لَوْifوَجَدْتُمُوهَاyou found itسَرِيعَةَquickالْقَبُولِof acceptance
If you found it quick to accept.
وَقَدْand indeedيَأْكُلُeatsالنَّاسُthe peopleالْقَتَّthe chopped fodderقَدَّاحًاas kindlingوَالشَّعِيرَand the barleyفَرِيكًا1as crushed grain
And indeed people eat chopped fodder as kindling, and barley as crushed grain.
وَنَوَىand the pitsالْبُسْرِof unripe datesالْأَخْضَرِthe greenوَنَوَىand the pitsالْعَجْوَةِ2of the pressed dates
And the pits of green unripe dates, and the pits of pressed dates.
فَإِنَّمَاbut onlyبَقِيَتْremainedالْآنَnowعَلَيْكُمْupon youعُقْبَةٌan obstacleوَاحِدَةٌone
But only one obstacle now remains upon you.
لَوْifرَغِبْتُمْyou desiredفِيinالدِّفْءِwarmthلَاnotلَتَمَسْتُمُyou would seekالشَّحْمَthe fat
If you desired warmth, you would seek the fat.
وَكَيْفَand howلَاnotتَطْلُبُونَyou seekشَيْئًاsomethingيُغْنِيكُمْthat suffices youعَنْfromدُخَانِsmokeالْوَقُودِof fuelوَعَنْand fromشَنَاعَةِthe uglinessالسَّكَرِof intoxicationوَعَنْand fromثِقَلِthe heavinessالْغُرْمِof the debt
And how do you not seek something that suffices you from the smoke of fuel, and from the ugliness of intoxication, and from the heaviness of debt.
وَالشَّحْمُand the fatيُفَرِّجُrelievesالْقَلْبَthe heart
And the fat relieves the heart.
وَيُبَيِّضُand whitensالْوَجْهَthe face
And whitens the face.
وَالنَّارُand the fireتُسَوِّدُblackensالْوَجْهَthe face
And the fire blackens the face.
أَنَاIأَقْدِرُam ableأَنْtoأَبْتَلِعَswallowالنَّوَىthe pitsوَأَعْلِفَهُand feed itالشَّاءَthe sheep
I am able to swallow the pits and feed them to the sheep.
وَلَكِنِّيbut Iأَقُولُsayذَلِكَthatبِالنَّظَرِwith considerationمِنِّيfrom meلَكُمْfor you
But I say that with consideration from me for you.
وَكَانَand he wasيَقُولُsayingكُلُواeatالْبَاقِلِّيَّ4the broad beansبِقُشُورِهِwith their skins
And he was saying: Eat broad beans with their skins.
فَانَّforالْبَاقِلِّيَّthe broad beansيَقُولُsaysمَنْwhoeverأَكَلَنِيeats meبِقُشُورِيwith my skinsفَقَدْindeedأَكَلَنِيeats me
For the broad beans say: Whoever eats me with my skins, indeed he eats me.
وَمَنْand whoeverأَكَلَنِيeats meبِغَيْرِwithoutقُشُورِيmy skinsفَأَنَاthen Iالَّذِيthe one whoآكُلُهُeats him
And whoever eats me without my skins, then I am the one who eats him.
فَمَاso whatحَاجَتُكُمْis your needإِلَىtoأَنْthatتَصِيرُواyou becomeطَعَامًاfoodلِطَعَامِكُمْfor your foodوَأَكْلًاand eatingلِمَاfor whatجُعِلَis madeأَكْلًاfoodلَكُمْfor you
So what is your need to become food for your food, and eating for what is made food for you?
وَكَانَand he wasيُعَيِّنُassigningمَالًاwealthعَظِيمًاgreatوَلَمْand notيَكُنْthere wasلَهُfor himوَارِثٌan heir
And he was assigning great wealth, and he had no heir.
فَكَانَand he wasيَسْخَرُmockingبِبَعْضِهِمْof some of themفَيَقُولُand sayingعِنْدَatالْإِشْهَادِthe witnessingقَدْindeedعَلِمْتُمْyou knewأَنَّهُthatلَاnoوَارِثَheirلِيfor me
And he was mocking some of them, saying at the witnessing: Indeed you knew that I have no heir.
فَإِذَاso ifمُتُّI dieفَهَذَاthen thisالْمَالُwealthلِفُلَانٍfor so-and-so
So if I die, then this wealth is for so-and-so.
فَكَانَand there wereقَوْمٌpeopleكَثِيرٌmanyيَحْرِصُونَeagerعَلَىonمُبَايَعَتِهِpledging allegiance to himلِهَذَاfor this
And there were many people eager on pledging allegiance to him for this.
وَقَدْand indeedرَأَيْتُهُI saw himأَنَاIزَمَانًاa timeمِنَofالدَّهْرِthe agesمَاnotرَأَيْتُهُI saw himقَطُّeverإِلَّاexceptوَنَعْلُهُand his sandalفِيinيَدِهِhis handأَوْorيَمْشِيwalkingطُولَthe lengthنَهَارِهِof his dayفِيinنَعْلٍa sandalمَقْطُوعَةِcutالْعَقِبِthe heelشَدِيدَةٍsevereعَلَىonصَاحِبِهَاits wearer
And indeed I saw him for a time of the ages; I never saw him except with his sandal in his hand, or walking the length of his day in a sandal cut at the heel, severe on its wearer.
قَالَhe saidفَهَؤُلَاءِso theseالْمَجُوسُthe MagiansيَرْتَعُونَgrazeالْبَصْرَةَBasraوَبَغْدَادَand Baghdadوَفَارِسَand Farsوَالْأَهْوَازَand Ahwazوَالدُّنْيَاand the worldكُلَّهَاall of itبِنِعَالٍwith sandalsسِنْدِيَّةٍ5Sindhi
He said: So these Magians graze Basra and Baghdad and Fars and Ahwaz and the whole world with Sindhi sandals.
فَقِيلَso it was saidلَهُto himإِنَّindeedالْمَجُوسِيَّthe Magianلَاnotيَسْتَحِلُّdeems lawfulفِيinدِينِهِhis religionالْمُشَرَّكَةَthe partnershipفَأَنْتَso youلَاnotتَجِدُهُfind himأَبَدًاeverإِلَّاexceptحَافِيًاbarefootأَوْorلَابِسًاwearingنَعْلًاa sandalسِنْدِيَّةًSindhi
So it was said to him: Indeed the Magian does not deem lawful in his religion the partnership, so you never find him except barefoot or wearing a Sindhi sandal.
وَأَنْتَand youمُسْلِمٌare a Muslimوَمَالُكَand your wealthكَثِيرٌis much
And you are a Muslim and your wealth is much.
قَالَhe saidفَمَنْso whoeverكَانَisمَالُهُhis wealthكَثِيرًاmuchفَلَاthen notبُدَّmustلَهُfor himمِنْfromأَنْthatيَفْتَحَhe opensكِيسَهُhis purseلِلنَّفَقَاتِfor expendituresوَلِلسَّرَّاقِand for thieves
He said: So whoever has much wealth, then he must open his purse for expenditures and for thieves.
قَالُواthey saidفَلَيْسَso is there notبَيْنَbetweenهَاتَيْنِthese twoمَنْزِلَةٌa middle position
They said: So is there not between these two a middle position?
Footnotes
- 1.فَرِيكًا: حَبٌّ يُكْسَرُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُطْبَخَ.
Fareek: grains that are crushed before being cooked.
- 2.الْبُسْرُ: ثَمَرُ النَّخْلِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَتْمَرَ.
Busr: the fruit of the palm before it becomes dates.
- 3.الْعَجْوَةُ: ضَرْبٌ مِنَ التَّمْرِ.
Ajwa: a type of dates.
- 4.الْبَاقِلِّيُّ: الْفُولُ.
Baqilli: fava beans (broad beans).
- 5.السِّنْدِيَّةُ: مَنْسُوبَةٌ إِلَى السِّنْدِ وَهِيَ بِلَادٌ مِنَ الْهِنْدِ.
Sindhi: relating to Sind, a region in India.