قُرَيْشٍ،Quraysh,وَفِيand inنُبْلِnobilityالْهِمَّةِ،of ambition,وَأَصَالَةِand authenticityالرَّأْيِ،of opinion,وَجَوْدَةِand qualityالْبَيَانِ،of speech,وَكَمَالِand perfectionالْجِسْمِ،of body,وَفِيand inتَمَامِcompletenessالنَّفْسِof soulعِنْدَatالْجَوْلَةِ،the charge,وَعِنْدَand atتَقَصُّفِbreakingالرِّمَاحِ،of spears,وَتَقَطُّعِand severingالسُّيُوفِ)of swords)رَجُلًاa manعَلَىonمَائِدَتِهِ،his table,مَجْهُولَunknownالدَّارِ،of origin,غَيْرَnotمَعْرُوفِknownالنَّسَبِ،of lineage,وَلَاand notمَذْكُورٍmentionedبِيَوْمٍfor a dayصَالِحٍ.of virtue.
Quraysh, and in nobility of ambition, authenticity of opinion, quality of speech, perfection of body, and in completeness of soul at the charge, and at the breaking of spears and severing of swords) a man at his table, unknown of origin, not known of lineage, nor mentioned for a good day.
فَأَبْصَرَSo he sawفِيinلُقْمَتِهِhis morselشَعْرَةً،a hair,فَقَالَ:and said:خُذِTakeالشَّعْرَةَthe hairمِنْfromلُقْمَتِكَ.your morsel.
So he saw a hair in his morsel and said: "Take the hair from your morsel."
وَلَاAnd notوَجْهَfaceلِهَذَاfor thisالْقَوْلِsayingمِنْهُfrom himإِلَّاexceptمَحْضُpureالنَّصِيحَةِ،advice,وَالْإِلَّاand otherwiseالشَّفَقَةُ.compassion.
And there was no reason for this saying from him except pure advice and otherwise compassion.
فَقَالَAnd he saidالرَّجُلُ:the man:وَإِنَّكَAnd indeed youلَتَرَاعِينِيdo watch meمُرَاعَاةَwith watchingمَنْof one whoيُبْصِرُseesمَعَهَاwith itالشَّعْرَةَ؟the hair?
And the man said: "And indeed you watch me with the watching of one who sees the hair with it?"
لَاNotجَلَسْتُI will sitلَكَfor youعَلَىatمَائِدَةٍa tableمَاas long asحَيِيتُ،I live,وَلَأُحْكِيَنَّهَاand I will surely narrate itعَنْكَabout youمَاas long asبَقِيتُ.I remain.
"I will not sit at a table for you as long as I live, and I will surely narrate it about you as long as I remain."
فَلَمْAnd notيَدْرِhe knewالنَّاسُthe peopleأَيُّwhichأَمْرَيْof the two mattersمُعَاوِيَةَof Mu'awiyaكَانَwasأَحْسَنَbetterوَأَجْمَلَ:and more beautiful:تَغَافُلُهُhis feigning ignoranceعَنْهُof himأَمْorشَفَقَتُهُhis compassionعَلَيْهِ.on him.
So the people did not know which of Mu'awiya's two matters was better and more beautiful: his feigning ignorance of him or his compassion on him.
فَكَانَAnd it wasهَذَاthisجَزَاؤُهُhis recompenseمِنْهُ،from him,وَشُكْرُهُand his gratitudeلَهُ.to him.
So this was his recompense from him, and his gratitude to him.
ثُمَّThenقَالَ:he said:وَكَيْفَAnd howأُطْعِمُdo I feedمَنْone whoإِنْifرَأَيْتُهُI saw himيُقَصِّرُbeing deficientفِيinالْأَكْلِeatingفَقُلْتُand I saidلَهُto himكُلْ،eat,وَلَاand do notتُقَصِّرْbe deficientفِيinالْأَكْلِ.eating.
Then he said: "And how do I feed one who, if I saw him being deficient in eating, I said to him: 'Eat, and do not be deficient in eating.'"
قَالَ:He said:وَلِمَAnd whyفَطِنَdid he noticeلِفَضْلِthe superiorityمَاof whatبَيْنَbetweenالتَّقْصِيرِdeficiencyوَغَيْرِهِ؟and other than it?وَإِنْAnd ifقَصَّرَhe was deficientفَلِمَthen whyلَمْdid notأُنَشِّطْهُ،I encourage him,وَلَمْand did notأَحُثَّهُ.urge him.
He said: "And why did he notice the superiority of what is between deficiency and other than it? And if he was deficient, then why did I not encourage him and urge him?"
قَالَHe saidلَوْلَاif notأَنَّهُthat heوَافَقَagreed withهَوَاهُ.his desire.
He said: "If not that he agreed with his desire."
ثُمَّThenقَالَ:he said:وَمَدَّAnd stretchedرَجُلٌa manمِنْfromبَنِيthe tribe ofتَمِيمٍTamimيَدَهُhis handإِلَىtoصَاحِبِthe ownerالشَّرَابِof the drinkيَسْتَسْقِيهِ،asking him for drink,وَهُوَwhile heعَلَىatخِوَانِthe tableالْمُهَلَّبِ،of al-Muhallab,فَلَمْand notيَرَهُhe saw himالسَّاقِي،the cupbearer,وَلَمْand notيَفْطِنْhe noticedلَهُ.him.
Then he said: And a man from Banu Tamim stretched his hand to the owner of the drink asking him for drink, while he was at al-Muhallab's table, and the cupbearer did not see him nor notice him.
فَفَعَلَAnd he didذَلِكَthatمِرَارًاrepeatedlyوَالْمُهَلَّبُwhile al-Muhallabيَرَاهُ،seeing him,وَقَدْand indeedأَمْسَكَhe held backعَنِfromالْأَكْلِeatingإِلَىuntilأَنْthatيُسِيغَhe swallowsلُقْمَتَهُhis morselبِالشَّرَابِ.with the drink.
So he did that repeatedly while al-Muhallab was seeing him, and he had held back from eating until he could swallow his morsel with the drink.
فَلَمَّاAnd whenطَالَbecame longذَلِكَthatعَلَىonالْمُهَلَّبِ،al-Muhallab,قَالَ:he said:اسْقِهِGive him drinkيَاOغُلَامُboyمَاwhatأَحَبَّhe likesمِنَofالشَّرَابِ.the drink.
And when that became long on al-Muhallab, he said: "Give him drink, O boy, what he likes of the drink."
فَلَمَّاAnd whenسَقَاهُhe gave him drinkاسْتَقَلَّهُ،he considered it little,وَطَلَبَand requestedالزِّيَادَةَincreaseمِنْهُ.of it.
And when he gave him drink, he considered it little and requested an increase of it.
وَكَانَAnd he wasالْمُهَلَّبُal-Muhallabأَوْصَاهُمْhad instructed themبِالْإِقْلَالِto reduceمِنَofالْمَاءِwaterوَالْإِكْثَارِand to increaseمِنَofالْخُبْزِ.bread.
And al-Muhallab had instructed them to reduce water and increase bread.
قَالَHe saidالتَّمِيمِيُّ:the Tamimi:إِنَّكَIndeed youلَسَرِيعٌare quickإِلَىtoالسَّقْيِ،giving drink,سَرِيعٌquickإِلَىtoالزِّيَادَةِ.increase.وَحَبَسَAnd he withheldيَدَهُhis handعَنِfromالطَّعَامِ.the food.
The Tamimi said: "Indeed you are quick to giving drink, quick to increase." And he withheld his hand from the food.
فَقَالَAnd he saidالْمُهَلَّبُ:al-Muhallab:إِلَهْO GodعَنْfromهَذَاthisأَيُّهَاOالرَّجُلُ،man,فَإِنَّfor indeedهَذَاthisلَاnotيَنْفَعُكَbenefits youوَلَاand notيَضُرُّنَا.harms us.أَرَدْنَاWe intendedأَمْرًاa matterوَأَرَدْتَand you intendedخِلَافَهُ.its opposite.
And al-Muhallab said: "O God, turn away from this, O man, for indeed this does not benefit you nor harm us. We intended a matter and you intended its opposite."
وَقَدْAnd indeedعَلِمْتُI knowأَنِّيthat Iدُونَbelowمُعَاوِيَةَ،Mu'awiya,وَدُونَand belowالْمُهَلَّبِal-Muhallabبْنِson ofأَبِيAbiصَفْرَةَ1Safraوَأَنَّهُمْand that they
And indeed I know that I am below Mu'awiya, and below al-Muhallab ibn Abi Safra, and that they...