أَيْthat isاحْلِقُواshaveعَقِيقَتَهُhis 'aqiqa (hair of newborn)
That is, shave his 'aqiqa.
وَيَقُولُونَand they sayعَقَّhe sacrificedعَنْهُfor himوَعَقَّand he sacrificedعَلَيْهِfor him
They say: 'he performed 'aqiqa for him' and 'he performed 'aqiqa on him'.
فَسَمَّوْاand they namedالْكَبْشَthe ramلِقُرْبِbecause of closenessالْجِوَارِof proximityوَسَبَبِand causeالْمُلْتَبِسِof confusionعَقِيقَةً'aqiqa
So they named the ram 'aqiqa because of the closeness of association and the confusing reason.
ثُمَّthenسَمَّوْاthey namedذَلِكَthatالطَّعَامَfoodبِاسْمِwith the nameالْكَبْشِof the ram
Then they named that food after the ram.
وَكَانَand used toالْأَصْمَعِيُّAl-Asma'iيَقُولُsayلَاnotيَقُولَنَّshould sayأَحَدُكُمْany of youأَكَلْتُI ateمَلَّةًa baked (bread) in ashesبَلْbutيَقُولُhe should sayأَكَلْتُI ateخُبْزَةًa loaf of bread
Al-Asma'i used to say: 'None of you should say: I ate malla (bread baked in ashes). Rather he should say: I ate khubza (a loaf).'
وَإِنَّمَاbutالْمَلَّةُal-mallaمَوْضِعُplace ofالْخُبْزَةِthe loaf
But al-malla is the place where the loaf is baked.
وَكَذَلِكَand similarlyيَقُولُhe saysفِيinالرَّاوِيَةِthe water-carrier (camel)وَالْمَزَادَةِand the water-skin
Similarly he said regarding al-rawiya (water-carrying camel) and al-mazada (water-skin).
يَقُولُhe saysالرَّاوِيَةُal-rawiyaهُوَisالْجَمَلُthe camelوَزَعَمُواand they claimedأَنَّهُمُthat theyاشْتَقُّواderivedالرَّاوِيَةَal-rawiyaلِلشِّعْرِfor poetryمِنْfromذَلِكَthat
He says: 'al-rawiya is the camel.' And they claimed they derived al-rawiya (for poetry) from that.
فَأَمَّاas forالدُّعَاءُthe invitationإِلَىtoهَذِهِtheseالْأَصْنَافِtypesفَمِنْهُand among themالْمَذْمُومُblameworthyوَمِنْهُand among themالْمَمْدُوحُpraiseworthy
As for the invitation to these kinds, some are blameworthy and some praiseworthy.
فَالْمَذْمُومُthe blameworthyالنُّقَرِيُّal-nuqari (selective invitation)وَالْمَمْدُوحُand the praiseworthyالْجُفَلِيُّal-jufali (general invitation)
The blameworthy is al-nuqari (selective), and the praiseworthy is al-jufali (general).
وَذَلِكَand thatأَنَّbecauseصَاحِبَowner ofالْمَأْدُبَةِthe feastوَوَلِيَّand the one in charge ofالدَّعْوَةِthe invitationإِذَاwhenجَاءَcomesرَسُولُهُhis messengerوَالْقَوْمُand the peopleفِيinأَحْوِيَتِهِمْtheir courtyardsوَأَنْدِيَتِهِمْand their gathering placesفَقَالَand saysأَجِيبُواrespondإِلَىtoطَعَامِfood ofفُلَانٍso-and-soفَجَعَلَهُمْand he makes themجَفْلَةًa groupوَاحِدَةًoneوَهِيَand it isالْجُفَالَةُal-jufala (general crowd)فَذَلِكَthen thatهُوَisالْمَحْمُودُpraiseworthy
That is because the host of the feast, when his messenger comes while the people are in their courtyards and gathering places, and says: 'Respond to the food of so-and-so', and he makes them a single group, which is the jufala (general crowd), then that is praiseworthy.
وَإِذَاand ifانْتَقَرَhe selected individuallyفَقَالَand saidقُمْstand upأَنْتَyouيَاOفُلَانُso-and-soوَقُمْand standأَنْتَyouيَاOفُلَانُso-and-soفَدَعَاand he invitedبَعْضًاsomeوَتَرَكَand leftبَعْضًاothersفَقَدِthen indeedانْتَقَرَhe made selective invitation
And if he selects individually and says: 'Stand up, you, O so-and-so, and you, O so-and-so,' inviting some and leaving others, then he made a selective invitation (intaqara).
قَالَsaidالْهُذَلِيُّAl-Hudhali
Al-Hudhali said:
وَلَيْلَةٍand a nightيَصْطَلِيhe warms himselfبِالْفَرْثِwith the rumen contentsجَازِرُهَاher butcherيَخُصُّhe distinguishesبِالنُّقَرَىwith selective invitationالْمُثْرِينَthe wealthyدَاعِيهَاher inviter
And a night when her butcher warms himself with the rumen contents, her inviter distinguishes the wealthy with selective invitation.
يَقُولُhe saysلَاnotيَدْعُوhe invitesفِيهَاin itإِلَّاexceptأَصْحَابَpeople ofالثَّرْوَةِwealthوَأَهْلَand people ofالْمُكَافَأَةِreciprocationوَهَذَاand thisقَبِيحٌugly
He means: he invites only those of wealth and those who can reciprocate, and this is ugly.
وَقَالَand saidفِيinذَلِكَthatبَعْضُsomeظُرَفَائِنَاof our witty people
And one of our witty people said about that:
آثَرَhe preferredبِالْجَدْيِwith the kidوَبِالْمَائِدَةِand with the tableمَنْwhoكَانَwasيَرْجُوhopingعِنْدَهُwith himالْعَائِدَةَthe return (favor)
He favored with the kid and the table the one who hoped for a return from him.
لَوْifكَانَhad beenمَكُّوكَانِtwo measuresفِيinكَفِّهِthe palm of his handمِنْofخَرْدَلٍmustard seedsمَاnotسَقَطَتْfellوَاحِدَةٌone
If there were two measures of mustard seeds in his palm, not one would fall.
وَقَالَand saidطَرَفَةُTarafaبْنُson ofالْعَبْدِal-'Abd
And Tarafa ibn al-'Abd said:
نَحْنُweفِيinالْمِشْتَاةِwinterنَدْعُوwe inviteالْجُفْلَىthe general invitationلَاnotتَرَىdo you seeالْآدِبَthe hostفِينَاamong usيَنْتَقِرُselecting individually
We, in winter, invite everyone (jufali); you do not see the host among us making selective invitations.
Footnotes
- 1.الْمَلَّةُ: مَوْضِعٌ يُخْبَزُ فِيهِ، وَالْخُبْزَةُ: مَا يُخْبَزُ مِنَ الْعَجِينِ.
Al-malla is a place where bread is baked, and al-khubza is what is baked from dough.
- 2.الرَّاوِيَةُ: الْجَمَلُ الَّذِي يَحْمِلُ الْمَزَادَةَ، وَقِيلَ لِلشَّاعِرِ الَّذِي يَرْوِي الشِّعْرَ رَاوِيَةٌ تَشْبِيهًا.
Al-rawiya is the camel that carries the water-skin, and the reciter of poetry is called rawiya by analogy.
- 3.الْأَحْوِيَةُ: جَمْعُ حِوَاءٍ، وَهُوَ مَا حَوْلَ الْبَيْتِ مِنَ الْأَخْبِيَةِ.
Al-ahwiya is plural of hiwa', meaning the tents around the main tent.
- 4.الْجُفْلَةُ: الْجَمَاعَةُ، وَالْجُفَالَةُ: اسْمُ الْهَيْئَةِ.
Al-jufala is a group, and al-jufal is the form indicating manner.
- 5.الْفَرْثُ: مَا فِي الْكَرِشِ مِنَ الْحَوَى، وَكَانُوا يُحْرِقُونَهُ بِالنَّارِ لِلْإِضَاءَةِ.
Al-farth is the contents of the rumen, and they used to burn it with fire for illumination.
- 6.الْمَكُّوكُ: مِكْيَالٌ صَغِيرٌ، وَالْخَرْدَلُ: حَبٌّ صَغِيرٌ، يُرِيدُ: لَوْ كَانَ فِي يَدِهِ شَيْءٌ قَلِيلٌ لَمَا أَخْطَأَ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الْحَاجَةِ.
Al-makkuk is a small measure, and al-khardal is a small grain; he means: if he had in his hand a small amount, he would not miss anyone in need.