الْمُشَارَكَةُThe participationفِيinطَبْخِcookingاللَّحْمِthe meat
Participation in cooking meat:
وَزَعَمُواAnd they claimedأَنَّهُمْthat theyرُبَّمَاsometimesتَرَافَقُواaccompanied each otherوَتَزَامَلُواand became comrades
And they claimed that they sometimes accompanied each other and became comrades.
فَتَنَاهَدُوا1and they cooperatedوَتَلاَزَمُواand they bound themselves togetherفِيinشِرَاءِbuyingاللَّحْمِthe meat
And they cooperated (footnote 1) and bound themselves together in buying meat.
فَإِذَاWhenاشْتَرَوُاthey boughtاللَّحْمَthe meatقَسَمُوهُthey divided itقَبْلَbeforeالطَّبْخِcooking
When they bought the meat, they divided it before cooking.
وَأَخَذَAnd tookكُلُّeveryإِنْسَانٍpersonمِنْهُمْamong themنَصِيبَهُhis shareفَشَكَّهُand threaded itبِخُوصَةٍ2with a palm leaf stripأَوْorبِخَيْطٍwith a string
And each person took his share and threaded it on a palm leaf strip (footnote 2) or a string.
ثُمَّThenأَرْسَلَهُhe sent itفِيinخَلِّvinegarالْقِدْرِof the potوَالتَّوَابِلِand the spices
Then he put it in the vinegar of the pot and the spices.
فَإِذَاWhenطَبَخُوهُthey cooked itتَنَاوَلَtookكُلُّeachإِنْسَانٍpersonخَيْطَهُhis stringوَقَدْand indeedعَلَّمَهُhe marked itبِعَلاَمَةٍwith a mark
When they cooked it, each person took his string, having marked it with a mark.
ثُمَّThenاقْتَسَمُواthey dividedالْمَرَقَthe broth
Then they divided the broth.
ثُمَّThenلَاnotيَزَالُceasesأَحَدُهُمْone of themيَسُلُّpulling outمِنَfromالْخَيْطِthe stringالْقِطْعَةَthe pieceبَعْدَafterالْقِطْعَةِthe piece
Then one of them keeps pulling out pieces from the string, one after another.
حَتَّىuntilيَبْقَىremainsالْحَبْلُthe ropeلَاnotشَيْءَthingفِيهِin it
Until the rope remains with nothing on it.
ثُمَّThenيَجْمَعُونَthey gatherخُيُوطَهُمْtheir strings
Then they gather their strings.
فَإِنْIfأَعَادُواthey repeatedالْمُلازَمَةَthe partnershipأَعَادُواthey repeatedتِلْكَthoseالْخُيُوطَstrings
If they repeated the partnership, they reused those strings.
لِأَنَّهَاbecause theyقَدْalreadyتَشَرَّبَتِabsorbedالدَّسَمَthe fatفَقَدْindeedرُوِيَتْthey were saturated
Because they have absorbed the fat, indeed they are saturated.
وَلَيْسَAnd notتَنَاهُدُهُمْtheir cooperationمِنْfromطَرِيقِwayالرَّغْبَةِdesireفِيinالْمُشَارَكَةِparticipation
Their cooperation is not out of desire for participation.
وَلَكِنْbutلِأَنَّbecauseبُضْعَةَpieceكُلِّeachوَاحِدٍoneمِنْهُمْof themلَاnotتَبْلُغُreachمِقْدَارَamountالَّذِيthat whichيَحْتَمِلُcan bearأَنْtoيُطْبَخَbe cookedوَحْدَهُalone
But because each one's piece does not reach the amount that can be cooked alone.
وَلِأَنَّand becauseالْمَؤُونَةَthe provisionتَخِفُّbecomes lightأَيْضًاalsoوَالْحَطَبُand the firewoodوَالْخَلُّand the vinegarوَالثَّوْمُand the garlicوَالتَّوَابِلُand the spices
And because the provision becomes lighter also: firewood, vinegar, garlic, and spices.
وَلِأَنَّand becauseالْقِدْرَthe potالْوَاحِدَةَthe oneأَمْكَنُmore possibleمِنْthanأَنْthatيَقْدِرَcan affordكُلُّeachوَاحِدٍoneمِنْهُمْof themعَلَىonقِدْرٍa pot
And because one pot is more feasible than each one of them being able (to have) a pot.
وَإِنَّمَاAnd onlyيَخْتَارُونَthey chooseالسِّكْبَاجَ3the sikbajلِأَنَّهَاbecause itتَبْقَىremainsعَلَىforالأَيَّامِdaysوَأَبْعَدُand fartherمِنَfromالْفَسَادِspoilage
And they only choose sikbaj (footnote 3) because it lasts for days and is farther from spoiling.
قِصَّةُStory ofمِقْلَىfrying panالْخُرَاسَانِيِّthe Khurasani
Story of the Khurasani's frying pan:
حَدَّثَنِيTold meأَبُوAbuإِسْحَاقَIshaqإِبْرَاهِيمُIbrahimبْنُson ofسَيَّارٍSayyarالنَّظَّامُ4al-Nazzam
Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Sayyar al-Nazzam (footnote 4) told me:
قَالَHe saidقُلْتُI saidمَرَّةًonceلِجَارٍto a neighborكَانَwho wasلِيmineمِنْfromأَهْلِpeople ofخُرَاسَانَKhurasan
He said: I said once to a neighbor of mine, from the people of Khurasan:
أَعِرْنِيLend meمِقْلَاكُمْyour frying panفَإِنِّيfor Iأَحْتَاجُneedإِلَيْهِit
Lend me your frying pan, for I need it.
قَالَHe saidقَدْIndeedكَانَthere wasلَنَاfor usمِقْلَىa frying panوَلَكِنَّهُbut itسُرِقَwas stolen
He said: We had a frying pan, but it was stolen.
فَاسْتَعَرْتُSo I borrowedمِنْfromجَارٍa neighborلِيmineآخَرَanother
So I borrowed (one) from another neighbor of mine.
فَلَمْAnd notيَلْبَثِhe delayedالْخُرَاسَانِيُّthe Khurasaniأَنْthatسَمِعَhe heardنَشِيشَsizzlingاللَّحْمِof meatفِيinالْمِقْلَىthe frying panوَشَمَّand smelledالطَّبَاهِجَ6the stews
And soon the Khurasani heard the sizzling of meat in the frying pan and smelled the stews (footnote 6).
Footnotes
- 1.تَنَاهَدُوا: أَيْ تَعَاوَنُوا.
Tanahadu: meaning they cooperated.
- 2.خُوصَةٌ: وَرَقَةُ النَّخْلِ، أَوْ شَرِيطٌ مِنْهَا.
Khusa: a palm leaf, or a strip of it.
- 3.السِّكْبَاجُ: طَعَامٌ يُتَّخَذُ مِنَ اللَّحْمِ مَعَ الْخَلِّ وَالتَّوَابِلِ.
Sikbaj: a dish made of meat with vinegar and spices.
- 4.النَّظَّامُ: إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَيَّارٍ، مُتَكَلِّمٌ مَعْرُوفٌ.
Al-Nazzam: Ibrahim ibn Sayyar, a renowned theologian.
- 5.النَّشِيشُ: صَوْتُ غَلَيَانِ اللَّحْمِ أَوِ الشَّيْءِ عَلَى النَّارِ.
Nashish: the sound of boiling meat or something on the fire.
- 6.الطَّبَاهِجُ: جَمْعُ طَبَاهَجَةٍ، وَهِيَ قِطَعُ اللَّحْمِ الْمَطْبُوخَةُ.
Tabahij: plural of tabahaja, meaning cooked pieces of meat.