أَبُوfather of (Abu)شُعَيْبٍShu'aybالْقَلَّالُthe potterوَمُوَيْسٌand Muways
Abu Shu'ayb the potter and Muways
وَهَذَاAnd thisأَبُوfather of (Abu)شُعَيْبٍShu'aybالْقَلَّالُthe potter،,
And this is Abu Shu'ayb the potter...
فِيinتَقْرِيبِthe bringing nearمُوَيْسٍof Muwaysلَهُto himوَأُنْسِهِand his familiarityبِهِwith him
Regarding his bringing Muways close to him and his comfort with him...
،,وَفِيand inإِحْسَانِهِhis kindnessإِلَيْهِto him
and his kindness to him...
،,مَعَdespiteسَخَاتِهِ1his generosity
despite his generosity [footnote 1]...
عَلَىoverالْمَأْكُولِfood،,
regarding food...
وَغَضِّand avertingطَرْفِهِhis gazeعَنِfromالْأَكِيلِthe eater
and his averting his gaze from the one eating...
،,وَقِلَّةِand paucityمُبَالَاتِهِof his concernبِالْحِفْظِfor preserving
and his little concern for preserving food...
،,وَقِلَّةِand paucityاحْتِفَالِهِof his regardبِجَمْعِfor collectingالْكَثِيرِmuch
and his little regard for storing much food...
،,سُئِلَwas askedعَنْهُabout him
He was asked about him...
أَبُوfather of (Abu)شُعَيْبٍShu'ayb
Abu Shu'ayb was asked about him...
،,فَزَعَمَand he claimedأَنَّهُthat heلَمْnotيَرَsaw
and he claimed that he never saw...
قَطُّeverأَشَحَّmore miserlyمِنْهُthan himعَلَىoverالطَّعَامِfood
anyone more miserly than him with food.
قِيلَIt was said::
It was said:
وَكَيْفَAnd how؟?
And how?
قَالَHe said::
He said:
يَدُلُّكَindicates to youعَلَىonذَلِكَthat
That indicates to you...
أَنَّهُthat heيَصْنَعُهُmakes itصَنْعَةًa making
that he prepares it in a way...
،,وَيُهَيِّئُهُand arranges itتَهْيِئَةًan arrangingمِنْof oneلَاnotيُرِيدُwants
and arranges it like one who does not want...
أَنْtoيَمَسَّtouch
to touch it...
،,فَضْلًاlet aloneعَلَىonغَيْرِotherذَلِكَthan that
let alone anything else.
وَكَيْفَAnd howيَجْتَرِئُdaresالضِّرْسُthe molarعَلَىtoإِفْسَادِcorruptingذَلِكَthatالْحُسْنِbeauty
And how does the tooth dare to spoil that beauty...
،,وَنَقْضِand undoingذَلِكَthatالنَّظْمِarrangement
and undo that arrangement...
،,وَعَلَىand toتَفْرِيقِdispersingذَلِكَthat
and disperse it...
،,وَقَدْwhileعَلِمَhe knowsأَنَّthatحُسْنَهُits beautyيَحْشُمُ2is awe-inspiring
while he knows that its beauty inspires awe [footnote 2]...
،,وَأَنَّand thatجَمَالَهُits eleganceيُهَيَّبُis regarded with aweمِنْهُbecause of it
and that its elegance makes one wary of it.
فَلَوْFor ifكَانَhe had beenسَخِيًّاgenerous
For if he were generous...
لَمْnotيَمْنَعْhe would not preventمِنْهُfrom itبِهَذَاwith thisالسِّلَاحِweapon
he would not withhold it with this weapon...
،,وَلَمْand notيَجْعَلْhe would not makeدُونَهُbefore itالْجُنَنَshields
and he would not put shields before it.
فَحَوَّلَSo he turnedإِحْسَانَهُhis kindnessإِسَاءَةًinto harm
So he turned his kindness into harm...
،,وَبَذْلُهُand his givingمَنْعًاinto refusal
and his giving into refusal...
،,وَاسْتِدْعَاءُهُand his invitingإِلَيْهِto himنَهْيًاinto prohibition
and his invitation into forbidding.
قَالَHe said::
He said:
ثُمَّThenقِيلَit was saidلِأَبِيto Abuالْحَارِثِal-Harith
Then it was said to Abu al-Harith...
جُمَيِّنَJumayyin
Jumayyin:
::كَيْفَhowوَجْهُfaceمُحَمَّدِof MuhammadبْنِibnيَحْيَىYahya
How is Muhammad ibn Yahya's countenance...
عَلَىatغِذَائِهِhis meal؟?
at his meal?
قَالَHe said::
He said:
أَمَّاAs forعَيْنَاهُhis two eyesفَعَيْنَاthey are the two eyesمَجْنُونٍof a madman
As for his eyes, they are the eyes of a madman.
وَقَالَAnd he saidفِيهِabout himأَيْضًاalso::
And he also said about him:
لَوْIfكَانَthere wereفِيinكَفِّهِhis palmكُرٌّ3a heap
If in his palm there were a heap [footnote 3]...
خَرْدَلٍof mustard seed
of mustard seed...
،,ثُمَّthenلَعِبَhe playedبِهِwith itلَعِبَthe playالْأُبُلِّيِّ4of the man from Ubulla
then played with it as the man from Ubulla plays [footnote 4]...
بِالْأَكَرَةِ5with the ball
with the ball [footnote 5]...
،,لَمَاnotسَقَطَتْwould fallمِنْfromبَيْنِbetweenأَصَابِعِهِhis fingersحَبَّةٌa grainوَاحِدَةٌone
not a single grain would fall from between his fingers.
وَقِيلَAnd it was saidلَهُto himأَيْضًاalso::
And it was also said to him:
كَيْفَhowسَخَاؤُهُis his generosityعَلَىregardingالْخُبْزِbreadخَاصَّةًespecially؟?
How is his generosity regarding bread in particular?
قَالَHe said::
He said:
وَاللهِBy God
By God...
،,لَوْifأُلْقِيَwere thrownإِلَيْهِto himمِنَofالطَّعَامِfoodبِقَدْرِthe amount of
if food were thrown to him in the amount...
مَاwhatإِذَاifجُدِسَit rained heavily
that if it rained heavily...
،,نَزِفَwould drainالسَّحَابُthe cloudsلَوْifثُرَّ6they were stirred
the clouds would drain if they were stirred [footnote 6]...
،,مَاnotتَجَافَىhe would not refrainعَنْfromرَغِيفٍa loaf
he would not refrain from a single loaf.
Footnotes
- 1.سَخَاتِهِ: قِرَاءَةٌ بِالْفَتْحِ وَالْكَسْرِ، وَالْمَعْنَى: جُودِهِ وَكَرَمِهِ.
Sakhatihi: read with fatha or kasra, meaning his generosity and liberality.
- 2.يَحْشُمُ: أَيْ يَسْتَحْيِي وَيَهَابُ، وَالْمَعْنَى أَنَّ حُسْنَ الطَّعَامِ يَجْعَلُ الْآكِلَ يَسْتَحْيِي مِنْ إِفْسَادِهِ.
Yahshumu: meaning he feels shy and in awe; the idea is that the beauty of the food makes the eater shy from spoiling it.
- 3.كُرٌّ: مِكْيَالٌ لِلْحُبُوبِ، وَقِيلَ: قَدْرُ مَا يَمْلَأُ كَفَّيِ الرَّجُلِ.
Kurr: a measure for grains, said to be the amount that fills a man's two hands.
- 4.الْأُبُلِّيُّ: نِسْبَةٌ إِلَى أُبُلَّةَ، وَهِيَ بَلْدَةٌ قَرِيبَةٌ مِنَ الْبَصْرَةِ، وَكَانَ أَهْلُهَا مَشْهُورِينَ بِلَعِبِ الْكُرَةِ.
Al-Ubulli: an attribution to Ubulla, a town near Basra, whose inhabitants were famous for playing ball.
- 5.الْأَكَرَةُ: الْكُرَةُ الَّتِي يُلْعَبُ بِهَا، وَجَمْعُهَا أَكَرٌ.
Al-akara: the ball used for playing; its plural is akar.
- 6.ثُرَّ: أَيْ هَيَّجَ وَأَثَارَ، يُقَالُ: ثَرَرْتُ الْإِبِلَ إِذَا هَيَّجْتَهَا.
Thurra: meaning stirred up and agitated; one says 'tharartu al-ibil' when you stir up camels.