يَدْخُلُواthey enterفِيinالسَّوَاقِيthe irrigation channels،,فَيَدْخُلُواand they putأَيْدِيَهُمْtheir handsفِيinجُحْرَةِthe holes ofالشَّلَّابِيthe catfishوَالرَّمَّانِ1and the pomegranate fish
They enter the irrigation channels, and put their hands into the holes of the catfish and the pomegranate fish.¹
فَإِنْThen ifأَصَبْنَاwe catchمِنَofالسَّمَكِthe fishشَيْئًاsomething،,جَعَلَهُhe makes itكَبَابًاkebabعَلَىonنَارِthe fire ofالْخُبْزِthe breadتَحْتَunderالطَّابَقِthe oven floor،,حَتَّىso thatلَاnotيَحْتَاجَhe needsمِنَofالْحَطَبِfirewoodإِلَىtoكَثِيرٍmuch
Then if we catch some fish, he makes it into kebab on the bread fire under the oven floor, so that he doesn't need much firewood.
فَلَاAnd notنَزَالُwe ceaseمُنْذُsinceغَدْوَةٍmorningإِلَىuntilاللَّيْلِnightفِيinكَدٍّtoilوَجُوعٍand hungerانْتِظَارٍwaiting
So we keep from morning until night in toil, hunger, and waiting.
ثُمَّThenلَاnotيَكُونُisعَشَاؤُنَاour dinnerإِلَّاexceptخُبْزُbread ofأَرُزٍّriceأَسْوَدَblackغَيْرِnotمَنْخُولٍsiftedبِالشَّلَّابِيwith the catfish
Then our dinner is nothing but bread of black rice, unsifted, with the catfish.
وَلَوْAnd ifقَدَرَhe was ableعَلَىonغَيْرِother thanذَلِكَthatفَعَلَhe would do»”
And if he were able to do otherwise, he would do so.”
قُلْتُI saidلَهُto him::«“فَلِمَThen whyلَاnotيَتَّخِذُhe takesمَوْضِعَa place ofمَرَازِّ2rice paddiesمِنْfromبَعْضِsomeرِقَاقِsoft lands ofأَرْضِهِhis land،,فَيَبْذُرَso he sowsلَكُمْfor youالْأَرُزَّthe riceثُمَّthenيَكُونَbeالْخِيَارُthe choiceفِيinيَدِهِhis hand
I said to him: “Then why doesn't he take a place for rice paddies² from some of the soft lands of his estate, and sow rice for you, and then the choice would be in his hand:
إِنْifأَرَادَhe wantedأَنْtoيُعَجِّلَhastenعَلَيْكُمُfor youالطَّعَامَthe foodأَطْعَمَكُمُhe would feed youالْفَرْدَthe single rice،,أَوْorإِنْifأَحَبَّhe likedأَنْtoيَتَأَنَّىbe slowلِيُطْعِمَكُمُto feed youالْجَوْهَرِيَّthe pearl rice»”
if he wanted to hasten the food for you, he would feed you the common rice, or if he preferred to delay, he would feed you the choice rice.”
قَالَHe said::وَاللَّهِBy Godلَئِنْifسَمِعَhe hearsهَذَاthisلَيَتَكَلَّفَنَّهُhe will undertake it
He said: “By God, if he hears this, he will certainly undertake it.
اللهَGodاللهَGodفِينَاin us،,فَإِنَّاfor weقَوْمٌpeopleمَسَاكِينُpoor،,وَلَوْand ifقَدَرْنَاwe were ableعَلَىonشَيْءٍsomethingلَمْnotنَحْتَمِلْwe would bearهَذَاthisالْبَلَاءَaffliction
Have mercy on us, for we are poor people, and if we could do anything, we would not bear this affliction.”
[[إِسْمَاعِيلُIsma'ilبْنُson ofغَزْوَانَGhazwan]]
[Isma'il ibn Ghazwan]
حَدَّثَنِيHe told meالْمَكِّيُّal-Makkiقَالَsaid::بِتُّI spent the nightعِنْدَatإِسْمَاعِيلَIsma'ilبْنِson ofغَزْوَانَGhazwan،,وَإِنَّمَاand onlyبَيَّتَنِيhe gave me lodgingعِنْدَهُat his placeحِينَwhenعَلِمَhe knewأَنِّيthat Iتَعَشَّيْتُhad dinedعِنْدَatمُوَيْسٍMuways،,وَحَمَلْتُand I carriedمَعِيwith meقِرْبَةَa waterskin ofنَبِيذٍwine
Al-Makki told me: I stayed overnight at Isma'il ibn Ghazwan's place, and he only put me up because he knew I had dined at Muways's, and I had brought with me a waterskin of wine.
فَلَمَّاThen whenمَضَىpassedمِنَofاللَّيْلِthe nightأَكْثَرُهُmost of it،,وَرَكِبَنِيand overcame meالنَّوْمُsleep،,جَعَلْتُI madeفِرَاشِيmy bedالْبِسَاطَthe carpetوَمِرْفَقَتِيand my elbowيَدِي3my hand
Then when most of the night had passed and sleep overcame me, I made my bed the carpet and my elbow my pillow.³
وَلَيْسَAnd there is notفِيinالْبَيْتِthe houseإِلَّاexceptمُصَلًّىa prayer matلَهُfor him،,وَمِرْفَقَةٌand a cushionوَمِخَدَّةٌand a pillow
And in the house there was nothing but his prayer mat, a cushion, and a pillow.
فَأَخَذَSo he tookالْمِخَدَّةَthe pillowفَرَمَىand threwبِهَاitإِلَيَّto me،,فَأَبَيْتُهَا4but I refused it
He took the pillow and threw it to me, but I refused it.⁴
وَرَدَدْتُهَاand I returned itعَلَيْهِto him،,وَأَبَىand he refusedوَأَبَيْتُand I refused،.
I returned it to him, and he refused, and I refused.
فَقَالَThen he said::«“سُبْحَانَGlory be toاللهِGod!!يَكُونُIs itأَنْthatتَتَوَسَّدَyou use as pillowمِرْفَقَكَyour elbow،,وَعِنْدِيand with meفَضْلُextraمِخَدَّةٍpillow»”
He said: “Glory be to God! Would you use your elbow as a pillow when I have an extra pillow?”
فَأَخَذْتُهَاSo I took itفَوَضَعْتُهَاand placed itتَحْتَunderخَدِّيmy cheek
So I took it and placed it under my cheek.
فَمَنَعَنِيThen prevented meمِنَfromالنَّوْمِsleepإِنْكَارِيmy disapprovalلِلْمَوْضِعِof the place،,وَيُبْسُand the drynessفِرَاشِيof my bed
But my disapproval of the place and the dryness of my bed kept me from sleeping.
وَظَنَّAnd he thoughtأَنِّيthat Iقَدْindeedنِمْتُhad slept،,فَجَاءَso he cameقَلِيلًاslowlyقَلِيلًاslowly،,حَتَّىuntilسَلَّhe pulledالْمِخَدَّةَthe pillowمِنْfromتَحْتِunderرَأْسِيmy head
And he thought I had fallen asleep, so he came very quietly until he pulled the pillow from under my head.
فَلَمَّاThen whenرَأَيْتُهُI saw himقَدْindeedمَضَىgoneبِهَاwith it،,ضَحِكْتُI laughedوَقُلْتُand said::«“قَدْindeedكُنْتُI wasعَنْofهَذَاthisغَنِيًّاin no need»”
When I saw that he had taken it away, I laughed and said: “I was in no need of this!”
قَالَHe said::«“إِنَّمَاOnlyجِئْتُI cameلِأُسَوِّيَto fixرَأْسَكَyour head»”
He said: “I only came to fix your head.”
Footnotes
- 1.الشَّلَّابِي: ضَرْبٌ مِنَ السَّمَكِ صِغَارٌ، وَالرَّمَّانُ: سَمَكٌ يُشْبِهُ الرُّمَّانَ.
Al-Shallabi: a type of small fish, and al-Rumman: a fish resembling a pomegranate.
- 2.المَرَازُّ: جَمْعُ مَرَزٍّ، وَهِيَ الأَرْضُ الَّتِي يُزْرَعُ فِيهَا الأَرُزُّ.
Al-Marazz: plural of Marazz, which is land where rice is cultivated.
- 3.أَيْ جَعَلْتُ مِرْفَقَتِي مِنْ يَدِي، فَجَعَلْتُ يَدِي تَحْتَ رَأْسِي.
Meaning: I made my elbow from my hand, so I put my hand under my head.
- 4.أَبَيْتُهَا: رَدَدْتُهَا وَامْتَنَعْتُ مِنْ قَبُولِهَا.
Abaytuha: I rejected it and refused to accept it.