قُلتI said وَمَنand who ذاكَthat فَقالَthen he said تاجرa merchant
قُلت وَمَن ذاكَ فَقالَ تاجر
ذوpossessing ثَروةwealth كانَتthere were لَهُbelonging to him جَواهِرjewels
ذو ثَروة كانَت لَهُ جَواهِر
I asked, “And who was that?” He replied, “A merchant,
A wealthy man who owned jewels.
أَرادَhe wished أَنto يَبعهنَّsell them لملكto a king
أَرادَ أَن يَبعهنَّ لملك
فعابَهاthen disparaged them لَديهin his presence دَلالa broker إفكof deceit
فعابَها لَديه دَلال إفك
He wished to sell them to a king,
But a deceitful broker disparaged them before him,
لعلهhoping he might يكرههاdislike them فيin نَفسهhis heart
لعله يكرهها في نَفسه
وَرُبَّماand perhaps أرخصهاhe would cheapen them بِوَكسهthrough his disparagement
وَرُبَّما أرخصها بِوَكسه
Hoping he would dislike them in his heart,
And perhaps lower their price through his disparagement.
فَقالَthen he said فيهاin them صفرةa yellow tinge تَبينis evident
فَقالَ فيها صفرة تَبين
وثمَّand there is تضريسjaggedness لَهاin them يَشينthat disfigures
وثمَّ تضريس لَها يَشين
He said, ‘There is a yellow tinge in them, plainly visible,
And there is jaggedness that mars them.’
فَردهاthen he returned them مِنfrom وَقتِهاthat very moment فيinto سَفطهhis casket
فَردها مِن وَقتِها في سَفطه
وَقامَand he rose مِنfrom ساعتهhis very hour لغلطهto commit his blunder
وَقامَ مِن ساعته لغلطه
He put them straight back into his casket,
And rose at once to commit his blunder,
يَقولsaying قَدindeed رَأَيتI have read فيin مَكتوبa written text
يَقول قَد رَأَيت في مَكتوب
إصلاحremedying ماwhat فيهاis in them مِنof العُيوبthe flaws
إصلاح ما فيها مِن العُيوب
Saying, ‘I have read in a text
How to remedy the flaws they contain.’
فَدَقَّهاthen he pounded them فيin هاونa mortar وَبلهاand moistened them
فَدَقَّها في هاون وَبلها
بِلَبنwith milk الكَلبof a dog يَريدwishing حَلَّهاto dissolve them
بِلَبن الكَلب يَريد حَلَّها
He pounded them in a mortar and moistened them
With dog's milk, wishing to dissolve them.
وَاعتمدand he sought الشَّمسthe sun بِهاwith them لعلهاhoping it might
وَاعتمد الشَّمس بِها لعلها
تَحلهاdissolve them باويلهwoe to him ماhow أَبلَهاfoolish he was
تَحلها باويله ما أَبلَها
And he took them into the sun, hoping it
Would dissolve them—woe to him, how foolish he was!
وَلَمand did not يَزَلcease فيin مثلthe like of هَذِهthis الحالةcondition
وَلَم يَزَل في مثل هَذِه الحالة
حَتَّىuntil غَدَتthey became مِنbecause of ذاكَthat كَالسّحالةlike filings
حَتَّى غَدَت مِن ذاكَ كَالسّحالة
And he kept on in this same manner,
Until, through all this, they became like filings.
فأَكلthen he gnawed المسكينthe poor man كَفيهhis two hands ندمin regret
فأَكل المسكين كَفيه ندم
كَذاكَsuch is منone who باعsold الوجودexistence بِالعَدَمfor nothingness
كَذاكَ من باع الوجود بِالعَدَم
Then the poor man gnawed his hands in regret.
Such is one who sells existence for nothingness.”
لأعملنI shall surely devise حيلةa stratagem لَطيفةsubtle
لأعملن حيلة لَطيفة
فَالرَأيfor sound judgment زبدthe cream of الهممaspirations الشَّريفةnoble
فَالرَأي زبد الهمم الشَّريفة
“I shall surely devise a subtle stratagem,
For sound judgment is the cream of noble aspirations,
كَامرَأةlike the wife الراعيof the shepherd فَقُلتthen I asked منwho هِيshe is
كَامرَأة الراعي فَقُلت من هِي
جئنيbring me مِنof قصتهاher story بِالكنهthe full substance
جئني مِن قصتها بِالكنه
Like the shepherd's wife.” I asked, “Who is she?
Tell me the full substance of her story.”
Sol 6.1