الْمَسْأَلَةُthe matterعَلَىuponمَنْwhoأَكَلَateمَعَwithالْجَمَاعَةِthe group،,
The matter is about one who eats with a group, because that is excessive formality.
لِأَنَّbecauseذَلِكَthatهُوَisالتَّكَلُّفُthe affectation،,
because that is the affectation.
وَandأَكْلِيmy eatingوَحْدِيaloneهُوَisالْأَصْلُthe norm،,
And my eating alone is the norm.
وَandأَكْلِيmy eatingمَعَwithغَيْرِيothersزِيَادَةٌan additionفِيinالْأَصْلِthe norm»''..
And my eating with others is an addition to the norm.
[[السَّلَامُpeaceوَandالطَّعَامُfood:]:]
[Peace and food:]
وَandحَدَّثَنِيhe told meإِبْرَاهِيمُIbrahimبْنُson ofالسِّنْدِيِّ1al-Sindiقَالَhe said::
And Ibrahim ibn al-Sindi told me:
كَانَthere wasعَلَىatرَبَضِthe outskirts ofالشَّاذَرْوَانِ2al-Shadharwanشَيْخٌan elderلَنَاof ours،,مِنْfromأَهْلِthe people ofخُرَاسَانَKhurasan..
There was at the outskirts of al-Shadharwan an elder of ours, from the people of Khurasan.
وَandكَانَhe wasمُصَحِّحًاa correctorبَعِيدًاfarمِنْfromالْفَسَادِcorruption،,وَandمِنْfromالرَّشَا3bribery،,وَandمِنْfromالْحُكْمِthe judgmentبِالْهَوَىby desire،,
He was a corrector, far from corruption, bribery, and judgment by desire.
وَandكَانَhe wasحَفِيًّا4attentiveجِدًّاvery،,
And he was very attentive.
وَandكَذَلِكَlikewiseكَانَhe wasفِيinإِمْسَاكِهِhis restraint،,وَandفِيinبُخْلِهِhis stinginess،,وَandتَدْنِيقِهِ5his strictnessفِيinنَفَقَاتِهِhis expenditures؛;
And likewise he was in his restraint, his stinginess, and his strictness in expenditures.
وَandكَانَhe wasلَاnotيَأْكُلُeatingإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatلَاnotبُدَّescapeمِنْهُfrom it،,
And he did not eat except what was necessary.
وَandلَاnotيَشْرَبُdrinkingإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatبَدَاappearedمِنْهُfrom it..
And he did not drink except what was apparent from it.
غَيْرَexceptأَنَّهُthat heإِذَاwhenكَانَwasفِيinغَدَاةِthe morning ofكُلِّeveryجُمُعَةٍFridayحَمَلَhe carriedمَعَهُwith himمِنْدِيلًاa napkinفِيهِin whichجِرْدَقْتَانِ6two flatbreads،,
But when it was the morning of every Friday, he carried with him a napkin containing two flatbreads.
وَandقِطَعُpiecesلَحْمِmeat ofسِكْبَاجٍ7Sikbajمُبَرَّدٌcooled،,وَandقِطَعُpiecesجُبْنٍcheese،,وَandزَيْتُونَاتٌolives،,
And pieces of cooled Sikbaj meat, pieces of cheese, and olives.
وَandصُرَّةٌa bundleفِيهَاin whichمِلْحٌsalt،,وَandأُخْرَىanotherفِيهَاin whichأَشْنَانٌ8ashnan
And a bundle containing salt, and another containing ashnan.
وَandأَرْبَعُfourبَيْضَاتٍeggsلَيْسَnotمِنْهَاfrom themبُدٌّescape،,وَandمَعَهُwith himخِلَالٌtoothpicks..
And four eggs without fail, and with him toothpicks.
وَandمَضَىhe wentوَحْدَهُalone،,حَتَّىuntilيَدْخُلَhe entersبَعْضَsome ofبَسَاتِينِthe orchards ofالْكَرْخِ9al-Karkh،,
And he went alone until he entered some of the orchards of al-Karkh.
وَandيَنْظُرُhe looks forمَوْضِعًاa placeتَحْتَunderشَجَرَةٍa tree،,وَسَطَin the middle ofخُضْرَةٍgreenery،,وَandعَلَىonمَاءٍwaterجَارٍflowing..
And he looks for a place under a tree, in the middle of greenery, and on flowing water.
فَandإِذَاwhenوَجَدَhe foundذَلِكَthatجَلَسَhe sat،,وَandبَسَطَspreadبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْهِhis handsالْمِنْدِيلَthe napkin،,وَandأَكَلَhe ateمِنْfromهَذَاthisمَرَّةًonce،,وَandمِنْfromهَذَاthisمَرَّةًonce..
When he found that, he sat and spread the napkin before him, and ate from this once and from that once.
Footnotes
- 1.إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ السِّنْدِيِّ: رَاوٍ مِنْ رُوَاةِ الْأَخْبَارِ.
Ibrahim ibn al-Sindi: a transmitter of reports.
- 2.الشَّاذَرْوَانُ: مَوْضِعٌ بِبَغْدَادَ، وَيُقَالُ لَهُ أَيْضًا رَبَضُ الشَّاذَرْوَانِ.
Al-Shadharwan: a place in Baghdad, also called the outskirts of al-Shadharwan.
- 3.الرَّشَا: الرِّشْوَةُ.
Ar-Rasha: bribe.
- 4.حَفِيًّا: مُعَانِيًا بِالْأُمُورِ وَمُتَنَاهِيًا فِي الْعِنَايَةِ بِهَا.
Hafiyyan: attentive to matters and extreme in care for them.
- 5.تَدْنِيقُهُ: تَشْدِيدُهُ وَتَضْيِيقُهُ.
Tadniq: his strictness and tightening.
- 6.جِرْدَقْتَانِ: خُبْزَتَانِ مِنْ دَقِيقٍ حَوَّارَى.
Two flatbreads: two loaves of fine flour.
- 7.سِكْبَاجٌ: طَعَامٌ يُتَّخَذُ مِنَ اللَّحْمِ وَالْخَلِّ.
Sikbaj: a dish made of meat and vinegar.
- 8.أَشْنَانٌ: نَبَاتٌ يُسْتَعْمَلُ لِلتَّنْظِيفِ.
Ashnan: a plant used for cleaning.
- 9.الْكَرْخُ: مَحَلَّةٌ بِبَغْدَادَ.
Al-Karkh: a district in Baghdad.