كَانَwasأَحْمَدُAhmadبْنُson ofالْخَارِكِيِّal-Kharikiبَخِيلًاmiserly
Ahmad ibn al-Khariki was miserly.
وَكَانَand he wasنَفَّاجًاpretentious⬚
And he was pretentious.
وَهَذَاand thisأَغْيَظُmost infuriatingمَاwhatيَكُونُis
And this is the most infuriating thing.
وَكَانَand he used toيَتَّخِذُmakeلِكُلِّfor everyجُبَّةٍcloakأَرْبَعَةَfourأَزْرَارٍbuttons
He used to put four buttons on each cloak.
لِيَرَىso that people seeالنَّاسُpeopleأَنَّthatعَلَيْهِon himجُبَّتَيْنِtwo cloaks
So that people would think he was wearing two cloaks.
وَيَشْتَرِيand he buysالْأَعْذَاقَbunches of datesوَالْعَرَاجِينَand palm branches laden with datesوَالسَّعَفَand palm leavesمِنَfromالْكَلَّاءِthe market
He bought bunches of dates, palm branches and leaves from the market.
فَإِذَاand whenجَاءَcameبِهِwith itالْحَمَّالُthe porterإِلَىtoبَابِهِhis door
When the porter brought them to his door,
تَرَكَهُhe left itسَاعَةًfor an hourيُوهِمُmaking people thinkالنَّاسَpeopleأَنَّthatلَهُhe hasمِنَofالْأَرَضِينَlandsمَاwhatيَحْتَمِلُcould be enoughأَنْthatيَكُونَbeذَلِكَthatكُلُّهُall of itمِنْهَاfrom them
He left it for a while, leading people to imagine that he had such vast lands that all that produce could come from them.
وَكَانَand he used toيَكْتَرِيrentقُدُورَthe potsالْخَمَّارِينَof wine-makersالَّتِيwhichتَكُونُareلِلنَّبِيذِfor wine
He used to rent the wine-makers' pots, those used for making wine,
ثُمَّthenيَتَحَرَّىhe would seek outأَعْظَمَهَاthe largest of them
Then he would look for the largest one.
وَيَهْرُبُand he would fleeمِنَfromالْحَمَّالِينَthe portersبِالْكِرَاءِwith the rent
And he would run away from the porters without paying the rent.
كَيْso thatيَصِيحُواthey would shoutبِالْبَابِat the door
So that they would shout at his door:
وَيَشْرَبُونَand they drinkالدَّاذِيَّdate syrupوَالسُّكَّرَand sugar
They drink date syrup and sugar,
وَيَحْبِسُونَand they detainالْحَمَّالِينَthe portersبِالْكِرَاءِon account of the rent
and they keep the porters waiting over the rent.
وَلَيْسَand there is notلَهُfor himفِيinمَنْزِلِهِhis houseرِطْلُa poundدِبْسٍmolasses
Yet he did not have a pound of molasses in his house.
وَسَمِعَand he heardقَوْلَthe sayingالشَّاعِرِof the poet
And he heard the poet's words:
رَأَيْتُI sawالْخُبْزَbreadعَزَّwas scarceلَدَيْكَwith youحَتَّىuntilحَسِبْتُI thoughtالْخُبْزَbreadفِيinجَوِّthe atmosphereالسَّحَابِof clouds
I saw that bread was scarce with you, so much so that I thought bread was in the heavens.
وَمَاand notرَوَّحْتَنَاyou shooed usلِتَذُبَّto defendعَنَّاagainst us
And you did not shoo us away to defend against us,
وَلَكِنْbutخِفْتَyou fearedمَرْزِئَةَthe harm ofالذُّبَابِthe flies
but you feared the harm of flies.
فَقَالَso he said
So he said:
وَلِمَand whyذَبَّdid he shooعَنْهُمْaway from themلَعَنَهُmay God curseاللهُGod
Why did he shoo them away? May God curse him!
وَاللهِby GodمَاnotأَعْلَمُI thinkإِلَّاexceptأَنَّهُthat itشَهِّيٌّappetizingإِلَيْهِمُto themالطَّعَامُthe food
By God, I think the food was just appetizing to them,
وَنَظَّفَand he cleanedلَهُمُfor themالْقِصَاعَthe bowls
and he cleaned the bowls for them,
وَفَرَّغَهُمْand he emptied themلَهُfor it
and he made room for them (for the food? or for the flies?),
وَسَحَّرَهُمْand he enchanted themعَلَيْهِover it
and he bewitched them over it.
ثُمَّthenأَلَاwhy notتَرَكَهُمْhe left themيَقَعُونَthey fallفِيintoقِصَاعِهِمْtheir bowls
Then why didn't he let them fall into their bowls?
وَتَسْقُطُand they fallعَلَىonأُنُوفِهِمْtheir nosesوَعُيُونِهِمْand their eyes
And they fall on their noses and eyes?
هُوَheوَاللهِby Godأَهْلٌworthyلِمَاfor whatهُوَand it isأَعْظَمُgreaterمِنْthanهَذَاthis
By God, he deserves worse than this.
كَمْhow manyتَرَوْنَyou seeمِنْofمَرَّةٍa timeقَدْindeedأَمَرْتُI orderedالْجَارِيَةَthe maidأَنْtoتُلْقِيَthrowفِيintoالْقَصْعَةِthe bowlالذُّبَابَةَa flyوَالذُّبَابَتَيْنِtwo fliesوَالثَّلَاثَةَand three flies
How many times do you think I ordered the maid to throw one, two, or three flies into the bowl,
حَتَّىso thatيَتَقَزَّرَthey would be disgustedبَعْضُهُمْsome of them
so that some of them would be disgusted,
أَوْorيَكْفِيَor God would sufficeاللهُGodشَرَّهُhis evil
or God would spare me his evil.
Footnotes
- 1.نَفَّاجًا: أَيْ مُتَكَبِّرٌ أَوْ مُتَبَاهٍ بِمَا لَيْسَ عِنْدَهُ.
Naffaj: meaning arrogant or boastful about what he does not have.
- 2.الْأَعْذَاقُ: جَمْعُ عِذْقٍ، وَهُوَ عُنْقُودُ النَّخْلِ أَوِ النَّخْلَةُ بِحَمْلِهَا.
Al-a'dhaq: plural of 'idhq, which is the bunch of dates or the palm tree with its fruit.
- 3.الْعَرَاجِينُ: جَمْعُ عَرْجُونٍ، وَهُوَ مَا يَكُونُ فِيهِ الرُّطَبُ مِنَ النَّخْلِ.
Al-'arajin: plural of 'arjun, which is the stalk on which dates grow.
- 4.السَّعَفُ: جَمْعُ سَعَفَةٍ، وَهِيَ أَوْرَاقُ النَّخْلِ الْخَضْرَاءُ.
Al-sa'af: plural of sa'fa, which are the green leaves of the palm tree.
- 5.الدَّاذِيُّ: عَصِيرُ الرُّطَبِ أَوْ دِبْسُ التَّمْرِ.
Al-dadhi: the juice of ripe dates or date molasses.
- 6.رَوَّحْتَنَا: أَيْ طَرَدْتَنَا أَوْ أَبْعَدْتَنَا عَنِ الطَّعَامِ.
Rawwah'tana: meaning you drove us away or kept us from the food.
- 7.الْقِصَاعُ: جَمْعُ قَصْعَةٍ، وَهِيَ الْإِنَاءُ الَّذِي يُؤْكَلُ فِيهِ الطَّعَامُ.
Al-qisa': plural of qa'sa, which is the bowl from which food is eaten.
- 8.يَتَقَزَّرَ: أَيْ يَشْمَئِزَّ أَوْ يَكْرَهَ الطَّعَامَ.
Yataqazzara: meaning to feel disgust or revulsion towards food.