chest,

تُبُونِيkissing meوَتَلْزَمُنِيand clinging to me

kissing me and clinging to me,

وَتَقُولُand sayingيَاOبُنَيَّmy little sonفَدَيْتُكَmay I be sacrificed for you

and saying, "O my son, may I be sacrificed for you!"

وَالْكَلْبُAnd the dogيَبْصْبِصُwagged its tailوَيَلُوذُand fawnedبِيon me

The dog was wagging its tail and fawning over me,

وَوَقَفَand stoppedالنَّاسُthe peopleيَنْظُرُونَlookingإِلَيْنَاat us

and people stopped to look at us.

وَجَعَلَتِAnd beganالْمَرْأَةُthe womanتَقُولُsaying

The woman started saying,

بِاللَّهِBy Allahانْظُرُواlookإِلَىatالْكَلْبِthe dogكَيْفَhowقَدْindeedعَرَفَهُit has recognized him

"By Allah, look at how the dog has recognized him!"

فَعَجِبَSo marveledالنَّاسُthe peopleمِنْatذَلِكَthat

The people marveled at that.

وَشَكَكْتُAnd I doubtedأَنَاmyselfفِيinنَفْسِيmyself

I began to doubt myself

وَقُلْتُand saidلَعَلَّهَاperhaps sheأَرْضَعَتْنِيbreastfed meوَأَنَاwhile Iلَاdo notأَعْرِفُهَاknow her

and said, "Perhaps she nursed me when I was an infant and I do not know her."

وَقَالَتْAnd she saidسِرْWalkمَعِيwith meإِلَىtoالْبَيْتِthe house

She said, "Walk with me to the house,

أَقِيمُstayعِنْدِيwith meفَلَاso do notتُفَارِقُنِيleave me

stay with me, and do not leave me,"

حَتَّىuntilمَضَيْتُI wentمَعَهَاwith herإِلَىtoبَيْتِهَاher house

until I went with her to her house.

وَإِذَاAnd there wasعِنْدَهَاat her place

And there, at her place,