مَحْفُوظُMahfuzالنَّقَّاشُal-Naqqash
Mahfuz al-Naqqash
صَحِبَنِيHe accompanied meمَحْفُوظُMahfuzالنَّقَّاشُal-Naqqashمِنْfromمَسْجِدِmosqueالْجَامِعِthe congregationalلَيْلًاat night
Mahfuz al-Naqqash accompanied me from the congregational mosque at night.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenصِرْتُI becameقُرْبَnearمَنْزِلِهِhis houseوَكَانَand wasمَنْزِلُهُhis houseأَقْرَبَcloserإِلَىtoمَسْجِدِmosqueالْجَامِعِthe congregationalمِنْthanمَنْزِلِيmy house
And when I came near his house—and his house was closer to the congregational mosque than mine—
سَأَلَنِيhe asked meأَنْthatأَبِيتَI stay overnightعِنْدَهُat his placeوَقَالَand he said
he asked me to stay overnight at his place and said:
«أَيْنَWhereتَذْهَبُdo you goفِيinهَذَاthisالْمَطَرِrainوَالْبَرْدِand coldوَمَنْزِلِيand my houseمَنْزِلُكَis your houseوَأَنْتَand you areفِيinظُلْمَةٍdarknessوَلَيْسَand notمَعَكَwith youنَارٌfireوَعِنْدِيand with meلَبَأٌ1colostrum
“Where are you going in this rain and cold? My house is your house, and you are in the dark with no fire, and I have colostrum
لَمْnotيَرَhas seenالنَّاسُpeopleمِثْلَهُits likeوَتَمْرٌand datesنَاهِيكَenough for youبِهِwith itجُودَةًqualityلَاnotتَصْلُحُsuitableإِلَّاexceptلَهُfor it
people have never seen its like, and dates of such quality that they are fit only for it.”
فَمِلْتُSo I inclinedمَعَهُwith him
So I went along with him.
فَأَبْطَأَAnd he delayedسَاعَةًa whileثُمَّthenجَاءَنِيcame to meبِجَأْمِwith a bowl ofلَبَأٍcolostrumوَطَبَقِand a plate ofتَمْرٍdates
He was delayed a while, then came to me with a bowl of colostrum and a plate of dates.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenمَدَدْتُI reached outقَالَhe said
When I reached out, he said:
«يَاOأَبَاfather ofعُثْمَانَUthmanإِنَّهُindeed it isلَبَأٌcolostrumوَغَلِيظُهُand its thick partوَهُوَand it isاللَّيْلُthe nightوَرُكُودُهُand its stillness
“O Abu Uthman, this is colostrum and its thick part, and it is the night and its stillness,
ثُمَّthenلَيْلَةُa night ofمَطَرٍrainوَرُطُوبَةٍand humidityوَأَنْتَand you areرَجُلٌa manقَدْindeedطَعَنْتَyou have advancedفِيinالسِّنِّageوَلَمْand notتَزَلْyou continueتَشْكُوcomplainingمِنَofالْفَالِجِparalysisطَرَفًاa limb
then a rainy humid night, and you are a man who has advanced in age, and you still complain of paralysis in a limb,
وَمَاand whatزَالَceasesالْغَلِيلُ2the burning thirstيُسْرِعُhastensإِلَيْكَto you
and the burning thirst (footnote 2) keeps hastening to you,
وَأَنْتَand you areفِيinالْأَصْلِoriginallyلَسْتَnotبِصَاحِبِa companion ofعَشَاءٍsupper
and you are not normally a supper eater.
فَإِنْSo ifأَكَلْتَyou eatاللَّبَأَthe colostrumوَلَمْand notتُبَالِغْyou overdoكُنْتَyou areلَاneitherآكِلًاeaterوَلَاnorتَارِكًاleaverوَحَرَّشْتَand you inciteطِبَاعَكَ3your nature
If you eat the colostrum but don't overdo it, you are neither eating nor leaving it, and you stir up your appetite (footnote 3),
ثُمَّthenإِنْifقَطَعْتَyou cut offالْأَكْلَeatingأَشْهَىmore appealingمَاwhatكَانَwasإِلَيْكَto you
then if you stop eating, it's the most appealing to you.
وَإِنْAnd ifبَالَغْتَyou overdoبِتْنَاwe spend the nightفِيinلَيْلَةِa night ofسَوْءٍevilمِنَfromالْإِهْتِمَامِconcernبِأَمْرِكَabout your affair
But if you overdo it, we'll spend a bad night worrying about you.
وَلَمْand notنَعُدَّwe countلَكَfor youنَبِيذًاwineوَلَاnorعَسَلًاhoney
We don't have wine or honey prepared for you.
وَإِنَّمَاButقُلْتُI saidهَذَاthisالْكَلَامَspeechلِئَلَّاso that notتَقُولَyou sayغَدًاtomorrowكَانَit wasوَكَانَand it was
I only say this so that you don't say tomorrow, 'It was thus and so.'
وَاللَّهِBy Godلَقَدْindeedوَقَعْتَyou have fallenبَيْنَbetweenنَابَيْthe fangs ofأَسَدٍa lion
By God, you have fallen between the fangs of a lion!
لِأَنِّيbecause Iلَوْifلَمْnotآتِكَbring youبِهِitوَقَدْand indeedذَكَرْتُهُI mentioned itلَكَto you
Because if I didn't bring it to you after mentioning it,
قُلْتَyou would sayبَخِلَhe was stingyبِهِwith itوَبَدَاand it appearedلَهُto himفِيهِin it
you would say, 'He was stingy with it and changed his mind.'
وَإِنْAnd ifجِئْتُI cameبِهِwith itوَلَمْand notأُحَذِّرْكَI warn youمِنْهُfrom itوَلَمْand notأَذْكُرْكَI remind youكُلَّallمَاwhatعَلَيْكَagainst youفِيهِin it
And if I brought it and didn't warn you about it and didn't remind you of all that you have against it,
قُلْتَyou would sayلَمْnotيُشْفِقْhe did not careعَلَيَّfor meوَلَمْand notيَنْصَحْhe did not advise
you would say, 'He did not care for me nor advise me.'
فَقَدْThusبَرِئْتُI am absolvedإِلَيْكَto youمِنَfromالْأَمْرَيْنِthe two mattersجَمِيعًاall
So I am absolved before you from both matters.
فَإِنْSo ifشِئْتَyou wishفَأَكْلَةٌthen one eatingوَمَوْتَةٌand one deathوَإِنْand ifشِئْتَyou wishفَبَعْضُthen someالِاحْتِمَالِtoleranceوَنَوْمٌand sleepعَلَىinسَلَامَةٍsafety
So if you wish, one meal and death; and if you wish, some tolerance and safe sleep.”
فَمَاAnd neverضَحِكْتُI laughedقَطُّeverكَضَحِكِيlike my laughterتِلْكَthatاللَّيْلَةَnight
I never laughed like I laughed that night.
وَلَقَدْAnd indeedأَكَلْتُهُI ate itجَمِيعًاallفَمَاand nothingهَضَمَهُdigested itإِلَّاexceptالضَّحِكُlaughterوَالنَّشَاطُand activityوَالسُّرُورُand joyفِيمَاin whatأَظُنُّI think
I ate it all, and only laughter, activity, and joy digested it, I think.
وَلَوْAnd ifكَانَthere wereمَعِيwith meمَنْone whoيَفْهَمُunderstandطِيبَthe goodness ofمَاwhatتَكَلَّمَhe spokeلَأَتَىwould have comeعَلَيَّupon meالضَّحِكُlaughter
And if there had been with me someone who understood the wit of what he said, laughter would have overcome me,
أَوْorلَقَضَىwould have finishedعَلَيَّmeوَلَكِنْbutضَحِكَlaughedمَنْone whoكَانَwasوَحْدَهُalone
or it would have killed me; but one who was alone laughed.