قَدْindeedكُنْتُI wasأَعْجَبُwonderingمِنْaboutبَعْضِsomeالسَّلَفِof the predecessorsحَيْثُwhenقَالَhe said
Indeed, I used to wonder about some of the predecessors when he said:
«مَا"NotأَعْرِفُI knowشَيْئًاanythingمِمَّاof whatكَانَwasالنَّاسُthe peopleعَلَيْهِupon itإِلَّاexceptالْأَذَانَthe call to prayer»"
"I do not know anything of what the people were upon except the call to prayer,"
وَأَنَاand Iأَقُولُsayذَلِكَthat،,
and I say that,
وَلَمْand notيَزَلْceaseالنَّاسُthe peopleفِيinهُبُوطٍdeclineمَاas long asتَرَفَّعُواthey exalted themselvesبِالْإِسْرَافِwith extravaganceوَمَاand whatرَفَعُواthey raisedالْبُنْيَانَthe buildingsلِلْمُطَاوَلَةِfor competing in height
And the people have not ceased to be in decline as long as they exalted themselves with extravagance and raised buildings to compete in height.
وَإِنَّand indeedمِنْofأَعْجَبِthe most amazingمَاwhatرَأَيْتُI sawفِيinهَذَاthisالزَّمَانِtimeأَوْorسَمِعْتُheard
And indeed, among the most amazing things I have seen in this time or heard
مُفَاخَرَةُis the boastingمُوَيْسٍof Muwaysبْنِson ofعِمْرَانَImranلِأَبِيto AbuعُبَيْدِUbaydاللَّهِAllahبْنِson ofسَلْمَانَSalmanفِيaboutأَيِّهِمَاwhich of the twoكَانَwasأَسْبَقَearlierإِلَىtoرُكُوبِridingالْبَرَاذِينِthe mules (or horses)
is the boasting of Muways ibn Imran to Abu Ubayd Allah ibn Salman about which of the two was earlier in riding mules.
وَمَاand whatلِلتَّاجِرِfor the merchantوَلِلْبَرْذَوْنِ1and for the mule
And what does the merchant have to do with the mule?¹
وَمَاand notرُكُوبُridingالتُّجَّارِof merchantsلِلْبَرَاذِينِof mulesإِلَّاexceptكَرُكُوبِlike ridingالْعَرَبِof the Arabsلِلْبَقَرِof cows
And merchants riding mules is nothing but like Arabs riding cows.
لَوْifكَانُواthey wereإِذَاwhenجَلَسُواthey satفِيinالْخُيُوشِ2the courtyards
If, when they sat in the courtyards,²
وَاتَّخَذُواand madeالْحَمَّامَاتِbathhousesفِيinالدُّورِthe houses،,
and made bathhouses in the houses,
وَأَقَامُواand maintainedوَظَائِفَallocationsالثَّلْجِof iceوَالرَّيْحَانِand basil،,
and maintained allocations of ice and basil,
وَاتَّخَذُواand tookالْقِيَانَsinging girlsوَالْخِصْيَانَand eunuchs،,
and took singing girls and eunuchs,
اسْتَرَدَّwould recoverالنَّاسُthe peopleوَدَائِعَهُمْtheir deposits،,
the people would recover their deposits,
وَاسْتَرْجَعَتِand would retrieveالْقُضَاةُthe judgesأَمْوَالَthe wealthالْأَيْتَامِof the orphansوَالْحَشَرِيَّةِand the government's (or public treasury)مِنْهُمْfrom them،,
and the judges would retrieve the wealth of the orphans and the public treasury from them,
لَعَادُواthey would returnإِلَىtoدِينِهِمْtheir religionوَعَيْشِهِمْand their livelihoodوَاقْتِصَادِهِمْand their moderation
they would return to their religion and their livelihood and their moderation.
وَإِذَاand whenرَآهُمْsaw themأَصْحَابُthe ownersالْغَلَّاتِof estatesوَأَهْلُand the peopleالشَّرَفِof honorوَالْبُيُوتَاتِand noble housesأَنْفُواdisdainedأَنْthatيَكُونُواthey beدُونَهُمْbelow themفِيinالْبَزَّةِclothingوَالْهَيْئَةِand appearance،,
And when the owners of estates and people of honor and noble houses saw them, they disdained to be below them in clothing and appearance,
فَهَلَكُواso they perishedوَأَهْلَكُواand caused others to perish
so they perished and caused others to perish.
زَعَمَclaimedأَبُوAbuيَعْقُوبَYa'qubالْخُرَيْمِيُّal-KhuraymiأَنَّthatجَعْفَرَJa'farبْنَson ofيَحْيَى3Yahya
Abu Ya'qub al-Khuraymi claimed that Ja'far ibn Yahya³
أَرَادَwantedيَوْمًاone dayحَاجَةًa needكَانَwasطَرِيقُهُhis pathإِلَيْهَاto itعَلَىpassing byبَابِthe doorالْأَصْمَعِيِّof al-Asma'i
wanted one day a need whose path passed by the door of al-Asma'i,
وَأَنَّهُand that heدَفَعَgaveإِلَىtoخَادِمٍa servantلَهُof hisكِيسًاa purseفِيهِin itأَلْفُa thousandدِينَارٍdinars،,
and that he gave to a servant of his a purse containing a thousand dinars,
وَقَالَand saidلَهُto him::«سَأَنْزِلُ"I will stopفِيonرَجْعَتِيmy returnإِلَىtoالْأَصْمَعِيِّal-Asma'i،,وَسَيُحَدِّثُنِيand he will tell meوَيُضْحِكُنِيand make me laugh،,فَإِذَاso whenرَأَيْتَنِيyou see meقَدْindeedضَحِكْتُI laughed،,فَضَعِthen placeالْكِيسَthe purseبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْهِhis hands»"
and said to him: 'I will stop on my return at al-Asma'i, and he will tell me stories and make me laugh. So when you see me laugh, place the purse before him.'
فَلَمَّاand whenدَخَلَhe enteredفَرَأَىand sawحُبًّا4a jarمَقْطُوعَcut offالرَّأْسِthe head،,وَجَرَّةًand a jarمَكْسُورَةَbrokenالْعُرْوَةِthe handle،,
And when he entered, he saw a jar with its top cut off,⁴ and a jar with its handle broken,
وَقَصْعَةًand a bowlمُشَعَّبَةًcracked،,وَجَفْنَةًand a large dishأَعْشَارًاbroken into pieces (or in fragments)،,وَرَآهُand he saw himعَلَىonمُصَلًّىa prayer matبَالٍworn out،,
and a cracked bowl, and a large dish broken into pieces, and he saw him on a worn-out prayer mat,
وَعَلَيْهِand on himبُرٌّa garmentكَانَ5wasأَجْرَدَshabby (or threadbare)،,
and on him was a garment that was shabby,⁵
غَمَزَwinkedغُلَامَهُto his servantبِعَيْنِهِwith his eyeأَلَّاthat notيَضَعَhe placeالْكِيسَthe purseبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْهِhis hands،,وَلَاand notيَدْفَعَhe giveإِلَيْهِto himشَيْئًاanything
he winked at his servant with his eye not to place the purse before him and not to give him anything.
فَلَمْand notيَدَعِhe leftالْأَصْمَعِيُّal-Asma'iشَيْئًاanythingمِمَّاof whatيُضْحِكُmakes laughالثَّكْلَانَthe bereavedوَالْغَضْبَانَand the angryإِلَّاexceptأَوْرَدَهُhe brought itعَلَيْهِto him،,فَمَاbut notتَبَسَّمَhe smiled
And al-Asma'i did not leave anything that makes the bereaved and the angry laugh except he brought it to him, but he did not even smile.
Footnotes
- 1.الْبَرْذَوْنُ: وَهُوَ الْفَرَسُ الْبَرِّيُّ أَوِ الْبَغْلُ، وَكَانَ رُكُوبُهُ مِنْ عَادَاتِ الْأَعْيَانِ وَالْجُنْدِ، لَا مِنْ عَادَاتِ التُّجَّارِ.
Al-Baradhawn: it is a wild horse or a mule, and riding it was a habit of notables and soldiers, not a habit of merchants.
- 2.الْخَيُوشُ: جَمْعُ خَيْشٍ، وَهُوَ الْبَيْتُ أَوِ الْحُجْرَةُ، وَقِيلَ: السَّاحَةُ أَمَامَ الْبَيْتِ.
Al-Khuyush: plural of Khaysh, which is a house or room, and it is said: the courtyard in front of the house.
- 3.جَعْفَرُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْبَرْمَكِيُّ: وَزِيرُ هَارُونَ الرَّشِيدِ، كَانَ مَعْرُوفًا بِالْكَرَمِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ.
Ja'far ibn Yahya al-Barmaki: the vizier of Harun al-Rashid, known for generosity and wisdom.
- 4.الْحُبُّ: الْجَرَّةُ الْكَبِيرَةُ، وَيُقَالُ لَهَا أَيْضًا الْخَابِيَةُ.
Al-Hubb: the large jar, also called al-Khabiya.
- 5.الْبُرُّ: كَانَ هُنَا اسْمًا لِلثَّوْبِ الْغَلِيظِ مِنَ الصُّوفِ، وَيُقَالُ: إِنَّهُ الْقَمِيصُ الْخَشِنُ.
Al-Burr: here it is a name for a coarse woolen garment, and it is said it is a rough shirt.