وَأَمَّاAnd as forزُبَيْدَةُZubaydahبْنُibnحُمَيْدٍHumaydالصَّيْرَفِيُّ1the money-changer
And as for Zubaydah ibn Humayd the money-changer [1],
فَإِنَّهُheاسْتَسْلَفَborrowedمِنْfromبَقَّالٍa grocerكَانَwho wasعَلَىatبَابِthe doorدَارِهِof his houseدِرْهَمَيْنِtwo dirhamsوَقِيرَاطًاand a qirat
He borrowed from a grocer who was at the door of his house two dirhams and a qirat.
فَلَمَّاWhenقَضَاهُhe repaid himبَعْدَafterسِتَّةِsixأَشْهُرٍmonthsقَضَاهُhe repaid himدِرْهَمَيْنِtwo dirhamsوَثَلَاثِand threeحَبَّاتِgrainsشَعِيرٍof barley
When he repaid him after six months, he paid him two dirhams and three grains of barley.
فَاغْتَاظَThen became angryالْبَقَّالُthe grocerوَقَالَand said
The grocer became angry and said:
سُبْحَانَGloryاللَّهِto God
"Glory to God!
أَنْتَYou areرَبُّownerمِائَةِof a hundredأَلْفِthousandدِينَارٍdinarsوَأَنَاand I amبَقَّالٌa grocerلَاnotأَمْلِكُI possessمِائَةَa hundredفِلْسٍfils
You are owner of a hundred thousand dinars, and I am a grocer who does not possess a hundred fils.
وَإِنَّمَاbutأَعِيشُI liveبِكَدِّيby my toilوَبِاسْتِفْضَالِand by the surplusالْحَبَّةِof the grainوَالْحَبَّتَيْنِand the two grains
I only live by my toil and by the surplus of a grain or two grains.
صَاحَcalledعَلَىatبَابِكَyour doorجَمَّالٌa camel driverوَحَمَّالٌand a porterوَلَمْand notيَحْضُرْكَhe attended youوَغَابَand was absentوَكِيلُكَyour agent
A camel driver and a porter called at your door, and your agent did not attend you, and your agent was absent.
فَنَقَدْتُso I paidعَنْكَon your behalfدِرْهَمَيْنِtwo dirhamsوَأَرْبَعِand fourشَعِيرَاتٍbarley grains
So I paid on your behalf two dirhams and four barley grains.
فَقَضَيْتَنِيthen you repaid meبَعْدَafterسِتَّةِsixأَشْهُرٍmonthsدِرْهَمَيْنِtwo dirhamsوَثَلَاثِand threeشَعِيرَاتٍbarley grains
Then you repaid me after six months two dirhams and three barley grains!
فَقَالَThen saidزُبَيْدَةُZubaydah
Then Zubaydah said:
يَاOمَجْنُونُmadman
"O madman!
أَسْلَفْتَنِيyou lent meفِيinالصَّيْفِthe summerفَقَضَيْتُكَso I repaid youفِيinالشِّتَاءِthe winter
You lent me in the summer, and I repaid you in the winter.
وَثَلَاثُAnd threeشَعِيرَاتٍbarley grainsشَتْوِيَّةٍwinteryنَدِيَّةٍmoistأَرْزَنُ3heavier
And three wintery moist barley grains are heavier [3]
مِنْthanأَرْبَعِfourشَعِيرَاتٍbarley grainsيَابِسَةٍdryصَيْفِيَّةٍsummery
than four dry summery barley grains.
وَمَاAnd notأَشُكُّI doubtأَنَّthatمَعَكَwith youفَضْلًا4a surplus
And I do not doubt that you have a surplus [4]."
وَحَدَّثَنِيAnd told meأَبُوAbuالْإِصْبَغِal-Asbaghبْنُibnرِبْعِيٍّ5Rib'i
And Abu al-Asbagh ibn Rib'i [5] told me:
قَالَHe said
He said:
دَخَلْتُI enteredعَلَيْهِupon himبَعْدَafterأَنْthatضَرَبَhe beatغِلْمَانَهُhis servantsبِيَوْمٍby a day
I entered upon him a day after he had beaten his servants.
فَقُلْتُAnd I saidلَهُto him
I said to him:
مَاWhatهَذَاis thisالضَّرْبُbeatingالْمُبَرِّحُsevereوَهَذَاand thisالْخُلُقُbehaviorالسَّيِّءُbad
"What is this severe beating and this bad behavior?
هَؤُلَاءِTheseغِلْمَانٌare servantsوَلَهُمْand they haveحُرْمَةٌsanctityوَكِفَايَةٌand sufficiencyوَتَرْبِيَةٌand upbringing
These are servants, and they have sanctity, sufficiency, and upbringing.
وَإِنَّمَاbutهُمْthey areوَلَدٌchildren
They are but children.
هَؤُلَاءِTheseكَانُواwereإِلَىtoغَيْرِother thanهَذَاthisأَحْوَجَmore in need
These were more in need of something other than this."
قَالَHe said
He said:
إِنَّكَIndeed youلَسْتَare notتَدْرِيknowingأَنَّهُمْthat theyأَكَلُواateكُلَّallجَوَارِشْنَjawarish (digestive)كَانَthat wasعِنْدِي6with me
"Indeed you do not know that they ate all the jawarish [6] that was with me."
قَالَSaidأَبُوAbuالْإِصْبَغِal-Asbagh
Abu al-Asbagh said:
فَخَرَجْتُSo I went outإِلَىtoرَئِيسِthe chiefغِلْمَانِهِof his servants
So I went out to the chief of his servants
فَقُلْتُand I saidوَيْلَكَwoe to you
and said: "Woe to you!
مَاWhatلَكَis the matter with youوَلِلْجَوَارِشَنِand with the jawarishوَمَاand whatرَغْبَتُكَis your desireفِيهِin it
What is the matter with you and the jawarish? And what is your desire in it?"
قَالَHe said
He said:
جُعِلْتُMay I be madeفِدَاكَyour ransom
"May I be made your ransom!
مَاnotأَقْدِرُI am ableأَنْto
I am not able to ...
Footnotes
- 1.هُوَ زُبَيْدَةُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ الصَّيْرَفِيُّ، كَانَ مِنْ أَغْنِيَاءِ الْبَصْرَةِ وَمُتَعَبِّدِيهِمْ، وَكَانَ لَهُ مَالٌ عَظِيمٌ.
He is Zubaydah ibn Humayd al-Sayrafi, one of the wealthy and pious men of Basra, and he had great wealth.
- 3.أَيْ أَثْقَلُ وَزْنًا لِأَنَّهَا مَشْبُوعَةٌ بِالْمَاءِ.
That is, heavier in weight because they are saturated with water.
- 4.فِي بَعْضِ النُّسَخِ: وَمَا أَشُكُّ أَنَّهُ فَضْلٌ مِنَ اللهِ تَعَالَى.
In some versions: And I do not doubt that it is a bounty from God Almighty.
- 5.أَبُو الْإِصْبَغِ بْنُ رِبْعِيٍّ: رَاوٍ مِنْ رُوَاةِ الْأَخْبَارِ.
Abu al-Asbagh ibn Rib'i: a narrator of reports.
- 6.الْجَوَارِشَنُ: مَا يُتَنَاوَلُ بَعْدَ الطَّعَامِ لِتَسْهِيلِ الْهَضْمِ، وَهُوَ مُعَرَّبٌ مِنَ الْفَارِسِيَّةِ.
Al-jawarish: something taken after food to aid digestion; it is an Arabicized word from Persian.