قَالَ:He said:
He said:
وَكَانَand he wasالْغَزَالُal-Ghazalأُعْجُوبَةًa marvelفِيinالْبُخْلِmiserliness
And al-Ghazal was a marvel in miserliness.
وَكَانَand he wasيَجِيءُcomingمِنْfromمَنْزِلِهِhis houseوَمَعَهُand with himرَغِيفٌa loafفِيinكُمِّهِhis sleeve
And he would come from his house with a loaf in his sleeve.
فَكَانَand so he wasأَكْثَرَmostدَهْرِهِof his timeيَأْكُلُهُeating itبِلَاwithoutأُدْمٍrelish
Thus he would eat it most of his time without any relish.
فَإِذَاand whenأَعْيَاbecame difficultعَلَيْهِfor himالْأَمْرُthe matterأَخَذَhe tookمِنْfromسَاكِنِهِhis neighborجَوَّافَةًa guavaبِحَبَّةٍfor a grain
And when it became too much for him, he would take a guava from his neighbor for a grain.
وَأَثْبَتَand he recordedعَلَيْهَاagainst itفِلْسًاa pennyفِيinحِسَابِهِhis account
And he recorded a penny against it in his account.
فَإِذَاand whenأَرَادَhe wantedأَنْtoيَتَغَدَّىeat lunchأَخَذَhe tookالْجَوَّافَةَthe guavaفَمَسَحَهَاand wiped itعَلَىonوَجْهِthe surfaceالرَّغِيفِof the loaf
And when he wanted to eat lunch, he took the guava and wiped it on the surface of the loaf.
ثُمَّthenعَضَّhe bitعَلَيْهِon it
Then he bit on it.
وَرُبَّمَاand perhapsفَتَحَhe openedبَطْنَthe bellyالْجَوَّافَةِof the guavaفَبَطَّنَand linedجَنْبَيْهَاits two sidesوَبَطْنَهَاand its bellyبِاللُّقْمَةِwith the morselبَعْدَafterاللُّقْمَةِthe morsel
And perhaps he opened the belly of the guava and lined its two sides and its belly with morsel after morsel.
فَإِذَاand whenخَافَhe fearedأَنْthatيَنْهَكَهَاit would wear it outذَلِكَthatوَيَنْضَمَّand it would shrinkبَطْنُهَاits bellyطَلَبَhe askedمِنْfromذَلِكَthatالسَّمَّاكِthe fishmongerشَيْئًاsomethingمِنْofمِلْحِthe saltالسَّمَكِof the fish
And when he feared that this would wear it out and its belly would shrink, he asked that fishmonger for some fish salt.
فَحَشَاand he stuffedجَوْفَهَاits insideلِيَنْفُخَهَاto inflate itوَلِيُوهِمَand to make it seemأَنَّthatهَذَاthisهُوَisمِلْحُهَاits saltالَّذِيthatمُلِّحَتْit was saltedبِهِwith it
So he stuffed its inside to inflate it and to make it seem that this was the salt with which it had been salted.
وَلَرُبَّمَاand perhapsغَلَبَتْovercameشَهْوَتُهُhis appetiteفَكَدَمَso he bitطَرَفَthe tipأَنْفِهَاof its noseوَأَخَذَand tookمِنْfromطَرَفِthe edgeالْأَرْنَبَةِof the nose tipمَاwhatيُسِيغُhe could swallowبِهِwith itلُقْمَتَهُhis morsel
And perhaps his appetite overcame him, so he bit the tip of its nose and took from the edge of the nose tip enough to swallow his morsel with.
وَكَانَand it wasذَلِكَthatمِنْهُfrom himلَاnotيَكُونُhappeningإِلَّاexceptفِيatآخِرِهَاits lastلُقْمَةًmorselلِيَطِيبَso that it would be pleasantفَمُهُhis mouthبِهَاwith it
And that from him would only happen at its last morsel, so that his mouth would be pleasant with it.
ثُمَّthenيَضَعُهَاhe would put itفِيinنَاحِيَةٍa corner
Then he would put it in a corner.
فَإِذَاand whenاشْتَرَىhe boughtمِنْfromاِمْرَأَةٍa womanغَزْلًاyarnأَدْخَلَhe includedتِلْكَthatالْجَوَّافَةَguavaفِيinثَمَنِthe priceالْغَزْلِof the yarnمِنْby way ofطَرِيقِthe methodإِدْخَالِof includingالْعُرُوضِgoodsوَحَسَبَهَاand he counted itعَلَيْهَاagainst herبِفِلْسٍfor a penny
And when he bought yarn from a woman, he included that guava in the price of the yarn, by way of including goods, and counted it against her for a penny.
فَيَسْتَرْجِعُso he recoversرَأْسَthe principalالْمَالِof the moneyوَيَفْضُلُand the surplusالْأُدْمُthe relish
So he recovers the principal and gets the relish as surplus.
[اِبْنُIbnالْمُقَفَّعِal-MuqaffaوَandاِبْنُIbnجُذَامٍJudham::]
[Ibn al-Muqaffa and Ibn Judham:]
وَرَوَىand narratedأَصْحَابُنَاour companionsعَنْfromعَبْدِAbdاللهِAllahاِبْنِIbnالْمُقَفَّعِal-Muqaffa،,قَالَhe said::
And our companions narrated from Abdullah Ibn al-Muqaffa, he said:
كَانَwasاِبْنُIbnجُذَامٍJudhamالشَّبِيُّal-Shabiيَجْلِسُsittingإِلَيَّwith me
Ibn Judham al-Shabi used to sit with me.
وَكَانَand he wasرُبَّمَاsometimesانْصَرَفَhe leftمَعِيwith meإِلَىtoالْمَنْزِلِthe houseفَيَتَغَدَّىand he would eat lunchمَعَنَاwith usوَيُقِيمُand he would stayإِلَىuntilأَنْitيَبْرُدَbecame cool
And sometimes he would leave with me to the house, eat lunch with us, and stay until it became cool.
وَكُنْتُand I wasأَعْرِفُهُknowing himبِشِدَّةِby the severityالْبُخْلِof miserlinessوَكَثْرَةِand the abundanceالْمَالِof wealth
And I knew him for his severe miserliness and abundant wealth.
فَأَلَحَّand he persistedعَلَيَّon meفِيinالِاسْتِزَارَةِinviting meوَصَمَّمْتُand I was determinedعَلَيْهِon itفِيinالِامْتِنَاعِdeclining
And he persisted in inviting me, and I was determined in declining.
فَقَالَand he said::
And he said:
جُعِلْتُmay I be madeفِدَاكَyour ransomأَنْتَyouتَظُنُّthinkأَنِّيthat Iمِمَّنْof those whoيَتَكَلَّفُmake an effortوَأَنْتَand youتُشْفِقُare compassionateعَلَيَّon me؟?
May I be your ransom, you think that I am one of those who make an effort, and you are compassionate on me?
لَاnoوَاللهِby Allahإِنْnotهِيَit isإِلَّاexceptكُسَيْرَاتٌsmall piecesيَابِسَةٌdryوَمِلْحٌand saltوَمَاءُand waterالْحَبِّof grain
No, by Allah, it is nothing but small dry pieces of bread, salt, and grain water.
فَظَنَنْتُand I thoughtأَنَّهُthat heيُرِيدُwants
And I thought that he wanted...
Footnotes
- 1.بِحَبَّةٍ: أَيْ بِحَبَّةٍ مِنْ قَمْحٍ أَوْ شَعِيرٍ، وَهُوَ مِقْدَارٌ ضَئِيلٌ.
Bi-habba: i.e., for a single grain of wheat or barley, a trivial amount.
- 2.كَدَمَ: عَضَّ بِأَطْرَافِ الْأَسْنَانِ.
Kadama: bit with the tips of the teeth.
- 3.الِاسْتِزَارَةِ: طَلَبِ الزِّيَارَةِ أَوِ الضِّيَافَةِ.
al-Istizara: asking to be visited or hosting.
- 4.كُسَيْرَاتٌ: فُتَاتُ الْخُبْزِ الصَّغِيرُ.
Kusayrat: small pieces of bread.