al bukhala al jahiz

Page 97

وَسَأَلَand askedزِيَادٌ1Ziyadعَنْaboutرَجُلٍa manمِنْfromأَصْحَابِهِhis companions

And Ziyad asked about a man from his companions.

فَقِيلَso it was saidإِنَّهُthat heلَمُلَازِمٌis persistentوَمَاand notيَغُبُّ2he missesغَدَاءَthe lunchالْأَمِيرِof the prince

So it was said: He is persistent and never misses the prince's lunch.

فَقَالَso he saidزِيَادٌZiyadفَلْيَغُبَّهُlet him miss it

So Ziyad said: Let him miss it.

فَإِنَّforذَلِكَthatمِمَّاof whatيَضُرُّharmsبِالْعِيَالِthe dependents

For that harms the dependents.

فَأَلْزَمُوهُso they made him adhere toالْغَبَّmissing

So they made him adhere to missing it.

فَعَابُواso they blamedزِيَادًاZiyadبِذَلِكَfor that

So they blamed Ziyad for that.

وَزَعَمُواand they claimedأَنَّهُthat heاسْتَثْقَلَfelt burdened byحُضُورَهُhis presenceفِيinكُلِّeveryيَوْمٍday

And they claimed that he felt burdened by his presence every day.

وَأَرَادَand he intendedأَنْtoيَزْجُرَ3scoldبِهِby itغَيْرَهُothers

And he intended to scold others by it.

فَيَسْقُطَso that it fallsعَنْfromنَفْسِهِhimselfوَعَنْand fromمَالِهِhis wealthمَئُونَةٌa burdenعَظِيمَةٌ4great

So that a great burden would fall from himself and his wealth.

وَإِنَّمَاonlyكَانَwasذَلِكَthatمِنْfromزِيَادٍZiyadعَلَىinجِهَةِthe mannerالنَّظَرِof lookingلِلْعِيَالَاتِfor the dependents

And that was only from Ziyad in the manner of looking after the dependents.

وَكَمَاand asيَنْظُرُlooksالرَّاعِيthe shepherdلِلرَّعِيَّةِat the flock

And as the shepherd looks at the flock.

عَلَىin accordance withمَذْهَبِthe wayعُمَرَof UmarابْنِibnالْخَطَّابِAl-Khattabرَضِيَmay be pleasedاللهُAllahعَنْهُwith him

In accordance with the way of Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.

وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidالْحَسَنُAl-Hasan

And indeed Al-Hasan said:

تَشَبَّهَimitatedزِيَادٌZiyadبِعُمَرَUmarفَأَفْرَطَ5and exceeded bounds

Ziyad imitated Umar and exceeded bounds.

وَتَشَبَّهَand imitatedالْحَجَّاجُAl-HajjajبِزِيَادٍZiyadفَأَهْلَكَand destroyedالنَّاسَthe people

And Al-Hajjaj imitated Ziyad and destroyed the people.

فَجَعَلْتُمْand you madeذَلِكَthatعَيْبًاa flawمِنْهُof him

And you made that a flaw of him.

وَقَالَand saidيُوسُفُYusufابْنُibnعُمَرَUmarلِقُوَّامِto the supervisorsمَوَائِدِهِof his tables

And Yusuf ibn Umar said to the supervisors of his tables:

أَعْظِمُواmake greatالثَّرِيدَةَthe tharidفَإِنَّهَاfor itلُقْمَةُthe biteالدَّرْدَاءِ6of the toothless

Make the tharid great, for it is the bite of the toothless.

فَقَدْindeedيَحْضُرُattendsطَعَامَكُمْyour foodالشَّيْخُthe old manالَّذِيwhoقَدْalreadyذَهَبَwentفَمُهُhis mouth

Indeed, the old man whose mouth is gone attends your food.

وَالصَّبِيِّand the childالَّذِيwhoلَمْnotيَنْبُتْhas grownفَمُهُhis teeth

And the child whose teeth have not grown.

وَأَطْعِمُوهُمْand feed themمَاwhatيَعْرِفُونَthey know

And feed them what they know.

فَإِنَّهُfor itأَنْجَعُmore effectiveوَأَشْفَىand more curingلِلْقَرَمِ7for hunger

For it is more effective and more curing for hunger.

فَقُلْتُمْAnd you saidإِنَّمَاonlyأَرَادَhe intendedالْعَجَلَةَhasteوَالرَّاحَةَand ease

And you said: He only intended haste and ease.

بِسُرْعَةِby speedالْفَرَاغِof finishing

By speed of finishing.

وَأَنْand thatيَكِيدَهُمْhe deceives themبِالثَّرِيدِwith tharid

And that he deceives them with tharid.

وَيَمْلَأَand fillsصُدُورَهُمْtheir chestsبِالْعِرَاقِ8with Iraq

And fills their chests with Iraq.

وَقَدْand indeedقَالَsaidرَسُولُthe Messengerاللهِof AllahصَلَّىmayاللهُAllahعَلَيْهِupon himوَسَلَّمَand peace

And indeed the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

سَيِّدُthe masterالطَّعَامِof foodالثَّرِيدُis tharid

The master of food is tharid.

وَمَثَلُand the exampleعَائِشَةَof Aishaفِيamongالنِّسَاءِwomenكَمَثَلِis like the exampleالثَّرِيدِof tharidفِيamongالطَّعَامِfood

And the example of Aisha among women is like the example of tharid among food.

وَلِعِظَمِand due to the greatnessصِفَةِof descriptionالثَّرِيدِof tharidفِيinأَعْيُنِthe eyesقُرَيْشٍof Quraysh

And due to the greatness of the description of tharid in the eyes of Quraysh,

Footnotes

  1. 1.زِيَادُ بْنُ أَبِيهِ

    Ziyad ibn Abihi (Ziyad, son of his father), the Umayyad governor.

  2. 2.الْغَبُّ: أَنْ يَشْرَبَ الْإِبِلُ يَوْمًا وَيَوْمًا لَا.

    Al-Ghabb: that the camels drink one day and not the next.

  3. 3.الزَّجْرُ: النَّهْيُ وَالتَّوْبِيخُ.

    Az-Zajr: forbidding and rebuking.

  4. 4.الْمَئُونَةُ: الثِّقْلُ وَالْمُؤْنَةُ.

    Al-Ma'una: the burden and the expense.

  5. 5.أَفْرَطَ: تَجَاوَزَ الْحَدَّ فِي الشَّيْءِ.

    Afrata: he exceeded the limit in the matter.

  6. 6.الدَّرْدَاءُ: الَّتِي سَقَطَتْ أَسْنَانُهَا.

    Ad-Darda': the one whose teeth have fallen out.

  7. 7.الْقَرَمُ: شِدَّةُ شَهْوَةِ اللَّحْمِ، وَهُنَا كِنَايَةٌ عَنِ الْجُوعِ.

    Al-Qaram: intense craving for meat, and here it is a metaphor for hunger.

  8. 8.الْعِرَاقُ: مَا يُصِيبُهُ الْإِنْسَانُ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ عِنْدَ الِامْتِلَاءِ.

    Al-Iraq: what a person gets of food when full (i.e., satiety).