المُبَكِّرُ1the early،,وَبِلُغَةِand in the language ofالمَرِيضِ2the sick،,وَبِسُرْوِand with the cypress ofفُؤَادِheart ofالحَزِينِthe sad،,وَيَرُدُّand it returnsمِنْfromنَفْسِself ofالمَحْدُودِthe limited،,وَجَيِّدٌand goodفِيinالتَّسْمِينِfatteningوَمَنْعُوتٌand describedفِيinالطِّبِّmedicine
The early one, and in the language of the sick, and with the cypress of the sad heart, and it returns from the self of the limited, and it is good for fattening and described in medicine.
قِفَارُهُ3its dried meatيَجْلُوclearsالبَلْغَمَthe phlegm،,وَمَسْمُونُهُand its melted fatيُصَفِّيpurifiesالدَّمَthe blood
Its dried meat clears phlegm, and its melted fat purifies the blood.
إِنْifشِئْتَyou wishكَانَit wasثَرِيدًاtharid (a dish)،,وَإِنْand ifشِئْتَyou wishكَانَit wasخَبِيصًاkhabis (a sweet)،,وَإِنْand ifشِئْتَyou wishكَانَit wasطَعَامًاfood،,وَإِنْand ifشِئْتَyou wishكَانَit wasشَارِبًاa drink
If you wish, it could be tharid; if you wish, it could be khabis; if you wish, it could be food; and if you wish, it could be a drink.
وَقِيلَand it was saidلِبَعْضِto some ofهَؤُلَاءِtheseاللَّعَامِظَةِgluttonsوَالْمُسْتَأْكِلِينَand the eatersوَالشَّنَاغِيفِand the voraciousوَالْمُفَقِّعِينَ4and the stuffers،,وَرُئِيَand he was seenسَمِينًاfat::«"مَاwhatأَسْمَنَكَmade you fat»"؟?
And it was said to some of these gluttons and eaters and voracious and stuffers, and he was seen fat: 'What made you fat?'
قَالَhe said::«"أَكْلِيmy eatingالحَارَّthe hot،,وَشُرْبِيand my drinkingالقَارَّ5the cold،,وَالِاتِّكَاءَand recliningعَلَىonشِمَالِيmy left side
He said: 'My eating hot [food], my drinking cold [drinks], and reclining on my left side.'
وَأَكْلِيand my eatingمِنْfromغَيْرِother thanمَالِيmy wealth»"
And my eating from other than my wealth.'
وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidالشَّاعِرُthe poet::
And indeed the poet said:
إِنَّindeedامْتِلَاءَthe fillingالبَطْنِof the bellyفِيinحَسَبِthe account ofالغِنَىwealth......
Indeed, the filling of the belly in the account of wealth...
قَلِيلُlittleالغِنَاءِof benefit،,وَهُوَand itفِيinالجِسْمِthe bodyصَالِحٌbeneficial
Of little benefit, but it is beneficial for the body.
وَقِيلَand it was saidلِآخَرَto another::«"مَاwhatأَسْمَنَكَmade you fat»"؟?
And it was said to another: 'What made you fat?'
قَالَhe said::«"قِلَّةُthe fewnessالفِكْرَةِof thought،,وَطُولُand the lengthالدَّعَةِof ease،,وَالنَّوْمُand the sleepingعَلَىonالكَظَّةِ6fullness»"
He said: 'Fewness of thought, long ease, and sleeping on fullness.'
وَقَالَand saidالحَجَّاجُal-Hajjajلِلْغَضْبَانِto al-Ghadbanبْنِibnالقَبْعَثْرِيِّal-Qab'athari::«"مَاwhatأَسْمَنَكَmade you fat»"؟?
And al-Hajjaj said to al-Ghadban ibn al-Qab'athari: 'What made you fat?'
قَالَhe said::«"القَيْدُthe shackleوَالرَّتْعَةُand the ample pasture،,وَمَنْand whoeverكَانَisفِيinضِيَافَةِthe hospitality ofالأَمِيرِthe princeسَمِنَbecame fat»"
He said: 'The shackle and the ample pasture, and whoever is in the hospitality of the prince becomes fat.'
وَقِيلَand it was saidلِآخَرَto another::«"إِنَّكَindeed youلَحَسَنُare goodالسَّحْنَةِof complexion»"!!
And it was said to another: 'Indeed you have a good complexion!'
قَالَhe said::«"آكُلُI eatلُبَابَthe core ofالبُرِّwheat،,وَصِغَارَand smallالمَعْزِgoats،,وَأَدَّهِنُand I anoint myselfبِخَامِwith pureالبَنَفْسَجِ7violet oil،,وَأَلْبَسُand I wearالكَتَّانَlinen»"
He said: 'I eat the core of wheat, and small goats, and I anoint myself with pure violet oil, and I wear linen.'
وَاللهِby Godلَوْifكَانَwasمَنْone whoيَسْأَلُasksيُعْطِيgivenلَمَاnotقَامَwould standكَرَمُthe generosity ofالعَطِيَّةِthe giftبِلُؤْمِwith the meanness ofالمَسْأَلَةِthe asking
By God, if one who asks were given, the generosity of the gift would not stand with the meanness of the asking.
وَمَدَارُand the pivot ofالصَّوَابِcorrectnessعَلَىonطِيبِgoodness ofالمَكْسَبَةِearnings،,وَالِاقْتِصَادِand moderationفِيinالنَّفَقَةِspending::
And the pivot of correctness is on the goodness of earnings and moderation in spending:
وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidبَعْضُsome ofالعَرَبِthe Arabs::«"اللَّهُمَّO Godإِنِّيindeed Iأَعُوذُseek refugeبِكَin Youمِنْfromبَعْضِsome ofالرِّزْقِprovision»"
And indeed some of the Arabs said: 'O God, I seek refuge in You from some provision'
حِينَwhenرَأَىhe sawنَافِجَةً8an abundanceمِنْfromمَالِهِhis wealth،,مِنْfromصِدَاقِthe dowry ofأُمِّهِhis mother
When he saw an abundance from his wealth, from the dowry of his mother.
Footnotes
- 1.المُبَكِّرُ: هُوَ الَّذِي يُبَكِّرُ فِي الطَّلَبِ وَالحِرْصِ عَلَى جَمْعِ المَالِ.
Al-mubakkir: he who is early in seeking and eager to accumulate wealth.
- 2.بِلُغَةِ المَرِيضِ: أَيْ بِلُغَةِ الَّذِي اشْتَدَّ مَرَضُهُ.
In the language of the sick: i.e., in the language of one whose illness has become severe.
- 3.قِفَارُهُ: لَحْمُهُ المُقَدَّدُ.
Qifaruhu: his dried meat.
- 4.اللَّعَامِظَةُ وَالمُسْتَأْكِلُونَ وَالشَّنَاغِيفُ وَالمُفَقِّعُونَ: أَلْقَابٌ لِلْأَكَلَةِ الشِّرَّاهِ.
Al-la'amizah, al-musta'kilun, al-shanaghif, and al-mufaqqi'un: nicknames for voracious eaters.
- 5.القَارُّ: البَارِدُ.
Al-qarr: the cold.
- 6.الكَظَّةُ: الامْتِلَاءُ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ.
Al-kazzah: fullness from food.
- 7.خَامُ البَنَفْسَجِ: دُهْنُ البَنَفْسَجِ الخَالِصُ.
Kham al-banafsaj: pure violet oil.
- 8.نَافِجَةٌ: قِطْعَةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ مِنَ المَالِ.
Nafijah: a large portion of wealth.