Maqamat

Tsa ibn Hisham related to us and said: Separation once hurled me hither and thither until I reached the utmost confines of Jurjdn .’ Here, to fortify myself against the days, I took some arable land which I proceeded to cultivate. I invested in some goods as my stock-in-trade, settled upon a shop as my place of business, and selected some friends whom I made my companions. I stayed at home in the morning and in the evening, and, between these times, I was at the shop .

Now one day, when we were seated together discussing poetry and poets, there was sitting, but a short distance off, a youth listening as if he understood, and remaining silent as though he did not know, until we were carried away by our discussion and lengthy disputation, when he said: ‘Ye have found the little palm tree loaded with fruit, and got the little rubbing-post. If I so desired, I could talk and that eloquently, and, were I to speak, I should quench their thirst for knowledge. Yea, I would make the truth clear in the arena of eloquence so as to cause the deaf to hear and draw down the white-footed goats from their mountain haunts.’ So I said: 1 2 3 4 O learned one! Come near, for thou hast inspired us with the feeling that we shall derive much benefit from thee. Speak, for thou hast cut thy wisdom tooth.’ He then approached and said: 4 Question me, and I will answer you. Listen, and I will delight you/ So we asked him: 4 What dost thou say regarding Imr al-Qais? ’ He said: 4 He was the first to stand lamenting over the encampments and their areas, who set out early while the birds were still in their nests, and described the points of the horse . He did not compose poetry for gain, nor speak eloquently from covetousness and, therefore, he was superior to him whose tongue was loosened designingly and whose fingers were foraging for a prize. ’ We next asked: 4 What dost thou say to Nabigah? ’ He answered: 4 He is as ready to revile, when he is angry, as he is to eulogize when he is pleased; he makes excuses when he is frightened and he shoots not but he hits/ We asked: 4 What sayest thou to Zuheir? He answered: 4 Zuheir melts poetry and poetry melts him. He summons words and enchantment answers him/ We said: ‘What dost thou say to Tarafa? He replied • ‘He is the very water and clay of poetry, the treasure-house and metropolis of its rhymes. He died before his secret treasures came to light, or the locks of his store-houses were opened.’ We said: * What sayest thou to Jarir and Farazdaq, and which of them is superior?’ He answered: ‘Jarir’s poetry is sweeter and more copious, but Farazdaq’s is more vigorous and more brilliant. Again Jarir is a more caustic satirist and can tell of more celebrated battles, whereas al-Farazdaq is more ambitious and belongs to the nobler clan . Jarir, when he sings the praises of the fair, draws tears. When he vituperates, he destroys, but, when he eulogizes, he exalts. And al-Farazdaq in glorying is all-sufficient. When he scorns he degrades, hut, when he praises, he renders the full meed.’ We said: ‘What is thy opinion of the modern and the ancient poets? ’ He answered: 1 The language of the ancients is nobler and their themes more delightful, whereas the conceits of the moderns are more refined and their style more elegant.’ We then said: ‘If thou wouldst only exhibit some of thy poetry and tell us something about thyself.’ He replied: ‘Here are answers to both questions in one essay: —