مُعَارِضٌan opponentيُوَهِّمُنِيmakes me imagineأَنَّهُthat heأَتَانِيcame to meمِنْfromجِهَةِdirectionالْحَزْمِof prudenceوَمِنْand fromقِبَلِsideالْعَقْلِof reason
An opponent makes me imagine that he came to me from the direction of prudence and from the side of reason.
فَقَالَand he saidأَوَّلُthe firstذَلِكَof thatالْغُرْمُthe expenseالَّذِيwhichيَكُونُoccursفِيinالْمَاءِthe waterوَالصَّابُونِand the soap
He said: The first of that is the expense that occurs in water and soap.
وَالْجَارِيَةُand the girlإِذَاwhenازْدَادَتْincreasedعَنَاءًtoilازْدَادَتْincreasedأَكْلًاeating
And the girl, when she increases in toil, increases in eating.
وَالصَّابُونُand the soapنُورَةٌ1is [like] quicklime
And the soap is [like] quicklime ⟦1⟧.
وَالنُّورَةُand the quicklimeتَأْكُلُeatsالثَّوْبَthe garmentوَتُبْلِيand wears outالْخَزَّ2the silk
And quicklime eats the garment and wears out the silk ⟦2⟧.
وَلَاand notيَزَالُceasesالثَّوْبُthe garmentعَلَىonخَطَرٍdangerحَتَّىuntilيُسْلَمَit is deliveredإِلَىtoالْقَصْرِthe beatingوَالدَّقِّand the pounding
And the garment continues in danger until it is delivered to beating and pounding.
ثُمَّthenإِذَاwhenأُلْقِيَit is thrownعَلَىonالرَّسَنِ3the clothesline
Then when it is thrown on the clothesline ⟦3⟧.
فَهُوَit isبِعَرْضِexposed toالْجَذْبَةِthe pullingوَالنَّتْرَةِand the tuggingوَالْعَلَقِ4and the snagging
It is exposed to pulling, tugging, and snagging ⟦4⟧.
وَلَاand notبُدَّavoidanceمِنْfromالْجُلُوسِsittingيَوْمَئِذٍon that dayفِيinالْبَيْتِthe house
There is no avoiding sitting on that day in the house.
وَمَتَىand wheneverجَلَسْتُI satفِيinالْبَيْتِthe houseفَتَحُواthey openedعَلَيْنَاupon usأَبْوَابًاdoorsمِنَofالنَّفَقَةِexpenditureوَأَبْوَابًاand doorsمِنَofالشَّهَوَاتِdesires
And whenever I sat in the house, they opened upon us doors of expenditure and doors of desires.
وَالثِّيَابُand the clothesلَاnotبُدَّavoidanceلَهَاfor themمِنْfromدَقٍّpounding
And the clothes inevitably need pounding.
فَإِنْfor ifنَحْنُweدَقَقْنَاهَاpounded themفِيinالْمَنْزِلِthe houseقَطَعْنَاهَاwe cut them
For if we pound them at home, we cut them.
وَإِنْand ifنَحْنُweأَسْلَمْنَاهَاdelivered themإِلَىtoالْقَصَّارِ5the launderer
And if we deliver them to the launderer ⟦5⟧.
فَغُرْمٌthen expenseعَلَىuponغُرْمٍexpense
Then it is expense upon expense.
وَعَلَىand in additionأَنَّهُthatرُبَّمَاperhapsأَنْزَلَbrought downبِهَاupon themمِنَofالْمَكْرُوهِthe unpleasantnessمَاwhatهُوَit isأَشَدُّmore severe
And in addition, perhaps he brings down upon them unpleasantness that is more severe.
وَمَاand notجَلَسْتُI satفِيinالْمَنْزِلِthe houseقَطُّeverإِلَّاexceptأَرْجَفَspread rumorsبِيabout meالْغُرَمَاءُ6the creditors
And I never sat in the house but the creditors spread rumors about me ⟦6⟧.
وَادَّعَوْاand they claimedعَلَيَّagainst meالْأَمْرَاضَillnessesوَالْأَحْدَاثَand calamities
And they claimed against me illnesses and calamities.
وَفِيand inذَلِكَthatلَهُمْfor themفَسَادٌcorruptionوَالْتِوَاءٌand distortionوَطَمَعٌand greedلَمْnotيَكُنْwasعِنْدَهُمْwith them
And in that for them is corruption, distortion, and greed that was not with them.
فَإِذَاand whenأَنَاIلَبِسْتُهَاwore themوَقَدِand indeedابْيَضَّتْbecame whiteوَحَسُنَتْand became beautifulوَجَفَّتْand driedوَطَابَتْand became good
And when I wore them, and they had become white, beautiful, dried, and good.
تَبَيَّنَتْbecame clearعِنْدَatذَلِكَthatوَسَخُdirtجَسَدِيof my bodyوَكَثْرَةُand abundanceشَعْرِيof my hair
At that time, the dirt of my body and the abundance of my hair became clear.
وَقَدْand indeedكَانَwasبَعْضُsomeذَلِكَof thatمَوْصُولًاconnectedبِبَعْضٍto some
And some of that had been connected to some.
فَفَرَّقْتُهُand I separated it
And I separated it.
فَاسْتَبَانَand it became clearلِيto meمَاwhatلَمْnotيَكُنْwasيَسْتَبِينُbecoming clear
And it became clear to me what had not been becoming clear.
وَاكْتَرَثْتُand I caredلِمَاfor whatلَمْnotأَكُنْI wasأَكْتَرِثُcaringلَهُfor it
And I cared for what I had not been caring for.
فَيَصِيرُand it becomesذَلِكَthatمُدْعَاةً7a cause
And that becomes a cause ⟦7⟧.
إِلَىtoدُخُولِenteringالْحَمَّامِthe bathhouse
To entering the bathhouse.
فَإِنْfor ifدَخَلْتُهُI entered itفَغُرْمٌthen expenseثَقِيلٌheavy
For if I entered it, then it is a heavy expense.
مَعَwithالْمُخَاطَرَةِthe riskingبِالثِّيَابِof the clothes
With the risking of the clothes.
وَلِيَand I haveامْرَأَةٌa wifeجَمِيلَةٌbeautifulشَابَّةٌyoung
And I have a beautiful, young wife.
إِذَاwhenرَأَتْنِيshe sees meقَدِindeedاطَّلَيْتُ8I have applied depilatory
When she sees me that I have applied depilatory ⟦8⟧.
وَغَسَلْتُand washedرَأْسِيmy headوَبَيَّضْتُand whitenedثَوْبِيmy garment
And washed my head and whitened my garment.
عَارَضَتْنِيshe confronted meبِالتَّطَيُّبِwith perfuming herselfوَبِلِبْسِand with wearingأَحْسَنِthe bestثِيَابِهَاof her clothes
She confronted me with perfuming herself and with wearing her best clothes.
وَتَعَرَّضَتْand she presented herselfلِيto me
And she presented herself to me.
وَأَنَاand I amفَحْلٌa stallion
And I am a stallion.
وَالْفَحْلُand the stallionإِذَاwhenهَاجَis arousedلَمْnotيَرُدَّreturnsرَأْسَهُhis headشَيْءٌanything
And the stallion, when aroused, nothing turns his head back.
فَإِذَاand whenأَرَدْتُI wantedمُوَاقَعَتَهَاto have intercourse with herوَرَأَتْand she sawحِرْصِيmy eagerness
And when I wanted to have intercourse with her, and she saw my eagerness.
نَثَرَتْshe scatteredعَلَيَّupon meالْحَوَائِجَthe needsنَثْرًاscattering
She scattered the needs upon me in a scattering.
ثُمَّthenاحْتَجْنَاwe neededإِلَىtoتَسْخِينِheating
Then we needed to heat...
Footnotes
- 1.النُّورَةُ: خَلِيطٌ مِنَ الْجِيرِ وَالزِّرْنِيخِ تُزَالُ بِهِ الشُّعُورُ.
Quicklime: a mixture of lime and arsenic by which hairs are removed.
- 2.الْخَزُّ: نَوْعٌ مِنَ الثِّيَابِ الْحَرِيرِيَّةِ.
Silk: a type of silken garment.
- 3.الرَّسَنُ: الْحَبْلُ الَّذِي تُعَلَّقُ عَلَيْهِ الثِّيَابُ لِلتَّجْفِيفِ.
Clothesline: the rope on which clothes are hung to dry.
- 4.الْجَذْبَةُ وَالنَّتْرَةُ وَالْعَلَقُ: أَنْوَاعٌ مِنَ الْأَذَى تَلْحَقُ الثَّوْبَ عِنْدَ نَشْرِهِ وَجَفَافِهِ.
Pulling, tugging, and snagging: types of harm that affect the garment when it is spread and dried.
- 5.الْقَصَّارُ: الَّذِي يُنَظِّفُ الثِّيَابَ وَيُبَيِّضُهَا.
Launderer: one who cleans and whitens clothes.
- 6.الْغُرَمَاءُ: جَمْعُ غَرِيمٍ، وَهُمُ الَّذِينَ لَهُمْ دُيُونٌ عَلَى الشَّخْصِ.
Creditors: plural of creditor, they are those who have debts owed by a person.
- 7.مُدْعَاةً: سَبَبًا وَدَاعِيَةً.
A cause: a reason and incitement.
- 8.اطَّلَيْتُ: اسْتَعْمَلْتُ النُّورَةَ لِإِزَالَةِ الشَّعْرِ.
I applied depilatory: I used quicklime to remove hair.