لَقَدْindeedكَانَwasرَفْعُraisingيَدِهِhis handوَلَمْand notيَنْتَظِرْhe waitedغَيْرَهُother than it
Indeed, he was raising his hand and not waiting for anything else.
وَلِذَلِكَand thereforeقَالَsaidأَبُوfather ofالْحَارِثِAl-HarithجَمِّينَJammīnحِينَwhenرَآهُhe saw himلَاnotيَمُسُّhe touches
And therefore Abu al-Harith Jammīn said, when he saw him not touching it:
هَذَاthisالْمَدْفُوعُthe repelledعَنْهُfrom whom (evil is repelled)
“This is the one from whom evil is repelled.”
وَلَوْلَاand if notأَنَّهُthat heعَلَىonذَلِكَthatشَاهَدَwitnessedالنَّاسُthe peopleلَمَاnotقَالَhe would have saidمَاwhatقَالَhe said
And had the people not witnessed that about him, he would not have said what he said.
وَلَقَدْand indeedكَانُواthey wereيَتَحَامَوْنَavoidingبَيْضَةَegg ofالْبَقِيلَةِ1al-Baqīla
And indeed they used to avoid the egg of al-Baqīla⟦1⟧.
وَيَدَعُهَاand he leaves itكُلُّeveryوَاحِدٍoneمِنْهُمْof themلِصَاحِبِهِfor his companionحَتَّىuntilأَنَّthatالْقَصْعَةَ2the bowl
And each one of them would leave it for his companion, even that the bowl⟦2⟧...
لَقَدْindeedكَانَتْwasتُرْفَعُliftedالْبَيْضُthe eggsخَاصَّةًespeciallyلِعَلَىfor ʿalāحَالِهِhis state
Indeed, the eggs used to be lifted especially for ʿalā in that state.
وَأَنْتَand youالْيَوْمَtodayإِذَاifأَرَدْتَyou wantedأَنْtoتُمَتِّعَdelightعَيْنَكَyour eyeبِنَظْرَةٍwith a glanceوَاحِدَةٍoneمِنْهَاof them
And you today, if you wanted to delight your eye with a single glance of them,
وَمِنْand fromبَيْضِeggs ofالسَّلَاءَةِ3as-Salāʾaلَمْnotتَقْدِرْyou are ableعَلَىonذَلِكَthat
and on the eggs of as-Salāʾa⟦3⟧, you would not be able to do that.
لَاnoجَرَمَdoubtلَقَدْindeedكَانَwasتَرْكُهُhis leavingنَاسٌpeopleكَثِيرٌmanyمَاnotبِهِمْin themإِلَّاexceptأَنْthatيَكُونُواthey beشُرَكَاءَpartnersمِنْof those whoسَاءَتْbecame badرِعْيَتُهُhis tending
No doubt, many people left him; their only motive was to be partners of those whose tending became bad.
وَكَانَand he wasيَقُولُsayingالْآدَامُ4the condimentsأَعْدَاءٌenemiesلِلْخُبْزِto bread
And he used to say: “Condiments⟦4⟧ are enemies of bread.
وَأَعْدَاهَاand the most hostile of themلَهُto itالْمَالِحُthe salty
And the most hostile of them to it is the salty.
فَلَوْلَاand if notأَنَّthatاللهَGodانْتَقَمَtook revengeمِنْهُon himوَأَعَانَand aidedعَلَيْهِagainst himبِطَلَبِby seekingصَاحِبِهِhis companionالْمَاءَthe waterوَإِكْثَارِهِand his abundanceمِنْهُof it
And were it not that God took revenge on him and aided his companion against him by seeking water and drinking much of it,
لَظَنَنْتُI would have thoughtأَنَّهُthat heسَيَأْتِيwill comeعَلَىuponالْحَرْثِthe cultivationوَالنَّسْلِand the offspring
I would have thought that he would destroy the cultivation and the offspring.
وَكَانَand he wasمَعَwithهَذَاthisيَقُولُsayingلَوْifشَرِبَdrankالنَّاسُthe peopleالْمَاءَwaterعَلَىuponالطَّعَامِthe foodمَاnotاتَّخَمُواthey would have indigestion
And besides this, he used to say: “If people drank water upon food, they would not get indigestion.
وَأَقَلُّهُمْand the least of themعَلَيْهِon itشُرْبًاdrinkingأَكْثَرُهُمْthe most of themتَخَمًا5indigestion
And the least of them in drinking on it are the most of them in indigestion⟦5⟧.
وَذَلِكَand thatأَنَّbecauseالرَّجُلَthe manلَاnotيَعْرِفُknowsمِقْدَارَamountمَاwhatأَكَلَhe ateحَتَّىuntilيَنَالَhe getsمِنَfromالْمَاءِthe water
That is because a man does not know the amount of what he ate until he gets some water.
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsكَانَwasشَبْعَانَfullوَهُوَwhile heلَاnotيَدْرِيknows
And perhaps he is full while he does not know.
فَإِذَاand whenازْدَادَhe exceededعَلَىoverمِقْدَارِamountالْحَاجَةِthe needبِشَمٍّ6by smell
And when he exceeds the amount of need by smell⟦6⟧,
وَإِذَاand whenنَالَhe gotمِنَfromالْمَاءِthe waterشَيْئًاsomethingبَعْدَafterشَيْءٍsomethingعَرَّفَهُit informed himذَلِكَthatمِقْدَارَamountالْحَاجَاتِthe needsفَلَمْand notيَزِدْhe increasedإِلَّاexceptبِقَدْرِby amountالْمَصْلَحَةِthe benefit
And when he got some water gradually, that informed him of the amount of needs, so he did not increase except by the amount of benefit.
وَالْأَطِبَّاءُand the physiciansيَعْلَمُونَknowأَنَّthatمَاwhatأَقُولُI sayحَقٌّtrue
And the physicians know that what I say is true.
وَلَكِنَّهُمْbut theyيَعْلَمُونَknowأَنَّهُمْthat theyلَوْifأَخَذُواthey tookبِهَذَاwith thisالرَّأْيِthe opinionلَتَعَطَّلُواthey would become idleوَلَذَهَبَand would goالْمَكْسَبُthe gain
But they know that if they adopted this opinion, they would become idle and the gain would go.
وَمَاand whatحَاجَةُneedالنَّاسِof peopleإِلَىtoالْمُعَالِجِينَthe healersإِذَاifصَحَّتْbecame soundأَبْدَانُهُمْtheir bodies
And what need do people have of healers if their bodies are sound?
وَفِيand inقَوْلِsayingجَمِيعِallالنَّاسِthe peopleأَنَّthatمَاءَwater ofدِجْلَةَTigrisأَمْرَأُ7more wholesomeمِنَthanالْفُرَاتِEuphrates
And in the saying of all people that the water of the Tigris is more wholesome⟦7⟧ than that of the Euphrates,
وَأَنَّand thatمَاءَwater ofمِهْرَانَMehrānأَمْرَأُmore wholesomeمِنْthanمَاءِwater ofنَهْرِriver ofبَلْخَBalkh
and that the water of Mehrān is more wholesome than the water of the river of Balkh,
وَفِيand inقَوْلِsayingالْعَرَبِthe Arabsهَذَاthisمَاءٌwaterنَمِيرٌwholesome
and in the saying of the Arabs: “This is wholesome water.”
Footnotes
- 1.البَقِيلَةُ: قَرْيَةٌ مِنْ قُرَى الْيَمَنِ.
Al-Baqīla: a village in Yemen.
- 2.القَصْعَةُ: إِنَاءٌ كَبِيرٌ يُؤْكَلُ فِيهِ.
Al-qaṣʿa: a large bowl in which food is eaten.
- 3.السَّلَاءَةُ: قَرْيَةٌ مِنْ قُرَى الْيَمَنِ.
As-Salāʾa: a village in Yemen.
- 4.الْآدَامُ: مَا يُؤْكَلُ مَعَ الْخُبْزِ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ.
Al-ādām: what is eaten with bread besides it.
- 5.تَخَمًا: أَصَابَهُ التُّخَمَةُ وَهِيَ عُسْرُ الْهَضْمِ.
Takhaman: affected by indigestion, which is difficulty in digesting.
- 6.بِشَمٍّ: يَعْنِي بِرَائِحَةِ الطَّعَامِ.
Bishamm: meaning by the smell of the food.
- 7.أَمْرَأُ: أَكْثَرُ هَنَاءً وَأَطْيَبُ.
Amraʾu: more wholesome and more pleasant.