لِيَكْتَرِيَ1to rentرَجُلًاa manوَاحِدًاoneفَقَطْonly
To rent only one man
يُخْرِجُhe takes outمَاwhatفِيهَاin itوَيَصُبُّهُand pours itفِيinالطَّرِيقِthe road
He takes out what is in it and pours it on the road
فَيَجْتَرِفُهُso it carries it awayالسَّيْلُthe floodوَيُؤَدِّيهِand delivers itإِلَىtoالْقَنَاةِthe canal
The flood carries it away and delivers it to the canal.
وَكَانَand it wasبَيْنَbetweenمَوْضِعِthe place ofبِئْرِهِhis wellوَالصَّبِّand the pouringقَدْرُthe amount ofمِائَتَيْtwo hundredذِرَاعٍcubits
And between the place of his well and the pouring place was a distance of two hundred cubits.
فَكَانَso it wasلِمَكَانِfor the sake ofزِيَادَةِthe increase ofدِرْهَمَيْنِtwo dirhamsيَحْتَمِلُhe toleratesالِانْتِظَارَthe waitingشَهْرًاa monthأَوْorشَهْرَيْنِtwo months
For the sake of an increase of two dirhams he would tolerate waiting a month or two.
وَإِنْand ifهُوَheجَرَىflowedفِيinالطَّرِيقِthe roadوَأُذِيَand harmedبِهِby itالنَّاسُthe people
And if it flowed in the road, people were harmed by it.
وَقَالَand he saidوَنَظَرَand he lookedيَوْمًاone dayإِلَىatالْكَسَّاحِينَ2the sweepers
And he said: And he looked one day at the sweepers
وَهُوَwhile heمَعَنَاwith usجَالِسٌsittingفِيamongرِجَالٍmenمِنْfromقُرَيْشٍQuraysh
While he was sitting with us among men of Quraysh
وَهُمْand theyيُخْرِجُونَtake outمَاwhatفِيinبَالُوعَتِهِhis drainوَيَرْمُونَand throwبِهِitفِيinالطَّرِيقِthe road
And they were taking out what was in his drain and throwing it on the road
وَسَيْلُand the flood ofالْمَثَاعِبِ3the ravinesيَحْتَمِلُهُcarries it
And the flood of the ravines carries it away.
فَقَالَso he saidأَلَيْسَis it notالْبَطُّthe ducksوَالْجَدَاءُand the kids (young goats)وَالدَّجَاجُand the chickensوَالْفِرَاخُand the young birdsوَالدُّرَّاجُ4and the partridges
So he said: Are not ducks, kids, chickens, young birds, and partridges
وَخُبْزُand bread ofالشَّعِيرِbarleyوَالصَّحْنَاءُ5and the sahna' (a food)وَالْكُرَّاثُ6and the leeksوَالْجَوَافُ7and the jawaf (a vegetable)
And barley bread, sahna', leeks, and jawaf
جَمِيعًاallتَصِيرُbecomeإِلَىtoمَاwhatتَرَوْنَyou see؟?
All become what you see?
فَلِمَthen whyيُغَالِيdoes one overpriceبِشَيْءٍsomethingيَصِيرُthat becomesهُوَitوَالرَّخِيصُand the cheapفِيinمَعْنًىmeaningوَاحِدٍone؟?
So why would one overprice something that becomes, it and the cheap, in one meaning?
قَالَhe saidالْخَلِيلُal-Khalilوَسَمِعْتُهُand I heard himيَقُولُsay
Al-Khalil said: And I heard him say
إِيَّاكُمْbewareوَالْفُسَاءَof the silent breaking of windفِيinثِيَابِكُمُyour clothesالَّتِيwhichتَخْرُجُونَyou go outفِيهَاin them
Beware of silent breaking of wind in your clothes in which you go out
وَفِيand inلِحَفِكُمُyour blanketsالَّتِيwhichتَنَامُونَyou sleepفِيهَاin them
And in your blankets in which you sleep
فَإِنَّforالْفُسَاءَthe silent breaking of windيُدِرُّcauses to flowالْقَمْلَthe lice
For the silent breaking of wind causes lice to proliferate.
إِنِّيindeed Iوَاللَّهِby GodمَاnotأَقُولُI sayإِلَّاexceptبِعِلْمٍwith knowledge
Indeed, by God, I do not say (this) except with knowledge.
ثُمَّthenقَالَhe saidعَلِمْتُمْdid you knowإِنَّthatالصَّوْتَthe soundيُدَبِّغُ؟tans (the skin)?
Then he said: Did you know that the sound tans?
قُلْنَاwe saidوَكَيْفَand howصَارَdid it becomeالصَّوْتُthe soundيُدَبِّغُ؟tans?
We said: And how did the sound become a tanner?
قَالَhe saidالْفَسْوَةُthe silent break of windهِيَit isالضَّرْطَةُthe loud break of windبِلَاwithoutصَوْتٍsound
He said: The silent broken wind is the loud one without sound.
وَإِنَّمَاand onlyتَخْرُجَانِthey both come outجَمِيعًاtogetherمِنْfromقَارُورَةٍa bottleوَاحِدَةٍone
And they both come out together from one bottle.
فَكَيْفَso howتَكُونُisوَاحِدَةٌoneطَيِّبَةًpleasantوَأُخْرَىand anotherمُنْتِنَةً؟foul?
So how is one pleasant and another foul?
فَهَذَاso thisالَّذِيwhichيَدُلُّكُمْindicates to youأَنَّthatالصَّوْتَthe soundهُوَit isالَّذِيwhichيُدَبِّغُهَاtans it
So this is what indicates to you that the sound is what tans it.
قَالَhe saidوَهُمْand theyثَلَاثَةُthreeإِخْوَةٍbrothers
He said: And they are three brothers
أَبُوAbuقُطْبَةَQutbaوَالطِّيلُand al-Tilوَبَانِيand Bani
Abu Qutba, al-Til, and Bani
مِنْfromوَلَدِthe offspring ofعَتَّابِAttabبْنِson ofأُسَيْدٍUsayd
From the offspring of Attab son of Usayd.
وَاحِدٌoneمِنْهُمْof themكَانَwasيَحُجُّperforming Hajjعَنْon behalf ofحَمْزَةَHamza
One of them used to perform Hajj on behalf of Hamza
وَيَقُولُand he would say«اسْتُشْهِدَ"He was martyredقَبْلَbeforeأَنْthat
And he would say: "He was martyred before that...
Footnotes
- 1.أَيْ: لِيَسْتَأْجِرَ.
i.e., to hire.
- 2.الْكَسَّاحُونَ: الَّذِينَ يَكْسَحُونَ الطُّرُقَاتِ وَيُنَظِّفُونَهَا.
The sweepers: those who sweep and clean the roads.
- 3.الْمَثَاعِبُ: جَمْعُ مَثْعَبٍ، وَهُوَ مَسِيلُ الْمَاءِ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ إِلَى الْوَادِي.
Al-matha'ib: plural of math'ab, which is the watercourse from the land to the valley.
- 4.الدُّرَّاجُ: طَائِرٌ مِنْ فَصِيلَةِ الدَّجَاجِ، يُشْبِهُ الْحُبَارَى.
Al-durraj: a bird of the chicken family, resembling the bustard.
- 5.الصَّحْنَاءُ: طَعَامٌ يُتَّخَذُ مِنَ الْحِنْطَةِ وَاللَّحْمِ.
Al-sahna': a dish made of wheat and meat.
- 6.الْكُرَّاثُ: نَبَاتٌ مِنْ فَصِيلَةِ الثُّومِ وَالْبَصَلِ.
Al-kurrath: a plant of the garlic and onion family.
- 7.الْجَوَافُ: نَبَاتٌ بَرِّيٌّ يُؤْكَلُ، وَيُسَمَّى أَيْضًا الْجَعْضَةَ.
Al-jawaf: a wild edible plant, also called ja'da.