الْحَيَاةُThe lifeفَهَذِهِso thisسَبِيلُthe pathالْحَيَاةِof the life،,
Life — so this is the path of life.
وَإِنْAnd ifكُنْتَyou areتُحِبُّlovingالْمَوْتَdeathفَلَاthen notيُبْعِدُdistanceاللَّهُAllahإِلَّاexceptمَنْwhoظَلَمَwronged»"..
"And if you love death, then may Allah distance only the wrongdoer."
هَذِهِThisكَانَتْwasوَصِيَّتُهُhis adviceفِيonيَوْمِthe dayالرُّؤُوسِof the headsوَحْدَهُalone..
This was his advice on the day of heads alone.
فَلَمْAnd notيَكُنْwasلِعِيَالِهِfor his familyإِلَّاexceptالتَّقَمُّمُ1picking remnantsوَمَصُّand suckingالْعَظْمِthe bone..
For his family there was nothing but picking remnants and sucking the bone.⟦1⟧
وَكَانَAnd he wasلَاnotيَشْتَرِيbuyingالرَّأْسَthe headإِلَّاexceptفِيinزِيَادَةِthe increaseالشَّهْرِof the month،,لِمَكَانِbecause ofزِيَادَةِthe increaseالدِّمَاغِof the brain..
And he would not buy the head except at the increase of the month, because of the increase of the brain.
وَكَانَAnd he wasلَاnotيَشْتَرِيbuyingإِلَّاexceptرَأْسَa headفَتَىof a young manلِوَفَارَةِfor the abundanceالدِّمَاغِof the brain،,لِأَنَّbecauseدِمَاغَthe brainالْفَتَىof the young manأَوْفَرُmore abundant،,وَيَكُونُand isمُخُّهُhis marrowأَنْقَصُless،,وَمُخُّand the marrowالْمُسِنِّof the elderlyأَوْفَرُmore abundantوَدِمَاغُهُand his brainأَنْقَصُless..
And he would not buy except a young man's head for the abundance of brain, because the brain of the young man is more abundant, and his marrow is less, and the marrow of the elderly is more abundant and his brain is less.
وَيَزْعُمُونَAnd they claimأَنَّthatلِلْأَهِلَّةِto the crescentsوَالْمَحَاقِand the waningفِيinالْأَدْمِغَةِthe brainsوَالدِّمَاءِand the bloodsعَمَلًاan effectمَعْرُوفًاwell-known،,وَبَيْنَهَاand between themفِيinالرَّبِيعِthe springوَالْخَرِيفِand the autumnفَضْلًاa differenceبَيِّنًاclear..
And they claim that the crescents and the waning have a well-known effect on brains and bloods, and between them in spring and autumn there is a clear difference.
وَتَزْعُمُAnd claimالْأَعْرَابُthe Bedouinsوَالْعَرَبُand the Arabsأَنَّthatالنُّطْفَةَthe semenإِذَاwhenوَقَعَتْfellفِيinالرَّحِمِthe womb،,فِيinأَوَّلِthe beginningالْهِلَالِof the crescent،,خَرَجَcame outالْوَلَدُthe childقَوِيًّاstrongضَخْمًاhuge،,وَإِذَاand whenكَانَit wasفِيinالْمَحَاقِthe waningخَرَجَcame outضَئِيلًاsmallشَخْتًا2thin..
And the Bedouins and Arabs claim that when the semen falls in the womb at the beginning of the crescent, the child comes out strong and huge, and when it is in the waning, he comes out small and thin.⟦2⟧
وَأَنْشَدَAnd he recitedقَوْلَthe sayingالشَّاعِرِof the poet::
And he recited the saying of the poet:
لُقِحَتْShe was conceivedفِيinالْهِلَالِthe crescentعَنْafterقُبْلِthe time beforeالطُّهْرِpurity،,وَقَدْand indeedلَاحَappearedلِلضِّيَاءِto the lightبَشِيرُa herald
She was conceived in the crescent after the time of purity, and a herald of light appeared.
ثُمَّThenنَمَىhe grewوَلَمْand notيُرَاضَعْwas suckledفَلُوًّا3a foal،,وَرَضَاعُand the sucklingالْمُحَجِّof the waningعَيْبٌa flawكَبِيرٌ4great
Then he grew, and was not suckled as a foal,⟦3⟧ and suckling during the waning is a great flaw.⟦4⟧
وَكَانَAnd he wasأَبُوfatherعَبْدِof servantالرَّحْمَنِof the Mercifulيَشْتَرِيbuyingذَلِكَthatالرَّأْسَheadمِنْfromجَمِيعِallرَأَّاسِيhead-sellersبَغْدَادَof Baghdad،,إِلَّاexceptمِنْfromرَأَّاسِيhead-sellersمَسْجِدِof the mosqueابْنِof sonرَغْبَانَRaghban..
And Abu Abd al-Rahman used to buy that head from all the head-sellers of Baghdad, except from the head-sellers of the mosque of Ibn Raghban.
وَكَانَAnd he wasلَاnotيَشْتَرِيهِbuying itإِلَّاexceptيَوْمَdayسَبْتٍof Saturday..
And he would not buy it except on Saturday.
وَاخْتَلَطَAnd confusedعَلَيْهِto himالْأَمْرُthe matterفِيمَاbetweenبَيْنَbetweenالشِّتَاءِwinterوَالصَّيْفِand summer،,فَكَانَso he wasمَرَّةًsometimesيَشْتَرِيهِbuying itفِيinهَذَاthisالزَّمَانِtime..
And the matter became confused to him between winter and summer, so he would sometimes buy it in this time.
وَأَمَّاAs forزُهْدُهُhis asceticismفِيregardingرُؤُوسِheadsمَسْجِدِof the mosqueابْنِof sonرَغْبَانَRaghban،,فَإِنَّthen indeedالْبَصْرِيِّينَthe Basransيَخْتَارُونَchooseلَحْمَthe meatالْمَاعِزِof the goatالْخَصِيِّcastratedعَلَىoverالضَّأْنِthe sheepكُلِّهِall of it،,وَرُؤُوسُand the headsالضَّأْنِof sheepأَشْحَمُmore fattyوَأَلْحَمُand more meatyرَخْصًاcheapوَأَطْيَبُand more delicious..
As for his abstaining from the heads of the mosque of Ibn Raghban, the Basrans prefer the meat of the castrated goat over all sheep, and sheep heads are more fatty, more meaty, cheap, and more delicious.
وَرَأْسُAnd the headالتَّيْسِof the billy goatأَكْثَرُmoreلَحْمًاmeatمِنْthanرَأْسِthe headالْخَصِيِّof the castrated goat،,لِأَنَّbecauseالْخَصِيَّthe castrated goatمِنْofالْمَاعِزِthe goatsيَعْرَقُsweatsجِلْدُهُhis skin،,وَيَقِلُّand decreasesلَحْمُthe meatرَأْسِهِof his head،,وَلَاand notيَبْلُغُreachesجِلْدُهُhis skin،,وَإِنْeven thoughكَانَit isمَاwhatعَزَاestimatedفِيinالثَّمَنِthe priceعَشْرُtenمَاwhatيَبْلُغُreachesجِلْدُthe skinالتَّيْسِof the billy goat،,وَلَاand notيَكُونُisرَأْسُهُhis headإِلَّاexceptدُونًاinferior..
And the head of the billy goat has more meat than the head of the castrated goat, because the castrated goat sweats its skin, and the meat of its head is little, and its skin does not reach (value) even if its estimated price is a tenth of what the skin of the billy goat reaches, and its head is nothing but inferior.
وَلِذَلِكَAnd thereforeتَخَطَّاهُhe skipped itإِلَىtoغَيْرِهِother than it..
And therefore he skipped it to other than it.
Footnotes
- 1.التَّقَمُّمُ: أَخْذُ مَا بَقِيَ فِي الْعَظْمِ مِنَ الْمُخِّ بِأَصَابِعِكَ.
Al-taqammum: taking what remains in the bone of the marrow with your fingers.
- 2.شَخْتًا: أَيْ ضَئِيلًا ضَعِيفًا.
Shakhtan: meaning small and weak.
- 3.فَلُوًّا: الْمُهْرُ إِذَا فُطِمَ.
Faluwwan: the colt when weaned.
- 4.الْمُحَجُّ: مَا بَيْنَ الْهِلَالِ وَالْمَحَاقِ.
Al-muhajj: what is between the crescent and the waning.