الْحَجَرُthe stone،,وَمَاand whatأَشْبَهَresemblesالْحَجَرَthe stone..
The stone, and what resembles the stone.
وَقُلْتُAnd I saidلَهُto himمَرَّةًonce::أَعَلِمْتَDid you knowأَنَّthatخُبْزَbreadالْبَلَدِيِّthe localيَنْبُتُgrowsعَلَيْهِon itشَيْءٌsomethingشَبِيهٌsimilarبِالطِّينِto clay،,وَالْتُّرَابِand dust،,وَالْغُبَارِand dustالْمُتَرَاكِمِaccumulated؟?
And I said to him once: 'Did you know that local bread grows on it something like clay, dirt, and accumulated dust?'
قَالَHe said::حَبَّذَاHow excellentذَلِكَthatمِنْofخُبْزٍbread،,وَلَيْتَهُand would that itقَدْindeedأَشْبَهَresembledالْأَرْضَthe earthبِأَكْثَرَwith moreمِنْthanهَذَاthisالْمِقْدَارِamount؟?
He said: 'How excellent that bread! Would that it resembled the earth more than this amount?'
وَكَانَAnd he wasإِذَاwhenكَانَit wasجَدِيدَnewالْقَمِيصِof the shirtوَمَغْسُولِهِand its washed،,ثُمَّthenأَتَوْهُthey brought himبِكُلِّwith everyبَخُورٍincenseفِيinالْأَرْضِthe earth،,لَمْdid notيَتَبَخَّرْfumigate himself،,مَخَافَةَfearingأَنْthatيُسَوِّدَwould blackenدُخَانُthe smokeالْعُودِof the aloe woodبَيَاضَthe whitenessقَمِيصِهِof his shirt..
And when his shirt was new and freshly washed, then they brought him every incense in the land, he would not fumigate himself, fearing that the smoke of aloe wood would blacken the whiteness of his shirt.
فَإِنِFor ifاتَّسَخَit became dirtyفَأُتِيَthen broughtبِالْبَخُورِwith incense،,لَمْnotيَرْضَhe would be satisfiedبِالتَّبَخُّرِwith fumigating،,وَاسْتَقْصَاءِand the utmostمَاwhatفِيinالْعُودِthe aloe woodمِنْofالْقَتَارِ1the smoke،,حَتَّىuntilيَدْعُوَhe would call forبِدُهْنٍwith oil،,فَيَمْسَحُand wipeبِهِwith itصَدْرَهُhis chestوَبَطْنَهُand his belly،,وَدَاخِلَةَand the insideإِزَارِهِof his loincloth،,ثُمَّthenيَتَبَخَّرُhe would fumigate،,لِيَكُونَso that it would beأَعْلَقَmore clingingلِلْبَخُورِto the incense..
If it became dirty, and incense was brought, he would not be satisfied with mere fumigation and the utmost of what is in the aloe wood of smoke, until he would call for oil, and wipe his chest, his belly, and the inside of his loincloth with it, then fumigate, so that it would be more clinging to the incense.
وَكَانَAnd he used toيَقُولُsay::حَبَّذَاHow excellentالشِّتَاءُthe winter،,فَإِنَّهُfor itيَحْفَظُpreservesعَلَيْكَfor youرَائِحَةَthe scentالْبَخُورِof incense،,وَلَاand notيَحْمُضُsoursفِيهِin itالنَّبِيذُthe wine،,إِنْifتُرِكَleftمَفْتُوحًاopen،,وَلَاand notيَفْسُدُspoilsفِيهِin itمَرَقٌbrothإِنْifبَقِيَremainsأَيَّامًاdays..
And he used to say: 'How excellent is winter, for it preserves for you the scent of incense, and wine does not sour in it if left open, and broth does not spoil in it if it remains for days.'
وَكَانَAnd he wasلَاnotيَتَبَخَّرُfumigateإِلَّاexceptفِيinمَنَازِلِthe housesأَصْحَابِهِof his friends..
And he would not fumigate except in the houses of his friends.
فَإِذَاSo whenكَانَit wasفِيinالصَّيْفِthe summer،,دَعَاhe called forبِثِيَابِهِfor his clothes،,فَلَبِسَهَاand put them onعَلَىoverقَمِيصِهِhis shirt،,لِكَيْلَاso that notيَضِيعَwould be lostمِنَofالْبَخُورِthe incense،,شَيْءٌanything..
And when it was summer, he would call for his clothes and put them on over his shirt, so that nothing of the incense would be lost.
وَقَالَAnd he saidمَرَّةًonce::إِنَّIndeedلِلشَّيْبِfor gray hairسُهْكَةً2a smell..
And he said once: 'Indeed, gray hair has a smell.'
وَبَيَاضُAnd the whitenessالشَّعْرِof hairالْأَسْوَدِthe blackهُوَit isمَوْتُهُits death،,وَسَوَادُهُand its blacknessحَيَاتُهُits life..
And the whiteness of black hair is its death, and its blackness is its life.
أَلَاDo you notتَرَىseeأَنَّthatمَوْضِعَthe placeدَبْرَةِof the soreالْحِمَارِof the donkeyالْأَسْوَدِthe blackلَاnotيَنْبُتُgrowsإِلَّاexceptأَبْيَضَwhite..
Do you not see that the place of a black donkey's sore grows nothing but white hair?
وَالنَّاسُAnd the peopleلَاdo notيَرْضَوْنَare satisfiedمِنَّاwith us،,فِيinهَذَاthisالْعَسْكَرِarmy،,إِلَّاexceptبِالْعِنَاقِwith embracingوَاللِّثَامِand kissing the mouth..
And the people are not satisfied with us in this army except with embracing and kissing.
وَالطِّيبُAnd perfumeغَالٍis expensive،,وَعَادَتُهُand its habitرَدِيئَةٌis bad..
And perfume is expensive, and its habit is bad.
وَيَنْبَغِيAnd it is advisableلِمَنْfor one whoكَانَisأَيْضًاalsoعِنْدَهُwith him،,أَنْtoيَحْرُسَهُguard itوَيَحْفَظَهُand protect itمِنْfromعِيَالِهِhis family..
And it is advisable for one who has it to guard and protect it from his family.
وَأَنَّAnd thatالْعَطَّارَthe perfumerلَيَخْتِمُهُindeed seals itعَلَىuponأَخَصِّthe most specialغِلْمَانِهِof his servantsبِهِwith it..
And the perfumer seals it with his most trusted servant.
فَلَسْتُSo I do notأَرَىseeشَيْئًاanythingهُوَit isخَيْرٌbetterمِنْthanاتِّخَاذِthe adoption ofمُشْطِa combصَنْدَلٍ3of sandalwood،,فَإِنَّforرِيحَهُits scentطَيِّبَةٌis pleasant،,وَالشَّعْرُand hairسَرِيعُis quickالْقَبُولِof acceptance،,وَأَقَلَّand at leastمَاwhatيَصْنَعُit doesأَنْis toيَنْفِيَremoveسُهْكَةَthe smellالشَّيْبِof gray hair..
So I do not see anything better than adopting a sandalwood comb, for its scent is pleasant, and hair is quick to accept it, and at least it removes the smell of gray hair.
قَصَّرْنَاWe fell shortفِيinحَالٍa stateلَاnotلَنَاfor usوَلَاand notعَلَيْنَاagainst us..
We fell short in a state neither for us nor against us.
فَكَانَSo wasعِطْرُthe perfumeالْحِزَامِيِّof al-Hizamiإِلَىuntilأَنْwhenفَارَقَhe leftالدُّنْيَاthe worldمُشْطَa combصَنْدَلٍof sandalwood،,إِلَّاexceptأَنْthatيُطَيِّبَهُhe perfume itصَدِيقٌa friend..
And the perfume of al-Hizami until he departed the world was a sandalwood comb, except when a friend perfumed it for him.
Footnotes
- 1.الْقَتَارُ: دُخَانُ الْعُودِ وَرَائِحَتُهُ.
Al-qatar: the smoke of aloe wood and its scent.
- 2.السُّهْكَةُ: الرِّيحُ الْمُنْتِنَةُ، وَقِيلَ: رِيحُ الْعَرَقِ.
Al-suhka: a foul smell, and it is said: the smell of sweat.
- 3.الصَّنْدَلُ: خَشَبٌ طَيِّبُ الرَّائِحَةِ يُتَّخَذُ مِنْهُ الْمَشَامِصُ وَغَيْرُهَا.
Sandalwood: a pleasant-smelling wood from which combs and other things are made.