كانَthere was لِسُلطانٍfor a sultan نَديمٌa boon companion وافِfaithful
كانَ لِسُلطانٍ نَديمٌ وافِ
يُعيدُhe repeats ماwhat قالَhe said بِلاwithout اِختِلافِchange
يُعيدُ ما قالَ بِلا اِختِلافِ
A sultan had a faithful boon companion,
Who repeated what he said without a change.
وَقَدand sometimes يَزيدُhe increases فيin الثَناpraise عَلَيهِof him
وَقَد يَزيدُ في الثَنا عَلَيهِ
إِذاwhenever رَأىhe saw شَيئاًsomething حَلاwas pleasing لَدَيهِto him
إِذا رَأى شَيئاً حَلا لَدَيهِ
And sometimes praised him all the more
Whenever he saw something that pleased his lord.
وَكانَand was مَولاهُhis master يَرىhe sees وَيَعلَمُand knows
وَكانَ مَولاهُ يَرى وَيَعلَمُ
وَيَسمَعُand hears التَمليقَthe flattery لَكِنbut يَكتُمُkeeps it hidden
وَيَسمَعُ التَمليقَ لَكِن يَكتُمُ
And his master saw and knew,
And heard the flattery, but kept silent.
فَجَلساthen the two sat يَوماًone day عَلىat الخِوانِthe dining table
فَجَلسا يَوماً عَلى الخِوانِ
وَجيءَand there was brought فيduring الأَكلِthe meal بِباذِنجانِwith eggplant
وَجيءَ في الأَكلِ بِباذِنجانِ
One day the two sat at the dining table,
And eggplant was brought with the meal.
فَأَكَلَthen ate السُلطانُthe sultan مِنهُof it ماwhat أَكَلhe ate
فَأَكَلَ السُلطانُ مِنهُ ما أَكَل
وَقالَand said هَذاthis فيin المَذاقِtaste كَالعَسَلlike honey
وَقالَ هَذا في المَذاقِ كَالعَسَل
The sultan ate some of it,
And said, “This tastes like honey.”
قالَsaid النَديمُthe companion صَدقَspoke the truth السُلطانُthe sultan
قالَ النَديمُ صَدقَ السُلطانُ
لاnot يَستَويare equal شَهدٌhoney in the comb وَباذِنجانُand eggplant
لا يَستَوي شَهدٌ وَباذِنجانُ
The companion said, “The sultan speaks the truth!
Honey is no match for eggplant.
هَذاthis الَّذيwhich غَنىsang بِهِof it الرَئيسُthe Chief
هَذا الَّذي غَنى بِهِ الرَئيسُ
وَقالَand recited فيهِabout it الشِعرَpoetry جالينوسُGalen
وَقالَ فيهِ الشِعرَ جالينوسُ
This is what the Chief sang of,
And Galen spoke of in verse:
يُذهِبُit drives away أَلفَa thousand عِلَّةٍailments وَعِلَّهand one more ailment
يُذهِبُ أَلفَ عِلَّةٍ وَعِلَّه
وَيُبرِدُand cools الصَدرَthe chest وَيَشفيand quenches الغُلَّهburning thirst
وَيُبرِدُ الصَدرَ وَيَشفي الغُلَّه
It drives away a thousand ailments and one,
And cools the chest and quenches burning thirst.”
قالَhe said وَلَكِنand yet عِندَهُit has مَرارَهbitterness
قالَ وَلَكِن عِندَهُ مَرارَه
وَماand not حَمَدتُI praised مَرَّةًonce آثارَهits effects
وَما حَمَدتُ مَرَّةً آثارَه
The sultan said, “But there is bitterness in it,
And never once have I liked its effects.”
قالَhe said نَعَمyes مُرٌّbitter وَهَذاand this عَيبُهits fault
قالَ نَعَم مُرٌّ وَهَذا عَيبُه
مُذever since كُنتُI have existed ياO مَولايَmy lord لاnot أُحِبُّهI like it
مُذ كُنتُ يا مَولايَ لا أُحِبُّه
The companion said, “Yes, it is bitter, and that is its fault;
All my life, my lord, I have disliked it.
هَذاthis الَّذيwhich ماتَdied بِهِfrom it بُقراطُHippocrates
هَذا الَّذي ماتَ بِهِ بُقراطُ
وَسُمَّand was poisoned فيin الكَأسِthe cup بِهِwith it سُقراطُSocrates
وَسُمَّ في الكَأسِ بِهِ سُقراطُ
This is what Hippocrates died of,
And Socrates was poisoned with it in the cup.”
فَاِلتَفَتَthen turned السُلطانُthe sultan فيمَنamong those حَولَهُaround him
فَاِلتَفَتَ السُلطانُ فيمَن حَولَهُ
وَقالَand said كَيفَhow تَجِدونَdo you all find قَولَهhis words
وَقالَ كَيفَ تَجِدونَ قَولَه
Then the sultan turned to those around him
And said, “What do you make of his words?”
قالَsaid النَديمُthe companion ياO مَليكَking الناسِof the people
قالَ النَديمُ يا مَليكَ الناسِ
عُذراًpardon me فَماfor there is no فيin فِعلَتيmy conduct مِنany باسِharm
عُذراً فَما في فِعلَتي مِن باسِ
The companion said, “O king of men,
Pardon me, for there is no harm in what I have done.
جُعِلتُI was appointed كَيso that أُنادِمَI might keep company with السُلطاناthe sultan
جُعِلتُ كَي أُنادِمَ السُلطانا
وَلَمand I have not أُنادِمkept company with قَطُّever باذِنجاناan eggplant
وَلَم أُنادِم قَطُّ باذِنجانا
I was appointed to keep the sultan company,
And never have I kept an eggplant company.”
Sol 6.1