غَايَتَهُ،his purpose,وَصَارَand he becameإِمَامًا،a leader,وَإِنَّهُand that heكَانَwasإِذَاwhenصَارَcameفِيinيَدِهِhis handالدِّرْهَمُ،the dirham,
His purpose, and he became a leader, and that when a dirham came into his hand,
خَاطَبَهُhe addressed itوَنَاجَاهُand conversed with it secretlyوَفَدَّاهُand ransomed itوَاسْتَبْطَأَهُ.and considered it slow.
he addressed it, conversed with it secretly, ransomed it, and considered it slow.
وَكَانَAnd he usedمِمَّاfrom whatيَقُولُhe saidلَهُ:to it:
And among the things he would say to it:
«كَمْ"How manyمِنْofأَرْضٍa landقَدْindeedقُطِعَتْ،have you crossed,
"How many lands have you crossed,
وَكَمْand how manyمِنْofكِيسٍa purseقَدْindeedفَارَقْتَ،you have left,
and how many purses have you left,
وَكَمْand how manyمِنْofخَامِلٍan obscure personرَفَعْتَ،you have raised,
and how many obscure persons have you raised,
وَمِنْand fromرَفِيعٍa noble personقَدْindeedأَخْمَلْتَ1you have made obscure..
and how many noble persons have you made obscure. ⟦1⟧.
لَكَTo youعِنْدِيwith meأَنْthatلَاnotتُعْرَىyou will be exposedوَلَاand notتُضَحَّى2you will be sacrificed»"
To you I promise that you will neither be exposed nor sacrificed ⟦2⟧."
ثُمَّThenيُلْقِيهِhe would throw itفِيintoكِيسِهِhis purseوَيَقُولُand sayلَهُ:to it:
Then he would throw it into his purse and say to it:
اسْكُنْDwellعَلَىinاسْمِthe nameاللهِof Allahفِيinمَكَانٍa placeلَاnotتُهَانُyou will be humiliatedوَلَاand notتُذَلُّyou will be degradedوَلَاand notتُزْعَجُyou will be disturbedمِنْهُ»from it"
"Dwell in the name of Allah in a place where you will not be humiliated, degraded, or disturbed."
وَأَنَّهُAnd that heلَمْnotيَدْخُلْenterفِيهِinto itدِرْهَمٌa dirhamقَطُّeverفَأَخْرَجَهُ.and he took it out.
And that no dirham ever entered it that he then took out.
وَأَنَّAnd thatأَهْلَهُhis familyأَلَحُّواpressedعَلَيْهِon himفِيforشَهْوَةٍ،a craving,وَأَكْثَرُواand they increasedعَلَيْهِon himفِيinإِنْفَاقِspendingدِرْهَمٍ،a dirham,
And that his family pressed him for a craving, and they increased in asking him to spend a dirham,
فَدَافَعَهُمْso he fended them offمَاas long asأَمْكَنَit was possibleذَلِكَ.that.
so he fended them off as long as that was possible.
ثُمَّThenحَمَلَhe carriedدِرْهَمًاa dirhamفَقَطْ.only.
Then he carried only one dirham.
فَبَيْنَاAnd whileهُوَhe wasذَاهِبٌgoingإِذْsuddenlyرَأَىhe sawحَوَّاءَ3a snake
And while he was going, suddenly he saw a snake ⟦3⟧
قَدْthatأَرْسَلَsentعَلَىonنَفْسِهِitselfأَفْعَىa viperلِدِرْهَمٍfor a dirhamيَأْخُذُهُ،to take it,
that it had sent a viper on itself for a dirham it would take,
فَقَالَso he saidفِيtoنَفْسِهِ:himself:
so he said to himself:
«أَتْلِفُ"I would destroyشَيْئًاsomethingتُبْذَلُis expendedفِيهِfor itالنَّفْسُ،the soul,
"I would destroy something for which the soul is expended,
بِأَكْلَةٍfor a biteأَوْorشَرْبَةٍ،a drink,
for a bite or a drink,
وَاللهِand by Allah,مَاnotهَذَاthisإِلَّاexceptمَوْعِظَةٌa lessonلِيfor meمِنَfromاللهِ»Allah"
By Allah, this is nothing but a lesson for me from Allah."
فَرَجَعَSo he returnedإِلَىtoأَهْلِهِ،his family,وَرَدَّand returnedالدِّرْهَمَthe dirhamإِلَىtoكِيسِهِ.his purse.
So he returned to his family and returned the dirham to his purse.
فَكَانَAnd they wereأَهْلُهُhis familyفِيinبَلَاءٍ،affliction,وَكَانُواand they wereيَتَمَنَّوْنَwishingمَوْتَهُhis deathوَالْخَلَاصَand deliveranceمِنْهُfrom himبِالْمَوْتِ،by death,وَالْحَيَاةِand lifeبِدُونِهِ.without him.
And his family was in affliction, and they were wishing for his death and deliverance from him by death, and life without him.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenمَاتَhe diedوَظَنُّواand they thoughtأَنَّهُمْthat theyقَدِindeedاسْتَرَاحُواhad restedمِنْهُ،from him,
And when he died and they thought that they had rested from him,
قَدِمَcameابْنُهُ،his son,فَاسْتَوْلَىand he seizedعَلَىonمَالِهِhis wealthوَدَارِهِ،and his house,
his son came, and he seized his wealth and his house,
ثُمَّthenقَالَ:he said:
then he said:
«مَا"Whatكَانَwasأُدْمُthe condimentأَبِي؟of my father?
"What was my father's condiment?
فَإِنَّfor indeedأَكْثَرَmostالْفَسَادِof the corruptionإِنَّمَاonlyيَكُونُisفِيinالْإِدَامِ»the condiment"
For indeed most of the corruption is only in the condiment."
قَالُوا:They said:
They said:
«كَانَ"He usedيَتَأَدَّمُ4to seasonبِجُبْنَةٍwith a piece of cheeseعِنْدَهُ»he had"
"He used to season ⟦4⟧ with a piece of cheese he had."
قَالَ:He said:
He said:
«أَرُونِيهَا»5"Show it to me"..
"Show it to me" ⟦5⟧.
فَإِذَاAnd behold,فِيهَاin itحَزٌّa grooveكَالْجَدْوَلِlike a streamletمِنْfromأَثَرِthe traceمَسْحِof wipingاللُّقْمَةِ.the morsel.
And behold, in it was a groove like a streamlet from the trace of wiping the morsel.
قَالَ:He said:
He said:
«مَا"Whatهَذِهِis thisالْحُفْرَةُ»hole?"
"What is this hole?"
قَالُوا:They said:
They said:
كَانَHe usedلَاnotيَقْطَعُto cutالْجُبْنَ،the cheese,وَإِنَّمَاbut ratherكَانَhe usedيَمْسَحُto wipeعَلَىonظَهْرِهِ،its surface,فَيَحْفِرُso it digsكَمَاasتَرَىyou see..
He used not to cut the cheese, but rather he used to wipe on its surface, so it digs as you see.
قَالَ:He said:
He said:
«فَهَذَا"So thisأَهْلَكَنِي،destroyed me,وَبِهَذَاand by thisأَقْعَدَنِيit made me sitهَذَاthisالْمَقْعَدَ.seat.
"So this destroyed me, and by this it made me sit in this seat.
لَوْHadعَلِمْتُI knownذَلِكَthatمَاnotصَلَّيْتُI would have prayedعَلَيْهِ»on him"
Had I known that, I would not have prayed on him."
قَالُوا:They said:
They said:
«فَأَنْتَ"So you,كَيْفَhowتُرِيدُdo you wantأَنْtoتَصْنَعَ»do?"
"So you, how do you want to do?"
قَالَ:He said:
He said:
«أَضَعُهَا"I place itمِنْfromبَعِيدٍ،afar,فَأُشِيرُand I pointإِلَيْهَاto itبِاللُّقْمَةِ»with the morsel"
"I place it from afar, and I point to it with the morsel."
Footnotes
- 1.أَيْ: أَخْمَلْتُ أَهْلَ الرِّفْعَةِ وَالْمَكَانَةِ.
That is: I have made obscure the people of high rank and status.
- 2.أَيْ: لَا تُرْمَى فِي الشَّمْسِ وَلَا تَتَعَرَّضُ لِلْحَرِّ وَالْبَرْدِ.
That is: you will not be thrown in the sun nor exposed to heat and cold.
- 3.الحَوَّاءُ: اسْمُ حَيَّةٍ، وَقِيلَ: هِيَ الَّتِي تَتَحَوَّى أَيْ تَنْعَطِفُ.
Al-Ḥawwāʼ: the name of a snake, and it is said: it is the one that coils (i.e., bends).
- 4.أَيْ: يَتَّخِذُ الْإِدَامَ وَيَأْكُلُ بِهِ الْخُبْزَ.
That is: he would make the condiment and eat bread with it.
- 5.الصَّوَابُ: أَرُونِيهَا بِكَسْرِ النُّونِ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْأَمْرِ لِلْجَمَاعَةِ، وَالْهَاءُ لِلْغَيْبَةِ.
The correct form is 'arūnīhā' with a kasra on the nūn as an imperative to a group, and the hā' is for the absent feminine.