هَذَاthisتَفْسِيرُexplanationمَاwhatذَكَرَmentionedخَالَوَيْهِKhalawayhفَقَطْonly
This is only the interpretation of what Khalawayh mentioned.
وَهُمْand theyأَضْعَافُmultiplesمَاwhatذَكَرْنَاwe mentionedفِيinالْعَدَدِthe number
They are many times more than what we mentioned in number.
وَلَمْand notيَكُنْwasيَجُوزُpermissibleأَنْtoنَتَكَلَّفَwe undertakeشَيْئًاsomethingلَيْسَnotمِنَfromالْكِتَابِthe bookفِيinشَيْءٍanything
And it was not permissible for us to undertake anything that is not from the book at all.
طَرَفٌa sectionشَتَّىvarious
Various sections:
رَفَعَraisedيَحْيَىYahyaبْنُson ofعَبْدِservant ofاللهِAllahبْنِson ofخَالِدٍKhalidبْنِson ofأُمَيَّةَUmayyaبْنِson ofعَبْدِservant ofاللهِAllahبْنِson ofأُسَيْدٍUsaydرَغِيفًاa loafمِنْfromخَوَانِهِ1his tableبِيَدِهِwith his handثُمَّthenرَطَّلَهُ2weighed itوَالْقَوْمُand the peopleيَأْكُلُونَeating
Yahya ibn Abdullah ibn Khalid ibn Umayya ibn Abdullah ibn Usayd raised a loaf from his table with his hand, then weighed it, while the people were eating.
ثُمَّthenقَالَhe saidيَزْعُمُونَthey claimأَنَّthatخُبْزِيmy breadصِغَارٌsmall
Then he said: 'They claim that my bread is small.'
أَيْOابْنَson ofزَانِيَةٍan adulteressيَأْكُلُeatsمِنْfromهَذَاthisالْخُبْزِbreadرَغِيفَيْنِtwo loaves
O son of an adulteress, who eats two loaves of this bread?
وَكُنْتُand I wasأَنَاIوَأَبُوand AbuإِسْحَاقَIshaqإِبْرَاهِيمُIbrahimبْنُson ofسَيَّارٍSayyarالنَّظَّامِal-Nazzamوَقُطْرُبُand Qutrubالنَّحْوِيُّ3the grammarianوَأَبُوand Abuالْفَتْحِal-Fathمُؤَدِّبُtutor ofمَنْصُورِMansurبْنِson ofزِيَادٍZiyadعَلَىatخَوَانِtable ofفُلَانِso-and-soبْنِson ofفُلَانٍso-and-so
And I, Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Sayyar al-Nazzam, Qutrub the grammarian, and Abu al-Fath, the tutor of Mansur ibn Ziyad, were at the table of so-and-so son of so-and-so.
وَالْخَوَانُand the tableمِنْofجَزْعَةٍ4onyxوَالْغِضَارُ5and the potteryصِينِيٌّChineseمُلَمَّعٌglazedأَوْorخَلَنْجِيَّةٌof boxwoodكَيْمَاكِيَّةٌ6chemicalوَالْأَلْوَانُand the foodsطَيِّبَةٌdeliciousشَهِيَّةٌappetizingوَغِذَاءٌand nourishmentقَدِيٌّancient
The table was of onyx, and the pottery was Chinese glazed, or chemical boxwood, and the foods were delicious and appetizing, and the nourishment was ancient.
وَكُلُّand everyرَغِيفٍloafفِيinبَيَاضِwhitenessالْفِضَّةِof silverكَأَنَّهُas if it wereالْبَدْرُthe full moonوَكَأَنَّهُand as if it wereمِرْآةٌa mirrorمَجْلُوَّةٌpolishedوَلَكِنَّهُbut itعَلَىaccording toقَدْرِnumberعَدَدِcountالرُّؤُوسِof heads
And every loaf was in the whiteness of silver, as if it were the full moon, and as if it were a polished mirror, but it was according to the number of heads.
فَأَكَلَso ateكُلُّeveryإِنْسَانٍpersonرَغِيفَهُhis loafإِلَّاexceptكِسْرَةًa piece
So each person ate his loaf except a piece.
وَلَمْand notيَشْبَعُواthey were satiatedفَيَرْفَعُواso they would raiseأَيْدِيَهُمْtheir handsوَلَمْand notيَمُدُّواthey were extendedبِشَيْءٍwith somethingفَيُتِمُّواso they would completeأَكْلَهُمْtheir eatingوَالْأَيْدِيand the handsمُعَلَّقَةٌsuspended
They were not satiated so they would raise their hands, nor were they extended with something so they would complete their eating, and the hands were suspended.
وَإِنَّمَاbut onlyهُمْtheyفِيinتَنْقِيرٍpeckingوَتَتْنِيفٍ7picking
They were only pecking and picking.
فَلَمَّاand whenطَالَlasted longذَلِكَthatعَلَيْهِمْon themأَقْبَلَturnedالرَّجُلُthe manعَلَىtoأَبِيAbuالْفَتْحِal-Fathوَتَحْتَand underالْقَصْعَةِthe bowlرُقَاقَةٌ8a thin loaf
And when that lasted long for them, the man turned to Abu al-Fath, and under the bowl there was a thin loaf.
فَقَالَand he saidيَاOأَبَاAbuالْفَتْحِal-Fathخُذْtakeذَلِكَthatالرَّغِيفَloafفَقَطِّعْهُand cut itوَاقْسِمْهُand divide itعَلَىamong
And he said: 'O Abu al-Fath, take that loaf, cut it, and divide it among...'
Footnotes
- 1.الْخِوَانُ: مَائِدَةُ الطَّعَامِ.
Al-Khiwan: the dining table.
- 2.رَطَّلَهُ: وَزَنَهُ بِالرِّطْلِ.
Rattalahu: he weighed it with the ratl.
- 3.قُطْرُبٌ: نَحْوِيٌّ مَعْرُوفٌ.
Qutrub: a well-known grammarian.
- 4.الْجَزْعُ: حَجَرٌ كَرِيمٌ خَشَبِيٌّ.
Al-Jaz': a precious stone, wood-like.
- 5.الْغِضَارُ: الْخَزَفُ.
Al-Ghidar: pottery.
- 6.كَيْمَاكِيَّةٌ: مَنْسُوبَةٌ إِلَى كَيْمَاكِي.
Kaymakiyya: attributed to Kaymaki.
- 7.تَنْقِيرٌ وَتَتْنِيفٌ: أَكْلٌ قَلِيلٌ مُتَفَرِّقٌ.
Tanqir and tatnif: little scattered eating.
- 8.الرُّقَاقَةُ: خُبْزٌ رَقِيقٌ.
Al-Ruqaqa: thin bread.