وَandالْأَعْرَابِthe Bedouins،,وَقَدْحُهُمُand their strikingالنَّارَthe fireبِالْمَرْخِ1with the marakh (tree)وَandالْعَفَارِ2the afaar (plant)،,
And the Bedouins, and their striking fire with marakh and afaar,
فَزَعَمَthen claimedلَنَاto usصَدِيقُنَاour friendالثَّوْرِيُّal-Thawri،,وَهُوَand he،,مَاasعَلِمْتُI know،,أَحَدُone ofالْمُرْشِدِينَthe guides::
Then our friend al-Thawri claimed to us, and he, as I know, is one of the guides:
أَنَّthatعَرَاجِينَthe clusters (of dates)الْأَعْذَاقِ3of the palm branchesتَنُوبُserve as substituteعَنْforذَلِكَthatأَجْمَعَall،,وَعَلَّمَنِيand he taught meكَيْفَhowتُعَالَجُit is treated،.
That the date clusters from palm branches serve as a substitute for all that, and he taught me how to treat them.
وَandنَحْنُweنُؤْتَىare broughtبِهَاwith themمِنْfromأَرْضِنَاour landبِلَاwithoutكُلْفَةٍtrouble،,
And we are brought them from our land without trouble.
فَالْخَادِمُso the servantالْيَوْمَtoday،,لَاnotتَقْدَحُshe strikes (fire)وَلَاnorتُورِيshe produces a sparkإِلَّاexceptبِالْعَرْجُونِwith the date cluster».،.
So the servant today does not strike fire nor produce a spark except with the date cluster.
قَالَsaidالْقَوْمُthe people::«قَدْindeedمَرَّتْpassedبِنَاby usالْيَوْمَtodayفَوَائِدُbenefitsكَثِيرَةٌmany،,وَandلِهَذَاfor thisمَاwhatقَالَsaidالْأَوَّلُthe first (scholar)::
The people said: 'Indeed, many benefits have passed by us today, and for this the first scholar said:'
«مُذَاكَرَةُThe discussionالرِّجَالِof menتُلَقِّحُfertilizesالْأَلْبَابَthe minds».،.
'The discussion of men fertilizes the minds.'
[[مُعَاذَةُMu'adhaالْعَنْبَرِيَّةُal-Anbariyya:]:]
[Mu'adha al-Anbariyya:]
ثُمَّthenانْدَفَعَhe rushed forthشَيْخٌan old manمِنْهُمْfrom among themفَقَالَand said::«لَمْnotأَرَI have seenفِيinوَضْعِplacingالْأُمُورِmattersمَوَاضِعَهَاin their proper placesوَandفِيinتَوْفِيَتِهَاgiving them fullyغَايَةَthe utmostحُقُوقِهَاof their rights،,كَمُعَاذَةَlike Mu'adhaالْعَنْبَرِيَّةِal-Anbariyya».،.
Then an old man from among them rushed forth and said: 'I have not seen, in placing matters in their proper places and giving them fully their utmost rights, anyone like Mu'adha al-Anbariyya.'
قَالُواthey said::«وَandمَاwhatشَأْنُis the matterمُعَاذَةَof Mu'adhaهَذِهِthis»?؟?
They said: 'And what is the matter of this Mu'adha?'
قَالَhe said::أَهْدَىsent a giftإِلَيْهَاto herالْعَامِthis yearابْنُthe sonعَمٍّof an uncle (cousin)لَهَاof hersأُضْحِيَّةً4a sacrificial animal،.
He said: 'A cousin of hers sent her a sacrificial animal this year.'
فَرَأَيْتُهَاand I saw herكَئِيبَةًsadحَزِينَةًgrievingمُفَكِّرَةًthinkingمُطْرِقَةًlooking down،,فَقُلْتُso I saidلَهَاto her::مَاwhatلَكِis wrong with youيَاOمُعَاذَةُMu'adha؟?
I saw her sad, grieving, thinking, and looking down, so I said to her: 'What is wrong with you, O Mu'adha?'
قَالَتْshe said::أَنَاIامْرَأَةٌa womanأَرْمَلَةٌwidowوَandلَيْسَthere is notلِيfor meقَيِّمٌ5a manager،,وَandلَاnotعَهْدَexperienceلِيfor meبِتَدْبِيرِwith managingلَحْمِthe meatالْأَضَاحِيof sacrificial animals،.
She said: 'I am a widow, and I have no manager, and I have no experience with managing the meat of sacrificial animals.'
وَandقَدْindeedذَهَبَwentالَّذِينَthose whoكَانُواused toيُدَبِّرُونَهُmanage itوَandيَقُومُونَstand upبِحَقِّهِfor its right،.
And those who used to manage it and stand up for its right have gone.
وَandقَدْindeedخِفْتُI fearأَنْthatيَضِيعَgets lostبَعْضُsomeهَذِهِof thisالشَّاةِsheep،,وَandلَسْتُI am notأَعْرِفُI knowوَضْعَthe placementجَمِيعِof allأَجْزَائِهَاits partsفِيinأَمَاكِنِهَاtheir places،.
And I fear that some of this sheep will be lost, and I do not know the placement of all its parts in their places.
وَandقَدْindeedعَلِمْتُI knowأَنَّthatاللهَGodلَمْdid notيَخْلُقْcreateفِيهَاin it،,وَلَاnorفِيinغَيْرِهَاother than itشَيْئًاa thingلَاnotمَنْفَعَةَbenefitفِيهِin it،.
And I know that God did not create in it, nor in anything else, a thing without benefit in it.
وَلَكِنَّbutالْمَرْءَa personيَعْجَزُis incapableلَاnoمَحَالَةَdoubt،.
But a person is inevitably incapable.
وَandلَسْتُI am notأَخَافُafraidمِنْofتَضْيِيعِlosingالْقَلِيلِthe littleإِلَّاexceptأَنَّهُthat itيَجُرُّleads toتَضْيِيعَlosingالْكَثِيرِthe much::
And I am not afraid of losing the little except that it leads to losing the much.'
Footnotes
- 1.الْمَرْخُ: شَجَرٌ مِنَ الْعِضَاهِ، وَهُوَ مِنْ مَرَاخِي الزَّنْدِ،يُقْدَحُ بِهِ النَّارُ.
Al-Marakh: a tree from the 'idah (acacia) trees, it is one of the fire-sticks, with which fire is struck.
- 2.الْعَفَارُ: شَجَرٌ مِنَ الْعِضَاهِ، يُقْدَحُ بِهِ النَّارُ، وَهُوَ مِنَ الْمَرَاخِي.
Al-Afaar: a tree from the 'idah trees, with which fire is struck, and it is from the fire-sticks.
- 3.الْعَرَاجِينُ: جَمْعُ عِرْجُونٍ، وَهُوَ عِذْقُ النَّخْلِ، وَهُوَ الْكِبَاسَةُ، وَيُقَالُ لَهُ: الْعُرْجُونُ.
Al-Arajeen: plural of 'irjun (or 'urjun), which is the date cluster of the palm tree, and it is also called al-kibasah, and it is said: al-'urjun.
- 4.الْأُضْحِيَّةُ: مَا يُذْبَحُ مِنَ النَّعَمِ يَوْمَ النَّحْرِ تَقَرُّبًا إِلَى اللهِ تَعَالَى، وَهِيَ مِنَ الشَّعَائِرِ الدِّينِيَّةِ.
Al-Udhiyyah: what is slaughtered from livestock on the day of Nahr (Eid al-Adha) as a means of drawing near to God Almighty, and it is one of the religious rituals.
- 5.الْقَيِّمُ: الْقَيِّمُ بِأَمْرِهَا، وَهُوَ الزَّوْجُ أَوِ الْوَلِيُّ أَوِ الْقَائِمُ بِشَأْنِهَا.
Al-Qayyim: the one who manages her affairs, and it is the husband, or the guardian, or the one who takes care of her matters.