بِدَانِقٍwith a daniq،,وَطَبَخَهُand cooked itكُلَّهُall of itسِكْبَاجًاas sikbaj،,فَأَكَلَso he ateوَعِيَالُهُand his family،,
With a daniq, and cooked it all as sikbaj. So he ate, he and his family,
يَوْمَئِذٍthat dayخُبْزُهُمْtheir breadبِشَيْءٍwith somethingمِنْfromرَأْسِtopالْقِدْرِof the pot،,وَمَاand whatيَنْقَطِعُis cut offفِيinالْقِدْرِthe potمِنَofالْبَصَلِonionوَالْبَاذِنْجَانِand eggplantوَالْجَزَرِand carrotsوَالْقَرْعِand squashوَالشَّحْمِand fatوَاللَّحْمِand meat،,
that day their bread was with something from the top of the pot, and what is cut off in the pot of onion, eggplant, carrots, squash, fat, and meat.
فَإِذَاso whenكَانَit wasيَوْمُdayالسَّبْتِSaturdayثَرَّدُواthey crumbledخُبْزَهُمْtheir breadفِيinالْمَرَقِthe broth..
So when it was Saturday, they crumbled their bread in the broth.
فَإِذَاso whenكَانَit wasيَوْمُdayالْأَحَدِSundayأَكَلُواthey ateالْبَصَلَonion؛;فَإِذَاso whenكَانَit wasيَوْمُdayالْإِثْنَيْنِMondayأَكَلُواthey ateالْجَزَرَcarrots،,فَإِذَاso whenكَانَit wasيَوْمُdayالثُّلَاثَاءِTuesdayأَكَلُواthey ateالْقَرْعَsquash،,فَإِذَاso whenكَانَit wasيَوْمُdayالْأَرْبِعَاءِWednesdayأَكَلُواthey ateالْبَاذِنْجَانَeggplant،,فَإِذَاso whenكَانَit wasيَوْمُdayالْخَمِيسِThursdayأَكَلُواthey ateاللَّحْمَmeat..
So when it was Sunday, they ate onion; when it was Monday, they ate carrots; when it was Tuesday, they ate squash; when it was Wednesday, they ate eggplant; when it was Thursday, they ate meat.
فَلِهَذَاso for thisكَانَhe used toيَقُولُsay::مَاnotفَاتَنِيmissed meاللَّحْمُmeatمُنْذُsinceمَلَكْتُI possessedالْمَالَthe wealth..
So for this he used to say: 'Meat has not missed me since I possessed wealth.'
[[أَهْلُpeopleالْجَزِيرَةِof the island]]
[People of the Island]
قَالَsaidأَصْحَابُنَاour companions::نَزَلْنَاwe alightedبِنَاسٍwith peopleمِنْfromأَهْلِpeopleالْجَزِيرَةِof the island،,وَإِذَاand beholdهُمْtheyفِيinبِلَادٍlandsبَارِدَةٍcold،,وَإِذَاand beholdحَطَبُهُمْtheir firewoodشَرُّworstحَطَبٍfirewood،,وَإِذَاand beholdالْأَرْضُthe landكُلُّهَاall of itغَابَةٌforestوَاحِدَةٌoneطَرْفَاءُtamarisk«"٢2»"..
Our companions said: We alighted with people from the people of the island, and behold, they were in cold lands, and behold, their firewood was the worst firewood, and behold, the land was all one forest of tamarisk.
فَقُلْنَاso we said::«"مَاnotفِيinالْأَرْضِthe earthأَكْرَمُmore generousمِنَthanالطَّرْفَاءِthe tamarisk»"..
So we said: 'Nothing on earth is more generous than the tamarisk.'
قَالُواthey said::«"هُوَitكَرِيمٌgenerous،,وَمِنْand fromكَرَمِهِits generosityنَفَّرَّwe fled»"..
They said: 'It is generous, and from its generosity we fled.'
قَالُواthey said::فَقُلْنَاso we said::«"وَمَاand whatالَّذِيthat whichتَفِرُّونَyou fleeمِنْهُfrom it»"؟?
They said: So we said: 'And what is it from which you flee?'
قَالُواthey said::«"دُخَانُsmokeالطَّرْفَاءِof tamariskيَهْضِمُdigestsالطَّعَامَfood،,وَعِيَالُنَاand our familyكَثِيرٌmany»"..
They said: 'The smoke of tamarisk digests food, and our family is many.'
[[أَهْلُpeopleالْمَازِحِof Maziḥوَالْمُدَبِّرِand Mudabbir]]
[People of Maziḥ and Mudabbir]
وَقَدْand indeedعَابَcriticizedنَاسٌpeopleأَهْلَpeopleالْمَازِحِof Maziḥوَالْمُدَبِّرِand Mudabbirبِأُمُورٍfor matters::مِنْهَاamong themأَنَّthatخُشْكَنَانَهُمْtheir bread«"٣3»"مِنْfromدَقِيقِflourشَعِيرٍbarley،,وَحَشْوُهُand its filling--الَّذِيwhichيَكُونُisفِيهِin itالْجَوْزُwalnutsوَالسُّكَّرُand sugar،,مِنْfromدَقِيقِflourخُشْكَارٍbran..
And indeed people criticized the people of Maziḥ and Mudabbir for matters: among them that their bread is from barley flour, and its filling—which contains walnuts and sugar—is from bran flour.
وَأَهْلُand peopleالْمَازِحِof Maziḥلَاnotيَعْرِفُونَthey knowبِالْبُخْلِby stinginess،,وَلَكِنَّهُمْbut theyأَسْوَأُworstالنَّاسِof peopleحَالًاcondition،,فَتَقْدِيرُهُمْso their estimationعَلَىaccording toقَدْرِmeasureعَيْشِهِمْtheir living..
And the people of Maziḥ are not known for stinginess, but they are the worst of people in condition, so their estimation is according to the measure of their living.
وَإِنَّمَاbut onlyنَحْكِيwe relateعَنِaboutالْبُخَلَاءِthe misersالَّذِينَwhoجَمَعُواcollectedبَيْنَbetweenالْبُخْلِstinginessوَالْيُسْرِand ease،,وَبَيْنَand betweenخِصْبِfertilityالْبِلَادِof the landsوَعَيْشِand livingأَهْلِpeopleالْجَدْبِof drought«"٤4»"..
But we only relate about the misers who combined stinginess with ease, and between fertility of lands and living of drought people.
فَأَمَّاas forمَنْwhoيُضَيِّقُrestrictsعَلَىonنَفْسِهِhimselfلِأَنَّهُbecause heلَاnotيَعْرِفُknowsإِلَّاexceptالضِّيقَrestriction،,فَلَيْسَthen notسَبِيلُهُhis pathسَبِيلَpathالْقَوْمِof the people..
As for who restricts himself because he knows only restriction, then his path is not the path of those people.
Footnotes
- 1.ثَرَّدُوا: كَسَّرُوا الْخُبْزَ وَغَمَّسُوهُ فِي الْمَرَقِ.
Tharradū: they crumbled bread and dipped it in broth.
- 2.الطَّرْفَاءُ: شَجَرٌ مِنْ فَصِيلَةِ الْآسِيَاتِ، يَنْبُتُ فِي الْأَمَاكِنِ الرَّطْبَةِ، وَقَدْ يُسْتَعْمَلُ حَطَبًا.
Tamarisk: a tree of the tamaricaceae family, grows in moist places, and may be used as firewood.
- 3.الْخُشْكَنَانُ: نَوْعٌ مِنَ الْخُبْزِ الْيَابِسِ الْمُقَرَّشِ، يُصْنَعُ مِنْ دَقِيقِ الشَّعِيرِ أَوِ الْقَمْحِ.
Khushkanān: a type of dry crisp bread, made from barley or wheat flour.
- 4.الْجَدْبُ: الْقَحْطُ وَالْمُحْلُ، وَالْمُرَادُ هُنَا أَهْلُ الْأَرْضِ الْمُجْدِبَةِ.
Drought: dryness and famine, meaning here the people of a barren land.