الطَّعَامُfoodشَيْءٌthingطَرِيفٌpleasantوَلُقْمَةٌand a morselكَرِيمَةٌgenerousوَمُضْغَةٌand a biteشَهِيَّةٌdelicious
Food is a pleasant thing, a generous morsel, and a delicious bite.
فَإِنَّمَاbut onlyذَلِكَthatلِلشَّيْخِfor the old manالْمُعَظَّمِthe reveredوَالصَّبِيِّand the childالْمُدَلَّلِthe pampered
But that is only for the revered old man and the pampered child.
وَلَسْتُand I am notوَاحِدًاoneمِنْهُمَاof the two
And I am not one of them.
فَأَنْتَfor youقَدْindeedتَأْتِيcomeالدَّعَوَاتِinvitationsوَتُجِيبُand respondالْوَلَائِمَbanquets
For you indeed come to invitations and respond to banquets.
وَتَدْخُلُand enterمَنَازِلَhousesوَعَهْدُكَand your acquaintanceبِاللَّحْمِwith meatقَرِيبٌrecent
And you enter houses where your acquaintance with meat is recent.
وَإِخْوَانُكَand your brothersأَشَدُّmore intenseقَرَمًاlongingإِلَيْهِto itمِنْكَthan you
And your brothers have a more intense longing for it than you.
وَأَنَاand Iبَعْدُstillأَكْرَهُdislikeلَكَfor youالْمُوَالَاةَthe continuous eatingبَيْنَbetweenاللَّحْمِmeat
And I still dislike for you the continuous eating of meat.
فَإِنَّfor indeedاللَّهَAllahيُبْغِضُhatesأَهْلَpeopleالْبَيْتِthe houseاللَّحْمِيِّينَthe meat-eating
For indeed Allah hates the people of the house who are meat-eaters.
وَكَانَand used toعُمَرُUmarيَقُولُsay
And Umar used to say:
إِيَّاكُمْbewareوَهَذِهِof theseالْمَجَازِرَslaughterhouses
Beware of these slaughterhouses.
فَإِنَّfor indeedلَهَاto themضَرَاوَةًaddictionكَضَرَاوَةِlike the addictionالْخَمْرِof wine
For indeed they have an addiction like the addiction of wine.
وَكَانَand used toيَقُولُsay
And he used to say:
مُدْمِنُthe one addicted toاللَّحْمِmeatكَمُدْمِنِlike the one addicted toالْخَمْرِwine
The one addicted to meat is like the one addicted to wine.
وَقَالَand saidالْمَسِيحُthe Messiahوَرَأَىand sawرَجُلًاa manيَأْكُلُeatingاللَّحْمَmeat
And the Messiah said, when he saw a man eating meat:
لَحْمٌmeatيَأْكُلُeatingلَحْمًاmeatأَفٍّfieلِهَذَاon thisعَمَلًاdeed
Meat eating meat. Fie on this deed.
وَذَكَرَand mentionedهَرِمُHirimابْنُson ofقُطْبَةَQutbaاللَّحْمَmeat
And Hirim ibn Qutba mentioned meat.
فَقَالَand said
And he said:
وَإِنَّهُand indeed itلَيَقْتُلُkillsالسِّبَاعَpredators
And indeed it kills predators.
وَقَالَand saidالْمُهَلَّبُal-Muhallab
And al-Muhallab said:
لَحْمٌmeatوَارِدٌarrivingعَلَىٰuponغَيْرِother thanقَرَمٍappetiteهَذَاthisالْمَوْتُdeathالْأَحْمَرُred
Meat arriving without appetite; this is the red death.
وَقَالَand saidالْأَوَّلُthe first
And the first said:
أَهْلَكَdestroyedالرِّجَالَmenالْأَحْمَرَانِthe two red thingsاللَّحْمُmeatوَالْخَمْرُand wine
The two red things destroyed men: meat and wine.
وَأَهْلَكَand destroyedالنِّسَاءَwomenالْأَحْمَرَانِthe two red thingsالذَّهَبُgoldوَالزَّعْفَرَانُand saffron
And the two red things destroyed women: gold and saffron.
أَيَّOبُنَيَّmy son
O my son!
عَوِّدْaccustomنَفْسَكَyourselfالْأَثَرَةَself-restraintوَمُجَاهَدَةَand struggling againstالْهَوَىٰdesireوَالشَّهْوَةِand lust
Accustom yourself to self-restraint and struggling against desire and lust.
وَلَاand do notتَنْهِشْbiteنَهْشَthe bitingالْأَفَاعِيof vipers
And do not bite like the biting of vipers.
وَلَاand do notتَخْضِمْgulpخَضْمَthe gulpingالْبَرَاذِينِof mules
And do not gulp like the gulping of mules.
وَلَاand do notتُدِمْcontinueالْأَكْلَeatingإِدَامَةَthe continuingالنِّعَاجِof ewes
And do not continue eating like the continuing of ewes.
وَلَاand do notتُلْقِمْchewلُقَمَthe mouthfulsالْجِمَالِof camels
And do not chew like the mouthfuls of camels.
قَالَsaidأَبُوAbuذَرٍّDharلِمَنْto those whoبَدَّلَchangedمِنْamongأَصْحَابِcompanionsرَسُولِmessengerاللَّهِof Allahصَلَّىmay blessاللَّهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand grant peace
Abu Dhar said to those among the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) who changed:
تَخْضِمُونَyou gulpوَنَقْضِمُand we nibbleوَالْمَوْعِدُand the appointmentلِلَّهِwith Allah
You gulp and we nibble, and the appointment is with Allah.
إِنَّindeedاللَّهَAllahقَدْindeedفَضَّلَكَhas honored youفَجَعَلَكَand made youإِنْسَانًاa human
Indeed, Allah has honored you and made you a human.
فَلَاso do notتَجْعَلْmakeنَفْسَكَyourselfبَهِيمَةًa beastوَلَاand notسَبُعًاa predator
So do not make yourself a beast nor a predator.
وَاحْذَرْand bewareسُرْعَةَthe speedالْكَظَّةِof indigestion
And beware of the speed of indigestion.
Footnotes
- 1.قَرَمًا: شِدَّةُ اشْتِهَاءِ اللَّحْمِ.
Qaram: intense craving for meat.
- 2.الْمُوَالَاةُ: الْمُدَاوَمَةُ عَلَى أَكْلِ اللَّحْمِ.
Al-Muwālāh: persistence in eating meat.
- 3.الضَّرَاوَةُ: الْإِدْمَانُ وَالْعَادَةُ.
Ad-Darāwah: addiction and habit.
- 4.هَرِمُ بْنُ قُطْبَةَ: مِنْ فُرْسَانِ الْعَرَبِ وَحُكَمَائِهِمْ.
Hirim ibn Qutba: one of the Arab knights and sages.
- 5.الْمُهَلَّبُ: الْمُهَلَّبُ بْنُ أَبِي صُفْرَةَ، الْقَائِدُ الْمَشْهُورُ.
Al-Muhallab: al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra, the famous commander.
- 6.الْبَرَاذِينُ: جَمْعُ بِرْذَوْنٍ، وَهُوَ مَا يُرْكَبُ مِنَ الدَّوَابِّ وَكَانَ يَأْكُلُ أَكْلًا شَدِيدًا.
Al-Barādhīn: plural of birdhawn, meaning mounts; they used to eat voraciously.
- 7.اللُّقَمُ: جَمْعُ لُقْمَةٍ، وَالْمُرَادُ الْإِفْرَاطُ فِي الْأَكْلِ.
Luqam: plural of luqma (mouthful), meaning excess in eating.
- 8.الْقَضْمُ: الْأَكْلُ بِأَطْرَافِ الْأَسْنَانِ.
Al-Qaḍm: eating with the edges of the teeth.
- 9.السَّبُعُ: كُلُّ مَا يَفْتَرِسُ الْحَيَوَانَاتِ.
As-Sabuʿ: any animal that preys on other animals.
- 10.الْكَظَّةُ: غَصَّةٌ أَوْ تَخَمَةٌ مِنَ الْأَكْلِ.
Al-Kaẓẓah: choking or indigestion from eating.