قَبَضَHe seizedعَلَىonالْقَفَاthe back of the neckفَانْتَزَعَand pulled offالْجَانِبَيْنِthe two sidesجَمِيعًاboth
He seized the back of the neck and pulled off both sides entirely.
فَأَقْبَلَThen he turnedعَلَيَّto meفَقَالَand said
Then he turned to me and said:
«وَالسُّدَرِيُّ'And al-Sudariيُعْجِبُهُhe likesالْإِقْفَاءُ»the back of the neck'
“And al-Sudari likes the back of the neck.”
فَمَاAnd notفَرَغَhad he finishedمِنْfromكَلَامِهِhis speechإِلَّاexceptوَالسُّدَرِيُّand al-Sudariقَدِalreadyاجْتَرَفَswept awayالْمَتْنَthe backboneكُلَّهُall of it
He had hardly finished his speech when al-Sudari had already swept away the entire backbone.
فَقَالَHe said
He said:
«يَاOأَبَاAbuعُثْمَانَUthmanوَالسُّدَرِيُّand al-Sudariيُعْجِبُهُhe likesالْمُتُونُ»the backbones'
“O Abu Uthman, al-Sudari likes the backbones!”
وَلَمْAnd notيَظُنَّhe thoughtأَنَّthatالسُّدَرِيَّal-Sudariيَعْرِفُknowsفَضِيلَةَthe virtueذَنَبِof the tailالشِّبُّوطِof the shabbout
He did not think that al-Sudari knew the excellence of the shabbout's tail and the sweetness of its meat.
وَعُذُوبَةِand the sweetness ofلَحْمِهِits meat
and the sweetness of its meat.
وَظَنَّAnd he thoughtأَنَّهُthat heسَيُسَلِّمُwould leaveلَهُto him
He thought that he would leave it to him.
وَظَنَّAnd he thoughtمَعْرِفَةَthe knowledgeذَلِكَof thatمِنَfromالْغَامِضِthe obscure
He thought that knowledge of that was among obscure matters.
فَلَمْThen notيَدْرِhe realizedإِلَّاexceptوَالسُّدَرِيُّand al-Sudariقَدِalreadyاكْتَسَحَswept awayمَاwhatعَلَىonالْوَجْهَيْنِthe two sidesجَمِيعًاboth
He hardly realized it before al-Sudari had swept away what was on both sides entirely.
وَلَوْلَاAnd if notأَنَّthatالسُّدَرِيَّal-Sudariأَبْطَرَهُmade him overbearingوَأَثْقَلَهُand weighed him downوَأَكْمَدَهُand grieved himوَمَلَأَand filledصَدْرَهُhis chestوَمَلَأَهُand filled himغَيْظًاwith rage
Had al-Sudari not made him overbearing, weighed him down, grieved him, filled his chest and filled him with rage,
لَقَدْindeedكَانَhe wasأَدْرَكَable to getمَعَهُwith himطَرَفًاa portion
he would indeed have gotten a portion with him,
لِأَنَّهُbecause heكَانَwasمِنَamongالْأَكَلَةِthe eaters
because he was among the eaters.
وَلَكِنَّButالْغَيْظَthe rageكَانَwasمِنْamongأَعْوَانِthe helpersالسُّدَرِيِّof al-Sudariعَلَيْهِagainst him
But the rage was among al-Sudari's helpers against him.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenأَكَلَateالسُّدَرِيُّal-Sudariجَمِيعَallأَطَايِبِهَاits delicacies
When al-Sudari ate all its delicacies,
وَبَقِيَand remainedهُوَheفِيinالنِّظَارَةِwatching
and he remained watching,
وَلَمْand notيَبْقَremainفِيinيَدِهِhis handمَاwhatكَانَwasيَأْمُلُهُhe hoped forفِيinتِلْكَthatالسَّمَكَةِfish
and there remained in his hand nothing of what he had hoped for from that fish,
إِلَّاexceptالْغَيْظُthe rageالشَّدِيدُintenseوَالْغُرْمُand the lossالثَّقِيلُheavy
except intense rage and heavy loss.
ظَنَّHe thoughtأَنَّthatفِيinسَائِرِthe rest ofالسَّمَكَةِthe fishمَاwhatيُشْبِعُهُsatisfies himوَيَشْفِيand curesمِنْfromقَرَمِهِhis craving
He thought that in the rest of the fish there was what would satisfy him and cure his craving.
فَبِذَلِكَAnd with thatكَانَwasعَزَاؤُهُhis consolation
So that was his consolation.
وَذَلِكَAnd thatهُوَisالَّذِيwhichكَانَused toيُمْسِكُholdبِأَرْمَاقِهِhis breathsوَحَشَاشَاتِand the vital parts ofنَفْسِهِhis soul
That was what used to hold his breaths and the vital parts of his soul.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenرَأَىhe sawالسُّدَرِيَّal-Sudariيَفْرِيtearingالْفَرِيَّthe tearingوَيَلْتَهِمُand devouringالْتَهَامًاwith devouring
When he saw al-Sudari tearing fiercely and devouring voraciously,
قَالَhe said
he said:
«يَاOأَبَاAbuعُثْمَانَUthmanالسُّدَرِيُّal-Sudariيُعْجِبُهُlikesكُلُّeverythingشَيْءٍ»thing'
“O Abu Uthman, al-Sudari likes everything!”
فَتَوَلَّدَThen was generatedالْغَيْظُthe rageفِيinجَوْفِهِhis belly
Then rage was generated in his belly,
وَأَقْلَقَتْهُand made him restlessالرِّعْدَةُthe trembling
and the trembling made him restless.
فَخَبُثَتْThen became badنَفْسُهُhis soul
His soul became bad,
فَمَاand notزَالَhe ceasedيَقِيءُvomitingوَيَسْلَحُand having diarrhea
and he kept vomiting and having diarrhea.
ثُمَّThenرَكِبَتْهُmounted himالْحُمَّىthe fever
Then the fever mounted him.
وَصَحَّتْAnd became soundتَوْبَتُهُhis repentanceوَتَمَّand was completedعَزْمُهُhis resolve
His repentance became sound and his resolve was completed:
فِيthatأَنْthatلَاnotيُؤَاكِلَhe would eat withرَغِيبًاa greedy personأَبَدًاeverوَلَاnorزَهِيدًاa frugal person
that he would never eat with a greedy person nor with a frugal one,
وَلَاand notيَشْتَرِيَbuyسَمَكَةًa fishأَبَدًاeverرَخِيصَةًcheapوَلَاnorغَالِيَةًexpensive
and would never buy a fish, cheap or expensive,
وَإِنْand ifأَهْدَوْهَاthey gift itإِلَيْهِto himأَنْthatلَاnotيَقْبَلَهَاhe would accept it
and if they gifted it to him, he would not accept it.
وَإِنْand ifوَجَدَهَاhe found itمَطْرُوحَةًthrown awayلَاnotيَمَسَّهَاhe would touch it
and if he found it thrown away, he would not touch it.
فَهَذَاAnd thisمَاwhatكَانَwasحَضَرَنِيpresent to meمِنْofحَدِيثِthe story ofابْنِson ofأَبِيAbuالْمُؤَمَّلِal-Mu'ammal
This is what was present to me of the story of Ibn Abi al-Mu'ammal.
وَقَدْAnd indeedمَاتَhe died
He has died.
عَفَاMay forgiveاللَّهُAllahعَنَّاusوَعَنْهُand him
May Allah forgive us and him.
Footnotes
- 1.الشِّبُّوطُ: سَمَكٌ نَهْرِيٌّ مَعْرُوفٌ، وَهُوَ مِنْ أَطْيَبِ السَّمَكِ.
Al-Shabbout: a well-known river fish, and it is among the most delicious of fish.
- 2.الأَرْمَاقُ: جَمْعُ رَمَقٍ، وَهُوَ بَقِيَّةُ الرُّوحِ.
Al-armāq: plural of ramaq, which is the remainder of the soul.
- 3.الفَرِيُّ: الشَّقُّ وَالْقَطْعُ، وَيُقَالُ: فَرَى الفَرِيَّ إِذَا أَتَى بِأَمْرٍ عَجِيبٍ.
Al-fari: splitting and cutting; it is said: fara al-fari when one does a wondrous thing.
- 4.يَسْلَحُ: يُحْدِثُ، وَالسَّلْحُ: الغَائِطُ.
Yaslah: he excretes; al-salh is feces.