وَهَذَاand thisالْبَابُchapterيَكْثُرُis abundantوَيَطُولُand lengthy
And this chapter is abundant and lengthy.
وَفِيمَاand in whatذَكَرْنَاwe mentionedدَلِيلٌevidenceعَلَىonمَاwhatقَصَدْنَاwe intendedإِلَيْهِto itمِنْofتَصْنِيفِclassificationالْحَالَاتِthe states
And in what we have mentioned is evidence of what we intended in classifying the states.
فَإِنْfor ifأَرَدْتَهُyou want itمَجْمُوعًاcollectedفَاطْلُبْهُthen seek itفِيinكِتَابِbookالشُّعُوبِيَّةِ1al-Shu'ubiyya
For if you want it collected, then seek it in the book of al-Shu'ubiyya ⟦1⟧.
فَإِنَّهُfor itهُنَاكَthereمُسْتَقْصًىexhaustively treated
For it is exhaustively treated there.
وَالْأَعْرَابِيُّand the Bedouinإِذَاwhenأَرَادَwantedالْقِرَىhospitalityوَلَمْand notيَرَhe sawنَارًاa fireنَبَحَhe barked
And when the Bedouin wanted hospitality and did not see a fire, he barked.
فَيُجَاوِبُهُso it answers himالْكَلْبُthe dogفَيَتْبَعُso he followsصَوْتَهُits voice
So the dog answers him, and he follows its voice.
وَلِذَلِكَand because of thatقَالَsaidالشَّاعِرُthe poet
And because of that the poet said:
وَمُسْتَنْجِحٍand one seekingأَهْلَpeopleالثَّرَىthe earthيَطْلُبُseeksالْقِرَى2hospitality
And one seeking the people of the earth, seeking hospitality ⟦2⟧
إِلَيْنَاto usوَمَمْسَاهُand his evening destinationمِنَfromالْأَرْضِthe landنَازِحٌdistant
to us, and his evening destination from the land is distant.
وَقَالَand saidالْآخَرُthe other
And the other said:
عَوَىhe howledحَدَسٌHadas (a man's name)وَاللَّيْلُand the nightمُسْتَحْلِسُwrapped inالنَّدَى3dew
Hadas howled, and the night was wrapped in dew ⟦3⟧
لِمُسْتَنْبِحٍto one seeking to be answered by barkingبَيْنَbetweenالرُّمَيْثَةِal-Rumaytha (a place name)وَالْحَضْرِand al-Hadr (a place name)
to one seeking to be answered by barking between al-Rumaytha and al-Hadr.
وَيَدُلُّكَand it indicates to youعَلَىonأَنَّهُthat heيَنْبَحُbarksوَهُوَwhile heعَلَىonرَاحِلَتِهِhis mountلِيَنْبَحَهُso that it barks at himالْكَلْبُthe dog
And it indicates to you that he barks while on his mount so that the dog barks at him.
قَوْلُthe saying ofحُمَيْدٍHumaydالْأَرْقَطِ4al-Arqat
the saying of Humayd al-Arqat ⟦4⟧:
وَعَاوٍand a howlerعَوَىhowledوَاللَّيْلُand the nightمُسْتَحْلِسُwrapped inالنَّدَى4dew
And a howler howled, and the night was wrapped in dew ⟦4⟧
وَقَدْand indeedضَجَعَتْhave setلِلْغَوْرِtowards the lowlandتَالِيَةُthe followerالنَّجْمِof the star
and indeed the follower of the star (i.e., a star name) has set towards the lowland.
فَمِنْهُمْand among themمَنْone whoيُبْرِزُbrings outكَلْبَهُhis dogلِيُجِيبَto answerوَمِنْهُمْand among themمَنْone whoيَمْنَعُهُprevents himذَلِكَthat
And among them are those who bring out their dog to answer, and among them are those who prevent him from that.
قَالَsaidزِيَادٌZiyadالْأَعْجَمُal-A'jamوَهُوَwhile heيَهْجُوsatirizesبَنِيthe tribe ofعَجَلٍ5Ijl
Ziyad al-A'jam said, while he satirizes the tribe of Ijl ⟦5⟧:
وَتَكْعَمُand you muzzleكَلْبَthe dogالْحَيِّof the tribeمِنْdue toخَشْيَةِfear ofالْقِرَى5hospitality
And you muzzle the dog of the tribe due to fear of hospitality ⟦5⟧
وَقِدْرُكَand your potكَالْعَذْرَاءِlike a virginمِنْfromدُونِهَاbefore herسِتْرٌa veil
and your pot is like a virgin, before her a veil.
وَقَالَand saidآخَرُanother
And another said:
نَزَلْنَاwe alightedبِعَمَّارٍat Ammarفَأَشْلَىand he incitedكِلَابَهُhis dogsعَلَيْنَا6against us
We alighted at Ammar, and he incited his dogs against us ⟦6⟧
فَكِدْنَاand we almostبَيْنَbetweenبَيْتِيهِhis two housesنُؤْكَلُwe would be eaten
and we almost, between his two houses, would be eaten.
فَقُلْتُso I saidلِأَصْحَابِيto my companionsأُسِرُّsecretlyإِلَيْهِمْto them
So I said to my companions, secretly to them:
إِذَاifالْيَوْمُthe dayأَمْorيَوْمُthe dayالْقِيَامَةِof resurrectionأَطْوَلُlonger
Is today or the Day of Resurrection longer?
Footnotes
- 1.كِتَابُ الشُّعُوبِيَّةِ: كِتَابٌ لِلْجَاحِظِ.
The Book of al-Shu'ubiyya: a book by al-Jahiz.
- 2.الْبَيْتُ لِمُتَمِّمِ بْنِ نُوَيْرَةَ، وَصَدْرُهُ: وَمُسْتَنْجِحٍ أَهْلَ الثَّرَى يَطْلُبُ الْقِرَى.
The verse is by Mutammim ibn Nuwayra, its first half: 'And one seeking the people of the earth, seeking hospitality.'
- 3.الْبَيْتُ لِلْأَخْطَلِ، وَكَذَا الْبَيْتُ بَعْدَهُ.
The verse is by al-Akhtal, and so is the verse after it.
- 4.الْبَيْتُ لِحُمَيْدِ بْنِ ثَوْرٍ الْأَرْقَطِ، وَكَذَا الْبَيْتُ بَعْدَهُ.
The verse is by Humayd ibn Thawr al-Arqat, and so is the verse after it.
- 5.الْبَيْتُ لِزِيَادٍ الْأَعْجَمِ فِي هِجَاءِ بَنِي عَجَلٍ.
The verse is by Ziyad al-A'jam in his satire of Banu Ijl.
- 6.الْبَيْتُ لِلْحُطَيْئَةِ، وَبَعْدَهُ: فَقُلْتُ لِأَصْحَابِي أُسِرُّ إِلَيْهِمْ: إِذَا الْيَوْمُ أَمْ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ أَطْوَلُ؟
The verse is by al-Hutay'ah, and after it: 'So I said to my companions, secretly to them: Is today or the Day of Resurrection longer?'