فَقَالَand he saidلِيto meكَالمُغْضِبِlike one angry
And he said to me, as if angry:
«مَاWhatفِيinالْأَرْضِthe earthأَعْجَبُmore amazingمِنْكَthan you
"There is nothing on earth more amazing than you.
لَوْifكُنْتَyou had beenأَخْبَرْتَنِيyou informed meأَنَّكَthat youتُرِيدُهُwant itلِلحَمِfor meatأَوْorلِشَحْمٍfor fat
Had you told me that you wanted it for meat or fat,
لَوَجَدْتَنِيyou would have found meأَسْرَعَfasterإِلَيْكَto youبِهِwith it
you would have found me quicker to give it to you.
إِنَّمَاonlyخَشِيتُكَI feared youتُرِيدُهُwant itلِلْبَاقِلَّي1for the fava beans
I only feared that you want it for fava beans [1],
وَحَدِيدُand ironالْمِقْلَاةِof the frying panيَحْتَرِقُburnsإِذَاifكَانَit isالَّذِيthe one whichيُقْلَىfriedفِيهِin itلَيْسَnotبِدَسَمٍwith grease
And the iron of the frying pan burns if what is fried in it is not greasy.
وَكَيْفَand howلَاnotأُعِيرُكَI lend youإِذَاwhenأَرَدْتَyou wantالطِّبَاهَجَthe fried dishوَالْمِقْلَاةَand the frying pan
And how would I not lend you when you want the fried dish and the frying pan,
بَعْدَafterالرَّدِّthe returnمِنَfromالطِّبَاهَجِthe fried dishأَحْسَنُbetterحَالًاconditionمِنْهُthan itوَهُوَand it isفِيinالْبَيْتِthe house
after returning from the fried dish, it is in better condition than it, and it is at home?!
[طَلَاقٌ[divorceبِسَبَبِbecause ofغَسْلِwashingالْخِوَانِ:]the dining table:]
[Divorce because of washing the dining table:]
وَقَالَand saidأَبُوAbuإِسْحَاقَIshaqإِبْرَاهِيمُIbrahimبْنُson ofسَيَّارٍSayyarالنِّظَامُ:al-Nazzam:
And Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Sayyar al-Nazzam said:
دَعَانَاinvited usجَارٌa neighborلَنَاof oursفَأَطْعَمَنَاand fed usتَمْرًاdatesوَسَمْنَand clarified butterسَلَاءً2melted
A neighbor of ours invited us and fed us dates and melted clarified butter [2],
وَنَحْنُand weعَلَىonخِوَانٍ3a dining tableلَيْسَnotعَلَيْهِon itإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatذَكَرْتُI mentioned
and we were on a dining table [3] on which there was nothing except what I mentioned,
وَالْخُرَاسَانِيُّand the Khurasaniمَعَنَاwith usيَأْكُلُeatingفَرَأَيْتُهُand I saw himيُقَطِّرُdrippingالسَّمْنَthe clarified butterعَلَىonالْخِوَانِthe dining tableحَتَّىuntilأَكْثَرَhe increasedمِنْfromذَلِكَthat
and the Khurasani was with us eating, and I saw him dripping the clarified butter on the table until he did that excessively.
فَقُلْتُand I saidلِرَجُلٍto a manإِلَىnext toجَنْبِي:my side:
So I said to a man next to me:
مَاwhatلِأَبِيis with Abuفُلَانٍso-and-soيُضَيِّعُhe wastesسَمْنَclarified butterالْقَوْمِthe peopleوَيُسِيءُand he does badlyالْمُؤَاكَلَةَthe eating togetherوَيَغْرِفُand he scoopsفَوْقَaboveالْحَقِّ؟the right?
"What is wrong with Abu so-and-so that he wastes the people's clarified butter, and does badly in eating together, and scoops beyond what is right?"
قَالَ:he said:وَمَاand whatعَرَفْتَyou knowعِلَّتَهُ؟his reason?
He said: "And do you not know his reason?"
قُلْتُ:I said:لَاnoوَاللهِ.by God.
I said: "No, by God."
قَالَ:he said:الْخِوَانُthe dining tableخِوَانُهُhis tableفَهُوَand heيُرِيدُwantsأَنْtoيُدَسِّمَهُgrease itلِيَكُونَto beكَالدِّبْغِlike tanningلَهُ.for it.
He said: "The table is his table, and he wants to grease it so that it becomes like a tanning for it."
وَلَقَدْand indeedطَلَّقَhe divorcedامْرَأَتَهُhis wifeوَهِيَand she isأُمُّmotherأَوْلَادِهِhis childrenلِأَنَّهُbecause heرَآهَاsaw herغَسَلَتْshe washedلَهُfor himخِوَانًاa tableلَهُhisبِمَاءٍwith waterحَارٍّhot
And indeed he divorced his wife, who was the mother of his children, because he saw her wash his table with hot water,
فَقَالَand he saidلَهَا:to her:هَلَّاwhy notمَسَحْتَهُ.you wiped it.
and he said to her: "Why didn't you wipe it?"
الْأَكْلُeatingمَعَwithالْجَمَاعَةِthe groupتَكَلُّفٌ:affectation:
Eating with the group is affectation:
وَقَالَand saidأَبُوAbuنُوَاسٍ:Nuwas:
And Abu Nuwas said:
كَانَwasمَعَنَاwith usفِيinالسَّفِينَةِthe shipوَنَحْنُand weنُرِيدُwantingبَغْدَادَBaghdadرَجُلٌa manمِنْfromأَهْلِpeopleخُرَاسَانَKhurasanوَكَانَand he wasمِنْofعُقَلَائِهِمْtheir intelligent onesوَفُقَهَائِهِمْand their jurists
There was with us on the ship, while we were heading to Baghdad, a man from the people of Khurasan, and he was among their intelligent and jurists.
فَكَانَand he wasيَأْكُلُeatingوَحْدَهُalone
He used to eat alone.
فَقُلْتُand I saidلَهُ:to him:«لِمَ"Whyتَأْكُلُdo you eatوَحْدَكَ»؟alone?"
I said to him: "Why do you eat alone?"
قَالَ:he said:لَيْسَnot«عَلَيَّ»"upon me"فِيinهَذَاthisالْوَضْعِsituationمَسْأَلَةٌ؛a question;إِنَّمَاonly
He said: "There is no question 'upon me' in this situation; it is only..."
Footnotes
- 1.البَاقِلَّى: نَوْعٌ مِنَ الْفَوْلِ (الفَاصُولِيَا) الَّذِي يُقْلَى فِي الْمِقْلَاةِ.
Al-Baqilli: a type of fava beans (or beans) that is fried in a frying pan.
- 2.السَّلَاءُ: السَّمْنُ الْمَذَابُ (الْمُصَفَّى) الَّذِي يُؤْكَلُ مَعَ التَّمْرِ.
As-Sala': clarified butter (melted and purified) that is eaten with dates.
- 3.الْخِوَانُ: مَائِدَةُ الطَّعَامِ (خَشَبِيَّةٌ أَوْ نَحْوُهَا) يُوضَعُ عَلَيْهَا الطَّعَامُ.
Al-Khiwan: the dining table (made of wood or similar) on which food is placed.