مَنْwhoهُوَhe isأَكْثَرُmore numerousمِنْكُمْthan youعَدَدًاin number
Who among you is more numerous in number?
وَأَغْلَقْتُand I closedبَابِيmy doorدُونَهُمْwithout them
And I closed my door before them.
لَمْnotيَكُنْwasإِدْخَالِيmy admittingإِيَّاكُمْyouعُذْرًاan excuseلِيfor me
My admitting you was not an excuse for me.
وَلَاnorفِيinمَنْعِpreventionالْآخَرِينَthe othersحُجَّةٌa proof
Nor in preventing the others a justification.
فَانْصَرَفُواso they departedوَلَمْand notيَعُودُواthey returned
So they left and did not come back.
قَالَsaidأَبُوAbuمُحَمَّدٍMuhammadالْعَرُوضِيُّal-Arudi
Abu Muhammad al-Arudi said:
وَقَعَتْhappenedبَيْنَbetweenقَوْمٍpeopleعَرَبَةٌa quarrel
A quarrel occurred between some people.
فَقَامَso stood upالْمُغَنِّيthe singerيَحْجِزُto separateبَيْنَهُمْbetween them
The singer stood up to separate between them.
وَكَانَand he wasشَيْخًاan old manمُعْتَلًّاillبَخِيلًاmiserly
He was an ill, miserly old man.
فَمَسَكَso grabbedرَجُلٌa manبِحَلْقِهِhis throatفَعَصَرَهُand squeezed it
A man grabbed his throat and squeezed it.
فَصَاحَso he cried out
So he cried out:
مَعِيشَتِيmy livelihoodمَعِيشَتِيmy livelihood
My livelihood! My livelihood!
فَتَبَسَّمَso he smiled
So he smiled.
وَحَدَّثَنِيand told meابْنُson ofأَبِيmy fatherكَرِيمَةَKarima
And Ibn Abi Karima told me, saying:
قَالَhe said
He said:
وَهَبُواthey gaveلِلْكِنَانِيِّto al-Kinaniالْمُغَنِّيthe singerخَابِيَةًa jarفَارِغَةًempty
They gave the singer al-Kinani an empty jar.
كَانَwasعِنْدَatانْصِرَافِهِhis departureوَضَعُوهَاthey placed itلَهُfor himعَلَىonالْبَابِthe door
When he was leaving, they placed it at the door for him.
وَلَمْand notيَكُنْwasعِنْدَهُwith himكِرَاءُthe hireحَمَّالِهَاof its porter
And he did not have the fare for a porter to carry it.
وَأَدْرَكَهُand overtook himمَاwhatيُدْرِكُovertakesالْمُغَنِّينَthe singersمِنَofالتِّيهِthe pride
And the singer's pride overtook him.
فَلَمْso notيَحْمِلْهَاhe carried it
So he did not carry it.
فَكَانَso he wasيَرْكُلُهَاkicking itرَكْلَةًa kick
So he would kick it a kick.
فَتَدَحْرَجُso it rolledوَتَدُورُand turnedبِمَبْلَغِto the extentحَمِيَّةِof the forceالرَّكْلَةِof the kick
So it rolled and turned to the extent of the force of the kick.
وَيَقُومُand he would standمِنْfromنَاحِيَةٍa sideكَيْso thatلَاnotيَرَاهُhim seeإِنْسَانٌa person
And he would stand aside so that no one would see him.
وَيَرَىand he would seeمَاwhatتَصْنَعُit does
And see what it (the jar) was doing.
ثُمَّthenيَدْنُوhe would approachمِنْهَاto itثُمَّthenيَرْكُلُهُkick itأُخْرَىanother
Then he would approach it and kick it another time.
فَتَدَحْرَجُso it rollsوَتَدُورُand turns
So it rolls and turns.
وَيَقِفُand he standsمِنْfromنَاحِيَةٍa side
And he stands aside.
فَلَمْso notيَزَلْhe ceasedيَفْعَلُdoingذَلِكَthat
So he kept doing that.
إِلَىuntilأَنْthatبَلَغَhe reachedبِهَاwith itالْمَنْزِلَthe home
Until he reached home with it.
[عَبْدُ[Abdالنُّورِ]al-Nur]
[Abd al-Nur]
قَالُواthey said
They said:
كَانَwasعَبْدُAbdالنُّورِal-NurكَاتِبَscribeإِبْرَاهِيمَIbrahimبْنِson ofعَبْدِAbdاللَّهِAllahبْنِson ofالْحَسَنِal-Hasan
Abd al-Nur was the scribe of Ibrahim ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Hasan.
قَدِindeedاسْتَخْفَىhe hidبِالْبَصْرَةِin BasraفِيamongعَبْدِAbdالْقَيْسِal-Qays
He hid in Basra among the tribe of Abd al-Qays.
مِنْfromأَمِيرِcommanderالْمُؤْمِنِينَof the faithfulأَبِيAbuجَعْفَرٍJa'farوَعُمَّالِهِand his governors
Hiding from the Commander of the Faithful, Abu Ja'far, and his governors.
وَكَانَand he wasفِيinغُرْفَةٍa roomقُدَّامَهَاin front of itجَنَاحٌa wing
He was in a room with a wing in front of it.
وَكَانَand he wasلَاnotيُطْلِعُhe would exposeرَأْسَهُhis headمِنْهَاfrom it
He would not expose his head from it.
فَلَمَّاso whenسَكَنَcalmed downالطَّلَبُthe searchشَيْئًاa little
When the search calmed down a little.
وَثَبَتَand was confirmedعِنْدَهُwith himحُسْنُgoodnessجِوَارِof the neighborhoodالْقَوْمِof the people
And the good neighborhood of the people became certain to him.
صَارَhe beganيَجْلِسُto sitفِيinالْجَنَاحِthe wing
He began to sit in the wing.
يَرْضَىcontenting himselfبِأَنْwith thatيَسْمَعَhe hearsالصَّوْتَthe soundوَلَاand notيَرَىhe seesالشَّخْصَthe person
Contenting himself with hearing the sound and not seeing the person.
لِمَاbecause of whatفِيinذَلِكَthatمِنَofالْأُنْسِcomfortعِنْدَatطُولِlengthالْوَحْشَةِof the loneliness
Because of the comfort in that at the length of loneliness.
فَلَمَّاso whenطَالَتْlong lastedبِهِfor himالْأَيَّامُthe daysوَمَرَّتْand passedأَيَّامُdaysالسَّلَامَةِof safety
So when the days became long for him, and days of safety passed.