حَازِمُHazimبْنِson ofخُزَيْمَةَKhuzayma،,وَهَرْثَمَةُand Harthamaبْنِson ofأَعْيَنَ1A'yan
Hazim ibn Khuzayma and Harthama ibn A'yan — he had in this matter a level of cunning that 'Amr ibn al-'As and al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba did not know.
وَكَانَand he wasعِنْدَهُin his possessionفِيهِin thisمِنَofالْإِحْتِيَالِthe cunningمَاwhatلَاnotيَعْرِفُهُhe knows itعَمْرُوAmrبْنُson ofالْعَاصِal-Aas،,وَلَاand notالْمُغِيرَةُal-Mughiraبْنُson ofشُعْبَةَ2Shu'ba؛;
And he had in this matter a level of cunning that 'Amr ibn al-'As and al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba did not know.
وَكَانَand he wasكَثِيرًاoftenمَاwhatيُمْسِكُhe holdsالْخِلَالَthe toothpickبِيَدِهِin his hand،,لِيُؤْنِسَto make feel at easeالدَّاخِلَthe one enteringعَلَيْهِupon himمِنْfromغَدَائِهِhis lunch؛;
And he would often hold a toothpick in his hand to reassure the one entering upon him about his lunch.
فَإِذَاand whenدَخَلَenteredعَلَيْهِupon himالصَّدِيقُthe friendلَهُof his،,وَقَدْand alreadyعَزَمَhe decidedعَلَىonإِطْعَامِfeedingالزَّائِرِthe visitorالزَّائِرِينَthe visitorsقَبْلَهُbefore him،,وَضَاقَand became constrainedصَدْرُهُhis chestبِالثَّالِثِwith the third،,وَإِنْand ifكَانَhe wasقَدْalreadyدَعَاهُinvited himوَطَلَبَand askedإِلَيْهِto him،,أَرَادَhe wantedأَنْtoيَحْتَالَto use cunningلَهُfor him،,أَوِorالرَّابِعِthe fourthإِنِifابْتُلِيَwas testedكُلُّeachوَاحِدٍoneمِنْهُمَاof the twoبِصَاحِبِهِwith his companion،,
And when his friend entered upon him, and he had decided to feed the visitor, the visitors before him, and his chest was constrained with the third, even if he had invited him and asked him, he wanted to use cunning for him, or the fourth if each one of them was tested with his companion.
فَيَقُولُthen he saysعِنْدَatأَوَّلِfirstدُخُولِهِhis enteringوَخَلْعِand removingنَعْلِهِhis sandalوَهُوَand he isرَافِعٌraisingصَوْتَهُhis voiceبِالتَّنْوِيهِwith announcementوَبِالتَّشْنِيعِand with exaggeration::
Then he says at the beginning of his entering and removing his sandal, raising his voice with announcement and exaggeration:
«"هَاتِbringيَاOمُبَشِّرُMubashshirلِفُلَانٍfor so-and-soشَيْئًاsomethingيَطْعَمُhe eatsمِنْهُfrom it،,هَاتِbringلَهُto himشَيْئًاsomethingيَنَالُhe getsمِنْهُfrom it،,هَاتِbringلَهُto himشَيْئًاsomething»"
"Bring, O Mubashshir, to so-and-so something to eat from, bring to him something to get from, bring to him something."
،,اتِّكَالًاrelyingعَلَىonخَجَلِهِhis shynessأَوْorغَضَبِهِhis angerأَوْorأَنَفَتِهِhis pride،,وَطَمَعًاand hopingفِيinأَنْthatيَقُولَhe says::«"قَدْindeedفَعَلْتُI have done»"..
Relying on his shyness, or his anger, or his pride, and hoping that he would say: "I have done (so)."
فَإِنْand ifأَخْطَأَmissed (the mark)ذَلِكَthatالشَّقِيُّthe wretchedوَضَعُفَand became weakقَلْبُهُhis heartوَحَصِرَand was constrained،,وَقَالَand said::«"قَدْindeedفَعَلْتُI have done»"،,وَعَلِمَand he knewأَنَّهُthat heقَدْindeedأَحْرَزَsecuredوَحَصَّلَهُand obtained itوَأَلْقَاهُand threw itوَرَاءَbehindظَهْرِهِhis back،,لَمْnotيَرْضَhe is satisfiedأَيْضًاalsoبِذَلِكَwith thatحَتَّىuntilيَقُولَhe says::«"بِأَيِّwith whatشَيْءٍthingتَغَدَّيْتَyou had lunch»"؟?
And if that wretched one missed the mark, and his heart weakened and was constrained, and he said: "I have done (so)", and he knew that he had secured it and obtained it and thrown it behind his back, he was not satisfied with that either, until he said: "With what did you have lunch?"
فَلَاthen notبُدَّavoidanceلَهُfor himمِنْfromأَنْthatيَكْذِبَhe lies،,أَوْorيَنْتَحِلَhe adoptsالْمَعَارِيضَ3the equivocations
Then he must either lie or resort to equivocations.
فَإِذَاand whenاسْتَوْثَقَhe securedمِنْهُfrom himرِبَاطًاa binding،,وَتَرَكَهُand left himلَاnotيَسْتَطِيعُhe canأَنْtoيَتَرَمْرَمَ4to utter a word،,لَمْnotيَرْضَhe is satisfiedبِذَلِكَwith thatحَتَّىuntilيَقُولَhe saysفِيinحَدِيثٍa talkلَهُof his::
And when he secured from him a binding, and left him unable to utter a word, he was not satisfied with that, until he says in a talk of his:
«"كُنَّاwe wereعِنْدَatفُلَانٍso-and-so،,فَدَخَلَand enteredعَلَيْهِupon himفُلَانٌso-and-soفَدَعَاهُand he invited himإِلَىtoغَدَائِهِhis lunch،,فَامْتَنَعَand he refused..ثُمَّthenبَدَاappearedلَهُto him،,فَقَالَand he said::فِيinطَعَامِكُمْyour foodبَقِيلَةٌa vegetableأَنْتُمْyouتُجِيدُونَهَاyou do well،,ثُمَّthenتَنَاوَلَهُhe took it»"
"We were at so-and-so's, and so-and-so entered upon him, and he invited him to his lunch, and he refused. Then it occurred to him, and he said: 'In your food there is a vegetable that you do well.' Then he took it."
::فَلَاand notيَزَالُhe continuesيَزِيدُincreasingفِيinوَثَاقِهِhis binding،,وَفِيand inسَدِّclosingالْأَبْوَابِthe doorsعَلَيْهِupon him،,وَفِيand inمَنْعَةِstrength ofالْبَدَوَاتِthe beginningsحَتَّىuntilإِذَاwhenبَلَغَhe reachedالْغَايَةَthe limitقَالَhe said::«"يَاOمُبَشِّرُMubashshirأَمَّاas forإِذْsinceتَغَدَّىhad lunchفُلَانٌso-and-soوَاكْتَفَىand sufficed،,فَهَاتِthen bringلَنَاfor usشَيْئًاsomethingنَعْبَثُwe playبِهِwith it»"..
He continues increasing in his binding, in closing the doors upon him, and in the strength of the first attempts, until when he reached the limit, he said: "O Mubashshir, since so-and-so had lunch and sufficed, then bring us something to play with."
فَإِذَاand whenوَضَعُواthey placedالطَّعَامَthe food،,أَقْبَلَhe turnedعَلَىtoأَشَدِّهِمْthe most severe of themحَيَاءًin shyness،,أَوْorعَلَىtoأَشَدِّهِمْthe most severe of themأَكْلًاin eating،,فَسَأَلَهُand he asked himعَنْaboutحَدِيثٍa talkحَسَنٍgood،,أَوْorعَنْaboutخَبَرٍa reportطَوِيلٍlong..
And when they placed the food, he turned to the most shy of them, or to the one who ate the most, and asked him about a good talk, or a long report.
وَلَاand notيَسْأَلُهُhe asks himإِلَّاexceptعَنْaboutحَدِيثٍa talkيَحْتَاجُhe needsفِيهِin itإِلَىtoالْإِشَارَةِthe pointingبِالْيَدِwith the handأَوِorالرَّأْسِthe headكُلِّallذَلِكَthatلِيَشْغَلَهُto occupy him..
And he only asks him about a talk in which he needs to point with the hand or the head, all that to occupy him.
فَإِذَاand whenهُمْtheyأَكَلُواate
And when they ate...
Footnotes
- 1.هُمَا وَالِيَانِ مِنْ وُلَاةِ بَنِي الْعَبَّاسِ.
They were two governors from the governors of the Abbasids.
- 2.عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ وَالْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ شُعْبَةَ صَحَابِيَّانِ مَعْرُوفَانِ بِالدَّهَاءِ.
Amr ibn al-Aas and al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba were two companions known for cunning.
- 3.الْمَعَارِيضُ: التَّعْرِيضُ بِالْقَوْلِ، وَهُوَ أَنْ يُرِيدَ بِكَلَامِهِ مَعْنًى يَحْتَمِلُهُ اللَّفْظُ.
Al-ma'arid: equivocation in speech, which is to intend by his words a meaning that the wording could bear.
- 4.يَتَرَمْرَمُ: يَتَحَرَّكُ بِفَمِهِ لِلْكَلَامِ، وَالْمُرَادُ لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ بِشَيْءٍ.
Yataramram: to move his mouth to speak, meaning he cannot say anything.