رِدَائِي1my garmentحَرِيرًاsilkأَسْوَدَblack؛;
My garment was black silk;
وَلَفْظِيand my speechلَفْظُis the speechعَرَبِيٌّof an Arabوَكَانَand it wasيَنْبَغِيoughtأَنْthatتَكُونَbeلُغَةُthe languageأَهْلِof the peopleجُنْدَيْof Jundayسَابُورَ2Sabur
and my speech is that of an Arab, and it should have been the language of the people of Junday Sabur.
»»..
.
[[قِصَّةُThe story ofالثَّوْرِيِّal-Thawri::]]
[The story of al-Thawri:]
قَالَsaidالْخَلِيلُal-Khalilالسُّلُولِيُّal-Sululi::أَقْبَلَcameعَلَيَّto meيَوْمًاone dayالثَّوْرِيُّ3al-Thawri
Al-Khalil al-Sululi said: al-Thawri came to me one day
وَكَانَand he wasيَمْلِكُowningخَمْسَمِائَةِfive hundredجَرِيبٍ4jaribs
and he owned five hundred jaribs,
مَاwhatبَيْنَbetweenكُرْسِيِّthe chairالصَّدَقَةِof charityإِلَىtoنَهْرِthe riverمُرَّةَ5Murra
from the chair of charity to the river Murra,
وَلَاand notيَشْتَرِيhe buysإِلَّاexceptكُلَّeveryغُرَّةٍprecious thing،,
and he only bought every precious thing,
وَأَرْضٍand landمَشْهُورَةٍfamousبِكَرِيمِfor nobleالتُّرْبَةِsoil،,وَشَرَفِand honorالْمَوْضِعِof place،,وَالْغَلَّةِand abundantالْكَثِيرَةِproduce..
and land famous for its noble soil, honorable location, and abundant produce.
قَالَHe said::
He said:
فَأَقْبَلَand he cameعَلَيَّto meيَوْمًاone day،,فَقَالَand saidلِيto me::
And he came to me one day and said to me:
«"هَلِHaveاصْطَبَغْتَ6you dyedبِمَاءِwith waterالزَّيْتُونِof olivesقَطُّever؟?
"Have you ever dyed with olive water?"
قَالَHe said::قُلْتُI said::«"لَاNoوَاللَّهِby Allah»"..
He said: I said, "No, by Allah."
قَالَHe said::«"أَمَاindeedوَاللَّهِby Allahلَوْifفَعَلْتَهُyou did itمَاnotنَسِيتَهُyou would forget it»"..
He said: "Indeed, by Allah, if you had done it, you would not forget it."
قَالَHe said::قُلْتُI said::«"أَجَلْYesإِنِّيindeed Iوَاللَّهِby AllahلَوْifفَعَلْتُهُI did itلَمَاnotنَسِيتُهُI would forget it»"..
He said: I said, "Yes, indeed, by Allah, if I had done it, I would not have forgotten it."
وَكَانَand he wasيَقُولُsayingلِعِيَالِهِto his family::
And he used to say to his family:
«"لَاDo notتُلْقُواthrowنَوَىthe pitsالتَّمْرِof datesوَالرُّطَبِand fresh dates،,
"Do not throw away the pits of dried and fresh dates,
وَتَعَوَّدُواand accustom yourselvesابْتِلَاعَهُto swallowing them،,وَخُذُواand takeحُلُوقَكُمْyour throatsبِتَسْوِيغِهِ7to swallowing them easily..
and accustom yourselves to swallowing them, and train your throats to swallow them easily.
فَإِنَّfor indeedالنَّوَىthe pitsيَعْقِدُsolidifyالشَّحْمَthe fatفِيinالْبَطْنِthe belly،,وَيُدْفِئُand warmالْكُلْيَتَيْنِthe kidneysبِذَلِكَwith thatالشَّحْمِfat..
For the pits solidify the fat in the belly, and they warm the kidneys with that fat.
وَاعْتَبِرُواand take as evidenceذَلِكَthatبِبُطُونِin the belliesالصَّفَايَا8of the chosen animalsوَجَمِيعِand allمَاthatيَعْتَلِفُfeeds onالنَّوَى9pits..
And consider that in the bellies of the chosen animals and all that feed on pits.
وَاللَّهِby Allahلَوْifحَمَلْتُمْyou loadedأَنْفُسَكُمْyourselvesعَلَىonالْبَزْرِseedsوَالنَّوَىand pits،,وَعَلَىand onقَضْمِchewingالشَّعِيرِbarleyوَاعْتِلَافِand feeding onالْقَتِّ10fodder
By Allah, if you forced yourselves to seeds and pits, and to chewing barley and eating fodder,
،,لَكَانَit would beخَيْرًاbetterلَكُمْfor youوَلِلَّهِand to Allahأَحَبَّmore belovedإِلَيْكُمْto youمِمَّاthan whatأَنْتُمْyouفِيهِare in..
it would be better for you and more beloved to Allah than what you are in.
Footnotes
- 1.أَيْ رِدَائِي الَّذِي أَلْبَسُهُ.
That is, the garment I wear.
- 2.جُنْدَيْ سَابُورَ: مَدِينَةٌ مِنْ مَدَائِنِ خُوزِسْتَانَ.
Junday Sabur: a city in Khuzestan.
- 3.الثَّوْرِيُّ: هُوَ سُفْيَانُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الثَّوْرِيُّ، إِمَامٌ مِنْ أَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ.
Al-Thawri: He is Sufyan ibn Sa'id al-Thawri, one of the leading scholars of the Muslims.
- 4.الْجَرِيبُ: مِكْيَالٌ وَمِسَاحَةٌ مَعْرُوفَةٌ.
Jarib: a known measure of area or volume.
- 5.نَهْرُ مُرَّةَ: نَهْرٌ مَعْرُوفٌ بِالْبَصْرَةِ أَوْ بِخُوزِسْتَانَ.
Nahr Murra: a well-known river in Basra or Khuzestan.
- 6.الِاصْطِبَاغُ: الِاغْتِسَالُ.
Is tibagh: bathing.
- 7.التَّسْوِيغُ: سُهُولَةُ الْبَلْعِ وَجَوَازُهُ.
Taswigh: ease of swallowing and permitting it.
- 8.الصَّفَايَا: جَمْعُ صَفِيَّةٍ، وَهِيَ مِنْ خِيَارِ الْمَالِ.
Safaya: plural of safiyya, which is the best of property.
- 9.يَعْتَلِفُ النَّوَى: يَأْكُلُهُ وَيَقْتَاتُ بِهِ.
Ya'talif al-nawa: eats it and subsists on it.
- 10.الْقَتُّ: الْعَلَفُ الْأَخْضَرُ.
Qatt: green fodder.