وَand«الْقَطَّاعُ»the cutter،الَّذِيwhoيَعَضُّbitesعَلَىonاللُّقْمَةِthe morsel،فَيَقْطَعُand cutsنِصْفَهَاits half،ثُمَّthenيَغْمِسُhe dipsالنِّصْفَthe halfالْآخَرَotherفِيinالصِّبَاغِthe condiment.
The 'cutter' who bites the morsel, cuts half of it, then dips the other half in the condiment.
وَand«النَّهَّاشُ»the biter،هُوَheمَعْرُوفٌwell-known،وَهُوَand heالَّذِيwhoيَنْهَشُnibbles،كَمَاasيَنْهَشُnibblesالسَّبُعُthe wild beast.
The 'nibbler' is well-known; he is the one who nibbles as a wild beast nibbles.
وَand«الْمِدَادُ»the stretcher،الَّذِيwhoرُبَّمَاmaybeعَضَّbitعَلَىonالْعَصَبَةِ1the sinewالَّتِيwhichلَمْnotتَنْضُجْcook،وَهُوَand heيَمُدُّهَاstretches itبِفِيهِwith his mouth،وَيَدُهُand his handتُوَتِّرُهَاtightens itلَهُfor him.
The 'stretcher' is the one who may bite a sinew that has not cooked, stretching it with his mouth while his hand tightens it for him.
فَرُبَّمَاso maybeقَطَعَهَاhe cut itبِنَتْرَةٍwith a jerk،فَيَكُونُso it becomesلَهَاfor itانْتِضَاحٌsplatteringعَلَىonثَوْبِthe garment ofالْمُؤَاكِلِthe fellow eater.
And so perhaps he cuts it with a jerk, causing splattering on the fellow eater's garment.
وَهُوَand heالَّذِيwhoإِذَاwhenأَكَلَateمَعَwithأَصْحَابِهِhis companionsالرُّطَبَfresh dates،أَوِorالتَّمْرَdried dates،أَوِorالْهَرِيسَةَthe crushed dish،أَوِorالْأَرُزَّةَthe rice dish،فَأَتَىand he consumedعَلَىoverمَاwhatبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْهِhis hands،مَدَّhe extendedمَاwhatبَيْنَbetweenأَيْدِيهِمْtheir handsإِلَيْهِto himself.
He is the one who, when he eats with his companions fresh dates, dried dates, crushed dish, or rice dish, and consumes what is before him, he extends what is before them to himself.
وَand«الدَّفَّاعُ»the repeller،الَّذِيwhoإِذَاwhenوَقَعَfellفِيinالْقَصْعَةِthe bowlعَظْمٌa bone،فَصَارَand it becameمِمَّاfrom whatيَلِيهِis next to him،نَحَّاهُhe moved it awayبِلُقْمَةٍwith a morselمِنَofالْخُبْزِbread،حَتَّىuntilتَصِيرَbecomesمَكَانَهُits placeقِطْعَةٌa pieceمِنْofلَحْمٍmeat.
The 'repeller' is the one who, when a bone falls into the bowl and becomes next to him, he moves it away with a morsel of bread until a piece of meat takes its place.
وَهُوَand heفِيinذَلِكَthatكَأَنَّهُas if heيَطْلُبُseeksبِلُقْمَتِهِwith his morselتَشْرِيبَsoakingالْمَرَقِthe broth،دُونَwithoutإِرَاغَةِdesiringاللَّحْمِthe meat.
In doing so, he seems as if he seeks with his morsel to soak up the broth, without desiring the meat.
وَand«الْمُحَوِّلُ»the transformer،هُوَheالَّذِيwhoإِذَاwhenرَأَىsawكَثْرَةَmanyالنَّوَىdate pitsبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْهِhis hands،احْتَالَhe devised a trickلَهُfor themحَتَّىuntilيَخْلِطَهُhe mixes themبِنَوَىwith the pitsصَاحِبِهِof his companion.
The 'transformer' is the one who, when he sees many date pits before him, devises a trick to mix them with his companion's pits.
وَأَمَّاand as forمَاwhatذَكَرَهُhe mentionedمِنَofالضَّيْفِthe guestوَالضَّيْفَنِand the guest's guest،فَإِنَّthen indeedالضَّيْفَنَthe guest's guestضَيْفُthe guest ofالضَّيْفِthe guest.
As for what he mentioned about the guest and the guest's guest, the guest's guest is the guest of the guest.
وَأَنْشَدَand recitedأَبُوAbuزَيْدٍZayd:إِذَاwhenجَاءَcameضَيْفٌa guestجَاءَcameلِلضَّيْفِto the guestضَيْفَنٌa guest's guest،فَأَوْدَىand destroyedبِمَاwith whatيُقْرَىis offeredالضُّيُوفَthe guestsالضَّيَافِنُthe guest's guests.
Abu Zayd recited: 'When a guest comes, a guest's guest comes to the guest, and the guest's guests destroy what is offered to the guests.'
يَقُولُhe says:الْأَكِيلُthe eaterلَاnotيَكُونُisإِلَّاexceptبِمُلَايَنَةٍwith gentleness،وَقَدْand mayيَكُونُbeالضَّيْفُthe guest(وَإِنْalthoughكَانَhe hasمَعَهُwith himالضَّيْفَنُthe guest's guest)لَاnotيُؤَاكِلُeats withمِنْofأَضَافَهُwhom he hosted.
He says: The eater is only with gentleness, and the guest, even though he has the guest's guest with him, may not eat with his host.
يَقُولُhe says:فَأَكْلُso eatingالْكَثِيرِthe muchمِنْfromحَيْثُwhereلَاnotأَرَاهُI see him،أَهْوَنُeasierعَلَيَّon me.
He says: So eating much from where I do not see him is easier for me.
[الطُّفَيْلِيُّthe parasite]
[The parasite]
Footnotes
- 1.الْعَصَبَةُ: عَصَبُ اللَّحْمِ.
The sinew: the sinews of meat.
- 2.الْوَاغِلُ: الَّذِي يَدْخُلُ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ وَهُمْ يَشْرَبُونَ أَوْ يَأْكُلُونَ بِغَيْرِ إِذْنٍ.
The intruder: the one who enters upon people while they are drinking or eating without permission.
- 3.الرَّاشِنُ: الَّذِي يُعْطِي الرُّشْوَةَ أَوِ الْعَطِيَّةَ لِيَدْخُلَ.
The one who gives a gratuity: the one who gives a bribe or gift to enter.