العِلْمُ،Knowledge,فَاشِيspreadingالغُلَّةِ،the harvest,عَظِيمُgreatالوِلَايَاتِ،of the provinces,إِنَّهُheإِذَاwhenدُعِيَwas invitedعَلَىtoمَائِدَتِهِhis tableبِفَضْلِbecause ofدَجَاجَةٍ،a chicken,أَوْorبِفَضْلِbecause ofرُقَاقٍ،thin bread,أَوْorغَيْرِotherذَلِكَ،that,رَدَّsent backالخَادِمَthe servantمَعَwithالخَبَّازِthe bakerإِلَىtoالقَهْرَمَانِ1the stewardحَتَّىso thatيَصُكَّ2he would stampلَهُfor himبِذَلِكَwith thatإِلَىtoصَاحِبِthe owner ofالمَطْبَخِthe kitchen.
Knowledge, spreading the harvest, great of the provinces, when he was invited to his table because of a chicken, or because of thin bread, or other than that, he sent the servant with the baker back to the steward, until he would stamp for him with that to the owner of the kitchen.
وَلَقَدْAnd indeedرَأَيْتُهُ،I saw him,وَقَدْwhenتَنَاوَلَhe tookدَجَاجَةً،a chicken,فَشَقَّهَاand split itنِصْفَيْنِ،in half,فَأَلْقَىand threwنِصْفَهَاits halfإِلَىtoالَّذِيthe oneعَنْonيَمِينِهِ،his right,وَنِصْفَهَاand its halfإِلَىtoالَّذِيthe oneعَنْonشِمَالِهِ.his left.ثُمَّThenقَالَ:he said:يَاOغُلَامُboyجِئْنِيbring meبِوَاحِدَةٍoneرَخْصَةٍ،tender,فَإِنَّforهَذِهِthisكَانَتْwasعَضْلَةً3muscularجِدًّا.very.
And indeed I saw him, when he took a chicken, and split it in half, and threw its half to the one on his right, and its half to the one on his left. Then he said: "O boy, bring me a tender one, for this was very muscular."
فَحَسِبْتُSo I thoughtأَنَّthatأَقَلَّthe leastمَاwhatعِنْدَwithالرَّجُلَيْنِthe two menأَلَّاis notيَعُودَاthey both returnإِلَىtoمَائِدَتِهِhis tableأَبَدًا.ever.فَوَجَدْتُهُمَاBut I found them bothقَدْalreadyفَخِرَاthey boastedعَلَيَّto meبِمَاwith whatحَبَاهُمَاhe gave them bothبِهِ،of it,مِنْfromذَلِكَ،that,دُونِي.without me.
So I thought that the least they would do is never return to his table. But I found them both boasting to me about what he had given them, of that, without me.
وَكَانُواAnd they used toرُبَّمَاsometimesخَصُّوهُ،single him out,فَوَضَعُواand they placedبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْهِhis handsالدَّرَّاجَةَ4the fat chickenالسَّمِينَةَ،the fat,وَالدَّجَاجَةَand the chickenالرَّخْصَةَ.the tender.فَانْطَفَأَتِThen went outالشَّمْعَةُthe candleفِيinلَيْلَةٍ،a night,مِنْofتِلْكَthoseاللَّيَالِي،nights,فَأَغَارَand attackedعَلَيَّagainst meالأَسْوَارِيُّ5the captainعَلَىonبَعْضِsome ofمَاwhatبَيْنَbetweenيَدَيْهِ،his hands,وَاغْتَنَمَand he exploitedالظُّلْمَةَ،the darkness,وَعَمِلَand he actedعَلَىonأَنَّthatاللَّيْلَthe nightأَخْفَىmore concealingلِلْوَيْلِ.for evil.
And they used to sometimes single him out, and they placed before him the fat chicken and the tender chicken. Then the candle went out on one of those nights, so the captain attacked me for some of what was before him, and he exploited the darkness, and he acted on the idea that the night is more concealing for evil.
فَفَطِنَSo he noticedلَهُ،it,وَمَاand notهُوَheبِالفَطِنِwith the perceptiveإِلَّاexceptفِيinهَذَاthisالبَابِ،matter,وَقَالَ:and he said:كَذَلِكَThusالمُلُوكُ،the kings,كَانَتْthey wereلَاnotتَأْكُلُeatingمَعَwithالسُّوقَةِ.the commoners.
So he noticed it, and he is not perceptive except in this matter, and he said: "Thus the kings, they were not eating with the commoners."
وَحَدَّثَنِيAnd told meأَحْمَدُAhmadبْنُson ofالمُثَنَّىal-Muthannaأَنَّهُمْthat theyكَانُواused toيَعْمِدُونَtakeإِلَىtoالجَرَادِقِ6the flatbreadsالَّتِيthatتُرْفَعُare removedعَنْfromمَائِدَتِهِ،his table,فَمَاand whatكَانَwasمِنْهَاof itمُلَطَّخًاstainedدَلَكَhe rubbedذَلِكَthatدَلْكًاrubbingشَدِيدًا،strongly,وَمَاand whatكَانَwasمِنْهَاof itقَدْalreadyذَهَبَgoneجَانِبٌa sideمِنْهُ،from it,قُطِعَwas cutبِسِكِّينٍwith a knifeمِنْfromتَرَابِيعِthe squares ofالرَّغِيفِthe loafمِثْلُlikeذَلِكَ،that,لِئَلَّاso that notيَشُكَّhe would doubtمَنْwhoرَآهُsaw itأَنَّهُمْthat theyقَدْhadتَعَمَّلُواdone it intentionallyذَلِكَ،that,وَمَاand whatكَانَwasمِنَofالأَنْصَافِthe halvesوَالأَرْبَاعِ،and the quarters,جُعِلَwas madeبَعْضُهُsome of itلِلثَّرِيدِ7for tharidوَقُطِعَand was cutبَعْضُهُsome of itكَالأَصَابِعِ،like fingers,وَجُعِلَand was madeمَعَwithبَعْضِsome ofالقَلَايَا.the fried dishes.
And Ahmad ibn al-Muthanna told me that they used to take the flatbreads that were removed from his table, and what was stained from them, he rubbed it strongly, and what had a side gone from it, he cut with a knife from the squares of the loaf like that, so that whoever saw it would not doubt that they had done it intentionally, and what was of the halves and quarters, some of it was made for tharid, and some of it was cut like fingers, and was made with some of the fried dishes.
Footnotes
- 1.القَهْرَمَانُ: مُشْرِفُ البَيْتِ وَالمَائِدَةِ.
The steward: the supervisor of the house and the table.
- 2.يَصُكَّ: يَخْتِمَ وَيُثْبِتَ.
He would stamp: he would seal and confirm.
- 3.العَضْلَةُ: الشَّدِيدَةُ اللَّحْمِ، وَالمُرَادُ هُنَا الصُّلْبَةُ الغَلِيظَةُ.
Al-adlah: the one with strong flesh, meaning here the tough and thick.
- 4.الدَّرَّاجَةُ: الدَّجَاجَةُ السَّمِينَةُ.
Ad-darrajah: the fat chicken.
- 5.الأَسْوَارِيُّ: قَائِدُ الجَيْشِ أَوِ الشُّرْطَةِ.
Al-aswari: the military commander or police chief.
- 6.الجَرَادِقُ: خُبْزٌ مُسَطَّحٌ رَقِيقٌ.
Al-jaradiq: flat thin bread.
- 7.الثَّرِيدُ: طَعَامٌ مِنْ خُبْزٍ مَفْتُوتٍ مَعَ مَرَقٍ وَلَحْمٍ.
Ath-tharid: a dish of crumbled bread with broth and meat.