وَأَسْمَجُ1and most uglyالْجَهْلُignoranceبِالْحَكِيمِof the wise man
And the most ugly thing for a wise man is ignorance.
مَاnotظَنَنْتُI thoughtأَنَّthatإِهْمَالَneglectالنَّفْسِof the soulوَسُوءَand badnessالسِّيَاسَةِof managementبَلَغَreachedبِكَwith youمَاwhatأَرَىI see
I did not think that neglect of the soul and bad management had reached what I see in you.
قُلْتُI saidوَأَيُّand whatشَيْءٍthingأَنْكَرْتَyou disapprovedمِنَّاfrom usمُذُsinceالْيَوْمِtodayوَمَاand notكَانَwasهَذَاthisقَوْلُكَyour sayingفِينَاabout usبِالْأَمْسِyesterday
I said: And what thing have you disapproved of us since today? What was this saying of yours about us yesterday?
فَقَالَand he saidلَبْسُكَyour wearingهَذَاthisالْكِسَاءَgarmentقَبْلَbeforeأَوَانِهِits time
He said: Your wearing this garment before its time.
قُلْتُI saidقَدْindeedحَدَثَoccurredمِنَfromالْبَرْدِthe coldبِمِقْدَارِهِits measureوَلَوْand ifكَانَwasهَذَاthisالْبَرْدُcoldالْحَادِثُoccurringفِيinتَمُّوزَJulyوَآبَand Augustلَكَانَwould beإِبَّانًا2a seasonلِهَذَاfor thisالْكِسَاءِgarment
I said: Indeed cold has occurred in its measure. And if this cold had been in July and August, it would have been the season for this garment.
قَالَhe saidإِنْifكَانَwasذَلِكَthatكَذَلِكَsoفَاجْعَلْthen makeبَدَلَinstead ofهَذِهِthisالْمُبَطَّنَةِquilted garmentجُبَّةًa cloakمَحْشُوَّةًstuffedفَإِنَّهَاfor itتَقُومُstandsهَذَاthisالْمَقَامَpositionوَتَكُونُand it becomesقَدْalreadyخَرَجْتَyou exitedمِنَfromالْخَطَأِthe error
He said: If that is so, then instead of this quilted one, make a stuffed cloak, for it will fulfill this purpose, and you will have left the error.
فَأَمَّاand as forلَبْسُwearingالصُّوفِwoolالْيَوْمَtodayفَهُوَthen itغَيْرُnotجَائِزٍpermissible
As for wearing wool today, it is not permissible.
قُلْتُI saidوَلِمَand why
I said: And why?
قَالَhe saidلِأَنَّbecauseغُبَارَdustآخِرِend ofالصَّيْفِsummerيَتَدَاخَلُهُenters itوَيَسْكُنُand settlesفِيinخَلَلِهِits gapsفَإِذَاand whenأَمْطَرَrainedالنَّاسُthe peopleوَنَدِيَand became moistالْهَوَاءُthe airوَابْتَلَّand became wetكُلُّeveryشَيْءٍthingابْتَلَّbecame wetذَلِكَthatالْغُبَارُdust
He said: Because the dust of the end of summer enters it and settles in its gaps. So when the people are rained upon, and the air becomes moist, and everything becomes wet, that dust becomes wet.
وَإِنَّمَاand onlyالْغُبَارُthe dustتُرَابٌsoilإِلَّاexceptأَنَّهُthat itلُبَابُthe coreالتُّرَابِof the soil
And dust is only soil, except that it is the core of the soil.
وَهُوَand itمَالِحٌsaltyوَيَنْقَبِضُand contractsعِنْدَatذَلِكَthatعَلَيْهِupon itالْكِسَاءُthe garmentوَيَتَكَرَّشُand shrinksلِأَنَّهُbecause itصُوفٌwoolفَتَنْضَمُّso contractأَجْزَاؤُهُits partsعَلَيْهِupon it
And it is salty, and at that the garment contracts and shrinks, because it is wool, so its parts contract upon it.
فَيَأْكُلُهُand it eats itأَكْلَeatingالْقَادِحِ3of the borerوَيَعْمَلُand worksفِيهِin itعَمَلَworkالسُّوسِof the mothوَلَهُوَand it isأَسْرَعُfasterفِيهِin itمِنَthanالْأَرْضَةِ4the termiteفِيinالْجُذُوعِthe trunksالنَّجْرَانِيَّةِNajrani
And it eats it as the borer eats, and works in it the work of the moth, and it is faster in it than the termite in Najrani trunks.
وَلَكِنْbutأَخِّرْdelayلَبْسَهُits wearingحَتَّىuntilإِذَاwhenمَطَرَrainedالنَّاسُthe peopleوَسَكَنَand settledالْغُبَارُthe dustوَتَيَبَّدَand driedالتُّرَابُthe soilوَحَطَّand brought downالْمَطَرُthe rainمَاwhatكَانَwasفِيinالْهَوَاءِthe airمِنَofالْغُبَارِdustوَغَسَلَهُand washed itوَصَفَّاهُand purified itفَأَلْبِسُهُthen wear itحِينَئِذٍthenعَلَىonبَرَكَةِblessingاللهِof Allah
But delay wearing it until when the people have been rained upon, the dust has settled, the soil has dried, and the rain has brought down what was in the air of dust, and washed it and purified it, then wear it, on the blessing of Allah.
وَكَانَand he used toيَقَعُgoإِلَىtoعِيَالِهِhis familyبِالْكُوفَةِin Kufaكُلَّeveryسَنَةٍyearمَرَّةًonceفَيَشْتَرِيand he buysلَهُمْfor themمِنَofالْحَبِّgrainمِقْدَارَamountطَبِيخِهِمْtheir cookingوَقُوتِand sustenanceسَنَتِهِمْtheir year
And he used to go to his family in Kufa once every year, and buy for them from the grain the amount of their cooking and their year's sustenance.
فَإِذَاand whenنَظَرَhe lookedإِلَىatحَبِّgrain ofهَذَاthisوَإِلَىand atحَبِّgrain ofهَذَاthisوَقَامَand stoodعَلَىonسِعْرِهِits priceاكْتَالَhe measuredمِنْfromكُلِّeachوَاحِدٍoneمِنْهَاof themكَيْلَةًa measureمَعْلُومَةًknownبِالْمِيزَانِby the scaleوَاشْتَرَىand boughtأَثْقَلَهَاthe heaviest of themوَزْنًاweight
And when he looked at the grain of this one and the grain of that one, and stood on its price, he measured from each one of them a known measure by the scale, and bought the heaviest of them in weight.
وَكَانَand he used toلَاnotيَخْتَارُchooseعَلَىoverالْبَلَدِيِّthe localوَالْمَوْصِلِّيِّand the Mosuliشَيْئًاanythingإِلَّاexceptأَنْthatيَتَقَارَبَare closeالسِّعْرُthe price
And he used not to choose over the local and the Mosuli anything, except that the price be close.
وَكَانَand he used toعَلَىinكُلِّeveryحَالٍcaseيَفِرُّfleeمِنَfromالْمَيْسَانِيِّthe Maysaniإِلَّاexceptأَنْthatيُضْطَرَّhe is forcedإِلَيْهِto it
And in every case he would flee from the Maysani grain, except if he was forced to it.
وَيَقُولُand he saysهُوَit isنَاعِمٌsoftضَعِيفٌweakوَنَارُand the fireالْمَعِدَةِof the stomachشَيْطَانٌa devilفَإِنَّمَاfor onlyيَنْبَغِيit is befittingلَنَاfor usأَنْthatنُطْعِمَwe feed
And he says: It is soft and weak, and the fire of the stomach is a devil, for we should only feed...
Footnotes
- 1.أَسْمَجُ: أَيْ أَقْبَحُ.
Asmaj: meaning most ugly.
- 2.إِبَّانًا: وَقْتًا وَحِينًا.
Ibbanan: a time and a season.
- 3.الْقَادِحُ: دُودَةٌ تَقَعُ فِي الصُّوفِ وَالثَّوْبِ تَأْكُلُهُ.
Al-Qadih: a worm that falls into wool and clothing and eats it.
- 4.الْأَرْضَةُ: دُودَةٌ تَأْكُلُ الْخَشَبَ.
Al-Ardah: a worm that eats wood.