يَلْبَثُhe staysأَنْthatجَاءَنَاhe came to usبِطَبَقٍwith a plateعَلَيْهِon itرُطَبٍripe datesسُكَّرٍsugarوَجَيْسُرَانٍ1and Jaisuranأَسْوَدَblackفَوَضَعَهُand he placed itبَيْنَbetweenأَيْدِينَاour hands
He had not stayed long when he brought us a plate of ripe dates, sugar, and black Jaisuran (1), and placed it before us.
فَأَكَلَand ateالشَّيْخُthe elderالَّذِيwhoكَانَwasمَعَنَاwith us
So the elder who was with us ate.
فَلَمَّاand whenرَأَيْتُI sawأَبِيmy fatherلَاnotيَأْكُلُeatingلَمْnotآكُلْI ateوَبِيand in meإِلَىtoذَلِكَthatحَاجَةٌdesire
When I saw my father not eating, I did not eat, though I had a desire for it.
فَأَقْبَلَand he turnedالنَّاطُورُthe custodianعَلَىtoأَبِيmy fatherفَقَالَand said«لِمَWhyلَاnotتَأْكُلُ»do you eat?
The custodian turned to my father and said, 'Why don't you eat?'
قَالَhe said
He said:
«وَاللهِBy Godإِنِّيindeed IلَأَشْتَهِيهِI crave itوَلَكِنْbutلَاnotأَظُنُّI thinkصَاحِبَownerالْأَرْضِof the landأَبَاحَpermittedلَكَyouإِطْعَامَfeedingالنَّاسِpeopleمِنَfromالْغَرِيبِthe foreign (crop)
'By God, I do crave it, but I don't think the owner of the land allowed you to feed people from the foreign crop.'
فَلَوْand if onlyجِئْتَنَاyou brought usبِشَيْءٍsomethingمِنَfromالسُّهْرِيزِSuhrizوَالْبَرْنِيِّ2and Barniلَأَكَلْنَا»we would eat.
If you had brought us something of the Suhriz and Barni (2), we would have eaten.'
فَقَالَand saidمَوْلَانَاour masterوَهُوَand heشَيْخٌan elderكَبِيرُlargeالسِّنِّof age«وَلَكِنِّيbut IأَنَاIلَمْnotأَنْظُرْlookفِيintoشَيْءٍanythingمِنْofهَذَاthisقَطُّ»ever
Our master, who was an elder of great age, said, 'But I have never looked into any of this at all.'
[إِسْمَاعِيلُIsma'ilبْنُson ofغَزْوَانَ]Ghazwan
[Isma'il ibn Ghazwan]
قَالَsaidالْمَكِّيُّal-Makki
Al-Makki said:
دَخَلَenteredإِسْمَاعِيلُIsma'ilبْنُson ofغَزْوَانَGhazwanإِلَىintoبَعْضِsomeالْمَسَاجِدِof the mosquesيُصَلِّيto prayفَوَجَدَand foundلِصَفٍّfor a rowتَامًّاcompleteفَلَمْand notيَسْتَطِعْhe couldأَنْthatيَقُومَhe standوَحْدَهُaloneفَجَذَبَso he pulledثَوْبَthe garmentشَيْخٍof an elderفِيinالصَّفِّthe rowلِيَتَأَخَّرَso that he would step backفَيَقُومَand standمَعَهُwith him
Isma'il ibn Ghazwan entered one of the mosques to pray, and found a complete row, so he could not stand alone. So he pulled the garment of an elder in the row so that he would step back and he would stand with him.
فَلَمَّاand whenتَأَخَّرَstepped backالشَّيْخُthe elderوَرَأَىand sawإِسْمَاعِيلُIsma'ilالْفَرَجَ3the gapتَقَدَّمَhe advancedفَقَامَand stoodفِيinمَوْضِعِplaceالشَّيْخِof the elderوَتَرَكَand leftالشَّيْخَthe elderقَائِمًاstandingخَلْفَهُbehind himيَنْظُرُlookingفِيatقَفَاهُthe back of his neckوَيَدْعُوand callingاللهَGodعَلَيْهِagainst him
When the elder stepped back and Isma'il saw a gap (3), he advanced and stood in the elder's place, leaving the elder standing behind him, looking at the back of his neck and calling God against him.
ثُمَامَةُThumamaوَقَاسِمٌand Qasimالتَّمَّارُal-Tammar
Thumama and Qasim al-Tammar
كَانَwasثُمَامَةُThumamaيَحْتَشِمُ4feels shyأَنْthatيَقْعُدَhe sitعَلَىatخَوَانِهِhis tableمَنْwhoلَاnotيَأْنَسُfeels familiarبِهِwith himوَمِنْand fromرَأْيِهِhis opinionأَنْthatيَأْكُلَhe eatبَعْضُsomeغِلْمَانِهِof his servantsمَعَهُwith him
Thumama was shy (4) to have at his table someone he did not feel familiar with, and he was of the opinion that some of his servants should eat with him.
فَحَبَسَand he detainedقَاسِمَQasimالتَّمَّارَal-Tammarيَوْمًاone dayعَلَىforغَدَائِهِhis lunchبَعْضُsomeمَنْwhoيَحْتَشِمُهُhe feels shy ofفَاحْتَمَلَand he boreذَلِكَthatثُمَامَةُThumamaفِيinنَفْسِهِhis soul
One day, he detained Qasim al-Tammar for his lunch, some of those he felt shy of, and Thumama bore that in himself.
ثُمَّthenعَادَhe returnedبَعْدَafterذَلِكَthatإِلَىtoمِثْلِهَاthe like of itفَفَعَلَand he didذَلِكَthatمِرَارًاrepeatedlyحَتَّىuntilضَجَّhe became annoyedثُمَامَةُThumamaوَاسْتَفْرَغَand exhaustedصَبْرَهُhis patience
Then he returned to the like of it, and did that repeatedly until Thumama became annoyed and his patience was exhausted.
فَأَقْبَلَand he turnedعَلَيْهِtowards himفَقَالَand said«مَاWhat
He turned to him and said, 'What...'
Footnotes
- 1.جَيْسُرَانٌ: ضَرْبٌ مِنَ الرُّطَبِ، وَهُوَ مَا جَلَبَ مِنَ الْبَصْرَةِ.
Jaisuran: a type of ripe dates, what was brought from Basra.
- 2.السُّهْرِيزُ وَالْبَرْنِيُّ: نَوْعَانِ مِنَ التَّمْرِ.
Suhriz and Barni: two types of dates.
- 3.الْفَرَجُ: الْفُرْجَةُ وَالْمَتْفَسَّحُ، وَالْمُرَادُ هُنَا الْمَكَانُ الَّذِي خَلَا بَعْدَ تَأَخُّرِ الشَّيْخِ.
Al-Faraj: the gap and the open space. What is meant here is the place that became empty after the elder stepped back.
- 4.يَحْتَشِمُ: يَسْتَحِي وَيَنْقَبِضُ.
Yah'tashimu: he feels shy and withdrawn.