وَقَالَAnd saidالْأَصْمَعِيُّAl-Asma'iتَعَرَّقَgnawedأَعْرَابِيٌّa Bedouinعَظْمًاa bone
Al-Asma'i said: A Bedouin gnawed a bone.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenأَرَادَhe wantedأَنْtoيُقْلِيَهُfry it
When he wanted to fry it,
وَلَهُand he hadبَنُونَsonsثَلَاثَةٌthree
and he had three sons,
قَالَsaidلَهُto himأَحَدُهُمْone of themأَعْطِنِيهِgive it to me
one of them said to him: 'Give it to me.'
قَالَhe saidوَمَاand whatتَصْنَعُwill you doبِهِwith it
He said: 'What will you do with it?'
قَالَhe saidأَتَعَرَّقُهُI will gnaw itحَتَّىuntilلَاnotتَجِدُyou findفِيهِin itمَقِيلًاa resting place
He said: 'I will gnaw it until you find no resting place in it.'
قَالَhe saidمَاnotقُلْتَyou saidشَيْئًاanything
He said: 'You have said nothing.'
قَالَsaidالثَّانِيthe secondأَعْطِنِيهِgive it to me
The second said: 'Give it to me.'
قَالَhe saidوَمَاand whatتَصْنَعُwill you doبِهِwith it
He said: 'What will you do with it?'
قَالَhe saidأَتَعَرَّقُهُI will gnaw itحَتَّىuntilلَاnotيُدْرَىit is knownأَلِعَامِهِwhether for its yearذَلِكَthatهُوَit isأَمْorلِلْعَامِfor the yearالَّذِيwhichقَبْلَهُbefore it
He said: 'I will gnaw it until it is not known whether that is for its year or for the year before it.'
قَالَhe saidمَاnotقُلْتَyou saidشَيْئًاanything
He said: 'You have said nothing.'
قَالَsaidالثَّالِثُthe thirdأَعْطِنِيهِgive it to me
The third said: 'Give it to me.'
قَالَhe saidوَمَاand whatتَصْنَعُwill you doبِهِwith it
He said: 'What will you do with it?'
قَالَhe saidأَجْعَلُهُI will make itمُخَّةَthe marrow ofإِدَامِهِhis condiment
He said: 'I will make it the marrow of his condiment.'
قَالَhe saidأَنْتَyou areلَهُfor it
He said: 'It is yours.'
وَقَالَAnd saidالْآخَرُthe other
And another said:
فَإِنَّكَFor youلَمْdid notتُشْبِهْresembleلَقِيطًاLaqitوَفِعْلَهُand his deed
For you did not resemble Laqit and his deed,
وَإِنْeven ifكُنْتَyou wereأَطْعَمْتَyou fedالْأَرُزَّriceمَعَwithالتَّمْرِdates
even if you fed rice with dates.
وَقَالَAnd saidالْآخَرُthe other
And another said:
إِذَاWhenأَنْغَضْتُI shookمِنْهَاfrom themبَعْضَهَاsome of themلَمْnotتَجِدْyou findلَهَاfor itدَوِيًّاa hum
When I shook some of them, you would find no hum for it,
لِمَاbecause of whatقَدْalreadyكَانَit wasمِنْهَاfrom themمُدَانِيًاnear
because of what had been near from them. [1]
وَإِنْAnd ifحَالُواthey triedأَنْtoيَشْعَبُوهَاrepair themرَأَيْتَهَاyou saw themعَلَىuponالشَّعْبِthe repairلَاnotتَزْدَادُthey increaseإِلَّاexceptتَدَاعِيًاcollapsing
And if they tried to repair them, you would see them upon the repair not increasing except in collapsing. [2]
مُعَوَّذَةُaccustomedالْأَرْحَالِto saddlesلَمْnotتَرْقُit climbedمُرْقَبًاa lookoutوَلَمْand notتَمْتَطِit rodeالْجُونَthe blackالثَّلَاثَthreeالْأَثَافِيَاstones of the hearth
Accustomed to saddles, it did not climb a lookout, nor did it ride the three black hearthstones. [3]
وَلَاAnd notاجْتَزَعَتْit crossedمِنْfromنَحْوِtowardمَكَّةَMeccaشُقَّةًa distanceإِلَيْنَاto usوَلَاand notجَازَتْit crossedبِهَاwith itالْعِيسُthe white camelsوَادِيًاa valley
And it did not cross a distance from towards Mecca to us, nor did the white camels cross a valley with it. [4]
وَلَكِنَّهَاBut it isفِيinأَصْلِهَاits originمُوصِلِيَّةٌfrom Mosulمُجَاوِرَةٌadjacentفَيْضًاa floodمِنَofالْبَحْرِthe seaجَارِيًاflowing
But it is in its origin from Mosul, adjacent to a flowing flood of the sea. [5]
أَتَتْنَاIt came to usتَزْجِيهَاdriving itالْمَجَاذِيفُthe oarsنَحْوَنَاtowards usوَتَعْقُبُand it followsفِيمَاin whatبَيْنَbetweenذَاكَthatالْمَرَادِيَاthe rowing poles
It came to us, the oars driving it towards us, and it follows among that the rowing poles. [6]
فَقُلْتُSo I saidلِمَنْfor whomهَذِيtheseالْقُدُورُthe potsالَّتِيwhichرَأَىsawتُهِيلُpoursعَلَيْهَاupon themالرِّيحُthe windتُرْبًاdustوَسَافِيًاand blowing
So I said: 'For whom are these pots which the wind was seen pouring dust and blowing upon them?' [7]
فَقَالُواAnd they saidوَهَلْand doesيَخْفَىit hideعَلَىfromكُلِّeveryنَاظِرٍlookerقُدُورُthe pots ofرِقَاشَRiqashأَنْthatتَأَمَّلَhe examinedرَائِيًاa seer
And they said: 'And would the pots of Riqash be hidden from every looker, that a seer examined?' [8]
Footnotes
- 1.يُشِيرُ إِلَى أَنَّهَا قَدِيمَةٌ وَمُتَدَاعِيَةٌ.
It indicates that they are old and collapsing.
- 2.يَقُولُ: إِنَّهَا لَا تَصْلُحُ بِالْإِصْلَاحِ.
He says: They are not mended by repair.
- 3.يَعْنِي أَنَّهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ مِنْ إِبِلِ السَّفَرِ.
He means that they were not among travel camels.
- 4.يَعْنِي أَنَّهَا لَمْ تَأْتِ مِنَ الْحِجَازِ.
He means that they did not come from the Hijaz.
- 5.يَقُولُ: إِنَّ أَصْلَهَا مِنَ الْمَوْصِلِ.
He says: Their origin is from Mosul.
- 6.يَصِفُ وُصُولَهَا بِالسُّفُنِ فِي دِجْلَةَ.
He describes their arrival by ships on the Tigris.
- 7.يَتَعَجَّبُ مِنْ رُؤْيَتِهَا مَهْجُورَةً فِي الْخَرَابِ.
He wonders at seeing them abandoned in ruins.
- 8.يَقُولُ: إِنَّهَا مَشْهُورَةٌ لَا تَخْفَى عَلَى أَحَدٍ.
He says: They are well-known, not hidden from anyone.