قِصَّةُStoryأَسَدِof Asadبْنِibnجَانِي:Jani:
The story of Asad ibn Jani:
فَأَمَّاAs forأَسَدُAsadبْنُibnجَانِي،Jani,فَكَانَhe used toيَجْعَلُplaceسَرِيرَهُhis bedفِيinالشِّتَاءِwinterمِنْfromقَصَبٍreedsمُقَشَّرٍ،peeled
As for Asad ibn Jani, he used to place his bed in winter from peeled reeds,
لِأَنَّbecauseالبَرَاغِيثَthe fleasتَنْزَلِقُslipعَنْoffلِيطِthe outer skinالقَصَبِ1of reeds،,لِفَرْطِdue to excessiveلِينِهِsoftnessوَمَلَاسَتِهِ2and smoothness..
because fleas slip off the outer skin of reeds ⟦1⟧, due to its excessive softness and smoothness ⟦2⟧.
وَكَانَAnd he used toإِذَاwhenدَخَلَenteredالصَّيْفُ،summer,وَحَرَّand became hotعَلَيْهِupon himبَيْتُهُ،his house,أَثَارَهُhe stirred itحَتَّىuntilيَغْرُقَit submergesالمِسْحَاةَ3the shovel،,
And when summer entered, and his house became hot upon him, he stirred it until it submerged the shovel ⟦3⟧,
ثُمَّthenعَلَيْهِupon itجِرَارًاjarsكَثِيرَةًmanyمِنْfromمَاءِwaterالبِئْرِof the wellوَيَتَوَطَّؤُهُand he treads on itحَتَّىuntilيَسْتَوِيَ.it becomes level.
then upon it many jars of well water, and he treads on it until it becomes level.
فَلَاSo notيَزَالُceasesذَلِكَthatالبَيْتُhouseبَارِدًاcoldمَاas long asدَامَremainsنَدِيًّا4moist..
So that house remains cold as long as it stays moist ⟦4⟧.
فَإِذَاAnd whenامْتَدَّextendedبِهِwith itالنَّدَىthe moistureوَدَامَand lastedبَرْدُهُits coldnessبِدَوَامِهِ،by its lasting,اكْتَفَىhe sufficedبِذَلِكَwith thatالتَّبْرِيدِcoolingصَيْفَتَهُ.his summer.
And when the moisture extends with it and its coldness lasts by its lasting, he sufficed with that cooling for his summer.
وَإِنْBut ifجَفَّdriedقَبْلَbeforeانْقِضَاءِthe endالصَّيْفِof summerوَعَادَand returnedعَلَيْهِupon himالحَرُّ،the heat,عَادَhe repeatedعَلَيْهِupon itبِالْإِثَارَةِwith stirringوَالصَّبِّ5and pouring..
And if it dried before the end of summer and the heat returned to him, he repeated upon it the stirring and pouring ⟦5⟧.
وَكَانَAnd he used toيَقُولُ:say:خَيْشَتِيMy coarsenessأَرْضٌ،is earth,وَمَاand notخَيْشَتِي6my coarsenessمِنْfromبِئْرِي.my well.
And he used to say: 'My coarseness is earth, and my coarseness ⟦6⟧ is not from my well.'
وَبَيْتِيAnd my houseأَبْرَدُ،is colder,وَمُؤُونَثِيand my provisionأَخَفُّ.is lighter.
And my house is colder, and my provision is lighter.
وَأَنَاAnd Iأَفْضَلُهُمْam superior to themأَيْضًاalsoبِفَضْلِby virtue ofالحِكْمَةِwisdomوَجَوْدَةِand qualityالآلَةِ.of the instrument.
And I am superior to them also by virtue of wisdom and quality of the instrument.
وَكَانَAnd he wasطَبِيبًاa physicianفَأَكْسَدَ7and became inactiveمَرَّةً؛once;
And he was a physician and became inactive ⟦7⟧ once;
فَقَالَso saidلَهُto himقَائِلٌ:a speaker:
So a speaker said to him:
«السَّنَةُ'The yearوَبِئَةٌis pestilentوَالأَمْرَاضُand diseasesفَاشِيَةٌ،are widespread,
'The year is pestilent and diseases are widespread,
وَأَنْتَand youعَالِمٌare learnedوَلَكَand you haveصَبْرٌpatienceوَخِدْمَةٌ،and service,وَلَكَand you haveبَيَانٌeloquenceوَمَعْرِفَةٌ،and knowledge,
and you are learned, and you have patience and service, and you have eloquence and knowledge,
فَمِنْso fromأَيْنَwhereتُؤْتَىare you affectedفِيinهَذَاthisالكَسَادِ»؟inactivity?'
so from where are you affected in this inactivity?'
قَالَ:He said:«أَمَّا'As forوَاحِدَةٌoneفَإِنِّيthen Iعِنْدَهُمْwith themمُسْلِمٌ؛am a Muslim;
He said: 'As for one thing, then I am a Muslim to them;
وَقَدْand indeedاعْتَقَدَbelievedالقَوْمُthe peopleقَبْلَbeforeأَنْthatأَتَطَبَّبَ،I practice medicine,لَاnotبَلْratherقَبْلَbeforeأَنْthatأُخْلَقَ،I was created,
and indeed the people believed before I practice medicine, rather before I was created,
إِنَّthatالمُسْلِمِينَthe Muslimsلَاdo notيُفْلِحُونَsucceedفِيinالطِّبِّ.medicine.'
that the Muslims do not succeed in medicine.'
وَاسْمِيAnd my nameأَسَدٌ،is Asad,وَكَانَand it shouldيَنْبَغِيshouldأَنْthatيَكُونَbeاسْمِيmy nameصَلِيبًاSalibوَجِبْرَائِيلَand Jibra'ilوَيُوحَنَّاand Yuḥannaوَبِيرًا؛and Bīrā;
And my name is Asad, and it should be that my name is Salib and Jibra'il and Yuḥanna and Bīrā;
وَكُنْيَتِيand my kunyaأَبُوAbuالحَارِثِ،al-Harith,وَكَانَand it shouldيَنْبَغِيshouldأَنْthatتَكُونَbeأَبُوAbuعِيسَى،Isa,وَأَبُوand Abuزَكَرِيَّا،Zakariyya,وَأَبُوand Abuإِبْرَاهِيمَ؛Ibrahim;
and my kunya is Abu al-Harith, and it should be Abu Isa, and Abu Zakariyya, and Abu Ibrahim;
وَعَلَيَّand upon meرِدَاءٌa cloakقُطْنٍof cottonأَبْيَضُ،white,وَكَانَand it shouldيَنْبَغِيshouldأَنْthatيَكُونَbe
and upon me is a white cotton cloak, and it should be
Footnotes
- 1.لِيطُ الْقَصَبِ: قِشْرُهُ الْخَارِجِيُّ الرَّقِيقُ.
The outer skin of reeds: its thin outer peel.
- 2.مَلَاسَةٌ: نُعُومَةٌ وَانْسِلَالٌ.
Smoothness: softness and slipperiness.
- 3.يَغْرُقَ الْمِسْحَاةَ: يَغْمُرُ الْمِسْحَاةَ بِالتُّرَابِ، وَهِيَ آلَةُ الْحَفْرِ.
It submerges the shovel: it covers the shovel with dirt, which is a digging tool.
- 4.نَدِيًّا: مُبْتَلًّا بِالْمَاءِ.
Moist: wet with water.
- 5.الصَّبِّ: سَكْبِ الْمَاءِ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ.
Pouring: spilling water on the ground.
- 6.الْخَيْشَةُ: الْغِلَظُ وَالْيُبْسُ، وَقِيلَ: هِيَ الثَّوْبُ الْخَشِنُ.
Coarseness: roughness and dryness, and it is said: it is a coarse garment.
- 7.أَكْسَدَ: لَمْ يَرْبَحْ فِي تِجَارَتِهِ، وَقَلَّ رَوَاجُهُ.
He became inactive: he did not profit in his trade, and its circulation decreased.