Luqman's Wisdom and Trial

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كَانَ لُقْمَانُ الْحَكِيمُ عَبْدًا نُوبِيًّا أَسْوَدًا

Luqman the Wise was a black Nubian slave.

وَكَانَ قَدْ أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْحِكْمَةَ

And Allah, the Most High, had given him the wisdom.

وَكَانَ لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلِ اِشْتَرَاهُ بِثَلَاثِينَ مِثْقَالًا

And there was a man from the Children of Israel who bought him for thirty mithqals.

وَنِشٌ يعْنى نِصْفَ مِثْقَال

And nush means half a mithqal.

وَكَانَ يَعْمَلُ لَهُ

And he used to work for him.

وَكَانَ مَوْلَاهُ يلْعَب بِالنَّرْدِ يُقَامِرُ عَلَيْهِ

And his master would play dice, gambling against him.

وَكَانَ عَلَى بَابه نَهْرٌ جَار

And there was a flowing river at his door.

فَلَعِبَ يَوْمًا بِالنَّرْدِ عَلَى أَن مَنْ قَمَرَ صَاحبه

So one day he played dice, betting that whoever was his companion's moon.

شُرْبٍ المَاء الَّذِي فِي النَّهر كُله أَو افتدي مِنْهُ

He drank all the water that was in the river, or he redeemed himself from it.

وَإِن هُوَ قَمَرَ صَاحبه فِعْلُ بِهِ مِثْلِ ذَلِك

And if he was his companion's moon, he did the same to him.

قَالَ فَقَمَرَ سَيِّدُ لُقْمَان

He said, 'Then Qamar, the master of Luqman.'

فَقَالَ لَهُ الْقَامِرُ اشْرب مَا فِي النَّهر

Then the moon said to him, "Drink what is in the river."

وَإِلَّا فَافْتَدِ مِنْهُ

Otherwise, ransom it from him.

قَالَ فَسَأَلَنِي الْفِدَاءَ

He said, "Then he asked me for the ransom."

قَالَ عَيْنَيْكَ أَفْقِئْهُمَا أَوْ جَمِيعَ مَا تَمْلِكُ

He said, "Gouge out your two eyes, or everything you own."

قَالَ أَمْهِلْنِي يَوْمَيْ هَذَا

He said, "Grant me these two days."

قَالَ لَكَ ذَلِكَ

He told you that.

قَالَ فَأَمْسَى كَئِيبًا حَزِينًا

He said, and by evening he became dejected and sad.

إِذْ جَاءَهُ لُقْمَانُ وَقَدْ حَمَلَ حُزْمَةً عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ

When Luqman came to him, carrying a bundle on his back.

فَسلم عَلَى سَيّده ثمَّ وَضَعَ مَا مَعَه وَرجع إِلَى سَيّده

He greeted his master, then put down what he had and returned to his master.

وَكَانَ سَيّده إِذا رَآهُ عَبث بِهِ

And whenever his master saw him, he would play with him.

وَيَسْمَعُ مِنْهُ الْكَلِمَةَ الْحَكِيمَةَ فَيَعْجَبُ مِنْهُ

He hears the wise word from him and is amazed by him.

فَلَمَّا جَلَسَ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ لِسَيِّدِهِ مَا لِي أَرَاكَ كَئِبًا حَزِينًا

When he sat down beside him, he said to his master, "What is the matter? I see you downcast and sorrowful."

فَاعْرِضْ عَنهُ

Then turn away from him.

فَقَالَ لَهُ الثَّانِيَةُ مِثْلِ ذَلِكَ فَاعْرِضْ عَنْهُ

Then the second one said the same thing to him, so turn away from him.

ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ الثَّالِثَةُ مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ فَاعْرِضْ عَنْهُ

Then the third said the same to him, so turn away from him.

فَقَالَ لَهُ أَخْبِرْنِي فَلَعَلَّ لَكَ عِنْدِي فَرَجًا

Then he said to him, "Tell me; perhaps I have some relief for you."

فَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ الْقِصَّةَ

So he recounted the story to him.

فَقَالَ لَهُ لُقْمَان لَا تَغْتَمْ فَإِن لَك عِنْدِي فَرْجًا

Then Luqman said to him, "Do not be distressed, for indeed you have relief with me."

قَالَ وَمَا هُوَ

He said, "And what is it?"

قَالَ إِذَا أَتَاكَ الرَّجُلُ فَقَالَ لَكَ اِشْرَبْ مَا فِي النَّهْرِ

He said, "If a man comes to you and tells you, 'Drink what is in the river.'"

فَقُلْ لَهُ إِشْرَبْ مَا بَيْنَ ضِفَّتَيَّ النَّهْرِ أَوِ الْمَدِّ

Then say to him, "Drink whatever is between my two banks, the river or the tide."

فَإِنَّهُ سَيَقُولُ لَكَ إِشْرَبْ مَا بَيْنَ الضِّفَّتَيْنِ

He will say to you, "Drink what is between the two banks."

فَإِذَا قَالَ لَكَ ذَلِكَ فَقُلْ لَهُ اِحْبِسْ عَنِّي الْمَدَّ

So if he says that to you, say to him, "Hold back the tide from me."

حَتَّى اشرب مَا بَين الضِّفَّتَيْنِ

Until I drink what is between the two banks.

فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَحْبِسَ عَنْكَ الْمَدَّ

For he cannot hold back the tide from you.

وَتَكُونُ قَدْ خَرَجْتَ مِمَّا ضَمِنتَ لَهُ

And you will already have left what you guaranteed to him.

فَعرف سَيّده أَنه قَدْ صَدَقَ فَطَابَتْ نَفسه

Then his master realized that he had been truthful, and his soul was pleased.

فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ جَاءَهُ الرَّجُلُ

So when morning came, the man came to him.

فَقَالَ لَهُ فَوَلِّ بِشَرْطِيِ

So he said to him, "Accept my condition."

قَالَ لَهُ نِعْمَ اِشْرَبْ مَا بَيْنَ الضِّفَّتَيْنِ أَوْ الْمَدَّ

He said to him, "All right, drink what is between the two banks or the tide."

قَالَ لَا بَلْ مَا بَيْنَ الضِّفَّتَيْنِ

He said, "No; rather, drink what is between the two banks."

قَالَ فَاِحْبِسْ عَنِّي الْمَدَّ

He said, "Then hold the tide back from me."

قَالَ كَيْفَ أَسْتَطِيعُ

He said, "How can I do it?"

قَالَ فَخَصْمُهُ

He said, then he disputed with him.

قَالَ فَإِعْتَقَهُ مَوْلَاهُ

He said, and then his master freed him.