فَشَهَرَand he became famousبِذَلِكَwith thatفِيinتِلْكَthatالنَّاحِيَةِregion
He became famous in that region.
وَقِيلَand it was saidلَهُto him«قَدْindeedأَعْفَيْنَاwe have excusedمِنَfromالسَّلَامِthe greeting،,وَمِنْand fromتَكَلُّفِthe burden ofالرَّدِّthe response
And it was said to him, 'We have excused you from the greeting and from the burden of responding.'
»..قَالَ:he said:«مَاnotبِيto meإِلَىtoذَلِكَthatحَاجَةٌneed
He said: 'I have no need for that.'
،,إِنَّمَاonlyهُوَit isأَنْthatأُعْفِيَI am excusedأَنَاIنَفْسِيmyselfمِنْfrom«هَلُمَّ»'come' (a greeting used by the people of Hejaz)
Rather, it is that I excuse myself from saying 'halumma' (a form of greeting).
وَقَدِand indeedاسْتَقَامَhas become straightالْأَمْرُthe matter»'
And the matter has become straight.'
بِكَذِبٍabout a lieبِكَذِبٍ:about a lie:
About a lie:
وَمِثْلُand similar toهَذَاthisالْحَدِيثِstoryمَاwhatحَدَّثَنِيtold meبِهِwith itمُحَمَّدُMuhammadبْنُson ofيَسِيرٍ1Yasir
And similar to this story is what Muhammad ibn Yasir told me.
عَنْfromوَالٍa governorكَانَwasبِفَارِسَin Persia
Footnote marker [1], from a governor who was in Persia.
،,إِمَّاeitherأَنْthatيَكُونَhe beخَالِدًاKhalidخُومَهْرَوَيْهِKhumahrawaih،,أَوْorغَيْرَهُsomeone else
Either he was Khalid Khumahrawaih or someone else.
،,قَالَ:he said:
He said:
بَيْنَاwhileهُوَheيَوْمًاone dayفِيinمَجْلِسٍa gathering
While he was one day in a gathering
،,وَهُوَand heمَشْغُولٌbusyبِحِسَابِهِwith his accountingوَأَمْرِهِand his affairs
And he was busy with his accounting and his affairs.
،,وَقَدِand indeedاحْتَجَبَhe had screened himselfبِجُهْدِهِwith his utmost effort
And he had screened himself with his utmost effort.
،,إِذْwhenنَجَمَ2appearedشَاعِرٌa poetمِنْfromبَيْنِbetweenيَدَيْهِhis hands
When a poet appeared before him [footnote marker 2].
،,فَأَنْشَدَهُand he recited to himشِعْرًاpoetryمَدَحَهُin which he praised himفِيهِin it،,وَقَرَّظَهُ3and lauded him
He recited to him poetry in which he praised him and lauded him.
،,وَمَجَّدَهُand glorified him
[Footnote marker 3], and glorified him.
..فَلَمَّاand whenفَرَغَhe finishedقَالَ:he said:«قَدْindeedأَحْسَنْتَ»you have done well
When he finished, he said: 'You have done well.'
..ثُمَّthenأَقْبَلَhe turnedعَلَىtoكَاتِبِهِhis secretaryفَقَالَ:and said:
Then he turned to his secretary and said:
أَعْطِهِgive himعَشَرَةَtenآلَافِthousandsدِرْهَمٍdirhams»'
'Give him ten thousand dirhams.'
..فَفَرِحَand rejoicedالشَّاعِرُthe poetفَرَحًاjoyشَدِيدًاintense
The poet rejoiced intensely.
؛;فَلَمَّاand whenرَأَىhe sawحَالَهُhis conditionقَالَ:he said:
When he saw his condition, he said:
«وَإِنِّيand indeed Iلَأَرَىseeهَذَاthisالْقَوْلَwordقَدْindeedوَقَعَfellمِنْكَfrom youهَذَاthisالْمَوْقِعَposition
'I see that this word has had such an effect on you.'
؟?اجْعَلْهَاmake itأَلْفَa thousandدِرْهَمٍdirhams»'
Make it a thousand dirhams.'
..فَكَادَand almostالشَّاعِرُthe poetيَخْرُجُto come outمِنْfromجِلْدِهِhis skin
The poet almost jumped out of his skin.
،,فَلَمَّاand whenرَأَىhe sawفَرَحَهُhis joyقَدْindeedتَضَاعَفَhad multiplied
When he saw that his joy had multiplied,
،,قَالَ:he said:«وَإِنَّand indeedفَرَحَكَyour joyلَيَتَضَاعَفُmultipliesعَلَىaccording toقَدْرِthe extent ofتَضَاعُفِthe multiplicity ofالْقَوْلِthe word
He said: 'Your joy multiplies according to the increase in the amount given?'
؟?أَعْطِهِgive himيَاOفُلَانُso-and-soأَرْبَعِينَfortyأَلْفًاthousand»'
Give him, O so-and-so, forty thousand.'
..فَكَادَand almostالْفَرَحُthe joyيَقْتُلُهُkilled him
The joy almost killed him.
..فَلَمَّاand whenرَجَعَتْreturnedإِلَيْهِto himنَفْسُهُhis soulقَالَhe saidلَهُ:to him:
When he regained his composure, he said to him:
«أَنْتَyou،,جُعِلْتُmay I be madeفِدَاكَyour ransom،,رَجُلٌa manكَرِيمٌgenerous
'You, may I be your ransom, are a generous man.'
؛;وَأَنَاand Iأَعْلَمُknowأَنَّكَthat youكُلَّمَاwheneverرَأَيْتَنِيyou saw meقَدِindeedازْدَدْتُI increasedفَرَحًاjoy
And I know that whenever you saw me increase in joy,
،,زِدْتَنِيyou increased meفِيinالْجَائِزَةِthe gift
You increased my gift.
،,وَقَبُولُand acceptingهَذَاthisمِنْكَfrom youلَاnotيَكُونُwould beإِلَّاexceptمِنْdue toقِلَّةِlack ofالشُّكْرِgratitude
And accepting this from you would only be due to lack of gratitude.'
»'..ثُمَّthenدَعَاhe prayedلَهُfor himوَخَرَجَand left
Then he prayed for him and left.
..قَالَ:he said:
He said:
فَأَقْبَلَand he turnedعَلَيْهِto himكَاتِبُهُhis secretaryفَقَالَ:and said:
His secretary turned to him and said:
«سُبْحَانَglory be toاللَّهِ!God!هَذَاthisكَانَwasيَرْضَىhe would be satisfiedمِنْكَwith youبِأَرْبَعِينَwith fortyدِرْهَمًاdirhams
'Glory be to God! This one would have been satisfied with forty dirhams.'
،,تَأْمُرُyou commandلَهُfor himبِأَرْبَعِينَwith fortyأَلْفَthousandدِرْهَمٍdirhams»'
And you command for him forty thousand dirhams?'
؟?قَالَ:he said:«وَيْلَكَ!woe to you!
He said: 'Woe to you!'
وَتُرِيدُand do you wantأَنْtoتُعْطِيَهُgive himشَيْئًاsomething»'
And do you want to give him something?'
؟?قَالَ:he said:«وَلِمَand whyأَمَرْتَdid you commandلَهُfor himبِذَلِكَwith that»'
He said: 'And why did you command that for him?'
؟?قَالَ:he said:«يَاOأَحْمَقُfool،,إِنَّمَاonlyهَذَاthis
He said: 'O fool, this is only...'
Footnotes
- 1.مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَسِيرٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ: شَاعِرٌ مَجِيدٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ، تُوُفِّيَ سَنَةَ ١٢٧ هـ.
Muhammad ibn Yasir al-Ansari: a distinguished poet from Basra, who died in the year 127 AH.
- 2.نَجَمَ: ظَهَرَ وَبَرَزَ.
Najama: appeared and emerged.
- 3.قَرَّظَهُ: مَدَحَهُ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ.
Qarrazahu: he praised him and commended him.