قُمَاشُهُ1its cloth،,ثُمَّthenيُعْزَلُit is set asideلِلتَّنُّورِfor the oven
Its cloth ⟦1⟧, then it is set aside for the oven.
وَمَاand whatكَانَwasمِنْofقِطَعِpiecesالْقَارِ2of pitch،,بِيعَwas soldمِنْbyالْقَيَّارِthe pitch-seller
And what was of pieces of pitch ⟦2⟧, was sold by the pitch-seller.
فَإِذَاand whenبَقِيَremainedالتُّرَابُthe dustخَالِصًاpure،,وَأَرَادَand he wantedأَنْthatيَضْرِبَhe makesمِنْهُfrom itاللَّبِنَbricksلِلْبَيْعِfor sellingوَلِلْحَاجَةِand for the needإِلَيْهِof it
And when the dust remained pure, and he wanted to make bricks from it for selling and for the need of it,
،,لَمْnotيَتَكَلَّفِhe troubles himselfالْمَاءَthe water،,وَلَكِنْbutيَأْمُرُhe ordersجَمِيعَallمَنْwhoفِيinالدَّارِthe house
he did not trouble himself for water, but he ordered all who were in the house
أَنْthatلَاnotيَتَوَضَّؤُواthey perform ablutionوَلَاand notيَغْتَسِلُواthey washإِلَّاexceptعَلَيْهِon it
that they should not perform ablution nor wash except on it,
،,فَإِذَاand whenابْتَلَّit became wetضَرَبَهُhe made itلَبِنًاbricks
and when it became wet, he made it into bricks.
وَكَانَand he used to sayيَقُولُsay
And he used to say:
مَنْwhoeverلَمْnotيَتَعَرَّفِhe knowsالِاقْتِصَادَeconomyتَعَرُّفِيmy knowing
Whoever did not know economy as I know it,
،,فَلَاso notيَتَعَرَّضْlet him not interfereلَهُwith him
so let him not interfere with him.
وَذَهَبَand wentمِنْfromسَاكِنٍa residentلَهُof hisشَيْءٌsomething،,كَثَعْضِlike someمَاwhatيُسْرَقُis stolenمِنَfromالْبُيُوتِthe houses
And something went from a resident of his, like some of what is stolen from houses.
فَقَالَand he saidلَهُمْto them
And he said to them:
اِطْرَحُواthrowاللَّيْلَةَtonightتُرَابًاdust،,فَعَسَىperhapsأَنْthatيَنْدَمَhe regretsمَنْwhoأَخَذَهُtook it
Throw dust tonight, for perhaps the one who took it will regret,
،,فَيُلْقِيَهُand he throws itفِيinالتُّرَابِthe dust
and he will throw it in the dust,
،,وَلَاand notيُنْكِرُwill not denyمَجِيئَهُhis comingإِلَىtoذَلِكَthatالْمَكَانِplace
and he will not deny his coming to that place,
،,لِكَثْرَةِdue to the manyمَنْwhoيَجِيءُcomeلِذَلِكَfor that
due to the many who come for that.
فَاتَّفَقَand it happenedأَنْthatطُرِحَwas thrownذَلِكَthatالشَّيْءُthingالْمَسْرُوقُstolenفِيinالتُّرَابِthe dust
And it happened that the stolen thing was thrown in the dust.
وَكَانُواand they wereيَطْرَحُونَهُthrowing itعَلَىonكُنَاسَتِهِhis rubbish heap،,فَرَآهُand he saw itقَبْلَbeforeأَنْthatيَرَاهُhe sees itالْمَسْرُوقُthe one from whom it was stolenمِنْهُfrom him
And they were throwing it on his rubbish heap, and he saw it before the one from whom it was stolen saw it.
فَأَخَذَand he tookمِنْهُfrom himكِرَاءَthe feeالْكَسَاحَةِof sweeping
And he took from him the fee of sweeping.
فَهَذَاand thisحَدِيثُthe storyأَبِيof AbuسَعِيدٍSa'id
And this is the story of Abu Sa'id.
[[الْأَصْمَعِيُّAl-Asma'i::]]
[Al-Asma'i:]
تَمَشَّىwalkedقَوْمٌa groupإِلَىtoالْأَصْمَعِيِّAl-Asma'iمَعَwithتَاجِرٍa merchantكَانَwho wasاِشْتَرَىhad boughtثَمَرَتَهُhis fruit
A group walked to Al-Asma'i with a merchant who had bought his fruit,
،,لِخُسْرَانٍbecause of a lossكَانَthat wasنَالَهُhad befallen him
because of a loss that had befallen him.
وَسَأَلَهُand they asked himحُسْنَgoodالنَّظَرِconsiderationوَالْحَطِيطَةِ3and reduction
And they asked him for good consideration and reduction ⟦3⟧.
فَقَالَand he saidالْأَصْمَعِيُّAl-Asma'i
And Al-Asma'i said:
«أَسَمِعْتُمْhave you heardبِالْقِسْمَةِof the divisionالضِّيزَى4unjust؟?
"Have you heard of the unjust division ⟦4⟧?
هِيَit isوَاللهِby Allahمَاthat whichتُرِيدُونَyou wantشَيْخَكُمْyour elderعَلَيْهِon him
By Allah, it is what you want your elder to do.
اِشْتَرَىhe boughtمِنِّيfrom meعَلَىonأَنْcondition thatيَكُونَbeالْخُسْرَانُthe lossعَلَيَّon me
He bought from me on condition that the loss be on me,
،,وَالرِّبْحُand the profitلَهُfor him
and the profit for him.
هَذَاthisوَأَبِيكُمْand by your fatherتِجَارَةُtradeأَبِيof Abuالْعَنْبَسِ5al-Anbas
This, by your father, is the trade of Abu al-Anbas ⟦5⟧.
اِذْهَبُواgoفَاشْتَرُواand buyعَلَيَّfor meطَعَامَfoodالْعِرَاقِof Iraqعَلَىonهَذَاthisالشَّرْطِcondition
Go and buy for me food of Iraq on this condition:
؛;عَلَىonأَنِّيthat I
that I...
Footnotes
- 1.قُمَاشُهُ: مَا يُتْرَكُ مِنْهُ بَعْدَ تَنْقِيَتِهِ.
Its cloth: what remains of it after refining it.
- 2.الْقَارُ: نَوْعٌ مِنَ الْقِيرِ يُسْتَخْرَجُ مِنَ الْبِتْرُولِ أَوِ الْفَحْمِ.
Pitch: a type of tar extracted from petroleum or coal.
- 3.الْحَطِيطَةُ: التَّخْفِيضُ فِي السِّعْرِ.
Reduction: lowering the price.
- 4.الضِّيزَى: الْجَائِرَةُ الظَّالِمَةُ.
Unjust: oppressive and tyrannical.
- 5.أَبِي الْعَنْبَسِ: كُنْيَةُ رَجُلٍ مَعْرُوفٍ بِالْبُخْلِ وَالتَّدْبِيرِ.
Abu al-Anbas: the epithet of a man known for stinginess and shrewdness.