وَحَدَّثَنِيAnd he narrated to meصَاحِبُthe ownerمَسْلَحَةِof the guard postبَابِof the gateالْكَرْخِal-Karkh،,قَالَhe said::
And the owner of the guard post at the Karkh gate narrated to me, saying:
قَالَHe saidلِيto meصَاحِبُthe ownerالْحَمَّامِof the bathhouseأَلَاshould notأُعَجِّبُكَI surprise youمِنْaboutصَالِحِSalihبْنِibnعَفَّانَAffan؟?
The owner of the bathhouse said to me: 'Should I not surprise you about Salih ibn Affan?'
كَانَHe wasيَجِيءُcomingكُلَّeveryسَحَرٍdawn،,فَيَدْخُلُand he entersالْحَمَّامَthe bathhouse
He used to come every dawn, and enter the bathhouse.
فَإِذَاand whenغَبَتْit disappearedعَنْfromإِجَّانَةِthe vesselالنُّورَةِ1of the depilatory paste
And when the hair-removal paste was gone from its vessel (footnote 1),
مَسَحَhe wipedعَانَتَهُhis pubic areaوَأَرْفَاغَهُ2and his armpits
he wiped his pubic area and his armpits (footnote 2),
ثُمَّthenيَتَسَتَّرُhe covers himselfبِالْمِئْزَرِwith the waist wrapperثُمَّthenيَقُومُhe stands upفَيَغْسِلُهُand washes itفِيinغُمَارِthe crowdالنَّاسِ3of the people
then he covers himself with the waist wrapper, then he stands and washes it in the crowd of people (footnote 3).
ثُمَّThenيَجِيءُhe comesبَعْدُafter thatفِيatمِثْلِlikeتِلْكَthatالسَّاعَةِtime،,
Then he comes again at the same time,
فَيَطْلِيand applies the pasteسَاقَيْهِon his two legsوَبَعْضَand someفَخِذَيْهِof his two thighs،,
and applies the paste to his legs and some of his thighs,
ثُمَّthenيَجْلِسُhe sitsوَيَتَّزِرُand wraps himselfبِالْمِئْزَرِwith the waist wrapper،,
then he sits and wraps himself with the waist wrapper,
فَإِذَاand ifوَجَدَhe foundغَفْلَةًan opportunityغَسَلَهُhe washed it..
and if he found an opportunity, he washed it.
ثُمَّThenيَعُودُhe returnsفِيatمِثْلِlikeذَلِكَthatالْوَقْتِtime،,
Then he returns at the same time,
فَيَمْسَحُand he wipesقِطْعَةًa pieceأُخْرَىanotherمِنْofجَسَدِهِhis body..
and he wipes another part of his body.
فَلَاAnd notيَزَالُhe continuesيَطَّلِيapplying the pasteفِيatكُلِّeveryسَحَرٍdawnحَتَّىuntilذَهَبَwent awayمِنِّيfrom meبِطْلِيَةٍwith the paste..
He kept applying the paste at every dawn until all my hair was removed by the paste.
وَكَانَAnd he wasلَاnotيَرَىhe consideredالطَّبْخَcookingفِيinالْقُدُورِthe potsالشَّامِيَّةِSyrian
And he did not approve of cooking in Syrian pots,
وَلَاnorتَبْرِيدَcoolingالْمَاءِof waterفِيinالْجِرَارِthe jarsالْمَذَارِيِّ4the Madhari
nor cooling water in Madhari jars (footnote 4).
لِأَنَّbecauseهَذِهِtheseتَرْشَحُsweat،,وَتِلْكَand thoseتَنْشَفُdry out..
Because these (jars) sweat, and those (pots) dry out.
حَدَّثَنِيHe narrated to meأَبُوAbuالْجَهْجَاهِal-Jahjahالنُّوشَرْوَانِيُّal-Nusharwaniقَالَsaid::
Abu al-Jahjah al-Nusharwani narrated to me, saying:
حَدَّثَنِيHe narrated to meأَبُوAbuالْأَحْوَصِal-Ahwasالشَّاعِرُthe poetقَالَsaid::
Abu al-Ahwas the poet narrated to me, saying:
كُنَّاWe wereنُفْطِرُbreaking the fastعِنْدَatالْبَاسِيَانِيِّal-Basyani's،,
We used to break our fast at al-Basyani's place,
فَكَانَand he wasيَرْفَعُraisingيَدَيْهِhis handsقَبْلَنَاbefore us،,
and he would raise his hands before us,
وَيَسْتَلْقِيand lie on his backعَلَىonفِرَاشِهِhis bedوَيَقُولُand say::
and lie on his back on his bed and say:
إِنَّمَاonlyنُطْعِمُكُمْwe feed youلِوَجْهِfor the faceاللهِof Allah،,لَاnotنُرِيدُwe wantمِنْكُمْfrom youجَزَاءًrewardوَلَاnorشُكُورًاthanks..
We only feed you for the sake of Allah; we do not want from you any reward or gratitude.'
[[خَالِدُKhalidبْنُibnيَزِيدَYazid]]
[Khalid ibn Yazid]
وَهَذَاAnd this isخَالِدُKhalidبْنُibnيَزِيدَYazidمَوْلَىthe clientالْمُهَالِبَةِ5of the Muhallabids
And this is Khalid ibn Yazid, the client of the Muhallabids (footnote 5),
هُوَhe isخَالَوَيْهِKhalawayhالْمُكَدِّي6al-Mukaddi
he is Khalawayh al-Mukaddi (footnote 6),
وَكَانَand he was
and he was ...
Footnotes
- 1.إِجَّانَةُ النُّورَةِ: إِنَاءٌ يُوضَعُ فِيهِ النُّورَةُ، وَهِيَ مَادَّةٌ تُزِيلُ الشَّعْرَ.
The vessel of the depilatory paste: a container in which the depilatory paste is placed, which is a substance that removes hair.
- 2.الْأَرْفَاغُ: جَمْعُ رَفْغٍ، وَهُوَ أَصْلُ الْفَخِذِ، وَقِيلَ: مَا تَحْتَ الْإِبْطِ.
Al-arfaagh: plural of rafgh, which is the root of the thigh, or what is under the armpit.
- 3.غُمَارُ النَّاسِ: زِحَامُهُمْ وَكَثْرَتُهُمْ.
The crowd of people: their throng and multitude.
- 4.الْجِرَارُ الْمَذَارِيُّ: نِسْبَةٌ إِلَى مَذَارٍ، قَرْيَةٍ بِالْيَمَنِ، أَوْ إِلَى مَذَارِ الْقُرَى.
Al-jiraar al-madhaari: a relative adjective referring to Madhar, a village in Yemen, or to Madhar of the villages.
- 5.الْمُهَالِبَةُ: بَنُو الْمُهَلَّبِ بْنِ أَبِي صُفْرَةَ، وَكَانُوا مِنْ أَشْرَافِ الْعَرَبِ.
Al-Muhallabids: the sons of al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra, who were among the nobles of the Arabs.
- 6.خَالَوَيْهِ الْمُكَدِّي: لَقَبٌ لَهُ، وَالْمُكَدِّي: الَّذِي يَكْدُو النَّاسَ، أَيْ يَسْأَلُهُمْ.
Khalawayh al-Mukaddi: a nickname for him, and al-mukaddi is the one who begs people, i.e., asks them.