237 92 7MB
English Pages [405] Year 2014
Leg over Leg Volume Three
Library of Arabic Literature Editorial Board General Editor Philip F. Kennedy, New York University Executive Editors James E. Montgomery, University of Cambridge Shawkat M. Toorawa, Cornell University Editors Julia Bray, University of Oxford Michael Cooperson, University of California, Los Angeles Joseph E. Lowry, University of Pennsylvania Tahera Qutbuddin, University of Chicago Devin J. Stewart, Emory University Managing Editor Chip Rossetti Volume Editor Michael Cooperson
Letter from the General Editor
The Library of Arabic Literature is a new series offering Arabic editions and English translations of key works of classical and pre-modern Arabic literature, as well as anthologies and thematic readers. Books in the series are edited and translated by distinguished scholars of Arabic and Islamic studies, and are published in parallel-text format with Arabic and English on facing pages. The Library of Arabic Literature includes texts from the pre-Islamic era to the cusp of the modern period, and encompasses a wide range of genres, including poetry, poetics, fiction, religion, philosophy, law, science, history, and historiography. Supported by a grant from the New York University Abu Dhabi Institute, and established in partnership with NYU Press, the Library of Arabic Literature produces authoritative Arabic editions and modern, lucid English translations, with the goal of introducing the Arabic literary heritage to scholars and students, as well as to a general audience of readers. Philip F. Kennedy General Editor, Library of Arabic Literature
����ت�ا � ك� ب
�� � ا ��ل�� �ا �ق ا ��ل�� �ا �ق س � ع�ل�ى س � ��ف ا � ا �� � ا � ا �ق �ى ��م� ه�و ل��ف� ري� � ف ا �� ا �� ش � ا �ق �� ر س ل����دي� �
ل� � �� � ا� ث م ا� �ج�ل�د ا �ل��ث� �ل�
Leg over Leg or
The Turtle in the Tree concerning
The Fāriyāq What Manner of Creature Might He Be by
Fāris al-Shidyāq Volume Three Edited and translated by Humphrey Davies
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York and London
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS New York and London Copyright © 2014 by New York University All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Shidyaq, Ahmad Faris, 1804?-1887. Leg over leg or, : The turtle in the tree / Faris al-Shidyaq ; edited and translated by Humphrey Davies. volumes cm Bilingual edition In English and Arabic on facing pages. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8147-2937-3 (cl : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-0-8147-4524-3 (e-book) -- ISBN 978-0-8147-4541-0 (e-book) 1. Shidyaq, Ahmad Faris, 1804?-1887. 2. Shidyaq, Ahmad Faris, 1804?-1887--Travel--Middle East. 3. Arabic language--Lexicography. 4. Middle East--Description and travel. I. Davies, Humphrey T. (Humphrey Taman) translator, editor. II. Shidyaq, Ahmad Faris, 1804?-1887. Saq ‘ala al-saq. III. Shidyaq, Ahmad Faris, 1804?-1887. Saq ‘ala al-saq. English. IV. Title. V. Title: Turtle in the tree. PJ7862.H48S213 2013 892.7’8503--dc23 2013007540 CIP New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability. Series design by Titus Nemeth. Typeset in Tasmeem, using DecoType Naskh and Emiri. Typesetting and digitization by Stuart Brown. Manufactured in the United States of America c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Table of Contents
Letter from the General Editor
iii
Leg Over Leg, Volume Three
1
Contents of the Book
4
Firing Up a Furnace
8 52
Love and Marriage Contagion
108
Analepsis
126
Travel, and the Correction of a Common Misconception
134
A Banquet and Various Kinds of Hot Sauce
158
That Stinging Sensation You Feel When You Get Hot Sauce up Your Nose
174
Dreams
176
The Second Dream
184
The Third Dream
190
Physicking the Foul of Breath
200
A Voyage and a Conversation
214
A Maqāmah to Make One Stand
250
Raveningly Ravenously Famished
272
The Journey from the Monastery
280
Ecstasy
288
An Incitement to Nudity
290
A Drain
300
Assorted Wonders
326
A Metropolitan Theft
344
Notes
353
Glossary
381
Index
385
About the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute
394
About the Typefaces
395
About the Editor–Translator
396
vii
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�� ا �ق � � ا ل��س� ع � �ل�ى � ّ
�� ا �ق ا ل��س� �
� � � �ث ا � ث الم ل � �ج�ل�د ا �ل�� � �
Leg Over Leg Volume Three
ك��ت� ��ا � ب
�� ا �ق ا ل��س� �
�ع��ل�ى
� ا �ق ��ف ا �ل��س� � �ى ا �و
� ا � ا �� �ف ا � ا �ق م� ه�و ل�� ري� �
��ف �ع � �� ا �ل�ع ب� � او ��ل�ا ج�ع ��ا � ع او � هور � او � ا �ي�ا � �و�ش�� � � � ى � ج ر م م م م �ت ا ��ل �ف ا ��ل�ع ا �� ف� �ق � ا ��ل � ه ا �� �ز ا �ق � ي�� ب��د ل���ي ر �ى رب� لر � ف �ش ق ف ��ا ر��س ب��ن �ي ��و�� �س� ا �ل����د �ي�ا ��
2
2
Leg over Leg or
The Turtle in the Tree concerning
The Fāriyāq What Manner of Creature Might He Be otherwise entitled
Days, Months, and Years spent in
Critical Examination of
The Arabs and
Their Non-Arab Peers by The Humble Dependent on His Lord the Provider
Fāris ibn Yūsuf al-Shidyāq
3
3
ت �ت ف � �هر��س� ا � ك�� ل��ا ب� ��
�ا � �ف ا � �ل���ص�ل ا �ل� �و�ل � ث ا �ن �ف ا � �ل���ص�ل ا �ل�� ��ى � � �ف ث ا � �ل���ص�ل ا �لث��ا �ل� � � ا � ف�ل���ص� ا �ل ا ��� � ف ل �خربع �ل ا ا �� �ل���ص�ل ا�� �م��س � ف ا ا � �ل���ص�ل ا �ل��س� د ��س � � ا � ف�ل���ص� ا �ل��س�ا ��� � ف ل � بع ا � �ل���ص�ل ا �لث��ا �م�ن � � ا � ف�ل���ص� ا �لت��ا ��س� � ف ل � شع ا ا � �ل���ص�ل ا �ل�ع� ���ر � ش �ا ا � ف�ل���ص� ا ��ل ل ح� د �ى �ع���ر �ف � ث ا ��ن ش ا � �ل���ص�ل ا �ل�� �ى �ع���ر �ف �ث ا � ث ش ا � �ل���ص�ل ا �ل�� �ل� �ع���ر ا �� ف�ل���ص� ا ��ل ا ��� ش ع �ع���ر � ل رب ��ا �م�� � ش ا � ف�ل���ص� ا ��خل ع��� ل س ر ا �� ف�ل���ص� ا ��ل��س�ا د �� � ش ع��� ل س ر ا �� ف�ل���ص� ا ��ل��س�ا ��� � ش ع��� ل بع ر ا �� ف�ل���ص� ا ��لث��ا �م�ن � ش ع��� ل ر ا �� ف�ل���ص� ا ��لت��ا ��س� � ش ع��� ل ع ر ا �� ف�ل���ص� ا ��ل� ش ع���ر�و�ن ل
�ت � � � ا � ك�� ل��ا ب� ا �لث��ا �ل ث� ��ف ا ض ا ت ن ر � ا � ��و� * �� �ى � � � ��ف �� ش قم ��ز � ف � ت ا ن ا �ل���ط خ�ي�ت ا ن ق ���� � او �ل � او�ج �و�ي��ه ا � �ل��ص�ي �د�� � ي�� � � �ى ا ل�ع � �ف � ��ى ا �ل�ع�د �و�ى * ��ف ��ت �ة ا �ور�� * �ى ل � ي �ت ��ف �ح �غ � �� �ف � ش ت � � ��ل� ط ا �����هر * �ص � �ى ��س� ر �و ي � ��ف �ل� �ة ا ح ت ن �ة �و�ع� * �ى �ويم� � او �ب� �ز�ير �م� � �ُ ت �ة ���فى ا ��ل ح �ر� * �ف � �ت � ا �ا � ح�ل�ا � �و��عب��ي�ر�ه�ا * ��فى �ل� � �نم �� ا �ل � حل��� ا �لث��ا ��ى * ى م حل��� ا ��لث��ا ��ل ث ���ف ا ��ل � � * �فى م ��خ ��ى ا �ص�ل�ا � ا ب�ل��ر * ح ��ف �� �ف� ��م ة ح�ا �ور� * �ى س ر �و ��ف ق ا �ة �م�ق� �ة �ى �م��� �م� ي�م� * ��ف � د � �ق� د�ه��ق �و * � � � � �فى ج �وع�ف �ي وع � ع ��ى ا �ل��س� ر�م�ن ا �ل��د �ير * ��ف ا �� ن�� ش ة ���و� * �ى ل � ��ت ّ ّ ��ف ا ��ل � � �ع��ل� ا ل��عر�ى * ��فى ح��ض ى �ة ��ى ب���ل�و�ع� * �ف ��ا ��ئ �ش�� ت �ى * ��ى ج�ع ب� � �ف ق �ة � �� �ن �ة ��ى ��سر�� م�ط ا ر �ي�� *
4
4
6 8 *
52 108 126 134 158 174 176 184 190 200 214 250 272 280 288 290 300 326 344
Contents of the Book
Book Three
7
Chapter 1: Firing Up a Furnace
9
Chapter 2: Love and Marriage, including the Two Titter-making Poems
53
Chapter 3: Contagion
109
Chapter 4: Analepsis
127
Chapter 5: Travel, and the Correction of a Common Misconception
135
Chapter 6: A Banquet and Various Kinds of Hot Sauce
159
Chapter 7: That Stinging Sensation You Feel When You Get Hot Sauce up Your Nose
175
Chapter 8: Dreams and Their Interpretation
177
Chapter 9: The Second Dream
185
Chapter 10: The Third Dream
191
Chapter 11: Physicking the Foul of Breath
201
Chapter 12: A Voyage and a Conversation
215
Chapter 13: A Maqāmah to Make One Stand
251
Chapter 14: Raveningly Ravenously Famished
273
Chapter 15: The Journey from the Monastery
281
Chapter 16: Ecstasy
289
Chapter 17: An Incitement to Nudity
291
Chapter 18: A Drain
301
Chapter 19: Assorted Wonders
327
Chapter 20: A Metropolitan Theft
345
5
5
�� ���ت�ا � ا ��لث��ا ��ل ث � ا ل� ك � ب
Book Three
�� �ا ا � �ل�ف��ص�لا �ل� �و�ل �ڡ ض ا � �ت ن ي � ا ��ر م ا ��و� � ش قآ � آ آ �� ا � ��ف � ن�� � د � �م�ا �ه� ف���ه �م�ن ا �ل������� � ا �ل�ع ن��� � ه�د � ا ��ل��ل��آ * � ا �ل�م ش����ق���ة � ا ��لن ل ا � � * �ص� � و و و و �ج � و ب ا �و �م� �ك��ى ب ى م م ي ب �ف � �فَ ��ل ا ن ا ��لن � ا ��ل� �ا ��آ � ا ��لت ح�� * � او �� �ل�ق ن�� ���ط � او ��لت��ع�� * ي� � � � � ا � � � � ع * � ح م حب���ل �ب��ه� ��ى ا � �ل ْر ث� � � و و لو و ب س و ر و س م �ا� ض ن �ف � ف � ن �ف � ن �ف � ا � او ��ل�و� ح� * �و�ي��و�ل��د �و� ��ى ا �ل� �و�ج��ا � او �ل� �ل� * �و�ير� ���ع�و� ��ى ا �لض� ��رر * � �و�ي�� ���ط�م�و� ��ى م م ع ا ���خل � �ش ن ف ف �ف ث ��ّ ن ن ن ن ن ي�ت � � � � ���و� ي� ك� �� �لو� * �و� � �د �ه�ور �و� * �يو�م � � ��طر * �يوحب ��و� ي��ع��ر �و� * � �وي��د رج�� َ �ذ �ذ �ّ ن ف ّ ن � ن �في�ت �و � ��ور �و ن� * ا ا �ج��ا �ع� او �خ��ا ر � او �و �َو�ه� او * � او ا �ك�د �و� ي��م�� �لو� * � ��يو ب� ��ط��ل�و� �� ض� � �ي ت َ � �ذ خ �ذ ش � �غ � ث �غ� نث �خ �ث � ��و� او * � او ا ���ر�� او ��ل �� او �و � �� او �و�� ر � ا و * ا ك����ل� او ا ��م� او � بو�جِ�ر� او * � او ا ��ظ���مئ�� او ض� � ب � �ذ ���م�د ا * � ا �ذ ا �ن�ا �م� ا �ذ �ه� ا �ل�ع�م �من � ا �ذ ا ا ��ق� ا �ذ ا ��� ا ق���ل�ق��ا � ك� �ه� ��س�د �ى * � او ا �هر�م�وا و و � و و رو بو ر ب م ت ث �ذ ُ �خ ّ �م��ّله ا �ه��له � ا خ� �ن ح��س �و�ه� � �� � او � ح��س�ي�را رب��م�ا ا � ح�ا ��ن �ه� * �� �وا � �ه� * � او ا ا � ت�ض� �� و � ر ر م م م � �م م م ت ا ن � اش ا �� ا ��ف �ت ظ � ا ح�ص��� ا � ا �ه� ���ي�ن �ذ ��ل��ك ���فى � �س�� ب� ا�لم�ع� ��� ��س� �ع�و� * �و�ى ا �ل� ���� �هر �ب� �ل�لب�� ��س م ب يل ب َ � ّ �ذ � � �ة ن ن �ف � ة ا ا � ا ��ل�ز� ن�� �م�ع ن�� � * � ا �ل�ع�ز � �من�ه� �مت ا ت �ت و ب �م � و �ه� �� �ع��ل�ى ا �م ار � ��ك�و� �ل�ه ا �ه�ل� * �و �و ا �ل� ��ه�ل و �ي �ذ � � �ة ا �ذ ا ��ز �ن ا ��ز ن ف ف � ّ �ز �ه�م�ه ب� �و�ج��ه �و�ت بر��ي�� �و�ل��ده ��ط���ل�ا �و��ك�ه�ل�ا * ��ا ا �مر ض� � �� او �مر��ض� * �و ح ��و ح � ق �ذْ آ ْ آ � �و�ج�ر��ض� * �و �و���ل ��ل�ه ا ن� �ت�� �ك�ن �ز �و�ج� ت��ه بَ��ز ر� * ا �و ك� ���ا ن�� ت� �ع�ا � ار �َو �م�� ء * �ورا �ى �لغ���ي�ره ي � �ف �ذ ش � ّ ن �ة ف ة ة �ن � ت�ز ي�ن ني�ن � � ن ا ض �� � * � ���م�ا �ئ�� ��س�ا � * ���ق �� �ل �� ��ن ��ف ��س�ه ا ��م�ا و ل ر يو ى �م ا�لم�� �و�ج��� ب����� �وى ��ط�ل�ع� �� � ر �����ذ �ة ا ���� ��ن ا ا ��ل ن ن � ا ��ن �م ت � �ا �خ���ل�ف � ا � ّ �م ن ن � ك��� � �م�ن ��س�ق �� ���ط �ظ ��� �ف� � �ه�ن �� * ل ل د ي�� ب� ��و� * و �ى ي�� ب�ل � ٍر و و و ى و� وم آ ّ � � �ذ م�� ض ّ �ة �ا � � �ق ا ��ل � ��ر��س �ه ب� ا �ل�صب��ر ا �و �ج���ل�ه * �م�ا �ع�د ا ا �ل� د � �و ا �ل ت ع� ����ل� * � ��س� ك����ل�ه * �وك�� � �ل���ل� ض� ج م ع م *
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8
١،١،٣
٢،١،٣
٣،١،٣
Chapter 1
Firing Up a Furnace
Are they not enough, the troubles to which men are subject by way of misery
3.1.1
and care, effort and wear, toil and disease, hardship and dis-ease, of deprivation and lucklessness, despair and unhappiness? Men are carried to nausea and craving, born in pain and suffering, nursed to their mothers’ detriment, weaned to their imperilment. They crawl only to stumble, climb only to tumble, walk only to lag, labor only to flag, find themselves unemployed only by hunger’s pangs to be destroyed. They languish and grow weak when they go without, suffer indigestion when they eat and grow stout. When they thirst, they lose weight, and when they drink, become sick as poisoned birds, gulp air, and nauseate. Lying awake at night, they waste away, worried and fraught, and sleeping, their allotted share of hours goes by and gains them naught. Old and feeble, they’re a burden to kith and kin, yet, should they die before their time, they cause them such grief as may do them in. In the midst of all this, they must strive to obtain the means to earn their
3.1.2
daily bread, while tormented by the need to make a show of dress and thread. The bachelor’s desperate to find a woman to call his own, the family man preoccupied with spouse and care of children, be they young or grown. When they fall ill, he does so too and when they mourn, he mourns and grieves in turn. Woe to him should his wife be overly fertile, but so too should she be barren and sterile, for then he sees other married men surrounded by bonny faces and children with pleasing graces and says to himself, “Verily, in sons lies all this world’s pleasure, and I am as one who dies (and what a fate!) leaving no successor!” How often by the fall of a single fingernail is the whole body defeated, how often by the extraction of a single molar is most, if not all, of its power
9
9
3.1.3
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
�ت ا ��ق � ا ن َ ْ � ت خ ا �� ف � ا �ز ا ن � � � ا � � ا ��� � ا � ت ا ّ �ة حوا �ل * �و��ع� ب� ا �ل� � �و لع�ل�ل �لم�� � �ص��ل� * �و�� ل�� ا �ل� �م� � �و � حو�ل ا �ل� � ح�ز ا � �ود �و�ل � �ن � � �ف � آ � ن � ض �ة � �� � �غ ح�ا ��ل * �ع��ل �ه��ذ ا ا ج��ل ا ��ل � ���س� ا �ل� او ��ى ا �لب��ا �ل * ����فى ا �ل ش����ت�� �ي��ك�و� عر� ��� �ل��لير� � او �ل�ز ك���ا �م � او �لب���ل�� � ى آ ح م م �� � � � � � � � ��ف ا ��ل �ف ��ل��ل� �ف ف ت ن ا ل � ا � � ا � � ح � ا � ا � � � � ص ل ل �ص�د * ر و ��مى و � � او �لر ��ط� �وب�ا ت� * � او �لب �� او �ل و ع ��و� � * و�ى � �ص�� ي ع �ف � � ّ ��ف ���خل ف � ت غ � �ت � ت � � �هج���ا ن� ا �ل��د � � �وت�ب��ي�غ���ه �و�ن�ز��ت��ه * �و�ى ا � او �ل��ر��ه�ل � او �ل�ا ��س��ن��ق��ا * �و��ى ا �لر��ي�� �ل� � �ر�� �لحرك ي ب م �ي آع ع آ � � � ا ��ل��س� د � � ا �ذ �ى ا ��له� � � �ن��د غ��ت��ه * ث�� ا ن� �من �ه� �م�ن �ي��و�ل��د �و��عر��ض� ��ل�ه �م�ن ا �ل�عي��و ب� � او �ل�ا �م ار ��ض� و و � � و و �ي م م � ��لَ � ا ش��� ار �ف� ا �� ك� �ص�د ر * � ن���أ ل��ا ��ه�ل �ع��ل�ى ا �ل� ا �ج � �خََ �ة � �فَ َ �خ �ص�د ر � ��نوت��ٓ ء ا ��ل � ث���ل� * ا �و ا � �ل ��س��أ �ر�و�� ا �ل� و ج �خ � � خ � � � � فَ � ظ د� �و�ل ا �ل�� �ص�د ر * � او � �ل� ��ط��أ �هر �و�ر�و� ا �ل� � � ج ��لََ ف � او � �م�عر�و�� * ح��د ب � � �ُ ف ن آ ف �ف ش � او ��ل ح ��س���ة ا � �ي�ب��ي���ض� �ج���ل��د ا �لر ج���ل �م�ن د � �ت�� ��س�د ����ع �تر�ه �ي��ص�ي�ر ا ب��ي���ض� ب � او � ح�مر * َ �َ ْ ���ثر ي�خ� �� ��ا ج��ل ��ل � ���س�د * �ة � �ص � او ح� ب ب رج ب آ � ّ د�ء � * � او �ل ش��� ب � م � ضَ ُ آ �ف � ش ف �ة د � ء ��ى ا �ل������ * �� ��و ب� � او �ل� ب �َ�َ � � �ف � ي�ن �ف ت �خ�آ � � �ف � ظ � �هر * � او �ل��طن� ب� ��ط�و�ل ��ى ا �لر�ج���ل�� ��ى ا ��س��ر�� �و ��ط�و�ل ��ى ا �ل�� � �َ َ � �ف � � �غ��� �ظل��� ��ى ا �ل ش����ف���ة � او �ل���ل � او �ل�ع ك ح�ى * �� ب� � � ا �خ ق �ة ا �� غ�َ ضْ �ة ب�خ � �ص��ة �ت �ك�و ن� ��ا ج��ل � � ����ف�ن ا �ل� �ع��ل� ���ل��� * ��ب�� �و ل�� ب ى آ ��لُ َ � ���د ر�ى * ���ا ب � � او �لغِ�� ض� د � ء ا �و ا ج �َ َ �غ �ظ � � ���ل� � ا �ل�ع ن��ق� * � او �لغ����ل ب � �ََ � ش ف �ة �ن ق ا � ���ل�ا ب� ا �ل������ * � او � �لق���ل ب� �ُ آ �ق د � ء ا � �ل���ل ب� * � او � �لق��ل�ا ب �
10
10
٤،١،٣
٥،١،٣
Firing Up a Furnace
to endure depleted—not to mention the sicknesses that defy all doctors’ skills, the chronic ills, the passage of time and the passing of the years, the succession of sorrows and shifts of fortune that this worn-out, debilitated body bears, for in winter it is exposed to wind, nasal congestion, sputum, and the damp chills, to incontinence and miasmatic airs; in summer, to cholera, fever, and headache, bloating, and stagnant weirs; in spring, to the imperious demands of the rising blood and its evil commands; in autumn, to the stirring of the black bile, the wind’s bane and its piercing of the bone. In addition, some are born afflicted with (among the various defects and
3.1.4
diseases) janaʾ,
“bending of the upper back over the chest”
or fasaʾ,
“prominence of the chest and bulging of the abdomen”
or faṭaʾ,
“concavity of the back and convexity of the chest”
or ḥadab,
“too well-known to require definition” [hunching of
or ḥusbah,
“the whitening of a man’s skin as a result of a certain
the back] disease, followed by the corruption of his hair, after which his skin turns white and red” or ḥaṣbah,
“pustules that break out on the body”
or shabb,
“a disease, too well-known to require definition” [?]
or ḍabūb,
“a disease of the lip”
or ṭanab,
“length in the legs combined with laxness, or in the
or ʿakab,
“thickness of the lip or chin”
or a ghaḍbah,
“a fleshy lump on the upper eyelid (as an inborn
back”
defect)” or ghiḍāb,
“a certain disease, or smallpox”
or ghalab,
“thickness of the neck”
or qalab,
“extroversion of the lip”
or qulāb,
“disease of the heart”
11
11
3.1.5
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
�قُ َ آ � ��ذ � ظ �� �ه ���فى ا ج��ل ���س�د �و�خ�ر�� �ع��لي��ه ا �ل� � � � او � �ل �� �وب�� ى � �ي ر ي ج �َ �نَ � � � � �غ��� �ظل�� �ي��ع��ل�و ا �لر ج���ل � ا ل� و �لي��د * � � � او � ك ب �َ ق �ة �� ن ق �عظ �� � �َ � ا �ل ا ر ��س * � او �ل���كو ب � د �� ا ل�ع��� �و �� آ � ا ن ا ن �نم � � ��لض � �ة � ق � � � � د � ء �ل�ل� ���س� � �م �� ط�و�ل ا ج�ع� * � او �ل ن��ا �ب���ة ��ََ �عظ �� � � �ف ت �خآ ف � او جل � ا �لب� �� ط�ن ��ى ا �ع�ل�اه ا �و ا ��س��ر��� ا ��س����ل�ه * �و�ث �� �� م ��خََ ت آ � � � او ل ا ��س��ر�خ��� ا �لب� �� ط�ن * �و�ث �� � ضَ َ ا� ض ا � ن � ن �ان ن آ ف �ة �ت � او �ل��م �هج���ا � ا�لم�ا ب� ��و� * � � �� � �صي�� ب� ا �ل� ���س�ا � �و�ه�و �ي � ��� ي � ج � � � �و ج� �� ا �ل�ص��ل ب� * � او �لِ�ع ن��ا � ج ع � �ق ي�ن ا ��ل�ف �� ف � ق ي�ن �ف � ت ��ن �ََ ش �ت ا � ا � �ل � � � ا � م�� � ا � � � � � ا � � � ل ع � او �ل� � ح ��د �ى � �ص�د ور ل��د م� �ى ��ى و ب�� �ع�د ب�� وج �� � ج ج �ق ن ه � � ا م � �� * ب� َ ح �أ �غ� �َ � ا ��ل�� خ � ل � ا ل ا ��س�و �م� �ص * و � � � ج �َ �َ ا �ت �خ� ا ء ا ��ل ش �ق ي�ن � ��س� ر � ����د � * � اوجل �م � � جَ َ ن� ا � ش �ن ا �ن � � ا ج��ل � � ا � � ل �� ا ا ا ع � ��� ح ��س� ر عر �ج � � ب�ى لر س * ح ���ل � و َ � َ ف ا � ش �ف �� � �ة ا �ل� ف �ه� * ح �عر��ض� �� �ص�� �و ح��� ��ى ا �جل ب � ّ�ة �َ � � �ان ن � او �لنَ َ� �� � �ع��ل� ُ�ي��ك�و�ى �من��ه�ا ا �ل� ���س�ا � * ف ط� � �ا� �� � او � �ف�ل ك � ��تب��ا �ع�د �م�ا �ب��ي�ن ا �ل� �ل�ي�ت��ي�ن * ح���ة ر � فَ َ � � �� �� �� � ا �ن �ة عر �ض ا ل ار س � ا و �ل� �ر ب�� * ح ط � او � �ل� ��� � فَ َ �ش �ف � ش ف �ة � ف � ا � �ل��� ��ق� ��ى ا �ل������ ا �ل��س����ل� * ل � � و ى ح ُ � ن � � �ف � ا � ا ك���ا �ل ��ى ا �ل� ��س�ن �ا � * � او � �لق��ا دح �َ قَ ن �ف ة � ا � �ص ر� ا �ل� ��س�ن �ا � * ح � او � �ل���ل � �َ �َ ��ز ا ن �ة ��ف � �ي�ن � � او � ك ا �ل �م� �� �ى ا �لي��د � ا و �لر�ج���ل��ي�ن * ح ل�����س �
12
*
12
٦،١،٣
ا ��ل�فخ � � �� و� ج
٧،١،٣
Firing Up a Furnace
or quwabāʾ,
“those things that appear on the body and break out on it”
or kanab,
“a thickening that covers the leg and hand”
or kawab,
“thinness of the neck and largeness of the head”
or nāqibah,
“a malady that affects a person as a result of extended intercourse”
or jawath,
“largeness of the belly in its upper part, or flaccidity of the same in its lower”
or khawath,
“flaccidity of the belly”
or ḍamaj,
“a pestilence that affects a person”; it also means “the
3.1.6
aroused state of a passive sodomite” or ʿināj,
“pain in the backbone”
or faḥaj,
“pointing toward one another of the foreparts of the feet in walking with splaying out of the heels; fajaj and fakhaj are worse forms of the same”
or lakhaj,
“the worst form of bleariness of the eye”
or majaj,
“flaccidity of the corners of the mouth”
or jalaḥ,
“the retreat of the hair from the sides of the head”
or ṣafaḥ,
“excessive width of the forehead”
or naṭaf,
“a disease against which people are cauterized”
or farkaḥah,
“wide spacing of the buttocks”
or faṭaḥ,
“breadth of head and tip of the nose”
or falaḥ,
“a split in the lower lip”
or qādiḥ,
“erosion of the teeth”
or qalaḥ,
“yellowing of the teeth”
or kasaḥ,
“a chronic disease of the hands and legs”
13
13
3.1.7
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
�َ ا ��ل���خل ��ف � �َ �� ي�ن ل � � � ا � ل � �ص �ى ع� * ح � � اوجل�� �ََ ن � �ف ش ة � ����د� ��س�ي �ل�ا � ا �ل�ع��ي�ن �و���س�ا د�ه�ا * � او�ل�مرح �َ َ ت ق � � �� �ة ��لخ ش �ة � � � ط��ا ك ا ��ل ���لت���ي�ن �ص�� ك� ا� ��� �ون� ا �لث��و ب� ا �و ا � ح � او�لم���س � ح��را �� �ب�ا ��ط�ن ا �لركب��� � � بر �ش � * �و�مث���ل�ه ا�لم���� � �ذَ ت ق �فح ا � ا ��لف �خ � �ذ�ي�ن � � ا� ح��را �� ��ى �ب� ��ط�ن � * � او �ل�َوح � �ََ خ� � � ظ � �خ � �هر * � او �لب���ز�خ �ر�و�� ا �ل� �ص�د ر �ود � �و�ل ا �ل�� � ج � ُ ّ�َ ا �خ ��ذ ��ف �� ظ �� � �ة خ ل ا � � � � � � �هر * � او �ل�ز � � و ج� ع ي� � �ى ل � آ � َ تَ � � � �ك�ف� � او � �لق��د � �و ��ط� � ا ��س��تر�خ��� ا �ل�م�ف��ا ��ص�ل ا �و �عر��ض� ا ��ل�� ول�ه�م�ا * �خ � او � �ل �ف�� � م آ �ُ ّ �ن�ف� � ح��د ث � �خ��ة ا �ل�ور� �م�ن د � ء ي� � * � او �لن��ف��ا�خ م ��لََ �ش �ع�د � ا �ل����عر * �رد � او �ج م �ذ �ََ ن �ا � او �ل��د رد �ه�ا ب� ا �ل� ��س�ن �ا � * �ف � �ذ � ّ �ت ق � ���ا �ع��س ��ى ا �ل�� ��ق�ن * � او �لِرد �ة �آ آ �ُ د � ء �م�ن ش���رب� ا�لم�� * � او �ل��س� او د �قَ � � � نق � ظ � �هر * � او � �ل ��َود ��ط�و�ل ا �ل�ع ��� � او �ل�� � �ُ � � � �و ج� �� ا � ك ل��ب��د * ل��ا د � او � بك�� ع �فخا �ذ آ ��ف � � �َ ْ ا ن � � �� � ه ا ا ا � ل � د � ء �ى ر ج ��ل �� س و � � * له�د � او �ل� � م �ن ن �ف ت ق ف ا �ق ف ق �قُ ُ ��ف َ �فْ ن �� � اَ َ ا ��ل��آ د � ا �ل�م�ا �خل � � � �ص��ه �ى � � � ه �ص ��ه ا � � � � � م � د � او �ل� د � � � � � � � ص � � � �ي ور و ر ر ي ع ب � ف ���ف �و���ع��ل�ه ��ك ر� * ح ا ��لَ�َ �خ � � ّ ة �عظ �� � �ط�ن� � ا �لب�� * �ر �ر�و�ج ا �ل��سر� �و �� �و ب�ج م � ََ � �ف � �ف ا �ل ن���ت�ن ��ى ا � �ل� * � او ب�ل�خ��ر م � � �� ب� �� ا و ��س�ي�ر * � او �لب��ا ��س�ور مج 14
14
٨،١،٣
٩،١،٣
Firing Up a Furnace
or lajaḥ,
“fleshy swelling around the eye”
or maraḥ,
“extreme watering and deterioration of the eye”
or masaḥ,
“chafing of the inside of the knee due to coarseness of clothing or the rubbing against one another of the thighs; synonym mashaḥ”
or wadhaḥ,
“chafing on the inside of the thighs”
or bazakh,
“concavity of the chest and convexity of the back”
or zullakhah,
“a pain that affects the back”
or fatakh,
“flaccidity of the joints, or broadness and length of the
3.1.8
hand and foot” or nuffākh,
“the eruption of a swelling as the result of the occurrence of a disease”
or jarad, “hairlessness” or darad, “toothlessness” or riddah,
“recession of the chin”
or suwād,
“a disease resulting from drinking water”
or qawad,
“elongation of the neck and back”
or kubād,
“pain in the liver”
or lahd,
“a disease in people’s legs and thighs”
or adar, “the ādir [active participle], or the maʾdūr [passive participle], is he whose peritoneum bursts, causing his gut to fall into his scrotum . . . ; the verb is adira” or bajar,
“protuberance of the navel and broadness of the belly”
or bakhar,
“foulness in the mouth”
or bāsūr,
“too well-known to require definition, plural bawāsīr” [“piles”]
15
15
3.1.9
�َثَ � او �ل � ح�� ر ��لَ ْ � او � ح��د ر�ة �َ َ �ُ ْ �ص � او ��ل � او ��ل ح �صر ح� � ر � َ�فَ � او �ل �� ح ر �� ُ �ا ل � ح�مر�ة و �ُ الم ن َ �و�ح�ج��ر � اُ �خَ ��ر � او �ل� �ي�ض� � �ذَ َ � او �ل�� �هر �َ � او �ل�ز � ح�ي�ر ِ �ََ � او �ل�ز�عر �َ � او �ل�ز �َو ر � َ َت � او �ل ش�����ر ا �� َ َ �و ل� �ص�عر � َ �فَ � او �ل� � �ص ر � �ظَ � �فَ � او �ل�� � ر ا �� ظَ �� َ �هر �و ل� � � ََ � او �ل� �عو ر �ق � � او �لت��� ��ط�ي�ر �قَ َ �صر � او � �ل��
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
� �ف � ��ف��ا ��ن �ه�ا � ّ � ح��ثر ت� ا �ل�ع��ي�ن �خ�ر�� ��ى ا ج� ا �لب�ث ��ور �و� ح ب� ا ح�مر ج ق ت ح��ة �خ� �� ب����ي��ا ��ض� ا ج��ل � � ����ف�ن * ر� رج ب ت � �خ ا ��ل � ح�ت��ا ��س �ذ �ى ا ��لب� ���ط�ن � �و�ا ��ل�� � ا ح �ص ��ي ��ق� ا �ل� � ح �ر��ك ض� �ص�د ر � او ب�ل���ل� ر ب ب ي � ّ ��ف ا � ن �� ق � او �ل��عى �ى �لم�� ط�� * ُ ق �ف ن � �ا ��س�ل�ا �� ��ى ا �ص�و�ل ا �ل� ��س�ن �ا � * � � �ور� �م�ن �ج� ن����س ا �ل��ط� ا و �ع��ي�ن * م آ ��ف � �ط�ن� د � ء �ى ا �لب�� * آ �ف � د � ء ��ى ا �ل�ع��ي�ن * � �ذ ن �ا ا ��س�ود ا د ا �ل� ��س�ن �ا � �و�مث���ل�ه ا �لت�� �ي��ر * ي � ق � � ا ��س�ت ��ط�ل�ا �� ا �لب� �� ط�ن * ق �ت�ف �ش � � ر� ��ق� ا �ل����عر �و���لت��ه * ي � ن ا �ظ �� � �خ ن � ا �ز �ذ � � � ر ب��م�و�ر�عي���ي��ه * عَو�� ا �ل�ز �ور � او �ل� �ور �م�ن �ب�ه �ل��ك � او �ل�� ِ �ج ت �خآ ����ف�ن �م�ن ا �ع�� � ا ��س�ف��� � ا �ن ش����ق��ا �ق�ه ا � ا ��س�� ��� ا ��ن �ق��ل�ا ب� ا ج��ل � ر و ل�ى و ل و ف ا ��س����ل�ه * � �ص�غ� را �ل ا ر ��س * �فّ � آ �ف � � د � ء ��ى ا �لب� �� ط�ن ��ي �ص� را �ل�و�ج��ه * آ �ف � د � ء ��ى ا �ل�ع��ي�ن * آ �ظ� �هر * د � ء ا �ل�� � ف �م�عر�و�� * ت � � �ع�د � ا ��س�م��س�ا ك ا �لب ��و�ل * م � �ف ق �ي�ب����س ��ى ا �ل�ع ن��� * 16
*
16
١٠،١،٣
١١،١،٣
Firing Up a Furnace
or ḥathar, “pustules; ḥathirat al-ʿayn means ‘red pimples appeared on its lids’” or ḥadrah,
“an ulcer that appears on the white of the eyelid”
or ḥuṣr or ḥaṣar, “ḥuṣr is constipation of the bowels; ḥaṣar is dejection, or miserliness, or stammering” or ḥafar,
“scaling at the roots of the teeth”
or ḥumrah,
“swellings of the bubonic type”
or muḥanjar,
“a disease of the belly”
or ukhayḍir,
“a disease of the eye”
or dhahar,
“blackening of the teeth; synonym tadhyīr”
or zaḥīr,
“looseness of the bowels”
or zaʿar,
“scantiness and thinness of the hair”
or zawar,
“twisting of the throat; the azwar is one who suffers
3.1.10
from this . . . and one who looks from the outer corners of his eyes” or shatar,
“the inversion and cracking of the eyelids, upper and
or ṣaʿar,
“smallness of the head”
or ṣafar,
“a disease of the belly that makes the face turn yellow”
or ẓafar,
“a disease of the eye”
lower, or flaccidity of the lower”
or ẓahar,
“a disease of the back”
or ʿawar,
“too well-known to require definition” [“being
or taqṭīr,
“non-retention of the urine”
or qaṣar,
“stiffness of the neck”
one-eyed”]
17
17
3.1.11
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
�ََ ق���ل��ة ا ��ل ش � ��� ع ع � او�لم� ر ر � �ة ��ف ��آ ��ق � �ة ��ف � � � ق ة �ة �ف � �ة �ا حوا �ل�ى ا�لم���ع�د� �و�ع��ل� ��ى ا �ل��لث�� * �ع�ل� �ى ا�لم� �ى �و�ع�ل� �ى � � او �ل ن�� ��س�ور آ � ُ�ز ش ة � ل�� د � ء �م�ن ����د� ا �لب��رد * � ا �ز � او � ك � ُ ا �ذ � ق �ه�ا ب� ا �ل�ع����ل * � او �ل��س�ل� ��س آ �ف � ف � ا �� ف�لُ �ق ا د � ء ��ى ا�لم���ا ��ص�ل * و ��� �� س َ �ن �ف ش � ا �ن ف �ف � �ف َ� ا�� ا ر ��� ا �ل� � �� ��ى ا �ل�و�ج��ه * � او � �ل� ��ط��س � خ� � � ظ � � قَ َ �خ ���د ا ��ل � ح��د ب� * � او � �ل��ع��س �هر ض� �ر�و�� ا �ل� �ص�د ر �ود � �و�ل ا �ل�� � ج �ََ �عظ �� �� ث �ة � ا لر� � و� * � او � �لق���ف ��س �� م � �قَ ْ ش ة ا ��� ن ق ��ف �ق ��ا � ا ا � � ل ع � د �د� ��� �صر�ه� ك� �ل� ح� ب� * � او � �ل ن��ع��س��ة ��� �ى �� �َ �ق �َ �ص ا ��ل�ا ��س�ن �ا ن ا � �ص�غ� �ه�ا ا � ��ل�ص� �ق�ه�ا � ن � �خ � � ل� � ��س�و� �ه�ا * �� � ��س � و ر و و� ب ر � او ك س � � ْ�ق �� ���فى �م�ف��ا ��ص�ل ا ��ل�ك� �ور� �و �و ج� ��عب���ي�ن � ا و �ص�ا ب��� ا �لر�ج���ل��ي�ن * � او �لنِ �� ر��س ِ ع م ع �َ �� �ف �ن �ل� �ن ن َ � ا �� � م �ج ��و� * � او �ل� � طر� هو س � ََ ق �ة � ق � ا �ل � د �� ا �ل��س�ا ���ي�ن * ح�م ش��� و َ َ �غ � عف ا ��ل� �خ � ق �ة ��ف ا ��ف ��ل ف �� �� ن ��ل�ا � او ��خل � ���ف ش��� �ص� را �ل�ع�ي�ن ��ي�ن �و ض� ��� �� ب � �صر��ل��� ا �و ��س� د �ى ا ج� و� ب ن �ن �� ا � ا ن� ��ي �� ا � � �ه�ا ر * �صر �ب� �ل�لي���ل د �و� ا �ل � �و ج�ع و ب ظ � �ة � � � �َ َ ش �ق� ا �ل�ع��ي�ن * �����ل�م� ا �لب�� �صر �و ض� ��ي � � او �ل�د �و�� � آ � � ف� ن � ح�م �ة ���فى ا ج��ل �و� �م� �م�� ء ي���سي���ل * � او �ل َر�َم ش��� �� ر ع ن � �َ� ش ا �ه�و� ا �ل�ص�م� * � او �ل��ط َر�� � م �ُ� ش ا ش آ � �� د � ء ك���ا �ل�ز ك���ا � * � او �ل��ط���� �� � م آ �ا �ُ � ا ش ا ح��ه * د � ء �ل� �ير �و�ى �ص� � ب � او �ل�ع ��ط� �� � � ََ ض ف � �ف ان � ���ث ا ��ل�ا � �ق�ا ت ��� � � * � او �ل�ع�م ش��� � ع� ا �لب�� �صر�م� ��س�ي �ل� � ا �ل��د �م� ��ى ا ك�� ر و ع ع *
18
18
١٢،١،٣
١٣،١،٣
Firing Up a Furnace
or maʿar,
“lack of hair”
or nāsūr,
“a malady of the inner corners of the eyes, or a malady in the environs of the posterior, or a malady of the gums”
or kuzāz,
“a disease caused by extreme cold”
or sulās, “dementia” or fuqās,
“a disease of the joints”
or faṭas,
“the nose’s being squashed on the face”
or qaʿas,
“convexity of the chest and concavity of the back; antonym of ḥadab (‘hunchbacked-ness’)”
or qafas,
“largeness of stool”
or qanʿasah,
“extreme shortness of the neck, as in one with a
or kasas,
“shortness or smallness of the teeth, or their adhering
or niqris,
“swelling and pain in the joints of the ankles and toes”
3.1.12
hunchback” to the gingiva” or hawas,
“a touch of insanity”
or ḥamash,
“thinness of the legs”
or khafash,
“smallness of the eyes and weakness of vision (as an inborn defect), or deterioration, without pain, in the eyelids, or having night but not day vision”
or dawash,
“dimness of vision and smallness of the eye”
or ramash,
“redness of the eyelids accompanied by a flow of liquid”
or ṭarash,
“the mildest form of deafness”
or ṭushāsh,
“a malady like nasal congestion”
or ʿuṭāsh,
“a disease whose victim cannot quench his thirst”
or ʿamash,
“weakness of vision accompanied by constant tearing”
19
19
3.1.13
�ََ ش � او�لم�د �� � � ا ��ل�ن ش م��� و َ � ا �ل�خَ �� ��ص �و ب � � او �لب��ر��ص �َ َ � او �لت��ع��ص �ا ّ � او ��ل �ص��ة ح� � ��ََ � او ل حو��ص �� ��خََ � او ل �� �و�� ص �� ََ � او ل � �خي���ص � َ � او �ل َر�م��ص �َ ���ْو�ص��ة � او �ل ش �
� �غََ � او �ل��م��ص � �قَ َ � او � �ل ب���ص � � او � �قِ�ل ْر�م�ا ��ص � قَ فَ � او � �ل � ����ص ا ��ل��َلَ �و� ح��ص ا ��ل��َ�خلَ �و� ��ص �َ َ �ص��ص � او �ل��ل� �ا ّ �ص��ة � او�لم� �
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
�خ ا ة � ق � �ة ��ل ح�مه�ا � د ق�ت�ه�ا � �ص� ا �لي��د �و��ل� � و � ر�� �و� �ع� ب ق �ت ق ��ف ��ل � � ت خ � � �ن ق � ��ا �ل�ف� �ل� � � �� ��ط ب��ي���ض� �و��س�ود ا �و �ب ���� � ��� �ى ا ج��ل�د ون�ه * � ن �ت �ف ق � ي�ن ع ت ع ت ا �� ئ �ة ا ��ل ن�فخ�ة �� ل��خ�ّ �ت � ا � ئ � � ا ��ي�ن ا �ل � � � � � � ح� ح�م �� �� �و� لع� �� ا �و �ه�م� ك�ه�ي�� � و ب ��ص ا ��ن �ق �ا ا � ا � ف ن ����ا � * ��ل ب� �ل� ج ف �م�عر�و�� * � ��ث ة � ش �و ج� �� �ص� �م�ن ك���ر� ا�لم����ى * ع ا �ل�ع� ب �ش آ ت �ث د � ء �ي��� ن��ا ر �م ن��ه ا �ل����عر * � �ف �ف ��ي��ق� ��ى �م�و�خ�ر ا �ل�ع�ي�ن ��ي�ن ا �و ��ى ا � ح��دا �ه�م�ا * ض� � �غ � ��ؤ �ور ا �ل�ع�ي�ن ��ي�ن * � �ص�غ� ر ا � ح��د �ى ا �ل�ع�ي�ن ��ي�ن * ي� ت �ف � ق �و���خ�س ��م� ��ى ا �لم�و�� * � ا ب��ي���ض� ج ع ��ف � � � ��ف ا ��ل ��ط�ن ا � � ��ت�عت��ق ��ف ا � ا ض ا � � ا � � و ج� �ى ب�� و ير � ب� �ى �ل� � ���لع و ورم �ى ح ع ا ج�� ح�ا �ب��ه� * � � �م�ا ��س�ا �ل �م�ن ا �لر�م� �ص * � �ت � ض خ � �ة � �و ج� �� ��ي �صي�� ب� ا � ك ل��ب��د �م�ن ا �ل��مر�ع��ل� ا �لر� ��ق� �و����� ا �ل�ه�ا �م� * ى ي ع م �ق �ص ا ��خل ���د �ي�ن * �� ر �آ �ت � ض �ة �ف � �ق ح ار ر�ة ���فى ا ��ل ��� ��ى ا�لم�ع�د�ة �م�ن ش���رب� ا�لم�� ء �ع��ل� ا �ل��مر �و� ح�� �ل� * ح�م�و� ى ���ث�ي�ر ���فى ا �ع��ل� ا ج��ل ض�ن ك� � ��ت غ����� ����ف�ن * ى � � ا ��ل � ��و ن� ا ج��ل ك�� ح�م�ا * ����ف�ن ا �ل� �ع��ل�ى ي � ن � �ي�ن � ا � ا ��ت�ق��ا ر ب� ا�لمن� ك ��ب�� و �ل� ��س�ن �ا � * آ �ذ � �ن ا �ن � ف ق ا �� �خل �ص�ب�ى �م�ن �ش���ع ار ت� �ع��ل� ��س � ��س ا � �ل���� ر ا د � ء �ي�ا �خ��� ا �ل� � * ى 20
*
20
١٤،١،٣
١٥،١،٣
Firing Up a Furnace
or madash,
“flaccidity of the sinew of the hand, or its having little flesh and being thin”
or namash,
“white and black spots and blotches on the skin that contrast with the color of the latter”
or bakhaṣ,
“flesh forming a lump above or below the eyes in the shape of a swelling; tabakhkhuṣ is inversion of the eyelids”
or baraṣ,
“too well-known to require definition” [“leprosy”]
or taʿaṣ,
“leg muscle pain caused by walking”
or ḥāṣṣah,
“a disease that causes the hair to fall out”
or ḥawaṣ,
“constriction in the outer corners of the eyes or in one of them”
or khawaṣ,
“sinking of the eyes [into the skull]”
or khayaṣ,
“smallness of one eye [compared to the other]”
or ramaṣ,
“foul white matter that collects in the inner corner of
3.1.14
the eye” or shawṣah,
“pain in the belly, or flatulence that affects the ribs, or swelling in the diaphragm”
or ghamaṣ, “dripping ramaṣ [q.v.]” or qabaṣ,
“a pain that afflicts the liver as a result of eating dates on an empty stomach, or largeness of the crown of the head”
or qirmāṣ,
“shortness of the cheeks”
or qafaṣ,
“acidity in the stomach from drinking water after eating dates, or burning in the throat”
or laḥaṣ,
“abundant wrinkling on the upper side of the eyelid”
or lakhaṣ,
“fleshiness of the upper eyelid”
or laṣaṣ,
“closeness of the shoulders, or the teeth”
or māṣṣah,
“a disease that affects young boys and consists of hairs on the edges of the vertebrae,” etc.
21
21
3.1.15
� ََ � او�لم�ع��ص � ََ � او�لمغ����ص � َق � او �ل�َو����ص ��لََ � او � حر���ض �َ َ � او �ل�هر���ض �ُ � � او ��ل �خ ب��ا ��ط ْ � ا ��اَ �ذ �َ ��� ّ ط���ة و �ل و ي � اَ َ ّ � � او �ل� ��س ��طي���ة �َ � ن � او �ل��س َر ��ط�ا � ا �� ضَ � �� َر ��ط �و ل� ا �� ضَ � ���َو ��ط �و ل� �َ� � � او �ل��ط َر ��ط � قَ َ � � � او � �ل� ��ط��ط �ََ � � او�ل�مر ��ط � ََ � � او�لم�ع ��ط �َ ْ � � ا ��ل �� ح ���ظ وج � َثَ � او �لب��� ع �َ َ � او �ل ���ل � ج َع ��خَ � او ل ���ل� ع
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
� �ت آ ��ف � ع ا �ل�� �و � � �ص� ا �لر ج��ل� ى ب ف �م�عر�و�� * � ق �صرا �ل�ع ن��ق� * ��� � � ن � �ذ ا� ق �ف ���س�ا د ا�لم�ع�د�ة � او �لب��د � � او�لم� �ه ب� � و �ل�ع����ل * ا ��ل � ح� �صف� ي�خ� �� �ع��ل ا ��لب��د ن� �م�ن ا ��ل � ح ّر * � رج ى آ ��ا ��ل ن � ن��و� * د � ء ك�� �ج � �ذ � ا �ذ � � ق ا �ل� �و ��ط ا �ل ن��ا ��� �ص ا �ل�� ��ق�ن * � � ّ� � � ا �ل�ا ��س ��ط ا �ل�� ط�و���ل ا �لر�ج���ل��ي�ن * ي �غ ف ا �ذ �� ظ � ت ئ ث � �ز ة �ور�م ��س�ود ا �و�ى �ي�ب����د �� �م���ل ا �ل��ل�و � � او �ص� ر �� ا كب���ر �� � �هر � � ن � � �ع��ل��ه �ع � �ق � �خ ��ر �ش��ب��ي��ه �ب�ا ر ج���ل ا �ل��سر ��ط�ا � �ل�ا �م ���ط�م� ح�مر �و� ض� ي رو� ع ��ف � �ئ�ه � ا ن��م�ا ��ع�ا ��ل � �ي�ز � �لئ��ل�ا د ا د * �ى بر و �ي � ج خ� ف �ة ا ��ل�� ح���ة �ور�ق��ة ا ��ل � ح�ا ج� ب� * ���� �لي �ف � �ف �ع�و�� ��ى ا � �ل� * ج م خ ف �ة ش � ي�ن ي�ن ��ل ا ي�ن � ا � ���� ����عرا �ل�ع� �� � او � ح� �ج� ب��� � ا و �ل� �ه�د ا ب� * � ق �صرا �ل ش����عر �و ج� ��ع�ود �ت�ه * ��� خ� ف �ة � ش ���� ا �ل����عر * �ش �ع�د � ا �ل����عر * م � � �ة ق �خ�ر�و�� ا�لم����ل� ا �و �ع ��ظ� ��م�ه�ا * ج � ض � � �ف ظ� � �ة �ف �ن ف ق ش ش ا ي�ن �ه�ور ا �ل��د � ��ى ا �ل���� ت��� � او � ���ل� ب� ا �ل������ �ع ن��د ا �ل��� � ح��ك * �� � م �ن ض � ش �ف �ع�د � ا � ��م�ا � ا �ل���� ت���ي�ن * م م ا ��لت ا ء ا ��ل� ��ق ��و عر �و ب� *
22
*
22
١٦،١،٣
١٧،١،٣
Firing Up a Furnace
or maʿaṣ,
“a twisting in the sinew of the leg”
or maghaṣ,
“too
or waqaṣ,
“shortness of the neck”
or ḥaraḍ,
“morbidity of the stomach, body, judgment, and
well-known
to
require
definition”
[“stomachache”]
mind” or haraḍ,
“dry mange that breaks out on the body as the result of hot weather”
or khubāṭ,
“a disease resembling insanity”
or adhwaṭiyyah,
“one who is adhwaṭ has a small chin”
or asaṭṭiyyah,
“one who is asaṭṭ has long legs”
or saraṭān,
“a bilious swelling that starts the size of an almond or
3.1.16
smaller; when it grows larger, red or green veins appear on it that resemble the legs of a crab; there is no hope of its being cured and it is treated only to stop it from getting worse” or ḍaraṭ,
“sparseness of the beard and thinness of the eyebrow”
or ḍawaṭ,
“crookedness of the mouth”
or ṭaraṭ,
“sparseness of the hair of the eyes, the eyebrows, and the eyelashes”
or qaṭaṭ,
“shortness and tightness of the hair”
or maraṭ,
“sparseness of the hair”
or maʿaṭ,
“lack of hair”
or jaḥẓ,
“protuberance or largeness of the eyeball”
or bathaʿ,
“the appearance of blood on the lips, or the inversion of the lip on laughing”
or jalaʿ,
“non-contiguity of the lips”
or khalaʿ,
“twisting of the hamstring”
23
23
3.1.17
� َ � او �ل َر��س� ع � � او �لر�م� َع � َ� � او �ل�ز �ل� ع �َ � او �ل�ز �َم � ع ا �� ُ ا �ص�د �و ل� ع � ََ � او �ل� �ص��ل� ع � � او �لت��ص�ّو ع � َ�ق � او � �ل َر ع � قَ فَ � او � �ل � ��� ع �ُ � او � �لق��ل�ا ع � �قَ َ � او � �ل �م� ع
�َ �تَ � او � ك ل���� َ َع ��ث � او � ك ل���� ع َ �َ � او �� ك� ل���ل� َع ��َ � او �ل���كو َع ا ��ل�� خَ �و�ل �� َع � َ� � او �ل��ل��ط �� َع � � او �ل�َوك�� �� ع � َ � او �ل�َهن� � ََ ع � � او �لب�ث� �غ�
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
��ف ا ��ف ا � ا � ف ن ����ا � ��س� د �ى �ل� ج آ �أ � � �ظ �� �ف ا � �فص� ار ر ��ى �و�ج��ه ا�ل�مر �ة �م�ن د � ��ي �صي�� ب� ب� � ر�ه�ا * �ق � � ق �ف � �ش���ق��ا �� ��ى ظ �� ��ا �هرا � �ل��د � ك���ا �ل��س��ل� * م ع � ة �ف � ا ا �ل�ز ��ا د� ��ى ا �ل� �ص�ا ب��� * ي ع � �و ج� �� ا �ل ا ر ��س * نع � ا� ح��س�ا ر �ش���عر�م�ق��د � ا �ل ا ر ��س * م �تش����ق � ش �ق� ا �ل����عر * � ف �م�عر�و�� * � � �ق ا ر�ت��د ا د ا �ص�ا ب��� ا �لر ج���ل ا �ل�ى ا � �ل��د � * م ع آ �ف � �ف د � ��ى ا � �ل� * م ت �ف � ��ف��س�ا د ���فى �م� �ق� ا ��ل�ع��ي�ن � او � ح�م ار ر ا �و �ب��ثر�ة �خ�ر�� ��ى ا �ص�ول� و ج �اش ف ا �ل� ������ا ر * � �� ف � �ا �و ا �ل� �ص�ا ب��� ا �ل�ى ا �ل��ك�� * � رج ع ع ث � � نق ���ر�ة د �مه�ا � ا� ح�م ار ر ا �ل ش����ف���ة �وك�� ح�تى �ت ك� ��ا د ��ت�����ل ب� * � �ش���ق��ا �ق � � ���خ�س �ف � ق � ��ى ا � �ل��د � * � وو م � ق � � � ا �ب��ا �ل ا �لر��سغ����ي�ن �ع��ل� ا�لمن� ك ��ب���ي�ن * ى آ ا ��س��تر�خ��� ا ج��ل ���س� * م ��ف ا �ط�ن � ش ف �ة �� �خ ل � ا � � ا ل ب��ي��ا ��ض� �ى �ب� �� ����� * � � �ة ق ا� �ا ا ��س��ا �ب� �م�ن ا �لِر ج���ل * ا �ب�� �ل ا �ل� �ب��ه� �م �ع��ل�ى ا �ل ب ن� نآ �ف � ق �ة ا ح��� ��ى ا � �ل��ا �م� * � �ه� ر ا ��ل��د � ���فى ا ج��ل ظ �� ���س�د * �و م *
24
24
١٨،١،٣
١٩،١،٣
Firing Up a Furnace
or rasaʿ,
“morbidity of the eyelids”
or ramaʿ,
“yellowing of a woman’s face as the result of a disease that affects her clitoris”
or zalaʿ,
“cracking on the exterior of the foot, as also salaʿ ”
or zamaʿ,
“superfluity of digits”
or ṣudāʿ,
“pain in the head”
or ṣalaʿ,
“recession of the hair of the front of the head”
or taṣawwuʿ,
“patchiness of the hair”
or qaraʿ,
“too well-known to require definition” [baldness caused by ringworm]
or qafaʿ,
“bending of the toes back toward the foot”
or qulāʿ,
“a disease of the mouth”
or qamaʿ,
3.1.18
“morbidity of the inner corners of the eye, or an inflammation [of the same], or a pustule that breaks out at the roots of the eyelashes”
or kataʿ, or kathaʿ,
“the turning of the fingers toward the palm” “inflammation of the lip and its becoming so full of blood that it almost inverts”
or kalaʿ,
“cracking and dirtiness of the feet”
or kawaʿ,
“proximity of the wrists to the shoulders”
or lakhaʿ,
“flaccidity of the body”
or laṭaʿ,
“whiteness on the inside of the lip,” etc.
or wakaʿ,
“proximity of the large toe to the second toe”
or hanaʿ,
“stooping of the body”
or bathagh,
“the appearance of blood on the body”
25
25
3.1.19
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
� �ذَ �َ ��ن �ق �ا �� ش ف �ة � او �ل�� �ل� ا ��ل ب� ا ل������ �غ � فَ َ ا ��لت��آ �ف � ق و ��ى ا � �ل��د � * � او � �ل��د�غ � م � فَ ض خ �ف � �ف ����� ��ى ا � �ل� * � او � �ل ��َو�غ م م �َ ْ �ة � � �� ا � ا � او �ل�َو��� هِ� ب��ر� لر س * �غ ي ب ّ ْ َ � � �ف �ت � � �ق خ ش ف �ن ض �ز ا �ج�ل � او �ج��ل �و�ل ا � ف ح��د ���� ي��ه � او � �ه� � ن��� ��ى ا �ل �ور د �� � ن��� ���ا �م�ه �م� ا ع��د ا �ل ع � �آ �خ ا �ل� �ر * ��لَ َ �ق �ة ت�خ� � � ق � ا ن ن � او � ر� ح�� �ل� ا �ل� ���س�ا � * ح ش����ف���ة ح� ر�ج ب �� ََ �ف � �ا � او ل � حن�� ا �ل� �ع�و�ج��ا �� ��ى ا �لر ج���ل * ف � ج �� ََ � �ظ� ا ��ن ه ض � او ل � �خ ن�� ���ا � ا � �هر * ف ح��د �ج��ا �ن�ب�ى ا �ل� � � � �ص�د ر ا �و ا �ل�� � م ْ � �أ ح �� ا ��ا �ظ �� ف تش ق تش � ���ا ر * ف ����� ��ق� �و�����ع ث� �م�ا ��ول �ل � او �ل��س� �� ق ت � �� َ ْ ف �ة �ر�و� �خ�ر�� �ع��ل� را ��س ا �ل� �ص� ب�ى �و �و�ج� �ه�ه * � او ل��س�ع��� ح ج ى ْ ف �ق ف �ذ �ق �� � ف ت �ذ �ق �ة ت�خ � ��ف � ا �� ش �أ �ف ت ت � � � � � � � � ا � � ا ا ا ا �� � � � � � � ط � س � و ل���� ��ة ع� رح� ر�ج �ى ��ل ل��د م ك�وى �� �ه ب� و ات ا ح��ه�ا * �م� � �ص� � ب �َ َ � ش ف �ة � �ن ق � او �ل ش���ن � � ا � ���ل�ا ب� ا �ل������ ا �ل�ع��لي��ا �م�ن ا �ع��ل� * ف � ى �ن ق � �ة آ ت � �ة �غ �َ� ف ض ي�ن ح��د ث� ���ف ا �ل�ع�� �م�ن � �� ��ط� � ح�م �ر �م�ن ا ��ل��د � � �� �ر� �و��ي�ر�ه�ا * � او �ل��ط ْر���ة � ى م ب � غَ َ ت �خآ �ف � ا �ذ ن ا ��س��ر��� ��ى ا �ل� � * ف � او �ل�� ض� ���� ث ا �� غ�ََ �� ���ر�ة �ش���ع ا ��ل � � � � �و ل� ح�ا ج� ب� * ف � ك ط � ر � ُت � �ت ف � �و ج� �� ا � ك ل����� * ف � او � ك�� ل��ا �� ع � َ �َ ش � ة�� ة �ت � � ��ا �ل�� � او �� ك� ح�مر� ك��د ر� ��ع��ل�و ا �ل�و�ج��ه * ف ل���ل�� ����ى �ي��ع��ل�و ا �ل�و�ج��ه ك�� �سم��س� — �و م � ��ا � � �ق ا ن ا� ا ن ا ن آ ف �ة �ت � ا � اَ َ ق � � و �ل� ر��ا �ن � �� � �صي�� ب� ا �ل�ز ر �و �ل� ���س� � ك� ل�ي ر � � * ع � َخَ �ق � � ا �ل�ع�ور * ��ق ا ب�� � او ب�ل��� ح *
26
26
٢٠،١،٣
Firing Up a Furnace
or dhalagh,
“the inversion of the lip”
or fadagh,
“twisting of the foot”
or fawagh,
“largeness of the mouth”
or wabagh,
“scurf of the head”
or janf,
“depression and sucking in of one side of the breast, the other being straight”
or ḥashafah,
“an ulcer that breaks out in a person’s throat”
or ḥanaf,
“crookedness of the leg”
or khanaf,
“the sucking in of one of the two sides of the chest or back”
or saʾaf,
“cracking and frowsiness of the area around the nails”
or saʿfah,
“ulcers that break out on a child’s head and face”
or shaʾfah,
“an ulcer that breaks out on the bottom of the foot and that goes away if cauterized but which, if cut, causes its victim to die”
or shanaf,
“inversion of the upper lip from above”
or ṭarfah,
“a red blood spot that occurs in the eye as the result of a blow or some other cause”
or ghaḍaf,
“flaccidity of the ear”
or ghaṭaf,
“abundance of eyebrow hair”
or kutāf,
“pain in the shoulder”
or kalaf,
“something that covers the face and resembles sesame seeds . . . and a dull redness that covers the face”
or araqān,
“a pest that affects crops and humans; synonym
or bakhaq,
“the ugliest form of one-eyedness”
yaraqān”
27
27
3.1.20
� �ه�ق � او �لب � � ��لَْ � حو�ل��ق � او �� ��لَ �م�ا ��ق � او �ح
��لُ � او � �خ ن��ا �ق � � � او �ل َر�َو��ق �ُ � او �ل��س�ل�ا ��ق �ََ � او �ل ش����د �ق � �� شَ َ �م�ق � او ل��� � � �غََ � او �ل��م�ق���ة � �فَ َ � او � �ل ت���ق � فَ ق � او � �ل��َو� � �َ َ � او �ل��ل��س��ق �َشَ ����ق � او�لم � � َ � او �ل�َود ��ق
�َ َ � � او �ل��س ك� ���ك � � او �ل��س�ا �ه��ك � ّ� � او �ل ش����ا ك�����ة � ا ��ل ش � ���وك�����ة و � � �فَ � او � �ل َرك
ب��ي��ا ��ض�
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
ق ق ظ � ا � ش ة �� �خل � ر�ي ��� ���� �هرا �لب�����ر� ا ��ف � ق � ا ن ن ح�� �ل� ا �ل� ���س�ا � * �ى
*
٢١،١،٣
�و ج� �� ع ش ��ل � ����ه�ه * ا ج��د ر�ى ا �و � ب � � �ة م�ن�� �م�ع�ه ��ن ف� �ذ � �ف د�آ �� ت �و ا �لن�� ��س ا �ل�ى ا �ل �رئ� * � ي ع َ َ ن �ت � � � ث�ن � ُ � ُ ف َ ا � � �� ط�و�ل ا �ل� �ا �ي�ا ا �ل�ع��ل� ا �ل��س����ل * ى � � ن �ت�ق �ف ن � �ا ���ث �خ� � �ع��ل�ى ا �ص�و�ل ا �ل��ل��س�ا � ا �و � � ش���ر ��ى ا �ص�و�ل ا �ل� ��س�ن �ا � ب ر ي ر�ج �غ � �ظ �� ��ف ا � ا � ف ن ����ا � * �و��ل� �ى �ل� ج
�ة � ش ق ��س�ع� ا �ل����د �� � ا ��ل ن � ن��و� * �مرح �ج آ �خ �ذ �ف � د � ء �ي�ا ��� ��ى ا �ل�ص��ل ب� * � � �ة ��ف ا �� ف ق � ���ا �� * ع�ل� �ى ل صِ *
�م��� ا �� �ف�ل� � او �� �ف�ل �� ي ل م رج �ن�� �ع ��� ش � �ق � ئ �ة ا ��ل ط����ا * �ل��س�و� ا �ل �ر� �ب� ج ب � ن � ا �خ ا � ��ت �صي�� ب� ا � ح��د �ى ا �ل �ر��لت���ي�ن ا �ل� �ر�ى * ب ت ��ل�ة �ت ظ � � ت � ف ��ن �ق� ���ط � ي�ه�ا ا �و �مر��ض� ح�مر�خ�ر�� �م�ن ا �ل�ع��ي�ن � ش���ر�ق� �ب�ه ا �و �ح � �� �م� ��ع �� ج م � ا �ذ ن ف�� �ت ي�ه�ا ر� �م ن��ه ا �ل� � * م �ف � ا �ذ ن ع� ب� ��ى ا �ل� � * �ي ّ ��ة � � ح��ك�� ا �ل�ع��ي�ن * �ق �ور� ���فى ا ��ل ح�� �ل� * م آ ح ة ��ت� � ا �� ن د � ء �و��مر� ع�ل�و لب��د � * ت �خآ � ا �ذ ن ا ��س��ر��� ء ا ��ص�ل ا �ل� � * *
28
28
٢٢،١،٣
Firing Up a Furnace
or bahaq,
“a fine whiteness on the surface of the skin,” etc.
or ḥawlaq,
“a pain in a person’s throat”
or ḥamāq,
“smallpox and similar diseases”
or khunāq,
“a disease that is accompanied by an inability of the
or rawaq,
“projection of the upper incisors over the lower”
or sulāq,
“pustules that break out at the roots of the tongue, or
3.1.21
breath to reach the lungs”
flaking at the roots of the teeth and thickness of the eyelids” or shadaq,
“capaciousness of the jawbone”
or shamaq,
“the mirth of insanity”
or ghamaqah,
“a disease that affects the backbone”
or fataq,
“a sickness of the peritoneum”
or fawaq,
“a distortion of the mouth or the vagina”
or lasaq,
“the sticking of the lung to the side as a result of thirst”
or mashaq,
“injury done by one fleshy mass to another”
or wadaq,
“red spots that break out in the eye and suffuse it with redness, or a piece of flesh that grows there, or a sickness in it that leads to the decay of the ear”
or sakak,
“a defect of the ear”
or sāhik,
“itchiness of the eye”
or shākkah,
“a swelling of the throat”
or shawkah,
“a disease too well-known to require definition [‘plague’], or a redness that covers the body”
or farak,
“flaccidity of the base of the ear”
29
29
3.1.22
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
ت �خآ � فَ َ � ��� ا ��ن �ف� ا �� ا �ل�من �� 1ا ��س�� ��� � � � او � �ل� � � ك ك ك ر ب رج �غ � �ف � � ََ � اَ �َ � ا �ن ا ن ق � �ق �صر ا �ل� ��س � � � ا � ل و �ب��ا �ل�ه�ا �ع��ل� ��ا ر ا � �ل� ك���ا �لي���ل�ل * � � � او �ل� � ل ى م �َ� � � �ف � �أ � �ة ا ��ل�� ���ة ���ي�ن ا ��ا �� ��� � ا ��ل�ث�ن�د � �ة) � � � � ف � او �لبَ��د �ل �� ا�لم���ا ��صل� �� ��ى ا �لب�� د �ل� ( �حلم ب �ل ب ط و و و و ج وج ع ع � �ي�ن �ا و �لي��د * آ �ث � � �ُ � د � ء �ي��ك��ر �م ن��ه ا �لب ��و�ل * � او �لب �� او �ل ن � ا ��لثَ�َ �ت ا�� � ا ر ك� ب� ا �ل� ��س�ن �ا � * و ��ع�ل � ََ ن �ت ا �ق �� � ا ث� ��س� �� ط ا �ل� ��س�ن �ا � * � او �ل��ل� ل �ََ�ذ � ن ح ة ا ��� �ي�ن � ا ن ق � او ��ل ��مر� لع� و ���س�ل�ا �� �و��س�ي �ل�ا � د �م� * ح�� �ل ع � قْ آ �ف � � � او �ل � د � ��ى ا �لب� �� ط�ن * ح����ل ِ ت �خآ �ََ ��ف � � او �ل � ا ��س��ر��� �و �و ج� �� �ص� * ح��ل�ل ع �ى ا �ل�ع� ب � �ََ � ف �م�عر�و�� * حو�ل � او �ل� �ا ضآ ��لََ �ف ���� � او �� �لف��ا ���ل � او � � * �خ ب���ل ���س�ا د ا �ل� �ع� ج ���خلََ � ��� ة �ف � ظ � ا ك �هر * ��ز � ل � او ل����سر� ��ى ا �ل�� � ��خلُ � آ �ف � ف د � ء ��ى ا�لم���ا ��ص�ل * �م�ا �ل � او � �َ َ �عظ �� � � � او �ل��د � � ا �لب� �� ط�ن * �� �ح� ل م ا �خ� � � � �ن ��ف ا ��ف � �ق � َ َخ � � ا � م ع � ��س� د �ى ��ل و ج ��س� * �م� د ا لك � او �ل��د ��ل� م �َ َ �غ� ش ا � ة ا ��� �ي�ن �م�ن ا ��ن ت�ف ا�خ� � � �ق ا ا �� ظ �� ا � ة � �ه� ل� ���� و� لع� �� هر * � او �ل��سب���ل ��� عرو � �ا ضآ � � � َ ا �� غ � ��ل �ة � ق � ئ �َ َ ���� � ث�� ا �ل��د �ي ��ق� ا � �لق�� او �� ا �و ا �لم� � او �ل��سغ����ل ��ض ��طرب� ا �ل� �ع� ا �ل��سغِ����ل ل�ص���ي ر ا �ج م � ���لق � ا ��لغ����ذ�آ ا � ا�ل�مت خ ����دد ا �ل�مه�ز � �� � �ق�د ��سغ ���ف � ��س��ّ ا ��خل � � ل � � ك � � � ل � و و و و � ي � ا �و ا ى ل رح � ���فى ا �� � ل��ك�ل * *
��. :1855 1ا ل�مر�ك �ب
30
30
٢٣،١،٣
٢٤،١،٣
Firing Up a Furnace
or fakak,
“the unknitting of the shoulder blade as a result of flaccidity”
or alal,
“shortness of the teeth and their turning inward to-
3.1.23
ward the palate; synonym yalal” or badal,
“a pain in the baʾdalah (the flesh between the armpit and the breast), or a pain of the joints and hands”
or buwāl,
“a disease that causes an increase in urine”
or thaʿal,
“the overlying of one another by the teeth”
or thalal,
“loss of teeth”
or ḥadhal,
“redness of the eye, or an ulceration of the eye with
or ḥiql,
“a disease of the belly”
or ḥalal,
“flaccidity and pain in the tendon”
or ḥawal,
“too well-known to require definition” [“squint”]
or khabal,
“morbidity of the limbs, or hemiplegia”
or khazal,
“a fracture in the back”
or khumāl,
“a disease of the joints”
or daḥal,
“largeness of belly”
or dakhal,
“any morbid condition, mental or physical, that may
tearing”
affect you” or sabal,
“a film over the eye resulting from the inflation of its exterior veins”
or saghal,
“one who is saghil has a small body with mean limbs, or is one whose limbs are disordered, or one whose physical constitution and nutrition are poor, or one who is wrinkled and emaciated; the verb saghila applies to all the preceding”
31
31
3.1.24
�ُ � � او �ل��س�ل�ا � ل �َ � ��سْو�ل��ة � او �ل � �� َ َ � او ل�� �صح�ل ا �� ضَ َ ����ع�ل �و ل� �َ � �َ � او �ل �� طح�ل �ُ� � � او �ل��ط�ل�ا طِ ����ل��ة � َ فَ � او �ل� � ع���ل � َ قَ � او �ل� � ع���ل �َ � او �ل�ع�ق��ا ب��ي���ل � �غََ � او �ل���م�ل � �قَ َ � او � �ل ب���ل � نَْ � او �ل��م��ل��ة � اُ � � او �ل� ��ط�ا � م � �ُ � � اوج �ل� ح�ا � م ��لُ �ذ �ا ��� ا � وج م ��لخَ شَ � ��� � � او م َ � او ��ل َر� ح� م �َ � او �ل��س َر� م �ض � او �ل��ج��� م �َ َ س � او �ل�ع�� � م
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
��ا � ّ �م ك�� �ل���سِ �ل ا �ت �خ�آ ا ��ل �� �غ ��س� ر�� ب�� ط�ن �و��ي�ره * � ح* ا ب�ل��� ح �ق �ة ا �� ن ا �� ن �ت ق ا �ن � � � ل م �� س� * د � ب��د � �� ر ب� ل �� ب آ � � ط� د � ء ا � ِل ��� ح�ا �ل * � ق � � � ا ة � � ا �غ � � ��ع�ا � �و �ل�ا ش��� ا ��س���و ��ط ا �ل�ل�ه� � ح�تى �ل� ي���س�و �ل�ه ��ط ر ب� * م ق � ن آ� � ا ة ش �خ ����ى ي�ر�� �م�ن �ب���ل ا �ل����س�� ك���ا �ل� د ر� * ج � � ��� �ص�� ك� ا� ط��ا ك ا �لركب���ت��ي�ن * ا ��ل ش �ف �ة �غ� ّ � ا ��ل � ا �خ � ح��مى * �م� ي�ر�ج �ع��ل�ى ����� ب � ��ف��س�ا د ا ��ل �ر� �م�ن ا �ل�ع�ص�ا ب� * �ج ح ق � � ق � ا �خ ح��د �ى ا ��ل ا �ب��ا �ل ا � ح��د �ت���ي�ن �ع��ل� ا �ل� �ر�ى * ى ت � ���س�د ��ا ��لت ���ثر�ة �خ� �� ���فى ا ج��ل ح��ترا �ق� �و ر� � ك� �ه�ا ب� � ا م��ا ��ن �ه�ا ي���س�ي�را � و � ب ب �ي م رج ّ � �نآ �خ � �و��د ب� ا �ل�ى � ك� م��ا � � �ر * ي آ � � � ة � �صر� ا �لب ��و�ل � ا و �لب��عر�م�ن د � * ح� آ �ف � د � ��ى ا �ل�ع��ي�ن * *
ف �م�عر�و�� آف ��ت غ� � ا ئ� �ة � ا �ن ف ح� ا �ل� � �� �م�ن د � �ي��ه * ��ي ر ر �� ا ��ل � �� ح� * و جع ر م � � �� ا �ل��د �بر * �و ج ع � ��ف � �ف � ش ق � ش ف �ة � ��ذ ق�ن � �ع�و� �ى ا � �ل� � او �ل����د �� � او �ل������ � او �ل� �� � ا و �ل�ع ن��ق� * ج م � � �غ ��ت ّ� ن � �ف ف ق �ي�ب����س ��ى �م����ص�ل ا �لر��س� �ع�و� �م��ه ا �لي��د � ا و � �ل��د � * م ج *
32
32
٢٥،١،٣
٢٦،١،٣
Firing Up a Furnace
or sulāl,
“too well-known to require definition; synonym sill” [“tuberculosis”]
or sawlah,
“flaccidity of the belly and other parts”
or ṣaḥal, hoarseness or ḍaʿal,
“weakness of the body resulting from too-close consanguinity”
or ṭaḥal,
“a disease of the spleen”
or ṭulāṭilah,
“falling of the uvula so that neither food nor drink eas-
3.1.25
ily passes through it” or ʿafal,
“something that breaks out in women resembling the scrotal hernia [in men]”
or ʿaqal, “knock-kneedness” or ʿaqābīl,
“an eruption on the lip following a fever”
or ghamal,
“the festering of a wound as a result of its being tied
or qabal,
“the turning of one of the two pupils toward the
or namlah,
“a pustule that erupts on the body as a result of inflam-
too tightly” other” mation and chafing and which quickly destroys the flesh where it is and then takes hold in another place” or uṭām,
“retention of the urine and feces due to a disease”
or ḥujām,
“a disease of the eye”
or judhām,
“too well-known to require definition” [“leprosy”]
or khasham,
“change in the smell of the nose due to a disease”
or raḥam,
“pain in the womb”
or saram,
“pain in the buttocks”
or ḍajam,
“crookedness of the mouth, jawbone, lip, chin, and neck”
or ʿasam,
“stiffening of the wrist or ankle joint resulting in distortion of the hand or foot”
33
33
3.1.26
� �غَ َ � او �ل���م� م � فَ �قَ � او � �ل � �� َم �ق َ � او � �ل���ع َم � �� َ��ز � � ا ل� و كم �َ � شَ � او � ك ل������ م �ُ � ا �ل مو� � و م �َ َ � � او �لب� ��ط�ن �َفَ � او �لث�����ن � ََ � او �ل��د �ن�ن � ََ � او �ل�ز �م�ن �ت � او �ل���� �سّو�ن �َ َ � او � �لق���ع�ن � �آ �ة � � او �ل� �ه� � او�لم�ا �ه��ة �ََ � او ج�ل ���ل� ه �َ ���َو ه � او �ل ش � � فَ � او � �ل ��َوه � َ�ق � او � �ل َره �َ � او � �ل�ق َ�م� ه �ََ � او�ل�مره � � او �لب���ل� ه
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
ا ن � ش � ت �ت ض ق � � �ه��ة � ا �� �لق��ف��ا ��س�ي �ل� � ا �ل����عرح�ى � � ��ي��� ا �ج�ل ب � و �ت ق � ث�ن � ف �ت ق � ف � ���د � ا �ل� �ا �ي�ا ا �ل�ع��لي��ا ��ل�ا � ��� �ع��ل� ا �ل��س����ل� * ى ع ى م � �ف � ا �ت ف ي�ن �مي���ل � ا و ر� ���ا ��ى ا �ل� �ل�ي�ت�� * ع �ق� �ف � ا �ن ف �صر ��ى ا �ل� � �� * � �ن ق ا ن ��ف ��خل � ق ��ف ��ل � س� * � ���ص� � �ى ا �� �ل� �و�ى ا ح�� ب ا �ش���د ا ج��ل ���د ر�ى * آ � � د � ا �لب� �� ط�ن * �ان ن � �� �ة آ �ف �َ �ة د � ء ��ى ا �لث�فِ�� ن�� �و��هى �م�ن ا �ل� ���س�ا � ا �لركب��� ا ��لف�خ �ذ ��� * �و �ف � ن� ن�آ �ف � ظ � ن �ت � ا �هر �ود � ��و � �و ��ط�ا �م�ن ��ى ا �ل� �ص�د ر ح�� ��ى ا �ل�� � ا ��� ا �ة ن� � ضَ َ حوه ا �ل���م�ن * لع� �ه� �و � ت آ � � ا ��س��ر�خ��� ا �لب� �� ط�ن * �ق� �ف ا � �ف � ا �ن ف ح ش��� ��ى ا �ل� � �� * �صر � � آ ا ��ل�� �ه��ة ا ��ل �ص���ة � او �ل�م�ا �ه��ة ا ج��ل � ح ���د ر�ى * � ب ن� ا � ش �ن ق � ا ح��س� ر ا �ل����عر �ع �م���د � ا �ل ا ر ��س * م � � � ق ���د * �صر�ه�ا ض� ��ط�و�ل ا �ل�ع ن��ق� �و��� �ة � �ف ��س�ع� ا � �ل� * م � �ق ��ف �� ��ا �� �لق��� ��ف ا � ا �ن ا ن ل ا � � � � �ى �ل� �س � � * ا � �ل ره �ى ج ��س�د ك� ل حقَ َ ق � �ة ش ة �� � ا � ��ع� � ك� ��ل� ����ه�و� ا ل��ط �ه� * ���ا � �ل م �م � �� ح�� ��ف��س�ا د ا ��ل�ع��ي�ن ��ل��ترك ا � ك � ل��ل * ق � �ة ا �� ف� �� ن �ة ��ل� ل�� ط�� *
34
*
34
٢٧،١،٣
��م ت � ق �و ج��م� ا �ل��س�ا �� ع
� ا ��ل�ع ن�ق و ��
*
٢٨،١،٣
Firing Up a Furnace
or ghamam,
“the spreading of hair in such a way as to narrow the brow and the nape”
or faqam,
“advancement of the upper incisors so that they do not meet the lower”
or qaʿam,
“a distortion and raising of the buttocks”
or kazam,
“shortness of the nose”
or kasham,
“inferiority of physique or of pedigree”
or mūm,
“the most extreme form of smallpox”
or baṭan,
“belly disease”
or thafan,
“a disease of the thafinah, which, in a human, is the
3.1.27
knee, or the place where the shank and the thigh meet” or danan,
“bowing of the back, walking with short steps, and lowering the chest and neck”
or zaman,
“an affliction [of the body]; synonym ḍaman [chronic or crippling sickness]”
or tasawwun,
“flaccidity of the belly”
or qaʿan,
“repugnant shortness of the nose”
or āhah or māhah, “āhah is measles and māhah is smallpox” or jalah,
“recession of the hair from the fore part of the head”
or shawah,
“both longness and shortness of the neck (one word with two opposite meanings)”
or fawah,
“capaciousness of the mouth”
or qarah, “qarah [jaundice] is to the body what qalaḥ [yellowing] is to the teeth” or qamah,
“lack of appetite for food; synonym qaham”
or marah,
“festering of the eye as a result of failing to apply collyrium”
or balah,
“lack of native wit”
35
35
3.1.28
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
�َ �ذ �َ ة � � � ق ا ��ل � او �لتَ���ل� ه ح�ي�ر� � او �ل�و�ل�ه �و�ه�و �ه�ا ب� ا �ل�ع���ل� ََ ّ ن �ذ �ف � او ��ل��د ��ل�ه حوه * �ه�ا ب� ا � �ل �� او د �م�ن ��ه �و�� م � �َ � �� ظ �� ن� ن �ف � � ف ش � � �هر �ع ن��د ا لع � ا � او �لب���ز ا �ج�ز ا �و ا ��� ار �� �و��س ��ط ا ل� ح��ا ��ى ا � ظل�� � � ه ع � � ل � � ر � ى ا ��ل�ا �� ت س� * � �َْ ���ل��د � ا ت �خ ��س�ع��ة ا ج��ل � او �ل� و ��س��ر��ا �وه * حو �� ج ��َ ن � ا � او جل د �و� ا �ل�ص��ل� * ��ل� ع ��ََ آ �ف � � او جل �ص�د ر * �و�ى د � ��ى ا �ل� �� ��لَ � ة ا �ش���ت�د ا د ا ��ل �� ��ل ���ف ا �ل�مث��ا �ن��ة � ���ا ��ل � او � ح�تى ��ي �ص�ي�ر ك� ح�ص�ا � * ح�ص�ا �ة بو ى � َقْ � � او �ل ���ل ا �ل���ل �� ���فى ا ��لب� ���ط�ن �م�ن ا �ك� � �و ج� ح� * ح� ��و�ة ع م ��خلََ�ذ ا �ت �خ��آ ا � ا �ذ ن � ا � و �ن��ك��س�ا ر�ه�ا * ��� �ى ��س� ر � �ل� � � او � َْ �ف �ق ئ � �ي�ن � ي�ن �� �فا � او �ل �ر�ث ي���ة وج �� ا�لم��� ��ص�ل � او �لي��د � او �لر�ج���ل�� ا �و �ور�م ��ى ا � �ل �� او ��م ا �و ع ن � �ا� � ف � ت ت ا �ن � � � � � � ا ا � � � م ل كب� ر و و ج� * �م��ع�ك �ل� ��� � ع � َ ����ة ب��ث�� ر �صغ���ا ر � ح�مر� ك� ح��ا ك��� * � او �ل ش���ر�ى و � � خ� � ن � � � �خ ف �ة � ا �ق � ا ��ل شَ���غ��� ا ا � ت��ل�ا �� �ن�ب��ت�� ا �ل� ��س�ن �ا � �ب�ا �ل��ط�و�ل � او � �ل�� �صر � او �ل�د � �و�ل و � ا ���خل �ر�و�� * و ج � ضَ َ ق �ة �خ ق �ة � �ز � د �ق��ة ا ج��ل ���س� �و���ل� ���ل��� ا �و ا �ل�ه ا �ل * ���و�ى � او �ل� م � ا �� َ �� نَ � ا �� ه � ئ��ت ه � ا � ا ض �ا �م�ن ا ��ل ن � ا ���ط ن�� ��ل�ز �ق� �� ط ��ا �� ب� ا �ل� ي���سر * ح� ل� ور �� ب� �ل� � ���ل ج ى �و ل�ط��ى ع �ف � �ف � ا �� ف�لَ�غ��� ا �مي���ل ��ى ا � �ل� * و م ن َ ن تش �ف � ا �ن �ة ث� ��ت�ق � �� ق �ة � ا �� �لق��ع� ا �ص�� * �ه�و ا � ����ر� ا �ل� �ر ب�� � ���عى � و حو ا �ل�� ب م آ َ � �ق َ � د � ���فى ا �ل�ع � �ج�ز * � او � �ل� ��ط�ى � َقْ آ �ف � د � ��ى ا �ل�و�ج��ه * � او �ل��ل� ��و�ة
36
ح�ز �ن�ا �
36
*
٢٩،١،٣
٣٠،١،٣
Firing Up a Furnace
or talah,
“confusion, or walah,” which means “losing one’s mind as a result of sorrow”
or dalah,
“losing one’s mind as a result of worry and so forth”
or bazāʾ,
“a bending of the back at the buttocks, or projection
or jaḥw,
“capaciousness and flaccidity of the skin”
or jalā,
“[a form of hair loss] short of baldness”
or jawā,
“a disease of the chest”
or ḥaṣāh,
“hardening of the urine in the bladder until it turns
of the middle of the back over the anus” 3.1.29
into something like stones” or ḥaqwah,
“pain in the belly from eating meat”
or khadhā,
“flaccidity and floppiness of the ear”
or rathyah,
“a pain of the joints, hands, and feet, or a swelling in the legs, or one’s not being able to turn as a result of old age or pain”
or sharā,
“small red itchy pimples”
or shaghā,
“variation in the manner of growth of the teeth, some being long, some short, some pointing in, some pointing out”
or ḍawā,
“meagerness of the body, or paucity of the body, either as an inborn trait or as a result of emaciation”
or ṭanā,
“[the verb] ṭanā means ‘his spleen and his lungs stuck
or faghā,
“a distortion of the mouth”
to his ribs on the left side’” or qaʿā,
“the projection of the tip of the nose followed by its turning up toward the bridge”
or qaṭā,
“a disease of the buttocks”
or laqwah,
“a disease of the face”
37
37
3.1.30
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
� ََ ا �ف � ظ � � � �ف � ة � او �ل�� �لو�ى �� ��ى ا�لم�ع�د� � او �ع�و�ج��ج� وج � ��ى ا �ل�� � �هر ع � ��ا نْ � ن � ا ن ا ن ��ق ش ا �ق ��ق ا �زُ ْ ا �َ �قَ َْ � َ �غ �ذ � � � � � � � � � �س � � � ع � ا ا ا ا ع � � � � م � ��� �و��ي�ر �ل��ك �م�ن ا �ل�عي��و ب� ك�� � �ي ك�و� �ل� ��س� � �عو م� و ر�م� و ب��ل و طرى ِ�زْ � ا آ � � َُ ف � ُ ��م � ن ُغ ا �و ��ن���ا �ش���ي �ا 1ا �و ا �ب�ا ا �و د �يم�م�ا * �و�م�ن ا �ل� د � �و ا �ل ��تى �ل� �ي��عر�� �ل�ه�ا ب���ع�د ا �� � ح�ا �ل ا � سم * �و م � �ث ت� � �ة ��� ا ا � �ة ن ف �ن �� ��ن ه�ا �غ��� �م� ت ش �س��ق��ص�ا �ة �ه��ذه ا �ل�م�ا �ي�� � او �ل�ع���ر�و� � ح� ��ط �ب��ه�ا ك��ل�ه� � حر��ا * � او �ص�ع ب� ح� �ل� ك��و � ي ر ي آ � ف �ت � �ص � �ن�ا �ع�� �ذ ��ل��ك ا ��ل��د � ء ا ��ل�زَ ْ �ن �� ��مم�ا � �ق �ز ا �م� ا �� ّر ا �ل�ُه ك� ��ا � او �ل�� ش � �� �م�ا �� ي�ه�ا � او ض� رب ى ���وي�ل * و �د د ع� � رو ل�ى ع ف ا �ق � � �ع � �ق �خ � ت � ن ه �� �غ� ت�ن ا � ش ف �ة ��ف � ن ا � ا ن � � � � ا � � �ل � ه � ا � � � ��ل� ع�� ل � � ا �ل��� �ر��� * و ع�ود � �ول �ي ك� ب ��ى د � م�د ى �مر � ��ص�ي ر * م م �ي م � آ � � � � ل��ك� �من �ه� �م�ن ا �ل�ع ن��� � او �ج�ل ���ث�ي�ر * � او �م ��ه �ع��س�ي�ر * � � �و�هّ�م�ه� ف�ي��ه ���ط�و���ل ك� � �ه�د � ا و �ل��ل�و�ع�ه * ي م ل �م رم ��ف آ � �ف � ف � � � �خ � � ت ض ي�ن ش ���ا � �م�ا �ي���ك ي��ه � �و �ر�ي�ن �م�ع�ه * �� ��ط�ا �ل ب� ا �ل�عل��� ي���س�هر ا �ل��لي��ا �ل�ى ��ى ��ب��ي��� �م����ا �ك�� * � ا � ل و �ي � ح م ّ �ذ حت ن ا � ق � � �ذ � ا ��ل� ن � � �خ ائ � � م��ا �ع��ل �ع�م��ل�ه ا ��س �ص��ع��ة ��ي�� ض���ى ��ن �ه�ا ره ك���ل�ه � بك� � � ��ط * ��ى ��ي �� �ل �م��س� ���ل * و و � ى ف �ذ � � ئ �ذ � � � �ا ا �ت ����ا �ف�ه ف���ق� ���ط * �و �و ا �ل�ا �م�ا ر�ة �م ش���غ� ��و�ل ا �لب��ا �ل �ب�ا � ك� ��ك ح�� �م�ه �و��س�ي � ��س �ه * � او �ل �ر���ي��س �و ف ق ��هّ � �ئ ا � �ت ه � ا �ل�م��ل� � � �م�ن � �ز ا �ئ ه ا ن ت�� � ف �� �وه �م�ا �ب�ه �ه�ل�ا ك���ه * ح�ا � �ل �� او �ع��لي��ه �ي����س� � م بر� �س � * و ك م�و ج ��س و ر � � ��ي آ ��ه * � ا ��لت��ا � او ��ل� �ز ر� �خ��ا �ئ ف�� �� ن� �م ن��ه ا ن� ��ي ن ���ق� �ع�� � ا ��ل�ى ��م �ه� ف�ت��د �ور �ب��ه� ا �ف�ل�ا ك��� ح��تر�ف�ه � � � ل � � ك �ج و �ي ي� ر و و ب ر م م م َ � ف � �خ � ش�� ا ن �تَ �ش ا ��ل ن ا �� ��� ت ����س�ا د �� ض� ا ت ��س��غ� ن�� ا �ع�ن ش ف ق �ن ط�ي�� ب� ي ��ى � ر���د �� س ي ��� �ع��ه * � او �ل�� ب �و�ه�و �م���� ��� �م ك� ب و �َ � ا �عت ه ف�ت�� ���ف�ن � �ق ا �ق � ه � �ت ا �ج�ن �م ا ه �ز � ا � ا �ت ه � � ��ف ��س�د �ذ � ه � �َ ف �س���و�ف�ه �و�ل�ع�و�ق�ه بر �� * ع ع�� �ي ر * و� ر ور * و ي�� �ج � �ج � � و�ي � �ت � �ف �قا ض ت �ذ �ن ق �ن �ت�ف ت�ن �ن �غ َ � ا �و �و ج�� �وره * � او � �ل�� ���ى ي���س��عي�� �م ��د �و�م �م � � � �ه �م ا �ل�ي��د بج ��م�ا �ل�ه� * �و ر�ب��ك��ه ��ى �ف ت � ّا ن ��ذ �ذ ت� � � �ن � � �ا ف � ق � � �م��س�ا �ئ��ل �غ��ي�ر �م� ك�� حوا �ل�ه�ا * � او �ل �ر� � ي� ��ور�ة ��ى ك���� �ب�ه �ي�� ح��ا �ل�ه�ا * �و� ح�ي ر م ا ل � ع � ب � ح� ر ب � ��ي ب � � �م�ن �ع� �صف� ا ��ل�ا ر � او � * � او ��ل�زا ج��� �م�ن �ش��� �ن�ا ر ا ��ل � حرب� ا �ل ��تى �و��ق�ود�ه�ا ا �ل�ا ر � ا و� * ل ب ح ح � � � ��ف� ن َ� �� � ق � �خ غ ت �ف ك� ���ل�م�ا را �ى ��س��ل���ط�ا �ن�ه �م����ي�را * �و��ا ��طره � � م�ك�د را * ��ا �ل ا �ل��ل�ه� ا ��ك �ى �غِ��ي ر ا �ل�د �هر * م ا ض �ي�ز � ق � �ذ � �ن �ف � � ���ع�ل �ه� ا ا � � � او ج� �صر * �ف�ا ��ى ا ر�ى ��ى �و�ج��ه �م�� ك�� ���ا �و�ل �ب���ل ا �ل�ع� ل�ك�د ر �ع� ر� ل�ى � او �م�ي�ر�ى ن ا �ذ � � �� � ن ا �ز � �ة � ا � ا � � آ � �ق � ا � �ة �س��مي��� ا � �ل ت��ا �ل * � او �لر � ح�� �و�عي��ا �ل * � او �م�ل�ا ك ي سم ب�م�� �ل� ا �ل� �ب� ��ط� �ل * � او �� �و �ص� ب *
ن ف� 1ك ذ ف� ق �� � «� غ���ا ش�����ي���ا». ��� ا ي� ا �ل�����ا �مو س ا لم��حي����ط و ي� ِ 1855
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Firing Up a Furnace
or lawā,
“a pain in the stomach, or a crookedness in the back”
not to mention other blemishes, such as being a dwarf or a runt, or undernourished, potbellied, and thin-necked, or a beanpole or a midget or squat and fat or short and ugly, or diseases for which no name as yet is known and which it is impossible to enumerate in their entirety since they are too many to be contained within these twenty-eight letters.1 The most trying and harmful of them all are erotomania and erectile dysfunction, to which last our contemporaries have added venereal disease, for which our noble language has no word.2 Again I say, “Is it not enough for men that their lives are short and spent mostly in lengthy thought, their lot hard, each in enough care, struggle, and grief drowned to suffice him and still leave a balance to go round? The seeker after knowledge, to elucidate issues and clarify matters of debate must burn the midnight oil, to scrape the barest living the craftsman must bend over his work all day in resentful toil. The emir is preoccupied with laying down the law and maintaining his domination, the president frets over his administration. The king lives in dread lest his ministers conspire to administer to him a potion that will leave him dead, the ministers quaver lest he find fault with them and withdraw his favor. The merchant goes early to the shop he hires, worried that his goods will find no buyers. The physician fears people living more sensible lives and dispensing with his skills, leaving his drugs to go rancid and the liquids in his bottles to go stagnant, while corrupted become his powders, electuaries, dry doses, and pills. The judge prays that no young lady come before him to snare him with her looks or disconcert him with matters not found in his books, entrapping him in floss till, as to her affairs, he’s at a loss. The ship’s captain’s on guard lest a storm arise, the general against the outbreak of war’s fire, whose fuel is lives—saying, on seeing that his sultan’s thinking is quirky, his mood murky, ‘God protect me from time’s upsets and make this quirkiness a passing spell, gone before the supper bell, for in the face of my king and commander I see designs for the clash of titans and the lineaments of battle, while I have a companionate wife and children, property, and cattle! God make the foreigners hold their tongues and cease their slander, cast terror of him into their hearts and wipe from his breast aught that may make him rage or rouse his dander!’ The ploughman is afraid of too much rain and the hurricane, the educator that men will turn from a
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3.1.31
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
� � ف ��ف �ف � �ة � ا � �ف ق �ق � او �م� او �ل * ا �ل��ل�ه� ا ��ك �� ا �ل��س�ن � ا �ل� �ج��ا ن�� ب� �ع�ن ا � �ل��دح� �ي��ه * � او ��لقِ� ��ى ���ل�و�ب��هم� م � ه �مُ �ث ة � ا � �ص�د ره �م�ا �ي ��و�غ� ه �و�ي�ز ف���ه * � او ��ل � ح�ا ر ث� �ي ��و ج���ل �م�ن ك����ر� ا �ل� �م �� ط�ا ر * � �م�ن � رعب�� � او ر ي ح ّ � ال� ت م��عل��� �م�ن �ه �� � ا ��ل�ا �ع�ص�ا ر * � اول�م�عل��� �م�ن ر غ�����ة ا ��ل ن��ا �� �ع�ن ا ��ل�عل��� ا ��ل�ى ا �ج��ل � ��ه�ل * و ب س �و ب و ب ِ م م م �ق �ة � ُتّ �ن ث �ََ ق �ة � ت ��ل � � � ل��ا ب� * ا ��ل ش����ا �ف�ه �ل�م�ا �ع ن��ده �م ��م�د ا ج�ل ح�ا �ظ �� ر ��ل�ه ���ل��د * � او � ل��ا ب� * �و�ع�ا �ب�� ا � ك�� �ع� ب�� ا � ك�� � ت �آ � آ � � � ّ � � � �ع�ن ا �ل��ل�ه�و � او �ل��دد * � او�لمغ�� ن��ى � او �ل�ع�ا �ز �ف� �ب�ا �ل�ا ت� ا �ل��طرب� �م�ن �و��ق�و ا �لغ���ل�� * ا �و ا ��س��ي��ل� ع آ آ �� �� � ش ا ح�ز ن� �ع�� �ق��ل� � ا ��ل�ا �غ� � �� * � ا ��ل�ل�ا �ع� �م�ن ا �هت��د � ا ��ل ن��ا � ا ��ل ل � � � ل �� ا � � ا ا د ل � � * ع ��� � و و ى ج س ل�ى و ب ن�ي ر ب �ذ آ � ��ا ��ل � �ص�د * � ا �ل�م� ��ل�ف� �مث���ل �م�ن ح ا ��ل�ص��ل��د * ا �و ��م � حب �� �و�ه ا ج� ��ف��� � �م�ن ا � �لف��ا �ئ�ه �م�م�د �و� � و و و � ح�ه ك�� �ج ر ى ب ت ّ ن � ��ف �ق ن ت �خ ّ�ق ن شف � �م ا ني�ن ������ق �م�ن ��م�ا �ن��ي�ن ��ل�ا ا �ن�ه �ه� �من �ص�د �و� �ل�ه ي� � �ه� ) ��ي �� حر��و� ك����ا �ب�ه * �يو�ر��و� ج ج�� ��� (ا �ى ي� � و �م ح �م�ا ��ن ه�ا �م�ن ����س�ا د ا ��ن��ت��ه * �و�ه�م�ا �م�ن ب خ� � ِا �ه�ا �ب�ه * � او ��ل�ز �و�� �م�ن �ف ار ر �ز �و�ج� ت��ه �وك� ��ل�ه �و�ر � ب ج ت � � � � �ة �ة � ف ف �ق ف ف � ا ا �ثر � �وت�ه * � او � �ل�ق ��سي����س �م�ن ك�� ب� ا � �ل��ل� ��س��� * � او � �ل��ل� ��س��� �م�ن �و�عي��د ا � �ل ��سي����س �وب��� او د ره � �ذ �ة � ا �ف � �ن ن� ف ا ��ل�ع�ا �ص�ف���ة * � �ع� ده ا �� �لق��ا �ص�ف���ة * � ���ف ا ج ���ل �م��ل��ة �ف � ��ك�ل �ى � حر�ف� ي خ� � م ا ح ار �� وى ور و ٌ � � ا � ا � ه � �ف ا ا � ا � ه ا �ذ � ا ��ن ف���ع�ه�ا �ع�ن �ج��ا ��ن ب��ه * �و�ك� ح� �ل� �و� �لو �ب �� ��س� د � ���ل �ي��د �ع�و ا لله ل�ص�ل� � ح�� * �ل� ح� �ل �ص� ب ح �ف ة � � اّ ن �ا �ت ت �م�ص���ل �ة ة ا �ل� ا ��ل � �ذ� ة �ت ك� ��ر�ور� * ح� �م�ن �ه��ذه م�ص� � ا�لم� ك���ور� * ا �ل� � ��يو�ج�� ّر�م�ع�ه�ا �م� ��س�د� �ب�ا �لض� �� د �� ح م � � �ك��ا �ق�ا ��ل ا ب� ��و ا ��ل���ط�� ا�لمت�ن���ب� �م�ص�ا ��ئ� ��ق�و� �ع ن��د ��ق�و� ��ف� او �ئ��د * �و�م� �ذ ��ل��ك �ف � ��ك�ل �ي�ز �ع� �م ى يب م ب م م ع ف � � ن ه ��مق � ا ا � ن �غ �ف �ذ � �ق � ا �س�� ح�ا �ن�ه ح� �� ب ح� ي�م� ��س� �ل�ه * �ج���د �ير ب�� ن�� او �ل �م� ا �م��ل�ه * � او � �ل� ت��ه ��ى �ل��ك �ع ن��د ا �ل� ا �� � ن � ا � �ق � ف ا �ق � �ت � ق ق ا � ا �ن ا���ف � ن ا �و��ع�ا �ل�ى * ا � �ص�د �� �م��� �ل� * ��ع�م ا �ع�ود �� ��و�ل * � او � ��ط� �ل ا�لم� ��و�ل * ا �و �م� ��ك�ى ا �ل�� ��س ف � فق ا ��خل �و�ف� �م�ن ا �ل�م�و ت� ��ي�ف��ا �ج� ئ��ه� �و��ه ���فى د �ع��ة � او ����ط�مئ��ن�ا ن� * ا �و �يج�� � �� ��ع�ه�م �ب ������د �م�ا �ل��د ��ي �هم� م م � خ �ز�ي�ز �خ �� ف ن ا ��ل حي�� او ن� * ا �ذ ب���ع�� ا ��ل ن��ا ��س �ي ك� �وا ن� * �و�خ��ل�ا ن� �و� �ع �م�ن ا ��ه�ل �و �و�ل��د � او �� ��ل���و� �ب� �ي���ل �ض � � ن � ���� فل���ه� �ب�ا ��ل�ا ��ه�ل � او ��ل�ا ��ص ل��ل�ا ب� * ك� � او �ل���ط�ي�ر � او ��ل��س�ن �ا �ن�ي�ر � او �� ك� � ح�ا ب� * ا �و ا �لر�ع ب� �م�ن ا � م �ن ظ � ت � � ن ا ��ف ت ه ��ف�� ت ق � �فت�ن ق ق ���س�ق� ���ط ا � � ح��ر�� �ت�ا �ل��ده �هر د ا ب��ت��ه �� �د �� �عن����ه * ا �و ���سرى ا �ل�� ر �ى ب��ي���� ي ح�د ��هم �ع �� � ي �أ ت �ف � �ف � ه ا ��ل � ا �ش ا ء ا ه ا � �خ �و ���ط � �ف��ه ف�ي��ع�د � ر �ز �ق�ه * ا �و ��ي�ق�� ���فى ��تيّ��ا ر �ي ج� ��� �سف� �ب�ه ��� ب� �ى م� ��� لل * و م ر�ي ع 40
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Firing Up a Furnace
thirst for knowledge to one for ignorance, the educated that later writers will say something biting and of the consequences of writing (writing, that is, a book that will suck dry what remains of patience’s limited supply and keep him from any distraction or attraction), the singer and player of instruments that prices will become inflated or the hearts of the rich desolated, the playboy that men will be guided to become more serious, the poet that he’ll find the object of his panegyrics as impervious as rock or his beloved unresponsive and imperious, the author like me of lunatics (meaning he’s on his guard against them, not that he’s one of them),3 who may bar his path, burning his book and tearing his hide to pieces in their wrath, the husband of the decampment of his wife and of his daughter’s staying a spinster for life (as are they, in turn, of his stinginess with his pelf and denial of access to his wealth), the priest of the philosophers’ books, and the philosophers of the priest’s threats, fulminations, and thunderous looks. Thus, in sum, everyone with a trade fears lest its benefits be diverted, each prays God his affairs go right even if his friend’s must be perverted, for scarce any of the aforementioned can his own interests fulfill without another, of necessity, faring ill (as Abū l-Ṭayyib al-Mutanabbī put it, ‘The setbacks of some are for others opportunities’), despite which each claims he has a right to what he asks for, that he deserves to be granted his prayers, and that the proof of his claim lies in the sayings of the Glorious and Almighty Truth, that most truthful of sayers.” And yet again I say, no matter at what length I have already spoken, “Is it not enough for man—fear of a death that may take him unawares while peaceably engaged upon his affairs, or grieve him through loss of a dear one deceased, be he of his kin, his offspring, or his brethren, or a boon companion, or even a beast (for some are as fond of horses, birds, cats, and dogs as they are of family and friends), or terror lest one of them should break his neck by falling off the back of one of his nags, or his house catch fire, his heirlooms and prized possessions be burned to ashes and he reduced to rags, or fall into a torrent and be swept to God knows where, or the earth swallow him up, or the ceiling collapse upon him from above, or a missive reach him from a distance of two hundred leagues, to disquieten him, cost him his sleep, maybe even make him weep blood, or that a robber come and steal the goods upon which his livelihood depends, or lest he lose all that’s in his purse or waistband while on the road, or a stick pierce his eye and he lose its use, or one
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3.1.32
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
� � ���ة �م�ن �م��س�ا �ف��ة �م�ا ئ� ��ت �ف ���خ�س �ف� �م�ن �ف��و�ق� * ا �و ��تب���لغ���ه ا ��ل�وك��� � ا �ل�ا ر��ض� * ا �و ي�خ� ّر �ع��لي��ه ا �ل��س�ق � ى ر �ا ت � �ذ ف �� ���ه د �م�ا * ا �و �ي�ا ��تي��ه ��س�ا ر�ق� ف�ي����سر�ق� �مت��ا �ع�ه ا �ل�� � �ه ��ق ا � �ت��ق���ل�ق��ه �و�ت��ور�ق�ه �ورب�م� ا ب� ك ى �و �و م �ف � � �ف ن �ف � �م�عي�� ش����ت�ه * ا �و ��ي ف���ق��د �م�ا ��ى ك��ي����س�ه ا �و �ه�مي��ا �ن�ه ��ى ا �ل��طر� ��ق� * ا �و �ي��� ش��� ب� ��ى �ع�ي�ن �ه �ع�ود ي ق � � �ت���ت ش����ن � ض �ة ف �� ش ا ض ّ ف � ���ا را � �ب�ه ع� �ي��ع ��ط��ل�ه�ا * ا �و �� ����ل� �ي��ع�د ب���ع�د�ه�ا �م�ن ��س�� ��ط ا�لمت��ا * ا �و �ي�ا �ك��ل ����ي � � ع ج آ ف� �� د �ى ��ه * ا � ش��� ا ��ا �م��س�م� �م�ا ف�����س�ق� ���ط ا �م�ع�� ه � ا ا ��ه * ا � �ى �ج��م���ل��ة ف� ���ؤ �ق�ه �ج��م�ا ��له�ا و �ير ي ي ر و ي � ور ب يو ب و رب ف �ذ �غ �ك� ��ل��ل���ط���� �م�ن ��س�ق��ا �م�ه * � ��ل�� ش � �و�ه�و �ه�ا ئ�� �م�تيّ�� ي� ش����� �ي� � ص � ل����ا �عر�م�ن � ار �م�ه * �ف�ل�ا �ه� ا � و ب و ب ي ب م م ��ق � ��عح � نّ ا�ز � �ذ �ة �ة ف �ف �ق ف َ ش ْ ن م��ي �ه * �و ��ل�ا ا ك ��ي ����ع�ه �و����� ي��ه * ا �و ب ي���� ح� �ت��د �ه�م�ه �مر�عب�� * � �و�ل� �م�ه ا � �ل �م�ه ��ي ��ط �م�ه � � و ي ي ي �ذَ ت ت � �ة �ف ق َ � �خ ا �ث ا �ع�ن ا �ل�م�ا د �ب� * ا �و �� �نب��� ح�ه ا � ك� ل��ل� ب� �و�ر�� �ي�� �ب�ه ��بي��د �و �و �م�ه * ا �و ي���سي���ل د �م�ه * ا �و ت ت �ف����س � ف خ �ت �ص � �ف� ا ��ل� ��كو ن� �ج��ا ��ل��س�ا �ي �� �م�ا �ع��ل ا ��ل خ� �ي�� � �وا �ن�ه ه � � � � * ل م ي � � ح ت� * �ي����س�ود �و�ج� �ه�ه �ب��ي�ن ا �� و �ى ر�ي ع �� َْ �نَ ضْ � غَ ضْ �خَ ضْ تت �� �ت�ه * � ��م�ا �ن���ز � ه ��ا ��ل قت ���ف ا �وا ل � � ���ف ا �وا �ل� ���ف ا �وا �ل� � � � � �خ ب ����قى1 � � � �و�ع��ر��ه * � او ��ه�ل � ��ير��ه �وك��ور � � � ورب ب و ب ى ى ى ��لَ � َ فْ �خَفْ ���خلَ ضْ �َ � �ْ���ق ا � ا � �ا حْ��صم ا � ا ا �ل ع����ق ا �وا �لغ� ف� �����ق ا �وا �ل� � �� � ���م ا �و ا �ل ُردْ �م�ى * ا �و ��ي�ق�� �ع��لي��ه ا �� ك� و و � � ل�� ب� ��و��س ا �و ى ى ى ى ى ع � ً �ن � �ف حت �� ف ق �ف� �ج� ��ا ن� د �م�ه �ع��ل ق���ل��ه ف�ي� � � � � ت ��� � �ذ � �لي��ل�ا ف�ي��ق � �ه�لك �لي��ل��ه * ���عم �ل�م� 2ي���ك � �ى ب �ه�م �ه� ا ك�ل�ه �ى �ط� ��� ري ت ح��د �� � ا ��ل خ� ��ض ه� ي� ّه�ز �ع�� ���ع�� ك��ت� ��م��ي�ن * �و�ج� ّد �ع��لي��ه �م�ق��ا ن��� ا ���خل ��ا ��ئ� ا ��ل � �� و �ر��ص س ي ر ب ب ب�ع� � م �ج � ل�ى ب �ض ��ق � ا � ا �� �� �ع�ن ش َّ �ة ���ي�ن * �ف�ا ق��� ��ق� � �من ��س� �ف� ا ��ل��ل��ع�ن � او ��ل��ت�ز ك�� �ه� �ع��ل�ى �و� بر�م� ل�ط �� �م���ر�ع� * �وب� ي �و م ح ب �ل وم � م ّ ة �خ ق �ة ف ق � ���دا ��ل �ف�ا �ئ��د�ة �م�ا ر�ق��ة * � �و�ن��ب��ا ��ل ا ج��ل ���ع��ة * �و��ن��ص�ا ��ل ا ج��ل �مب�ض� ��ل�ا د �ص�ا رد� ��ا ��س��� * �����ا �ل ب ب � آ �ة �خ �ا ن ف� �ق ا �� �غ � ه ا � ا ا ��ن ا �مئ �ة � ا �� ف ق ا � �خ ب���ع��ض� ا �ل� ا � د ر�ج��ا ت� ا �ل���سم�� �مئ�� �و��م��س * ��� ل ��ي ر �ل� �ه� �� و بر� ع * ����� �ل ا �ر � � ن� ا � � ئ �ة ّ �اث ���ذ��ت ا ا ت ج���ت ا �ق �� � ن � �لق��د ك�� ب م� �و ��س��و ب م� ��ط �� ا �ل��ل��س�ا � �و���س�م�ل ا �ل�ع�ي�ن ��ي�ن * �و���س�ل ا �ل� �ن���ي���ي�ن * � او �م� �هى م�� ع ��ا ت ��ق ��س�ت ا ئ �ة ت ن ث� �ق ا � ا �خ� �ق ا �� ا � ا ا ن �غ ت � �� ت � � �� � � � �س�و� * ف���ق��ا � ��ي�ره س س� * � � م ر �و � ل �ل� � د رك� � ر م� � و��س� و � و م م �خ � � ت �س� ج�ب��تم�ا � � ت� ا ض���� �لت ا �� ب�ذ��تم�ا � او ��ل �و�ق�ا ��ل ا �ل�ا ا ��ن �ه�ا ��س�تم�ا �ئ��ة �و��م��س�و ن� * ف���ق��ا ��ل ا �خ�ر � �لق��د ك�� ح�د �م� �و� ل �م� � او � �و � � غّ � ث ن ت �ة �س�� �و� ت � ن * �� �ق�ا � ���ل ا �لي��د �ي�ن � او �لر�ج���ل��ي�ن * � ��نو ت��ف� ا �ل ش����عر�ي�ن * ا ��م�ا ��هى ��س�م�ا �ئ� �و� ب �س�و� م م ع خَْ خَْ ذ ��� ا] :1855 2 .ا ل . :1855 1ا �ل� ب����قى ا و ا �ل� ب����قى [ ك م
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Firing Up a Furnace
of his muscles become paralyzed and thenceforth be of no worth, or he eat something harmful and be killed by it, or he drink a poisoned potion and his guts and limbs collapse because of it, or he behold a comely woman and be kept awake by her beauty so that he gets up the next morning beside himself and love-sick, complaining to the doctor of his disease and to the poet of his passion, for the latter will neither his hunger appease nor grant him his desire nor will the former bring him any good or provide him with a cure, or behold an ugly one who strikes such terror into his heart as makes all appetite depart, or lest the dogs bark at him and rip his clothes, so that his tackle’s laid bare or his blood flows, or he be sitting one day on a seat and from down below be heard a tweet, so that his name becomes mud among his brethren and band, the people of his village and his land (in which case they may name him in derision ‘the farter,’4 ‘the snarter,’ ‘the varter,’ ‘the browner,’ ‘the bottom burper,’ ‘the queefer,’ ‘the queeber,’ ‘the poofer,’ ‘the pooter,’ ‘the butt trumpeter’), or the nightmare fall upon him one night, so that the blood stops flowing to his heart and he perishes before morning?” In truth, all this has not been enough to stop some men from rushing to outfit against others the battalions of guesswork and supposition and unleash against them the squadrons of surmise and suspicion. Thus one such company would attack another waving the lances of defamation, wielding the swords of imprecation, thrusting with spearheads of dispute that find their mark and pierce right through, firing arrows of debate that transfix and are ever true. One said, “Verily, the degrees of Heaven are one hundred and five!” while another, “Verily, they are one hundred and four, no more!” Then yet another declared, “You both lied and deserve to have your tongues excised, your eyes put out, your testes pulverized! They are one hundred and six for sure!” At this another arose who said, “Verily, the degrees of Hell are six hundred, six and sixty!” to which someone else responded, “Verily they are six hundred, five and fifty!” while a third declared, “You both lie and true belief defy, have erred and the shackling of your hands and feet incurred, in addition to the plucking of both your cephalic and your pubic hair! They are seven hundred and sixty-seven, I declare!” Then another stood up to say, “Verily, the length of Satan’s horn is three hundred, five-and-fifty cubits!” and another responded, “Untruth clear and falsehood outrageous! It is, on the contrary, three hundred and fifty-six!” (to which a third added, “And a few bits!”).
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3.1.33
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
ف ق ا � آ�خ �خ ق ا � � ا ن ق ن � ش � ا ن �ث��لث ا ئ �ة �خ� �ة �خ� ن �ذ ا ا �ر �و�� �ل ا �ل� ا � �ر� ا �ل����ي ��ط� � �م� �� �و �م��س� �و �م��س�و� را �ع� * ����� �ل � �ر ض ض �ث��لث ا ئ �ة �ت �ة �خ� ن ف ق ا � �خ � * �و��� ت ه��ا ن� �ف�ا ��� �ه��ذ ا ا �ف��ك � او ��� � * ب���ل �ه�و �م� �� �و��س � �و �م��س�و� * ����� �ل ا �ر ب ح ح ّ � � � ث � � �ق �ث � ا ف ن ن ا ن ح��د�ي��د �ل��ك� �و�ه � � ي��ل� �ع��ل� ا �ل ن��ا ��س �ي��ع�ي��ه� * ��ا �ج��ا �ب�ه �وك���� �سور * �� �ق�ا �ل ا �خ�ر ا �ل� ا ��ه �م�ن � ى م م �� ن ض ّ � � �ذ �غ � ا ���� له� �و� غ� �� �و �ه� ف���ق��ا ��ل ا �خ�ر ب���ل �ه�و �م�ن ا �لي ��ق� ���ط��ي�ن �ل�ا �ن�ه ��ي�ره ا �ل� ا �ن�ه �م�ن �ه ب� �ل���ك �و�ه ��ي � � م �ي �ي م ن ث �ذ � ث ّ � � � ث ق ث ق آ�خ �غ �ي ��مى �� �ي�� �و�ى * �و�ي��كب��ر �� ��ي �ص� ر * � �و�ي ��ط�و�ل �� ��ي��� �صر * ��م ��ا �م � �ر �ع��ل�ى ��سل��� �ع�ا �ل م م م م �ُ َ ح �م �ّ � � ق � � ن ن ن � ة ا ا � � ْ � �غ � ت �و�ق�ا ��ل �ب��ص� � �ج� �ه�ي�ر ا �ل� ا � �ي���كو� ا � �ه�ا ا �ل ن��ا ��س ج�ل ��ع�ه�ا ب �ج�ر � ���لي��د� �ي���ب���ى �� ��ط ح�د د �ل� كب���ي�ر و �ي آ آ ّ � ف � ف � �ا ق �ا � �ا � �و �ل� �صغ���ي�ر * ���ق��ا �ل � �خ�ر ب���ل ب���س��ك��ي�ن �م�ا ��ض� �ل� ��ط�و���ل �و �ل� ���ص�ي�ر * ���ق��ا �ل � �خ�ر � �لق��د ي � �ا ّ ق� �� فس� ت ن � �ة � ة �ا � ��ع�ه�ا ب �ج�� � �� ��ط � حر �و �ل� ��س��ك��ي�ن * �ه�م�ا ا ��م�ا ��هى �ع�ز�ي�ز � �ع��ل�ي�ن �ا * ك��ير��م� �ل��د ��ي ن��ا * �ل� ��ي ��ص ح � � �ة � � ن �و �ل�ا �خ���د�ش���ه�ا ب� ش����ى �و�ل�و �م�ن ر�ق��ي�ن * �ف�ا ��م�ا ��هى �مت��ص��ل� �ب�ا �ل�ور���د �و�من��ع�ق��د�ة �ب�ا �ل� � وت��ي�ن * ي �ن ق � ف ق ���ف ق� ن ا �ق ف ق ا � آ�خ ت ��عه�ا � ا ج�� �ف�ا ��ن ه�ا �و�م �� ��ط ��ع�ه�ا �����د ��ك ر * � او � � �س�و ج� ب� �� ر ��س� ر * ����� �ل � �ر ب���ل �� ��ط � و ب � ش ا �غ ا ق � �ف � �ف ا �ت ض ه ا �� �ق ا �ئ ��� � ا �� �ق ��� ّ � ا �� ��م�ا �و�ج��ه �� ا �ن�ا �ل� �نر�ى ����ي � ��ي�ر�ه� ��ي�� ��ط ��� ل�� ��ل ب ع�د ل� ط �م�ن ا �ل�ز � او �ئ��د * � �ع� ر� م ع ع � ق� تُ�َ�ف � ا �ظ � ف ا ��ت�ق���ّ �ق ا � �� �ق � � ن ا �� �ذ � ت�خ � � � � � ا � � ك � � ل� ل � �ص�ه�ا �ب�ا � �ل� ��ط ��� او ر ب� �� �� * ��ا �ل ب���ل ا �ل ش � � �ص�ي � �ه� ب ع�د ل�ك حى و �ل� �� ر �م * � ل و � ع �ن ف ا � ت ن ت �ت � � � ا �ق ا � ن� ا �� �� �ق �� �� �ق �� ا ا � � � � � ا ا � � � ا ل � � � � � ل ����ب�� �و�لك �ل� * � ل �م� د ���ل�ى � ط �و ب� ل� ط ح��ه� * � � �عى �ع��ل�ى و ج � ع �ع�د م �ع�ه� ل�ص� ب ي � �لق ا ه �ش ا � �ث ا �م�ن �غ � ��ن ف� � �ق ا �� � �خ� � �ق � ا � ا �� غ� � �ف ا �ئ�د�ة �ق ا �� � ا ق� � خ ع� � ��ا �ل �ل� ي � �� لل ���ي � ��ي ر � * � ل ب��ل �ل��ك ي� ك ل��ي ر � � * � ل �ل� ب م ّع ْ � ث �ق َ ق �ف � � خ ق �خ � � ت � ا ش ت ي�ن ح����د �ك�� �م�ن ا � �ل � ���� ب� ���ل�ه � �ج���ل�ه * � ��ل� �� �ك�� �م�ن ب��� ا ن��� �م��ل�و�� �ع��ث�ا * �� � ي ور و ى ل ل ل ب ر�ي م �َ �ف �ّ �ل� ق ا ي�ن ي�ن ش ح��س�ا � * � ا � ��ا ��ل��سه�ا � * � ��ا ���ط��ش ا ج��ل ح�ه �و�م ح�د ا � ح��ل�ه * ��م�ن �ب�� ��ا ر ب� �ي������� ب���س�ل� � م ور م ب � م وب � ع �ة � ا ض آ � آ �� � �ق ا �ذ � � ا �ن ه � ا � � ��ق���ل ه �ف ا �� � �� � ت�ن ا �ث ة ���� ا � � � � � ا � � ا � � ع ب ي��ده و � ب�ل��س� � * و�ه� �ٍج ب �م� * � لرو س م� � ر * و ل�د م� �ج � ري� �ل� � ع � �� �ا� � �م ّ �ة � ة ه�ّ � �خ �ة � ت ت ا ا ت � ل � � � � � � � � � ا � � ا م � � ا � � � � � � � ل �ل ا � م ه�ور و حرم� � � ك� * وم� ل م��س�ل�و ب� و ل�د ي� ر ر� * �مت� ��ط�ا �ير� * و عر �ض � � ب ��ل �ز �ف � �ة �خ ُ ���ا �م ن���ة * � ا �ل� ش ح���ة ظ �����ا �ه �ة � ��ا ��� ن م����ا � ن ط���ة * � او ��ل �ص�د �ور ك� � او � �ي���ل �م��س َر�ج�� * ح�ز ا ا ت� ��ى ا �ل� و ر وب ّ � ا �� �ف� �� � ا �ن ت ق ا ��ق �ة � �ة �ا �ة �م�د� ���ة * � او ��ل���ط �ق� �م�ع ���ط��ل��ة * � او ��ل�ا ر�� ��مم � ح��ل� * �و ل ر ص �ل�ل� � ���� � �مر � � و� * ل�ك� ج � او � �م ج �ض ر ب م ت ��ف � � ا ��ل ش �ة �� ف فا ت ا ا ا �ا �� ��� �� �وب� * �ي� ا ��ي �ه� ا �ل ن�� ��س ا �عت�ب��ر � او ب��م�ن �� � * ك�ي��� �ص� ر � او �ل�د �ع� او � �ى ا �ل�لي�� �ى �م ب 44
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٣٥،١،٣
Firing Up a Furnace
Now another said, “And it is made of iron, as witnessed by how heavily it weighs on people and torments them!” to which another answered, “Verily, it is made of gold, as evidenced by how it distracts and tempts them!” To this another, however, responded, “Nay, it’s made of squash, because it grows and then gets shorter, swells and then gets smaller, contracts after having got tauter!” Another now arose, stood atop a tall ladder and said in a loud tone, “Verily,
3.1.34
you are possessed, good people, of a little piece of skin that must be cut off, using a whetted piece (neither too large nor too small) of stone!” to which another replied, “Nay, using a sharp knife, neither too long nor too short!” to which a third one made retort, “You’re both fools! That bit of skin to us is dear, to our hearts near, and is not with either stone or knife to be made shorter or scratched by aught else, be it even of silver, for it is connected to the jugulars and tied to the aorta. Anyone who cuts it is guilty of infidelity and deserves to burn in Hell for all eternity!” Someone else declared, “Nay, to cut it off is a duty, for it is nothing but a mere appendage!” to which the first objected, maintaining that it should not be cut off and saying, “Verily, we see that nothing else is cut off, so why make cutting its peculiar privilege?” to which the other answered, “On the contrary, mustaches are trimmed and nails clipped!” The other said, “But then they grow back while that does not!” The first now declared, “My conclusive proof that cutting it is obligatory is its uselessness to its owner!” to which the other replied, “God has created nothing in vain and to no purpose!” “On the contrary,” said the other, “he created you to no purpose!”, to which the second responded, “Not at all, it’s you who were created in vain!” Each party then mustered its cavalry and its footmen, and the two armies clashed, using weapons and acumen, and what with blades chopping, arrows shooting, hands bashing, tongues wagging, and pens decrying, heads were scattered, blood flowed and limbs sent flying, the inviolable was violated and honor debased, wealth looted and lands reduced to waste, while grudges were borne in men’s breasts, ill will both patent and hidden stored up in their chests, horses were saddled and warriors armed, roads became impassable and the earth was harmed, men awaited their chance for retaliation, and the nights were filled with vituperation. Good people, think of those who have passed on to the eternal domains and of how they are now but mortal remains, when there were among them
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3.1.35
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
�ن ��ا ن �ذ�� �� ��ف ���ا ت� * �ف�ا ��ص� �ذ�� � � فا ت ن ن ح��ا �ت�ه �ب�ا ��لب��رك� ا �ل�ى ا �لر�� � * � او � �م � ب �ه�م �م ك�� � �ي�� ك�ر ا �سم�ه �ى �ي � �ي�� ك�ر ح ح��س� ���ف ��ق� �م�ه ��س ا ��ا � ّ�ه�ا ��ا * �ف��ص�ا ��ا ��ل��ل�ع ن��ا ت� * � �من�ه� �م�ن � ���ا ن� ي� � ح �� ك ي س� ر و �ج �ج ى و ب ر ب ب و �م ت ن ت � ف ن � � �ظ ��� �ي�ن ا ه � � ��ل� � ت � ت �خ � � � ��ل��س�ا ��هن ن �خ � ��ل� اا � ��ا ��ا * �و�من�ه� �م�ن �ا � ا �ك� � ح ���� �� �� �� ن ه � � د�� �� �و جع �ج ك� � ي� �ل �ى ي � ب ط�� وجح ع� � * �يو ج � �م ج ت ت �ش ت ��س� ���ل�ه * ��ا ا � ه�ا ����ل�ه * �و���ع�� ا ��ل �و�تر خ�� �ش����ف ت��ا ه * �ف��ص�ا ر ا ��ل�ا ن� ا ��ل��د �ود ��ا ك� ي �ي � ح��� ار � ي� � بو ي ب �ض ى �ف �ق �ف � �ف � �ن �غ ن� � � �ن �ف ت �نا � � � �س��ا � � او �لب��ا ��ى ��ى ��ع�ا ��س * ا ر ِر م �ر�ور ا �ل�� ��س * ا �ل�� ��س * �و�ج �م�ه�ورك�م �ى � ب أ ح���ذ ا ر �م�ن �ق �ور ا ��لر�م�� * � �و��د ا ر ا ��ل�ى ��ت�ق��دي�� �ع��م� �ص�ا ��ل � ا ��ل�ى ا لله * � �و�ل�� � � ��ي��قر� ك�� � ر ب ِ �و� ِ س ي م م ل ح بم �خ �ف �ف ت � � ا ��ل � ب��ب��ع�� � او �ن ت�� ���فى ا ��ل � � � * �و��ى ا ��ف� او ك�� ح�ق��د �ع��ل� � �ص ك�� ح��ا ه * ا ��م� �وت��و ن� �و��ى �ق��ل�و�ب ك�� �� ك�� �ه� �م� � � ب���ع ض� ي �ض ى م م م م م � خم ا � ف� ��ف �ز � � � ق �� �� � ا � ا �� ا خ� ا �ن ا �ف �� �ن � ق ا ا ا �ن ل � � ع � ا � � � ا � � �ل �� � � � � ا � ع � � � �و � � ك� ك� ا �ل��ل��ع�ن �ع��ل�ى � ل� ك� �م� * م �ي��ل ك� ل� � ح� ك�و��و ي� ب�� د �ع��ل�ى �ل� ر � �ى �ض م م م م آ ���ن ت �ذ � ��م � ا � ّت ن �م�ن ا � ا � �د � ا �ّ ا � � ة � �ن � � � � س ح � � ا � ا ك �ل � � � � �ج � ه د� � � ي ع� يم� ��و� * ��س�و �� وى و ج � ب� و ح� و م ح� و ك� �و �مر و �مر م م ن � ن �ظ � ن � ا � ك� � ك� � �ف�ا �ن��و ن� * ا �ن ك�� ���� ك�� � ب� ش���ر ا �ن ك�� ���� ك�� ا �و � �فص� ر ا �و ��س�ود ا �و ب��ي���ض� ا �ن ك�� ل� � ل� � � ��ا �� ر�و� �و �ل� �م�� �سو� م م م م م ا ا � �� �ُ �َ ّ ن ش ن � ن � � ش �ن �أ �� ا ن � ل � ا � � � � � � � � م ل ل � � � ي��� � ا ل�ل �ج ي��د ى * �و��س�ا �م�ع�و� �و����ا �م�و� �و ��ط�ا �ع�م�و� * م� ب� ل ج ي��د ى � ك� م �ق � �� ��ف � � ا ��ل ش ا � ظ �� �� � او ��ل � � � � ي��م��ق ت� ا �لي��� ��ط�ي ن�ى ا �ف�ل�ا ��تت�� او د �ع�و ن� * �ل � ح��د�ي��د �ى �من� ك�� � ا � � ل � ك ه ل� � � � � ط م�� � � ى � و ر س م ع م م ��ف �ز �غ �� �ن � ��ف �خ ��ف �غ � � � �غ ا ا � � � � � � � � � � ا ا ا � � � �س� � � ل� � �ه ك م �و�ر�و�ب��ه�ا * �و�ى ب و �كو ب� و ي�ب��ه� * و�ى ك�و� لير و ب ��وب��ه� * و�ى �م�ود ح �ف �ز �خ � �ف �خ� �� �ف � �ن �نا ش � ه � � � � ا � �صر�و� ل�د هر و ط�و� * ��و�ب��ه�ا * �و��ى � �� ��و�ب��ه�ا * �و��ى �ر ا�لمي��ا ه � �و ض� � ا �ل�� ر �و� ب ب ش �ف �� � �و�ه * �و���فى �� �س ا د ا ��ل ش����ع �و�م ش�������ه * �و���فى �ه � ا ج��ل ���س� �و���� �ه ه � �� ح �وب�ه * �و��ى يب و ر �و �م�و�م� �وكر ب رم م �ف � � � �ذ � ا � � �ذ � ا �ز ن �ذ ت � ح�ا ��ل ت� * � او �ل��د �و�ل ا ا دا ��ل ت� * �و��ى ا �ل�غ�ي��ا ��ض� حوا �ل ا ا � ا �ل� �م�ا � ا ا � �� او �ل ت� * � او �ل� � � ا �ش �ذ ّ ت ا �ذ ا اَ ْ��ه ت ��ا ا �ذ ا ا � ��ق ت� � � ّد ت� * � ا ��ل�ا ��� ا � ا ب ج ط�� ر �� * � او �ل �ري� ��ض� ا ا دب ج�� * � او �ل� ��ج� ر و ي ور و�ج ر � ق ا �ذ ا �ز �ق�ز ��ق ت� � �غ� د ت� * � ���ف ا ��ل��ل��س�ا ن� ا �ذ ا ��ن ���طق * � ا �� �ل�ل��� ا �ذ ا �م ش���ق * ��ل���� �ل�ع�م �ى ���ي�ن وى �� ي س ر ب ور �� و م آ � � � � � ش � ض �ة � � ة غ � �����غ�ن ط�ور ا �� ك� ل��ا ��سر�ة �م�ا ب��ي��ن� ك�� � ���� * � او �لض� � �م�ن ا �ل�ع�د ا �و� � او �لب��� ض� حو��� ا �ل� ���ا ر�ي� � او �ل��ي � ا �ل�و � م � ا ��ل��شَ��� ْآ �ذ � ت � ح ن��� * ا ك� ��ر� او �ي ��و� ا ن� �ص�ع�د �خ� ��ط�بي� ك�� ��ر * � � ا�لم ن�ب��ر * �و�عب����س �وب���سر * �و� ��و�ع�د � �و�ت ن� ك �و م م ث� ا �ف ا � ت �س�غ� �ف ��ّ�ف * � � � �ع� ا �� �ل�ق ت��ا �� � �ذ �ّ �خ ّ � ا � * � او ���ست خ� � ��ا ر ا لله � � د � � * م ع ر �و� ��ط� �و��ك ر وح �ض� �ل�ى ل و ر م 46
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Firing Up a Furnace
men whose name, during their lives, was uttered with blessings but now is spoken of with blame, men who once were to their people as lamps brightly burning but now are become nothing but smoke and dust swirling, men who would eat till their bellies extended and eyes distended, whose tongues wagged and lips sagged and are now become the food of worms (though certain insects find them noxious). Good people, you whose masses are in a coma while the rest are in a daze, flee self-conceit! Beware the chilly rigors of the grave! Hasten to perform some good work that may bring you closer to your God, and be reconciled before you quit this earthly sod! Would you die your hearts by hatred against your opponent chilled, your mouths with curses against those who disagree with your assertions filled? Has not the Truth instructed you, “Be, O mortals, brothers on this earth, for you are of one father and one mother and all of you shall surely die!”5 Be your faces brown, red, yellow, black, or white, all of you are mortal, your lives all are soon erased, all see, feel, hear, smell, and taste. Why is it that the prepuced among you the unprepuced loathes, the ironlike the squashy hates? Will you not be with each other as mates? Have I not made myself manifest to you in the sun’s rising and setting and the stars’ appearing and disappearing, in the fire’s dying and flaring, in the wind’s dropping and blowing, in the waters’ welling and slowing, in Destiny’s reverses and perversities, its cares and adversities, in the blackness of hair and its whitening, in the aging of the body and its lightening, in the ages and how they follow in procession, in the years and their succession, in the advance of nations and their recession, in the thickets when they blossom and the meadows when they bloom, in the trees when they leaf and fall, in the birds when they twitter and call, in the tongue when it pronounces and the pen when it writes with sweeping flounces? There is, I swear, among the ravening beasts and rapacious birds less enmity and hate, less grudge-bearing and spite, than there is among you. Remember the day your preacher climbed the pulpit with frowns and scowls, issued threats and uttered disavowals, accused your adversaries of error and misbelief, urged you to fight and incited you to defend the right, then prayed and sought God’s clemency, asked His guidance and proclaimed that you’d surely achieve ascendancy—that day you raided your neighbors and violated all that your brothers held sacred, sundered suckling child from mother, woman from lover, fathers from the offspring they’d sired and all
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3.1.36
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
� �غ ت ح �م�ا ت ا خ� ه�� �ت � � * � �ف �قت ���ي�ن ا �ا � � ا �ن ك� � او ��س�ت ب�� ش���ر * �ف�ا � �� �ع� ��� ا �ن ك� � * � ا ��ن ت� ك � � ر م �ل�ى �ج ي ر �م و � ��م ر � �و �م و ر��م ب �ل م ض � � َ � �ذ ض ����ع�ه�ا * � او�ل�م ار �ة �و���ج�� ي��ع�ه�ا * � �و��ي�ن ا �ل�ا ب� �و �و��ل��ده * �و�َ�سبَ��د ه �و�لب��ده * ا ك� ��ر� او �ي ��و� �ور�ي ب م � ا ن خ� ن �خ � ا ��ل��ه ا �ع� ا �ن�ه * � �ه�ا ا ن� � ح ش����د ر�ئ�ي�� ك�� �و� ��س��ل�� ط�ا �ن�ه * � ا �ه��ل�ه � او ���دا �ن�ه * �ع��ل�ى � ي � ��س� ي و و �ج م ا �ذ � � ا ل� � م ا �� �ف ت � ��ف ��ل�ز � � � ا �خ ق خ ت ت ا ت � ا � ل � � � ه ه � � � � ا ا � � ا ل � � � � � ع ل ل � و �ى �ي��ا �ن�ه * �و�م� �ل��ك ا �ل� � �� ل� �ى ح ر و ���د �ير * و �� و �ل و ب��ي ر * ي �ت � �ذ � ب���ع�ل�ا ئ�� ا �ج��ل � او �ل�خ��ر�� � او �لت���ف ��س�ي�ر * ا ك� � �ه�ا د * �و�ق��لت�� �ه��ذه � ��ر� او �ي ��و� ا ن� ا �ع��ل�مت�� ا ��ن ��ف ك�� ��س� حر ب� م م يج م م م � � ث� ا ��لن� ا ة �ن � �ذ �ذ �ذ � ق � ض � ا تا � س� ا �ل �� ا و ب� * �و ج�� � �م ا �ل�ع� ا ب� * ا لله �ه� ا ��� �ل �لر���ى ر ب� ا �ل�عب�� د * �ه� ا �ي ��و�م ك�� ب �ذ �ذ فف �غ ن �� او ا ��ل�ى ا ��ل�ع�د �و �م�ن ا ��لب��ر � او �ب�ل�� حر * � او � ت��م� او �ع ن��د ا لله ا �ج�ر �ه� ا ا ��لب�� ّر * ا ك� ��ر� او �ي ��و� ��ا �ي� ض� � م � ن � ت � ض �ة ن �ز � ����ل� �ون�ه * �و�ش�� � ��ع�ا � �ت�ا ك� ا � ��ت ن��ا �عت�� �ع��ل�ى �ل�و� ��ط ��ك�ل ش��� ار ب� � ش��� �بر�� �ون�ه * �ورح� ��� ج���س� م م م � �ن ه � �ق� �ة �ث �ت � �� �ا � ��ت� ف ��ت�غ� � �ن ه � �ن �ف ا ��ش ��تت ن ن � � � � ه ه ه � � � ع � � � � � �� ل � ك� ك�و� * ��س�ل�و� * و��و ر � ��و��س�د و� * ور�ع� ��و ب� ب ��س�و� * و و�ج ل م ع ُ ت ت ا �� � ا � ا ة ت � � �ن ا �فُ �� ت اَ ���� خل ا �ف ��ف �خ ل � ه � � � � � � � � � ا ا ا ا � � � �ل ا � � �ه��ذه ل�د ي�� طر � * ب� �ص� ومع� د �و�مت��ا ���س��ع�م��ل� �ون� * لِ � مر � * � � ل ى م م م ع �ة � ن � ا �خم ف ن �ف �ّ �خ ن ف �م�ا ��ا �� �ع��ل�م��آ ا ��ل ��ا �ض ه��د��س� � ا � �ت ����ة � ا ��ل� ن ل�ج��ي�� �ل� ي� ت���ل� ��و� ��ى ا د �لت��ه� * � او � ا � ت���ل���وا بل و و ري م م ن ت � ت � ف �ة ن �ن ت تش ح��ق ��ق � � ت �ل�� � ش ّ � ن ا �ل�� � �� ك� � * � � ��ه ل� ��� ��و��ن �ه�ا �ع ن��د �ك���ل �ر�ص� ����س� ح�ل � �ه�م * � او ��م � ب مي ب ��� �� او ا �ل�� ر ي � ح �م و و م �أ � ��ا ت � � � �ن � � ن � ق ا ��ل ه �ف ��� ���ا � ا �ل�ا �و�ل�ى ا � ��تت�� او ��ط�ا � او �ع��ل� را �ى � او � ح�د �مك� � �� او �� ط� ا �و�لئ���ك * �رك�� * �وك � ��س�� ي�� ك ي ب� ى م � �ف � �ا ن ن تُ ��سن ّ�� ا�� 1ل�عب��ا د ا لله �م�ص�ا ��ل ح��ك * � �ت ��� �ك� ��ه ح�ه� �ل� ا � �ت��د �خ���ل�و��ه ��ى �ه��ذه ا�لم�ل�ا � � او � � و م و رب و م م �ا ن تّ � �ف �ف ن � �ق � � ي�ه� ��ى �ه��ذه ��ى �ه��ذه ا�ل�م ار �ب��ك * � او � ��ت �ه�د �و��ه ا �ل�ى ا ��و� ا�لم��س�ا �ل��ك * �ل� ا � ���لب���� �س او �ع��ل� م م م �ف ق �ف � شتغ� ا �� � � ا ��ل �س��ا ب� �م�عي�� ش���ت��ه� * �و ��ل�ا �ت ك� ���ل� ��و��هم ا د را ك �م�ا ��و�� حوا �ل�ك * د �ع�و �هم ي��������ل� او �ب� � ب م �ع � �ن ت � ض ا ا � ا � تي�ن �ذ �ع � ت ا �� ن ت� ا �� ن ض�ن ا ض �ة �� ا قت � � ق � ��س� ع��� ا ا �م�ل�� �ب� ل��س��� ك�� ��� �ب� �ي��د �ي ك�� ��� � �� � � � �و ��ط�ا �ت��ه� * � او �م�ل� او ا �� ا �ي � � ل�� �ط� �� ك� م م م م م م ن ت ا �آ �ف � ا � ف �ة � � ا �ة � ��س�ا �ع��ة * � او �ج��م�ع� ا ا �م ك�� �� �ع ن��د ��ت�ف� ر�ق� ا �ه� او ئ� ك�� � �ع��ل�ى ا �ل� � �ل�� � او �ل��ط� �ع� * ا ���سي�� �� �م� �ج�� ��ى و رم م م ّ ت � � �ذ ��ق � ه � ا ا � �ن ا � ا خ� ة ن ن �ت �ذ ن � ن �و� * �و� �ه� �و� � �وت���ذ�بر �و� * �و�ه�و �و�ل� م� ح��س �ل� � ا �ل�ز �ب ��ور ا �ل�� �ى �ب�ه ���ل� جه� �و� ا � ت �ف � ��ا � � ه�ن � ن ا �ز � ا ��ل�� ح���ة �ه � ن� * ا ��ل�ا � ��ل�ا ت� ّ ح���ة ��ل ���س�� �ك�ن �ج��مي��ع�ا ��ى ب��ي�� ت� � او � �ي رو و ح�د ك�� �ل�د � ا �ل�� �ل �ع��ل�ى �لي حر�م� او تُ ّ ����� :1855 1سن��وا.
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Firing Up a Furnace
they owned and had acquired! Remember the day your leader mustered his lieutenants and urged family and friends to betray his liege lord (and what a betrayal!), all because he differed with him over assessments and estimations, interpretations and considerations, conclusions and explanations! Remember the day you marked yourselves with the tokens of holy struggle, saying, “This is God’s battle! This is a war for the Lord of Creation! This is the day to gain reward and from torment attain salvation—so overwhelm the enemy by land and sea and by this pious act win God’s approbation”! Remember the day you argued over what foods to eat and what drinks to drink, what water to use to wash the dead, on what kind of bedding to lay your head, what clothes to wear, how a certain phrase might best be said, how to arrange table, chair, and bed? Were you placed in this world only to quarrel? Were you commanded to fight and squabble? How come the doctors of mathematics, geometry, and astronomy don’t differ over their proofs, or if they do, don’t set the world to the torch to assert their truths, while you set fire to it at every chance you find, with every fancy that comes to mind? You’d do better to agree on a single view, as have they, and to the needs of God’s flock attention pay, than to drive them into such a strait and in such sticky matters implicate, to guide them to the straightest path to follow than muddle them in such a murky wallow. Leave them to strive for their daily fare and don’t ask them to grasp what’s over your head and theirs. And you too, work two hours with your hands for every hour you do with your darting tongues, and agree beforehand that, when preferences differ, you’ll be friendly and submissive to one another. Have you forgotten what it says in that Book of Psalms that you canter through and cantillate, that you so adulate, and to which you have for so long adhered: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard”?6 Verily I say unto you, “Do not forbid what God has made lawful unto you by way of good things, and do not seek officiously to uncover other men’s sins! Do not sell the goods stored up for you in Paradise by being on earth men of idleness and lies! For a Market-man to marry a Bag-woman is no shame and if a Bag-man marries a Market-woman there’s no blame, for differences regarding the Unknown are matters of surmise and should pose no obstacle to the
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3.1.37
�ف ا ض ت ن �ي� � �� ار � ام � ��و�
� � � �ا ف �ة � غ �� � ف �م�ا � ح��ل�ل ا لله �� ك�� ل� � �م�ن ا �ل��ط�بي��ا ت� * �و �ل� ��تت��ل�ا �و�ص� او ا �ل�ى �م�عر�� �م�ا �ل���ي�رك�� �م�ن ا �ل�ه��� او ت� م م � ��ل�ا �ت�����ع� ا ا �م�ل�ا ك ا ��ل���سم�ا � ا ت� * � ا �ن ت� �ع�� ا ��ل�ا �� �م�ن �ذ � � ا ��ل� ���ط�ا ��ل��ة � ا ��ل��ت ّ �ه�ا ت � * و ر و و �م ل�ى ر �ض وى ب و بي و � �ق �ة �ا � �ّ ��خ ى ا ن� ���ت�ز �و�� ��لي����س �ع��ل� ا �ل��س�و��ى ا ن� �ي��ت�ز �و�� �خ�ر�ج�ي�� �م�ن � حر�� * �و �ل� �ع��ل�ى ا �لر�ج � ى ي ج ج ج ق �ة �ن َ َ� ف ا ن �خ ت ا �ف ��ل�ز �ف ا � ا �� � � � ن ا �ن ا � � ف �ز �ذ ا ��س�و�ي�� �م �مر� * �� � ا � ��ل� � ا � ح ر ي�م� �ل� �ي عل�� * �ل� �ي��ك�و� �م� ��ع� �ل�ل� ��و �ب��ه� ا ج م � � � �ت � � � �ذ ح �ة ن �ت ت ا ا�لمغ�� ن�� * ا �ل�� �ى �ي��د ر�ي�ه �م�ن ��عل��� �و�م�ن �ل� ��ي ��عل��� * ا � �ل� ��ع��ل�م ا ا ا � � ح�ا � �م�ن ا �لر��م� و م �و � �ل ر م م م م � � ا ة ش �قّ ش تم�قّ � ا ن ا ��ن �� ��ل �� ت�آ �خ �ق ت ت ت � � ل � � ا � ا ا ا � � � � �ل ا ا � ل � � ط� � * و �ى �� �ى ا ����� � * و �ى م�ص� هر �� � * و�ع��ل�ى �ل� ��س� ب� ب آ �ف ا ��ت ّ �خ � �ظ � ح ��� �فُ � ت � ت�� ت � ا ��لت��� ��ل�ف� �خ���ل��ق ت �ص� * �و ��ل�ا ��ن ت��ه�ا �ز �ف �� ا ��ل �ص� * ��م�ا �� ك�� ا ا � � ل د * ل� � � � � و و ص و ر ر ب م آ َ � � �ن ت �ل� �ن ت � � ��ف � � ن ن ن تق تق ظ�ن حر ا �ل ش�����ك � او �ل��� �ه�ا �ت���ب��ا �ع�د �و� * � �و�ت����ا �ع�� �سو� � �و�ت����ا �ع�د �و� * �و�م ا �� �ه�و �ل� �ى ب ع� م � �آ � ن� �ف � �� �ت � ن �ت���س�� ن � �ت��ست���ض� ن ت ة ��خ ح�د �م� ك�� حو� * �ل�ا ي����سم� ا لله د �ع� ا � ���ع�و� ج��ا ر� ا �لر ص �و بر � ب� حو� * و ب � ��ى آع م � �غ � ش ق � ا �ذ ��ا ن �ت �� ��ا ��ل�� �خ� �ة ا ��ل�ا ا �ذ ا �ت�ا �� ف�ل�ت�� ���ف ا ��ل��د ��ن ��ا � ا ف ي�ز � مى ي ا �ل���ر�� ا �ل� ا ا ك�� � ي���س � �ص �وب�ه ا ��ه�ل ا �ل� رب� * �و �ل� ��ي���� ك�م ب ر �ذ � ف � ا �ف� �ذً �خ� ض � ّ �ذ ا �� ��قُ ّ �ة ��را �ل ار ��س �من� ك�� � ا ��س�وده * �و�م�د �و ره �و ل ب��ع� � ��رب� * ��لي��ص� ا ا ا � �ع��ل�ى �ه� ا ا �لض� ح م �ُ ْ ��ّ �ذ � ف� �ظ � � � ه �ن ّت ه ّ � � ا �خ �خ � �ذ � ة ن � � � � �� �ل�ه �ع�ه�ده * �وا �ك م � � � �� � ه � �ل� ي�� ي �� و ود * يوح ��مر�و ��ط�ه ا ا �ل��لب��د� * �و�لي�� �ص�فِ� �ل � ك� م �خ ق ف ا ت �خ ت��� فل�� ا �ع� ا ��خ ��ا ��لق * �ف�ه� � ا �ل�مغ���ا � � ا �ل� ش ل �ق�د ا ��ت ف���ق�ت�� �ع��ل� الم م����ا ر�ق� * � او �ن�ه رب و ���ل�و�� ��ل� � �و �ل�ى �� � و ر ب م ى � �ش� � ��ش �ذ �ق � ف ف � �غ � ا ا ��ل�� ���د ا ن� ا �ل� ش م���ر��ى �من� ك�� � ا ا ��س�ا �ر ا �ل�ى ا�لم� رب� �ير�ى ا �ه��ل�ه �ي��ه �ل�ه ا �ه�ل� * �و �م�ل�ه �م�ل� * ي ري م � � �ف ا ق � ا �لن���ص�� �ة ح� * � او ��س�م�ع� او �م�ا ي���م ّر ب� ك�� � � ب���ع�د�ه�ا �م�ن ا �ل�عب��ا را ت� ي � �ب��ل� او � م �ف � ا ��ن الم��ل� �ة �ف �ذ ا � �ل���يص�� ح��ة * � او�لم�ع� �ى ي� ح� * ��ى �ه� ا � �ذ �ف ا � �ل���ص�ل ا �ل�� �ى ��س�م�ي�ت�ه ☜
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Firing Up a Furnace
carrying off of such a prize,7 whose value is by the unschooled as appreciated as it is by the educated. Are you not aware that ‘wombs’ (arḥām) from ‘mercy’ (raḥmah) are derived, that they were designed that men might, through marriage, be allied, and that the word to ‘ties of kinship’ is applied,8 for brotherhood and harmony were created, to mutual affection dedicated, and for the seizing of fortune’s offerings designated? Why then do you hold yourselves from such things at a distance, withdrawing and showing resistance? Why do you all in the ocean of doubt and suspicion wade, why make commerce from surmise and therein trade? God will never listen to the prayer of you Orientals unless it first be approved by the Occidentals,9 nor will you be to the next world admitted unless your conduct in this world to this model you have fitted. Let then now the towheaded man shake hands with the black, the round-headed-with-bonnet with the cone-headed-with-cap. Let each of you harbor toward his brother pure and loving intentions and fulfill toward him his obligations. Then, since your disagreements with regard to Creation will have ceased, you’ll not differ as to the Creator, for He is Lord of all that’s west and east. It is His desire that the Orientals among you, should they travel to the west, should be welcomed by its people and taken to their breast.” Accept this advice and listen to what comes next by way of choice phrases and witty topoi in the text of this coming chapter which I have named
51
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51
� ا �ن �ف ا � �ل�� ���ص�ل ا �ل��ث� ��ى � �ڡ ا ��ل�ع ش ���ق �وا ��ل�ز � ي �
�وا �� ج
ق �ذ�� ت �ف آ�خ � ت ا � �ث ة �ت ف ة ث � � �ن ن � ل��ا ب� ا �لث��ا ��ى ا � ا � �لف��ا ر�ي�ا �ق� ا ب��ت��ل�اه ا لله �ب� �م ار �ض� ك ����ي�ر� �وك��� ب� �و��ي�ر� �� ��د ك�ر� ��ى � �را � ك�� م ن ا ��فً ن ا � ا نّ �خ ا � ن �خ � � �ن �ف ن ��ا ه �من ا � ا �ه� ا ���ط�م� � �� ��طره � او ���ل�د ا �ل�ى �ه� �ج �مي��ع� * � او ��ه ب���ع�د ا � را �ى � � ��س�ه �م�ع� �ى �م � ا ج� � � �غ آ � �ان ن � �ة ق �ة � �ة �ت ف ن �ذ� �خ ا �ل� ن��� * � او �ل� � �ي���ب���غ�ى ا � ا ك��ر� ت��ا �م �ه��ذه ا �ل ن�� �وب� * �و�ع�ا �ب�� �ه��ذه ا �ل� ح �وب� * � �و ��� يص��ل� ت �ذ � � ن � � ا �� ت ��ا ن ف� ا ���خل ّ ���ا ن�� ت� ��م ح�ا �ذ �ي��ة ��ل��د ا ر ب���ع�� ا ��لج� ��ا ر * �وك� �ر�ج�ي ��و ن� ك� ���ا ن� ��ل�ه �ل�ك ا � ا �ل�د ا ر ل��ى ك�� � ي� ا �ض �ه� ي آ نت ت ّ � � � � �ذ � � � ا �ل��س�م�ا � او ��ل�� له�و � او �ل��طرب� �و�ت �رت�ا � ا ��ل�ى ا �ل�غ� ن��� �ج���دا * �ف ك� ��ا ن�� ت� ا ا ��س�م�ع ت� � ب����� ح ب ح ع � ا ��ت ن ت �� ن � �ف� �غ ف �ف �غ ف �ت � �ف ق غ ن ط د ا ر�ه� �و�� ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� �ي�����ى ا �و �ي��ع�ز �� ��ى �ر� ت��ه � �ص�ع�د ا �ل�ى ��س ��� �ص� ا ل�ى ا � �ي ر � اح � � �ك�ن ا � �غ ���ا ن� �ل�ا �ج���ل�ه ا �ذ �ل� �ي�� ح �ر�ت �ه�ا * �ف��ل�م�ا �عل��� ا � �لف��ا ر��ا �ق� ا ن� �ص�ع�ود�ه� ك� ف� ت���ن�ز ��ل ا ��ل�ى �ج�� ح��د ��ي�ره ي م م � � �ز�غ � ف ��ا ن �غ �غ �ن �ف �ن�ز ن ن ت �ت ّ � ا ا ا ا �ن � � ��ي ��� �ه� �� �م ا �ل�ه�وى * ��ي�ر ا ��ه ك�� � �ه� � � ��س�ه �و ��ه ي� ظ�ن �ب�ه ا �ل��عر��ض� �ل�ه� �صب��� ا �لي� � �ت�ز ي�ن ش � �ان �م�ن ��� ب � ن ف �ن ��ز � � ت ن ��ا ن � س� ا�لم� �و�ج��� ا � �� ���قى ا �ل ن��ا ��س * �ل� � ط��ع�ه ا �ل �� ��ور �م ا �ل � او�ج ح�ى ا ��ه ك�� � يح�� ب �ذ � � ت ا ش اق � ا � �ة ا ���ز � �ة � ا � � ن ا �ف � غ ا � ا ��ل �ه�ا * �وك� ���ا ن� ا ا �قي���ل ��ل�ه �ه� �و�م���� � � �ه� ��ى ا �ل��� �ل ب� ��س�وى �ص �ع بو�� � ح� �ل� ل �و�ج ي�� �ل� �ي ب��د �و م � �ث � ف �ة �ث � �ز � ئ � �ز ئ �ة ف�� �ا ن �ت�ز � ت �خ �ك��ا �ير ��ى �لم�ن د ا ر �ب�ه ��تيّ��ا ر �ش���د �ي��د ا �و ر � بر ��ي �� � ��ا ����ذه �ب�ه را �� �و�ير ��ى �ل�ه �م ل � و�ج ّ ��ل �ذ � � ��ف �ة � ا � � �ن ف ح�� ر * �فرج�� ���ر�ى * ��ف�ت�ن�ا �ز�غ ف�ي��ه � �ع�ا �م�ل�ا ا �ل�ه�و�ى � او � كب�� ح ت� ��ك�� ا �ل� �و�ل ا �لث��ا ��ى � ار �ى ٍح ث � �ذ ة � ن � � � � م��ا �ص�و�ة �و�هي��ا � * �و� ك� ا � ��ج�مرد ا �لن �ظ� �� ر ا �و�ل�ى �م�ن ا �لت��عر��ض� �ب�ا �ش���ا ر� �ت��د �ل �ع��ل� ا �ن�ه � � � ع � � � � ل و � ب ى ى م � َّ آ ات �ذ حت ا �ذ ا � ن � �ذ � � � ا ا ن � � �م �ل��ك �م�د�ة �و�ه�و ا � ح�� ر �م�ن ا � �قِ�ل ر�ل�ى * ��ى ك ���ا � �ي ��و� �ور� �ه� �م���س ح� �ج�ر�ه� ب�م��دي��ل� م ِ ح
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Chapter 2
Love and Marriage
I mentioned at the end of Book Two that God first afflicted the Fāriyāq with
3.2.1
many diseases and more books, then rescued him from them all, and that, believing himself pardoned, he felt great relief and devoted himself to song. Now I must relate how that episode turned out and all that this sinful pursuit brought about. To get down to detail, the house that contained the Bag-men was next door to the house of a merchant who had a daughter10 who loved music, diversion, and the raptures of art, reserving a specially soft spot for singing. Every time she heard the Fāriyāq singing or playing in his room, she’d climb to the roof of her house and listen attentively until he was done, then go back down to her chamber. When the Fāriyāq discovered that she was making the climb for him—for it was not to be imagined that anyone else could have been exhibited to her11—his soul fell ardently in love with her and felt for her the promptings of desire. At the same time, however, he was by nature so averse to the idea of
3.2.2
marriage that he considered married men the least happy of people, for all that can be seen, in general, of the married state is its trials and tribulations. If ever he was told, “So-and-so has married,” he’d be overcome by pity and would mourn for him as for one swept away by a mighty torrent or afflicted by some other terrible calamity. At that moment, then, the two elements of love and caution waged war within him, the latter in the end coming to outweigh the former in the scale. He therefore decided that it was a better idea simply to look than to make any sign indicating that he was head over heels in love. The two of them continued in this fashion for a while, he behaving more shyly than the loon, which dives the moment it senses danger, until that day
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3.2.3
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
ت � ا �ّ ا �م�ن � ّ ا ��ل ش��� ا � �م�ن �غ � ا �عت�ق ��م ق ��و�ق�ا ا �لي��ه م� ��ا �م� ���لب��ه ا ��ن �ه�ا ��م���س � د �م�و�ع�ه�ا �ش � حر م��س و ��ي ره ���د ب ج ع ح �ذ ف ا �ن �ف ت�ق ت ا ئ ق � ق ا � �ف �ص�د ه * � �ه�ا �� ��ه ا ��ل� ���د ��ل�ا �ز ا ��ل��ة � � �ن �� � � �� � ب�� ن�� � ��� ا �ل�صب��ر �م � ر و ج ب و�ج ح� ره * �و�� �ل ��ى � �غ � آ � ح��د �غ��ي�ر�ى د �م�و �ب�ا ك� ��ي���ة �ب�ا �ل�ا �ع ار � ��ن ��ف ��س�ه ا ��ي�ق��ا ب���ل ا � � * �و��ه�ل �ور� ا �ل��د �م�و ��ي�ر ا �ل�ه�و�ى * �ض ع ع � ا ن ا �� خ ّ ق � ت ن � ظ �� ق �� ف � ا ت �ذ ن � ��ل���ذ ا �ت � � � م ع � ل ل � � � ا ا ا � � � � � ع � ك�ي��� �ل� ��� �ي�ب����ى �و�م�ا ���ل�ب�ى ب ج� �م�د * و �ل� � ب �ل�د * و �د �م� � � م � ة ا �ذ ن ا �غ ��م ت ا � �� ق ن ا �ف ّ ا � � ا ن ا ن � �خ � ن ا ن ّا ا ��ل ل ا حي ��و� �م� ا ا �و�ج��د ا �ل� ���س� � �ل�ه ��د ��ي �� � �� �وي� * �و � ��ير�� �ص� ي�� * � او �� �ر��ي ب� ح���ج �ى � �ت ف �ف َ �ن �ؤ ن ٌ ث ��ز �ة ّ �خ �م��ؤ �ن�� ���ف � � ح ش�����تى * �ور�ي ��ق� ��ى �و� ح�د ��ى * �و�م �م� ���س �م���ل ا �ل �و�ج�� * � او �ى ��ي�ر سىو َ ��خل � �ف � �ة � �ق �ز ق �وا ��طر ا ��ل��س �ر�ع��ة �وّ ���ط�ن ��ن ��ف ��س�ه ٤،٢،٣ حْو�ج��ه * � بو��مث���ل �ه��ذه ا �� ��ى ا �ل�ع�ز � �وب� �لم�ن ر ��ه ا لله �� �وت�ه �و�� �ي تّ آ � ���ا ن�� ت� * ��ف�م�ن ث�� �ف�ت� ا � ا ش ا ة ن �ه�م�ا * ��ف�م�ن �ع��ل� �ح��م�ل ا �عب��� ا �ل�ه�و�ى �م�ن ا �ى �ج� �ه��ة ك� � �ب� ب� ا �ل� ���� ر� ب��ي�� � ى مح � �ل �� ة ت �خ خ ق ض �ص�� ��ت��ق ن� ��ا �خ� �ى * � �ذ ا �ع��ي�ن � ��� �ب��ي�ن �ي��د � ��و� ور ع �ع��ل�ى ا � �ل��ل ب� �مر� �و�ع��ل�ى ا ��د ا �ر�ى * � او � بع ر ب ر تش ش �ف تي�ن ��ت ض ّ ا ن �ز ف ح�ا ن �م� �ت ن �ف �زّ �غ �ذ � � ا ت � ���� � ��� ب ع � �� ��س �و ��ي�ر * �و���� ��� ���م� � * �ورا ��س ��ي �ه �و��ي�ر �ل��ك �مم� ��ي ��ع�ل�ل � اّ � ف � ن ف �ص ��ا �� ف�ل� د �ي�ن �ك�ا ��ن ��ه ا �ل�م��ت�د �ئ�� ن� ���فى ا ��ل � ه � ل � � ح ب� * ��ا �م�ا ا�لم�ت�ن�ا �ه�و� ��ل�ا �ير ض� � � � م � و ب ب و ��ي��ه�م ا �ل� ا � ر ب ص � ا �ت ا �ذ ن ة �ق ت � �ة � ا ش ا ة ن �ه�م�ا ا �ي�ا �م�ا �م�د �ي��د� �م�ن د �و� �ع��لي��ه ا �ل� ��س � ا �مرء ا � �ل�ي����س * �ود ا �م� د �و�ل� ا �ل� ���� ر� ب��ي�� � �ُ �ة �ف � �ج�ز ت� ا ��ا ���د � � ��س�ا ئ� ا ��ل ��ل�ا � * ف���ل�م�ا �ع � ك�� � �وا ر� �ع�ن �تر�ج��م� �م�ا ��ى ا � �لق���ل ب� �و�خ� �ص�و�ص�ا �لب��ع�د م �ل ي ى و ر ج � ح � ن ي� ت �ف �ا ن � ا ����ن� ا ا � ت � ا �ص ��ه�ا ف� ا ح� ث� �ير�ى الم � ��م�ع�ا ��ى � ك� ح��ا �ل� �ع��ل�ى ا � ج م� ب ي �ه�م� ٥،٢،٣ ح ب� � ب ح�ي��ب��ه * ��ل�م� �ب�� ر ب � م�� � ب�ي � َ � ْ � �ة َ ْ� �ة �ذ � م ت ��ز � ��ا ن ت �ت �ة �ع�ن �ق �� � ���د� �ا � ا � ف�ل� ض��� ل خ �صر�ى �ع ن��د �ل� �ج��ز �ل� * ا � �لو ك�� ��� �م� رد �ي� ر ب� و�ج ه ���ر ا �ل �ى ا �لم� � ي و ل ع ن � ق �ف � � ا ��ز ف ف ن ا ْ ْ � � �ص�د �ه�ا �عه ن��ا ا � � ��س�ا ا � �� �� ن ا ا ا ا ط�� * ا �و �ب� �ل �ى ا �ل� �رج��ى �لم� �عر�� ��ه�ل ك�� � �م� ��ى � ر ِ � و بر و َْ �َ آ ََ ُ ْ ُ ْ� ���ا ن� �م�ا � � �ه�ا حر ار ا �و �ن��ود �ل�ا( * )1ا �و ك� �خ� ْر�ف��ع�ا ا �و �ع ���ط�م�ا * ا �و ب��يْ���ل�م�ا * ا �و �قِ� ش���ب��را ا �و � ور �ي ُ ظّ � �ة � �ا �ش��� ق � ن � �ف ن ع ن ا ��ل�َ نْ �� �ة ( )1ا �ل��عهْ��ن ا �ل���ص �ف� ا ا لم����ص�� غ ا �ل ا �ان � �م�ا * ��ا �ل �و�ه�ا �ت�ا � ا �ل�ص� ت��ا � ا ���ى ع��د لي�� ع ����ا �م� ا �و ��حلم� �و �ح و ِ� بو� و و و ا �ل��بر ��س ا �ل��ق����ط��ن ا و ش����ب���ه ��ه ا و �ق��ط��ن ي ب ��ل � � �ن � ة �ف ا ن � ا �� تش ف ��ف ف ق خ �ج�ز �ل���ة ا � � او � �ير د م ا�ل�م ا ح��س�ن �م�ا ا ر � * � � ا �ل� �ول�ى ������� �ى ا �ل��بر د �ى و ا �ل�ر ��ف�ع ا �ل������ط��ن ا لم ن���د و �� ي ع ف ق ق آ و ا �ل�ع��ط� ا �ل���ص �� ا لم ن�� ف�� ش��� و ا �ل������ل ���ط��ن � ��� �ل�ف * �ق��ل ت� � ��د ��� � ن ا ��خل � ن ا ا �م �� ث ا ��ن �ة ��ف ا �� � ا �� � م ق و ق و ق بي م ء و �ج ش ل�ك�و� ا �ل� �م� �ى � او ل�� ي�� �ى ل�ك�و� �ى ا �ل��بر د �ى و ���ط��ن ا �ل��������ص� ب� و ا �ل���������بر ا ر د ا ن � ن ٓ ف ن ث نف ت � � �ة ق � �ف � ف ا �ل���صو �� و ������ا ي���ه و ا �ل�و د ل ا �ل��د �ى �ع�ن ��س�ي �د ��ا ��س�يل�م�ا � �ع�م �م�دح� ا �ل�ع ن��د �لي�� �ب �� ��و�ل�ه ��ى ا � �ل���صل� 54
54
*
Love and Marriage
when he saw her wipe her eyes with a handkerchief (whether from the heat of the sun or for some other reason) and convinced himself in the depths of his soul that she was wiping away tears of yearning for him. At this his breast burst the gussets of resignation and emotion drove him to abandon circumspection. To himself he said, “Would any but I confront the tears of a weeping woman by turning away? And behind those tears can there be anything but love? How can they not melt me, when my heart’s no rock, I no knave of lowmannered stock? I know that the greatest pleasures in life depend on finding a boon companion and sympathetic friend. I am a stranger, in need of one to cheer me when I long for home, a comrade when I’m all alone. Who better to cheer one than a wife, and what benefit lies in bachelorhood once God has provided one with food and the other needs of life?” By such speedy calculations, he reconciled himself to bearing the bur-
3.2.4
dens of love from wherever it might come and this opened the door before the two of them to signing back and forth with a hand placed now upon the heart, next upon the cheek, a finger yoked to another, beseeching arms extended with a gulp and a sigh, pursed lips, a nodding head, and other such things to which love’s novices resort (old hands in contrast being satisfied with nothing less than the “twisting of the side-tresses”12 specified by the master, Imruʾ al-Qays). The era of the sign lasted for many long days, without speech, but when the hands and other limbs could no longer translate what was in the heart, especially in view of the distance between them, they came up with a stratagem by which they might meet in a certain place, so that the lover might behold his beloved. When he saw her close up, he found her to be a woman big of bosom
3.2.5
and bottom, the credit for this going to the inventor of Egyptian dress, for had she been wearing Frankish clothes, he would never have known if the things on her chest were dyed wool, cotton bolls, cotton cardings, teased wool, papyrus cotton, wool waste, silk, or breasts,(1) or whether what was behind her was a bustle or flesh and fat.
(1) ʿihn is “wool, or wool that has been colored by dyeing”; birs is “cotton, or something resembling it, or papyrus cotton”; khurfuʿ is “carded cotton”; ʿuṭm is “teased wool”; baylam is “papyrus cotton” and “sugarcane cotton”; qishbir is “the worst cotton, or cotton waste”; nawdal means “breast.”
These two characteristics—by which I mean bigness of bosom and bigness of bottom— are the best one can want from a woman, for the first assures the appeal of the forward dimension, the second that of the rearward. I might add that it is reported that Our
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��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
�ق ئ ن ق � ن ��ا �م�� �م�ن �� �فس� ا ��ل�ا �مث��ا ��ل ف���ل�ي�ر � �و نّ�َ��ك �ث��د ��ا �ه�ا ���فى �ك� ا ��خل ���ل � ح��ي�ن * �و� �ل��ا ���ل ا � ��ي� ��و�ل ا � ي ر س �ي � � تّ �ا ن خ ا �ذ ا �� � ا ج��ل � د ا ��لي��د � او ج��ل � ��س�م��ي�ن � ك� م� �ج م � �(* )1 ا �ل�ع�ه�ن � او �� �وا �ت�ه �م� �و ج�� � و جَ ّ ّ ( )1ا �ل�� ت� ��� ا �ل �ك ش ع ع ��ب���� �ج س �� � ا � ن �ن ت� ق ق ا �� �ف تي�ن � �ذ ن �ذ � � ��م �ظ �� � � ت ي�ن ف ل ه�ز ن � � � ا �ن � � ا � ا ا �� �ل� ي�م�� � �ل ل � � ص � �� م� �كور� * و ج � �و ب� � ل�ك ح �ور �يل��عر �� سم���ه �م� � ا �ل�ه * ع �م ح� ��� م��� ق����ة � ��ل�ا ��س�م�ا �م�ن ا � ��ل �م �ة * �ف�ا �م�ا �ع ن��د �غ��� ��ه �ف�ل�ا �غ � ا �ف � ا � ش ��ا �لب�� ��ى ا �لب��ل� د ا �ل ري و ي و ر ير م ن � ��ذ � � ش ا � ت ث ��م �ظ � � �س��ع�م�ا �� ا ��ل� ظ ح� ث� ��ت�ق��د � ��ل ن��ا عّ �����ا �م�ا ت� �ع ن��د ��ه ��ل�ا �ن � � � � ح �� �ور �م��ه �و�ل� �ل�ك ���� ا � � ٦،٢،٣ * � ك ل ر ي ب م ي م م ع �ف � ت ف �� � �ا � �ا �� ا �ل ا �ف ن� �ف �ا � ا �� �ه ن ا ا � ض ا ��ف � � �صف ل ا ��ى ا � ك�� ل��ا ب� ا �ل� �و�ل �و�ص�� �حم� ر ع�ل�ى ��س� �و ب� رج �ى �ل ب� س �� �ي � ��� �ى و � � � � ن ق � �ذ�� ف ن ق � ن ه ة ��ت� � � ه � �غ� � �ة ��ز � �ت���لّ ُ�ق ح�زه ا �لر ج���ل �ب�ي���ل ا �ل�ز � اوج� � �ع��ل�ى ا �ل����س�� ا�لم� ك��ور ��� ��و�ل * ا �� �م�د� ع�لل� ب� ب� ��ط� ا �ل � او�ج �و � ا �خ � � ش ن� ا �خ � �ف � �ذ �ن آ ف � ��طر ��ى � �م�ن �ل�� ا �ت�ه * �ل� ي� ��طر ب��ب��ا �ل�ه ����ى �م�ن �م��س�ت�ا � �ف� � ��ا �ت�ه * � او �م� ي ح��د��س�ه * ن � � �ن �ف � �ف ��ا � �ة � �ت�ز �ك�و ن� ك ح�ا �ل ��تى �ل�ا �ت�� � �وا � �و�ي�ق��و�ل ��ى ��ن ��ف ��س�ه * ا � � ح�� �ل� �م�ع�ا ر ��ى �و�ج��ي�را ��ى * ا �ل���ذ�ي�ن �و ج�� � ا �خ ��ذ ��ف � ا �خ� ���ط�ا ��ت ه ا ��ا �م�ا ��ن * ا �ذ ��ه �ل�� �� د � ا ا ��ل�ز � ا � � ق �س��ا �ب�ه ا � ح���ه * �و�ل�م �ي� �� � او � و � �م �ل �ى ى ب م م ي �و و و�ج � ف � �غ �ن ا ا �ث ق �ة � ا ن ن ���� ��له��ذ ا ا �ل�ع��م� * ا �م�ا �ل� �فص� ا � ت ح��ه * رر �ه�م �م �ب� ��ع�ل * �و�ه�و ��ي�ر ��ك و � �ب� �ل���� * �ل� � �م � ل آ � ّ �ز � �ن �ة ّ ��� �ف �ف � ت ا � ��ل�ع�د � ���سم�ا � ت ح��ه * ا �و �لمب��ا �ي�� ��س�ن �ه �ع�ن ��س�ن �و�ج� ت��ه * ا �و �لض� ع� ��ى � �ل��ه * ا �و و م ْ َ � ��ا ن �ُ ْ � �ق �ة � ن � ا �ن ه � ن �ص��ل�ف��ا ا �و �ُم ش�����ف ِش����ف��ا( )2ا �و �ل�ا � ا �م�ي�ره ���ا � �م�ن ا �ل�ز �م�ا � �ل ي�� �ع��ل�ى �ش���ف��ا * ا �و ك�� � م� �ل� � ك ّ �ان ���ا ن خ ��ا �� �لف��ه ا ��ل� �ع ��� ن ���ا ن� � �غ� ���ه �ع�ن � ��� ن ط��ه * ط��ه * ا �و �ل� � �ج��ا ره ك� � ي و ى ك� �ي ي ب ت ف �ن � � ( )2ا لم���ص��ل� �م� لا ح��� ظى � � ���ا ن� ض� ي�ز ن ا ة ���ا ن�� ت� ر��ق�بي��ا �ع��ل� ا �م ار �ت�ه * ا �و �ل�ا ن� ا �م�ا �م�ه ك� ا �و �ل�ا ن� ا �ّم�ه ك� � �ا ���� �� �ع ن���د ه ا �مر ا � و �هو ا �ي���ض ى قّ �ذ ثق ت � � � �ق ئت ف �ذ � ث ��ا �� ا ��لن��ف��ا * ا �ل� �ى ������ل�� ر و ح�ه و �ل �ل�ه �ع��ل�ى �م�ا ���د ��ه * ���ل�� �ل��ك ��ا ر ب��ي��ن��ه�م�ا ا �لن����ا ر * �و�ط ل �ة ر �خ �� ه ا ل ش م��� ف�� ش��� ف�����م��ن ب��ه ر ع�د ير و �غَ ةً ف ق �خ ف���قُ� ّ�د ا �� �ل�ق �م��ص�ا ن �م�ن قُ�ُ�� � �م�ن دُُ� * � ��ن ت��ف ا ��ل ش����ع ا ن � ا ��ل� خ �ص � � و ا �ت���لا ط ��ير � و ا ش������ا ��ا ع��ىل بر و � ي � ر� و ب �ل و ب ح �ر �م�ه * ُ � ُ � � ح�ا ن� �م�ن ���ثر * �و�خ���د ��ش� ا ج��ل ك�� ���ل��د ا ن� �خ���د�ش���ا �ب�ا � �ظل�� �ف� ر * � او �ن��ت�ن ا �لر� ي ف ات �ن ��خل � � � ح �� ��ل �م� �ز � ج�ت � ��ل�ا �ل * ��ل� �ف��و�ق� ا �ل��سرر * ا �م�ا ا �ن�ا �ف�ا ��ى ب �ح�م��د ا لله �خ��ا �ل �ع�ن �ه��ذه ا ٧،٢،٣ � � ل � و ى و ى ع � حن ف � � � ف �ا ت �ا ن ض ا ا � ��� �ه� * ح�ا �ل * �و �ل� �ت�ز ا ��م��ى �� ���ا �ى ر� ي�ه�ا ا �لر�ج��ا �ل * �و �ل� �ي��ع��ر��ي �ه�ا �م��ى �م�ل�ا �ل * �ر ض�
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Love and Marriage
Master Sulaymān, peace be upon him, said in praise of bigness of bosom (Proverbs, chapter 5), “Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times.”13 Someone might object that, should the two bodies be gathered together in one place, the presence of colored wool, etc., would not—given the presence of hands and possibility of their giving the body a good squeeze here and there as one would when testing a ram for fatness(1)—prevent the investigation of the status of the abovementioned characteristics. The response would be that such a situation is generally prohibited in the lands of the East, especially on the first
(1) jatt is “feeling a ram, to know what part of it is fat and what lean.”
occasion; the rest of the world has no such prohibition, which is why the use of bustles has spread, which no one can deny. Now, given that we were previously presented, in Book One,14 with a
3.2.6
description, in the Frankish style, of a donkey, there can be no harm in presenting here too a description in the same style of a man on the verge of marriage. Thus we declare: it is a time that seduces him with thoughts of the joys of being wed and makes him drool as he anticipates the pleasures of the bed. No thoughts of future troubles cross his mind—all he can surmise, the most his mind devise, is “My state is not like that of my friends and neighbors who married and were disappointed in their hopes. They didn’t give marriage its due, didn’t cling with confidence to its ropes, for some wedded when unequal to its demands, either for want of magnanimity or of liquidity, or because of a disparity between them and their wives in age or, in their instrument, some debility, or were prone to come at the rim, before entering the hole, or rejected by their wives, or reduced to a constant tizzy by the husband’s role,(2) or because their emir had exiled them from their houses, or because their mothers constantly spied on their spouses, or because of quarrels with their neighbors over where to water their cattle, or because their imams regarded their wives as chattel.15 For all these reasons, squabbles would break out between man and wife and they’d go for long periods in a state of strife, shifts would be ripped from in front and from the rear,16 heads and pubes plucked of
(2) “The muṣlif is one ‘whose wife finds no favor with him’ and also a man ‘who is in low spirits and whose wealth has decreased.’ The mushafshif is ‘one who suffers from trembling and confusion out of jealousy and worry over his wives.’
their hair, uproar would never stop, skins would be scratched with fingernails, and the scented herbs upon the beds would go to rot. “I, though, am free, praise God, from any such flaw. Nothing need come between me and my wife, no man will jostle me for her affections, she won’t
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3.2.7
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
�ا � ا �خ ا ا نا ا ا ا ح��د � � ��ل�ا ا خ�ن�� * � ا ن� ��ل� ���د �ي�ن �و�م ن�� �ى �م ن�� �ه� * �و�م� ا �� �ب� د ر�م �و �ل� ا ب�ر * �و �ل� ا � ب و و ىي ب �ف َ ت ا �ع��م� ��ه�م�ا � ���ل��ي�ن ا ��س�ع �ع��ل ا �ن ن �ك�ن ع� ب� ��ى �خ�����ل�قى * ي���س��ره ل ب � ور�ج �ى ي� �ه�م� * � او � �ي�� ب �ى �م �ي � ا �ف � �ف � ف �ن � ا ُ�خ �عن��ى � ��ض �ه�ا ��ى ��ط ��ع�ا �م�ه�ا * �و �ل� ��ى �لب��ا ��س�ه�ا �و�م ن��ا �م�ه�ا * ح��س�ن �����ل�قى * ��ا ��ى �ل� ا �ع�ا ر� ��ت ت خ �ذ � ��ف ا �� ن � ن � �ن ت خ ا �ذ � ث �ت ا � ج�ن ���� �م�ن ا�لم��لب ��و��س �م�ا �ي��لي ��ق� �ب��ه�ا �وب �ى * �م� يم�ع��ى م ا �� ب حي�� � ن�� �م ا �ل�ى � �ب�ى * �و � َ � ف �ة الم ن �ة � ت �ذ � ن �ز �ق �ر ن���ة * �ت�� �ك�و ن� �ع��ل� �ه��ذه ا �ل�ص��� ي�م� � ح�ى ا ا ���سم� ا �ل ن��ا ��س �ب�ا � �و�ج��ى �عُر�و ب� * و� * ى �ي ع � � ��ن ا ��لن��ع �ة ن م � �و ب� * � ��ض �ه�ا �ع ن��د �ى �م�ص�و� �و �و�ج� �ه�ه�ا �ع�ن ا�ل�م ار �ود ج� ح��س�د �و�ى �ع��ل�ى �ه��ذه �م� ح� �عر� � � ا خ��ف �� �ف ئ �ة �ا ن ��ل � غ �ة ����د ا ��ل � ا ��ل��س�ا ب��غ����ة * �ف ك� �� � �ى �ك ح��س�ود ���ل ���ص� �م�ن ا �ل�عي�� ش��� ��س�ا ��غ��� * �و �ل� ي �� �ى ك�م� ��ى ك�ي �م�ن �� ��ذ �ة � ا ��تت�ق ا � �عن ا ا � ا �� ��ذّ ه � ا ا ا ��ت ا � ا ��لن ��ف ا ��ل ا ��ل ن � ا �����س ا �ل� �ن�ي����س * ل� * �ل� ��� ع��س ��ه� �ل� ل� * م� �ع�د ري��ح � ��س �ى ج � �ذ ق � � ث � ن ل�� �رب� ��ت ن��ف�ي����س * � او � ا �مرء ا ��ي�ق��ا ���سى ا �لن��ه�ا ر �ج� �ه�ده * �� ا �ل�� �ى � �ر�ه �ل��ل�ق���ل ب� �تر �يو� �و�ل�� ك ب م ح ت ض � �ف �ف � ف ن �ت �ن ف ن � �خ ح��ده * �م�ن د �و� ���ج�� ي�� �ل�ه � ��� ��ى ا � ���ه * �و���س �خ�ن د �م�ه �م�ن ا �م�ا �م�ه �ي�ب��ي� ت� ��ى ا �ل��لي���ل �و� ع �ذ ��ن ن ح� � � � ا � � �ل�ق � �ي�ن ا �� �ف ت ت ا �و�م�ن �خ���ل�ف��ه * ج��ل � ا ا ا � ���د �ير �ب�ا � ي� �صى م ع ا �ل� م�و � * يو� ��ى ب� لر� � * �ه� و �ى � � � ف � �ش ش تغن � ����عر�ه�ا �ع�ن ا�لم��س��ك � او�لم�ل�ا ب� * ��ا ��ن ه ا ��س�����ى �بر ض� ��ب��ه�ا �ع�ن ا �ل ش��� ار ب� * وب �� � � �م م آ ق ا � ن � ئ �ة � ا �ن ث �ة ت �ت ن ش ق �ن ن ا ت � ا ن ش ش ��� �ة ا �� �ل � � ا � �� � �ل او ا � ا �ل ار � ل حوا ��س * ��س�و� � � � م ��� �� ���� �م � �� ب� ح� ا �ل� � �� �وي� ���س �� � عر وب��ه� �و ا �ن � �ق � ا � آ ���ا ن ���ف ا �ل�مغ���ا ��ن ا � ���ف ا ��ل ا �� * � ا ���ت�ز � ئ � ب� �ص�� ط�ل�� * حر ج���س�د�ه� �ع ا �ل�و��ود �ل�ل� � ك� � ى ب و ى ر س و �ج �ف � �ن � ي�ه�ا �ع�ن ا ��ل�ا ث��م�د � او ج��ل ��ل��آ * ��ف�ت ��و�ف �ع��ل ّ �ك� ���ل �ي ��و� ��ى ا �ل�ا �ق��ل د ر��ه * ا ��ن ف� ��ق� ��ن � �صف��ه � �وب�ا �ل �ر ��ّو ا �ل� ي ر �ى م م َ �ّ ��� �غ��د ا �ة ��ف� ���ق ��ل� ا ��لن��ص�ف� ا ��ل��آ �خ� � �ذ ��ل��ك �خ��� �ع َ��م� * � �غ�ن�� ا ت��ّ * �ف�ا �م�ا �ع� ا �حل �م�ا � �ك� و ر و ى ل � ي ي ر بى �ل�ى � م م ى م �� ا �� ن�� ا � ا �ع ن ا ��ت ه�ن ا �� � ا �� � ا �� �زّ ا � ا ا ف��� �ذ �� � � ا � �ق ا �� ��ف ك� م� �ي�� ل �ى ي��د ل ��س� * و �� � لر�ج � ل ب�م� �ي ع �ع��ل�ى �لِ� ��س� * لي����س ل�ك �ع��ل�ى ��ت � �ذ � ف � �ق �ع�م�و�م�ه * �و �ل�ا ��ت� رر � ك�� � ا �ل�ا � او ��س��ت�ثن�ى ا �م�ور �م�ن �عي�م�م�ه * ���ل�ع��ل� ا �و�ل �م�ن ا �خ�ر��� 1ه� ا ح� ى ج م � ث�نآ � ا تث�نآ � �� �ف � ا ا ن ا �ذ �ف ا �ة �ت ا ن ّ � �ز � �ز � � � � ا ك ا ا � � � � � � � �� ا � ا �ل� ��س��� �� * �و��س�ن �ل�ل�ا ع ب� �ع��ل�ى ل و�ج ل� � * ي�� �ل� و � و ��ص� ح� وب ي�� � آ �ف ن ش � ا ت خ��ف ن �خ ف �ة ن �� �ى �ع��ى ��ا �ي�� �م�ن ا �مر�ه�ا * �ر�ه�ا * �و �ل� �� �ود�ه�� �و�ج� ن��ا � * ��م�ا �ي��عي�ي����ى ����ى �م�ن �ن ك :1855 1ا خ�ر�ج �ه.
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58
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Love and Marriage
find me a bore. My happiness will be hers, my wishes and hers the same. I am neither toothless nor foul of breath nor hunchbacked nor lame. I have two hands with which to work, two legs that, to earn their living, will not shirk, and if in my body there’s any distemper, it’s covered by my excellence of temper. I will object to none of her cooking, her clothes, or her manner of reposing, for she’ll sleep next to me and adopt what suits us both by way of clothing. What then should stop me from taking a mate, one possessed of each such happy trait, even should people, hearing that my spouse is full of affection, that with me her honor enjoys full protection and her face no visitor sees, envy me such abundant ease? Every choking sorrow will then seem easy to swallow, and it’s no secret what pleasure lies in giving the envious the finger—a pleasure over which no connoisseur will hesitate to linger. Not to mention the delight found by the psyche in the companionate gender, whose nearness to the heart comfort, and in times of stress an outlet, doth render. One who endures his toil by day only by night to sleep alone and who no bedmate to breathe into his nostrils or warm his blood from in front and behind owns is meet to be counted among the dead and thrown among the bones. In addition, I shall by her saliva to the need for drink be made immune, by the smell of her hair to the need for musk and other perfume, for they say that the smell of a woman from the roots of the hair (be those in the body’s cracks and crevices or on the head) may be inhaled and by it all the senses are derailed. Likewise, the heat of her body will suffice as fuel to keep me warm, the sight of her serve as antimony and balm, meaning that I shall save at least one silver coin a day, half of which for a daily morning visit to the bathhouse I’ll pay, leaving me the other half to live on, which is riches indeed and will suffice for any need. “As to what people say about ‘women’s wiles’ and how they ride their husbands so hard they’re left beyond the reach of consolation, in most cases this isn’t true—and no rule’s without exceptions to its general application. I may be the first to expose this qualification and fashion, in praise of marriage for bachelors, such a commendation, and how could this not be so, when I’m a master of chaste language and eloquence, a man of craft and intelligence? Thus none of her cunning ways will defy me and none of her attempts at concealment get by me. I shall oppose her and remonstrate, and that my superiority to her compels her to obey and comply I shall demonstrate. One day I’ll tell her, ‘This is a day on which the married desist and active lovers
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59
3.2.8
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
ا ق�ف َّ�ة �ت � ا � � ا ت ت ا �ّ ن � ف ح � ه�ا ��ض �ه� � او �ج� ي�ه� ��� ي�� � � ح �ه�ا * � او ر��ي �ه�ا ا � �ل�ى �ع��ل� ��ا �ع�ا ر� ��ض ��طر�ه� ا �ل�ى ��ط� �ع��ى �و��و�ج � �ف�ا ن� �ق��ل ت� ��له�ا ا ��ل �� � � � �ص � ف���ه ا �ل�م��ا �ع��ل� ن� * � ����ت�تّ��� ا �ل�م�ف��ا �ع��ل� ن� * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ا �ن�ا ا � ��ل �م�ن و و � ي وم �ي وم ي ب و وي ب ل آ � ق� �ا ن � �ة ن ّ �ص�ا � * � �و �خ� �م�ن �ن�ا � * � او ن� �ق��ل ت� ��ل�ا يج ���م�ل ��ا لم � * ��ا �ل ت� �و �ل� ا � ح�ص�ن � ا � ��تت�ب��رج� ر ب م م ��تت� نّ � �ف �ة �ز ن ن ق ��� ا ��س�� �م �ة * �ق�ا ��ل ت� � ��ت ���ق ت ق �ز � * � او � ��� ح ا �ل �و�ج�� �ع��ل �و�ج� �ه�ا ��ى �ك� � ��غ� ا ل � � � � و ل � و � بع ر � بى � ى ج �ة ح��ل ّ ��ل�ا�ز � ��ل��ل�ع �� * �ق�ا ��ل ت� �و ��ل�ا ا ��ل��د ��ي ��ا �� حر�ة * � او ن� �ق��ل ت� ��ل���� ا ��ل ���ا �ع��ف ي��ف�� � ا ��ي ض� ��ى ب م ر س ي س بج غ � ظ �� ش��� ّ ��لُ��ْ�� * � ���ف ا ج ���ل �م��ل��ة �ف�ا ن� �عي�� ش����ى �م�ع�ه�ا �ي�� ح�ا ��ل�ى ��س� �ك�و ن� ر� ا ا � ع � � � � �د �د ح � � * * � و و ر ب س وى � ي ي ى ث ض ش ن ئا ئا ����ئ��ا * � �ف �ش��� � ���ط�ئ �م�د ���د ا * �و ���ط ا � ي��ا * ور ى و ي ��ع� م�ى �م ��ير�� * �و��� ارب �ى �ه�ي���� * �و� �� بو�ى �و� ي � ��ف ق ش ا ��ن �ذ�� � ������ت �م�ا �ن�� ��س�ا * � �مت��ا �ع� ��م ا � و ى بو ي ى و حر�و��س� * �و ��طر�ى �ر�ي ار * �و���� �ى �م� ك��ورا * �و��سيع��ى َ � ف ق ح ّ ��ه�َ ا ��ل�ز � ا �� * ���ل�ع� � �م�غ� ن��ا �� * ��ط��ل�عت �ص�د �ى �م�ا �م� �ون�ا * � �ه�ا �ع�ل�ا �� * �يم�م� �ون�ا * �و��� ��ى ل وج ب و ب � ج ج ن ا �ق � ن � ا �غُ ض � � ا ف ا � �ن ت ��عت� ا �ن ا � �م�ن ا ��ل�ا �� �لف��ا �� * �و��ج�� �ه� ا � �ه��ج * ا �ل�ى ا �ل� ��ل��ج * ا � � �ه�ى * � او �� ا ��و�ل ا � �مم� �ر��س ج � �ي�ن �ة � ش �ة � َ ��ز � ّ � �ة � ّ ن �ن �ف ت ���فى �ه��ذه ا �ل��ط� � ا �لب����� �ر� ا �ل��ل�ثِ�ي � ا � ا �لر ج���ل �م��ى �و ��ط�ن � � ��س�ه �ع��ل� ا �ل � او � � حب� ب� ا لله ى ج ي �ن � ن ا ُ�خ � ق ا َ�خ � ق ا � � �ة �ة � �ز ا ت � ن ت � ح�ا �ل� ك��ا ��� � �ير �ه�ا ا � ح�ى ا ا �لي��ه �و�ج��ه �ع��ل� ا �ي� � ح��س ا �ل�� ��س ��ل��� �و��ل��� * �ل� ب���ل �ير�ى ى � ت ����ست خ� ّ ا��ا ن �ن ق ��ن ��ف ��س�ه ا �ن�ه �ق�د �ت �ف�� �ع�ن ا �ق ا �ن�ه * � ت��م�ز� ّ �ع�� ا خ�� ن ر �وا ��ه * ح�ى ي � ��س �م� ك�� � �م �ب���ل ر و ى ل�ى ع آ � � ت ��س��ع ��ظ���� ه � ا �ن ه �ق � �� ن � ا ا �ن ا �ن ا � �د� ا � �د � ا ن � � �� ه � � ه ا ا �� ي م� * و � �د �ص� ر ��س� � �ج � ي��د ي ج � ر ب� � ي ج �دد ل� و�ج � �ل� ر �ض * بو�� �ع��ل�ى � �ذ � � � �� � ف ا ا �ق ض� ا � ا �غ ا ��ن � ا ش ا ا �ل ت ف �ة ت � � ا � �خ م��ع�ا ر�� ب���ل ا ��س��ب��د �ل ا �ل� �و�ل�ى �ب�ا �ر�ى �ل�ك �ل�م �ي ع�د ا � �ل�� ر�ي� � �ير ��ى �ب� �ل� �� �ى � او �ل� ����ع� ر �ن � � � ف � �ذ � ق �خ ت ح�ا �و�ل � �ج���د�ي��د�ة �م�ن ��ن ��ظ���م�ه * � �و ظ �� �� �خ��ل�ا �ل �ل��ك ���ص�ي �د �ت��ي�ن � �ه�م�ا ا ���را ا ��س��ل�و ب� ي� ع م ّ �غ � �ت �� ا �ت �� ا ا ن �ف� ا �ت ا ����ط خ� ّ�ت �ي�ن ��ا �ت � �ذ � خ � ا � ا � � � � � � � د� � ا � � � � �ر��ي ب� ج � � ي�ي� � �مك� ��س� رى ل�ك * ول�و �س �ط�ع � ي � رع ك�ل م� �ج � ي��د �ي عب� ر ��ا ن �ذ ن ��ه �غ� ا �م�ه � � � ث ش ا ن � ف ا ت�ز ا ه� ب� �ب�ه � �وي��� ش����ده ب ر و ح�د��ي� ���� ��ه � �ل���ع�ل * �وك�� � ا ا را �ى ر�ج��ل� �م�� �و�ج�� ��ي � ي � �ف �ج��ّ ا ن���م�ا �ح��ل��ب��ة ا ��ل�ز � او �� الم � ا �ن�ا ��ى � � ل � ى ج ن � ح� � ف��� ��ز �ع��م�ا ���ق ��� ا ن���م�ا ا � �ق�د �ى �ي و ري ب
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�فُ ��س��ك � � ش ا ن�� ت ا � � � � � � �� �ل ق �و�ر � ��ق�د � ح��ك ا �ل����س� �في�� � ��يب ��و�ر ح
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١٠،٢،٣
Love and Marriage
to celibacy keep’ to which she’ll reply, ‘I shall be the first to desist and the last to sleep.’ Should I tell her, ‘It’s not attractive for a respectable married woman to put her charms on display,’ she’ll tell me, ‘Or flirt and play,’ and if I tell her, ‘A wife her husband once a week has a right to expect,’ she’ll tell me, ‘While remaining chaste and worthy of respect.’ If I tell her, ‘Jewelry’s no requirement for a wedding,’ she’ll tell me, ‘and nor is brocade, that most evil cladding.’ Taken as a whole, my life with her will be easy, my state happy, my good fortune extensive, my food wholesome, my drink healthy, my clothes clean, my bed comfy, my possessions well guarded, my house no longer lonesome. Good cheer will be there, my every effort blessed, my status one of note, my endeavors guaranteed success. Hie ye then to marriage with a jolly girl who’s full of coquetry, whose looks provide a cure for bankruptcy, and to bed whom is to ride the road to victory!” End. I further declare that it is a fact, deeply rooted in our sticky human clay,
3.2.9
that when a man sets his heart on getting married, God endears his spouse to him however she be and makes him believe she’s the best of people, morally and physically. And that’s not all: the man may well believe that he’s been elevated above his peers and distinguished among his brethren to the point that he dismisses as trivial what previously he saw as important and imagines that he has become a new person, for whom the face of the earth ought, by rights, to be remade. It follows that the Fāriyāq no longer found contentment in the old familiar songs and poetry; instead, he substituted for them other, new ones of his own composition. In the process, he composed two poems17 in which he attempted to invent a strange new style, with the result that they turned out quite titter-making, as you shall see—and had he had the ability to invent a new form of speech to express his passion and rejuvenation, he would have done so. Thus, should he lay eyes on a married man, he’d call out to him and sing as follows: On the racetrack of marriage, I’m the front-runner While you’re the also-ran last-placer. My shaft soon will take the prize While your luckless stick’s a failure.18
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3.2.10
ا �و �ع�ز ��ا �ق�ا ��ل ��ل�ه ب
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
�ن �ي�ن ا ��� �ز �ة ف ا � ت � ث � � �ا �ي�ا ا ���ه�ا ا �ل� ���ع�ز ا ب� ا ��ى � ار �ف���ض د لع � �و��ب� �� �ق��د � او ب�� م��ا � �ل�يا ي � � � � َ � �ت �� ا � �ف �ق ا �غ ن ا ا ا ن �لي����س ا �ل��غِ� ��ى ا �ل� ا �لب���ع� �ل ���ب� د ر � او �ي� ��و� � او ���س� � �� او ب��م���ث�ل ب��ع� � �ل�يا م
� � ش �غ شت ف �و��ت �ه�ّو��س �ي ��و�م�ا �ل�ا ن� ��ي ن�ظ �� � د �ي�� او �ن�ا ي������م�ل �ع��ل� ا ب��ي��ا ت� � �فم� رد�ة ��ت �ه�ا �ت��ا �ع��ل� ا � ح��دا ث� ����ى �ر�� ب� � ى ى ي م ف � �ة ا ت ث � � ن�ظ �� �� ا بر���ع� ا ب��ي�� � ��م ا �م��س�ك * �و��هى م � ��س�ا ��ع��ة ا ��ل���ب�ع�د � ن ���ص�ل ي���مض���ى ك� ���ا ن��م�ا �ه�و ��س�ا ��ع�ه �ع���ك �ش���هر �و��ع�ا �م ا �ل�و�
� � �� ا ��ت ن��� �ص��ا ���ب��ة ��ج�م ا �ل� �ل��ي�ل ا �ل��ط� �و���ي�ل � ب
ن ت � �ص�� ا �و خ� ف ق ن � ق � �� ��� �م��ى ا � �ل��ل ب� ا � � به�� ا �ل� ب ي
� � ا � ش �� ا�ل� �لي� ت� ����عر�ى ك�� ��ي�ق��ا ���سى �م�ن ا �ل ن��و�ى م
� ��تن�� ج ��لن�� �ذ �ت � و �����مى ج � �و�م �ى � ��ف��لي���ك �ذ�� �ن � �و��ي� ك�ر��ى
� � �م ح�ي�ا ك ا �لب��د �ر ا�لم��ن�ي�ر � �
ت ن �ذ ح�ا ���ئ�ه ��ق��ل ب� ���ي� �و ب� �� � او � �ج��ل��د ا
�ن �أ ت ن ق ة � �م�ن ا �� ف�ل� ض� � ن ا ن �ن ق � ن � ��� ت ن ���ا ن� � �ق �� ��ل ���خل و ط�ب����ه ا ���ك �م�ل� � �ع�ي�ى �ر� * � او ��ى ي ���و�ل �ه�� ا � � � ��و�ل ا ��ه ك� �ي و � � �ت � �ن نّا �ل �غ� � ن � �ق غن �غ ن ح��س�ن ا �خل ا را ك ا � ��� �لق� * � او �� ي� ب� �� ط��ا ا �ل ن��ا ��س * � او �ن��ك �� ن�ي����ى �ع�ن ا �ل����ى * � او ��ى �ب �� �بر��ك ن نّ � ن ح�ن ا ��ل�ا ن * � ا �ن�� �ذ ا ت� �م� �ا � �ة تش غ �ك��ا � � وك ل ��س�عي��د * � ��يو ب��ع�د ك �ع�مي��د * � او ��ا �ن��ك�و� ا �ب��د ا �م ح� ��������ل � ا ن �ف ا ��خل ّ � ا ��ن ا �غ ا �ل � �م�ن ا ��ل ن�� � ف�� ّ ئ ش �ذ � ّ نّا ��ل ��سي�� �ي ي� ���ل�ى * و �ى �� ر �ع�ي��ك � ����عرك �ه� ا ا �ل��د �ج��ى * � او �� ج ��س�م� � ��ى م ن � � ت �ي�ن ن �� �� � ��م ّ ح�ا ن� ���ف ج���س� � ا � � �� � ا�� ح��ا �ج���د�ي��د ا * و ر وح و ح�د ا �و ر �و� ى ح�د * � او ��ك �ل��ر �م��ى �ك��ل ي �وم ب م � � �ك� ن ق��د � �ة �ل��ل�م��ت�ز � ���ي�ن � ا ش ق ح��س�ن �ا � � ا نّا �ن � او ���نى ��ل�ا ر�ى ف�ي���ك �ك� ���ل �و��ق ت� � و �ل�ع�ا �������ي�ن * ح�د ��ي ث�� * � او �� ��و� و و�ج ق ا � �خ ا � ا ن ا ن ��ف �ذ ن ثا � � ا �ت ا ف ا ��ل�ى �غ��ي�ر ��ل��ك �م�ن ا �� ك� ح��ا �ت�ه ل��ل� �م ا�لم��ع� ر�� �ع��د ا �م�� �ل�ه * �� �ل ��ي�ر ا �ي� �م ا �ل� ���س� � �ى �ي �اف ن � � � � م �ون�ه ��هى ا�لم�د�ة ا �ل ��تى ��تت��ق��د � ا �ل�ز � او �� � او �ل ��تى �ت��لي��ه * ق���ل ت� �و�مب���لغ� �ه�ا �ع ن��د ا �ل� �ر�� �ش���هر ي���س� � � م ج ج ن ق ا � � ا ��ق � غ ا ن نا ا ش � � �ق � َ َ ش ��مرا �ل�ع���س�ل �و�ه�و ب���ع�د ا �ل�ز � اوج� � * �و�مب��ل� � �ه� �ع��د �� �م�ع� ���را �ل�عرب� ����هرا � ��ي��� �ل �ل�ه�م� �م ار 62
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Love and Marriage
Or, should he see a bachelor, he’d tell him: Bachelors, the creed of the single man I have renounced, so do as I have done. There is no wealth but marriage, so have at it, friends: Enrich yourselves and gain what I have won. And one day, infatuated with the idea of creating something strange and new, he became obsessed with the idea of composing a collection of poetry that would consist entirely of single verses.19 He wrote four and then gave up. They were: Like a month is an hour of separation from you, but a year In your company passes like an hour. I spend the long night gazing at the stars enamored— My contemplation being of heavenly bodies that are rounded. My heart beats unbidden whene’er the east wind rises, And the bright moon recalls to me your countenance. Would I might know how long a heart that melts as it endures Can suffer from separation in its many modes. It would be officious of us to say here that he used to tell his fiancée, “You are the delight of my eyes, and I believe you to be the best of humankind. We are the envy of others and with you I have no need of riches. When close to you, I’m glad, when far, I’m sad. We shall always be as we are now. Your beauty distracts the unwed and I’m jealous of the breeze that ruffles the jet black tresses on your head. We are two bodies with one soul or two souls with one body. Each day you’ll find in me a lover new and all the time I’ll find fresh charms in you. We shall be the paragon of spouses and of lovers,” and so on in the usual vein adopted by such as he. Another thing he said was that the best days of a person’s life are those immediately preceding and following marriage. I note: according to the Franks these number a month, which they call “the moon of honey (ʿasal)” and which follows the wedding. According to us Arabs, however, they number two, are called “the two moons of intercourse (ʿasl),” and last till the hive has been filled, every bee has reverted to being a hornet, and everything has gone back to the way it was. I note further that love is something planted
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3.2.11
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
ن � ش ا ��ل�َع ْ���س� * � ح�ت ا �ذ ا ا �مت��ل�ا ت� ا ��خل ���ليّ���ة �ع�ا د ت� �ك� ���ل � ���ل ����ى ا ��ل�ى ا �ص��ل�ه ح��ل��ة �ز ��نب ��ورا �ور ج� �� �ك ل ى ع � � � � � �ف �ف �غ � �ة �ة �ة ن � ض � ش ا � او ��ق� ��ل ا � الم ط�ي��ع� ا �لب����� �ر� �م�ن �� � ا �ل ��� � ا �لمه�د ا �ل �� � ح�� ��هى �مم� �ر��س ��ى ا �ل��ب �ب و ي �وم �و�ع �ى � �ى ي �وم ي آ � ّ ف ا � �ذ خ ا �� ض ���ل� �ق ا ��ل�� د �م� �م�ن ا ن ي� �ذ ت ا �ن � �ذ ت ��� �ع�� ا ��لن�� ش � ع��� * ��ل� �ب��د �ل�ه� ا الم و� ح ب� ا �� �م ا �ل�� � او � ا �و ى ل�و�ع ل�ى �ا آ �ن ق �ف ��ق � �ن ���ل ا �ز � �ف �ق ا ��س�م�ه �ش���ي �ا �م�ن ا �ل� �ش���ي �� ا �و �م�عن��ى �م�ن ا�لم�ع�ا ��ى * �وك�� �م� ا د ح��ه ��ى ���سي�� �من��ه� � ����ص ��ى ي ب م �مث ا �� �ذ � � �َ ق � ن ا � �د� ا �� �� ا ��ف �ز � ا د�ة � ّ � �خ � �آ �خ ����ل�ف �ن � م ك � ا �ل� �ر * �و��د �ي��ك�و� ح� ه� سب ب�� �ى ي� � ح��ه �ل�ل�ا �ر * �� ل ل�ك ب آ �� ف �ذ �ف �ك ن � ا �عث ا �� ه �� � ّ � �ذ ت ا ��ل ��ا ��ل ش����ع ا � ا ��ل�غ� ن��� ا � ا ��لت ��م���ل��ة * � �م�ن � � ه � � ا � � ك � � �ه� ل � � � � ع � ل � ص � � � � ل ر ب رو و و ح ب� ا �ل�� ا � ج ي �ي و و � ب ى �ي آ � ف ق �غ �ف � �ا � �خ � ا ة �ف �ا ��� �ف ا ��ل�ع�� ا �� ��ق ت ا �� ا �ل� � � ن ��ت� � �ت ه � ن � � ك�ل� �ب� ل�م �و ل �� ل �و ر � او �ل��س�ي � د� �ل �ب��د � او � ���ل ر ب� � �ى ا �ل����س� ب��ل رب�م� �ل�ه�ى � � َّ � �خ ن ����ل�ف� ��ا ��ل ل���لي���ة * �و�م�ن ك� �ك�و ن� ك� طه�م��ة � او ��ل��س�ل�ا � ا ��لن��ف�ي���� ف���ق��د �ي�� �ه�ن �ب�ا �� ك� ����ل�ف��ه �ي���ل ا �لم�� � �ع � ب س ح ّ � �ذ � �ن �ذ �� ن � ا �ت �ة �أ ْ � ا �ه��ذ ا �ش���ا �ئ��ق��ا ��ل�ه ا ��ل�ى � ��ض �ه� م �ه� ا ا ل ��و ا �ل��س ار �ب� �ي�� ح ب� ا �ل�� ا ت� �و �ل� * �و�ع�د ب���ع� م ع � � ّ� ا �ق �� ه �غ � �ه � ��ل ا ��ن ا � �ف �ة � ت ا � ا �� ا ا � ا ن ا ن �و��ه ا�لمن �ظ� �� ف���و ن� �ل��ل�م ار � � ح���ض� * �و ��س��ط� ��ي ر � ب��د ي���ل �ه� حر� يح�� � ل� ي�ه� �ل� ��س� � ي ج م م ا ش �ا َ ��َ ت ن� �ف ث � ث ا � ا ت � ت �ة � �ن ث � ث �ة ف �ف �ن ��ل� � �ه��ذه ��ل� � ح� �ل� � م����سب��ب�� ع ��ل�� ح� يص���ل �م�ع� ����ه �ل� ك���ل�� �م �ه�و�ى ا �ل�� ��س * � � �ه ن ا ا � ض ا �ث � ث ا � � �خ ا ا � ق ّ�ة �� ث ة ا ن �ه�م�ا * �س��ا ب� * و �� ك �ي � ��� �ل� � حوا �ل ا �ر�ى �ب� �ع�بت�� ر ا � �ل���ل� � او �ل��ك��ر� �و�م� ب��ي�� � ا� ب ّ � � �ّ ��ن��ف ه �ف �ا ��ت ��� ��ن ��ف ه �ش�� � � ا � الم � ��م � ا �� ت ا � �ة � ن � ه ك � ح ح � � � � * �� ط� ب� ��س� �ى و �ل� س � � ل ب و ي ب ا �ل� �ول�ى �م��ع� د �ل� �و �هى ا � يح ب ب ف �ة � � �ذ ق ش ا ��ا � ��ف ت � � � � ��ذ ة �ذ � � ���ا ن� ��م ��ت �ه�ئن��ه ��ل���ذ �ة ا �ل�ا ا ا ك� حب �� �وب�ه �م���� رك�� �ل�ه �ى ��لك ا �ل�ل� � * �و �ل�ك �ص��� ا �لر ج���ل �ب���ل َُ � ة � �ن �ة � ت �ة � ف �ة �ز � ا تخ � ش � او �ج��ه � بو���عي��ده * �و �ل� ���ل�و �ه��ذه ا �ل�ص��� �ع�ن ا �لر����د � او �لب��ص�ي�ر� * ا �لث��ا �ي�� ا�لم��ع�د �ي� ا �ى �ذ � َ � � �ث ف �ة �ذ � �ن �ف ��ا �و �ز �ة ��ل��ل�مت��ع�ا د ��ل��ة * �و �ل�� ح� الم الجم � ���ا ن� ي� � ح�ي��ب��ه ا ك����ر �م�ن � � ��س�ه * �و �ل��ك �ص��� ك ك ح ب� � ب ب � ا � ا �ف ا ن ه ف � �� � ا ��ف � ّ � �ة ق �ا ش ح ب� �و�ل��د �ه�م�ا �و�ص�ف�� ب���ع��ض� ا �ل�ع����ا �� * ا �م� ا �ل� ب� � �� ��ي���د ى �و�ل�ده ا �ل� ب� � او �ل� �م �ى �ن � � ��ذ ت � ت � ت � تّ �ذ ح�ه �و� � حر� ��ن ��ف ��س�ه �م ا �ل�ل� ا � � او�لم��س ار � ح�ى ي� م��ع�ه �ب��ه�ا * �ف�ا ا را �ى ��ن ��ف ��س�ه �ع�ا � �ج�ز ا بر �و� ي م �ذ �غ �خ � � ا�� � � � �ذَّ � �ذ � �� �ع�ن ا �ل� �ك��ل � او �لب��ع�ا �ل �ورا �ى ا ب�� ن��ه �ي�ا �ك��ل � ��يو ب��ا ��ع�ل �ل�� �ل�ه �ل��ك * �و�ه�و �م� �ه� ا ��ي�ر ��ا �ل ع ���ا �ع�ن ا ��ل �ش���د � ا ��ل�ت�م���ي�ز * �ف�ا �م�ا ا ��ل�ع�ا �ش��ق �ف�ا �ن�ه � �� �ث �م�ع ش ���و�ق�ه �ع��ل� ��ن ��ف ��س�ه �غ��ي�ر ا ن� ا �ف��ع�ا ��ل�ه ا ��ي ض� � �� ي ور ر و ي ى �خ ت � �ف �غ � ح��له�ا � � ق�ت ا �ت� ن �م ح� ا ��ل�ا �ن��س�ا ن� ��م � ث ا � ث �ة � �ة � ن � حب �� �و�ه ��ك�و� � ��ل�ه ��ى ��ي�ر �م � و و � �ه� * � او �ل�� �ل�� �م�ع�ل�و�م� �و �هى ا � ي ب ب 64
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*
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Love and Marriage
in our human clay the day we’re placed in the cradle and that lasts till the day we’re laid on the bier. The human must inevitably therefore feel love for some person or other, some object or other, some abstraction or other, and the more his love grows in the area of one of these loci, the further it declines in another. At the same time, one of these loci may become a stimulus to his adding love for another. An example would be a person who devotes himself to poetry, singing, or painting and whose devotion to these things becomes a spur to his loving a beautiful person. One who devotes himself to scholarship or fighting or honor or the exercise of power must inevitably lose some of his desire for women; indeed, he may be too busy to think about them at all. One who devotes himself to purebred horses and fine weapons may find that this devotion is an incitement to love of another or not, as the case may be. Some count among this last kind the sarābātiyyah, who are the latrine cleaners, but others exclude them from it on the grounds that they practice a profession that people are forced to undertake to make a living, not a pastime that people undertake because it suits them to do so.20 The preceding are three states deriving from three different stimuli. There are a further three states with respect to paucity, abundance, and their midpoint. The first is one of parity and consists of the lover loving his beloved as he loves himself; thus he never indulges himself in anything or pleasures himself with anything unless the one he loves is there to share that pleasure with him. This is how men are before and just after they get married, and it is not inconsistent with good sense and judgment. The second is the excessive, which is to say the one that goes beyond parity and consists of the lover loving his beloved more, as it were, than himself; it is characteristic of fathers and mothers in their love for their children and of certain lovers. The father will sacrifice his own life for that of his offspring and deny himself pleasures and treats so as to use them to give them pleasure: if he finds himself incapable of eating or of enjoying marital relations while his son enjoys both, this makes him happy. At the same time, however, he is not devoid of good sense and judgment. The lover may prefer the object of his affections to himself but unlike the parent behaves in a disordered way, doing things that are inappropriate to their place and time. The third is the ordinary situation and consists of a person loving his beloved but loving himself more; this is the commonest.
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3.2.12
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
ض ا ث� ث � � �ا �ن �ة � ا �غ �ن �ف حوا �ل ا �خ�ر�ى � ك� �م� ا ��ي ث��ا ر � � ��س�ه �ع��لي��ه �و�ه�و ا �ل� ���ل ب� * �و�ه ن��ا ك ا ��ي � ��� ��ل� ا � م�� �ي�� �و��هى ع � ت ا �ف � ا � � �خ ت � ف �ة ا ��ل � ��ت �� ا �خ � �ق � ث ت ت ا ا ا ن م � � � � �� � � � � ا ا ا � �� � � � � ل ل � � � ح � ط�� �� س * ا � �ل رب� و ب ع�د و ��و س�ط * ول�ه� � �ي ر � ل�� ب �� س� ��ل � ب ب ع � � � �ّ �ف ا � ا �ق � � �ف ا ���ا ن� ا ��ل��ع� دا � ح�ا �ل ��تى ا � �ل�قرب� � او �لب��ع�د �ع��ل� � ح ب� ��ى � � �ل�ص� د � ا �ل�ود ي ح�د ��س�و�ى * ب���ل رب��م� ك ب ى ح �ن ��ق �� �م�ن �ق�ا �� ��ف �ه��ذ ا ا �ل�م�ع ن �م��ه���ا ���ه ا ��ل �ز ��ا د�ة ا ��ل ش ق � �غ � � ���و�� � او �ل� ار �م * �و�م�ا ا ���س �ول � ل �ى ى ي ج ل �ى ي � نّ ك���ا �
� ش ن ّ ا ا �ل�ه�و�ى ���م��س اب �ى ا � ي�ر د �ه�
ةن ً �ّ �ت�ز �م��ه�ا � � ��و�ى لا ����ب�ل ��� �ي��د ���ها ح ار ب
�ّ �َ � �َ� ث � ث �خ � �ز ا �ن �ة � ق ف��ا �م�ا ا �ل��طر�ف� ا �ل ش���نِ��ق� ف��ا �ن�ه �ل�ا �ير���س�ل ا ��ل��س�ا �ق� ا �ل�ا ��م ك� م��س��ا ��س�ا ��ا * � �و�ل� ا �رى �م� �ي�� ِ �� � �ة ���ف �ة � � ��م �ة � � ق ا ا ش ش � � ا� �صب�� � او �ل����� ب� � او �ل��ك�ه� �ل� * م ح�� ا ل� ح�� ا �ل���ب�� ب� �صب��ى ا ��سرع � او �ع�� �ل� * �و ب �ب و ب �و �هى ل� ى ا � ّ �ق � ح�ا ��س�ن ��م �ك��ه�ل ��ي�ق��د ر ��م �ك�ه�و��ل��ة ا �ق ّر � او د �و� * � او ��ل�� حب �� �و�ه �و�م ن��ا �ف��ع�ه ح���ة ا ��ل�� حر � او ��و�ى * �و�م ب ب م ث ��م �ت ه � ه �ت � ن ح�� * ف��ا �ل��م ا �ة ��ل�ع��ل�م�ه ا �ن�ه ق��د �ع ّ�� ��ن ��ف ��س�ه ��ل��ل� � ا ��ل�ل�ا ئ��م��ي�ن ا ك�� ���ر * �وحب� � �ل� � �ك�و� ا �م ّر � او � ل ر و �ض � ر ر ى م � �ذ � � �ذ � ح��دا ث� � او ��ل�ا �غ� ا ر * �و ��ل�ا �ش���ف��ا ق��ه د ا ئ��م�ا �م�ن �م��ل�ل ��م حب �� � �و�ع� �ل ا �ل�ع�ا �ل��ي�ن �م�ن ا �ل�ا � و�ه ا �ي�ا ه * ر ب � ف���ق���ل��ه ا ���د ا � ا ج�� * � �ه ّ�م�ه � ش����ا �ن�ه �ه� �ن�ا ح�ل�ا �و�ة ��ل�ز ��ا د�ة �م�ع ف�ت��ه �ب ��ق��د ر �م �ص� * � او ��ل � حب �� �و�ه � و ب ر ب ب ب و ب ب ي م ت � ف � �ة � ��ا �م� ق���ل��ه ا �ن�ه ��س�ا �ك�و ن� �ه� او ه � او �ل �م��ا ���ه�و �ي��عت��ق��د ب�� جم �ك��ا ��ت�ق��د � * �و��ل�� � ح�ا �ل� �ه��ذه را �ه ن��ا �م� �ك�ن �م ب م ع ع ��ف � ا � ض ا ث � ث ا � ا ت �خ � ا ا � ا �ت � ا �ة ا ت ه � ظ � ه� ��� ��ل� � ح� �ل� � ا �رى �ب� �ع�بت�� ر ا �ل� ��س ��ط� �ع� �س��ا ب� ��س�ع� د �� �وح��� * �و�ل�ه� ا �ي � �ى ا � ب �� � �ع�د �مه�ا ا �عن�� ا ��ل����س � ا ��ل�ع��س � � ا � �ة ا ن �ه�م�ا * ا �م�ا ا �ل�م� ��س ف��ا ن� ��م حو�ل * حب��ت�ه ا �برد � او � ح� �ل� �م� ب��ي�� � و � ى ي رو رو و ر ف ت �ذ � ن آ � � � ن ق ت ح�� ا �ل����س�� ح�ا �ل ا ��ل� � ا �� �ن ��ل�ا ن� غ�� ن��ا ه ي �ح�م��ل�ه �ع��ل ا ��ست��ب��د ا ��ل ��م ح� �ل * �ل�� ر حب �� �وب�ه � او �ل������ل �م � ى �ى � � � �ذ � � ن ا ح�ص�ن �ا ت� �ه��ذ ا ا ��ل� ن ف �ن ن ا ن ���ف�ن الم � �ه�ن � 1م�ا ��س�ه * ا �ل�ا ا ا ��ك�ن �ل�ا ي خ� � �ص��� �م ا �ل�� ��س � او � �م� ��س ب��ي�� � ��ا ����ست�� � ن � ا ن ا ��لغ�� ن ّ ����ست� ّ ��ف ش �آ � ا �ع��ل�ى ��س ّر�ه�ن �و�عر� ��ض �ه�ن * �ل� � ��ى ي �خ�ز � �ح�ل ا ���� ا �ل� ��س ار ر * �مك� ي حي���ل َ ���ل �ش���ى �عب��د د ر�ه�م�ه * �و ���ط� ��نَ�ه�م�ه * ف��ا �م�ا ا �� ف�ل��ق���ر ف��ا ن� ��م ا ��ل��د ��ي ن��ا ر * �و�ع ن��ده ا ن� �ك� حب��ت�ه ي و ع َْ � ��ا ن ا �نعًا � ه � �ن �ز � �ة � �ن ا �� ت ت� � ا ش���ّ ���ط � او �ش����ذ � او �� �لَو * �ل�ا ن� ف����قره �م�ن � حي� ث� ك�� � �م� ��� �ل� م ا ا �ل� ا �لم� او �� ل ��ى � حو�ل ع ع :1855 1ب���ه��ن .
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Love and Marriage
There are also three locational states, namely proximity, distance, and
3.2.13
their midpoint, and these have different impacts depending on the differences among people’s dispositions. One whose love is true will love to the same extent whether he be near or far; indeed, separation may urge him on to greater longing and passion. No one has described this situation better than the one who said Methinks the beloved a sun that separation Refuses to take as “oryx doe.”21 Rather, it makes it burn yet hotter. The free-grazing male, on the other hand, the one with a roving eye, never puts one leg forward without holding the other back. There are a further three states that are temporal. These are childhood,
3.2.14
youth, and maturity. The affection of the child is that most quickly given and the most tenacious, that of the youth the hottest and strongest, and that of the mature person the most firmly grounded and longest lasting. The mature person also values his beloved’s good qualities and advantages more highly and his love for that person is both more bitter and more sweet. The bitterness comes from his knowing that he is exposing himself to the reproach and censure of the reproachful and censorious among the young and inexperienced, as well as to his own anxiety that his beloved may grow bored with him. Thus his heart ever burns, his mind to his beloved ever turns. The sweetness comes from his greater awareness of his beloved’s worth, as noted above, and from his love being as a result permanent and strong, for he believes with all his heart that he is pursuing what will bring him happiness and his due portion of good fortune. Love has likewise three states with respect to means or the lack thereof— by which I have in mind material comfort, hardship, and their midpoint. The affection of the man of comfortable means is the coolest and most fickle, for his wealth allows him to change beloveds and shift from state to state. Let respectable women beware this type of man lest he spread scandal among them, unless they have no fear for their secrets and their honor, for the rich man has as little against giving away secrets as he has against piling up money, and to him everything is to his coin subservient, to his greed obedient. The affection of the poor man, in contrast, is the most excessive, deviant, and agonized, for his poverty, being an obstacle to his removal of the impediments that stand between him and his beloved, leads him in no
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3.2.15
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
�أ � � ا ��ن ت �خ ا � ح�ا * �ف�ا �م�ا ن ي�ن �م حب �� �و�ه ��ل�ا ���ل� ث� ا ن� ��ي ف�� ض��� ��ه ا ��ل�ى ا ��لي�� ��س ا �و ا ��ل � ب�� �ل ا �و ا �ل�ى ا �ل� �� ر ىب ب��ي����ه � �وب�� � ب ي ب � �ّ � �� ا ا � ض ا �ث �ل ث � ا � ا ت ا �خ� � � �ه ا �����ذ �� � ا ��ل� �زّ ا �ل�مت� ��س ��� �ف�ا ن � ّ ��� � � ح� �ل� � رى و �ى ل ل و ع ح��ه ا �ع�د �ل � او ��ص * ول�ه� �ي � �و ط � ب ح � ّ ف �ة � � ة ف � �ذ � �غ � ف �ة � ش ��� �ق� * �و�م�ن ا ج�ع � ب� ا �ن�� ا ��ق� � او �ل�ع�ز �ص��� ا�لم�ع ش � � او�لم��س�ا � او � * ��ا �ل�� �ل ��ا �لب��ا �ص��� ا �ل�ع�ا � � و و ع � �ة � ّ � �ذ � �خ ت � ا � غ ���ا ن� � ه� �ى ��� ا �م ا �ة � ��ه ��ت ه� �ى �غ��� ه � �ت�ت ن � الم � ب �ل الم � م�� � ���ل��ط �ب� �لب�����ض� * �و �ل��ك ك� �ي � و ر ج ل ر و ى � و ي ر و ح�� ا ح ب ع ّ ف � ��ه � ���ده ا ��ل� � �ص�ا ��له�ا �تش�����ف ��ا �من �ه�ا * �ف�ا ن� �ف�ا �ز ��ه �غ���ل� ت� ��م �ع��لي��ه * � ه ��را �ه�ي�ت�ه � حب��ت�ه �ع��ل� ك� � � ي� و و �ج ى � � ي ب ب ب ي� ى ج ّ ن ل� � � � �ذ � � ا ا ت �ي�ز غ � � او ��ل�ا �ف�ل�ا * �و �ل� ا �ل �ه� ا د ا ��ه � ح� ���س��ل�و�عن��ه�ا * � او �ل���ا �ل� ا � ام ح� �ل� ���س��ل�و�م � حب �� �و�ه ب ب ي ىي ب ب � �ذ ح �م�ا ن ا ��ل�ا ا �ذ ا �ظ ��� �ف� ��ا �خ� �ش������ه ��ل�ه ���ف �خ���ل�ق��ه � �خ���ل�ق��ه � �ه�ه�ا �ت �ص�د � او ��ل ا ا �ع�ا �م��ل�ه �ب�ا �ل� �ر � و ى و ي� ر ب ر بي � � ن �ع�ن ��ن �ظ ��� ة ح��د�ة ��ت�ق�� �م�ن �ق��ل� ا ��ل ن��ا �ظ ��� �م� �ق��ع�ا ح���ة ف���ق��د �ت �ذ ��ل��ك * �ف�ا �م�ا ب� �� ا �ع ث� الم � � ا � � � � ك � � و و ب و رو ر ب ع � ق ت �ف خ � ة ة ة ��ي�ن �ا * �ت خ� � ف�ي��ه �م�ن ��م حرك� م�� � ك ����ل ���ا ت� ا �ل�و�ج���د � او �ل ش � ���و�� �م�ا �ج���ل�ه ِ�ع ش���ر� �م�د� �م�د �ي��د� * �و�ع ن��د �ى ج � � ّ �ّ ح��س�ن �ك�و ن� الم ��ي���ف ي��ا ت� �م�ن ا ��ل � �ق�د ��ت � �صّور ���فى �ع�ق���ل�ه ��س�ا �ب ��ق��ا �ص�ف��ا ت� �وك� ا �ن�ه �ل�ا �ب��د � او ن� �ي�� � ح ب �ذ �ف �ذ � ف �ة �ق ���ا ن ��ت �ص �ه�ا َ�ع��لق ق � ش ت ت � �ص��ا ا ��ل�ه�ا * � �ن � � ا ح�تى ا �ذ ا ����ا �ه�د�ه�ا � ��� ب ي� ح� ي���� �ى ا � �م ا �ل� � او � �مك� ك� � �ور ِ �� ض ّ � � � ن �� ح���ة �ع�ن ���ط� ��ل ���سم�ا �ك�و ن� الم ���ا ��ل��ة �ي� ن�� ش����د�ه�ا * �و�ق�د �ت�� � �ب��ه�ا ق���لب��ه �و�خ��ا ��طره �ف ك� ��ا � ك��م�ن �و�ج���د � ب و ع ��ث ���ل�ف � حت �ع�ن ��ش��خ �� �� �ف����س��تر���س� ا ��ل��س�ا �م� ا ��ل��ه �ش�� �ا ��ف ش��� �ا � � � ه � � ا ا � ك � � * � ك �س��ا ب� � � �ي و ر ي ي ب ل ب �ي �ي ى ص ع �� � � ال�م �ة � ن �ظ � ث �ف � �ذ � �ة ن ة ق ل ق � �� ش � � ا ش �ن ا � ح�� ا �ل� �� ر � او �ل�ع���ر� * � او �عل��م ا � ك���ي�را �م ا �ل ن�� ��س ��د �ع���� �� او ا �ل� �صور ج �مي���ل� ��ى ا �ل�� ك��ور �ب � � ة �ف ّ ن �ا � او �ل� �ن�ا ث� �لغ���ي�ر د �ع�ا ر� �و���س�ق� * � او ��م�ا �ه�و ا �ر�تي��ا � ��ن ��ف ��س �و �و�ج���د �ب�ا �ل * �و�ي�� �و��ده �م�ا �ورد ي ح ف� ت ف َ � ا � �ة عف ّ ���فم�ا ت� �م�ا ت� �ش��ه��د ا * � ا ��ل�ع�ا �ش �ف � ا �ث ش ��ق ���فى �ه��ذه ا ��ل ���� ��� � ���ق� � ك ح� �ل� � � ��ى ا �ل� ر * �م�ن �ع � � و ي � م ض �ن ش ق �ن ش �ف ا �� �ل�ق ��� �ة �ع ن�ده � �ف�ت � �غ� ن�� �ة �ق ا �� ا ��ل ش � �ف ا �� ض � � ���و��ه �ب�ا د ��ى ���ى * � ب ل� � و � �ير���ى �م �م�ع � � و يم� * � ل ���ر�ي� لر ��ى ح ض ن � ض ن ا � ا خ� ن ���س��ل� او �م��ج� � ���ا ج� �� ���عى �عن��ى �و�ع��ه�ا ��ف�ا ��ن ن�ا �ر� �ب��ر� �ع ن��ا ا �لم ض� ��ي���� ب�م� ي ع ٓ ق ت � ���ا ن� ��ل� ��ت � ف ��ف �ذ � ت � ق � ت ن �ه�ا �و�عن�� * �وق��ا ��ل اب��ن ا �� �لف��ا ر�� ر� ح�م�ه ���ل� �ل�وك� ى �ض �صر�� �ى �ه� ا ا �لب�ي��� � �ل��ل� �ع � ى
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Love and Marriage
time to despair, insanity, or suicide. The love of the man of middling means is the most balanced and healthy. There are three more states of love, namely abjection, pride, and equal-
3.2.16
ity. Abjection usually is the state of the suitor, pride that of the one to whom suit is made. One of the most amazing kinds of affection is love mixed with hatred. An example would be a man who loves a woman who loves another man, and therefore refuses his advances. His fervor then urges him to pursue union with her as a form of vengeance against her. If he is successful in this, his love overcomes his hatred for her; if he isn’t, it doesn’t, and he remains in this state until some consolation distracts him from her. Generally speaking, the lover doesn’t forget his beloved when the latter treats him with aversion and denial but only on winning another who resembles the first physically and temperamentally (though how rarely that happens!). As to the incitements to love, these include a single sighting that touches
3.2.17
a sensitive chord in the seer’s heart, after which he is pervaded by the same feelings conducive to ardor and longing that long association would create. In such cases, in my opinion, the lover must previously have pictured in his mind certain characteristics and specifics of comeliness and fallen in love with these; then, when he sees them as he had pictured them, realized in a particular body, his heart and mind cleave to it and he is like one who finds something he had lost and was looking for. Love may also come about as a result of hearing about someone for such a long time that, little by little, the hearer becomes so familiar with that person that he becomes devoted to them. The commonest causes of love, however, are looking and association. Know too that many people have fallen in love with beautiful pictures, of males or females, and not for any lewd or immoral reason but simply because by so doing they found their souls were set at rest and their minds afire, being strengthened in this by the tradition that runs “He who loves, keeps silent, is chaste, and dies, dies a martyr.” In such a situation, the suitor is pleased with the slightest thing his beloved may give him: a kiss, to his mind, is a victory, a triumph, a prize of war. As al-Sharīf al-Raḍī says: Ask my bed of me and of her, for we Are content with what our beds may tell of us. (If I were given a free hand with this verse, I’d change it to “of her and of me.”22) And Ibn al-Fāriḍ, may God have mercy on his soul, says:
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3.2.18
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
���ف � د ��ت��ه ا ��لت���ق ��ل�ا ��ن���ع �ف� ا ��ل��د�ن��س�ا ر ى ب ر ي �ى
� � �� ك�� �ب�ا ت� ��ط�و �ي��د �ى � او �ل�و��ص�ل ي ج��م�ع ن�ا م ع �ذ ا ا ��ل� ش ق ���س � ن ا � ا ف ن� ا ��ل� ش ق ا � ا ف �ا �� ��ن ن �ة ��ل ا ف �ا �� ن �و�ه� ��س�� ا �ى ��ل � � ���� �ل� ��ل � � طو� ���� ي ��مى ع��د �ل� �ر� ع � ع � طو�ى � ب ج � ن � ا � ��ق ق �ة � ت �ة ف � ا ��ل �ك ح��ي�� * �و �ل� ح ي ���� �ل�ه �ع ن��د �ه� � او ��م�ا �ه�و ��ج�مرد ���س�مي�� * �و��ي�عر�� �ع ن��د �ن�ا �ب�ا �ل� � هو�ى م ْم � ُ �ذ ن �ة ��ل ُ �ذ ة ��ق � �ة ��ف ا ��ل� �ن � ا ��ل �ذ ة ��ل ا �ة � ��ا ��ت ه�ا � � � ا � ا � ا ا � � � � � � � ع� � �م � � ع � * � � � ��س� ك ل ا �ل�ع� رى ب �ى ر ب �ي �ى ي �ل �ى ر ج ري ى ب ر � آ � � ا ف�ت� ض� ا ��ض ه�ا � �ش��� � �خ� �من �ه�ا * �و ر �و�ى �ع�ن ��ج�م ن��و ن� �ل���ل� ا ��ن �ه�ا ا ��تت��ه �ي ��و�م�ا �و ج� ��ع��ل ت� و ��� � � و ى � ر �ي يى � ت � �ن �ذ �ل��ل ت ن ��ف شغ � فق � � � ن ف �ن � ح��د�ث�ه �����ا �ل �ل�ه�ا ا �لي���ك �ع��ى ��ا ��ى �م���� ��و�ل �ب�� � ه او ك * �و �م���ب��ى �ى �ه� ا ا�لمع��ى ّ � �ف ُ ُ ������شغ����ل ت� �ع�ن رد ا �ل��س�ل�ا
�ن شغ � �ف ك� ��ا � �������ل�ى �ع ن���ك �ب��ك م
ا �قّ ا �� ن �آ � ا ن ��تُ�ع شَ ق ��ت� �زّ�ز ا ��ل ت ��م� ت ا ��ل � �ن �خ� � �ق ا ا � ا ح��س�ن ا �ل�من� ���طق � � د � ح� ل����س� ب� � � �و � �ه� �ل� ب و ���� �و ع ��ى �ج ع� �ى ح��س �ل � �� آ � �ف � � � � ن ا �� ا � ا �ن ��ا ن � � او �ل� �صو ت� * � او ��سع�د ا �ل�� س � �ك��ا �ج��� ��ى ب���ع��ض� ا �لم� او �لي��ا ت� ح��ه �م ح� �ل� �م ك�� � �ل�ه � ب ح�ي�� ب� ي� ب � �عظ �� � � � � � �ة �ص ���ة * ف��ا �ن�ه � او ��ل ح�ا �ل� �ه��ذه ��ي�ق��د � �ع��ل� ا �ص�ع ب� ا �ل�ا �ع�م�ا �ل � او � ا �ل م �� ا�لم��س�ا �ع�ى * � ر م ى ي م �ان ف ن ن ش � ا �ن � ه ا �ب��د ا �م ش���غ� ��و��ل ب��م � ��يو ب��ا ش���ر�ه�ا د �و� ا � ي�����عر �ب��ه�ا * �ل� � �ف ك ح� ��س � ب ح�ي��ب��ه * ���ل�و ��ر ً ح�ا ��ل��ة �ع��ل �ع�ا ��ت�ق��ه ب��� فِ� نْ��د ا ��لت�� �ه� ا �ن�ه را �ف�� ��ن�ع�ا ��ل ��م حب �� �و�ه ا �و ��ا ��ل ر�ف�� ��خ�ص � �ة ���فى �ه��ذه ا ��ل � � حر�ى و � ل ب ع ر ى ب م ع ا � � ق ل� � �ة �ن � � � تن �غ ��لخ ح �م�ا ن� � �خ� �ص� �ص�ا ���ل��ه * ث�� ا �ن�ه �م�ع�م� ي��ل� ا ��ي���ة � او ��ل ح� م ب ر�ج ي �ر و و ح�� �م ��ط� او رى ا �ل���ي���ص � او ب م � ٓ�ؤ ة ا ��ل خ�ن � � � � � ف ن ن �ة ة ا ا ا � غ� � � ف ا ���ل �ل� �خ��ي�ر �ي��ه * �ل� � ا �ل ش ا �خل � �و� ح ب� ��ي ب��ع ث� �ع��ل�ى ا�ل�مر� � �و � �م� ��ض ��ض� ل��ي ر �� � �عي����� �ى � � � � ق �ة �� ش ا � �ة �� � ح ا �ل� � ا ��ن ا ��ل��ل��� �ف �ة �خ له� الم � � * � �و�� ��س��ه ل�� �وا ��طر ا �ل��د �ي ��ق�� * �و�ي ك � او ل����ه� م� � ا ك ط��� � او �ل� � ب� مع� �ى � ي �� ب ر ي و م م � ا �خ ق � �ذ �ة ح��ه ا ��ل �ع��م �ش��� � ظ ت ��ر �ب�ه ا ��س�م�ه �و �ح�م��د �ش���ا �ن�ه ع ����ي�� �ي�� ك� �� ا �ل� ��ل�ا �� ا�ل�مر� ض�ي � * �وي���س��و�ي �ى �ل ى ي م ق �ل ا ت ا ش ق ا ه � ف�آ �ف ظ � ا ظ �� �ة ثْ ء � �ا ة �و ��ل�ا � �س�م�ا �ع ن��د ��م حب ��و��ت��ه * �و�� �م� را ��ي� �ع� ������ �ب� ج���� �و� ���� ��� ا �و ر� �وب�ل د� ي ب آ ا � د �ن�� ء �ة � خ���س�ا ��س��ة * � ق��ا ��ل ���ع�� ا ��ل�َع �ه��ي�ن � ا ظ ���� ن��ه �م�ن ا ��لت���ت��ا ئ�� ّ���ي�ن * ��ل� �ل�� ��م��ن ي و و و ي ي و ب �ض �زِ وم ع � � � � � ش ��ف � ّ � ّ ة ا ش ���ق� ا�ل�م ار � ����ى ب���ع�د ا �لت�� فع� � �ف� � او �لت��ور ��س�و�ى ا �ل� � ح�ه�ا �ل���ك�ى * �م�ن �ع � ��ض ��ط ار ر ا �ل�ى � ب � ع م���ّ�ف � ه �م��ّه � ا ��ل��� � � ��ن �ف �ّ ��ل ��ل�ا ن� ا ��ل�ا �ن��س�ا ن� �م��ت �عل��� ا �ن�ه �م���خ�س ح� �ش���ى �و� ك� � ط� و � ر �م ن��ه * �ل� ب� ل� ب� ب ر ب ى م ع 70
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١٩،٢،٣
٢٠،٢،٣
Love and Marriage
How oft he spent the night at the mercy of my hand, when we were joined in love! Within his doubled mantle godliness resides—we are innocent of all pollution. This kind of passion is called “platonic love” by the Franks, in reference to Plato the philosopher; it does not exist among them in reality, being merely a term they use. Among us it is known as “ʿUdhrī love,” after ʿUdhrah, a tribe in Yemen, and not after the ʿadhrah of the slave girl, meaning her virginity and intact state as well as something else that comes from her.23 It is related of Majnūn Laylā that Laylā came to him one day and started talking to him, but he said, “Away with you! I am too busy with my love for you.” And al-Mutanabbī says in the same vein, I was distracted from returning your greeting And the source of my distraction was yourself. The woman most worthy of love and esteem is she who adds culture and
3.2.19
beauty of expression and voice to beauty of appearance, and the most fortunate of persons is “a lover who’s got a lover who loves him,” as it says in an Egyptian mawāliyā. In such a state, he will be emboldened to undertake the toughest of tasks and mightiest of endeavors and, his thoughts being ever preoccupied with his beloved’s charms, will perform them as though they were nothing. In such a state, were he to shoulder a rock, or even a mighty mountain, he’d fondly suppose he was lifting his beloved’s slippers or, to be more precise, his legs. Moreover, despite all the moments of misery, disappointment, deprivation, and, above all, the torments of jealousy that accompany love, there is nothing good about the life of the fancy-free. Love stimulates manliness, pride, gallantry, and generosity. It inspires the one in love with refined ideas and nice notions. It imbues him with godly morals and makes him want to do something great for which his name will be remembered and that will bring him praise, especially from his beloved. Rarely have I met a person in love who was cold and crude, foolish and given to hebetude, or base and rude. A certain abstemious person (who must, I think, have been a premature ejaculator) once said, “If the only thing—all considerations of continence and godliness aside—to prevent one from falling in love with a woman were the necessity of doing so, it would be enough, for when a person knows he
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3.2.20
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
� �ذ �ذ ��ا ن � �ذ غ ا � � ش ا ��ز�ي�ز � ن �ف �ق�ا ��ل ف�ي��� ��كو ن� � � ا� ح ب� ا�ل�م ار �ة �ع��ل� �ه� ا �م��� ا ط�� �ير �ل��ل�� ب ع * �ه� ا ا ا ك� � لر ج���ل ����ه�م� ع ا �ل�� ��س ى �ف ت ق � ن � � �ة ف ا ا � ا ا ش �ن � ن ا ف ا ف �ة � ق �ن �ف �ه�م �ي�����س�ا �� ��ط�و� �ع�ا �ل�ى ا �ل�ه�م� * �� �م� ا �ل� � �وب� ��� �م ا �ل�� ��س ��ل� �م�عر�� �ل�ه�م �ب ����د ر ا � � ��س�ه�م � ح�ث ا نّ � ح� ا � �م�ن ��ل�ا � �م�ن �ل�� ����ذ �ق� ا ��ل ع� ت� ��ل�ه� �وك� �ع��ل� � ��ي ���ف �م�ا ا ��ت ف� ��ق� * �ق��ل ت� �ه�وك�� ح ب� ا�ل�م ار �ة �ي�م� � �ب و مي ى م م � � �ذ � ق � َ ن �ف �ت ث � �ن ّ � ��م� �م�ن �ل ا � ح��م� ��ا ر �و� ك� ���ا � �م� رك��ا * �و� �لو���سم� ��ز � ق ف ح�ى �ه� ا ا �ح ل ع ا ��ى � � ��و�ل �ل�ه �ي��و�م� ا ل ي ( )1ا ل ح ن������� ح ���ط �ع� ا � * ا � ا � ُ ا ن �ت ��ا � � � غ ع��لى ا ����ست���ه * ا ��ل ح ب� �ي� �ع�ي ��ي �ع��ل�ى ا ��س ��ك ك�� �ل�و�ل��د ا �ل�ص���ي�ر � ب� �ل�ى ر ��س�ك و �ف ث ن � ش ق �ذ ح�ا �م� �ا � �زَ َ ��خ ف �ة �ف � ش � ْقَ فَ ا � ّا ا ���ق� * ��من��هم� حن������(�� * )1م ا � �ل��ل�ع����ا �� �م� ا �ه ب� �م ت���ل��� ��ى ا �ل�ع � �ل��لب�� �ه� � ل و � �ذ ت �ت ن ّ �� * � �من ح��س�ن �ص�� � او ��ل�تم� ��ه � او � جل�ع �ه� �م�ن ��ل�ا ��ي�ج�ع � ب��ه �ذ ��ل��ك � او ن��م�ا �ي ��و�ثر ا ��ل � �م�ن ��ي �ه�و�ى ا � ا �ل�� و � و ب ي م ع � �� �� � �ذ � ن �ك�و ن� ���فى ��م ط����ع * � او ن� �ي�� ا حب��و��ت��ه ب���ع�� ا �لغ� � �ف���ل��ة � او �لب��ل�ا �ه��ة * � او ��ل�ى �ه� ا ا �ش���ا ر ا�لمت����ب�ى �ب ��ق ��و��ل�ه � ب �ض ليى ب � ح��س�ن ا ��ل � ���ا ر�ة �جم � ���ل�و ب� ب��ت�����ط �رئ��ة ح ض�
� ح��س�ن �غ��ر �جم �و���فى ا �لب��د ا �و�ة � ���ل�و ب� ي
��ز � ف ال ا ح���
٢١،٢،٣
� ث � ا � �َ ثَ �َ �ن ُ ق َّ � ه � ن � �ن ا �� �� ا ه ��قَ َه �ف��� ت ا � �� ا ��لت��ف� �ة �ت�ق �و م���ل ا �ل� �و�ل م���ل م ��ي���د � �ل� �ل�و� م ل�ط ح�� � او �ل �� ت�ي�� ت� ��ع� �م � �وب� �م� يح���ج ا ل�ى ي م ث � ث ا ��ن ث َ �ن ْ َ�ف َّ �ة ْ �� َّ ا ��لت��ف� �ة �ة ْ فَ نَّ ف ا ن �ة ئ � ح�� (����ِ )2سي������� ط�ا �ر ب�م���صر لا �و�م���ل ا �ل�� �ى �م���ل �م �ب�ه ��سي �� �ن�ي � �و��سر��ط�مي�� (�� )2ل� ي�م��ع�ه �ع�د �م ي ش ة ق �� � � ك �م�� �ي���� ع��لى ج ر � ا لا ا � َ ل ج يع ح�� �ق��ع ا ج��ل � او ��لت�� او ب��� �م�ن ا ن� �ي��ل��س�و � �و��ل�و��س � �و��ل��ث ث�� �ي���ل �� ��ف ن���ة ب���ع�د �ف ار �غ��ه عق ل ى ر و ر ����ه�ا و ا �ل��س ْر ط� ا �لو ا ��س س ي ي م ع م ق � غ � � ل �ف � � ن �ة �ة �ة � � ن ا ح��ل� ا �ل��سر �ي ا بل���ل * ا ف �ن ن �ه�ا * ف��ا �م�ا ر��ب�� ب���ع�� ا �ل ن��ا ��س ��ى ا �لغ� ف� ع ع � ��و�ل � او �لب��ل� �ه� ��ا � �ه�ا �مب���ي�� �ع��ل�ى ا � �م � �ض � �ف � � ا �ي�ز � ق �ت � �ن ��م ت ش �آ��ث ة �ت ث � �ذ الم �ه�ا ا ��ل ح�ا �ج���ة * ��م��تى ك� � ح ب� �ل� ا �ل ��ي��� ر �م ���ا ن�� ت� ا ت� حب �� بو����ه ا ����ي � ك���ي�ر� � ب��ع� ا �لي� ح �آ �ذ���آ خ� ش ن ت ّ ت ن � �ن �ي�ز ��ف � ة �غ ا �ذ ��ا ن ت �ذ ت � � د�ه� �و ك�� ء ����ى ا � �م�ل�ه �و� ٢٢،٢،٣ حر�م�ه * �و�م��ه� م �ي��د �ى ا�ل�م ار � � ار �م� ا ا ك�� ��� ا � م �ذ � � � ت ة ف� ن ة ّة ���ا �و�ه�ا ا د �ع�ى ا ��ل�ى ا �ل ن�� ش����ا ��ط � او �ل��س��عى * �و�ه� ا �ع�ز � �و ش��� ّر� �و�م�ع�ا ��سر� * �ي���ك�و� ا ��س��ر ض� ��� � ه��ة * � �من�ه� �م�ن ��ع ش ق �ص�د �ى ��ل�ه �م�ن �ك� ��ي ف���ع��ل�ه ���فى ا ��لغ���ا ��ل� �م�ن ��ي ت���ف �غ ��ل�� له�و�ى � ��يوت�� �ي � �ج و � � � ل ر ب ���� م � � �ذ �ذ �ة �ة ا �ل��م ا �ة ��ل�ا �ت��س�ا �م�ه�ا ب���س�م� ش��� �ف� �و��س �ا د�ة ا �و �و�ج��ا �ه� * �و ��ل��ك د ا � �و�ى ا �ل���ط�م� � ب �ي ر ر وح � �ذ �ذ ت � �ة �ة ة ض � ا ��ل�ا ��س�ت ���ط�ا �ع� * � �م�ن �ه� ا ا �ل� ن �ف �ن ����ع� ا �ل ش����ا ن� � ش���ب��ه و و �ص�� �م ا ا را �ى ا �م ار � �و�ي ق ا � ا� � � �ذ � �ذ � � �ة �ة ا � ا �ة ش � �ف � ش �ق ا ا فق ح�ص� �ل ا �ل ش م����ا �ب��ه� ���� ��ط * � �و�ي��� �ل �ل� ��ه�ل �ه� ا ا�لم� �ه ب� مر ���ر�ي�� ع��� � �ه� �ل� ج���ل � و 72
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Love and Marriage
is compelled and obligated to love something, he naturally finds it irksome and eschews it. It follows,” he went on, “that love of a woman is contrary to nature, though this is only if the man is perspicacious, self-respecting, and high-minded. The rabble, by contrast, have no self-respect and fall in love with women haphazardly, at the drop of a skullcap.” I say, “These are the words of one who has never tasted love, or was loathed by his wife. Had he ever heard a woman say to him, ‘Bear, my darling, this load of firewood on your head’ or ‘Bump along, my sweetheart, on your backside like a little boy,’ he’d obey her in both
(1) zaḥanqaf (“bumping along”) is “moving over the ground on one’s backside.”
bearing and bumping.(1)” It is also the case that lovers follow different schools in love. Some love
3.2.21
a woman who is all artifice, affectation, and vanity, while others do not find these things pleasing, preferring natural beauty and that their beloved should have a degree of naïveté and simplemindedness. This is what al-Mutanabbī was alluding to when he said: In the city, beauty’s an import, freshened up for the market. In the desert there’s a beauty that needs no importing. An example of the first kind is the man who is offered a certain dish when he has no appetite, so it has to be spiced up and faked. An example of the second is the man who suffers from diochism24 or metafaucalophagy,(2) so that the absence of spicing and herbs cannot stop him from guzzling, tidbitting, and lapping until he’s licked the bottom of the bowl clean after first polishing off its contents. As far as the desire of
(2) the sīfannah is “a bird in Egypt that eats all the leaves of any tree it alights on”; one who is sarṭam is “wide in the throat and swallows quickly.”
certain people for naïveté and simplemindedness is concerned, it is based on the fact that the lover is always demanding things that he needs from his beloved and if the latter is possessed of cunning and intelligence, he will fear she may find this irksome and refuse him. Another kind of lover is the one who loves a woman more if she is proud, a spitfire, difficult to handle, so that conciliating her calls for energy and effort. Most of those who undertake such a task have no other occupation than love and divert themselves with it wherever they find it. Another is the man who loves a woman who possesses the traits of nobility, self-command, and dignity; this is the way of men of ambition and capacity. Any man who sees a woman of humble station who resembles one nobly born and falls in
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3.2.22
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
� ��ف � ن �آ ث � � � م���ّ� ّ �ش � ��ا د �تر�ى ر�ج��ل�ا ا �ل�ا � �و�ت�ق��و��ل �ل�ع��ل�ه ي� ش���ب��ه ه���ة * �و�ه�و �ى ا �ل����س� ا ك�� ���ر �ف�ا ن� ا�ل�م ار �ة �ل�ا �ت ك� ا �ل ب � ي آ � ن � �ن �� ش ق � �ن ا �ذ �ّ�ة � �آتي�ن ح�ا ض� �ي�ن ب���ع�� ا ��ل�ا �م � ا ��لغ���ا �بر �ي�ن ا �و ا ��ل � ���� م �ب��ه� �ل� �ه�م م �ي ع � ��ر ا �و ا �ل� ��� * �و م � ر �ض � � �ذ �ذ �ة �ة ن � �ف ق � ش ا ش ق ق ��� �م�ن � او �ن��ك��س�ا ر �و�م�ل� ��ي ن�� * �و �ل��ك ����ا � �و�ى ا �لر�� � او �لر�� * �و�من � �ن �� �ه�م �م �ي ع �� � �ع��ل�ى � � � �ذ ��ز ن �� ل���آ ���ة � ا �� ف � ي�ن ن ���ط��ل�عت �ن � �ة * �و�ه� �م��ذ �ه� �و�ى ا �ل �ه�ا ا �ث�ا ر ا ��ل � ا � � � ح ك � ل � ك �هم� � و و ح��� � او �ل��طرب� * �و�م � � و ب ر ب �خ � ق ال�م�ز ني�ن � � � ا ق �ة � � � �ن �� ش �ذ ن �ف ا ن ئ ا �ت ي�ن ���ق� ا ت� ا �لب�� ش���ر � او �ل��ط�ل� �� � او �ل� ��� * �و�ه�و �� �ل� � ح � �و�� ا �ل بم� ����س�� * � � م �ي ع � س � ن�ف � � � �� � � � ا ��ل��غ� * � �من�ه� �م�ن ��ع ش���ق �م�ن ��ه�ا ا ��لن �ظ� ��� ا ��ل� �مث � � ا � �ه��ذه � � � ل ا * � � ه ل� � ل ك � � � �ي و و و �ي � � ب� � و ج ب رى ل ر � ى م ي م م آ � ف � �� � �ن�ز �ق � ش �ث �ث ة �ق ق �ة � ه�ل�ا * � �من�ه� �م�ن ��ع ش ق �ي � �ه� � او �جل � �مرح �و � �و ��طي����� �و ر ر� �و � �ه� � �ه� * �و�ه�ود ا ب� ا �ل��س� � ���� و �م �ذ � ة �ا ا ف �ة ح�ا ض �ت �ه�م�ه�ا �و� ح��س�ن ك�� ��ل�ا �م�ه�ا �و ��م � �وا �ب��ه�ا * �و�ه�و �م� �ه ب� �� �ر �ه�ا �و��سر�ع� ج�� ا�ل�م ار � �ل� د �ب��ه� �و� � آ � ّ �ف � ��ث� ة ا ��ل�ع��ل�م�� � ا ��ل�ا د ��ا * � �من�ه� �م�ن ��ع ش ���ث�ي�ر�ة ا ��ل ���ق �م�ن �ت�� �ك�و ن� ك� � ح��ل� ّ � او �لت��ا �ن��ق� ��ى ا�لم��لب ��و��س ك���ي ر� � و و �ي � ب � ى م ا ��ل��غ ن � ت �� ق �ة �ذ � � �ف ا ��ل ش �� �� � ن � �ن �� ش ق � ا � ن �ة ���� ا�لم� �ج �� ��� � � او �ل�م� �وي�ه * �و�ه�و �ط �ر�ي��� �وى ا �ل��سر� �و ����ط�ط * �و م��ه�م م �ي ع � �ج ش ا ن � �ف ا ق ا ��لف � ن � �ن �� ش ق ا ��لخ ���ة ا �ل� ت �ت ة ��ت ت ت ا � � � � � � � ا � � � ع � م م � ه� � م � � ك� ��س��ه� ر * و ه�و ��� � ل ��س� � ج � ر * �ه ا�لم � �ي � ���� ي �عور و � �م � ش �ن �ة ال�مت���ل�ع �ة � � �ف �ة �خ ق � ُ �� �غ �غ ا �ل����ه� او �ي�� �� ا �ل��ط� ��س� * �و�ه�و ��� �ل� �م�ن ب���ل� �م ن��ه ا �ل�ع�هر �ك��ل �مب���ل� * �و�من��هم� ج � �ة آ �ذ ث ت ق �ن �� ش ���ق ا ��ل�ل�اّ �ع��ة ا ���خل � �ر��د�ة ا �ل�ع��ف ي��ف�� ا ب��ت�غ���� ا ن� ��ي��ف ��س�د�ه�ا �� �ي���ب��ا ��هى �ب�� ��ل��ك �ب��ي�ن ا � ا ر �ن�ه * �م �ي ع �� ي م ف ا �ذ ض ح�ا ��ل * � �ه� �ع ن��د �ى ش��� ّ ���� ت� ��ل�ه �م��ّله�ا ا � ا ا د�ه�ا ا ن� �ت �ك�و ن� �ع��ل� �غ��ي�ر �ت��ل�ك ا ��ل � � � و � و ر �� ا ر� ي و ر ى � �خ ت ف �ة �� ا �ف ش ح� ا ج��تم�ا �ه��ذه ا ��ل�ص�ف��ا ت� الم ��ق ا �ل�مت��و ج�ه ���ة * �و�من��ه� �م�ن ي� �م�ن �ع�ا � � � ���ل��� ك���ل�ه� ��ى ب � م ع �ذ ��ف ��خلُ � ق ف ا ا ��ف ��خلَ� ق ف ا ��لن � ت ا �ف � ا � � �خ ح�ف � ��م ت � � � � � � � ا � � � ل ل � � س� ا ��ل� � ا �ل� � حوا �ل * �ه� ا �ى ا �� � م� �ى �� � ي � �ي �ه�وى حب �� بو����ه بح�� ب � ا ��س � � ض آ � ا ��ل��س ي�ن �ة ا � � ا �� �� � � ا �� �ق � ة �ك�� * � او �ل� ��مر يح ب� ا � ���� � �و�ا �ل�ع�� � ل � �ك��س * و ل�ط�و��ل يح ب� ل��ص�ي ر� � ل ع� � �ي ب �م� � � �وب� � س ب ي � ث � � ا � ن �آ �ف ا � ّ � � � ا� �ك�� * � او �ل�ا �م��ل���ط ي� ل�� ���ي�ر�ة ا �ل ش����عر � �و�ا �ل�ع�� ح ب� ا � ك �ك��س * ا �م� ا �ل����س� � ح ب� ا �لر�ج��ا �ل � �وب� �ل�ع�� س ب ف ا ا �� غ ن � ف �ق ف ا ض � � � � �ش � � ف ن ي�ه�ن ا � �لف��ا ر��س ا �ل�ا ب��ت�� * ا �ل���ج���ا ا �ل�ا ر �و * �� �م� ا ل����ى � او � �ل � ا �ل� � ر ��ل� � ���ا �ب� ��ط �ل�ه�م�ا ��ا � ع ع ع � ا �غ آ � ا �� ف� �ق � ة��ا � ت ا ��ف �ّ ت ا ��لغ�� ن� � ت�ه�ا ��ف ت �خ ��� �م�ن ا �ل� � � �� � ا ��ل�غ� � ��ة * ب��� ا ��بل�� � � � ح ح � � � ل ع ع � � ه � � ك � � � � � � � م ل ل ر �ي � �ى �ي � ي ي � � ن�ي ل ل ن�ي ى ب ى ب � � �ؤ�ث � ا �� ف� �ق � ة ����ط � ا ��ف ا ن ض ا � ا � �لق���ل �م�ن ا �ل� ا �� � ا �� غ� ا �� ا � ض ا ا � ث ا � ّ م� ل * و ل�� ل ب� �ي � ح ب� ي �� ر ح ب� ل���ي ر� �مع� �ى � �ير� ��� �ي �� ر ��ي��ه� ب� ي���ل
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Love and Marriage
love with her simply because of the resemblance belongs to this category, and the members of this school are called “comparators.” It is more common among women, for a woman can scarcely see a man without saying, “he looks like one of the emirs of the olden days,” or today’s days, or the coming days. Another is the man who falls in love with the woman who is abject, meek, and affectionate; this is the way of those who are kind and sensitive. Another is the man who falls in love with the woman whose countenance bears signs of grief, depression, and worry; this is the way of the tenderhearted and those easily moved by music. Another is the man who falls in love with the woman who is full of joy, unrestrained, and fun-loving; this is the disposition of those who are sad and wretched, for to look at a woman of that type dispels care and brings light where once reigned distress and despair. Another is the man who falls in love with the woman who is full of mirth and frivolity, flightiness, chatter, and hilarity; this is the way of fools and the ignorant. Another is the man who falls in love with a woman for her culture, understanding, eloquence, readiness of tongue, and quickness of wit; this is the course of scholars and litterateurs. Another is the man who falls in love with women who have lots of trinkets and dress elegantly, who are full of coquetry and affectation; this is the road of those given to extravagance and excess. Another is the man who falls in love with the wanton, shameless, brazen woman; this is the case with depraved lechers. Another is the man who falls in love with the inconstant, sensual, nymphomaniacal, unclean woman; this is the disposition of the man to whom whoring has done its worst. Another is the man who falls in love with the chaste virgin who refuses to let any man have his way with her, in the hope of corrupting her and then boasting of it among his peers; if, subsequently, she gives in to him, he grows tired of her or wishes she hadn’t. Such men, in my opinion, are more evil than those who make love to nymphomaniacs. And another is the man who loves the coming together of all these different traits in his beloved, as appropriate. So much for the moral dimension. As for the physical, the thin man falls for the fat woman and vice versa, the brown-skinned loves the white and vice versa, the tall loves the short and vice versa, and the smooth-skinned loves the hirsute and vice versa. As far as women are concerned, the man they love most is the bull-necked horseman, dashing and daring. Riches and poverty have no bearing on the matter. A rich man is as likely to become infatuated with a poor woman as he is with a rich one. Indeed,
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3.2.23
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
� �خ �ة � ��� ا ��ل�غ� ��� ��ل�ل�ا ��س�ت ���ط�ل�ا �ع��ل �م�ا �ع ن��ده �م�ن ا ��ل�غ� ا ��ئ� ا ��ل��ت ��تت�� �ص رالم ��ل �ود�ه�ا ف�ي��ه �ي���ل� �و ج�� ر ب ى و ا �ج ي ل ري ب ع �ى � ف �خ � �ة ��ن ��ق ا � �ف ت د �و ن� �غ���ره * ا ��ل�ا ا �ذ ا �من�� �م�ا ��ن� �ج� ��ه� ب���ل�غ� ت��ه �� ي� �ل��ل�م � ��ى ��م�ا د ��ي �ه�ا * ي ح��ص�ل �ي��ل� ا ب�� �ض ع ع ل ٍح آ �ت ��ا ن � � ف � ن � ف � ق � ت ه�ن ��ع � ا � � ا ��س ا ��ف � �ف ش �ذ ���ا ن� ��ي ج�ع ط� 1ج� ب� ا �لر�ج�� �ل �و �ل� ي�م� �ى ا � �ل ار ��� ك�� �� ��ل��ك ك� �و �مك� ا � �ل�� � � ب� ط� ا �ل����س� �و��ل�� �� � � آ � ّ � � ة � ا �ل ن����س�� �م�ن ا �لر�ج��ا �ل �ت ار ر��ت �ه� �و�ش���ي ��ظ���مي�ت��ه� * �ف�ل�ا �ت ك� ��ا د ا �م ار � �تر�ى ر�ج��ل�ا �ع��ل� �ه��ذه ى م م �ذ ��ف ت غَ آ ق ��ل ظ � ت � �ذ � ف �ة � ا �ت ق � �ف ق � �ه�ا �ع ن��د �ه� ا ��ك��ا �ي �� �و�� ن��� �ى * �و��د � ح ���� ا �ل�عرب� �ه� ا ا �ل�ص��� ا �ل� � �و � ��و�ل ��ى ��لب � ى آ ا �ل� � ن ا ش ت ق ا �ق �� َ �� � �ن � ُ � ط ��ل * �غ��� ا ن� ا ��ل ن����س�� �ع��ل ا ��ل�ا �ع� ي� ن���ي�ن ا ��ل��ل���ذ ا ت� �م�ن �ه� ا ل� � ير �ى م �ج مع��ى �ب� ������� � طو�ل �م ا �ل�� �و م �فَ َ �� � ن ت ا ا ا�غ ا غ �� �م ن ح��ل��ة ج� �ن� �م�ن � �ن �ن � ث ه�ن ك� ث ا �ل� ��ى �و�ي ك �ك��ل ج ��ر�ع �م �م� او رد�ه� �م� ��س� �و�م� ا ����ص * �م���ل� �م���ل � ى � � � �ف � �� ش ا �ذ ا � ن ا �ل�ز �هر � او ن� �ي�� �ك�ن �ع��ل� ا �ل��د �م�ن * �ف�ا �ّم�ا ا �لغ���ي�ر�ة �ف��ه� �خ��� �لق� �� ط�ي���عى ��ى �ك��ل ب����ر ك ���ا � ��س��لي�� ب ى ى م � �ذ ق ن نت ا فا ن � ا ن ا ن غ ا �� �ه�� �ي ��ف� �ع��ل� � �ك��ه �غ��ي�ره �ف ك حر�مت��ه * ا �ل�� �و�� * �� � ا �ل� ���س� � �ي���� ر �ع��ل�ى �مت�� �ع�ه �م�ن ا � �ي��� � ى ق� ن �اف ن � ن ئ ف ف ن � �غ ة � اق �و�م�ا ��ي���ا �ل �م�ن ا � ا �ل� �ر�� �لي����س �ل�ه�م ��ي�ر� �ع��ل�ى ���س�ا ���ه�م ���لي����س �ع��ل�ى ا ��ط�ل� ��ه * ��ا � ج �من �م�ن � ��ق ت �ز � � ت ه � ��ن ��ف ه � � ا ا �ذ ا �ع�� �من ا �خ � ��ا �ن��ة * ��ن�ع� ا ��ن �ه� ����ت��س�ا �ه��ل� ن� �م�ع�ه�ن ل م �ي ���ل و�ج �� و ��س� ع� �ه و �م ��ه� ي م مي � �م ّ ��ف ��ث ة ا �ت ن �ش م��� ق����ي�ن ق���ا د�ة * ا ��ل�ا ا ��ن ه�ا ���ف ��ن ��ف �� ا ��ل�ا �م � �ق�ا ���ة �م�ن �ى ا �م�ور ك���ي�ر� رب��م� ��ع�د �ع��د ا �ل ري ي روي � ى س �ذ � �ظ � � �ذ � � �ة � � � � �ع�ن � � ا ش ة ا ��ل �خي��ا �ن� * ا �ق�د ��ت��قرر �ع ن��د ��ه ا ن� ا �لر ج���ل ا ا ح �� ر ا �م ار �ت�ه �ع�ن ا ��خلرو� و مع� ���ر� ج م � ضَ ْ �ذ � غ �غ خ ف ��ا � ���ة * ث�� ا �ن�ه �ل�م�ا ���ا �ه�ا �ب��ه��ذه ا ��ل��ل���ذ ا ت� ا ��خل ا �ل���ي�ر ا � ار �ه�ا �ب�ا �ل���م�د * ب��ل�ا �� �م�ا ا ا ا ر ض� �ج ر ي م �ع�� ��ت ا ا �ل�م ت ��س��ع��س��ل��ي�ن ا �ى ا �� �ف�ل ��ا �ق� � ا ��ل� ن�� ت� �خ��ل�ا �ف�ا ��ل��ل�ع�ا د�ة ا �ل�م�ا ��ل� �ف��ة �ذ ا ��ق ت� ا �مه�ا �م�ن ل� ا ج م� � ري و ب و م ع � �ذ � ت ة �ق ا �ئ ا ��ف ا � ا ف� �ق ا �� ا �� ا ��ل �ن ا �ن �ض ف ت ش �ل��ك �م ار ر� ا �ل�ص�ا ب� * ��ا ��س������ا ر� ب���ع��ض� ا � �ص�د � ��ه� �ى مر�ه� ��� ل�و ل�ه� ��س � ر ��ى � ا ة �ذ � � ا ن �ن ���خ � � ّ���ي�ن * � ا ن�� ت� �م�ن ا �ع�زّ ���� ت� �م�ن ا ��ل��س� ق����ي�ن � �ه�م�ا وي و و ب�م�ص� �هر� �ه� ا ا �لر ج���ل �ل� ��ه �م ا لر�ج ي بي �خ ف ��ل�ا ي ج� ��تم�ع�ا ن� * ف���ق��ا ��ل ت� ��ل�ه� ��ل���� �ه�و �م�ن �ج� �رث��و�م��ة ا ���خل ي�ه� * � � ���ي�ن �� �ه� د � �� �� م ي س ر�ج ي ب �ل و ي �ل م ّ �ق ا � � ا �ف �ق ��ف �ذ � � �ف ا ن ئ �ة � � � ا ��� �ة ن ق �أ ت �خ ح���ذ � �ه�ا � ��ا �ش ي ا � �ل� او �ل� ر� �ى �ل�ك � � را � ح� ا ��خلر� ��س� ط ����م ن�� �و� ر و ��ع� �م��ه �و��د �م�ل� � ي ج �َ �ف � ��ن ق ّ�ذ ت �ذ � �ذ �م ن��ه �غ��ا �ي��ة ا ��ل� � ح�� ر��ت �ه� � او �مث��ا �ل�ه� ��ى ا � ف�ل���ص�ل ا �ل�� �ى �م ّر �م�ن �ه� ا ح���ذ�ير * �م� ا �ى ��د � م م ع �ل� � ا �ف �ق ا � ت � �ف ض � ف ف �ل ا ���ل ت ا ��ل ن ت � �ذ � خ �ن �ن ت � � � ي�ه�ا � ب���ض� ا �ل� � �و � �ل� �لي����س� �ه��ذه � ���و�ل * �� �م� ع �م� ب���� ب�� ل�ك ب���ض� � ا � �ل�� ق ��� :1855 1فل����طت����ه��ن .
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Love and Marriage
a rich miser prefers to fall in love with a poor woman because he believes he can make her happy with only a little money. Also, as a rule, people prefer to fall in love with members of strange races so as to find out about the exotic things they imagine are peculiar to them, unless an ignorance of their language makes this impossible; when this is the case, the scope for the imagination is cramped. It is also true that men like women’s gentleness and sprightliness, especially in bed, while women like men for their young sappiness and tall, youthful strappiness. No woman can look at a man of such a description and not say in her heart, “There’s everything I need! There are riches enough for me!” The ancient Arabs recognized this fact when they derived ṭawl (“might”) from ṭūl (“height”). At the same time, however, women, for the most part, glean their pleasure from every crop and sip from its sources both sweet and sour. Such women are like the bee that gathers its nectar from the flower though the latter is on a dung heap. As to jealousy, it is an inborn trait natural to every human, providing he has good taste: a man is jealous of his material possessions being violated by another; how much more so will he be then in the case of his supposedly inviolable wife? The claim that the Franks feel no jealousy with regard to their women has no truth to it whatsoever. A Frank has been known to kill his wife and himself together on learning that she has been unfaithful. True, they give them so much free rein in many matters that Orientals might regard them as pimping them, but this contains at the same time its own protection against betrayal, for it is a given among them that should a man forbid his wife to leave the house or keep company with other men, he will prod her into taking a second lover, which he would not if he were to consent to her indulging in such pleasures outside the home. When it came out that the two honey-seekers25 (the Fāriyāq and the girl) were meeting in contravention of accepted custom, her mother felt the serpent’s tooth of filial ingratitude and consulted some of her friends on the matter. These told her, “We cannot agree to such a marriage because he is a Bag-man, while you belong to the most august house among the Marketmen, and never the twain shall meet.” She responded, “He isn’t of Bag-man stock, but rather an interloper among them.” “It makes no difference,” they said, “for the stench of the bag is upon him and fills our nostrils,” and they gave her dire warnings against him, even though in the preceding chapter I had issued warnings to them and their like against such meddling. When
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3.2.24
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
آ ن� ا � �م�ص�� �ة �ن ت خ �ذ ا �� �ف�ل �و�ق� �م�ن �م�ص�ا ��ل ��� �ه�ا �و��س�ي ��ل��ة ��ل��ل�م�ع�ا ��ش� � او ج��ل � ا ��ل ن����س�� * � او �م� �هى �ل ح� �م ا ��ا ه ر ح � � ف ا �ق ي�ن � � ن � ت ا ن ا ت �ذ �� ة ض �ق �ز � ا ��م�ا �ه�و ا �ل��را ���ى � او �ل�و�� � �ب�� ا �لر ج���ل � او�ل�م ار � * �و � ب��ي���� �ل�ك � او�لم���ص�ود �م�ن ا �ل � او � ج م �ف ا ن ا ن �ذ �� ا ���ن ��ل�� ت س� �م�ن ا ��ل�� �س ق� ّ���ي�ن ���ف �ش��� * �ف ا ت� ا �مه�ا ا ن� ��ت�غ� �� ��ه�ا ا �ّ�ا �م�ا �ع�ن �ه� ا �� ا ��� رك�م� ى � � ي ب ب� ي وي ى ى ر آ � � ف � � � ن �ف �ح� ��� ا ن� ��ي ��عث �ذ � ل �ه�ا ا �لب��ع�د �ع��ل� ا �ل��س�ل� ا و� * �ه�ا ج� ت� ٍح� �ج��مي�� �ع� او �ص�� ا �ل�ه�و�ى �ل��ك ام ل ر ب �ج � � ى ع � ن� � � ق � ن � شا �ف ��ّ �ن � ا � م � � ع ��ى �ك��ل �م ا �ل�ع� ���س�ل � او�لم�ع��س�و�ل * � او �لي��ه ا ���� ر ا ب� ��و � �� او ��س �ب �� ��و�ل�ه * دع ��ك ل�و�ى �غ آ فا ن � �ا شت ة م�� ا ��ل� ن�� ت ف � ا ت � ا ّ ن � ا ش ا ة ت� ن � �م�ن ا �ل� �����ي��ا ر� * �� � ا �ل��ل�و�م ا � �ر ء * ��ل�م� را � ا �ل� �م ا � �ل� ا ���� ر� * �ع ب ّ � َ ��ع ت� ا ��ل� �م��ن�ز ��له�ا � ا ��س�ت�د �ع ت �ج�ز ��كف��ه�ا �ع�ن ا ��ل � � �و �ل�ا �ج��زْ ر * �ي�� * ()1 � ش ج�ز ج � ر ر و ى ل � � ��� � ا ا � س � ل ()1 ع�� ر ر و ل �م��ن �خ �لي��ت���ه ��ا �� �لف��ا ��ا �ق� � �ق�ا ��ل ت� ��ل�ه * �ق�د �ع��ل�م ت� ا ن� ا ��ل��س� ق����ي�ن ��ل�ا � �غ� �� ن� �م�ص�ا �ه �ت ر��ك * ب ري و وي �ي ب و � ق� ن ن � ن ت ن �ف ا ن � ن ���ا � �ع�ز �م��ك �ع��ل� ا � �ت��ت�ز �و�� ا ب������تى �ي���ب���غ�ى �ل��ك ا � �ت�����س�ّو�ق� �و�ل�و �ي��و�م�ا � او � �� ك ح��دا * ��ا �ل ى ج ��� �من�ه�ا � �م�ن ا ��ل� ن�� ت ��ل�ا ��ا �� * �ف��ع�� �ه��ذ ا �ت��س�ّ �ق� � �� � �ع�ق��د ا ��ل�ز � ا � ق ت ي�ن � * � �و �ر� �ع�� �ك�ل � و ب ب س ل�ى و ي وم وج آ � �ؤ َ � � � �ز � ن ث�� ا � ��ر ت� ا �ل�� ت� ا �ل��طرب� ��لي��ل�ا � او د �ير ت� ا ��ل�� �ك� ��س �و �ه�ا �ج�م��ل��س ا �ل�ا ���س � ا ٢٥،٢،٣ و �ل��سر�ور * حض� م � � ا �ز �في�ن � ا �� آ ��ق � ُ � �ة � ف ق ة ف �خ ظ � � او � �ل��ا ر��ا �� �م� او ��� ب� �ي��ه �ع��ل� ���د �م� ا د ا ر� ا � ك� ل��ا ��س �و�م�عي��د �ع��ل�ى ا �ل�ع� �� ا �ل� �ط �ر �و �و�ل ي ى آ ّ ن �ز � َ �ذ � ا �� �ل � �ة ن ت � ن ْ ت � ش � ه � او ��ه � او �وه * � ح�ى ا ا ك���ل� �ي��ده �و�ل��س�ا ��ه �ورا �ى ا � �ع � ا �ل���رب� ا � ي���س�هر � او ل�ي��ل� ي م � � � � � � ��ا ن ت ا �� �ل � �ة ت � �ص��ا � ا �ن���س�ّ �م�ن ����ن ط �� ك�� ل�ى ي���س��ير� * �وك�� ��� ل�ي��ل� �ه� �و�ص�ع�د ا �ل�ى ا �ل��س ��� ك����ل�ه�ا ا �ل�ى ا �ل� � ب ل ب ي ح م ح ظ �� ن نح �ت ف � ت � �ن � اُ ْ �ة �ف ا �خ ��ذ ��ف � ف �م��ق �ة �م�ن ��ل ا ��ل ا ��ل ف � ا � � �ص��� * ���ل�م�ا ا �ب� ��ط�ا �ع��ل� ي�ه�م �� �� او ا ��ه � ���ل� م ا �ل� رب� � � و �ى ي�� �ى � ي �مر ّ �م ا �� ف �ة ف ن ةف� ف ت �ت�ف ش �ك��ا ��ي�ف��� ش��� �ع��ل�ى ا �م ار � ��ا �ل��ك ا �و ��ا رك * ���ل�م�ا �و�ج���د �وه �و�ع��ل�م� او ا � �ن�ي��ت��ه � خ� �ل�� ا �ل �� ت�ي����� �ع��لي��ه �م �خ � � � � � � � ح �ة � �هّ ا � ا � ا ��ن � � �ص ار �ف� * ف���ق��ا �ل ت� ا �ل�ا �ّ �ل�ا ا �و ��ت ن �ظ� �� ر� او �ب�ا �ع�ي�ن ك�� � �مو ب� �ل� � �ل ن�ي��ت��ه� ا ���ل� او �ل�ه �و�ل�عر�و��س�ه �ج�ر و � م م م � ��ف ا �� غ� ا � � ن �ذ � ن ة ة ش ت �صر �ى ل�� �ل ب� � ا �لب��ص�ي�ر� (� * )2و��سب�� ب� �ل��ك ا � �ع�ا د� ا ��ه�ل �م� هى ا � (��� )2ى �م��ن ا �ل�د م ي�����س���د ل ب��ه ع��لى ا �لر�ميّ����ة ود ا �بل� ك� �ر * ن� ا ن �ظ �� ���ت�ز � �� ا ��ل ��� ا �ل��م ا �ة �م�ن د � ن� ا ن� ��ع�ا ش��� �ه�ا � ��ع �ف� ا �خ��ل�ا �ق ا م و � �ه� * � او �م� ��ي �� ر �ي ر و�ي ر ي وج ر ج ل ر �ف � �ن � � ة ا ن �ت ن ا � ث ا � ن ف ن ��ا �� ش ا � ض ة � ا ن �ق ة ي�ه�ا � �ظ �� ر�ة � او � ا �ل� �ه�و� ا �و ك�� س ���ر ب� بح� ��ر� ا �م�ه�ا * ��ا � ح�د� �ب� � � �� �و�ل�ه �م��ل� ج�� � � �ّ � �ع �ت �خ � �� ف� �ج���ل�ه �ع�ن �ز ��ا ��ت ه� * � �من �ك�ن �ه� �م�ن �ي��ت�ز �و�� �و�ل� �ي�� ط�ه�ا �م�ن ا �ه��ل�ه�ا � او �ل�ا �ك� اج و ر ر � � �ب� �ه � �� ب � ج م م ي م 78
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the girl learned what they had said, the spirit of rebellion rose within her and she declared, “Such differences are no concern of women. They are the concern of those who would use them as a path to a career and high status. The goal of marriage is the mutual satisfaction and agreement of a man and a woman. If you refuse this marriage, I warn you I shall have nothing more to do with Market-men.” At this, her mother thought it best to take her away from that place in the hope that distance would make her forget. All the tempests of love then arose in both honey-gatherer and honey-giver, in keeping with the words of Abū Nuwās, “Reproach me not, for reproach is a spur.”26 When the mother saw that no amount of haranguing would keep the girl from the hive, no hatchet work hinder her extracting honey,(1) she went back to her house, summoned the Fāriyāq, and said to him, “I have discovered that the Market-men are opposed to having you as an in-law, so if your mind’s set on marrying my daughter,
(1) jazr means “the extraction of honey from its cell.”
you must become a Market-man, if only for a day.” “That’s fine,” said the Fāriyāq, and with that understanding he became a Market-man for the day of his wedding, and both she and the girl were happy. At night, the instruments were brought, the cups sent around, and a good
3.2.25
time was had by all, the Fāriyāq applying himself so devotedly to ensuring the regular passage of the cup and to praising the players with repeated calls of “Ah!” and “Ay!” and “Ooh!” that both his hand and tongue tired and, seeing that the company was determined to spend the entire night till morning drinking, he stole out and climbed to the roof to take a rest, it being a moonlit summer night. When he was slow to return, the others thought he must have slipped the knot, so they began searching for him as one searches for a woman with large breasts, or one who so hates her husband she’d curse him with her last breaths. When they found him, and realized that he had different things in mind than they did, they left him and his bride alone in a room and made to depart—but “No!” said the mother. “Will you not wait to see the bloody proof(2) with your own eyes?” The reason for this is that it is the general custom among Egyptians for a man to marry a woman without first keeping her company or finding out about her character; he just gives her a single look as she hands him a cup of coffee or a glass of sherbet in the presence of her mother.
(2) al-baṣīrah (“the bloody proof ”) is “a quantity of blood used to track a game animal, or the blood of a virgin [when displayed on a sheet following her defloration by her husband].”
If she pleases him, he asks for her hand from her relatives; if not, he stops
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��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
ق� � �ذ � � � ا ن � � ث ا �� ا ّ � �ز ا �م�ن ا �ق�ا ��ه � �م�ع�ا �ف�ه ا � ��ق��س����س�ا �ع را �ى ا �م ار �ت�ه �� ��ط * و �ل�ك ب� � �ي ب�ع� ل� رب و ر و ي ي�ه� ا �م�ه ا �و ج��و ف ف �ن ا � � �ق ت ض �ذ ق �� غ ا � ن ّ ا �� ن ت �ت �ش�� ا �� ��ق �خ � �ت �ي��ص� ��و� �ه� �ل�ه ب�م� ����ى �و� � �ه�م �و�ب� ر� �ه�م * � او ل��� �ل ب� ا � ا �م لب���� ر �ى ل ��سي����س ف �ة ن ف �غّ � ة �ق ا �� ن �ة �ف � ��يل�� ��د �ص��� ����ت �ه�ا ��ي�ر� ب� ا �لر ج���ل ��ى ا �ل��ت�ز �و�� �ب��ه�ا * �و�من��ه� �م�ن �ي��ت�ز �و�� ا �م ار � � �ط�� � �ج ي ب ج ج م ت � ا ف �ف ت � � �ف �ف � � ه��ة ��ل�� فص��ه�ا ��ل�ه ���ف ك��� ��ا ب� ث�� ي����ست خ� ��ى �ب�ل�ا د ب���عي��د�ة �ي�ب��ع ث� ا �ل�ى ا � ��ي�ر ح�د �م�ع� ر��ه ��ى ���لك ا �ج�ل � ي � ى م �ذ ا ��ل ن � � ن يٓ � �آ � ن �ذ � ا لله �و�ي �ر�تب ��ق� * �و�م� �ل��ك �ف�ا � �عي�� ش��� �ه�و �ل� ا�لم��ت�ز �و�ج���ي�ن �ع��ل� �ه� ا ��م�� ط �ي��ك�و� �ه ن���ئ��ا * ى ع �� �ف ا � ا ��ف � �ا � ش ا � �ف� ا ة ا ا � ن � � غ� ا ة � ا ة �� ا ة ل ا � � � ا ا �ل � � � � د� د� د� � ه ه ه م ��ل �ج ب��ل �� �ير * �صر و�ع� ��ل م�د � كع� � م� �ى ب�ل د ا �ل���� �ع� ��ل م� م � ت فا ن � �ذ � �ة �ة ق ��ا ن ا �� �ف ا � ا �ق ة ف � �خ ا �ؤ نا �ن �ه�ا * �ه� ا �و�لم�ا ك�� � ل�� ري� � �� � ا �لر ج���ل �ه�� ك �ي ��م��ك�ن �م ر � �ي� ا�ل�م ار � �و�م�عر�� ا ��ل� � � ّ ��ف � ة �� �ن�ه ا ج��تم� ��ا ��ل� ن�� ت� �م ا ا �ع�د ���د�ة ���ف � ض �� ا �مه�ا �ق�د ��ت�ع�د �ى � ح��د �ود ا �ل�ع�ا د� ب��م� رر ي ى ح� �ور � عب ب �صر �ى ك��و ا �ة � �ف غ � � ن حت � ش �خ � ��ا ر�ة * � �ه�ا ر �ع�ل� �م� ا � ل � � �و��ى ��ي��ا �ب��ه�ا * ا را د ت� ا �م�ه�ا ا � ��ت ن����فى ا �ل�ع�ا ر �ب�ا ظ �� ك � ب ����� �ب��ر � ي ي ى ع � �ّ � آ � فا �ت � �ف �ف ا ن ث � � ت � ���ر ا �ل ن��ا ��س �ل�ا �ش��غ����ل �ل�ه� ا �ل�ا ا �� ك� بر �ة ا �لب� ن�� ت� ��ى �ج��مي�� ا �لب��ل�ا د * � � ا ك�� � �� ل��ل�ا �م * �� ج مع� م آع � � �� ف � � �ت��ل�ك ا �ل�ز �مر�ة �ور� ا �لب��ا ب� ب���ع�د ا ن� �ج��م�ع� او �ب��ي�ن ا �ل�عر�و��س��ي�ن * �و� ط� ��ق� ا � �ل او � ح��د �من��ه�م ��ي ن��ا د �ى ق � �ف ت � ف � �ا � ّ �� ف ظ�ن ا �� �لف��ا ��ا �ق� ا �ن�ه ���د ا ��ل��د خ�� � � � ا �لب��ا ب� �ي�ا ا �ب�ا �مِ�ز �ل� �� * �� ��� � �و�ي� ��و�ل ا �� �ه�م�ا �لي��ع��ل�م�ه ك�ي��� �و�ل �ع�لي� �يري ري ج �ح � �فَ ف��� �ف�ت � ه ف� ق ا � � ه ا �ذ � ا � ن ت ن �ن َ ت ا ا � � � � ا � � � ع � ا ا ا ا � � � � ل ل �م � ل� ��� ل ل� م� �ه� ب�� ب� �ي��� و �م� رد � ب� ب� ر� * �ي��ك�و� ا �ل�ع� �ل * � ج ح �ذ ا �خ ق � ُ� � �ق ّ �ة ا � اّ آ�خ ث ّ ا �� �� ن �ة ا ّ ا � � �� ا ��ل�ى �ع �و��س�ه � او ا �� �ر ��ي� �� �ل ��ل � � � � �فر ج� � ل ط � � � � ع �� ي� ب ج � � * و ب � ا � �ل ب�� �ي� �و �ل��ج * و ر �ج ر ر ِ ج ج ع آ�خ َ � ��زَ�غَ ف�غ ا ��ل َ ْ � ا ثّ � �غ �غ ا ا ا �� � � � �س � � ا � � � � � � ا � � ا ا � ا � � � � � ه ه ل �و��ي�ر ر ِو � ج ��ل �ص�د ى ي� ج ��ج * و ر �زِ ل ل ب� ي� ح�ل�ج * و��ي ر ر ّ ّ � � أ � � �ز ّ � � �ز � ا �ي�ا �خ��ل�ا ��—ا ��سر ا �ل�و ��طء �ي�ا �ل� ��—ا �م�ل�� ا �ل�و ��ط ب� �ي�ا �م�ا ��—�م��ل�ل ا�لم��ل�م�و�ل �ي�ا �م�ع�ا ��— ج ج ج ج ع َ � � تّ � �ف �ة �ة � غ � �ق �غ ف ف �ق ض � ا �� ��ط��س ��ى ا �لج��ل� �ي�ا ��ا ��ط��س—ا ��� ��س ا �لب��ي � ��� �ي�ا ��ا ���س—ا جِ���ل ا�لم��س� او ك �ي�ا � او �م��س—� � ��سور ُ َْ ن � ا ��ل��س� ��ا �م�ع�ا ��ف�� — �ّ �� ا �ل�مه �ة ��ا �ف�ا �� * � �م�ا �ز ا ��ل� ا ��ه � ت ش ح�ى ����ا �م ا �ب�ا �ع�م�ي�ر � �و�ا �و�ل س ر و �ض � ر ي ر س و و ب ور ي � ا ا ��ل � ة ف�ت � � ت � ن ا �� � ف ح�ا �و� حب ��ورا * �و� ف�ص���ق ت� ا �ل�ا �ي��د �ى ا ��س�ت ب�� ش����ا را �ه�لل� م �وه �ر� �ه� ل�وج � ا �م�ه� ب��ص�ي ر� * � �م خت � �ة �ن � �ق � ا � ق � �ة ث �ن �صر��ف� او �وك� ���ا ��ن �ه� ��د �و��سر�ورا * � �و ��ط� ت� ا �ل� �ل��س�ن �ب�ا �لت�ب��ر�ئ� * �و��م�و�ه�ا �ب�ا �لت��ه�ئن�� * �� ا � � م م ش � �ذ ا �� � ت � � ا �ت � � �ا �ق��ف���ل� او �م�ن ��غ�ز �و�ة �غ��ا ن��م��ي�ن * �وك� � ا�لمب���ي�ن * ���ا د ت� ا �ل� � � ��ط�و�ل �ع�ن ا �ل� ر��ض� ���ب��را �ل�ه� ا ل �ف�� م ح 80
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visiting them. Some of them marry without having ever seen their wives. This happens when a man sends his mother, or an elderly female relative or acquaintance, or a priest to her and these describe her to him according to their own taste and experience. Usually the girl’s mother bribes the priest to give a good description of her daughter and so make the man want to marry her. Some will marry a woman who resides in some distant town, writing to one of his acquaintances in that area to ask him to send him a description in a letter, after which he asks God for guidance and inserts his head into the noose. Despite this, such couples live happy lives. In the Levant, the city people do as the Egyptians, but the people of the Mountain have a different custom. There the man can see the woman and find out about her character. This being the case, and because the Fāriyāq had contravened the custom of Egypt by meeting with the girl on numerous occasions both in the presence and absence of her mother, the mother wanted to distance her from any shame by displaying the sign of her virginity, so that report of her daughter’s innocence might be broadcast throughout the land. Most people have nothing better to do than talk, and a band of these, once they had brought the bride and groom together, gathered behind the door, one or another of them keeping up a chant of “Open the door, bolt-holder!” The Fāriyāq thought that the person doing this wanted to come in to them and teach him how the thing should be done, so he opened the door to him, at which the other told him, “That’s not the door I had in mind. I meant ‘the door of relief.’” The Fāriyāq went back to his bride, but heard another saying, “Enter the dome, enterer!” and another, “Widen the wound, lancer!” and someone else, “Quench the thirsty one, quencher!” and another, “Away with the down, wool-carder!” and someone else, “Empty the bucket, waterdrawer!”, “Tread on fast, slippery-foot!”, “Fill the milk-skin, skin-filler!”, “Swizzle the swizzle stick in the kohl-pot, swizzler!”, “Dive into the deep sea, diver!”, “Crack the egg, egg-cracker!”, “Polish the toothpick, polisher!”, “Climb atop the wall, warrior!” and “Break in the filly, horseman!”, and they kept this up until he had got it all the way in and handed her mother the bloody proof. At this their faces broke into smiles of joy and delight, hands clapped in pleasure and happy expectation, tongues proclaimed her innocence, and they ended it all with congratulation. Then they left, like raiders returning laden with riches, while the mother, at this manifest victory,27 grew another six inches.
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3.2.26
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
ت ن ا ��ل����ط��� ّ ن ا �� �ل� � � ِ �د � ق ا � � ي خ��ت�ا � � ص�ي ي
ا��ن ت � ا ش ��ق ���ي�ن ا �� �ل � �ى ��ت�� �� ش ق �ة �ن ا �ن ب ع ا ل�ع���ي ���� �م ا �م� �م �و�م �و� ار �م� ك��� ا �و�ل �ع� � �� ب و ر آ� � � ا � ا ض��� � �ت �و� ار �ى ا �لب�ك�� �ل�ه �م�ع�ي�ن �ا �ش���ا ف�ي�ا ي ��و��م� �و��و��م� ا � ح��ك ا�لم���س� �عب�را ي � ّ �ن ت�ق ا �ّ ا ت �و�ي� �ك�و� �م�صر �و ا �ل����غرا � �م�ز ����با �مت� ك ����س��س� �م���س�� ب��ل� �م���س��د ب� ار م ب ع ن �م ن ش ا �مّ ��جرا �و�م���عن� � � م�� ���ّن�ص�ا �و�م�ز � ��م ����ش�ا �و�م�د �ه��ف ����شا �و� ك � ج� ار �و�ح�ب������ �وج � � ���م نّ���م�ا � �م�غ� ��ّن��ا ����فص�ّ ا � �م � � � ش�ب��ا �و��م ��ط��ب�ل�ا �و���م�ز �مرا � م ��� � و ر و و و ي ب ر ُ ت ّ� ق �ة �ف �و��فَ���ْ��ن��ة �م�� ث ت��ا ��ئ��ب�ا ��م��م��ط��ي� ا �و���ي�ي�ن � � ت� �م�ق��ا �ع���س�ا � �م��عن��صرا يي �ف ت ن خ ا ش ���ا � �� ا � ا ��م�ه ��م��را �ه�ي�ا �� 1ت �ذ � م��ا � � � ار � او ا � ار ى را �ي� �ر����ي �د ا ك� ى ب ر � � ف ا �� ش ق ق � ق �ن ّ �ص� ره � ح�تى ��ي ض����ل �ع�ن ا �ل� �ص او ب� � ��يوب� �� �� ل�ع � ���� �ع����ل ا �ل�ع����ل �ع � ي �و ط ار �ن َ ْ � اَ ن � �ق �� ا ش ا � �ذ � نَّ�ة ا � � �ذ � ف �ق�د ك��� ت� ا ج�ع ب� � �ي ��ول�و ���� عر �و� �جِ �� �و � �خ�ا �ل �ل��ك � �م�ت�ر �ى ت �َ� ُ ُ ْ ا �ذ � ا �ن � ن �ة � ُ ت �صَ � � �ح�ب� َّ ك� ي�ه�ما ��ف� ا ه�م� �م �� � �صّو�را ����ل� ط� ي�� �ق�د � � �ح��ى � �لِ�قي�� � ي�و ى ّ َ َّ ت ّ �ُ �� � ن ا � ت�ز �ا �� ��� ي�ن � � ق ا ��ل �ص� ج���ن��ة �و� �ل�ق�لب��ه �� � ار ��� ���ي�د �����س�ع ار �خ�ِ �ل� ج �م� ل ل�ع�� � ب ٍ ح ا ����غ ��م ّ � ة َ � ��ل�ا �غ� � ا ن� � غ���د � ��ل ح���مرا ح�مر� �و�ج��ه �م�ن ��ي �ه�و�ى �و�ق�د ����م�ل ل ار �م ر و �ي و � ش �ح�دا �عن �ي�ا ��لي� ت� �ي����غن��ى ا�ل�مرء �ي ��و��م�ا � او � �ه�ن �م�ن ����ى ��ي��ب�ا �وي�����شت�ر �ى � ع � �ّ اث � ا �� �� ه�نّ �م ا �ل��م�� ��ف �� ل����ط�عا � �م�ه�ّ ��ع�ا ا ن ك��� ��ل� ت� ا ج ��ل � ا ��ث �د � � � ل �� ق ل م � � � ل � � ى � م و ي ل ر ر ا ح � �� ا �ن ��ل�ي�ته�ن �خ � ق�ن � ت ّ� ت � �ّ �ح�ي را �و� ه� � �خ�ي را �ق� � �م� ����يرى ك���ي�ل� �� � ب���ل � � ��ل��� ا � ب يم ح
� :1855 1مت��ر�هئ���ا.
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٢٧،٢،٣
ت�ز ت�ز ا �ل�� ب� ب� ا �ل�� �ي�د �فى ت�ز ��لا ا �ل ك� � كا �ل�� ب��ي� ب� �ز ّ م ف �ج�ت � � و ب� ب� �م�ه ا ��م ع ا �لر�يق� �فى �ص�ا �م غ��ي���ه ّ �ت � ف وا � تل��ك����س��س ا ل� ك ���ل�
٢٨،٢،٣
Love and Marriage
The Two Titter-Making Poems28
3.2.27
I was not the first lover among mankind To pursue the object of his passion from both in front and behind, Or to think, one day, that tears would be his helper and intercessor Or, on another, to make a weeping man laugh, Or to be felled by love, chattering and salivating, Putting on airs, approaching, retiring, Jumping, flirting, and courting, Wrinkling his nose in disgust, snapping his fingers, making popping noises with his finger in his cheek,
tazabbub (“chattering and salivating”) means “talking too much” (synonym tazbīb) and tazabbaba famuhu means “the saliva collected in the sides of his mouth”; takassus means “affectedness.”
Chanting, singing, and whistling, Fluting, drumming, and piping, Now yawning and stretching, Now sticking out his chest or creeping close to the ground. Should such a one be confronted with a well-guided opinion, he Ambles and delays its implementation For passion outwits one’s wits and turns the lover from right judgment Leaving him to lose his mind and caper madly. I used to be amazed when they said, “A jinni-possessed poet”29 and think it was a lie Till I met my two little friends30— Who then turned out to be fashioned of clay. Beauty has been created as a paradise for the crazed lover’s eye And for his heart a fire that makes him burn yet fiercer. Small wonder then that the face of him who loves Should turn red and suffer its passion as though flayed. Would that man, one day, might be rendered capable of dispensing With women as something to be sold or bought! Would that beauty in them were like salt In the food pots that makes one vomit if there is too much! Nay more—would that they had been created the ugliest thing to be seen That we might not wander love-smitten, confused, not knowing which to choose!
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3.2.28
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
ُ � � �� ��ك�ن ُ ض ْ �ا � �ذ ا ا �� ُ ��� ُْ �� ّ � �م� لا �ي�ا ك� �را ����ب�ا د �ى �من�ظ �� ح�� � ل�طر�ط �لي� ت� ا �ل��ك� او �ع ب� � �ه� ���ل ب ب ع � ف� �آ �فَ��ْلَ �ة �ف� � ئ�ن �� � ا � ت �ذ ا ل � ح��ة �و�ذ �ى ا ��ل��د�ه���س� � ا ل� � � ه���ي�آ ِد �ْر ِد � ح��س� ي ه�ن� ا كر ى �ي� �لي�� �ى � � ُّ � ت ا ��ل� ن ا ��لن�� ض ّ ق �ة �ن � � �ف �ث ����ف�ص را ع�و� � ظ� � ��ج�ل � �لي�� � ي � ��ي���� �و�م� ا ��ى ا �ل�����غر �م�ن د �ر � ��� ي� م َ � شُ � َ فْ ا � ت ��ا ن ت ّ ّ ض �� �ل�� ك�� ��� �ك� ���ل ���س�ا �ق� ���ع��م��ة �ع�ود ا �ل��� ك� ��ا �ع�ى ����ب�ل ا د �ق� � او ���مرا يي ��َ ا� ت � َ ُ ��َّ � ّ ّ ٌ �ف � ت ْ ي�ن ��ص��ل� �ج� ب��� ��و�ق� ه �����ش�عر ك���ل���ي�ل �ك��ل ��غِ �ي� �لي�� �ل�م ��ي � �ٍر ����غر� ار ٍ ا � ت ا ��ف ��ل �ن َ نَ � ا �� ن� ن نا َ �َ ا م���كرا �ش�� �ي� �لي�� �م� �ى ا �ج�ي��د �م �ع� ��ط �ب��د ا �و�ق�ص� لا �عي����� �و��� ي ن � � � �ذ َُ � او �ل ح��س�ن �م��ل�م � ا� � � ا ا ��لي����س ��ي ب� ك�� �ح� ح��س ا � ا � �ل��قب � �ى ا �ل�ع��ي�ن �م�ا �م ن��ه ي�ر �ى �نِ ح � �� ا ّ ���ا ن� �����شغ����ل �ع�ق ��و��ل ن�� ا �و��ق��ل�و����ن�ا �ب��ه�و�ى ا �ل� �وث�ا ����ئر ا ك� ى د ا ك� ف�ل� � ���ثرا ب ٍ ع ن � �ل�َ �خ � � ��ك �ع��لق � ُت ض�نّ��ة �و� � �ص��ص�ن ب� � ح��ل� �ف�ا � � �و� ا ��ك�ل � � � م �� � � � � ��خر د �و� ا �ل�و�ر �ى ل � ب ى م ت َ َ � � � � � ُ � ا �ت خ �ت ّ ف َ �ت ت ت �و�� ا �ر ����ع�ن �ع��ل� ا �لر�ج��ا �ل � ��ط�ا �و �ل�ً �و�ل�ه�ن � ح� � ��ق�د ��م�ا � �و�ا � � ار ى بم � َ �ت � ا ��لف � َّ ت ّ � � � ق �غ ت ه�ن �ص��طب��ر � حو�ل �و��د ��ط ح��ير ا �ل�م�� �� � � او �ل�ى �م � � �� ت ا ���ف��عا �ل� � � ص� ار �� ب فّ �م��ا خ� �ج�ن � �ع���ق��ل ن�ا يُ�خ � �ج�ن ا �ذ ���د �خ���ل�ن ا � ي�خ �ر�ج�ن ��س���ه �م�ن �مر �ى و � ن �ر و ي ر ش � � � ّ � �ف � ظ ��� � �ك�ن ��ق� د ��ع��ل �م�ن ��ل �و �ل�ا �ى ����ى �ل� �ي�� ح �ه�ا �ق��ل ب� ا�لم�تي�� �ق�د � ر �ى � و � ى م م � ش � ��ف� ا ��لر� ��ق �م�ن ��ث�غ� ا ��لر�ش � ف ��ا ن �ذ � � � � �ح�ل ر�ش � �و �ل�ا �ى ����ى � ��و�� �وك�� � �ل�ك م��س�ك ار ر ي�
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�ة ا � ا �ة ا �ل�د ر د ح� ل���مر ا �تل�ى طو��ل�ه�ا و�عر ض����ه�ا آ آ ��سو� وا �ل�د �ه��س� آ ح��س��ة ا �ل�ع���ج�ز� وا �ل��ف����ل��� ا � ا �ة ا � غ �ة ل���ص����ير ل���مر ا �ل�ع���ج�ز * ٢٩،٢،٣
Love and Marriage
Would that the perky-breasted ones were droopy-dugged! How excellent then in appearance (We crying, “Oh no! What horror”!) would the long-uddered be! Would that this slim one were as squat as a box And this big-buttocked one had no tush at all, that we might find delight in sleep! Would that these huge eyes were narrow and the well-strung Pearls in her mouth had turned yellow! Would that each plump shank were
a dirdiḥah is “a woman whose height and breadth are equal”; a dahsāʾ is a woman who is largebuttocked; a falḥasah is “a woman . . . with small buttocks.”
A prickly artichoke stem, or thinner yet and more shrunken! Would that a shining forehead with, above it, Hair like night had never struck, like an unsheathed sword, any tyro who rushed into peril! Would that any length of neck might appear to our eyes Short, and something abominable! By beauty itself I swear, ugliness is comelier in a countenance Since what is seen of it does not make the eye weep! For what reason are our minds and hearts Preoccupied with the love of plump and easygoing maidens above all else, And why have they, before all others, been blessed With every precious thing and every proud adornment? By what right have they set themselves above men in their insolence When they are beneath them, whether on their fronts or their backs, And how long must the bull camels be patient, When the doings of these beauties exceed all bounds, confusing the steadfast? They came out of us, yet send us out of our minds When they go in or out—how foolish would be any who disputes that! And why should redress not be demanded of one Whose glance has split the heart of the love-sick in twain? And why is it permitted to sip the saliva from The mouth of the sweet-mouthed, dry-cunted woman, when it makes you drunk
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3.2.29
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
ش � ��ا ��ل����غ ا �م ��م �و�ع��ل �َ ��ت�ع�ت�زّ ا ��ل��� ن�ا ���ط ��ع��ل ����� ح��سرا � ي��م��س�ى � �و�ي� �ص� ب ر �� ب �شِ �ى م �ىج � ح � ت �ّ �تن � �ف ا � ا �ك��ا ا ��ن ب���غ� ���فى �ك� � ���ل ����ش�هر ا ��ا ��خر ا ���ش�ه ار ��س�ل�ه� ��ه�ل ا �ل� ��و�ر � �ر �م ى م ت � � �ف � �ا �ي�ن ��خ الا �ن�ا �م ب�����ع�زّه �و ج� ا �ي�ن ا �ل��م�ع�ا ��ل�ى � او �ل ك� � ���برا م�� �ر �م ا �م�ن � ر � ن �ذ�� ت � � �ق �خ � ا �� ا �ز � � ��ي� ت��ا ده ا ����س�م ا ل� �ود ا � ك�ر � �ل� ه ��ط�و�ع� �وك�ر �ه� �و�ه�و ��ي �ه �م ع��س�ك ار � ت ن � او �ذ ا ج� �ج�ه� ه �م�ن ا �ى ����س�ّ �قا ��ل ا � ش���� � � ����شأ ��س�ا ��ع��ة ���فى �و �� ع� �ن�را ى ب م آ ُ ش ق �� �ن � �ت ف � � اخ ��م ���ب� �ف��نّ �م�ن � � �م�ن ا �ل ح��� ن � ل�� س��� � �����ع� � ��� ا ك �و�لر ب���ما �ع � ج ر ر ر ي � ي م ح آ � � ��ي��د�ه� ا ��ل ار �ى ا �لى ��قر ن����ي�ه ���قر�ن�ا � خ� �و��ل�و ا ن� �ذ ا ا � �ل�ق ر �ن��ي�ن �ج��ا ر�ى ك� �را � � ّ ��َا � �م�����س� ّ� ها � ���م��ف ��س�� �ا � ���م�ف�ّ � ن �آ � ا ت � �را �ق و ج ف� و � �لولا ا �ل�����س� �ل�م� � ار��ي� �م�خ��ط و فّ ��م َّ ا � � ّ ع��ن ن�ا �و�مك��ش�� � �ج���ه� �و ��م �خ ن��ا �و��ج�م ّر���س�ا �و���م�ع�زّ��ز ا � � �و���م����ل ا ��� س و ب ّ �ذ ّ ّ �� ا ه��ي�م�ا �و�م���س���ه�م� ا �و��م�د ���م�م�ا �و�م� ���م�م�ا �و�م ����ش�هرا �وم� ي ت���م� �و��م� � ت غ �ْ ُ �و �ل��ما ��ت ن��ا ث ت ا ��ل �ا � ��ج� ���فى ا ��ل�و���ى � ح ت� ا ��ل��س�ن �ا �ب��ك �و��هى �ت��ور�ى اِ�لمغ� �ف� � را � �ر � ج �م� م ت ََ � �و �ل�م�ا ���ع��ف ت� د �و��ل ���ه�نّ ��ل�ه ت� ف�ب�ي��ّ��ت�ه�ا ا ��ل��د �م�ا � �ف�ا �� ب�ص�� ح ت� � ح ت� ا �لث�ر �ى ب ر َ � � � ا �ْم��ل ت� �ع��ل� ّ � حوا د ث� ا �ل�ا ���م� ا �ل��تى �غ�ب��ر ت� ف���ق���ل ت� �م�ق��ا �ل �م�ن �ق�د � ح ّر�را � ى م
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ت ا �لت�����ج� ب��ي���ه ا ن� � � ح���مر ا �ل�ز ا �ن�����ن و�ج�وه يي و� � ح���م�لا ع��لى ب��ع��ير ا و ي ف خ ��ا �ل��� ����ن ح بي �م�ا ر و ي ن و�ج�و��ه�ه���م�ا و� كا � ا �ل��ق�����ا �� ا ن� ���ق���ا � ����ن ي س ي بل بي و�ج� ��ه�ه���م�ا لا ن��ه �م��ن و ا � ش �خ� ن ت ا � �ه �� �� � ل � � ك��� � ا �ل�����ج� بي و � ث �ش �خ� ن ق ا ل�د �يو� و�ك����� ���ه ��ا ل � �ش �خ ن ك�������ا � * ل�ه ي�ا � ٣١،٢،٣
Love and Marriage
And wherefore should the woman comely of body and color glory in a sword blow To the head that, morning and evening, lays passion bare? Ask her, “Does the oven burn hot as it should
3.2.30
Each month, or is it late some months?”31 Where are the high deeds and noble acts? Where is he who Will bring pride to mankind through his glory and show his strength? The name of the pretty, smooth, young girl, should it be mentioned to him, takes command of him Willingly or unwillingly, though he could defeat an army, And though she belch poisonous fumes for an hour in his face, He will say, “I am intoxicated with ambergris!” The grown man may fall in love and then be sent mad by Wind from the lovely one that permeates his nostrils. Had He-of-the-Two-Horns32 gone along with her wiles, He would have found a third horn added to the other two. Were it not for women, you would not see any man accused of sin Or declared a fool, a lecher, a rake, Or a bankrupt, nor would any be paraded on a donkey or accused of impotence Or of being a wittol or be taken around on a donkey with bells on or be held up to blame Or be love-sick or love-crazed or love-wasted Or beaten to a pulp, or found fault with or
tajbīh [verbal noun of mujabbaban, “paraded on a donkey”] means “painting the faces of the two adulterers red and mounting them on a camel or a donkey, each facing in the opposite direction, though, by analogy, they ought to be facing each other, since the word is derived from tajbīh [in the sense of ‘browto-brow’]”; kashkhān means “wittol” and kashkhanahu means “he said to him, ‘You wittol!’”
made a spectacle of. Skulls would not be seen scattered in the tumult Neath the shoes of the horses as they strike fire from the helmets Nor would nation-states crumble because of them—states that disported themselves And then were visited by destruction by night and found themselves by morn beneath the sod. The histories of nations long gone addressed me, So I repeat the words of those who before me have written:
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3.2.31
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
�� � �ت�ن ا �� ن�� �آ � �ق �� ا �ف ا �م���خ ��م � ن �ه�ن ���ق�� �ي�ز �ي�ا �ر ب� ق�د �ف� ل ���س� ع ��ول��ن� � �س ح�ا ��� د �ر �ى � حا �س�� ب َ � َ ْ �ُ ْ � �غ ة �ت�غ ش ا �و �ف�ا � ��صا ر�ن�ا ا �ْو �ل�ا �ف�ا ���ع� ا �ل�مب� صِ� را ��ج�ع��ل�ن � ش����ا �و� �� ����ى �ع��ل�ى ا �ب�� ِم آ ف ا �خ صِ�ن � ف ا �ن ُ �َ َ ف ا � صِ�ن �ص�ن ا ا � �ف�ا ���ُ �ن ط��ع�ا �ب��ص�� ء ��ا �ل حر �ى �ص ا ا �و �� �ل� ا ا �و �� � � ا �� ب ا �و �� � � و ب ب
� ث ا ن �ة ا �ل�� ����ي�
٣٢،٢،٣
آ � � � �� �لم�ن ا �ش��ك�و �و�ق��ل�ب�ى ا �لي ��و�م �م�ن ا ك����بر ا ��ع�د � �ى آ � � ق � � �لم�ن ا �ش��ك�و �و���ع��ق��ل�ى ا �لي ��و�م ���م���ع���و�ل �ب�ا �ه� �و �ى � آ � ��ف ُ �� ّ ��ل ّ � � ل � � �ج�ا �ل ب� د � �ى �و���طر�ى �مب������س�ل ب ��ى �وب ��ى ّآ ن ���ا �ن�� ا ا �ذ ا ���غ� ت �ّ � � ا �ود � �ى �و� �لوا م�ى �م� ك� و ب ُ �ْ � �أ �ْ � �أ �آ �و �ل� � او �ى �م ن� ا �ل� � �لو �ع�ن الا �ل�ى �م�ن ا �ل�ل�� �ى آ �آ � �ف �و�ق�د ا ����س�د � راب ��ى �ج�� �م��ي�عا ب����ع� ��ض �ه�ا ا �ل�ل�� �ى آ � �ذ ��و لا � را �ى �ن�ا �ر ا �ل�ه�و�ى ���ت� ك�� ح ار �ق� � او �ص�ل�� ء ت� �ّ �� آ ا �� ��ا �ص�ل��آ �ى �� � � ل�ظي���ه�ا � او ���س�ل�� �ى ��ف�ما �ب� ل�ى ب آ � � ف �� ���ن �م� ت � �ق �� ��ل ا �ل � ا� ح��� ء ح���ت�� �م�ن ل�م �ي �ي و � �وك��وى ي ج آ � ّ ش ّ ا� ح ب� ا �ل�ى �م�ن �عي������ى �ي ��و��م�ا ��عي�� ش��� �ت�ي����ت�� ء اة � َ ْ � � ف ���صر�ى �ت � ���ص���ف�ا ء ح�� � ا �ل� �ك�د ي�ر و� ����ص ��وت���ها �ب�اِ � �ي ا ت آ� � ا ن�� �ن ان � �� ي ه � �ب� ��ل� ��ج� � ��ص �و��م� ��ي ف�� ل�و ك� � � ع ح � آ �ن َ َ ف��� ن��ا � ����ق �و ��ا � ت ا � ن ��ف���ه�ل �م � حك�م ��م� ب��ي��� �ي ر ب
88
88
٣٣،٢،٣
Love and Marriage
“Dear Lord, women charmed our minds; Change then their charms into despised ugliness Or make a film descend upon our eyes Or, if not, then blind those who can see Or grab us by our forelocks or castrate us or geld us Or emasculate us (with amniotic fluid, naturally, to be more appropriate).” The Second
3.2.32
To whom should I complain, when my heart today Is mine own enemy? To whom should I complain, when my mind today Is outwitted by my desires And my eye has delivered my soul to perdition And my own soul it is that brings me ill? My reproachers are those who once, Even when I was absent, were my friends. My troubles are from my failure to reach The full-bottomed ones among them. Hopes never realized Have destroyed all other hopes. He33 watched the fire of love flare up To burn and sear But what do I care for my loins, That the fire should engulf them, or my cauls? He says, “Death from intercourse Though I live a life of destitution, Is more pleasing to me than living One day without penetration. A life with one’s semen trapped in one’s loins is a gloomy one And the murk may be cleared only by the exhausting of one’s sperm.” No advice given him is of any effect
3.2.33
Even when accompanied by a pledge of safety. Is there any who can judge between us To read an official ruling?
89
89
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
�ع�وا د ���ي�ه �ود �ع�وا ه ث� �و �ث��و�ر ���ت�ه �و�ر ��أ ���ت� ه � �خ � �ف � � ��ط �غ���ا � ���ط�ب�ى ���م�ا �ل�ى ا �لي ��و ّ ف � �إ� ��س� او �ى لا ��ي���ن�ف��� ك � ج�ه �ف�ل�ا ي� ش������غ�� ك�� �و�ى ل� �� م � َّ � ��فرا ���سى ا �لي ��و�م ا ���مرة � � �ف ��ف�ل�ا �م ��ط���م� ��ى ر����ش�د ع �ق ا �ذ ا �ُ ��ق� ت ن ه � � � �ص� ��ب� �ع��ى و ش ن َ � او � ���ج�� ت� ���ب�ه � ار ���سى ّ ث ن � او � ��ه��م ت� ���ب�ه ���س ن��ى � ا ن� بُ خ� �ق ت ع�ين��ى �� � ���ب�ه � � و �ن َ � �ج�ر�ى ا�لم�ق��د �و�ر �م قِ��د � م آ � ا �ن ��ف��ل�و ����ش�� �ل� �ب ��ق�ا ��ى �ن � آ� ا �و� �لو����ش�� �ل� �ع��م�ا ��ى �ذ � ش �ق د �ع� او ا ا �ل�و�ج���د ي����� ��ين��ى �ذ � ش ق � ض ن ���� �ي � ������ين��ى �و�ه� ا ا �ل�ع � �ذ �ذ �ف� ا �ع ��ظ�����م �و ا � �ج��ل��د �ى � ى
90
� �ص��ا �ح ى � او �م���سآ �ى �ب�ا � ب خ آ � �ل�ا � �خ�ز ا �ى � او ���ت�� �ى آ آ �م �م�ن � ��س �وا ��س�و� �ى آ َ� َ � �ب�ا ��س� �و ء �م ن� �ل� �ه �ت�ق ظ � ج � آ �و �� � � � � � �� ا��طر� ى و ر �ي ��ى آ � � ا �ل��د ا �ع�ى �نُ��ك�� س �ه� �و �ى �غ آ ّ � �خ�� �ل��ي� ر �ق� ا � � �و ء � ع تش � ِ�ذ آ ��ف�ل�ا �������ك او لا ��م�� �ى آ �ت � ��ف�ل�ا � ب���ك� او لا د ��م�� �ى � آ �ت ��ف�ل�ا ����ع�م� او �ع�ن ا �ل�م�� ء � �ا آ � �ف�ل�ا �ت��كر � او �ل� �ع��م�� �ى ش� آ ب����ت ض� ���� �ل�ي��ل�ى � او �����ق�� �ى آ �ف ّ �م��ع�ا ��ى ا �ى ا �ب ����ق�� ء �َ ّ آ آ �ع ن� � �ل��ف�� ء ��س�و��ق�� ء � آ �ش��ف�� ء �يو��م ن�ي��ن��ى �ب�ا ���� �تُ َ ش � � �ولا ��� ن� ع� او �ب�ا �����فآ �ى �ن ن آ �ذ �و ا ����شا ��ى � او � ����ش�� �ى
90
٣٤،٢،٣
Love and Marriage
His absences and his summonses of me In my mornings and my evenings, His anger and his beatings, Are to humiliate and repel me. Things have gone too far and now I have no one to doctor me and my ills. Thus my subjection to pain never ceases Because of his fondness for doing me injury. So do not let my satires, my eulogies, And my praises distract you: My head is at the beck and call Of one who calls on me to relapse into my desires. There is no hope for a spineless reprobate, A slave to seduction. If my neck is snapped by him,
3.2.34
Do not remonstrate, my friends, at my twitching like a slaughtered animal, And if my head is broken by him, Do not weep at the shedding of my blood. If my teeth are crushed by him, Do not pretend not to see the bruising on my lip. If my eye is poked out by him, Do not turn a blind eye to the fact that I have been blinded. Providence of old has acted To mislead me and make me miserable For had it wished it could have kept me Sound, and how well it could have done so! Had it wished, it could have blinded me To a fat-thighed, long-legged woman. Let this passion distress me And give me hope of being cured, And let this love consume me And do not care about my imminent perdition, For these are my bones and this my skin, This my nature and my condition.
91
91
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
آ ��خ�ل ��م�ا ب����ين��ى � �و��ي�ن �ه�و�ى �ب�ا � ���ف�ما ���ي�د � � ح ����ش�� �ى ب ّ ّ آ � � �ظّ �� � ض � ��و�ل�ى ��ز ن�����ي�ٍم �����شر �م ����ش�� ء �� �سوى �ف� �ف� � � آ ت َ ْ ً ّ �ن �ذ ا ا ا ��س���م��ع� ك�� � �ع��تب�� ا �ف���ع�د �و ��ى �م�ن ا �ل ����ش�� ء � م آ �اُ � ��ق � ا � � � � � � ا � � ل � �و �ل� ��ت�ْ��ب�ق�� او ��ع��ل�ى ط�و�ى و� �ج� ب��بى و �ع�� �ض� ى آ َ � ا ن � �َ ْ �ذ َ �ذْ � �ض�� ء � � ا � �ل ف�د � �م�ن ي�����س�م� ا � �ع� �ل �ب�ا ���غ�� ف� � م ع آ � ّ ُ َ ًْ ْ �ا ن ال � �ض�� ء عت�ب��ا �تِ�� �لو ا �ر�� ��حر �م�ن ي�����س�م� �� و � ع
� ا �غ �ن ا �ل� ��ا ��ى
� �ي�ا ���ب�د �ر ��ما �ل��ك �ث�ا �ن � ا � � ��ح� �ف��تى �و�ل��ها �ن ��ف� رّ م �ذ ��ض�ا ه ��ع� ب� ب���م�ا ت�ر �� � � � ��ص�ل�اه �ق�د ���ط�ا �ل ��م�ا ا �
��ا �ي��و����فس�� ا �ل � ح��س�ن ي �ل� � ح�ز ��ه�دد ت � �ب�ا �� �ن غ �ذ � �ذ �م�ن ا ا �ل�� �ى ا �� ار ك � ل����ط �ف� � ن �م��ه �ب�ا ك ا �� ر � � ت ح��ا �م �ذ ا ا �ل� �ه � � ��جرا �ن ح ن �ب�ل�ا ا � � ح���س�ا ن � ��س�
92
٣٥،٢،٣
٣٦،٢،٣
��ف � ن � ا �� �� تّ ن �ى ح���س��ك ل� ف�ا � � �م��� �ل��ب�ل ا � �ل�با �ل � ب الا ا ��ل � ��ج���ف�ا ا خ� ����ش�ا ه ا �� ن ت �� � او ��� ل�ى ���س� ل�ى �ن ح �ش���� ت� �م�ن ���س ��و ي ج� ا �� ��ا ن ا �ر ك�� � ا ��م� ل�ى ��ص�د �م�ن � ه� ا � ك � �ب�� �ي � و �� �و ج�����س�م�ه �ب�ا ل�ى � ن ��ص ّ�د � او ��ل � � او �ل� ��حر��م�ا � �� ّ ���ا �لر �ى �ب�الا �ل ك
92
Love and Marriage
None will come between me
3.2.35
And a desire that is in my guts But one who is coarse and inquisitive, Ignoble, evil, and a scandalmonger. If I force you to listen to my complaints against the beloved, Number me among the sheep And do not spare my collar, My robe, or my limbs, For the dullard is he who Hears someone reproach his beloved and turns away without remonstration, While the noble man is he who Voices a complaint after first saying something conciliatory. The Songs
3.2.36
O Moon, you have no like In your enchanting beauty So have mercy on a lovelorn youth Whose mind’s confused. Torment me as you will— Only indifference do I fear. My sufferings have lasted too long, While you have forgotten about me. You Yūsuf of beauty (May you be spared the prison!)34 You have demolished the foundations Of my hopes with sadness. Who is it who has made it attractive to you To repel any who love you? This suitor’s eye is weeping, His body worn out. For how long this avoidance, This fending off, this deprivation? Beauty without charity Is like irrigation by mirage.
93
93
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
� ��م ح���ك ا � �ل او �� �ج�د � ب ��ا ��ل�ت�� ن � او �� � �ج�د � يي ى � �ن ض�ن ا ��ى ا �ل���س��ه�د �� ا� �ق �ق �ص�د �ص�د ��م�ا ا � �ل�� ��م�ا ا � �ل�� ف �ت ن � ش ق �ي�ا �ا � ا �ل�ع���ا �� ��خ� ّل�ا �ت ا � ك ��ل � ق � ب�� ر� ا � � � ا ��ف�د�ي��ك �ب�ا �ل�م�ا �ل ش � ر�� �ضا ك ا �����هى �ل�ى
� � ن � ض �م���ك ا �لر���ى ��ف�ا �ق�د ْ �ذّ �� ا ت���ه�ا ل ا � � � � �ع م ِ ى �ن � �و���ع�ز ��ى ا �ل�و �� �ج�د ا �� � ك ��س�وا � �ي�ا ���غ� ل�ى � ��ل���ل �ظ �� � ا � ا ح��د ا �ق � ب�ا ح� و �ل� � �� �ا �� ح�� ن ��ل �س��� � � ل ا ل� � ك � ك ى � � �وا �لر �و� �والآ �ل ح �آ � ا � �ن � � �ج� �ل�ى �م ��ط�ول �
�غ ��ي�ر ه
ا� ع�ين��ى �م�ث�ي ��ل�ك �م� ���تر�ى � � ّ � �ل� ����ير� الا ���س�ل�ا �م��ك م م �� � ُ � ا �ف���ك ��م�ي�ل� �ك��ل ��م� � ي ح �ت ب���لي� ت� � ���ف�د �ى � �م��ق�ا �م��ك � � ا ن�� ت� �ل�ى �ي�ا ���ب�د ر ���س�ا �ل�ى �غ �ذ ق �م�ن ���ي� �� �ي ��و�م�ا � ار �م��ك � ��ص�د د �ل�الا �ي�ا �ر ����ش�ا � ا ����س�م� ا ��ل�� � ع��د ك���ل�ا �م��ك ع ب �ذ �ّ � � �ت �ب��د �ى �و �ل�ى ف��ك ��ع� ي � ي
94
٣٧،٢،٣
٣٨،٢،٣
ش ا ف ا � �ق ��ح�م ��ت�ي ��ل�ك �ي�ا �ر ���� �� �ر ����ث� ا ن� �ش����ئ ت� � � ��ج�مي���ل�ك م ك� ����ب�د �ى �م��ن�ه � ��جر� � يح � � ا ��ل � �ف� ا ��ص � �ح� � و� هو�ى ي�ه� � ي ح � � �وا �ن�ا �ل��ل� �ه � ��جر � ��صا �ل�ى � �ذ � � ا� �ل� ���ي� �ق� ��ط ����ع�م ا �ل�� �ل�ي� �ل�ى م � ا � �وا ��ى �م��ن�ه �ل� لا �و ج � ب ��ق � � �ت ا � � ا �ل � مو�ل�ى ���ع� �ل�ى � او ر ب ّ ���ص�ل �� ه�ي�ا �م�ى ا � �و� � �ض��ل�ى
94
Love and Marriage
Your passionate lover
3.2.37
Is bereaved of your acceptance. Would that I might have an understanding of what My censurers accuse me of. Sleeplessness has wasted my body And passion has been hard on me. I have no goal, no goal at all But you, you precious one, You enchanter of lovers With looks and glances. Blessed be the Creator, The guardian of your beauty. I would give my money, my soul, and My family as ransom for you. Your acceptance is dearer to me than Living a long life. Another
3.2.38
My eye sees none like you, Rashā,35 so have mercy on the one you have slain! All that is desired is your greeting, And then, should you wish, your favor. Everything about you’s charming— My liver’s wounded by it. My eye, faithful unto death, offers itself at your tomb as ransom— And the love that’s in it is true. You, O Moon, are toying with me, While I am seared by your avoidance. Any who’s once tasted your love Will never again taste sleep by night. O Rashā, who brushes me off out of coquetry (All the answer I got was, “No no!”), Speak to your slave And respect the Almighty! I give you my enslavement and abjection And my insane love, the origin of my going astray.
95
95
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
َ � ��ج �م�� ��ل� ت� �َم�ن �غ�� �ى � ا �م��ك ������ت��ل ��ا �ل�ه � � � ث � ل ر � ي ي ب �ى ب ير ر ى ُ ل� ن �ذَ َ � �ق ْ ن �ق � ض ْ � ت ش � ا ��� � ��ا ه � � � ��جرا � �ر�ع�ا �و�ل � ���و��ى ك�� � ا د �ع�ى ب �ذ � �ز � �ذ ا � ت � �ل�م ا � �ل ا �ر�ع�ى �ما �م��ك �و ��م� �م�ى �ل��س� ���تر�ع�ى ح� ن ت ظ ���� ن ن �ك�ن ���ص� ���ف� ْ�د ���نى ف����ك �ق�د ا � � ��س� � � ي ا � �ي�� �و� ل عِ ى ا� � ت���م ن �� � � � � ا ���س� �ل ا لله د �وا �م�ك �ف�ه�و ل�ى ا ���ش�ه�ى ى � ّ � ��ا ��م��لي���ك ا �ل � ح��س�ن ����طر ا �ي����عر��ض� ا �ل��م�م��ل�وك ا �مرا ي ُ ن � � ت �ذ ْ ُ � ا� ً ا ا د ��ع�ه �ي��و��م�ا ���غ�ل� �م��ك ا � �ل�ه ا � ��جر��ي� ك�ر � � ا� ا� ا ث م� ��ل�ى � او ��ل���ت�ف��ا ت� �� ن م���ك ��س�و�ل�ى ���ط� �ل �ب� �ل��ب� ب� �� �و ّ ا �ذ ن� � �ن ا �ق � � ��ص�� ا � حو�ل �م � ار �ى �ي ��و��م� �� او �م�ك � ارح � ب ن � � � ا ن���م�ا ���ب�د �ر �ى ����غ�ز ا �ل ��ف�ا �تِ ن��ى � �م��ه ا �ل��دلا �ل � ن ا �ذ � ا � ش ���ق� � �ح�ل�ا �ل �ي� ��ع� �و�ل�ى د �م�ل� �م��ك ا ���م�ا ا �ل�ع � ع
�غ ��ي�ر ه
�� ا � ا �ن � ت �س�ي��� ا �ل��ل��ق� �� ب ط�يب����ى �ي� �م �ل�ى �� ب ن �ف ش ش� � ت ح بو��ى �����ك�و�ى � �لو �ر �ث�ي��� ا � ��ى ������ � ا � �ذ � � �� ����س�ف� ا ��ل � هو�ى �ص�ع ب � ا ا �ل� � ��ج�م� �ل يو � ت ن �ن��ف� ا �ل�� ت ح�ا ��ل� ���� �� ا � ����س�ل �ع�ن � ع� ب � ى ي ع �ن � � ت ��ف �ذ ��ل � �صر� �ى �ى ا � �م ح�ا �ل ح��م�ل ا �ل� �ص�د �ود � ت � � � هود �ى � او �ش������غ�ا �ل ا �ل��ب�ا �ل ا د ���م��عى ����ش� �
96
٣٩،٢،٣
٤٠،٢،٣
� ��ن نت � �ن ش� ت� �وا �ل� � هو�ى �صيب����ى �م �ي ��و�م ا ������� ي � ا ن �ق ���ج��ف�ا � ��م�ا ��ه��ذ ا ا �ل � � ض� ب ي� � ص�وا � �ل� �� �� � �� ي � ت� ت ا � � � ا � ا ن � ا �ل�ع � �ه� �ب� �ل�د �ل� ل ����ش� ��ك ج� ب � ا� � ا � � ���� ت ق�� ���س� �ل�ى �ل�م ��ي��ف�د د � او وب ي � ا� � �م�ن �م����ط�ل ا �ل�و� � عود �ص�ا ر ج�����س��مى �ب� �ل �ن � � ��ل���� �م�ن ��م ح��د �ع � ك�� ح�م ا �ل� � هو�ى � ي ي س
96
Love and Marriage
Would that another might want you, That he might be eaten away by avoidance like me. I have grown tired of your abandonment—
3.2.39
Would that I might of my longing! I ever keep my pledge to you But you pay no heed to yours to me. If there is to be union, tell me when. In you alone I put my trust. I ask God that you may live long And that is my dearest wish. O King of All Beauty, The slave offers up a request— Call him one day your serving boy, If you should ever chance to think of him. Long have I stood waiting at your door— A glance from you is all I ask. He who one day sees your figure, Is lost thenceforth in love and grows thin. My full moon is indeed a gazelle, What captivates me in him is his coquetry. O you who reprove me, reproach me not! Verily, love is sanctioned by religion. Another
3.2.40
A tryst would be my physician, O you who’ve captured my heart, And love has been my fate, From the day I became intoxicated. In my grief ’s A complaint, should you take pity. O twin of the graceful tree trunk, Why all this scorn? O Yūsuf of Beauty, Love is hard. You lisp coquettishly when you speak. You’re a wonder to behold. Should you inquire of my state, Even your reproach would be of help, But if you continue to toy with me, That will be of no benefit as a cure. From bearing your rejections I have become as I am now. From the postponement of your promises, My body has been worn out. My tears are my witness, As is my preoccupation. There is no escape From the rule of love.
97
97
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
ح�ى �ل��م�ا ��ع�ا د ���ن �و��ع�ل�ا �ن�� او � �ق�د ر ���ثى ��ل�ى ا ��ل�ل�ا � ح�ى ى � � ّ � ��ض�ل�اّ �ز ا د ���ن ��ا ن � �ص��ا � �ز�ي� ا �ل�م�ل�اح ح�ى �� ى ي �و�ج� �ه�ك ا �ل� ب ت� �� � �ُ� م ْ ��� �ا �ت � �ا ه �ت��ل���ق ن � � � � ط��ي� ��� �ل�قن��ى �ف�د ا ه م �ر ب م ���ش � ى �ع �ذ � � � ���ا ه �ش�� ك� ا ك� ض�ن �ا ه �� ���ل�ك ا �ل��ب�د �ي�� ج����س�د �ى ا � �و�ل��ع ى ع � غ � � � ��و� �م�ن ي ج���د ك�� � ا �ج�د �ى ���ي�د �ر �ق� � � � ��ص��تى لي����س ي�ر ل�و�ع�د � ِ �ذ � ���ص ���غ� ت نا �ف���ك �و� �ح�د �ى ب���ع��ض� �ه� ا ا �ل� ��ص��ى ا �� � ي ��ص�د ا � �ل
�غ ��ي�ر ه
� ف ن � ��ا ��ف�ا ت� ا �ل � ��ج� ��و� ��م�ا ���ب�د ا �ل��ك ي ر ق � ن � ض� ب� ا �ل��ب�ا � ��م�ا ا ��م�ا �ل��ك � �وي�ا �� �� �� ي �ذّ ��غ�ز � �ضا ه �ي�ا �� ا �ل�ى ��ع� ب� ب���م�ا ت�ر�� ��ن � ���ص� � ن �م���ك �ي ��و��م�ا �ب�ا �ل�ى ا ���ع�م ب� ��و� ل ا َ ت� ف �ن �ذ � ��ع�ل� � � ��ج���و��ى �و�م�ا �ل�ى ن�� ب � م � ا ت� ّ ك �ن حق� �م ا �ولا � ��م� ح ب � ب�� � َ� � َ � طْو��ق �ل�م ��يب ��ق� �ل�ى ��ع��ل�ى ا �ل� ��ص�د �ود �� � � � � ا� ك ت � � ��و��ق � �ولي����س �ل�ى ا �ل�ى �� �سو � �ف �ف � � غ ��� ا ا� حر�م ت� ��طر��ى ��ى ا �ل��لي��ا �ل�ى ���م ض� ن ف ا �ض� �ص�د ك �ع��ى �ر�� �ي�ا ��ه�ل ����تر�ى �
98
ّ ا آ ��ن ���م�م� � د �ى ا ��ن���ع�م ��ا ��ل��ل���ق�ا ب � � �ت �� �ج�ه�د ا�لم��س ���ط��ي � ع � ن �ق �ا �م���ك ��و�ل �ل� �ح� ت �م���ك � � ن ��ص��ى ا �ن�ا ��م��ت�� ب ل�ى ٤١،٢،٣
� ش� � �ح��تى ج� ف� � ��و ت� �ع�ا �����قا �ج���م�ا �ل��ك ّ � �غ �ع�ن ���م� ر�م � �مو���م�ل �و� ��ص�ا �ل��ك � � � ش � �ة � �ذ � الا ا جل � ��ف�ا �����م�ا ��ت� ا �ل��ع� ا �ل � � � �ن � ا ����ع�م �� � طو�ل ا �ل�ع���مر �ر ب ��ى �ب�ا �ل��ك �� � �و��م�ا � �ل�ق��لب��ى �ع�ن �ه� او ك �ق��ل ب� ن �ق ة �ذ � د ��ع��ى ا � ��ّ�ب�ل ���مر� ا �ي�ا �ل��ك � � � � ن � �ذ ا ا ��ل ش ق �و�ع�ا �ل �صب� رى ع��ك �ه� � ���و�� � ��ل� ن ن � ع�ي��ى ا � ت�ر �ى ا �م��ث�ا �ل��ك �و ��ه�ل � َ � � تُ �ّ ن ض ض �و�ق�ل� ا �ر���ى ��ع�ل�ه ا � ي�ر���ى ت � �ق ���ف�م�ن �ب �� ��ت��ل�ى �ي�ا �ر ����شا ا ��ف��ى �ل��ك
98
Love and Marriage
My abuser took pity on me When he visited me on my sickbed And my keening rose high From what had oppressed me. Your morning-bright face Led me further astray. You most beautiful of the charmers, Grant me a meeting! Command what you will, You’ll find me obedient. You’ll find me his willing ransom, So far as I am able. My passion has been set ablaze By your amazing looks. My body has been emaciated By your saying no. Any who have experienced what I have, Will know my story. My only portion of you Is promises. Enough of this rejection, O source of my choking agony! By you alone Am I afflicted. Another
3.2.41
O lazy-lidded one, what came over you To give the cold shoulder to a lover of your beauty? O ben tree trunk, what made you turn From one besotted who hopes for union with you? Torture as you wish, my gazelle, Except with coldness (that thing that makes the reprovers gloat). May the Good Lord make my mind happy one day through union with you! May the Good Lord make your mind happy as long as you live! Why give me the cold shoulder, when I have done you no wrong, And my heart from your love has never turned? By Him who has granted you everything you want, Let me kiss, if but once, the hem of your robe! I have no more stamina to bear your rejection And this longing of mine has lost patience with you. I have no desire for any but you And will my eye ever behold your like? You deprived my eye of sleep by night And I said, “I am content, hoping that he will be too.” I wonder, is your rejection of me imposed upon you? But who, O Rashā, can have given you a ruling to kill me?
99
99
ن� ن نا � ت� �� ���ش�د��ك ا لله ا ��ل��ى ��ك�ف ا ��ل���ذ �ى ����ت ا ه �م�ن � ر �ي� �ى
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
� �� �سو�ل�ى ن� � حو�ل�ى �
� ا ��ك�ن ف � ا �و � ر�ي���ق� ب �ى �ي� ��ما �م�و�ل�ى �� �ذ ا ��� ��ش � ن ه � � ع�� ر ب� لعر � م�� �ح�ا �ل��ك �ي � ي
�غ ��ي�ر ه
� � �ت ��ا ���د � ق��� ��ل�ى �ه��ذ ا ا ل�ه � � ��جرا �ن � غ���و�ى ا �لي��ه يب ر ل ُْ � غ �ج���د ��ل�ى ب� ��و��ص�ل �ي�ا ����ص�ن ا �لب��ا �ن �ت��و� � ��جر ��ع��لي��ه ا �و آ �ّ �ف ف ا �� ّ �ق �ص� �ص�ا ر ��ى ب��� �ل�ي�ه �ص�د ا �ل�ا �ي��و��م�ا ���مر� ل � ك � �م�ا ا � �ل�� � ب َّ �ذ � ّ � ا ت�خ ش �ذ � ا هو ا ��م�ا ر �ب�ا لا ���ّي�ه �ل� ���� �ع� �ل� ���م�م�ن ا ����غ ار ك �ف� � � � ف ��ن�ع�م ت �ج �� �ن ا ��ل�� ن ا ا ��ن���ع� ��ا ��ل� ��ا �ذ ا ا ��ل ه��د ���ي�ه � �ب�ا �ل� � �و مبى ي ش �ّ �ف � � ف �� ت � ا � ا ���ج� � ط� ب� � طو��ه �ح�ا ��ل �� �و�ن ��ى ا �ل�� �� �ط�� ح� �ل� � � � � ل ى � ي �و� ب ي ى � �ق � ا �خ ت �م�ن ا �ل ا �ل��م�� لك��ه ���ف� ت� ا �ل� �ن�ا �م� ا ب���م�ا �� �� حو��ي� ��ص�ا �ل ي �ذ � � �ق �� � ا ن� ط��ه ت ���ب� ا ا �ل��دلا �ل � ر ب� ا � �س�ي��� �ع��د �� ب �و��م��ك را ��م� � ب ل�� ي � � �ذ � � � �ا ��ص�ا ��ل ��ل����س ت � �ترا� �ذ �ى ا �ل�� ��س � ج��ه ك���م ا ا �لمِ� ��ط�ا �ل �و �ل� � � و � ي ي م � ا� �ذ ا ا ��ل�� ا � �ل� �م��ن��هّ �ه��ذ �ى ا �� ف�ل��ع�ا ��ل ��ا ر بّ� ا ��ل ��خ� �ل �و ��غر م �ى ي ي ّ � � �ف ا ن�� ت� ا �ل��مرا د د �و ن� الا �ن�ا �م �ل�ا �ن��د ��ل��ك ��ى ا ��لب��ر��ي�ه � ََ � � حو�ر ���ي�ه ��ف�م�ا ����س��ع�ا د �ب��ي�ن ا � �لو���س�ا �م نا�� ت� �م��ل�ك ا �و ��
�� ه�� ا �� ن ا ل�ى � �ي�ا �ف�ا �ت ن��ى
ا �م
�غ ��ي�ر ه
� � �ي�ا ���ب�د �ر �ل�ى نا�� ت� ا �ل�من��ى � ّ � ا ت� � ��خ �� طر �ب�ا �ل��د �ل �ل�م�
100
ٌّ �ك� ���ل ج� ن�ى �و����ش�ا ج� ن�ى
100
٤٢،٢،٣
ا ��م�ن�يّ�ه ��ف ا ��ل�� ّ ن��ه �ى ي
ّ م���ك ا ��ل ض��� ا ��ل�ا ا �ن�ا �� ن ر ى � ا �ذ � �ج�ز ت� �ش���ز � ار ��ت ن�ظ �� �ر
٤٣،٢،٣
Love and Marriage
I implore you (and may God obtain for me my solace!) Be a companion to me, O hoped-for one! What you can see of my thinness is enough, May the Lord of the Throne protect you from such a thing! Another
3.2.42
O Moon, tell me, This abandonment of me, Were you seduced into it, Or is it your own wish? Grant me a tryst, O ben tree branch! You’ll be rewarded for it Or for the intention at least. All that is hoped for Is to see you one day For love has reached A state of tribulation. Fear no reprover Among those who have misled you. They are but commanders To injury. Grant me joy, May God grant you the same, You with the Flirtatious eyelids! I shall be made well, May you be ever well, For I suffer pains In the innermost recesses of my soul. You have risen above all mankind By virtue of what you possess Of tresses Like a princess’s. He desires, That slave whom you’ve taken prisoner With your coquetry, A close proximity. For how much longer this temporizing Without a lover’s union? It is not what’s desired, This way of behaving. These acts, O You of the Mole, O You Who Command Passion, Are death for me. You are the one desired Among all mankind. There is none who is your equal Among humanity. Where is Suʿād36 Among the beauteous? You are an angel Or a houri. Another
3.2.43
Come hither, Moon! You are my desire. All have garnered acceptance From you except for me. O you who bewitched me With your coyness as you strut, And distressed me As you passed with glance askance,
101
101
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
� � ح��ّد ا �ل�مَ��ن�ا ح�ي�ا الا ��ز �ه � او �� ت ��ق�د ����ش�ا ��قن�� � ن �م���ك الم � �س�ا ��قن��ى �و� �ج�د �ى ا �ل�ى � � ر ى � �ّ � � ن � � ن ض � ��ض�ا ��� ا �و �� ب �ى ك����ل��م� ا ا � �ل�ق�ا ك ��ع��ى ���م�عر� �ج�د ���م� ا �ل��ك�ن ج�����س��مى ا �مر� � ض ��ا �ذ ا ا ��ل��ل�م � � ا �ت �ض��ا �� � �م��غ ��م�ا ا ��ل����س�ت�ه ��ه��ذ ا ا ��ل�� ن ب ي ح�ت� �ملا � ب��د �ى ا �لر���ى ��صِ ل ر �ى آ � � �ذ � ن � � �ف ّ ت �� ا � � �ح�ا � �م�ن � ��ا ك ا ا ل �س�� � �م��د ح��س�ن ا � �ل ر �ي��د �� ب ص�� �ب�ه ا �م��س�ى ع� ي ك�م �ق�د ��ف��ت�ن � ب � ه��ا � ن ��ل��ل� �ع�����ظ� ��من�� ا �و�� ن ح��س�ن � او ��ل ش���� �ق� ���فى ق���ل�ب� �ي�ز ���د ا ن� ا �ل��ش�ج� ا ن�� ت� ا �ل � و ى ي م ى � ُ � ���ف �ذ ا ا ��ل�ع ش ����ّل��ف ت �ح��ت �ت���ف ��ل�ك�ن �ه ه�ا ت� ا ��ل� ��ف�ا � �ى � ���ق ��ت���بر� ا ج��ل ك� � � � ي�� ى � و و ى ى � يح � � ا � �� ض � �د ن �ع� ��ن �� ا �ل��م�ن �ف � ن �ف � ���ه�ل �م�� ��صى م��م� �ب�ه �ي�ق���ى ا �ل�ه�و�ى ا �و م��س���عى ��خ � �ل�ى ي �ل �ى ت � � � �ذ � ا �ن�ا �ه��� � ���د � �� �ا �ت ا ���س���م� ���م�ق��ا �ل ا �ل��ع�ا �ل �وا �ر ا � � �ي�ا ���ب�د �ر ل ل ل ق � � ك ى ل و �ج و ي � ى ع ع � �ن ح��ل� ا ج��ل ل���ط�ل�ا �م�ن � � ا ح�� ن ���ف��ق ت� ا �ل��م�ل�ا � �س��ا ���فف� ��ق� �ب�ا ��ل��ن�ا �ئ��ل � �ج�د �ب�ا � � � � ي �ف��ك �ي� � و ى
�غ ��ي�ر ه
٤٤،٢،٣
� �ذ � �ت � ت هو�ى � ار �ب��ك �ف�ل�ا � ���ف� � ا ا ا ���مر ا �ل� � �ح ح�ز �ولا �ت�����شغ���� ���ب�ه د ا ���ك ي�����س�م��ك ا ل � ل ب ّ ت تُ � ا ��ل�ع ش���ق �م�ن ��ا ��ب�ه � ��ع��ل�ل ت � �ب�ا �ك� ��وا ���ب�ه ا ��ي�� و ب� �� ُ� ��ع��م�ا ��ف��م�ا ��ق�د �ذ ��ق ت� �م�ن �ص�ا ��ه د ��ع�ا ���نى ��ل� ا �ذ �ق� ��ط م ب ّ ��ل�ه �م��دا �لا �ت��ل��ق �ه� ا ��ل�ع ش���ق ��ل�ه � �ح�د ا و � ب و �� ى � � � ظ � �ذ ق � ا ش �ج��ل��د � ا �ل��ع �����م�ا ��ق ا �ل���س�ه�دا �و����ب��ل ا �ل � � و ي �ي� ���ي� �ي��� ا �ل�ع� � �� ّ � ا �ن � �� �ى ��ق��لب�� ب���ه��ذ ا ا ��ل��د ��ل �وا � جل�ع � ب� ا �ي� �م �ق�د ك��و ى ا �ذ ا �ل�� �ت���س�ت � � �ن ش �ك� ��ل�ه ا ��ل��س��ق �م�ا ���م ع �ع�تب��ى ���ف�م ا �����و م
102
� �ل�ه �ب�ا �ب��ك ن� � ا ل��ه�م�ا و
102
Love and Marriage
Your blooming countenance Has filled me with longing And my love has led me To the point of death. Whene’er I encounter you Turning from me I feel my love growing But my body turns sick. O dark-lipped one, Till when will you show no consent? Reward one who loves you On whom you have imposed this emaciation. Glory to Him Who gave you this beauty unequaled! (How many an ardent lover has he enchanted Who has been brought low by his love!) You are the beauteous, And the longing in my heart increases, Grief has weakened us To the bone. I have paid the cost For this passion with the dire blows of love That you might grant me my request, But how unlikely is that fulfillment! Will not some friend, One who will see that I gain the rights That love has decreed, Help me attain my desire? O Moon, do not Listen to the reprover’s words But observe loyalty. Let it be enough that my ardor kills me! You exceed all people In beauty, so exceed them too in granting boons. Bestow wine From thy mouth, O you whose fruits are sweet! Another
3.2.44
If love’s ways confuse you, Don’t open to it your door. Don’t fill your days with it, Lest it impose on you grief and care. I came to passion without dissimulation And drank of its cups one after another. What I tasted of its bitter aloes Induced me to taste no other flavor. Passion has a point at which it starts But you will not find its end. It makes the suitor taste sleeplessness And wears through the skin and the bone. O you who have branded my heart With the fiery mark of this coquetry and pride, If you will not hear out my reproach, To whom can I complain of my disease?
103
103
��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
�م�ن ا ��ل ش ق � �ذ َ� ��ت��ن�ا ��هى ب �ى ا ��ل���ذ �ى ا � ���و�� ا �ل�� �ى ��ي� قِ� �د �ج�د � � �ك�ن � �� ��م�ا ���م�ع ��سل���م�ا ��ف�د�ت��ك ا ��ل �و� � او ج��ل ���س�د �ف�� � ي و ى رح ّ� ت � �ف ��ف �� تَ �� � ��ى �ج�ه �ر�ى �و��م��ل ك � �ل�ق�د ا ر�ط ��� ا �ل� �هو�ى ا �مر �ى �ح��ل��م�ا ��ف�ل�ا � او لله ��م�ا ا د � �ى ا ���س ���ا ن� ا �م � � ��حرا ك� ر ّ ن ت �م��� ���س��ت�����ش��ف �ف ا ن � ع��س�ى ا �و ��ع�ل ا � ������ش��ى �ع�� �ل�ي�ل� � ك ي �ى � �خ��ذ �م�ه�م�ا �ون�����يرا ن� ا �ل�ه�و�ى ��ت ������فط�� ����فق���ل ��ت �����ط�ف��ا �و� � ى ض�ن ا ا � ّ � � �� � ك �ي� ح ب ��ص�ر �ولا �ق��ل ب� ���غ�د ا ��م� � �ل�ه � ب �ص� ��ل�ا ن� �ُ����س��قَ � ����ف���ك ا �ل��م�ا � د ���م� ��ف���ك �� ن م�� ب ي �ى ب ي و ع ي
�ا غ � ��ط�ي�ر�ى �ل� ��ي�ر َ ْ � د �م��عى ��س ك � �� ب � ا �ن�ا ا �ل��ه�ا ����ئ�م � � ا �ش����ك�و ا � �لو�ج���دا
ا �� ��ص�ر ��م� ل�ى � ب � � غ ا ا �ل ه � � ار �ن ����ط��� � ج �ن � ا � ار ��ى ا � �ل�ب��ي�ن � ��ص�د د � او �م ا �ل�
�غ ��ي�ر ه
لا ا ��س��ل�و�ع ن��ه ��س�ا ��ع�ه ت ��و���قىلا � �خ�و �ب� � �ون�ا �ر �ش � � �ن � ّ � ع ح ب� ا �ل��س�و�ى �ص�ا �ئم ّ � ت�ز ��ص�د ا �و �ل�م ���� د الا � �وك� ��ي��ف� � �صب�ر �ى �ي�ا �ب��د �ر � � ا ش �ف � �ص� ا � �لول�ه�ا �ن �و�م� ي� �� ���ىا �ل� ب � ن ض�ن �ا � او ��ل � �ح��ي�ن �� ا � �� او ا �ل� ع � ��ل�م ��ي���ترك �ل��ل�م��ض � ن��ى �ج���د
104
٤٥،٢،٣
٤٦،٢،٣
ّ ��ا ا���ه� ا ��ل ��خ�ي�ر ��ه�ل�ا �ر�ع��ت�م�م�ن � ار ��ع�ه � ي ل � � �� � � � �ل��ل� �هو�ى ��ي ب��د �ى ا �ل���ط�ا ��ع�ه �ول�ى �ق�ل ب �� �ل�ي��ل� ��ق�ا ����ئ� لا ا �����فغ�� ف�ي��ه ��س�ا ��ع�ه ى ى م َ ن � ّ ت ا �ج� ��ع�ه ح�م�ع��ب�دا �ق�د � ��و�ع� ا �و� ف��ا �ر� � � � �ّ �ق �ن �ف �و�ذ ا ا �ل� �ه � طم�ا ��ع�ه ��جر ا �����ش��ى � � ���سى ا �ل ��� ّ �ن �ف �مث���ل ا ��ل���س��ل� او �ن ��ل�ك�ن � � ���سى �ن�زا ��ع�ه � � ش ���ق� ا �ل�ز�ي�ن �من��ى ��ف�و�ق� ا �ل�ا ��س����ط�ا ��ع�ه �و�ع � � نش � �ي�ن �� ف��ه ا ����ط�م�ا ��ع�ه �و�ل�� ا � �ل�ق�د �ي�������ى � ي
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Love and Marriage
It has made an end of me, what I experience Of longing that burns. My soul and body have been given to ransom you So be, for once, to me a peacemaker. You have gone to excess in cold-shouldering me
3.2.45
And put love in charge of my affair. And now, by God, I know not If it be magic or a dream That you might cure a sick man Who seeks his well-being from you And put out the fires of love. So say, “Be extinguished!” and take whatever you wish. The one whom you’ve made heartsick, O love, Is patient now and has no heart And tears are poured out for you So that their water may be irrigated with your mouth. Another
3.2.46
My bird! None other! I cannot do without him for an hour. O people of goodwill, Please scare off him who would scare it. My tears pour forth And the fire of my longing cannot be hidden. I have a heart That makes obeisance to love. I am the one mad with love, Going all day without the love of the wellproportioned, My night spent in waking, My eyes not closing for an hour. I complain of my devotion But you add only more rejection. Take pity on a slave Whose pains you have made diverse! I have no patience And how can I have patience, O moon, When this coldness Has hurt my greedy soul? Rejection has gone too far And nothing cures burning love Like forgetting But my soul is near to death. Separation has shown me The varieties of grief and demise And my passion for the beauteous one Is above my capacity to bear. Continued rejection Has reduced the wasted lover to indignity And grace of form Creates in him his desires.
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��ف ا ��ل� ش ع���ق � او ��ل ز � او �� ي� �� � ج
�غ ��ي�ر ه
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�� �ل �ل�� ���ت�د �م ���ل� ا �� ا �ل�� �ت���س�ت���م� ش ك ا ��ا ع ��� �و ي ب وي م و م ا �ن ��ف ل� ���ل ا ��ن م�كا �ي� �م �ى ا �ه�و�ى ي� �ولا د �ر �ى �� ب ح� �ى �ث �د � د � ��ا ��م � ا ك���ر ت� �م�ن � ��خ��ل��ف�ا �و� � عود �ى ��ص و ى ي �ن ش ا ��ن � ت � َ � �ل�م ت�ر �ل�ى ��ع� � هود �ى �و�ل�م ����س�ل �ع ���� �ى ع ن ن � � ض � ت � ا ��� ��ع��ى كب��ا ر �وك�� � �و�ص��ل� ا � ا ���عر� حر�ى ى ت � �ن ف � ا ا ��ن �� ا� ��ص� ا ر �م �ر ��ط �م� د�ه� �ى � �ل�ق�د ��ع�د �م� ل� ب ح�ّ�م��ل��ت ن ا ��ث���ق�الا � ����ط� ت � � ��عن��ى �ب�الا � � و ب ى ف ا � � ق ض�ن ��ن � � �ن �ا ��ق�ل �ل�ى ����ع� ا �و �ل� لا �� �ل � م���ط�ل ��د ا � �� ا �ى م � ا � �ن ا �� ��ا �����م��ف د ا �جل ���م�ا �ل �ي�ا ب��د ر ح��س � ر ي ح� ل�ى ّ ا ���ف ��ش�� ا ��ن �ذ �����شّ�م ّت � ب ��ى ��ع� ا ��ل�ى ا ��م� ��ك� ا � � �ج� �ى ى � �ا ح�ا ن� �م�ن ��ق�د ا ���ب�د ��ه��ذ ا الم ���س�� � ح�ي�ا ا �ل� �ر � � ب و � ع ع � ��ف �� ف � ا �� �� تّ ن ح��س ن � او ��ل � ����طرا ا �ود �ى ���طر��ك ل� ف��ا � � ع ن � � ه ا� ا� ا ن �ت � ا� ا� هو�ى �ه�وا ل ن � � � ���ض�نى ��ب� �ل� ��ب�د � � � ��ا ن � ا ��ن ن ا � تا ��م�ا ا � �خ�� �ر ه ا ����س� �ن الا �وك�� � ا �ل��ع� �ى نت �م��ا ��ا ا ا ن � �مولا �ى �ي� � �مولا �ي� �ي�ا ��م���ه�ى � ي ا ��ن ��ت ت�� �ذ ت �ن ا لا � �خ� �� �س او �ي� �و���س�ل��ى ب����ث� �ى
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Love and Marriage
Another
3.2.47
Did my tribulation not continue, You’d not be hearing my complaint And he’d not know my weeping place— He who abuses me in love. You have multiplied your rejections of me, You who fail to keep your promises to me. You have not observed your pledges to me And have not asked me how I fare. You turned from me in pride When to grant me union would have been proper. I have quite run out of patience From the excess of what has struck me. You loaded me with heavy burdens And were happy to think no more about me. Tell me “Yes!” or “No no!” For prevarication has worn me out. You of unique beauty, You full moon, make me well! You have given my censurers reasons to gloat. Have not my sufferings been enough? Glory to Him who created
3.2.48
This most marvelous visage And placed beauty in its entirety In your bewitching eye. Love is an abasement That makes bodies grow thin. No one would choose it Did he not suffer from it. My lord, O my lord! O object of my desire! Take unto you none but me And do not forget me for another!
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�� � � ا � �ل�ف��ص�ل ا �ل��ثا �ل ث� � � �ڡ ا �ل��ع�د �و �ى ي �ف ن �ا ق��د ��ت�ق��د � ���فى ا �ل�م�ق��ا �م��ة ا ��ل�ا �و ��ل�ى ا ن� �ع�د �و�ى ا ��ل ش��� ا � ش���� �م�ن �ع�د �و�ى ا ��خل ��ي�ر * � او � ا �ل� �ج�ر ب� ر ى م خ ا ف �� � فا ن � � �ذ ا ق ن ل � ا ا � �ص � �ن � � ح�دا �م �ج��ي�را ��ه * �و�ه� ا � �� ��ه �ل� �ي��ع�د ى ا � �صر�ج �مي��ع� ب��ل� �� يح� ��د �ي��ع�د �ى ا ��ه�ل ا �لم� ح ّ ض �ف � � � �ة � �ة ���ا ��ى ا �ل�ا �م ار ��ض� ا �ل�ع�ق���لي�� � او � �لق���لب��ي � * �و�ش���ا �ه�ده �ع��ل� �م�ا ق��ا � �لوه ا ن� �م�ع�� �ل � �ير�ى ا ��ي � م ى ى � ّ ق � ��ذ � � ��ا ��ل��� ت �ك��ثر�ة �م�ع�ا ش��� ��ت �ه� �و � خم ا �ل�صب��ي��ا ن� ��ل�� ط�ه�م ا �ي�ا �ه� �ترك �ع� ��و�ل�ه�م � �وي�ا �ف�ن را ��ي �ه�م * �وك�� �ل��ك � ر م م �ف � ��ث � ن �م�ن � خم ا �� ��� �ة ا ��ل ن�� �آ ف ا ن ق �ل � �ت �قّ � ��� ا � ��ت ت خ �نّ� ث� * � �ي�ت�� د � ن� �ع�ن � ط�� ع�هم� ا�لم��ك� ر و� �ج ر و �� لط� ��س� �� � �� �وب��ه�م ر� و ب آ �ة � � �ة ل� �خ ت ّ �ة ا �� ق � �ف �ت��ل�ك ا ��ل ش���ه�ا �م� � ا �ل����س�ا �ل� ا ���ث�� ا �م�ن ا �� ن��� حَ د �ي�ن �م�ن ا ��ل ن��ا م ل � � � �� ا � ك � � �د � � �ص * � ع � � ب ر ير س و � وب ب ِر ن � � � � � �ذ � ت ف ت ن ق ا ا � ن����س ا ��ل���ذ�ي�ن �ع�ا ش��� � ا ا �� � � �ل� ���س�� � ��ط��ا �عه �من�ه ا �� ا �ل ا �ئ� د � ا � ف�ل� ض ئ ���ا ���ل * رو ل ر� م ر� ب � � � � ل ر �ل و� � �ج �ى م م ج � ف ف �ا � ا � ة �ا ق �ا ق � �ة � ت �� ن � ا �ل�ص� �ه�ا �م���س ���ص�ا ر ا � ح� �ل� ح��د �ه� �ل� ��ي� ��و� �ع�ن ا�لم�ا �ئ��د� ا �ل� �و��د �م���س ح� ا �ل ��ى ا �ك��ل �م � م م ت ض � ا حن �غ �ذ � �ش ��ق ه �ز �ق �ز �ق �ة � �ت � ح��ا �� �م�ع�ه ا �ل�ى � ���س� * � او ا � �� جم ��ل��س� ا � ح�ى �ع��ل� ا � ح ح�د �� ي�� �و �� ��ع� � ل ر ى ج ع ن ا ل� �ذ ��ن �غ �ذ � � �ز � ق ا ا � ا � � � �ه� جم �و�ل�ه ��س��ك�و ى ا ى ا �ع� ر �و�ى * له� ب���ع�د �ل�ك �ب �� � ���ل��س * �ورب�م� � ��س�� � �ي��د �و�ى �م � � �أ � �ة � � � ا ف ن �ة �و�من��ه� �م�ن �ي��لب����س �ه��ذه ا �لن��ع�ا �ل ا �ل� �ر�ج� ي�� * � �و�ي ��ط� �ب��ه�ا �و��س�ا د �ت��ك �ه��ذه ا �ل�عر��ي�� * ا و� ب م �� ش � ��ف � �خ ة ش �س��ق � ه �م � � �ن�ز �ق َّ��عت ه � � ��� ف ت ط��ق �ي�ز ا � �ير��ى ����عره ك����عر ا�ل�م ار � � او �و�ل �و�م� ي�� � ر ب� ج��ل��س ي� ع ب �� و�ي �� رع �ى ا ف ���ل�� ���ي�ن ا خ�� ن �� ت �ن �ذ ض� � ن ا ت ن ا �ث �ن ْ َت �وا ��ه �و�م�ع� ر��ه ا �و ح �ر��ك �م� �ي����� ر �م هِ� ب��ِ ��ير ��ه * �و�م � �ج �ه�م �م ا ا �م�ه جم س ب �ذ � � � �ف �ة ف ن ن ت ف �غ �خ �غ��ي�ر�ه� �ورا �ى �ي��ه ا د ��ي ب���ي�ن �ي�����س�ا �ج��ل�ا � ا �و �ير � �و�ا � ا �ل ن�� ا و د ر ا �ل� �رب�� ا ��� ��ى ا �لت��ص���ي�ر * ي �ي م
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Chapter 3
Contagion
It has been stated previously, in the first maqāmah,37 that the contagion of
3.3.1
evil spreads more widely than that of good and that one man with mange may infect a whole city while a healthy man will infect none of his neighbors, and the same is true of disorders of the brain and the heart. The proof of this, as they claim, is that the brains of teachers of small children go soft and their judgment turns foolish because they spend too much time in their company and mix with them too much. The same goes for those who spend too much time mixing with women—their hearts grow soft and their natures effeminate and they are stripped of that audacity and courage that mark the more exasperated among us. I know many of my race who have lived among the Franks but have become no more refined in nature as a result of that contact, or it was their vices that they picked up, not their virtues. One such will not rise from the board without first wiping the plate he’s been eating from so clean that it needs no washing, or enter an assembly, without bowing to one of its sides and letting rip a fart, as loud as any donkey’s, that echoes round the chamber, which he will then try to atone for by saying “Scusi!” (meaning “Excuse me!”). Another will wear those special Frankish shoes and walk in them all over your special Arab cushions, or will wear his hair loose like a woman’s and the moment he takes his seat in the assembly pull off his hat and sit there sending the scurf flying over your lap. Another, if he finds himself in an assembly among his brethren, acquaintances, and others and notices two men of letters engaged in a contest or telling curious anecdotes, will start whistling, but a mongrel, off-key whistle that is neither honest-to-goodness Frankish— given that he won’t have lived among those people long enough to master
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3.3.2
ف � ��ي� ا �ل�ع�د �و�ى
َ � � َْ �ك�ن �خ ت�� ّل�ا �خ��ل�ا ��س �ا ا �ى �غ��ي�ر ا �ف ن�� ��م �ك�ن ��ت �ص�ف��ي�را ��م حْ ت� �و �ل�ا �عر�ى � حت�� * ا �ذ �ل� �ي�� �و��ل�� �ي ر ى ج ب م م ة � �ة ت ّ ت ن �ن �ق�د �ع�ا ش��� ا �� �لق �� � �م�د� ��ط� ���ل� � ح�ص��� �ه��ذ ا ا �� �ل��ف�نّ ا ج��ل � �ن��ه �م�ن � � � � ك م م �م� ي�م�د ���لي���ل * �و ��هم� ي يو ل ر وم �ذ ق �ف �ن ا �ت �ز ئ � ا ن �ظ � �ف �� ن � ر�ج���ل�ه ا ا ���ع�د ��ى �و�ج��ه �ج��لي����س�ه * �و�م � �ه�م �م �ي� �ي���ك ا � ار �و �ل� �ي�ب�رح� ��ي � �� ر ��ى �ك��ل ���ث�ي�ر ا ��ل�ا �ش��غ���ا ��ل �ج��ّ ا �ل�م�ص�ا ��ل � نه�ي��ه��ة ا ��ل�ى ��س�ا �عت��ه ا �ش���ا ر�ة ا ��ل�ى ا �ن�ه ك� � * �م� ا �ن�ه �ي��لب� ث� �ع ن��د ك م ح ع ا� ا ق ح � ت � ا �ت � � �ق ش ت ح�ت ا �ت ّ �ن � ن ا � � � ���فى ا لله �ير ك ��د ��م�ل� و��س� د �ك و�ل� �� �ير ك � �ه�و�م �م ا �ل��ع� ��س * و ى � �ف ن � فن ف ��ث� ة � * �ك�ا �ق�ا �� ا ��ا خ� �ف �� ك�� ���ا �ئ��ل ك���ي ر� ٣،٣،٣ � �م �ر ض� �� ش��� �لم�ن �ع�ا د �وه ��ى �مر ض� ���ه * �م� ا � �ل�ل�ا �ر�� �� ض� �م� ل �ل ج ع �ي م � ت �ف � � ن ن �غ ة �ا � ت �ن �� �ر * �من��ه�ا ا � �ه� �ير �و� ��ى ا ��س��ع�ا ر� ا�لمت��ا � او�لم�ا �ع�و� � او � ك ل��� ب� �و��ي�ر�ه�ا �ع�بي��ا * �ل� ��ت ن� ك م ع � �من ا ا �ن ه ا �ذ ا �ز ا ا � �د �ه �خ���ل �ا �� ه � ا ه �م ش���غ� � ا ح� ث� ���آ �ف�ل�ا �� �ع��ل �ع��ق � �ه �م�ن � � �ه� � ر ح� �م ي��ل ل� ور ي �ج و � ��و �ل� ر جع �ى ب �ي ّ حت � �ف� �غ �م�ن �ش��غ����ل�ه * �� ��ل � ���ده �مت���ف �غ��ا خ� ف �ف� �ق�� �ع ده �ع ن��ده �م�ا ق ن ت�ظ �� � �� � ب �ل �و و�ج و ر ��ي���ع�د �ي����� ره �ى �ي ر � ��ص � �ذ ض �ن �ك�ن � � ��را ر��� ا �و � ائ ته � � ح�ف��ا �ل� � ت���ل�ق ف���ه�ا �ل ���ق ا �ه�ا � � ف� �ه� �م��م�و� �ه�ا * ا م� * � او ا را ى �ع��ل�ى �م� ���د �� ك ي س م �ي � ي ر و�ي � م �ذ ���ا ن�� ت� �ز � � ت��ه �ق�د � ض� ت ���ا ن ��ل��ل�م�ز � �من ن �ه� �و��ل��د �م �ر �� ا �و ك� �ه�ا ا �ن�ه ا ا ك� و�ج ���ع� ا �و و �و�م � �ي �ض � ور � م ت � � ل��ل�ا � �في�م�ا ��ل�ا ���ط�ا �ئ�� � ت �م ض�� ت �ف� �ا ���ت �م � ض���ه � � �ق��ع�د �م� ا �ل�ز ا ئ� ��ل��ل��س� �ا � � ا �� ك� ح��ه * ل ر� � ل ي رك ر�ي� و�ي ع ر ل م و م � � ن ن �ن ش ح��د ��ه �ل�ا �ي��ت�ز �و�� ا �م ار �ة ا �ل�ا ب���ع�د ا ن� ا � �من�ه�ا ا ا � �ير �ه�ا �و��ي�ع�ا ���ر�ه�ا * � او � �ه�م ��يب ��و�� �سو� ج و � �آ م ا � � ا �� ن � ء � � � ه �� ن ا ��ت ه�نّ � � ا � ن ��ف �ذ � � �م� ّ�ة � ا ن� �� ا �� �ق �د * �و ب �� � و م� �ير و� �ى �ل�ك عر و ح�ط� �ط ي��د ى ل����س� و و ج � ر �ذ � � � ا ا � ()1 ل � ل ى ر �ج ل ْ � � � ا ضَ ْ � � �أ ش ��ي����ف�ن �و �ل�ا �ُم�زْ�و * �و �ل�ا ��ي�ق ��و�ل ا � ه ي�ا �تى ا �لر �ج �ل و�ي��ق���ع�د ح��د �� � او �ن�ه �لي����س �ع ن��د ��ه �و����ن (� )1و �ل� � م م آ ٍ كل ��ط�ع�ا �م�ه * �م�ع�ه وي�ا � � �ن ن � �� ��خ � ف ح����ق�ن ��ه�ا * � �من�ه�ا � ا �� ا � ت � ك ح��ه ا �عر��ى �م��د �ي��لك ك��ى ا �م ��ط �ي��ه ا �و � �لت���ك �ى و � ب� �ل�ص� � ب �خ � ا �َْ �مَ � ن �ت��س�ا �ه��له� �م� ا �ل�م� �� �لف���ي�ن �و� �ن ��ل ��ل ح�م��ل�ه� �م�ا ��ي � �ص�د ر �م��ه�م �م ا �ج� ��ه�ل � او � ��ط� �ح�م�ل ا �ل��س�ه�و �م ع و م ّ � ا �غ �ن ق ا � ف ا ن ش ف ا ت نت ن ث ا �ّ ا ��ل�ن� ��� � � ق حب ��� * ا �و ا �و ا �ل� � ار ب� * ��ل� ��ي ��ع���و� �م��ل� �ع��ل�ى �م �� �ل ��ل� � �� �م ر ج س و ش ف � �� ف� ن � ن ن ا � ا � �ز ن حب ��ق �و�ش� � � ن� � � �� حب ��ق ا �و ث�� � � �� حب ��ق� * � او �لم�ول ��و� ع��د �� �ل� ي ج � �و �و� �م ا �ل� ر ج ��س * ا �و �م � � م �ّ � � ي�ز �ة �ف �ذ ��ل��ك * � ���ف ك��ت� ح��د �م�ع�ا ر ���فى �م�ن ا ��ل��د �ي�ا ر ا ��ل ش����ا �مي���ة �ب�ا ��ل��لغ����ة ا �ل�ا �ن ك� ��ا ب� ا � �لف��ه ا � ٤،٣،٣ ���ل�� �ي� ��ى وى ح ا �� �ت��ل�ك ا ��ل�� �ا د � ا �خ�� �ا �ق ا �ه��له�ا * ���ع�د ا ن � � �صف �ع ��س�ا � ض �� ه ���ف د �م ش ق ا ��و ل ب ل و ل� � ح� ر ى � ب � و � ر ����
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Contagion
that noble art—nor authentic Arab. Another, on sitting down, will stretch out his legs, thrusting the soles of his feet toward the face of the person sitting with him.38 Another will come to pay you a visit and glance every little while at his watch to show that he’s an extremely busy man with lots of things to attend to, despite which he’ll stay with you until he sees you nodding off or sees you’ve gone and gotten your pillow and said, “May your sick friend get well!” as al-Akhfash did to those who visited him when he was ill. At the same time, there’s no denying that the Franks have numerous good
3.3.3
qualities. One is that they consider it shameful to borrow furniture, pots and pans, books, and other things. Another is that if a friend visits one of them and sees that he’s busy, he turns on his heel and goes back where he came from and doesn’t sit and wait for him to finish what he’s working on; indeed, even if he finds that he’s free, he spends as little time sitting with him as possible, and if he sees notebooks or papers on the table, doesn’t snatch them up so as to read them and discover their contents. Another is that if one of them who has a visitor has a sick child or his wife has just given birth or has fallen ill, he won’t leave the patient and sit with his visitor to exchange pointless courtesies and gossip. Another is that a Frank won’t marry a woman unless he has first seen her and kept her company and that they kiss women’s hands and the faces of their daughters and see no disgrace or disrespect in that. Also, no meal-scrounger,(1) sponger who attaches himself to invited guests, or guest who invites other guests exists among them and none of them says to his friend, “Lend me your handkerchief so I can blow my nose in it” or “Lend me your clyster
(1) [An awshan is] “A man who goes to a man, sits with him, and eats his food.”
syringe so I can give myself an enema.” Another is how easygoing they are on authors and how ready they are to put up with their ignorance and mistakes and attribute them to absent-mindedness or exoticism. They do not, for example, find fault with someone if he says, Fulān shamma l-narjisa wa-ḥabaq (“So-and-so smelled narcissi and farted”) or ḥabaqa wa-shamma l-narjis (“He farted and smelled narcissi”) or shamma fa-ḥabaq (“He smelled and farted”) or . . . thumma ḥabaq (“ . . . and then farted”),39 though our authors would not allow this. An acquaintance of mine from the Syrian lands once wrote a book in English about conditions there and the ways of their people. After first describing a wedding he had attended in Damascus, he stated that they had concluded the celebrations with a song he could still remember word for
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3.3.4
ف � ��ي� ا �ل�ع�د �و�ى
خ �ت � ن �ذ�� �ن ح � �ف�ه�ا * � �ق�د ا � ��ت ف�� ض� ا ا �غ �ة � �ي�ز � �ذ �� � ا و رى ���ل� �م ن��ه ا � ك�ر ا � �ه�م �م� او ا �ل�عر��س �ب� � �ن�ي � �ل�م �ل ا ك�را �ل�ه� ب�رو � ت � ا � � � غ �ة � �ذ ة �ذ � �ق ق �ة �ث �ة �ف �� �من�ه�ا ����ت���ي�ن � �ه�م�ا �� ر�ة * �و��هى ���فى ا ��ل ح� ي���� �م �ر ي�� ��ى ا �م ار � ا ك�ر � ب ي و �ي��ر�ج �م�ه� ا �ل�ى ا �ل�ل��� ا�لم� �ك�و ��ا لله ��ا ��ق� ��ه ��ز ا ��ل ت� ��م ن �س�ه� ا حا � � ب ي ب ر �ل � ن ا ف ق ��م�ا ا ن�� ت� �ي�ا �ب�ر ب���س�ت�ا � �و �ل� ���ل�ك
�ت غ �ذ ا �ل� ن ظ �� � �و���ه�ل ���ي�ر ا ك م�� �ر ا �لن�ض� ��ر � �ق � ��ف� ي ج��م� ف � ��ز �ف ك ��ي ع �ي��ك ا �ل �هر � او � �ل �مر
� � ا �غ ح��د �من ق � �� ف � ت �خ ّ � ئ � � ���ل��ي�ز � �و�م� �ذ ��ل��ك ف��ا ن� ا �ل�ا �ن ك� �ه�م �ب �� ��و�ل�ه ك�ي ��� ح�م��ل� او ر � او ��ي ��ه �ع��ل�ى ا �ل� � ار ب� �و�ل�م ي ��ط��ه ا � � ع ت ق ا �ة � � ن �خ � �ك�ن � � �ت �ذ � � �ة ق ف ا ا ي�ن ش ا � ي�م�� �ل� ��ه�ل ا �ل���� � ا �لم�و�ص�و��� ب���س�ل� �م� ا �ل� �و�� � او � � �س��� �م� ا �ل��ط�� ا ي �م� ا ا �ع ا ��سه م بع � و ر � �م � �ث � ��ك�ن � � �ة ���ا ن�� ت� � ا � ت��ه �ه��ذه ���ف ا ��ل��لغ����ة ا ��ل�ع �����ة � ���ل�غ� ت� �م��س�ا �م� ا �ه��له�ا �ب�ا �ل�م ار ��ى ا�لمب� ك� �� � � بر ي بو ى ع � �ي�� * �ول� ل�و ك ر و �ي شآ �آ ّ �ف � � ح��د �ه� �م�ا ����� ��ل�ع�ق��د � او �ع��لي��ه �جم ح��د �ه�م�ا �ع�ا �ّم�ى � او �ل�� �خ�ر �خ��ا ��صى ����فى ا �ل�ع�ا �ّم�ى ��ي�ق ��و�ل ا � ���ل��س��ي�ن ا � م � ��ت�ع �ن �ذ ق �ذ � فق � ا ه � ا �خ� � ��ث ه ��ف �خ � ت��ا � ا �ل�عر��س ا ���سم� �ع او �ي�ا �ن�ا ��س �و�ج� ب �� او �م � م �� لل � ح�� �� �ه� ا ا �ل ار �و�ى * �ي�� ��و�ل ي �ى ر ي �ى م �� �ا � �ز � ا ف� �ق �� �غ � ه � ا � ا �خ �� � � �غ ا �ل� �ر ا �ى � او لله �م �ر�ث ي��ه �ب��د �ل ا �ل� ن��ا �ع�مرك�� �ي�ا �ن�ا ��س ��س�م�عت�� او ك��ل ى د * ي� ��ول ��ي ر �ل� م م � ا � ث�آ � � ��ف �خ ت ا � � � �ق ة � فق � ا �� ق ش ا � غ� �ف حو�ل �و �ل�ا ��و� ا �ل�ا �ب�ا لله �م� �ل�ي����� �لم �� ����ل د �ى ا �ل� ا �ل �ر� ي ج��ع�ل�ه �ى � �� �م ا �ل�عر��س * �ي�� ��و�ل آ � � � ن ش غ ف � � ظ �� � � �خ ت ف �� �ن � �خ�ر� ���ل�ه ا ع ح��سب�� ن��ا ا لله �و��ن��ع ا �ل�وك�����ل ي�م��ك���� � � حهم� �م �م د �ى ا ��ه�ل ا �ل�عر��س ي��م� او �ر� � � م ي ّ ّ ح�ت ب���م ��ث��ه �و�م�ا � ت� ���ط��ر �و��ش * ف� ��ق �� ��ل �غ���ره ا لله �ع��ل د �ى ا ��ل ا �و�ى �ه� �مغ���ف��� �و ��ل�ا ��ج�م ن�� ن� � �ي ي � ي و ي ر و ل و ى ري �ى آ � ت � �ذ ��ذ � � � � �غ ف � ق �خ � � �ا �� � ا فا �ا ه ا �ل ه ��� � او � ك� ن ا �� ا � � � ل��ل� �م ا � �ل�� ر * �ي �� ��و�ل � �ر �ي�ك� ب� �ع��ل�ى ا �ل�� س ل�ك� ب� د ى �يو�م�ل ك�� �ب� �ب� � ج س � �غ آ � �آ ت � � �غ ��� �ي�ا ��س�ل�ا � د �ى � او لله ا �رب� �م�ا ��س�م�ع ت� ا ن� ا �ل ن��ا ��س ي���س��ع�م��ل� او ا �ل ن�� او � �ع�و��ض� ا �ل� ن��� � او �لب� ك� م ح ��ل��ض � � ق ف ا � � ا �ف �ة ا � �ك�ن � � � ف �غ ق ف ا ن � �ع�و��ض� ا �� ��� �ب��د �ل ا �لم�ص� � ح�ك � او �ل� �ص�� �ع��ل� ا � �ل � ح� �ب� �لي��د * �ي ����و�ل ��ي�ره �و�ل�� ا �ل�� ��س ع ى ّ ��ا ن ش ف� � ا � �د � �ق �� �� ه ا �ذ ا � ن �ن د � ��ل ا ��لّ�� �ق � ا ك��ت� ��ا ��ه � ح�م�ي�ر �و ��ل�ا �جم �ص ار ��ني��ا) �ه� و ح� �ي��ول ل� ( ك ��ا �ن��ي�ن �م�ا ك�� ��� ���ا � � � و ل�ى رو ي� ب � م �ذ ت ف � ��ا ن ا � ا ��ا خ�� ا تش ا � ا ا ن ت �وا �ج�� (ا �و ا ا ك�� � �م��س�ل�م� ا �و �م��س����س�ل�م�) �ي� ا ���د �ى ا ��ه�ل �ب�ل� د ك ��ي � ��ط�ي�ر � او � �وي������� �م� او ي آ ت �ف � � ث � �ف � ّ ف � �ق � ا ا �خ� ���س�� ن ا �ش ن ث � ����ي�ر ��م�ا ��ي ��ص ك� ح�ا � ا لله ح��� ا � ا �ل �ر�� �ع ن��د �ه�م ي��س��ع��م�ل ��ى ا �ل� �ع ار ��س * ي���ول �ل� ر ب � ض � � � ف � ن� �ن ف �خ ح��ك �ع��ل � ح�م�ا ر ���� ح�م�ي�ر �ي�ا ��ى �خ���ل� �ون�ا �م ن��ه * �ي ��ق��و�ل �غ��ي�ره �ل�ا ا �ل�ه ا �ل�ا ا لله ح ب� ��عر�� �ه�و � ى
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word and which he had kindly decided to translate into the aforementioned language. In fact, it was a funeral lament for a woman, of which I recall two verses, as follows:40 By God, O grave, have her charms been quite expunged, Her verdant features all undone? O grave, you are no garden or celestial sphere, So how can flower and moon in you be gathered as one? Despite this, the English put his account down to exoticism and none of them held him to account by asking, “How can the people of Damascus, who are described as being of sound taste and upright nature, conclude their nuptials with laments that make one weep?” Had he, however, given this version of his in Arabic and had it reached the ears of Arabic speakers, they would have convened two assemblies, one for the common people and another for the elite.41 At the one for the common people, someone would have said, “My my, a lament at the end of a wedding, brother? Listen, everyone, and wonder at what a clever transmitter of poetry42 he is!” The next would have said, “Yes, indeed! A lament instead of a song! Did you ever hear such a thing, good people?” Then someone else would have said, “Heavens to Betsy! Couldn’t the simpleton find anything better than a lament to put at the end of the wedding?” and another, “I find myself quite gobsmacked! Could anything be sillier than the wedding guests finishing off their party with a lament and not seeing any ill omen in that?” and a third, “God bless this transmitter’s pointy little head! Is he a fool or a madman to tell such lies to those people and fill his book with stuff and nonsense?” and yet another, “Good Lord! I swear this is the strangest thing I ever heard—people using lamentation in place of singing, weeping in place of laughter, and smacks to the back of the neck43 in place of handshakes.” Then, though, someone else would say, “But the ones who read his book must have been asses or lunatics! Wasn’t there anyone among them to tell him (if he was a Christian), ‘Khawājā!’ or (if he was a Muslim, or passing himself off as one), ‘Effendi! The people of your country follow omens and are quick to see evil portents. It’s not possible they’d use a lament at a wedding,’” and another, “Glory be! He’s a donkey and he’s made a fool of other donkeys. Brother, let’s forget about him,” and another, “Amazing! We’d love to know the whole story. Was he
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3.3.5
ف � ��ي� ا �ل�ع�د �و�ى
ّ �ّ آ ���ا ن� ك�� ا ��ل��س�ي�ر�ة ا �ي�ه ا ن� ك� ��ل�ا �م�ه د ا �ج���د �و �ل�ا �م�ز � * ف�ي ��ق��و��ل � �خ�ر �م�ز � ا �ز ا �ى ا ��ل��ل� �ه�و ���ط�ا ب���ع�ه ى ح ح �ف فق � �ز ���ف ك��ت� �س�ف� �و� ���ا ك�� ��ا ب� �ي�ن��ب��ا ��ى ا ��ل��د ك� ���ي�ن �و�م�ص�ّور �ع��لي��ه �ص�ور�ت�ه ب�� ي � ح�م�اي���ل � او را ر * �ي�� ��و�ل ى ع ّ � � ��ي�ز � � � ش �ف � �غ��ي�ره �ب ��ق��ا ��ن �ق��و��ل ا �ز ا �ى ��يب ����ق ا �ل�ا �ن ك� ���ل ����ى ي�� ت �ف� �س� ر�غ��ه ��ى � ��ل�� �ي ب��ل�ع� او �ك ح��ل�ق � ا �ل�غ� �� ا � ى �ه�م ري ب� ل��ل�ى ف ق � آ�خ � � ا ف ن ��ق �ل� � ا � اف �خ � ت � �ع ن��ده ��س��ف� ��ا �ز را ر �و� �ص�د � ا و ا ر �� * ح�م�اي���ل * �ي�� ��و�ل � �را ��� ظ�ن ا �ل� �ر�� ك���ل�ه� ��ي � ي ب م ج آ غ � ح�م�ا �ق�ه �م�ن �ف���ل�ه �م�ن ا ��ل ا �و�ى �و� ل��ل�ا � � او �خ�ره � � ف�ي��ق ��و��ل � �خ�ر �ي�ا �خ��ى د ا �ب�ا ب� � او ��س� ا �و��ل ا �� ك� ر م ع ف ا ا �ف ل� �خ ا ّ ّ � �غ �ذ � � �ن � ا �ن ت ق ا � � � �ف ا ن ت ت ن ا � � � ل � م ا � � ل � � � ا � � ا � � ٦،٣،٣ ا �ل��س�ا �م�ع��ي�ن * ا �ل�ى ��ي�ر �ل�ك �م �ل� ��� د و ع�� * � م� �ى ج �ل��س � �صى � � ظ� �خ � �ن �ف ا �� �ق �ة �ت �غ ف ف �ذ � ف �ن غ �� ل�� � �م�ن �ل��ك � او � ��طر * ��ا � �ه�م ��ي �ص�ور �و� �ه�ا ��ى �ص�ور �ت��ا �و�ى ض�ي � � ب���ل� �ي��ه �مب���ل���ا ا �ع ��� م آ آ � ف � �ع��ل�م �ة � ا � �ة ف ق ���ل�� �ق�ا �ئ�ل�ا * �م�ا ��ق� ��ل ا �م�ا � ا ��ل�ا د ��� * � �وت�ا �� ه���ة �ي��� ت ف� �س���تى ا �عظ ��� � الم ي�� و ج � � �وب� ��� � �ي ب �م ا د �ب� ء ج س و م ج ّ ت �ف � ا � ا ��ف � ف �ز � ن � ش ا ���س��ع � ن � ��ث ��ف �خ ت ا ا �ل� �لب�� * �ى �م�و�ل�� ع�م ا � ا ��ه�ل ا �ل���� �م ي �م�ل�و� ا�ل�م ار �ى �ى � �� �م ا �ع ار ��س�ه�م * ���ه�ل َ � ا � * ��ل�ا ��ت��ق ��� ��ل�ه �ش���ه�ا د�ة �ع ن��د �ن�ا �ع��ل �ذ ن��� � ��ت��ق ب��� ��ل�ه �ش���ه�ا د�ة ا �ْو ��ل�ا * ا ج��ل � ح�م�ا ر * � ب ب و � ل ل ى ب ن �� ن ة ت �ف آ آ ن ت � ا ��ق � �ة ف ا �خ خ � � � او � ��ا �ك��ل ����س �� �م�ن ك���ا �ب�ه �ع ن��د ا �ل� �ر�� �ب��د ��ي ن��ا ر * �ص�ور� ا ��س�� ت��� � �ر * �م� �و�ل ج بع ق ة � �ّ ّ ة � �ف �� ت ا ا �ذ ��ن ه ��ث �ة �ت ن ف ف � ن ن ش ي�ن ي�ن �ص����� * �و��د �و� ا �لم�و� �ل��� * ��ى �م�د ا د �ع�ى ا ��ه ���سم� ب� ك��ل�� ي�� �مر ي�� �������د �ع�م�د� ا �لم� ع ق �� ا ع ت ف �ف � �ف �خ � ف � �ز �م ���ط�ا ��ل�ع��ة ك��ت� � � � ه � � ��ا �ب�ه ا و� � ��ى � ت��ا �م �عر��س ��ى ا �ل ش����ا �م ا �ل ش��� �ر�� * ����ه�ل ��ي � �ص�د � ك�ل م� و ج �و �ي ن � ا �ف � � ا �ف � �ا � ّق �ا ث ��ل�ا * ا ج��ل �ص�د �� �و �ل� �ي��و� ��ق� ب��م�ا را ه ب���عي���ي��ه �ل� ��ى ا �ل��لي���ل �و �ل� ��ى ا �لن��ه�ا ر * �وا ب� * �ل� �ي � �� ت آآ � �ذ ���ا �ذ ���نى ا ���حل �س���ف ت��� � �خ�ر * �م�ا ��ق�و��ل �م�ن ك�� ���ا ��ن ت��ا ك� �و �ل�ا ب��م�ا ��س�م�ع�ه �ب�ا ��ني��ه � او ن� ك� ��ل�ا �م�ه �م�ا ر * ا � �ف ت ض � � فّ �ث � �ف �م�ز ��� ��ل�ل�ا ��ي �ه�ا � * �و�م�و��� � ��ل�ل�ا �ب��ه�ا � * ��ى ك� ���ا ��ت ب� ا �ود ��ى ك����ا ب� ا � �ل��ه ك����ي�را �م�ن ا �لر� او �ي�ا ت� يل م م ح ع � � �ذ � َ �ذ �ف � �ة �ة �ة �ز ّ ق ن ا ق � ت ا ا ح��ا ��ا � ا �ل� � ن��ا ��س � * � � � �ل ع� ��ى �ج �م��ل� �م� �� �ل�ه ا � ا ��ه�ل ( )1ا ��لهَ��ذ ا �ه��ذ ا �ل��ذ ��ن �ي ا �ل�ه� ا �ه� �ي� ( � )1او � ك� ي ي � و م ا �� ش ا � �� ن�� ش � ن ا �ل� ا ��ث ��ف �خ ي���ق��و �لو ن� �ل ك� ��ل �م��ن ر ا و ه � ت��ا � ا �ع ا ��سه� * �ف��ه ي �ح��م� ك��ت� ��ا �ب�ه ك� ����ل�ه � � ع � �� ل ل���� م ي ����د و� �مر �ى �ى � ل �ذ � ل ر �خ ن ى �ن م م �ه� ا �م����ه� ا و�م� �د ��م�ه� م م �ذ � �ة ���ذ ��ف �ق �ة �ك��ذ � ا �و ��ل�ا * ا ج��ل �ه� ا ا � � ض�ي � �م�ع��ل�و�م� �مث���ل �ه��ذه �� �وا ب� * �م�ن ك�� ب� �ى �� �� ل� ب ����ذ ن �ن ح��م ك��ت� ���ا �ذ ��ا ���ف ��س�ا ئ�ر ا �� �لق� ض� ا ا ف ا � ا �� � ��ا �ب�ه ك� ����ل�ه �ع��ل� ا � �ف�ا � ل�ك� ب� * حر�ى �ب�ه ا � �ي���كو� ك� ب ى ��� �ي� �� �ل� �ول�ى �ل ى
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serious or joking?” To this another would respond, “How could he have been joking? What he’d printed as a book was going to be sold in shops, with a picture of him on it holding a sword with tassels and buttons,” and another, “Which leads us to ask, ‘How could the English swallow everything vomited down their throats by a stranger holding a sword with tassels and buttons?’” and another, “I suspect that all Franks believe cock-and-bull stories,” and another, “Brother, that’s another story entirely! What all this business comes down to is a bit of foolishness from the transmitter and a bit of stupidity from his listeners”—and so on and so forth by way of criticism and faultfinding. In the elite assembly, however, the matter would have taken a more por-
3.3.6
tentous and dangerous turn. They would have looked at it from the perspective of the scholarly fatwa and the jurisprudential responsum. The most important man of letters at the gathering would have been asked to issue a ruling with the words, “What says the leader of the literati and crown of the illuminati of an author who has claimed that the people of Syria employ laments to conclude their nuptials? Should such a man be considered a credible witness, or not?” Responsum: “In our opinion, such a man shouldn’t be considered a credible witness regarding the tail of a hinny, even if every copy of his book were sold among the Franks for a golden guinea.” Another Form of Request for a Ruling: “What says the compilers’ resource and authors’ recourse of a man who claims that he heard with his own two ears a lament being sung at the conclusion of a wedding in Noble Syria? Are his words to be believed and is his book to be licensed for perusal or not?” Responsum: “He is not to be believed nor is anything he may have seen with his two eyes, by day or by night, nor may aught he has heard with his two ears, be they long as a donkey’s, be considered right.” Another Request for a Ruling: “What says he whose words banish delusion and bring clarity to confusion of a writer who has put into a book he has written numerous accounts that he claims are his own(1) and stories of bastard origins that he claims are authentic, and asserts, in everything he’s written, that the people of Syria chant laments at the conclusion of their nuptials? Should his entire book be judged on the basis of this lie, or not?” Responsum: “Anyone who lies about a matter as well-known as this is likely to lie about everything else, so it would be more appropriate to judge his whole book on the basis of that one lie.”
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(1) hadhāhidh [from which the author derives the adjective hadhāhidhiyyah (“[accounts] that he claims to be his own”)] are men who say of everyone they see that he belongs to them, or is one of their servants.
ف � ��ي� ا �ل�ع�د �و�ى
ّ �س��ف ت���آ �آ�خ� �م�ا ��ق �� ا �� ا ��لن��قّ��ا د * � � ح��ة �ذ � �ى ا ��ل �ش���ا د * ���ف �� ا ��ل�ف� ك��ت� ��ا ��ا � ا� ت� � ج ر و ى وج ر ر �ول ج �ل ل ب �ق ض ة � آ � ا آ � �ز آ ف �ث �ذ� ف �ن ك��ر �ي��ه ا �ن�ه �ي��عر�� ك����ي�را �م�ن ا �ل� �م �ر � او �ل�و ر� * � او � �ل�� ���ا � � او �ل�ع��ل�م�� * � او � �هم� �ن � ت ث �ذ� �ف ن ا خ� ن �خ ّ ن � ��ل�ه ا ��ص ل��ا ب� ا �ن�ه � ��� �م ا � ك�� �وا � * �� ك��ر ��ى �م�و ض� ح�ا ب� �و��ل�ا � * � او ���س�ا ب� �و � م ع ش � ا ��ف � �ة ح��ي�ن * � ا �ل�م�غ� � �ا �ت ���ا ن� �م�ز� ن��ا ��ا ��ل�ز �ه� � ا ��ل ��ا ���ق الم � � � � �� � ح س ك حض� و و ر و ر و �ي ب ن�ي ��ر �عر��س� �ى د �م �� ر ي غّ �ف ف ��ا ن �خ � �غ � ت��ا � �م�ا �� ن�� او �ب�ه �م �ر�ث���ة ق�ي���ل ت� ��ى ا �م ار �ة * ����ه�ل �ع��ل� �فر��ض� ك�� �� �ون�ه � او�لم� ن���ي�ن * �وك�� � ي ى م آ ���ا �ذ ��ا ��ف �ه��ذه �تش ف � ا � * �م�ا ������ ��ل�ه �م�ع ف�ت��ه ��ا ��ل� �ز � ���ف ��ت � ق غ ا ��ل ر ب و ر ى ك� ب �ى �ص�د ��ي���ه ب�����ي�ر�ه� * ا ج��و ب ع ف � ا آ �ف ش ق �ف � ا تش ف � � ا �ف �غ �ك��ا �ورد �ه�و �ب��ص�ا د �� ��ى �ه��ذه �و �ل� ��ى ��ي�ر�ه�ا �و �ل� ������� �ل�ه �م�عر�ت��ه �ب�ا �ل� �م �ر ��ى ����ى �م ع ��ل�ن ��ت ف� � ا �� ا � ا ا فّ ا ن� � � ه � ا � ه �� �ع �ف ا � ا �� ا ن � ا ���ن� ع لر �وى ل �� ك ح�ل�ت� ب� ��ن� �ي � ر� �ل� ي ع�� � � او �ل� �م ار �ف �ق � �ق � �ا ق � �ق � �ا ف �ا ا � ت ��ف آ آ�خ �� �س� ت��� � �ر * �م�ا ��و�ل �م�ن �ل� �ي��ع��ل�و ��و�ل �ع��ل�ى ��و�ل�ه * �و �ل� ��ي�� ��ط ع ا �مر ا �ل� �ب ����ص��ل�ه * ��ى ّ آ �ذ ُ آ ا ت �ف �� خ � ف ت� ��ا ��ا ض���م ن��ه �م�ا �س �ة �ن ا �ن ر ج���ل �ى ر � �و * �و��س ار � �وي�ل� � �م� ر�� �م ا �م� �م �و�م �ور� * ا � �ل� ك�� ب ا �ت�ز ف ّ ��ا ن �ن � �ة �ذ � �ق � ن ا آ �ف ا � � �ت� ن�� ش����د ���ي�ن � �س�م�ع�ه �و�م� ر� ه ��ى �ب�ل� ده * �وك�� � �م �ج �م��ل� �ل��ك ��و�ل�ه ا ��ه را �ى �عر�و��س� � و ب ة �ف ��عت ُ ئ ا � ا �خ ��ذ ��ف ا �ث �ة �ف � ا � * ��ل���� ت ت ��ل س� �ي��د ��ي �ه� �م �ر ي�� ��ى ا �م ار � * � ي ��ه�ل �ي ��م�د �ع��ل�ى ر � او ��ه �ب� �ل� �� �ى ر � او ��ي ��ه * ا ج��و ب � آ � ا �� ت �ز ّ �ف � ا �خ � ��ا �ع�ن �م�ي�ت�ه � � ّ � �ة �ن �ك��ا �ورد ح��ه * �م ا �لر� او �ي� �م ا �لر� �و * �و �ل� �ي ع��م�د �ع��ل�ى �ي�ه * ��ى ا �ل� ب ر و ي �ّ � � �ل�ن ��ت���فن��� ا �ل ار �و�ى ا �ل�ا ��فا ك � ح��ل�ي�ت�ه ع � � � �ف �ق � �ت ة �ا ا � ت ��ف آآ�خ ف �ص�د �ق�ه ا �جل�ع �� * �س� ت��� � �ر * �م�ا ��و�ل �ع�م�د� ا �ل� �ن�ا �م * �ع���ا �ع ن��ه ا�لم��ل�ك ا �ل�ع�ل�ا �م * ��ى ر ج���ل � � م �ذ � ت ا ���ل ا �م ا �ه� * � �و�ت��ق ّ �ع �� ن� �ن��س�ا �ئ��ه� ��ا ��لن �ظ� ��� ا ��ل�ى ��ل ��ل�ا �م�ه ���فى �ك� � � �وت�ا �خ��� ب� ك� ح�ي�ت�ه * �و��س ار � �و�ل� ��ه ر يو مب ر ر ي م ��ش �ت ه � ���ل��ق ت ه � �خ� �عت ه � ���ل�عت ه �ف� خ ���ل�ه�ن �خ���ل��ا * ��ا ��س �ه�ن �غ� ا �م�ا � � ي�ت � و ح��ل� �ه * �وك����ر� و�ج �� * و ر �� و�ج �� * ي ب � ب ر ي ر ّ ت � ق �خ ف � ا ا نا ا ش ا ا �ا ا �� ا �ن �ه�ن � او �ج�ع �ه�ن * �ب � ح�� * ا � �ل� ك��� �ب� ا �ود �ع�ه �م ا � ب�� ر ا ��ه�ل �ب�ل� ده ا �ى �ب�ل� د �� �م� ���� � � و ب
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� � �و �ل�ا ����سرا � �و��ل�ه ا ن� ��ف�ا ه ا �و ��س����طرا ي
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Contagion
Another Request for a Ruling: “What says the critic most eminent, of
3.3.7
people of good sense the referent, of a man who has written a book in which he states that he knows many emirs and ministers, judges and scholars, and says they are his friends and intimates, in-laws and brothers, and then states somewhere in the same book that he attended a wedding in Protected Damascus that was adorned with flowers and sweet-smelling bowers, songstresses and songsters, and that the last thing they sang there was a lament for a woman? Supposing this to be a lie, should the fact that he is acquainted with ministers argue for our believing him on other matters?” Responsum: “He is truthful in neither that nor other matters, and his acquaintance with emirs cannot be allowed to argue on his behalf for anything, as witness the verses that state No claim of acquaintance with notable or prince Can save the mendacious transmitter.” Another Request for a Ruling: “What says he over whose words no other
3.3.8
words can claim superiority and without whom no matter can be settled with authority of a man of aspect refined and pantaloons that are big both in front and behind who has written a book in which he included what he saw and heard in his own land, including his statement that he’s seen a bride being promenaded while a lament for a woman was chanted before her? Does his refinement of aspect provide a basis for the acceptance of his report?” Responsum: “Reporting has nothing to do with refinement of aspect and his clothing cannot be taken as a basis for information on either the dead or the living, as witness the verse that states: Not his finery, nor even his drawers, when he opes his mouth or pens a line, Can save the mendacious transmitter.” Another Request for a Ruling: “What says the reference of all humanity, may the All-Knowing King treat him with magnanimity, of a man believed and credited on every important matter by those of non-Arab race, a man who delights the eyes of their women as they gaze at the whiskers on his face, his pantaloons and gewgaws, his frowns and gaping smiles, his floppiness and hee-haws, who then clasps them in his claws and makes them through passion and love his cat’s-paws, a man who’s written a book about his (which is
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3.3.9
ف � ��ي� ا �ل�ع�د �و�ى
� ش ّ ا �ه�نّ � � ّ� ه�ن ��ف �ن �� � �ة �ذ � � ا �ن ه ش ��م �ف �ا � �ف ق ح� ي��ل�ا * �و�عر��س�ا �ج���لي��ل�ا * ��د و����ه� وع بر�� * �م �ج م�ل� �ل�ك � ����ه�د ح��ل �آ � ّ �ة ّ�ن � ا � ا �ن ا ا ���ز ا � ة � ا �� � ا ��ل ن ا ض ة ��� ا �� �لق��د ���ة * � ا �ل� ش � م����ا ر ب� ا �ل�ه�ن�ي � * �وه �� � �ز�ي ب� �ل� ��و ر ل هر� * و ل�وج � و ��ر� * � او�لم� �ك�ل ي �ف �ز ف ف � � �ش ف � � �ذ� �وه � اولم���م�و�م�ا ت� ا �ل�� ك��ي��ه * ���ل�م�ا ش���ر ��ى ��ا �� ا �ل�عر�و��س ا �ل�ى ب���ع��ل�ه�ا * � او ��س�ت ب�� ش���ر ت� ا �ل�وج�� ع � �� ّ ي�ن � �� � �� �ف�ت �ق�ف � ا � ا �ذ ا �� ن ش �ي�ن � � ن � �ق ف ت ت ش ي�ن ا � � � � � � � � � م م ا ا � � � �� م � ب � � ���ل�ه� * و بم������د و ����د � * و ط بر� و ط بر� � * و ��و ب� ي��د ى �ح � ��س ا �� � ن ش ن �ث �ة �� � � �ة ��ز ن ش ل � � � ا � �� �� � ا � ل ا � � � � � � ع � �� � � � �و�ه�ه� يم� ح � و ب ��و س * و���رع�و ي ����د و� مر�� ط�و ل� * ا �ل�عرو س * و�ع��ل�ى و ج � ي ي م ��ف ا �م ا �ة �ت ��ف� ت �م��ذ ��س�ن ��ي�ن �غ��� ق���ل�����ة * �ف��ه � �ص�د �ق � �ص�ف��ه * � � ش ف ������ ��ل�ه ف�ي��ه �خ���لب��ه ير ي ل �ى ر ��و ي� و � �ل �ي � � و ي ع � ا �خ ��ذ �ا ح�ز ��ه �من ح��ل�ف��ه * �و�ق�د ا �م�ه �و�خ���ل�ف��ه * ا ج��ل �ه� �و� �صر�ف�ه * � � �وا ب� * �ل� �ي ��و�� ا�� �و� �� ا �ل� �ع� �ج و ب �م م � ف ة ش ت قف � ���ا ن� ��ل�ه ا �خ���دا ن� �م�ن ا �جل�ع ��ل�ا �م�ه �ي�م�ا ا �ف��ترا ه * � او ن� ك� ب� ك� �ك��ا �ورد �� �ع��ل�ى �ع�د� ����ع ار � �����ا ه * �م م � � �ذ ��ل�ن ��تن ف���� ا �� ا � � 1ا ��اّ ف�ا �ش ����عت��ه �م�ن ا �ل�ا �عا �ج�� �ل�ا �ي��د ر �و ن� �م�ا �ه� را لر وى �ل ك ي م ع
��لت � ن ح�زّ� �ع��ل��ه * �ف�غ���ا ���ة �م�ا ا ش ا ��ل�ا � ا �ل�م� ��ل�ف� �ل�� � ض� ّ ا م� م �ي ��ر �ب� ��ه�ل �ب�ل� ده ����ي � �ي ��و ج� ب� ا �� ب ي ع ا � ك�� م و ي ض � �ت �ف قا � ف ن ن �� �� ��� ا �ل ش���� ���فى �غ��ي�ر ��م ح��ل�ه * �و�ل��ك�ن �ه��ذه �ع�ا د � �ه�م ��ى ��س��ه�م ا ل�ى �و�ع ى ��ي��� �ل �ي��ه ا ��ه � ب �ّ �ذ � ت � � �ذ�� ق � � � ��ا د ي���سل��� �من �ه� �م�و� �لف� * �و��ل�و ا ن� �ص�ا � ا �لت��ع ن�ي�� ت� ف��ل�ا �ي ك� ح ب� �ه� ا ا � ك�� ل��ا ب� ا�لم� �ك�ور ��ا �ل � م م �ل� � �ف � ن �آ � ّ�ن ا �ل� � ي�ز ن � � �خ�ز �ف ن خ ف ا � � ��ل�ل�ا�ن ك� ���ل�� ا � ا �لر�ج��ا �ل ��ى �ب�ل� ده �ي�لب����س�و� ا �ل�لي ��� � او �� �و��ص * � او �ل����س� ء �ي�ت�ز�ي �ب� � � � � � ط�ق���ة * � � ن �ظ� ��� ن � �ع �� ��ن ه�ن �م�غ��م ض ����ة * �و���س�م��ع�ن �ف� * � �وت� ك� � او �ل ش����ق � ���ل�م�ن � او ��ف� او �ه�ه�ن �م �� ب � � � و و � و ي ر ي �ي �ي ق ن ا �ة ��ف ��ل��ض �ذ ا �ة ��ف �� ظ �� �ن ة ف � او ا ��ن �ه�ن �م��س�د �ود� * �و ر��د � ��س� �ع� �ى ا � � �هر * ح�ى * � �و � �ص� ��س� �ع� �ى ا ل� � �ي ّ ّ آ ا �ف � ا �ة �ص * � ��س�ا �عت���ي�ن ا ��ل�ا ���ع�ا ���ف ا �ل�م��س�� � �ث��ل ث� ��س�ا �ع�ا ت� ا ��ل�ا �ثُ��لث��ا و ور���ع� ��ى ا �ل�ع� ر و بر ى �و��س� �ع� � ب �ف � �غ �ق � ّ �ذ � ت ق �ذ � �ق ��ى ا �ل��لي���ل * �ل�ع�د � او �ل��ك �م ن��ه ا � ار �ب�ا * �و�م�ن �ه� ا ا � �ل ب�ي���ل ا �ى �م�ن �ب�ي���ل ا ��س��را �� � � ن ��م ا ��ا ن ظ � ا ��ل�ا �ن��س�ا ن� �م��ذ ا �ّ � ش �ا ة � ش ا �ه�ا ر ا �لب��ص�ي�ر�ة ا �ى �ع�ل�ا �م��ة ا �لب� ك� ع����ي�ره د �و� �� ر� ا�لم���� ر ح� �م�ده ك�� � ا �� � م ا �ذ�� ��ف ��ت � � � � ق �ن ت ش ا �ن �ه�ا * ف��ا ��ن �ه�ا �ع�د �و�ى ��سر� ا �ل�ى � �ص� ر�ى ا�لم���ر�� �م ا �ل ا �ل �ه�ود �ع��ل� �م� ك�ر �ى ك��ب��ه� * ي� ي� ى م :1855 1ا �لروا �ى.
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Contagion
to say, our) country in which he has put all that may beguile the said women and please, allure them and their instincts tease, among said things being that he witnessed a noble nuptial and party well-attended, adorned with brilliant lights, glowing faces, tasty dishes, wholesome drinks, and plants sweetscented, and that, just as they set off to take the bride to her groom in procession and faces lit with anticipation at the impending opening of her lock, suddenly there appeared chanteurs and chanteuses, singers and songstresses the bride’s way to block, on their faces the lineaments of mourning austere, and launched into a long lament, for a woman who’d been dead for many a year? Should his description be allowed to pass the test and should his clasping of the non-Arabs to his breast, his lusting after them like a bitch in heat, his partisanship of them and throwing of himself in sworn alliance at their feet, his anterior and his posterior,44 be allowed to put in a good word for him?” Responsum: “No credence can be given his words when they’re fake, even if he has as many non-Arab cronies as he has hairs on his nape, as witness the verse that states No partisans among the non-Arabs, who know not what drivel he spouts, Can save the mendacious transmitter.” All this is despite the fact that the author’s words contain nothing so injurious to his countrymen that it calls for any to take sides against him, for the worst that can be said of him is that he attributed to them an inappropriate act. Such, however, is their custom in faultfinding and scarce an author escapes their attentions. If, on the other hand, the writer of the book in question were to tell the
3.3.10
English that the men in his country wore palm fiber and fronds while the women adorned themselves with bits of earthenware and potsherds, could speak with their mouths closed, see with their eyes shut, and hear with their ears stopped, that they slept for an hour in the middle of the morning, half an hour at noon, an hour and a quarter in the afternoon, one and three quarter hours in the evening, and two hours and forty minutes at night, they would accept it from him as an example of exoticism. To this category (that is, of a person’s adopting the blameworthy rather than the praiseworthy characteristics of his fellows) belonged the display of the “bloody proof,” meaning the evidence of virginity mentioned above, for it is a contagion that has spread to the Christians of the Levant from the Jews,
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3.3.11
ف � ��ي� ا �ل�ع�د �و�ى
ن � �ذ � � �� ا � ض���ا �ف� ض ا ئ ���ث�� �ة �ع ��ف� ا ��ه�ا �م�ن �ق�د �� ا ��ل�ز �م�ا ن� ا ��ل� ا ��ل�ا ن� * �من�ه�ا �م� ا � �ل�ه� ا ا �ج�ل ي �ل �ي � � ى � ��� ���ل ك� ي ر ر و ب � يم ع �� �� � �ا � ��ا �� � ف �ة � ��ف ف �ة �� � �� ف �ة � � ا �� � �ف ا ��خ �ت � ا ت ل ل ل � � ب ا � ا � � � ا � � � ا ا ا � ا � � � � � ل � م � ط��� ك� ل�ص�ي ر ي�� �ه� ج م �ل� م�و ل و ج � �و هر و ع� �ط� �ه�م حر� در ي��� ل ي �ي � م ع �ن � ا � ت �ت �ذ � ق � ن ق � �ق �ص� �غ� �م�ا �ه�و ��دي�� �م ا �ل�ث�ي � ب� ح�ى �ي�ا ��ى �ج���د�ي��د ا * �و�م�ن �ل��ك � او �ل����د � او � �ل ر��ض� * �و� ب م ن � ف � ا �ت � ن ن �ّ ��ف �ف ���ا ب� ح��ا �� ا �ل�ى ا � ��ي ت���ك ي�ه� �م�ن �����سه � حي� ث� ا � ا �ل�غ� ر�� ب� �� ��ض �ه� ب���ع ض� ح ب� ب���ع� �� �ج � �م �ل ي ج ي م م �ف � � � � �ا خ ف ن �م�ا ��ى ا �ي��د �ى ا �ل ن��ا ��س �م�م�ن �� �س او ��ه * �و �ل� ي��ا �� ا � �ي��ع�و�زه ا�لم�ا �ل �و�ه�و �ب��ي�ن ظ ���ه ا ��ن �ه � ر ي� �م م ��ف ت ق ّ ت ا ��ل ��ذ � ن َ�خ � � ا ��ف � �ع ض ���ه ��ل�ل�ا �ج��ا ن��� * ب��� �ي����ل�ق ���فى �ك� � � � � � ا � � � � ك � ���ل ب���ل��د ي��� ��و� �ب� ج�� � * � � ل � ط � � ب و ور ي �ي و ي ر ِ ب ل ى ح � ً �ن�ز � ه � ن ف � غ �ة ّ ن �ا ن �ه�ا ا ��ن �ه� �ق�د ا � �ل� �وك ���ا � �ي��ه ا �ن�ا ��س �م�ن �ج�ي���ل�ه ا �ه�ل�ا �و� �ك�ن �ص��ط���ل� حوا �ع��ل�ى �ل��� �ي��عب��ر �و� �س�� * �و�م � م �ن �ق � �� ا � � �ن � ا ��ل � ا ش �ة �خ � ا ف ق ي�ن � � ص �ب��ه�ا �ع�م�ا ي �طر ب��ب�� �ل�ه� م ا �لم�ص� � � ا�لم�ع� ����ي � * �و �ل� �ر�� �ب�� ��ي �ه�ود �ى �م ا ى م ح ق � ا ت � ا � ش �ق ��ف � ا �خ ا �ق � ا �� � �ا �ف آ�خ �خ � �غ � � � � ا � ا ا ا ا ا � � � � � ا�لم� رب� � �و �ر�م�ن ا ���ص�ى �لم���ر� �ى ا �ل� �ل � و �ل� ط�و ر و لع� د � و لر ى * ب ل � � � �غ ّ ي�ن ف ا � ا ّ �ص ا ���ن ا �ل� ش �ن ا فا ن �ن م���ر���قى ا �ذ ا �ق�د � ا ��ل�ى �ب�ل�ا د ا �لن��ص�ا ر�ى ا �ل� ر����� �� �و�ل �م� ي� حي �� �ون�ه ا �ل��ص� ر�ى �� � ا �ل�� ر ى بي م �ذ ن �ؤ ت � �ق � � �� ث� ا �ذ ا ا � ت � ّ �ت � ��ع�ا � ح��ا � ا �ل �م��� ت ا � ��ط �ع��د ر � ��ي � �ه�م �ل�ه ��و�ل�ه�م �ه� ا ��ي �ه�ود �ى ا �و ر ك�ى * �م �ه�و �ج �ى ب ي � و م غ � � ا ن ا ��ل �� �ف ا �ن ه �ه ن ا ��ف � ض � � ا �ن ف� ه � � ا �� �ل� ��ور ي�� و �ل� �م�ن �ع ن��د ��ه ا ب���ل� ��وه ا �ل�ى ر�ئ�ي����س دي��و � ب ��ول��ي��س ��ص� � �� ك �ى م�و� م ع ّ � � � �ذ ق � �ة �ة ض ض ق ف ق � ق � �ه� او ا ��ل�ى ا ن� ��ي�����ى �ع��لي��ه ا � �ل��ا ���ى * �مك�ا �ج�ر�ى �ه��ذه ا �ل��س�ن � �ع��ل� ا �م�ي�ر ا � �ل���� ا �ل�� � ��د � ى ى م آ � �غ � �ق � �ف ن � ّ �م�ن د �ير ا � �ل �مر ا �ل�ى �ب�ا ري���س * � او � �ي��ك�ن �م�و��س ار �و�ج��� ء �ب�ل�ا د ��ه �ل��لت�� ر�� �ع��ل� ي�ه�ا � ب��ن �ه �من��هم� م ج �م�ن �غ����ن � �خ���د �ع�ه �م�ن �خ���د � ��س �ق�ه �م�ن ��س �ق � �ق�ا �م ه �م�ن ��ق�م � ت �� ا ��ل� � ��� ن ط��ه ح�ى �ير ج� ى و ب و ر ر� و ر ع و ر ع � � ق � ف �� �ن ت �ت �ف � ف �من�ت ��و�ف�ا �م��س��ل�و�خ��ا * �ف ك ��ي��� �ترك� ت� � �ص�ا ر�ى ا �ل ش���ر�� �ج��مي�� �ه��ذه ا �ل�ص���ا ت� ا �ل��ى ا � �ص� ت� ع � � �ة �� ت � ا ت ا ��تّ ن ا � ا � غ ّ �ة �� ��ه�ا ا ��ل�ه� د � ��ت�ع��ل�م� ا �من ت � � ���خل ل � ا � � ا � ا � ل ع �ص� و ح��س�د * �ه� �ل� �� ب � ي� و و و � �ه�م ��لك ا �ص�ل� ا ل ��ى �ل� ��ي �� �ى � �ذ �ف��ه� ���س��غ ��ل��لغ��ن�� ���ف �م��ذ �ه� �م�ن ا �ل�م��ذ ا �ه� ا ن� ��ا �خ��� د �ن�ا �ن�� ه ���ف ���د ��ه � � ��ع ث� ��ه�ا ى ى ب� �ل ي و ي ر ى ي ي �يو ب ي ب ب � � �ف �� ن ه � ا �� � � � ن ا �ق ض �ة ا � �ة �� ش �����ع�ا ن� ا ن� ���ل�ّو� ��ى �ع��ي�ن ا � ف�ل��ق��ي�ر ا �ل�ص�ع��ل�وك � �ه� ار � ح� �ل� ك�� �و� �ل� يم�لك م � ��� * ا �و �ل�ل ب يح � ا �ف � �ة ن ���ث ���د �ت�ه ��ل���ل�ا �ئ�� � ا ف ا ن ق � ت ن �ذ � � ط�ي���عى � او ن� ا �ل�ع�ل�ا �م� ا ��م�ا ا �ير �ه� ��ى ج ع ا �ل�ل� �ه��س * �� � ��ل� ا � �ل�ك ا �مر ��ب ب ري ّ � � ق � ���ا ن�� ت �ه��ذه ا ��ل�ع�ا د�ة �� �ة �� � غ ا � � ت�ز ل��ا �ن ا �ه�ا � ن� �ف�ل�ا �و�ج��ه �ل���ل ح��س�د * ���ل ت� �ل�و ك� � ط�ي��عي�� � �ك�ن ر ب ا �ل��� �ل ب� ا�لم�� �و ج��و
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Contagion
following the precepts stated in their books. Despite this, the latter race has many virtues for which it has been known from time immemorial until now. Among these is their knowledge of how to amass money and gems and their practice of such refined and gentle professions as money changing, coin testing, moneylending, and the dyeing of old clothes to look like new. Another is that they love one another so much that the stranger among them who belongs to their race never has to ask for alms from anyone else and never needs fear indigence or that he will end up eating roots so long as he is in their care, or that he will have to become a flatterer and prostitute his honor to outsiders. On the contrary, he finds a warm welcome in any land in which he may take up residence and in which his people are to be found. Among their virtues too is that they have come up with a language45 that they use to express anything that may cross their minds in the realm of daily affairs, and that there is no difference between a Jew from the furthest west and another from the further east46 in morals, conditions, customs, or opinion. In this they differ from the Christians, for if an oriental Christian goes to a
3.3.12
land of the occidental Christians, the first greeting he’ll meet with from them after they set eyes on him will be, “He’s a Jew”or “a Turk.” Furthermore, if he needs a place to stay or some food from them, they’ll hand him over to the head of the police station, who will hold him in a place without light or air until the judge can decide what to do with him—as happened this year to the emir of al-Quffah,47 who came from Dayr al-Qamar to Paris: though well provided for and visiting their country simply for the pleasure of observing them, he was cheated by some, tricked by others, robbed by a third set, and lost the shirt off his back at cards to a fourth, so that he returned to his country plucked and flayed. How, in this case,48 did the Christians of the east come to abandon all these good qualities that characterize the Jews, only to acquire from them the one trait that brings with it only grief and envy? Is it acceptable for the rich man of any sect to take his gold coins in his hands and toy with them before the eyes of the homeless pauper when the latter doesn’t own a fingernail clipping? Or for the well-fed to wave his bowl of pottage in the face of the man ravaged by hunger? If you say that this display is natural and for the most part the only people who see it are already married, so no envy is involved, I reply that if the custom were natural, we’d find that all nations practice it, but in fact the Franks to whom we have been referring, who are
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3.3.13
ف � ��ي� ا �ل�ع�د �و�ى
�م ت �ة � ا �ف � � � �آ � ا ف ن � �ذ�ي�ن ��ث ��س��ع�م��ل��ة �ع ن��د �ج��م�� � ا � ط�ي��عي��ا ت� � ا �ل�� ��هم ا ك���ر د را �ي� �و�ع�ل�م� ��ى ا �ل��ب ع ا �ل� م�م * �و�ه�و �ل� ا �ل� �رج� ي �ف نّ ن �م ت ا �ف �ا � ا ت �ن ��س��ع�م��له�ا � � �ق �� ��ل� ن� ا ن� ا ��ل�ُ �ْ�ق � ن �غ � ا �ل� ي���س��ع�م��ل�و� �ه�ا * �ل� ب���ل ��ي� ��د �و� ع ر �ي��ك�و� ��ا �لب�� ��سب��ب�� ��ى � و�ي و و �ُ � ا � ّ ا � ا ن ش � �ة �ق ق ت ��ف عْ�ق ( � * )1ا ن� ا ��ل�ع � �� �من ا � ُ قْ ا ت �آ ا ل ا �ة � �� ���و �� �ه� ا �و�ل �م� يح��س �ب� �ل� � � و و � س ط� �د ع��د � �ى ( )1ل�ع����ر ����س����بر �مر ر ا �ل� ر م ُ ن ظَ �غ �ر ا ��ير ب� ك� �ل������� ا � ك� �ر * �عن �ق ه � ا �خ����ذ � � �� ه � �� �ت�ز �� � ا ��ف �ن ا � �ة � ا � � ه ف� ا ا � � �ن �خ ���لق ا لله ي ر ب م ي�ه� �صر � ح�� �ل� �ي ب � ��� ي� عرو س� و�يع� ل ب��ه� �ى � ي ح�د �م �� � ش ح��س�د * ا �ل�م� ج�� ��ل��لن�غ���� � او � ك� ��م�ا ��ن ���ة ��ل�ا ��س��ا � ا ��ل ��م�د * �ف�ل�ا �ير �و ن� ا ن� ��س �ور ����خ� � ل� � � � ج ب ب ب و ر ب ص ص ن� ا ق � ت � ا ن ش � �ة � ا ن ق ة ��ز � ن � ��ت ن ّ �ة ا ��ف � ن �ن ح�ز � �ج��م�ا �ع� * � او �م� ��ل� ا �ل� � � �ي���كو� ��سب��ب�� �ى ���و ��ط� �ل� � �ع���د� ا �ل � او�ج �ع��د �هم ��ح�ل � ف ���ث�� �ة * �ف�ا �م�ا ��ق �� � ا ن ا ��ل�ع� �ا �م��ة ا ن��م�ا ا ا � ت�ز ��ا � ا � ن� �ف�ل�ا �و�ج��ه �ل���ل ١٤،٣،٣ �ول�ك � ل �س�� ب� ك� ي ر ح��س�د ���ه�و �ير �ه� ا�لم�� �و ج��و ب ب �ذ � � � � � � � �ة �ة � �ق ة ا �خ غ ��ل� �ا ح�ا �و�ل ا�لم���ا �ل��ط� � او �لت��ور�� ب� � او �لم��ؤ ا ر�� * ا �و �ه�و �و �ل� �م� او ��� � ��م�ا ا � � ك�� ك�� ��ل�ا � �م�ن � ب ي ب �ول م م � آ � ّ � ّت � � ُ � ��ف �ف �غ� �من �م�ن �ل�ا �ب��ص�ي�ر�ة ��ل�ه �و �ل�ا �خ�ب�ْ�ر * ف���ق��د ا �ج��م� ا �ل�ع��ل�م�� ك� �ه� � او�لم�ق���ر � او�لمت���ك ����ل�ه� ا�لم�بت���ل �� � م ّ م � ع � � ش �ّ � غ � ّت � ن �ذ � ان �س ن � �ن ف � � م� ا � �ل ه ك ا � � �ل � ا � � � � م��� � � او�لم�ع��ر � او �ل�ع �ر�ا � �و �و ا �لر�ع�ا ب��ي���ل � اولم�� ج�� �و� � او �ل ب �ل و ك�و و�مر �م �� * �ع��ل�ى � ي � � �� ن ا ن �ظ�ن ن �غ � ��ف �ذ ن � � �ت�ز ّ � ض ق �ن �ز �� �� �ع�ي�ن �ا ��ا �ل � ح��س�د �م ا �ل�ع ب� * �و �ل��ك ا � �ك��ل ا ���س� � ��ي ��� ا � ��ي ره �ى ب ا�لم� �و�ج ا � ي � ن ا � ا �ف ا ف ّ � ا �ف � ��ا ن ت ��ل � �ة �ف ن ق �� حر�ت��ه ا ��س�ع�د �م��ه � �را �ل� ��ى �و�ج��ه ا ��س�ع�د ��ي ت��ه د �و� ا �ش��� �� �و ت��ه * �و�لم�ا ك�� ��� ي��ل� ح� �ل� �ل� ��ي�� ك �ي آ �ك�ن ا �� �� خ �ك���ة � ��ل ��ا ��ل�ع � �� �م�ن ا ��ل��ل��ا ��ل� ا ��ل�غ� � � ا ن� �ت ���ا ن�� ت� � ظم ���� نّ���ة ��ل�ا ن� �ت� ن�� ش���� ا ��ل � � � � � � ل� ح��س�د � ح ك و ا �ل�د ��و ب رو س ى يى ر �ف � �ف ن �خ ا ن ت �ذ�� � ا �ق �خ �ص�د ر ا ��ل �ه�ا * �و��ى ا�لمث���ل �و�م�ا �ي���ب�ئ���ك �مث���ل � ب��ي�ر * ��ى � � ب��ي�ر �ب��ه� د �و� ��� ك��ي�ر �لم� �ي��ع� ب � ت � �ذ �ن ا � ��ق ّ � ا �ف�خ � ض ة ا �� ْ� � � � ا ��ل� فع� ��و �م�ن ا �ج��ل � ن��ا ب� ا �ل�ا ك� ��ر� * �لم ر ا �ل� � * ح �صِ �ي ر ا �ل ��ر� ل ١٥،٣،٣ م��ر� * �ه� ا � او ��ى ا ��س�ي�م� ك � � م م م ح � � �ت �ذ � �ع�م�ا ا ���د ا ن ا ��س�ا ��ل�ه �ع ن��ه �ع� � ��ه ا ��ل�ا � ت �س��ف��ا د�ة �ل�ا ا �ل�ا ��ن ت��ق��ا د �ف�ا ��ق�و�ل * �م�ن ا �ي�ن ��عل��� �ي�ا ا ري � �ل�ى و�ج م َ َ � � ة ن ت � � �ذ � ة �ن ة ت �خ �� ب� �ب��ه�ا ا�لم ن��دي���ل �و��ع�ق��د �ع��ل� �عل��� ا �ي�� ا �ن�ا ب��ب� ك� ��ا ر� ا �لب��� ت� ا �لب��ص�ي�ر� ا � ���ل�ك ا �لب��ص�ي�ر� ا �ل ��ى ي� ض� �ي ى م � ق ف � نّ � ن �� � �ة � � خ� � ف � � ن � ة ��هى �ع�ل�ا �م��ة ا �لب� ك� �ور * �و�ل �ب��ه�ا ��د ��ا ر ا �لت� � ��ا ر� * ا ���لي����س �م�ن ا �لم�م��ك�ن ا � �ي��ك�و� لي��ل� ا �ل�د � � ّ � �ن � �ذ ق �ق ت �و�ف�ا ��ض� الم�� ج�س �� �ور * ا �و �ب ��ي�� �م ن��ه �ع���ا ب��ي���ل * دب �� �ب��ه�ا ا ك ا�لم ن��دي���ل * ا �و �ي���كو� ا �لر ج��ل� ج �ذ �ذ ��ا ن � ا �� ��ذ � � ق ا ��ل ا ق�ت �� ا �ف �ت � � � �ق�د ب� �ع� فص� ��ورا ا �و �ج�ر� ا � �س�� �ى ��ط� � لك ح��د ا �ص�ا ب���ع�ه ا ا ك�� � ه�و ل� ى ب � ح ح � ة � ن ا ��ل ن�� ت �ق ا �خ� ت ��ف �ذ �� � ا �� ا ن �ش ا �م�ن ا �� � � �ف ا ن �ق ت �ت � � ا � � ا �ل�ورد� * و ك�و� ب� � �د د ر� �ى ل�ك ل�ص�و � ���ي � ل�د م * � � �ل� 122
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the most knowledgeable and informed as to the natural sciences, do not. On the contrary, they condemn those who do so and say that “testing for virginity leads largely to sterility.”(1)49 I’d also point out that as soon as one of their bridegrooms feels that slackly tied knot around his neck, he takes his bride to a place where they can be alone and none of God’s creatures can see him, to avoid
(1) ʿuqr [in the first sense] is “the exploration of a woman to see if she be a virgin or not.”
any cause for jealousy (of which perturbation and sorrow are ever the legacy) for they do not see why one man’s pleasure should be a cause of unhappiness in others. I say “slackly tied” because among them the knot of marriage may be undone with the greatest of ease. As for your statement that the mark, being seen only by married men,
3.3.14
provides no occasion for envy, this is what someone would say who seeks to deceive, equivocate, or outwit or who (please don’t be offended) has neither penetration50 nor experience. All scholars—the pauper and the starveling, the beggar and the down-at-heel, the naked and the tatterdemalion, the jailed and the shackled, the accused and the condemned—agree that the married man has a more envious eye than the bachelor. The reason is that everyone thinks that anyone who practices the same calling as he must be better-off than he is and can think only of the other’s greater fortune, ignoring any hardships he may suffer. Given too that the night of the consummation of a marriage is a brilliant affair however dark, it has to be an occasion for the inspiration of envy in the breast of any who has lived through the same experience, while distracting him from the remembrance of what comes after. As the proverb says, “If you want to know what to expect, ask one who has had the experience.” With this in mind, I beg the gracious pardon of your most honorable eminence, our grandest guarantor of what is right, our prized High Priest, for what I wish to ask you (by way of enquiry, not criticism), to wit: “How can you know, O you of penetration, that this ‘bloody proof ’ with which the handkerchief is stained and which is raised like a flag to announce the girl’s virginity is in fact a sign of virginity? Is it not possible that, on the night the wedding was consummated, the baker’s oven flared up, the heated pot boiled over,51 or that this had happened previously and some spots had remained and it was with these that the handkerchief was embellished, or that the man, if it was he who had already plucked that rose, had cut the throat of a sparrow or cut one of his fingers, or that the girl had kept a little blood in
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3.3.15
ف � ��ي� ا �ل�ع�د �و�ى
ن � � د ا ��لت���ذ �ّ �ق * �ق��ل ت� ��ل�ع�م �ى � ��ل�ع�م ا �����ك ا ن� �ت��ل�ك ا ��ل��س�ا �ع��ة ��ل���� ت �ف �ذ � � ��م س� و� ي ا � ا �لر ج���ل �ي��عر� �ل�ك ب�ج ر ر و ر بي ْ آ � ش �ة �ذ � ق � �ا �ذ ق ف �ق ت �و��ق ت� �َو�ع�ى �و�م� � �س�م�ا ا ا �و� ��� �ور� ء ا �لب��ا ب� ع��و�ل * ب���ل �و�� د �ه���� �و �ه�و�ل * �و �ل� � ي َ ��� ّ ن ��� ّ ن�ت � �ّ ن � ا �ة � ض����ّ ن �ذ � � ن� * �ف�ا فِ��د ا ج��ل ل �وا ب� �ع�ن �ل��ك * �و�ه�ا ا �ن�ا �م� �ظ �� ره �و� * �وي�ل� �و� �و��يج�ع� �ج �م� �ع� �ي ج � �� حو� �ويج��و � �م�ن �ه ن��ا �و�ه ن��ا �ل��ك
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one of those caskets of theirs? Were you to reply that in the latter case the man would discover this by virtue of his greater experience, I would say, ‘By my life and that of your father, this is not a time of keeping his wits about him and rational thought but of being knocked off his rocker and becoming distraught, especially if there’s a group behind the door insisting and clamoring, urging him on and yammering! Answer me that! I await your reply, bring it you to me from far or from nigh.’”
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� � ا � ف� ���ص�لا �ل ار ��� ل � � بع � � �ة �ڡ ا �لت��و ر ���ي� ي �م�ن ا د�ة ا �مث ا ��ل �م�ن ا �ل� �� �ف �ي�ن ا ن � �ق�ه��ق � ا ا � ن � �ف ط� � ا ��ف �ق �م�د�ة �م�ن ا ��ل�ز � ا ن ��� فل�ّ �ق �ع� ح��ا ��ا � �و�ي �� رو �و� �� �ى م� � ي م�ول�� � �ي � رو ي ��� او � ا �ق�� �ة � ت �ق � ا � ا �خ� � ���ع�د� ا � �ذ �� � ���س �ع ن�د �ه ا ��لت � �ة ا � � ا �� ش له� ب� رى ب ه� * و ل�ك ي ��مى � �م ��وري� ى ج و ع� �ج ر� ب�� � ���ع�ل ل����ى ض ا ت ئ ن �ذ ن �ذ �� � ا �����ذ � �� ن ا �ع��ل ه � �� ف � �آء * � ا ��ن �� �ص�ف��ا ت� ا ��ل��ش��خ � � � � � � ا �� � �د ك �ه� �م�� � � � م � � � ل ل �� ه � � � � � � � � ى � ور و � م �ي يب و ب ر ص بو ي و�م � �ذ �ذ �ف � ن � � �ق �غ ة ا ب��ت��د ا �ئ�ه �م ن��ا ��ا � ��م ��� �وت�ه ��ى ا �ل�ز � او �� * � �و�� ك� حب ��و��ت��ه ا �ل�ى �و� ت� خ� ف� ��ر�و� �خ��ل�ا �ل �ل��ك ا �م�ورا ي ب ج � �ة � �ة �ذ � ��ك� �فص� �ة � � ه�ه �ع ن��د �� �لق��ا �ئ�ه�ا � ��ت غ���� ���ا ت �ن ض ���ه � ��ه ه � �ع ّ��ه �ع�ن � و ير ��ط�ي�و��ل� �مم��ل� �و �ل��ك � ر و�ج � حرك�� � � ب�� وب � ر و ي �ت ث � �ف ت ��ذ ا � �ز �م�ا ن ك��� �ن � � �ز ا � ك��ت� �خ ّف���ه�ا ا ج��ل �ه�ا ج�ع ��ذ ا * �وك��� ��ا �ب�ا � او ج��م�ا �ع�ه �ب��ه�ا ��ى � ك� �� م��ا � ك�� و � ��و و �ي � �وا ب� � بو���ع��ه ا �لي� � � � ق � ق � ّ � ق �ق � � � �ف ش �� ب� * ا �ل� او �ن�ا �ع ن��د ��و�ل�ه �ل�ه�ا ا � �ل ار ��� * ا �ل�ض� � * ا �ل�ع ن��ا �� * ا �ل��س�ا �� �ع��ل�ى ا �ل��س�ا �� * ا �لر ض� م � � � �ة �ذ � ا � ض ا ��ف �ق ا � ا � ا ا ا ا ا� ا � ح� �ل� ب� ا�لم�ل�ا ��س�ن � * ا �لب��ع�ا �ل �و�م�ا ا �ش��ب��ه �ل�ك * �ورب�م� ��س� �و �ل� د ب� �ي � ��� �ى � � � �ة � � ث �ك� ن� ا ��ن��ت حو ن� �ب�ا ن� ا �ل�ا � �تر ض���ى �ب�ا ن� �ت�� �صر� � او �ل�ا � * ف��ا ��ن �ه� ك� ����ي�را �م�ا � �ه�ا ��ف�ت�ن� �ل ن��ا �ظ �� � ر �ه�ا * � � � �ي و ب م م �ي م �ز ة �ن � ا � �ت ق ا �� ا ن ش �� �ف ا ن ا� ا �ت ا � � �وت���ت��س�ا ��ه�ل �م� عه� �ى � �ه�ن�ي �د �مر� �م ا �لر�ج�� �ل �ل ���� س�م�ه� �م��ه� ����ط ار * �و � �ل� ب� � م � � �ف � �ن � ث ن � �ف �ن ه �من � �ت�� � ا � �ا ا حره ��ى �ج�� م حي�� ا � �ج� حر ا �م ار �ت�ه �ل�ا ��ى را ��س�ه �ل�ا ي� ك �م���� � �س�� ب� * ع لك �ل� ب ّ ْ � اق آ َ ن ��خلَ �َ �ة � ا � ن � �ذ ح���ذ ��ل �م� ا �ل��م ا �ة �ع��ل ا ��ل ج��� * ف��ا ��خل � �وا د � �ل�ل� � ت��د � � او � ا��د �م� �ل� �ي� ��كو�ن��و� ا �ل�ا �و�ى � � ر � ل ر ى م ع �ن � ن ة �ت ه�ن ��خ � �ة ف ا �ن ��ا د �م� ن� ��ل��ل����ط�م� ف� ا �ف ��ل ��ع��ل�و� ب��ي�� ت� ا �لب��� ت� �ه� * �و��ى ا ج �م��ل� �� � �ه�م ي ج ع ي� ب���س�ي�ر� ��س�ي �د � � � او ل و � ا �ل�م�ع ش ق �ة � ة خ ح�ا �� ا � �م ن���ت��ا ج ��ل � ��مي�� ا �ن�� ا ا �� ��فل ��س�ا د � او ��ل � حي���ل � او �ل ك� م��ا �ي��د * ���و�� د� ك �ورا �و� ب � �س��ر� �و�م�ا �� � و ر و و ب ع ع ��ّ �ن خ� �ن � �آ � �� ف ي�ن خ� �ت � �ة � �غ ح���ل� �م�ن را ��س�ه �و��ع�ز �و�ه�ا ا �ل�ى ��ي�ره * �و�ك��ل �م ا � �وا ��ى �ه�و �ل� ا �لم�و �ل��� ي�� رع ي �ي 126
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Chapter 4
Analepsis
It is the custom of my fellow writers sometimes to go back and leap over
3.4.1
a period of time and connect an event that happened before it to an event that happened after it. This is called analepsis (tawriyah), that is, “taking backward” (warāʾ ). They may also start by mentioning everything about the protagonist from his first whisperings into his beloved’s ear until his reappearance as a married man. In the course of this, the author will relate such long and tedious matters as how his face paled and his pulse raced when he met her, how he was reduced to a tizzy and felt ill while he waited for her answer, how he sent her an old woman or a missive, how he met with her at such and such a time and place, and how she changed color when he spoke to her of the bed, of drawing her close, of embracing, of leg over leg, of kissing, of kissing tongue to tongue, of intercourse, and the like. Sometimes the same writers make rude insinuations about the mother and father too, often stating plainly that the mother is content for her daughter to be a source of discord among those who lay eyes on her and allows her free rein to flirt with a passel of men so she can share some of them with her. Likewise, that the father, given that his mind is in his wife’s lap, not in his own head, is powerless to prevent such goings-on and that the servants all connive with the wife against the husband—the females because they seek to imitate their mistress’s way of doing things and the males because they want her. All in all, they turn the house of the girl being courted into an alehouse, a brothel, a den of iniquity, and a spawning ground for every sort of corruption, trickery, and wile. Each of these fellow authors of mine comes up with a device off the top of his head and then attributes its invention to someone else.
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3.4.2
�ف ��ت �ة �ي� ا ل ��ور�ي�
آ � ا �ذ ن � � �ذ � � ق ا � ا ا ��ل��� �ف ط� ر�ة ا ��ل�ى �ور� �ف��ع ن��د �ى ا �ن�ه �ل�ا �ب�ا ��س �ب��ه� ا ا ك� ���ا � ا �لم�و�ل�ف� را �ى �م� �ه ب� ا �لت��ا �لي ��ف� ��د م� ّ ا �ت ��غ � ا ث � � � ه ث� ا �� ق � ا��ا ن � ط��ا �� ��س�د ا �م� �م�ه ��م �ي��ع�ود ا �ل�ى �م� ك�� � �ع�لي��ه * � او �م� � ب��لي�� ا �لر ج���ل ا �ل�ى ��سر�ير عرو��س� �م � ب �ت �ذ �ل ا �ن ن ا �ة � ف �ة � ح ا ��له�م�ا ���ع�د �ذ ��ل��ك �ف��ل�� ت س� ا ر ض���ى �ب�ه * ا ل��ا ب� �ع� � ا � ك�� ي�ه�م� �م د �و� �م�ل� �و�ص� �لم�عر�� ا ��و � ب ف ن ��ث �ن آ � آ � ن �ا ّ � ف ا � � * ��ا � ك���ي�را �م�ن ا �ل����س�� ء ا �ل�ل�� �ى �ه�م�ا ب���ع�د ا �ل�ز � اوج� �ل� �ب��د �ل�ى �م�ن ا � ا �عر�� �م� �ج�ر�ى �ع�لي� ُ� َ ا �� ��ت �ة �� ش � �ف �ة � ن ق ت � ا ا � ا�� ن � ا � �ت ي ح��سب���ن ا �ن�ا �ث�ا �ب���ل � ��و�ل�ى �ه��ذه لر ب�� ا ل���ر�� �ي � �صر� ب���ع�د�ه� ر�ج�� �ل� �مك�ا ا � ا �لر�ج�� �ل � �ص�ي�ر �ي آ ّ ث ّ ق تت �ن��س�� * �م�ن ا �� �ذ ��ل�� ا �� ت� ا ن ا �ت�ت���� ا �� �لف��ا ��ا �ق ���ع�د �ز � ا �� و �ج��ه ا ك���ر �م�ن ����ب���عى ا �ي�ا ه �ب���ل�ه * ج �ل ك ر ي � بع ري � ب � �ذ � فا ا � ا ف ا ف � ا �� �م ن��ه �ع��ل � ا � � ل��ل�ا � �ع��ل ا ��ث ن���ي�ن ا د �ع�ى ا ��ل�ى ا � جل�ع ا ا �� � ح�د * �� �م� ا �ل� ��س��� �� �ل�ل� �م�ور �ى و ب ك م �ى ا ��لخ ���س����س��ة � او ��ل��د �ع��ل�ق���ة � او ��ل��د �ن�� �ق� ف���ل���� �م�ن �ش���ا ���نى * �ف�ا �ئ���ذ ن� ��ل�ى ا �ذ ا ��ا ��س �د �ى �ور�خ� � ص � ي و �ي ي ى ي س �ت �ف ن � ت � � ��ا ن �ت ق ا � ق �ة ن ق �ق ة �س��ع��م ا ��ل��� �ف ف ي�ن ط� ر� � او ��و�ل * ا � ا � �ل��ا ر��ا � ح�� ك�� � �م �ر���� ب� ��ل�ى �ي�ا ��س�ي �د ��ى ��ى ا � ا � بر���� � � ل ب ي �ف �ف � ة �ُ ْ � ق� ا ���ز ا � � ن � ة ا ��ل ح��د ا ���خل ���ا � �ق�د ا ��س�ت�د �ع�ى �ب�ه ا � �ر�ج�ي���ي�ن ��ى � ر� ا ب�ل�خ��را �ى ��ى ا �ل ر� ح ب� ب���ل ل �و � ك �ج�ز�ي ج �ج�ز�ي � غ �ة ت �ة � ة ��ث � � ن � ��ك ن �ع ن��ده ��م��ن�ز ��ل��ة �م�ع�ّ� ا ��ل�ا � ا ا �ل ��ت ��ي ت� ك� ح�ل� �م �ب�ا �ج�ر� ا ك���ر �مم�ا ك���ا � �ل��� ا �ه��ل�ه�ا ب���ل��� �م ن��� ن�� * �لي���و� ب بر ى م �ف � � ث � � � ق � � �خ �ف خ �خ � �ل ��ه�ا �ص * ��م�ن �� �ع�ز � �ع��ل ا �ل��س� � ��ط�ا �ل� ��ه � �� ت � � ن �ل � � ي ط�ب����ه �ب���ل ا �ل�د ��و ب � م م �ى ر و ع ب �ل�ه �ع��د ا �ر�ج �ى ب�م� ر آ ح� ث ح�ه�ا ح�ق��ا �ع��ل ا �م ا �ت�ه ا ن� ي���س�ت � � ة ف ق ا � ت � ا ا فا ن �� �ص � � � �ش���� ء * � ب ي ب�م�د� * ����� �ل� �ل� �ب� ��س �� � �ل�لر ج���ل � �ى ر �ذ � �� ق �ة �ن � ا ح��ت�ه �مغ�� ن� � � ��� ن ث �خ �ت� ن � ا ��ف ��ص ن � ط��ا * �� ا �ب��ر ا �م�ه�ا �ب�� �ل��ك �ى و و � او � �ك�ل �ب ����ع� �م ا �ل� ر��ض� ��ك�و� �ل�ه� �ى �ب م ُ � � ف �� ت� �ع�ق��د �ت�ه �ق�ا �� ا �� �لف��ا ��ا �ق ��ل�ز � � ت��ه ��ن�����غ ح�ي� ��ي�� ت� * ف���ل�م�ا �و�ق�� ا�لم�ق��د �ور �ب�ا �ل�ز � او �� � او � ك �ر ض� ل � �ج و ر ب � ي ى ي ج ع � ن ا � ا ن ن �ن ت ا ّ � ا ���خل � �ق �ت�ا �ث ت ��ف ه �خ �ان �ف ش � � � � � � �� � � ا � ا ا � ل�� � ل � س �ل�� ا �ل� � ا � � �� �ه ب� ر * �ل� � ح�ل م ر�ج �ى �د ك� ر� �ى ر ��س� يو ��ى ّ ف ن ة �ن آ ن ف ق � َ َ �ذ � ن ف ت �ت ت ا � ��ي� �� �و�ه ��عب��ي�ر�ه�ا * �����ا �ل ت� ا �و �ل��ك �م�ن �ج���د * ��ه�ل �ج�ر� �ع�ا د� ا �ل����س�� �ب�ا � ي���س�ا �ر� �خ � � � �ف �ة � �ن ا �� �غ� �ة ض�ن ا ��ن ��ف ��سه�ن ��ل��ل�ع��ق� � ا ��ل �ع��ق ب� ا �ل�ز � او �� �و��ع ّر��� �صر�م ن��د �و� � ��طر * ا �لي����س ��ى �م ح� ع ل �ر� � و � �ي ب ج م �� ف ف ا �ق خ� �ن �ذ ��ل � �ا � ا �� �ق � � ا � �ف ا �ن � ل ا � � ا م �ص�دي��� و �ل� �وا ��ى � او �ه��ل�ى و �ه ب� �ى ب�ل د م� �ى ب��ه� � � او �ل��س� ر * ك�ي��� ا �� ر� ا � ��ن ق � �غ ق ق� �اق � ق �غ �خ ���د �ي�ن * ��ا �ل �م�ا � ّرر ت� �ب��ك �و �ل� ���ل ت� �ل��ك �ش���ي �ا ��ي�ر �م�ا ���لت��ه �م�ن �ب���ل * ��ا �ل ت� �م�ا ك�� ت� �نا ا � � � ��ذ � � � � � ا ��� �ن ��ز � ا � � ا ن ف� ق ش ط�ي�� ب� ط��ه ا �ل�� ب ����ه�ه ا �ل�� ��س �ب� �ل��س�ع�و ��ط ا �ل� �ى �ي�ع �� ي �ل� عل�م �م ا �ل � او�ج �م� ا �ع�ل�م�ه ا �ل� � * ����د � ب 128
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Analepsis
The leap backwards is acceptable, in my opinion, if the author finds him-
3.4.3
self faced with a block to composition; afterwards, he can return to what he was about. But leading the man to his bride’s bed and then shutting the book on the couple without peeping through the crack in the door to find out how they fared next I cannot accept; I have to know what happened to them after the wedding. Many women who were reckoned females before assuming that noble station turn into men, just as men turn into women. I have therefore decided to follow the Fāriyāq more closely after his marriage than I did before it, for talk of two invites more admiration than talk of just one. Chasing after low matters, digging up dirt, and pursuing trivial affairs are not, however, my way. Allow me then, my dear sir, and permit me, my dear madam, to make use of “the leap” and say, During the time when the Fāriyāq was caught in the noose of love but
3.4.4
before he got married, one of the Bag-men had invited him to the Island of the Foul of Breath52—meaning that island whose inhabitants speak a mephitic tongue—to take over the post of dream interpreter53 at a wage higher than that which he received from the Bag-man in Cairo. He determined to undertake the voyage and informed his fiancée of this a while before the wedding. She said, “So be it. A husband has the right to take his wife with him wherever he wills, and every spot on earth should be for her, in his company, a home and a homeland.” Then he informed her mother of the same and she agreed. When the day appointed for the wedding arrived and the knot had been tied, the Fāriyāq said to his wife, “Now we must make ready for the voyage, for the Bag-man’s dreams are multiplying in his head and he’s afraid they’ll get away from him before they can be interpreted.” She replied, “Are you really serious? Is it the custom for women to travel immediately following their marriage, exposing themselves to barrenness and danger? Are we not exempted, here in Cairo, from the need to be strangers and voyagers? How am I to leave my brothers and my parents and go to a land in which I have no friends or intimates?” “I haven’t presented you with a surprise, or told you anything different from what I told you before,” he replied. “I didn’t know about marriage then,” she answered, “what I know now. People likened it to the smelling salts the physician gives a sleeper or a drunk to make him wake. Now I realize that women were not created for
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3.4.5
�ف ��ت �ة �ي� ا ل ��ور�ي�
� ئ � ق � ت � ا ن � ة � ت خ � ق � � �ف ن� ا �خ � ق � ن � ت �ف ق �ل��ل ن��ا �� ا �و �ل�� ك ل��س�� ار � ح�ى ��ي�ي ��� * ��د �ع�ل�م� ا �ل� � ا�ل�م ار � �ل�م �� �ل� �ل�ل��س� ر � او �م� �� �ل� م ف � ف ّ � � �ن ن �ز � � �ف � ن ف ا �ل��س� ر �ل�ه�ا * �ق�ا �ل ا ��ى �و�ع�د ت� ا �لر ج���ل �ب�ا � ا ��س�ا �را �لي��ه ��ل�ا �ب��د �م�ن ا ج��ا ا �ل�و�ع�د * ���ق��د �ذ � � ف ا ن �خ � ّ�ن ا �ذ ا �ف � �ق��ا �� ���ف ا �ل�مث�� ا ن ا ��ل �� �� ���ط ���ل��س�ا �ن�ه ��ل�ا � ���ق �ن � ه � � ا � � � � �ه� م � � � � * م�� س � � ل ك � ج و ر �ير ب ي بر ر �ي ل ى �ل � ر ج �ل ب ع ك�ز ْ � � ن ا ا ت �ف ا ن ت � ث � ا �ق ا � ت ا ن ا�� �ة ���خل � ّ �ف ا ��ن � ا ن � ث �ة ا � �غ �ف م�ع�� �ب� �م ار ��ه � ��� م��ل�ه� * � �ل� �م� ا �� � �و�ج�� ا �ر�ج �ى � �ى ا �ل� � � ح�د ��ي �� ل صِ �ب �� �و��ى � �أ ُ �ز�خ � � ح * ف���ل�م�ا ع�د �م�ن ا ��ل�ا ر�� � ح�ت ا د خ��� ا ��ل�ى ا �ب�ل�� �ر � او�لم��ت�ز �و�ج���ة * �و�ل� ا ��س� � ب��� �� �بر � ا �لب� ك �ض ل ى ر م م ف� �ق ا �� ت � ��ن ا �ذًا ا ت ش � ��� � ا ح ت ���ل ا �ف � �ف �ع��ل�م ت� ا �م�ه�ا ����ذ ��ل��ك ا ��ل �� ع � ط�ي��ب��ا �ل� �عل��� ي�ه� ��ى ا �ل��س� ر * ��� ل� د ع�و�ى ��س������ي ر ب ب م َ ض � ف � � � �ة ��ه� �� �فس� ا �ب�ل�� ��ل�ا �م�ه�ا ���� ط�ي�� ب� ف���ل�م�ا ���سم� ك�� ح��د ��ي ث��ا ا �ْو �ل�ا * ج� ��ى �ب�ا �ل�� ��ر �ب�ا �لم��ت�ز �و�ج�� � حر ��ي ض� ح��ك ب ل ر ع آ � � �ذ �ذ � � ئ ن ن ق �ن ّ � � � �ت ش � �ص�ا � ل��ا ���س ر�ج��� ء ا � ي��م�ن �ع��لي� ك�� �و�ق�ا �ل * ا �ن ك�� � �ي�ا � �ص�ا ر�ى ا �ل���ر�� � ن�� ر �و� ا �ل ن�� �ور �ل�� �ك�ن ح ب� م مف ن �ن آ ان � ��ن �ة ا �� ح ا � ا ��ل ش �ف�آء �م�ن �� ا � ا ح * ��ا � ا �ل����س�� ل ح�ن ��ف�ن�ن ��ذ ر�ل�ب�ل� � � � � � ا� ك � ا ا � � � ب�ع��ض� �ل� مر �ض * و م� ل���ي����س� �ب� ب��ل و ����� ر �أ ن ظ �� ح � �ق ن نا ���ت�ه * ��ف�من��ه�ن ح��ي�ن ��ي �� ��س�ن �م�ن ا ��ل � �هر �ه��ذ ا ا �� �لو��ل�ى * � �و��ل�تم��س�ن �برك� � � � � �ص�د � � � � �ي ب ل �ع��د �� � ي ي ّ � �ة �ذ �ذ �ا ح��� � ��ف���ذ � �من�ه�ن �م�ن ��ت ض� ت �أ ي�ن �س�م�ا ا ا ك� �م�ن �تر ج� ���ا ن� ر�ب�ا ن� ا �ل��س��ف�ي�ن � ا ��� � ��و �م�� * �و �ل� � ي �� � ب ل�ى ب و � ع �ف ق ا � نع �آ � �� ��ع ه�ن � ا � ش ت �ي�ن ف� �ق ا �� ا �� �ف ا � ا �ق ��ف ��ن ��ف ه ا �� � ّ ���ع� ��ا ن� ��س��ف � ن���ت�ن �ا � ط � � ا ي ر �� �ب� �ل����س� �ي �م� م� ي�����ه� * ��� ل ل�� ري� � �ى ��س� ل�ل�ه�م ج ل رب ا ا� ت � ف � ا � ت �ذ � � �ن � ش � ا ف ظّ � ا ع�ي��ف��ا ش���ر��س�ا �ن � �ك�د ا �����ك��س� �� ���� �ع��س ار * ��ل�م� �س�م�ع� �ل��ك ��س��ك�ن ر �و�ع�ه� �و�م� �ل� ا �ل�ى � � �ف ث �ذ � � �ة ف �اق � � �ف ا �ل�� �فس� ر * ��م�ن �� ا �خ��� � او �ل�ه ا �ل�ا �هب�� �و��س�ا �ر� او ا ��ل�ى ا �ل�ا � ك �س��ن��د ر�ي�ه * ا �م�ا ا �ل��س� ر�م�ن ب� ��و �ل� �� م � � ��ف ا �� � ن ف ا ن �ن �عظ �� � �ذ �ت ن � ن ا� ا ف ن � �ا �ص�د ر * ��ا � ا �ل�ين���ل �ل� �ي���كو� �ل� �ى ل��ق �� � ا �ل��ل�� ا ت� ا �ل ��ى �ي��� ش���ر� �ل�ه�ا ا �ل� � �� ��ه �م ا �� ح � م ج �� �ق �ة � ن ا �� ا � � �� �ة ا �� �� ئ �ة ئ ا � �ل��قن�� �ة ق �ف ق ا � �ة ف ت�ز ا � � � � � � � � � � � � ا ا � �ك ل � � � � � � ل � م ا د� ��س�ا �ج�ي��ا * ور�ي����س ج � �ي�� ب�� ل� �ل ر� ي�� ود و ��ه� ل� �ج � � و ل�� ك�ه� طر�� ج �ي ي آ ّ � �ذ �ف �ة �ة � ف � � � او ��ل��ل���ن � او ��ل� �� �و�غ��ي�ر �ذ ��ل��ك * � �ون�ا �هي���ك ب��م�� ا ��ل�ين��� �ع� � �و� �وم��ص � ح� * ��ا �ل ار ك� ب� ��ى ا � ح��د �ى ل ب ب �ي �ض ب آ � � � � � ا ن �� �ا �م � ا �ق ا ��ل� �ي�ن �� ا ا ه �م�ن ��ن ض �ة ا ��ل � �ف �ي�ز �ن ا �ه��ذه ا � �ل��ق �� � ��ر ر�ي� � �ل� ا �ل ��ط�و�ل � �ه� ره � ك��ل ��سرور ر�ير ع� بم� �ير ج حت � ّ �� ��ت �� �� � ة �� �ف� ف ه ا ن ��ا ن ��ف �ق ض �آ ا � � ّ ا �� �ل�ق � �خ� � � � � ه م�د� � س ��� مر م�ه� * ر ي�� و � ك� � �ى �� �ص� رى * �ى ي ��ود �لو ط�ول �و � ب م ن �� �ف �ة �ع�ن ��ف �ق ض آ � ا �ذ �ف ق ف � �ذ �ت �صر �و�ل�� ا � �ه�ا * ���� ا �ل� �ع� �ب��ي�ن �و���س�ى �م� ��ا ��غ�ت ن�� ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� ٍح� �ه��ذه ا �ل ر�ص� � او �م� �ى �� م ت خا ت ��ن �ت �� ح ا � ا ��ت ا � َ �َ ا ��آ �ف � ا � ا � ا �خ �ت �خ �خ ش ا ا ا ا � � � � � � ا ا � � � � � � � ل� ك و�يع��م�ه�ا و �م� م� �ه� * ور م�د�ه� و � �ه� * و � ب� و م����ي �ه� * و �ل� ر � و � �ه� * ج 130
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Analepsis
travel but travel for them.” “I promised the man that I would go to him,” he said, “so I must fulfill my promise. The proverb says that a man is tied by his tongue,54 not his horn. Moreover, this Bag-man of ours will be traveling with us along with his wife, so you’re just like her.” She said, “I am not like the Bag-man’s wife, for I am newly inducted and in the limbo between virginity and marriage, and I have yet to grow tired of land that I should go to sea.” When her mother heard this, she insisted that she travel, so she said, “Let me then consult a doctor and find out if travel by sea is injurious to the newly wedded woman or not.” A doctor was brought who, when he heard what she had to say, laughed
3.4.6
and said, “You eastern Christians make pledges to churches in the hope that the patron saint will grant you pregnancy or a cure from some illness. Here we make pledges to the sea, for when our women despair of getting pregnant, they make for the back of that Friend of God55 and beseech his blessing. Some of them return pregnant with a single child and some bear twins, especially if the ship’s captain has a soft spot for women and can provide them with the food they desire” (at which the Fāriyāq said to himself, “God grant that the captain of our ship be ill-humored, ill-tempered, ill-affected, ill-natured, ill-disposed, and irascible!”). When his wife heard what the doctor had to say, her fears abated and she took to the idea of travel, so they got together their provisions and made the journey to Alexandria. To travel from Būlāq by bark is one of the greatest pleasures a person can enjoy. The Nile is calm and the captain of the bark stops in front of each village to take on supplies of chickens, fresh fruit, milk, eggs, and other things, not to mention that the water of the Nile is sweet and good for the health. Thus the passenger on such a bark spends the whole day happily eating and taking pleasure at the sight of the greenness of the countryside and the fertility of the villages. He may even hope that the journey will be prolonged, despite being engaged on an important mission. On this occasion, then, the Fāriyāq took full advantage of this opportunity and assiduously devoted himself to “the two sweetest things,”56 forgetting about Cairo and its pleasures, its luxuries and its baths, its eye diseases and its pestilences, its books and their shaykhs, its saddlebags and their Arabic-murdering owners, its offices and their drainpipes, the tambour and its strings, the donkey and its flight, the doctor and his obscenity, the miracle man and his
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3.4.7
�ف ��ت �ة �ي� ا ل ��ور�ي�
� � � �ذ ف �ا ت � �ن �خ ا ط� ��ور � او � �وت�ا ره * � او ���حل ط�ي�� ب� �وق� ن�� �ع�ي�ت�ه � او �ل ك� �م�ا ر �و � ار ره * � او �ل�� ب م�� �� ب� � بو� ارب� �ه� * � او �ل�� ب � ا �ز � ا ح��ه * � ا ��ل� ��ا � ��ا ئ� ت � �ع�ي�ت�ه * � ا ��ل��س �ى � ا ئ� ت �ج�ز �ة �و�ج�ه ح� الم�ع � ح��ه * �و�م� ا � � � ع � ل ل و و ور و �ج و � ر ر �و�ص� � ب ى ب � �ن � �ة �ش ن ّ ن ق ح�ا ��ل��ة � �ه��ذه ا ��ل � ح�تى �و��ص�ل ا ��ل�ى ا �ل�ا � ك ����ع�ا � ر�ي�ا � * �و��د �س����د ري� ب ح�ا �ج���ة ا ��لب� ���ط�ا ��ل��ة ���فى ا �ب�ل� � �ت�ز �ّود �م�ا ��ي�ق ��و� ب� حر م ف �ز ن ا �ل�م�� � * �و��ا �و� ل �� � ا �ى جح ح ��ف �ز � ا � �و و ى ن � � �� ج ح *
*
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Analepsis
insanity, the prince and his smell, and the plague and its evil effects, and he continued in that fashion till he reached Alexandria fed and watered, having taken on supplies sufficient to the needs of his looming idleness at sea. He had triumphed and succeeded —and with what triumph and what success!57
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� ��خ�ا ا � ��ل�ف��ص� ا ��ل � � م �� ل س � � � ���غ��ل���ط ا ��� ت �ڡ �����فس� � ��ت��ص ح � �ش� � ه � ي رو ي ر ح �ت ت ف � � ف ق �ف � �ف ق � ���ا ن� ا ���خل ك� �صر ا ��ل�ى ب���ع�� �م�ع�ا رف��ه �ر�ج��ى ر�ي��ق� ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� ��ى ا �ل��س� ر ��د ك�� ب� ك����ا �ب�ا �م�ن �م� �ض � � ف ة ن �ظ � ن �ن � �ة ��ل�ه ّ ئ � �نُ�زُ � ا ف� ا �ب�ا �ل�ا � ك �س����د ري� ي� ي�� �ه�ا ا ق��ا �م� او �ي��ه �م�د� �ي���ت� �� ر�و� �ور �ود � �ل�ه �ل� * ��ل�م� �و�ص��ل� او ا �لي� � ��ا �ن ا ��م � ا ا � ن � ا �ئ ة ا � � ة ��س��ف�ي�ن ��ة ا ��ل ن��ا ر ا �ل ��ت �ت��س�ا �ف ا ��ل�ى ا ��ل � ر�ة * �وك�� ��و �ج ي�ع� � ����ل�و� �ع��ل� م� ��د� �و ح�د� � ك ي ى ر ى �ج�ز�ي ت ف ا ض ن ��ف � ا ��ل ���خل �ة ��ف � ��ا ن ت �ز � �ة ا �� �ف ا � ا �ق �غ �ف � ��يو ���� �و� � ��و� �ى ا �لم�ص� � ا �ر�ج�ي�� �و�ى ا �ل��س� ر �و��ي�ره * �وك�� ��� �و�ج � ل�� ري� � ح �� �ف ا � ا �ا ف ا له�ا * �و ��ل�ا ��ت�ت ك� ��ل�ا �ت��د ر�ى �ش���ي �ا ��س�و�ى ب���� ت� ا �ه�� �ل��م ��ى ا �مر ا �ل� ي��م� �ج�ر�ى �ل�ه� �م� ا �م�ه� ا �و � ي ع � ��خل ا �ة � �ذ �ذ � �ة ن ���ا ن�� ت� ا ا ا �خ�ب��ر ت� �مث��ل�ا ��ا � ا �خل عه�م�ا * �وك� �ل�ا �م�ه�ا �م� ا ��ا د �م� � به� ت� �� د �م� ا �و �ل�ه��ذه �م� � ب � � عق � ت ش ت ش ا ت خ ت �� � �ة �� ض ���ة ��� ��� �ة ف ا �قت�ض� � ا �خ � � ��ا �ه�ا �م�ن � ا �ل�ى ا �ل��س� �� �ل�������ر�ى �����ئ�� � � ���ل�ل� �ك��ل �ج �م��ل� ب � ح��ك� ط�يو ل� * �� ��ى �ل� ب ر و ي � �ق ن � ق � �ذ �ذ � �ة � ن ن � ض ا ت ���ا � ا �����ى �ل�� خل حو �م�ا ك� ��ا د �م� �م�ن ا �ل�� �ه�ا ب� � او �ل� �ي�ا ب� * �و��سب�� ب� �ل��ك ا � ا �لب��ن �ا ت� ا �ل�و� ت� �� ��ف � ا د � � ا ��ه ا ��ل��� ت� * ا �م�ا ا �مه�ا ��ت ه�ن ف��ل�ا �ص � ا ��ل ش����ا � ��ل�ا ��ع�ا ش��� ن� ا � � � ��خل � � ح�دا ��س�وى ا ��و م و �ل ب ي �ى �م� ر و م �ي ر � � �ن ا � خم ا ف �ة ن ��ت ن� � ف � ���ط�ا ��ل�عن ���ل� ا �ل�غ� ش����ا �و�ة �ع�ن ا �ب��ص�ا ر�ه�ن �ي��عر�ف�ن �م�ا ا �ه�ن ب� ش����ى �م�ن ا �م�ور ا �ل�د �ي�� �� �� ا �ير د � � ج �ي ى ت �ّ � �آ �ف � � ث � ف ن �غ ا ح�ص�� �م�ع�ا � �� �من ا � ��ا له�ا �م�ن ا �خل � �وا د � �ل� ��ي�ر * �و�لم�ا ��ك�ن �ه�و �ل� ء �ه�ن ك��� � � �ه� * �م�ن ��م ك�� � � ي �ل ر � � م � ظ ً � � � �ذ �ف � � ن �خ ف �ي�ن ا � ا � ��ا ا �ل��ن �ا ت ��م�ا � ه �ي�ن � ��م��ل�ن ا �ل��ه ��ا �ل�� �خ ط�� ��ي�را �ل�ه�ن �ع �ي��م�ا * ��ا ا را ت� �ير � �ى ب ر ب � ب �ي � �و يو ي ب بع � � � � ح��دا �ه�ن �مث��ل�ا �ف�ت �ج��م��ل�ا ��ا د ت� �م�ن ��س�ا �عت �ه�ا ا ��ل�ى ا �لب� ن�� ت� �وق��ا �ل ت� �ل�ه�ا * ق��د را ��ي ت� ا �لي ��و� ا� ى ي ب ر � م ّ ��ت �ش ا � ا �م��ل�� �ظ � � ا �ّ � ا ��ل�ا ��ل��ك * � ا �ن�ه �ي�ن �ن �ظ � �ن ق ف ��ش��خ ح�ا �� �ر�ف��ا �ل� ��ي �ص��ل �ي�ا ��س�ي �د �ى ��� ب� ي و ح�� � �� ر��ى �و� ��� �و �� ��ص ا �ل�ى �ي ح �ت �ّ � � ف ا �ذ ت ه ا � ة � ا �ت �ة ف �ير��د ا ن� �ي ك� ��ا �ن ه � ���ل�م ن��ى * � او �خ��ا �ل�ه �عر�� ا �ن��ك ا ن�� ت� ��س�ي �د ��ى * �� ا را ��ي �� �ل�مر� ا �ل� �ي�� �وك� � ي 134
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Chapter 5
Travel, and the Correction of a Common Misconception
The Bag-man who was the Fāriyāq’s traveling companion had sent a letter
3.5.1
from Cairo to some acquaintances of his in Alexandria asking them to prepare lodging for them, and after reaching that city they spent some time there awaiting the arrival of the “fire-ship”58 that went to the island, all eating at one table and discussing baggish business, the forthcoming voyage, and so on. Now the Fāriyāq’s wife was familiar with nothing but her parents’ house and spoke of nothing but things that had happened between her and her mother, or her mother and the maid, or the last and the other two, and if she were telling the story of how, for example, the maid had gone to the market to buy something, she would divide each sentence from the next with a long laugh, so that it would take as much time for her to tell the tale as it had taken the maid to go to the market and back. The reason for this was that the girls of Cairo and Damascus know no company but that of servants and members of their family, and their mothers explain to them nothing of the affairs of the world for fear that the scales will fall from their eyes and that they will work out what it is that is going to be required of them. As a result, the sum total of what they know comes exclusively from the maids, and these believe that they are bound to do very well for themselves if they give the girls news of things they like and are attracted to. Thus if one of them sees, for example, a comely young man, she goes directly to the girl and tells her, “Today, my lady, I saw a handsome, charming young man who’s just the thing for you, and when he saw me, he stopped and looked at me hard as though he wanted to speak to me, and I think he’s found out that you’re my mistress, so the next time I see him, I’ll speak to
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3.5.2
ت �ح� غ � ش ت ��ف �� فس�� � ����ص � ���ل��ط ا �����هر ي� رو ي ح
ّ � ن ت �ذ ت ضَ ْ �ذ غ ّ �ذ � ك� ����ل�مت��ه * � او �ش��ب��ا ه ��ل��ك �ع�ن ا �� ك� ل��ل�ا � �م�م�ا ي ج� ���ع�ل ا �لب���� ا � � ����ل� �م�ع�ه�ا ا ا �� ض� ��ب�� ت� م ع � � ا خ�ف ن � �ن ا ت �ذ ��ك�نّ ا ا ت ا � �ق آ ة � ت �ن �ا ّ �ا ض ة � ح��س�ن الم ل��ا �ب��ة �و� م ��ر� �ه�ا ا �ل� � * �و �ل� ي��� �ى ا � ا �لب� � � ا ا � �ج�� �ه�ل� � �ب� � �ل �ر � � او � ك�� ح� � � م آ ل� ���ل�� � ا �ل�م�ا �ئ��د�ة � �غ��� �ه�ا * �ف� �ا ���د � ا ن � ت��ع�ّ � �و�� د ا � ا � ��ه� ب��م�ع �ف��ة ا ��ل ض�ن �ع�ن �ه��ذ ا ا �ج��ل � م � � � ل � حي��ل� �ي و ر و و ي ب و ج ب ل ر س ب ف ن � ن ت �ذ ش ت غ ت �ق آ � �ذ � ت � �ة ّ ة خ ت �ن � م��ا ���د ا �ل �� ��ي���� � ه�ا � ��س ��ل� �لم�ا �ير�م�ن * ��ا � ا �ل���� ا ا ا ��������ل� � �� � � ��ف�ن �م�ن ب � و �ي � او �ل ك� ي ى بر �ذ � � � �ة � �ت ا �ل� ��ف ة ف � �ف ن �ه�ا �ذ ��ل��ك �ع�ن ا ��س��ت�ن��ا ���ط ا ��ل � حي���ل * �ف�ا �م�ا ا ا �ل� ا � �ل ن��و� ا �و ب��م��ط�ا �ل�ع� ا � ك ل��� ب� م ي��د� � �صر� � ب م آ �ك�ن ��له�ن �ش��غ��� �غ��� �م� �ا�ز �م��ة ا ��ل��� ت� � ��ل���� ف���ه �غ��� ا ��خل ا �ة ف ا ن ف� ��ا �ه�ن � ا �ه� � �ه�ن �ل ي ر ل ب ي وي س ي ي ر �ي�� � �� د �م� �� � ا � ك� ر و و �� ��ت ت� ّ ت � ا �ذ ��خل ا �ة � �ة � ّ ف� �ن ��ل�ا �مه�ا ��م� ا ��ل�ى �مر� ح��د �و�ه�و ا خ� ا ��ك�ز � او � ك���ل�ه�ا ج �� د �م� �و��س�ي �ل� �ل�ه�ن �و��س �د ا * � ك� � ع َ َ � � ق ن تش غ ��ل�ا � ا �م�ه�ا ��ت �ه�ن * �ف�ا ��ل�ا �ْو ��ل�ى �ع ن��د �ى ا �ن�ا ا �ل�عب��د ا ��ل �ص�د �ق� �م�ن ك�� �ع ن��د �ه�ن ا � ح���ي�ر ا � �������ل� م � �ف ن � �ن ن � ف �ة آ� ن �ذ � ق َ � اَ �ت ا �لب��� ت� �ب�ا � ح��د ا � �ل ن��و� � او �ل�ع��ل�و�م ا �ل ن��ا ���ع� ��س� �و ك���ا � �ل��ك �ع����لي��ا ا �و �ي��د � �وي�ا * ا �ل� ر�ى ا � ف � � �ذ �ذ � � ا �ل�ا �ن ��ثى � فم�� ���ط�ور�ة �ع��ل� � ��ر � او ��ل�� ك� ح ب� ا ��ل�� ك� ��ر �ع��ل� ا �ل�ا �ن ��ثى * �ج�� ��ه�ل ا �لب��ن �ا ت� �ب�ا �ل��د ��ني��ا �غ��ي�ر �م�ا ��ن� ى ى ع ف �ة � � � �ت � ح ا ��ل�ه� * ب��� ر��م�ا ا �ف� ض��� ���ه�ن �ه��ذ ا ا �ج��ل �ل�ه�ن �م�ن �م�عر�� ا �لر�ج��ا �ل � او ��س ��ط� �ا ا �� � ��هل� ى ب ل ب لع و م � �ذ خ ف ن �ن �ظ � �ف � �ق ��ل ا ��ت �ف � ا �ن �ق ��ل�ا �� �م�ا ا ا ي�ه� � او �ل� � � ي��ا د ا �ل� �ه�ا � ت� �ع��ل� ي�ه�م �م�ن د �و� � �� ر ��ى ا �ل�ع� او � ب� * ب ا �ى ل � م � ّ ا ��ل�ع�� � ا ئ ق ه�ن �ف ا �ن ه�ن � � ف�ن ا � ف�ن �ن � ا � � �ن �ت ّ ح�ا � ��ك�ن �ت�ا دّب��ن ��ا لم � � � � � � � � ا � � � � � � � � � � ع م � � ل � م�د ل � �ص ع ع � � � م � ا � ل � � ل ل � و ب �ج � � �ي �ي ر ب ب ر ر ٍح ر � م فآ ن � ن آ �ذ � �ه ن ا �ق �ة �خ �ن �ف ����� ء ض�ي � ا �ر�ى �و��هى ا � ا �ل����س�� ا ا �ع��ل�م�ن �م�ن ا � � ��س�ه�ن ا ��ن �ه�ن ا ��ك �� � �وت��د�بر * و �� ك �� �ت � � ��ن � � ا �ف ه�ن ت� ّ ّ � ا � �ف � �ة � ا ف ت ت ّ �ن ح��ص�ن �ب��ه�ا �ع ن��د � ��ط�ا �و�ل ا �لر�ج�� �ل ��ى ا �ل��د را �ي� � او�لم�ع� ر�� ���ر��س 1د �و �ه�م ب�مع� ر�� �و � � � ش � � ن � ف� ض ه�ن ف ت ن �ن ن ت� � � �ن �ف ا �لر�ج��ا �ل �ع��ل� ي�ه�ن * ب���ل ا �لر�ج��ا �ل ا � � ��س�ه� ي���عرو� ب��� ����ل� ��ي�ر���د �ع�و� �ع ا � ��ي �ه���ك� او م ث ا � �ذ � � �ذ � ت �غ ا ن ت ��ف �خ � ة ن � � ق ح�ا ب� ا �لت��ا د ب� �م�ع�ه�ن * �م�� �ل �ل�ك ا ا ا ج �م� ��ل� � � �و���� �ى ��ل�و� �وك� ج�� ���ا � ا �لغ���ل�ا � ��د ع م ب م � � �ذ � � ن �� ا ��ل��ل��ا �� � ا ��ل�ز� ن���ة � ا ���خل �ق ا � د � � ا �ل� ن�� ت �ل� ��ت�ع �ف �ش�� �ا �غ��� ك� �ر�و�� ا �ل�ى ا �لب����س�ت�ا � * ر و رى و ب � م ر� �ي ي ر ر ب س و �ي و ج � � ن � �لق ��ف ا �� � ��ن ا ا �ّ ا �ا � �ا � تخ �ل� �ي��لب� ث� ا �لغ���ل�ا � ا � ��ي ت��ع�د �ى ��ط�ور ا �ل� د ب� �م�ع�ه�ا �ل� �عت��ق��ا ده ا ��ن �ه�ا �ل� � �� �ى ل�د ي�� �ل� م م م �ق ض آ � �ذ آ �ذ �ق � خ ف �ة ��ر� ���� �و ��طره �من��ه�ا * ب��ل�ا �� �م�ا ا ا ر� �ه�ا ا ت� را �ى ر�ش���ي �د * �و��و�ل ��س�د �ي��د * �و�ف ك � �ل�� � ة � �ق �ة �ة � � �ن ��م ا ض ة � �ف � �وا ب� �ع�ت�ي �د * �م�صي��ب�� * �ه� �ل�ل�ا �م�ور ا �لب��عي��د� � او � �ل �رب�� * وح��س ح� � ��ر� �و ج�� �ي و� م ّ :1855 1ت�ت��ر����س�ن .
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Travel, and the Correction of a Common Misconception
him” and similar stuff that will make the girl her ally should the mother ever be angry with her. Now it is no secret that if girls do not know how to read and write or
3.5.3
hold their own in conversation, or the conventions of the polite gathering, the dining table, and so on, they will inevitably compensate for that ignorance by acquiring a knowledge of stratagems and wiles so that they can deploy these to get what they want. If girls were to busy themselves with the study of a certain art or in reading useful books, it would divert them from dreaming up tricks. If, on the other hand, they have nothing to do but keep to the house, where no one is to be found except the maid, they will singlemindedly focus their thoughts and desires on how to use her as a tool and a support, for she has greater credibility in their eyes than do their mothers. In my humble opinion, then, it would be better to keep girls busy with a
3.5.4
beneficial art or science, either theoretical or practical. Do you not see that it is in the nature of the female to love the male just as it is in the nature of the male to love the female? It follows that girls’ ignorance of the world is no obstacle to their finding out about men and studying their ways. Indeed, such ignorance may result in girls becoming infatuated with them and submitting to them without regard for the consequences. Were they, on the other hand, to be raised so as to acquire good qualities and the knowledge appropriate to them, they would, under such circumstances, obtain whatever knowledge of men they might through observation and reflection. And there is another point, too, to wit: that if women discover for themselves that they are men’s equals in understanding and knowledge, they will use this knowledge as a shield against them and deploy it to make themselves unassailable when men treat them without due respect. Indeed, men themselves will recognize their worth and refrain from overstepping the bounds of decent behavior with them. For instance, if a young man meets with a girl in private and the youth is well-read and informed while the girl knows only how to talk about clothes and makeup and going on picnics, the young man will quickly violate the canon of good manners, because he will believe she has been placed in this world simply to give him what he wants of her. Were he, on the other hand, to see that she has opinions that are intelligent and can make points that are pertinent, ideas that are apposite and an understanding of matters both distant and proximate, can hold her own in conversation
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3.5.5
ت �ح� غ � ش ت ��ف �� فس�� � ����ص � ���ل��ط ا �����هر ي� رو ي ح
�ذ ���ا ت� �و��مم�ا ��ت ن��ا ت� * �ف�ا �ن�ه � او ��ل ح��تر�م�ه�ا * �و��ل���� ك�� ح�ا ��ل��ة �ه��ذه ��ي �ه�ا �ب��ه�ا �و� � ��ل�ا �م�ى �ه� ا �و�م�ع�ا ر ض� يس ي خ � ف � ق �ف غ � ن � ن � ة �خ ف ��م�ا � �ل��ا �لم�ا ���لت��ه ��ى ا �� ض� ���ا ب� ا �ل ش � ��� او ��ف�ن * � او � ش����ا ب� ا �لب��را �ث�ن * � او ��م�ا ا �ل�عب��ر� �ب�ا � ت��ل�ا �� � ئ � �ذ � ا �ت � �� ن �ن ق � ن �ز �ة � ف ق ن �و��س�ا ���ل ا �ل�عل��� * � او�ل�م ار د �م�ن �ه� ا ا �ل� ��س ��ط ار د ك���ل�ه ا � � � ��و�ل ا � �و�ج�� ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� � او � م ��ث� �م�ن � � � � ا ت ا �� � ا �� � ا �� ن �آ ف� �ق ا � ت �م�ن ا �ل� � ا ض �ة � ا � ق ف ا �ت ا ��� �ل� �ّم�ه�ا �ع ن��د مع� ر� مع�ل�و م� � لر�ج � ل و ل����س� ���د ب��د � �ي��ك�ن ��د �� � �ه� ك���ي ر �ت ا �م�ص��ل �ة ��ز � � �ف ة �خ � �ة � ف ا ا �ق ا �ف� ال�م � � � ض ح� ا �ل � او � ب� � � �ص� د � � ��ا د �ل * � او ب� ك�� � ا�لم ن��ا ����ل * م ��س�د� �ر�ج ي�� ا � �ل�� ر�ي� � �م� ا ح�م ج م ج م � �ذ �ذ �ف � � �ة �� � ن ن ن � ق �غ ة ف �ق ف �خ � ئ ت ت � ك ���ه�ا �ب ��ي�� ��ى ��ي�ر �ل��ك �ج��ا �ه��ل� * ��ا � ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� �لم�ا ك��ا � ا � �ي ��و� �ع��ل� ا�لم�ا ���د� ا �ب��ره ل� م ى �ف � � �ف � ت �ذ�� �في�ن �ة � ا �ا � �ج�� � ��ق��د � � ��س��ف�ي�ن ��ة ا ��ل ن��ا � � ث ا ���خل ح��ه �ع��ل�ى ا �لت�� �ه ب� �ل�ل��س� ر * ��س�م�ع� �ب�� ك�ر��س� � � ا �ل ن�� ر رو ر ى ب وم �في�ن �ة �ذ ت � نات ُُ ف���ق��ا ��ل ت� �م�ا �م�عن�� �ه��ذ ا * ف���ق��ا ��ل ��ل�ه�ا ا ���خل �ر�ج��ى ��هى ��س� � � ا � ا � �ل اوح� �ود ��سر � او ��م� ���س�ي�ر ى �ق �ف � ق ة خ � � � �ة � � ����ف ق ق ق ت ت ي�ن �ب ����و� ب��ا ر ا �ل ن��ا ر * ��ا �ل� � او �ي�ن ا �ل ن��ا ر * ��ا �ل ��ى ��م�� �ب��ه�ا * ��ا �ل� �ي�ا �ل��ل��د ا �هي�� ك�ي � ا ف ��ف �في�ن �ة ف �ق � � � �ن �ف � � � ة ي�ه�ا ��م��ي�ن � او �عر��ض� � � ��س�ى �ل��ل ن��ا ر * ا �لي����س ا �ل�� �فس� ر�م�ن �ه ن��ا ا �ل�ى ا �ل ر� ا ��س� �ر �ى ��س� � � �� �ج�ز�ي �ق ا � ن ا �� �ل��ق ن � ا ��ت �ص�� ��ل��ل�� � �اق � ن ��ف ا �� �ل��ق ن �� �ف ���� * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ا �م�ا حر ا � ك � �ل� ل � ك���س� �نر�ا �م�ن ب� ��و �ل� �� * � �ل ا � �� �ي��ك�و� �ى �� � ب ل��ب ي ر ج �ح ج ف ا �ف � �ن � ا ن ح��ت �ق * �ف��ت ض���ا �ه�ا ا ��خ ن ف ا � �ج�� � �ز � � ت��ه �ف�ا �� ت� * ف���ل�م�ا ل � � م � ر� ا ��ا ��ل� ا ��س�ا �ر وي��س� ر �يري��د � ي ر� ر ى و و�ج ب � � �ذ �ا ئ � �ا ن � قا � ��ض �� ط ��ع ت� ���فى ا � �ف�ل ا ��ش� � او د ا ر ت� �و�ج� �ه�ه�ا ا ��ل�ى �و�ج��ه ا ��ل � ح� � ا �لر�� د ا ج ح� �� ��ط * �و�ه� ا �ه�و ر �ة � ن � ن �ذ � ف � ة �ق ا�لم���ص�ود �م�ن �ه� ا ا � �ل���ص�ل �ت���ب�ي��ه�ا �ل��ل ن��ا ��س �ع��ل�ى ا � �ه��ذه ا �ل�ع�ا د� ��هى �م�ن �ج��م��ل� ا �ل�ع�ا د ا ت� ش ت � � اق � � � �غ �ظ � �ذ � � ت �خ � �ف � ا ا �ل ��ى ا � ��ط�ا � او ا ��س��ع�م�ا �ل�ه�ا * ا �لي����س ��ى ا �ل� د �ب�ا ر ����ى �ي��د �ل �ع��ل�ى ا �ل�ي� �� * ب���ل ا �ل� �ب��ا �ل �ا � ا �ف ف ا ن � ة �ذ � ظ � نّ �ة � ت �ز ��ا � �ق� ��� ت � ا ن ��ض �� ط و ط�� �و�ج� �ه�ه� ��ى �ه�و ا �لم����� �ل�ه * �� � ا�ل�م ار � ا ا � او �ج� �ه� �و�ج� �ه� �ع��د ا �ل� ج ع ب غ ّ ح�ا � ه�ا * ا � �ش�� خ �ز ت ا ي�ن م � ت� ��ا ��ن ف���ه�ا ا �و ��س�د ت� ��من�خ� �� ت� � �ر �ه�ا * ا �و ���مض� و �و�ج� �ه�ه �و �و� �م� �ب�� � ج ب�ي�� ب �ي � � ن �ذ � � ا تش ح��ه � ��ت �ع�ن��� ا � ح�ن�ت�ه ا � �غ� ��� ت � ا ئ� ت ط��ه�م�ا ب����د � �ه�ا ا �و ب� ك� �ص ���س � � ��م�ه�ا ا �و ب��م ن��دي���ل ك���ا � �ل��ك � و و ي�ه� كي���ل� ��� � ر ي ي �ي ب ر م �ذ �ة � �ف � �ة � � � ا �ش���ا ر�ة ا ��ل�ى ا �ل�غ�ي �ظ� �� * �ف�ا �م�ا ��ى �ت��و�لي�� ا �ل��د �بر �ف�ل�ا �ع�ل�ا �م� �ت��د �ل �ع��لي��ه * �ف�ا ن� �ق��ل ت� ا ��ن �ه�ا ا ا ن � ا � ت ه � ا �غ� ث ت ��ن ��ف ا �م�ن ��نَ��فَ ه ا �ذ ا �� ا ئ� �ة ��� �ة � ا ن �ت ف � �خ و �ج �ه�� رب�م� �� ��س�ه� ��س� * لر ح� ا ك ل�� �ر�ي�ه� �ل� �ب��د � او � � ���ع� ا�لم ن��ا �ر � او � م ق � ت � ا � ن ت �ت � �ق �في�ن ف ال�م ��ذ ّ � � �ُ�س�د ت� �ف�ل�ا ��م ح��� �ع ن��ه ا �ل�ا �ب�ا �ل�ا د �ب�ا ر * ��ل� ا �ل� �و�ل�ى ا � ���س � ��ل �� �د ��� � ح� �ور * ي ص ى ع 138
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Travel, and the Correction of a Common Misconception
and come up with a ready answer, has objections to raise and arguments with which to dispute, he will hold her in awe and respect her. What I am saying here does not contradict what I said in “Angering Women Who Dart Sideways Looks, and Claws like Hooks”;59 it all comes down to the means by which knowledge is imparted. The whole point of this digression was to say that, even though the Fāriyāq’s wife had picked up little information about men and women, she showed, by standing up to her mother when the social good of marriage clashed with the social evil of the Fāriyāq’s baggishness, that she could strike down any argument and silence any combatant. In other ways, however, she remained ignorant. One day, for example, when the Fāriyāq was at table, the Bag-man
3.5.6
informed him that the “fire-ship” had arrived and urged him to get ready to leave. Hearing mention of the “fire-ship,” the Fāriyāq’s wife asked, “What’s that?” to which the Bag-man replied that it was a ship made with planks and nails but moved by the power of steam, generated by fire. “And where’s the fire?” she asked. “In a furnace on board,” he replied. “Goodness gracious!” she said, “How can I travel in a ship with a furnace and expose myself to fire? Isn’t the voyage from here to the island going to be in a bark like our voyage from Būlāq?” “A bark won’t do for the open sea,” he replied. “As far as I’m concerned,” she then said, “I’m not going. Let those go who want to get burned.” The Bag-man and his wife pleaded with her but she was adamant. When the time came to sleep, she lay down in the bed and turned her face to the wall. And this is the purpose of this chapter—to alert people to the fact that this is one of those customs whose practice people misunderstand, since there is nothing in the backside to indicate anger. On the contrary, the locus of the latter is the front side. If a woman faces her husband when she lies down and scowls at his face, wrinkles her brow, sticks her nose in the air, blocks her nostrils, and closes her eyes so that she cannot smell his smell or see his ugly countenance, or covers both mouth and nostrils with her hands, her sleeve, or a handkerchief, that is a sign of anger, but when she turns her backside to him, there is nothing to indicate that. Were you to tell me that if she faced him she still might faint at his breath because the foul smell would inevitably penetrate her nostrils even if they were blocked, from which it follows that she has no alternative but to turn her backside to him, I would reply that in that case it would be better for her to lie flat on her stomach, thus avoiding unpleasantness altogether.
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3.5.7
ت �ح� غ � ش ت ��ف �� فس�� � ����ص � ���ل��ط ا �����هر ي� رو ي ح
ف �ت ظ � �خ فا ن � �ن � ا ش �آ � ت � ا � ا ُ ن � ا ��ت�� ح ّ��س�ا �ب��ي�ر�ه�ا � �و�ع �ي���م�ه�ا � �� ���م�ه�ا �و�ت ك � بو���ع�د �� � ا �ل��د �بر��هى �م ا �ل� ����ي � ء ا �ل��ى ��ط� �لم� �ع��ى ا �ل ن�� ��س ب ي تخ ����ذ � ا �� ه�ا ا ��ل�ز �ن�ا � � ا �ل�م ن��ا �ف� � ا �ل��م ا �ف�د � ا ��ل �ف�ا �ئ�� � ا ��ا �ع�ا ���ي�ز � �م�ع ن� * ا �ّم�ا � ّ ا ف ا �ن ج و ر و ر ع و �ل �ج ج ب� و � ح��س� ��ل� � �ه�م ا و ل� و �ى �ذ � � �غ ح ش �ا ��ا � ا ��ا ض خ � ا ��لغ��� �ا �ئ� � ا �ل��م ا ��ف ق � ا ��ل�ُ ظ عّ �����ا �م�ا ت� � او ��ل ���ا �ي�� � او �لم�ص�ا د ا �ج� ت�� ا �ب�ا � �لق���ل�و ب� � ��� ي و �ل � و ل �ل و ر �� و م ت � � �ن ش �ة � � � � �ة �� ا �ل ن��ا �ظ �� ر�ي�ن * �و��ف�ت�ن� �ل�ع�ق ��و�ل ا �ل�ع�ا �ش���ق���ي�ن * �ف ك �ي��ف� �ي� �ك�و� ����ى � او � ح��د �م��س��ع�م�ل�ا �و��س�ي �ل� آ آ �� ض �غ ض ��� �م�ع�ا �ف�ه� ُ�خ���ْل�ف� ���ّ�ن * � ا �م�ا �م�ع��نً �ف�ل�ا ن� ا ��ل�ع��ل�م�� � ا ��ل�ا د ��� � ��س�ا د ��ت ن��ا و ب و و �و ى �ل�لر���ى � او �ل��� ب بي � ش آ �ز � ت �ف ن �ف ق� ا � � ت ا �ت ن � ن �ه� * ح�ى ا � ب���ع� ا �ل����ع �ر �م�ا ا �ل� او ��ي ت���غ�ز �ل�و� �ب��ه�ا � �وي��� ن��ا ���س�و� ��ى �عر� ��ض �ه�م ��ا �ل ��ض �ه� �و�سع � �م�ن ا � �م���ث � ّ ح��ب��تى �ر ى �ل � خ �ص ��ه� ا �خ� ���ي�د ���ل ا �لي ��و�م � ر
�وق��ا ��ل �ع�مر�و ب��ن ك� ����لث��و� م
ك�� �ض�ق ا ��ل��با � �ع��نه� ا � �ة � � ب �و�ما ��م� �ي �� ي ��
ت �ذ � �ش��ه ا �ل��ب�د �ر ا ا ���ب�د ا ���� ب ف ����ث�م ا �ر د ا ���ه�ا ���غ�د ا
�خ ���ص ��ق�د ُ � ن� ن�� ت� ���ب�ه � ن�� �ن�ا �ج �و� � ر �ج و
� � � � ن �ن ه ا ن ا � ا ش ا ة �خ �و�� �لق��ا �ئ�� �ه ن��ا � �ق �� ��ل ا ن� ا ��ل ش����ا �ع �ل�� ��ي �ص�ف� ا ��ل �صرا �ل�ا ب���ك� �ون�ه �م�و�ج� ب��ا �ج�ل ��و� * �و � �ل� ���� ر� �� ل �ي و رم آ �ن ن �ذ �ذ � �ة ّ �ن ن ن ن � �غ � � � � ح��ل�ا ب�� ن��� ء �ع��ل� �ج� ن��و� ا �ل ن��ا ��س �ب�ه ا ا ك� �ص� * � او � ���ا � ك��� �ل��ك ��ي�ر �ن�ا � حر�ى ا � �ي���كو� ا �ل�ى ك�� �و�ه ي ى �ه��ذ ا ا �ل� ف� � ا ��لض���م ن� ّ � ا � ا �� � �ص�ف ��� �ع ض ��م��ة �ج� ن� ن�� ت� ��ه�ا �� * ا �ذ ��ل� �ق�ا ��ل �و�م�ا ك�� � �ك م�ه � � � �ى �ج � ري� ع�ل�ى و ل ب� و و � �وم ن ش � ش �ا�ف ف ض ن ن ا �� � ا � �ة �ن ا ت ا � ا �ه�ا ����ى * � �وي�ا �لي� ت� ����عر�ى ��ه�ل ا �ل� �ل�� �ج� �� �و� ل�عل��م �ب� �لب��د ��ي �ه� ا � �ه� ��م�ل� ا �لب�� ب� � �و�ي������ل �م � � ا ��ل�ل�ا � ���ف ا ��ل��ا � ��ل��ل�عه�د ا ج��ل � ن����س� ا �و ا ��ل���ذ �هن� ّ * �و��ه� ا ��ل�ا �م�ا � ا ��ل�ز �و �ز ���نى ��ت�ع ّ�� ��ل ش��� � � �ض و مى ب ب ل ى ى ر ر م ح � � � � ن � ة �ظ �ت ف ّ �ذ ��ل��ك * ث�� ا �ن�ه �م�ن ا �ه� �م�ا � ش���غ���� ��ا �ل ا�ل�م ا � � ���سه �ه�ا ا �ل��ل��ا �ل� * �ه� ا � � ����ت�ن �ن�ا �� �ه�ا ر وي � ر ي ى و م ي لب ر م ��ت ف � �خ �ذ � � � ض � ف� � � �غ ئ ت ت ا ا ا ا ا �ن ا � � � ه�� �ع �و�ج� �ه�ه� �و��س� �ر ج ��س�د�ه� �و�� د ر��ه ��� ا �لر ي�� ب ��ي�� �ل�ك ا �لم�و� ع ا �ل�ع� ل�ى * �ورب�م� �ل� ي ع م ا �ذ ت غ ض ا ض �ة �ن ا � � ��ت ض� ّ � �ة �ز � ف ت غ ش ا ا ن �ن � � � ��� � �ب�ل�ا ��ي �� �م ر ��ط ا ������� �ل�ه� �ب�ه * �و�ل�و �مر �و�ج� �ه�ه� �و �و� ��� ��� �ب��د � �ه� �ل�مر �ض�ٍ ا �و ف ��م ا ن ا � ت � � �م�ع�ت ة � ه �مت� ة � � ن ا � فق ّ �تا ا كب���ر ������ل ا ع�م� د�ه� �ع��ل�ى ح� ��س��ه� �ل�م � ب� رح �م�د� �ع�لي�� �و � � عه�د� �ل�ه * � � �ه�و�ع��د�ه� را ��س
140
٨،٥،٣
140
٩،٥،٣
Travel, and the Correction of a Common Misconception
To proceed: the backside is one of those things that people have gone to
3.5.8
great lengths to exalt, magnify, and aggrandize both materially and immaterially. On the material side, they use padding, wadding, stuffing, packing, pillows, cushions, supports, bolsters, and bustles to lure the hearts of onlookers and fascinate the minds of suitors. How, one must ask, can one and the same thing be used as a means to contentment and ire at one and the same time? It is a blatant contradiction. On the immaterial side, scholars, litterateurs, and our masters the poets never stop singing its praises and competing in descriptions of its breadth and capacity, one of them going so far as to say Who has seen the like of my beloved? She’s like a full moon should it appear. Her waist comes in today, A day later her rear. while ʿAmr ibn Kulthūm spoke of A rump that the door’s too narrow to admit, And a waist that’s driven me insane! Here one must point out that the poet describes the waist simply as a cause of his madness and any implication that it is slender is based on the fact that it drives people insane, since it, like the rump, is not actually visible. The same implicit understanding should preferably be applied to all parts of the body, since had he said “a rump that has driven me insane,” it would be self-evident that it fills the door with some left over. I would also very much like to know whether the al-60 preceding the word bāb (“door”) is generic or referential61 and whether Imam al-Zawzanī62 devoted any attention to the elucidation of this matter. One of the things that most exercises a woman’s mind and keeps her from sleeping at night is how, through exaltation of that high and elevated place, she may charm any who see her. She may even be so taken up with it that she’s distracted from paying attention to her face and the rest of her body and leave them unadorned. Though her face grow gaunt and the plumpness of her body dissipate with sickness or old age, thus reducing her dependence on her charms, she will still depend on and maintain that, since it is, for her, the capital she uses to attract and arouse desire. There isn’t a
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3.5.9
ت �ح� غ � ش ت ��ف �� فس�� � ����ص � ���ل��ط ا �����هر ي� رو ي ح
ة � ا �ت ت ن ن � ن � �ت �ف ق ف � � ن �م�ا ��ل ا ��خل ���ل ب� � او �ل�� ش � ���و�ي��ق� * �و�م�ا �م�ن ا �م ار � ا �ل� �و��م��ى ا � �ي��ك�و� �ل�ه�ا �ع��ي�ن ��ى �����ا �ه�ا �لت����كو� ا � �ة ا � ت�� ش �ن ا �ظ ��� �ة ا ��ل ه � �مت�� ه�د�ة �� ه د ا ئ�� ا � �� �لق�د � ن �ع��ل ا ا ن ��ت�ق �ف م���� ��س�ا �عت���ي�ن � ر ي�� و ع� ل� م� * و � �ي �ه�و� � ي�ه� � �� ��س� ع� و ى ّ ض ا �ت �ق �ث � ث ا � ا ا ن ��ت�ق � ن �ة خ ش �ة � �ن ا ن �خ ن ح��ي�ن � ش����ا � ا �و ��ي ���مر * � او ��ن �ه�ا � �و ر���ص �ل�� �و �ل� � �ع�د �ه�ي��ه� �����ي � م � ي ّ ��ت ن �ظ �� ��ل � �� ف ا � ا ش �ة ن �ت ق �ة ��ف ا � ا م�ز � ا ئ �� �ه�ا �� را �ى ع�ط� � �ه� �و �هى �م� ����ي � ا �و را ���ص� �م� �ه�وا �ل� ر� ا �ل�ى �م� �ورا ��ه * � او � � �ه�د ك�ر � �ة �ت � ن�ه�ا �ه�م�ا ا �ن ش���� �م�ص�ل�ا �ة ��ع�� �لق ��ه�ا �ق��ل� ا ��ل ��� * � �ذ ��ل��ك ��ل�ا ��ن ه�ا ��ت�عل��� ا ن� ا ��ل � ك�� � ك ح�م� � �و ب � �ي � ب � ب ر ج ل و ه�� � ب � م � ا �ز � ا ن �ت� ن ��ث ة �� � � ا �� ن �ة � ح ���ف �ذ ��ل�� ا �ل�م ض ح� � او �ل��ش��� ��ا �� �ل�قي���ة ر��س�م ت� �م�ن ا �ل� �ل �� � ��ك�و� ك���ر� ا ل��ل ا ��خل � � �� ل �� � * � � ك � ��س�� ا �ل�ى ى و ع ب ب ب م م �ا آ � �ة � � � ائ � ن � ا ا �ن ���ي�ن ا �ل���ل ���ا ك�� ��س���ة ا ��ل�ى د ك� ح�ا �م��ي�ن * �ش���ا �ئ��ق�� �ل��ل�م��ل�وك � او �ل��س�ل�ا ��ط��ي�ن * � او �ل� �مر� ��س� �ر ا �لب��د � �ل� �ب� �ل�� ب � �ذ ة � �ذ ة � آ � غآ � ا �� �ق ض ا ة � ا ئ �ة � �ق �ا ي�ن ح��ا � ا �لم� ا ��� � � ا �له ا ��� � � ا �ل�ع��ل�م�� � ا �ل���ل���� و ل�� وب ��� � � او �ل� ��م� � او � �ل ��سي����س�� � * 1او �ل� � ب ر و و ب و � ر ب و آ آ آ � � ا � �ة � ا �ز في�ن ا � ا ت � �خ � ��� � � ا � � ش � ائ � �ا ��ل ط�� � او �ل� د �ب� � او �ل����ع �ر � او �ل�ع ��ط� ر �ي�ن � او �ل�ص�ي � د �ل� � او �ل�ع� ��� �ب� �ل� � ا �ل��طرب� �و�ل��س� �ر � او ب ش �ت � �ة � ن �م�ه ك��� ����ذ �و ن� �م�ن ���حل ��ا ��ا ا �و �م�ن ��� �ح� ا ��ل ن��ا ��س * ��ل�ا ��ل�ا ��ن �ه� ��ي ت خ� �م�ه ِا �ه�ا �ل� * ا �و ي���س � ب�ص�� حو� �ع��لي��ه ا �و ب ب م ُ � ْ � أ � � � تخ �ن � ش � �����ذ �و ن� �م�ن �ج���ل��ده �ك� ��ه(� * )1و�ل��ك�ن �ص�د �ور� � ح�ا � � � � ه � ل � ع � ل � � م * ��� ه � � � �ة � ل غ ��ي و � و ي م ر ( )1ا �ل ك وب �و ب� ا �ل��ط ب���ل ا �ل���ص����ير م �خ� ّ �ذ ف ن �� �ن �� ��ق���ة ��ل�ا ��م�ل��أ �ه�ا� 2م�ا �ه� ا � ��س� �من ا لم�� ���صر و �ل�ع�ل�ه ا �ل� �ى ��� �ه�ا � ا � ��ا � �ع��ي�ن اب��ن ا د �م �م� ك��و� �ه�ا ض� ّ وو ي � و كب� ر ت ي ة �ة ع ع ��� * ���س���مي���ه ا �ل�ع�ا �م� ا �ل�د ر ب� �ك � ت ��ف ش ا � � � �ن ا �ت ن ّ �� ان ة �ف � � ك ح� � � � ا � � � �م � ا �ه��ذه ل�د �� �ط��سه �ب�ا �ل�� �مر� * � او ����ع� ر ل�ه�م ب� � �ه�م �ى � ي و � �م � ش ا � خ �ة � �ا � � ا �� � ش ا ق �ة ��ف ا � � ا ا ف � �ة ن �م� � او �ج�ل ب�� ل ا �ل���� �ه��� �م� �هى ا �ل� ��س� ��ل� �و�ع�ز ��ه �و �ج�م��د ��ه � او � �ع��ل ت� �ع��ل�ى ا �ل� ��ط� او د ا �ل���� م م �ذ ا ا �ل� ض � اَ �َ ا � ا ��ن ا ��ت�ع�� ا �ن � ا �ذ ا ا � � ت �مث �ا ا � �د � � �آ ا � ا ��ز ة �ع�ن � �ج �ل��س� ��ل ح� ه�و �ل� �ل� ع � ١٠،٥،٣ ض�ي ��ض� �ه� م� � �� �� * �ل� و �ه� ل� �ك ح� م وع تخ ّ � �ذ � � �� �� ت � �ع��ل��ه ق� ّ���ة (� )2مو ا �ض �� ا� ك ل�� ار �م ا �م�ا �م ب���ع��ض� ا�لم ن��ا �ص� (� )2ع��ل�ى ��سرر �م� �ه ب� * �و ض� �ع ي���لى ب ي ر ب �ي ف ح�ا ��ة ع ي�ه�ا �ل�بو ل ا و �ل ���� � �ج م�� � �ة ا � � ة ا �� � �م ّ �ة م�ز �خ �ف �ة �م�ن�م�ن �ة � ن ��ق ش �ة م�ز �ق �ة � �ز ا � � � � ل � � � � � ك � � � � � � � � م� ا � � ل �م�و�ه� � �ر� م� م� ���� و� ك�� �سو ب� حر�ير و ل�د �ي ب���ج و ل� ب� ل ه�ور � �ة ن � ا ت�ف ن ت�ف ن ق �ن ف � او �ل �ر�ا � ح��ي�ن * ا ��س��ن���ك�� ا � ��ي���ع�د �ه ن��ا ك � �ص�� ��س�ا �ع� * �ع��ل�ى ا ��ه �ل� ي���س��ن����ك� ا � ي � � ش ح�ا �ذ ��ا ��ل���ذ ا ك ا �ل�م�ق��ا � ا �ل� ن ��ي�ق��ع�د �ع�ا �ّم��ة ��ن �ه�ا ره �و�ل���ل�ه ��م م�ي ��ف� * �و�ه�و � ح�ا ��سر ا �ل ار ��س * �م����ع ث� ي ي م �ش ح�ا ��ف ا ��ل �� * �ف�ا �غ� ا �� �ف�ل * �م ن��د ��ل� ا ��ل��ل��س�ا ن * ��س�ا �ئ� ا ��ل��ل�ع�ا * � �ح�مم��لق ب� � ر � ا �ل����عر * � �ى ر ج � �� �ل ل ع م ّ� � � �ؤ �ّ � ا �ذ ني�ن ��ف �ق � �ذ ش � �ذ ش ي�ن ق ن � � ا � � � � � ل � � ا ا ع � م ��� * م� ل�ل �ل� � * �ى ب � � ا �ل�ع�ي�ن ��ي�ن * �م����مرا �ل�� ي���ل * ����ا ب� ا �ل�� را �ع� * ع�و� ج ح ح �أ :1855 1وا �ل��ق����س��ي����س�ن :1855 2 .ي�م�ل و�ه�ا.
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Travel, and the Correction of a Common Misconception
woman who doesn’t wish she had an eye in the back of her head so that she could keep it under perpetual observation and maintenance. She may think nothing of standing for an hour, walking for two, or dancing for three but will not sit down for an instant for fear lest it be roughened or squashed, and should she, when walking or dancing, look over her shoulder, it is to draw attention to what lies behind it. Her voluptuous gait and the swinging of her hips are the most entangling snare in which a man’s heart may find itself caught and she walks that way because she knows that the Divine Wisdom has designed things, from before the beginning of time, so that the greatest quantity of flesh and fat (in terms of the rest of the body, not of butchers’ shops) should be in that spot, thus making it an attraction for kings and sultans, emirs and judges, imams and priests, as well as rabbis, mages, sages, scholars, rhetoricians, preachers, men of letters, poets, apothecaries, pharmacists, players of musical instruments, and everyone else—not so that they can make kabobs of its flesh or cooking grease of its fat or light lamps with it or use its skin to make a tabla,(1) but as a means to delight their eyes and bring joy to their hearts (for a man’s eye, despite its small size,63 is never satisfied, even when filled with something a thousand times larger
(1) The kūbah (“tabla”) is “a small, waisted drum”; it may be what the common people call a darabukkah.
and broader than itself ) and as a sign to them that all their wisdom in this world, all their refinement and pride and glory, though they be higher than cloud-scraping peaks or lofty mountains, are still lower than the foothills of that place. The woman well knows, too, that should you, for example, seat one of
3.5.10
the aforementioned great and good before a public convenience(2) that has been placed on a gilded dais over which you have previously raised a silver-coated, decorated, embellished, engraved, and ornamented dome draped with silk and brocade and wreathed with flowers and sweet-smelling herbs, he would
(2) manāṣiʿ are “places in which people seclude themselves to urinate or defecate.”
scorn to stay there half an hour, whereas he would never scorn to stay next to that lofty structure night and day, without interruption, head bare, hair disheveled, feet naked, mouth open, tongue lolling, spittle dribbling, eyes staring, tail between legs, arms extended, neck twisted, ears pricked, and generally in the vilest shape one can imagine for a person of standing. Things would reach such a point that, should he hear a peep from
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ت �ح� غ � ش ت ��ف �� فس�� � ����ص � ���ل��ط ا �����هر ي� رو ي ح
�ت � ا ��ف � �ذ �أ �ة ق �ه�ئ �ة � � ا ن ن ن ت حق� �ى �م���ا � * ح�ى �ل�و ��س�م� �ن� �م� �م�ن �ه ن��ا ك ي�� ي��م��ك�ن �ل�ل� ���س�ا � ا � ��ي �� �صور�ه� �ى � م ع نّ �ذ �� ف �ز ا ��� ظ �� ��ل���� ن � � ا ن ق ث � ا � ا ت � ا � ا ل � � * ه�ئ��ه �ع��ل�ى �ه� ا ل ��و ع�ي� ظ�ن ا � ا �ل��س��ل��ط� � ��د ب���ع� ا �لي��ه �ب� �ل� � ا�لم�ل� ��هى ��ي � م � �ت ّ � � ش �غ � �� ن �صور ���فى �ب�ا ��ل�ه ا ن� �ص�و ت� ا �ل�ع�ود �ل� �ي�� � او �ل�مغ�� ن�� ا �ل�ع�مي�� * � � �ك�ن �ب�ا ���ج���ى �م�ن ��ي�ره ا �ل�ا �ل��ك�و� �ه��ذه � � و م آ م م � ث ا � ش�� �� �ذ � � � ن � � � �ة ق ن ض � ت ���ا ��ل ش��� ���ط �ي�ن ��ل ُ���سم� ��ل�ه �من� ���طق � ا � � � � � � � � ا � � �ص� �ل م � �� * ول�و ك� � ك ا �ل� �ل� ��د � ع� �ع��ل�ى �� ل طر ل�ك م�و� ر �� ع ع ئ �ة � ن ّ ن � � �� ��ق �ة ا خ� �ذ �ت ن ��ا �ع ا ب� * � او ن� �ش�� � � � ه � ا � � � ا ا ا ل � � ل ع �و �م ن��ه * �ور ح� ��د ر وى �� * و � عرب� ��ك�ل ا ل ب�� �م� � ب ر � �� � � � � � � �ة �ة �ز ة ف ف ا ف ق ف ش غ ا ا �ن ا �ه� ��ه ا �ل �� ح�� او � حر�و��ه �ب� �ل� ���ع� �ل ا �ل��س�د ا ��س�ي � ا �ل��دا �ل� �ع��ل�ى ��ط�ل ب� ا � �ل���ع�ل ا �و �م �ي� د� ������ � م ب �ت ت ف � � � ا � ّ ا � �ن � ا � � ن ف �ة ي�ه�ا ا �ل ش����ى ك�� �� �ون�ه �ع��ل� � ا �ل ��ى �ي��ع�ب��ر �� حوا �ل * � او � �رد��س� � ح� �ل �م� م ا �ل� � �ص�د �ور ا �لر�ج��ا �ل ى �ا ت ن � ا �� ��ف � َّ ة � ت �ت�� � � �ن ف �و�عر��ض� ظ �� ���ه * � او � ا�لم�ع� ل�ى �ى ا �ل��س ار � م��ى ل �ه�ور��ه �ل� ج���د �ى � ���ع�ا �م� �عر ض� � �ل�هم� � م ع �� � �ق �ة �ث ق � ا آ��ا ن ت ا � �ة��اح�ذ ن �ذ ت ت� َُ ْ ن ف ا ل � � � � ا � � � � � م � �� �ه��ذه ح �بي�� م ��ل�ه� ��س�و ك� � ح� ل� �مك� �ه ب� ا � ��ا ك�ي��� �ي��ع�د � �م��س�ا ��ل� * � او � ع م �ش آ �ث ق ا � ا��ث ق � ��ا ن ت � ح � �ة ��ف ا �� �ق ف � � � م � � � ا � � � � � � � ك ا ا ا � � � � � � � �� � ا �لي��ه ب���ع��ض� ا �ل����ع �ر * و ك� � �م�ول� �مك� ه�و �ى ل�و � ع لي����س ��ل�ه� �ل� ��ل كي����س �ذ �ن ا ���سخ�ن � ا � ض �آ � ا ��ف � ش �ت�آ �ذ � ا ت� ت � ف �ة �ه ب� �ع��ل� � ح��ا �� ا �ل�ى �ت��د �ئ�� * ��� �ج �مي��ع� �ى ا �ل��� � ا � ح�ا �م��ل�ه * � او � �ه� ا � ا �ل� ع� ى �ل ج � ف �ت�ز � �ن �ق ّ � � ا � د� ا ��ف ا ��ل ف � �ن �ن �ص��� * � او � �ه�ا �م� ك���و� �ه�ا ا �و�ل �م�ا ��س �ل�ل�ا ر��ض� �ع ن��د ا � �ل��ع�ود ��ل�ا ا �ل ا ���ع و بر ه� �ى � ي ع م �ن � � � �ي�ن ف �ذ ��ا ن ت � ��ذ ة �ت�ق ا � �ل �قّ � �ذ ّ � ظ �� �ن ��خل ّ �م ا � ���د �ي�ن * � او �م��ل��س �م ا �ل�ل�د �ي��د * ���ل�ه� ا ك�� ��� �ل� � � � ب��ي ��ل�ه� �ل� �م� ب���ل ا �ل�ع� ر�ى ا ع�� م ن � آ � �ذ � ن � �م�ن ��ل���ذ �ة ��ت��ق �ي��� ا ��ل���ذ ��ق�ن � او ��ل�ا ��ن �ف� � او ��ل�ع��ي�ن � او �ج��ل � ب���ي�ن * � او � ا �ل ن��ا ��س �ي�ب��ت�� �ل�و� �ل�ه�ا ا ��س�م�� ا�لم��ل�وك ب ل � �ذ � � ا ��ل ا د�ة � ا �ل� � ا ��ل � ا ئ� �ة ا �� � �ي�ن � �ع ن ��ق � ا ��ق �� � ا � ت � ا �ي�ن �س�غ� �ف� � او �ل��س�ل� ��ط�� * و وى ��س�ي � ومع� �ى و �م� ل�د * و ��د �وم ( �ول و �ر ت آ ن ق � ن ا �ت ق ّ ح��س ن� * �ع�� ا ن ���سب���� �� ا لله) �ت���ذ ا ��ل ��له�ا ا ��ل�ا ���سم�� ء ا ��ل � ل�ى � ي � � ح�ه�م �ك��ل �ي ��و�م ا � ��ي���و� �ل او بر���� � ���د ��س ى َ ا �اً َ � ا �ن ا ��ت��� ض ا ن ث � � ئ ق ��� ا � ك� ����ي�را �م�ن ا �لب��ه�ا �� ا �ع����ل �م�ن ا �ل ن��ا ��س ا �و ا ��س�ع�د � ح� �ل� ا ���سم��ك * ا �ل� � او � �ه� عل� ا ��ي � م م � � � � تي�ن � �ن ا ��ل���ل ��ف � � �ذ � ن ن �غ ا � � ق �م�ن ا ��ص� ا � ف�ل� ���ط �ة * �ف�ا � ا �ل�� ك� �م�ن ا �ل � حي �� او � ��ي�ر ا �ل ن��ا ��ط�� �ل� ��ي � ي�ه�� � �ع��ل�ى �هب� ر��� م ح� �ى ر ل ر م � � � ج �ذ � ��ذ�� �ن �ل� �ف � �ق � ان �ق ا ا ��ن ث ا ه � � ا � ئ ت �� م حت�� او ���ه�م�ا �ع��ل�ى ا � �ل ب���ل � او �ل��د �بر ا �ل� ��ى �و�� �م�ع�ل�و�م * �و�ه� ا ا �ل� ك�ر�م ا حي ��و � ع � ّ م غ غ � ا ��ل ن��ا ���طق ��ل�ا �ي�ز ا ��ل �ه�ا ئ��ا �ع��ل ا م�ز � ا � ا غ ا ت�ز � ا ا ح� �م�ا �م���ق ��ق��ا �م��ق ���ق ��ا ج ي� �ه�م� � �ب��د ا �ل� ��م� را ��ي�� �م�� ��م� �ه� د را �حم ب ب ب ب �� ْ � ْ � د �َ ��ه ا ��ن ه�م�ا ��ا �ه�د ا �ف�ه�م�ا �ز ا �غ��د ا �ُم��ل�ع��ا ��ا ��ل��ا ��ل�ا � ��ا � ��م�ا �ج�نّ ا � ض� ا ا �ذ � � � ا لم � �ي ��� * �و�م� �ل�ك ا �ل� �ج ر و م � ب ب �ج ب �ج ب ورب 144
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that place, he’d think the sultan must have sent him an orchestra to congratulate him on such a terrific triumph and comprehensive conquest and imagine that the lute would never have acquired the most plangent sound of all instruments had it not been fashioned in the likeness of a half of that place, and that had it been formed from both halves together it would be heard to speak Arabic complete with grammatical endings; likewise, that the dome takes its shape from it and from it ambergris derives its smell, that the Arabs were so enamored of it that they added the letters of its name to six-letter verbs, which indicate a request for an action or that a thing is considered to possess a certain quality,64 that all the breadth of a man’s chest and all the width of his back are worth nothing compared to the breadth of that thing, that when big-buttocked women press eminent princes with their requests, the princes are brought low, that that posterior sack, whether it be “bearing,” as some poets would have it, 65 or “borne,” as in reality it is, is no more of a burden to the one who lifts it than a purseful of gold, that it is the hottest of all the parts of the body in the winter, when it needs no heating, and the coolest in the summer, that being the first part of the body to touch the ground on sitting, it is always smoother than the cheeks and the sides of the neck below the ears, which is why the ʿUdhrī kisser finds more pleasure in kissing it than he does in kissing the chin, nose, eye, or forehead, that in common parlance people give it the names of kings and sultans, men of power and eminence, and leading imams, and that for some (forgive me, Lord!) the Most Beauteous Names66 are as nothing before it, albeit their daily magnificat is to chant, “O Lord, glorious be thy name!” Well too she knows that many a beast is more intelligent than any human or enjoys a happier state by virtue of instinct, for the male among the dumb beasts is aroused by two lumps of flesh on his female, even though they encompass both front and back,67 only at a known season, while that animal that has been endowed with the power of speech is in a permanent state of arousal over them, frothing and foaming, groaning and moaning, bellowing and whinnying, glugging and gurgling, roaring, driveling, screaming, and drooling, and sometimes going insane as well, for no better reason than a delusion on his part that, being butts, they will help him to pierce the bull’seye with his arrow from the front, or what would be the point of all this
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3.5.11
ت �ح� غ � ش ت ��ف �� فس�� � ����ص � ���ل��ط ا �����هر ي� رو ي ح
قُ ُ �ّ ا �ف �ذ � � ف � ن ن ��ن� ��ت�ع�� ا � ض ن خ �ت ��ع�ي�ن �ا �ن�ه �ع��ل�ى ��� �سق� ا �ل�ه�د �� �م�ن �ب���ل � او �ل� ��م�ا ��سب�� ب� �ه� ا ا �ج�ل ��و� * ع� �و ل� �ي � ���ا ا � م م ش ا ةً �خ ّ � � �ذ � �� ن ه ��ف ّ�ز ��ل � ا ف ف �ه� �م� ا �ز ��ل ��� �م� �ك� �و� �ى � � ��ط ا �ل ار ��س ا ر��ت�ف��ا �ع�ا * ا ���� ر� �ه� ا ا �لم�و ض� ح�ي� ا ج���س�م ا �ل� ��س����ل � � و و عع �ف ا ��ل ا ن �ت��س�فّ��� ه � ا � ّ �� �م�ن �ق حت ��ل� �فُ �� ا ��ن ���ع �ع ن��د ا ��ل ���ل��ي�ن ت � � ه ه � � � ع ه ل� �ل� يح�ط �ى � ر�ج �د ر ور �� * �ى و ر �ض ج �ل ن �� ش ف َ ْ �َ �ن آ � �ق ت � �ت ن � ن�ز � �ة � ا ا ي�ن � �ي�ن �لب��ي�� �ل�ه �ه��ذه ا�لم�� �ل� � او �ل� �ع�بت�� ر ب���ع� �ه * ح�ى ا � ب���ع��ض� ا �ل����س� �ير ا � ك�������ه ا �و �ل�ى ُ �ذ � � � ّ �ذ � � ن ن �م�ن ك� ح��دا ق�ت���ل �ب ��ف���لت���ة �م ن��ه �� ش � ���ف� ا � �ف�ل� �ل�ا �ن�ه ا �ق��ل ا �ى �م ن��ه * ا �ل� �ي��عل��� ا �ل�ى ا �ل�ا � ا � ا � م م م ت آ �ذ � ّ ف ا ا فَ �َت ا ت � � ا ن � �ق تّ ا � �ة ف ا �ت ّ ع�د �و ��ل�ا � � �و�� ح�ص� * �و�� ن��� ء �ع��ل �ل��ك � ��ك�ن ��ي ت��ع ّ�م�د ن� ا ���خل �� �م� ��ل�� � ا �ل�ل��س� � ا � �ل �� �ل� ��ل� �� � ى ب ى رج � �ف � ّ �ا � ���ة ن � ��ى ا �لي ��و�م ا �ل ارح� �و�ه�و �ع ن��د �ه�ن �م�ن ا �ل� �عي��ا د ا�لمب��ا رك��� * � بو���ع� ��ض �ه�ن �ير �ي�ن ا ��ه �ج��د �ير � ُّ � آ �ن � � �ة � ن ت ��ا ��ل � ��س�ورا * �ق�ا �ل ب���ع �ض� � ا �ل��س�ت�ا �هي���ي�ن * 1 ح��ل�ى � او �ل�ز� ن�� � او �لت���ق�ي�� ش��� ��س� �و ء ك ���ا � ظ ����ا �ه ار ا �و �م � ب �ي ��ا ���س�ا �ئ��ل �ع�ن ي �ى �� � �ل�ق�د �ر �و�ى
ا �ى � � ��ج�ز ت �ذ ا ا �� �س��ا �ن�
�ف � ُ � ا �� ء ��ى ا �ل�م�ي��ل� ��ج��م�ل � �حا � �� � � � ��ن �ص�ف� ا ج �ل��م� �ل ا ل� ك ��ف � �ل
�ذ ق � �ذ � � ا ش ت � �ذ ة � �ن �ة �ا �� ك�ث ة �ا ش� ����ي�ر� * �ل� �ن��ك ا ا ا �عت�ب��ر ت� ر �و� ا �ل ار � �ف�� ()1 ��ا �ل �و �ل��ك �ل� ����م�ا �ل�ه �ع��ل�ى ا ��� ك�� ل �ش� � � � � ���ط * � ا �ذ ا ا � �ت ا ت ��ك�ل ال�خم �هر ��ل��ك ا �ل��� � �و� ح��د�ه�ا ظ �� كا � �ل���� لا ��ن عت�ب��ر� �ه� ( )1ت���ن�����ه ا � ت � و و � ر � � � بي ر ي فى ب ي س ب �ذ ف �خ �ا �لو�ي�ه ا �ل ن����� حو �ى ب��ع�د ت�ا �يل�� �ه� ا � �م�ز د �و�ج���ة ��ا ��ل�ا �خ�ر�ى ��تب���ّ�ن ��ل��ك ��ن �ص�ف� د ا ئ�ر�ة ا �و �ش�� � ��ك� ت ل ن ب ف ن ق ي �ن ت ا � ك�� ل�ا ب� ا � ا �لر ا �������ي�� ي������ا ل ��ل�ه���م�ا � � �ذ �ة �ة � �ذ ق فق ن ن � �غ �ن �ظ � �ا ��ل ّ ط� ا �ل�ع����س� ا �ل�ى ��ا �� �م�ا ا �ل���صو �م�عت���ا � و ا �ل���صو �����ت���ا � * و �ل�ك ى * � او ا � �� ر ت� �م�ن ��ن �� �� ه�ل � ي ي ب ف ق ت مم�ا ��ا � �ص�ا � ح� ب� ا �ل�����ا �مو ��س * �� � � � ت �� � ش �ي �� او �ز � �ه�ا �م�ن ��س ���ق� ا �ل� او � ح��د �ب��د ا �ل��ك ا�لم � ط ا �ل � ��س�و�ى ا �و �ي ح � ��خ � ا�ل�من � ّ � �ذ �ذ ن � � ق �ق ن ت ا ا � ن � ت � � � � ط * ا �و �م��ه ا �ل�ى �م� د �و� �ل�ك �� ب��لك ا�لم� �� � او ل � ��ط ح�ى * � او ا ا �ع�ب��ر��ه ا�لم��س ��� ب ب ح ضآ ل� � � ا� ا � �ّ �ف � �هل��� � ّا * � ��ل���� �م�ن ��س�ا ئ � ا ا ���� ا ��ل��د ن� �م�ن � م � � � � � ا ا ك ع � م � � � � ه � � � ل � ك ر ب ع ب ب و �ج � ج و� و م �ج ر وي س � �خ ن ا �ف � ا �ز �ا �ا �� � ا �� �ذ ا ق � ت � ا ا �ش ق �ق � � ش �ش ا �ل�ا �ش�� ك� ل����� �� ل م� ل�ه� * ��ل� م� � �ص�� ا �لي�� �ج��ى ا �ل� د��ي ب� ا�لم����ه�ور ��و�� ��و�ل ا � ي � �� � ي ١٢،٥،٣
��ف ا ا خ� � ت �وا �ل�ه�و� �و��م�ّو ج� ت� ا رد ا ��ه� ��ف� � ى
ّ :1855 1ا �ل����ست���ا �هي����ي�ن .
146
�� � � تي�ن �غ ق �ب��ي�ن ا � ��ض �ط ار ب� ا �لم�و�ج ��� �ر�ي���
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Travel, and the Correction of a Common Misconception
insanity? Indeed, she knows too that that spot, despite its being located in the lower confines of the body, is vertically aligned with the head, implying that its low placement in no way detracts from its worth or dignity. Even were it to be imagined that it was placed at the level of the feet, it would retain that status and be regarded with exactly the same respect. Some women think it better to bare it than to bare their mouths, for the former is less likely to do harm than the latter, since to this day no one is known to have been killed by anything escaping unexpectedly from the backside whereas slips of the tongue that have resulted in deaths are too numerous to be counted. Based on this, they make a point of going out on windy days, which, in their view, are holy holidays. Some of them think that the backside is worthy of being hung with jewelry, made up, and painted, whether openly or under wraps. As a certain connoisseur of backsides has said, O you who ask what part’s prettiest In a girl who’s cute and plump, Our master has passed this down to us: “One half of all beauty is found in the rump.” The reason for this is that it comes in so many shapes and sizes. Thus, if you
3.5.12
consider the shape of the underside of the single buttock(1) it will look to you like a cone, while if you think of it as being twinned with its partner it will look to you like a semicircle, or a crescent. However, if you trace it from the tip of the coccyx to the opposite end of one side of the continuous crack, you will observe what is level, or flat, and should you do the same from the same place to a less distant point, you will
(1) N.b. After writing this book, I saw in Ibn Khālawayh the Grammarian’s work Laysa that the two buttocks together may be referred to as al-ṣawmaʿatān (“the monk’s cells”) or al-ṣawfaqatān (?),69 a usage overlooked by the author of the Qāmūs.
find yourself presented with a dome and a curve, and if you consider it when the person is lying on their stomach, you will find yourself confronted with what is concave,68 and so it continues. No other part of the body has so many shapes. I declare: how exciting are the lines of that celebrated man of letters Shaykh Nāṣīf al-Yāzijī, that go And her buttocks heaved like waves, leaving the lover To drown where the billows clash!
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ت �ح� غ � ش ت ��ف �� فس�� � ����ص � ���ل��ط ا �����هر ي� رو ي ح
س ا �ل��م �ف�د ���فى ��ل�غ� �ت�ن�ا �ه��ذه ا ج��ل ث�� ا ن� ا �� ظل�����ا �ه �م�ن �و ج�� � ���لي���ل��ة * �و�م�ن ��ق�و��ل �ص�ا � ح ب� ر �ود ا � �م ر م � ّ ن � ا ن �آ � � � ف � ة خ ق ا �� �ل��ا �م�و��س الم ���د �م ر�ب�ا ��ط ا �ل��س ار �و�ي��ل �ع ن��د ا ��س����ل ر ج���ل ا�ل�م ار � * ا � �لب�� ��س ���س� ا �ل�عرب� آ ت �غ ن �ق � ��ا ن �خ ا ّ ق ا��ا ن ����ل��ا �� �ن��س�� ا ��ل ش����ا � ا ��ل�ا ن� * ا �و ��ل�ع�� �ص�ا ��ا ��ل � ه � � � � ك ل � �� حوا ر�ي�ا � * ��ي�ر ا � ��و�ل � ��دي��م� ك�� � ك� ب س ب م آ فّ � نّ �ف �ت ّ� � �ف �ت �ت ا�لمت� ب����ى * � او � � ع� �ع�م�ا ��ى ��س ار � �وي�ل�ا � �ه�ا * ��ي� ي��د ا �ل��ع�مي�� * ب�� ن��� ءً �ع��ل�ى ���غ�ز �ل�ه �ب�ا �لب��ا د �ي�ا ت� م � � �ق ا � ��ف � �ق �ت ق �غ � �ك��ا ا �ش���ا ر ا �لي��ه �ب ��ق ��و��ل�ه * �و���فى ا �لب��د ا �و�ة � � � � � �م ح��س�ن ��ي�ر ج�م��ل�و ب� * و �د ��د م * � ل �ى ض ّ � ا� �ن �� ش � �ق � تي�ن �ن �ق ع�ق ��ه � �م��ؤ �خ� ه__ � ا ��ل�ا �� ت �قا س� ا � �ل�� �م�و��س ا �ل��د �بر �ب� �ل�ض� � �وب����م��� � � ي���ض� ا � �ل ب���ل �و�م �ك��ل ����ى � � ب و ر و مآ �ظ� ق ح � �ف �ه��ذه ا ��ل�� فل� ظ �� ���ف �م�ا � ������ة ��ل�ه�ا �م�ع�ا ن� * �و�ه��ذه ا ��ل ح �و�ف� كي� � � ء �هر * ���ل ت� ا ���سم�� رو� � او �ل�� � ر ٍ �ق��ل ت �ا ظ ��� ه �� � �من �ا ا � ض ا ن ���ذ �ذ � ت ي�ن �� ح �ف��ي�ن �من�ه�ا * � �ع�دد�ه�ا �ه �ي � � و ب���ه � � ر ل�ك � ��� �م�ع��ى * �وك�� ا ا ا �ج �م�ع� �ب�� �ك��ل �ر ّ � � ض � �� ن � تي�ن ش ا ة � ��م� �م�ز د � �� ا �ش���ا �ة ا ��ل� ا �ز د � ا �� ا �ل تي�ن ح��س�ا � ا ج ��ل ر ى وج �ج � �ه��� * �مك�ا ا � ا ل���م��� ا ���� ر� ا �ل�ى ب� ب ل وج � �ز �ة �ق �غ �ز � ّ � ��ه � ض ا �خ �ن � �خ ا �لث�����ل � او �لر ا �ن� * �و�م�ا د ��ت �ه�ا �م�ن ا �ر ا �لم� او د * و �ل و� ���ع�ه� �م�و�ر �ع ا �لم�و�ر ا �و آ �ذ � � ش ت قاق تق � �ه�ا �م�ن ��ق�و�ل�ه� ج�ئ��ت��ك د �بر ا �ل ش����هر ا �ى � �خ�ره ا �و ا �ش��ت��ق��ا �ق� �ه� ا �م����د �م �ع�لي��ه ا �و ا ������� � � م � ّ �ة �من��ه�ا �خ��ل�ا �ف� * � او �� ظل�����ا �ه ا ن� ا ��ل�ا �م� ر ا �ل�م�ع ن�� ���ة ا ��ل�ا �ع�ت��ا ر���ة �م ش���ت��ق���ة �م�ن ا ��ل ح��س�ي � * و ر ب ي وي ّ آ � � � � �ف � �ق ��خل ا ف �ف ش ت ق ا ق ن ا ق �ق ش �ق �و ب��� ا �ه�ا �م�ن �ع� ب� ا �ل����ى * �و��د �ورد ��ى ا � �ل �ر � �و�ل� ا و ا �ل� د �ب�ا ر * ��ل� �� ��ى ا ������� � � ى ت ن � � ن � � � � �ف �ف � ن � � ت � � � � � � � �ت � � نا �س� �� ا �لت� �� �� ��ى ك���ا � ا �ل � ك� � او �ن ك ا ا �ل �� ح��ا ك���ه ��ى ا �لرك��ا ك���ه * � او �عل�� ا � ا �ل�عرب� ب ��ر�ه� مط ار � ا �� � ي �و س و ج ى م ا ن ف � �����ة � �ا ���ي�ن ا �� � � �ق ت ي�ن � ف ظ �ق�د �و ض� ت � � � ��� ��ة * ��ف�م�ن ���ع� �ل�ل�د�بر �م� �ي���ي��� �ع��ل�ى ���س�ع�� � �ل � م ب سم �و� �ل ب� �وك�ن�ي آ �ا ا ّ ُ � �ف �سَ ���د � ا �ّ ا ��ل�عِ�زْ � � ا ّ َّ ْ ا ���سم�� �ئ��ه�ا �م�ا ��ت�ق��د � ��ى ا �ث�ا ر�ة ا �ل �ر�ا � �و�م�ن ب���ع��ض� �ك�ن�� �ه� ا � � و � �خِ� ن��ور * � و و م ي م م م م يح � خ � � � � �ف � � ا ا �ف ف ن�ز � � ل �ف��ل� ��ل�ا ا ��ن ه� ا �ن�ز ��ل� �ه�ا �م�� �ل ا �ل� ��س�د � ا �ل��س��� � ا��م �� ا �ل��ا �� � ا � �ل ت���ك � ا �ل� � ك�ا �س�� ر و و ي و رى ب س و و �م و � ّا �خ ّ � ا ��ث �ص �ه�ا ����ذ ��ل��ك * ��ل�ا �يَرد �ه ن��ا �م�ا �ق�ا ��ل�ه �ذ ��ل��ك ا ��ل�ا �ع ا � ���ف ا ��ل ن ّ� ن �لم� � � � ��س�ور �ل�ع��ه ا لله �م� ا ك���ر ربى ى و ب ِ آ �ف ق � ا ���سم�� ه � او �ق��ّ ث��م ن��ه * �ف�ا �نّ�ا ��ن �ق�� ��ل ا ن� ق���ل��ة ث��م�ن ا ��ل �ك��ثر�ة �و ج� � حي �� او ن� ��ل�� �وده �ل�ا ��ي�ق��د � ��ى �ي��مت��ه � و ل ح
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Travel, and the Correction of a Common Misconception
In addition, it would seem from the presence in this magnificent language
3.5.13
of ours of the word mirfad,70 as well as from the statement by the author of the Qāmūs that “the mukhaddam is the cord of the drawers at the lowest part of a woman’s leg,” that the garments of the Arab women of ancient times were like those of the women of Syria now, though perhaps these garments were peculiar to the women of the cities—although on the other hand al-Mutanabbī’s words “I abstain from what is in the drawers” suggest that they were in general use, based on the fact that it was desert girls that he was wooing, as indicated by his words, quoted above, “In the desert there’s a beauty that needs no importing.” In the Qāmūs the author says, “Al-dubr and al-dubur are ‘the opposite of al-qubl’ and mean ‘the afterpart or back part of anything’ . . . or the anus, or the back.” I would add that the names of the letters making up this word have their
3.5.14
own meanings and, no matter how you switch them around, they’ll give you a new meaning each time.71 Similarly, if you combine each two letters of the word, they add up, according to their numerical values,72 to even numbers, in allusion to the paired nature of the two sides, while again the two “u”s imply ponderousness and gravity73—the entry on this word in the Qāmūs is one of the richest in that work. Whether the coining of the word occurred posterior to that of muʾakhkhar (“posterior”) or anterior to that, and whether it is derived from the idiom “I came to you at the end of the month (dubura l-shahr)” or vice versa,74 are open questions; what is clear is that the abstract and the figurative derive from the concrete, leaving for debate the question of its derivation from “the afterpart of anything.”75 In the Qurʾān one finds “they [would certainly] turn their backs.”76 Metropolitan Atanāsiyūs al-Tutūnjī, in Al-Ḥakākah fī l-rakākah, denies this.77 Know too that the Arabs compiled some ninety terms for the backside, divided among names, nicknames, and epithets. Some of these appeared above in “Raising a Storm.”78 Epithets include Umm Suwayd, Umm al-ʿIzm, and Umm Khinnawr,79 and had they not held it in the same esteem as they did lions, swords, and wine in terms of doughtiness, fatal impact, and ability to intoxicate, they would not have coined epithets to describe it.80 Irrelevant here is what that Bedouin said of the cat: “God damn the animal! Lots of names and a low price.” We would claim that the low price of that animal (a function of its large numbers) does not reflect poorly on its value or virtues and that the multiplicity of its names is simply a matter
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3.5.15
ت �ح� غ � ش ت ��ف �� فس�� � ����ص � ���ل��ط ا �����هر ي� رو ي ح
آ ح�ص� ��ل ا �ل� ش ���ثر�ة ا ���سم�� �ئ�ه ��ه �م�ن � ح��م� ا ��لن ظ� ������ر �ع��ل ا ��لن ظ� ������ر ��ل � م����ا �ب��ه��ة ب���� ن��ه �و�م ن��ا �ف��ع�ه * � او ن� ك�� ى ي ي و � ل ي ى �ة ن � ن ّ � ي�ن ّ ّ �ث ة � ن�ت �ن ��س� ر �ه� �م�ن ا ��ل � حي �� او �ن�ا ت� ا � ك ل����ي�ر� ا �ل� �ا �� * � �وب�� ا �م ا �م ��س� �وي��د * �م �ج� �ه� ا � ا �ل �و و ج آ �ن � ن � ش �ك�ن ��ع��ق ��ه �غ��� �م �ة �خ���د ��ش � ا د �م�� ء * � �خ� ش �� �م�� و � و �و�م �� ب ط��ع�ه ا �ل�ل�ع ب� � او �ل�هرا ��� � او � �ي�� �ي ب ي ر ر � آ آ � تّ حت ق ن � ه � �ة حش �ا � ا �ذ � � او �ص�م�� ء * �و� �م�� � او �ع�م�� * �و��ل�ه �ح��م�ل �ع��ل� ا �ل ك� �س��ع� م�� ره � او �ل� �ى �ى �ي���ل ا � �ل� ب � ى ش �ف � ن �ذ �ش ّ ئ �ة ��ش � ة ا ا ر � او � * �و ��ل�ا ��ي�ع � � را � �ه ��و ��ط �ه�و� * � او ��ه ا ا � � ح� ��ى �ج�زه �ص� �عود ���ر� �و �ل� ب ح م � ت � ن خ ق � ض حت � �ظ ��� �ف� ��ه * � ا ��هن � ق � ��ه �م�ن ا �ل��ط ا � �� �� � ك�ا � � و ا �جع ب م�� � �ى �ي ر ب ��ع� �م ���س� �ل� �ع��ل�ى �ج��دا ر �ود ���ل ا � ي � � �ذ �ف �خ �خ ة ن �ة �ت ف �ذ َ �ن َّ �ذ �ن ���ا ه �ب�ا �ل��ل�م��س * ا ا �م ّر ت� �ع��لي��ه �ي��د � ��ف ش��� � ب��ه � او �خ��� ��ى �ر�ر� �و� يه��م� � ����ص � �ع�ن ر ض� ح فْ ة آ �ن � خ� �ف ا �ف ا ن ت � ا ا � ش ا ّ �ة ���ا ا ��لن ظ� �����ا �ف��ة � او ��ل�ا �ك� ���ل خِ� � �ل ا ا � �و � * � � ب�ي��� �ل� م���� ح� ط��ع�ه ا ��ي ض� ح��� ء ا �و � �و�م �� ب �� ��و� �ي � آ � �ة � �ز �ذَ �ن � �ذ � ت ��ث� ة � � ل��ا ب� ��ا ن� �ق��ل ت� �م�ا ��ا �ل ا ��س�م�� ء ا �ل��د ا �هي�� � او �لج�ع � ��ا �و ا ا ك���ي ر� �� ب �مك� �ه�و د ا �ب�ك �م ا �و�ل �ه� ا ا ك�� ب � ق �ة �ذ آ �ش ��ا ن ت � ت �ة ن ّ �ة �ن ف � �ة � ّ � او ��س�م�� ء ا �ل���م��س � او � �ل�ق �مر���لي���ل� ا ا ك�� �� � ا �ل����س�مي�� �مب���ي�� �ع��ل� �ج��ل�ا �ل� الم���س�مى ا �و � ���ع�ه * ى آ � �ذ � �ة ن � ���ا ن�� ت� �ص�����ة ا � ا ��ن ه�ا �ت��ك� � ��ع� �له�ا * � ا �م�ا ���ثر�ة ا ���سم�� ء ا �لج�ع �و�ز ف�ب��ا �ع�بت��ا ر ا ��ن �ه�ا ك� �ق��ل ت� ا �م�ا ك�� �� ب ي و � و ر�ي � و قَ �ة خ �ة� � ن ا� ا � ق � ن � � �ة ف ا ا خ ش ت �ه�ا * � و �ل� �ج��ل�ا �ل ��د �ي��ك�و� �ع�ن � ش����ي � �مك��ا �ي��ك�و� �ع�ن �مِ ��� * ا �ل�د ا �هي�� �ب�� �ع�بت�� ر ����ي�� � �غ �ن � ت ف �ش � �ذ � �ث ة � �ق ف ��ا �م�ا ا �ل���م��س � او � �ل �مر ��ا ��س�م�ا �و�ه�ا ك����ي�ر� �ج���دا ��ي�ر ا � �ه�ا �ل�م � ش���ت��هر �ع ن��د �ن�ا * �و�لي����س �ل��ك �ة � ا آ �ف ق � غ �ة�� ّن�ت �ف ت� آ � ��ا � � �خ� * ث�� �ه��ذه �ج��م��ل� ا �ل� ��س�م�� �ب�ا �و��ل ظ ���ل��� �ف��ع��ل�ه ا ��ل ن��ا ��س ��ى � ح� ا �ل��ل��� �مك�ا ب��ي��� �ه ��ى ك�� � ب ر م م ت �ق آ � � � � �ذ �ف � ّ ا ق ت ض ئ ت ت ت ���ع� �ل� � ا � ��س� ���د �و��د ��� �ل� ا �ج�ل � �ه�د ��ى ا � � �س� � � او �ل�ص�ف��ا � ا �ل ��ى �و� ر ���ه�ا �و��هى * ب م م وي � ُ َ�خ �ة �َ ة � َ ْ�تَ ة � َ ة � َْآ �ُ � اَ ث �ة ��لخََْ �َّ�ز ة � ا ��ل َّر�ج��ا � ا ��ل َّرد ا � ا �ل��د �ل �جِ�ز � ا �ل�ج�ع ���ور� ا �ل�ع �ب��ن �د ا �ة ا ��ل ار ج�� ا �ل� ��ي���� ا � ��ز� الم�ج�ع � �ه�ي�ر� 1ا �ل ش � �� ا �لب � ثِ ح ح ح � َ ْ آ � َ ْ آ � َ فّآ � َْ � َّ � َ ضَ �نّ �َ ك�ز � � � � ْ ُ � � � � � � �ة �ة �ة � � � � � � ض �ز ا �ل��د �ه�ا ��س ا �ل��د �ه��س�� ا �لب ��و�ص�� ا �ل��ل���� ا �لرك�را ك��� ا �ل � ا ك��� ا �ل�وك�� او ك��� ا �لضِ� ��ب��رك ا �ل� �� �ك ���ن �ا ك 2ا �ل�ع�
َ َْ ف ذ ف ف ذ ف ��� ا �ي� ا �ل��ق���ا �مو��س و �ي� :1855ا �ل�ِ��ض �� ن���ا ك. 1ك ��� ا �ي� ا �ل��ق���ا �مو��س و �ي� :1855ا �بل���هي��ر 2 .ك
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Travel, and the Correction of a Common Misconception
of piling like on like in order to achieve some resemblance to a possessor of Umm Suwayd,81 from the perspective that the cat is a highly fertile animal and it is in its nature to play and fight, though this often results in scratching and bleeding, or gashing and sudden death, or gnashing of teeth and blinding. Also, it is so good at surviving accidents and injury that it is said to have seven lives. There is no height too high for it to ascend and no abyss too deep for it to descend. If it smells food that it likes, it will climb the highest wall and insert itself into the narrowest space to carry it off. If a hand passes over it, it sticks up its tail and produces a snoring and a susurration that express the pleasure it derives from being touched. Also natural to it are cleanliness and its way of eating secretly and shyly, or as though frightened. If you refuse—as has been your wont from the start of this book—to leave
3.5.16
anything uncontested you say, “How is it, if the giving of names depends on the respect accorded to or the usefulness of the thing named, that there are so many words for disasters and old women and so few for the sun and the moon?” I will respond, “The large number of words for old women is related to the fact that they were once young girls, or that they may be used as a means to get hold of one.82 As far as disasters are concerned, it’s because they create fear, and respect may result from fear as it may from tender affection. The sun and the moon do have a large number of names, but these are not well-known among us. This is not the first unfair accusation that people have leveled against the language, as I have demonstrated in another book.”83 Here is the full list—to which I have devoted considerable research— of names and characteristics that have been invented to describe a woman possessed of a “Mother of a Little Black Thing”: al-athīnah (“the luxuriantly growing”), al-khabandāh (“the fat and full”), al-rājiḥ and al-rajāḥ (“the weighed down”), al-radāḥ (“the heavy-thighed”), al-dulaḥah (“the fattily fleshed”), al-habyar (“the one whose buttocks are so fat that she runs out of breath when she walks”), al-shawtarah (“the big-buttocked”), al-ʿajizah (“the large-buttocked”), al-ʿajzāʾ (“the mightily buttocked”), al-muʿajjazah (“the huge-buttocked”), al-dahās and al-dahsāʾ (“the mightily buttocked”), al-bawṣāʾ (“the mightily buttocked”), al-laffāʾ (“the huge-thighed”), al-rakrākah (“the mightily thighed and buttocked”), al-zakzākah (“the largebuttocked”), al-wakwākah (“the mightily buttocked”), al-ḍibrik (“the massively thighed”), al-ḍunʾak (“the firm-fleshed and tendonous”), al-ʿaḍannak (“the huge-thighed, the meeting point of whose thighs has become
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3.5.17
ت �ح� غ � ش ت ��ف �� فس�� � ����ص � ���ل��ط ا �����هر ي� رو ي ح
� َّ � � َ � َ ْ آ � ْ � � َْ ْ � ّ َْآ َْ � َ ْ �آ � ْ � � �ة ��ا ن �ة ث ق ا � �ل ْ� �ة �س �� �ف ��م��ة ا ��ل�ا ��ل��� ا ��ل�ا ��ل��ا �ن��ة * � �م�ن � ك ���� ا � �لَورك�� �� ا �ل���� ل ا ��ك��ا �ل ا �ل�ِهر �ك��و�ل� ا �لم��ؤ � ��ز �ل� ا �ل�� ج��ل ا �لِم� ا �ل�ورك و �ج ي ي ِ �ذ َ � � �ع��ل�ي�ن �ا ��م��ؤ��ن ث�ه�م�ا �ف�ا �ن�ا ا ��ل�غ� ��� ا ن� �ص�ا � � ق ا �� ا ��ل�ا �ْ�س�ت�ه � ا ��ل ُّ��س�ت�ا ��ه ّ � �ل�� � ت � � � ك ب � و و �ي ى ح ب� ا � �ل�� �م�و��س ك�ر ري ب م رم �ن �ذ � نُفُ � � �ذ �ذ �ذ ت ت ا� �ة ف ا �ق ن ت ��� * �ذ ا �ت ثت �ه�م�ا �ه ن��ا �ع�ن ا ��ه * �و�م �ل��ك ���� ا �ل � ح� �بي�� * ا � ا �ل� �ه�د ا �� * ا � ا �ل�� ك�ي� ا ��ب�� � � م � ج ن �ت ق � �َ��ْخل�آ ن � �ذ �� � �ا ا �� �لف �� � �ز ا ��ا د � ا ��ا ��م�ع�ن �ن ن ة ا�خ� � � � ا �لر ض� �� ار ��ض� * �م ���س�و� �ب�ل� * �و�ل�ك ا � � � ��و�ل ب�� � او � �ل�م �ي�� كره �ي ر و ب ى �ل ب �ى �� آ �ة ن �ذ � ا ��ل�غ� �� �ة � ا ��ل � ا ة �م�ن ا � ا �� �ف ا �ظ �� ا ش ا ة ال � �صر� ح�م�ق��� ء * �ه� ا �م�ا �ع�د ا �م�ا ي� ش����ي�ر ا �ل�ى �ه��ذه ب��ط� و ��سع� د� �ل� ل�� � ���� ر� � ح� �� حو ي �َ ْ آ ا ��لض�� خ��ة � � ة ا ج�ل � �م� ا � ك ��عب��� ء ل��ب��ي�ر� * � ��خَ ضْ َ �ة � َ �َ َ ْ آ �َْثآ � �خُنْ ضُ �ا �ة �����ة � ا �ل ح ��� ���ذ ا ا ��ل �ل ل�� ا ج�ل ا �ل��س�م�ي�ن ��ة �وك�� ��ْ ك� ���لن�ب��� ء �� ���عب�� � او � كب � �� ب و �� �ب� � او ��و � َ ْ �ة �ا و �ل�و�عث�� * ��خِل َ ّ ا ��لض�� خ��ة ا �م� * ���د �ب��ة � � ْ � �ت ن�ز ة ا �ل ك م����� � * ا �ل��ِد �خ���ِد �ب��ة �َ َ � �ة ا ��ل ��س�م� * ا �ل��س ْر�هب���ة ج ي � �ة � � ُ � �خ �ت ن�ز ة ا �ل ش����ا �ب� ا �ل ك م����� � * ا �ل��طب��ا �يّ���ة � ْ ح �ة �ذ � �ة � ُ �خ ا �ل���ل�مي�� �وك�� �� ا ا ��ل��ِد �ع ك� ��ا �ي� * ا �ل��لب��ا �يّ���ة � � �َُ َ � ُ �� ة ��ث�ي�ر�ة ا �ل���ل ل�� ا� ك ح� �و�مث���ل�ه�ا ا �ل�ه�د ك��ور� * ا�لمب�� ْر�ن��د �ة م �أْ �ث ة �� � �ت�ن�ز ة �� �َ � � ا ل ل � � � � ا �ل ا ك ك � � � ل� م� ��ي ر ح� * ا �لث�� د ة �� م ��ل ي�ن �ة ��� ظ ع �� �ة ا ��لثَ ْ َ ��م� * �ه�م�د � ا ��س�م� � ا ل ي � � �� َ ْ �ة ا �ل�ت ���ت � � �ع��ل�ه�ا �ل � ح�م�ه�ا * ا لر�ج� ار �ج�� �ى ي ر�ج ر�ج ي� ا ��لضَ�� ْ َ ا � ة ا ��لض�� خ��ة � �ة �ل�م ار � �م� ا �لت��ا �م� * م�ع � � � ج � ا ن ���ذ � َ ْ � َْ َ َ � ا �لب�� د � �وك�� ا ا �لب���ل��د � * ا �لب��ي �دح ح ��� ظ �َ ُ ع �� �ة � ��م� * حوح ا �ل��د �� ال ي ْ ا ��لض�� خ��ة � ة ا ��ل��دُ �م���ل �م� ا �لت��ا ر� * ح��ة �
152
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Travel, and the Correction of a Common Misconception
constricted due to her plumpness”), al-warkāʾ and al-warkānah (“the largerumped”), al-thaqāl (“the well-rumped”), al-jazlah (“the massively buttocked”), al-sajlāʾ (“the massively uddered”84), al-mikfāl (the well rumped), al-hirkawlah (“possessed of haunches that quiver”), al-muʾakkimah (“the massively posteriored”), and al-alyā and al-alyānah (“the large-buttocked”). Curiously, the author of the Qāmūs mentions astah and sutāhī (“a man who has, or is seeking, a large backside”) but fails to vouchsafe us their feminine forms, so I note them here, with his permission. Further examples are: nufuj al-ḥaqībah (“huge-haunched and -buttocked”), dhāt al-ahdāf (“she of the shooting butts”), dhāt al-taʾkīm (“she of the thick buttocks”), dhāt al-raḍrāḍ (“she of the quaking buttocks”), all with reference to “women with big buttocks” (niswah bilākh); balkhāʾ is also used,85 even though al-Fīrūzābādī mentions it only in the sense of “stupid.” The above are in addition to words that give direct expression to this joy
3.5.18
and happiness, such as86 jaʿbāʾ,
“huge and large”
jalanbāʾ,
“fat”; synonyms khunḍubah, khaḍ ʿabah, kabkābah, ḥawthāʾ, waʿthah
khidabbah, “huge” dikhdibah, “firm” sarhabah, “immense” ṭubākhiyyah, “fleshy” lubākhiyyah,
“well fleshed”; synonym diʿkāyah
mubarnadah,
“well fleshed”; similarly, hudkūrah
thaʾdah
sturdily built and “well fleshed”
thahmad,
“fat and large”
rajrājah,
a woman whose flesh quivers upon her
ḍamʿaj,
“a perfect, huge woman”
baydaḥ,
“corpulent”; synonym baldaḥ
daḥūḥ, “large” dumluḥah,
“huge and full-bodied”
153
153
3.5.19
ا �� َ ْ َ �ص��ل��د � ح��ة ل� � َْ َ ا �لب��ي �د �خ���ة �ُْ ُ ا�ل�مر� �مور�ة � َ خُ �و��ص ا �ل��د �� �َ ����ة �� ار ض� ا �ل ّر ض� � ا �لِب���لِ�ز �َ ْ �َ ا �ل��د ح�م��ل��ة َ ا ��ل��دُ ��م ح��ل��ة � ا �ل بَ�ر��ل��ة ِ � ا � ف ا � �لقِ��ص� � �ُ َّ ا�ل�م�ز�نر�ة ا �ل�ُ�َ�َّ ظ � م�ل ع �����ة � َ � ه�ْ ك� ���ل��ة ا �ل� ي ا �� ضُ � ���ن �ا ك�����ة ل� � � ل��ا �ز ا � �كِ�ن ا �ل�ُ�نِ�زّ ة م� � �ُ َّ �ز ا�لم��ل�ز �ة �خَنْ ضَ ا ��ل ف � �� ��ر�� ِ � قَ ا � �ل��ْهبَ�ِ��ل��س � ا �ل��ش��� �خي��ص��ة � َّ َّ ا �ل��د �ي�ا �ص��ة
ت �ح� غ � ش ت ��ف �� فس�� � ����ص � ���ل��ط ا �����هر ي� رو ي ح
ا ��� � ض �ة ��� لعر � �ي ا ��لت ا ّ ة �� ر� * � �ة � �ة ا �ل ن��ا �ع�م� ا �لر�ج� ا ر �ج�� * ش � ا �لم�مت���لئ���ة ��� �ح� �م�ا * *
� �ة ا �لر�ج� ار �ج�� ا ��لض�� خ��ة �م� * � ا ��لض�� خ��ة � ة �م� ا �لت��ا ر� * � ُ َ � � � � �ة � �مو�ل * ا �ل��س�م�ي�ن � �و�مث���ل�ه�ا ا ج ل � ��� ظ ع ����م��ة ا ��ل َ�َ�ل�ا ت � * ال ي بر ��� ظ ع �� �ة ��م� * ال ي � �ة � � �ة ا ��ل ��س�م� * ا �ل��ط�ي�و��ل� ج ي � �ة ��ل ي�ن �ة � � �ة ا ��ل ��س�م� * ا ��س�م� � ا �ل��ط�ي�و��ل� ج ي ��� ظ ع �� �ة ��م� * ال ي � ُْ � �ص��لب���ة ا �ل�مغ���ص� �و��ة ا �ل���ل ح� * ا �ل� ب م � �ث� ة ا ��ل���ل � �ة ا� ك ل����ي ر� ح� ا �ل�ص��لب�� * م ا �ل�مت�� �ل �ة ا �ل���ت ش ة �دد� م ص� ب�� ��� * ل� �ت �ة �� ا � �لق ا ��ل ش ��د�ة ا � ا خ م � ل � ا � � �ل� ��سر * ج مع� �� ����دي� ��ة ا ��ل�� ح �ة �� ة � �� ض خ ل � ي�ن ث � � � � � ا � � ل ا ك � ل� ا ل�� ��م� يم� ب��ي ر ��د ي� * � ُثْ �خَن �ة ا � ة ا ��لض�� خ��ة � � �ل�م ار � �م� �و�مث���ل�ه�ا ال�م �� * � � �ة ا ��ل ��س�م� * ج ي ا ��ل�� ح� �ة ا �� �ق � ة ل � � يم� ل��ص�ي ر * *
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Travel, and the Correction of a Common Misconception
ṣaldaḥah, “broad” baydakhah, “full-bodied” murmūrah,
“with skin that is smooth and flesh that quivers”
dakhūṣ,
“full of fat”
raḍrāḍah,
“having flesh that quivers upon her”
biliz,
“huge or light”
3.5.20
daḥmalah,
“huge and full-bodied”
dumaḥilah,
“fat and comely of physique”
rabilah,
“massively thighed”
qiṣāf, “huge” muzannarah,
“tall and large-bodied”
mulaʿʿaẓah,
“well built, tall, and fat”
haykalah, “huge” ḍunʾakah,
“firm-fleshed and tendonous”
kināz,
“with much flesh, and solid”
munizzah,
“hard and tight”
3.5.21
mulazzazah,
“well knit and vigorous”
khanḍarif,
“huge and fleshy with large breasts”
qahbalis, “huge” shakhīṣah, “immense” dayyāṣah,
“well fleshed and short”
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155
ت �ح� غ � ش ت ��ف �� فس�� � ����ص � ���ل��ط ا �����هر ي� رو ي ح
ا ��ل��س ي�ن �ة �م� � ا �� غ� � ظ �� �ة ل��لي�� �� * ا ��ل��س ي�ن �ة ا ��لض�� خ��ة �م� � �م� * � � ة ش ت ���ث ����� ح�م�ه�ا * �ور�ه� ا�ل�م ار � ك�� ر �ة �ت ن�ز ة ��س�م�ي�ن � � ك م����� � *
� ا �ل�ع�ا �ن��ك �َ ا �ل�عب�ِ�ي ��ل��ة ْ � �أ � ا�لم� ل��ة � � ا �ل�َور�ه��ة ِ َ � �ة َ � �و�خ� ظِ���ي�� �ب ظ� ���ي���ة �ف �ا � ض � � � � ��ل�ا �م�� �ن�ا �غ �ذ � � � ا � ا � �ك�ن ت ق ا ��ه� �ج��ل � ن��ا ب� �م�و �ل� �ن�ا ا � �لق��ا ���ى ا �ل ك م��رم و ي ر �و��ي�ر �ل�ك �مم� �ل� ي�م�� ا ��س����ص� �وه * � ل آ � � �خ � �ف ت � �� ��ن �ص�ف� �ه��ذه ا ��ل�ا ���سم�� � او ��لن��ع� ت� * ا ��ن ت �ه� ا ��لب��ر�ه�ا ن� �ع��ل ا ��ل ا�لم�عظ �� � ��ط�ا ��ى ا ��س��ع�م�ا �ل � و � ى ى م � � � ��ق � � �آ ن ن � ��ا ن ��ا ن ا ��� ا ة ا �ت ض ش ���ا �ه�ا ا ا ا ا �ن � � � ه ه � � ا ا � �ل � ا ا ا ا � ل � م �ل د� �ل� د ب� ر م���� ر ي�� ر� �ه��ذه لع� * و �ول �ل� � � م� ك� � م� ك� � � ق �ف � ا � �ؤ �ة �ص��ا � ��ل��ل�� �فس� � او �ع�ا �ن�ه �ع��ل �ذ ��ل��ك ا ���خل �ر�ج��ى � او �م ار �ت�ه �و �و�ع�د �و�ه� بر � �ي� ا � �لف��ا ��ا � �� ا �ل ر �ى ري � ى � ب ح آ ف � ة �ت ن � � �ف ق ا �ش�� �� ���د �ي��ع��ة ���فى ا ��ل ��ي�� ت� ب���ع�و ن� ا لله �و� ح��س�ن �ت��وف�ي ��ق��ه ��س��ه�ا � ك� �� � � م��ا ره ا � �ل ار �� * �ر ض� ر ب �ي ي �ج�ز�ي ا �ف ��ف �في�ن �ة ن ا� � �ق �� ��� �ف ا ه ��ت� ا ��ل � ا ن ا ��ل�ق ا �� �ل�ق �ة ��ف � �ق �و��س� ر� او �ى ��س� � � ا �ل�� ر * و �د لط� لل ع� �ى ب� � ��ى ��س�و �ى �ل ب� �سّ � �ّن ��ا ن ا �ذ ا ���سم�عه�ا �ت��ئ�نّ �م�ن ا ��ا �ل�� � غ�� ض�� � �ي�ز ��م � ����ت���خ ف� � �� � � ع ا �ل �بر�ا � �ع��ل� ط � ي�ه�ا * � ك� � ل � � �ل م �ي � ب� و �ج ر وي ى ف � ن � � � �ة � ن ن �غ � ن آ �ف �خ ���ا � �ج��مي��ل�ا � ا �ل����س�� �و��س� ر�ه�ن * ��ي�ر ا � ب���ع��ض� ا �ل�د م� �وك ح�ا �و�ل ا � ��ي ن��و ب� �ع ن��ه �ل��� م � �ذ ��ا ف �ة ة �خ �ة �ف � ّ � �ذ � � ق �صر ا�لم��س�ا �ف��ة ا ك� ���ا ن�� ت� �عب��ا ر� ��م��س� ا �ي�ا � * �و��هى ��ى ا �لب�� ّر ك�� �ي�� �ي ت�� �ل�ه �ل��ك � �ل�� م آ �ت مّ ث �ة ع��� �ن��س�� �م��ت�ز � ��ا ت� � �خ��م�� � ش �ص�ب� �خ��م�� �� ن��ا ت� � � ش �ل ع���ر�ة ا ر�م��ل� * �� �و�ص��ل�وا س ب و�ج �� ى و ر و س م � �ذ � ا ��ل �م� �ت�ز �� ا ��ل ة ق �� ف ث �ى ع� � ر� � او ��ا �م� او �ي��ه ���لث���ي�ن �ي ��و�م�ا � بو���ع�د �ل��ك د �خ���ل� ا ا �ل���ل��د � �ن�ز � �ك��� �من�ه ل �ج�ز�ي و ب و ل ل � �م ن�ز � ا � ا ئ ق �م�� �ل� �ل� � ����ا �ب�ه * *
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Travel, and the Correction of a Common Misconception
ʿānik, “fat” ʿabīlah, “massive” maʾlah, “fat and huge” warihah,
one says “the woman became warihah” meaning “her
khaẓiyah baẓiyah,
“fat and plump”
body fat increased” and others too many to cite. Does “His Honor Our Lord the Most Excellent” judge or “Our Venerated” emir have half as many names and sobriquets? This ends our demonstration of the misconception regarding the practice of this custom.87 Now I declare: the next morning, once the aforementioned business of the backside-turning had taken its course, the Fāriyāq beseeched her to travel, supported in this by the Bag-man and his wife, all of them promising her she would see marvels on the island that would make her forget the unpleasantness of separation from her loved ones. With God’s help and His intervention for a happy outcome, she agreed, and they set off on the “fire-ship.” The Almighty also was kind enough to harden the heart of the captain against her: every time he heard her moan with pain he would get angry, mutter to himself, and damn the eyes of women and their traveling. Among the servants, however, there was a comely young man who tried to take his place, though he failed to do so because of the shortness of the distance, which was on the order of five days (enough, on land, to seduce five girls, ten grown women, and fifteen widows). Then they reached the island’s quarantine, where they stayed for thirty days, after which they entered the town, each family taking lodgings appropriate to its situation.
157
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3.5.22
ا �� ��ل�ف��ص� ا ��ل���س�ا � � د س ل ت ن ّ �ة � � �ة �ز �ڡ �و� �ل��ي�م� �وا �ب�ا ي�ر ��م� ��و�ع� ي � ف ن �ف � �ة �ف �ز �خ �ذ � ف ق �ز �� او ر ا�لم�د ��ي ن�� �و�ه�م�ا ��ى �ى ا ��ه�ل �م� � او ��� ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� �و �و�ج� ت��ه ��ي ��ط�و��ا � ��ى �ش � �صر ع �ن آ ن � ّ ق ت خ �ذ ش ا ا �ن ا �ل �و��د ا � ��� �ه�و ��س ا �و���ل � او ��س�ع��ة �ي��لت��ف� �ع��لي��ه ا ��س�ف��� له� �م ا �م� � �و�م �ور� �ع��د م����ى * � ر ي م ف ��ّ �ذ � ا ��لت�� �ف ت ن �غ � � �ك ن����س�ا ن� ا ��ل�ا ر��ض� * ج� ���ع�ل ا �ل�م�ا ّر �و ن� � او ��ص ���ا �ن�ا �ي�� �ه�ا ا ا ك� � � ح�ا ب� و ح� � ��هى �ب�ب�ر���س �لي��� ��ط�ى ك�مي� ت � ق � �ز ن ن ن � �ف ة � ���ي�ن ��ي ��ج�ع ���ا ك�� ا ��ل��د ك� � ب ��و� �من��ه�م�ا �و�ل� �ي��ك�و�ن�� او �ي��عر��و� �و�ج� ت��ه ا ��ن �ه�ا ا �م ار � * �ف ك� ��ا � ب���ع� ��ض �ه�م ��ي� ��و�ل م ت �قّ �ذ ا � �ّ �ق ��ف ة ث ا � � �ه�م� * � بو���ع� ا ر ج���ل �ه� ا ا �م ا �م ار � � بو���ع� ��ض �ه�م �ي ��ع� ب � ��ض �ه�م �ي�ل�م��س ا ��� او �ب��ه�م� �يوح�د � �ى ���ا ��ل�� � �ق�ّ ���ط * �ش��� ��ل�ا �ه� ��� � ��ل�ا ا �م ا �ة * �ف��ص�ا د �ف�ه�م�ا �و�ه�ه�م�ا � �و �ق ��و��ل �م�ا را ��ي ن��ا ك� �و ج�� � ى و ي و رج ل و ر �ي م ّ آ �ن ��ذ ق ف ق � ف ت�ف ّ ف � ي�ز ق ا � � ت ف ف ن �ف ق �ه�� ا �ل�ا �ن ك� ر ج���ل �م � �ه�م�ا ���عر�� ا � ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� ���ل�� ��ي��� �ل �ل�ه ا ��س��ي ����ف�ن * � �� ر��س �ي� ح� ا �� ��� � ة ن �� � ا ن ا �� �لف��ا ��ا �ق���ة ا �م ا �ة * ف�ت��ق� ّ�د � ا ��ل�ه�م�ا � ق��ا �� ��له�م�ا ��ه ��� ل�ك�ا �ي�ا ر ج���ل � �وي�ا �م ار � ا � �ل �م م ي� و ل � ر ج �ل و � ري ي ر ت ّ � � ق�ا ف � ق ا � ن � ��ف ْ� ا ��ل� �ف ����ل ت� * �� �ل ا � د ا رى �ى ِ�عب� ر ب� ��ت�غ���د �ي�ا �ع ن��د �ى ا �لي ��و� ا �ل�ا � ح��د ا � �لق��ا ب���ل * ��ا �ل� ا �� ض� حر ��ى م ق �غ آ � ��ذ �ف � ّ ا �ي�ن ا ��ف � ف ن �ا ��ف �ز �ق ا �م � � � � ا ا ا � � � � � �ص�� ب���ل ا �ل���د � ء * �ل�م� ك�� � �ي ��و� ا �ل� � �ه�ل�م� ا �ل� � � ا �ل ح�د ركب��� �ى �ور� �ح�ل ك�� ا � م ى �بح ف�َ َّ ن �ت � ا ف ه �� � �ف� �ة � �ق��ص�د ا � �ن�ز �� ه ��ف � �دا ه ق�د ا � ت �س��ع�د ��ل���خ �لر�و�� * � ك� و � م� ل� �و�ج � � ��ا �ن�ه ا را د ا � �ي�ا ��ى ب��ب��ع��ض� م�ع� ر�� ل�ل ر�ج�� ج �ف � � ن ��ص ف َُ ق� � � ف ض �ف �ر ��ى ا �ل��طر���ق� ا �و �ع��د ا � �س�� �ع��ل�ى � ��ي �� ي��ه � او � ظل����ا �هر ا �ن�ه � ك ح�ا �ب�ه �ل��� �ي��ع�د * ���ل�م�ا را �ه�م�ا ��ا �ل ي م آ � �آ ن ا �ت ّ ن �ذ ��ف �ق ض � �م�ص���ل �ة � اق �� �ز � ت ��� ى ا � ا �ه ب� �ى �� ح� * �و�ل��ك�ن �ه��ذه �و ج �ى �و�ه�و �ل� ب���� ��ى �ل�ه�م� ��د �و ج� ب� �ع��ل� ث ن �ز �ن ق�ا �ا ف ث ق �ن ت غ ��ا ��س�ت�ا ���س�ا �ب��ه�ن �ير�م�ا ا �ع�ود � �و����د �ى �ج��مي��ع�ا ��ا �ل� �ل� �ب�ا ��س ��م ���ع�د ا �م� �و�ج� ت��ه * �وك���ا � ع � آ �خ �ذ � ����ي�ز � ن ا غ�� ا � �د � �� ن ا ت � �فَ َ ض ���ل�� �ش���ا بّ� �م�ن ا �ل�ا �ن ك� ��ف الم � ا � �ل ر���ى �و�ه�و � ��� ب��ي��د�ه�ا * �ل� �ي �� �ى ح� ى ب �� �ى ج س *
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Chapter 6
A Banquet and Various Kinds of Hot Sauce
The Fāriyāq and his wife now set about exploring the streets of the city,88
3.6.1
dressed in the costume of the people of Egypt. He was wearing wide drawers, whose bottoms wrapped themselves around him in front and in back as he walked. She had enveloped herself in a white woolen hooded cloak so as to cover her sleeves, which otherwise would have swept the ground. The passersby and shopkeepers were amazed by them and didn’t know whether his wife was a woman or not, some asking, “Is it a man or a woman?”, some following along behind them, some touching their clothes and staring into their faces and saying, “We never saw the like of this day— something that’s neither a man nor a woman!” One of the more intelligent English faqīhs, whose name was Steven,89 happened to run across them; having looked hard at their faces and worked out that the Fāriyāq was a man and the Fāriyāqiyyah a woman, he went up to them and said, “You, Man, and you, Woman, will you have lunch at my house next Sunday?” “How very kind of you!” they replied. “My house,” he said, “is in Across the Sea,90 at such and such a place. Come in the morning before lunch.” On Sunday, they took a skiff and set off for his house, where they found him about to go out, for it seems he wanted to bring a few of his acquaintances to gawp at his guests. Apparently he then got drunk on the road or at his friends’ house and he never came back. When he saw them, he told them, “I have to go and see to some business but here’s my wife and these are my daughters, so make yourselves at home with them till I come back and then we can all have lunch together.” “By all means!” they said. Then they sat down with his wife. In the sitting room was a young Englishman who was whispering sweet nothings into the ear of one of the daughters of the English
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3.6.2
�ف ��ل� �ة ا ز � ت ن ّ �ة �ي� �ويم� � او �ب� �ير�م� ��و�ع�
ث ا �ض �� �ة ا �م�ه�ا � او ��ل�ز ا ئ�ر �ي�ن * �ف�ا � �فص� ّ �و�ج��ه ا �� �لف��ا ر��ا �ق� � او � ح�م ّر �و�ج��ه �� ج� ر ���ع�ل ��يب ��و��س�ه� بح� ر ي م � �ذ �ن �ز �و�ج� ت��ه �و�ر��ق ت� ا ��س ّر�ة ا �ل�ا � * ف���ق��ا ��ل ت� ا �� �لف��ا ر��ا ق�ي���ة ��ل�ز �و�ج� �ه�ا ك� ��ي��ف� ��يب ��و��س ا �لب��� ت� �ه� ا ب ي م ا �� ف�ل�ت � �م�ا ����ست�� �م ن��ا * ف���ق��ا �� ��له�ا ��ل���� ا ��ل �� �� �ع ن��د ا ��ل�ا �ف ن� ��مم�ا ��ع�ا � * �ف�ا ن ا ��ل�زا �ئ � ر ر� ل � ي س بوس ج �ي ب �ى و ي ح�ى ن �ذ � ا � ه ��ت� �ّ�ن ���ل ه ا ن � �� �ز � � ت ه � �� ن ا �ت ه �ج��م � ا � � ا ح��د �م�ن ا ��ص �م �ه� ا ا د خ���ل ب��ي�� ت� ا � ح� ب� ع�ي ع ي�� � �يب ��و س و�ج �� بو�� � ي�ع� و �ل� �م �ف �ذ �ك�ن �ير د ب���ع�د�ه�ا �و��ل�� �س�م�ا ا ا ك� ���ا ن� ��ى �ي ��و� �عي��د * �ع��ل� ا ن� �ب�ا ��س �ع ن��د ��ه �ق�د �ترد ب��م�عن��ى �م�ا ا �ي ى م م ّ ت ح ن ا � �� �ن �غ ق � �ذ � ن �ه��ذه �ع�ا د ��ت �ه� * �ق�ا ��ل ت� �و��ل�� �ك�ن �ه�ل�ا ي����س��ي�ى �م�� � ح�ا �ل ك�� �و ن��ا � ��يرب���ي�ن �ع ن��ه * ��ا �ل ا ا ك���ا � م � � � � �ق �غ � ن ت � ا ��ل ش���� �م��ا ح�ا ك��ا ��� ا ��ا � ت ح��ه ا �م�ا � ا � �ل ر�� ب� � او �ل� ر�� ب� �ع��ل� � � ح��د ��س�و�ى * ا �و �ل��ع�ل ا �لر ج��ل� ى ب ب ي ى م ي � ا � ن �ة �ف � ق� �ق �� ّ � ا �ن ف �ذ ف ن ظ�ن ا �ن�ا �ل� ��عر�� �ه��ذه ل� �ص��ع� ��ى �ب�ل�ا د �ن�ا * ��ا �ل ت� �م�ا ا �ج� ��ه�ل �م�ن ��� �د �� ظ�ن �ه� ا ��ا � ّ �ت �غ � � �ذ ّ ش � ن � ا �ز �ف � ��ت ن ّ � �ق �ة �ّ � �و��مي���ض� ا �ل�ع�ي�ن ��ي�ن * �ف�ا �م�ا �ه� ا ا � �ل ب���ل� �ع ن��د �ن�ا �ل�ا �ت��ك�و� ا �ل� �م� �ي ر � �ه�د �و�م��ص �و�� � و � م ّ ع ا ف ل� ت خ ف ّ ا ت �ق ا �� �ق � ظ �� �ل� ت �ف�ا ���نى ا را ه �ير�ف� �خ���ل�ّ او �م�ن ا � � ح��س� ��س ����ع�لام���س�� � � � �ده �هر �ى �� ب��م� ح� ي� * � ل �د �ي � ٍ ن �� ف �ة � غ ف �ة � غ �ة � ث � فَ �غْ � َ � ْ � ن �ق � ت �ا ثا � � م��ا �� �م�ن ا � �لق��ا �م�و��س ا � ا �ل ك� ح� � او�لم�ل�ا � � ��� � او�لم�� ��م� � او �ل�ل��م � او � �ل���م � او �ل�ك��ع�م � او �ل �� ب�ي���ل ا �م� �ه�و � ة �ف ا �ت ق ا � ّ ة ف ق ا � ت َّ � ئ� َّ�ة ا �� � � �ة � �� �� ا ��ل ج��� ا�ل�م ا � �م�ن ��مه� ا �و ا �ل���� �م�ه �ل�ه ب���م � * ����� �ل� � ح�ى ا لله ا �ل�عرب� ا �م� �قِل ب��ل� � ي ر بو س ر ل ر آ َ �� � ��ا ن �ت�ق �ف �� �ا ن � � ا �� �ل�قُ ْ�����ة * �ف�ا ن ��ت��ق ��� ا ��ل ي�ن �� ف و بل � ب ي �ل �ج � ب��� �مك�ا ��ي����ع�ل �ه�و �ل� �ل� �م�ع��ى �ل�ه * �و�ل��ك�ن �ل�م ك�� � ا �ل �� ب�ي���ل ��ى � � �ق ّ �ف � � �ّ �خ ا �� ا � �ن � � ��ذ ة ا �ل ت � ّ ق� �ان �غ � �ف �خ ح��س �ب��ه�ا ا�لم� ب���ل ��ى �ه��ذ�ي�ن ا �لم�و ض� ��ي�ر ا � �ل� � او �ل�د �� لي�� ع ا �ل�ل� � ��ى ي ���ع��ي�ن * ��ا �ل �ل� � م ق � ت ف �ذ�� � � آ ا ��ل��ظ����م��آ ن ���ا �ت� � �م�ن � �ض ��� ���فم�ه �ع�� ا �ع�� ا �� �لق���ل��ة ا � �ع�� ج� ن��ه�ا * ��ا �ل� ���ع�� ك� ا �ل��ظ���م�� � ل �ير �وى و و ل�ى ب � ل�ى ر ل�ى ل�ى ع آ ُ �َ � � � آ � ق� � �خ ف ة ن �ل� ��ت �ص�ف� ا �ل ش����ع �ر ا �لر� ��ق� �مر�ة �ب�ا �ن�ه � ح��ل�و �و�مر� �ب�ا ��ه �ير �و�ى ا �ل��ظ���م�� �و�ه�و ���ل�� * ��ا �ل �ل��عل� ي م ض ا ت � ن �آ ق ا � ت ف �ذ�� � � �ذ � ش � � ش ش ت ��ل�ا �ت ا ���ل� � ا �ل����س� * �� �ل� ���ع��ل� ك�ر ا�لم��� ك� �ل��ك �م�ن �م��� ك� ��ل� � ا �ل����عر ا �و �م�ن �م�ع� ى � � � � �غ � �ف � ش ���ل�ا ت� ��ه�ل ي���س�ت �� ���ا ب� �م�ن ��ي�ر ا � �ل� * �ق�ا �ل ا �م�ا �ع ن��د � او�لم�ع ض� ��ق� ش���رب� ا �لر ض� ط� ب� ا �ل�ع�ا � � ي م ح�ت �م�ن ا �� �ف�ل� * ��� ��ل�ا ��ع �ف�� ن� ��ل�ه ا ���سم�ا ���ع�� ا ��ل�ع � �ف�ل�ا � ��ع�د � ا �م�ا �ع ن��د ا ��ل�ا �ف ن� ��ف�ي�ن � � �ون�ه � � � ك �ي ب و ر� ب �ض رب م ب ل �ي ر و ى ج ر آ � �غ � ا ق ق ا � ت ف �ذ�� �خ ت ا ف � ا � � ا ق ا � � � ا ّ ت �ت ت ا � ��ي�ر ا �لب��ص� �� * �� �ل� ���ع��ل�ى ك�ر ا � ��ل� �� ا �ل� ��سم� ء �م� ��ي��� �ل �ل�ه��ذه ا �ل� �م ا �ل ��ى �ر�ح� ا �ل�ى � ا � �ة ق ا � � ا �ق ّ ة ق ا � ن� ا � �ق ا ة ��ف � ا �ؤ �ة ن ت �ه�ا �ع��ل� �مث��� �ه��ذه ا ��ل ح� �ل� ��ه�ل ��ي��� �ل �ل�ه� �� او د� * �� �ل ا �م� ا � �ل ي�� د� �ى ا �ل� ��ص�ل ر � �ي� ا ب���� � ى ل 160
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A Banquet and Various Kinds of Hot Sauce
faraḍī and holding her hand. Then he started kissing her in front of her mother and the visitors. The Fāriyāq’s face turned yellow, his wife’s turned red, and the mother beamed. “How,” said the Fāriyāqiyyah to her husband, “can this young man kiss the girl and not be embarrassed by our presence?” He replied, “Kissing isn’t considered shameful by the Franks. Among them, a visitor is obliged, when he enters the house of a friend, to kiss the man’s wife and all his daughters, especially if it’s a holiday; this is despite the fact that ‘to kiss’ is sometimes used by them to mean what follows. Such, though, is their custom.” “But,” she asked, “isn’t he embarrassed by us, given that we are strangers?” “If a thing is permitted,” he replied, “it is permitted before kinsman and stranger alike. Or it may be that the man thinks we are ignorant of this practice in our country.” “Who could be so ignorant as to believe that?” she asked. “Kissing among
3.6.3
us is always accompanied by panting, sighing, sucking, smelling, and closing of the eyes. But this fellow seems to me to be doing no more than delivering a light puff of breath, devoid of any feeling, as one might if one had no regard for the matter at hand.” “I find in the Qāmūs,” he said, “that mukāfaḥah, mulāghafah, muthāghamah, lathm, faghm, kaʿm, and taqbīl all mean a man’s kissing a woman on the mouth, or doing so while simultaneously chewing on it.” She said, “It makes no difference! The Arabs have set the standard for both orientation and osculation,91 for to kiss the brow, as the Franks do, is meaningless. But why is the kissing of parts other than the mouth and the cheek devoid of the pleasure that the kisser experiences at those two spots?” “Because,” he replied, “one who is thirsty cannot quench his thirst by planting his mouth at the top of the water pitcher or on its side.” “Speaking of thirst,” she then said, “why do the poets describe saliva sometimes as sweet and sometimes as thirst-quenching, which is a contradiction?” “Perhaps,” he replied, “that should be considered one of the mysteries of poetry or one of the intricate issues involving women.” “And speaking of mysteries and intricate issues,” she said, “can the lover find pleasure in drinking salivary secretions from any part other than the mouth?” “Quite possibly, where some of the Arabs are concerned,” he answered, “but the Franks object to doing so even from the mouth. Indeed, the only name they know for such things is ‘spittle.’” “Speaking of the different names for things,” she said, “what would one call this mother who is comfortable watching her daughter in such a state?
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3.6.4
�ف ��ل� �ة ا ز � ت ن ّ �ة �ي� �ويم� � او �ب� �ير�م� ��و�ع�
� �ذ � � �ف �ذ � �ص�ف���ة ا �لر ج���ل ا ا ك� ���ا ن� ��ي�ق ��ود �ع��ل� � حر�م�ه * �ق�ا �ل ت� ا ن� �و��ق�و �ه� ا ا �ا �م � �ش���ا ن ا �ا � ى �ل ر �ى � �ل م ع �ص�د � �ه�ن �ع ن��د �م ش����ا �ه�د�ة �ع�ا �ش��ق ���ثر �م ن��ه ���فى �ش���ا ن� ا ��ل ج��� * ا �ذ ا ��ل�ا �ّم�ه�ا ت� �ت� ن�� ش��� � ا ك�� � � ور ر ل � رح � ا ن ا � ا � �ع ن ��ؤ � ت ا ا �ش ق � ن��ت ا ��ت�عت�ق ا ن ا ��� ا �ش � ا ن ا �ت ��ل�ا � � ��ق� �ل� �ير�ى �ه� ���د � لع� � �ه� �ع� � ��� ب� � ح�د �ى ب���� � �ه�ن * �ل� � �ل� م ��د ر �ي � � �ّ � � �ف �ف � ن � ��ا د ي� ح�ا ��ل��ة ك�� ��و��ن �ه�ا ��هى ا �ل�ا ��ص�ل * � او �ن�ه �ل�ا �ي ك� ��ى ا �لب��� ت� �ج��م�ا �ل�ا ا �ل�ا �و�ي ار ه ��ى ا �ّم�ه�ا � ح ب� حت ا ن � ظ � ق � �ف ن �م ح��ت�ه ��ل�ا �ص��ل�ه * ث�� ت��م�ا د ��ا ���فى ا ��ل � �هر �ف�ا �ب���ل ت� ا � ح��د��ي ث� ��ى � ح��د �ى ح� � ا �ل�� � م ي ا � �ل رع د �و� �ب ق� ق ف �ة ث ت � � ة � ض � ��ع��ة �ج�ب���ن �و ج� ب�� ن��ا ت� ا � �ف�ل ر���ى � بو��ي��د�ه�ا ك����سر� �خ�ب���ز �و�� ��ط ��ع��ل ت� �ت�ا �ك���ل �و��هى � او ����� * �� � ��و�ل ت� م �ف � ت ث � ا ��ا ن �� � ف� �ق � �ذ ن ة �� ��س�� �� ن��ا ت �و�ج��ا ت� ا �خ�ر�ى �و��ع�ل� �م��ل�ه� * �وك�� � ل�ل � � �و�ع�د� �صب��ي��ا � * � ي��ه ا�لم� ك��ور ب ب � ع �ظ� ق � ت � ا � ا تا ن ف� ا ض ��ع�ت ا �ف ا ن � ��ق ت ا ��لغ� ا �ق ّ � ج ��ا م� � � و � ��د �د ل�ك �هر ��ا �ل� ا �ل� �م �ل��ل�م�د �ع�و�ي�ن �ل�ع�� �م ��ل�م� �م���ى ��س� �ع�� � ب���ع�د ا �ل�� � �ف�ا ت� �و �ز �و�ج��ى ا �� ���ط�ا * �ق�ا ��ل�ا �ن�ن��ت�ظ� ��� ه ا ��ل�ى ا ن� ي� * ف���ل�م�ا �ص�ا ر ت� ا ��خل ا �ة �ط�ن �� �م��س� ا �� �ج�ر��س ب ر ج �ى � � ��ت ا �ل� ت��ف �ق ن �ا � ي�ز �� ��يل ج� � ت �ك��ا ��هى �ع�ا د�ة �ذ �و�ى ا �ل�عي��ا ��ل �م�ن ا �ل�ا �ن ك� �م� ���ل�� * ا �ل� �ك�� م� ر��و� �م�ن ا ��ه�ل ا �لب�ي��� �م ل ع ن � ن ا ن �� ث� � ض ت ا �ة �ج�ز�ت � �� * �و�م�ا �ز ا ��ل ت� ا ��ل��س�ا �ع�ا ت� ت��مض��� � ل � ح�تى � � ا ا ا � ع � � م� ��� ��س� �ع� و ي��د ط�� � �ج ر س ى م � � � �ذ �ف � � ف �ة �ة � ة ت ا �خ ق � ن � � �ت��س�ا ّ ا ��ل��ن �ا �ت ا �ت ت � ش � ا �ا ا ��خ � ا ��ل��س�ا �ع� ا �ل ح� د �ي� �ع���ر� * �و�ى ��ل� �ل �ل�ك ك�� ��� ا �ل� �م � ������د �لم�ب�ط� و ر ب � ن � ن � � ق � ن � �ذ �ن � �� �ب���ة ا ��لب��را �م�� ���ا ��م�ا �ن�ز �ل �ب��ه�ن �ن ك �ك���ة * ف���ق��ا �ل ا � �لف��ا ر�ي�ا �� �ل�ز �و�ج� ت��ه ا � �ل� �ن�� �ه ب� ا �ل�ا � �ل�ن ج���د ك م ا �ز ق ا � ا ت �ف �ذ � ا � �ة � � �� ن��ا * ث�� ��ن ه ض� ا ّ ا ح�� ب���ع�د�ه� �ور�� �و �ل� �مب�ي��� ��ى �ه� ا ا �ل�عب��ر ��ي �ص�ل ب م � ��� �و�م��س�ي � �ع��ل�ى �ص� ب ح ا ��ل��� ت� � ك��� ��ا ���فى �ز �ور�ق� �ود �خ��ل�ا ا ��ل���ل��د �ع ن��د ��ن �ص�ف� ا ��ل��ل��� ف�ت��ع ش��� �ا ���فى ���ع�� ا �ل�م���ط�ا �� ع ب ب ي ور ب يل �ي ب �ض م آ ق �ة ق � �ز �ة � ف ق � � ش �آ ��ف ض�� ن ه �غ � ث� � ا � ن ع���� �ى �م�� ��د * � �لم� ك ���ا � ب���ع��ض� ا �ي�ا �م ���لي���ل� ��ا �ل ت� �و�ج�� ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� �ل�ه را ��ي ت� م ��ف �ذ � � � � � ا �غ �ة ق ا � ا � ق ا � ت ��ن � ا � ن ا � ا ن ت ��ف �ى �ه� ا ا �لب��ل�د ا � حوا �ل� � ��يرب�� * �� �ل �م� �هى �� �ل� ا �ى ا ر�ى ا �لر�ج�� �ل �ه�� �ل� �ي���ب�� �ى � � َ �ف � ن �ق ا �� ك� �ذ � �و�ه�ه� ا ��ل ش����ع �و ��ل�ا ي����ست� ��ي��ف� �ل��ك * �ق�ا �ل ت� �ل� ا ر ��ى �و�ج��ه ا � ح��د �و ج�� حي ��و� * � ل ر م م �� ف �ق ا �� ا � � ت ا ��ن � ق ن � �ة � ا � ن � �هه ح��ل��� � �� ح�� �و �ل� �ش���ا ر�ب�ا ����ه�ل ��ه ك����ل�ه� �مرد * � ل �ج �ه�ل� �ه� ي �م��ه�م ل ي و� و ج و � �م م م م آ قا � ت � ا �� ح����ن قا � � ح�ت ��ي�ج�ع � ن � ف ا �ن ه�ن ا � �� ��ف � � ب �� او ا �ل����س� �� � � ي� بب �ب� �لم�و �سى �ى �ك�ل �ي ��و�م * �� �ل� �ل� �ى ��سب�� ب� * �� �ل ى �ّ ��خل � �ق � � ة �ذ � �� � � �ة ق� �ا � � ا �و�لي�� * ���د ا �ل ن���ى ا �ل ن��ا �ع� * ��ا �ل ت� �ل� ب���ل ا�ل�م ار � �ي��ل�� �ل�ه�ا �م�ن ا �لر ج���ل �ك���ل �م�ا د �ل �ع��ل�ى ا لرج � م 162
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A Banquet and Various Kinds of Hot Sauce
Would one call her a procuress?” “‘Procuring’ may be used properly only of a man, if he procures for his womenfolk,” he replied. “In fact,” she replied, “it happens more often with mothers than with fathers, for mothers fill with happiness when they watch a man pay suit to one of their girls, because when a mother sees a suitor paying court to her daughter she imagines that whatever beauty he finds in the girl he must find in the mother, seeing that she’s the original, and that he can hardly love the branch without feeling affection for its root.” They continued their conversation at length until it was noon, when one
3.6.5
of the faraḍī’s daughters came in, a piece of bread and a chunk of cheese in her hand, and started eating where she stood. Then she turned around and brought another and did the same. The aforementioned faqīh had seven daughters and a number of boys. When it was two o’clock, the mother said to the guests, “You must be feeling hungry, for it is past noon and my husband is late.” “Let us wait,” they said, “until he comes.” At five, the dinner bell was rung to gather the scattered children of the house, as is the custom with English parents. An hour passed, the bell was rung again, and the hours continued to pass until it was eleven o’clock, during which time the mother would visit the kitchen and the girls whisper to one another in secret as though the same downfall had befallen them as befell the Barāmikah.92 The Fāriyāq told his wife, “If we don’t leave now, we won’t find a skiff or anywhere suitable to spend the night in this ‘Across.’” So they got up, said good night to the mistress of the house, boarded a skiff, and at midnight reentered the town, where they ate in a restaurant, having a dinner that was also a lunch. A few days later, the Fāriyāq’s wife said to him, “I have seen strange things in this town.” “What were they?” he asked. “I see that no hair sprouts on the faces of the men here, and that they have no shame.” “Explain!” he said. She said, “I haven’t seen a beard or a mustache on the face of a single one. Are all of them then beardless?” “What you do not know,” he said, “is that they shave their faces every day with a razor.” “Why?” she asked. “To please their women,” he replied, “for they like a smooth, clean cheek.” “On the contrary,” she said. “A woman derives her pleasure in a man from all the things that point to his manliness, and a profusion of hair on the face of a man is the equivalent of its absence on the face of a woman.” “And what,” he
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3.6.6
�ف ��ل� �ة ا ز � ت ن ّ �ة �ي� �ويم� � او �ب� �ير�م� ��و�ع�
� �ف ��ث ة � ش �ف � ة ق� ن �ق � �ن �� �وك���ر� ا �ل����عر ��ى �و�ج��ه ا �لر ج���ل ��هى ك��ع�د �م�ه ��ى �و�ج��ه ا�ل�م ار � * ��ا �ل �و�م�ا �م�ع��ى ��و�ل��ك ا � �هم� � � ن ح ش�����ة * �ق�ا ��ل ت� �م�ا � �ق�� �ذ ��ل��ك ���ع�د * � ا ن��م�ا ح��د �من ��ل�ا ي����ست� �ه� �م ن���ك �ف�ا � حي ��و� ��ه�ل ��ط��ل ب� ا � و و � ب م ق �ع �ذ � � �ذ � ن آ آ ا ا �ه ��زّ�ق ن ح�ت ��ت��د � �ع� ��ت ه� �م�ن � � �ئ�ه�ا * ��ا �ل � �ل��ك �مم�ا ���ل�� �ل��ل����س�� ا �ت � ر �ي و ح ��و� ��س ار � �وي�ل� � �ه�م ى ب و ور � م ور � ي م �ع�� �م��ق ت�ض�� ��ت��ق ك * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ��ن�ع ا ن �ه��ذ ا ا ��ل�ز � ّ ا �ق ّ ��ل�ع��ي�ن ا ��ل ن����س�ا ء �م�ن �ز � ا ��ل�ع � * �ف�ا ��هن � � �ى ر�ير ى رب ى ر ل�ى م � � ف �ج�ز �غ � ا ن ا �ل� غ� ا � ا �ة ��ف �� �ت�ز ��ن ق � خم �ة � ا ��ي ظ ��� � ا �ل�خ ��ذ�ي�ن � ا �قي�ن � �ط�ن ا �ل�ع ���ل� �ب�ا �ل� د ب� �ع ن��د �هر �� � او �ل��س� �� � او �لب� �� �و � ��ي ر � م�� �ل� �ى ا ل� ي ��� �آ � � ن �ك�ن ���فى ��ن ��ف �� ا �ل�ا �مر ا � ح��س�ن � او �ف��ت�ن * �و��ل�� �م�ن �ل� ��تت��ع�ّود �ع��لي��ه � او ن� �ي�� �ك�ن �م�ا �ش���ا � �ه�و �ل�� ء س م ���ث �مغ���ا ��ل�ا �ة �م�ن ا ��ل�ع�ا �ّم��ة ��ت����ا ����ن�ه� �ه��ذه ا �� �لق��ص�� �ة �ف�ه��ذ ا ��ل�ا ���ل�ق ا �� �ل�ق ��سي����س��ي�ن �ف�ا ���نى ا را � � ه ا � � ك � ر ر � � ي ب ي ب ب ي � ي م م �ق � � �ذ � �ة �ز ن � ق ش � �ت ش ش بر���ت � �م�ن �ل��ك � �ه� * � او ب�� ��� او ر ب� ��هى ��ي ن�� �ل�و�ج��ه ا �ل����ا ب� �� او ر�ب��ه� �م� ا � ا �ل � ح��ل���ه� � � � ب م م م ع ح ��ا ا ن ا ��ل���ل �ة �ز � ن �ة �� � ه ا �� ش � * ���فم�ا ا ��ل���ذ �ى ا �غ� ا ��ه ��ه��ذ �ة ا ��ل�ع�ا د�ة � ��ه ��ل����س� ا �م��ت�ز � ���ي�ن �خ ل���� ح�� �ي �� ل�و�ج � ي � و م ي و و�ج ر م ب� �مك� � ي آ � � � ن � ن �ذ ظ� � حت ��ع ن � ح�دا �م � ب �� او ���س�� ��ه * �ل�ع�مر�ى �ل�و ا � ا � �صر �ل��� ن��ه ا �ل ن��ا ��س ب���ع��ض� �ه� �ه ب� ا �ل�ى �م� ��ى �ي�ج �م م ت ف ف ن ت ّ �ن آ م ن�ثي�ن � ّ �ي�ن خَ � � �آء ال� خ ح��� �� � � ش����ه�ا ��ا �ل����س�� �َ ��ل�ا ا ��ل���ذ�ي�ن �ي�ن��ت��ف �� ن� �ش���ع �و�ج� �ه� �ه�ه� � ��يو�� � � ا � �ل � م�د � ه�و �ل� � ع � � � و و و و و ب ب ر م ت �ذ ت ���ل ر ج��� ��ي خ� ��ر * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ��ن�ع� �و�ك� �ن� ث� * �ق�ا ��ل ف���ق���ل ت� �و�ك� �خ�ز �ى ا لله �ك� ���ل ا �م ار �ة ��ت ت�� ك� �ف�ا � ���ل �م�ن �ي���ب�� ل ع م �� �ف � � � ت � � ق ا ��ل ش � �ا � �ة ا �� ف � ا ت �ف ا ة ض �ن �ظ � � ا ة ن ا � ل � � � ا �ل�ع� د ا � ا � �ل�� ��س�د� * ا � �� را �ل�ع� د� �ه�� ك�ي�� ج�ع�ل� ح� �ل� ���عر�ع�ل م� �ع��ل�ى ��ل � � �ك�ن ا ���د ا ن� ا ��س�ا ��ل��ك �ع�ن ��ا ��ل �و�ع ن��د �ن�ا �ه�و���سم��ة ا ��لن��ق��� � او � ��فل ��س�ا د * �ق�ا ��ل � ��ق ت �� � ل�ك � او � �م ص �ص�د � �ول� ري � �ذ �� � ا � ش �ق ا �� � �م�ن ا �ل� ا ة � � ا � ش �ق ا �ل� ا ة � فض �ش���ى �م�ن � حي� ث� ا ن� ا �� ك� ���و� �مر � �مر � و م� ي � ل��ل�ا �م ا �����ى ب�� ن��ا ا �ل�ى ك�ر م� ي � ���و� لر ج �ل� � � � �ن � ث �ن ق ن شّ ت �ف � �ف ق ف ق � � �م�ن ا �لر ج���ل * �و�م ط حق� ا �ل��س ��� حي�� ا ��ى ا را ك ��د �����م� ��ى �عل���م �ه��ذه ا � �ل ر�و�� ��� ��و�ل�ى �ل�ى ب�� ح � � � � ��ذ � � �ت ���ا ن �م�ن ��ا د �ت�ه ا �ذ ا �� �ا �� �ا �ع�ن ا �م � ّ ا ن � ّف ���ا ن�� ت� � �ص�ع�د ع س ل�ه ط ا �ل� ى ك ح��ل���ه�ا ب���س ّر ا �ل��س �� ر م�ه�م � ي ( �وك� � ح � ق � ف ق � � ��ذ ة ا �ل� ا ة ي�ن �ت ن �ظ � � �ص�د ��ق�ي ن�ى �ي�م�ا ��ت� ��و�ل��ي�ن * ��ه�ل �ل� � �مر � � �ع��لي��ه �ب���ل ا �ل�ز � او ��) � او � ح�� � � �� ر ا �ل�ى ج���س� ا �لر ج��ل� ج م � ة ق ا � ت � ا ّ ا ن � ّ � ا � � ظ �� � �ذ � �ظ � � ع � ����ل�� �ة ا �لر ج���ل � ك � * ح��ي�ن ��ي ن� �� ر ا �ل�ى ج���س� ا�ل�م ار � �� �ل� ه�م� ��س�ي � � �و�ل��ع�ل ا �ل� �و�ل�ى ا � م م �� �ف �ذ � � � ا �� � � ا ��ن� � �ة ��ل �ن ه � � ا � � �ة � �ق �خ� ّ ت ا �ل� ا ة ق � فق �ص� �مر � ��ا �ل ������ل ت� ك�ي�� �ل�ك و لر ج ��ل �ل� ع�و م� ب��د � و �ل� م�ل�و��س� * و �د � ��م ا �ن ��ث ة �خ ا ن � ت �ة � ن �ذ � �� ق �ة � ة ق �ة � ا ب� �ه�ا ا �لر ج���ل * �و �ل��ك ك�ر�� ا �لب�� ش���ر� �ود �� ا �ل� �ص�ا ب��� �و���س� �وي� ا �لب��ن �ا � ح� ��س ك���ي�ر� ��ل� �ع � ع 164
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A Banquet and Various Kinds of Hot Sauce
asked, “did you mean by saying that they have no shame? Did one of them ask something indecent of you?” “That has yet to happen,” she replied, “but I note that they wear their drawers so tight that their private parts are on display at the back.” “And that,” he responded, “is something that should please women, according to your statement.” “Indeed,” she replied, “such a costume is more pleasing to the eye than that worn by the Arabs. It shows off the thighs, the calves, the stomach, and the buttocks. However, going too far in such tightness is an offense to decency for those who are not accustomed to it, albeit at the same time handsomer and more captivating. But be that as it may, what is going on with those priests? I see that they go to even greater excess than the common people with those short breeches of theirs, which is inappropriate to their station. Even uglier is their shaving of their mustaches, though the mustache is an adornment to the face of a young man just as the beard is to that of an older man. What has seduced them into adopting this custom, when they don’t marry and don’t have to please their womenfolk? I swear, were one of them to go to Egypt, the people would think he was one of those effeminates called khawals93 who pluck the hair from their faces and remove it from their bodies in imitation of women, and may God bring disgrace to any man who behaves effeminately!” To which he added, “And every woman who behaves masculinely!” “Indeed,” said she, “and any person who practices evil customs! Observe how custom here has made the shaving of the hair a mark of bounty and perfection when, to us, it is a sign of deficiency and corruption.” “You’re right,” he said, “but I’d like to ask you about something, now that the conversation has come around to what men want from women and women from men. Since you’ve started to develop an understanding of these differences, tell me by the roof (for it was his custom, whenever he asked her about something important, to make her swear by the roof to which she had climbed before they got married) and tell me true, is the pleasure a woman gets when she looks at a man’s body equal to a man’s when he looks at a woman’s?” “They’re the same,” she said, “or perhaps the former is the greater.” The Fāriyāq went on,94 “Then I said, ‘How can that be when there is no softness or smoothness to a man’s body while a woman is distinguished by numerous charms that are absent in a man, such as softness of skin, fineness of digit, shapeliness of finger and fingertip (these being likened
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3.6.7
�ف ��ل� �ة ا ز � ت ن ّ �ة �ي� �ويم� � او �ب� �ير�م� ��و�ع�
� ُ �ذْ ق شّ � � � ْ � ���ا ��ل��دَ �ْ�س� � ��ل��ي�ن ����ه ت� �ب�ا �لِ�ع��س�َودّ �ة � او �ل�ا ��س�ا ر�� � او �ل�ع� ��ف�و ���ط � او �ل�َعنَ�� * �وك� � او �ل�ا �ن�ا ��م�ل �و��د � و ب �ي ع ع م �َ ش ا �� ش � ��ت غ � � ��ْع � ا ��ل��دَّ �خ � � ل ل ح� ث� ��ي ب��د �و ���فى �ك� ���ل ا ���ج�� � � � � � ه � � � � ا ا ا ا � �� � � � � � � � � ك ل ل� ل � ط� � �� ح ب �� ه�� �� � � ج و و و و و ي ر ر � ب م ي ب ي س ا س ع ت �آ � غ ي�ن � ن ن �ة �� � ��ع���ي�ن طف� ا ��ل��د �ي�ن � �ص�غ� ا ��ل ���ل��ي�ن � �خ��ا � ت ا و ر ر�ج ور � �� �و� * �وك���ل�� � ي �ص��ه� * � او �م��ل� ا �لر��س���� � او �ل�ك� ب � ��سه ��ل��ة ا �ل� ش � ا ��ل��س�ا �ق��ي�ن م��� ���ط��ي�ن * � ��ن�ع� �م��ة ا ��ل�ُع ْ��ش � ا ��ل�ع��س��� * � ���د ��ل ا ��ل���ذ ا �ع��ي�ن � � � م� ك و ر و و و �ج � ي و و � �و ر ر ب � ض ف � � ظ� � � �خ ��ذ�ي�ن ا �ل ت � �ة � �� خ� � � � ا ���حل تي�ن � � �ة � غ ص�ت ي�ن �� ا �ل�ورك����ي�ن � او�لم�ا ك��مت���ي�ن � او �ل�� �و ب���ي��ل� �و�ع ��� �م�ا ��� �ود مج��ل� ا �ل��د ا ��� �� * و م م �� ن� � �� � � � ��ل��� �ف �خ � ك ل ط�ن � � ا � آ � حول � � او �لب� �� * و � ن �ذ �صر و ط� ة � � ي� ش�����بّ���ه ب���ه�ا ب�ن��ا � ا �ل�ع� ا ر �ى و ا لا ��س�ا ر ي� ( )1ا �ل�ع��سو د � د وي�ب���ة ب�ي����ض ع ن ف �ظَ ْ ن � �ق � �ت��ف���ي�ن ح ���ط�ا ���ط ا �ل�من � ح�مرا �لر و ��س ي� ك �و � �فى ا �لر �م�ل و �فى و ا د �ي�عر �� ب��� ب�ى ا �لو ا ح�د � � ل�� د و د ب�ي����ض ا � � ا� ك � � � ك ص � � � � و و آ ل ب �ذ ف �ة �ة ن ش � ا ��سر و و ا �ل�ع� �و ط د وي�ب�� ب�ي����ض � � �ا ع�م� ي������ب���ه ب���ه�ا ا �ص�ا ب�ع ا �جل�و ا ر �ى ع ث ة آ ��ا ���َ نَ �� � ت �ق ة � ت �ف ن ا � ن ش��� �ة ّ �خ ن ش �ح � � � ل � � و ب� و ا ل�د ��س ط و ل�ع� ��ا �ز ي��ة ��ل�ه�ا ��مر � ح�مر � �ي�����ب���ه ب���ه�ا ا ل ب�����ا � ا م�� ���ض ا �ل��ر��و� � او �ل��را ��ئ ب� � او�لم���ا �هر * �وك�� لع� ج ج ر ع م آ ُ ل��س� ا م � �ظ �ظ �خ���ف��� ا �ل�عر ق� �فى ا �ل��ل��� ع���ا ا �ل�� ا � � ح� و ا �ل � ��ك�ع��س �ع���ا م ا � ل َى و � � ا ���ََ �� ِ م بر �ج م م � ���ي�ن طف� �و�ص�ل�ا �ت��ة ا �ج��ل � � � � ف � � �و لع ف ط �خ � ل �ن � � و ل � � ب و � � � ل فى ا ا �ص�ا ب� و ا ل�د ��ي��س ح� ب�ا ط� ا ل ك ���� و ا لر و ا �ج � ب� �م�����ا �ص�ل ع م ش � ق �ظ �ه � ف ق �� �ن ا خ � ا �صو ل ا لا �ص�ا ب� ا و �����ص���ب�ه�ا و ا �لر و ا �ه��� عر و � �ا ر ا ل ك ���� ��م��ة ا ��ل�ص� ت ع ا �ل ش����عر * �و �ك�و� �ه� � ي ر �ذ و �ظ ش ق �ن �ن �� � � � � � � � و ا ل�ع��س�ي�� ب� �ا �هر ا ل�����د و �هوا �ي���ض � �ا ع���ظ�م ا ل� � ب� و ا ل�عر � م�ا ب�ي�� ا ل�ع��ير م عَ َ ف ح�ا ّ � ا ��ل َ�َ ش و ا لا �ص�ا ب� �م��ن ظ���هر ا �ل��ق���د و ا لم��ف���ا �هر �ل � �ذ ا ت� �ن ش��� �خ��ا ��لي���ة �ع�ن ا ��ل � ح�م ا �ل���ص�د ر و ا �ل���ط��� طو ل �� و ر م ع ر ر � ي ّ �ذ ف ن غف ش ش ش � ش ن �ن ا لا ش���ف���ا ر و ا �ل ح�ا ر ����عر ا لا ���� و ا �لر �ي��� ����عر ا لا �ي�� و ا �ل������ر ����عر � غَ �فَ � � �ة ُ ن ْ ا � � ْ � او �ل� � � � و �ل� � سِ� �(� )1و �ك�و� ا �ل�ع ن�� ق ا �ل��ق����ف���ا ا �ل��س ��ة ا � ش ا ا � � ل �ن � ��س � � � � � ا ا ا ا ا ع � ل��� �د � ط �د ص ط ل� �س�� �� ل�� ل و � بر �ر ب �و ر لى ب و رو �ض و رب آ ��ل ن ق ن ن ن ا �ل��س���م��ن و ا لا �مت���ل� و ا � لا ي� ك �و � �فى ا �جل� و د ��������ص�ا � * �ذ �ن ا َ�ص ْ �آ َ� ْش ة َ ْش ة تَْ ُ ّ�ة ا � �ه� �م�ع� ح���ر� �م���ر� ���د �مِ �ري� ا �و َ َ � ظ �� ا �ا ا ا �ع ن � ش ن ّ ف �ة �ؤَ ��ّ� �ة �ُم ْ � نَّ�ة � � �ن �ذ � � �ق �ذّ �ذ ة � � � � � ع ه � � �ص � ا ا ا � م � � � ع � م � � � ك � ل � م�� ل�ك ل� و م� ل� ٨،٦،٣ � �� * و م� ح�ل �ه� ي� �ي �ى ������ * و � ّ م َ ن ْ ف � �ت� �ن �ث � ح ا ��� ا ا �ز � ن �ه�م�ا �و�ت�ك��ع�ب��ه�م�ا * � او �ب��دع �بر �و ا �ل��ه�د �ي�ن �و� �ه�ود �ه�م� * �و ج �م�ه�م� �و�ج� �ه�م� * �و�ك��عب � �ص ئ����ا ��ه�م�ا � �ت�ا �ّ ��ه�م�ا * � ��ت�ق��ع ا �ت ���ت��ت��ا ��ه�م�ا � ��ت��ق ��ه�م�ا * � �ت�ا ��ت�ه�م�ا �ّ ا و ب� ���ب��ه�م� * � او ك�ي ب � و ب ب � و ب� � او � رب ب � و وب � �ه�م� �و كب ��ت �ت�ز ا ت �� ا ت � � ق ا �ت�ز �ّق ا �ت�ز � ق ا �� ��ت �ه�ا �و�ص�ع� ك �ه�م� * �و س�م� ك �ه�م�ا * ل�� � �ه�م� �و �ه�ل� � �ه�م� �و � �ل � �ه�م� * � �و��د �م�ل��ك�ه�م� � �و��د م�ل� � �و ��ي ب � ل�� � ��ت � ن ت �ذ �ت ف �كه�م�ا � � � � � �زَ َ�ه�� ا �ت ض ���ا �ف� ��� ا وت��د م��ج�ل �ه�م�ا * �و��م� �ج� �ه�م�ا �و �ص�ع�ج�� �ه�م�ا * طه�م� * � �و ����ل��� له�م� � �و � � و � ُ ت �خ �ظ � ّ ا ت ا �� �ن ��كه�م�ا ا ا ّ ا �ن �ت ا �ورب� ��و�ه�م� � �وب �� �و �ه�م� * �و� �� �و�ه�م� �ور� �� �وب��ه�م� * � �وت�� �وب��ه�م� �وك�� �ع �وب��ه�م� * �و��م�و�� �غ �ز �غ خ �� شخ �صه�م�ا * � ��ن ت��ٓ ء �ه�م�ا �و� �ود �م�و�ك�ه�م�ا * � بو� �و� �ه�م�ا �و� ب � �ص�ه�م�ا �ود �� �ص�و� �ه�م�ا * �و������ �و� � وو ّ ت خ ّ�ذ ا �ت� ظّ � �ن ��ت� � �ك�ّ �ف ا �ت�ق ا ا �ت �ه�م�ا * �و�ت�� ��جه � �ه�م�ا �وع��ج�ل �ه�م�ا * �ه�م� � �و � ب�ي��ه�م� * �و��� ��ي �ه�م� �و��ك ���ي� �و��ع�و�ج� �ه�م� * �و��و � و
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A Banquet and Various Kinds of Hot Sauce
to the ʿiswaddah,(1) to asārī ʿ, to the ʿudhfūṭ, and to the ʿanam tree), the quality called dasʿ, softness of the kaʿs, the dakhīṣ, and the rawājib, and the way the flesh covers the rawāhish so that a dimple appears on each knuckle; or softness of hand, smallness and suppleness of foot, fullness of wrist and heel and flatness of instep, smoothness of ʿursh and of ʿasīb, strength of arm and comely largeness of calf, massiveness of calf muscle and roundedness of kneecap, huge-
(1) “‘The ʿiswaddah: “a small white creature to which virgins’ fingers are likened”; asārī ʿ: “white worms with red heads that live in the sand in a valley known as al-Ẓaby; singular usrūʿ ”; the ʿudhfūṭ: “a smooth white creature to which girls’ digits are likened”; the ʿanam: “a tree of the Hejaz that has a red fruit to which stained fingers are likened”; dasʿ: “the hiding of the sinew by flesh”; the kaʿs: “the bones of the phalanges or the bones of the finger joints”; the dakhīṣ: “the flesh of the inside of the hand”; the rawājib: “the joints of the roots of the digits, or their backs”; the rawāhish: “the veins of the visible part of the hand”; ʿursh: “the top of the foot between the prominent bones and the digits”; ʿasīb: “the top of the foot; also the coccyx”; mafāhir: “the flesh of the chest”; ʿaṭaf: “length of eyelash”; ḥārr: “nose hair”; rayash: “ear hair”; ghafar: “neck and nape hair”; surbah: “the hair from the middle of the chest to the belly”; daʾḍ: “fatness and fullness and the absence of any blemish on the skin.”95
ness of haunch, posterior, thigh, backside, and belly; or narrowness of waist, grace of shoulder, declivity of flank, and glossiness of clavicle, breast, and mafāhir; or as length of neck, ʿaṭaf, broadness of brow and length of hair; or sweetness of voice and odor, absence of ḥārr, rayash, ghafar, and surbah and of hair on her mons veneris, her vagina, or her anus; or her ears being small, or cutesy-comely and tiny, or ornamented, or well-defined and pointy and pricked (and what a feast for the eye they are when the upper parts are hung with earrings!)? “‘Greater than all of this and more wonderful, however, is the protuberance of her two breasts and their perkiness,96 their prominence and their pertness, their bulginess and their curviness, their roundness and their compactness, their firmness and their constrictedness, their massiveness and their glossiness, their creaminess and their smoothness, their convexity and their poutiness, their gibbosity and their slipperiness, their incrassation and their turgidness, their slickness and their sturdiness, their rotundity and their ampleness, their orbicularity and their curvaceousness, their resplendence and their fairness, their lustrousness and their silkiness, their curvature and their satininess, their bulbosity and their thrustingness, their tumescence and their sleekness, their heaviness and their bounciness, their globosity and their whiteness, their incandescence and their tremulousness,
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3.6.8
�ف ��ل� �ة ا ز � ت ن ّ �ة �ي� �ويم� � او �ب� �ير�م� ��و�ع�
�ت �ه ا �ت �ك�ّ �ز�ه�م�ا * � ��ت�ع ّ�ز�ه�م�ا � �ت��ل�ز�ز�ه�م�ا * � ت��م��ل��سه�م�ا ا ن ت ا ا �ت � �و � و � ور و ض��ي�ر�ه�م� * � او ����ب�� ر�ه�م� �و��و �ص�د ر �م� � �و ��ب ت ت �ز �ت ��ع�ا ��ن ه�م�ا �صه�م�ا � �ت��د ��ل� ا �و� ش���ر �ه�م�ا * �و��ع��ل��د �ه�م�ا �و��مغ���د �ه�م�ا * � �وت�ا � �ص�ه�م� * � او ج� � �ص� � و �ت ت �ت�ز ّ ت� ّ �� ا �ت تن � �ت ���� �ب�ن��ه�م�ا �و�تش����ز ��ن �ه�م�ا * �و ك� � � � ل ه� � و��ل�م��ل�م�ه�م�ا * �و ��م�ه�م�ا �و رك�ر�ك�ه�م�ا * م � �و��� ش����ز �ه�م�ا * �و ج � ي �� ا � �تش �ا � ���و�� � او ر�ت ك� �ك�ه�م�ا * �و�تر�هر�ه�م�ا � �وت��ل�ّو�ه�ه�م�ا * � او �ن��د �م�ا �ج� �ه�م�ا � او ��ن �ف� ا ر �ج� �ه�م�ا * �� ك�ه�م� و � �ي َ �أ � ق � ّ �ن ّ �ز � �ز ��ض ه�م�ا � ا �ص�ه�م�ا �و�ع � او �ب��ا �ل�ه�م�ا � او �عب��ا �ل�ه�م�ا * � او �ر�تب��ا �ه�م�ا � او ك���ت�ن �ا �ه�م�ا * � �و � �ص�ه�م� * �ود � � ضَ ق ق � ا �ن � �ة � �آ��ث ة �َ �ز ن � ا � ت ا � َ ْ �ز ا ا � ���نَ ��� ا �و� � طه�م� * �و��د �ي���ل �ل�ه�م� �م �ج �م��ل� ا ��سم� ك���ي�ر� ا�ل�م ار ا � �ل� ح�م� �ل ر �و �ه�م� �ب� �لي��د ا �و شّ � � ش ّ ا ا �� ا ن ا �� �ُ�ق � �� ن ق � ����ه ت� � � � � ح��ل�مت��ا �ه�م�ا �ب�ا �ل��س�ع�د ا � * �و��د __ * ا � ف�ل� ك ط و ����ه� �ب� لر�م� � �و ل رم�و ب ��ر * �و� ب ت �ف ف ق قا � ت ق ف نا فق ح��س�ن �م�ا ا ن �ه�م�ا �و�ف�ا �ت��ك ا � �ه�م�ا * ���ل ت� �ير د �م � ه�� ��ى �و�ص� � �� �ل� � ��� �ه�� �����د ا ��س� ب ا قف � � �ة ت � � �ت ق ا ل��ا ن�� ت� �خ��� ا �م�ن ا ف�ي��د �ى * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ��ل�و ج�ئ� ت� ب� ك� طه�م�ا �� ك� ���ل�م� ���د �ل �ع��ل�ى ا �ل���� �م�ه�م� ا �و ���� �� � ير �ن � ث � � �ذ � �ف �ذ � ا �� � ة ك� ����ي�ر �م�ن �ه��ذه ا �ل�ص�ف��ا ت� * �ق��ل ت� �لي����س ا �ل�� ن�� ب� �ع��ل� ّ ��ى �ل��ك �ف�ا ��ى �ل� ا �ج���د �ه��ذه ل�د ر� ى م �ف � �ذ ن � ة �ذ ��ا ن ��ف � � ا �ش��� �ن ا �ع ا � �ز �غ� � � ا ث ق ��ى ا � �لق��ا �م�و��س * �� ���ل ت� �ه� ا � او � ا�ل�م ار � ا ا ك�� � �ى و�ج �ه�ه� عر � � و ب� و �ل� م تم � � � � ا �زَ ّ � ف �ا � �س�م�ا �ع��ل �ش����ف ت��ه�ا ����ست�� ح ب� �ع ن��د �ج��مي�� ا �ل ن��ا ��س * ��ا �م�ا ا �ل� �ج�رد �م ن��ا ا �و ا �ل��س�ن �ا ��ط � او �ل� ��ط ي �ى ع ّ � �ف ��ا ن�� ت ��ت�ع�� ا �ن ه � ا �ر�وه �ع ن��د ا لله � او ��ل ن��ا ��س * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ا �ّم�ا ا �ّو �ل�ا �ف�ل�ا ن� ا �ل��م ار �ة �م�ن � �م�� حي� ث� ك�� � ل� � �ل� � ك م ّ �ن ش ّ � � ت � �ن � �ق َ ��ا ن ش ق ش �ف � �ن ���و���ه�ا �م ن��ه ا د ��ى ����ى * ح�ى �ل�و � ��ط� ت� ����ى ��ى ا �ل��د �ي��ا ي���س�د �ع ن��د�ه�ا �م��س�د ا �لر ج���ل ك�� � ي� � � � �ش � ن � ة � َّ �ق � ا ا �ذ ا ��س�ق� �و�ه�م�ه�ا ا �ل�ى ا �لر ج���ل * �مث��ل� ا �م� �م ا �م ار � �ب�ا �لر ب���ع�د ��و�ل��ك ا �ع�و �ب� لله �م�ن ا �ل����ي ��ط�ا � �ل ب � �ذ ات خ � � ت � ف � ا �ف �ف ا ا � ا� � �وا ��طر�ه�ا ا �لي��ه * �وك�� �� ا س� ���و�ج� � ي�ه� � �� ��ع�ل� �ه� �ع��ل�ى ا � �ل��ور ا �ل� �ص� ار ر ا �و ا �ل� ح�م ار ر بح�� ب � � � �ذ � � � �ل�و ا ب��ت��د ا ت� ب��ن� ��ط�ق� ا �ل ّر ب���ع�د ��ق�و��ل��ك ب���س� ا لله * ف���ق���ل ت� ا �ل��ل�ه� �ل��ط�ف���ك �و�ع�ص�مت���ك * �ه� ا م م ث ق ا � ت ا � ف ا ت �� � �ن �ة � � ة ��ف �ُق �ن �ف ح�ا ن� ا ��ل���ط�� � �ق � ت ل ا � � � ا � � ح��ه �ف ك ا ا � ح �ل � د� ��ي��� ب��ي��ا ��ع�ه * � � ل� م� ل�ص�� � ��س � م�وج � و �و �ى ب ع ير ر م �ش آ � � � �ذ ن ن ف ة � ش � ّ ن ت ت �ت ا�ل�م ار � د �و� ا �لر ج���ل �ع��ل� �م�ا ك�ر� ا ��� �و���ب�� ب� �ب�ه ا �ل����ع �ر � �و ب��ا ��هى �ب�ه ا �لم�ص � ���ع�د � ى �ور و� م ا ف � � ا �ن � �ن ن ُ� ّ � ا ن � ة ��ت�ع�� ن � ا �ش� �ق ن �غ � �ود�ه� �ي��ه �لي����س ب�م� �� �و ج�� ع���ه�ا ��ي�ر ا �لر ج��ل� ع �ل�ه �م ا � يح ب� * �ل� � ا�ل�م ار � ل�م ا ��ه �ل� ��ى ��ي� ر�ي ن ن آ � �ة ف �ة ن �ف ���ا ن�� ت �م ش ّ ق � � �ذ�� ت آ�ن ف � ا �ت �وده �ع��ل�ى ا �ي� �ص��� ك� � � ��وج�� ���و�� �ل�ه�ا �مك��ا ك�ر� � � ���ا * ا �ل� ر�ى ا � ���س�� ا �ل�� �سود ا � 168
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A Banquet and Various Kinds of Hot Sauce
their fullness and their fatness, their solidity and their pearliness, their albescence and their sphericalness, their jerkiness and their crammed-togetherness, their curvity and their tightness, their suavity and their distendedness, their cleftness and their bustiness. They are known, among other things, as “the weights” because they can be weighed, either in the hand or in the mind. They are likened to pomegranates and to euphorbia fruit and their nipples are likened to saʿdān prickles.97 Now, it is also the case that. . . . ’ ‘Stop now,’ she said, ‘for you have gone to excessive lengths in your description while failing to mention the best part of what they signify.’ ‘Pray tell!’ said I. She continued, ‘If you had cited a word that referred to gobbling on them or rubbing up against them, it would have served better than many of those adjectives.’ ‘That’s not my fault,’ I said. ‘I failed to find any such pearl in the Qāmūs.’ “Then I went on, ‘That’s one thing, and another thing I’d like to ask you
3.6.9
is why everyone finds it agreeable for a female to have a certain amount of soft hair or down on her face and particularly on her lip, while the hairless, the beardless, and the smooth-faced male are hated by God and man alike?’ ‘As for the first,’ she said, ‘it’s because the woman, knowing that nothing in the world can take the place of a man for her, is inspired with longing for one by the slightest thing. Even if, after uttering in front of a woman the words aʿūdhu bi-llāhi mina l-shayṭān (“I seek refuge with God from the Devil”), for example, you start to say ra . . . , she will immediately start fantasizing about a man and straightaway blanch or blush, depending on the direction in which her thoughts have taken her.98 The same will happen if you begin to pronounce ra . . . following the words bi-smi llāh (“In the name of God”).’ ‘God bless you for a refined and honest woman!’ said I. ‘If such is your nature and its inborn disposition while still unformed, what will they be like when they mature?’ “Then she said, ‘Concerning the good attributes to be found in the woman and not the man (according to your statement and that of the poets who write amatory verses to, and the painters who revel in the depiction of, the former), their absence in the man is no obstacle to his being loved. A woman knows that nothing but a man can bring her joy, so his presence in any shape or form inspires longing in her, as you mentioned earlier. Do you not observe that the women of the lands of the blacks love their menfolk
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3.6.10
�ف ��ل� �ة ا ز � ت ن ّ �ة �ي� �ويم� � او �ب� �ير�م� ��و�ع�
ا � ه�نّ ��غ � �ن � ّ � ن �آ �� �ت �ف َ َ �ذ � �ف �غ ي� �ن �ه�ن ��ى �ب�ل�ا د �ن�ا �و��ى �و��ي�ر�ه�ا * �و�مث���ل �ل��ك ح�ب�� ر�ج�� �ل� ا ب��ل� م ح ب� ا �ل����س� لب�� �عو�ل � ب آ ت َ � �ث ة ف �خ ت��� �ف �ة � �مث � �خ� � ا �ع ن�ده ا � ا ن � ح ك� ي�ه�ا � ��ا �ي�ا ت� �و� �� او د ر ��م ل�� * و ���ل ر م� � �ل� �مث���ل �م�ن �ع ن��ده ك��� ب� ك����ي�ر� �� � �ا� �ف ا � �� �ت �� حت ��ث�� �ة �ت ا ه �من�ت��ق��ل�ا �م�ن ك��ت� ك��ت� ��ا ��ا � ا ��ل� ا �خ� � � � ه � � � � ا ا ا � ك � ل� د ك ل� ل ح � ح� � � � � � * ع � ص ط � � � � ر ر و ى ي ب ب ر �ي ى ب ب ة قآ ّ ش ث �ت �ي�ا ���تى �ع��ل� ا �خ�ر�ه�ا �و�م�ا �ع�� �لق� �ب���ذ �ه ن��ه �من��ه�ا ����ى * �� ي���م�ل �م�ن ا �ع�ا د� � �ر � �ه�ا * �و�ص�ا � ح ب� ى م ث ��ا ن � � ن �ذ ف�غ �ن ت �ت �ا � ا � آ�خ ف ا �ذ � ا � �صف � � �ة � � ل��ا ح��د �م�ن ح�� ك�� � �ي�عل�� ا ��ه ا ا � �م ك��� �ب�ه �ل� ي ج��د � �ر �� ا ��ط� �ل� � � � ا ا � ح� ل ا � ك�� � � ب و ي ر م ع ف ح� ظ� ����ه�ا ح��ّد �� ���ف �م�ع�ا ��ن � ا �م ن��ه ��ل�ن ��ن��ت��ق��� �من�ه�ا ا ��ل�ا ���ع�د ا ن� ��م��ع�ن ا ��لن �ظ� ��� ف�� ا ي�ه� * �يو� س ى ي ي�ه� * �يو� � ي ل � ب ر �ق ح�ه�ا � � ت�� ��مه�ا * � � ت�� �ص �ه�ا ا � ��ع� ا ت � ا ت �ذ�� ا تث ا ت ���مت ن �يو ور ي�ه� � �وي��ر�س�م�ه� � ��يو�� ك�ر�ه� * � �يو��م���ل�ه� � ��يو��د �بر�ه� * �يو �� � �يو و � و�ي ّ � ّ ث ا ��ت � ا �ن �ت ا � � � �ة � � � �ف���ل�ه�ا � � ���ط�ف���له�ا * � ا ن��م�ا ض ��ر�� ت� �ل��ك ا�لم���ل �ب� � ك ل��� ب� �ل� ��ى ا را ك �مب� ��ل�ى �ب� �لم�� ط�ا �ل�ع� * و�ي ي� و�ي � و � ب ُ ث ا � ��ث ة �غ ا �ذ ���ث�� �ة �ذ ا ��ت���ة ��ل���� ت ن �� ت� * � ���ع�د �ف�ا ن� ���ف ا ��ل ج��� ��م ا �ن س� بو ح� ��س ك� ي ر ي ي �و�ع��د �ى ا �م�� �ل ك���ي�ر� ��ي�ر �م� ك�ر ى ر ل � ََّ �ف � �ة � ن ف �ة �ت ف �ت�ف ��ى ا�ل�م ار �ة * م �ص�د ره �ص�د ره � او �ل�ز ب�� ب� �ع��لي��ه * � او ر� ���ا ك�� �� ي��ه �و��س�ع� � �ه�ا �رد��س� � � ع � ث � ف ش���� �ذ ش � � �ق � �ي��د �ي�ه �وك�� � را �عي��ه �وك�� ���ر�ة ا �ل�ع ض����ل � �ه�م�ا �و�عظ �� �� �ون�ه ��ق� �و�ا �ش���د �ي��د ا �و��� ��ط��ط �� او �م�ه �و ب � � ي� ي َ ْ �ز �خْ �زُّ َش ْ ح شَ نْ�ز ْ�زَ ّ ُ ْ قُ ْ َ��ثْن َ��نْثم �قَ ْ َق َق ْ َ َ �ه�ق ْ���ق ��ا ا ا ا �ص��ل��ا ��� � ا ا ا ا ا ���ل��د ��ا � ��ا ���� � ا �ص�لب�� ك����ب�� ك����ب�� ���سب�� ��زِ �ب� ���ع�بن�� � ب ب �ص�لب�� ����� �ب� ِ�عر �ب� �ع� ب �ج ب ب تي�ت ا ص�ن تي�ت ا ن ا ت ا َ �َنْ� ْ َ ّ َ�زْ ُ� ا ش �ذَ ْ� ّا َ �ْ ْ � ح� ِ��� ا ي��م �� ��سب � � ��ف ت�ي��ت��ا �ِم�ص��� � � ��� � قِ���ع� �� �ع�ل� � �ص��ل�ي�ت�ا صِ ِا � �ك�د ا �قِ� � ِ��ط ار ��سود ا ا ب�ر ج� ر ر ي ُ ا ًا ُ ْ �ة ُ� َ َ ْ قَ�َ��ْع��ث ا َ�عْ�ه ا َ�ع شَ�����ن�ز ا ��قَ�ْ�ع��س�ا ُ�صُ�م� ّل�ا َ�ع�َنْ����ل�ا �ْ �م�ا ح��س ّ�مي��ا �ش���ي ��ظ����م�ا �ج�ع � � � ه � � � � م � � م ه �ج � ر ب بب ب ر ب� ر ر ر و �فُ ُ َ ْ َ َ ُ ْ ّ َ َ �ز َ ْ ض َ � ُ �ا ش َنْ ث ا �ق ا ا ن ا ا ��م���ل �ا �ذ � ا ة ُ ش �ة ُ �ع ْر �م�ا �عر��م�ا �ع ْرد �م�ا �ن�ا �ع ش��� ّر�م�ا �� �ح�سم� ��� �ر����� � �هي�� قِ���ع� ��س� ج ج �ل ا �ج �ه� ر� �و ج� ���� (* )1 ب ف �� ا �ن ّ ا ن � �ف ف � ح�ن ا ��ل ن����س��آ � ح�ا ��س�ن ح�ا ��س�ن �� م م � ه � � � ا � � � ل � � * �ه��ذه ك���ل�ه� ��ع�د �ه� � � ج و ى �� ر ي � ا ل
١١،٦،٣
ف (���� )1سي���ا تى �مر د �� �ذ ف ف �ظ ا لا �ل�����ا �فى ا خ�ر �ه� ا ا �ل�������ص�ل *
� �� ��ه ا ج��ل ا �خ�ر�ى ا �ع�بت��ا ر���ة �و��هى �ص�ع�وده ا�لم ن�ب��ر �مث��ل�ا �خ��ا ��� ب ا � � �وا د �� ي ط�� * ورك�وب ف � ّ � � �ذ ث� �ق ا � ا ش ت � �و�ت�ق���ل��ده ا ��ل��س�ل�ا � * �و�م�ا ا � �ن �س����ه ي�م��س ا �ل� ر��ض� * � � �ل� ح��س ا �لر ج���ل ا ا �م����ى �و� ي ح م � � � ن آ ��ث � �ّ � �ة � ا �ّ ت � ن � � �ف ة �ق ف �ف ت �ل�و ك� ��� ت� ا �عر�ف� ا � �ل ار � � او � ك� ل��ا �ب� �ل� � �ل � �ع��ل� ا �لر�ج��ا �ل � او �ل����س�� ا ك���ر �مم�ا ا �ل�� ��ى �ج��مي�� � ى ع � �ذ � � � ش ا ق ا ق ن ت �� ن ي�ت ا ق � ت �خ� � ��ذ �ذ�� ت � �� ل���� ا �ل�ع��ل�و�م �ل�ك ا � ي � ا �ل� �ى ك�ر� �ل�ى ا �سم�ه ��س� �ب ���� �و��د ���سي����ه �ل��ك� �و�ه �م� � * ��ل� �ه�و ق � �ن ��ث � � �ن � � � � � �ا ��س� ���ط ر� ��س�و ��ط�ى �و م �ج �مي�� ط���ي�ن * ح�م�ه ا لله * ��ا �ل ت� ��ع� ا ك���ر �م�ن ا �ل ي � ا �ل� �م�ا �م ا �ل ي � � ع ا �ل��س�و �� ي و ى م 170
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�ه��ذه
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A Banquet and Various Kinds of Hot Sauce
more than women do their husbands in our and other countries? It’s like the situation of a man who has lots of books containing different stories and anecdotes as compared to another who has only one to read. You will notice that the man with many books will move from one to another and reach the last without anything having stuck in his mind and thereafter find the idea of rereading them distasteful. The man with only one book, on the other hand, knowing that he will find nothing else to read when he gets to the end of that, will not move on from a page he is reading until he has pondered it well, mulled over its meanings, committed it to memory, learned from it, scrutinized it, thought about it, absorbed it, weighed it, examined it, conned it, picked at it, finecombed it, and meditated upon it. I came up with this simile of the books because I’ve noticed how taken you are with reading, but I have lots of other examples too. “‘To proceed: a man has numerous charms that women do not. These
3.6.11
include the breadth of his chest and of the pelt that’s upon it, the height of his shoulders and capacity of his breast, the straightness of his legs and the thickness of his arms and the number of muscles in them, the massiveness of his hands and the fact of his being strong and hard,99 stalwart and hearty, stalward and husky, stalworthy and strapping, stalworth, stout, and sturdy, stark and lusty, stith, stour, staunch and shredded, robustious, robustuous, rumbustious, robustic, wrast, mettlesome, doughty, puissant, potent, rugged, hale, flush, ripped, buff, diesel, beast, built, cut, jacked, yoked out, fine-looking, and loud-voiced.(1) All these attributes we women consider to be among men’s charms, and he has other, intangible, good qualities too, such as when he climbs the pulpit, for example, to preach, or rides a fine horse, or bears arms—and how fine a figure a man cuts when he walks along, his sword
(1) A list of further synonyms for these words may be found at the end of the chapter.
grazing the ground!’ “Then she said, ‘If only I knew how to read and write, I’d write more books about men and women than did that shaykh whose name you once mentioned but which I’ve forgotten because he’s dead on all the sciences put together.’ ‘That would be Imam al-Suyūṭī, God have mercy on his soul,’ I said. ‘Right,’ she said, ‘more than al-Suyūṭī and all the other suits too,’ to which I responded, ‘And all the sots as well.’100 ‘However,’ she continued, ‘it’s all the fault of those who left me without an education. The Arabs claim
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3.6.12
�ف ��ل� �ة ا ز � ت ن ّ �ة �ي� �ويم� � او �ب� �ير�م� ��و�ع�
�غ �ن �� � �ذ ق� �ت �ق��ل ت � �م�ن ا �ل�م ْ��س ��� ّ ���ا * ��ا �ل ت� �و�ل��ك�ن ا �ل�� ن�� ب� �ع��ل�ى �م�ن ��ا د ر ��ى ب��غ���ي�ر ��ع��لي�� ط���ي�ن ا ��ي ض� � و ِ �و ي م آ آ �ان � ت � ن � ة � ن ن � �ق ة �ف ة � ن �ل� � ا �ل�عرب� �ي�ز �ع�م�و� ا � �عل��� ا � �ل �ر � �م� ��س�د� �ل��ل����س�� * � او � ا�ل�م ار � ا �و�ل �م�ا ���س�ت ��ط�� �ض� � يع م م ف � آ�خ ت ���ع �من ا ت� ��ا ��ا ا ��ل� �ع�ا �ش���ق�ه�ا * �م� ا ��ن ه�ا ��ل� �خ���لّ� ت� � ��� ا ���ا ن� ��له�ا � حر�� ا �ل�ى � �ر ج� �ل � �ه�م� ك�� ب ى ع � و ي و ب ط��ع�ه� ك� � � ّ � خ ا �ف ا �ذ ُ� �ظ � � �م�ن � ��آ �ئ �ا � � ح ش����مت �ه�ا �ع�ا ض����ل ا �ش���د �م�ن ا �ل�ا ب� � او �ل�ز �و�� * ب��ل� � �م� ا ا ح �� ر ت� ح� ��ه و � ي ج ُ �ف �� �آ ت ّ ّ ُ � �� �ص ت� ف���ه * ��مث���له�ا ك��مث��� ا�لم�� ح ت� �ف�ا ��ن �ه�ا ��ل�ا ��تن��ف��� ح�ا �و��ل ا �ل�تم��ل�� � او ��لتف����ص� ��مم�ا � � � ح � ك � �ج ي ل ى ر و ر ص آ � � � � �ف ا ن ه � �ز �ز � �ز ن �غ ����ل�م�ا ا د ا ��ن ب��ع�ا �ث�ا �و�ج� �ر�ا �ن�ا ا د �ص�ف��� � او ���س�ي �ا ��ا * ا �و ك��مث���ل ا �ل��س�ا ئ�ر ا�لم��سر � �� ك ك ����ل�م�ا ا د ي ع ة � آ ��ث �ق � ن � �ف �ن �ف ا �ز � ّ ق � فق ا ��س ار �ع� ا د ح��س�ه �ب�ب�ر �ود� ا �ل�ه� �و ا ك���ر * ��ا �ل ������ل ت� ��ى � � ��س�ى � او لله � �ل��د ا ح � ��س� او �ل�و ّ �ن ا �ت � ت � �ق ة � ت �غ �ا �ة � ا �ق �ف ش ت � ا ش ّ � ت �خ� �ت ا � �ه� ��ع�ل�م� ا � �ل ار � � او � ك�� ل�� �ب� �لم� ب����ى ��ى ����عر�ى ب��ي��� ا �ل� �و��� ��ط �ر�ه �و �م��س �ه �ع��ل�ى ��ي�ر � �م�ا �ق��ص�د ت * ا ��ل��له ا ��ن �ق�� �م�ع�ا �ف�ه�ا ا ��ل �م�ع�ا �ف�ه�ا ا ��ل �م�ا � ��ف ��د * � ا��ف ن و ��ك��ى ش��� ّر ا�ل�م�ز ���د * � � � �م �ل ر � �ى ر � �ى �ي ي ي *
�ُ ْ ُ � �ف � � �ة ف �ق � ح�ا �ش���ي � �م�ن �م ار د �� ا � �ل��و�ى ا �ل ش����د �ي��د ا �و ا �ل�ص��ل ب� ا �ل ش����د �ي��د �و�م�ا ��ى �م�ع ن��ا �ه�م�ا ا �ل�عت��ع ت� َ ُ ُ ْ َ ّ � َ �ْ ث � ْ ث �َ ث � ُ ضَ ا ف � َ ف ض � ُ � � َ َ َّ� � َ َ � � �ص��ل�ْود � ��� �� ل�� ل�� �نْ��د ث� ا �لِم ك� ا� ك �نْ�ب�� ث� ا � ك ���ل� ا �لِم��لي�� ا�لم�غِ� � ا �ل�ع � ا �ل�ع��ل � ا �ل�ع������ � ا �ل�ه�مر� ا �ل� � ح ج ج � َ َ ْقَ ا ��لَ��صَ ج َ ُ ج �َُْ �َْ �َ َ �َ ْ �َ ْ �ْ �َ � ْ � َ م ْ ْ � � ل � ا � ن � ح � � ل � ل � ا ل � � � � � � � م � ا �ل� ل��ل�د ا �ل�د � � ص�مي��د ا � كِل��رد ا � ك� حو 1ج��ل��د ى ا ج �ل�ع�د ا ج��ل�م�د �ص��ل ن�� �م � �ح ح ح ح � َْ ح ا ��لّ� قح � َ � َْ ّ �� َ ْ � � � اَ ��قْ � � ّ � � ّ � ��ذ � � � ّ � �ص�� خ ��ض ْ � ا �ل� ل � ا � ص � ا � ا � � �زِ� � ا ا � ل ا � � � ل ل � ا ا ا � � � د ع ه �د �د � �ص ل ل � � � م د د � �د � � �م � ع � � � � ل ل ل � ل� � ل ِ � ى و �ذِ فِر �ذِ مِ ر ي ر ِب ر �زِ مِ ر � ي ِ بر َ ََ َ � َْ � � ضَ ا ��لَ�ص َْ � ّ � ضَ ��َ�غ�ْ�َ ���ط َ�ى ا ��ل�َع�ْ��ز ا ا ��ل�َع شَ����ن�ْ�ز ا �� �ل�ق َ��ْع��ث �ى ا �� �ل�قُ ن��ا � ا � ا � ل � � � ل ضِ� �� � �ص � ط � �� � ر ب ر ي ر �م�عِرى ا �ل� بِ ي ر ر ب ر ب ر ْ َ �ُ َ �ا�ت � َ��زّ ��لُ �َ �ِ�ز ��لُ ا فِ�ز ���خلُ�ز �خِ�ز � �ُت مِ�ز � �َ �خْ �ز � ضُ ِ�ز � ض َّ � �ك�ز ��ب��ا ر ا �ل�ع���م�ز ا �لعِ���ل�� ل�ك� ر ا �لتِ��ي ا ج��لب� ا ج��ل� � ا � ا � ا �ل� را � ا �ل�د � ا �ل� ا � �م � �َ ْ�خ نَ � �ُ � َ �َنْ�ك�ز � فِ َ�زّ � �ِ�زّ ���َ�زّ � � �زَّ �ز ��لُ �� �َ ��َ ْ َ ال�م��ت ش���ّ ا �ل�ع�ل��� ا � �ل��ي� ا � قِ�ل��ل ا � ِك� �ا �� ل��ل ا�لم�ل ا �م �� س �حم� ر س ا �ل�د �����س ا �ل�د را �ه��س ا ل�د ل�ه�م��س َ َ � َ ْتَ � َ َ َ � �ّ � ّ �ُ � َ �َ ّ �نْ�َ�د �� ا �ل�َعَ�م َّ�� ا �� �لق���لّ�م�� ا �� �ل�قُ ن��ا � � ه���ل�� ا �ل�ه�م��ل�� ا � �ف�ل ار فِ���� ا �� كِل�ي� ا � ك � � ا �ل�ع��ر��س ا �ل�ع ل � ع � � ك �� س رس ص ص س ِ س � س س َ َ َ ْ � ا�ل�مت خ �ّ �� ا �� ضَ َ نْ َ � ا �� ف�َ ّ �� ا �ل�ع �ّ �� ا � � �ّ �� ا �� ضَ � ا �� َ ق � �َ �َم� � َ � ����ط �م�ل�ط �لمع�ل�ط ل� �ِ�م�ط ل� ��ب��� ��ط�ى لضِ� �ك��ك ا �ل�ص�م كِي�� ��ِ�لي�� ل� ���ك �صنِ ��� ا �ل�د �م عُ ْ � َ �َ �ْ � ُ �نْ ��لَنَ ْ َ � ��ُ ا ��ل�صَ �َّ� � َ َ�نَّ � �� َ �نَ ْ � حَّ��ل ا ��ل�َع َ�ن�ْ�د ��ل ا ��ل�عن�ث��� ا � � ت ك ل� ل � � � � � ا � ا � � ا �م ا ك ل� ك ل� � � � � �د � � ع ع ك � �ه�د �ل ل � � �م�لك ا �ل�عب� �ك ا ل� ِر �ج � و بل ل ل ر َ � � ��َ ْظ � � ْ َ � نَ ْ ت �ُ ْ � ا �� ْ�غ ا �ة ا ���َ ْ �� ف�َ ّ ا �� � ْ�ش� ّ � َ ْ�زَ � َ ْ �ه�ص� ا �ل�ِد ل �� � ا �لمِ� ل ��ر�� �م� لعرد � ا ل�ي�� �قِل ر � � � ا �ل�ه�ي� � ا �ل�هي��ص� * � �ج � ا �ل�ب�����ل ا �لب � ضِ ر م م م م م ِم م م َ ْ � ذ�� ا ف�� ا �ل��ق���ا �مو��س و ف�� :1855ا ��د � حو . ي 1ك ي ل ح
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A Banquet and Various Kinds of Hot Sauce
that a knowledge of reading will corrupt women and that as soon as a woman is able to stick one character next to another, she’ll spell out a letter to her lover. In fact, though, if left to her own devices, she will have in her shyness and sense of decency a minder stricter than any father or husband. If, on the other hand, she’s penned in and cooped up, she’ll keep trying to squirm out of and get away from the restrictions imposed upon her. It will be with her as it is with water, which becomes purer and more appetizing the faster it gushes and runs, or with a fast-walking person, who feels the air to be colder the faster he walks.’ ‘I swear they did the right thing!’ I thought to myself. ‘If she’d learned how to read and write, not one line of my poetry would have been left without her splitting it into hemistichs and inserting between them others of her own or building new stanzas based on what I’ve already written,101 so as to twist it to her purposes. May God direct what she already knows to useful ends, and spare me the evil that any increase therein attends!’”
Postscript102 on synonyms for “strong and vigorous” or “hard and tough,” and other words of similar meaning: ʿutʿut, kunbuth, kunduth, mikalth, milyath, maghith, ʿuḍāfij, ʿafḍaj, ʿullaj, hamarraj, ṣalawḍaḥ, ṣalanqaḥ, ṣamaḥmaḥ, ṣamaydaḥ, kirdiḥ, kaldiḥ, daḥūḥ, mujlandā, jalʿad, jalmad, ṣalkhad, ṣimqid, ḍahyad, ʿirbadd, ʿaṣlad, aqwad, dhifirr, dhimirr, dhaymurī, zibirr, zimirr, ṣamʿarī, ḍabīr, ḍibaṭr, ḍabaghṭarā, ʿayzār, ʿashanzar, qabaʿtharā, qunāṣir, kumātir, tiyazz, julabiz, julāfiz, khuzākhiz, turāmiz, dakhz, ḍubāriz,
ʿaḍamazz, ʿilkiz, ʿalankaz, fiyazz, qilizz, kilizz, mulazzaz, ḥumāris, dakhnas, durāhis, dalahmas, mutashammis, ʿatras, ʿakandas, ʿamarras, qalammas, qunāʿis, hakallas, hamallas, furāfiṣ, kiyaṣṣ, mutakhammiṭ, ḍabanṭā, ḍifaṭṭ, ʿamallaṭ, muʿallaṭ, ḍalī ʿ, ṣaniq, damakmak, ṣamakīk, ṣamallak, ʿabannak, ʿarik, janaʿdal, ḥuwwal, ʿarandal, ʿunthul, kamtal, kunbul, kanahdal, nabtal, buhṣum, dilaẓm, mirjam, ḍirghāmah, ʿardam, fayyim, qirshamm, hayzam, hayṣam.
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� �� ا � �ل�ف��ص�ل ا �ل���س�ا ب��� ع �ُ ْ ت �ة � ا �ل ي �ڡ ��حر �� ْ � �ا � ��ف �� �ف ا ا �ق ا � �ة � ف ���ف� ��ه � �ق�د �ص�ا ا ��ل�ا ن� �ز � ��ا ���ا ن� ا �� ك� �ق�د ك� �� �ون�ه �رد ا �ُمب��ِر�م�ا �ف ك ل��ل �ى ا ل�� ر�ي� � � ح� �ل� ك� ر ��ي ب و و�ج م ��ل � �ة � � ا ن � � ث ا �ذ �ة � ���ا ن ���ف ا ��ل��ل�� �ف�ل�ا �ف ا � ا � ا ن �ت �� ��ه �ع��ل� ا � ح�ا �ل� ا �ل�ز �و�ج�ي�� ا �و�ل�ى * �ل� � � ح�د �ي � �ه�م� �ه� ا ك� � ى ي �ل � رى �ل� � رك� ى � � ح�ا � ����ذ �ه� �ه� ا ��ل� �م�ع�ّ� ه ا � �م� ض� �ت ف � ن � � �ي�ن��ب���غ� ا �لت� � �ه�م�ا �ي��ه ا �ل�ى ا � �ي � ب�ص�� وي ب و ى ب ر ى �ك�د �ير �ع�لي� ��� ا �ل��عب��ي�ر و ى ع ّ � ّ ْ � ُ � � �ة � �ل� ا � ض ت �ن ا ا ��ل���ذ �ى �ع�� �ل�ه * �و�ل��ع� ا �ج�ل ���ا �مت��ا �ه ب� ب���ع�د � � ن��ا ب� ا � ك ل��ري�� ا ��ي � ح �ر� �ه��ذه ا �ل� �ب� �ز�ير ا �ى ل ي م � ن ق ف ح��ل�م ت� ��ل���لت���ك �ش�� �ا �ف�ا ���لغ���ه �م��س�ا �م� ا �� �لف��ا ��ا �ق * �ف�ا ��هن ا � �ف�ل ار ��ش� * ��ا ر��د �ه�نٓ�ي �ا * � او � � ري � ب ي �ي ع � � �ن � ��ا ا �ل�م�ع�ّ� �ي�ن ا ب�ص� � ا �لي ��و�م �م بك�� ر ب ر ح *
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Chapter 7
That Stinging Sensation You Feel When You Get Hot Sauce up Your Nose
Our previous comments on the Fāriyāq, made at a time when he was single, were an intrusion; how much more so would they be now, when he’s a husband? I think it better, therefore, to leave him now, in his married state (for this conversation of theirs took place at night, and there’s no call for us to spoil the rest of it for them), until they awake and he goes to his Oneiromancer’s Chamber, meaning the place appointed for him to interpret dreams. Your Eminence may likewise be ready, after suffering the stinging sensation induced by all that hot sauce, to go to bed. Rest a while, then, and if you dream tonight, tell your dream to the Fāriyāq, for he is now considered to be one of the world’s great dream interpreters.
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3.7.1
ا �� ��ل�ف��ص� ا ��ل��ث�ا �م�ن ل � � �ڡ ا �ل�ا � �ح�ل�ا � ي م �ص ف �ة �ت ��ث ة � �� ��س� � ا �م�ا �م�ه �م�ا �ئ��د�ة �ع��ل ا � �ف ا اق ا� ا ا ن �ه�ا �� ح��� �ه� �ه�و ا � �ل�� ر�ي� �� �ج�� �ل��س� �ع��ل�ى ك�ر ى و �ه� ك�� ب� ك���ي�ر� �لي����س ب��ي�� � ي� ا �ق � � ةف ���ا ��ل�ز ��ف ت ي�ن ي�ن حف� ا ��ل���ط ا �م�ن �� حب��ر ك� �ص � �ه�ا � � * ��ع� �م * � �وب�� ا �ص� ب���ع�ه ل��م ��ط�و�ي��ل � �وب�� �ي��د �ي�ه د � او � �ي� آ �ف ح�ل�ا � � �ه�ا �ئ����� ا �ل�م�ع�� ���ف �م ن��ا �م�ه * ا ��ل � حل��� ا ��ل�ا �و��ل را �ى ا ��ل�ه�ا ���ل � �وق��د ش���ر ��ى ��ت��ف ��س�ي�ر ا � ر ر ر ى ب ي س م م ج ع ا �ل� ش ا ا ��ل ه ا �ن ه ا ف ا ��ل � �ا ا �� ن ��ف � �د ف ا ��ف ا ��ل��� � ق �� ا �ع ن �ة ��ف �� �نّ � ا م���� ر ي�� � ��س� �ر �ى ب�ل د ل�ه��د �و�ج � �ر��س� �ى طر ��� �ط� �� �ى ا ل��س �و �ل� تي ح� �ف � � ��ا � �ز �ه�ا ���ع�� �خ� ���طً م ��سر�� �ع��لي� ا �ف �ل ا ت ه ا � �ف� �� ن ت � ن ه �ق��ف ت � � �ه� * � �م� را �� ل ر س د��� م�� �و �و� � �و �هى ح�م ج و ب �ض �ى ج ت آ � �ف � ا ��ت ��ن � �ذ � ن ق ف �ف �ف ق ش ض ن ت ا ا ا ا ا � او ا �ب��ه� �ج�ر� �ور� ه * �ل�م� ا د رك���ه �و��� � ا ��ي � ��� ����� �ل ا � �ل�ه��ذه ا � �ل ر��س ���� �� * ا �ى ا �ف �ل ا ّ ا � ا ن ا � ن ا ت � ا �ن � �ذ � ن ��س�ه�ا ��ت ���ط�ا ���ط�ا ت� ��ل�ه �ه�ا �ل� � �ظ �� ر �م�ا ا �ي��ك�و� �م�ن ا �مر�ه� * � �م� �م ري��د � �م��س�ك ب���� �صي�� � � � ا ت خ� �ف ��� � �� � ف ���ا �ل� ش �� �ة ا ��ل��ه اَ ا ك�� ح� ث ���ه�ا ���ا ن� ق��د ا �ع��ا �م�ن � � � ا ك ل ل � ع�د � * ��س � � ك � � � ل � � ك� م���ي ر ي نِ� ر ب و ي م رج رب � ي ث �ذ ت � ا �ل� ش ���ا ن� ��س � �ج�� ف���ن�ز ��ل �عن م����ى �و��س�ا ر �غ��ي�ر ب���عي��د * � او ا �ه�و �ب��د ك� �ه�ا � او �ش����ر�ى �ل�ه�ا ��سر�ج��ا �� و ى � ر م �ف غ ن ا ��ف � ض ق َ� � ف� ه ا ��ش�� ��ث ة ف ن � � رك� ب� �و��س� ر �ى م� ��ا ر ك���ي�ر� * ��� ش��� ب� ��ى را ��س�ه ب���ع��ض� ا ���ص�ا � ��ي ��� حِر�ج ي�� ج �ش � �ف� ا � ن ت ق �ف � � �ك�ن � ش ف ق ن م�ز � �ف ا �ل����ج��ر �و�من��ع�ه �م�ن ا �ل��س�ي�ر * ح� �و�ل ا � ��ي ����د �م ل��م ي�م�� �ل�ه � او ���� ��� ا � ��ي �ه� ا � �ل ر��س � ا ق �ف ق ف ت ف ف ّ ّ ��ق ئ �ذ �ت ف � ي��م�ا �ع ��ض� ��ل�ه �و�ه� �متج��ع � ب� �ج���د ا * � او � � ��ق� ا �ن�ه �م�د �ي��ده �و �ت�� �ل�ل� ��د ا �م ��و� ��� ��ي ��� ك و ر ��ر �غ ٌ � ن �ة ق ن ف �ذ ق � ��يل�� �ص�د � او � ح��د ح��ك را ��س�ه ��ا ا �ب�ه ��د �ن�ب�� ت� �ل�ه ��س�ت� �ر�و� * ا ��ث ن��ا � �م�ن ا �م�ا �م �ع��ل�ى �ك���ل � ��ا ن �ذ � � غ ص�ن ش ت �ا ا�� ّ �ف � � او ��ث ن��ا ن� �م�ن �خ���ل�ف� � او ��ث ن��ا ن� ��ى ا �ل�و��س ���ط * �وك�� � �ل��ك ا �ل���� �م��� ب��� ك� له�ا * �� �ب��ه� ك��� � ف�ت ّ �� ن �ق � � �ش � �ن �ق ن ا ش ا ��ف � �ق ن ث ا �� ا �لغ����ص�ن �م�ن ا �ل����ج��ر�ة � ك ��و��ص�ل ا ل�ى ا � � ��ط ل����ه ب����ى �� ���ب�� �ى ا � �ل ر�و� * ��م ��س� ر �و�ه�و ع 176
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Chapter 8
Dreams
Behold the Fāriyāq, seated on a chair, in front of him a table bearing a large
3.8.1
number of books, among them, for all the scraps of paper they contained, not a scrap of food,103 in his fingers a long pen, and in his hands a pot containing ink as black as tar. He has started interpreting dreams seen by the head of the Chamber104 in his sleep. The First Dream. The aforementioned hag-ridden person beheld himself traveling to India, where he met upon the road a mare, getting on in years and with no saddle upon her. When the mare saw him, she approached him and stopped, whinnying. He went some steps beyond her and lo, she ran after him. Catching up with him, she stopped again, causing him to say to himself, “There is some mystery behind this mare. I shall take hold of her forelock that I may see what her matter may be.” As soon as he laid his hand upon her, she lowered her head, as if to say, “Mount, and fear not the lack of a saddle!” so he mounted her, for he was fatigued with walking, and proceeded for a short distance. Suddenly, he found himself at a saddler’s shop, so he got down from the mare and bought her a saddle. Then he remounted and proceeded down a thickly forested ravine and a branch trapped his head and prevented him from going further. He tried to move forward but could not and he did not want, for pity, to force the mare forward with his spurs, so he stopped and thought about all that had befallen him, wondering greatly. At that moment, he happened to scratch his head, and lo, it had sprouted six horns, two in front (one on each temple), two in back, and two in the middle, and the branch in question was caught in them all. He managed to cut the branch off the tree, but it remained caught in the horns. He then proceeded
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3.8.2
ف � ح� �ا � � ا �ا � �ي� �ل ل م
ن ق � �ن �ظ � � �ق ن � �ت �ة �ف �� � �ن آ ��ي ت��عّ �ا ن �ع��ل� �ه��ذه ا ��ل � ح�ا ��ل��ة �ف ك� �� � �ك��ل م ر� ه ج � ب� �م��ه � �و�ي� ��و�ل ا � �� ر� او �ه��ذه ا � �ل ر�و� ا �ل��س � ��ى ى � �ذ ت حت �ذ خ ��ف ا �ز �ق � ظم ������ تش �ف �غ � ث را ��س �ه� ا ا �لر ج���ل * �و�ه�و ��ي�ر �م��ك��ر� �ب��ه�م * ��ى ا ا د ���ل �ى �م� � ل� ����ر� م � � � نا � �ق �� �ة � ن � خ ت �ص�د � ���ع�� ا �ل� خ�ص � �ور ا بر���ع� �م�ن ا � �ل�قر�و� * �ف�ا �ن ك ����سر ت� �و��س��ط� �ع��لي��ه ��ص� �� �ور �و�ج �� د ل � م ب �ض � �ن ّ ث � فق � �ك�ن � ن � ق ن ح��د �ه�م�ا ي��مي���ل ا ��ل�ى ا �لث��ا ��ى �و��م�ا ��س�ه �� �ص�ا را ���ا � ا � �و ب�����قى �ل�ه � �نر�ا � �م�ن ا �م�ا � ���� ��ط * �و�ل�� ك ي م م � ت�ا��ا ن � � ط��ا �ُ��سم� ��له�م�ا �ص ت � ظ � � ع ���� �� * �ف�ا ق����ل ت� ا ��ل ن��ا �� �م�ن ط��ا ن� * �وك� ��ي� �ص�� ك� �ص�� ك� ����ل�م�ا ا � ح� ك�� � �و�ي� �و� � ب س ي ع م ث � �ذ �� ��ت ن �ظ �� � ��تت��ف ف ح�ا � �م�ا ��ن�ع��ة ��ل�ه �م�ن ���ا �ق� �ب��ه� ر�ع�ا �ورا �ى ك�� ���ر�ة ا �ل�ز � ب�عي��د �� ا �ل��ه � � � �ع��لي��ه * ���ل�م�ا ض� م ر ي و ر�ج م �ت � �ف ُقُ � � � �و * �ف�ا ب�� ت� �ع��لي��ه ا � �ف�ل ر��س �ذ ��ل��ك �و�ص�ا ر ت� �ت���ث ب� � �و �� � ط ر ��د �م�ا * ا �ل��س�ي�ر �ع�ز �م �ع��ل�ى ا �لرج�� ع ��� ا �� ا � �ز ت �ث ا �ت ق ا ف ن �ظ � � ا��ا ل� ت � �من ا �ف ا �ذ ا � � ��ن ا �ق � م� ع � � � � � � � � ا � � � ل � ي�ه� ك� ج ب� ��ه� � ب�ل�و �ه� �د �وك��ل�م� رك���ل�ه� �بر�ج��ل�ه ا د ا د � و ب�� و ��د م� * ر � � �ا � �ف ف ق � �ف �ن �ف �غ � �ة � ت �� ت �ت غ ����ي�ر �ع�ن ا �ص��ل�ه * �����ا �ل ��ى � � ��س�ه �ل��ع�ل �ه��ذه ا � �ل ر��س ��ي�ر ا �ل��د ا �ب� ا �ل ��ى ركب����ه�ا ا �و �ل� * � � ن ض � ش �ف �ن نّ ا ف � ا ��� ���ده ���ف � ن �� �ك�ه�ا ر��ف��س�ت�ه �وك�� ��د �مت��ه ح��� �ف��ن�ز �ل �عن��ه�ا �لي� ك ���� �ع ��س��ه� * ��ل�م� ا را د ا � ��ي �ع ي ى �ا نّ ا �� �ف�ل �� ��ي�ن ا � �ت ه ��م ن � ا �� � �ة �ش �د ��د�ة �غ� ش��� �ع��ل ه �من ا �ق ا �� �ف � �ص �و�ع�ا � � � �د م � � � �ص ح � ك��د م� �� ي� � ك � � � ل �ى ي�� ��ه� * � ل � �ج ب س ر ر ر ت ض � �ق ن � ��قّ ت � ه �ف� � � ت ��ت ن��ف � ة �م ن ه � ت ف ق ق �خ ���فى ��من�خ�� ��ه �و����ل ��� ا � �ل ر�و� ا�لم��ك��س�ور� �� ح�ى ا ��ا �� ���لي��ل�ا * ح��س �م� او � ر � �ل� ج�ع�ل� � ري ع �أ �ف � ف ط��ق ���ئ�نّ � �� ��ا ��ل��د �ع��آ ا ��ل� ا لله ��ل�ا ن� ��ين�� ّ��ه ��مم�ا ا �ل�� ّ ��ه * �ف�ا �ش���ا ت� ا ��ل��ه ا �� �ف�ل �� � ا ��سه�ا ر ى ر ي ر س بر � �ج ي مب � �� �� ي يو ج ب ن � �� ���ن� � � �م�ن ا ��ل���ط ��ق ا ��ل�ت ا �ت��� ن��ا �من ا ف ق ا ��مت � �� ف� ا ا � ا رك� ب� ل ر ج� �ه� * ����� �م ج����ل�د ا �ورك� ب� * ��ل�م� �و��ص�ل ا �ل�ى ري�� �ى ي � ع �ذ � � � ض ��ل � ن ت ت ف ت � � � �ق ن � �ا ن � ة �ف � � ن ت ت � � ا � ا ا � � � � � ل ا ��� � ه ا � � �ل � � � � � م� � ل � � �� �� � �ل�ك ا �لم�و� ع ا حِر�ج ب �� ي�� لك رو� ك��س�ور و�ع� د � �مك� ك� � * ك� � ي �م��س ف���ل ا ا �م�� � �ل ه ا �ل� �آ �ن�ز �� ��ف �خ� ا ن ��ل��� ت ف � ت � �ي��ه �لي���لت��ه ���ل�ك * ي�ه�ا �و�ه�و ��س�ا ئ�ر * �م� س�ى ع�ي�� م��س� ل �ى � � ي ب ي� �ع��ل� آ ُ � ا �ن ت حض �� ��ل�ه � ��له�ا � ش ح�ا ا ع����� ��ا ن� ��ا ن� �ي��ع ن��َ �ب��د ا ب��ّت��ه �و� ح� ا ��خل ه ا � �� �ل �ص��ا � � � � � * م � � و و � ب ب ب ى ر � او �مر �ص� � ب ي �ق � � � �ق ��ا ن� �ق�د ف���ق��د ت� �ع ن��د ك ��س �� �ف ���س � �م�ا فقا � � ا ح� ا ��خل رج ر ى و �و�ج��د ا �ل��سر�ج �د ��سر� * ����� �ل �ل�ص� � ب ��ن ت ا �تّ � ن �� ا � � �ن ه �ق ا �� �� ا ن�� ت � �� �ف� ا �ت �ع ه �ف ا �ن � � ق ح��ي�ن ��د �م ت� ك�� ت� �ه� ب��د و� * � ل ب �ل � مب���ط�ل يم� ��د ي�� � �ك ��ي �� ��ى �ل�ى ا � ا ركب� � ف���ل ا �عل�� ا �ن ه � ا ��ن��ت�ف � � ش �خ � �م�ع � ��ا ��له�ا * ف���لّ ن � �ص�ا � � ت��م�ا �ه�م�ا ا ��ل �س��ا ��ا �ج��ل � � �� � � � � � � � * � م ك � � � � ل � � � ب��ي�� � ب و روري � ي ب و ي ب ع ى � م م ج آ � �غ � � �ف ض ق ا � � �ف �� �ن �ل� ن �ة ا � ا ا �ه�ا �و ب�����قى ��س�ا ئ� ار ا �ل�ى ا�لم��س�� ��و�ج���د ر���ى �م ا ي��م� �ب� �ل� �ي� ب� * �و�� �م ا �ل�ى ا � �ل ر��س �وركب� � 178
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Dreams
in this state and all who saw him wondered at him and said, “Look at the six horns on the head of that man!” but he paid them no attention. Eventually, he entered a dark and narrow place overlooked by rocks and
3.8.3
boulders and four of the horns smashed against one of the rocks and broke and fell off, leaving him with only the two in front. One of these, however, now leaned toward the other, touching it, so that they rubbed and knocked against each other, and every time they knocked against one another they made a mighty sound, and people came from afar to behold him and gaze at him. Finding himself helpless before them and seeing that the crowd was preventing him from proceeding, he resolved to turn back, but the mare refused to let him do so and started bucking and bounding forward, and the more he kicked her with his leg to make her turn, the more she bucked and moved ahead. Wondering, he looked at her and lo, her color was no longer what it once had been, so he said to himself, “Maybe this is not the animal that I first mounted,” and he got down to take a look at her teeth. When he tried to put his hand in her mouth, she reared up and knocked him over, giving him such a powerful wallop that he fainted. When the mare beheld him cast down and prostrate on the ground, she seemed to take pity on him and commenced to breathe into his nostrils and lick the place where the horns had broken off until he revived somewhat and started moaning and bellowing out prayers to God to rescue him from his plight. The mare indicated to him with her head that he should mount so that they might return by the road by which they had come and, gathering all his strength, he arose and mounted. When he reached the same thickly forested place, those same broken horns grew back and became as they had been, and he kept touching them with his hand as he proceeded. When evening came, he alighted at an inn so as to spend the night there and ordered the innkeeper to take care of his mount and to bring both her and him dinner. When he awoke the next morning, he found that the saddle had been stolen and said to the innkeeper, “You lost my mare’s saddle while it was in your keeping and I cannot easily ride her without it.” “On the contrary,” said the other, “your claim is false, for when you came, you were riding it bareback,” and a quarrel broke out between them and they seized the front of each other’s robes. When the man realized that he would receive no benefit from this, he decided to make the best of a bad job and go back
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3.8.4
ف � ح� �ا � � ا �ا � �ي� �ل ل م
آ ن � � � �خ��ا �ن�ا � �خ� ���ف ا ��ل���ط ���ق ف���ا ت� ف���ه * ف���ل�م�ا � ص � � ا ا �ص��ا � � او را د ا � �يرك�� ب� �ل� ي ج���د ل � � � ى ب ي ب ر ري� م بح ح �ذ �ذ � � ث� ا ت ا �� �ل � �ة � ث ا �� ث �ة ن � خ ا ��ل���ل�ا � * �ف� �ى ��ل�ه �م� �ص�ا ح� ا �ل � ��ا � �ه� ا �م�ا �ج�ر�ى �ل�ه �م� �ل��ك * � �ب� � ل�ي��ل� ا �ل�� ل�� ج م �ج ر ب م ع ع � ن � �ة ��ف ��م �آ�خ �ص��ا � �و�ج���د �ف ��س�ه �ب�ل�ا �ذ ن��� * �و �����ق ك� � � ا � � ع �د ����ل�م�ا �ب�ا ت� �لي���ل� ��ي ف���ق��د � * ل � و ر �ى ح�ل ر ب بى بح آ �غ ا ت ن � �ف �ق ��� ا �م�ن ا �ع ض� � � �ف � ت �غ ض نت ا ا ��� ا � �ل ر��س ح�ى ب���ل� �م�د �ي�����ه ��س� �عي�� �ع��ل�ى ا � �ل��د �م �و�� ب��� �ع��ه ا � �ل ر��س �ع� و ل�� �ة �ف ا � ا ا �� ��ق ن �ف�ز �� � ن ا ا �� �ة ��ز �� ا �� �ف� �� � �ق � ن ا ا � ا ��ث ن ا ن ا �ل� ت ق ن ا �� م����د �م�ا � * �ه� �ل� �� � �ه� بر�ع� ب � او ل ل ر س �و ب���ى م � �ب� � ك��لي�� * � م� ل ر�و� ا ل م �
�ت ع��ي�ر ه ��� ب
� ف ق �خ �ذ � � �ق �ن �ف �ل�م�ا ا ��ل��ق �ه��ذ ا ا ��ل حل��� ا � �ل ر��ى �ع��ل�ى ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� ا ��� �ي�� بع� ث� ب� ش����ا بر��ي��ه �ع��ل�ى �ع�ا د �ت�ه � �و�ي� رك �ى م ت ن ن � � �ت � ف �ن �ي�ز ��� ب� ب ج��ا � ب��ه �ج� ب�ي�� ن��ه ب��ي��ده �و �و�ى �م�ا �ب��ي�ن �عي���ي��ه * ا �ل�ى ا � ا �هت��د �ى ا �ل�ى ��عب��ي�ره � ك � � � �م�ا �ص�ور�ت�ه * �ه��ذ ا �م�ا �عب�ّ�ر ��ه ا ��ل�عب��د ا ��ل���ذ ��ل�� الم��س ّ ��ا �� �لف��ا ��ا �ق ��ل �� � ن��ا ا �لم ��ل ا�لم�� ب ي �ل ��مى ب ري � �ج ب� �و�ى كرم آ � � �ف �ذ � � �ذ � �ة ن �ف � ح��ل�م�ه ا �ل�� �ى � ه �� �م ن��ا �م�ه * ا � ا � �ل �� �ك�ن��ا �� �ع�ن ا �ل��س�ي �د ا �ه�و�ل ب��ن �غ��ا ��ف�و�ل �ع�ن � ر ى رس ي آ � � � � �� �ة �ا �ة � �ن ا ��� �ز �ة ا � ا �ة � ا �ل� ش م���� � ا ��ل�ا �ع��� �ك�ن� ��ا �ي� �ع�ن ا د ب� ا�ل�م ار �ة * � او �لج���ل�ا � � � � ا ل ع ل � � � � ��س * ع � ك�ن � و و و ي ي مر * و ى ب م رج ت آ � ��ز ا ت � ت � � ح� � � ش����مه�ا �ا �ة �ن � � ا ئ � � م��ا ن ا ��ل � ��ض �ه�ا * � ا �ل ك� �ع�ن �عر� � �ك�ن� �ي� �ع ا �ل�و �ل� ��م � او�لم� د ب� � او �ل �ي� را � ا �ل ��ى ��ي ج � و � رج ت � غ ص�ن � ا �ل�م��ت�ز � �� � ���د خ��� ف� ا ��ا ���ة �ع�ن ���ع�� ا �ل�م�د �ع� �ي�ن وج وي ل ي� و �ه� را ��س�ه �ورا ��س ا �م ار ��ه * � او �ل���� �ك�ن ي ب �ض � ا � �ة ��ز �ة � ت ا ��ل���ذ�ي�ن �� ن�� ش��� �� ن� ���ف ا ��ل�ز � ���ة * � ا �� �ل�ق � ن� �ك�ن� �ك� ن� �ع��ل�ه�ا ��ا �ي��ة �ع�ن ا ��ل و رو ي ب و ى و�ج ح� �ل� ا �ل �و�ج�ي�� ا �ل ��ى �ي��و ي� ض � � ا � �ة � ة ح�ل�ا ��له�ا �ك�ن� � �عه�ا ا ��ل� �م�ا نت �ه�ا � او ��م ��ا �ي��ة �ع�ن ��ت�غ�ي��ي�ر �ت��ل�ك ا ��ل ح� �ل� �ورج��و � ى � � ا �لر ج���ل � او�ل�م ار � * � �و�ب�� � � �ف ���ا ن�� ت� �ع��ل��ه * � �م���ت��ه ���ف ا ��خل ا ن ا ت � غ ا �ا �ة �ن �ف �ز ت ك� و بي ى ي �� �� � �ك�ن� �ي� �ع ��س� ره ب� �و�ج� ��ه * �و��ي�� ب� ا � �ل ر��س ا ��لف حل�� � ف � ��ا ���ة �ع�ن ف���ق��د�ه�ا * � ��ا ���ق ا ��ل � ح �ى � او لله ا �عل��� * �ف��ل�م�ا ا �خ����ذ ا ��لت��ع���ر � او �م��ع�ن � � � � � � م � ه � � � بي وب ى م � وم ب و �ك�ن ي م ن �ف � � ت آث ا � �غ �ظ � ق ا � � ن �ظ � ف �� ا ��ل� ا �� �لف��ا ��ا �ق �ع ا � ّا ��ل� �و�ع��ل�ى ��ط�ل�ع��ه � �� ر ا �ل�ي� �� �و�� �ل * ا � ��ى ا �ل� �� ر �ي��ه �م�لي�� ر ج�ع ى ري � ج ة � ّ � ا �� ن � ا ت � � � ة خ ف � �ت �ج�ز � ب��ل�ا �� �ع�ا د� ا�لم�عب��ر �ي�ن * ��عب��ي�رك �خ� ��ط�ا �م�ن �و ج�� �وه * ا �ل� �ول ا � عب�� ر��ك م�و ن �ا � ن ن � � ث ا ��ن ن ا �� �ف� �� � ت � �ة � ةف ن � ة � او �ل�� �ى ا � ل ر س �لي���� س� �ك�ن��ا �ي� �ع�ن ا�ل�م ار � ��ا � ا�ل�م ار � �ع ن��د ��ا �ل� �ت��ك�و� د �و� ا �لر ج���ل ا �ى
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Dreams
and he went to the mare and mounted her and kept moving until the evening, when he found another inn on his road so he stayed the night there. When morning came, and he wanted to mount, he could not find the bridle, and things took their course with him and this innkeeper as they had with the other. Then he spent a third night in another place and in the morning he found that his mare had lost its tail, and so it continued: every night he spent in an inn, he lost another of the mare’s limbs, so that he reached his city on foot, the mare having disappeared entirely. As for the horns, four vanished with the mare and the two in front remained. The Interpretation
3.8.5
When this horny dream was thrown at the Fāriyāq, he set about playing with his mustache, as was his custom, rubbing his forehead, and pinching the place between his eyes, until he was guided to an understanding of its meaning, at which he wrote in the margin the following: This is the interpretation offered by the humble slave named the Fāriyāq
3.8.6
to the honorable and most excellent gentleman Flummox son of Lummox of the dream that he saw in his sleep. The mare stands for a woman. The walking and the fatigue stand for bachelorhood. The saddle stands for the woman’s good manners and the bridle for her honor. The thickly forested place stands for the feasts, banquets, and visits that the married man is obliged against his will to become involved in and into which he has to stick his head and that of his wife. The branch stands for certain of the invitees who get their claws into the wife. The horns stand for the married state existing between the man and the woman and their sprouting and their disappearance stand for the changing of that state and its return to how it was before. His staying at the inns stands for his traveling with his wife and the vanishing of the mare stands for his losing her. The rest of the dream is self-explanatory105—though God knows best. After the master of the Chamber had taken the interpretation and examined it for a while, he returned to the Fāriyāq in haste, signs of anger on his face, and said, “Your interpretation is wrong on many points. Firstly, you express yourself briefly, in contrast to the custom of oneiromancers. Secondly, the mare cannot stand for a woman because among us the woman cannot be less than, which is to say under, the man; on the contrary,
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3.8.7
ف � ح� �ا � � ا �ا � �ي� �ل ل م
�ف ت ا �� �ا � ن ا � ا �ت �ك�و ن� ��ت�عب��ي�رك ب� ح��ه ب���ل ��هى ا �ع��ل� �م ن��ه * �يج��� ا ن� �ي�� ح �� �ص�ط�ل ح�� �ل� س� � ب ب ى � ث ا � ث ن ا ��ل��ل ا � � �ا � �ة � �ن � �� ا �ل� ا ة �ف ا ن ن � ا � � � �ص��ط�ل�ا � ك�� س� ا � ح� * � او �ل�� �ل� ا � ج�� �م �ل� �ي��ك�و� �ك�ن� ي� ع عر �ض �مر � � � بح�� ب م � ة � ا � ن �ف �ف �� ن �غ � ا ن ا ��ل���ل ا � ا ن� ا � ض �ف � �ف ج � م �م� �� � ��� ��ى ا � �ل� �و�عر��ض� ا�ل�م ار � �ل� �ي��ك�و� ��ى ��م�ه�ا * �و�ل��ك�ن �ي���ب���ى ا �ل� � يو ع م � ت �ذ � � � ث ا �ن �ذ ت ا �خ � �ف �ت �ف ا � ت ��ف ا ��ل�� � ا � ا ن ت �ل و �ل� ��س�ه�ا ب� * �ه�د �ى حر�ير ا � ���دع �ه� ا � �و� �� ��ى ��عب��ي�ر احل��م ا �ل�� ��ى * � �ج � �ف ت� �ز � ن �ت حر ا �لث�� ا و ب� * ��ع��س�ى ا � � �صي�� ب� �و
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Dreams
she is higher than he. Your interpretation has to be made in our terms, not those of your people. Thirdly, the bridle cannot stand for a woman’s honor because the bridle is placed in the mouth and a woman’s honor lies elsewhere. Now, though, you must set that aside and start on the interpretation of the second dream. Exert yourself, then, in writing and expatiation; haply you may hit the mark and gain heavenly compensation.”
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�� � ا � �ل�ف��ص�ل ا �ل��ت�ا ��س� ع � �� � ث ا ��ن � �ڡ ا �ل � ح � ا ل ل � � � � ي م ى ظ� ا� � ّ � � ق � �م�ق��ا �م�ه �ب��ي�ن ا ��ل�ه�ا ج��ل ���ي�ن � او �ع�ل�اه * ا �ن�ه را �ى �ص� ح ب� ا�لم�عب��ر ا ��ط�ا �ل ا لله �ب ����ا ه * �و�ع ��� م �ق ��ف ن ف ا �خ ��ذ �� �ق � � �ق � ا ��ت� �خ� ��� �ة ت ا ا را د �ي ��و�م�ا ا � �ي ك ب ط�� ��ي ���ل�و�ه� �ع��ل�ى ا � �ل ��و�م �ى �ي ��و�م �عي��د * �� �� ا ل�ل��م � او � �ل ر ��ط� ��س �� ب �ن � �ت ا � َْ ا ف ت � ت �ت �ذ � �وك� ل��ا �ب��ة �و� ح��دا * � او ا �ب�ا �م ار �ت�ه �ت��د �ع�وه �م �ج� �� ب� � حرف��ا � او � ح�ف��د �وِر�ب��ه� * ���رك ا � ك�� ح �ر �ه� �يلج��� آ ُ � ف �� را �ى ا ن� ق��د �ض� �ّ ا ��ل�ى �ذ ��ل��ك ا ��ل � حر�ف� � �خ�ر ب� �ور�ب��ه�ا �ور ج� حر�ف� � ا �ل �ه�ا * ���ل�م�ا ج�� حب��ر ي� م ع �تُ َ ح ��ت �خ� � �ذ �� � �ف � ��ذ ف ق ا � ��ف �ن �ف خ � ن ا �ن � � ل �غ��ي�ر � س� حب��ره * ����� �ل �ى � � ��س�ه رى �م د ���ل �ج�ر�ى �و ��ط �ه� ا ا حر� ا �ل� ى �� �� ب �ذ � � �ت � ف آ�خ � ن ث �خ �ذ � ق � حر��ا � �ر � او ا �ب�ا �م ار �ت�ه �ت��د �ع�وه �ل�ي� �رب� ��ط �م�ا ا رد ت� �م�ن ا�لم�ع��ى * �� ا ��� ا � �ل�ل��� �وك�� ب� م م � �ف ف ح ف ا �آ�خ� ق��د ا ض ��ف ت ا ا � ��ل�ه�ا ش��� ا ك ��ن�ع�� �ه� �و����ع�ل �م� ا �م �ر�ه �ب�ه �ور ج� له�ا * ف���ق��ا � ا �ل �� ��و�ج��د �ر�� ر � ��ي � ي� � ر م ع �ت �ت ق ّ �ذ � � � ث �ذ ت �ة �ة � � ا � � �خ ا ��ل� ا ��لث���لث�� ا �ل� �و�ل� � ل���ل�م� �ف�ز ا د ��ج�ع ح�تى ��م ت� �ب�ه ا � ك� � ب��ه �م�ن �ل��ك * �� ا ��� ا � �ل�ل��� �وك�� ب� ى ى م م ُ ُ � ّ ْ � �ذ � �ة �ة �ة �ة � ف � � ����ل�م� �ت�ا �م� � ا ا ��ا �م ا �ت�ه �ت��د �ع ه ا � ض ا �ل ش ك� ��بّ�� ا �و � او لله ا �عل��� ا�لم�ق� ِ�د �م� * ���ق��ا � طه�ا ا �ل�ك��ع ك �و �ي � ��� ي�م��� �� � و ب ر م م ���ل ت ت ا ئ� �ة ا ف ا �خ ��ذ � ش �� ا � ��ف ق �ي�ن ث� � �ف � �ة �ة � ��ي ���ف ت� ا �ل�ى ك�� �م��ه �م��ل� �م� �ب��ه� * �� �� �� ��و�ج���د ك����ل�م� �ت�ا �م� ا ض� طه� بر �� �و�ل�� � ر ج �و م���� � م ع � �ّ ا ف ت � ت � � ا �� �لق�ل�� � ك�� ����ل�مت���ي�ن �� �و�ج���د ك� ��ت� ك� ل��ا ب� �وق��ا � �و�لم�ا ر ج� ����ل�مت���ي�ن ف��د �عت��ه ا �م ار �ت�ه �يلج��مر�ه� * ���رك ا � ك� � �م و ب م ع �ا � �� ه ��س ��� �عت ه ا �ت ه ��ل � �ق �� ا �ُ ظّ �� ا �مت ا ث� � �ف �ت�ا �مت���ي�ن * �ف��ل�م�ا �ت ك� �� ��و�ج���د �� �م�ل ل� طر د �� �مر� ي�ع��د ل�ه� ع��� �ه� * �م ر ج � ع �ف � �صف ف � ض ث � �ذ � �ة � �ة � ح�� ��ا ��م� ��ل�ه �ص� ح�تى ا ا �ت ك� ���ا �� ر ج� �� ��و�ج��د ��س ��ط ار بج � �م��لت��ه * ح� د �عت��ه ا �م ار �ت�ه ا ��ي � ل م ع �ذ � � ن �� � ت ��ا � �ة � ن ا ��ن ت آ � �ق � � ا � ل�� ل�� ب� * � ار ��س �و�ج���د ك��را ��س�ا �و���س �ع��ل�ى �ل��ك ا �ل�ى ا � ��كم�ل ا ك�� �ه�� ا � ك ك�� �م�ل� * �وع��د �
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Chapter 9
The Second Dream
The master of the Oneiromancer’s Chamber—may God prolong his days, exalt his standing among the hag-ridden and give it a raise—beheld in a dream one day that he had conceived the desire to write a sermon and read it out to the congregation on a feast day, so he took pen and paper and wrote a single letter and lo, he heard his wife calling to him from her room to help her put on her stockings, so he left his writing and hastened to her. After he had helped her to put on her stockings and returned, he saw that a second letter had been added to the first in an ink that was not his. “Who, I wonder,” he said to himself, “entered my room and penned this letter, which fits what I wanted to say?” Then he took up the pen and wrote another letter and lo, he heard his wife calling to him to fasten the strap of her sandal, so he went to her and did what she asked of him and returned and found another letter had been added to the first three, thus completing the word. At this, his wonder grew. Then he took up his pen and wrote a whole word and lo, he heard his wife calling him once more to comb her kuʿkubbah,106 which seems to mean (though only God knows for sure) the front part of her hair, so he went to her and combed it gently and smoothly and then went back and found that a whole word had been added to his word, complementing it. Then he took up his pen and wrote two words and lo, he heard his wife calling him to put up the hair at the back of her neck, so he left his notebook and went, and when he returned he found two whole words. Once a line had completed itself, his wife called to him to tie on her bustle. When he returned, he found another whole line. He continued until, when he had finished a page, his wife called to him once more, and when he came back he found a second whole page, and when he had filled a quire, he found another quire, and so it continued until the whole notebook was full.
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3.9.1
�ف ��ل � � ث ا ن �� ا � ح�ل� ا �ل�� �ى ي م
تّ �ف � ت � ل��ا ا ��ل� �خ ���ا ن�� ت� ا �م ا �ت�ه �ق�د �ف �غ� ت� �م�ن ��ف�خ ا �ز ن ت �وك� �ه�ا * �ح��م�ل ا � ك�� ب� ي�ه�ا � او �ب��ر�ه�ا ب��م�ا �ج�ر�ى ���ل�ه� �و �ي��� � ر ر � ه ف� �ف� � �ذ � ف �ذ ���ة �خ ح�ا ��ل�ا �ي�� �ص�ف� * �و�ق�ا ��ل ت� ��ل�ه ا ن��م�ا � ح ت� �ب�� �ل��ك �ر� ح��ص�ل �ه� ا �ب�ب�رك��� ���د �مت���ك و �ل� � ر ��ل� � �م��س�ا �ع�د�ت��ك ا ��ا �ى �ع�� ا ��ل��ا ���س * ف��ن�����غ ��ا �ع�ز�ي�ز �ى ا ن� �ت�� ا ظ ����� �ع��ل�ه�ا * ف���ل�م�ا ى و ل�ى ب ى و ب ي� ي ب �ى ي ي ت � �ن ا ���ا �ة ��خل �ة ق � ف ف � ن �ف � ف �ه�م�ا �ع��ي�ن �م�ا �و�ق�� ك ���ا � ��ى ا �لغ���د ����ع�ل �م�ا ���ع��ل�ه ا �م��س م ك�� ���د �م� �و �و��� �ل�ه �ي� ل�� �ب� � او ع ع ّ � � ن ت ا ��ات � � �� �من ا � ه ف �ل ا ن ا �ّو �ل�ا * �ف�زا د ��سر�ور �ك��ل ��ه�م� ب� * �� �م� � ح�ا � ا �ل�عي��د �ص�ع�د ا �ل�ى ا�لم�ب��ر � �و�ل� ا � ك�� ل�� ب� ن حت �ذ �ف�غ � ا �� �ف ا ش ��ا � �ع��ا ر�ت�ه �ود �ق��ة �م�ع�ا ��ن ��ه * � ه�� ا ��ل��س�ا �م�ع��ي�ن ب����ل�ا غ��ت��ه � او ��� �س ا ا � ب ي ج ب ى ر ا �ل� �ول � د� � م �خ �ذ � ق � ن � �ئ ن � ق �غ � � ا ��� ا �ل ن��ا ��س ��ي ��ط �ر��و� �ع��لي��ه � �و�ي� ��و�ل�و� �ل�ه �م�ا ��طر�� �م��س�ا �م�ع ن��ا ك���ل�ا �م ا ب���ل� �م�ن ك���ل�ا �م��ك ف ُ � ت �ت ث ��ا �مت�ه��ّل�ل�ا �ق� ���ط * ف���ق��ا ��ل ��ل�ه� �ه��ذ ا بي���م�ن ا ��ل ش��� ار ك �ل��� ��ي ف� �ه�م� او * �� ر ج� � �� ا �ل�ى ب��ي����ه بم��� جه � م م م ع ف� ق ا � ت � ن ��ن � � � ا �ز�ي�ز ن ت� ت ��ف �ل� � � �ة خ � او �خ�ب��ر �ز �و�ج� ت��ه ب��م�ا �ج�ر�ى * ���� �ل� �ل�ه ا � �ص � �ه�د �ى ا �د �م� ح�ى �ل�ك �ي� �ع �ى ا � �ج � �ت �ذ �ا ا �ن ق � � � �خ� ن ت� �ص�د ��ه�ا ���ع�� ا ��ل���ل��د ا ن� ا ��ل��ع��د�ة ��ف�ت�ت��ل� �ه�ا �ا ل��ا �ب��ة �ف�ا ا �ت ك� � او � ك�� �� ��م�ل �ل�ك �م��س�و� ك��� �ب� � ��� ب � ب �ض ب و ب ي �ك�ن � � ��ف �ذ � � � ن �ت ت � �خ� �� �ة � ا �ف �ا نا � ان � ا � ط�� ا �ل� ��ى �ي ��و� �عي��د � او �ل� �عي��ا د �ه�� ك * �ل� ��ه �ل� ي�م�� �ل�ك �ى �ه� ا ا �لب��ل�د ا � � ��ل�و � ب م ن ا �غ ث � � ن � �ن ا ��لخ ن ن �ت ا ��ل �ة �غ ّة �ه�� ��ي�ر ك� ����ي�ر�ة * �و�ي���كو� م ���س ار � ا � ��تب ����قى �ه��ذه ا � ك ���لي���ل� ��ي�ر �مت���ل�و� * ل��� ب� ج فقا � � ا � ا ت ث �ن ا ت �ز � �ف � � ا �ش م��� ق����ة � �م�عه�م�ا ����� �ل �ل�ه� ا �ل ار �ى �م� را ��ي� * ��م ا � �ه�م� �ج� �ه ا �ل��ل��س� ر ا �ل�ى ب���ع��ض� ا �لب��ل� د ا �ل ري و � � ��ت� �ق�د ض��ّ�من� ت� �ص�ن �ا د ��ق �م�ن خ� ش���� ا ��ل��س�ا �� ��ن �ف�����س��ة � ا ��ن ف���ق��ا �ع��ل�ه�ا �م���لغ���ا �ت��ل�ك ا � ك ي� ب و ج ي ب ل�� ب ي�� ّ �ج�ز ا ف � ا غ ا � ّ � �دا �ئ ق ا ��ل ن ا ض ة ���ت ��ا ��له�م�ا ط�ت�ه�م�ا ح�ي���ة �م ���ط��ل��ة �ع��ل ا ��ل � � ا ا ا د ��ر� * � ك ح� ��� �� � � � ر ر ر � �ي�ل� * ��ل�م� ب���ل��� ��ي � ب ي ى حض �� � ا ��ا ��ق� � �خ� ���ط���ة ا �ل�م� ��ل� �ذ ا �ه� ��ل ب��ن � او ر���س� �م ن��ا د ��ا � ن��ا د � ��ف ا ��ا ��س ا �ق ا ا � ب وى و ل ي �ي ى �ى �ل �و � نِ� � رو ي وم � �ذ �ذ � � � �ن �ف � � �ة �ة ق � � � � � � ع� �م�ن ا�لم�ع�ا ��ى ا �لب��د �ي��ع� �م�ا �ل� ��ي ��طر�� �م��س�ا �م� ك�� �غ��ا ��ف�و�ل ��ى �ي ��و� ك�� ا �و��س�ا �ع� ك�� ا * �لي�����سم� ك�� ع� م م ّم م ف � � ���ل�� �ص�ع�د ��س��ل�م�ا �ق� ���ط * �� �س��قر� او ���فى الجم ح ش����د ت� ا �لي��ه ا ��ل ن��ا ��س ا ��ف� او �ج��ا ا ��ف� او �ج��ا * �و �ل�م�ا ا � ت � س �ف ت �ذ � � ت � � �ذ � ف �ق ��ا ن �ق �ن ���ا ن� ا ج�ع ل��ا ب� ا �ل�ا �و��ل ا ��ل���ذ �ى ك� � ب� �ب�ه ��و�م�ه � او ا �ص� �ل�ه �ي��ه * �و�� � �ل��ك ا � ك�� ك�� � �د � � ب ّ �� ح ف � ت ��ت �ف� ا �� ا ن ا ا ��ه ��مم حّو �ل�� ي� ش����ت�م� ا ��ل�ا �ع��ل ا ل � � � � � �� � �� � � �ده ص � ��ض �ه� ب ب�ع��ض� � حر�و�� ا �ل ��ى ك��ب��ه� ب ي� * ح� ول � �ي ��ل ب ع� � ب ل ى م خ � ف � نً ��ذ ن ت ن �لي�����ست�خ� �ر�� �من��ه�ا �م�ع��ى �ّم�ا �ل��� ي��م�� ��ل�ا �و � �ك�ن ��ل�ه * �ف��ن�ز ��ل �ع�ن ا�لم ن�ب��ر ج�� �ه�ك� ا ا ����ب��ه �م�ن � ��و�م�ه * ج م 186
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The Second Dream
His wife having now completed the donning of her finery and her toilet,
3.9.2
he carried the notebook to her and told her what had happened to him. She was overjoyed beyond description and told him, “All that was thanks to the service you did me and your help to me in getting dressed. You must continue, my dear, and be regular about so doing.” The next day, he did as he had done the day before in terms of both writing and serving and it happened to him exactly as it had the first day, and both grew happier still. When it was the day of the feast, he climbed up to the pulpit and read out the first notebook, so astonishing his audience with his eloquence, the felicity of his wording, and the niceness of his choice of tropes that, when he was finished, the people set to congratulating him and saying to him, “Never have our ears been struck by words as eloquent as yours.” “That,” he told them, “is by the grace of the sandal strap,” but they didn’t understand. Then he returned to his house, happily uttering hallelujahs, and told his wife what had happened. “My advice to you, my dear,” she said, “is to devote your efforts to serving and to writing, so that when you have fifty notebooks, we can make our way with them to some distant lands and read them there, for in this country you can only read a sermon on a feast day and the feasts here are few, and it would be a shame for these magnificent notebooks to go unread.” “I was thinking the same thing myself,” he said. Then they prepared themselves to travel to certain Eastern lands, taking with them the notebooks, which filled precious teakwood chests on which they had spent a huge sum. When they reached those shores, they rented a spacious house overlooking verdant gardens and he sent a crier to cry through the markets, “Attend, good folk, the sermon of Master Flummox son of Lummox on such and such a day at such and such a time, that he may expose your ears to such elegant tropes as you have never heard before!” People then crowded in to hear him, drove after drove. When they had settled down in the gathering place, he ascended a staircase that had been set up for him there and opened up the first notebook that his own congregation had found so admirable and lo, it was erased, and contained nothing but the letters he had written with his own hand. He tried to link them up to extract from them some sort of meaning but could not do so, so he came down from the pulpit in embarrassment, and it was in that state that he woke from his sleep.
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3.9.3
�ف ��ل � � ث ا ن �� ا � ح�ل� ا �ل�� �ى ي م
�� ا �ل��ت�ع��ب�ي�ر
� � � �ذ � �ذ �ق��ي�ر ا � �لف��ا ر��ا �ق� �ل��ل�م�و��ل�ى ا �ه�و��ل ب��ن �غ��ا �ف��و��ل * ا ن� �م�ا �ت��و�ه�مت��ه �ه� ا �م�ا �ي��عب��ره ا �ل�عب��د ا � ف�ل � ي � ف � � �ا فا � � � �م�ن �ض� � ا ��ل ل���ل�م�ا ت� � او �ل��س ���ط�ور � او �ل�ص� حر�و�ف� � او �� ك� � � ح�ا ت� � او � ك ل�� ار ري���س � او �ل� ��س��� ر ا �ل�ى م �ذ � � ه ��ق � � � �ص�� ��ف �غ � �ا � ا �ت ا �� ه � � �� �� ظ � ا �ة � ك�� بر��ط ا ل�ع ���� �م� ��ل�ا �م��ك ا �ل�� �ى ا جع ب� �ب� �و�م�ك �ل� �ي ل � �ى ��ي ر �ب�ل د ك �ل� �ر ب�� �ط� ب م ح � ق � �ف ق � ا ��ل ش��� ا ك * � ا لله ا �عل��� * ف���ل�م�ا ���ل�غ� ت� �ه��ذه ا ��ل�ع��ا �ة ��ل��ل� ش م����ا ر ا �لي��ه ا �ب���ل ا �ل�ى ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� و بر ب و ر م ش �ن ت� � �ف �ذ ت م ا �ن ف ق ا ئ ا �خ � ���ط ا ��ل�ا ر�� �بر�ج���ل�ه �و�����خ � �ب� � ���ه �� ��ل� * �ه� ا ا �ل��عب��ي�ر ا ���س�د �م ا �ل��عب��ي�ر �و�ه�و ي� ب �ض ي �ذ ق � �ا � � ة �خ � �صر �م�ن �ت��ل�ك �ف�ل�ا �ي ك� ح��د � ف� �ه� �م�ا ��ت� ��و�ل * � او ا ��ا د ا � ا �ل� �و�ل * �و�ه��ذه ا �ل�عب��ا ر� ا � � �ي � م ��ت�ع � ا � ا � �ا � �غ ا � ض ا �م� ا � � ا � ف ح� �ا � �ف� �ا � � � ا ���ست خ ����دا � �م�عب��ر �ي�ن �و�ت ك� ���ا �ل� � ل ل م�و ج ب� �ل� ��� ب �ه�م� ك ب��ي ر �ل� ح�ل م �� م� ���لي��� م م آ ت � ا ة �ف ا ن ا ت� � ف� ق ا � � � ف ا ا �ق ��ذ � �ه� * ���� �ل �ل�ه ا � �ل�� ر�� � � ا �ل ن��ا ��س �ق �ر �ة �م�ا �ل�ا ��ي ف� �ه�ك� ا �ج�ر� ا �ل�ع� د� ��ى �ب�ل� د �� ا �ل��ى ��هى � ي م �خ ّ ّ �ف ا ن ن �ا ح� �ا � � �م ن��� ت� ا ��لت � �ل�� �ت ��ا �ص ��ة ا ��ل�ا �م�ن �ك��ت��س� �ه��ذه ا � ل � � � � � � � ع � ك * �س� � � � � � � ر و ر ي ب �ي ب �م�ع�د � ا �ل� � ل م و ب م م ت � ن � ق� ح�ن �ل�م�ا �عر�ف ت�� ا ن� � ر �و��س�ن �ا * �و��ل�و �ل�ا � � ك� ح��ل�م� او �م�د�ة � ����ل�ه�ا �و �ل�ا � ح��ا �ت ك�� ح��ل�م�ا � او � � ح��دا * ��ا �ل ي م م ف� ّ � غ حل��� �ك�ن �م�ن �ث�� ر�ت�ه * ث�� �ق�ا ��ل �ق�د ب�����ق �ع��ل���ك ا ��ل�ا ن� � � �ف���لت��ه ��ا ن� ا �لر ج���ل ا �ن�ت��ب��ه �م�ن � � � ك� � � �س� و و ي ى م م � ا � ف �� ح��د ���ه�ا ك���ه * و
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The Second Dream
The Interpretation
3.9.4
This is the interpretation offered by the God-needy slave the Fāriyāq to Master Flummox son of Lummox: “The letters, words, lines, pages, quires, and volumes that you imagined had been added to your words and that your congregation admired will not work in countries other than your own because of their tie to the tying of the bustle and the sandal strap—though God knows best.” When these words reached the person in question, he burst in upon the Fāriyāq, stamping the ground with his foot and sticking his nose in the air, and said, “This interpretation is more incorrect than the first and the expression is even more succinct. One can barely understand what you are saying, and if the interpretation of dreams is to be as mysterious and murky as the dreams themselves, there is no call to employ oneiromancers and put people to the trouble of reading the incomprehensible.” The Fāriyāq responded, “This is how it is done in our country, which is the fountainhead of dreams and the font of dream interpretation, for your heads derived this feature from our heads and ours only, and were it not for us, you wouldn’t have been capable of dreaming a single dream all your life long.” At this, the man appeared to come to his senses and he calmed down. Then he said, “You have one dream left now and here it is.”
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3.9.5
ا �� ��ل�ف��ص ا ��ل�ع�ا �ش � � �ل ر � �ڡ ا ��ل �حل��� ا ��لث��ا ��ل ث � � ي م ا � ح� ا �ل�م�عب��ر ا ���ط�ا ��ل ا لله �م�د�ة ��ني��ا ب��ت��ه �ع�ن ا ��ل�ه�ا ج��ل ���ي�ن * �و� ح�ل�ا �م�ه �م� ح�ق��ق� ا � را ى �ص� � ب ع ّ � � �ذ اَ ن ق�د ��ن ا �� �لف��ا ج��ل �ص� ��ل�ه ا ت� �ي��و� ��سل��� �ع�ا ��ل ي� ش����ت�م�ل �ع��ل� �مئ���ة د ر�ج���ة �لي��ص�ع�د ا �لي��ه � ���ي�ن * � � ب ى م م ّ ح�ي�ت�ه � �ش���ا ����ه � ��ل���� ��ث��ا ��ه ا ��ل��س��ل�م���ة ا ���س� �م�ن �� �خ ���ط� ا �� �لق �� � �م�ن ا �ع�ل�اه * �ف��ل�م�ا � � ق ��ل ح�ل�� � و بر ي و ب س ي ب ي ر ل يو ب وم ّ �ذ ق � ق �ق � ���� ���ا �ن�� او ك� ��� �م�ع�ي��ن * �وك� له� ق��د �ع��ل�م� او �ب�� ��ل��ك �م�ن �ب���ل �و� ب � �وه ا �لي��ه * �ج��م� ا � �ل ��و�م ا �ل�ى �م�و ض� �س� � � م ع ع � �ف ش ف ّ � ا ن � ث ا �ة ن ت�ظ �� ث ق ق ق ت �ت �ن ت ت ا ا ا �ن � � � �ه� ب���ل � ��و�ج� �ه�ه * �� �لم� ا ��ه �لب�� ��س� �ع� �ي����� را �م ار ��ه ح�ى � � ��و�م �م ا � �ل ار ��� ��ي�رع�م�ه� �و��ي�ع� � � � م � � ش � ظ� � �ة � ا ة ف �ت�ا �ّ� ���ط ك��ت� ��ا ��ه � او �ق��� ي� �ى ا ��ل�ى �ذ ��ل��ك الم ح����د ا �ل� �غ� ع ���ي�� �و�ل� �ي��لت���ف ت� ي��م ن�� �و �ل� ي���سر� * ���ل�م�ا ب���ل �ج ب ب ب ل ر م م � �� �ّ ن ا � ن ا �م� �ت ي�ن � � ��ا � � � �ن �� �ف� � ف� ق ا � ��ف � ا �لم�و ض� ��� �ورا ى ا ل��سل�� �م��ص� �وب� � او �ل�� ��س ج �م�ع�� � حو�ل�ه ك�� د ��ي ��ط�ي ر م ا ل رح * ���� �ل �ى م ع � �آ � � � � �ة �ف ّ ف ن � ق �ت غ � �ز ا ا ا ا � ث � � س � ��ن ��ف ��س�ه �ه��ذه �ر�ص� �م� �م له� * ��س� د ا �ل �� � �ه� �ل� ا � �ل �� � ا �ل� �� �� � ه � ا �ل �م� � �ل���ي�رى ب�م��� � ر ي وم و وم ى بي و � �م ح �ذ ���ف � �ق � �مث �ق��ل ا �خ� �ا �ق � ا ت �غ ���ا �خ��ل�ا ���قى * �و�� �لو �ل�� ا �ع��م� �م�ن ا ��ل�ص�ا ��ل � � ��ي�ر �ه� ا �ل���ك�ى * ح� ك ب���ل�و ب� ���ل �ب�ى �و �ل � م ل �ت ا � � �ع ن�د ا ه ث� ت�� ا � ��ف ا � ا �ف ف���ق��د ُك�� � ��ا * � ث���م� �م�ن ا ��ل�ا ��س�ت�� ش � � د � ����ا ر * � * لل � � ك م � � � ل ى ى ى ب ب �ج ر ر ول م ت�ف شّ ّ � �ّ ّ � � ا �ل� ا ق ���ا د ��ي ��ص�ل ا �لي��ه ا �ل� �و��د �م�د ر�ج���ل�ه �م �� ���� � او � ت � �س��ق ب���ل ا �ل��سل��� �و�ه�و �م�د �ه�و��ش� * �و�م�ا ك� ح� ا �ى م �خ � � �ة ن ن �� �ي�ن * ث�� ا ��ف �ت�ت� ��ل ط���ة �ب ��ق ��و��ل�ه * ا ���حل ح��د �م�ن ا ��ل � ا �و�ل د ر�ج�� �م ن��ه د �و� ا � ي���سل��� �ع��ل� ا � �م��د ح�ا ض� � ا � �� ب ر م ى �ف م ح � ّ � �� �ق ا �ذ � ا ت ا � � �ذ � �ت � ش ض ا ا �� ��� ه �ل�ه �عر���� * س�م� ا � �ص� ا �ل��سل��� � او �ر � ا لله ا �ل�� �ى ا �مر ب��ن�� ح�د ا �ل ي�� �م �ه� ا ا �ل� ��س��ه�ل� �ل ب م عّ ف ت شآ ق� � ��ا ن � ه ا �� ف ظ�ن �خ� ���ط��� ن��ا ا ��ل �� � ا ��ل�ا �م�عت�� �ه�ا * ���ل��س� ا ����� �� �ره * �و��ا �ل �لم�ن ك�� � �ي�لي�� �م� ا �� ��ا �ن ك ي و و ي ب م
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Chapter 10
The Third Dream
The master of the Oneiromancer’s Chamber—may God prolong his tenure
3.10.1
as spokesman for all hag-ridden dreamers and realize his dreams along with those of other high achievers—saw one day in a dream that a tall staircase consisting of a hundred steps had been set up for him so that he could climb it and preach to the congregation from the top. After he’d shaved his beard and mustache and donned his stair-climbing clothes, he dispatched someone to gather the faithful in an appointed place and all had been informed as to this in advance and gone there before him, while he tarried a while waiting for his wife to get out of bed so that he might wipe her nose107 and embrace her before setting off. Having done so, he took his notebook under his arm and took off at a run in the direction of that mighty assembly, looking neither right nor left. When he reached the place and saw that the staircase was set up and
3.10.2
the people gathered around it, he was beside himself with joy and said to himself, “This is an opportunity such as Fate has granted to no other. Today I shall send these folk back to their homes with hearts like mine and morals like mine. Should I never perform another good deed, it will be enough and my future reward will have been entered in God’s records.” Then his thoughts took him to extremes and he grew drunk with happy dreams and he approached the staircase in a state of distraction and almost before he had reached it took a flying stride onto its first step, omitting to first extend greetings to any of those present. He opened his sermon with the words, “Praise be to God, who commanded the erection of this staircase and found it pleasing to serve as His throne . . . ,” on hearing which invocation one of those standing said to the
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3.10.3
� � � ��ف� ا ��ل ح��ل� ا �لث��ا �ل ث� ي م
ّ � �� � �ة � �ة � �خ ���ثر �م�ن �ه��ذ ا ث�� �و ��ل�ى * �ف��ص�ع�د ا ��ل ا ن� ا ���سم� �م ن��ه ا ك�� ط� ب� ا �ل��د ر�ج�� ا �لث��ا ��ني�� �و�ق�ا �ل * �و�ج��م� � ي م آع � ع �ذ ل� ��ف �ف � ��� �ف ا ��ش �ذ ��ن ه � ا ��س�ت ا �ف �� �ا � ه � �خ ش ا ا م �� � � � س ا � �ل � ا � � � ح � م � ا �ل ن��ا ��س �ه� ا ا ��ل ب�� رك وك�ل�ه� � ر � ي�� ل�ل م� ر��� * �م ع ك�ل م� ر م ف �ن �عا � � ن � ّ � � ا ش ا ا ا �م�ن ا �� �ل ��ق� �ف� ف���ق��ا ��ل �ه��ذه ا �� ف�ل ��ق ة ش ّ �ن � � ر� ���ر �م ا �ل� �و�ل�ى * �� ��ى �ل� ا �ب� �ل�ى ب���ك�و� ا �ل��سل��م �عر���� ا �و وو ّ � � � � ��ن� ش ا ا ن� ا ا �غ ض � ا �ذ ��ن ن ف ش ا ث �� �خ ا �ز � �ل ط� ب� ��ي�ق ��و�ل �ع ن��د �ص�ع�ود ع���� �و �م� �� �� ب� �ل� �ى ا � ا �ر����ه� ��م �و ل�ى * �و�م� ا �ل ا ��ي �� ن ف ّ ن ��ش��خ �ة ف �ق ة ����ة ث � �� � �ه� �غ��� �م ن�ت����ه �ل�م�ا �ش��م��ل�ه �م�ن �ك��ل د ر�ج�� ��� ر� رك�ي���ك�� �م���ل �ه��ذه � ��يو�����ض� �ع��ه � ص و و ي ر ب ا �� �ف�ل � ا ��ل���ذ � ا �ذ �ه��ل�ه �م�ن ��ؤ � ت�ه � ت �غ� د ���ة ا �ل�مئ���ة � �ق�د ا ��ن ف���ّ � � � ا �ل ن��ا ��س ك����ل�ه� �ع ن��ه * رح ى و ح�ى ب���ل ر�ج �ض م ر �ي � �م � ف ش � ف � ا ت �ق � � ح��دا * ف���ق��ا �� ��ف ��ن ��ف ��س�ه �ق�د ا �� ��فل ت �خ� �� ت ��ل�م� ا � � ي�ه�ا ا �لت���ف ت� ي��م�ي�ن �ا �و���م�ا �ل�ا �ل��� َ�ير ا � �س� ر�ع�ل� ل �ى � ب ط��ى ّ م �ف � � �� �ة � ت � ا �ق �خ ا ق ت � �ق ت ��ل ط�� �م��عى * ��م�ا ��ل�ى �ل�ا ا �ت��ل�و�ه�ا �ج� �هرا �و�ج �م�ع� �ل�ه� ا � �ل ��و�م * �و�ه� ��هم ��د � ��و� �ل او � �وب��ي�� ا � ب �ف �ذ � ��� ا ��ل ش��� � �ف� ا �ل�م��ت �ف�� �ع�ن ن��ا ��س�ا ت� ا ��ل�ا �� � �ق��ذ �ه�ا * �ف�ا ن� �ل�� ي����سم�ع� �ه�ا ��ى �ه� ا ا �لم�و ض� ر �ض و ر ر ج و ر م �ي ع ع �ته �ف ا ن ه ق ا � ���ل ا �� ا � ا ن ا ن � �ن ا � ا �� �ز ا ��ت��ق � ه �� ئ � � � � ل ل � � م � � � ك � ا ع � � � � � ك ��هم ي����سم�ع�ه�ا ا لله و �� * � � �ي�� ل �م� ب ع�د �ل� ��س� � �ل� ر �ض د بر� �ى ث � ّ �ذ ���ع�ا � �ص��ل ��ل���خ ض ا ��ل���سم��آ * � ��ل�� ت ح��دا �م�ن ا �ل�م�ا �ي�ن �ل ���ط ب� ا ك�� ���ر �م�ن �ه� ا * �و�ل��ع�ل ا � س� ا ر�ى �م�و� �ي � ر و ح �ذ �ف �ن ف � �لت�ق �� � ���ل �ة �م ا ا ��ق �� ف��ت�� ا � �خ� �ا �� ��ن ��ف ه � ��ن ف� �� � � و�ه �و�ج��ي�را �ن�ه �و�م�ع�ا ر��ه * ي� ���ط ك� �م� �م� �ول ك�و� ��سب��ب�� �ى �ل ص ��س� و ��و س ي � � ن ف ا � ت �� ن � ة �ف ا ن �� ف� ظ �� �ة � ا � �د�ة �م�ن ��ف � ا � ق ح��ا � * �و�م�ن ا �ل�يع� ب� ا � ا �ع�ود � � ل���� و ح� ح��د ��د �ي��ك�و� �� �م و ي�ه� ا �لم�و� � او ل ي � � ��� �ة � ��ق ت �غ � �مت �ل �ة ث� ا �ن ه �م�� ق � �ز ت �ق � � ا ن ��خل � �ص� �وت�ه � �عر��ه � او �ص��ل ط�� ب�ي�� ��ي ر �� �و * � � �س ا �ل�ى �و ج��ى � او ��و�ل �ل�ه� ا � ا ب م ح ح �ت �خ � � ن ن � �ث ا ���ع� ا ��ل ط���ة �ع��ل� ا � ك� ح��دا � �� ل��ا ب� �و�ج� ث��ا ��ي �ص��ل� ق���لي��ل�ا � �وي��د �ع�وا لله �ل�ا � �ي��ل�ه� ا � � ب � �وي�� �ب�ه ب���ع�د ا � ج� ل ى ى م ا خ� �ت � ق� ش � ن ث ق �م�ن ا �ل ن��ا ��س ا � ي���م ّر �ب�ه �و�ي���سم�ع�ه * �� ��ا �م �ن�ا ��� ��ط�ا �م��سر�ورا �و��ا �ل * ا ���سم�ع� او �ي� ا � �و��ى م �ش آ � ا �آ �ن ت � �ق �ذ � �ص� او ا �لي��و� �لم�ا ا �ن�ا �ق�ا �ئ��ل�ه �� ك�� � * � او ��ت ف� ��ق� �و��ئت�� ا ن� �مر �ب�ه ر ج���ل �م�ن ا �ل����عر� ل� ح�� � او � � � ا �ل� � ب م م ا �� غ� ا �ي�ن ف �ل ا ��س � ه � �ق �� �ذ � � �ل� َ � ن ا �دا �ق�ف �ق ا �� � �ن ا �� � �ذ ا ال�م ن ح� �و�� �و � ل م �ط�ل� ل�� �و * �� �م� �مع� �ي��ول �ل�ك �و� �يرع��ده � � ن��و� ع �ه� �ج م �ذ � � � ���ّ ا ��لج�نّ ��ف ا �� �آ ا ن � � خ خ � �وت�ه ا �ل���ذ�ي�ن ي��ا �� ا �ل�ى را ��س �ه� ا ا �ل��سل��� * � او �ي�ن ا �� ط�ه�م ا �م �ع��س�ا ه �ي ك�ل� � �ى ل�ه�و � � ب م م � ث � ا ��ت � �ن �ف � � � �ز ا ��ل���خ�س �ة �ذ � ���فى �ه��ذ ا �ل�ج�ع � ب��ا * �� �ص�ا � �ب�ه ا نِ� ا �ن�ز �ل �ي�ا ر ج���ل �و �ل� �عر �ض� � � ��س�ك �ل�ل�ه ء �و � �ر� ا م ح ي
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٤،١٠،٣
٥،١٠،٣
The Third Dream
person behind him in disavowal, “It seems to me that our preacher today is out of his mind, and I have no desire to hear more from him” and he turned and left. The preacher now climbed the second step and said, “ . . . and has brought the people to this blessed assembly, each spreading his ears like a cloth to catch his words . . . ,” causing another of the bystanders who heard his words to say, “This clause is worse than the first: it doesn’t matter to me if the staircase is a throne or a bier, but it makes me angry to think of my ears being spread out like a cloth!” and he turned and went. The preacher, however, went on pronouncing another lame sentence of the same sort with each new step he climbed and with each another bystander withdrew, which he failed to notice, being too taken up with the joy that distracted him, and by the time he reached the hundredth step everyone had abandoned him. Once he had settled himself upon it, he turned his head to right and left
3.10.4
and saw no one, so he said to himself, “I composed my sermon and brought the people here for it. Now I see that they have turned their backs but the sermon is still with me. Let me then read it out aloud in this noble place that is elevated above the defilements and filth of the earth. Even if they do not hear it, God and His angels will, for it is said, ‘The further a person is from Earth, the closer he is to Heaven,’ and I see no place more proper for sermons than this. Perhaps some passerby will catch some word of what I say and it will bring about the salvation of his soul and those of his family and his neighbors. A single word from a single mouth may make the difference between death and life, and it would be shameful if I were to return to my wife and tell her that the sermon remained unread.” Then he mopped his brow, cleared his throat, and adjusted his clothes, having first placed the sermon on the Scriptures and knelt and briefly prayed, calling on God to inspire someone to pass that way and hear him. Then he arose, full of vigor and happiness, and said, “Listen, beloved brethren, and hearken well to what I tell you!” Now it happened that a certain misguided poet was passing by at the time and when he heard him say that and saw that he had no one to listen to him, he stopped and said, “Who can have put this madman at the top of this staircase and where are his brethren whom he is addressing? Or could it be that he is speaking with the jinn in the air? Verily, there is something wondrous here!” Then he shouted to him, “Come down, man, and do not expose yourself to scorn and derision, for not one of God’s slaves is listening to you!”
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3.10.5
� � � ��ف� ا ��ل ح��ل� ا �لث��ا �ل ث� ي م
� � �خ ���ا ن �ش���ا �خ � ���ط�� ��ل�ا �ن ح��د * ف�ل��� �� ن���ت��ه ��ل�ه ا ��ل � � � ه ا ل �لي����س ي����سم�ع��ك �م�ن �عب��ا د ا لله ا � � � � �ص ك � � � ب مي ب ر يب ص ن � آ � �ة��ا ن ت �خ ��ذ � ن � �ة ن َ� ً ف ف حو ا �ل���سم�� ء * ��ا �عت��ق��د ا �لر ج���ل �ب�ا � �ب�ه �لم�م�ا * ��ا را د ا � �ي��ن�ز �ل�ه �ب�ا �ي� �و��س�ي �ل� ك�� ��� � او �� �� ف � � �ف ق � �� ا � �وت�ا د ا ��ل��سل��� � او ��� ن ط��ا �ب�ه * �ل��� ي� ش����عر ا �ل�ا � او �ل��سل��� �ق�د ��ت�ق��و��ض� �و��س�ق� ���ط �و��س�ق� ���ط �م�ع�ه ��ى �� ��ط م م م ع ت ف ت ش �� ن ا ت� �� � �� � � �خ � ش ا ا ا ��ل � � ح ه ه � م � � � �� � � ا ا ا � �ك � � � ا � � ك ل � �ل �ه�م� و ط� * ط� ب� و �� ب� �ع��ل�ى ر ��س� ى �ع��ل�ى ر س ���� عر * �ه�� � ي م م
�� ا �ل��ت�ع��ب�ي�ر
�ل �� ا ن ��ا ��ن�����غ ��ل���خ �ك� ن� �ث �رث�ا ا * � ا ن� د ا � � ا �ل�م� ��ل� ا ��ل���ط ّا د �ع��ل ا ��ل��ث �ثر�ة �ف�ل�ا ��ا �م�ن �م�ن � � � ط� � � ر ر و و ى �ي و و � ي �ل ي ب �ى ي ب ر ى م � � �ة ا ن� ي���س�ق� ��ط ��س�ق� ��ط� �ت��د �ق� �ب��ه�ا �عن��ق��ه � ا و لله ا �عل��� * م �ذ � �ن ث ل� �ا � �� � ا �ز ة � � ق � ا �ت ق � �ذ � � � ن ���ر�ة ا �� ك� ه��ه �ع ك�� �ف ك� ��ا ن� �ه� ا ا �لت��عب��ي�ر ا �ن ك�� ��ل �ول�و�ج � � �ى �ل�ه � او ���هر �مم� � ���د �م �و �ل�ك �ل�� ي م ��ا ن �� ا � �آ � �ق� �ة ف � ق � ا ة ف� ا � ح��ل�م ت� ا ن� ر�ج��ل�ا �م�ن ا ��ص �ه�ا �م�ا �ص�ور�ت�ه * � ح�اب ��ى ��د ا �ل�عب�� ر� * ��ل�م� ك�� � ب�ع�د ا �ي� م �ج�� ء ه بر�ع� ي� � ّ ق ن � ا � ا ن ت �ف � ا نّ ف ا ت خ ��ذ ت ن ش �آ تّ � � �ف ا �� ت� ا ���ن د �� �ك ك�� ت� ا �ه�د �ى ا �ل�ى ��ب��ي� ��ط� �مم� �ي���ب�� ��ى ��س��ه�ل ا �ل� رد � * �� �� � �م��ه �ع���� �وب�� ري ى ن �ة ا ��ف � ا �ن ت ا ن ا ت ا �ف �ت � ا ��س� ا ر �م�د ��ي ن���ة ���فى ا ج��ل �� ب� ا � �لف��ا ر��ا �ق� ب ج��ا ��ن ب��ه �ّو�تش���ب��ه �م�د ��ي �� ا ر� � �ه� * ك �� �ه� �و�م�� �ع � ح� �ى ح�ص� � � و ي ي ا �ذ ا � ا ��ت�ع ش��َّ ا �� ��قُ َ�ّ ْ �� ُ� ا ٌ �� ��ض� ن�ِ�ي �ط ج � م� ��ى ل � ب �ر م َ �ع ُ � ف ف����ع ��ث��ْ�ق� ��من��� � ه� ا � ه � خ � ا � � � �ج �ج ر � ي �م ب�ى � ي
٧،١٠،٣
��َّ �ن � �ت ُ ا ق ر�م�ى ا ج��ل �و�م �بر�ج ا��س �ه ب ج��ل� �ه�� ��� ق س� ك� �في�ر� ���ا ��� ب � ��ج� ا ��ي ض� ��ه�ا ك���ا �لب��ن �ا د �� ع
� َ� آ � � � ّ � �ذ �ن ف � � �� ��ط�ا �ل� ا �م ار �ت�ه �ب�� ��ل��ك ف���ق��ا �ل ت� �ل��ع�ل ا �لر ج���ل ق��د اِ� �لف� ا �ل�ا ن� �ه� �و ء ا �لب��ل�ا د �ف�ا ��ى ا را ه ا ب��ت��د ا ع ق �ذ ت ن ت � � �� �ّ ة � ا ق ا ��ف ��ا ن ت ��ت ظ �� ت � � ت ا � � ا � ل ا � � � � � ه ه � ه ل � � ا � � � � � ع � ح � د �� � � � � �د � ح� � ك ل �� ه � ر س� ب��� �ى رك� � و ل م� * به�� �� ك ��ي �صي�� ب� * و �ى ك� � � ��ف � � ت � ا �ة ث �ذ � ن �ف �ف ق �ة �ت ف ���س�ا �ج� ّ�ر�ه ا �ن�ا ا �ل�ا � ب��ن �� ���سى �ى حل�� را ��ي ��ه ا �لب�� ر� ح� * �� ا �خ��� ت� ر���ع� �وك���ب�� ت� �� ي�ه�ا * را ت� ب م م ة آ �ز �ة � � ق � ا ّ �ذ �ث ق �ذ � �غ �ف � ن قف ا �ل��س�ي �د� �ور�ه�� �و�ج�� ا �ل��س�ي �د ا �ه�و�ل ب��ن ��ا ��و�ل ا � ب��ي��د�ه�ا �����ل�ا �م�ص� ��و �ل� �ج�م�� �ل او ا � ���و ب� ت ��ث� �ة � �� �د �ز � � ا �م��ف ت ا � �ذ � ��ث��ق � ا � �د � ق�د �ص�د � ئ �ف ��ت� ا �� �لف��ا ��ا �ق� � ت � ح��ه � ك ر ك���ي ر * بو ي� و�ج �ه� ��ح و ب� و ح� و� � � * ب ي
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The Third Dream
The preacher, however, paid him no attention because he was gazing toward Heaven. The man therefore decided that he must be touched in the head and wanted to get him down by any means possible and set about cutting the pegs and ropes securing the staircase and before he knew it, the staircase had disintegrated and fallen down and the preacher and his notebook had fallen down with it onto the head of the man, which is to say onto the head of the poet, and both were smashed and broken into little pieces.
The Interpretation
3.10.6
“A preacher shouldn’t be a chatterbox and if our long-winded master persists in his chatter, he will not escape a fall that will break his neck—though God knows best.” This interpretation was more hurtful and vexing to the man than those that preceded it because of its abstention from prolixity and its brevity of expression. A few days later, the master brought him a piece of paper bearing the fol-
3.10.7
lowing: I dreamed that one of my friends gave me a cauliflower of the sort that grows on Jordan’s plain. I had it for dinner, went to sleep, and dreamed that I smashed the walls of a city in the air that resembled the city of Jericho in the sturdiness and impregnability of its fortifications. The Fāriyāq wrote next to it If a glutton eats cauliflow’r for dinner, From the siege-tower of his anus he’ll pelt the air with balls of clay, Only for those to be recast as bullets Once the holes in his nose have become clogged with the spray. The man showed this to his wife, who said, “The man seems now to have become acclimatized to this country: I note that he has begun to hit the target and that that vehemence in deed and word that he previously displayed has left him. I, now, shall myself try him out concerning a dream I saw last night.” Then she took a piece of paper and wrote on it, “Madame Ditzia, wife of Flummox son of Lummox, dreamed that she held a polished, glossy lock with many keyholes in her hand while in her husband’s was a rusty key with a single hole.” Beneath this the Fāriyāq wrote
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3.10.8
� � � ��ف� ا ��ل ح��ل� ا �لث��ا �ل ث� ي م
ا ن ��ف � � ا ��ل ا ��ل�ع ش ق � � ّ � ة � ا ��ل����س���ف�ا � � � �م ح ��� � � � و ى ي ا �ل��مرء � او �ل��مرا � �� ي �س�� � �ى ا �ل ل ب � ح � �ك�نّ �ذ ا � �م�� ت �ح�ه ��ق�د � ه� � �وت��ل�ك ��م�ا �م� ن� ل��ه�ا الا ��ن ��ف ��ت�ا � ��ل�� ف��ا � و �ي � ى ح
ف���ل�م�ا ا ّ ���ط��ل�َع ت� �ع�� ا �ل�م�عن�� ق��ا ��ل ت� ��ل�ز � � ه�ا �ه��ذ ا �م�ا �خ� ���ط ����ا ��ل� ق���� ��ت�ع��� ه * ���فم�ا ر ب ب ى ب ل بير و�ج � ل�ى ى ف �ذ ق �ان � � � � � �ذ � �خ � �ة ��� �ل�ه �ه��ذه ا �لر�ق��ع� ا �ل�ا �خ�ر�ى * ��ف�ت�ن�ا �و�ل�ه�ا ا � �لف��ا ر�ي�ا �ق� � او ا ا � �بر�ه ا �ل� � ا �ل�ى ا �ل� �ص او ب� آ ت � ة ���ت�� ت� �ع�� � ���ي�ن �ز � � ه�ا �ع�دد ا ��ث ن���ي�ن * ف���ل�م�ا ف� ا � ن ق � و�ج � ي� ل�ى �ج ب �ه� * را � ا �ل��س�ي �د� �ور�ه� ا � ��د ك ب � اّ ف � �ف ف � ح�ا �و��ل ا ن� ي��م حو�ه�م�ا * �ب��ا د ر�ت�ه � او � ك �صر ��ن ��ف ��س�ه ��ى ا�ل�م ار �ة � م��س�� ت� �ي��ده �ل��� ��ي�ق��د ر ا �ل� ا �ب�� �� م ت �� �ق � ا �خ �غ ظ � ا ظ � � فق � � ��ت� � ت ح��ه حو � او � هورا ب��ي�� ن��ا * �ف ك �ع��ل�ى �م� �� ح�د ���� ��ط * �و�ل��ك�ن ب����ى ا �ل� �ر ��ي�ر ���� �هر �� � �� ب ��ز � ن ��ف ��ك� � �فر��ض� �ع��ل� ا �ل �و� ا � �ي� ح��لي���لت��ه ى ى ج ف ا ن ��ت َّ ��َ �� ف� �ظ �� ا �� �ف�َ ْ�� ا �� �ف �� � ب��د ل ل�� ل ر �ض �ب� لر ����ض
�نَ ْ ٌ �� � ُ ض ��ف � �ى �ك�ل � �ل��ي�ل � �و ����ف�ل ب���ع�ده ي�ر���ى �َ ��ت�َّ�د ��ل ت �ه �م�ع ن� ا ��ل� ْ عِر��ض� �ب�ا �ل�عر��ض� ب � �ى �ى
� ث ن ا � ت �ز ف ا ���ست�� ن ت � تي�ن ���ت�� ت� ف��ه�ا ا �ق �ة �خ � � ي� �� ح��س��� ا �لب�ي����� �ج��دا ��م �� �و�ل� �و�ج� �ه� ر��ع� ا �رى ك ب آ ة � � �غ �ف � �ذ � ة �ا را ت� ا �ل��س�ي �د� �ور�ه�� ��س�ي �د� ا �ل��س�ي �د ا �ه�و�ل ب��ن ��ا ��و�ل ا ��ن �ه�ا �تر�ى ا �ل� ��س�ود � ت � � ��ت� � ت ح��ه ب���يع�ن��ه�ا ا �يل��من��ى ا ب��ي���ض� * � او �ل�ا ب��ي���ض� ب���يع�ن��ه�ا ا �لي����سر�ى ا ��س�ود * �ف ك �� ب *
ض� �ّ ��آ ا ��ل�ز ع نّ��ا � �لا ���س���م�ا ا �ذ ا � ا ت� ا �ل���م��َ � � � ا � � ص ص � ع ع ر� � ى � ي ر ِ و ب ب وج � ��ف � ن � �� �ل �ن ���ق� ا ��ت ظ �� �ف �� ا � �� �س��ا ح�� ن �� � �ف���ك �ك��ل ا � ح��س ب� ح� �و��ن� ت�ظ �� �ق� �ر ���ي�ه �ك��ل ل� ب �ر � ي ح � � �ف�ا ��س�ت �ظ ��� ف�ت ح�ل�ا � ا ��ل ن����س�ا ئ��ي���ة ا �� �لق��ص�ي�ر�ة * �ف�ا � �ه�م�ا �و�ق�ا ��ل ت� �ل�ز �و�ج� �ه�ا ا را ه ي� ح��س�ن ��ت�عب��ي�ر ا �ل�ا � حل��� � ر م م � �� ��ف ق �ة ن ا ن ا � ا ا � ن�ن �ظ �� ���ست ق �ز�ي�ز ��ل�ى ا �ل�ا ن� �ي�ا �ع �ى � ح��ل�م�ا ���ص�ي�را � او ك�ب�ت��ه �ى ر���ع� � او �� ا �� �و�ل�ه ا �ي� �ه� �ل� � ر��ه�ل ي ��مر�ع��ل� �ه��ذه ى ُ �ف � ش � � ث � � �ة � ا �ف �ل ا � ن � آ ق �ة ف ي�ه�ا * ر ��ؤ �ى ��ى ا�لم ن��ا � ����ى �م ��ط�ا �و�ل * �� ���ا � ا �لغ���د �ج��� �ت�ه �بر���ع� �� ا �ل��ط �ر�ق�� �م�ع��ك ا �و �ل� * � �م� ك م �ي م ظ � � ي�ن � آ ّ ف�ت � ف ا ا ق ت � ث ث � ا ���� ا � �ل�� �� �� � ت �ير �� �م ��ط�ا � �ل� �� �م��س�ت�د ا �ه�� � ح��ه �هر �ل�ع�� ا �ل �ر �ى �م��س�ت�د ا �� � �ير �و ل�م �ج� ار * ك ب ري م و م
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The Third Dream
Husband and wife tend alike To passion and depravity But while the key of the first is all worn out The latter’s still good as a cavity. When she’d inspected the contents, she told her husband, “The same had
3.10.9
occurred to me before he came up with this interpretation. How close he now is to accuracy! Take him this additional sheet of paper.” So the man handed it over to the Fāriyāq, who found written on it, “Madame Ditzia dreamed that she wrote on her husband’s brow a figure 2 and when he saw himself in the mirror he tried to wipe off the two strokes108 but she was too fast for him and grabbed his hand and he managed to wipe off only one, though the other was no longer clearly readable.” Below this the Fāriyāq wrote It’s a husband’s religious duty to pleasure his wife once each night While a supererogatory act on top is often considered polite. Should he swap, though, rafḍ for farḍ, You can be sure she’ll swap ʿirḍ for ʿarḍ.109 She admired the lines greatly and handed her husband a further sheet on 3.10.10 which she had written, “Madame Ditzia, wife of Flummox son of Lummox, dreamed that with her right eye she saw black as white and with her left eye white as black.” Beneath this the Fāriyāq wrote How hard it is to please a wife, Especially once she’s laid eyes on an eloquent preacher! Thenceforth she’ll think your every beauty a blemish And his every blemish a comely feature. The wife found these lines witty and told her husband, “I find that he inter- 3.10.11 prets the short dreams of women very well. Dream me now a short dream, my dear, and write it on a sheet of paper and I’ll give it to him to see whether he proceeds in the same fashion with you.” The next day, then, she brought the Fāriyāq a sheet of paper with the words “The dreamer saw in his sleep something elongated, which then seemed to the dreamer to turn into something rounded, and then again into something elongated, and then again into something rounded, and so on.” Beneath this the Fāriyāq wrote
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� � � ��ف� ا ��ل ح��ل� ا �لث��ا �ل ث� ي م
� ن ي���ة ا ��ل�� ن د���ي�ا ح��س� �ه� ئ ��� ت� ا � �ق�د ك� � � ب ���ا ��ل�ا �� ت � ح�تى ا ��ست��ب��ا �ن�� او ا ��ن �ه�ا ك� س� �ت��د
ت ن ��ن �����ظ ا �� �ف�ل �ذ �ف � ق � ا ��ى ا � �ل��د ر ي� ش��� ب����ه�ا � ي�ر ر�ج �� شَ َ ن � �ًا ف�����ق��ل ت� ��ت���ق�ا ا ل � � �����ه�ا � ب ر وير ب
ث ا �ُ � �� ن �ت ك� ط�ق ��ل���ف��ى ��ز �و�ج��ى ���ل��ث� �و�ل�م ا �� � �� �ف ف ّ ن ّ ���ق���لب��ى �و� طر ��ىلا ي���م�ل�ا � ب����ت��ةً
� �ج�ز �ن �ذ � ا نّ ��س�و�ى � ة ا �ل�ع �صر�ع� �و � �م ا ك �ل� �م��ى َ ��م ْ � ا �� ك�� �ك�نّ �ذ �� � ��ا ����غ ن � � ه ل � � ل� � � � � ه ل � ل ك � ب � �ي �ى
ض � � � �ز ف ي�ه�م�ا ���� ح�� � ت� �وق��ا ��ل ت� ا را ه �ل�ا ��ي ت��ا دّ ب� ا �ل�ا �م��ع * � او �ن�ه ك ���ل�م�ا ا ��ط��ل� �و�ج� ت��ه �ع��ل� ى ع ن آ �� ا � ا � ا �� ن �آئ�� ّ �ة �ش�� ا ف ا ن � ا �ّ ا �ك�ن ��ل�ا ��ا �� ���ف ا ن� ت� ��ه ب� ���س�� حل��� � ء ل� � �� ل � � � * � � ه � � �� س م � �و �ل �ز�ير و �ل� �مور ي ب س ى آ �ج بر م ف � ا��ا ن � غ � ق �ة ف ق � ���ع�د �ذ �� � �ن � � ا ا �����ذ � ��ن�����غ ا ن ��ن � ن �ه�ا * ��د بو ل�ك رى م� ل ى ي ب �ى � �ص��ع�ه �م�ع�ه * ��ل�م� ك�� � ا �ل���د �ج�� ه �بر���ع� �ي� غ غ �ف �خ � ن � ث �ة ث ت �ص�د ���ى �ع�دد ���لث�� �� � �� او ر ت� * ��م�دد ت� �ي��د �ى ا �ل�ى � را ��ي ت� ا � �ي��د ا � ��ط ت� �ع��ل�ى � �ص�د ���ى م � ا ّ ��ف ت �� ح ت �م�ن ا ��ل� � �نّ �ي�ن �ف ا ا ��ل ا ��ق � ا � �دا �ذ ا � � �ف ��ت� ا �� �لف��ا ��ا �ق� � ت م � � ح��ه � ك � ع�دد ح� � � � � * �ل� �س ع � ص ح��ك��ه � � ر ب �ى و ب ري �و�ج
��ل�� ش�� ّ � � ي م �خ ا �ر
ض � ق ق� ف � � � ف��ا �خ����ذ ا ج��ل �وا ب� � او �ب���ل ��ي �هر�و�ل ا �ل�ى ا �م ار �ت�ه * ���ل�م�ا ا ��ط��ل�ع ت� �ع��لي��ه ���� ك ح�� ت� �و��ا �ل ت� �� �ّ � � ت ي�ن ��ق فن �ة � ن ن ا �ن�ه �ل�ا �ي�ز د ا د �م�ع��ك ا �ل�ا �ج� ن�� �ون�ا �و��س�ف��ا �ه� * �ي���ب���غ�ى ا �ل�ا � ا � �ت��د �ع�ه ح�ى � ح�� �و� م ن ت �� � ت �ف ا اق ن �ص �ع��ة * ف���ق��ا �م�ا ا ��ل ا �ه�م�ا ا �ي�ا �م�ا * �ه� � او ��س��راح� ا � �ل�� ر�ي� �� �م � ي� ا ��� ا ل�ى ا �ل� ر
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The Third Dream
I once thought the world like the vulva For both are shifting in shape. I said, when they claimed it’s more like the anus In its circularity,110 “Each doth the other ape.” When he showed these lines to his wife, she laughed and said, “I see that he 3.10.12 only minds his manners with me and that he has a fine nose for the understanding of women’s affairs; he must be a true lady’s man. However, why not try him with a further dream and then we can decide what to do with him?” So the following morning, the master brought him a further sheet, on which was written, “I dreamed that a hand drew a figure 3 on my temple and then vanished. I put my hand to my temple to rub it off and it erased the two teeth, so that what was left formed a crooked figure 1.”111 Beneath this the Fāriyāq wrote My wife tasks me with three but I can’t take More than one tumble—a weakness in “it,” not in me. My heart and eye, like her vagina, ne’er tire, But that thing will just never agree. The man took the response and hurried off with it to his wife. After perusing it, she laughed and said, “With you, he just gets crazier and more impudent. You should leave him alone for a while now and get down to some tumbles.” So they set to, and the Fāriyāq took a few days off.
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� ا �� ف ح�ا د � �ع ش ل � � �� ل �ص � �� ا � � ى � ل ر � ��ص�ل�ا � ا ��بل�� � ��خ �ڡ ا � ي ر ح � ة ا ن ا �� �ف ا � ا �ق ق � ا ��ل ا ��لت��ع � ا � ا � ا ن �خ ��ا ن ق�د ����غ� � ا � � � ا ك��� � ا ��ل ك�� � � ب ل م��س� م ح� �ه� ب��ي ر �ل� ح�ل� �م � او ��ه � ب��ي�ر �ج�ز�ير� � ل�� ري� � ��د م ي� ع م � � �ذ ف �ك���ة ا � ض �ب��ه��ذ ا ا �� �ل��ف�نّ �ج���دا * � او ن� �ب�ه �م��ل�� ���ا �ع��ل� ا �ص�ل�ا � ا ب�ل�خ��ر * �ب��ع ث� ا �لي��ه ا ت� �ي ��و� � �ي ى م ح � �أ حّ � � � �ة �ة �� ن ّ ف �ت ف ���ع�� � ا �ن ��ا �ب�ه ��ي�ق ��و��ل ��ل�ه ا ن� ا ��ل ح�ا ك��� �ي��د �ع�وك ا �لي��ه ا �لي ��و� �لم��س� �ل� �م�ه�م� ��ل� �ب��د �م ا � � ���د ب �ض ج م م � � � � �ة ف ن ن ق � �ق ح�ا ن�� ت� ا �ل��س�ا �ع� �ت��و�ج��ه ا � �لف��ا ر��ا �� ا �لي��ه �و�ه�و �م�و ج��� �م�ن ا ��ك� ا �ل � �ع��لي��ه * ���ل�م�ا � ح�ا ك��� ��د س ي � �ي و� م � ا ن �� � �آ � ا � ن � � � �ت ح��ل�م�ا � ك� � حل��� � ح�ل�ا � ح��ل�م�و� ا �ل�ا ا �ل�ا � ح��ميّ��ا �ج���لي��ل�ا �ي��ع��سر �ع��لي��ه ��عب��ي�ره * �ل� � ا ل�ع ��ظ���م� ء �ل� ي م م � ظ � ع ��� �ة �ف � �ق ّ � ن�ز ن �غ �ذ � �ه ا �ل� ��ف ا �ل� ي�م� * م ت��ا � � او �ل� �ه� �م�� �ه�و� �ع�ن �ج��ل�ا �ه�ق� ا � �ل ن�ب��ي� ��ط �و �و � �صر �و��ي�ر �ل��ك ى � ح م ع �ن � ا � �� �ة � ا ئ ق �ة ا � �ل� � ف خ � ا ك��� � ق�ا �� ���ه ق��د ���لغ���ن � ا ا ث � ل � � � � حوا �ل ا ��سي����س� ا �ل�ل� � ���� �� �ل�ص�ع� �لي��ك * �ل�م� �م��� ب جم � �م ا �ل� �� ل ب ��ل��س اح� م � ل ل ب �ى ا ف ث ق � ر�ة �ع ن��د ا ���خل ق��د �و�م��ك ا ��ل�ى �ه��ذه ا ��ل ���ا ��ي�ق���ك ب��� �ك��ر�ة ا � ����ا ه ح�ل�ا �م�ه �و�م� ��ك �ر�ج��ى * � او �ن�ه ��د ض� �ج�ز�ي ن ت ّ ض حل��� �مث���ل�ه * �ف��ه ��ل��ك ا ��ل�ا ن� ���ف ��ت�ع�ا ���ط �م�ص��ل� ح��ة ��ل��د � ن��ا ا ح�ت �عل��� �ز � �ج� ت � �ذ ��ل��ك � ه � ا ا � � � �� � � � و ى �ي �ي �ل ى �ى م م �تث ق ق ا � ن ن ن ا ��ف � � ق ت خ� ف � ا ا ا ا � � � �� � �ف� �ع ن���ك ا � ح�ل� �م�ه � �و �����ل ك�ي����س�ك * �� �ل �م� �هى �ي� ��س�ي �د ى * �� �ل ا � �ع��د �� �ى � � ح��د ا ن � ف��ه �من�ه �ش�� �ا ا �ذ ا ��ت ف� �� �ه� ا ��ل ش ة �خ �ه��ذه ا ��ل � ر�ة ��ق�و�م�ا ب�خ� ار �ل�ا ��ي �� ����د� ب�ر�ه� * ط�ق� ا � � �ي � �م � م� � ي و و �ي �ج�ز�ي م ن نا � �ف ف � � م�ا ف ا ة ق ق � ا ا ت ن ا � � � � � ��ه�ل �ل�ك �ى ا �ص�ل� � حه� �و�ل�ك �ع��د �� ا �ل ك�� �� � �و��د ��س�م�ع� ا ��ك �� د ر �ع��ل�ى �ع�ل� �ج� �ه � � � م م � َّ � �� � نّ � � � ق ا �� ا ��ن ا � ث ا � ا ن � � ا ه�ن ا ��ل � � ح��س�ن ��ة * ق��ا �ل ا �ل�ا �مر ا �لي���ك �ي�ا ��س�ي �د �ي �و ك ل���ى ك�� � ا�لم�عب��ر * �� ل �ى �ب� ع� �ل� � خ �خ ��� ه ����ذ ���� ف�� �ا ت�خ ق ا � �ج�ز ن� ا ��ل�ى ا ���خل � ش��� �م ن��ه ض� �ر�ج��ى �م�ن ي�ب ر ب ل ك ل ���ي�را * �� �ل � ا ك ا لله ��ي�را * ا ��ك ا ��ه�ل � � �ف ث� ا ��ن �ف � �ن � ض �ت ه � �ن �غ � ا ن � � ا �� �ق � �ل�� خل ح ك� �ه��قر�ى * �ل�ا ن� � ��ا � ��ر� م ��ي ر � �ير ج� ل �صر� م ح ��ي�ر � او � �ل� ض����ل * � � � � م م ع 200
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Chapter 11
Physicking the Foul of Breath
Now it had reached the ears of the island’s ruler that the Fāriyāq had arrived
3.11.1
there to interpret dreams and that he was a great expert in that art. He had also heard that he had a talent for treating those with bad breath. One day, therefore, he sent a chamberlain to him to tell him, “The ruler has summoned you to come to him today on a matter of importance, so you must attend him.” At the appointed hour, the Fāriyāq made his way to the ruler, apprehensive lest he might have dreamed some grand sovereign dream that would be difficult for him to interpret, for great men dream only great dreams— they know nothing of cauliflower cannonballs, worn-out keys, “tumbles,” and other such low stuff as befits only vagabonds. When he reached the ruler’s council chamber, the ruler said to him, “The news of your arrival on this island to stay with the Bag-man, of how he bothered you with his endless dreams, and of how, not content with that, he taught his wife to dream like him has reached me. So how would you feel now about taking on a task that will reduce his dreams and increase your purse?” “What might that be, my lord?” he asked. The ruler replied, “On this island there is a people with breath so foul that no one can bear to get close enough to them to understand them when they open their mouths.112 I hear that you know how to cure them. Would you be interested, then, in treating them and in earning yourself a goodly reward from us for doing so?” “It is for you to decide, my lord,” he replied. “I am, however, the priest of the Oneiromancer’s Chamber.” “I shall send someone to the Bag-man now,” said the ruler, “to inform him of this, so don’t worry about him doing you any mischief.” “May God reward you well!” said the Fāriyāq. “You are indeed deserving of God’s good fortune and bounty.” Then he left his presence, and
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3.11.2
�ف ا � ا �� خل� �ي� ا �ص�ل�ح ب�ر
ا � ا �ف ن� � ا � ن� ن ا �� � ا ن � ا �م ن ه �ق�ف ا ه ا � ظ ��� ه ا � �� ��� ن � ا � �ن �ل� ر� �ل� �ي � ك ط��ه �ل� ب���ل �ب� ��ط� �و �هم� ��ر�و� �ع��ل�ى لر ج ��ل � �ير و �� ��� و � �هر و ب ج �أ ا ظ �� � �ن ظ �� �ه ف �ل ا � ��غ� ��ل � �ن�ز � ه ا �خ � �ز � ت ه � �ذ � ���ا ن�� ت� �ق�د ا ��ت��د �ت � � � � � � ا م � � � � � � �ه�ور � * �م� ب ل �ى م� ل� و ب� ر و�ج �� ب�� ل�ك وك ب �� �هر � م ق �ن ف ا ��ا �ن �تت هّ ق � � �ن � � ا ��ن ا ت ف ه � � ن ��ى ��ا �ل ت� * ب� ��ورك م ي ��و �ى ر ��ي� �ي�� ب��د ك ���ا � ج�� �و�هر�ى �ع���د ا � ��ي����س� * �وك�� ��ى �� ج م ق� ن ح � �ف�ا ظ ����ه ��ل� ا ��ن ه�ا ك �� � ا ��ل ��خ� �ف��ه� ي�خ� � ن ت � �ه�ا �م�ع��ى * ��ا �ل � �م � را ��ي� �ع�لي��ه �رو � ر ى � ب س ب ر � ل رج �ت ت �خ� � � ن ا ن �ن ش ت � �ن � ح��ص ��ل� �م�ن � ظ ��� ف �ة ��خ �ي���� ا ب�ل��ر * و �ه� �م�ع��ى ا ��ى ا �����ر�ي�ه �ل��ك �م ا �ل��د را ��هم ا �ل ��ى � �ل ى ي ر�ج م � ��ن� ت� ا ���سم� ا �ّم� ��ت�ق�� ��ل ��ل�ا � ا ن� ا ��ل ج��� ا �ذ ا ����ذ ��ل را �� �م�ا ��يت�� �ق�ا ��ل ت� ��ن�ع� �ف�ا ���نى ك� ح��ص�ل ب��ي��ده ع ى و بى س ر ل ب � ا م � �ف ش آ �ا � ��ف �ذ � ��ف �ذ �ن ن �ز ا ا ت �ن � ه ه � � �� � � ا ا � � � ه � � ل �� �ه� * ى �ى ب� �م ا �ل� �م� او �ل ��ى ��� �ر ح��ل�ى و ب�� س ل و�ج �� ب� رك لل ل� �ى ب � ت �ف ���ة ا ��ل�ا �م� او ��ل ��ل�ا ���فى �ذ ن��� ا �م ا �ت�ه * �ق�ا ��ل ��م�ا ا �� �لف��ا �ئ��د�ة ا �ذ ا �م�ن �ه��ذ ا ا ��لب���ذ ��ل ا �ذ ا �ل�� � ش����م�ل ا ��لب��رك��� ب ر م � � � � �ز ف ف ق ن ح��س�ن ا �ل���ط �ف��ي�ن * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ��ل�ز ��ا د�ة �ج��م�ا �ل �و�ج� ت��ه * ��ا �ل ا �م�ا ا ��ا � ا ��ض� ب��م�ا �ي���ك �م�ن ا �ل � ر رٍ ي �� �� � � � ف �غ ة ّ ق �ت�ز ّ �ت ض ت ث �ز ���ا ا ط����ع ���ل�م�ن �ه��ذه ا �ل ��ا د� * ��ا �ل� ��هى ���د ك � ح��ا ا �ل�ى * � �و ب��ع� ��ي�رك ا � � � � ع � � ل �ي ب ب � ليى ي ى ي �ف ت نّ � �ن ن � �ك�ن ا ن� ي� ح��س�د �وك �ع��ل� ّ * �و��م �� او �ل�و ا ��ى ك� ��� ت� ��ل�ه� * �ق�ا ��ل ا ��ل��ل�ه� ا ��ك��ن�ى ش��� ّر ا�ل�م�ز ���د * �و��ل�� �ي ى ي م م �ذ � ف �تّ � �ن ن � � َ � ّ � �ف �ل�ا �ب��د �م�ن ش��� ار ء ا �لعِ� �ق��د * �ف��ه�و ا �و�ل�ى �م ا � ح�ل�ا �ل ا �ل�ع�ق��د * ��و�ع�د�ه�ا �ب�� �ل��ك ��ا ��ع�د ت� ب �ح�م��د � �ت � ن � ا لله ��ت�ع�ا ��ل� � �ل�م�� ت س� �ج�ي��د�ه�ا * ف���ل�م�ا �مض���ى ا �ل ش����هر �وق�ب��� ا�ل�مر�� ب� �ل�ه ا � �ج�ز �ل�ه�ا �و�ع�ده * ىو �ض �ق ّ � � � � �ق ن�ن ا �� ���س �ة � ل�� �ن��ه ا � ف���ق��ا �ل ت� �ه�و �م�ن د را ��ه ا ب�ل�خ��ر �و� ك ح��س�ن �م�ن ا �ل ن��د * � �لق��د ���س� ا لله ب��ي��� � ا �ع�د ل �م� م م �ُ �ذ � ف �ن ���� ت� ��ه� * �ق�ا ��ل ف���ق���ل ت� ��له�ا �خ��� ا ن�� ت� د را ��ه ا �ل�ه���ل � � او �ع ��ط��ى د را ��ه ا ب�ل�خ��ر * ���ق��د ر ض� � � ي ب م م م� ج ق � �ف � � � ن ن � ف � �خ ا ت �� ا �ل�ى ا ب�ل� �ل�ا ��ت�ق��و��ل�ى �ب��ه� �و�ل�� �ر * ��ا � ��ه���م � ك� ��ل� � �ل� ا ���سم�ع�ه �ك�ن �ب��ه�ا * ��ا � �ب��ه� �ير ج� ل ي �ب م م م م ع آ�خ �ق � � ن ف� �ق � ت �� ا ا � �ي�ز � ن ض �ن � � ه � م � ك����ل�ه � او ��م�ا ��س�م�ع ت� �م�ن � �ره ��و�ل�ه�ا � او �ى � �م * ���ل� ل�ه� و ى ح� ب ��و� ��رر �ف ا �ت�ف ت ت �� � ا ف��� �ت َ � ف ق ا � ت �ي�ن ��ز ن ث � ت � ف ا ا ق �ف ا ن�� ت� * � �ل�� �� ا ل�ى ا �لب�� ب� ل� ر ا � ح�دا ����� �ل� ا ا �ل �ب ��و� * ��م ا �س��مر ا � �ل�� ر�ي� �� ��ى م ة ّ ت خ ��ذ � � � �ذ �ز � � � � ش ��ور�ت��ي�ن �م�ّعب��را �و�م�ص��ل ا �ل�وظ ���ي ���ف ت���ي�ن ا�لم� �ك� م���ن�ت�ه �م�ن � ح�ا �م�د� � ك �ح�ل �م����ا �ك��ل �و�ج� ت��ه * � او �� � � ئ � ن � � � ه � ت ا ا �ف ا �خ آ�ن �ة � �ة �� ح�ا ك�� ���ا ن� �ل���ل �ص�� �ل�ه� �و �ل�ا �� * �وك� �ل� م�� �ع� � � ار � �و �ي�� ح��س�ن � �و�ص�ا ر �ي��د �ع�و ا �ل ن��ا ��س �و�ي� ع م م م ق ف � � �ن آ �ع�ا د�ة ا ن� ���د �ع� �ج��م�� ا �ل�م�ع � �ف��ي�ن ���ف �خ���د �مت��ه ا ��ل� ��ل���ل��ة �ع��د ���� ��ه�ا ا �ل ��ا �ل � ا �ل����س�� ى ي ي �ير ص ي� ر�ج و ي و يع رو ى 202
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Physicking the Foul of Breath
without retreating backwards, for Frankish rulers do not rebuke a man if they see his nape, his back, or for that matter his belly; in fact, the bellies of those people are more conspicuous than their backs. When he got home, he told his wife what had happened. She, who had
3.11.3
just started learning how to read and write, said, “What a blessed day—I saw in a jeweler’s shop a rope of precious stones that seemed to me to bear letters that might have been p-r-o-f-i-t-f-r-o-m-t-h-e-f-o-u-l-o-f-b-r-e-a-t-h. Can any meaning be extracted from them?” “The meaning that may be extracted,” said the Fāriyāq, “is that I’m supposed to buy the necklace for you from the money I earn from the foul-of-breath job.” “Quite right,” said she, “for I used to hear my mother telling my father that if a man spends the ‘cap’ of whatever wealth he accrues on jewelry and clothes for his wife, God will reward him the ‘tail’ (meaning the ‘tail’ of his wealth, not of his wife).”113 “And what,” he asked, “would be the benefit of this expenditure if the benefit were to extend to only one of the two parties?” “The greater beauty of his wife!” she replied. “Speaking for myself,” he said, “I’m content with your present, natural beauty, so for whom this increase?” “It will make you love me even more,” she said, “and drive others to envy you and wish I were theirs.” “God protect us from the evil of such increase!” he thought. “But I shall have to buy the rope: better that than untie the knot”114 and he made her a promise to do so, which she accepted, praise God, touching her neck. A month later, when he received his salary, he fulfilled his promise, causing her to say, “It may come from the money from the foul of breath, but it’s better than ambergris. God has provided us with a most just division: take the earnings from the hag-ridden and give me those from the foul of breath—I declare myself satisfied before God with them (bihim).” “Don’t say ‘bihim,’” he told her, “say ‘bihā.’ ‘Bihim’ would refer to the foul of breath.”115 The Fāriyāq continued: “At this point, she started muttering words of which I could make out only the last: ‘ . . . and what’s wrong with them?!’ so I answered her, ‘And what an ugly old matron you are!’ at which she turned to the door but could see no one, so asked me, ‘What patron?’”116 The Fāriyāq continued to hold the two abovementioned jobs, as oneiromancer and physician, long enough for him to take care of his wife’s needs and buy luxurious furnishings and good-quality pots and pans, and he began inviting people over and holding banquets for them. Now the ruler had a
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3.11.4
�ف ا � ا �� خل� �ي� ا �ص�ل�ح ب�ر
�ة � ّ � ف ق �ز ف ت � � ق ن �ض ت �ن بح� �� �ر�ه * �وك���ا � �م�ن �ج��م��ل� ا�لم�د �ع�و�ي�ن ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� �و �و�ج� ت��ه * ���ل�م�ا را � ا �لر�ج��ا �ل �ير��� �صو� ن � ن آق � ت � ق� � �آ � � � �آ � ن آ �ز خ �و��ه ��م�ا � � �ه�و �ل� ا �لر�ج��ا �ل * ��ا �ل �صر�و� �ل��ل����س�� ��ا �ل� �ل�ز �و�ج� �ه�ا * ��ه�ل �ه�و �ل� ا �ل����س�� ا � اوج� م �ذ �ذ �ن ه�ن �ذً �ق ا � � ف � ا ة � � ف ق خ خ � ا ت ن ن �ه�ن � �صر�و� � ا ا * � �ل �ه��ذه �ع� د� �ه�ن ب��ل� �� �ل��ك * ��ا �ل� �وك�ي��� ي��ا � �ه�ك� ا �و�م � �م � �ق ا �� � ا ا �� �لق� � �ه ن�ا � ��ف �� �ا ئ� �� �ا د ا ��ا �ف ن� * �ق�ا ��ل ت � ���ع�د ال� خ �ك� ن� �من م �صر�ة �م�ا �ي�� �ه� * � ل �ل� ��ا � � بو �وم � و�ى س ر ب ل �ل ر� � و م ج ّ �ذ � ��� ا ��ل� �م��ن�ز ��ل�ه * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ا �ش��ه�د ��ا لله ا �ن�ه �م�ا �ك�ن ���ع�د ا ��ن ف�� ض� ا �نا ��� ��ض� ا �ل�� ��س �ي�� �ه ب� �ك�ل ى ا د ر�ى �و�ل�� ب � ب ةق �خ��ا �ص �� ا �م ا �ة ا �ّ�ا � ��ا َ ���طنَ�ه�ا * �ق�ا �� ��ا �ت��س���ئ 1ا ��ل���� �ن ي�ه�ا * ��� او �ع��ل� ظ�ن ا � �ه�ا �ع�ا د� ��د �م ش � � ر ر ج �ل ر �ل وب � ل �ل ي �ى ق ا � ت �نَ َ � ة ة ق �نِ��ْ ت � ا ة ��ك�ن�� ف ح��ي�ن ���ل�م��سه�ا �ك� ن� ا � ا ح��س� ��س ا�ل�م ار � � ي � �� �ل� ��ع�م ��هى �ع�ا د� ��د �وع�م� ا �ل�ع� د� * �و�ل�� ك�ي ��� �ي��و � � �ف �خ �ك�ن �صر�ه�ا * �ق�ا ��ل ف���ق���ل ت� �ل�ا ا د ر�ى ا ن��م�ا ا �ن�ا ر ج���ل �ل�ا ا �م ار �ة * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ��ل�� ر ج���ل �ج��مي���ل ��ى � � ح�� �ا �� ا �� ف�ل� ��ق � ا ��لت�� ت �خ �ف � � ��ك�ز � ا ا �ن�ا ا د ر�ى ا ن� ا ��ل � �ص ا ن��م�ا ج� ح�ى * � ��ع��ل�ه ا لله ��ى ا �ل�و��س ��ط �مر� ا �ل�ل� � س س �و�ى و ر �ن آ � � �ف ق ن �ق ض � � ��� ك��ا � �م�ن ا ج���س�ا �مه�ن � ��د �ي�ن �و��ل���ذ ��ل��ك ك� ���ا ن�� ت� ا �ل����س�� �ع ن��د ا �لر����ص � او � �ل ر��ص ��ى ا �ى �م�و� � �ي ب ع ث �تن �ف ت � � آ � �ل ��ن ا �� �ق �خ ت ���ة �م�ن ا ��ل ��ل ح ك��� ا � � ع � س� ا �ل�ص�ع�د � �و�ق�ا �ل ت� * �ي�ا �لي�� ه��ل�ى �م�و�ى لر�� �ص * �صر * �� � �� �� �� ا �ر م �ف � � ا �ف ��� �م�ن ا �ل�م� ي�ن �� ل��ا ن� ����ت��ا ���فم�ا ا ر�ى ف�ي��ه ��ل�ا �ن ��ث ��ن �ق��� * ف���ق���ل ت� ��ل� �ت� ح � ا �ل�ص� د ��ى �ك�ل �ص ار �ع�� � ك� يب و تِ ى ص �ف � �ذ �ذ �ف � � � ق �ة ا �ت � ق ن ا ي�ن �م ���ط��ل�ق��ا * ف���ق��ا ��ل ت� ��ا �ل��ل����ض ��ي�� ح� �ب�� ا �ل� ��ا � * ا � � ��و�ل �ه� ا ا � ك� ل��ل� � ��ى �مث���ل �ه� ا ا�لم���ا � * ي م م م ف � � �ن �ة � ف ا � ق ق � ت ت ت ت �ق��ل ت� �ه� ت� ا ��ل� ا ��ل���� * �����د ��ك��ا �� �م�ا ��س�م�ع� ا �ل��ل���ل� � �م�ا ا ��� * ��ا �ل� �ل� ���د �م�ن ى ي و ري ي ى بي ب �ق ا � ف � ث ن ا �� � ا � ث �ن ��ف ت ا ف� ن �ت ق � �ق ن �خ �صر � �ب��ه� � ك� �ص�� �� ا � � ا � ا ر�ى � ت��ا �م ا �لر����ص * � �ل ��لب����� ا ل�ى ا �ل� ��ا �� ت� � � ��و�ل بح م ة ن آ � ق � ق ن آ ق ن �و��هى ��س�ا ئ�ر� * ���س�� �م� ر�ج��ا �ل را ���ص�ا ت� * ر�ج��ا �ل �م� ���س�� را ���ص�و� * را ���ص�ا ت� ع ع �ق ن �ق ن �ق ف� �ق � ت �ف ا �ا ت �ف ا � ن �ف ا � ن ف ت ت ا ا ا � � را ��ص�و� را ��ص�و� را ��ص� � * ���ل� � �ع�ل � � �ع�ل�و� � �ع�ل�و� � �ع�ل � * آ ث �ق�ا ��ل ت� ا ��لر�ج��ا ��ل � او ��ل ن����س�� ء � او ��لب�ن ��و ن� � او ��لب��ن �ا ت� * ك� ��ي��ف�__�م��تى__ا �ي�ن __ �� ب���ع�د ا �ي�ا � م م ث �ف ق � حل�� � ش ق ت م��� � ��ك�ل ���فى �و� ح ش�� �ذ �ى �قر�و ن� � او �ذ �ن�ا ب� ك� ����ي�ر�ة �و�ش���ي �ا � � �وب���� �ورد �ع��ل�ى ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� �� � م ع ش �ف ا� � �� ق �ة ن ف �� ق ن ح ب� ا�لم�عب��ر ا � �ي��عر�� �ت�ا �و���ل �ك��ل �ر� �و��س ّر �ك��ل �ب ����ع� * �����تى ��ى �ج���ل��ده * � او را د �ص� ي ت ��س�ئ�. � :1855 1ي
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Physicking the Foul of Breath
custom of inviting all the more distinguished persons in his service, on the eve of a certain feast, to dance in his presence, the men with the women, and the Fāriyāq and his wife were among those invited. When his wife saw the men dancing with their arms around the women’s waists, she asked her husband, “Are those women the wives of those men?” “Some are and some aren’t,” he replied. “Then how can they put their arms around their waists?” she asked. “Such is the custom of the people here and in all the lands of the Franks,” he answered. “And after the waist-holding?” she asked. “What happens then?” “I don’t know,” he said, “but when the party breaks up, everyone goes to his own home.” “As God is my witness,” she said, “no man puts his arm around a woman’s waist without next putting his belly on her belly!” “Don’t think badly of them. It’s just a custom they’ve adopted,” he said. “I grant you,” she responded, “that it may be a custom, and a fine one at that, but what of the feelings of the woman when a beautiful man touches her and puts his arm around her waist?” The Fāriyāq went on, “I told her, ‘I don’t know. I’m a man, not a woman.’ ‘I do know,’ said she. ‘God placed the waist in the middle to be a focus for both the higher and the lower sensations. That is why when women dance, or are pinched anywhere on their bodies, they bend from the waist.’ Then she heaved a deep sigh and said, ‘Would that my parents had taught me to dance, for I see nothing to bring a woman a contemptuous glance.’ I said, ‘If you’d “opened” the ṣād with each hemistich, it would have made a perfect line of verse,’117 to which she replied, ‘How dare you! How can you say such a thing118 in a gathering such as this?’ I replied, ‘To the house get thee! I’ve seen and heard enough tonight to quite suffice me!’ but she said, ‘I have to watch the dancing to the end!’” “So,” said the Fāriyāq, “we stayed until morning, when I took her away, she saying as she walked along, ‘Women dancing with men! Men dancing with women! Dancin’ girlies, dancin’ boys! Dancin’ boys ‘n dancin’ girls!’, which made me say, ‘Dah-da-dah-dah dah-da-dah! Dah-da-dah-da dah-da-dah!’119 She went on, ‘Men and women, boys and girls! How . . . when . . . where . . . ?!’” A few days later, the Fāriyāq was brought a difficult dream about a monster with horns, lots of tails, and marks and spots all over its skin, the master of the Oneiromancer’s Chamber demanding to know his interpretation of each horn and the secret of every spot. Finding it beyond his powers to give a succinct account of its meaning, he went home feeling miserable and angry.
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3.11.5
�ف ا � ا �� خل� �ي� ا �ص�ل�ح ب�ر
�س � ف ق � � �ز �ف��ع��س �ع��ل��ه ا � ش����ا ��ؤه �ف��ذ �ه� ا ��ل� �م��ن�ز ��ل�ه �م��ت��ئ��س�ا �م��ت���خ � ��ط�ا * �����ا �ل ت� �ل�ه �و�ج� ت��ه �م�ا �ب��ك ب ى ب ر ي ي ت ق� � ق�� خ ��� ت �م�ن � ��� �ة � � �ف �خ �ق�ا ��ل ��هّ �و�ن � �ص� �ك�د * ��ا �ل ت� �م�ا ��سب��ب��ه * ��ا �ل ك����ل�م�ا � ل� ح��ل ت� ��ى ا �ر�ى ورط� و م � ن � ث � ق � ق � ن ت ت ي�ن ش �ا شّ ن �ه�ا * ��د ك��� �م�ن ���� �م�د ا � ا � �ص � �ع����ي�ر الجم ��ا ��� * ���ر �م � بل ح� �ل�ل��سر�ى ب�م� �ل�م ا رد * ��م � ر �ف ث � � � ّ � ث � �ذ ���ل ��ل��ك �ع��ل� �غ��ي�ر �م�ا ا ر �و� ��م�ا ا �ن � � � ا ب�ل�خ��ر * �و�ك �� �م�عب��ر ا �ل�ا � �ك�د �ه��ذه ح�ل�ا � * �� م�ص�ل ى م م م م ح �ة �ن �ذ � � �ة �ق ا � � ��ف ا � ا ت ن ّ � � � � ا � م � � ع � ا ��ي ��ق� �ه��ذه ا �ل��د ��ني��ا �ع��ل�ى * لي����س �ى �ل� ر �ض ��د وح� �ه� * � ل� ا�لم�عي�� ش���� � او ض� � �ن ��ل�ز ن � �ف �ت خ� ف �ف� �ع��لي���ك ��ا ��س�ي �د �ى ا ن� �ك� ���ل ا �ن��س�ا ن� ��ى ا ��ل��د ��ني��ا ��ل�ه ��ن �صي�� ب� م ا � �� � ي ح � � او �ل�ه�م * ح�ى � ن ا �ل��م ا �ة ا � ض���ا ��ا ت خ ��� �� � ا ن �ت�ز� ح�� ���ل�و �م�ن ا ��ل�ه�ّ �ف�د ا ���ه�ا �ك� ح�ا ج����ه�ا * � �تو ك � � � � ي�ه�ا * ���ل �عي���� ر �ي � �ل � � � ل ي و ب بي ج م م ج آ ت � �ا �ت � �ش��� ة � �ف � ة �ة ة � ق � �ت د �خ���ّد � ا � خ� ف� �ف ي�ه�ا * � �و�ت ن �ظ� �� ر ��ى ا�ل�م �ر � �مئ�� �مر� كي����ل رى عر� �ي �ه� * و� �� �خ� ��ط�و ��د �م� و ��ور ت �ت ض �ق�د ا ��ن �ف� د ت �ع�ن �� �ا ئ� �ش���ع � �ا * ث�� خ ��ا ���ط� ��ن ��ف ��سه�ا ���ف ا �ل��م ا �ة � � ���� � ��تت �تُ � س ر ره ر� � ى ر و ب ح�ك �و�ب����س�م �و� �ه�ل��س م آ ّ � �غ �ذ � � ف ا ت تن �ف ��ت�غ� م�ز ت ����ف� ��ت��د � �من�ه�ا ا ��لت � ب و � �و � � �و��ل�و�ى �ج�ي��د�ه� �و�ع ��ط���ه� � �و����� ��س ا �ل�ص�ع�د � �و��ي�ر �ل��ك * ��عل��م ك�ي � ا ف ا � �ف �ذ �ق ت � قا � ف ق ت ���ّد ا � ا ��له�ز ��ل * ا �ن�ا ن �نا �ه��ذه ا �ل� ���ع� �ل ��ى �عي ��و� ا �ل�� ��س * �� �ل ������ل� ا �ه� ا �و�� ا ج�ل م � � ت � ن ت ت �ذ حت � ا ��ق �� � � ا ن �� � � ش �ذ ن ا ا ق ن ا ش ا ت ا � ا �� �ي�ن ا �ل�غ��م�ز ت � � � � � ا ا � � ل �� � �ول �ل�ك � ل�ل�و ح��� ا �� �ب� �و �ر� �و� �و����ي � � �ل� �م�ل �� وي�ل * و � �� كر �ذ ن ّ � ن آ � � �� ح ش�� �مث��� �ه� ا � ا ��م�ا ��ه ا �ل����س�� ���ل ��� � ��ا ��ت��� � او ��ل�ا ����ت��س�ا � � او �لت� ك �ي��� * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ��ل���� ���فى �ك� � � ح ك و و ي و ي � ل ل مي ي س ب م م آ � �ة ّ ق � ض ���ل � ا � �� ���ة ��ل�ا �ز ب� * �و� ��ف � ح��سب�� ن��ا �ب�ا �ل�غ� �ر� �ه�م�ا �و� ح�ز �ن�ا * ���ل ت� ا �م�ا ا ن�� ت� �ى �ك ب �ص��ح �و�م��س� � بر ب ق ة � ي�ن ن ا ق ت� تّ �ف � ّ �ة �ف ��خ �ف �ؤ �ة � ن ا � � �� � � � م��ع ت� ��ا ��ل �رر� ا �ل�ع�� �ه�� �و��د � ح �ري� ��ى ا �لروج و ح�د ك * �و��ى ر � �ي� ا �ل�� ��س �و��ى ب �ي �ؤ ت � � � ا � �ن ق ��ف � �ة � ق ��ل ة ق ا � ت ن� ا � ن�غ� ن �� ��ن �ت �ه� �ل�ك ب�م� �ل� ��ع�ه�د �ي�ه �م �ب���ل �ى د �و�ل� ا �لب��ر��� � او � �� حب��ر� * �� �ل� ا �م� �ي �� �ص��ى �ك�و�ى م ر �ي � م ع � ا ا � �ت �� ا ن ا � �ّ�غ ا � ا � ا ��لن ا � � ن ق� �� ّ �ير د �م�ن ط��ه� �و�ش���ا �ميّ��ه� �م�ا ا �ل� �س � م�ه �� �صر ى ��ص� ط�� � ب�ل� ��ه�ل م� م رى � �م ب ي م يع ن ا ن ا ه ��ت� ا ��ل ا ن� ا �خ� �لق ا �ل� ا ة �ل� ض ا ة ا ��ل�ز � او �� ��مم�ا �ل�� �ي��ع ��ف�وه ب���ع�د * �ف�ا ��ن �ه� ي� ��� � ��س�و� � لل ع� �ى �م� � �� �مر � �مر� ح ب� م ر ج م �� � �ة � � �ف � ن �ذ ا �ن�ز ه� �ة ف ت ف �خ �خ ش ا �لر ج���ل ��ى � ار ����ه �و���د �مت��ه �و���د �م� ب��ي��ت��ه * ���ر�ى �ط�ل�ع� ا �لر ج���ل م��ه� ا ا �ج�� ء �م� �ل� م آ �� � �ن ه ��ل �ق � ��� � ن ق ة � ت ح��ي�ن �غ��ا � �عن ا �و � او �ج��ه ا �م ار �ت�ه �ك ��ط��ل�عت��ه � �ه�ا ���ع�د� ا�لم��س��ر��ي ب� �ه� ��س� �و * � او � ي��ع�د ب عي��د ا ع � ب � ّ � تف ّ �ا ��ن * � ا �ذ ا ��ن �ظ ��� ا ��ل�ه�ا ���فم�ا � ن �ظ� ��� ا ��ل�ا ا ��ل� �ش���ع �ه�ا ��ل�� �ى ��ه ��ه �ش���ع ث �� ا �ل � م�� ك � ا �و �ل� * و ر ي� �ي ر ى ر ي ر �ل ب
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*
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Physicking the Foul of Breath
“What ails you?” asked his wife. “Worry and dudgeon!” he replied. “And what is their cause?” she asked. “Whenever I work my way clear of one pitfall, I find myself up to my knees in another that’s even worse,” he said. “First I had to eulogize the prince in ways that I didn’t want,120 then I became the companion of madmen,121 then an oneiromancer, and then a physician for the foul of breath, and all these were contrary to my own desires. What an awful way to live, and how straitened the world appears to me! Is there in life no broader prospect than this?” “Cheer up, sir!” said she. “Everyone in the world has a portion of sorrow
3.11.6
and worry coming to him. Even a woman is not free of worries. Every day it is her habit to pluck her eyebrows, put kohl on her eyes, rouge her cheeks, practice walking in a ladylike fashion, and look in the mirror a hundred times to make sure no hair is out of place. Then she talks to herself in the mirror, laughs, tries out a smile, whispers, winks, turns her neck and shoulders, heaves deep sighs, and so on, to find out how these actions may look on her to others’ eyes.” The Fāriyāq went on, “I told her, ‘Is this the time for jest? I tell you the monster has tails, horns, and marks that aren’t susceptible to interpretation at all and you talk to me about winking, smiling, and putting on kohl?’ to which she replied, ‘A monster like that doesn’t come to you every day, but a woman’s worries are a terrible trial to her every single morning and evening. Our living apart from our families is itself cause enough for worry and sorrow.’ I said, ‘You should be delighted here, where you enjoy the freedom to go out on your own and see and be seen by people in a way you never previously experienced in the land of the face veil and the wrap.’ “‘The only thing that vexes me,’ she said, ‘is that I cannot tell the people of Egypt—meaning the Christians there, whether Copts or Levantines—the things they don’t yet know about what may be expected of a marriage, since they reckon that the Almighty created the woman simply as a source of gratification for the man—in his bed, in waiting on him, and in keeping house for him. You’ll find that the expression on the face of one of their menfolk stays the same whether he has come home and is face-to-face with his wife or he is away from her, and that when he sits down, he keeps his distance from her, full of suspicions and regrets. When he looks at her, all he looks at is her hair, to see whether it’s tidy or not, and he won’t tidy it for her in public if the
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3.11.7
�ف ا � ا �� خل� �ي� ا �ص�ل�ح ب�ر
� ا � ا � ا ا �خ ��ذ � ث �ذ � � ا � �ص��ل � �غ �� �ه�و �ل� �ي � ح�ه �ل�ه�ا ا �م�ا � ا �ل ن��ا ��س ا ا �ش���ع�ث�ت�ه ا �لير� �و��ي�ر�ه�ا * �و �ل� �ي�لب����س�ه� �و �ل� �ي� �� م م ح �ذ ق� ا � ش م���� �م�عه�ا ا ��ل�ا ا �ذ ا ��س�ا ت� ��ل�ت�ن �ظ ��� ا �ه��له�ا �غ��� �ة �ع��ل�ه�ا ا �ذ ت ا ش ا ر ر � ي ر ي� �ب�� را �ع�ه� ا ا ��م� ����ي � * ب���ل ��ل�م� ي� ى � �ذّ �ف � � � � � � �م�ن ا ن� �ي ك� �� � ح���ل� �م�ن ا �لن �ظ� �� ر �ب ��ف�� �و�م�ن ا �� ك� �ير �ه�ا �ف��تر ج� ل��ل�ا � ح��د ��ى ا �ل��طر� ��ق� ا �و ا ���ل�م�ه�ا ا � ب ع ى م ي �أ �ف ا �ذ � ض � � � ن �� ش �� ت ��ع�ا � ��ت�ع ش����ى �و�ه�و ��س�ا ك� ب��ت��و �م��ي�ن * � ا ح ��ر ا �ل��ط � �و�ج�� ك���ا ��م�ا �ي�ا �ك��ل ���ي��ئ��ا �م���سم�و�م�ا * � م م � � ��ف �خ ا � � ا�� ف ت �ت ن ��ئ ا� ح� ي ج� �ه�ا �غ� ���س� ر�ج���لي��ه ق�ب��� ا �ل ن�� � ا �و ك� ي��ه ا �ل��ع�ا ��س * �و�ى ��ل� �ل �ورب��م� ك���ل� � ل �ب�ي����س�ه�م� ى ل وم آ ن َ �فْ � ث ت ش ُ �� ّ � ن �ذ � ع �ز �و �ل�ا � ����ك � �و�ت��ث��� ب� �و��م ���ط� * �� �ير�ق�د د �و� � � �ل��ك �ير� م��� �و�ير ض� ح��ف�ز * �وك���ل�م�ا ك���ا � ي �ي ى م � � �ز ا ن �ت ق � � � ض ة � �ن ح��د �م ن��ا �ج� ��ف� ا ��ل �ه��ا ن� �ت�ا �ّ�� �عن �عي��د �ل�ا � ��ر� ا �ل ن��ا ��س ���ع �ه�ا * �ي�و�ل �م�ه� ا � � � ��و�ل �ل�ه بح� � ي ب ب ر ل م َ ا��ا ن �ذ � � ّ ا ��ا ��س �د �ى * � ا � ن ت ا ح��س��� �ي� ��س�ي �د �ى * �ورب��م� ك�� � �ل��ك ا �ل��س�ي �د ��س�ي �د ا �ع�م��ل��س� * ا �و و ي �ي ّ � ��ا ن�� ت �ه �ش �د�ة ��ل��� �ة �ف �ا � � ا ا � ا ا ن �ت�ت�� �ّ �� ه � � ا ��ا ن �ن �� ا �ل � �ق ب ي ب�� �ل ي��سع�ه� �ل� � ب��ع�ل ل� * و �ل� ك�� � �م ا كب���ر ح� ��مى �وك�� � �ى ر ���ي � � ن ا �ذ ت ن �غ �ة ن �ت � � ق � ف ق �ت�ق �ف ق � � نَ ْ َ�� ي ك �ه� ا ا را � �م��ه � � او �ي� ا � رده ا �ل�ى ��طر�ي��� ا �ل�ص� او ب� * �����د � � رر ��ى �ع���و�ل ا �ل ��وك��ى �م�� � آ آ ح��س�ن ��ة * � ا �ل�م�� ف�ي���ك ا ن� �ع� �ا ��ن �ه�ن ا ��ل ن����س�� ���ط�ا �ع��ة لله � ح�تى ا �ذ ا �و�ق�� �من��� �ك�و��س�ا �ع��ل� ا � ص�ي ى م ع � � �ن ا ��لن�خ ن ه �ق ا � � � ا ه � � ق � ق ق ت ت ت ��ي�� * ��ا �ل ���ل� ��د ر �و�ى ع � �� ا �ل�ى ا �م ار ��ه �ب�ا �ل��ل�و� � او �ل�بت� ك ���عى ا �� � �ل ر ��س� ر ج م ع آ ن ف � ��ا ��ن ا � ا �ف � �ق � ش ا ا � ن � � �ة � �ة � ن �م�ن ا ش��� ار ��ط ا �ل��س�ا �ع� ��ط�ا �ع� ا �ل����س�� * ���ق��ا �ل ت� ك�� �ى �ب� �ل� ر� �د ح���ر�و �و ي ح ش���ر�و� ج � � � �ة ث ��ست ت �ت ق � �ق �ن �ذ � ن � ن ن ا �ذ ��ا ن �� �ا � ا � � � ا ا � ع � �م �ه� ا ك ����ل�ه ا � ا �لر ج���ل ��د � ك� � ك�ه�ل �ل� ا �ل�لي��ل� * �� ا ��مر� � ���و�ل � او ب�� م � ح ُ �ذ ي����ست�� ن �ن ف �ق ف ت ت�ز ّ ت ت ت ن ي�ه�ا ب���ع�د � �ص�� �ع�مره * ��ا ا ا � � �س� ر� �ع ن��ده ح�ى ا � �ي�� �و�� ب��ب���� �ل� �ي�ا � �ع��ل� ي م ج ُ ُ ت� � ق � ن ف �ذ �ن ش �ف �ت ت �ه�ا � �و�ت ن�ب��ي�ت��ه�ا �و� ��و�لي��د�ه�ا �م�ن �ى ا � �ف� �و�ع�ا �م��ل�ه�ا �ب�ا �لن��ف��ا �� � او �ل��د�ه�ا � * ���ق��د ���رع ��ى ب�ر�ي�� � �ذ �ا � � ��ت�ق � � ت ّ �م�ن ا �� � � ا ��ل��س ا � � ش ة � ن �خ ف ل�ل�ه�و و �م� وع���ر� �ي��ك�و� � ب�ي��ث��ا ��ا �ج� ار �و�ي��و�ه�م�ه�ا ا �ن�ه �و �ص�ل و ��وى �ي �� ر و ح ع ع ت � � ظ �� � �� ا � ن غ ا ة � �نّ ي�ن � ا �خ � �ف ا ن �� ّ ي�ن ع ه � ا ه � � � ا ا ا � � � � � ا � �ل �ت�ي � � ا �ل��كي����س�� * �و�م� ي �طر ب��ب�� �ل�ه ا � �م��� �ير� ا �ل��س �ب� لر ج ��ل و مر � �ى م � �ة � ن �� ��ن ا �ه � ف�م�� � ا �ا � ف ف� �س��ا ب� ا �لب��ا �عث�� �ل�ه�ا �ع��ل�ى �رك����ه * ب���ل �ي��عت��ق��د ا � ��ج�مرد ك��� �ون�ه ��ا �ع�ل�ا �و �ك�و �ه� �ى ع�و �ل� ا �ل� � ب � �ّ ا � �ة ن ق ض � � �ة � ف ف ي�ه�ا * ���ق���ل ت� ا � د �ع�و�ى ا � �لف��ا �ع��لي�� �م�ا ا را �ه�ا ا �ل� �ب�ا �� ط�ل�ا * ��ي�����ى �ل�ه �ب�ا �ل�م�ز �� � او � �ل� ض����ل �ع��ل� ي � � � � �ة �ة ت ن خ ق ف ض �ت ت ي�ن ي�ن ش �ف�ا ن� ا �ل�م�ف��ا ���قم��ة � ا�لم��ا ���ع� � او �لم� او ���ع� � او � �وا � �ه�ا ���د �ل �ع��ل� ا � ا � �ل���ع�ل �م�����رك �ب�� ا ��ث ن��� * � � و ب ى 208
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Physicking the Foul of Breath
wind or something of the sort has mussed it. He spends no time with her and doesn’t take her by the arm when they walk together. Indeed, he rarely walks with her, unless she goes to see her parents, when he is then very much on guard lest any man talk to her on the road or set eyes on her and she return pregnant (with a single child should he merely have seen her and twins if he actually talked to her). When she brings him his dinner, he eats in gloomy silence, as though the food he’s eating were poisoned. He may also ask her to wash his feet before he goes to sleep or to massage them until sleep comes and will blink, open and close his eyes, yawn, stretch, and then fall asleep without a cuddle or a kiss, and whenever it’s the feast of some sex-starved monk,122 he holds himself aloof from her. He obliges her to address him in the presence of others with, “Yes, my lord” and “Thank you, my lord” when that “lord” may be a slinking wolf, or supremely stupid, while she is sensible and bright; despite which, she has no choice but to treat him as her lord and master and if she sees him commit some folly, she can do nothing to bring him to his senses, for it is a matter of settled fact to idiots and simpletons that for them to go against the wishes of their wives is a praiseworthy act of obedience to God. Even if he flew head over heels and landed headfirst on the ground, he’d direct his blame and reproof at his wife.’” The Fāriyāq continued, “I told her, ‘According to al-Nakhaʿī, obedience to women is a sign of the Last Hour,’ to which she replied, ‘Methinks I saw the Franks gathered, or being gathered, as for the Last Hour that other night!’ Then she went on to say, ‘And more horrid than all of that is that when a man in our country reaches a certain age, he feels no embarrassment at wedding a girl of not yet half his years, and when she takes up residence with him, he immediately sets about raising her, nourishing her in the hope of profiting from her and breeding from her womb, and he treats her with hypocrisy and soft soap. He may be a lecherous wretch and convince her that he’s a righteous and God-fearing man who has nothing to do with diversions or music or keeping company with wiseacres. It never crosses his mind that the difference in age between him and his wife is one of the main reasons that she hates him. On the contrary, he believes that simply because he is the active partner and she the passive that’s enough to give him precedence and superiority over her.’ I responded, ‘Claims of precedence based on who plays the active role seem to me invalid, for mufāqamah, mubāḍaʿah,
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3.11.8
�ف ا � ا �� خل� �ي� ا �ص�ل�ح ب�ر
� ا ن� ا ا � ا �ف� ض����ل �ة � ا � ا ا ��ل ا � ئ �ق ا �� ت �� ا � ا ��ت�د�آ �مت��ي�ن ا � � ا � � ن � �آ �خ و �م� �ل� � ي�� ب� ع�بت�� ر ب�� د � * � ل� لي����س �ل� ب � ع� � ع��ل�ى و ح�د د �و� ا �ل� �ر � �ة � �� �ن ة لم �ذ � �ذ �ف ا �ّ ا ��صّ ح��د �ه�م�ا �ع��ل� �ص�ا � �رد �ه� ا ا �ل�و��ه � ه�م� ���د ا � * �ف�ل�ا �م�ز �� �ل�ا � ح��ه * �ه� ا �وك�� �م �مر� �ج ب ى ي م م �ي � ب ح � � ا ه ��فت � ا � ح��د�ه�ا ���فى ا ��لب�ي�� ت� � �و �ق� ض���ى ��لي���لت��ه �ع ن��د ا � � ��ص �ي� غ���ا د ر ا �لر ج���ل ا �م ار �ت�ه �و� ح�د ا ح� �ب� * ي��ع� ��ط�ى �ي � �ذ ا � ن � �ن ق �ل ا ��� �ق �م�ع�ه ا �ل�م�د ا � � ت ف ق ��س�� �ر � �و�� �ه ب� �م� ع��ده م ��ي���ل ل � ح�ى ي� ك ع���ل * ��ل�ا ��ي���د ر �ع��ل�ى ا �لرج�� و ي م ع ّ � � ث �ز �ز ن ن ق � ة ا �ف � ي�ن ي�ن ي�ن � ا ��ل�ا ا �ذ ا � ح��م� ��� ا ��ث ن��� ك��ا �ج�ل � ن��ا � * �� �ه�و �ل� ��ي� ر�� �ب�� ا � �ت���كو� �و�ج� ت��ه � � ح� � ل ب ب � ل ى م �ف � �ذ � � � �ة ت ن ت ف � � � � ا ي�ن � ���ل�مه�ا ا � ���ل�م�ه�ا �و��هى ��ى ���ل�ك ا �ل ح���ل� * ���را ه �ي ك� ا � �غ � � ح�ا �ل� ب���ع�� ا � ك� � ل��ل� �م ا �ل� �ى ك�� � �ي ك� � و ��ي ر ب ى ا ق � ا��ا � ض �غ �ف �� ا � ضَ ق َ �ة ��َ��ْ �� ���ا � ب� ��م ن��ا �ه�ا ب���م ْر�عب�� * ا �و ا س�م�ع�ه� ا �ل � � ع �ب�ه �م�ن �ب���ل * �ورب��م� د �م�� �ع�ل� ي�ه� ك�� �ل� ط ب � ى ُ ْ�خ ُ�خ َ ا �� ضَ َ غْ � ا �� ضَ َ غَْ � َ �ذ �ذ ��ا َ ���ا ن� �ع��ل�ه�ا � � �يْ���ك �و�ه� �ه� �ي��ك * ا �و ك� ����� ��ط�ى �و ل� ب ����� ��طر�ى � او �ي�ه �ود ��د � �و جه �ج �و ل� ب ي� َ �ُ �ق�آء ا � ��ِ�زا �ق ا ا � َ ��� ا �ق�آء ا � َ�ع ا �ق�آ ا � ا � َ�ع ا � ا ا � َ�ع ا � �آء ف�ن ا � �ة ف� �ق ه � ا � �ش ف ��� � ��ق ت��ه �ه� ي� ر��� ب��ه� و د ب ��و � و ل � وطب�� � و ب�� � و و ي�� ي� و ب�� م� * � �ة ن ش ت � ا ا �ة � �ق �ع��ل� ا ن� ا ����ست خ � �ص��ف�� * �و�لي����س ا�لم���ص�ود ��ج�مرد ي�ه� ا �م� �ه�و ا � ي������ر�ى �ل�ه� �ج�� ر�ي� ا �و ي ���د �م �و� ي � ��خل �ة �ق �ة � َ �ة حت � ا ت خ� ��ف ف � ش غ ن �ه�ا � او ن��م�ا ا�لم�ق��ص�ود ج� ���ع�ل ا �ل�ا �َم� ا �و ا ي�ه�ا ��ى �ل� ��ا د �م� ر��بي�� �ع��ل� � ي ��� ا �ل�������ل �ع � ت خ� �ف ن قف � ت �ا � ا �ق � �ف � � ا ن � ا �خ � �ون�ه ��ى �عر ض� � ���ه * �و �ل� ا ��و�ل ��ى �م�ا �ل�ه �ل� ��ه �ل� ي�رج� � �م�ن ا �لب�ي��� ا �ل� ب���ع�د ا � ��ي�����ل� ّ ْ ش � ن � ا �ذ ت ضَ ص�ن ا � �ق ه � � ا ن ا ��ل �ة � ا ����ل� �م� ��س �د ��ت ه�ا �ع��ل��ه � ا ن� ����ت�مت�ه�ا � � د �ي�� * م ��ا ر�ي� �ل� �ت��ك�و� ا �ل� ا � � �ي � ي و � ع � ج عع ت � � ح��دا �م�ن ا ��ل ��ا ��ل ا � ا ��ث ن���ي�ن ��و ن� ��س�ي �د ��ت �ه�ا � �ب��ي�ن �ي��د �ي�ه � او �ه�ا ��ن ت��ه�ا * �ل�ا ��ن �ه�ا �ل�ا ��ي �ه�م�ه�ا ك�� ح ب� � او � ر�ج و �ذ ا ن �ت ن ا � ن ا � � ش ة �� ��ل � ا �ل� ش �ن � ا م���ر�و ب� * �ف�ا ا ك� ���ا ن�� ت� ط� ب� �م ا�لم� ك��و و ا �و �ع���ر� * ب���ل ��ي �ه�م�ه� ا � � �� �ل �ع��د�ه� ا �ل��ي ّ �أ ّ �ت ا�� ق ا � ت ح ت� ���د�ه�ا ا د ��ل ت� �ع��ل�ه�ا ب��ت���ل�ك ا ��ل�ز ��ل��ة � ت� ت� �ع�� ا ن� ��ت ���ط��ل� �من�ه�ا �ز ��ل��ة ��س �د � �ه� �مك�ا � � � � � � ل ل و ب � ي� �ج �ي �ي � ي ر ى � �ت � ث ت آ � ا �ت ت ن ن � ّ ق ا ت �ن �ت � ت �م�ا � ش����� * �ل� ب���ل ��م��ى ا � ��س�ي �د � �ه�ا �ت��ك��ر �م�ن ا �ل�ع ش����ا �� �م�ا ا ��س ��ط�ا �ع� * �ل� � �ه�ا � ��و��مل� ن � ُ ن ��� ا��ث ت � ش ا ق ث � �ه� ا �ل�ص��ل��ة � او ��ل�ا � ح��س�ا ن� * �و�م�ع��ل�و� ا ��ه ك��ل�م� ك���ر� ا �ل�ع���� �� ك�� �م ���ر ت� ا �ل�ص�ل�ا ت� * � بو���ع�د م �م �� �ز ا ن �ا ن � ا �ت ا � �� ش غ � �ف ا ن � �ن �� � آ �ف ط�� ا �ل ن����س�� ��ى �ك��ل �م� � �و� ك� �� م � �� او ���ل ا �ل�ه�و�ى �وب� �� او �ع ث� م�� � ا �ل� �ري��ح ا ل�ى � � بع ف � � � ا �ة ��� ا �ت ��ي�ن ا �� ا �من � ف ن � ش ي�ه�ا * ��ا ج�ل� ر�ي� �ه�م��ك��ي�ن �� ���ق� * � او � �ير �ي�ن ا ��ه�ل ا �ل��د ��ني��ا ك��ل�ه� �م��س� ر��س�ل� ل� ي�ه� �و � ا �ل�ع � ة حت ح��ة �ذ ��ل��ك ��ل�ا �ت��ل� ث� ا ن ��ت غ���ا ض ا ��ل��ت �ت �ك� ن� �ع ن ��� ��س �د ��ت ه�ا � ح ّ�ة �ع��ل �ف �� � �ص � � � � � �د� �د � �س � � � � و �ض ر �ي �ي � ب ى ى ى ر ب 210
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Physicking the Foul of Breath
muwāqaʿah, and similar forms123 all point to the fact that the act is a collaboration between two and any precedence should go to the initiator.’ She responded, ‘Initiation is no more the assigned role of one than of the other, so whoever starts is in the right, and that means that neither has precedence over his or her partner. Moreover, how often, just because of this delusion, will a man leave his wife alone in the house and spend the night with one of his friends, where he takes wine with him until he’s drunk and the little common sense he has vanishes and the only way he can get home is borne between two men, as though at a funeral! Plus, it makes no difference to him whether his wife is pregnant or not and you’ll find that he talks to her when she is in that state exactly as he did before. He may burst in on her with an animalistic cry and give her a shock, or say to her, “Boo!” or “Ta-daa!” or “Gotcha!” or “Watch it!” or “Shush!” or “Whoa!” or “Woa!” or glue himself to her like birdlime or chrysocolla, or crush her with his body, or stick himself against her, or fail to perform, or fall uselessly on her like a dead weight. “‘The furthest extent of his kindness to and pity for her is to buy her a
3.11.9
slave girl or employ a maid. In so doing, however, he does not intend only to lighten her work. His purpose is to make the slave girl or the maid her warden so that she can’t betray him with regard to his honor (I don’t say, “with regard to his wealth” because he never leaves the house without first locking his money chests). Despite this, such a slave girl will inevitably collude with her mistress against him, even if the mistress curses and insults her in his presence, for it doesn’t matter to her whether her mistress loves one man, or two, or ten. All she cares about is eating and drinking well while in her house. Thus, if any “slip,” as it is called, on her mistress’s part becomes known to her, she tells her mistress so and is emboldened to ask her for whatever she wants. In fact, she wants her mistress to take as many lovers as she can because she hopes for gifts and handouts from them, and it’s a known fact that the more lovers there are the more gifts there will be. “‘To resume: it is in the nature of women at all times and in all places 3.11.10 to be attracted toward considerations of love and occasions of passion and believe that everyone else has abandoned themselves to these and thinks of nothing else. Thus the slave girl who is in the household of a “respectable” mistress (assuming such a thing exists) will quickly anger her to the point that she urges her husband to sell the girl, after which it will be her fate to
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�ف ا � ا �� خل� �ي� ا �ص�ل�ح ب�ر
ا � ن ا �خ� � �غ � � ّ ة �غ � ا ن ا �� ا �� � غ� �ف ن ��ت�غ� � �ز � � ا ���� � ا ف� �ق � �ن �ه� ع��د رى ��ي ر حر� * ��ي ر � لر�ج�� ل م رى و�ج �ه� ب ب ي�ع�ه� ي�� ����ل�و� ع � �صي��ب � ف ��ت��ّ ُ �ف � �ز ت � ح�ه� ب��� ��ن��ع ��ه �مغ���ف���ل�و ن� * ��ا �م�ا بج� ح��لي��ا ��ى بر��ي�� ي� ْ��سر��ه ��كو��ن �ه� ي� ش�����ر �و ن� �ل�ا � او �ج� �ه� � م م م م م م ع � � �ذ �ف ن ن � ا ا �خ ّ ف �ن �خ �ن ث ئ �ف� ��ل��ك �ع�ا ���د ا �ل�ى ��ي�ر��ه * �ل� � �ه� �ل� �ي��لب� ��و� ا � ي���س��لب ��و� �ه�ن ا �ي�ا �ه�ا ��ى � �ر�� �ع��س ��ه �ي م رم م � �ف ا � �ة ا � ا �ة �ت ض�� ��لن ��ف ا � ا ن ��ت�ق��ع�د ��ف ����ت ا � � �ف � ّ �� ف ا �ه� ك ���ا � �ل ر��س ا�لم��سر�� ا�لم�ع�د �ل��لرك���و ب� � او ��ل� ��س�ه�م * � ي� مر ر �ى � ��س�ه� ب� � �ى ب ي � ج ح��س�ن �م�ن �و��هى ��م ��ل�ا �م�ا ا � حر�و�م��ة �م�ن �م�ع�ا ش���ر�ة ا ��ل ن��ا ��س * �ق�ا ��ل ف���ق���ل ت� � او لله �م�ا �ق��ل ت� ك�� �ذ ت � � ن �ة �� �م�ن ���ط��ا �ع�� �ف� ّ ح��ا ك ا لله � �� ّ��ا ك * �ق�ا ��ل ت� � �م�ا �ه� ا * �و�ه��ذه ا �ث�ا ر ا �لج���ا �ب� �ب��د ت� ���س ��ط و و ب ك ي بي ع � �ق ا � ت ��� ن ح �ن �ة �� �ا�ز � ا � �ق ت ���ا �ن��ك ��ت�ق�� ��ل��ي�ن ن � � � � � ع ب��ي��ا ك �ق��ل ت� �لي����س ب� ش����ى * � �ل� �و ك ل����ه�ا ��د ى ��س � ل�ل د و � * �ل� ك و ج � ف ش ن ئ �ة � اّ � � ف ظ � �ة �خ �ق �ت�ز ن � �م��ه را � ح� ا �ل�ز � او �� * �ق�ا �ل ت ��ن�ع ا �ل�ز � ا ا ��ه �م�ن �ب�ي���ل �يو �� � �ل� ���� �ب�ا �ر�ى �ي���� � � ��س� ر � �م و�ج ج ج م �ق � ت �� ن � ّ ض ت ��ف � � ت �ف � ا � ف �ظ � �ت �ك�ن � �ق �� � � � � � ل ��� �ى ا �ول� � ا ا ا � � � � ل� � ل ح�ى ��ى ا �ل� � �ل��ا �� * �ل� و ب ��ى �ى �ع�ي��ك �ع� ر �ض و ه�و �ك عر� �ث � �خ� � � �ة � ف ح ا �ل� � ّ� � ا ��ن ا �ص�� ش ط��ت��ك �ه��ذه ا �لب���لي�غ��� ا �ل ��تى ا ��ا د �ت ن��ى ا ك����ر �م�ن �خ� ��ط ب� �ص�ا � ب� معب� ر ب� �ى ل � ����عرك ��ب ح � �ق ا � ن ن ف �ذ � ف � ت � � �و�ثي��ا �ب��ك ا �م�ا �م ا �ل ن��ا ��س * ا �و �ب�ا �ن�ه �ي��ل�ز �م��ى ا � ا ����ع�ل �ل��ك �و�ه�و ��مم�ا ��ا ت� �ف ك ��ر�ى * � ل� ن شآ ّ ف ا �ن �ن ق � �ك�ن � ت ف� ا �ن��ك �ل�م�ا ��ت ف���ع��ل�ه �و��ل�� �س���ع��ل�ه ا � ���� ا لله �ع �ر��ي ب� * �� ��ى � ه�ن � ق � ن �آ � ا ��ت خ �ت ق �ه�ن ح� � ا را ك � ���د ر ا �ل����س� �و �ل� ب � ��س� � ا ��ن � ا � ة ح��د� �م�ن �عب��ا د و �ى و � �آ ا لله �ه�و �ل� ء *
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*
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Physicking the Foul of Breath
serve some other woman who isn’t so “respectable.” Not to mention that men are simpletons. Yes, simpletons! As for their vaunting their generosity in buying jewelry for their wives during the springtimes of their good fortune, it all ends up as part of their own wealth in the end because they’re quick to strip them of it during the autumns of their hard times and bankruptcy. What woman can accept that she should stay at home like a mare saddled and ready for riding while at the same time being deprived of social intercourse?’” The Fāriyāq continued, “I said, ‘Never have you spoken better! Now the 3.11.11 signs of your natural brilliance begin to shine, may God preserve you and conserve you!’ to which she replied, ‘What’s “conserve you” mean?’ ‘Nothing at all,’ I replied.124 ‘But to me,’ she said, ‘it’s a sign of the benefits of doubling up.’ I said, ‘You seem to be saying that it’s like pairing one word to another so that they give off an aroma of marriage.’ ‘Indeed!’ she answered. ‘Marriage is a pleasure, even where words are concerned.’ I said, ‘But I still have an objection to something you said, namely your suggestion in the course of this eloquent sermon of yours, which has benefited me more than any of those by the master of the Oneiromancer’s Chamber, that I tidy your hair and your clothes in public, or that I ought to do so, which is unthinkable.’ ‘You haven’t done so yet,’ she said, ‘but you soon will, God willing, for I believe you esteem women and wouldn’t scant them in their rights, and I am one of that mortal company.’”
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ا �� ��ل�ف��ص ا ��ل��ث�ا ���ن �ع ش �� � �ل ى ر ة � �ڡ �����فس� �و ��م �ح�ا �و �ر � ي ر فآ � ث � ا��ا ن � غ �ذ �ف ا اق � � �ن �ت ح ش�� * � ��� ه ��م �لم� ك�� � ا �ل���د �ه ب� ا � �ل�� ر�ي� �� ا �ل�ى ا�لم�عب��ر �و�ه�و �م�و ج���س �م ��عب��ي�ر ا �ل�و� � ج � آ ف ن آ ق � ق �نّ � ن اف � �ش ا �ا �ت�غ �ئ ا ا �ل �ر���ي��س ��ي� ��و�ل ��د �ع �ل�ى ا � ا ��س� �ر ا �ل�ى ا ر��ض� ا �ل���� �م �ل� ج���ل ��ي��ي�ر ا �ل�ه� �و * �� � �ه� �و �ذ �� � ا �� �لق� ��� ��� � ا � ا � �ا � ف� ه ��ت � � ���س�ه ��ت�ع � � ا � ا ��ن ا ا �مث� ض� ف ط� ب� و �ل� ح�ل ي�� �ص ���عي ��� ل�ك طر ي � وي � �ل ب��ي ر ه� * و �ى ر ك ��ل�ى م ح ��ل �فت ف � � ��س� ��ج�� �ه�ز ��ل��ل�� �فس� ���ع��س� ا لله ا ن� �ي ��و��ف�ق ��ل ن��ا ا ��س��ا �ب�ه �و��ن�ع�ود ب خ� ا � �لق ��و�ى �ن�ا � ��ي�ر * �ح�ل ا ج ب ر ى � م �ذ �ذ �ف � ق � �ز ّ � ن � ف �ت ف ف � � � ض ا ا ا ا ا ت � � � � � ف��ا ��س�ت�ا �ذ ن� ا �� �لف��ا ر��ا �ق� ا ل ���ل� * �� ب���ل �ع��ل� �و�ج� ��ه � ح� ك� �ى �ل�ك �� � �ل�ه ك�ر�م� � �و �� � ي ى م ن �ت ت �ذ�� � � �ف � � �ز ط �ي���عث��� �ي ��ود �ع�ه�ا � �و �ق ��و�ل * �ع�ه�د �ى ا �لي���ك �ي�ا �و ج��تى �ب�ا د �ى �ب��د ء ا � � �� ك�ر�ى ا �ل��س �� � � ع � � ك ل � ب �ي ى ح ف �ظ � � � �ذ � � �ت ن �غ ن �� �� عه�د � او �ل�ود ا د * � ا و � ��ع��ى �ب�ا �مر �و�ل��د �ى * ا �ل�� �ى ا ��ا د ر �ع ن��د ك �م�ع�ه كب���د �ى * ح� �� ا �ل� � �أ ف ّ � �م �ن � �ن �ذ ن �ذ � � �غ � او ا ا �ت�ا ك ف��ا �� �سق� ب����ب�� �عن��ى �ت���بث��تى * ا �ى ا ا ق��ا �ل �ل��ك ��د ا ا � ح�د �م ح��س�د ��ى �ع��لي���ك ق ا ت �ز ت � ��ف ا ��ل� � � � ت � ق ��ف � � � د �� �س �ى ا ��س�م�ه ف��ل�ا ��د �م� � �و�ج� ��ك �ى ب� حر � او ك����ل�ه ا �ل� حو� �و�ل�م ��يب ��� �ى �عل��م ا � �لوج��و و �ت �� ف �ت�ت �ت � ���ن ا ��ل��ه * �ق�� ا ن� د ا ��ل���ك ك��ت� ��ا ب� �م ن��ى ��ع�ت�م�د �ي�ن �ع��لي��ه * ق��ا ��ل ت� �و��ل�� �ك�ن ك�ي ��� ك ��� ب� رك�ى ي ب �ل �ير ي � ا� � ّ � �ذ �ن ا � ن � ا ق ا �� ف� �ق � ت � � ���ا ن ا ��خل ��ص �ح� ح ب� ا�لم�عب��ر * �و� ك ح� * �� ل ���ل� �ي ك ���بت��ه �ل��ك �ص� ل����ى رج � �و ا � �ل�ى ا ا ك� � �ب��ر ي ا � ا �ت�ق ن �ؤ �ة ق ا � ت اَ �َ ا ��ت� �ّ�ن �� غ ا �� ل � �ه�م ��س�ل� �م��ك * �� �ل� �ل� ع�ي ى ا ��ص�ل ��س� �لم� � �و � ر�ع�ي �ى �بر � �ي� ا �ه��ل�ى � او �ه�لك � او ب���ل� � ة �ا ا� � ت ق ت ش �ي�ن ق ا � ت �ذ �ة ة �ت ا �ا �م�د� �ل� ر��س� �ل ا � ك�� ل�� ب� * ���ل� ����هر * �� �ل� �ه� ا د �هرد�ه� ر�ير ا �ي� ا �م ار � � �صب��ر ن ا ئ ن �ف �في�ن �ة � ف ا ن � � ق ا � �� ا � � �ش���هر�ي�ن * ق���ل ت� � ط�ي�� ب� �� �ل ل�ص� ح ب� ا�لم�عب��ر ح�ن ��س� �ر �و� ��ى ��س� � � ا �ليرح� �� � ا �ل�� ب �ن ئ � ف � � � �ف � � ت �ت ح��ة ا �ل� ا ��ن �ه�ا ا �و�ف��ق� �م�ن ��س��ف�ي�ن ��ة ا �ل ن��ا ر �لم�ا ��ى �ه��ذه �م را � �ص�د �ور �ي�ن * ��ر �ب�ا �لم� ح� ا �ل ��ى � ض� م 214
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Chapter 12
A Voyage and a Conversation
The following day, the Fāriyāq went to the Chamber apprehensive about
3.12.1
having to interpret the monster dream, but the master came to tell him, “The idea has sprung to my mind of making a trip to the Syrian lands for a change of air: the air of that clime is good and dreams dreamed there are true and easy to interpret. I see that you, like me, are weakened in your powers, thin of body. Prepare yourself then for the journey. May God smooth the path and we return in good health!” So the Fāriyāq requested the ruler’s permission to undertake the journey, and the latter, out of his kindness and generosity, granted that. Then he went to his wife to bid her farewell and said, “My charge to you, my wife, is to remember, before all else, the roof. Let it be an incentive to you to keep your troth and your affection, and likewise, after I depart, to take good care of my son, in leaving whom in your keeping I leave my heart. Should any profligate bring you news of me, confirm it for yourself. In other words, should any of those who envy me for having you tell you, ‘Your husband died at sea and was eaten by a whale and nothing remains of him in the world of the living but his name,’ pay him no attention till you receive a letter from me that you can rely on.” “But how will you write to me if the news is true?” she asked. “I told her,” continued the Fāriyāq, “‘the master of the Chamber will write to you. But anyway, I hope to arrive safely and enjoy the sight of my family and yours and to pass on to them your greetings.’ ‘Won’t you set me a date by which you must have sent the letter?’ she replied. ‘Two months,’ I said. She said, ‘That’s as long as all eternity! What woman can wait two months?’ I said, ‘We shall be traveling by sailing ship. The doctor has told the master that it is more suitable than a steamship,
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3.12.2
�ف �� ف� ��م ا ة �ي� س�ر�وح� �ور�
ق � ت ن� ا ��ذ ا � � ��ك�ن �ذ � ن ح�� ر �م�ن ا � ��ت��في ��ق� �و��ت �ه�و�ى �غ��ي�ر�ى * ��ل� ا �م� ا � �ق�ا �ل ت� ا �ف���ع�ل �م� �ب��د ا �ل�ك �و�ل�� ا � ح� ر ق � ت ن� ا ن ت ��ن ��ذ ن ف ا �ذ � � � �ة � � � ح�� ر * ��ل� ا �م� �ع�ي��� ا �ى ا � �م�ن ا �لث��ا ��ني�� �ل�ا �م�ن ا �ل�ا �و�ل�ى * �ق�ا �ل ت� �ل�ا ب���ل �م��ى �� � ح� ر �ن � � ن� * �ق��ل ت ��ل���� ت ا ��ل�� �ا د ا ��ل�ت ّا ف ا ن �ي�ز ق ا � ت �ن ا � ي س� ب ل �ى �م ا �ل�ه�و�ى * �� �ل� ���عم ا �ي� ك � او �ي� ه �� ��ه �ي��د ك ��ض �ى � ا آ � � � آ � � �ف �ن ق ��ك�ه��ذه ا ��ل �ص�د�ه�ا � ظم ��� نّ���ة ��ل���ذ ��ل��ك � � ر�ة * �ق�ا �ل ت� ا �ل ن����س�� � او �لر�ج��ا �ل ��ى �ج��مي�� ا �لب��ل� د ��س� � و * � ��� �ج�ز�ي ع � ا ن �ف �ز �غ ��ا ا ن ف �ا � �غ � ن آ� �� �س�م�ا ا �ن��ك ا �ل� � ��ى �ى �ر��ي ب� � او �ل����س�� ك����ل�ه�ن ��ي ت��ه�ا ���ت�ن �ع��ل�ى ا �ل� ري ب� * �مك� � �و �ل� � ي �ذ � � �ة ق ق ف �غ � ن ا � ة � ن �ة ا �� ا �� � ت ف ن �ه�ا �ت��و� �ع��ل�ى ا �ل�غ� �رب�� * ���ل ت� ��د ���ه�م ت� �ه� ا ا �لت��ع �ر ��ض� ��ي ر ا � �ل�م ار � ا �لم�ص� �و� لر�ج�� ل �ي � �ي �ي ت �ق ا �� ت ��ن� �ت خ� ا � ا ة � ت�خ� � ا � ا ة ا �ذ ا د �خ���ل ت� ���ي�ن �ج��� ش�����ي�ن �خ� �� ر� * �ك��ا د �خ���ل ت� * � ل� �ع ��د ��ل مر � و ر� م � م ي ب ج رج م َ �� ف� �� � � ْ �ذ ق ت �ي�ن � ن �ة �ح� * �ق��ل ت� �و�م�ا ا ل�� ح�� ف�ت ا ق ا � ت ��ف �ز �ن ا � �ل� �� ط �ح�ل * ���ل� � او ا �لم�ص� �و� ا را ك � � �ه� * �� �ل� �ى �م فِ ط ل � خ � �� � ف ظ �� �ة � �غ �ة ق� ف ُ ق ��� �لق� ا �ل ن��ا ��س �ي��ه ب���ع�د * ���ل ت� �م�ن ا �ي�ن �ع��ل�م ت� �ه��ذه ا ل�ل��� �� ا �ل� �رب�� * ��ا �ل ت� د �هر �ل�م ي �ي � � ث �ت ة �ت ق � ا �ف� ف� ظ � � � �ف � ���ت��ه�ا �و�ه�و د �لي���ل �ع��ل� ا �لت��ه�ا � ت� �ع��ل� ا �ل�غ� ر�� ب� * �� � ك �ق�ا �ل ت� ��س�م�عت���ك �مر� � ���و�ل�ه� ح �س��� ت� ى ى ي م �ف � �ت ض ف ث ض ق � � ا ن �ذ� �ك��ي�ن ا �م�ن ا � �ل� �� � ت� * ف���ق���ل ت� ��ل�ه�ا �م�َّ � ��� � ط ح�� ح�� �� �ر�ة �� ���� ك � �م� ك �ح�ل * ��ا �ل ت� �ل� � او ��م�ا ك��ر ت� م م فض � �ة � �ُ �ز � ف ��ا ن ت ا � ا ة � ك� ح� ح��ا �ي� �ع�ن ا �م ار �ة ��س�ا �ر�عن��ه�ا �و�ج� �ه�ا ����� ك � ت� * �ق��ل ت� �و�م�ا ��هى * �ق�ا �ل ت� ك�� ��� مر � � �ف حوا ��ل�ه �و�ل� �ت�� �ك�ن �ع��ل� ��ي�ق���ي�ن ��مم�ا را �ب��ه�ا �م ن��ه * � او ��ت ف� ��ق� ا �ن�ه � �ت�ز �ة � � �يرب��ه�ا ��ى ب���ع��ض� ا �� م� �و�ج�� بر ج���ل �ي ى م ف ف � � � �خ ةت � ن��ه�ا ظ ������ل ت� � او �ج���د�ة �ع��لي��ه * ج�� ل�� ��س�ا �فر�عن��ه�ا �� ح�ز ن�� ت� � �ف�ل ار �ق�ه � ك ��ع��ل ت� �مر� ���د �ع�و �ل�ه � او �ر�ى � �ة � ا �ّ ا ف�����ل ق �غ بر�يٓئ��ا ب���ل�غ� ت��ه د �ع� او ���تى ا ��ل�ص�ا ��ل �ت��د �ع�و �ع��لي��ه * �و�ق�ا ��ل ت� � او ن� ك� ���ا ن� � � ح���ه ��ي�ر�ه�ا * ح� و �ل� ي �ذ ق� ن ق �ق � � ف���ق���ل ت ��ه ��ف �ن� ّ��ت � ا �ذ ا ا ن ت�� ح�ا ك��� ي�ه�ا * ��ا �ل ت� �م�ع�ا ا لله ا � ا د �ع�و * ���ل ت� ��و�ل�ى �ل��ك � �ل �ى ي ��ك � � ق� � ق ا � � �ل � � ت ف ن ح�ى ��ي���ه�م ا�لم�ع��ى * ��ا �ل ت� �ع��لي���ك * ���ل ت� لله ا ن�� ت� �م�ا ا ر�ى �ل�ى �م�ن �ي��د �ي��ك و ع�ي��ك آ َْ � قّ � � � � ن ��مجن� ح��د * �ق��ل ت� د �ع�ي ن�ى ب� ��ى * �ف�ا �لت���ف ت� ت� ا �ل�ى ا �لب��ا ب� �و�ق�ا �ل ت� �م�ا �ج��� ا � ح����ك �م�ن ا �ل�ز �ب ��و� �ف � ا �ت تَ ْ ف ن � �ز � ق� َ آفن �ان � �ف �و�م�ن �ج��� ��ا ��ا ا �ل� � �ع��ل�ى �ج� ن��اح� ا �ل��س� ر * ��ا �ل ت� سِ�� ْر ��ى ا �م�ن ا لله �و �ل� ر�� ب� ��ا � �ل��ل�ه �ل ّ � � ق�ت��ا � ��ل���ل��ّد � ق�ت��ا � �ع �� ا �ل��م ا �ة �ه� �م�ن ا ��ل�ا �خ��� * �ق��ل ت� � �ه��ذ ا ا � ض� � ���ا ك���ل�ا �م �م�و�ج��ه ك���ا �ن��ك و ير �ي و و ج و و ر �ض ر و َ آ َ ّ � ق �ة ق ا � ت � ا ��ك�ن � ئ�ن ا ��ا ن �ن �ذ �ت ق �ي�ن ن � �ن � ا � � ��و�ل�� ا ��ه �لي����س �م ا �ل� �م�ور ا�لم���د �م� * �� �ل� ا �ل� � �م ���ط�م� � ��س� �و ك�� � �م �ه� ا ا �و 216
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A Voyage and a Conversation
because the latter smells of coal, which is bad for those with chest problems.’ ‘I shall do as you think best,’ she said, ‘but be careful you don’t recover and fall in love with someone else,’ to which I replied, ‘I’ll be careful only of the second, not the first!’ to which she said, ‘Nay, it’s me you’d better be careful of!’ ‘I only meant’ I said, ‘that I’d be careful not to fall in love.’ ‘Right!’ she said. ‘Be on guard against it, because it’ll only make you worse!’ I said, ‘The lands to which we are going provide less cause for worry in that respect than this island,’ to which she responded, ‘Men and women are the same in all countries, especially now that you’ll be wearing the garb of the stranger and that women everywhere go into ecstasies over exotic men, just as men do over exotic women.’ I said, ‘I understand what you mean, but don’t forget that a respectable woman can walk between two armies and emerge as she entered.’ ‘Indeed,’ she responded. ‘She goes in a woman and comes out a woman.’ ‘Where did the respectable woman go?’ I asked. ‘You appear to have struck her off the list.’ ‘She was in the preadamic period,’ she answered. ‘And what’s “the preadamic period”?’ I asked. ‘The age when mankind had yet to be created,’ she replied. ‘Where did you learn that odd word?’ I asked her. ‘I heard you use it once,’ she said, ‘so I learned it by heart, which is proof of that same infatuation with the exotic.’ “Then she was silent for a while, thinking, after which she burst into laughter. ‘What are you laughing at?’ I asked her. ‘Is it “preadamic”?’ ‘No,’ she answered. ‘I just thought of a story about a woman whose husband left her to go on a voyage, and I laughed.’ ‘And what story is that?’ I asked. She replied, ‘A woman was married to a man about whom she sometimes harbored doubts, but she wasn’t sure what about him made her suspicious. Now he happened to leave her to go on a voyage. She was sad to see him go but angry with him too, so sometimes she’d call on God to bless him and at others to curse him, telling herself, “If he’s innocent, the blessings will reach him and if not, the curses will!”’ ‘And do you intend to do as she did?’ I asked her. ‘God forbid I should call on God!’ she exclaimed. ‘Tell me “call on God to do what” exactly, to make the meaning clear,’ I said. ‘To curse you,’ she said. I responded, ‘I can see there’s no getting around you! Je t’adore!’ At this she turned to the door and said, ‘There’s no one there.’125 I said, ‘Don’t bother me, I beg you, with talk of patrons126 and who’s at the door: I’m about to set off on a journey.’ ‘Go,’ she said, ‘in God’s good keeping, and harbor no doubts. There’s a time for joking and a time for being serious, and a woman’s
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3.12.3
�ف �� ف� ��م ا ة �ي� س�ر�وح� �ور�
�ذ ف ا ن � ���ست� � ��ن �ك��ا �ف�ا ��ق�تن� ا ن� �ش���ا ا لله * �ق�ا ��ل ��ق� دّ �عت�ه�ا � ا ��ل��د �م� �ه�ا ��م� �ع�� � ��د�ه�ا و � و ع ل ل�ى �ج ي ا ك �� ��ك ج��د �ى �م ر ى ض ا �� �ف� ��ق �ف ا �ن ا��ا ن ت � �غ �ة ن ا ��ا ن � �ن �خ � ق �ذ � � �ه�ا ا ا ب� ك �و�ب ك �� ت� ��هى ا ��ي � �� ت� �ه� * �وك�� � م ��ل� � ��� ل ار �ى � � �ه� ك�� ��� ا �و�ل � �بي�� �ع � � � �ن ئ ق �ة � ن �آ ش �� �ق� �م�ا ا ن� ��ت��د � ���ف ���ط��ل�عت �ه�ا ��ل� او ئ� �و�ج���د �ش���ا �ئ��ق���ة * �و�م�ل�ا �م ب وى � ح��س را � ���� * � او �ل����س� ا � �و ح ح ّ �ن َّ ض � ن �ذ �ي�ن �ذ ا ث ا ��ك�ن � ا �ك�ن �� ا � �� ���ه�نّ �ش����ل ت� ���د ا �م �م��س�ه�ن ي �ي��ك�و� ا ا ب���ك�� * �و�ل�� �ل� �ي�� ك��ل� م�ى �ه� ا �ب� �ع�� �ع��ل�ى � بر ق ا � ف ت�ز ��آ � غ � ح��س�� ت س� � ���ل� �ع��ة ا �� �ف�ل ا �ق� * ث�� ا ق���ل�ع ن��ا ��ا �ئ��ه�ا � او � �� �ى � ل � �� ب� * �� �ل ��� ا �ي��د ب� ك� � ك �ع�ن �� ض� ب و ٍح ب ر م � � � ا ش ق �ف �خ � ا � ���ا د ت ��ت�غ� � ا ��ا �� �ع ن��ا � ت ا �� او �� ��ى � ح�ى �ث�ا ر ت� �ل� او ��ع ا �ل� � � �ص�د ر�ى �و� ��طر ب��ب�� �ل�ى �و�م� ك� � ي ب� �ل ر �ض ج ق ا � �ن ��ا ن ْ � �غ � � ق� � � ح��ل��س ب��ي��ت��ه �ل� �ص�و��ا �ب�ا �ل�و��س�ا �و��س � او �ل�ه� او ج���س * �� �ل �و�م ك�� � ِ� �ك���ل �م�ا ��ا �لت��ه �ل�ى �م� ب � م ف غ �ة � ن�خ � � � � ف ا �ق ه �ل� ت � � ئ� �ة �ز � � �ف ق ��ي��� ر � �و� � ب� ر را ح� �و�ج� ت��ه ��ا ���م� �م�� �ري�ه �ل�م �ي��د ر �م�ا ا�ل�م ا � �ل ار �� * ب���ع�د �لي��ا �ل�ى ا �ل�و��صل� م ح �ذً � �ذ �ذ � ف � ن ن � � نا ق ة ا خ �غ ّ ح��ن �ا � ��س ا �ل ا � ا � � او �ل�ع�� �� * �و �ل� ي�م� ا ا �ج�ر�ى �ل�ك ا �و�ل �مر� * �ي���ب���ى ا ا ا � ا �ص�ور �� �طر�ص� �ب � ّ � � ح��ل�� ّ ا �ل� ف �ه��ذ ا ا ��ل � م�غ� �� �م�ى ���ع�� �م�ا � �ق��ا ��س �ه الم � � ح ب� �م�ن �ل�و�ع��ة ا �لب���ي�ن * �ع��س�ى ا ن� �ير�ق� ق���لب��ه س � �ي و ب �ي ى �ض � � � ا ��ل ش�� �ف ا ��ق � ا ن ا �� �ف� ا �ق �ق ف���د �ع ج ��ل ئ ي�ن ��مي�� ا �ل ن��ا ��� �ع�ن ا � � ح��ا �ب��ه�م �ب �� رب� ا � �لو��ص�ل �و�ج �م� ��م�ل � �و�ل * � ل ر � ب ي و ع ع ت ا ة �ن �ف �� ا � ت � ت ه � �ق ت ق ت �ي�تّ ح��د ا �ل�مت�� ا �ص��ل��ي�ن �ط� �ل� م�د �� ا م �� �صر� �ر��ب� ��ط� �ه ا �م ب���ع�د � �عب�� ر� �ع ���ص�ل ا � و شّ ق �ن � � ا ن �ن ن �ان ف ق � �ة � ت ا ح��ه * �و��د �ت��ك�و� � �لو�عت��ه ا ����د �م�ن �ل�و�ع� ا �لم�و� * �ل� � � ار �� �و حر�م� ��ه �م ا ���س �ص� � ب ت �ف ح ّ ��ه�م�ا � ��ا ��لغ���� �ة ا � ض� ا ا �ل�م� ت� � �م�ق �و ن� ��ا ��ل�ا �� �سف� � او ��ل�� ح ّ��سر * �و �ف ار �ق� ا ��ل ��� * �و��هى ��ى ��ى ب � وب ي ر �ي ي ر ب ق �ة � �أ � � �ذ �ف ف ت ق ش ض ت حق ��ض � ا ن � � �م���ا ب���ل� ا �لي�� ��س ا�لم����سب�� ب� �ع�ن � ار �� ا �ليم�� ب���ل ��هى ا ����د �م� ��� �م��ه * �ه� ا �ى �� � �� � ل��ا ر�ه��ي�ن �ف�ل�ا ا �� �سف� �و ��ل�ا � ��ل�ا ا ��ل ا �ل�م��ت�ز �ّو�ج���ي�ن ال�مت� ح�ا �بّ��ي�ن �ف�ا �م�ا ���فى � ح��سر�ة �ع��ل� ك�� � حق� ا �� ك� ح�ا �ل��ي�ن * � ى � �ن � ا � ��ذ �ذ ح�����ه � �غ��د �ع�� ش����ه ���ف �غ��� � ��� ن ث�� ا ن� الم ح� ا �ل�م�ف��ا ر�ق� ا �ذ ا �ف�ا ر�ق� � � ط��ه * �م ��ط ��ع� � �ل� �ي�� و ر ور ى ب ب ي ي ب ي م م ���� ه ا � � ا � ة �م ��� � �ة ا � ��س ا غ�� ن�آ � ت � ��ذّ �ذ � ا ا � ��ؤ � �ة ا ش �آ � �� �ة � � � �ن ا ض ة ��ر� �وه � � �ي�ا ك�ل� و م��س� مر� ط بر� و �م� �� �ي ��ل� ب��ه�م� و ر ي� ����ي � ب��د �ي ع� و و ج � ع � �� ا � ه ن ��سن���� �ة ��ت��ق ّ � ا �ي�ن ه �ف ا � �� � ا �خ ح��� ه ا ��ل ن�آ � ف� �ق �� ��ف ��ن ��ف ا � � ه � ا � � �� �ول �ى ��س� * ي ع� ر ب��ه� ع� � * � ول م� ي طر ب ب�� ل� �م� ه�و ب ي ب�� �� ى ي� � اَ �َ ا �ي�ت ه ا � ا ن ح�ا ض � � ح � �م�ا �� �ع ن��د �ى ��لي�� ش����ا رك� ����ن ���فى �ه��ذ ا ا ��لن��عي�� * �ف�ا ���نى ا � ح � �ل� �ل� � �ل� � � ��س��ه ا �لي ��و�م �مرو ب ى ر م ف� ف ت ا ��تّ � ن � � ح�ز ن� � او �� ك� ���ا ن� �ع��ل ق���لب��ه �غ� ش����ا �و�ة �م�ن ا ��ل �م ن ه �� � ا � � ل��م�د * � ك ��ي��� ��ي �� �ى �ل�ى ا � ا �ل�ه�و �� ب �ل رب�م� ك �ى 218
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A Voyage and a Conversation
honor belongs to the latter.’ I replied, ‘That too contains an insinuation, as though you were saying it isn’t something to be brought to the forefront.’ Said she, ‘Put your mind at rest. Whether it belong to the former or the latter, you will find me as you left me, God willing.’” He went on, “Then I bade her farewell, my tears bathing her neck, and
3.12.4
she wept too to see me go, for it was the first time I had left her. It was part of her nature that when she wept, her face took on an arousing look and appealingly comely expression—and women are as attractive as can be when they cry (though these words shouldn’t be taken as an incitement to beat them: paralyzed be the hands of any who touches them in anger!).” Then he continued, “At the sight of her tears, mine increased too and at that moment I truly felt the agony of parting. We set sail and no sooner had the land disappeared from sight than pangs of desire rose in my breast and everything she’d said passed through my mind, tinged with misgivings and forebodings.” He added, “And stay-at-homes who never leave their houses and the scent of whose wives never leaves their nostrils know nothing of the pain of separation, after nights of hugging and love’s consummation, especially when it happens for the first time. It behooves me therefore to picture to the mind of our stay-at-home, ever nostril-fed friend something of the pain that separation brings the lover, so that perhaps his heart then may soften and he may pray that all those far from their loved ones may soon be at one with them, reunited. I therefore declare as follows: “Separation—be it for a longer or shorter period, be its ending in sight or far off—consists of the detachment of one of two would-be lovers and his deprival of the joys of the company of his friend. His agony may be sharper than that of death, for separation from the dead is accompanied by regret and sorrow while separation from the living is accompanied by both of these plus jealousy, and, though comparable to the despair caused by separation from the dead, is yet more distressing. (The foregoing refers to married couples who are in love; when they hate one another, neither case brings either regret or sorrow.) Furthermore, if the departed lover, on leaving his beloved, finds in some other country an easy life, replete with delicious food to eat, a delightfully heady nightlife to enjoy and songs to listen to, wonderful novelties and gracious, sparkling, eye-catching faces to behold, the first thing he’ll think of will be his distant beloved and he’ll say to himself, ‘How I wish that he127 were with me now to share with me in this luxury! This day, I think,
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3.12.5
�ف �� ف� ��م ا ة �ي� س�ر�وح� �ور�
� ا ن � �ّ ُ قْ ��م�ز ن �غ � � ش �� ��ف� ���م ئ� ن�� ا ��ل���ط ا ف� ��ع� �م �وي���س�و �ل�ى ا �ل��� ار ب� * �و�ه�وا �ل� � �ل�ع�ل�ه � �م��هٍ � او �رح �و�ه�و ح �و� * �وك�ي ي ر ى � ا ف� � � �غ �ذ � � �ن ��خل � � �ّ ة �عن�ه�م�ا � � �ة �� ��ا ر الم �وا ��طرا �ل � �ك�د ر�ة * � او �ل� � ك� م� ح��سر� * ح ش���� � او ك� ئ�ت��ا �ب�ا * ا �ل�ى ��ي�ر �ل�ك �م ا �� � و �ذ � � �ف �ق ه �ف ا ن ه ق � �َ �ْ ا ��ل � � � ا � � خ ��ا � � ���س�ا � � ��ل�ا �ف ا � ا ا ا �ق ا ��س � ا � �ن � � ا � ا � �� � � م� � �ى �ج �ه�د و ك�د ب�ع�د ر � � � �ي ��ول * �يو ب�� �ى و يوح� و يو و وي و وي ن �ع�� ش � ا ن �ن �ذ � ا ��ل ت � � �ة �ف ق � �و �و� �ه�ا * ا � ي ����ى ا �ل� � � � �ك�د �مي�� * و� ح� ��ى م� ح ش���� �و�� او د �ى ك����لي�� * ��د �ج�ر�ى و �ي م م �ن آ � آ ن � ن ش �آ �ف � آ � ض ّآ � � ق ا �ت ف ن �ف ي�ن � �� �ر * � او �ل��ع�م�� ء � ا و �لب��ا ��س�� * ب��ي����ى � �وب�� ا �لي���ى ا �ل� � ���ا �� �ع��ل�ى ا � �ن��ك�و� ���رك��� ��ى ا �ل��س �ر � او �ل� ا �ف ح��س��ه ا ��ل�ا ن� �م��ف نّ��ق��ا �من��ّع�م�ا * �م��ت ّ �ف�ا �م��ت �ف�ه�ا * َ� �ث�ا َ� ��ا َ� �غ��ا َ ���ط � ا � ح� * ي���س� �مره ��ى ر ر� � او ب ب ِر ب ِر�ج ب ِر ِر َ �َ ا ّ �� ��ّ � ���ا ���ن ��ه ا �ى ��ه�ا ���ل ر���ي�ز �ظ ��� � �ف� * �و ج��ا ��ل��س�ه ���فى ا ��لن � ا � ا ��ل��لي��� �ك� ب� �ه� ر �ك�ل ك�ي����س �لب�ي�� ب� * ا �ل� �وك� ى ب ل ي ب ر�ي � � �أ � � � � �ة ن � ت ض ا ف ق � ن ��ا ب� �لم�ن ا ��ط �ع��ل� �م ��تب���ت��س� ا �ل� � ا �ب�����س�ا �م� ر��� � او ج�ع ح�ا ��س��ه�ا �و�ج��م�ا �ل�ه�ا �����ا �ل �ل�ه�ا * �ل�ي�ت��ك ى ر ى م � ��ن ت ��ت ت � � �ن � � �ذ � ��ذ�ي�ن �ذ ة � �ت ّ ّ ا ف خ ض � ي�ن ا � � ن ن ل � ���ا � س � � � ا � � ه � ا � � � �ل � ا ا � � ا ا ح � � � م م ع ك��� � ع�و ل� رد ��ك �ع� ��س�ود * � �ى �ل� � ب��ه� �لو�ج � �� ل ي ر �و� ح ّ ح � � ا ن� ن � ت ش ق � � � �ن تُ ا ة �م� �ة �ير ه �ك� ا ن� ا ���ل ا � ه� �ع�لي��ك م ا ب�����ل�ى �ب� �م ار � د يم� ح��د �م�ن ا �ل ن��ا ��س * �و �ل� ��ي � ك ��ر ا � ي������� � � � ف �ف � ن �ف ا ن ا ��� �ي�ن � ّ ن ح��س�ن �وا �ب��ه�ا ��ل�ه ا �ل�ا ا ن� ��ت�ق��و��ل ��ل�ه * �م�ا ا � حق� � او � �ج��م�ا �ل��ك � �ر��د * ��م�ا �ي��ك�و� ج�� � � لع� � ي ف ا ّ ا ي�ن ا �ز ن ن �غ ة ف ا �ن ا �ت ا ن � ش �� فا ن � �ه�م�ا � ش����ا �و� * � او � �عي���ي���ك �� � �ه�م� �ري� � ا �ل����ى �مك�ا �ه�و * �� �م� �ع� � �و�ج��ى �� � �ع�لي� ا ��ف ��ل �ن ق ّ � �ذ � �ذ � �م�ن �م� �هب��ه ا � �لف��ا ��س�د ا ن� ��ي�ق ��و��ل ا ن� ا �ل�ع��ي�ن ا ا ا � ��فل ت� �ش���ي �ا �م�ه�م�ا ك� ���ا ن� �ب��د �ي��ع� �ى ا � ح��س ���ل �غ �ن � �� �ت ق � � ا ّ �ة ا ت � � �ت�ز ف � ن �ف ش ت ا ق � ن �ف ا �����ي�� �� ا �ل�� ��س ا �لي��ه * ا �و �مك�ا � � ��و�ل ا �ل�ع� �م� �م� ��م��ل��ك��ه ا �لي��د �ه�د �ي��ه ا �ل�� ��س * ��ي�ر ا ��ى خ ش �ن ن � �ذ ��ث ت �ن � ن �ظ � �� ّ � ّ � �ذ ت �ذ ى � او � �ل�قرب� �م ن��ى �ل�ا �ت��لب� ث� ا ن� �ت��م� �ه ب� ب��م� �هب��ه ا �����ى �م ا ��ك ا ا ا ك���ر� �م ا �ل� �� ر ا ل� ف ت �ن �ذ �� ا �� ف ق � � ا ا �ذ ا نا � � ا ن �غ � ه�ا ��ل * �ف�ا �م�ا ���را ��ى �ع��ل�ى ��ي�ر �م� ا �� �ع�لي��ه ا �ل� � * �ي����و�ل �ل�ه� �م�ع� ا لله �ه� ا ك��ل� �م ا �جل � ت ثّ ن ق � �ّ ن ف ا �ن � * � �ه� ا ت ث � ا ��ق ن ث ��ف ��ل و ي�ه� � �م���ل�ى * �� � �ه�م ا �ب��د ا �ي ��م���ل�و� �ب �� ��و�ل اب �ى � �� او ��س ا �ل�ص� د �و� �م���ل�ى �ى ا ح ب ح��س�ن � ا �ي�ز ��ي�د ك �و���ه�ه�ا � ج �
�ذ � ا ا ��م�ا ��ز د ���ت�ه ��ن �����ظرا
آ �ئ ت � �ن � �� ���ه ا�لم��ق ّ�ر��ي�ن * � او �ن�ب��ي��� ء ه �ور��س��ل�ه � او ��ى ا �ش���ه�د ا لله �ع��ل� ّ �و�ه�و �خ��ي�ر ا �ل ش����ا �ه�د �ي�ن * �و�م�ل� ك ى ب ن �ذ ش �ت ن �� ��ّ ن شً � ف ت�ق �� ه� ف �ت � ا ن � � �ن �ن � �ّر�م��ي�ن * ا ���ك ا ا �ع�ا ���ر��ى لع�مرك��ل�ه ��ل ر�ى �ع�ي�ى ب���� ار ا � م�� ح��س �م��ك * �� ��ول �ل� ا �ل ك
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A Voyage and a Conversation
he must be bereft of all such things; nay, his heart may well be enveloped in a veil of grief and mourning. How can I sport and play while he grieves? How can I find food appetizing, drink refreshing, when he, at this very moment, may be too lonely and depressed to have any appetite for them?’ and so on and so forth by way of gloomy cogitations and sorrowful speculations. “If, however, the lover experiences toil and trouble after his departure,
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he’ll say, ‘Alas! Alack! Too bad! Dear me! Oh woe! Oh gee! Now I live a life that’s dour, I’m lonely and my heart is sore. I agreed with my friend that we’d be partners for better or for worse, through thick and through thin, but now, I think, he lives cushioned and cosseted, lodged in luxury’s lap, petted and posseted, on an even keel and relieved of all loads, riding on the flat on the straightest of roads, partying by night with crafty sophisticates, hanging out by day with clever profligates. I can see him (meaning her128) now, smiling a smile of consent and admiration at someone who, having praised her charms and beauty, is telling her, “I wish you would obtain an amulet, to protect you from envious eyes! If it were up to me, I would allow no one to look upon this radiant, effulgent face, for there would be nothing strange if someone afflicted with an ugly wife were to gulp back tears over you, for the envious eye is a reality, and your beauty is unique.” What could her response to him possibly be other than to tell him, “How excellent your eyes, for they see things as they are! My husband’s, on the other hand, are covered with a film and he belongs to that evil school of thought that says, ‘If the eye becomes familiar with something, no matter how outstanding its beauty, the soul desires it less,’ or, as the common people say, ‘What the hand holds, the soul renounces.’ Yet I fear that if you look at me too much and grow too close to me, you’ll quickly join his school and see me as something other than what I am now.” “‘To this he will reply, “I seek refuge with God! Such is the talk of the ignorant. Those such as I (and how few we are!) who are honest in their love ever take as their example the words of Abū Nuwās, to wit, Her face appears more lovely to you The more you gaze upon it. “‘“As God—and His favored angels, prophets, and honored messengers— is my witness (and what better witness than He!), should you live with me
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3.12.7
�ف �� ف� ��م ا ة �ي� س�ر�وح� �ور�
�ذ ش ن � � ئ �ف ة ق � ن ت ّق ن � ة � �ف ن خ �ن �ه� ا ����ا � ا �لر�ج��ا �ل د ا ��م�ا �م�ن ا � �ه�م �ي �م��ل� ��و� ا�ل�م ار � �لي�� ت� ��و�ه�ا �يو���د �ع�و�ه�ا * ��م ّر� ��ي� ��و� �لو� ��خل ّ � � ��ن � ��ل�ا �ق� * �و�مر�ة ا �ف�د �ى ا �ل��غ�ز ا ��ل ا ��ل ش����ا رد * �و�مر�ة �ي�ا ��س�ع�د �م�ن ك� �ل�ه�ا ��تب��ا رك ا � �ل�ه * � تِ �ف � ة �ظ � ن � ق �غ �غ � � � �ن ط��ف���ك ��ى ا�لم ن��ا � * � �وت�ا ر� ��ي ن� �� ر�و� ا �ل� ي�ه�ا �و��د �ر�ر ت� ا �ع�ن�ه ا �و ��ط� بو�ى �لم را �ى �� ي م ي � �م �� �ذ � � � ت ث ا� ت ا ة �ي�ز �ف ن ن�� ن �م�� � ن�� ا �من�ه�ا �م �ة ا � �م �ت��ي�ن �� ��ه ح�تى �ي � ك حب ��و� * �ك��ل �ل�ك �ب� �ل��د �م� * � �و� ر� ر�و� � ��يو و � ر و ر م م ع ّ ا ا ئ ن ��ف ن ��ذ � �ن �� �ذ � � � ن ا � � ض ن ��ا خ � ��ف ن ح�ن � � � � � � م م � � � � ع � حو� * �ه� عر� ���و� * وب ��سر�ه� ب� � � ك� م ب�ع�د ل�ك � � �ع��ل�ى ح� ر * و �ل� ي ��ى َم �ي�ن ا ا �ط�ن � ن� ا ظ � ف� �ق �� �� ا � � ا �ذ ا ه � ا ��ش ه ا � ت �س�غ� �ف� �ع�ل� � �م� �ب� �� م� ك�� � را لله * �ول ل�ه� مع� لل * ح� � لل * �هر * ي� � � �و�م� �� � م ا ش ا ��ن ش ا ن ال�مت �ّقي�ن � اّ � ا �� �� � ن � ا ��ن ��ف ف ق ي�ن ا �ذ�ي�ن � � � � � � � � � ا ا ا � � � � � � �ل � �� � ل ط� ع ل�� س�� * ب �ل � ��س� �ى �ى �م� ���� �ى ���� � مل�� م�ل * و �ل� ب ط��عى ب ن ت � �� خ � ف ا ��ل ت�� ن � �ف �� غ �ة �ق �خ ئ ��ا ��طر�ى * �ي�� ي� ��ى ا عر� ل��� �ه� او ك �لي���� �صر�ع�ن ب��ي��ا � �م�ا �ج� ن��ه ��س ار �ر�ى * �و�م�ا ي �طر ب � ّ� ّ ت ق �ن � ف � ض�� � � �� ّ �ق�ت �ص�د � ن�ى1 ا �عب��ر �ب��ه�ا �ع�ن �ر ��ط �و�ج���د �ى �ب��ك �و� ��و��ا ��ى ا �لي���ك * �و�ل�و ا ��ط��ل�ع ت� �ع��ل�ى م�ي رى ل� ش ��ت � فا � ن �غ � �ف ق �� �غ � �ع��ل�م ت� ا ���ن ��ل�� ت ���ا � � � ن ا س� ك� و ى ح�د ا �ل�� ��س � او � � ار م�ى ��و�� �ك��ل � ار �م * �� ��ط�ي��ل�ى �ع���ر�ى �و�ل�و ّ �ف ت ف تق � � �ق ��� � �ت �ز � َ �� � � ��ص �ة �ق � � �ب��د �و ن� �و�ص�ا �ل ��ل�ي�ت�ا ك�د �ل�ك � ح� �م�ا ا ��و�ل * ��� ��و�ل �ل�ه �و �د �� َر��س�ه�ا * ح ت� �ل�ه�ا � �ه�ا �و ا �ل ض� ا � ف ا ئ ة �ف �ذ � � ف ا ن � ة � ت ن � �غ س� ج ��م�ا �ص�د ���ط��ل�و�ع�ه �و�ر� �و�ه * �و �ل�ا �بر�ق�ا ي� ش����ا � �و�م� ا � �ل�� ���د� ��ى �ل�ك �� � ا�ل�م ار � �لي���� � �ير ب م � فّ ّ � � � ّ ن � �لي��عل��� ��ه�ل �ه�و �خ���ل ب� ا �و �م�ا ��طر * �و �ل�ا ا �ج�� حي���ة ي� ح�ا �و�ل ���ك�ه�ا � او ي� ش����ا ��ؤ �ه�ا * �و�م�ا ��ي �ه�م�ه�ا ا � م �ن آ ن ّ ن �ن � ن ا �ش �ق �� � � ا �� � ا ف و ���ت�ن * �ت��ك�و� ا �ج���م�ل �م�ن ��س�ا ئ�ر ا �ل����س�� �و�ج� �ه�ا � او ��م�ا ��ي �ه�م�ه�ا ا � �ت��ك�و� � ��و� ل�لر�ج � ل � � �ا ض ة �ف ا ن � ت ش ���و���ق ��ل�ا ��ي ت��و�ق��ف� �ع��ل ا ج ���ل ح��س�ن ا �ل ش���م�ا �ئ�� � اولم �م�ا ��ل �ق�د ر �م�ا ��ي ت��و�ق��ف� �ع��ل� � ��ر� ح� � ل � � ا �ل�� � ي� ى �ى � ق �ة � ت ن � � � � � ف �ة � ن �ة � ن ���ة � � او ��ل��د ��ل�ا ��ل � او ��ل�ا �ف��ترا ر � او �ل ��وك��� � � او �ل�غ� ��نر�ق���ة � او �ل�و �ك� � � او�لم�ل�ا ��ط��� � او �لم��ؤ ا ���س� � او �ل��غ��� ح��د ���ل� � او �ل��رج�� �أّ ج فح �� ح ة ��ف �ذ �ت ف� �ق �� �� ا ��ن� ���س�� ا ن �م�ن � � �ج��م � �ه��ذه ا � ا ل � ت ا ا � � ا � �م � �د� � �ج م ي� �ل� و�ص� � ي� �ى �ك � او �ل��ر د * ي� ��ول ل�ه� ع� بح� � ّ ع ع م ��ك � ا ف � ش ا �ئ �� � ا ��ف ّ � �ف ة ف� ش ق ��� �ق� * ف�ت��ق�� ��ل ��ل�ه � �ق�د ا �ز د �ه � � هه�ا � � �ك � م � و ر و�ج � � و ا � �ل �ري��د� * � ��ل م� �ي��ك ��� ��� و �ل م� �ى �و ّ �ن �ك ن �م� � ً ف ن ق ق � ن �ن � ش ��س �ورا � او ج�ع ��ض ��ط �بر�ا ��د �ع��ى ا ج���س � ب� ض� ����ك ��ق� �ي���و� ��ا �ب�ا * ��د ��ي���ا �ل ا � � ب���ض� ا �ل�ع�ا � � ر ف �ذ � � � ّ ف �ن �ن ق ق ا �ا ق �خ � �ص�د �� ا �و �ل� * �ي�� ��و�ل �ل�ه�ا ��ع� ��ع� ��� �ى �ي��د �ى ج���سي��ه�ا � او ج� ��ع��ل�ى �ي��د ك �ل� �عل��� ��ه�ل �م�ا ���لت��ه � م م م ف� �ق �� �ع ن ا �ذًا ا �ف � ا �خ ق� � ف ت ف �ذ � � �ك��ا � او ج� � � ��ع�ل ب�ك �م ��ع��ل�ى �ي��د ك ا �ل� �ر�ى �ع��ل�ى ��ل�ب�ى * ������ع�ل �ل�ك * ي� ��ول د �ي �ى ّق � :1855 1ل���ص�د � ت�ى.
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A Voyage and a Conversation
your whole life long, my eye will never find any more comely than you!” Then she’ll say to him, “Men are ever thus: they flatter a woman so that they may seduce her and traduce her. One time they say to her, ‘Blessed be the Creator!’ another, ‘I would give my life for the shy gazelle!’ and a third, ‘Happy is he to whom you belong!’ or ‘Fortunate the one who sees your phantom in his sleep!’ Sometimes they look at her, their eyes brimming with tears, sometimes they sigh and sob—and all this so that they may have their way with her once or twice, after which they set her aside and bruit her secret far and wide. That’s why we’re on our guard when you’re about, for we know you all, inside out.” To this he’ll respond, “God forbid! God forfend! God forgive you! My way’s not that of the hypocritical flatterer, my nature not that of the adulterer. On the contrary, my tongue is inadequate to express the love for you that my heart enfolds and mind holds. Would that I knew a language by which I could express how excessive are my passion and my longing for you! Could you but see my conscience, you would believe me and know that I am like no other man and that my devotion is above all others. Keep company with me for but a little longer, even without consummation, so you may be sure of the truth of my words.” To which she will reply, in full cry now and molars ground to a powder, “And what good would that do? A woman is not a star whose rising and setting are to be observed, nor a flash of lightning to be watched to see whether it will bring rain or is only an empty promise, nor is she a riddle to be solved or guessed at. She doesn’t care whether she is more beautiful than other women. All she cares about is being the most desirable and attractive to men, and attractiveness depends less on physical beauty than on excellence of personal traits, quickness of wit, humor, ability to entertain, sensuality, coquetry, brilliance of smile, slyness of glance, hesitancy, seductiveness of eye, delicacy of walk, and willowiness.” Says he, “How true! Glory to Him who has gathered all these praiseworthy traits together in your own unique self! Everything about you is desirable and everything in me desires.” She then tells him, her face now beaming with pride and admiration, “They say the lover’s pulse races. Let me feel yours, to know whether what you say is true,” at which he tells her, “Yes, yes! Take my hand and feel the pulse, and place your other hand upon my heart!” which she does. Next he says, “Let me do with you as you have done with me, so that the truth may be clear to each of us.”
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�ف �� ف� ��م ا ة �ي� س�ر�وح� �ور�
ت � �ق ق �ة �� ّ � �ق � ف ��فت ث � ّ ���ف� �ه��ذه ا �ل ح� ي���� � � � �� �ش � �ف��ع��ل ت� ب �ى �ل�ت�ن ك ل��ك�ل �م ن��ا * �ج�� �ه� �وح�مر �ع ن��د ��س�م�ا �ع�ه�ا ��و�ل�ه ا ����عل� � � � �نَْ ث ت ه ث� � ض � ث ا �ن �ة �ك�ن ت� ّ � ه � ا ��ف � ّ ���س�ه�ا �ب�ا � �ب�ك �و�ي� ��� ا �ل�� �ي�� ح��د �ى �ي��د �ي� � �ي � ��ض ��طرب� � ب�� ��ض �ه�ا �� ���س�� �و�م�د �ل� ي��د�ه� * ي ج م م ع ح ّ � ق ن � � ن ث �ي�ز ف �ز ف ة � �ة ق � �ق �ل ث ف ق ق �ع�� � �ه�ا �� �ير���ع�ه�ا ���لي��ل�ا �و��د ا ��م ح�م�ل�ا ��ه � او ���د �ل� �ل��س�ا ��ه * �� �ر �ر� ��ط�ي�و��ل� � �و�ي� ��و�ل ر م ل�ى ب � م ع َُ � � أْ ��ض �ه�ا ق�ب��� �ع��ل� ك� ��ل��ك ا لله �م�ن �قر� �مو ���ط��ة �م�ل�� ت� �ي��د �ى � �لق��ا � ��ر �ة ا �ل�ا ر��ض� � � ب �ض ى َْ ّ ُ �ن َ �س ْ ��ا ��� ح�م��ها ا �ن���س�ا ن� �م�ق���ل��تَ ا �� �ل��ف�دا �و�ك� ���ل �ع�ز �ي�ز �م�ن �مت��ا �و�م �عر��ض� �ل ى ٍ ع
�ك�ن �ق � ا ن ا ن � ن ا � ض �ة ف � ت �ف � ف ق � � ق ُ �غ �غ ق فق � ��� �ي��ه �لي���� �ت����و�ل �ل�ه �و��د د ��د � ت� �و�ل�� �عر�و� ا �ل� ���س� � ا �ل�� ب�� س� ��ى �ي��ده �و���لب��ه ���� ��ط �ث �ذ ن ن� ّ ��� �ع ض� �في�ن ا �� ن � ّ ا � ف ن �غ �� ��ه ���ف ��س�ا ئ� ا �ع ض� �آئ � ب �ل ى ى ر ��و �� � ل��عل��م ا ��ي ن�� ا ك���ر ��� ��ه * �ي���ب���ى �ع��ل�ى �ه� ا ا � ج ���س �ك�ل ُ ّ ْ � َ �ذ � َ �ز �ز ا ح�ا � َ � ���ا � ��ن غ�� ض� ا ن ا �ن ض ����ة �ن ت ف ا ض ���ا � ا ا � ��ن � ض� ا � ا �ل � � ك�� ���ا * ا �ل� ��ي ��ص حب� ض� حرك��� � او � ���� � و ��� � او �و� و ��� �� � �و ب�� و و ي ح� �ع��ل�ى ح م ش �ّ � ا ت �ق آ � ا ت آ � �ن �س�ق��ص�� ء * ف�ي ��ق��و��ل ��ل�ه�ا �وق��د ��طرب� �و�ج���دا �و� ����ى ا �ل�ا ب���ع�د ا �ل� � � �س� �ر ء � او �ل� � � حب ��ورا ���ع م ا � ��ا ن �ن � ن �غ � ا �ن ه � ا � ن � ن ن ��ن� ��ن� �ق � ا ق � ���ا � ا �ل�ا ���س�ا � ي�ج� ��ه�ل � � * ��ي ر � �لم� ك ط��ع�ه ا � ح� �ل�ه �وك�� � �م �� ب ع�م �عم ا � �ل ��و�ل �م� ��ل تِ ن � ن �ذ � ا ت �ق آ � ّ ا � ظ � ��ف �غ � ا � ا ا � �ظ �ف ���ا ن� �ل�ا �ب��د �م�ن ا � �ي��ك�و� �ه� ا ا �ل� � � ح ��� ��ى ��ن ��ف ��س�ه * ك� �ي�ل� ح ����ه �ى ��ي ره �م� �ل� �ي�ل� �س� �ر ��ا ��لت خ��ا ��ل�ف ا � __ ف�ت���ت��د ه ق�ا �ئ����ة ق��د �ف�ه�م ت �م�ا �ع ن��� تَ � �ه �م�ع��ل � ��ا ��ل��د � ه��ة � �م ت ��س����غ�ن ب ر �ل � � ب� � ى ي � و �و �وم ب ب �ي � و �خ �ذ �ذ � �ذ ق � ت �ذ � � �ف �ص�د ت� * �ف�ه�ا ت � �ي��د ك �و��� �ي��د �ى * �ع�ن ا �لت�� ��س�ي�ر �و�ه� ا �ه�و ا �ل�� �ى ��� ح�ى ا ا �ج��ا �ل ت� � � �َ ثّ � ح ث� � ا �ل�م� ش � ش�� * � او �ب�ل� � ا � ا ��ل تّ ا ��ل ا �لن� ث ا ��لن� ع��� * � و ا �ل� �ي��د ى �ب� ج�� �و ج���س * � او�لم� � او�لم��س * �و ج�� �و ج � �ف � ا �� �ل�ق ث � ا � ت �فت ا �� �� ث � � ش � ا ��لض� ث �� �ل ش ل�� * � او �ل�� و�لم�� ش��� * ح ث� � او � �ل��� ش��� * و ب�� و ��ب��� � او ل� �م��� * �و ل��ط�م� � او�لم� � � � � � � � � � � �ش � ا�ل�م ث� � ا�ل�م ��ش * � ا�لم�غ� ث� � ا�لم� ش ع��� * � او �ل ن�ب�� ث� � او �ل ن�ب�� ش��� * � او �لن ���ق ث� � او �لن��� ك��� * � او �لن� ث� و ر و ر� و و ّ َ َ ْ � � َ َ � ا ��ل ن���ت ش�� * ق��ا ��ل ت � ق��د ��ق � َ ��ض �ه�ا ا �ل�ا �ه� ت� ��ل��ك * ا �ل�ا �ه� ت� ��ل��ك * ف��ا ن� ��ق� ��ل�� � ح � � � ع � � ك � و �وى ل ب و � ي ي و � ى ْ َ َ آ َ � ّ � ْ ش � � � ّ َ � � ف ْ ق � ان � ق ق ���� ى ا ��ل � ا� ح�ا �ل��ي�ن � �ص�د �� * �ي �� ��و�ل �ل�ه�ا �لب��ي ��ك �و��س�ع�د �ي��ك � �ل��د ��ط�ا �لم�ا �� ب ح ت� �ي��د �ى �ب�ا �ل��د �ع�� �ل� � � �غ � � ََ �ذ ا ���سم� �ه��ذه ا ��ل��د �ع� �ة ا �ل� ن ���ا ن� ا �� �ف�ل ا �ق� * ا � �م�ن م��ع ش�����ة �و�ه��ذه ا �لن���م��ة ا �لم��ط �ر��ة __ ا �ع��ل� �ه� ا ك� و ر ى م ب ع �ذ َّ � � �ن �ذ �ة ن ف ن � � ق �ف ت ت ت ت ا ا � � ا ج��� �ه� ا � ح��س��� �ل�ى ا �ل��س� ر �ب� � ���ل� �ل�ى ا � �لي��ل� ا ��ى ا ر�ى �ب�ك �ي� ر ج���ل � ��ورا * ل
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A Voyage and a Conversation
On hearing him say, “Let me do with you,” she is sent into a tizzy, blushes, and her pulse consequently races. Then she quiets down and extends to him her hand and he takes hold of it with one of his, places the other on her heart, moves it upward a little, eyelids reddening and tongue lolling, heaves a long sigh, and says, God bless you for a red euphorbia berry that my hand has cupped And whose holder is as one who holds the terrestrial sphere! For its calyx I’d give the pupil of my eye as ransom Along with all the goods and chattels I hold dear! “‘She (all tickled up) then says, “But the veins in which one’s blood pulses are
3.12.8
not only in one’s hand and one’s heart; they are in all one’s members, which means that we ought to feel every member we have to find out which of us is the more charged, the more shaken, the more disturbed, the more pulsating, the more simmering, the more throbbing, the more constricted, and the more bursting at the veins, since it is incorrect to pass judgment on anything without first subjecting it to thorough investigation and examination.” And he (ecstatic by now with passion and joy) says, “What truly truly truly excellent words you have spoken! At the same time, though, given that a person, while unaware of his own condition, may find it natural to notice in another what he does not in himself, this examination ought to be reciprocal, or in other words . . . ” and here she interrupts him, saying, “I take your meaning, which is self-evident and calls for no explanation, and is just what I was going to say myself. So give me your hand and take mine”—and so it continues until their hands have roamed all over, groping and grasping, swiping and wiping, searching and seeking, poking and stroking, squeezing and teasing, clasping and parting, slapping and tickling, rooting and rummaging, delving and digging, rubbing and pinching. She (throbbing as never before) now says, “Come closer! Come closer! What you said has, for both cases, proven to be true” and he says to her, “May your wishes be granted and your efforts aided! How often have I raised my arms in prayer that I might hear this call reanimating, this tune intoxicating . . . !” “‘Was it on this,’ bursts in the lover, ‘we agreed when we parted? Was it for this you encouraged me to travel when you said one night, “It seems to me, good man, you are a little tired. Should you travel to a land where the air
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3.12.9
�ف �� ف� ��م ا ة �ي� س�ر�وح� �ور�
� �ذ � � ف �ف��ل� ��س�ا �ف ت ا ��ل ا �� ��� ّ �ة � آ � ن � � ق ط�ب�� ا �ل�ه� �و ء �ل�ع�ا د � ش����ا ��ط��ك ا � �ل��دي�� * ���ع�د �ن�ا ا �ل�ى �ل��ك ا �لن��عي�� و ر� �ى ر �ض ي م م ف ئ �� � �� � ا �ل�م ا ن ��ت � ف �� �ف ��ل خ � ��ا ن�� ت� �ه��ذه �ي � �ة ن � ��ت�غ� ا �ف ك� ح�ى �ي��ه ك�ي �� �م�ا �ش���� ت� ح��ل� �م��ك �ع��ل�ى ي�يب����ى ي �ل�و ل�ك ي��د � �مر � ت �ا ضآ �تت ا � � ّ � ح ك���ا � ا �ل� �ع� � � �ك�ن � �ن �� ا ئ � ن ا ��� ء * ا�ل�م �ي�� �ل�ى � ب���ض� ك���س� �ر ا �ل�� ��س � �و��ع� ��ط�ى �عل��م ج���س ا �ل�بن���ض� �و�ر �ان ت ّ ا � �ت�ز �ع �ي�ن ا �ن ه ض� ف � ا ��فت�ت��ع��ل��م ��ه �ه��ذ ا ا ��ل�عل��� ا ج��ل �م� � � �ل� � ��ي ��عل��� �ع��لي��ه * ���لي���ل * ���عي��� �ل� ��ي �ص��ل ى ب م م م ح � � ه � �ن ق �ل � �ة �ك�ن �ق�د ض��� �ف �ف ا ن�� ا ض��� �ف �ع��ل� ا �ن�ه ا ن� �ي�� ع� ب���سب��ب���ك * �و�ع�ه�د ى �ب� م �ب���ل ي��ل� � ع� � م� � ى ف � �ذ �ذ َ � ن ن غ �ق � �ن ف ف ف �ن ض ت َ ت � � ه�ك� ا ��ي����ع�ل ا�لم����ا ر��و� * � بو��مث���ل �ه� ا �عر��س�ن �ا �ل�ه � �� �بر�ا � � او � ����ا ��ض� � او ����ا ��ض� * ا � � � قآ � �ة � �ف ن تت ّ � ن خ� ن � ت ف ن ّ � ح�ا �ل� ا �لب ��و��س � ا �و� ا�لم��را ���ق ��و� * اي�ح�ل �ل��ك �م�ن ا لله ا � ����ن��ع��مى ا �ل�ا � � او �ن�ا ��ى � و �ل ش������� * ي � آ � ت ّ ن َ ُ َ ً � �ب� ���ط ا ج� � ّ��س��ي�ن ا ��ل�ع �و�ق� � او �ن ن�� �ع �ق� الجم ��كفِ� �م�ا ك� � ّ��س��ة ا ن� ب �ى �ع َر� �و ء * ا�ل� �ي�� ��� ت� ا �ق�ا ��س�ي �ه ى ِر ر ر م ن � � �ف �ز �غ � � � � ن ت ت ت ي�ن � � ح�ا * � او ر ج� �م�ع��ك ��ى ا �لب�ي��� � �� ا �لي��ه را � ح�� ك��� ا ��د �و �م ن��ه ك��ا د � ح�ا * �وك��ا ��� ع �َ �ن ت �ن ���� ه �مت ّ� ا ا ��ل ّ �ص� ��ل ا � ت ����ل�ه�ا �ع��ل ّ �ه�م�و�م��ك ك� ى * �ف ك ح���ك * ى * �و� �لْو�م��ك ك�ل� ��و�ج �ه� � ���� ا � � ب ر � �ّ �ت ة ��آ �ق ��ل�ا � ح���ك( � * )1ا ��ل�غ� � ��ل��ت ش ح�ا � ت � و �برد ( )1ا �ج� � ������عى * � او �ج� �ه�د �ل��ر��ت��عى * � ا ح� ت� ا ل�مر ا � ح�م�ل� ت� و ر� ج و ب ب ف��ا �ق � ت �أ � و �ع���ظ� ب���ط ن����ه�ا * �أ � ن ت � ّ ب ر تغ م ��لت��د �ف� �ى * � او �ق�� �لق� ��لت��ه�د �ى * � او ت�� جه �ّ��د �ل�ت�� جه � ���عى � * 1ا و �ح�ل �ل�م���د �ى * �ذ ّ � ا ن ّ �ذ ��ن ت ��ق �� � � ن � ا ا ن �ة �ة �خ �ة �ة ف ���ق��د ��تب��ي��ن ا �ل� � ا ��ي ن��ا �و ا �م�ا �ن� * �و�م�د ا �ه ن�� �و�ي��ا �ن� * � او ك��� ا �ول �ل�ك ا � ا �ل� �م� �� ن � � � � ��ف � ن �آ �ق ن �ف � � ��� �ه�ا ��ى ا �لر�ج��ا �ل * �ف�ا � ا �لر ج���ل ا �ب��د ا �م ش���غ� ��و�ل ا �لب��ا �ل * �مض� ���ع ض� �ى ا �ل����س� ا ��ل �م � ع � �ذ ��ّ ن � ا� � ��� ه � � �ف ه �ع�ن � ا ه �ش �ده � � ق �صر� ع����ل�ه * ه��ه �ع�ن ا �ل��ل�� ا ت� ك��د ه �و ج� ل� * و�ي � ا �ل� � حوا �ل * �ي�� � ه�و ر �� و لي ّ � ��ن ت ��ت�ق ���ي�ن � ا � ا �ل��م ا �ة ��ل�ا ��هّ ��له�ا ا ��ل�ا �تش ��� � ��ق ا ��ل ��ا ��ل * � ف�ت�ن��ت �ه� �ب��ه�ا ���فى �ك� ���ل � ح�ا �ل * ك��� ��ول� �ل� � و �ج � م � ر و ور ي� م ق ّ �ن �ة ئآ � ة ��ث � ش �ة آ � ا � �ت ف فّ � ��� ا�ل�م ا � ا ك��� ح���م� � � � ع� ط��ع� ا �ل�ى ا �ل�� � �� * � او ب���ع�د بل ر ر ح�� * � او ���ل � �ه�م� �ور�� * � او �مي���ل �� ب و ي آ ّ � � �ف ف � ف ن � ا �ل� ّ ة �ف �خ���ل�ق��ا �ع�ن ا �لت� ك� ض�ن �ا ��ى � ح��د��ي ث� ا �ل�و�ف�� * وم�ود � �� ���ل�� * ��ا � �ج��م�ع ن��ا ا �ل��د �هر �ي ��و�م�ا � او ��� � ف�آ � � ح � ا * � ا ظ ����ه ت �ف� ض � � ت���ك ب��م�ا ��ل�ا ��ت�ق��د ر �ي�ن �م�ع�ه �ع��ل ا ج��ل � � � ا � � � � � ل � ع � � � � � � � ل ج و � � او �ل�ص��� * ج�ج ر ب ر و � � ل ل ى ى � �ف ا ن ا ���� ت ا � ا ا ��ل � �ن �غ �ك� � ���ل �ذ ا ت� ��ن �ق��ا ب� * ا ��خل ��ا ئ�� ن��ا ت� ا ��ل �� ح��د ح�ا � ث��ا ت� * ا�لم�ا ئ�� ن��ا ت� ا �ل���ا د را ت� * � � ب ي � �ل� ج ّ � �ّ � � � �ذ � ّ � � � او �ل ك� ط� � او ��ل��ل ك�� ��ر�ة * � او �لي��د �ل��ل �� � �مب��ا د ر�ة * �ف�ا ا ا � ك م��ا �بر�ة * �ف�ا �ل�هرا �و�ة �ل��د �ى � � ح�ا ض� م��س�� ت� م م ّ � :1855 1ل��تت����ه���ج��د �ى.
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is good, your former vigor would return to you and we to our earlier happy state”? Was that just a trick of yours to make me leave so you could have a clear field in which to strut as you please and practice the science of measuring pulses and the motions of the limbs? Don’t I have a pulse, like everybody else, on which you could learn this noble science, or would you claim it has grown so weak it will no longer serve to learn on—when, if it is indeed weak, it is so because of you, and when I know that, prior to our wedding night, it throbbed, shook, and wagged? Do lovers thus act when far apart, is this how each betrays his counterpart? Does God condone for you a life of luxury while I know hard times and misery? Wantonly you feel men’s pulses while my brow is covered in sweat; indeed, with an onset of feverish chills I fret. Were they not enough, my sufferings with you at home, when I’d leave in the morning to toil and return worn out, you’d vent all your worries upon me, and all your reproaches at me you’d spout? To keep you in comfort I wore myself to a sliver, I went without sleep because you were soon to deliver.(1) I tired myself out that you might eat, worked hard that you might enjoy a life that was sweet, went cold that you might be warm, worried that you might be calm, kept vigil that you might sleep a portion of the night, grew thin that your belly with food might grow tight. Now it’s clear which of us is faithful, which a hypocrite and ungrateful. Back then I’d tell you
(1) ajaḥḥat al-marʾah (“the woman approached term”) means “she conceived and came close to her time and her belly grew large.”
honesty’s a rarer thing in women than in the male, for men are always preoccupied, their situation frail. They’re distracted from pleasure, for work and toil they must, and good sense and brains turn them from lust. Women have no worries but how to excite longing and stir dissension among men, with no regard for where or when. You’d reply, “Not so. In fact women are more respectable and modest, less greedy and dishonest, more given by nature to chastity, further by inborn temper from hypocrisy.” If, then, fate should ever reunite us and we talk at large of loyalty, of affection and sincerity, I’ll give you arguments against which you cannot prevail and demonstrate how far superior is a man to any who wear the veil—those treacherous treasonists, those fibbing fabulists. And if you hold fast to denial and disdain, the cudgel will be there to make sure you’re whomped, as will the hand, to slaps and punches ever prompt, and if you grab my forelock or the front of my gown, and broadcast my shame all over town, I’ll hang you like a crucifix from a
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��ع��ل ت� ��ل��ك �م�ن ب�� ن��ا �صي����ت ا �و �ج�ي � * � او �ذ �ع ت� �ب��ي�ن ا ج��ل ��ي�را ن� �ع�ي �ى * ج� ى بى ب � �ذ�أ � � �ذ � � � �ن �خ ت ا �ل��ش����ا � �ص��ل�ي��ا * ا �و�م�ن ا �ل�� ��ط � �ص����ا(� )1و�م�� � ��ط ب����ا �ل�ه �ل��ك �ه�ا �� ج ب ب ب ب ى ر ي ج � � ّ � ف �ف � ق ن � � ��ه ا ��ل�غ� �ظ� ��� �ك� ��� �ه��ا � * � � د �ل � ��ط�� ا �ل� ����ت��ه �م� ا لع ح�ه ��ا �� * �ي������ل ب� �ر� ب ي ل ي �ج و و �و �ي ي ر ى ب ي ع ج ج �ذ �ق ا � �غ � ن ��ل��ل ن �ف �ا � ف ة ح�ا �و�ص�ف��ا ��ؤه �ت � �ير * � �ل ��ي ر ا � � � �ك�د ا �تر� ح�ز � ��ى �مب��ا د �ئ�ه ��ا �ئ��د� * �و��هى �ود �ش � �� او رد ا �ل� �م�ا �ل � � �ك�ن ا ��ل��ا ��ل * �ع�ن ا ��ل ا �ل�م�غ� ر�ة � او ��ل�ا �م�ا ���نى الم ح�ا ��ل��ة ا ��ل�ى �م ا � ا �لب��ص�ي�ر�ة � او ��لر�ش���د * ب� � حي� ث� ي���س�� � حو� � � ع � � ل ب � ر م ى رح �ف� �� � ن �ف � �ن � ا � ا � � ت ��ق ّ ��ل ا � ال�م ا � ��ل �ذ ا ا ش ت � �ق �ل� ح� �ل * �و ��س� ر ا � �م� او رد � ح� �ل * �ع��ل � ط� ا �ل�� ��سع ا �ل� ح�ت�ي � �ل * � او �ى �ه� ���ر� ب� ��و�ى ي �ى م �أُ �ن َ فَ �� َّ ��ز ن ن ن� ً � ا ن �ق� ��ص�د ه ه��ا � �ور ب� ح �ٍ ��ي � �صو� ا � �ل��ل ب� �ع ��س���ه ك��م� ��ي � �صو� ِا ��آ ء � او �� ي � ا ا ��ن �ق� ض� � �ن � ��ذ ا �ذ ا ت ا ل� � �ع � � ّ ا ن ت �م��ت�د�أه �و م� ��ى ع �ل� � �ه�وى ج��لا �� ي س�� � ���غا ��ي ��ه �ع��ن�د �ى �و� ب
�ذ�أَ �ذ ْ ق ط و اط ( )1ي������ا ل َ �أ �غَ �ز �ع��ط �ظ � ت � و د � � ت� و و �زَ َ �ذ�أ ت �ذَ َ ت ت � و �ع�� و �ع�� و �ز ت �أ ت ن �خ ن ق و ر � و ��س� � ب���م�ع�ى ����
� � �خ � �ف ث �ة � ن � حوا ��ل * ا ��ل�ا �و��ل ���فى �مب��ا د �ى ا ��ل ق��ا �ل � او ر �و�ق� ا �ل�ا �ف ك� ��ا ر � او �ب��د �ع�ه�ا �م�ا ي� ��طر ��ى ���لث�� ا �� ح�ز � َُ � او ��لث��ا ���نى ���فى ا �� �ف�ل ا ��ش� ��قب�ي��� ا ��ل ن��و� * � او ��لث��ا ��ل ث� ���فى ب���� ت� ا ��خل ��ل��آ * ف��ا ن� �ه��ذه ا ��ل ح�ا ��ل �ل�م�ا ك� � ���ا ن�� ت� ل ر ي م آ ت ّ ت � � � �ذ �ة ّ � ��ا ��ث�ف�� �ت�ت��ن ���ف �� �عن ���ا ن� �ه� ا ا �ل�� � �عب��ا ر�ة �ع�ن � �ه�ا ا �ل�ا �م�ع�� � او �ل�ا �ع�ف��ا �� * ك� ح��لي���ل �م� او د �مت� ك� � ح�لي���ل س ج ت ّ � �ف ّ �ف � � �غ �ق ت ا ح�د� � � او ��لت�ن ���ف �� ا ��س�ف���ل �م�و�ث ار ���فى � ح��لي���ل �م�ا ��ت�ع�ق��د ��ى �� ب � ط�ق��ا ت� ا �ل��د �م�ا ا �ل�ع�لي�� ��ى �و�� � او � س ُ � � ف �ذ � ّ �ن �ن ف ���ا �بل خ� ا �صَور �ص�ع�د ا * ك� �و� ك� م��ا � � او � ح��د * �ي���ك�و� ب���ع��ض� ا �لم� او د ا �هب��ا ��س���ل�ا � بو���ع��ض� ا �ل� � �� ر � � �ذ ف ح�ّ�ص� �م�ن ح�ا ��ا �م�ا ���ط ا * ف���ق��د �ع ��ف ت� �م�م�ا �م ّ ا �ن�ه ��ي ت� � عق��د ���س ا �ل�� �ى ��ي �ص�ع�د �م�ن ا �ل�ا ر��ض� �ي�� � ل �ب ر ر ر ��ل�ز ن �ن � ف ئ ا � ا ت�� ّ � �ذ � � � � ا ن � �ف � �ف ا� ح � �م ا � �ل �� او ���د �م� �ل� ��ي ح��ص�ل �م�ن ا � �ل رح� * �ل� � ا � �ل رح� ��ي ب��ع ث� �ع��ل�ى ا �ل��طي�� ش��� � او �ل�� �ه�و�ل آ ا ة �ن �ت ّ � � �ف � ا ا � نتش ة ف ت ت �خ � ن �ف �و� ش����� ت� ا �ل� �وا ��طر ��ى ا �ه� او ء ا �ل �� ��س � او �و ��ط� ر�ه� ا�لم������ر� * � � �ه�و �عب�� ر� �ع ��ع�د د ا �ه� �و آ ّ ض � �ذ �ت�ف ق خ ���ا ن� ج���ّ ا ��ل�ع��ل�م�� ء �م�ن �وا ���ط * � او ��ل ح�ز ن� �عب��ا ر�ة �ع�ن �� ّ�م�ه�ا �و �ل�م�ه�ا * �و�ل�ه� ا ك� � ل � �و � ر�ي��� �� ر � قّ � �ن�غ �ف � ف �ا ن � ن � ئ � ا �غ آ � ت ف ا �ل�ص�ع�ا �لي���ك ا �ل بم��ت����س��ي�ن * �و���ل �م�ن � ب�� ��ى ا�لم�ع�ا ر�� �م�ن ا �ل� � �ن�ي �� � او�لم��ر���ي�ن * ا �ل� ا � �ي���كو� �غ �ف � ن ط��ا �ع�ه� �ن��و �م�ن ا ��ل�ز �ه�د � او ��ل�ع�ز �و�ف� ا �ل�م�ق���تر ن� ��ا ��ل ح�ز ن� * ق��ا ��ل � او � � ق��د �ر��س ��ى �� ح��س�ن �م�ا ���س� � ب ب م ع ح ث ��ش �� �ن ��خل � � ن ن ح ش �ة ف ا �ق خ �ز ا ا �ن �ن � � � ا �ل ���ا ن� �ع ب� �� او �ع� ا ج� �وا ��طرا ن��م�ا ك� � ا� �� � * �و�� ل�ى �م ا �� ح ا � * ا �م� �م �و����� �ر � و ج
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A Voyage and a Conversation
nail, or throttle you till you wail.(1)’ When these thoughts waylay him, his anger stirs him to a frenzy, and he wishes he could fly home in a cloud of dust, his joy being turned to grief, his mind nonplussed. “Despite which,” went on the Fāriyāq, “sorrow is, in principle, beneficial. It prevents random but seductive hopes and desires from driving out insight and good sense. This
(1) One says dhaʾaṭa, of which the verbal noun [as here] is dhaʾṭ, [and also] zaʿaṭa, ẓaʾaṭa, daghata, dhaʾata, dhaʿata, zaʿata, zarata, and saʾata, all meaning “he throttled.”
calms the mind and prevents it from mooning about at the water holes of the 3.12.10 inconceivable, and things settle down to a point at which the soul can wean itself from the unachievable. I allude to this in the following verses of mine: Many a sorrow has saved the heart from silliness As rust conserves a pot whose metal’s thinning. All one to me are love’s raptures, so quickly passed, Come they at its end or its beginning.” He continued, “The clearest and most creative thoughts are those that occur during one of three states: the first is at the onset of sorrow, the second in bed just before falling asleep, and the third in the latrine. The last involves the breakdown of concentrated matters exhaled by the bowels and the intestines and this breakdown and exhalation taking place in the lower part has the effect of breaking down, at the same time and place, whatever may have coagulated in the higher folds of the brain. Some of this matter then departs in a downward direction while some of the images formed by the brain rise, like steam rising from the earth to thicken into a raincloud. “From the preceding you will have worked out that more benefits result 3.12.11 from sorrow than from joy, because joy, which consists of a proliferation of fancies and dispersal of thoughts, incites to lightheadedness, distractedness, and the scattered distribution of thoughts among the fancies of the soul and its disparate desires. Sorrow, on the other hand, consists of their ingathering and collection, which is why most scholars have been impoverished tramps and few of those who have excelled at intellectual pursuits have been rich or comfortably off, unless some kind of asceticism and abstemiousness, accompanied by sorrow, happens to have taken root in their constitutions.” He went on, “The best ideas that have occurred to me have been occasioned by unhappy presentiments and grief-inspired sentiments, due either to the loneliness of separation or to disappointment and deprivation, or to envy
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�ف �� ف� ��م ا ة �ي� س�ر�وح� �ور�
�ة �ة ّ � ا �� � �ث � �ة �ف �ا ا �� � ّ حر�م�ا ن� * ا �و �م�ن � ا �و �م�ن خ��بي�� �و� ح��س�د �ع��ل�ى�عل��� � بو� ار �ع� ا �م�ا �ع��ل�ى م� ل و ر و �ل * ل�له � �م م آ � �ذ � �آ � ن ���ا �ن ش����� �م�د ا ر�� �و�م��ؤ ا ��س�ا �ة ��م ت ح��ا �� * � او ���نى ��ل�ا ج�ع ���ا ن� لم�ص���ل ا ا ك� ح��ة ك� � ب� �م�ن �ه�و �ل� ا �لر�هب��ا � س ج � ا �ث ة � ا ن ��ف ا ح��د �من �ن�غ ��ف � ح ش�����ة � او ��ل �ف�ا ��ن �ه� �م�ع�م�ا ��ه ف�ي��ه �م�ن ا �� �لو� حر�م� � �م� ا � � �ه�م � ب�� �ى �عل��م ا �و �م� ر� * �و�ل�و م م � �أ ت � �ن � ن ث �ّ �َ َ �ن ُ � �خ� ي�ن ق ا �ة �ف ت ��� ت� را �هب��ا �لم�ل� � ا �ل��د �ير � ��ظ���م�ا � �و��را � او � �ل � �ع��ل� ا �ل�ع�د ��س �و� ك ح�ده �م��س�� �م��� �م� * ى �� ف � � ش �ذ �خ ا �ف � ت� ت ا ا �� �غ� ا �� � ا ّ �ة � ت ش ت ح�ه� ل ي�� �ض ا�لم�د�ه� �م� �لي�� ����عر�ى ك�ي ��� ي��م��ك�ن �لب�����ر ا ا ��ل� ��ى �ص�و�م�ع��ه �ورا ى � ش � � م���ّ� �ة �ن � ا �� �� ش ا � خ �ة �� ح ا ��ل��س�ا �ج��ى � او ج��ل ا ��ل� �م� ا �ل ك�لل� �وا ر�ى ا�لم�� ش���ئ��ا ت� * �و�ع�ن ي��م�ي�ن �ه �و���م�ا �ل�ه ا �ج�ل ب�� ل ا ل���� �� �و ب�ر ا ��لث�� ��ف �ق � ق � ا ��ف � ن ا �ز � � �ق ا ن ق ض �ن ا ��� � �و �و�ه ا �لر�ي�� �ب� ��ل ع ا �ل�ص� �ى � او �م� �م�ه ا � �ل ر�ى � او�لم�� �ل * ا � ��ي�����ى � �ه� ره ك��ل�ه �و�ه�و ج ّ ت �ن ن ت ا � ف ��ن ظ �� �ن ش ُ � ت ث�آ �ت ّ �� ض � � � � � �ك �عي��� ي��ه � * ( )1ا ر �ض � ه � � � � � � ل � � � � � � � م م � �� � � ���ك( )1وي �� ب� �يو�مط�ى يوم�ل�د ع�د � �ير�م��� و�ير� د و� � ي�� و � �غ� ض م �م������ه���م�ا و ف�ت����� �ح�ه���م�ا � � ت � �ا �ص�د � ر �ّ � �ع�ن �س�م�ا ا ن� �م�ن � ح��س�ن ��س�ا �ك�ن��ا ت� ���ل�ك ا �ل��د �ي�ا ر �م�ا ي� ش���ر� ا �ل� �و �ل� � ي ر و�ي وح ح �ف ت �ذ � � ن ا �ظ �� ا ��ل��ه�� �ة � �ت � �آ � ن ّ � ا �لب��ا ��ل * �ف�ا ا ك� ���ا ن�� ت� �ه��ذه ا�لم�� � ر ب � ي ج � ك ����ل�ه�ا � � ي�ه�� � �ه�و �ل� ا �ل����س�ا ك �ع��ل�ى �ت�ا �لي ��� ك����ا ب� ج � �ذ ن �ث ف ّ ش � ني�ن �ق �ّف � ��ف � م�� ض�ن � �س �ه�ج� � � ا � � ه � ا ا � � �ه�ا * �ه� ا � او � ك����ي�را �م�ن ال ج � �� �ك �و� �د ل ��و و � �ى ل� ��ا �ى ����ى ب���ع�د�ه�ا ��ي � ي م آ � �ج�ز �عن�ه�ا �س��ا ن� ا �� �لق��ص� ا ��ل� ��س��ع��ة * �ف�ا �م�ا �م�ا ق���� �ع�ن �ع��د ا لله ب��ن �ت�� ��لي��ف� �ب��د �ي��ع��ة * ��ي�ع � � � ك ر ي � ب ي و و ل �ف ا ن اّ � � ���ا ن� ��ي ن �ظ� ��� ا ��ل�ى ا � او ���نى د ا ره �و� ش���ّ��ه ���ه�ا ف���ل���� �ك� ا �ل�م�ع��ت�ز �م�ن ا �ن�ه ك� ���ل �عب��د ك��عب��د ا لله * � �� ر ي ب ب ي س ح ش�����ة ا �� �ف�ل ا ق �ت ث ����ل�م�ا �ز ا د �ث ار ��ه �ق�� ج�� ا � ح�ا ��ص� ا ن� �و� ��ل �نر�ى ا ��ل ن��ا ��س ا ��ل�ا ن� ك� ر �� � ب��ع� ١٢،١٢،٣ ح� �هم * � او � ل م ل ��خل � � � �ن � ق �ة � � ���ذ � � ا �� ّ � ا ��ل ه ن � ا ��ا ��طر �ع��ل� ا ب��ت� ك� ا ��ا ر ا�لم�ع�ا ��ى ا �ل��د �ي��ق�� * �وك�� �ل�ك ل� � ار � � او �ل� �ع ار ��ض� � او �لم���طل� �ص�د و ��ج ى � �� �ك�ن � ��م � �ش ف � ا ���� �� ن� � ا ��ل��د ��ل�ا ��ل � ا ��ل�ت ن م�� � او ��لت��ع�ز�ز �م�ن ���ط �ف� الم � � � � ل� ح * �� � ل �� � � ح� �صو�ل و و � او �ل�عت�� ب� � او �ل و و ب ب و ر ي س ع آ ثً ا ��لن ظ �� �ت ّ � ح ا� ّ � � ح�ا ��ص� ا �غ� � ا ��ل م ح���� ب���جه �ه��ذ ا ا ��ل � � � � � * ا �و ��ع�م�د ا � �ف�ل ار �ق� ب���ع��ا ��ل�ه ه ه � � � � ح�� �م�ل ل� �ع��ل�ى � ب ب ل ي ر ر ب م ف ا � � � �ن � ش �ق � � �ة �ف ا ن � �ن ه ا �آ ت ه � ن ق ا � � � � ا � �ل �ع��ل�ى �و�ص�� �م� ي ج �ده م ا �ل � ���و� � او �ل�ل�و�ع� * � � ا ح��س � م� �ج � � ب� م�� د �ير د و� ّ �ن �ف � ن � ا ش قي�ن � �ت�ز ي�ن �ق � � ف و �� �ل * ا �ن�ه ( )2ت���ق���ا ���س�ا ب� ش����عو ر �ه�م�ا ��ت�ع ّر��ض� �ل�ه * �و�ه�ا ا �ن�ا ا �بر�ى � � ���سى ع��د ا �ل�ع� ������� � او�لم� �و�ج��� � ا و ف ف ت �و ا ��ثب��ا و ���ق����س ��لا ن�ا �ف �ق � �� � ش �ة �ذ � � ن� � ش �ة ت � �ف ق �ذ ف ا ا �ج�رى ب�ي��� ك�� ��س���لا ح���� * ا �و �ج � ب��ه ب� ش����عر ه � �و ح���� ا �و ج�ب�� ا � �ل ار �� * ا �و ار � ا �و ج ب� ا ل�و م �ه� �ت ف �ق ن ّ و م�ا ي����ا ��س�ا � * �� � ا � ا � �� ا ا �عت �ا � ا ��ت�ق ا ��ف ا ��ت�ف ا ��ق �ص�د ا �و �ج�ه ل دا � � � � � �را �و ج � � * و �ج � ل و ��ل � * و �� ��س و �� ��س()2 � ج ج 230
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of some knowledge or skill—but of money or wealth, never, unless it were for a good deed, such as the construction of schools or the charitable support of some needy person. I am truly amazed at all those monks, not one of whom, for all the loneliness and deprivation that they experience, has ever shone as a scholar or left behind him any legacy. If I were a monk, I’d fill the monastery with verse and prose and write fifty maqāmahs on lentils alone. I wish I knew how it is possible for any man alone in his cell, with the rich, fragrant, dark green forests, tranquil sea, and ships in full sail below him, the towering, snowcapped mountains to his right and left, the cloudless empyrean above him, and the villages and houses before him, to spend his whole day winking and blinking,(1) yawning, stretching, and limbering up his stomach without writing a word of prose or poetry, especially given that the beauty of the women of these lands has the capacity to induce serenity and peace of mind.
(1) arḍaka ʿaynayh (“he blinked his eyes”) means “he opened and closed them.”
If all these magnificent scenes do not inspire those ascetics to write a book, what else can? Moreover, many prisoners while in dire straits have written exquisite works of which residents of vast palaces are incapable. As for ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Muʿtazz,129 of whom it is said that he would look at the pots and pans in his house and use them to make similes, I can say only that not every slave is an ʿAbd Allāh.130 Thus we observe that nowadays, as people’s wealth increases, their wit decreases. “In sum, the loneliness of separation incites the heart to come up with 3.12.12 finely tuned tropes, and the same is true of rejection, abandonment, avoidance, shilly-shallying, reproach, scornful looks, coquetry, aloofness, and prideful behavior on the part of the beloved. The intention, however, is not to seduce the beloved into abandoning his lover as a way to make the latter write poetry, or into deliberately going away as a way of inciting him to describe the longing and agony that he feels, for the best such descriptions are the ones that fate brings, not those we chase after. I now hereby declare my innocence before lovers and married couples alike and say: should any separation imposed by loneliness, or loneliness imposed by separation, or any rejection, coldness, or stubborn dissension, any argument or contention, any hair clasping or grasping,(2) or any wrestling involving tripping, flipping, head drops, pinning the other to the mat, catching-ascatch-can, takedowns, catching the other off guard or
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(2) taqāfasā bi-shuʿūrihimā (“they clasped each other by their hair”); faqasa fulānan means “he pulled so-and-so downward by his hair”, from which [the verb of reciprocity] tafāqasā.
�ف �� ف� ��م ا ة �ي� س�ر�وح� �ور�
ا � شَ �غْ ّ �ة � ش �غ�ز �ة � �ق �� َّ � ا � ا � � ش ة � ظُ � ّ�ة � �ة �ه�ا ر�ي� � او�لمب��ا ء �ش��� 1 ا �و � �ص ارع �ب� �ل���� بر��ي�� � او �ل���� ب��ي�� � او � �ل ر�بط��ى � او �لِ� �ل�ه� د � او �ل�د �ه���ر� � او �ل�� � � ن ّ �ف � ا ��ل �أ ��ش � ا ��ل�ُ ْ ض �ة � ا ��لنُ�قَ � ا �ل� ا ��سغ� �ة � ا ��لت� ن�� ُّ �ف �ت ُّ ق � ا ت ق ا � ��ف ا و ب�� � و عر� ��� و ����ض� و�مر �� و ى ��ى ��س� � او �ل��عر�� � او �ل� �ع���� �ل �م� �ي���كو� �ع��ل� � ّ � � ��ل�ا � ا �� �لف��ا ر��ا �ق� �و�ق�د ا � �ذ ��ل��ك �عت��ا ب� �و �ل�ا �م�ل�ا � * ا ��ن ت� ك�� ح��س�ن ف�ي��ه * ا �ل�ا ا �ن�ه �ل� ي� ح�� ِك ي �ه�ى م م م �� � � � �ة ��ز ن َ �خَ ��ث � ا ق� ���ا ن� �ع ن��د ا ��ل �ع�ن ��ن ��ف ��س�ه ا �ن�ه ك� ح��ل� ح � �ج��زِ �ع�ا �ِر�ع�ا ك���ي�ر ا �ل�و��س� �و��س � او �ل�ه� او ج���س ��لي���ل ا ل ي � �ف � � ا ��لت � � �غ � �ث ا ت ا �� ا � � � ا �ُ ض ّ � ة � �ع��ل� �م�ا ��ى ��ن ��ف ��س�ه * �ف�ا �ن�ه �ل� �ت � � �ك�د ا ر��ض� ا �ل ر� و ��د ب�ير ��ي ر � ب��� لر ى و �ل� م� �� ب ى م �ج�ز�ي آ �ت�غ ن � ت � ف ق ش � �ن � ن � �ن � ه�ن ن غ ا ن �ت �ه�ن * �ه�ن �ع � ��ي� ب� �ع��ه ح�ى ��ط� ��� ي������ك�و �م ا �ل����س� �و�م �ب� ��طر� �ع��د ��ي�� ب� ب��� �عو�ل � �ف ���خل � �ز ت ف ق ا � ا � ا ا � � تش � حش ����سم�ع�ه ا �ر�ج �ى �و �و�ج� ��ه ����� �ل� �ل�ه �م� �ب� �ل�ك ������ �و�ف� �ع��لي���ك �م�ن ��ت�عب��ي�ر ا �� �لو� ��كو �ل�ا خ� �� � � � �ذ � �غ ت ض � ن ش �آ ف ا � �ّ � � ّ �ة ق � �م�د�ة ا �ل�� �فس� رك� �� ك�� � ا � ���� ا لله ��ل� ا حل��� ا �ل�ا ا �ل�ا � ����ل�ه�ا * � او ا ب��ل� � ا ر� ح�ل�ا �م ا �لب�ي�� ن�� * ��ا �ل م م ف ا ��ن �� ت � ���ذ � � � �ن ا �� � ش � ا ا ��لج�ن � � �ن � ا ن ا ش ت س � � � � � ا ا ا ا � � ل � � م �ل� ���س * � �ى مع� ي ��وم ك� و و ج ��س� �م� �����ك� او ى م ل�وح��� �و �ل� � ب��ل �ذ � ّ � ّ �ة ف ّ ���ذ ا ا � � ا ا � � ا ���ذ � ا ك�� �� ا �و�ل�ع��ل� ا ر ج� �� �و �ل� ا �ج���د ا �لب��ت� * ���ل�م�ا ��س�م�ع ت� �� � او �ج���د ك�� ا ا �و �ل� ا �ج���د ك�� و �ل� ر ج ع ى ع ن ت �ذ � � �ز � ت ه ث ا ت �ز ا �ن �ة ��ق � �ن �ن ف ف � � � �غ� �م�ن ��طي�� ش�����ك ا � ���س� ء �ه�ا ���ق��ا �ل ت� �ل�ه * ��ه�ل ب���ل �ب�� �ل�ك �و�ج �� �� ر� �ب� �ي�� ��س ر م ا � � � �ي ��ل � � �ذ � � �ق ا �� �ق �� ف ظ�نّ ���ف ا ��ل ن����س��آ ا �ل�م��ت�ز � ��ا ت ي�ه�ن �م�ن ��ل��ك �م�ن ق�ب���ل� ا � ظ�نّ � � �د � ا �لر�ز�ي�ن * � * � � � ل ح�لي� و�ج ا �ل��� ى ى م نا ن ح�ن � ا ش � ا �ف ن �ذ �ز � ا � ه �� ��ف ّ ا خ �ق�ا ��ل ت� ��ل���� ت س� �ه��ذه ا ��خل �ة ن ���ل� �ع��د �� � م�ع� ���ر ا �ل� رج� � �ه� ا �و�ج��ى �م� ي � مر ري ب� �ى ي � � � َ �ف � ن � ّ � ��� �� غ � ا ح�ل�ا � ب� * �ق�ا �ل ا � ا �ل��س�ي �د �م ش���غ� ��و�ل �ب�ا �ل�ا � حي� ث� �ل� ��يب ��ق� ��ى را ��س�ه �م�و ض� ع ل���ي ر�ه� * ا �لي����س م م � � � � � ن � �ق �� اَ خْ�َ ن ا �ت� ن � ة ا �ذ �غ ن �ه�ا �ز �و�ج� �ه�ا * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ا �ن�ه ا ن� �ع�ا �ل ك�� م� ب�ير و� �ي ��ول � �و� �م� ���كو� ا�ل�م ار � �م� ا ا ��ا ب� �ع � م � ن �آ � ا �ذ �� ا ا �� ش � آ � ا �خ ��ذ ه ��ف �� ش ا� ان ��ا ن �ن �� ا � ��غ�ز � ا � ل � � � ل � � � � � ا � ا ا ا � ا ء � ��� ك� � ��سي ب�� و �ل� * ح� �ع��ل�ى ل����س� �ل� ���� عر �و � ك�ل م عر �ل� ي ��و � ب� �ى ك� م ���ذ � � �ذ ا � � ا � ت � ا � �ف ا �� ت � �في�ن �ة ا ت ّ ث ن �� ب��ي���م�ا ��ه ك�� �ل�ك ا ا �ب� �لير �ه� ج � ا �ل� �م� او � � � ��ض �طر��� ا �ل��س� � � �و�م� د � ا �ى �مي��د * ب ج م م ح ٌ ّ ّ �ذ �ة ة ق � � ت � � � � ن �ز � م��ا ��ه �م�د � ا ر���ع� ا ��ا � � �ف��ل � �ك��ل � ك� ح�ى ��ه�ل �ك��ل �م�ن رك��ا �ب��ه�ا �ع�م�ا �ورا ه �و��د ا �م�ه * � بو���ع�د ب يم م �� �ف� ا �ث ن � ش � � ا ��� غ� ا � � ن �ة � � ت �ه � ا ��ت� ن ش ا � ن �م �ت ئ ن بع ��و� ���� حب ��و� ب� ����س�و� * س �� ع��� �� م� ل �� م�د �� � � � � � �� ر ى ر ي و ب و �ي ب ير و و م �ج ي ع ْ�أَ مَ :1855 1ا ل ب��� ش�����ة.
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doing the same using a shorter word, trick moves, grappling, wrist gripping, hand grasping, headlocks, or leg falls befall you, no rebuke or blame accrues to me.” Here ended the Fāriyāq’s words (and how well he spoke them!). On the other hand, he omitted to say that when sad he was impatient 3.12.13 and infirm, much given to suspicions and misgivings, barely able to plot or plan, inconstant in his views, and incapable of keeping his thoughts to himself. Thus, almost before the island’s shoreline had had time to disappear, he started complaining about women and how they loved to play when their husbands were away. When they heard him, the Bag-man and his wife said to him, “What are you complaining about? You don’t need to worry about interpreting the monster131 for as long as the voyage lasts, and when I reach your homeland, God willing, I shall dream only straightforward dreams.” “It’s not of the monster or of devils that I complain,” he replied, “it’s of the human race, because today I heard such and such and suspected such and such and I may return to find such and such, or not find such and such, or not return and not find at all.” When the Bag-man’s wife heard him say this she said to him, all the fiends of Hell pouring from her nostrils, “Have you become so lightheaded as to cast suspicion on married women?” “Mild and moderate men have suspected as much about them before me,” he responded. “No such propensity exists among us Franks,” she replied. “My husband here would never harbor a doubt about me”—to which the Fāriyāq responded that the master was so preoccupied with his dreams there was no room left in his head for anything else: “Does not your learned Byron say, ‘How treacherous the wife, when her husband’s away?’” She replied, “He’s a poet, and the words of poets are not to be taken into account when judging women, unless they be erotic verses or love poetry.” Suddenly, while they were thus engaged, the wind stirred up the waves, 3.12.14 the ship shook and was violently convulsed, and everyone kept to his room for four days until none of the passengers could tell whether he was coming or going, and after a voyage of twelve days they reached the city of Beirut, hungry, tired, haggard, and near expired, with the Hag-ridden One waiting for the first chance in a long time for dreams to descend. On their entering the place, the first words in the lame dialect of its natives to assail their ears were those of the public crier to the effect that the people of the Mountain had thrown off the yoke of obedience to the viceroy of Egypt and taken up arms against him,132 throwing the city’s inhabitants into tumult and unrest, while
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� ف �ة �ن � � � ف �خ � � ن � � ا �� ا ��ل ت �ق ه� ���ط ا ��ل�ا � ا ح�ل� �م * ���ل�م�ا د ���ل� او ا �لب���ل��د ك���ا � ا �و�ل و ل�ه� � � �ي��ر� ب� ا �و�ل �ر�ص� �م ا �ل�د �هر �ل� ب �و ج � � � � �ق �خ��� � ق �ة مّ ن � ق �� ��ق �� ال خ � �ب��ر ا � ا ��ه�ل ا �ج�ل ب���ل �د ل �ع او �رب ���� �م�ا ��طر�� �م��س�ا �م�ع�ه�م �م�ن ك���ل�ا �م ا �ه��ل�ه�ا ا �لركي����ك �ول ت � � �ة �ف �ن � � �ة � � �صر �و�ج� نّ��د � او �ع��لي��ه * �ف ك� ��ض ��ط ا ��ا � ا ��ه�ل ا�لم�د ��ي ن�� ��ى �ش���غ� ب� � او � ر ب� * ا �ل��ط�ا �ع� �ل� او �ل�ى �م� ��ل� � �ف � � �� �ف ا اق �ة ��ل �وك� ���ا ن� دُ � او ر ا ب� حر � او � �ف�ل ار �ق� * �ل� �ي�ز �ل ي��مي��د � ا بر ��س ا � �ل�� ر�ي� �� * ��ص�ع�د ا ل�ى �ج� �ه� ا �ج� ب���ل م � ف �ق ظ � ا � ن �ة � � ا ي�ن ��مخ � ا �ف � � � اق �ه�ّو�ل �ع��لي��ه ا � �ل�ي�ر�ى ا �ه�ل�ه �����لى �ب� ���� �هر ا�لم�د ��ي �� � ك ح��د ��هم �ب�ا ��ط�ل� �� ع��س��ر ا �ل� �ه��ل�� ي�م� * � � � �ق ف � �ن ف ق �� � �ي�ز ق ب�� ن��د ��ي�ت�ه �� ��ط�ا ر � �ص�� ���لب��ه �م�ن � �ص�د ره �و�ل� د ���ل ب� ا �لم�ه�ّو�ل �ش���ي �ا * �ل��ك�ن ب���ع��ض� م � ث � � طف� ا لله ��ه � ا ��ن �ق���ذه �م�ن �يرت�ا � ��ل�ل�ا�ذ �ى � او ن� �ل�� ي� ح��ص�ل ��ل�ه �ب�ه �ف�ا �ئ��د�ة * �� �ل�� � ا �ل ن��ا �� � ب و م س ح م �ق ف �غ� �م��ن�ز �� ا �ه��ل�ه * ف���ل�م�ا �عل�� �ق�د � �م�ه �ع ن��د ا ��ه ا �� �ل�ق ���ة ا ق����ل ا ���س��ّل�م ن �ع��ل��ه �م�ث ن ا � �ل ��و�م �ب���ل ل � �م و �ل ري ب �و ي �و� ي ى ف ن �ن آ ف�ا ن ن �ظ �� � �� �من�ه� ��ل��ع�د �عه�ده ���ع�ا د ا ��ت ه� * �� � ا �ل����س�� ي�ه� � �وتج��ع � �وث�ل�ا ث� �ور��ا * � ك� ب � � � ب �إ �� � ��ي �� را �ل� م �ي ب م م بع �ُ�ق ْ ف آ �ف � ق ن �ت ا ��ك�ن ا تي�ن ق � ن ت ي�ن � � �ن ا �ن �ه�ن �م ك�� ��� � ���ع�د �ب�� �ي��د �ي�ه ا � �ل ر���ص� ء ا �و � �ي� ��� � �و�ي���ع�د � �ع��ل�ى ا �ل� ر��ض� * �م � آ � ش َْ � � �ق � �ة �� �ف ش � �ة ا �� �قَ ْ �فَ�ز ا ��ل�ه�ن��ق���ة ا �و ا ��ل�ا ر���ع�� ا �و ا � �ف�ل ���� ح��ة ا �و ا ��لب�� �ر�ث ���ط��ة ا �و ا �لب� ر� ��ط� ا �و ا �ل ر��� ��ط� ا �و ل�� � � ع �ى * ا �و ب ر ب َ �ق � ش �ز �ز ت � ة ة �ق � ق ف ف ت � ت � �صه�ا ا ا ا ا ��ثبْ���ا ا � ا � � ا م�� ج و ح��� ا ا �و ا �م��ع� ��س� ا �و ا ��س��ي���� ا ا �و ا ���ع� ء ��كقِ��ع�د� ا � �ل رد �و��هى ��مر� �مي�� � َْ فتش ف ّ ف �ا � ��س ا � ��ل�ا ��ت ه�ا �ع�ن � �ّم�ا � ا ة � �ف ن ��� � ي�ه�ا �ع�بي��ا * ��� �ه�ا� 1و �ل� �ير �ي�ن �� و ح�ه� * �و��هى �ع�ا د� اِ� �ل � ر وي � آ ث �ذ ض آ � � ���ا ن�� ت� ك� �ه�ا ��س� �و ك� ط���ة * �و� ��و�مئ�� ا �فر�غ �ع��لي��ه � او ك�� ���ر�ه�ن ��تب��د �ى �ث��د ي� ���ا �عب��ا ا � ���ل�� ا �و ��طر �� �ه � و �ي � ب ي � ا ئ �ف ق ا ئ �ة ا � ا ف ا ق ن ش ت ض ئ ق ئ �ة ق � �ن � � ���ح�ن �صر� � ����ي��ل�ا * ح��ل�ا * �و�م�ن ��ا ���ل� �و��د � �� ا�لم��س� ���ل �م �� ��ل� �م� �ل�ك �ي� � �ري� �� �ي �قَُ � � � � �غ � � ا � �ن ا �ن � �ق ق ت � ح�ن�ت��ك �ق�د ك�����ل � او �خ�ر�ى �م�ا �ل���س � � ح ت� * �و��ي�ر�ه�ا �و�ل��ط��ل�عت���ك ��د �بح� – و �ل� �س � �ك �د �ُ �فُ �� �َق َ�زَ � � ت ت ت ت ن ت ش ا � � ل ت ت � � � � ط � ل � � � � � ا ا ا � � � � � � � �ه��ك تِح� – و ر�ب����ك ِح� – و ��س� ر�يرك ح� – وب ���ر�ك ِح� – و�ج ب � َ شَ �ت نَّ � ُ ��قَ َ ق ش ��ف ت � ��ت��ق َّ � �ي�ن � �ل ق � � ق � � �� ت ت ت ت ت ا ��ق �� ن ت � � � � � �س � � � � � � � � � � � � � م ح� – و�� ��ك رح� – وع���ك ح� – وع� �ك جِح� – و � ��ك ح� َ�قْ ُ� � حق َ ت � ت���ك �� ط حّ ت� – � �ول� �جه ح ت� – �و ج�ع � ح ت� – �و�ذ ق� ن���ك ��� ���ي�ز �ت��ك ر���سِ� – �و�ش���ع ار �ت��ك ��ت �ص�ّو� ح� * َْ :1855 1ا �ل��فِ�� ن����ه�ا.
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the giddiness of sea and separation still had the Fāriyāq’s head in a state of perturbation. He set off upwards in the direction of the Mountain to see his family but on the outskirts of the city ran into an encampment of native soldiers, one of whom terrified the Fāriyāq by firing his rifle, sending half his heart flying from his breast, though adding nothing thereby to that of the terrifier133 (but some people enjoy putting themselves in harm’s way even if they gain nothing from doing so). Then God took pity on him and rescued him from that company, and he reached his family’s home. When news of his arrival reached the inhabitants of the village, they came to greet him in twos and threes and fours, and he looked at them and marveled at how old-fashioned their ways now seemed to him. The women, for instance, would come and sit on the ground in front of him, some squatting on their heels, some with their legs drawn up beneath them, some cross-legged, some with their legs spread wide, some staying at home,134 some on their shanks with their knees open, some placing their buttocks on the ground and resting their weight on their calves, some with their legs drawn up and wrapped in their garment, or resting their weight on their toes with their buttocks pressed against their heels, or with their weight distributed evenly over their thighs, or rubbing their bottoms on the ground, or as though ready to leap up, or sitting on their anuses like apes, while at the same time hiking up their shifts so that the cracks of their vaginas showed through their bloomers, which is a custom they’ve become used to and in which they see no shame; most also display their breasts, be those rounded and perky or long and pendulous or huge and sagging. That day he was deluged with questions. One woman would ask him, 3.12.15 “Fāriyāq, how come you’re so desiccated?” and another would say, “And how come you’re so emaciated?” and another, “What happened to your ugly mug to make it so unanimated?” and another, “And to your face that your looks are so devastated?” and another “And to your teeth that they’ve became so ensaffronated?” and another, “And to your brow that it’s become so pitted and excavated?” and another, “And to the tip of your nose that it’s become so incrassated?” and another, “And to your forehead that its become so striated?” and another, “And to your skin that it’s become so armor-plated?” and another, “And to your lip that it’s become so ulcerated?” and another, “And to your neck that it’s become so suppurated?” and another, “And to your eye that its lids have become so heavy-weighted?” and another, “And to your upright figure that it’s become so corrugated?” and another, “And to your
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آ � �ا ن ق ت �ق�ا ��ل �ف��ت ش����� �م ت� �م�ن �ه��ذه ا �� �لق �� ا ���فى �و�ق��ل ت� �ل�� ��ي ��قَ ���ع�د ��ت�ع�دد �ه��ذ ا ا ��ل ح ت� ا �ل� ا � ��ي����ل�ن � �و��ل�ك م ب� ب و َ َ �ة ق �ز ت ف ف ق � �خ � ح� � ت� * ث�� �ق�ا ��ل ت� � ا � � ة ن �ق�د �ن ك � �ه�ن ا �ي�ه �و�ه��ذه �ه ن�� ��د ا د � �ي���ك * �����ا �ل ت� ا �ر�ى و ح�د� �م � م ُ ث � �ة �ك��ا � �ق���لّ� ا ��ل ش ض�ن ��ع��ل�ن � �ق���لّ��ن ا �ْوه �و�ه��ذ ا �ش���ى ��ن �ق��� �م ن��� � � ه ه � � � � � � ع ����ا ر�ى ا �ل��س��ل�ع� * * �� � ك � م ج و �ي �ي ب �ي ر ب ص م � � � ق ق ة ف ف ق ت ن ط� �� � ا � ��ا � ا �ل��س � * ا �ي�ن ����له�ن � �ق���ل�ن ��ي ن��غ��م��ة � ا � � ا ا ا ا ا ا �ي�ن ح�د� �ي� �� ر�ي� �� �ي� �� ر�ي� �� ا ا �ل�� ب ور و و و رور �وك� � �ي ���ذ � � �ة �ذ قا � ف ن ا ت �ف � عق�� �� � ا ��ل��� ن �� ط� ���ط�ور * ا �ن��سي�� ت� �ي ��و� ك�� ا �و�لي��ل� ك�� �� ت� �م��سر�ورا �� ا * �� �ل � ك ا ب��ي�� ���ك ��ى ا �ل� � و ص و م �ة ض � � �خ ن ت �ف ا ��ن ه�ن � ا � ��م� ا �ن ت �ك��ا �ه�و ��� �لق� ���س�ا ���ل�ك ا �لب��ل�ا د * � � �ل� ��س��ه�ن �و��س�ل�ا �م� ��م�ا ئ�ر�ه�ن �ع�ن ا�لمن� ك ��ر �م بو َ َ ث �ا � ن ��� �ة ��� ��ا ���ي�ن �م�ن �ل�م�� ا ��ل ��ا �� � ا ��ل��د �ن�� �من �ه� �و��مم�ا ��س� ا �ل ُرك� ب� د �و� ا �ل َرك� ب� * ا �ل� ا �ن�ه ك����ر ت� يب س ر�ج ل و و � م ن ا �م ت ا � �� � �ة � �م��س�ا �ئ��ل�ه�ن �ع��ل� ّ * �و ���ط�ا ��ل �ق��ع�ود �ه�ن �ب��ي�ن �ي��د �ى * � او �� � ح� � او �ل�ا ��ن �ف� ا ح�� � ا ل�ى ا �ل ار � رد * ى ج �ف �ن آ � � � �ف � ن ض ا � � ح ا ��ث ن��ا �ع���ش ح�ا �ل �و �ل� � �و�م� �ذ ��ل��ك ��ج�م��ل�� ا �ل����س�� �م�و��� �ع��ل �ك� �س�م�ا �لم�ن �م��� �ع��لي��ه ��ى ا ب�ل�� � � ي ل � ى ر ر س س ى ع �ل� � � �ذ � � � ا � �ن ن ف �ن ح�ي�ت�ه � �ش�� ا ��ه ��ا �ل�م��س�ا ��ئ ت �ؤ ت ف�ن ه�ن � � � � � � � ا � � ا � � � ا � � � م � ل � � ي ��و م� د و� ر �ي � �ل � * �ل�و ��� ب ع�د �ه� ع�ه�د لط�وي�ل و �و رب ب آ ن �� ت ا � ا � ا � � �ق � ن ح�ق��ه �م�ن �ذ ��ل��ك ا �ذ �ى * �ق�ا ��ل � او ج�ع �ل�م�ا ��ل � ب� �م�ن �ذ �� � ا ��ن ك� � � � � ل�ك �ى �� رى �ل� مر �ي ع�د و� �ع��ل�ى � ا �ز ا ت�ز�أ ا � ح�ص�� � �ع ن��د ا ��ل ن�� � �ق�د � ن� �ف�� �ق�ه �ع��ل �ف ا ��ش � ا � � ا ��ل وم �ير و و �ى ر � و ح�د * �ورب��م� ا �ج��� � او �ب� �لب��ي ��ض� � او �ل� ر � ير و � ا ف� �ة � ا �ن ق ن �ا � � ا �� �ف�ل ا�خ� � ا ��ل�� � او ��ل��ل���ن �ع�ن ا ��حل د��ا �� �م�ن د �و� ش��� ار ب� �و �ل� ��ا ��كه� � �ل� � ��� * � ا ���له ب �م� م و ر و �ج ج � و �أً �ل و ر�ج � �م � � � �ذ �ف �خ ة ف �ق ق �ن ت �ت �ق ا ا ن ن ظ �����ا �ه � ��ا ا ���ع�د � او �ع��ل ا �ل � �ه�م * �و ر�ى ح�ص�ي�ر ���ل�ع� او ��ع� �ل�ه�م �ب� � �ل رب� �م��ه � ب� ���ى ب���مر �ى �م � ر �ى آ � �خ ��ف � ا �ز ئ ا � ا �ف� �ق ا ��ف �ز ه ا �ل � ق �ة ق �خ ح ا �م� م�ل� � ب���ع��ض� ���د �م�ه� ��ي���و� �ع��ل� ر �و��س�ه� ا ى �ب� ا ���ه� �ل� �و��ه� �و�ى � ع�� * � �و �ر �ى م م ى م غ � ف � �ة � � � � �غ ة ا � ت ن � � ش ن � ح��د ا �ل ن��ا �� ���ر �م��س����غ�ن ��� ا ����ا ر� ا �ل�ى ����ى ا �ل� �م�ي�ر � او �ل�ى ك�� �و�ه ك��ا � ج��بي��ه ا �ل��ط�ا ��س �م�ن �� ض� س ي ف � � � � ف �ع�ن ا ��ل��ل�عق � ا ��ل ش��� � * � �ه� �ق�ا �ع�د �م ���ط �ق� ��ل�ا ك��ت� ��ا ب� �ع ن��ده �ي� ��ط�ا �ل�ع�ه �و �ل�ا ���سم�ي�ر �ل�ه �ي����س�ا �مره �� و رب وو ر � ا آ � �ة � �ت � ا ا ت �ن � ن ا ��ذ ق قض �ا �ه� ر � �ه�ك� ا ب���ل �ي ��و�م�ا � او �ي�ا �م�ا �و �ل� �ير�ى �و �ل� � �ل� �ل�ه�و � ��ط �بر�ه * �و��د ��ي�����ى ��س� �ع� � �م ا �ل � ت ة �م�� �ع�ي�ن �ا ه � � ظ ����ل��� �ف ح�ت ��ت�ع ش � �ن �ا � �ره � �وت��ل��ق �� ��ن ��ف ��س�ه �و� � � �م�ع�د �ت�ه * � ك و حر��ض م ا �م ار � ا �ص�ل * ى � س �ي م
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hairs that they’ve become so bifurcated?” and another, “And to your backside that it’s become so exiguated?” and another, “And to your chin that it’s gotten so depilated?” and another, “And to your accent that it’s become so granulated?” The Fāriyāq continued, “I felt I was being jinxed by all these rhymes and thought, ‘All that’s left after their enumeration of all these words ending in -ated is for them to say, “And to your what’s-it, that it got so penetrated?”!’” Then one of the women said, “Huh! And here’s another trifle that got 3.12.16 added to you” and another, “Humph! And here’s something else that’s been subtracted” and they started turning him around and inspecting him like a buyer turning goods over before buying, all saying to one tune, “Fāriyāq! Fāriyāq! Where are the fun times we had with your tambour? Where are your verses on hair ribbons and the ṭanṭūr?135 Have you forgotten the day that . . . or the night when . . . ?” He went on, “I was happy with their good company and the freedom of their minds from any sin, this being the way the women of our country were created. They have no objection to being touched by a man or approaching them close, or to the meeting of knees, if not of pubes. Despite this, their questions to me were many and they stayed with me for a long time when I was in need of rest and to be alone. In any case, though, it is enjoyable to sit with women, especially if one has just spent twelve days at sea without seeing any, and if they pluck out one’s beard and mustache with their questions after all that time, no harm is done.” He continued, “Even stranger, I would observe the emirs sitting on rush 3.12.17 mats and lying down on them and going to sleep, all together on a single mat, and at times making do with eggs, rice, and milk in place of squabs, chickens, or hens and going without wine, fruit, or nuts. Their feet were visible, for when they sat down on a mat they’d take their footwear off and put it close to them, keeping it in sight. Also, one of their servants might be observed standing at (meaning next to, not on top of ) the head of one of them with a spoon in his belt and another with a silver drinking cup in the front of his robe, as a sign of how rich their emir was and how he belonged to that class of people that did not want for things to spoon or drink. Such an emir would sit there with his head bowed—no book to read, no companion to keep him company, no musical instrument to entertain him—and spend hours of the day thus occupied; indeed he might spend a whole day, or days, and never set eyes on a woman, till his eyes went blurry, his thoughts darkened, he got cross, and his stomach shriveled.
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� ن � � �ذ ��آ ت ا ��لن �ف �ة � ��ت�ف� ��ش � ا ���ز ا � ا �� �ف ا �خ� ة �ف�ا �ي�ن �ه� ا �م�ن �ج�م�ا ��ل�� ا �ل�ا �فر�� ا �ل ��تى �ت�ز�ي�ن �ب�ا �لمت� ك� �� � ��ي����س� و ر � ب� ل ر بى ل�� ر� س ج آ � ا �ت�ز � �� ت � � � ح��س�ا ن� �م��ق ��ل�ا ت� �ع��ل�ه�ا �م�د � ا ت� * ��ف�م�ن �ه��ف��� �تش��� ّ �ف�ه�ا ل � ا �و���و ��ط�ا �ب�ا �لن��ع�ا �ل * �و �ل� ا �ل بر ر� ي� ب ي �آ آ آ � �� �أ�ة � �م�ن غ�� �د�آ �� ��� �ف ���ة * � �م�ن د �ه��س�� ط� �ة * � �م�ن �ز �ه � ��ز ف� ن���ة * � �م�ن � ��ط��� ح ك��� � ب ب و و و و ب ر ر ب ��و�ط� * و ي� ب ر �� �ف � � ��ل � ف ��ض ا� ح��د ا �ل�ا �ج� ط�ا �ع��ة * ��م�ن ��ي �صب��ر �ع��ل� �ه��ذه ا � �� ح�ا �ل * �ي��ا ا �م�ي�ر ا �ل ن��ا د * �و � او � م�ا د * �ب� ج ى � � ا � � � ا ��م ا �� �� ا �� ��ي ن �ن ق �خ ��� ا ج��ل �وا د * �ورا �م�ى ا �ج��ل � � �ر��د �ع��ل�ى ا �ل�عب��ا د * ���ل �ل� د م�ك ح� �ل ل�ط� س � �� �ّ ��ع��لي���ك �ورا ك ب ي ِح �م�ن ا �م�ا � � * �� ا ��ل����سه�م�ا � ��ت��ا �� �م� ا ��ل �� �ا د ا ��ا �ف ن� ��ل�ت�ن �ظ ��� ا ��ا �م �آ �من� � خ �م�ا �ص �ي�ن ه � �ل م�ك ب �ل ب � و ع ل �عى �ى ب ل �ل ر� ر ج ر ر � �م � ض � � ئ ��ل�ا �ز � او �ج� �ه� � او �و ��ل�ا د ��ه ��س�ا ئ�ر �ي�ن �ب��ه� ا ��ل�ى ا �ل�م ن��ا �زه � او ��ل ح��دا � ��ق� �و�م� او � ��� ا �ل��ل�ه�و � او �ل��ل�ع ب� م م م ع ت ُ � � � �ز ق ن �ف ا ت � ّ نا �ن ��� � او �ل��طرب� * �و �ل� � حرج� �ه�ن ا �و ��ي �� ر��س ا �و � �ع��ل�ى ا � او �ج� �ه�م ا � �ي ب ��س�م�ن ا �و ي��م��ل�ن ا �ع�� � � ����ل�ن ا � ��ت����ا �ز�ي�ن � �ن �ف � �ن ح��د �ق��ل�ن ا �و ي� � �ن ��و� �ي ��وك�� ��ك�ن ا �و ي� ا �و حر�ج��ل ا �و ��ي� ر�ج��ل ا �و ��ي �هر�ج��ل ا �و ��ي �هرك� و ي ب َ �ة � َ ْ حت �ذ � ��ن � � ا � ا � � ا �ه ا ن � ��� �ف �� ُ ح�� حا * � ط� � او �و� ������ل� او ا �ع�ن��ه� �بر ��ؤ �� ا � ك � � � ك � ا ا ك � � � د � � �م * ع � � � � � ل ل � � ح � � ل�ل� ل �ي و و ب و � ى ر ير �ي ب ي م ي ى م � �َ � � � � � �ب�ا �ت�� او �لي���لت��ه� �ت��ل�ك �ع��ل� ا �ل� �وث�ي�ر �م�ن ا � �ف�ل ر��ش� �م� � �وث�ا ئ�ر��ه * �لي� ت� �ش���عر�ى �ل� �ل�ا ��ت �ض� �ّ ا �لي���ك �م� ى م م م ع ع م آ � �فّ ا ن � ا �� �ف�آ � ا ���� ا ��ت�ق �ة � ا �� ن�� ا ��ت�ق �ة � ا ��ل ا ��ن �ق �ة � ا �ل�َمَه ن �ة � ا �ل�مَن ا �ص�ف �ج��م��ل��ة �ه�و ��ل�� ء ا ��ل ه�� �� و � �� و �� � ح�� � و ل�و�ص�� و لب ��س� �� و ل ��س� �� و � ب �� َ َ �نَ َ � �ز ف � ا ح ش ا �� ��ذ�ي�ن � � ث �ة �ن �ف ���د � � او ��ل �ص�ف� � او ل ح�فَ��د � او �ل�م�ق��ا � ��و�ة � او ��خل � � او �ل� � ل� � حو�ل��ك ���لث�� � � ر�م�ن ا �ل�ع�ا ���ي�ن �ب�ا �ل� ت� � � �� � تِ م م � � � � �ا �ص�د �أ ��هّ ا �� �ل � ة � ا ت�ز � �ف �� ا �ل��طرب� * �يلج����ل� او �ع�ن �خ��ا ��طرك � ح��د� � او �ل� �ع�� ا �ل ��ى �ك��ل �ي ��و�م �ع ن��د ا �ل� � يص��ل� م و ْ �ف � آ �أ�ذ نْ �� ��ف ت � ا ف � � ا ن ت ا �ذ ن �� ��� ا �ن��ك ���ف ا ن ��ا �ت�� ا ��ه �أ� �ض ���ا ش� ل � � ل � � ا � �س� ا �و ��ى ا �ل�ع���� * �و � �ى �ى ع�ط� �ك �ل� � � � ج ي ر ى � ي و م �ي � � � � ف� � ا � � تخ ط��� * � د � ا ق ���ل��د غ��� ��� ت و � �ب ����ا �ئ��ك * و �ل��ك ب��ت��ا ��ي ي��د د �و�لت���ك * � �و�ي ��ط �ر�� او �ل��ط �ر��ك * ي��د ع � ك و و ب ي م ب ب � �� � ��ف ن ا � � �َ � ا ��ت ّ�ن ��ف �� ا � � �� ة �ت ق ئ �و���سم�و ا ر� ���ا ���ك * �و�ى ا � ا ��س� �ل�ك �ل� �ل� �ع�ي� �ى ا ل�ع� � عي��د ا �لم�و�ل�د ك ا �و �لم�و�ل�د ا �ل��س�ي �د� م م �� � ن � ف ت � ل � ا �و ا ��ل�ا �و ��ل�ا د الم حر�و��س��ي�ن * ف�ي��� ��كو ن� �ي��و� �ر� �و� � حب��ور �ل��ك �وج �مي�� �م�ن �ي�����مى ا �لي���ك * م ح ة َ فَ � ا �نََ�ق ع َ �ف � ّ � �ت �خ �ص��� ن ط�� ف�ي��ه �م�ا د �ب��ة � �وت��د �ع�و �إ �لي��ا د �ع�و� ج� حي� ث� � � ب �����ل�ى �ل� � � ر�ى * ا ��ي ��ي�ٍر ��ى ر�م�ى ع ت � � ت �ت � � �ن � ا�� ا ��ل � �و��د �م��ك ا �ل�عب��د ا ��ل � ���د � ا �ص�ا ��ت � ��ه ك� ����ف خ� � ح�ق��ي�ر ا �و ض� ��ر��س�ه ح�ى ��ع ��ط�ل�ه �ع ا �ل� �ك��ل �ج ري و ب ��ك ب � � ي ن آ � � ن ق � او ن�� ت� �ل�ا ٍه �ع�ن ا � ح��س�ن ا �لر�م�ى � او �ص� �وب�ه � او � �صرده � او �مر��ه * � او �� ت� � �م�ن �ه ن��ا ك �م�ن ا � 238
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“What a contrast with the salons of the Franks, which are adorned with 3.12.18 cushions of precious stuffs and spread with luxurious carpets that are trod by footwear and over which lovely women come and go! A slim-bellied lass may do them the honor of a step, a delicate maiden that of a skip, a radiant girl that of a twirl, a big-bosomed woman that of a shake, a big-buttocked one that of a tumble. Who then can put up with a state such as theirs? O emir of the gathering, member of the elite and thrower of the palm-branch javelin136 at the sons of men from the back of your horses fleet, tell your servant, the carrier of the cup, to remove your footwear from before you! Or better still, put it on and come with me to the lands of the Franks, there to see their emirs with their arms around the waists of their wives and children, proceeding with them to the parks, gardens, and other places of diversion, sport, and enjoyment. No guilt adheres to their wives if they smile or turn their heads or look people in the face or walk languidly or move their eyes here and there or run hither and thither or walk with their legs not close together or walk awkwardly or walk in a comely fashion or take long strides or fall down, nor to their children if they leap and have fun. Even if these emirs spend a sleepless night, they do so on comfortably made-up beds with their comfortably upholstered wives. Would that I knew why you do not add, to the number of these manservants, boy servants, lackeys and flunkeys, pageboys, domestics, valets and maids, assistants, majordomos and retainers who surround you, three players of stringed instruments to scour from your mind, every day in the late afternoon or during dinner, the rust of worry caused by your loneliness and isolation. “Permit me likewise to entreat you to allow your neighbors to come and 3.12.19 share with you in your enjoyment, that they may pray for the continued success of your governance, the continuation of your permanence, the immortalization of your felicity, and the sublimity of your upward mobility, and to ask you, why not set aside a day each year as a holiday to celebrate your birthday or that of your lady wife or your children, God protect them, as a day of joy and happiness for you and all who pertain to you on which you might hold a banquet and invite to it both commons and elite? Where’s the good in your throwing the palm-branch javelin and injuring your wretched enslaved page’s shoulder, or his molar, leaving him unable to eat? At it you will forget even the best, truest, most accurate, and deadliest of throws. At it you will be safe from anyone telling you, ‘Boo! Boo!’—quite the opposite: they’ll tell
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� � � ف ا �خ ا �ذ ا ق ا � � � َ ْ� � ح�ى �م � ق ا � � � َ ْ� ح�ى * �ه� ا �م� �ع�د ا ا �ي�ل� �م ا �ب� ��ط�ك ا � �ل�� �ر ��ي��� �ل �ل�ك ب�رح�ى �برح�ى ب���ل ��ي��� �ل �ل�ك �مر ر ي�ن � ��ف �ز ه ا �ل� � ق �ة � ���د * �و�م�ا ا �� �لف��ا �ئ��د�ة �م�ن � ��ق �ف ا ��خل ا ��ل�ع�ا ���ط � �م� ا ��ل � � �و��د � �ب�� �ي��د �ي�ك �و�ى � ح ا �م� م�ل�ع��� و �و� � ي م ر بر ى �ج ري ا �� �ق �ة � ا �� �ة � ن �ُ ّ � ق �خ �وا � ا �و �ع��ل�ى � ط�� ا �و ب��ي��ده ا �ل�ع��س � او � �ل��ع ب� ا �و �ع��ل�ى را ��س�ه ا �ل� �ص�د ره ل��ص�ع� � او �لب�� � ي ��� �م� ا ��ل��س �د�ة � ا � ��ل�ا د�ه�ا ا �و �ع��ل �ع�ا ��ت�ق��ه ا �ل�م�ا �ئ��د�ة ا �و �ع��ل �عن��ق��ه ا �� قِ�ل��د ر * � او ن�� ت� ��ل�ا �ت�ا �ك� �ي و و ل �ى �ى ع �أ ت �ذ ظ� � �ا ت� � � �ث �ت �ا �ا � ���ت �و �ل� �ت�ا �خ��� �و�ل��د ك � �و ض� �هرك �و �ل� ��ت� ��ط�ا ��ط� �ل�ه �لي��� ب� ���ع�ه �ع��ل�ى ركب�� ��ك * �و �ل� �حم��ل�ه �ع��ل�ى �� � ت �� � ا ��ت ا �ن ق ه � ا ت� �� � �ف ق � � ا �حت�� ه � � ا ت� ت ض�ن ه � � ا ��تت �خ � � � ه � � ه � � � � � د حول ل� � ك ��و�� را ��س��ك * و �ل� �ج ر و �ل� ح�� �� � و �ل� ��ورك� و �ل� ع� �� و �ل� � � ض � ت � �ن �ن ن ث ش ا � �ص��ع��ك ا �و ا ��ن �ف���ك �لي���� � �ليب� ��و��س��ك * �و �ل�ا � ك ح��ك �م����ه �م ا � �ي�� بع�� ب����� بر��ي��ك ا �و �ي��ع��ض� ا � ب �ت � � ��� �ش�� �ا ح��ك ا �ن�ا ق���لي��ل�ا �ف�ا ض�� ���ث��را * �و ��ل�ا � ��ط ح��س�ن ا ��لي��ه * �و ��ل�ا �ت�ا �ك� ��ع�م�ه ب����د ك �لي��ع �ف� ا �ن��ك ��م � � � ك ل ي ي �ي ر �� � � ش � � ا ��ت غ�� نّ �� ه ��ف ا ��ل��ل � �� � �ق ل � �� � ش ��ت�ق ه ا �م ا � �� ا �ت � � �� �� ه � � � �د � � ع � � ل ل ح�� � � ل � � � ل ر و ى ي ي � ل ى �م� �ي�ل�وك�ه * �و �ل� ركب�� �ع��ل�ى جح��� �و ��ود �ب� ج � ى َ آ آ ��ن�غ� ت � ف ق ��ف � �ص��ا � �ي� غ�� ن��ّ ��ل��ك غ�� ن��� ا ���ط � �م�ن غ�� ن��� ا �� ف�ل��ق� ن��ّ�� �و�م�ع��د � او �ى ا ��لَ� ّ�د ا � ل � ب ب ب �م��ك �ي ����و�م �ى ا � ب ح ى ر ب س ح � � ّا �ن � � � َ ثَْ ث �خ � ا ن �ن ا ن �ة ��زُّن ا � �ن �و��سِ � او ��ط � او �ل�ع��ع� �و��لي��ل� � �و�ع�مر�و ب� �ب� �� � او �ل �� �م �وم�م�د �ود ب� �عب��د ا �ل� او ��س ��ط ا �ل �بر� ��ى َْ َّا �ة �شَ� ُ � �ن ا � َُ �َ تي�ن ن �ة ع�ف�ز �و �ز ��ل�ز ��ل �و�ع ْ �ف�ا ن� � او �ج��ل � � � � � � � � � � � ا ا ا � �� � � � � � � ا ل � �� د م د � � � م � � � س �� �م � ��س ه� �� � ل ل م ب و و و و ر و �ج � � و ر ِر ب ى بي س ع ُ � � َ ْ � ش �ز ُ ن ا �ق ش َ � ش � ش � ب��ن ��س�يل��م�ن �ود � ور� ��ق � او ��ن �م طو��� � اوب��ن ���ر� � حر � او�لم����د �ود �و�ه�ا �� � ح�م�ا � ا �ل� ���� ر �و �� � ب � ي س قِ ي ي م ح � ش �ن � ن ا ��ل� ن َ َ � � � � � � �م�ن � ا �ل� او د �ى � او �بر�هي�� ا �لم�و�ص��ل� * � او ���ج� ح ك�� ط� ��ور ي�م��ى �و� � او �ل��د �ل�ا �ل ب��ن �عب��د ا �لن��عي�� � اوب� �� � � ب ى ى م م � م � ُُ � ت �� ُ ْ ُ �ي��د ا ت� � او ��ل�غ� � �� ا�لمغ��ن�� ال�جم � ا ��ل ن�� ا �ل�م�غ� � �ا ت� ال�جم ا ��ل نر�� �و�م�ن � �صو� �ك� �ي��د �و�مث���ل�ه � ع د � � ل ر م ن�ي ر�ي �ض ى ب ب م �غ �� ع� ب� * � �ر ���ض ا �ل�د � ب �ي � � � � �ز ا �ا ق �ت غ ن ت �ب�ا �ب�ا ه ��ا �ل �ل�ه �ب�اب �ى ا ��� * �و �ل� ��تب��ا ب��ئ��ه �و �ل� ����ا �ل�ه * � ا �ت ا غ ت خ ��ا �غ��م�ه � ث �و ��ل�ا ��ت ن��ا غ����ه �و �ل� � �� � � ه � � م � * * ح�ا د ��ه �ب��ص�و� ر�ي� ي ب ب م �أ � ئ � � ا �غ � ا �ن�ا د �غ��ه �غ��ا�ز ��ل�ه �ور��م ت� ا �ل ن��ا �ق��ة �و��ل��د�ه�ا �ع ��ط��ف ت� �ع��لي��ه �و �ل� ��ت ن��ا د ��ه �و �ل� �تر �م�ه * � �و�ل�ز �مت��ه *
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you, ‘Bravo! Bravo!’—not to mention from the pain caused by the throwing of the javelin to your sweet-smelling, high-class armpit. “And what benefit is there in your page standing before you with a spoon 3.12.20 in his belt or a tray on his head or a trencher and wine pitcher on his chest or a glass and a wooden cup in his hand or a table on his shoulder or an earthenware pot around his neck when you don’t eat with your lady wife and her children or take your son and put him on your knee, or carry him on your back, or bow your head so he can jump on top of it or place him in your lap or hug him, or carry him on your hip, or embrace him, or turn your cheek to him so he can kiss you, or let him play with your mustache or bite your finger or your nose so he can laugh a little (and I a lot), or feed him with your hand so he may feel that you are his benefactor, or eat something he has been chewing on, or mount him on a donkey foal and let him ride it, or sing to him at night so he may go to sleep to the sound of your voice and wake in the morning singing you a song more enchanting than that of the phoenix or of Maʿbad137 or Abū l-Baddāḥ or Siwāṭ or al-ʿAth ʿath or Khalīlān or ʿAmr ibn Bānah or al-Zunnām or Mamdūd ibn ʿAbd al-Wāsiṭ al-Rabbānī or Zalzal or ʿIrfān or al-Jarādatān or Ibnat ʿAfzar or Sallāmah or Shamūl or Ibn Jāmi ʿ al-Sahmī or Dubays or Raqīq or Ibn Muḥraz or al-Mashdūd or Hāshim ibn Sulaymān or Daḥmān al-Ashqar or Ṭuways or Ibn Shurayḥ or al-Dalāl ibn ʿAbd al-Naʿīm or Ibn Ṭunbūr al-Yamanī or Ḥakam al-Wādī or Ibrāhīm al-Mawṣilī or more heartrending than the runum or the voice of
runum are “celebrated women singers”; 3.12.21
any duʿbub gharīḍ,
gharīḍ means “a celebrated male singer” and duʿbub means the same
or tubaʾbiʾ him or speak
baʾbaʾahu means “he told him, ‘I would give
lovingly to him,
my father as your ransom!’”
or speak endearments to
bāghamahu means “he spoke to him in a ca-
him or tubāghim him,
ressing voice.”
or tunādigh him or tarʾam
nādaghahu means “he flirted with him” and
him,
raʾimat al-nāqah waladahā means “[the shecamel] displayed affection for her child, and she stayed close by it.”
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��ا و �ل� ��ا و �ل�
��ا و �ل� ��ا و �ل� ��ا و �ل� ��ا و �ل� ��ا و �ل�
�ف �� ف� ��م ا ة �ي� س�ر�وح� �ور�
�أ ُ �ن�غّ � ��ن��غ�ّ�زه � �خ��م ت� ا �ل��م �ة � ��ل��د�ه�ا ��ت ن��غ�ّ ه �و ��ل�ا �تَر�خ� �� ا � �صب�� د �غ��د �غ��ه ك� ل ه � � � م * ر و ور ى ر ر � ا ع��ت�ه * �ل� � ب � �ا ّ �ت ّ�ع�م�ه �م�� ُ ��ا �م�ه 1ا � � خ �م�ا ���ط�ه �غ��ي�ر ا ن� �ص�ا � � �ه�ي ن�� �ل�ه �و �ل� �تر�ع�م�ه * � رع �س ح ب� ى ر م � ق ا ح�خ� ّ � � �ص�ه �ب�ا �ل�م ار �ة ب���ل ا�لم�بت��ا د ر �م�ن �عب��ا ر�ت�ه ا �ن�ه �� � � � ا ل�� م�و س � � � ْ � � � �من�ه�م�ا � ر�ع�ا � ا �ل ُر�ع�م�و� �ل��ل�م ار �ة ا �ل ن��ا �ع�م��ة �ف�ا �ل� ف� �م���س ع ��و �مرج��و � م ح م � �ع��ل �ك� ���ل � ح�ا �ل * �ى ُ �ز � �زَ ّ � � �ز �ة ا ر �ز �م ت� ا ��ل ن��ا �ق��ة � * �تر � ِ�ل َر �مت��ه حن� ت� �ع��ل�ى �و�ل��د�ه�ا � او �لر �م� �ص�و ت� م � ا �ل� �ص� ب�ى * ��ت ت َ ت � �نّ� ث �ع��ل��ه ئ��م�ه � ا � ّ �نّ� ث ج� ج� ح��ه � �وت�� فل� � �ف� �ع��ل� ا �ل ش����ى � ا و ر��ه * � �ع��لي��ه * � � � و ر ي ب ي ي ى ت ت ف ��� � ا ��ل��ت��س�م� ت ��ت��ق ّ�م�ه � ��ل�ا ���س ّ�مت ا ��لت���ق �� ��ت�ع��لي�� ا ��ل�ا �ك� ه � (� )1فى ��عر ي���� ا �تل�ق��ر ي� ا ب���ه�ا � � و ر و ل م ي نم ريم م �ت ع��ل ّ ف��ا ن� ا �تل��ع��ل� �ه ن���ا ي� ح�م�ل ا � ي ى � � � ن � �ن ا � ا �م �ة ف ن ا �ل��د �ع�ا ء �ل��ل�ع�ا ��ط��س()1 �و � م� ل�ع�ل م� �ي�� ك ي� ك �و � ا لا � كل ن ���م� ن ّ ُْ � � ا �تُ ْ ن َْ ع�ى ا �ل����ط�ع�ا وي� ك �و � ا ل�مر ا د ب �صه�ا م ��ت�ف��د �ى �ل�ه �و �ل� � ه��ه * ا �ف�د �ى �ف�ل�ا ن� ر�ق��� ا ب����ه ا � ه �ص � � � و ق � ي ص ب��ه �م�ا ا ر ا د ه ����� �ل�ه � �� ب وت فى ر س م َْ � �ف �ة �خ �خ�ت ش ض �ك�و ��ة ب�ن�ق��ر ي� � �س � ���ع�ه ��ى ا �لر م �����ب��� �م � ب د �ه ن��ه �ب�ا �ل��س�م�ن �و �و� شم � ��� ش�� ��ه�ا ا � ��ط�ع�ا ب � ل�� م و ّفى ر � م ّر م �ش ف � م � � ا �ل����ط�ع�ا �خ�تم�ه و ا لا ���هو فى � ا �ل���م��س * ح�ل�ه * م � ن ن �ة � ن �ق ة �ف �ذ ق�ن � ت �ّ س ��ل�ه �ن�� ��ن ت ا �ل �� �� ا �ل �� � ��ى �� ا � ���د � ل ه �ص � � � � � ٢٢،١٢،٣ * ب� و و ى ر م ��ذ �� فَ ْ � ��ل�ا ح�ص��ة � �ت��د ��س��مه�ا �ت��س� ���د�ه�ا ك��� ا �ل�صغ���ي�ر �وك��� ا ا ل�� ي و � ي و ي � �ت � �صي��ب��ه�ا ا �ل�ع��ي�ن *
َ ف ذ ف ��� ا �ي� ا �ل��ق���ا �مو��س و �ي� « 1855ر ع�ا ». 1ك م
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or tunaghghir him or
naghghara l-ṣabī means “he tickled him,” syn-
tarkhum him,
onym naghghazahu; rakhamat al-marʾatu waladahā means “[the woman] played with [her child].”
or watch over him or
raʿʿamahu means “he wiped away his ruʿām,”
turaʿʿim him,
meaning “his nasal mucus”; however, the author of the Qāmūs prescribes “[the nasal mucus of ] a woman” as the object of the verb; in fact, the obvious way to understand his phrasing is “he wiped away the nasal mucus of a ruʿmūm (meaning ‘a smooth-skinned woman’).” Whatever the case, we beg pardon for them both.
or turzim to his razamah,
arzamat al-nāqah means “the she-camel lowed to her child,” while the razamah is the sound made by a child
or tatajannath at him,
tajannatha ʿalayh means “he displayed affection for him and showed him love,” as well as “he wrapped the thing up to hide it.”
or tuqarrim him or tusammit him,
taqrīm means “teaching (taʿlīm) how to eat” and tasmīt means “uttering a prayer for
one
who
sneezes.”(1) or tufdī him or tuṣhī him,
afdā means “to dance” one’s son and aṣhā means “to anoint him with clarified butter and put him in the sun.”
(1) There is something unclear to me in the definition of taqrīm: it may well be that taʿlīm is used here in the sense of ʿalāmah (“marking”), in which case akl (“eating”) would mean ṭaʿām (“food”)138 and the sense would be the same as that in his entry (root r-s-m) “rasm: a piece of wood with writing carved into it used to stamp food” and (root r-sh-m) which is too well-known to require definition [“to write”]: “rashama l-ṭaʿām: he stamped it”; if not, it is in its correct place.
or tudassim his nūnah, The nūnah is the dimple in the chin of a small 3.12.22 child, synonym faḥṣah, and tadsīm is blackening the latter “so that the ‘eye’ may not afflict him.”
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�ف �� ف� ��م ا ة �ي� س�ر�وح� �ور�
ن ا �غ ة � ��� �ة ا �ب�ل �ج� � ��ا ��ت��د � ��ل�ه ا �ب�ل �ج� �ب����ة �ش���ى � ف����ع� �ع��د �م ن�� ��ا � ا � ل �ص � � � * و �ل ب ى ب� ب ج ج �ي ل ى � ا �َْ فَ�زَ � � � ف�ز � ف �و �ل� ا �ل حو� �ى ا ن� �ت����ل�قى ا �ل� * حو� �ى ا �ل� �� �ص�ب�ى �ع��ل�ى ا ��ط ار �� ر�ج���لي���ك فت ف ���ر���ع�ه * � ا �ت ق � � َ ْ �ةً � � �ذ ت� ّ ح��ل�ق���ة ا � � ق � ش����ا � �و �ل� � � ��و�ل �ل�ه � ��ق�و�ل�ه� �ل��ل� * ح��ل�ق�� ح�� �ل� را ��س��ك ى �ص�ب�ى ا ا ج م ق �ة �ة ح��ل�ق�� ب���ع�د � � ح��ل��� * �ا َْ � ا � � �ة ن �ن ف � ش ف �و �ل� ب� ح�� ك ����ل�م� �ت���� ب�ى �ع�ن � ���ا د ا �ل����ى �و� ن��ا �ئ�ه * حب��احِ� * ب ب ح َْ � ا َْ ��ق �� � ا � � �مث��� ه � ح��م �ه�و ��ك� ح�� و ل� ح�ا � �و�ه�م�ه�ا � * �و �ل� � �ح�مم�احِ� * ه ل � ب � � ب و م ِم م ح � ا �خْ �ز � �ن �ت ن ا � ��ش � �خ �� �� ��ي�ق��ا �ل �ع ن��د �ج�را �ل� �ص� ب�ى �ع � �� �و�ل ��ى * �� * �� ك �و �ل� ِ ك � � ا �ت َ َ �نَ ُ � �خ د ��ن� ا �ل� ��� * �و �ل� ��ع ن��ى �ب��د ��ع�ه �ص�ب�ى �ج� �ه�د �و�ج��ا � او �ش��ت��ه�ى �و ���ط�م� �و� ض� ع ع ع ع �ذ �ّ � �ؤ � � � � �و ل ول� * م � �ذ � � ا �َ��قَّ ��ق ت ت �ص�و ت� ��ي � �صو� �ب�ه ا �ل� �ص� ب�ى ا �و ��ي � �صو� �ب�ه ا ا �ف�ز * � ت��ه * 1 و �ل� ب ع َ �أ � ّ � � َ � ا �ت �ت � � � �ة �ص�ب�ى �ق�ا �ل �ب�ا �ب�ا �و��بّ���ة � 2ك� ح��ا �ي� �ص� � �ك��ر ث� �لب�� �ب�ا �ت�ه �و �ل�ا �لب�ب��ت��ه * �ب�ا �ب�ا ا �ل� �و �ل� � وت�ه * ب � �ض �ث �غ غ �ة ّ � ا �ث �غ �غ � ا �ت �غ �غ � ح��ا �ي��ة �ص�و ت� ا �ل���� ا �لت��غ� ت�غ����ة � ك� �و �ل� �ل�� ت�� ت��ه �و �ل� �ل�� ث�� ت��ه * ح��ك � او �ل�� ث���� �ع��ض� � �ص� ق ن َتَّ�غ ا �ل� ب�ى �ب���ل ا � ��ي �� ر * � �أ � ا � �أ � ا � �أ � �ة ش � �ف ا �لت�� �ت�ا ه � ك� �و �ل� �لت�� �ت�ا �ت�ه �و �ل� �ل��د د ا �ت�ه * ح��ا �ي� �ص�و ت� �و��هى ا ��ي ض� ���ا �م����ى ا �ل��ط���ل� �أ ت � �ف � � او ��ل��د د ا �ة �ص�و ت� � ح �ر��ك ا �ل� �ص� ب�ى ��ى ا �لم�ه�د * ي ا ش � َْ �ا �ة � ف �ظ � � � � ف ض حَت��ا �ش ���� �و� ت ح�� ر�� ا � �و ��ل�ا ��ل��دَ �عب��ع�ه �و ��ل�ا ��ل � � ا � � � ل ه � � � �ص � � � ا � � � ع � ل ح� ط � � � � ل ل � � د � � � * �� ك � ب� � ر ب ي � ر ي ل ى ع ع �� ت ه حرك���ا �� * � �ن ا ن ��ل�����ست خ� ف ُ�خَ �ا�اْ �ص ت�� ا د ر� ا � ل � حرك�� ت� ا ��س � ��ه ي � ���ل�� ا �ر * �و �ل� �لِ� د را �م�ه * ب� ى م َّ قَ قَ :1855 1ب���������ت���ه :1855 2 .وب�ب���ة.
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A Voyage and a Conversation
or perform bajbajah on him, bajbajah is “something one does when speaking endearments to a child.” or ḥawfazā,
ḥawfazā is “flinging a child onto one’s feet in order to lift him.”
or tell him, “ḥalqatan,”
They tell a child when it belches, “ḥalqatan,” meaning “May your head be shaved (ḥuliqa) time and time again (ḥalqatan baʿda ḥalqah).”
or baḥbāḥi,
baḥbāḥi is “a word that gives notice that something has run out or has ceased to exist.”
or maḥmāḥi,
maḥmāḥi is the same as baḥbāḥi; further syn-
or kikh kikh,
Said “on reproving a child for taking some-
onyms ḥamḥāmi and hamhāmi. thing in its hand.” or be worried by his danaʿ, “The child experienced danaʿ ” means that “It became exhausted, then hungry, then yearned for food, then became greedy, then was brought low, and then became abject and avaricious.” or by his qaqqah,
“The sound made by a child, or made by a child when frightened.”
or heed his baʾbaʾah or his
baʾbaʾah referring to a child means “he said
babbah,
bābā (‘papa’)” and babbah is “onomatopoeic
or his taghtaghah or his ,
taghtaghah is “onomatopoeic for the sound of 3.12.23
thaghthaghah
laughter” and thaghthaghah is “a child’s biting
for the sound he makes.”
before its central milk teeth have grown in.” or his taʾtaʾah or his
taʾtaʾah is onomatopoeic139 and also means
daʾdaʾah,
“the way of walking of a child” and daʾdaʾah is “onomatopoeic for the sound of rocking a child in the crib.”
or his daʿbaʿah or his
daʿbaʿah is “onomatopoeic for the sound made
ḥatārish,
by a child suckling” and the ḥatārish of a child are its “movements.”
or his idrām, The idrām of a child is “the moving of its teeth to make way for others.”
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�ف �� ف� ��م ا ة �ي� س�ر�وح� �ور�
�آ ��� ب� ك�
َ ف َّ � �ف ا �ذ � �و ��ل�ا �� ف�ل�� ْ�ص�ه �و ��ل�ا ��ل�ا ��ن ت��د ا �غ��ه * ���� ا � ل �ص � ا ا � � � � � ك � � � ص ب� � صِ�ي ص�ي ب ى ى ص ض �ف خ ّ ح��ك � ��� � �� ي��ا * � �ا � ْ �ف �ز � ق ا �خ � ف �ي� ��ط �ي��ه �خ�ر ا ت� ��ت�ع�� �لق� ��ى �ع ن��ق� ا �ل� �ص� ا�لم�ع��� د ب�ى * �و �ل� ��تب��ا �ل�ى ب��ِم�ع�ق��ا ده * � �زَ ْ �خ �ز � ن �و �ل�ا �ب �� ْر � �م�ن �ر ا �ل�صب��ي��ا � * ح��لت��ه * �قِ َ ا � � َ �ذ � � ّ � �ة �ا ش ت ا �ل��د را �ج�� ا �ل � ي�ه� ا �ل� �ص� ب�ى ا ا �م����ى * �و �ل� �ب��د را �ج� ت��ه * 1 ح�ا �ل ا �ل ��ى �ي��د ر �� �ع��ل� ج � � � ف � �ف � �ق ا �خ ا ��ل �ي� ���ط ي� ش����د ��ى � �و �ل�ا ب� ح�ق ��و ا �ل� �ص� ب�ى �ل��د ��� ا �ل�ع��ي�ن * ح�ق��ا �ب�ه * ح�� ب� ُ �ع ا ن � � ا ُ َْ � ُ �ة � ا �ل�ص�مت�� �م�ا ا �ص�م ت� �ب�ه ا �ل� حوه �ص�ب�ى �م�ن ��ط * �و �ل� �ب��ص�مت��ت�ه ��ع� �م �و � � ث � ا ا �� ُ �ت�ة �و م��ل�ه� ل��س ك ���� * ّ �ف ا ���ت حق �ع �� د ��ت ��ل��ك ��ا ��س �د � � د ا ��ل ��ت �ع��ل���ك ا ��ل�ا �م�ا � ض� ت �ب�� � ���ع��ه �ي ��و�م� �ع��ل�ى ركب�� ��ك ا �و و �ي ب و ي �ي �ي و ى ي ى � ظ �� ث� � ا ا �� ��ف ا ن �ت ه ��� � � ا � ا � �ن �ه �م��تّ��س ن ا ركب� ����ت�ه �ع��ل� � �هرك * �م �ل� �ب� س �ى � ��د �ع� ي لع ب� م� �و �ل� د م �م �م�و� � ى ع � �ف ق ث �ا ف � �ي�ز � ُ غ � ا ف �خ ���ا ب� ش���ر�� ���د �مت���ك ��ا �ن�ه �ل�م �ل ب���ع�د �ص���ي�را �ل� �ي��عل��� �ه��ذه ا � �ل ر�و�� * �� �ل� �ب�ا ��س ا ��ي ض� م م � � �ة �ف �ف ت �ز � ق �ت حر��م��ك الم ��ى ا ن� ���س�هر �ه��ذه ا �ل��لي���ل� ��ى � ح��ر�م �م� ب���ع��ض� ر�ج��ا �ل � ��يرت���ك � او � او �ج� �هم� ي ع ن �ف � ض ة ض ة � ن آ ف �ن � ة �ق ض ا �ق �ا �� � ب� �م�م�ن ��ي ت��ا د ب� ��و� ��ى الم � � ا ا ل �د� ��ر� ا �ل����س�� * ��ا ��ى رى � ح� �د � ��� � �ص�د ر ��س�ي ح� � ر ت � �� �ن ���ت� ا �و ��له� � �م�ن ا ��ل� � � ة ا ن � ح�تى �ي� ن�� ش���ر� �ب��ه�ا * �و �ل�ا �غ�ر�و ا ن� �� ت � �س��ف ي��د ا �و و ح�د� �و�م� �ع��د ك�م �م ك� ب ح �ا ش ا �ف ا ن �� �� ف� ق � ة ي�ت ا ض �� ا�� �� ��ق � ��ل�ا ا �ص�غ� �م�ن �ك� ����ي � * � � را س ا ل � ك��ل� �مك�ا �م�ن �م��س�ا �مر� ر�ع� �م ���ي�ر �لي����س �ب� � ي � و ر آ �ن ن � ش ت �غ �ا ن � �� ة � ا خ �ن را ��س ا �ل� �م�ي�ر �ع ا � ي�����م�ل �ع��ل�ى ا ر� ء ��س�د �ي��د� �مم� ي���ل�و �ع را ��س ��ي�ره � او � �ي��ك�ن ا كب���ر �� ف �ت � ن � ن � �ذ �ة ة �غ �ظ � ق �ذ � ا �و ا � �ت���كو� ا �ل��س�ي �د� � بو�� ن��ا ��ت �ه�ا � او ت� ر�ش���د �ع�م�ا �م� �م ن��ه � او ���ل�� �� ا �ل� * �وك�ي��� رج � ��ي��ف� �تر ض��� ��ل�ه�ن �و� ا ش ا ��ل �ود را �ي��ة �و�ه�ن �م�ق��ص�ورا ت� ���فى ا ��ل��د ا ر ا ��ل�ع�ا �مر�ة * ا � ك� ح� ���� ك ا �ج� ��ه�ل ى م ت � �خ �� آ �ت � �ة � ن ة � ن شا ا �ا � او ��ل�غ� ��ا �و�ة * � او �ن ت�� ��ا ��س�ا د ���تى ا ��ل � ح ك� ب �� �م � او�لم����ي� � او �ل��كب��ر� � او �لم��ط� ر�� �ج� �بر �� او �مر� ا � ج �م�ع� او مي � ّ � �ز �ز �� � � �ة � � �م� ا ��ه�ل �ج��ي�را �ن ك�� � � او � او �ج� ك�� �ب�ا �ه�� ك�� � * ( �و�ل��ك�ن ا �لم��ط�ا ر�ن� �لي����س �ل�ه� ا � او �� �لت���ن�ز �ه�ه� 2 � � ل� م ج م م ع م م ّ ُّ ف ذ ف ��� ا �ي� ا �ل��ق���ا �مو��س و �ي� 1855ب��د را �ج�ت���ه� :1855 2 .تل���ن�ز ��ه�ه� . 1ك م
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ض � ف ا �ن ت �غ � ��عي���� � او � ��د
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A Voyage and a Conversation
or his faṣīṣ or his intidāgh,
One says “the child faṣṣa,” verbal noun faṣīṣ, when it “cries feebly,” and that it intadagha when it “laughs to itself.”
or give a thought to his
The miʿqād is “a string bearing beads hung
miʿqād,
around a child’s neck.”
or his qirzaḥlah,
“beads worn by children”
or his darrājah, The darrājah is “the carriage used by a child to take its first steps.” or his ḥiqāb, The ḥiqāb is “something tied around a child”s loins to repel the eye.” or his ṣumtah? The ṣumtah is “any food or other thing given to a child to pacify it”; synonym suktah. “By the fealty I owe you and the liberties you allow me, my lord, will you not 3.12.24 put him one day on your knee or let him ride on your back? Likewise, there would be no harm in your letting him play with the children of those who have been adorned with the honor of your service, for he is still young and knows nothing of these distinctions. And there would be no harm either in your spending that same evening among your esteemed womenfolk, along with those men of your village, and their wives, who know how to comport themselves politely in the presence of women, for I observe that the mistress is oppressed by her lonely state, which you have no books or entertainments to relieve. There can be no doubt that you would both benefit from spending some time in social intercourse with your subjects. The poor man’s brain is not so much narrower or smaller than that of the emir that it cannot hold cogent opinions that may be lacking from that of the other, even if the latter’s turban be larger and his head thicker at the back. How can you ask that the mistress and her daughters have good sense and understanding if they are to live hidden away in your ever-flourishing house? And how can you consent to their being—pardon my presumption!—ignorant and stupid? “And you, my lords (rulers, shaykhs, grandees, metropolitans), try just 3.12.25 once to bring your families and wives together with the families of your neighbors (though metropolitans have no wives because of their vows of celibacy) and to overcome the differences of sect between you, for to do so is more likely to bring you good fortune and happiness. What is the world if not women? What is the world if not children? Know, God have mercy on you, that mixing with women will not undermine the dignity of
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�ف �� ف� ��م ا ة �ي� س�ر�وح� �ور�
� �ن ن �ذ � �ذ � �ظ � � ا ��ل�ى ا ��ل � �ف� ��ل��ك ا د �ع�ى �� ك�� �ع�ن ا �ل�ز � او �� � )1او ن� �تر�ف��ع� او �فر�ق� ا�لم� ا �ه ب� �م ب��ي��� ك�� ح �� ل� � ج م م � ن � �ن � ن آ ن � �ن � ن ن � ا لله ا ن� ا ��ل�ا ج��تم�ا � � ل ح �م�� ا � � ع � او �ل��سر�ور * ا ��م�ا ا �ل��د �ي��ا ا �ل����س�� ا ��م�ا ا �ل��د �ي��ا ا �لب� ��و� * ا �م�و ر ك� ع م �� ا ه ا ن �ف �ق ا � ا �آ ��ف ا � ا � ا ن � ا ��ا ��ل ن���� ��آ ��ا خ ��� � ش��� �ف� ا �ل�من � �ص� * ا �ع��ل�م� او �ه�د ا ك�� لل � ر� �ل� ر �ى �ل� دي� � �ل� � ب ب س �ل ي ل ر ب م ّ ظ� ن �ف � � ا ن ا ن � م � �ة م�� �م�ن ا ��ا �� �لف���ة � ال� خ � �� ن ��ا �ل� * ا �ع��ل�م� او ا �ص���ل ك�� �هره �ل ي و ح� ا لله ا � ��ى ح��م�ل ا �ل� ���س� � �و�ل��ده �ع��ل�ى �� � ع م ّ َ ةً � � � ��لُ � �ذ � �ذ ة �ت � � ا�� �ت� � �و�ت ���ط�ّو�ق�ه �بر�ج���لي��ه ا �ل��ل�� ي � �ب� ب� �و�ت��و� ط��ف ت���ي�ن �ل��ل�� � ا �عظ �� �� �م�ن �ل�� � � ��ط�و�ي��ل ا ج �س�� ا �ل� �مك�ا �م �و��ك�و�ير ي ع م ن � � �د � �ة � ا � � � �ص�د � �ه ا �ع��ل ا ف���ق ا ��� ا �ة �ن �ق ف �خ � � � ا � ا ا ل ه ه� لل � عرب� � ك� لع�م� �م� �و�م �و��و�� ا �ل� م� و ي��د �ي �ه�م ع��ل�ى � ور �م * �م�و � م ن ت ا �ظ � ا ت تن ّ � � ّ حت �ل�� ت�خ ���ا ت� ا ��ل���ط�ف�� ��ا ���سم��آء ا ��ل�ا � ��ه �ت ا � � � � � � � � � � ا ا � � ح �� � � ح �د � � * � 2 � � � � ه ه ك ه ل � � � ل � � � ر و و ى � � ر و و لب ى ب ص ي م َ َ � � � �ف �ف � �غ �ة � � ت � ف ا ض � �ن غ � ث ث � ث ت ي�ن ي�ن ح ��� � � ��� �� ا �ل�� ك��� �ل� ��ا �ل� �له�م�ا �� ا �ل��ل��� ك���له�ا � �ه�م�ا �� ���ع� �ل ا � �ه�ا �و� � و � ى ح�د ��ه �ر �يرب ى ري ب � َّ َ ُ � قَ َ ت ن � � �ص�� � او � �ل � ��س�و �و�هر �و��سن��ي��ور ا ��ن�ع� �من� ك�� �ق��قُ� * ا �ع��ل�م� او �وف���ق� ك�� � � ا لله ا � �م��س��ر �و�م ي � ا �ل� �ص� ص م م م � � ا � ا � ا � �ن � � ا �ن �� ا ��ل�ا ن� ا ��ل� ��� � ت� � ا ���ن ا �ن�ا �ص ك�� �� ا لله ا ن� ا � �لف��ا ر��ا �ق� ر ج� ح�ا �ل� * ا �ع��ل�م� او � � ب� �ل� و ح��س ى ب ير و و ى ر ي م ع آ ّ � � ��ف ا �ن ش����� �م�ق��ا �م��ة �ت��س ا ��ل�ع�ز �م ن � � ا � ت�ز ا �ل�عب��د ا ��ل ح�ق��ي�ر ك� � و�لم�� �و�� �م�ع�ا * ���ا ��ت ب� ��س�ي�ر�ت�ه � فم�� ك ر ب� �� ��ر � ك ى ج � �ف � ا ش �ة �ظ�ن ا �ت ن ا � ش � �ه� �م�ا ���سم�ع� او ا �لن���يص�� ح��ة �ف ار � ك�� ح� ����ي � ا ��� ��س� د � �� ا �ل م����ا ر ا �ل (� ��ل�ا �م�ى ��ى ا �لير�) ي� ح م ح ف � � �ذ ن � �ف ق � � �ف �ذ � ف ( �ت� ن��ب��ي �ه ق��د ا ���ط��ل ت� ا �� ك� ل��ل�ا � ��ى �ه� ا ا � �ل���ص�ل ا �ل مو � �ب�ا � �ل ار �� �لي��ق��ا ب���ل ����ص�ل ا �ل�ز � او ��) � م ج
ّ :1855 1ا �لوا�ج :1855 2 .وت���ت��ن���ب�هوا.
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A Voyage and a Conversation
your position. Know, God guide you, that difference of views over religion does not preclude familiarity and friendship. Know, God set you to rights, that greater pleasure is to be found in your carrying your child on your back and wrapping his sweet legs around your neck than in increasing the length of your gown, widening your sleeves, and winding your turban or than in having servants standing by with their hands on their hearts. Know, God increase your understanding, that the reason the Arabs gave names to the actions of small children was that they wanted you to notice those children and pay attention to them—to the degree that they coined for their excrement two strange words that have no like in terms of structure in the entire language,140 namely ṣaṣaṣ and qaqaq. Know, God grant you success, that the mister, the monsieur, the Herr, and the signor enjoy greater peace of mind and better material conditions than you.” Know, God grant you victory, that the Fāriyāq has now returned to Beirut and that his biographer, your undeserving slave, is contemplating the composition of a maqāmah that will please bachelor and married among you alike. (Footnote: I think those lords and masters of ours alluded to above failed to hear my advice and that as a result my words to them have gone with the wind.) (Notice: I have gone on at some length in this chapter that is about to bid you farewell so as to match the one on marriage.)
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ا �� ��ل�ف��ص ا ��ل��ث�ا ��ل ث� �ع ش �� � �ل ر ��ف � �� ا �ة �م���ق �ة ي�م� �ى م�ق� �م� �ذ �ذ � ا �فت�ت ح��د ��س ا ��ل�ه�ا ر��س ب��ن �هث��ا � ق��ا ��ل * ��س�ّو��ل ��ل�ى ا ��ل � � �خ نّ��ا ��س * (ا �ع�و �ب�ا لله �م�ن �ه� ا ا �ل� �� �ا �) م ح َ غ �ف � �ذ ا ن �ت�ز ت ا � ا ة �ص�د �ور ا ��ل ن��ا ��س * �ك� ���ل ���مي����س �و�ع�م�ا ��س * � �و ج�� مر � ا �ل�� �ى �ي ��و��س�و��س ��ى � �غ �ة �ذ �ة � �ة ّ � �ة �خُ � َ �ة �ة �ة �خ ّ �ة �ّ ا �ة � ار �ج�� �و �ل� �ج�� * �هيّ��ا �ج�� ��ن بّ��ا �ج�� * �مِ ر��ا �م� �م�ع� ا �م� * �ل�ّ او �م� ر ��ط�ا �م� * ب��ع� ُ � َ �ة َ�خ � �ة �ة ت ��ا � � � ��ل�ا ��س��ؤ ا ��ل * � ��ت��ا �ز � ��ل�ا ق�ت��ا ��ل * � ��ت�ق���ت � �ع�� ّ ا �ش�� �ا ��ط��ل�ع� * ��لي��ع� �ج��ِ�ل�ع� * ج� و ب و وب ر و و رح ل�ى �ي �ت ن �ف ا � ف� ��ا ن� د ا �� ا ن� ا �ص�� �م �ة �ع��ل�ه�ا �ن ا � ن ا �ج�ز �عن ا � ن ا ��ي�ع �ه� ا �ل��د ��ي �� ر * �و ر�م�ي �ى ��ى �م�ه� �ل��ك د �و� �ه� ا �ل�� ر * � ك� بى ب ر ر ي� � � ن ش� � �خ �� � ت ع�� ف��ه�ا �ه�ا ف��ل�ا �ت�ز د ا د ا ��ل�ا ش��� ّ�ة � �و�ن ف� ��ورا * �و ��ل�ا ��ي نج�� �ع� ا ع ا �ل� ب ي� �ذ�ير * � او �ر�ى ا � ا �����ك�و ا �لي� ر �ُ ْ �ف � �� ا * ا � ��ل�ا ض � نّ� �عن ��ن �ق��ي�را * ف���ق���ل ت� �ت�ا لله �ل�ا ج� �ف� �ه�ا � او �و�ه� ا ن� ب ��ى ج� ف� ��ر��ن ��ى ا �ل�ا ر��ض� � � و ر � و ر ب م ا ��ت �ذ ا � ث ا ��ن ف ا �خ ت ت � � � ث ا ��ن � �ن � �ا �خ ت �ل� �عل��� ��ه�ل ا ر�ى �ل�ه�ا � ظ ����ي�را * �� ���ر� ا �ل ار ى ا �ل�� �ى * ب���ع�د ل��ع�و �ب� �لم�� �ى * �و�ر ج�� م �� �� ئ �ذ �ف � ف � ئ ن � ت � �خ ن ق �ت ا ا ا ا ا ا ا � ن � � �م�ن ب��ي����ى ك��ي��ب�� �مب� ����س� * ��س� � ��ط� �ع��ل� �ج �مي�� ا �ل����س� * ب�ي���� ا �� �ى ب���ع��ض� ا ل�طر� ��� * ا ي ى ع � ن ه�ن �خ � � �ذ � � ق ت ّ ق ق � � ل � ��طر �ب�ا �لث��و ب� ا �ل�ص��في ��� * � او � � ي ح��ل�ى ى ا �لب��ر�ي��� * �و��د ا ر ج�� �مر ب ��ى سِ�� رب� �م � � آ آ ا ��ل�غ� ّ�آ ا ���ز � �آ ض ة ا ��ل�ا ��� �� ���ط��ه�ن ا ��ل� ت ه�ف��� � ا ��ل��د �ي�ن ع���ق * �ف ا �� ت� �م�ن ����ن ه�ن � � ا � � � ل ل ح �� ه * � � � و ر ر ر ور ي � ري ر�ج ب ي ب � بي � � ي و ب � �ن �ف � � ف � � �ق ة ا ��ل���ي�ن * � �م نّ �م�ا �ل�ه�ن * ه��د� ا �ل�ع نّ���ي�ن * �ت��ا � ت� � � ��س�ى ا �ل�ى �و�ص�ا �ل�ه�ن * � �و�تب���لب���ل �ب�ا �ل�ى بج �� و� عِ � � � � ث �ف ن ن � ّ � � � ق نف � �و���سي�� ت� �م�ا � �ل�قي� ت� �م�ن � ك� ل��ا �ع�ى ��ى ا �لب�ي�� ت� * �و���ل ت� �ل�ي�ت��ك�ن �ل�ى �ل�و��ت ���� �لي� ت� * �� ا � ش����د ت� م ع
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Chapter 13
A Maqāmah to Make One Stand
Faid al-Hāwif ibn Hifām in lifping tones,141 “By the Recoiler I was seduced”
3.13.1
(I seek refuge with God from such an introduction!) “—that Recoiler who whispers in men’s ears every dark thought and all that feeds their fears—into thinking I’d married a woman cunning and deceitful, loudmouthed and lustful, shrewish and frigid, censorious and rigid, one moment vanished without trace, the next in your face, a woman lewd and rude, answering questions never asked, throwing down the gauntlet with none to take to task, proposing things to which no coin could aspire, and casting me into perils ringed about with fire. Thus at times my way was one of restraint, at others of complaint—at which she’d grow yet more wicked and more of a prig (though for my reproaches she cared not a fig). I then said to myself, ‘By God, either it’s the cold shoulder and making her think I’ve no interest in her snatch, or I roam the earth to see if I can find her match.’ I chose the second view, having first sought protection through Qur’anic recitation, and left my house despondent and downcast, full of misogynistic exasperation. “Before I’d gone too far upon the road, a flock of them suddenly past me strode, each strutting in a garment woven tight and jewelry that shone bright, their antique perfume wafting to horizons infinite. Among them I beheld the slim-waisted and the plump, the handsome, radiant sisters to the houris of the Garden, curers, through their blandishments, of those whose members never harden. With them my soul hankered to have union, by their beauty my mind was driven to confusion, and, forgetting the humiliations I’d suffered at home, exclaimed, ‘Would that you were mine (should wishing be of any use)!’ and then declaimed
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3.13.2
�ف ق ا �ة �م�ق�� �ة �ى �م��� �م� يم�
� � ن �آ � �ش��ا ت� � �ح�ل�ا �و�ة ا �ر �ى �ل�ل�����س� ا�لما ��� ي �ف �ْق ن � ��ل�� ت س� ا ر�ى ��ى ِا � �ل��تى ا � �م ش��� ت� � او �ن و ا � ا �ه�ا ���ع�ين�� � ث ���ا ن�� ت� ����ع�ن�ه� ا حي�� ك� ب ي � ر ب � ى
ح��ل� ا ت ���ذ ا ���ف ا �ل�م�ق��ا ��ف��ه� �ه�ن � �ص � � ك� � � ى و ل ير �� �ت �ق ت ت �ا ا �ق� �م� ��س�و�ى �م� � �وك�ر ه �و��مري�ر ��ف �ذ � �عً �غ �ير �ه�ا �م�ن ا ��ل � � � ا � ح � � � ى ر ي و ر ��ه�ل و ��مى
� ة ن � �� � � � � ق� ف ا ��ت�د ت ا ��ل ّ ى � او � �ه�ن �ل�ه�ا �ع ن��ق� ك���ع ن��ق� ا �ل��غ�ز ا �ل * �و� ح�ا ج� ب� ك �� ب � ر� � ���ا �ل�ه�ل�ا �ل * �و��ا �ل ت� ح�د� �م � �ف ق ق� �ف � � ن �ز �� خ� ف� �ف� �ع ن���ك ��م�ا ا ن�� ت� �و� ح��د ك ��ى ا �لر�ج��ا �ل * ا � �و�ج��ى ��د ��ا �ل
٣،١٣،٣
�ف � آ فّ � �ف � ئ ا ة � فا �� ه �ك� ط�� �ز � ���ل ا �ن��ثى ��ى ا �ل ن����س�� ء ا� ك ��ر ��ى �ل�� م� �� ب ع �و�ج �ى �� ك�ر � آ �ير �ت ل���ه�ا ف��ا � ّ�ه�ن � س� ا ن���ه�ن �مغ���ا ا ب ح� �ع��ل�ى ا �ل�� �س �و � او ح�� ب
ق� ح ��� �ا ���د �م � � ف ���ا ��ل�ص��ا � * � ��ل ظ ث�� ا ��لت���ف ت� ت� ا ��ل� ّ ا �خ� �ى � �ج� ���ن ا � �ه ي �ى ك ���ا �ل�ص���اح� * �و��ا �ل ت� �ه� �ي�ل�م� ك� � ب ح و ى ر و � � م بي � ع � ا ت � � �ن ق ا � ّ�ف �� ا ق ا � �ز � ��ف ّ ا س�م� �م� �� �ل�ه �و�ج �ى �ى * �و �ل� ��ك م �� ر �ى * ع �� � �ف ن ن ا ت�خ ش �خ ��آ � ا ّ ا �� ظ �� ت خ� � �ز � ��ف � �ف�ا � � � � � ا ل �� � � � ا �ك � ء � ل � � � م د � � � � م � ط � � ل � � � � � �و �ض� � �و�ج �ى �ى ل و و و ر ع ر ى ا ن �ت ق � ���ف �� �م�� ئ � �ك�و ن� ���غا �� ��� �ة ��ف � �� � � �ت�� � ��ت�� � �� � ل�ط� �ى �ك�ل �س��ل��ة �و�لي����س �غ�ل�ط ي ��و��م� ا � ��ول �ك�ى
ث �ت ق ت � ّ ��م � ���د �م� ا �ل�ى � د � �ون��ك �م�ا ��ن ��ظ���م�ه
ق� ا � � �ف ا � � � ا �خ� � � � �ق ا � آ � ���ا ��ل�ل�� �ل�ى * �و� ح� �ل�ك ر�ع�ه� ك �ه� ك ���ا �ل��لي��ا �ل�ى * �و��ا �ل ت� رى �وحب� ب� عر � ���ف ّ ���ع��ل * � ا ��ن �ظ ��� ��ه� � � �ق �ذ �� � ��ف �مث ى ب �ى و ر ل �ي �ص�د � ل�ك �ى ���ل�ى �ت ّ �ز � ش �� � ط��ط�ا ا �ن ن��ى ��ود �و�ج �ى ���� � �ة � َُ ن ت � او � � ش����ه ت� � ح�ا �ج�� �ل�م��ت ن���ل
ُ ث�� ن د�� ت� �من�� ا �خ� �ى � ��ه ��ت ه��ت�ز � � ��ا ع ى ر و ى � �ج ب م � � � ن � ا ق �ن ت ش ا ا ا ا � � ح �م�ن �ث � ه ك��ف � م�� �ل� * �و�� �ل� �ه� ك �م� ا �����د ي�� ي��ى
� ا� ا �ود �ل� �ل�
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��خ � ق � �ض�ا ��ت ه�ا �عب��د �مي��لي ��� �ل�مر�� � ّ ح�ا ��ا ���ته�ا ��و ن� �خ��ل�ا ��ق�ا ��ل ا ك�� � �ج �
� � * � �وت�ب����س� �ع�ن �ش��ن�� ب� �م�ا را �ى ا �ل ن��ا �ظ �� ر ��ل�ه م آ � ا � ��ل ��ل���ل�ه * � �ذ ن� �من �ه�ا �ب�ا ��لثب� ��ور � او � �ل � و��ل�ه * و ي � ي
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A Maqāmah to Make One Stand
I see sweetness in the women walking by Though I wonder, do they in their harems still beguile? In my hussy wife, however, be she walking or standing still, I find naught but hatred, aversion, and cause for bile. With my eye I see her as she is— Could she, even to a blind man (which I am not), be less than vile? “One, with a neck like that of a deer, eyebrow like the crescent moon should
3.13.3
it appear, now addressed me and said, ‘Don’t take it so hard: you’re not alone among men. My husband has written, with his pen, I ponder the base nature of my wife And hate all members of the feminine gender, But then recall not all of them are she, And toward all of them feel equally tender.’ “Then another, her brow with morning’s light all wreathed, her glances as like to draw blood as a sword unsheathed, turned to me and said, ‘Hear how my husband has descried me, and be not one of those who vilify me: My wife tries her hand at every art Fearing no embarrassment or sophisticate’s rebuff. Though she be mistaken on every issue, One mistake she never makes is to cry “Enough!”’ “Then another—her sweat in beads like pearls, dark as night her curls—came up to me and said, ‘Listen to what my husband has composed and see what if any likeness may be supposed: More than anything, my wife wants me as a slave A pathetic creature at her beck and call. Should she though hanker for what can’t be got, I have to play Creator and meet her needs in full.’ “Then another—shimmying with pride and coquetry, her smile revealing teeth of unequalled symmetry—approached and said, ‘Here’s what my partner recited to me our first night, and has since proclaimed, with persistent sorrow for his plight:
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3.13.4
�ف ق ا �ة �م�ق�� �ة �ى �م��� �م� يم�
�� �ز � � �خ��� �ق �ةً اَ � ا �ف � ا ��ل �م�ن ا ��ل ش ��ف � �ي�ن � ا �� �ل���ف � ا ��لل� ا ة ��� �ت� و � و �ه� � ل و�ج �ى ل�� �� ��ضع� � �م� �ى م ف� ف ُ � ا � � �ت �خ � �ق �ك �ش��ا �ع�ه�ا �و�ه �ى � �صر� �ك���ل �و� ت� �ه�ا ت� �ه�ا ت� ������ي� ��ي�ت�ح �ل�ى ا ��� ب ّ �ت� � ّ �أ ّ َ ن �ت ��ض�ّ�َ�ع�ف� ��ل�ى ا د ا �ة � اولا ��فا �ر ك� ��ف� ��م�ا ا � � �� ��ا ب� ا �ل���تر��ه�ا ت�
� �ف� ��ا � ظ � � ل��ا �ن��س��ة * � ق��ا ��ل ت� ا �ن ش����د ك �م�ا ��ا �م��س��ة * �و��هى �م�ن ا ��خل ث�� ا ق�ب���ل ت� �ع��ل� ّ ا ��خل ���ي ��ة ا �� ك� و � ر ك�� �ل��ب ى م ق ا �� ��ف ّ ��ش�� خ� ��ف ا �� �ل � �ة � ا �ة �� ل �ى ي��ى �ى ل�ي��ل� ا �ل��س� د��س� * �و�ه�و � ن � �غ � ا � ��ق�ا �ل ��ي�ر�ى �ق�د ��ي�ق�ا �ل ��ز �و�ج���ة ا �ذ ��ل�ا ا � �ى ا ��لت�ا �ن��� ث� ���ف ا �خ��ل�ا �ق�ه� ا ي ى � ر
٥،١٣،٣
��ف�ا �ن ن�� ا ��ق� ��ل ��ز � �ج�� د � ن� ��ه�ا وى و ى و � ن �ف ح ��ل �� ا �ل���ع ا ك د � ���ه�ا ا �� �ف�ل ر و ����ب�ل ��و ى
ث�� ��ت�ق��د �م ت� ا ��ل��س�ا د��س��ة * ��ا �شّ����ة �آ�ن��س��ة * � ق��ا ��ل ت� ا � �ه��ذ�ي�ن ا ��ل���ت���ي�ن �ن � � � ل ع � ح � � * � و ر ِو ب بي يل�ى م ا ��ل���ذ �ى ا �عت��ا د ��ق� ��ل ا �ل�م��ي�ن * � �ه�م�ا و و �ق � ت� ار ���بن��ى ��ز �و�ج��ى ��ع��لي��ل�ا �و���س�ا �ل�ما �ف� ت ا �ذ ا � ا ��ن ��ق ت ��ف ا ��ل ن � ��� �ف ط�� �م�ن � �صر� ع� � �ى ��وم ي
ن���ه�ا � ا � ��ل�ي�ل�ا �ن�ا ��ئ�ي�ا � ���ق ���ب�ا ر و� � و ري � � ا� ّ � ��ص��د � �ق�ي��ا ا ح ب� ا � ار ��ه� �ب�ا �ل�و� ي ر ب
ث � �ف ت � ا �ة ��ا ن ت �ذ ت ح��ق�ي���ة ��س�ا ��غ����ة � ���ط��ل�ع��ة ا �ئ��ع��ة * � �ق�ا ��ل ت� � ���ف �م�ع ن��ا �ه�م�ا ب و ر و وى ��م د � �ل � ا �ل��س� ب���ع� * �وك�� ��� ا � � ب � �ذ �ق�ا ��ل �ز �و�ج��ى ا �ل�م�ف���تر�ى * � او �ج���ترا �ع��ل� ّ ب��م�ا �ل� �ي�� �ك�ن ر ج���ل �ع��ل� ا �م ار �ت�ه ي ج���تر�ى * �و ��ل��ك ��ق�و��ل�ه ى ى م �ت � ا �ز ���غ� �ر � �و�ج��ى � ا �ت ن �ف ��ف�م� � ار ��ى ��ى
��ع��ل ّ � �ح��تى �ى �ح�ا ��ل��ة ��م� ا �
�ذ ض ت ت ن � ����مر��ض� �� ا ا � ار �ت ��ى �مر� �تَ َّ ّ ���ا ن�� ت � ��ل�ه�ا ���َ � �عر��ض� ا � ا ك ل و �
ث�� ا�ن�� ت� ا ��لث��ا �م ن���ة * � ��ه �ع��ل �م�ا ظ ����ه ��ل� ا ف� ن���ة �ز ا ف� ن���ة * � ق��ا ��ل ت� ق��د ��س�م�ع ت� �ز � �ج�� ��ي ت�غ��ن�� ��ه��ذ�ي�ن و و ى �ى � ر ى ر م بر و ى ىب� ُ َ ّ � � � � � ح��ي�ن * � �ه�م�ا �س�و�ع��ي�ن * �و�ه�و�م ��ط �ق� ا ��ل�ى ا �ل�ا ر��ض� ك���م�ن ف���ق��د ا �ل�ع��ي�ن * �و� ش��� ��ا ��ل � ا �لب�ي��ت���ي�ن * ب���ع�د ا � ب � و بِ ر ب ر
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A Maqāmah to Make One Stand
My wife, by nature’s gift, has twice my share Of lips and mouths and fauces. How can I be meant to satisfy her then, When she keeps crying, “Give me more, please! Give me more, please!”? Some member of mine will have to be doubled. If not, watch for the commission of farces!’ “Then the fifth—shier than a deer in its covert out of sight—came toward
3.13.5
me and said, ‘Let me recite what my old man said, on the sixth night, to wit: If others say, “‘Wife’ is a form that’s used,”142 I’ll say “spouse” without feminine declension. I find nothing of the feminine in her deportment— Nay, ʼgainst stallions in battle, there’d be no contention!’ “Next the sixth came forward with smiling face and friendly mien and said, ‘Let me pass on, on my husband’s say-so (though he’s an inveterate liar), these verses twain: My wife watches over me in sickness and in health, By day and by night, from afar and from nearby. It’s gotten so that when, dreaming, I hug the phantom of the one I love, By the doorstep I see her watchful eye.’ “Up walked the seventh, with ample booty armed and countenance charmed, and declared, ‘My libelous husband along the same lines has said, with audacity unprecedented by husband toward the spouse who shares his bed: My wife’s so jealous of me that, If she sees me sick, she too falls ill. She never sees me with a given condition But she takes a chance on it as well.’ “Then the eighth appeared before me, wantonly strutting, one well equipped to please her husband in his rutting, and said, ‘I heard my husband singing these verses after going two weeks with head bowed looking at the ground, like one who, having first lost an eye, is then given the news that he’s about to die:
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3.13.6
�ف ق ا �ة �م�ق�� �ة �ى �م��� �م� يم�
ت ّ ن � ���ود ��ز �و�ج��ى ا � �ل�ى َ �ح� ا �ه�نَ � ح��م�ا �ر ��ق�ا �ز � ٍ
ض �ح�ا ����ش�ا �ن��ي�ن �م�ن ���م�ف��ا ���� � �ح�ا ط �و���قر ن� �ث��و�ر �ن�ا ���
ت ث �س��ق ���ل�ت ن� ا ��لت ا � � �ة � �ه ��ت�ف �ت ّ �ع�ن � ا ��ل ئ �ن ا �ص� ه � ق ا ��ل ت � ن� ا ا ق ا � �ف ّ �� ا � � ب ى �� �سع� * و �ى �� ر �ل� �� � ع� * و�� � و � حو�ه�م� �م� �� �ل�ه ��ى م ق فّ ث �ف �ف � � �غ � ظ � ا ب� ��و �و�ل��د �ى * �و��د � ح�� �� ��ه ك���ي�را ��ى ب���ل��د �ى �و��ى ��ي�ر ب���ل��د �ى *
٧،١٣،٣
� �ن ت �ز � � ه �خ ا ض ت ه ��ف ��لََ � ا ن� ��ز ا ر ��ى ��ع�ا �ل� ا �و � � �ج�ا ��ه�ل ���ب�د ر� �و�ج �ى ا �لي�� �و�� � ���د �ل ��� �م�ع� �ى ا ج م ت خ ً � � �ذ � �� � � �ن � ت ��ف � �ت ا ��ف�ا ن� � � �ج�ده ���بي� ار �ب� �لب���عا �ل � ���ق�ل �ك��ل ا �ل�ع�ل�و�م ا � ��ط�و� �ى � �ص�د ر ا ا �لر ج���ل
� � �ذ ف � � �ة �ة � ث �ت �ص�د ت� �ل�ى ا �ل�ع�ا ش���ر�ة * �و��هى ا ت� ق��ا �م� �م�عت��د �ل� �و�ع��ي�ن �ج��ا ئ�ر�ة * �وق��ا �ل ت� � او ���ظ���� �� � � م ع ��ق ه� ��ف ا �ل� ن ا �ز �� ا �ل� ا � � �ن �ذ � � ا �ن ش � � م �ل�ك * م� ي�������ده ر�ج���ل�ى �ى م�� ل �وم��س� �ل�ك * �و�ه�و �و�ل� �ن ف �ذ ن � ا � �ي�ز �ر ��ى �ي ��و�م�ا ��تى �و �ص�ل�اح ت َ � ا �و �� س�هت�ر ا ����ط�م�عت��ه �خ��لي�� �م��� � ع
ا ��ف��س�د ���ت�ه �ز � �ج�� ���ف ا � �خ���ل���ع�ا و ى رح ي ح�ا �م ت� � ��ل� ��ع�ا �و�ع��لي��ه ���غ�ا ر ت� �و� وو
� � �م�ت ا � �ة � ا �ة ش ة �ّ�ة * �و�ق�ا ��ل ت� ا ن� �ز �و�ج��ى ا �ل ي ّ ئ ث� �ع�ت ن ��ل �س� ك ��س��� ��ر �م د �ى اح� د �ي� �ع���ر� * �و �هى م� �ي�ل� �م� ب ّ فق � � �ف ّ � ا �ف � * �ق�د �ج��ا �ز �ف� ا �� ك� ل��ل�ا �م ��ى ب��م�ا �ل�ح� ��ى �ب�ا �ل�ه �و�ع�ن * �����ا �ل َ �� � �ز � � ا �� � ا �� ��فت�تّ���ق ��ه � �� ا � ا � �ع�ن � ّ � ا ��ل�ص�ل�ا � � ��ترى و�ج �ى لر� �ج� ل ي� �م ولي����س �ل� مر ح ب ح ��ك�ن خ � �ف� ا ن� �ي� �غ� ش���� �ع��ل�ي�ها �م�ن ا �� �ل���قر� ا ��ل ش����د ���د ا ��ل�ى ا ��ل��س�ف��ا � ى � �و�ل�� ��و ي م ح
ث ا� ت �ّ ��م �م� �ل� ا �ل�ى ُ� ��ق ا �ق ع �م� �و�ع� ار
ا ��لث ا ��ن �ة � ش ة �� ي�� ع���ر� �ن ث * �ع �م���ل
��ا ن ت �ق � ة * �وك�� ��� ��ص�ي ر� �َ ّ �ز �و�ج��ى ا �ل�هرا *
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� � ظ�ن ا �ل���
ق� �ت ا ة � ة � ة ح�ا د ر� * � ر� ح�ا ر� * �و��ا �ل ت� �ذ ق � ف ا ن ه �ه � ن آ � ّ ��ا ا �ل����س�� ��ط ار * ا ��ا �ل �� �� ج
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٨،١٣،٣
A Maqāmah to Make One Stand
My wife would love it dearly If I had two things quite off-putting— A what’s-it like a donkey’s when it’s pissing And a horn like a bull’s when it’s butting.’ “At this the ninth did me invite—lips parting, revealing pearls of shining
3.13.7
white—saying, ‘Similar are what my offsprings’ father of me has said—words that to many in this and other lands he’s fed: Should any, scholar or ignoramus, come to see me, My wife accosts him and puts him to the test. Then, should she find he’s an expert lover, she declares, “All the sciences are gathered in this man’s breast!”’ “The tenth—of well-formed figure and roving eye—now blocked my path, saying, ‘More terrible still is what my husband recites, on the highway and before the hearth: Should a youth of good morals some day come to see me, My wife will corrupt him and he’ll depart a profligate, Or if he’s a doting debauchee already, she’ll feed him And hover over him, jealous and infatuate.’ “Then the eleventh—willowy and of well-formed presence—called to me and said, ‘My husband—who’s the suspicious kind—accuses me wildly of every thought to cross his mind, saying: My wife sees men, then hides from their sight But this owes nothing to any love of what is right. In fact she fears a cardiac syncopation Resulting from excessive desire for copulation.’ “Then the twelfth—short and stout, plump and hot—leaned toward me and said: ‘Barrenness and infertility to the likes of my raving husband, since he has cast on women a wholesale blot! He says:
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3.13.8
�ف ق ا �ة �م�ق�� �ة �ى �م��� �م� يم�
آ �َ ع��ف�ا �ف� �م�ن ا ��ل ن����س�� ��ج�س ��لي���� ا �ل� � � ��ّي��ة س � � �ت ق ض ك� ���ا �ل��ر��س � ����ل��ع�ه �لي�����سل��� ���غي�ر ه م �آ � آ ّ � ا ت خ� ��ذ �ن � ش آ ف � اق ن ف �ا �ص�د ن� �م�ن�ت�ا ب� �ه�و �ل�� ا �ل ش����ع �ر * �و �ل� �� � �ه� �ل�ى � ���ق���ل ت� �ل� �ج�ر�م �ل� ��� ع��� �ر * ���ع���سى ا � م َ�� َ آ �ا � �م�ن اَ�ّ ش � ن نا ��ل�ا �مه� ل ن ن ف ا ن �ن � � * ه م ك � م� ح �م� و � ���س �م��ه�م ر����د ا * � او �ج��د �ع��د �� ر�ه�م �ه�د �ى * �� � �م ك�� � م ِ َ ن ن �ف �ن �ق �ت �ف �� ت �ذ �� � ا �َ ا ��ا ن �ن �ل� م�م� * �وك�� � �م �ع�ا د � �ه�م ا � ��ي �� رد � او �ع ا � �ل ��و�م * ��ى �ك��ل �ي ��و�م * � ��يو�� ا ك�ر� او ا � �مور آ آ � � �ن حش �ص ا ��ل� ا �ل�م��س�� * �و ��ل�ا � �س�ق��ص�� ت� �ع�ن ��م �س�م�ا ا � �مور ا ��ل ن����س�� * ف��ا � ت � ����د �ه� * ا �ل��د �ي��ا �م�ن ا �ل�ع� ي ى ي ر م ُ� ق ق �ص�د �ه� * ف��ا �ذ ا �ه� ب ���م��لت ���ة �ع ن��د ا ��بل�� �ه� ق��ا �ع�د �و ن� �ع��ل� د ك��� �ود �ل��ل ت� �ع��ل�ى �م��� حر * �و��د ض� �� �بر�� او ى م ج �م م ّ � �� �ف � �ف ا ق ا � ��ق �ه� �م�ن ا ��ل � ي�ه� * �وق���ل ت� ��ه�ل � ك�� حر * ���سر ت� ا �ل �ل�ه� ��سر د �� �ه� * �و��س��ل�م ت� �ع��ل� ل� ��ى ي� ي� �ي م م م م م ّ � ّ � � ن ت� � � � �ب�ا � �لود ا د * �وق��د ب���لغ���ه �م�ن ك�� � �م�ا �و�خ��ا ه ا �لي� ك�� ��ل�ا � ك�� ��ا �ل�� �س او �م�ن ي�ُ�م ت� ا �لي� ك�� � �ع�ن ر�ش���ا د * م� � ا� ج م م م � � �س��قر ب �ى الجم ح��ا �ب�ا �� �لق��ا د � * � او ن� �ي�� ق��ا � �ل او �مر� �ك�ن �غ��ي�ر �م ن��ا د � * ف���ل�م�ا ا � ت � ���ل��س * ا �نب��ر�ى � او � ح��د ب م م قا � � ا ّ � � ف ن � ظ �ن � ش � ن�� ��هن ت ا �من �ن ن �هر � 1ك�� ل� � ك �ه�م ��ي �ب����س * �� �ل * �ل� �ب��د �ل�ى �م ا � ا � �ه�ى �م� ���ر�ع� �ي��ه * � او �� � � م�� و م ّ ا ن ا � ه �م � �خ ا ف ه ��نَ�َ � �ن ُ�خ � ق �ذ �� � �ّ � �ك�و ن� ا �ل�ا �ل�ه�ن * � او �ى ر ج���ل �م� �� �ل� ِ� �و�� �ي�� * �ع �لم �� �ل� �ه� ا ا ل� ح�ا �ل�ه�ن * �و�ع نّ��ا ه � �ذّ م ّ ا �ُ �ن � ا� �ز � ح�ا ��له�ن * �ف�ه�ن ال�م�ت ت ن م � م��ع�ا ت� �ب��د ر ا �ل��د ��ني��ا � �و�يع��م�ه�ا * �و�ل�� ا ��ت �ه�ا �و ��ط ��ع�و�م�ه�ا * � �و�ص� �ل�ه�ن * �و�م�� ه � � � � ا �ه � �ا * � ت� ف � ���ل��ف �ن�ن �ا ح��ل ا �ه�ا �و�ن�� ا د ر�ه�ا * � �ق���تر� �ك�ن � اولم ح�ا ��ل * �و ك� ح�ن �ع��ل�ي�ن �ا ا �لم�م�� � � ح �ه� �و ج��و ره و � �و� ي� �ي و �ي ض ا ئ ه�ن َ � ل��ك� �ع ض ح��ْ �ي�ز� ن��ه * � ��م�ا ا � �مورا د �و��ن �ه�ا د �ق� ا �ع ن��ا �ق� ا ��لر�ج��ا ��ل * �� � ��و �م�ن ا � � � ع � �� � � � � ل ور ل � � ب ى �ي ت خ �ذ � ث ت �ف � �خ ا ا� ��� ن� ��ل�ه ا ��ث ن���ي�ن � �وث��لث���ة �و �ل�ا �ت �ر ن��ه * �� ا �ب���ت��س� ك� ���ا ش��� ار �ع�ن �ن�ا �ب�ه * � او ��س��مر ��ى � �� ط� �ب�ه * �ي مَ م �ز �ز ت � ا ت ن َ � ا �ة ن ا � ن � � ت ا � � �ف ّ ح�ه�ن �و� � �ه�ن �ل�ا �ت��و���سى * �و� ��ك�ل �ج�� ر� ح ا ا � �ل� �������سى * �ي � �ه� �ل�ك ��ى � ب � ح� �م�� �ج� ارح �م � ب آ � � � � ��ف ��ل ا �ة � � � غن �ن ا�لم�ا ��ل��ك � او �لم�م��ل�وك * �و�� �س �و �ى ا � �ه�ن ا �ل����ى � او �ل�ص�ع��ل�وك * � او � �ه�ن �ير�م��ي�ن ا �لر�ج��ا �ل ح� �ج�� ا �لي� ف ي�ز ه�ن �ف ���ف �مه�ا ��ل��ك * � �م ض� ا ق � �ف ه�ن ٓ ن �ة � ا � ي�ن � و ى � ��� �ي��� �و�م ار �ب�ك * �لي����ك ��و� � �م �و� ا �ل� ��ط�بي��� * � �و�ي���� �و� �ب �� ر��ص ت �ف ّ � � � � ح��د ا �ل� �ف ح�م ن ا � �لق �ف � ���ق خ ���و ن� ا ��ن ��ف ��س�ه� ��ل ��و ن� ا ب�ل�� � �س�� * ���ا ر * �و��ي�عر ض� ا �لب���ي�ن * ي���� ح�ا ر * �و�ي �� � �و ض� � � ي و م � �ف � �� �ك �س� ب� ا �ل�ى الا ����س�ا د ل���ن�ه �� ب � � ا �� ��ذ � � ا �� ن�� ت ��ح�ز � �ن��ك �ب�ا ِد و�ع��ل�ى ل� ى ب�ي �
ظ ��� :1855 1هر.
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٩،١٣،٣
١٠،١٣،٣
١١،١٣،٣
A Maqāmah to Make One Stand
Chastity in women’s no natural trait But an occasion that to corruption doth persuade. Like when you pull one tooth to save another And your regret for the one you lost is plainly displayed!’143 “So I said, ‘No question, I must go to where these poets congregate and make
3.13.9
of each an associate. Who knows, perhaps I’ll acquire from them good sense, discover some guidance in their vehemence, for their words are very wise and from seeking them out some clarity may well arise.’ Now it was their custom to hide away, each day, and from after the afternoon prayer till the evening prayer was called, swap tales of this world, and how it turned, especially where women were concerned. I therefore enquired as to their congregation and was directed to their destination, and there I found them all together, a bench by the sea their seat, under an awning set up to protect them from the heat. Having approached their meeting and offered them my greeting, I asked, ‘Will you agree to let one sit with you who feels toward you the ties of affection and has been led by your words to seek you out in hope of direction?’ ‘To the new arrival,’ they replied, ‘we extend a welcome, even if he be no longtime companion!’ “No sooner had I settled in my chair than one burst out, addressing those 3.13.10 assembled there, ‘I must finish what I began, its essence and import reveal. As I was saying, for what was this universe created if not women’s weal? Is there a man who hasn’t been the victim of their guile, not suffered to attain their love, not by their impossible demands been put to trial? They are the ones who enjoy the good things of life and its luxuries, its pleasures and its flavor, who its jewelry and gems, curios and curiosities, get to savor. They present us with ideas both practical and quite out of the equation, and task us with things that can lead to decapitation. For each limb they have a specific trinket; sometimes they acquire two or three and still there’s room for more, though you wouldn’t think it.’ “Then he bared his teeth, smiled, and continued with his speech: ‘And on 3.13.11 each member of ours are wounds that they’ve inflicted, never to be cured, bite marks to which we’ll ne’er become inured. Master and man alike are, by their love, prostrated, rich man and vagabond, in their need for them, conflated. They cast men into perilous places, confused situations and constricted spaces so that they may provide their womenfolk with a sufficiency
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�ذ �ّ � ا خ ت�تآ �ا آ غ � � ّ ا ��ل ف �و ��ل �ص��� * � بو�رد ا �ل ش����ت�ا * �و �ل ا �ل� �� �� * �ود �ه�م�ا ت� ا �ل� �ع�د � * �ود ���م�ا ت� حر � ي � َْ آ � � ة � � ة � �� ا اة ا �ل�ا رد � * �و� �مق��ا ��س�ا � ا �ل��ظ���م�ا � او �ل��س�غ� ب� * �و�م�ع�ا �ن�ا � ا �ل ش����ق��ا � او �لت��ع ب� * و م�د ر � �ا غ آ �اف ضآ ة � � � �ق ح��ي�ن * � ���ط�ا �ل�م�ا ���� ا ��ل�ى ا ��ل � ا �لر�ي� ب� * �و�مب��ا را � ا�لم�يع� ب� * � او �ل� ���ص�� �ع�ن ا �ل ش�����ي�ن * � او �ل� ��� و ف قف قف ف � �ف ف ������ل ا � ��و� ���ه �م��ف ت��و� ح��د ��ه ا �ل�ى ب��ي��ت��ه ��و�ج���د �ي��ه ������ل �عر ض� ح�ا * �و��س ّر ا �مره �م�� ض� � ح�ا * � ار �ى م آ �ف ق شُ ت ش ق ق ا ق ن ا ��ث ا ���ع�ه ض�َ ْ�ز ن ا �ز ن ا ��ى �م�و ض� ���ي� �� �و ب� �� �و� * �و � ��ير ن�� �و �ر� �و� * �وك���ي�را �م� � ب� �و��د �����ر ����د ��ه * ا �و آ � �� ت ا �ق ه ا � ا �ْ�ف � ق �ُ �ق� ت ق ���ا �م�ا �ل�ه * �و��س�� ت� ح�م�ل�ا ��ه * ا �و ض� و� �ص� �عن����ه * ا �و ك���سر� ��س� � * و ِ �ي� ع � � � ق � �ي�ن ا � ُ �� ف �ة � ح�ا ��ل�ه * �ف�ا �و��ل �م�ا �ت�ب��ت��د ره �ب�ه �م�ن ا �� ك� ل��ل�ا � * ��ق�و�ل�ه�ا �ل�ه �ب���ل ا �ل��س�ل�ا � * ا ل� � ط ْر�� * م م � �� �ت ا � �ة �� � �ن نُ�ْ َ ت� �ة �نت ا �ق ُغ ن ن ح��ل� ب� ��ورا � * � او � ك �صر���م�د ا � * ح�ف�� * �و�ل�و ا �ن��ك ك��� �سو� �ه� �س�����ه� �� �وك�م� م ح��ل�ى �و � � ��ع ت ا �ف � � � � ن �خرا �ل�ا ��ل� او ن� * �و��س��قي�ت��ه�ا �م�ن ا ��لر� � او ��ط �م��ه� ا � حي��ق� �م�ن �ي��د ا �ل�و�ل��د ا ن� * �و �� ط ّر��ت��ه�ا �ب�ا �ل�عي��د ا � * ب ا� � ت � ا � ا �� �� ا �ف � ا �ت� ف �ن�زّ ت ا ��ف ا �� ا ��ل ن ا ن � �ت ي�ه� ا ِ�ل� ل�ط� � * �لم� ��ا �� * �و � او �لي�� �ع�ل� �ه�ا �ع��ل�ى ا �ل� ك� �ه� �ى ر�ي� �ض �ج � �� � * �وح�م�ل � �و �ه � �� ��ة * � ا ��ل� �� ��ل�� ا ن �ن�ا �ه�ز ت ��خل �ا ت � قا ت ض�ي �ه * �و ��ل�ا ��ل � ا ��م��س��ي�ن * �� �ه�ا �ع ن���ك را � و وي�ل ك � را ��ي � ح� �ج� ��ك �� �ض�ي � �ف �ت �ا �و�ع � �ج�ز ت� �ع�ن ا �ل�م�و�ي�ن * ا �و �ب��د ا ا �ل ش���ي�� ب� ��ى �ع�ا ر ض� ����ك �ع ن��د ا �ل� بر���ع��ي�ن * ا �و ا �ص�ا �ب��ك ��تت ن �ذ � � ��تت�ف تّ ��ت َ �ف �ص ّ �َم�ن ض � ي�ن � � � � � � * � � �مر��ض� ��ى ب���ع��ض� ا �ل��س�ن �� * �و��هى �ع��د �ل�ك ���ى �و � ب ب �ير و ى �ص��ى ى �أ � �َم�ن �� � * ف�ت�غ���ا د ك ���ف ا �� �ف�ل ا ��ش �من ���ا * � �ت�ل�ا�ز � ا ��ل ش�����ا ك � �ت ش����� �م ن��ه ا ��ل� �م�ن �ه�وك� ب و ير و ر ى ى ى ب � � و ي ر م َ �ف ّ � ا � �ن �ن ا �غ ّ �ة �ذ � � �ف � �ي��لب�ي��ه�ا �و�ش���ي ك� ��ا * ا نِ� ا ��غ�ت ن�� �م�ن ا �ل��د �هر�ه��ذه ا � �ل ر�ص�ه * �م� م د �و� �ه� �� �ص� * ا �ه�و م ث ت ا ��ت � ه ف تق � �ن ��ا �ف � �ف ش � ا ق � ا �ن � � � � � � � � � ا � ا � � � ل � � م � ��ى ا � �ل ار ��� �ل� �ي��ع����ل �و �ل� �ي���عى * و �ل� �ي ب � �صر �ي ك�و� م�عى * �م � �ى ي�� � ��ول و ص ّ فا � �ق �خ ف ق �ز ف ا ح���ل�ك * �و ج� ط�ي��ب���ك �و���لي���ل�ك * �و�م��ل�ك �ع�ا �ئ��د ك �و�م� ي���ل�ك * �ي� ر ج���ل �����د ا �� ر�ي ���� ك �� ب � �ن �ذ �ج�ز ا �ف � ا ا �ز ن ت �خ � ���ر ��ا �ذ ا ا ��ل � ح��لي���ل�ه * ��ا �ن�ه �ل�ن ��ي�ع ح���ل�ه * � او � �ه�ا ا ا را �م ت� � �ه� ��ى ا �ل� �ج� �ه� �ع��لي��ه �ي ب � او ��� ب ي ي آ � َ �ْ�ف َ �ا ف �ا �خ ن ��ت ت خ �ذ �ف �� ا � ���� ��ى �ك��ل �ي ��و� ���لي��ل�ا * ا � �ل ت��ه �ور� ا �لب��ا ب� �ع�ت�ي �د ا ���ع�و �ل� * �م�ع�ا �ود ا �و� �صو �ل� * م � شُ � غ � خ ا �ف � �غ ُ �ة �ت �ف ة �ف �خ ن ن � ��و��س�ي ��لت��ه�ا ا �لي��ه ���م�ز � ب���يع���ه�ا * �و�م ن�ي��ت��ه�ا �ل��د �ي�ه ���� ب�� � ���� طى ا � او �م �ي���ه�ا * ب��ل� � ا �لر ج��ل� َّ �خ م� �ا �� ه �م� �ق � ا �ف ا �ن ه � ا �ي�ز ا �� � ف ش غ � ا � ش�� ا ��ن ��ق � �ت ض ا ا ا � � ا ي � � � ه� ��� و ر و�ل * حر�ت��ه �م���� ��و �ل� * � بك���ل ب � م� ع ��و �ل� * و ��ى ب�� � � � �ل� ل ب ي 260
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of food and copulation144 and award them the opportunities presented by separation—for they sail seas, brave deserts, expose themselves to blade of sword and summer’s heat, winter’s cold and terror from the elite, enemy assault and the breaking of their noses by heavy packs, agonies of thirst and famine, toil and fatigue that break their backs, the humoring of the watchful and competition with the reproachful, to shame a closing of the eyes and final submission to an early demise; and each time a husband returns, he finds the lock on his honor smashed, his secret affairs in every corner splashed, and sees in his place rivals for her favors and customers, intimates and cuckolders. “‘Often he returns, neck broken, shank snapped, jaw dislocate, eyes 3.13.12 bloodshot, money gone—a parlous state—and the first thing out of her mouth, before any greeting’s made, is, “What present have you bought, and how many a gift and geegaw have you brought?” Even if you clothe her in a robe befitting Būrān,145 put her up in the palace of Ghumdān,146 feed her the most exquisite foods, offer her nectar from the hands of lovely lads and serenade her with ouds, take her for picnics to the flowery meadows of Paradise, carry her on your shoulders and do for her everything that’s nice, you’ll never find her satisfied or willing to ensure that you too are gratified. And woe to you should you approach fifty and lose your capacity to provide, or white hairs show in your sideburns when you’re forty, or an illness afflict you at any tide; then she’ll act as bold as any boy or brazen lad and proposition any man, willing or not, who may be had. She’ll leave you in bed exhausted and, seated by the window, signal from it to any who may obey her pronto, indicating, “From Fate this occasion snatch; there’s no catch, since he’s in bed, unconscious and unaware and can’t see who’s with me here.” Then she’ll tell him, “Make your will, you, for your end is near, visitors and bed alike are fed up that you’re still there, neither doctors nor friends any longer care.” And—as you well know, married man—it’s well within her power a trick on him to play and take, should she desire, a new lover each day; she’ll find him behind the door all ready and waiting, ever energetic, always returning, a lover frenetic, her hook to get him a wink of the eye, her desire from him a milky burst to extinguish her raging thirst. Men are not so made, for they’re ever busy at their trade, as though their worries had them roped and trussed with cord, or they’re fearful of spending money they can’t afford, or of deflation or premature ejaculation. How then can it be said that men and women
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َْ� �ب�ا د �ل
� ة �ف �ت� فّ � ا ف� ف ق � ن � ف �صر�� د ر��ه �ل�ن ي ج���د �م ن��ه �ب��د �ي�ل� * � ك ا �و � ��ي��� ��ي���ا �ل ا � ا �لر ج���ل � او�ل�م ار � ��ى ا �ل����ك��ل� م � �ف ف ان � ���ّل�ف� ���حل � غ ا � �م�ن ج�م ا �ل�م�ع�ا ر� ��س�ي �ا ن� * �و���فى ا �لت� ك� ��ه�ل �ي� ك�� �ي� ب� * � ��م�ل ا�لم��� ر�م �ع�د �ي�ل� � * � م م �ن آ � � ق ا � ن � �ل� �ذ ف �ذ � � ا ت �ص�د �ى �ل�ه ا �ل�� �ى ج�ه �ع�ن �ه� ا ا �ل� �مرا�ل�مر�� ب� * ��� �وا ب� ��ا ا �ل����س�� �ج��مي��ع�ا * �و�� �ل د � �و�ك ا ج�� ي ت �ن آ � � � �ن ن ّ ا �ن � ث ق � � � ا ف� � �� �ن ح�� ا � �ه�ن ط��ع�ا * ا ��ى ا ��م�ا جه �� م��ع�ا * �ول��ل� ح� �م �� ي ��س ��ير�ع� * ���ك�ن �ل�ه س� ي �و� ا �ل����س� �ل� �م �ي آ � ا ��س�ع�د �م ن��ا � او ��سل��� � �ف�ا ت� * ا �و ا �ق�د ر �ع��ل� ا ��ل��ل���ذ ا ت� * � او ��ف�و�ز �ب�ا �لم��س ار ت� * ب���ل �م�ن � حي� ث� ى م �ف � � �ذ �ة ف �خ � �ف ق ف ق ا ا ت�ن ق ض � ا ي�ه�ن �����د ���لت��ه �ع�ن � ���ل� �ل� * �و�ع� ا �ب�ا �و�ن ك� ح��س�د * ��ا �ل� * ��م�ا ���لت��ه �� ا ��ن �ه�ن ���ل���ق�ن �ل ن��ا �� � �و� ت ا ��ق � ه � �آ ن �ف ا ن ا �ل� ا �ة � ا ا � ت ��ف � ت ا � � ا ا �ن ا � ا �ه�و �ع�ن � ح ّر �ور�ش���د * � �مر م� د م� �ى ب�ي��� ب ��و �ه� �ع� ��س� * �ل� �و�م� ا �و�ل� ا �ل� � � �ي خ� �ذ �ذ � �ف �ا ن �ت�ز ا �� ��م �ظ � ة � ا �ير�ت� � �و�ه�ا ا ا ك � ح �� �ور� �ل� �تر�ى �ل�ه�ا ا �لي ����ا �و �ل� �م��ؤ ا ���س�ا * � او � ل ع �ي�و�ل�ع ب� * �ي�و��ل�ه�و � �� � �ز ا �ف � ت �غ ح� �م�ن ��ي ��ص ا � ف �ن ا � ف � ��ص � � ح ب� * �وك ����ل�م�ا ا د �و�ي �طرب� * �وي���س� ر � �يو�� رب� * �ي� �ل�� �م �ي� �ل�� �و�ي ب ا ت ت ت � �ظ �� ا �ز ف ت ح�ا * �ف�ا �ذ ا �ت�ز �و ج� ت� �ص� ر� � ح� ح �ه�ا �ج��ا �ب�ه �و �ر� �مر� � ر ب���ع��ل�ه�ا * ح� * ا د ا ب� ��وه ا ب�� � �ا ت�خ� � �م�ن ���ت ا ا � ا � ا �ذ �ن ه � � ا � ا � � ا �� � �ن ا �ص��ت ا � � ��ل ّ ى �ف��ع��ل�ه�ا * �ف�ل�ا �ت ك� �� د ب�ي ��ه� �ل� ب� � * و �ل� و�ص� ر ه�و م� ل�ك � ي ��ه� و و� ر�ج َ �ت � ا �ذ ت �ث�ق ف �ن ف ن ق� � � ن �ت ف �ت�ا ��ى ا �م ار ا �ل� ا ا ا � � �س� �و � ت� �ي��ه �م�ن ا �م ن��ه * ��ا � ��ا �ل �ل�ه�ا �ل��ك ا � � ���ع��لي��ه * ك���ا � �ت ا��ا � َ � ���ا �ل�م�م��ت�نّ �ع��ل�ه�ا ���ت ا ث� ا ����ه * � ا ن� �ق�ا ��ل ��ل�ن ��ت ف���ع�� * � ت ا ك� ل�ى ر ج ��ع� �و�عب��ر� �ه� ك�� �ل�وِ�ل�ى * � بو�� ن�� ر و ي� ب ر ب ي ن �ت ق � � �ة � �ت �ت � ��� � خ �ص���ط� * ث�� ا ن �ع��ل�ه�ا ا ن �ت�تم��ل�ق��ه ا �ذ ا ���خ �م�ا �ف��ة �� ��� ش ط����ه * � او � � ���و� ب خ�د �م� �س ط ح��س �ر �ه�ا � � �ل�ى م � ي� � ب م � ��� ��� � �م�ا � �ق���ت � �ع��ل�ه�ا * � ت���ّد د ��ل�ه �م�ن �ق�د �� �مت��ا �ع�ه �م�ا � ��ل�ه �ك� ح��ل�ه �و� ح��ف ش����ه * � �و�ت ��ب�ط ر� �خ� ي و ر ل ي� ج ي �ي و م ح م ف � �ق � ق ّ � ت� ف� �ظ �� ��نَ ضَ � �لي���ل��ة �ت�ب��ي� ت� �ت��د ا ر��ه ���ده * � �و�ت� ��ّو� ا �وده * �و�ترب �ى �و�ل��ده * � ك�� � �ي��ل� ي��ه ا �ل� ي�ه�ا * �وح�� � ي م م شّ ��خ ف ا ن � ا ف � � �ا ن غ � ف ���ع�ه � �و�ت ف�� ����ط�م�ه �و�تر����� ط� ���ط�ا * �وج� ح�ه ي�ه�ا �و�ه�و ي��م�ل�ا ا �ل ك� �ه�ى ا �ل��تى �تر ض� �� ح� ��ط� * � � � ي���� �و�ي م�� � �� ��ي �ت ّ ت �تت � ����ه � �ت �ق�ده * � �ت��ل�ّع��ه � �ت�� ّ ت قظ �ت ض�ي �ه * �� لهي��ه * �و��ع��ل�ل�ه �و�ت ار � و ب و� �و���سر�ه�ده * �و ر�ع�اه � �و��ع�ه�ده * �و� ��و� � و ر ت ّ ت نّ ت ا� ت ن ت� ّ ض ه ت� � ��ت ن �ظ �� �ف ه ت�� ش � حّو �� ط�ه * م��� ��ط�ه * �و��مر� ��� �و � �و��� او ���س�ه �و���س��لي��ه * �و ج�� �ل��س�ه �و��م��ي �ه * �و�� �� �و ت ت ّ �ت � ت � �ت ن �و��م ش����ي �ه �و �ح�م��ل�ه * �و���س�ت�د ر�ج��ه � �و�ت��ق���ل�ه * �و� �غ� ��س��ل�ه � �وت��لب����س�ه * �و��ع ��طره � �و�ت �� ط�و��س�ه * ���ط � � ا � � ت ف ئ تُ �ْ ئ �أ � � �و��د ���ه � � �لب���أه ا ��ع�م�ه ا �لِ��لب��ا �ل� �و�ل ا �ل��لب���ن * و�لب���ه *
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have, for the bearing of life’s burdens, equal responsibility, in withstanding its injustices equal accountability? Can any among you resolve my perplexity?’ “At this the one who’d attacked women without distinction147 confronted 3.13.13 him and said, ‘Here’s your answer, delivered at speed, so pay it heed, and with the truth be agreed. I didn’t attack women for being better off than us and less subject to bane, or more likely to enjoy pleasures and delights obtain, but rather for creating dissension and leading us astray, for causing torment and making us pay. What I said of them then, I said while jealous; what I say now I say in a spirit of good sense and inquiry zealous. A woman, so long as she, a maid, in her parents’ house is hidden, to emerge forbidden, has not one friend, not one intimate with whom to unbend. All the while though, her brother sports and frolics, capers and rollicks, travels and sees the world, makes friends with whomever he pleases and keeps company with whomever he chooses; and the more he gets to laugh, the happier and more joyful his father on his behalf. “‘Then, when she weds, she can do nothing her husband forbids; now it’s 3.13.14 he who has her at his beck and call and whatever she does, he’s responsible for all. She can scarce leave her house without his permission and does nothing without first confirming his lack of prohibition. If he tells her, “You have my consent,” he does it as though graciously bestowing on her the inheritance left him by his sire, and if he says, “You do not,” she returns pitiful as a saint, burning with chagrin like a fire. In addition, for fear of his brutality she has to mollify his mood, take care of his bag and baggage, cook each day whatever he proposes by way of food, make new any old things of his he may throw her way, look after his bed and bedding, provide for his wants, and raise his brood. How many a night she spends coddling them while they fill the place with their squawking, squalling, and bawling, for it is she who cleans them and weans them,148 handles them and dandles them, cuddles them and swaddles them, jiggles them and juggles them, dresses them and caresses them, pats them and pets them, wipes them and gripes them, warms them and tulbiʾ
albaʾa means “to feed on libaʾ,” which are
them,
beestings
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�ف ق ا �ة �م�ق�� �ة �ى �م��� �م� يم�
ت � آ � � ُْ �ك��ي�ن ا ��ل��د ا د ا �ة ا ��ل�� �ك��ي�ن � او �ل�ا �ه�د � ا �ل��ت��س�� ح �ر��ك � او �ل��ت��س�� � �وت��د ا د �ئ�ه �و��ت �ه�د �ئ�ه * ي غ � ���ا ��ل�ز �ه�ز �ق��ة � ا � غ �ة �ت ق �ذ�� ا �ل�ز �ق�ز �ق��ة ا ��ل��ترق�ي��� ك� �و�ت�ز �ق�ز �ق�ه � �و�تب��ا ���م�ه و�لمب��ا ���م� � ���د � ك�ر�ه�ا * * ص م � � � �ت ّ �ت ق ا ن �ص� ���ل�� � �لي�ن �ا � ��رب� ا �لي��د �ع��ل� ج�� ب� ا �ل� �و�ت بر��ت��ه � �و �ه�م�ه�م�ه * ا �ل�� ب�ر�ي�� ت� ض� ى ب�ى ي ل � م � �ة ��ت ن � ا � ة ا �� ��� �ف �ت � او �ل�ه�م�ه�م� ��و � �ل�م ار � ل ط���ل �ب��ص�و� �ه�ا * يم ّ � �� �ي�ن ا � �ت �ت ق �ذ � � �ص�ب�ى � �ه�د�ه�د ا �ل� حرك���ه �ل� � � � او �ل� ر�ع � � ���د � ك�ره * �و��ت �ه�د�ه�ده �و�تر�ع�م�ه * � ي م م م � ��ل�ا � � � �وت��د ا �عب��ه � �و�ت ���ط�ا ��ي ب��ه * � �وت��د �ن��د ن� �ق�ا ر��ه �ن�ا �غ��اه � ك� ح��س�ن * ب ب م ��ل�ه � ��ت ق و ���ا ر�ب�ه * ق � � ّ ن � ض ا � � ��ت ّ �ن ه � ��ت �ص � �ع���د �� ��ط�ن ا � �ه�د � ا � � ل ل ه ا �ص �ص � ا � � � ه � � ل � � * �ص �� � � � ب� ب� و ر ب ب ى ى ر و �ه�د � و بر ���� لي ��س�م�ن * � ت �غ �ت ض ّ ا ض ّ � �غ � � ا ا �ل��د �ر ر�ف�� ا�ل�م ار �ة �ل�ه�ا �ة ا �ل� � �و��د �ره � �و � ��ب��ب��ه * �ص��ع�ه� �و� ��ب�� ب� �ص�ب�ى �ب� � ب ع � � � ��س �ن ُ ��ع ه ا �� ض �ة ور بّ� ي ج� ا �ل� ��ب���بي�� * �و �هى �م � �ص�ب�ى ا ��ط �م� ل� ���عل� � �ف ّ ��ة �ل�ه ��ى �ع��ك�� * � �ذ �ذ ّ ّ ح � ة �� ف � ا � ق ح�تى ��ي�� ض���ى � ح�ا �ج� ت��ه * � �وت��د ر�ب�ه � �وت�� ر�ب�ه * ا �لت�� ر��ي ب� ���م�ل ا�ل�م ار � �ط���ل�ه� �ت�ق ّ ت ا ��لت���ق �� ��ت�ق��د � ش � ر��ه ا ��لب����س�ه ا ج��ل � ح�ه �و ج� ه �� ه � � � �ور ب� * ��� * � �� � � ر ج و و ريم م ر ب �و ر�م� �و ب ت � � � ْ � � نّ ن � � ّ��س��س ا �ل� �ص�ب�ى �ق�ا �ل �ل�ه ِا ��س ا ��س �ليب� ��و�ل ا �و ��ي ت�غ� ��ّو �� ط* �و ج���ل��س�ه � �وت�����س��س�ه * ن ق� �ق � ت � ا � �ق و � �ل ي��ا ��س ا � ��ي���ا �ل ا ي���س�ه * �ل� � ّ ل�ن� �ت ق �ذ ��ت ّ ��ت ن�ّ ��ه ���ف ا � ف�ل���ص� ا ��ل��س�ا د �� � ش ا �� �ت ع��� �م�ن ه � � � � � �و�ع�و�ذه �و ج� �د ك � � * �� �� س �� ى ج س ر ل ر ي س م �ت � �ا � ل��ا ب� ا �ل� �و�ل * ا � ك�� � �خ �ز � ف � ش �ف َ �ت�ق ّ � ر��س� ا �ل� �ص� ب�ى ����د ��ى �ي��ده ا �و ر�ج���ل�ه �ر ا �ل��د ��� ا �ل�ع��ي�ن * * � �و � �م ��ط�ه �و�تر��س�ع�ه ع ع �ذ � � �ك�ن � � ة �ن غ ّ �ة ��ف � ا �غ �� � �� ��ف �ذ � � ل � � ا � � ل� ا � ح م � � �و�ت�ز��ي ن��ه �و�ت�ز �هن��ع�ه * �ه� ا �و�ل�و�ل� �ي�� �ل�ل�م ار � ك � � � �ص� �ى �ل� ج ��ل ��ي ر ب��ل ��ى * و ل�ك م � � ف � �ق ا ا ��ت ا �� ا �ذ ا � ن �غ ا ا ق ت ض ���ا � ح�ه�ا �ب�ه �لم�� ��س� �ه� ب�ع�ده ك ���ا � �م�ن ب���ع��ل�ه�ا * �م�ا �ل� ��ي���د ره ��ي�ر �مث���ل�ه�ا * �و �ل� ���
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A Maqāmah to Make One Stand
tudaʾdiʾ them and tuhdiʾ
daʾdaʾah means “moving and quieting,” and
them,
ihdāʾ means “quieting”
tuzaqziq them and
zaqzaqah means “making dance” (synonym
tubāghim them,
zahzaqah), and mubāghamah has been mentioned above149.
turabbit them and tuhamhim them,
tarbīt means “lightly striking the child’s side with one’s hand to make it sleep,” and hamhamah means “a woman’s sending a child to sleep with her voice”
tuhadhid them and turaʿʿim them
“hadhada the child” means “he moved it to send it to sleep,” and tarʿīm has been mentioned above150
jests with them or sports
qāraba means “he spoke quietly to it with
with them, hums to them, pleasant words” or tuqārib them, tuhaddin or taṣrab them,
haddana means “he gave the child what it wanted” and ṣarb is “tying a child’s belly so that it gets fat”
tadghar them or tuḍabbib
daghr means “a woman’s lifting a child’s uvula
them,
with her finger” and “ḍabbaba the child” means “he fed the child with ḍabībah (‘a mash made for a child in a small butterskin’)”
trains them and tudharrib
tadhrīb means “a woman’s holding a child up
them,
so that it may do its business”
tuqarrim them and
taqrīm has been mentioned earlier151 and jaw-
tujawrib them,
raba means “he dressed him in his socks”
sits them down and tunassis “nassasa the child” means “he said is is to make them,
it urinate or defecate”; I say that it ought, by analogy, to be ayyasa
protects them with charms tanjīs was mentioned above in Book One, and tunajjis them,
Chapter 16152
swaddles them and tarsaʿ
“rasaʿa the child” means “he tied beads on its
them,
arm or leg to ward off the eye”
prinks them and primps them. “‘These are the facts, and were pregnancy the only agony a woman has 3.13.15 to face in life, it would be enough—either for the burdens she must face
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�ف ق ا �ة �م�ق�� �ة �ى �م��� �م� يم�
ف �غ ف� �ق �ق ا �� ت ا ��ل�ع��ل �آ ا ن � ض � ا �ل� ا ة ش �� �مر � ���ي�ره * ���د � ل� �م� � و� �م�ن ��ي�ره * �ع��ل�ى �ر��ض� �ع�د �م ����ع�ور�ه�ا �ب� ض� ع � ��ن ا ��ع��ق ه �� ا ��ل َ َ � ث� ا ن ا �ل� ا ة نن ح��لي���ل�ه�ا �غ���ر �ذ �ى ا �ل�� * � ك �ه�ا �م�ن �غ��ي�ر � ل��م� �ي ب�� ب�ع��ض� ��س�د * � � �مر � �ج� �ي�� � ي م م م �ذ � � ا � � � �ة ّ �خ � ا ��ث ة ة ��سه�ا ���ا � ا � ا �ذ � � م�م�ن�ي � �م�ا �ع�د ا �ل�ك �ب� � ح�م� �ل�ه� �وحِ� � حوا �ل �ع��س�ي�ر� * � او � ��ط� ر ك���ي�ر� * �و �ل�ك ك�ِ ق قا � �ز � ا ق � َ�عْ���ف ت ا َ فَ ا ت ا ح�ا �ق ا ���ا � ش ا ش ا طه�ا � او �ل� ���ه�ا * �ب��ل� �ه� * � ِاو ��س��� �� � ح���� ����ه� �وِد � � وي � �ه� � او ���ل�ه� �و� ��و ج�ي�ب��ه� �وك�ِ ن ّ � �ز�خ � �ف �ل ّ ا � �لو ض� ��� � بو���ع�ده(� * )1وك���� ��س�ا �ه�ا �م�د ه * �� هى �بر � ( )1ا لا ح�م�ا ل ا ن� ي���ن�ز ل �لب���ن ا ل�مر ا �ة �م��ن �غ��ير � ح ب���ل و ا � ح��س ع آ �ذ ن ة ي�ن � ت ��ل ة ّ و ��ج� ي�ا �خ � ا � نل� ف����س� ب��ع�د ا �لولا د � و ا �ل�عي�� ف����ة �هى ا � ت��ل�د ��ا �� ��ق � ��ذ ا �ت ا ��ف ع � � ا � � � � � � � ء ا ل ه � �ب�� ا �لم�و� و حي��و وِ�ع�د * وك� ر ل� � �ه� � فت ت ا ل �ة ى ي ي� ى ا ل�مر ا �ة ف���ي��� ي�ه�ا ���ر �ض ح���صر �ل ب�� ن����ه�ا �فى ث��د �� � ��ع�ه�ا �ج �ا ر ���ه�ا �مر ف �ذ ��� �ش��ه * � �غ��� �م �ة �� ن م��ه�ا ��ا ��لُ�ه * ��ل�ا �ن�ه ا �ذ ا و ا ل�مرت�ي���ن و ا لا ��ل �ه�ا ب� �لب���ن ا ل�مر �ض �ع و ا � تل�و �ج�ي��� ب� �ك�ل � ر و ي ر ر ي � ب � ر ب ي ن ش ق ش � � � �� � � � � ل � � ا ا ا ا ا ل ل د ا � �د ا � ح��� ا � ل� � � �� � ع � � �ض � ل� �� ا ل � � رع و � ي ب س و فى ب فى َ ن ق ّ �ث ت ق � ن�� ظ ����ه �ه�ا �ت�ا �خّ� �ع�ن � ق�ت ه ��ض و � ��� ا �و ك����ر ا � بل���ط��ن و ا �ل�د ح�ا ق� ا ن� �خر�ج ر � ا ا � � � * ح� ا � نل��ا ���ة ب��ع�د ولا د �ه�ا و � ر ر ل ى م ا �تل� ف�� ث � �غ� ��ثي���ا ن� ا �ل � ح ب����لى * �ذ �� � ا و ر �ص�د ر�ه�ا * � او �ه ب� �صب��ر�ه�ا * �وك��وح�م�ه� ض�ن ��ك � �� ا� � ��ث ة � ا � � ن � ن � �ذ � �و�ت�ف� ّ��ث �ه�ا � �وت�ا ��نّ ف���ه�ا �ش���ه� ا ت� ���فى �م�د�ة ا ��ل حب���ل ك���ي�ر� * �ل� ي ك �م����ه�ا ا �ل�صب��ر �عن��ه�ا � او � �ت��ك�ن ا ت� و ر � �ة � َ � ئ �ة ة �ق ت ق ض �ف ش ت ت ش ئ �مرر� * �و��هى ٍ� �ج��ا ����� ا �لن�� ��س � �و�ى * ��بِ����س��ه�ا * �و�ج��ا ���ي�����ه�ا �و� �ل ��س��ه�ا * � او �هي�� ا � �ل � ح �ي ن �ة � شَ َ ا �� ت �ل ت ن ا � ا � �غ � �ذ � � � �ن ا ��� � � ا � � �ه� ا �لر�ج�� �ل * ���و�ى * �و��ي ر �ل�ك م لع�ل�ل � او �ل� � � او �ه�� ا �ل � حوا �ل * ل ��ى ��س� �م� �م � � ت ف� ّ � � َ �ن �ظ � ي�ن � ش � ا �ن ف �ّ ��ل�� خ ��ا ن� ا ���خل �ل�ل�ا �ف� * �ق�ا �ل ا �ل�ه�ا ر��س � ك� ص ١٦،١٣،٣ ��� �و�م�ن � �� ر ب���ع�� ا �لر����د � او �ل� � �ص�ا �� * �ل�م �ي �محل� م �ن� ت ش �ت ث خ� ش � ش غ َ � فت �سْور�ت�ه * �ف��ع�ا ر��ض� �ب�ا �لم� او ر�ب�ه * �� ����ى ا �ل ا ك م����ا ��ب��ه * ����سر� � � ��وك����ه * �و���ر ت� � � م َُ � ث �ق ح��د ��ه �و�ق�ا ��ل � ع او ا � ف�ل���ص�ل ا �ذ ا �م�ا ر ج� ف���ق��ا � ا � ��ع ن��ا * �� ح��سب�� ن��ا �ي�ا ��و�م �م�ا ��س�م�ع ن��ا * �ود � � م م م ّ ّ ن � � � �ة �ة �ة ف ن ف �غ ة ا ق ق �ن ف ض � ت ��� ا � او �ل� د �ل� �م�عت���ل� * � او �ل�ع���د� ��ي�ر �م�� ح��ل� * ������ل� �ع��س�ى ا � ا �ص�ا د �� �م�ن �ع ن��ده ا � ��� و َ �ت ت � ا �ث ني�ن ���ف فق ���ف ٓ ن �ة � � ا �ل خ� ي�ن ����ذ ��ل��ك ا ��خل � قي�ن �ب��ر ا �لي����� * � او ��ك�ى �م� �و� ا �ل��س� او �ل �و ��م�� * �����د را ��ي� ا �ل� � ��� ��ك ر���سى ب ح ّ��ا ر�ه�ا ن� * �و�ف�ا ر���سى �عل��� �و����ا ن� * ب��ي��د ا ���نى ا �خ��ا ��ل�ه�م�ا �ق�د ��ن ���ط�ق��ا �ع�ن ا ��له� � * � �ل�� ت�� م بي � وى و م ��ي ري � � � � ��ف �ذ � �ذ ن ق ف ث �ص�د �ق� ا �ل�� �ى �ي���ب���غ�ى �لم�ن � ا �ل� ح��د � �ور �و�ى * � او ا �ب�ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� * ��ي �هر �و�ل �ى ب���ع��ض� � � � ن ق � ��و��ل �م�ا � ا �ل�ا ��س� او �ق� * �و��ي��ده �ز �ن�ب��ي���ل �ي ��ود �ع�ه �م�ن ا�لم�ا �ك� ح��س�ن �ل�عي���ي��ه �ورا �� * �ف�ا � ك م��س�� ت� ب � � � � �ق ا �� � � ُ ْ �ق ق �م�ن �ف � � ن ُ �ق �� �و ب�ر��و * �ير��و �برك��و * ح�ى �ب�ا �ل�ز ��ب��ي���ل * �و���ل ت� ا �ل��د �لي���ل ا �ل��د �لي���ل * � ل ه�و ج � ر ع ع ع ع 266
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A Maqāmah to Make One Stand
thereafter (if it’s her husband who’s the father) and which none but another of her sex could bear, or, if he is not, for the scandal in which she must surely share (we may assume she’ll feel no sense of guilt, for scholars have said that when a woman gives birth to a child by someone other than her spouse it’s painless, followed merely by a certain wilt); not to mention that, in addition to all that’s gone before, God tests women with trying conditions and perils galore. These include lactation though not pregnant,153 postpartum pain, retention of milk in the breast following birth (requiring a female neighbor to suck on it a couple of times to make it drain154), drying up of her milk and clotting of the colostrum in the udder, plus shriveling of the child in the womb, postpartum prolapse, and miscarriage and casting of the child before or after term, as well as childbed (that limbo between death and life), when for an undetermined period she’s confined, and any ʿiddah, when her freedom is restricted for a number of days that has been defined,155 and the menses that each month afflict her and often with shortness of breath constrict her—for they bring her pains in the back if late and cramp her chest and destroy her patience when too little or too great—plus, during pregnancy, cravings, morning sickness, and yearning for many things whose absence she cannot face, even when bitter to the taste, this leaving her unruly and unbiddable, furious and hysterical, debilitated and subject to ennui—along with other ills and conditions of which men are free. Any who views the matter with good sense and fairly will never argue to the contrary.’” Al-Hāwif resumed, “At this, his opponent seemed to run out of steam, 3.13.16 deflate, equivocate, and finally fear a mutiny. So another stood up and said, ‘We’ve heard enough, good folk, for now. Let’s leave the final determination to our return and further scrutiny,’ and they went their ways, the evidence defective, the attempt to untie the knot having proved ineffective. To myself I said, ‘I still may come across one from whom the final word on this matter I can prise, thus sparing myself further inquiry and surmise, for it seems to me that the speakers were like two horses in a race, each rider jockeying with knowledge and rhetoric for place. Each, though, I think, spoke according to what his mood suggested and not—as should those who report and relate— by ensuring that the truth was fully tested.’ Then the Fāriyāq appeared, jogging through a certain market, depositing what food appealed to his eye and took his fancy in a basket, which I seized, crying, exultant, ‘My consultant! My consultant!’ To this he replied, ‘Hunger terrible, miserable and horrible!
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�ف ق ا �ة �م�ق�� �ة �ى �م��� �م� يم�
� �ا ن � ا � ّ ن �ة � ا ش ا ا ن ن ن � ا ن ا �� �ق ا ض �ا � � �ل� �ي���ب���غ�ى ا � ��ي�ق��ا � �ع��لي��ه د �لي���ل �و �ل� �بر�ه�ا � * �و �ل� ب�ي���� �و �ل� ���� �ه�د � * ل � � � � و ى م � �غُ � � ُْ � �ة � �ة ��ل ا �ل� ا ن ش ئ ت ف� �ق �� ق ��ن ��ف ��س�ه ��ل�اَ ْ�� � ن ا � ا �ل��ل� م م ل � ا � � � � ا � ا � ج �س���ه�م �ى ج � * و � ����� ��ل �ى �وع ا �ل�� ��س ا �ل�ى ج � * و ب � ا ��ل��غَ نِ�� �ة ف ق � ت ن � � � �ا ن ت �ف �زن ج�� * �����ل � ا ��م�ا ا �ل��د �لي���ل �ع��ل� ���ل�ك * �و�ل��ك ا �ل� �م�ا � �ع��ل� �م�ا ��ى ��ب��ي���ل�ك �م�ن ا �لِم��ل�ك * ى ى �ن آ �ف � � ��ن ت ت خ� �� � � ا ��خل ئ ط���ك * �و�م�ّ ك� �� �ر��ك * ا ��ى � �ق�ا �ل �م�ا �خ� �� �و �ض م ����ي�ن * ��ا �� ض� ح��د��ي ث� ا �ل����س�� ك��� � ب ب م ع ت �ق � ت � � ا � ا � � �قَ �ٌ اَ��ن �ف ه � ��ل��ل �ق � �غ ح�ا ض� ي�ن ا ح ��ض� �م� ا ��ل � � ���� * �ل� ب��ل�ى �ل� �مر م� �ج �دع ��ص�ي ر �� * و م��د ور �� د ر �ر �و ر ع �ن آ �ش آ � �ف � ق � ا � ف �ف ث �خ ا �ل� �لي��� ِا � �ل��ه * �� ا �ب��ر�ت�ه ب��م�ا �ج�ر�ى �ل�ى ��ى ا �لب�ي�� ت� �و�م� ا �ل����س�� �و�ع ن��د ا �ل����ع �ر * �و���ل ت� م ع � �ق � ا �ت �� آ ف � ق � � ا ا ا �ف�د ���نى ا ج��ل � � ه ه ا � �وا ب� ب��غ���ي�ر �مِ �ر * ��ا ��طر�� ��س�ا �ع�ه * �و�ق�ا �ل �ه� ك� �ع��ل�ى �د ر �ل� �س � ط� �ع� * �� ّ �� ش خ � ف ن � � ق �ف ّ �خ � غ �وا ��طر � �و ��د ا �ب��د �ى ��ى � ار �ع�ه * �و�ل�م �ي����ا د ر ب �ى �ل�ل����عر �� ��ا � ا ج�ل� �ص�د ا �ع�ه * �و�ه�و ع � �أ � اة �ج�ا ن ���ف ا ��ل��ل���ذّ ا �ت � ا ��� ت� ا ��ف ُ َ �ل ��ا ��ف� ا ��ل�ز �و� �ت ك� ح�� � و � �ى س�و�ي� �ى ا �ر ب� ا � ي � ٌّ � �ق � � ا ثٌْ ل� ا � ا � � � ا تِ � �ه� �تِ �و���ط� �وع�ى ��ن�د لآ تِ ��وم�ى ا ��ق�ع�د �ى �ِم���ل ��ه� تِ � ��نِ�زَّ � ��ف ا �� َ ا اَ �ْ ج ا �م�ن ا �� ��ل ت ا ة � �ف�� � � او �ل��مرء �ى ل� ب �ص��ى ��ع��ل�ى ا �ل� ا �ت ا �ق�د �ر �و ���ر آ َ � � ّ �ا ة لا ن���ه�ا ك� ����ثي�ر �ة ا �ل�ِ�ع�ل�ا �ت ���غي�ر ا � �ل���قر�ٓوء ���س�� ء �م�ن �ش�� ك� �� � � �ق �� ٌ � ت �ذ � َّ ْ � � �ح��ى ا ا ��م�ا ����ي�ل ك����ه�ل ��ع�ا �ت د ا �ر �ل��ه�ا ا �ل��د �و�ر ا �ل�ى �مي ���ق�ا ت� ُ ّ ا � ه ا ��ل تّ ن � ّ � � � ���غ� ��ي�ت� ��� س��و� �ل��ل����ش���طا �ت � بو����ع�د ��ه�ا ��ع�د ا �م�ن ا �لُر �ف�ا ت� � � �ن �� ض� �ف �� ه ا �ذ �ذ ا ��ف ا ا ا ة ك �ى ل د � ����ع�م ي��� �سوء ا �ل��مرء �ب��ي�ن ا �ل��نا �ت ����ع� ل� � َ � � �ك�ن ��له�ا �م�ن ا � � ع�����ظ� ا ��لغ��� ّ ��ص�ا �ت الم � ���ا ت� �� � �� َجر��ض� ا �ل��م�م�ا ت� ��جر ض� �ل�� � م َ َ �ت ����ت ��ي�ده �ف�ت الأ� َّ ا �ت ا ن� تِ���ْ��ب��ع�ها �ي�ا ��ى �م�ن ا ��لِ��ل��دّ ا � ت �و��ه � ى ر ر ى � ��ٌ � �حت �ل� ا �ل���م�ما �ت ٌ �ن � ن ا ُ�ؤ َّ ٌ � � �ك�ل �ل�ه ���س���ه�م �م ا � ِل��ه�� �ت � �م �ر ب� ��ى ا �ى
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A Maqāmah to Make One Stand
No advice should be built on it, or proof, or double-witnessed attestation, and it’s the judge himself who’s hungriest for a collation, the one most owed a drop of something wet, or, if you prefer, a coquette.’ ‘That’s precisely the area in which guidance is sought,’ I said, ‘and fear not for the safety of what’s in the basket or of what you’ve bought.’ ‘What’s the beef?’ he asked. ‘What’s the cause of grief? Did you wade into a discussion of women with those who’ve taken that as their field of battle, wearing yourself, along with them, to a frazzle?’ ‘Indeed I did!’ I said. ‘Not for nothing did Qaṣīr cut off his nose,156 nor was it by fate’s decree alone that the boon companion abandoned the one to whom he’d been so close.’157 Then I told him what had befallen me at home with the women as well as among the bards and said, ‘Give me the answer by doubt unmarred.’ He hung his head for a while, then said, ‘Here it is, to the best of my ability, for hunger has made me to effort averse and left me no clear and truth-telling thoughts for verse: Each spouse is the other’s like with regard to pleasures Each on a par in terms of what they need to live. “Stand, woman!” and “Sit, woman!” are like “Hand over, sir, hand over!” And “Do as I say, woman!”’s the same as “Give me, sir, give!” The male in his youth to folly’s more prone Or in it more daring than the maid, For she’s by many an ill Over and above the menses (and what an ill that is!) waylaid. Then, when it’s said, “He’s older, now, dried up,” The turn is hers, until a certain age she attains— Sixty years at most—after which she abstains from all excesses. Thereafter, both can be considered mere remains. True, the male is tormented among men By a weakness of his, at this point, in carrying out the deed, But for her among the greatest of fears— The ones that make her choke as though dying—to which she pays heed Is that her lover be as old as she When what she desires is a youthful lover’s clasp. Each has a measure of weakness That remains unchanged to their last gasp.’
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�ف ق ا �ة �م�ق�� �ة �ى �م��� �م� يم�
ث ��ف ق � � ق ا � �ف َ َ ن � � َ ّ ث� ا ��ز �ن������ ه � � � ت�� ف �ص�د حق� ا �ى � حّو��ه �و��ي�يع�� �ى ��لي��ل�ه * �� �ل �� � �ع�د ب ب ي ل� * و ج��ع�ل ��ي � �ص�د �ع��ى �ب�ا �ل� م ع �ف َ ت �ذ �ة �ز � �غ � ت ض َ ن ت ت ي�ن � ����ل� �و�ع��ل�م� ا ��ه ��ي�ر �ى � ع * �م��ل� ا �ل�ى �م� او د �ع� �و ج��ى * �و���س��ك�� �ه�و�ج��ى �ف � �ت ا آئ �ة �ف � ن ا �ق ا � ا �ن ق �ة ف ا ت ت ن�ز � ن ت فا�� ت �ه� م�ع� � ��� �و���و ج��ى * �� ��ي��� �م�� �ل�ى * ��و�ج��د� �ه� د � ��ب�� ��ى �ع�م��ل�ى * �� كب��ب��� �ع��ل�ى ع�� � � � � � � ن �خ ا�لم ش����ت�ا �ق� * � او ��ن ب��ا ��ت �ه�ا ب��م�ا �ق�ا �ل�ه ا �ل ش����ا �ع ار ن� � او � �لف��ا ر��ا �ق� * ف���ق��ا �ل ت� � �ج�ز ا ه ا لله �ع��ى ��ي�را * ي ث �ق �ف �غ � ف� �ظ �� � ف ق � فق �ا ���ي�را * �� ا ��م ن��ا �ع��ل�ى ا �ل�و��ا �� * �و��ت�ع�ا �ه�د �ن�ا �ع��ل�ى ح� � ا �لر��ا �� * �و �ل� ا را ه ��ى � بر��ت��ه ض� م
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A Maqāmah to Make One Stand
“Then he ran off with his basket, nibbling at its sides and wreaking havoc on its meager supplies.” Continued al-Hāwif, “Truly, he hit the nail on the head, and I realized 3.13.18 there was no self-interest in what he said, so I inclined to be reconciled with my wife, to rein in my rashness and curb our strife, and I went home where, finding her wearing her fingers for me to the bone, I threw myself into her arms as one who’s been too long away and told her all that the two poets and the Fāriyāq had had to say, to which she responded, ‘God reward him on my behalf and protect him in his exile from all dangers that may cross his path!’ Then we continued in mutual accommodation, pledging each other to maintain our association.”
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ا �� ف ���ص ا ��ل ا ��� �ع ش � ل � �� � � � ل ربع ر � �ڡ � َ ْق ُ ْ ق � �و د ��ي� ��و د ���ه� و� ي ج� ع ع ع ن �س�ا ه ��ف � � � ت � ا ��ت �ص�� ج��ل ���س�م�ه � ��ا ��ل ا ��س�ه �ع�ز � �ع� ا ��ل��ش� خ � �ل�م�ا را �ى ا ���خل � � � � �� �ى ب�ير و� �ل� ل �ر�ج��ى ا � � �ك�ن � ل � � � م ل�ى و ص و ر ُ� ح �ف ن �ه�ا ا ��ل�ى ا �ج��ل � ب���ل * ف��ا ��قِ�ل� ���فى ر �و�ع�ه ا ن� ي���س�� �ك�ن ��ى د �ير ��ل��لر�و� * ��ف��س�ا ر ب��ز �و�ج� ت��ه �م � ى م � ن ا �� ف ا ا �ق ف ا ق ا ��ف ق �ة ت� ت � � � ي�ن ���ا ن� ��ا �ن�� ��ا �� �لف��ا ر��ا �ق� ���ع�� ا ��ل � ح��س�ا � � �وب� �ل�� ر�ي� � �� �� �م� او �ى � �ري� ح� ا �ل�د �ير ي ��و�م�� * �وك ي س ب ي ب �ض ف ح��دا �ه�ن ا �ن�ه � �ا �ع�د ��ف ا ��لغ���د ا ��ل ا ��ل��د ��� ف � �ن �ه�ا �و��� او ك� ط� � ��ق ت� ��تب� ك�� ����ل ن��ه * ���ل�م�ا �ع��ل�م ت� ا � �ى * �ى �ير ص �ى م� ي آ � ا �ن �ة ف ظ � �ا ن ا ظ � ن ت ن ن ح����ن �ه ��ل�ه ا ��ن �ه�ا �خ��ا �� ��فل ت� �ع�ا د�ة ا ��ل ن����س�� ��ل�ا ��ن �ه�ن � �ف ك� ي �� ��م� ����� ا ��ه ���و�ى ا �لر�هب�� �ي�� * �� �� � ر بب � ا ن ��ث �ن � ا �ة ف ا ن �فت�ن �ة � ن ا � ا �تت ق ف َ ْ �� �غ ا �لر�هب�� � ا ك���ر �م ا �ل�ع� �م� * �� � �� � ا �ل����س� ك ا �ل�عب�� د � ��و� ��� �ع��ل�ى ر �و�م �وك�ي��د ا ب���ل� �و�ه�و �م ا � ��ذّ �� � ن �آ ا � ��� ا �� ه�ن � ��ع�ن ��� �ذ �� � ا ��ل � ا �� � ح�ت ا �ذ ا ا � ن �ك�ن � � � �ه� ط�و�ع� ل� ر ج� ب ع�د ل�ك �ى م� * ل ع� ك�� �م� �ي�ل� ل�ل����س� ا �و �ب� � س ى ر �ي � م � ه ��ل�� ن ن �ف ق �ّ ��ل � ف��ل�ا ��يف� ��و��ت �ه�نّ �م ن��ه �ش���ى * � او ��ل � �خ ت�ب��ر� �ج��مي�� ض� �ع�لي�� ي ح�ا ��ص�ل ا � ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� ��ر�و ب� ا ح ب ع ُ � � �ع��ل �ف ا ق��ه �ه��ذه �ث�ا ���ن �م �ة ���ف �ع�م ه � ح�ت �ص�ا ر ي� ح��س� ���فى �ع�د ا د الم � حب �� �و��ي�ن * � او �ن�ه ب�ُ ك�� ى ى ر ى ر �ى �ى ر ب ب �ذ �ف � � � ت خ� ��ذ � ه ف� ه � �ة �ا �ق�ف � ا � ��ف ت ا � �ف ا � �ن � ا �ة �ه ب� ��ى ا �لغ���د ا �ل�ى ا �ل��د �ير � او �� �ل� ي�� � �صو م�ع� �ب�ل ����ل �و �ل� م �� ��ص� ر م �ج �م� �ع� ح ن�آ �غ ��ا ن �ذ � � � �غ ا ق ا ْ ا ْ � �ذ�ي�ن � � ا ق ت � � � � ا �� � � � د � ) ل ك � ل � ك � �ير �ب� ِ�عر �ب� �ى (ا �ل�� �لي����س �ل� ب� �� او �ب��ه�م ا ��ل� �� * ���ل� �و�ه�و ب���� ري ب و ل� خ ح� ���ط��ة ��ه * ف��ا ��ن �م�ن�ت�ا ��ا ج ��ل ���ا �ن�� ا ��� د �ع� ن� ف���ه ا �مت��عت ��م�� ا ��ه� ا �� �ل�ق �ى ا � ف��ا �م�ن م � � ك ه �ه� �و� � � م و يو و ي ي ب ب يع ل ر �م ََ آ ّ � �ه � � �� � �ة ��ا �ن ا ا �ذ ا ا ا ا �� ه � �خ � ن ن ا �ه� * �ل� � ا �ل��د �ير � �ص �ر� �ع��ل �و�م ا �ل�ع��س�ا ك�ر ا �لم� ج�� حر�م � �م�ن * �وك�� ��و �ج�� �و لي�� ي��د ��ل�و� ي� ي م � ف�ا ن �ذ � �ج��م�� ا ��ل� �ص ا �م� �م�ن �غ��� ��م ا ش ا ة �ن � � ت �ه�ا �ص�و�م�ع��ة ا � �لف��ا ر��ا �ق� * � ك� �� ��� او ا ا �و�ج��د � او ير ح� ���� � �و�م �ج �م�ل � ي وع يع �ف ق ف ف ن �غ �� � ا � ا � � ا ��من �م�ن � ف ت قف ش قا �ه�ا ��ت��ف ��س�� � ك ���ا � ��ه حل��� ا �و ��ي�ره ��� �ل � �و ه� و�ر و ه� * �ه �ع��ل�ى � ار ����ه ا �ورا �� �ي� � �م � �ي � �م ير م 272
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Chapter 14
Raveningly Ravenously Famished
When the Bag-man found that living in Beirut was good for neither his body
3.14.1
nor his mind,158 he decided to leave it and set off for the Mountain, for he had gotten it into his head that he’d like to live in a Greek Orthodox monastery. He therefore proceeded with his wife and the Fāriyāq and they put up in a village below said monastery159 for a few days. Now certain local beauties used to keep the Fāriyāq company there and share his meals, and when one of these learned that he was going up the following day to the monastery, she burst into tears, seemingly thinking he’d decided to take monastic vows. It occurred to him that she was at odds in this with women’s ways, for women love monks more than they do common folk, since the seduction of a contemplative ascetic calls for a more than usually persuasive deployment of desire and deviousness, which is something that appeals to women, or vice versa;160 afterward, when they find said ascetic to be obedient to them, they return to their former ways so that they can try out every kind of love and let not one escape them. In short, the Fāriyāq was wept over enough at his departure this second time in his life to be counted among the ranks of those who have been loved, and he went the following day to the monastery, where he took a cell without lock or key, thus joining the company of Shitter Bāy,161 whose doors cannot be closed (which, I declare, is a strange way to build). This monastery was a place where all the people of the surrounding villages gathered, depositing their belongings there for fear that the Egyptian soldiers might attack them, the monastery being a safe sanctuary. When they arrived, they would go into any cell without exception, including that of the Fāriyāq, and if they found
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3.14.2
َْ ُ ْ ف � د � ��ق �� د �ه�ق �� �� �� ي� ج وع ي وع وع
آ�خ ق آ�خ ق �من ا ق � ان ا ا ا �ه� ��د ر �م� �ي��د �ور �ب�ه �ل��س� ��ه * � �و �ر ��د ر �م� �ي��د �ور �ب�ه را ��س�ه * � �و �ر ��د ر �م� �ي��د �ور � � �� ف � ظ � � ن �ق ات �ف � �ف ا � � ش �خ� � ه �ب�ه ج ��س�م�ه ك���ل�ه �ي ��و�لي��ه �� � �هره �يو ر�ج * �و م��ه�م �د ر �م� ���د �ور �ب� �ي��ده �ي ر��ع�ه� �ل�بي� ��ط��� ��ت � �من�ه�ا � � �ق� �� ا ن��م�ا ��ه ا ض� غ � ن �خ � ا ن �ب�ا �� ك� ل��ا ��ت ب� � او �ل ك �����ا ث� �ه�م �م�ن ك���ا � ي����سر � و�ي �ول ى م����و ب� �م�ع� * �و�م � � ا �ت ن � �ن � ن ق � ا� ا ح � � �ل�� ي���د �من�ه� �م�ن � ��ل�و��ق ت� ا ��ل ���ا � ��ي� ��و�ل ا ��ن �ه�ا �ل� � �ص��ل �ه� م ك ح�ل� �م * �و�م � �رب و م ج �م م ح � آ � � ا � �ق�ي�ن ا �ق ا ت ف �ن خ ح ن �ن ه�ن ا ���ست�� � � � � � م ��س��ه�ا * �وك ���ا �م� �ه�و �ل� ء ا ل�د م�� د م�� � � ���ا � �ي��د ���ل ا ��ي ض� ي ج ب� ي� ع ف ه�ن � �ن ت� � � � � �ن �ذ � � ف� �ق �� ف �ت��ل��ق �ه�ا ��ا �ه�ل�ا � ��سه�ل�ا � �م � ا �ه�ن ا � � � م م د د � � ج � ر ب ��و ح� � ل�ك ��ط * و ي � ح�� * �و�ي � و � ور ب ي� ب �� �ذ � � ن � ت � � ا �ت ف �ت ة �ن ت � ا �ث ني�ن � �ل ش����ى * �و�ك��ل �ل��ك ك���ا � ي��م��ك�ن �ح�م��ل�ه �ه�ن �م�ن �ل� � �ص��ل �م ج��د ر �ب� � ��� �م� او ر� * �و�ي � ح ُ �ّ ا � ��ا ن � ا �� ��ذ � �ت ّ �ع�ن ��ت�ع ���ط�� ا ��ل��� �ق �ف ن ا ا �ذ ا � � ه � ح��م�ل ب���ع ض� �و ل� ى ��سب�� ب� ���ه �ع��ل�ى ب���ع��ض� * ا �ل� ا ج�ل� ي �ل طر� � � ك� � ع � ��ا ن �ق �خ � � �ن ن�آ �ف� ا ��ل�� � �ذ ن � ق �ا � ق � � حر ا �ل�� �ى �م ن��ا ه �ب�ا �ل�ص�ي �ا � �� م ع س �ل� ��ي ��ط�ا �� * �م� ا � ا � �لف��ا ر�ي�ا �� ك�� � �د �� ر ب م ر�ج ا ا ت � �ة ع ف�ا ن � ا ّ � �ن � ��ف �ن ث ��ا ن �ذ ��ل ا �� ��ق �ة � ا ل ن � ل � � � ا �ي� �م� �م�� او �لي�� * � ك� � � � � � ا ل �� � �ل� �ب��د �ل�ه �م ا � �م � * �م � ك� � ي�� �ه ب� �ى ري� �يو�� د ى م ج آ � ف � � ا �ة � ا �ن ن ا ��ا ن� ���ع�� ا ��ل ن����س�� ي� �ن د��ا �ج���ة �ل��لب�ي�� � ت�ب��ي��عن��ى ا �ي�ا �ه�ا * �ف ك� د�� �ج�� ج �ب� �ه �ه��ذه ا �ل� �ج �ي� �م �ع��د�ه� �ج ب �ض ع � �ت ا �ف ا َ �� ا ق �ق ف ن ��ض ه�ا ح��ة �م� ا ��ل�� د��ا �� ���فى ا ��ل ا �ل��س�ا ر� ح����ل ا ر�ي��د ب��ي��ع�ه�ا * ��ا � ا رد � �ه� � ��س� ا ل� �ج ي�ه� � او �ب�� � ج ع ع �� آ � � ا � � �� �� � �ظ �� � � ا ن �ف ا ن �ا ن �ف ا ا ل ل � ا ب��ي��د ك * �ف ك� � � ا � � � � � � � ء ا ط د� د ع�ده �� � ي��س�عى ور ل� �ج � � و�ي ر مع�ه� �ع��ل� ج � ر � * � � ��س� � ح� ى ج آ � �ن ق �ع��ل� ك����سر ��س�ا �ق� ا � ح��دا �ه�ا ا �و ا �عي��ا �ئ��ه�ا �ب���ض� �ع��ل� ي�ه�ا * �وك���ا � �ع ن��د �ج� �ري�ه �ور� �ه�ا ي�ج�ر�ى ى �ان آ ا �ة ف �ز ت ت � �ف � ف �ن �ف ق �خ ن ا ا ��ه�ل �و ج��ى �ج�ر�ى د�� �ج�� � � �م�ع�ه �� ��طره �ي�� ��و�ل ��ى � � ��س�ه * ا �� ا �ج�ر�ى ا �ل� � �ور� ء �ج آ �ق � ق � ر�ة �ور� ء د� ش�� * � �و�ن��ب���غ� ��ل�ى ا ن� ا �ق��ف� ق���لي��ل�ا �ع ن��د �ه��ذ ا ا �ج��ل ���ف ا ��ل �ر�ى � او ��و�ل * ��د ي� ي ى ى �ج�ز�ي �ذ َ ف�ا ن �ن � � �ذ �ذ �غ ��ر ت� ��س�ا �ب ��ق��ا ا ن� ا � �لف��ا ر��ا �ق� ك� ك� �ج�ز * � ك� ���ا ن� ا �ه�َو�� �و�ن�ز �ق� �و� ط��ع�ه ا ا ��ا ب� �� � �م �� ب ي ج ع ن � � � ا � ق ا � � �ة � ا ّ �� �ة ا � ق ا � � �ة � اَ ْ ّ �ة ح�ا ��ل�ه ب� � � � ا ا � � � � �ع�ن ا �ه��ل�ه ا � �ل�ا �ي�ز ا �ل ��ي�ق��ا ب���ل � �ل ح�ا �ل�ه� �ب� �لم��� ب�ل� ا �ل� طر د ي� وب� م�� ب ل� �ل� م�ت�ي � * م آ آ ا �ة ف �ز ت ت � � � د�� �ج�� � � � د� ش�� * �و��ق�و��ل�ه � � �مث��ا �ل ا �ل�ا �و ��ل�ى ��ق�و�ل�ه ا �ن�ا ا �ج�ر�ى �ور� � � ء ء ه � � ج ى � � � ور و �ج �ج ل ى ر ي� � �ف � �ة�� ن ق ئ �ة �ان �ف �ذ � �ق �مث��ل�ا �و�ه�و �ل�ا ب���س ��ه�ل ��هى ��ى �ه� ا ا �ل�و� ت� �ع �ر�ا �ن� * �و��ى � ح�ا �ل� ك�� �و�ه ��ا ��م�ا ��ه�ل ��هى ا �ل� � ي � � �ان آ �ة ف � �ة �ق �ذ � م� ث ا � � ث ا �ن �ة ن ا ��ض �� ط د��ا �ج�� ����هل� ج ��ع� * �و���س �ع��ل�ى �ل��ك * �و�م�� �ل ا �ل�� �ي�� ا �� ا �ج�ر�ى ا �ل� � �ور� ء �ج 274
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Raveningly Ravenously Famished
papers on his bed containing the interpretation of a dream or anything else, they’d snatch them up and read them. Some would understand enough for their tongues to turn, some enough for their heads to turn, some enough for their whole bodies to turn—meaning they’d turn their backs on him and leave—and some enough for their hands to turn, in which case they’d raise them so as to fall with a thud on writer and writings alike. Some would scoff at them and say, “They’re just nonsensical dreams” and others would say, “They are inappropriate to a time of war” and he found no one among them who approved. Among these uninvited male visitors were uninvited female visitors, among them those whom it was an obligation to greet with “Hello!”, “Well met!”, and “Welcome!”, others for whom just one of those would do, others who were worth two greetings in quick succession, and yet others who weren’t worth even one. All of this, taking the rough with the smooth, was bearable. What could not be borne was the hunger, which was caused by the closing of the highways. At the same time, the Fāriyāq had just emerged from the sufferings of the sea voyage, which had imposed on him a fast of successive days, and he could not do without something to snack on. This led him to go to the village and call out, “Any woman who has a chicken to sell should sell it to me!” to which one of them would answer, “You see that hen roaming with the others in the field? I want to sell it. If you want it, run after it and grab it with your hands,” so he’d run after the chickens and jump over walls with them, and if he was lucky enough to break the leg of one or to tire it out, he’d pounce on it. As he ran after the hen, his thoughts would run alongside him, and he’d say to himself, “Here I am running after a hen. Is my wife, on the island, running after a rooster?” With all this running, I have to stop and point out that I mentioned earlier that the Fāriyāq was full of rashness, impetuosity, and apprehension. It was his nature, when away from his family, to keep contrasting his state with theirs, either sequentially or non-sequentially. An example of the first would be his saying, “Here I am running after a hen. Is my wife running after a rooster?” or his saying, for example, when dressed, “Is she at this moment naked?” or when standing, “Is she now flat on her back?” and so on and so forth. An example of the second would be “I am now running after a hen. Is a rooster running after her?”
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3.14.3
َْ ُ ْ ف � د � ��ق �� د �ه�ق �� �� �� ي� ج وع ي وع وع
آ � ن �خ �ز � �ن � �ق ���ا ن � خ ي� �ى � � �ه�ا �م��ل�و ���ط�ا �ب�ا �ل�ز ��ؤ ا ن� * �ف ك� ��ا � د� ش��� * �ع��ل�ى ا � �ب�� ا �ل��د �ير � او � �ل ر�ى ٍح� ك� � �ج ر ور ي �خ ّ � � �ي�ز � �ف � �ف �ة � ف ق �ذ � ����ة ��ل��ل�ت�ن�ا �ن��ي�ن * � �و ت��ا ك�� ��د �ع ن��ده ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� ا ا ا �ك���ل �م ن��ه �ي���ل �ل�ه ا �ن�ه �ل� �ل ��ى ا �ل��س��ي�ن � �عر ض� �ي م �ذ �ن ظ � خ� � �ذ � � ا �� �ة ف �ل ا ض ق ح��د ا ��لر�هب��ا ن� �ع��لي��ه �و�ه�و �ع��ل� �ت��ل�ك ا ��ل �و�ل ا � � ح� ل� * �� �م� � �ل��ك �ب��د � ���ا �� �ب��ه�ا ر�ع�ا � ��� ى م غآ �غ � � � �ذ�� اتا ث ا � ئ ن� ���ا ن� � ���� ن ن ظ�ن ا � �ع��ده ���� * �و��هى ا ب��ي�� �� � بو���ع� �ب��ه� ا �ل�ى ر��ي����س د �ير ��ي�ر ا �ل�د �ير ا�لم� ك��ور �وك� �ي خآ � � ن � � �ذ �ف � ن �و� ء ا � �ل�ب �� � �لي� ت� �����ش�عر �ى ��م�ا ا ��ي� ي��د ا �لب��ي �ا �ن ���م� �� طو� � او �لت�ب����ي�ا � ع َْ � ن ن � �� �ت ت ش �� � �َ � ا � � ا ن � ا � � � � ��� � � ا ل ه ل��� �و� � ف�و� ا �ل��ب�د �ي�� �م�ن ���غي�ر ا �ك��ل ���س�� �ي ط ل�ل�ه�ى ب�� و س � ع � �ت ة �غ �خ ّ ت�خ ّ ��ت �� ت ن �ه�ا ك ا �ل�ف� ا ���س� �ع�ا ر� ب�ر� ����ي � ف � بو� � �� �� � ف��ا ��ز ا � س س � ّ �ل� �ان ن �خ ه� او ���ف�م�ا �م�ن ض� اي���ه�ا ا �ل��م���عر�ب ��و� �� ب � ��رب� ��ز �ي��د �ع���مرا ي�ر��ص ا �و � � � ف ن ���ب�ا ب� � او ��ل ��ز � او ��ل���بر ����غ� ��ت �صغ� ��و �م�ن ف�ي� ض���ه�ن ا �ل ل�� ا �ي�ن ا �ي�ن ا � ك � ��ج���ا � ل ر � آ � � ن �ة � �ذ � ا � ّ ا �� ن ن � �و� ه� ت� د �و��ل��ة ا �ل��ط� ��ب �و �م�ه� �ل� � �خ� �ج�� �ت � ��و���ب� ا جل� ب��ا � �� ب ي ع ن ن ا ن ة ن ث �� ن ا ا � ا �ن ع�ا ���ب�ه ا ����س�ا � �ي� �ل�ه� �م ���م���عر� �����ب�ع� ا �ل�د ��ي � � ر ��م� ا � �ي��� ب آ � ش � ن ق قض �لي����س ب�����ي� �ولا �����شر� �ب�ا �ر���ض ��د �����ى �عي�� ش����ه�ا �و�ع�ا ��� ا �ل�ز � او � ع � ث ��ف � � � ت ��ا ��ن � �� ض� � ه ا �� ا ن ح � ����ط�ا �ل � ك ا � ا ا �ت � � � � �ه � د �ه � � � ل ك � م���ى �ى ي�ر ى �ى �ر ب� ل ر �ى ب لر �ب � �ذ ��ن � � � � � ن ��ت � ا ���ا ق� � �ا � �م ّ��ما �� ن �ن ل�� حو�ل�ى ا � ك � ل ا � ار �و�ى �و � ل ع��ه � �ه�ى ا �ل�م����طرا � و ب م ن ا ��ف � �ة � ن � �ن � ا �ة � ا ن ح ش���� �م�ن ا �ل�ا ���س �و� ح��د �ى لا ���ترا ��ى �ف�ل� ���ن� �و�ف�ل� � ا �� �ى �و ش ت � ن ��ع�� ����ش��ة �� �ل ا � ���ه�ا ���ف � ن �م�ا � �م�ا �����ج�ت ن� �م�ن ب���ع�د��ه�ا ا ��ل�ا ��ل �ح�ا � ى ي و �ير ى م
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Raveningly Ravenously Famished
The bread at the monastery and in the villages at that time was adulterated with darnel162 and when the Fāriyāq ate it, he’d imagine he was still in the ship, at the mercy of sea monsters, and this would be confirmed for him by the entry of one of the monks into his cell while he was in that state. When he had reached the end of his tether, he composed some verses and sent them to the head of another monastery, thinking he might have some surplus supplies. They went as follows: Would that I knew what use is eloquence On an empty stomach, or clarity of expression, or all the kinds of brilliant style: When there’s naught to eat They sear the throat and tongue like bile. I’ll give you a thousand metaphors for a single loaf And, compared to a lettuce, Taftāzān’s163 of paltry value. Arabists, get lost! “Zayd struck ʿAmr”164 will ne’er set bread on table. Where oh where are the kebabs, the rice and Cracked wheat, the bowls of them spilling, so full they are, the cloth upon? The days of stew are done and come is the turn of hunger, Whose dwelling place is Lebanon. What ignominy! We dispatch gold coins But no one for them strives. There is no selling and buying in a land Where the staff of life is nowhere to be found, whilst darnel thrives. I spent so long in the monastery ‘twas as though I were a monk the others could not stand, For they saw about me books and pens Of the sort their metropolitan has banned. I’m hungry for gay company but live alone. No woman, nor any man, e’er sees me— My life’s so bad that, were I shown it in a dream, Bad grammar would never thenceforth make me moan.
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3.14.4
َْ ُ ْ ف � د � ��ق �� د �ه�ق �� �� �� ي� ج وع ي وع وع
� � ف غ ف �ة � ا �ز ن ف �ذ ن � ن �ب��ع ث� ا �لي��ه ا �ل �رئ���ي��س �ب�ا ر����� �ل� � او � �� ي�ه�ا �و�م�ع�ه�ا �ه� ا � ا �لب�ي��ت��ا � فق �و� ��ص��ل�ت ن�ى الا ب��ي��ا ت� �ي�ا �ر�ي�ا �ن � � ت � �م�ا �ع ن��د �ن�ا ����ط�ع�ا � ك���م�ا � ش���ت��ه�ى م
ن ح�ن ���ف ا ��ل��د ��ن ��ا �ه��ا ن ا ن��م�ا � ر ى ي ب � �لا ن���ب���ذ �لا �ن��س� ا ن و � ي و و�
ن آ �ا آ � �ف�ه � ��ل ا ��ل��ه ا �� �لف��ا ��ا �ق� ��ل��ع�ا ��ت��ه �ع��ل ��ت�غ� ��� ا ��س�م�ه * �ف ا �ى ���ف ا ��ل��د ا � � ر ى �ير ري ي ب �ى ي ير � رو ي ح�د �ى ���س� ا �ل� �م �ر آ آ ت � � � � � ئ ����� �خ �� * ف���ل�م�ا � ه ق��ا � �ل�ه ق��د �ش ف ����ز ا ��ا ن ت ق � ت � � �� �� ا ن ا �ن ر ل ع ا لب ك�� ��� ��د �ج�� � ا �ل�ى ا �ل�د �ير ا س �م� �� �م ا �ل�ع��س� ك�ر �ف �ز ن � �� �َ �غ ّ ث �ذ ّ� � ّ ة ف � ق �ي�ا ��س�ي �د �ى ��ى �و � ا �لب�ي��ت���ي�ن �و�ل��ك�ن �ل�م ��ي�ر ت� ا ��س��مى * �� �ت�� ك��ر ا �ل��س�ي �د� ���ق��ا �ل �و���ل ت� م �� ن ن �� ��س �د�ة �ز �ه �آء ق��د �م�ل��أ�ت ا نا ن � � ان ا ن � ���ا ا �ن ك�� ا ��ي ض� � ر�هب�� � �و�م� �ع��د ك�م ��� �س او � * �و�ه� ا �� ا ر�ى �ع��د ك�م �ي ر م ئ�ز � ش آ ش � � ن ّ � � � ف �ة �م�ا �و ���حل ط��ف ��س��ة ��� �ح� ا �ل�� ن � �م�ا * ق��ا �ل ا ��م�ا �غ��ي�ر ت� ا ��س�م��ك �ل�ا ج���ل ا � �لق��ا �ي�� �و�ه�و �ج��ا � �ل��ل����ع � رء * ن ن آ � �ز � ن ن �ق � �� � ا �ن � ا ن� �ع ن��د ��ا ���س�� � او �م�ا ��و�ل�ى �م�ا �ع ن��د �ن�ا ���س� او � ا �ى �لي����س �ل ن��ا ا � او �� * �و�ل��ك�ن �ل� � ن� ك ��ر ج �ف�� ف �� � � �ذ � ة �غ ن ا �ي�ز �ن ن ا � ي� ح��ا �ن�ا ��ل��لب��رك��� ���ة * ق��ا �ل �م�ن ا �ي ك�� ح��ص�ل ��ل��ك * ل� ��ي� �ه� ل� �ك�ن ا �ل��س�ي �د� � � ��ي�ر�� �ر �� ا �ي م م م ف ظ � ن ت � �ذ � � �ة � ف �ة ف ث ن ا ا �ة ش ف ت �ف �ت�غ ت � �ا � �� ����� �ل�� �ل��ك �ود �ع��ه ا �ل�ى ا �ل� ركي����ل� ا�لم�عر�و�� ���لب�� �ع��د�ه� ��س� �ع� ������ع� ��ى ��ي��ي�ر ّ �ف ا ��س ه ا � ض آ � �� ا ��ف � ئ � � ق ��ت� � �كب�� ش�� ��ى را ��س�ه �م� �ي � ���ا � �و ب� ا �ل�ى �ص�و�م�عت��ه را � ض�ي � * �و�ج��د ر��ي����س ا�لم�عب� ر ��د ع� � � ا � ا ف� ن ق � �ذ ت �� �� � � � � �غ���ص�ن �م�ن ا �غ��ص�ا ن� ا ��ل حل��� ا �ل�ا �و�ل �ف�زا د �خ ب�� �ل� * � ك� ��ا � ��ي���و�ل ا ا ��س�م� �ص�و� ا ل� ب � ط�و�ل م ع � ا � � �ذ اَ �َ ا �ت��س� � ن ��� ا �� ش �� ا ن �خ ا ق �صر �بر� �� ��س�ل� � حه� * �ل� مع�و� طب���ل ل����ي � ط� � * �م�ن ي�� �م ا �ل� ك ع��س��ر � او ا ا �ب�� � � ي م ن ق ن �ش � ا ن � ن �ا �� ��ف� ��ت ّت��ق��د �من�ه�ا ��رب� �ب�ه ب���ع��ض� ا �لر�هب��ا � * ا �ل� ��تب�� ��ي ض� � �صر�و� �ر�و� ا �ل����ي ��ط� � * ك�ي ت � ة �ز �ن ن �غ ��ت �ث �ة � ا �خ� ه � ا ا ��ل ن���را ن� * ا �ذ ا � ت �صر � �و �ل� ح���ك �ب��ه�ا ا �ل����س� او � * � او �ل��س�ي �د� �و�ج� ت��ه ��ي�ر �م��ك� ر� ب�� ي � � � � � ث �ف � ق ب��ت� �ر �رب� ا �ل��د �ير �ل�ا ن� � ع��س�� ح ب� ا �لغ����ص�ن �ل� �ي��د ��ى ق���ل ���ع�ا �لغ���ي�ره * �� �ه�ا �م�و ض� �خ�يي�� ا �ل� ك � ب م م ع م �ت ا �� ا ا � ��ل ا � ��ف ا ت � �� � �ن ا ��ل �ا ا � ن ت ا ��ل��� �ق ا �ل� ا � ا � �م�نّ ا لله ��ع� ل�ى �ب� �ص�ل� ا � ح� �ل ��س� ر� ا �ل�ع��س� ك�ر م ب��ل د �و م�� طر� �وم��س� �ل�ك ح �ذ � ّ �ة ف ن � ش ّ ق ن � �ك�ن �ص�ا � �و��س�� ���� �يو���مر ب��ب��ع��لب��ك ح ب� ا�لم�عب��ر * � ار �ى ا � �ي�� �ه ب� ا �ل�ى �م�د ��ي �� د �م � � � � � �ق�� � ت ا ا ��ل�ع �ة ���ت ا �� �خ � �ف �ي��ل�ا � بو��غ���ا �ل�ا �و�ع�ز �م� ا ��بي�� * ف��ا ك�� ر � و �ع��ل� ا �ل��س� ر * ه ل � �ه� ج و � �ل�ي رى لع � ى م 278
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Raveningly Ravenously Famished
The head of the monastery sent him some loaves that contained no darnel, along with these lines: Your verses have reached me, dear Farqiyān, But our role in this life is to be celibate. We have no food of the sort you crave And no wine or women to celebrate. The Fāriyāq bustled off to see him and upbraid him for changing his name. In the monastery he caught sight of a woman connected to some emir, who had come to the monastery seeking refuge from the soldiers. When he saw the head, he told him, “My Lord, the bread may make up for the metrical faults in your verses, but why did you change my name?” Then he mentioned the lady he’d seen and said, “And you said too that monks don’t have women, but I’ve just seen a lovely lady, filling her clothes with fat and flesh.” Replied the other, “I changed your name for the sake of the rhyme, which is permitted to poets, and when I say ‘We don’t have women’ I mean we have no wives. We don’t deny, though, that the wives of others visit us sometimes for the blessings we bestow.” “Which of you could bestow such blessings?”165 asked the Fāriyāq. The man didn’t understand but the lady got it and invited him to the usual water pipe. He stayed with her for a while, which further helped to make up for the changing of his name, and returned to his cell content. There he found that a branch from the first dream166 had remained caught in the head of the master of the Oneiromancer’s Chamber and made him even more demented. Thus, on hearing the sound of drums from the soldiers’ tents or seeing the glint of their weapons, he’d say, “Do you not hear Satan’s drum which one of the monks is drubbing? Do you not see Satan’s horns and the sparks that fly from them, the women against them rubbing?” His wife paid no attention to his shouting or to the soldiers’ camping near the monastery, for love of “the Branch” had left room in her heart for nothing else. Then the Almighty vouched safe that the situation should improve and the soldiers left the country, the roads and highways became safe, and the master of the Chamber calmed down and decided to go to the city of Damascus, passing by Baalbek to see its wondrous castle, and they hired themselves horses and mules and resolved to travel.
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3.14.5
� ��خ�ا �م�� �ع ش ا � ��ل�ف��ص� ا ��ل � �� � ل س ر ���فى ا ��ل�����فس� �م�ن ا ��ل�� د � ير ر غ ا ��ّ � ة �ز ف �ن � � ف ق �غ � �� رك� ب� �ك��ل �م�ن ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� � او �ل����ص�ن ب�����ل� �و�ك��ل �م�ن ا �ل��س�ي �د� �و �و�ج� �ه�ا �ر��س�ا * � او � �ض� � م حت �ذ � ق ا ��ل� � ���ا �ن�� ا ���ف ���ع�� ا ��ل���ط ��ق ا � �ف غ �ص�د �و ن� د �م ش �ق � � ي�ه� رك� ب� �و��س�ا ر � او ��ي��� ري�� ج ����ل ب������ل ���� * �ى ا ا ك و ى ب �ض م � � � � � � ش ق ف �ف ف �خ � �ق ق ظ � ق ا ا ا �ن � � � � �هره ��و��� �ع��ل� �ورك���ه ا � �لف��ا ر�ي� �� �ل�وه� ��طر �ل�ه ��� �م��ص �ب�ه �و ��م��ص * �� � �ل�� ه �ع �� � � ع � ل � � ى ع ى م ف � �ج�ز � ه ا � � ّ� ش ف ا ق ا � �ن ��ت� �� �م�ص���ل �ة خ ي�ن ا � � �ص ف���ق��ا � ي خ��م� �م� ا ل ��خ� �� �م�ع�� * � �ع�لي�� �ص� ح ب� ا�لم�عب� ر ا ������ �� م ع�طي���ل ح� ر م ع ع ع ت ��ذ �ذ ح��س��ه ��ق�ي��ا �ع��ل�ه�ا � �ع�� �غ�� ن ا ��لت��ع��� * � �ش�� ت ���ا ن�� ت� � �ص��ه�ا * �وك�� م� ت� �ب�ه �ز �و�ج� ت��ه ا ك� �ا ل ر بير و و ي� � ب ب ى � آة � � ات � � ن �ة ن ن � � ة ة �ت ق ��د �ت��ك �م � ا �ل ا � � �ه ن ا �������غ ا � ض ف ��ي ��� ا �ل�ى �م�ع�ل�و�م� ��ك ا � �ل او ��س�ع� �و� ��سر �مر * و �� ي ب �ى � � �م��س�� � ا �لر ج��ل� ن �ا ش �غ � ��ق �ة ن ��� � �ف ش �� �ه��ذه ا �ل�� ��ق� �م�ن ا �لر �ك�و ب� �ع��ل�ى �ه��ذه ا �لب����ا �ل ض�ي � * �و��هى ا ��ه �ل� ����ى �م�ن ا � �� او ا �ل��س� را � � ع � � ا �آ � � � ا ��� ا ��ت �ة ف ا �ن ا � �ا � � ا ��ل � ا ُ �� م��ا ���ة ا �ل � � � ا �ل � ق �� � ح� �م��قى �ب��د �ل لع� ي�� * �� � �ه� ب�ل ��سر�ج �و �ل� ج��م �و �ل� رك ب� * �و��د ج��ع�ل ل�ه� �ه�و �ل� ك ري �ة �ذ ا ��ل��ل � ا � ا �تت ح��د���د ��ا ف����ة * �� � ا ��ل ا ك�� ا �ن � ب� ب��ي��ده ��س��ل��س��ل� ف��ا ا ح�� �ل� � ���ص�ل ب���س�ل� ���س�ل �م � ي �ج ي ج��م ب يم��س�ك ر � ائ � ا ة ن ت ش غ ش ش��� د ا ��ل�غ��� � � ن ه� ت� �ي��د ا �ل�م�م��س��ك �ب��ه�ا �ع�ن بك���� ح�ه * � او �ل�ع� د� ا ��ه �م��ى ���رد ب������ل ���رد ��س� �ر ر ب �ل و ف �ّ �� غ ا � ث� � �ف غ � غ ص�ن ��ف ا � �ن ظ � �ه ه �و��ت�ع��ل��ق ت� ر�ج���ل�ه ب� حب���ل � ت��د �ل�ى را ��س�ه ا لب���� �ل * �م ا ج ����ل ب������ل ا �ل���� �م� �ل �ع �� � ر ة �ن ق � � ا ن � ف �ذ �خ � �ا � ق ن ي� ب� ��ط �ع��ل�ى ا �ل� ر��ض� * �� �ه ب� �م� �ع��د ا �ل��س�ي �د� �م ��لي���ل ا �ل�صب��ر �ع��ه * �و�ل�م ��ي���د ر � �ن ت �ت � ن ا ��ف � �ة ق � ا �ف �ة �خ ��� �من�ه�ا ا� ح��د �ع��ل� رد ا �لب�غ����ل * �ف ك �ه� ��ى �ج� �ه� ا �ر�ى * �وكب�� ر � ع���ه� �ى �ج �ه� �و��لب � ���� رى �ي ى ّ ّ �م�ا كب�� �ف� �م�ا ج� � ���ر * �و�ص�غ� ر�م�ا �ص�غ� ر * �و ج� � �ف� * �و�ق��ف� �م�ا �ق��ف� * � ا و ب��ت���ل �م�ا ا ب��ت���ل * �ز �أ ن ن نّ نّ �ق �ق �ز �أ ّ �ح�ل �م�ا ا � � او � �ح�ل * � او � ش����ع ّر �م�ا ا � ش����عر * � او �ب� ر �م�ا ا �ب� ر * � �و�ت�غ����ض� �م�ا ��ت�غ�� �ض� � * 280
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Chapter 15
The Journey from the Monastery
The Fāriyāq and the Branch each mounted a mule, and the mistress and her
3.15.1
husband each a mare, and a company of travelers joined them and they set off, making for Damascus. Somewhere along the road, the Fāriyāq’s mule took fright at some passing surmise that occurred to it, bolted with him, and then threw him, and he landed with his thigh on a rock so that when he stood up he limped like a hyena. The master of the Chamber was saddened, being worried that the work of oneiromancy might be delayed, while the man’s wife gloated since she regarded him as a spy, watching her and her Branch, and thus it is that what makes a man sad may make a woman glad; and here you must add to your extensive store of information the following, namely, that there is no kind of travel more wearisome than riding those obdurate mules. They have neither saddles nor bridles nor stirrups, and the imbeciles who rent them out provide ropes connected by rough metal chains in the place of a bridle. The rider holds this chain in his hand. If the mule bolts, the hand holding the chain will be too weak to check it, and usually when one mule bolts, they all do. Next the Branch’s mule took fright; he was thrown half off its back, his foot caught in a rope, and he hung there, his head bumping along the ground. At this, the mistress lost whatever fortitude she may have had regarding him, while no one could stop the mule. The mistress’s eye appeared to be going in one direction and her heart in another, while parts of her grew larger and parts smaller, parts went dry and parts stood on end, parts went wet and parts fell apart, parts got goose bumps and parts bristled, parts wagged and parts shook, parts darted like the tongue of a snake and parts waggled the same way, parts darted their heads forwards and backwards like an angry
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3.15.2
� ف � ف ��ي� ا �ل��س��ر�م ن�ا �ل��د�ير
�م ��� � �ا �ت��ل �ظ � ا ��ن تف� � � �ا ا ��ن تف� � * � ��ت ن� ض�ن � � �ا ��ت ن� ض�ن � * � �ت��ل �ظ �م ��� * � �ت�� ظل������ �ظل��� �م�ا م �� �ض� و �� �ض� م �� �ض� �� �ض� م � و� و و ض ض ش ش ت ّ �ت ت ظ � �ظ � �غ تق ���ل�����ل�� * �و��ج��� �م�ا ��ج��� * �و��� خ��� �م�ا ��� خ��� * �و��د ت� �م��ل��م�ل � �و�ت ت���ل�و�ى * � �و�ت�����ل ب� م م م م ��ت ت ا ��لت ث� ّ ن �ن خ ��ف ا ا ا �� ة ��ف �ع ا ُ �ةُ اَ ن �ت � � � � � � � � � � � ه � � �و��� حو�ى * �ود ���ل �ى ر �س�ه� ول مر �ى �مر�ه� م�ن�ي � � ك�و� ر�ج �ل ج �ي ر * �م ه�و� � ا لله ا ��ل�ص�ع � � �ق��ف ا ��ل�غ�� �ف�ا � ت � �ع��ل��ه ا ��لغ����ص�ن � �� �ا � ا � ت � ح�ى �و�ص��ل� او ا �ل�ى ب���ع��لب���ك و س رو �س�وى ي ب� و و � ب ��ل ش � ا �� �لف��ا ��ا �ق �ع�� �مق * �ف��ذ �ه� � ��ت��ف ّ��ا ���ف ظ ����� ����� �ة �ف�ه�ّ � ��ه ا ��ل ن����س� ف� ن��ا � ف���ق��ا � �من � �ه�وك���ا * ي� م م � ب و ي ى �ل �ج ر � وم ب و ري � ل�ى ر �� م ت ��� � �غ� �ف �ة ��ف �خ� ا ن � ���ق ا � ا � ا � ا � �ق ث�� ركب� �ف ا � �� �� او � ب�و��لغ� �� او د �م ش �ق � � � � ���� و ه�و مر�ي��ض� � ك� رى ر� �ى � � و ب��ى ي� م� �ل� �ي��د ر �ع��ل�ى م ّ ث � � ف � �ز ف ف � ت �ف �ن �خ ن�ز ق ّ ت ا �ل � �و�� * ���ل�م�ا � ���ه ��� ��ه ا �ل� �م�� � ا ��ه � � ت��ه � �ع � حوا �ب�ه * �� �ع�ا �ود ��ه �ه� ب� ح�ا �ل�ه ��� ر�� رج و�ج ى ل �ل و�ج و ر � م م � �� � � ّ ا ��ل � ح�ّ�م ث�� ا �ف�ا �ق� �ف ا �ى ا ن� ����ذ �ه� ا �ل�ى ا �حل �� ر ج� ��ع ت� ا �لي��ه * � او ��ت ف� ��ق� ا �ن�ه �م�ا � �لي�غ����ت���س�ل ف���ل�م�ا ر ج� ي ر ب م ىم ع �ف غ � � �ف ف � �ف ق ف خ ق ش ق ا �ن�ز ��ل � �� �م�ا ا �ل� ا�ل�م � ا ح�ا ��ض� ج� ��� ا�ل�مر� ح� ��ض� �� ����مى �ع��لي��ه �ي��ه ��و��� �و��د د ���ل را ��س�ه ��ى � � ���ع�ل يو ى ر ع َ َ ّ � � ا ن � ش �ف �ص�خ� � � �ق �� ��ل * ا ��ل�ا ا ن� ا ��س� ���ف ا ��ل ش ق ���ق� ��ى را ���سى * ف�ب��ا د ر � او ا �لي��ه ���� * ا �ل� ا � ا �ل � ر ىى � ��ي � ر و�ي و ض ّ � ث �ف ف ح��ك �م ن��ه � �من ح�ا ��ل��ة * ��ف�من �ف ا �وه �ع��ل� �ت��ل�ك ا ��ل �ه� �م�ن ���� � �ه� �م�ن ر�ق� �ل�ه * �� �ع�و��ى ق���لي��ل�ا �ب��د ا و � � ر ى م م م ّ � � � � � ق �ة �ة ن � ا � �ف ف ق ش � � ا ه��ه ح���ل�ه �م�ن �ه��ذه ا�لم�د ��ي ن�� ا �ل��� �ر��� ا � ا ر� � ح��ه ا �ل��س� ر * �و�ل��ك�ن �ل� �ب��د �ل�ى �ب���ل ر�ي �ل�ه �و�ل�ص� � ب �ي � �غ �ذ � � ح�ت ��ي �ص�ف� ��ل ن��ا ��م ح��س�ن �ش���ي �ا �غ��ي�ره * �ف�ا �م�ا ا �� ك� ح�ا ��س�ن �ن��س�ا �ئ��ه�ا ا �ه�و �ل�ا ي� ل�� �ا � � او � ��سره ى لم خ ّ � � ا �ة �ا � �وا ��ص ��ن ب��ا ت� ا �ل�ا ر��ض� �و�م�ع�ا د ��ن �ه�ا �و�ه� او �ئ��ه�ا �و�ع�دد � ك� �س��ا ��ن �ه�ا �و�ع��ل�ى ا �ل� �م�ور ا �ل��س�ي � ��س�ي � �ع��ل�ى �� �� ت ح�ّم ��ص ف���ل���� �م�ن �ش���ا �ن�ه * �ق�ا ��ل د �خ���ل ت� د �م ش �ق � � ح�ت�� ن��ى �م�ن ب���ع��لب���ك * �و�م�ا ك�� د� �ب ي س ���� �وبى �ى �ن ق حت ��س�ا �ف ت� �من�ه�ا �ف� �ا ا ��س�ت ���ط�� � �ص�ف� �ن��س�ا �ئ�ه�ا ا ��ل�ا � �ص�ف��ا ��س�ق��م�ا * �ف�ا ن �ض �����ت ا � ���ه ��ى ر � ل �ر ي� ي و ي و � ع م �ق � ا ��ن � ا �خ� � ت ا �ن�ز � ت ��ف �خ ا ن ���س �خ ا ن �ف� �ّ�ن �� ف ا ا � � ل �� � � �ب�ه ا ��و�ل * �ى �لم� د �ل��ه� �ل� �ى � � ي ��مى � � � ر س * �ع�ي �ى �ص� ح ب� �ّ � � � � �م ت �ف���ل ظ �� ت � �ن �� ّ ا �ش�� ظ � ا ��خل ن � �ز �خ � طه�ا ا �� ك� �ه�ا ا �ى �خ���ل�� �م�� ل��ل�ا � ا �ل��ل�ي��ن �ب�ا �ل ش����د �ي��د ��ا � ج�ع� ط�ه� �و � � �و ا �ل�د ��ى ح��� م � ب � م �ع ن �ن ه�ن �خ � �ن � � ا � � �ة � �ة �ف � ا ا ت � ن ا ئ �ة ا ن ��ل��ل�ع ا ئ�ز ح��ل� �� � �ي��د ا ��ط�ي�و��ل� ��ى ا�لم�ع� �م�ل� � ا �ل����س� ��ي�� * ا ��ى ا � � �ي��د ��ل ا �ل�د �ي� ر ب ي � ج آ �ف � � � ن � �ث ا ا � ت ي�ن ا ��خ ج�ن �ن ن ه�ن ق �ت ا ن �ن �ت ت �ه�ن ا � �ه�ن ��ي ب���ع�ن �ل�ل����س� �ي�� �ب� �لي���ك����س�� �ب��ه� * ي��ر� �م �ع��د � �و��د ��ع� �ه�د � �ع��ل�ى ��ع ��ير � � ف � اق � � � �ي�ن ا ��� ا �ش ق � ا �ل�م� ش ق � �ذ �ة � ث�ق �ف ��ل ���و�� * ��� و ع � را ��س�ا * ���ه�ن ا �ل��سب�� ب� ا �ل� �رب� � او �ل�� ر��ي�ع� ا �ل�و����ى ��ى ا ج �م ب� لع� � ع 282
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The Journey from the Monastery
snake and parts bulged and parts got dirtied, and she started to fidget and twist, toss and turn, and for the first time in her life the wish entered her head that she might be a man so that she could protect him. Finally, God alleviated their plight and the mule stopped, and the Branch righted himself and they proceeded until they reached Baalbek, the Fāriyāq being at death’s door. There he went and took shelter in the shade of a tree, where the breeze made him nod off and he slept, awaking exhausted. Then they remounted and continued until they made Damascus, the
3.15.3
Fāriyāq being unwell the whole way, and he rented a room in a caravanserai and stayed there for days, unable to go out. When he had largely recovered, he made his way to his wife’s family’s house and informed them of what had happened, and they were delighted to see him. Then the fever took him once more. Then he revived and wanted to go to the bathhouse to bathe, but when he returned, it returned too. One day he happened to have gone down to the latrine when he fainted and fell down and his head went into the hole of the latrine and he started shouting, “My head’s in the hole! There’s a hole in my head!” and the people came running and found him in that state, and some laughed at him and some felt sorry. Then he got a little better and it seemed to him and his companion167 that they should leave—but before he departs that noble city I must crush him and press him hard till he gives us a description of the charms of its women, that being the only thing he’s fit for, for any talk of the peculiarities of its plants, its minerals, its air, the number of its inhabitants, or its political affairs would be beyond him. He declared: “I entered the city of Damascus with a fever that had accompanied me from Baalbek, and I had barely recovered by the time I left the place. I can, therefore, give only a poor description of its women. If you accept this, I say, ‘When I entered the city, I put up at a caravanserai called Khān Fāris, and the owner assigned an old woman to serve me. I observed, from her gentle treatment and caco-euphonious speech (meaning the way she mixed soft words with harsh), that old women play a large role there in women’s dealings, by which I mean that they enter people’s houses on the excuse that they will sell the women clothes to wear and come out having undertaken to strip them totally bare, for they are the closest means to hand and the trustiest method for bringing lover and beloved together. At first sight, it seemed to me that the Muslim women were better looking than the Christian ones, just as the Muslim men were more handsome and more
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3.15.4
� ف � ف ��ي� ا �ل��س��ر�م ن�ا �ل��د�ير
ن آ � � � �ف ف ا ا ن �آ � � ي�ن ف ق ظ � �ن �هر �ل�ى ��ى �ب�ا د �ى ا �ل ار �ى ا � �ه�ن ا �ج���م�ل �م�ن ���س�� ا �لن��ص�ا ر�ى �� �م� ���س� ا�لم��س�ل�م�� �����د �� � � � � �ف ��ل ه �ة ��ذ �ف ن � � �� �وك��� ا ��ه ��ى ��س�ا ئ�ر ا �لب��ل�ا د �ك��ا ا � ا �لر�ج��ا �ل �م�ن ا�لم��س��ل�م��ي�ن ا �ج���م�ل �م�ن ا �لن��ص�ا ر�ى � او ���ص �� �م ج م ح آ � � � � � ا ا �ة � � � ة م��� � ��ا �ل �ش � ن �ن � � ا � ا ح�مر� * � او �لغ���ا �ل ب� �ع��ل� ي�ه�ن ا �ل��ط�و�ل ا �ل� ��س�ل� �مي�� * �و�ل�و� ا �ل����س� ع�م�و�م� ا �لب��ي � ��ض� ا �ل رب ب � ا ��ل ش��� ���ط�ا ���ط * �غ��� ا ن� �ه��ذ ا ا ��ل�ا �ز ا ا ��ل�ا ����� ا ��ل���ذ �ى ���ت�ز ن� ��ه �ع ن��د �خ� � �ج� ه�ن �م�ن د ��ا �ه�ن ير و ير رو � ي ر ب ر ب ي �ض آ � � � � �ذ �� ن �� ا �ه ا � خم �ف� لم ح��ل�و��ل��ل�ع��ي�ن ك � � �ل�ا ي� ح�ا ��س�ن ا � �لق��د �و�ل�ع��ل�ه�ن �ي��لب����س�ن ��ل��ك �ع�م�د ا ح�ب��ر ���س�� �م� �صر * �وك��ل� �م� � �ٍ � ف ّ � � � فن �ك�ن �م�ا �ه��ذه ا �ل�مغ���ا �ز ��ل��ة � ا ��ل�ا �ت�ل�ا * � �م�ا �ر�ع��لي��ه * �و��ل�� �� �لت��ا �م�ن ا �لر�ج��ا �ل �ت���ت��ه�ن * ���ل�ه�ن ا �ل ش��� ك و ع و �ذ � � � آ �ذ � � ا �ز ف ن �ق �صر �ب��ه�م�ا �م�ا �ور� �ل��ك ا �ل� ا ر * �ه� ا ا �لت�ب��ه��ك�ن � او �ل�بت��د � * ا ���لي����س �ل��ل����ل ب� �ع�ي�ن �ا � ��ي ب�� ح � �ا � � � ��فخ � ش �ف � ف �ز ف ش ق غٌ ن �ت ا ي� ��ى ا �ل���م��س ��ي�� �و��هى �ل�و �ل� ه �ل�م ي��م��ك�ن �ل�ع��ي�ن ا � ار �ه�ا * ��ا �م�ا ��ي �ه�ن ��ى ا �ل��د �ي�ا ر ��ا ����و�� م حّ �� ا ن �خ� � ت � �ن ا ��خل ن ف �ك� ن * �ق�ا �� � �ق�د ظ ��� �� ض ���ا � ا �ن�ا �م� �ع� ك ��ا ��ل ���مى ب�ع�د � ر ج � م ��ا � � او ���ت�ن �م�ا �ي��و� لو � �هر ل�ى ا ��ي � و و و ب � �ش�� ت ئ �ة � ن � ث �ش ئ ح��ل� او ت� ا ��ل �و م�م� را � ح� ا �ل�زا ئ� ار ت� �م�ن ا �لن��ص�ا ر�ى ا ��ن �ه�ن �م� او ���س�ا ت� � ح��د��ي� � او �ل���م�ا ��ل� ق ن شف �م ن��ا ���ط�ق * � ت �ك� ن ����ذ ���� * � ��ل ��ا ا ���ن خ� ش����� ت �م�ن ا �� �تب�خ ح�ى ا �عت����د ت� ا � ������ا �ى �ي��و� ب ل ك و �و �ل ى ي � ل���ي��ل� ي �� آ � � ا � ا ت �غ ن � �ن � �ن ش ق ف ا �ق �ف � ا � ا ن ��ا ن ق ت �ف ط�ي�� ب� �و �ل� ي �س�م� ا � اب �ى ك�� � ��د � ��و��ى �ب��د �م����� �� ���لى ��ى ر �و�ع�ى ا ��ى �ب� �ل� ��س�� �� �ع ا �ل�� ب � ق � �ت ت � ا آ ��ن ت ا ا �ق ا ��لن �ظ� ��� ا ��ل ه�ن � ا �ن ا ا �� ا ة ح��ي�ن �� � ه ا �ح�� �ل � � ا �ل � �� � � ك ي� و � �ع��ل� �لو��س� د� �� * � � � س � � ر و س ر ح� ب� �لم� ا ج � ا �ى �ع�ل�ج � ٍ ى ث ��ن ت ال� ��ف ن ح��ي�ن ��ت��ن���ف ��س�ن �ش�� �ا � �� � � ش �ص�د � �ه�ن � ك��� م � �� ��� ��و * ��م را ��ي ت� ب���ع��ض� ا �عي��ا � �ير و ور ى و ي �ي ب ي ب ح � �ف �ا �ن � �ة � ق ا ا�لم��س��ل�م��ي�ن �ي�ز �ور �و ن� ر ب� ا ��ل��د ا ر � �و ن�ب����س ���ط�و ن� �م�ع�ه ��ى ا �� ك� ل��ل� �م * �و��هم �م ا �ل�ه�بي�� � او �ل�و�� ر �ي � � ف ن ن ّ � حت �ق�ا �� ���ف د � �� ا ��هن ت � ح��س�ن �ل�ل�م ��ط ا � �ج� �م�ا � �� �� � � ا � �م��ا ن� * �ف�ل�ا ا د ر�ى �م�ا ا ��ل���ذ �ى � ب� ك� ح� � �ى ل ى ي و ر ر وس ر �ا �ن ن �ح��ل� � ��ق��ة ���ط��ع �ه� ا �ف ك� �� ��ى � ب ب ر ب �
� � �ّق ���ا ن� ���ط���ب�ع��ك �ب�ا �لغ���ل�ا �����ظ��ة � �وك� �ج� �ل�
*
� � ن ش ح� �مق ا ن� � �ق �� ��ل ا ��ل � �ذ � ق ا ئ � ا � � ��و�م�ى * م� ح��لب��ى �����لب��ى * � او �ل ش����ا �م�ى �ش � �ي و ع ا � ا ��ه�ل �و�ل�ه� ا ا � �ل�� ���ل ا �ل� � ف خآ �ش ا ق � �ز � � � �خ ا ق ا � ق � ا ن ا ط��ع�ا �م�ن ا ��ه� � � ح��ا � او �و� ���س ��� ء ا �ل���� �م ا ر�� �� ب ح�ل ب� � او ك��ى ا ��ل� �� � او ��ط�� �ل� �ل��س� �� � �وي��د ا �و�مي ل ر � � ن �ذ � �� ن ا ��ل�ن� ش��� �ف ق �� �ن ش ���ق� �م� �ه�ا �ب ����د �م�ه �وك���ا �� ت� �مث��و�ى �وك�ر�م�ا * � او �ل��د �لي���ل �ع��ل�ى �ل��ك ا � د �م � ع ك��و� ب�ى ر � 284
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The Journey from the Monastery
chaste in speech, as they are in all the lands of Islam. The women’s color is generally white flushed with red and most are tall and have fine figures. On the other hand, the white wrap that they wear when they leave their houses is not as appealing to the eye as the ḥabar of the women of Egypt.168 Both conceal the charms of the figure, and it may be that they wear these deliberately to spare men their seductiveness, in which case they are to be thanked. But for what then this flirtatiousness and peering about, and what is this shaking of the buttocks as they walk and this voluptuousness of stride? Does not the heart have eyes to see what lies beneath the wrap? Does an overcast of clouds, without which the eye would be unable to gaze upon the sun, conceal the same? The clothes they wear indoors are as attractive and captivating as can be.’” The Fāriyāq continued, “When I was sick with fever, after I had left the caravanserai and breathed in the scent of the Christian women who came to visit me, they too appeared to me so entertaining and wellspoken, and had such pleasant traits and were so eloquent,169 that I came to believe that my cure lay in such things, and had I not feared being called a miser for dispensing with the services of the doctor and, especially, had I not been obsessed with the idea that while in Damascus I might join my father who had died there, I wouldn’t have needed the attentions of any physician. While, from my pillow, I was stealing glances at these women, I noticed on their breasts something that heaved and reared as they breathed. “I also observed some Muslim notables who would visit the master of the house and talk with him at their ease—men of considerable dignity and gravitas—and I don’t know what persuaded Metropolitan Jirmānūs Farḥāt to say, in his collected poems, Meseems, then, Im Aleppo, by nature refined, While your nature, in its coarseness, is Damascus. “The same imbecile would probably say, ‘Your Aleppine’s a dandy and your Damascene’s a dog,’ despite the fact that the Damascenes are more refined by nature than the Aleppines, of purer morals, freer of tongue, hand, and demeanor, more openhanded and generous. The proof of this is that because the Prophet once honored Damascus with the impress of his foot, and because it is the resting place of a number of his Companions and has become a place from which people set off for the Kaaba and has remained, from that time on, a staging post for pilgrims, the Christians who are there
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3.15.5
� ف � ف ��ي� ا �ل��س��ر�م ن�ا �ل��د�ير
� � ح�ا �� ح�ا ���ة � او � ب�ص�� ��لب��ع�� ا �ل��ص ��عب���ة �و�م�ا �ز ا ��ل ت� �م�ن �ذ ��ل��ك ا ��ل�ع�ه�د �م��ن�ز ��ل�ا �ل���ل ح ت� �و�ص�ي �د ا ��ل��ل�ك� � ب �ض ج �ف ا ن ا �� ن ا � ف ا ت ّ �أ ن �خ � ا � � ا �� � �ة ا � ن ا �ز �� ا �� ��فل ���س�� �ة � �ا �ف �خ � � ل��ص� رى �� يح� * ب ل � ي�ه� �ي� ب�� ��و �و� د ا ��ل�ه� ا �ل�د �ي� ر ا لرح�بي�� �و�لم�� ل � ّ � � �ف � ن �ّ ا خ ��ا �� ا �ل�م�د � ن���ة � ��ل�ا ���د �خ���ل� ��ن ه�ا �م�� � ن��و ن� �م�ن ا �ل ك ح��ل ب� �ف�ا ��ن �ه� �ل�ا ي� ك ا �لن��ص�ا ر�ى ��ى � ��س����ى ا �ل� ب رج �ي و ي و � م � آ � � �ذ �ق � � ش ا �ن ��ز � ا ��ز � � ت �ك��ث � ��ق� �عه�ا ا �ل�ا �ل��لب�ي�� � او �ل ش��� �ر * �ه� ا �و�ق�د � حر��س ا لله � ��طر ا �ل���� �م �ع ا �ل �ل� �ل �ل ا �ل ��ى �ي�� ر و و � ع آ �� ��ث� ا ت � ّ �ة ا � ش ئ �ة ا �ل� ت �ة ت �ن ئ ش ا ا � �ن �ن � ل � ح � � ب� ا �ل � � � �� ا ا � � � � م ك �� ع ع ���ّوه �ه��ذه �� م س ب ب�� ح�� ��� ��و م� م� ��ه� * �ى �ه� ��ي ر م� � ح��ل ب� * و ب ف � � ن ن � ن ق �و�ج��ه �م�ن ��ي �ص�ا ب� �ب��ه�ا * ����ه�ل �م ار د ا �لم��ط ار � ا � ��ي�ق ��و�ل ا � ��ن �ص�ا ر�ى � ح��ل ب� �و� ح��د ��هم ا ر�� � � ���ط��ع�ا * ا � � ��صّ ا ن ��ن خ �� � ا ��لت�� ن����� * ف� ��ق��ا �� �مث��ل�ا ح�ق �� �ق�ه� ��ل�ا ج��� ا �ل�� �س �� �� ا �ل ن��ا ��س � � ي ل م �ي � � ب و �ج ب � ج و ل ي س س م ع ح َ َ � َ ق ْ� � � � � �ّ ا ج��ل ��ا �ث��لي��ق� �ه نْ��د �لي��ق� * � او �لم��ط ار ن� �� ��ط ار ن� * � او � �ل�ق ��سي����س �ل�هي����س * � او �ل ا ر �ه ب� �ن�ا �ه ب� * � ��ق ��ق �ف ا ا ا �� � غ �ة ف � ��ل�ع � � �ن � ن ا �ة ي�ن �ف ا �ة ���خل � ُ ْ� �س�� �ب�� ��ص� � ح� � او �ل��س�و�ى ب� ��و�ى * � او �ر�ج �ى د ر�ج �ى * � �م� ل�ل��� ��لي����س �مرى م م�� � ب � ا ن � � ا��ا ن ت ت ا �خ� �ة � ا � ت خ ش ���ا ك��� ���ق� �ورك� ح��ل ب� * �ل� � � ���ة ا ��ه�ل � ا ��ه�ل د �م � ح�ل ب� �لم� ك�� ��� �م�� �م� �لب��ل� د ا �ل��رك د ���ل ن ق ��ف �خ ن � �ف ن ��ق � ��ث� � �ن � ا � ف ا �ظ � ا ��ل� � �ة ع �ف �� ا �ق ا � � ل � � � �� � � � � ا � � � � ا ا �م ك �� بي ��ى ي رج � ��ى ك��ل� �م ا �ه��ل�ه� ك���ي ر م ا �ل� � �ل�� �� ج ي�� * ك ��ول�ه�م ج � �و� ج ي��م �ى ج �� ّ � ت �ذ �م � ا ��ل � ت� �ة ��س��ع�م�� ه � خ� ��ش �خ ��خ �ي ��و �و�م�ا ا �ش��ب��ه ��ل��ك * �م�ا �ع�د ا �ي�� ا �ل��رك���بي�� * � ��يوت��ق���ل ن��ه ا �ى ي ل� * و � ر�ج ج �و � م��خ � �خل ت ��ف ��ن �� ق � ا �� �ف ا �ظ �� ا ��� �ة ث� ن �� �ف ا ا �ق ا �ف ا � ه �� ل � � �نت � � ل ا ا ا � �� � ل � ا � �ك ح�� �ى ل�����ه�م �و � �ه�م �ى ط�� �ل� ل�� � ع بر ي�� * �م � ل�� ري� � ��س� ر ه�و و�ص� ب َ � �غ � ي�ز ا �ب��ر �و ت� �و�من��ه�ا ا ��ل�ى �ي�ا �ف�ا * �ف�د �ع�ا �ه�م�ا �ور�ّ�ا ن� ا ��ل��س��ف�ي�ن ��ة �ن�ا ��ئ� ق�ن���ص�ل ا �ل�ا �ن ك� ���ل�� �ب��ه� (�ه�و ��ي�ر ب ب ي � �خ ا � �� �ل� ا� � ش � � ن ��آ ا � خ � ا �ل�م�ع � �ف� ��ا ��ل ش��� ��ا �ت ا �ل �وا �ج��ا ا ��س�ع�د ا �ي�� ��ط ا �ل�لب�ي�� ب� ا �لب�� ر ) �لي�����ر�� او ع��ده ا�لم� ء �ب� �ل ك �� ��س��ر رو ب بر ب ع �اف ن ت �ف ��ت � ا �ذ � ا � �ف ���ا �ب��ه� ا ا �ل� �� � س �ع ن��د ا �لم�و� �ل���ي�ن �م�ن ا �ل� �ر�� � او ��س��ع�م��ل�وه ��ى ك��ب��ه� �ل� * ��مم�ا ا �ش��ت��هر ا ��ي ض� م م ج ض � ل��ك� �من �� �� � ���فى د ��ا ر��ه * ��ف��س�ا ر � او �م�ع�ه �ف�ا � ح��س� �� خ� ���ا ��س�ا �ت��لي ��ق �ب�ه ب� �ه� ك� ��ا �م��ة ج��ث�ت�ه حض� ب � ر ل �م ي م � ث �ف � � �غ ق � �ة ف ف � � ة ة ا � ق ت�ز ت �س��ن��د �� �� ا �ل� ا �ل � ر� � او ��ا �م� ا * ���ل�م�ا �ر� � ا �ل��د �ع�و� ا ���ل� �ع او ا �ل�ى ا �ل� � ك و ��ى �م�ع�� �ل�ه�ا * ري م ى �ج�ز�ي ف� � ث ا �� �ف ا � ا �ق ا ��ل �ز � � ت ه خ ��� �ه�ا � �� �ص� ��ل�ه � ���س�ت�د �ع�ه�ا ��ل�ل�ا �ع��ت�ز ا ��ل �م�ع�ه * ف���ق��ا ��ل ت� ا �ن�ا ي� ب�ع� ل�� ري� � �ى و�ج �� ي ب ر ب و و وي � � � � � ت �ذ � ث �ف � ق ح ب� ا �ل�ا �ع��ت�ز ا ��ل �و �ل�ا ا ��ل�� �ل�ا ا � �ك���س�ل * �� � او � ت� ب���ع�د �ل��ك �و�لم�ا ا ��س��را � ا � �لف��ا ر�ي�ا �� �م�ن ا�ل� م ح م ئ �ة � ن آ ت � �ف ن �ه�ا را � ح� ا �ل����س�� * ا �ل��س� ر ا ��س��ر �وح� �م � 286
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The Journey from the Monastery
occupy spacious houses and capacious dwellings within its walls, unlike the Christians of Aleppo, who are allowed to live only outside the city and enter it only to buy and sell. Furthermore, God has preserved the area of Damascus from the earthquakes that occur frequently in Aleppo as well as from that unpleasant pimpliness that so often disfigures the faces of those affected by it and that is caused by its water. Did the metropolitan perhaps mean to say that it is the Christians of Aleppo, uniquely, who are more refined? Or could it be that he thought it acceptable for us to deprive people of their just deserts to make a rhyme for prose or an assonance? On that principle, one might call a Catholicos garrulous, a prelate a pitchy distillate, a priest a greedy beast, a monk a drunk,170 a Market-man a charlatan, or a Bag-man a reticule-man. As far as language is concerned, there is, I swear, no comparison between the chaste speech of the Damascenes and the lame language of the Aleppines, for Aleppo, bordering as it does the lands of the Turks, has been infiltrated by many foreign words from the latter’s speech. Thus they say anjaq bi-yikfī (‘it’s barely enough’), articulating the j in anjaq as though it were the Turkish jīm,171 yitqallanu meaning ‘he uses it,’172 khōsh khuy,173 and so on, and all this on top of their strange-sounding dialect and the foreign-tinged accent with which they pronounce Arabic words.” The Fāriyāq and his companion then traveled to Beirut and from there to Jaffa, where the deputy to the British consul (who was not the skilled and sagacious Khawājā Asʿad al-Khayyāṭ174) invited them and the ship’s captain to join him in taking the drink made of water and sugar known as sherbet (which is a word that has gained fame among Frankish authors too, though they use it in their books only and not in their houses). They went with him and he served each with a cup appropriate to his body size. When the party was over, they set sail for Alexandria and from there to the island, where they were housed in its quarantine quarters. The Fāriyāq sent to his wife to inform her of his arrival and invite her to join him in his isolation, but she said, “I like neither isolation nor idleness.” Afterwards she complied, and the Fāriyāq, regaling himself after the ardors of travel, breathed in the scent of a woman.
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3.15.6
ا �� ��ل�ف��ص ا ��ل���س�ا د �� �ع ش �� � �ل س ر �ڡ ا �� ن�� ش ة � ���و� ي ل � � �ف ت �س� �ى ف� ا ا ّ � ا ��ه ا ئ� �ة َ ف ا ىر �ه� �م� د ب� �و ��ط� ر * �و��س��لك ��ى ح� ا �م د �� ر * ا � �و ي� � �ذ �ذ �ف ف ن � � ��ت ف��� ��له�ا �� ا �ل�ع ن�� ا � ���ه ا ن�� ت � �و ا ��س�ت� ك���ا ر * و ص�ي � ى و � �ل
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ا �ب�ل�� ا ح� ر
*
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Chapter 16
Ecstasy
It’s the smell of Umm Dafār, in which all that walks or flies or plows the seas is as one, and it is made plain in the title. Can you smell it?175
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3.16.1
ا �� ��ل�ف��ص ا ��ل���س�ا ��� �ع ش �� � �ل بع ر � �� �ح�� �ع�� ا ��لت ل � � �ڡ ا � � ع ل �ض �ى ر ى ي � � � ث � �� د �خ��ل�ا ا �لب���ل��د �ور ج� �� ا � �لف��ا ر��ا �ق� ا ��ل�ى ا �لت��عب��ي�ر � او �ص�ل�ا � ا ب�ل�خ��ر * �و���ع�د �م�د�ة �و�ج���ي�ز �ة ق��د � ب ي م ح م ع �ن �� ا � � �ّ � ا ث �ت ن ّ ق ن �ص � ا �ن�ه �ش���ا �ع �م�ف���لق � ن � � ا ل ا � ع �ع��ل�ى �ص� ح ب� ا�لم�عب� ر ر ج���ل �م ج�� ي���ل ا ��ه ك�� � �م��س�ل�م� ��م � �� ر و ر �� م آ � ف ا ا �ق � �ّل ا � ��ف � �ت�ز � �ذ �ذ ا �و �ش���هر�ة �ب��ي�ن �ع��ل�م�� ء ف��ا ر��س * ��ف��س� ر �و�م�ع�ه ا � �ل�� ر�� � �لي����س� �م� �ع�لي��ه �ى ا�لم�ع� �ل � او ا �ب�ه ي � � ش ش �ت ش �ز ّق �ة َ ْ�� َ خ � ق �ف � ّ ف ف �ئ ح �� ا ل ح� ر �و��� � � ���و��� � ج�ع � ح�ى * ���ل�م�ا د ���ل ا �لب���ل��د ا ��ا �م ��ى ا�لم�عب��ر � ار �ى ا �ل �ر���ي��س �ب�ا د �ى �ف ح�ل�ا �ق� � ا �ع��م� ف��ه�ا ا �ل�م� ��س� �ف��ل�م�ا ا ��ن ت�ه ا ��ل� �ش���ا ����ه ��س��ت �ه�م�ا �ي�ت ح��ل�ق ��ل � ن � �� ��ا ��ل ر � �ى ى � و ل ي� و ى �ب��د ى ا � ي � ح� �ه * ج ى ب بر ي حّ فق � ا� � � ��ا ��ل�� ح��لق ت� ��ه �م ن��ه �ع�� ��ل�ز � � � ا �ل ش����ا �عر ب��ي��د �ي�ه * ��ا �ب���ل ا �لي��ه �ص� � ح ب� ا�لم�عب��ر � بو��ي��ده ك�� ب� ي ج ل�ى وم � ن ا ا ��ل�� ث ��ل � � � ت ض � � ف ف �ش ئ ح�ى ر���ى ا �ل �رئ�����س ب��ن��ص�� ا �ل����ع�ا �ر * ا �ل ش � ��� او ر ب� * ��د ا ر ب��ي����ه�م� بح� � او ج��دا �ل ي �ا � � �ة �ذ �ف �ل ا ن �ذ � ق � � �ف ق � �م� ك� ���ا � ا ت� �ي ��و� �م�ن ا �ل� �ي�ا � ا�لم ش���ئ ��و�م� �ه ب� ا � �لف��ا ر�ي�ا �� ا �ل�ى ا�لم�عب��ر ��و�ج���د ا �ل �رئ���ي��س ��د م م ّ � �نا ح�ا ��ل��ة �و� ���ع� ��ي ���ط�و�ف� ���فى ا ��ل��د ا ر �ع��ل� �ه��ذه ا ��ل ��ت�عر�ى �م�ن ��ثي��ا �ب�ه �ب�ا �� ك� ل���لي���ة * �و ج� � ح��ض� ا �ل�� ��س ل ي ى � اق آ ق � � ا ا � ا ا ��ل ن ا �� � ا � � � ت �� ا ا �ّ ا �� �ت ا ��ل� ة �ا �ع��ل�ى ا �ل� � ت��د � ء �ب�ه � �و�ي���و�ل * ي� �ي �ه� �� س م� ج�ع�ل� ا ل�ث�ي � ب� �ل� ل��س� ر �عور� * �و �ل� آ � ��ا ن ��ف ا �� �ف ���ا ن� ���ط�ا �ه ا � ��يٓئ��ا �م�ن ا ��ل���ذ �ن�� � � ا �ل�م�ع�ا ��ص * ف��ا ن� � د � �ل�م�ا � � �ع�ور�ة �لم�ن ك� �� ل � د � ك � � بر و ى روس ب و ى ر م ��ف ا � �ة ا ��ل�ع� �ة � آ ة � �ك�ن � ح�ا ���ة ��ا ��ل� �ا � * �ف��ل�م�ا ا ��ن ت�ه ا ��ل� �ز � � ت��ه ��ل��غ� � ه�ا � ه � � � �ى � � � ح� �ل� ل � �ى ى و�ج ي ر�ي� �صم� � او �لب��ر� ء � �لم �ي �ج ب ث�ي ب آ �ة � � ا �ف � ف ّ � � ا ��لت�� ّ� ق ا �� ت � ن � ن � ا � ت �ن ب� عرى �� ل � �ل�ه ا � ا �ل����س�� ء �ل� �ع�ص�م� �ل�ه�ن ا �ل� ��ى ا �ل��لي���ل ��ل�ا �ب��د �ل�ه�ن �م�ن ا �ل��س��ر � �ه�ا را * آ � ّ � �ف � ه ا �جل�ع ���م �ع��ل� �ت��ل�ك ا ��ل ح�ا ��ل��ة ��ف��س�ا ��ل ا �� �لف��ا ر��ا �ق� ق��ا �ئ�ل�ا �م�ا �ب�ا ��ل �ص�ا � حب��ن �ا ق��د �غ��ي�ر ا �لي ��و� �ز �ّ�ه � م ي ي ر ى ى � �ن ن ���خل � �ل� � �ذ � ّ �ز � ن ن ا ��� ن ا ق ا ��ل�ا ��س� د �و�تردّ �ى ���ه� ا ا �ل �ى ا �ل� � ح�مر * ��ا �ل �ه�و �م �ج� ��ود ا �ر�ج � او �ج ��د �ه�� ي لب���� �سو� ب و 290
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Chapter 17
An Incitement to Nudity
The two of them176 then entered the town and the Fāriyāq went back to
3.17.1
interpreting dreams and physicking the foul of breath. After a short while, a Persian, of whom it was said that he had been a Muslim and become a Christian and that he was a master poet well-known among the scholars of Persia, came to visit the master of the Chamber. The latter therefore took the Fāriyāq to welcome him in the quarantine quarters. He turned out to be a short, squat, round, bearded little fellow, and when he entered the town, he put up at the Chamber. Now the master decided, right at the outset, that he should shave off his beard. The barber was brought and set his razor to work but when he got to the poet’s mustache, the latter covered it with his hands. The master approached him with a book in his hand from which he drew proofs for the necessity of shaving mustaches and they discussed and argued until the master agreed to limit the sacrifice to half. On another of those ill-omened days, the Fāriyāq went to the Chamber and there found that the master had stripped himself of every stitch of his clothing and set to roaming around the house in that state and inciting people to follow his example, saying, “Dear People, clothes were made to cover the pudenda but he who is pure and innocent of all sin has nothing of which to be ashamed. When Adam was in Paradise, in a state of sinlessness and innocence, he had no need of clothes.” When he went to his wife to persuade her to undress, she told him, “Women are without sin only at night, so they have to be covered by day.” The Persian saw him in this state and asked the Fāriyāq, “What has made our friend change his black clothes today and put on red ones?” The Fāriyāq replied, “He’s a soldier of the Bag and soldiers here wear uniforms.”
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3.17.2
��ف ��ي
حض�� �ع�� ا �ت ��ل ى �ل��عر�ى ا � � ل�
ت � � * �ف�خ�ا ��ف ت� ا ��ل�ز � ���ة ا ن� � ت��ل�ا ق���ا ا ��ل��ل��ا �� ا ��ل�ا � ح�م * ث�� ا �ش���ت�د ا ��ل��ل��م� ب� � ��ك�ل �من��ه�م�ا � او ���س�� ك�� ح� و�ج ب س �ي ي ر م م م ا�ن ا � ف �غ ت � � ف ق �ف ن ���دا �� ا � ا ��ل ا �ف ا �ز ق ن ش ��ل� د * �ر� ب�� ا �ل�ى ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� ��ى ا � ��ي �ض� � ��ى �م� �� � �وي������ ب� �م� ب�ي�� � �ه�م� ا ج�ل ل و ج م � � � �ة ت ��ا ن ا �� غ� ص�ن �ق �ق � ا �� �ف آ �ذ � ا ��ل��ه ا �جل�ع ي�ه�ا ��ى ا ��ث ن��� �ل��ك �م�ن ا �ل��د �ي�ا ر ا �ل ش����ا �مي�� �و�ه�و �م��ر�ج�� ���مى * �وك�� � ل��� �د �د ل� ي م م �أ �ذ � �ق �� �� �ا * � � ا � ت ن خ �ن ن ش ف ّ ت ن ا قا ا �ع ج��ى ����ه�ى * �و�ج�� ع ��و�ى * �ب ��و ��ه �ع��د�ه� �م��� �م� ك�يرم و ح� �و�ل� ا � ي���ل�و � � ّ � � �ل�ه�ا �م�ع�ه ا�لم�عب��ر �خ���ل�ّ او �م��س�ت�دي��م�ا * �و�ل�و �ب��د � او � �لم� ب���ع��ل�ه�ا * �وف���ق��د ا �ه��ل�ه�ا * �ف�ا �ق�ا � م م م ش غ �ن �ذ ت ��لن � � ي�ن �ف نا ا � �ف �غ ظ� ت ا �لغ����ص�ن ��ى ا ر��د �عي�� ش��� � او �ه�� � ح��� ��ى ح� �ل * �و �����ل� ��هى �م�ع�ه ا �������ل �م ا � ا �ي �� � ّ �ف ا � ظ � �ز ا ح�� �ع��ل ا ��لت��ع �ى * � او �ن�ه �م�ن �ش���ع�ا ر ا �ل�م��ت�ز ك�� ى ا�لمت�ب��ر�ى * ا � ��صى �ب� �ل * �و �����ل �و�ج� �ه� ي� �ض �ى ر � ث ا ��ل�ع �ف � �ف ق � ا ن� ا ق� � ه �ع ن �� � � ا �مت ه � ض ف � غ �ة � � ���مى ��ى �م��ن�ز �ل ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� * و �م� ب��ل� ��ده ل�د م� �� و� ���ع���ه �و�ل����لب�� ا �ل��س���كو ت� �و�لب�� ج آ ا نا ن ّ � ���ا ن� �ذ ا ت� �لي���ل��ة �و�ق�د را �ى �ع ن��د �ز �و�ج���ة ا �� �لف��ا ر��ا �ق� �ن��س�� � �ع��لي��ه * ف���ل�م�ا ك� ح��س� �� ا � ح��ل ت� ي �ّ ن � تن ّ ا ن� ا ا � � � �ع�ق��د�ة ��ل��س�ا �ن�ه � �و�ن ���ط�ق� ب� ك� �صر �ع�ن �ه�د �ى * �و �م� � ��ل�ا �م د �ل �ع��ل�ى ا ��ه �ل�م �ي����� ��ض ��طره ا �ل�ى �ذ � � ا � َ�عْ ة ث� � ا ت �ت�� � ا ��ل��ل �� �ة � �ق ا � � �غ �ف ق ف�خ � ق �ل�ك ب ��و �مر� * � ب� � لك ي�ل� و �د � �ص�د ��ض ��طر�م ا �ل� ار �م ��ى ���لب��ه ��ر�� �لي��ل�ا ��ي��� ج م � � �ز ّ ف ا ف ف �ت ا ا ح��� � �ه� �ل� ���س ��ط�� د ��ا �ع�ا �ع�ن �غ�ر�ف��ة ا �� �لف��ا ر��ا ق�ي���ة * ��ا � ح��س �ب�ه �و�ج� �ه� �ب�� د ره ب� ب ل و ي ي و ي ع �� � �ذ �ف ن �ز � � ن ن ف � غ ل ق � ش ا ت � ��م ا ��م�ا �� ا ا ع �ظ�ن � ته � ��ن ��ف ه ف �ل ا �ا ا �� ��س� * �� �م� ك� � ل��د ���� �ور �و�ج �� �ى ا �مره * ��� �ل� ا �� ا � �ه� ا ج �ى � ��ز � �ذ � � ا �ت � ن ه � ا � � �ن ا ت � ن ن ا � ا �ة �� ا ��س�ا ئ�ر الجم �ج�نّ �ل�ع�د � ا �ل � او � �وك�� ��ا �ن��ي�ن * ا �ل� رى ا �� �لم� را ى ا �لب� � � ع��د �� ا �لب�� ر� ح� م ج � فا ن � ة �ق ح��ن �ا �� ق ا � ف ق ت ا ا � ��ت �ه��ل�ل �و�ج� �ه�ه �و�ت ك� �ل�� * �� �ل ������ل� �م� ا ر�ى ا �ل� ح� �م�ع�ك �ه��ذه ا�ل�مر� * �� � �ص� �ب م ���خل � ج�نّ � �ن � ��ز � �ق ا � ت �� ��ا ن ق� �ذ � �خ ت ّ�ا � ا � ا � ق � ا � � ك�ن م � � � � � ه � � � ا � ا � � � ع � � ل� � � � ل� ك� � ب��ل ل�ك ��ل ب� �ل� ح�ل * ا �ر�ج �ى � م ب ع�د ل و�ج * � ل� م حق �م ن��ه ف���لي��عت��� ��ه �غ��� ه * �ق��ل ت� �م�ن ا �ي�ن �و �ل�م�ا �ت�ز �و�� �ل�� �ي �� دّ ا ��ل�ز � او �� � ق �ف ا قت ّ ��ل � ب ر ب ير ج م و ح���ه � ����ص ا �� ج �ذ ن � � � ا ن �غ � ن �غ �ك� ن �ف� ض� � ا ت ا �ع��ل�م ت� �ه� ا * �ق�ا �ل ت� ا � ا�لم��ت�ز � � �ل� �ي���ب���ى �ل�ه ا � �ي��و� ���و�لي�� ��ي ��عر��ض� �ل���ي�ر �م� �ه�و و�ج ��� �لق * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ��ل�ا ��ت�ع ���ط��� �ف�ا ���ن ��ل�ا ا �من��عه� �ع�ن ف�ي��ه * �ق��ل ت� �ه��ذ ا ��ت�ع ���طي��� �ل�م�ص�ا ��ل ��خل يل ى � ا � ل �م ح ف ن ا ��ل ت ّ � � � � ق ا �خ � ا ��ل�ع��م �� �ع�ن �ف� ض ت ا ا � ح�ل� � * ��ا � م ��و��ل ا �� ك� � �ب�ا �ل� � ل��ل� � * � او �ل��ل� �ه �ح�ل �ل�عل��� �ر�� ا �ل�ع�ا د ا � * � � �ل ب �ل م م م ج َ � َ � ّ � ت �ا � ا ا ت ا ���خل ق ��ا ن ا � ا � ا ��ل ّ ا �ج� ه�د �م�ن ا �ل �ح� ى ��ل��د ا �و�� ت� الجم ��ا �ن��ي�ن ك� ����له �ر�� * ا �ل� �و�ل�و ك�� � �ل� مر � ��م�ل �ل�ع��م�ل �ع� د � � ي � �م 292
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An Incitement to Nudity
The derangement of both husband and Persian increased and became
3.17.3
so entrenched that the wife feared they might find themselves together in some tricky situation and get into an argument and a fight. She therefore requested that the Fāriyāq take the Persian into his home. In the midst of all this, the Branch had now caught up with her, coming from the Syrian lands, bringing with him the delirious promise of delicious fruit and a sturdy trunk.177 She therefore put him up in her house, treating him like an honored guest and trying constantly to have the Chamber to herself with him, even at the cost of her husband’s continued derangement and her own loss of her family. The Branch thus stayed there in the lap of luxury, while she stayed with him, her hands fuller than those of Dhāt al-Niḥyayn,178 in the utmost ecstasy, and her husband continued to incite people to nudity, claiming it as a sign of innocence and purity. The Persian stayed with the Fāriyāq, who accepted him only because of his meekness, weakness, and general taciturnity. Then, one night, after seeing lovely ladies visiting the Fāriyāq’s wife, his tongue was untied and he said things that indicated that it was not by divine guidance that he had become a Christian but that he had been compelled by poverty and hunger. The man went to bed that night with his heart afire with passion and during the night he left his room and set off for that of the Fāriyāqiyyah. Her husband noticed what was going on and set upon him with a rope, and the other was unable to defend himself. In the morning, the Fāriyāq consulted his wife on the matter. She said, “I think this Persian has gone insane because he isn’t married, and the same applies to all other madmen. Didn’t you see how, when he saw the girls at our house yesterday, his face lit up and he started talking?” The Fāriyāq said, “I replied, ‘I don’t believe you’re right this time, for our friend the Bag-man went mad after he got married.’ ‘But,’ she responded, ‘the balance of his mind had been disturbed before that by the dreams, and when he got married he failed to give marriage its due, so marriage got its own back at him, and others should take him as a warning.’ I said, ‘How did you come to know that?’ and she replied, ‘Married men shouldn’t be inquisitive and stick their noses into things that don’t concern them.’ I said, ‘That would be in restraint of men’s daily business.’ ‘There’d be no restraint,’ she said, ‘because I wouldn’t prevent them from going about their work, just from idle conversation and an obsession with dream interpretation. Plumbing the science of the supernatural requires more effort
293
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3.17.4
��ف ��ي
حض�� �ع�� ا �ت ��ل ى �ل��عر�ى ا � � ل�
ح � �ف ا ��ل ّ � � ن �آ ق ا � ت �ن �� ا � ن �آ �ن � ن �آ �ن � ن �آ ق ت �� �ر �ل�ل����س� * �� �ل� ��ع�م �ك��ل �ب� �ل����س� �و�م ا �ل����س� �و�ع ا �ل����س� * ���ل� ا �ك��ل �رو� �ج ��ف ا �� ن �آ �ق � ت �ق ح � �ف * �ق�ا ��ل ت �� �ه ��ا ق����ة * �ق��ل ت د �ع ن ح���ذ ��ف ت� ا ��ل � � �د � � �ى ل����س� * �ل� � � � � و ى �ي ب ي ل ب ى ر � ث � ّ �ن � � � � ح��ة � او ف�ت�ي��ن�� ���فى ا �م �ه��ذ ا ال�جم م�� ���ه � ن��و ن� * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ردّ ه ا ��ل�ى ا�لم�عب��ر � او ��ى ا ك� ��ره ��ط�و�ل � ك ا �لم��ط�ا ر� ى ر �ع ن��د �ن�ا � خ ق� ت ا �� � ن�� ن� ���فى ا �ج��ل خ ��ل �م�ا �ف��ة ا ن� ا � حب���ل ف�ي��ا ���تى ا �� �لو��ل��د �ع��ل� �ش�� ك� � ن���ي�ن * ��ل�ه * ��ل� �م� �م�د ���ل ا �ج و ى ف � � �ك�ن ��� �ي�ن � ا �ّ ق �ق�ا ��ل ت� ا � ��ل���� ا ��ل�ا � ��ل�ا د ��ا �ت�� ن� ب��� ض� ا �ص��ا � ح�ا �و � او �ل��د �و��ه �ب��ا � * ���ل�و �ل� �ي�� لع� ا � وي س و ي و ي ��� � ب �ل م م م ح ّ � � �ذ �ذ ���ف الم � �م�ن �ف�ا �ع��ل���ة �ع ن��د �ت�� � ح�م�ه�ا �ل�م�ا ك� ���ا ن� ��ل��ك * �ق��ل ت� �ه� ا را �ى �ي ��ود �ى ا ��ل�ى ا �ل��ك ر �و� ح�ا �ل * ي و � ا � �� ف ان ���ة ���فى �خ��� �لق� ا ��ل�ا �ن��س�ا ن� * � او �م�ا الم ��ك�ف �ف�ل�ا �ن��ك �ت�ز �ع�م��ي�ن ا ن� ��ل��ل�م ا �ة �م ش����ا رك��� ح�ا �ل ��ل� � ا �م� ا �ل�� ر ر �آ آآ � � ��� ���ا ن� ��ل�ه�ا �ف�ا �ع��لي���ة ���فى �ذ ��ل��ك ��ل�ا �ش����ه ت� ا ��ل�ا �و ��ل�ا د � ��� ��ه ا �و ج�ل ���� � ا�ل�م ار �ة � �لو ك� ا � �ص��ا � ك ح�ا * ل ه � � و � م ب ب ب م ��خل ا �ة �ف ق� ���ف ف �ر ا ن� �ي�� �� �ك�و ن� ا لله �ع�ز �و ج���ل �ق�د �خ��� �لق� �ه��ذه ا �وا ب� ا �ل���ك ر ��ل�ا ��ي ن� ك ��ا �ل ت� ا �م�ا ج�� �� �ص�ي � ��ى ا ف ح�م���ة ا ��ل�ت ��ا ��لق ا �ل��م ا �ة � �ه� �م��س��� ا ��ل�ا � ا � � ن ن �ق ة � � ي�ه�ا ا ��خل ا � � � د � ه � ع � و � ب �س�� ب� * ب�مع��ى ا � ا � �ل ��و� ا �ل�و ي �ى ر وو ب ب � � ة �ف �� �ن �ة � � ت ن �ق � ن �� ف ان � ة �وا ب� الم ا � �ل��د �ير �ت��ك�و� �م�و�ثر� ��ى ك�� �و ي�� ا �ل�و�ل��د * � او �م�ا ج�� ح�ا �ل ��ل� � ا�ل�م ار � ا �ب��د ا � ش���ت��ه�ى ا � � �غ � ئ �ة ف� � � ا �ت ش ا ��ت � � ا ن ��ر * �����ه�ا ا �ب�ا ه ��ا �لغ���ا �ل ب� ا �ن�ه ا �لب� ك �ي� �ى �و�ل�د�ه� �ع��ل�ى ��ي ر �ه�ي�� ا ب��ي��ه * �و�م� ار ه �م��ه�م �م ب ق� ت ث ق � �ن �ّ ا �اش � ���ا �ن��ك �ق ار ت� ا �� ك� ���ر ا لله �م�ن ا �مث��ا ��ل��ك �م�ا ك� ��ل� ك�� ل��ل�ا �م ا �ل� �ع��ل�ى ا �ل� ����عر�ى * ��ا �ل ت� ���ع م ق ت ل� � ا �ف ��ل ش � ا �� ن � ن ن ال�م ن � ا ن ا �ف � ا ش ا ا �� ك� � ن��و� * ل��ل� �م �ه�� ��ى ا �ل� ����عر�ى �ل� ��ى ا ج��مي����� �و �ل� ا ل��مي���ص * ���ل� �جم ��و� �ج ف ق �� ت ت � � ن �� �ا � � �ه��ذ ا ا �ل�م�ع� د * �ق�ا ��ل ت �م�ت ح��ق �ن�� ن � د� ����ل �ود �ع�ي ن� �م�ن الجم � � � ه � � � � � �د ك� � ك � * � ص � م � � � ك ل � � � ي ب و و ب ى ى ى ا ل� ��ن � � �ة � �غ ق � ن� ن ف���ل�� ا ��ا �م�ا �ق��ل ت ا ��ن ���ط��لق � ك�� ت� �ت ك �ص�د * �و�ه�و �ل��ك ��ا �ي� ا � �ل�� ��ره ا �ل�ع� � �ص�د * ا �م� ا �جم �و� ي ��س �ل �� � ��ه ا ��ل ا �ل�م��� � د �ع�ه �ه ن�ا �م�ن �غ��� ا ن ت خ ح��دا * �ق�ا ��ل �ف�ا ��ن ��ط��ل��ق ت� �ب�ه � او د �خ���لت��ه �ب��ر �ب�ه ا � �ك ير � ب �ى عب ر و ��خ ��ف � ف �ل ا ا �� ف ق ا ��ل � ��ف ا � �د � ا ��ل �� ق ف � ا �لب��ا ب� �يل��ر�� ���سم�ع�ه حر �و������ل ت� �ع��لي��ه ا �لب��ا ب� * �� �م� �ج�� �ط� ��� �ي��ع� � �ى ح� ى �ج ج ج ع آ ��خل ا ف ا �خ ف ت � ت �ز �ة ا ح� ث� ��� ح� ا �ل�م�ع�� ���ف ا ن� ج� ت �ن بر ى ر ��ع��ه �م �ي �ج ا �� د �م �� �ر�ج��ه * � ��و�ص�ل� �و�ج�� �ص� � ب آ �و�ع�ز �م ت� �ع��ل ا ��ل�� �فس� ب��ز �و�ج� �ه�ا ا ��ل�ى ��ل�ا د�ه�ا * � �ون�ا ب� �ع ن��ه � �خ�ر �م�ن ��ل�ا ده ���فى ا �ل�م�ص�ا ��ل � ب ب �ى ر ح ن �ت ا ��لت� � �ة �� ق ن �ك�ن �ل�� ��ت �� � �ت ه � ا ن خ � �س��ا ب� �ي�ا ��ى ب��ي��ا ��ن �ه�ا * �و�ب���ل ا ا ل� � م�د � � � ط �ير د�ه�ا �ي���ب���غ�ى ا � � ت�� � � ل � �عب��ي ر�ي� �و م ل ب م 294
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��ل ّ ا �ج�ر �م�ن
٥،١٧،٣
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An Incitement to Nudity
than succumbing to compliance with the super-stupid. If it were up to me, I’d treat all madmen with women, through women, and against women.’ ‘Do all the “particles of attraction”179 belong to women?’ I asked. ‘Indeed,’ she replied. ‘All attraction is to be found in women.’ ‘But you omitted “particles,”’ I said. ‘On the contrary,’ she answered. ‘They’re still there.’180 “‘Enough banter,’ I said. ‘Give me a ruling on this madman.’ ‘Take him
3.17.5
back,’ she said, ‘to the Chamber. I hate the idea of his staying with us for long because I’m afraid that if I get pregnant, the child will come out like him.’ ‘By what means,’ I asked, ‘would madness be able to get into a fetus?’ ‘Aren’t children born white and bonny,’ she enquired, ‘when their fathers are hideous? If the mother’s eye didn’t have some special influence during her pregnant cravings, it wouldn’t be so.’ ‘That’s a view,’ I said, ‘that will lead to unbelief and absurdity. Unbelief because you are claiming that women are participants in the creation of mankind and absurdity because if women had some special influence over that, sons would either all look like their fathers or all be bonny.’ ‘Responding to your accusation of unbelief,’ she returned, ‘it is unquestionable that God, Mighty and Majestic, has created this feature in women, and He is the prime mover, meaning that the esurient power placed in her by the All-Capable Creator has an impact on the child’s environment. Responding to that of absurdity, the last thing women ever want their children to look like is their fathers, and any son you see who looks to you like his father is likely to be her eldest.’ ‘May God produce many more like you!’ I said. ‘You must have done your theology181 in the school of “the Hairy One”!182’ ‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘We’re talking here about hairy ones, not shaven or plucked ones.’ ‘The potty one!’ I cried. ‘Tell me what to do with the potty one and enough of your potty tongue! You’ve almost driven me mad as well with your seminary183 talk!’ ‘And since when,’ she answered, ‘did you hate semen? It’s all you care about. As for the madman, it must be as I said. Take him off to the Chamber and leave him there without telling anyone.’” The Fāriyāq continued, “So I took him off and put him in one of the rooms there and locked the door on him. When he got hungry, he kept trying the door to see if he could get out and the servant heard him and let him out. The wife of the master of the Chamber managed to send him back to where he came from and she decided to take her husband back to her own country. Another man from his country came to deputize for him where oneiromantic matters were concerned but didn’t stay long, for reasons that will
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3.17.6
��ف ��ي
حض�� �ع�� ا �ت ��ل ى �ل��عر�ى ا � � ل�
�ذ ا ا �� ف � ا ��ن ��ظ��� ه ا �� �ف ا � ا �ق �ت ّ� � ���ا ن� ر�ئ�ي���� ا �ل�م�عب��ر ي� ح��ي�ن ك� � ل � � � ص � � �ه� � م � � � ل � م � � ب ر ح��ض� �ع��ل�ى ا �ل��عرى �و�ه�و ل س ي ن � ّ��ن� ا ��ص�ا � ا ن� ج� الا ����ت ���د ري � ح �أ �لا ن����ن�ا � ��ل�ي��ل��ن�ا ن� ج��ّ�ن� ا و م � ح��ن� ا �ولا ����نر�ى ��م��تى ي ج�� � ى � ا ن� ا �ت�ا �ن�ا ��ف�ا �� �سق � ��ز �نّ� ا و � و ن ���ّن� ا ��ج���ع� ا ��ل�ز �و�� ��ل�ه ج�م �و� � ل ج �لا ن����ب�ا ��ل� ا ن� � ا ����ن�ا ���ق �ن� ا و ى ر ري � � � ن�� ا � ُل���ط نّ�� ا ف���ق��د را��ي ت� ا �ل� �ق � ع���ل �ي ��ض ى � �ظ ح��� �م�����ط�مئ��ن� ا �و ��ل�ن ��ي��ن�ا ��ل ا ��ل � ا � � ا ��ل���ذ �ى ا ��س�نّ� ا ا� ��ش �خ� �م�ه ا ���ي�ه� ل���ي �ت َ ت � �ف ���د � �ض�ا �ي��ق� �و��ع ن��ى ��خ�ل ��ى �م�� �م�ا �ذ ا �� �ل�ق � ت� �م�ن ���ن��ذ � ج� ّ��ن� ا ي ير ش ن خ � او ف�ي���ت��ن�ا ���فى ����هر � ح��س ا � ن�ى � ت تّ � ��ف ه�ا ���م�ع ن�� ا �ل� خ� ���ل د ا �ر ب�� �ي� م � ش ��� �ذ �ى �ع�ي�ا ��ل �م ن�� ا ي�������كوك �ك�ل � � � �ا �ن��ي�ن ا ��ا �ن� ا ا ��ل� نّ ه�� ا ��ف�م�ن ��م�ج ب �و � � �م�ن ��ع��ل��ي� د ��ن �ف� ��ق�د ا �نّ� ا و � ل
296
ن ��خ��ل� ا ��ل �� � ا ��ل��ث��ا � �ع ّ��ن�ا �و� ع ي وم ي ب ن � ن س� � ل��� نّ ظ��ا �س��ى �ب�ا �ل����� آ ا � �� �ولا ��� ي � ا ن� � �غ� � ��ن �ق��� �م � �� �َم ّ��ن�ا و �ي ب ل ر �ي �ض ا نَّ ��لخ �� �� ����نرك���ب�ه ا ����ي�ل ��ف�ل� �ي �ع��ى �ت�ق ��� ���م�َ�ع�نّ �ع�ّ�ن�ا �ن � � ��ي�ه �م �ك�ل � � ّ �ف �غ��ا � �نّ�ا �ق�د ��ط�ن ��ى ا � �ص�د ا �� ن ور � ّ � ��ذ ت� ن ��ل �و� ��حر�م ا��حر ا �ل� �ى ��م��ى ي �ذ � ����ّن�ا ا ا الا ا �ل�� �ى �ب� � ب���م� ا ك� ح �� �ا ا ن�� ت � ا ��ل�� نّ �غ���آ � ا ا �� نّ �غ��ا ول م �و � � � ��م�ا ��ت��ب�ا ��ل� � �ل � �ل�ق � ت� � �ه��ن�ا ى و ي و و َ � �ن �� ف ه��ا � �ه��ّن�ا �و م � � ط او �� ��ه� ن و � �ح���ي�ن ف�����ق��ل��ن�ا ا �نّ�ا الم ِ ��ع��ل�ى � ب ح�ا د ث� ���غ�ا �ة ��س� ء �ش���نّ�ا �م�ن � ر و
ت ��� ��ز ء ��ف ّ��ن�ا �ن ا �و�ر د����ه�م �م �ك�ل ر �ا َ ْ �� ن � �م�ن �م� ا ��ل و ��ص� ب� �ب�ا �حم� �م ا ��ط��ى ّ � �ث � ت �َح نّ��ا ���د ��ل�ه �و� �ح��ى ر ��ى ا �لض�
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٨،١٧،٣
An Incitement to Nudity
be explained.184 Before revealing these, however, we must close this chapter with the verses composed by the Fāriyāq when the master of the Chamber was inciting people to take off their clothes. They go as follows:185 You want us, then, friend, to go crazy
3.17.7
And take our clothes off today And not sleep tonight when it gets dark Or harbor suspicions about women And not see when Ḥannā186 comes And, if he doesn’t, say, ‘He must be sick, depleted187’! And if some lecher188 comes to us and his joints go weak,189 We’re to mount him on horses, so he be not distressed And make the wife a shield for him, To protect him from any tormentor who may hurt him190 And not care if we see that a horn Has appeared on our temples, dinging and donging— For you have seen that the mind exhausts the body And denies the free man what he hopes for And none will attain good fortune in serenity Unless he display what he has concealed. Shush, you old man who has grown long in the tooth! What have you to do with the whickering doe, the snickering buck?191 You get into difficulties and you suffer And do not care should you find yourself feeble. What did you meet with from a preacher who went mad— And from one who goes around here—and who wept?192 You appeared before us in an ill-omened month that crushed The loving couple193 so we said, ‘Verily, No abode we have stayed in with you Has been without some evil upset that occurred. Every one among us who has dependents complains of you. You have brought a specimen of every misfortune— Madmen who have exposed their willies,194 One afflicted with fever who suffers from a lingering disease, And a sickly invalid who moans195 Till even his enemy would mourn for him and feel sorrow.
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3.17.8
��ف ��ي
حض�� �ع�� ا �ت ��ل ى �ل��عر�ى ا � � ل�
ش َ ح��ا حن� ت� ا �ل�م�ص �ه ّ��م�ا ��ش��� ن ح�ز �ن� ا �و�ق�د ����� �ق�د ك ا ��تّئ��د ا �و�ق�د ت� ��ف�ي�ن �ا ا ��ل � ر �� �� � ق ن �ت ق � ل ا ح��ا طن �� �ع ن��ه ِ�� �ف�ا �ظ�����ع�ن �ه�د ا ك ا لله � او ر� �ح�ل�ع ن�� ا �م�ن �ب���ل ا � � �� ��ط ع آ ت ض ���ا ن� ا �م��ن�ا ��� ا �ل��م�� �و��ت����فن� ا ��يل��� ن م�� ا �ع�ن ب���ل��د �م�ن ��ق���ب�ل ك� � �و����ن� ب ى �ذ � � ح�ا َ ���طْ�م��ن�ا م��ا ن� ك� �� ّ��ن� ا �ت�ا �و�ى ا �� �ل�ي�ه �م���ست�ر� �خ��تر ب��غ��ي�ر ا ا �ل ك� � او � � ي �أ ت �غ �ن ا َ ��ف ا � � ا ن ��ث�َّ � د �ّ�ع�ا � �� �ل��ق� ت� �زَ ��ْ��ن�ا � � ا � � �� ص � � � �م� ��ع�لي��ك � و و ي ب ب ب م �ت َ �ذَ َ �فْ �ن � � �ق ح��س�ن �ا � �م ن���ك � ا �و ك��� ت� �ت�ا ��ى ��ه� � ار � او ���ن� ا � �و�ت ن ������ظر ا � �ل �ي��ب� ح ش �ح�ا ا خ� �ف ���غ� ن��ا ���ا ����� ب� ح� ث�لا ��تب��صر �ي ��و�م�ا ��قِ� ر�ن� ا �وك� ���ى �ع��لي���ك ض� �ي �أ �ص�د �م ن���ك ا ��ل ض�� �� ث�� ا ��ل��س�نّ�ا ه��ا خُ��ُ�ب نّ�� ا �� ا ��ص� ت� �ه�� ن � ا � س ك��م� ا � ب ر م � � ن �ت � ��ف�ي�ه ��ل��ل �ز ا ��ا �ه��ن�ا ت س�����ط�ا �� �ل�ق ا ك �� ��س ج�� ا � � � �ص� � ر ي ر �� ب �ل�و ا ��� ع ر ح ت �ج ن� � �ق� �� �م�ن ��ت� بغ� � �� �د ا ��� نّ س��ا ����ش� ���ط�ا �ن�ه �ع��ل���ك ��ق�د � ����ك ق � �ى �ي �ول ي ي َ � �ف ةف ا �خ �ع��ا د�ا ���ن�ه ���ع�ّ � او ���ع�م ا ��ل � ن ج� ��ع��ل ت� ��ى د ا ر ا �ل�ص��ل�و� � �نر� �ى ر م � �� �ا �� ��ق � ��تُ ��ْ�ف��ل�ه ا � نّ �غ � �م��ا � ن ���ض ّا � ن ��ص�� ا �و ��ل �ح��ه ��ي ��ب��ل� � ر وق ل �وم �غ �ف ا ي�ن ا ن � خ ��ا ا � �� نّ �ض��ا ا �خ � ن ا ��ف��لي�ب�� ��ى د ا �ر ��س� او �ه� ��د�� �و��م� �ع��ل� � ا � ��س و � �ن ش �� �م�ه ا � �غ� ن��ّ ا � ا �خ���ل�� ا ��ل��د ��ع�ا ��ل ن��ا ا � ��ل�ع ن��ا ا �و ا ن� ب� ك�� و �ى �م � �و و ى و ص ّ �خ �� ّ��ن�ا �و �و�ذ ��ل �و�ه ن�� ا ا �و �ق�ا ��ل �صر �ن�ا ب���ع�د �م�ا �ق�د ك� ا �و ��ا ر �م�ن ج�� ع �� ��ت� ّ � ا �ل� تَ �ُ � �ت ����ش��ق ��ن�ا ا �ن��ك �ي�ا ���م��غ ر �و�ر �ل� ��ع ش�����ق ��ن� ا �و ل�م ��عرب���ن� �و� � م م �ج�ز ا ك ا لله خ���ي ا �ع��ن�ا ��ف�ل�ا � �ر
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An Incitement to Nudity
Enough! Slow down! You have ignited sorrow in us And burdened the city with a worry that has preoccupied it utterly. Be off, God guide you, and depart from us Before you cut off our supplies of flour And dry up the water and drive away good fortune From a town that previously was secure, And choose some other place to hole up in Where you can take refuge, in comfort and quiet. It won’t matter if you are sold short there
3.17.9
And repulsed as harshly as an orphan or if you are flung aside Or if you came prattling and boasting vaingloriously And thinking that all that’s ugly in you is comely So that you will never see your like Or an enemy who harbors a secret grudge against you, Just as here you did injury to a crabbed little man196 Whose molars and then his other teeth turned a rusty color because of you. Were he able, he would make you a guest in prison Where you would be a pawn to disasters. His devil197 has accused you of a crime: He says he’s grown old from your tobacco. You have put in the house of prayer an oven Whose smoke has gone everywhere and blinded the heedless.’ A company said, ‘His spittle has turned smelly And his mistakes in Arabic amount to an injury to us, So let him seek a friend in some other abode than there And it matters not to us if he is generous or miserly Or if he weeps at his misfortune or sings Or calls sincere blessings on us or curses us Or roars with hunger and humiliation and wails Or says, “We have become [nothing] after we were [something]!”’ You never loved us, conceited one, And never spoke to us in Arabic and never pleased us, So may God not reward you with good fortune on our behalf!”
299
299
ا �� ��ل�ف��ص ا ��ل��ث�ا �م�ن �ع ش �� � �ل ر �ة � �ڡ ب���ل�و��ع� ي ُ ���ّ ف ن ت � ت� �َ ْ � � � ف�غ � � ���ل��ي�ز ��ا �ب�ا لِ��ج���ل ن���ة ���فى �ب�ل�ا د ا �ل�ا �ن ك� �لم�ا �ر 1ا � �لف��ا ر�ي�ا �ق� �م�ن ��ت�عب��ي�ر ا �ل�ا � ح�ل�ا �م ك�� �ل� ا � �ي��ر�ج � ك�� م � � �ة ��ت ف� ق ��ق ئ �ذ ن ا ف فت � ا ا �قت ض�ت ��ق �غ ا ���ر�ج��م�ه �ل�ه� ب���ل� �ت�ن�ا �ه��ذه ا �ل�ع بر��ي�� �ع��ل�ى م� �� �� �ه � او �ع�د�ه� * � او ��� �و �ت�� ا � ��س� �ر م �ف ت � تت ن �� � � � � �ف ���ة ا ��ل ��ت � � �ة � � � � � ا ا ا ا � � � ل � ل � � �� �م�و�ل�� ك��� ب� ا � � ح ك� ا �لم��ط ار ن� ا ��ت ن�� � ي � �� اح�ل �� ك��� �ى ا �لرك�� ك��� �ى لك �س�و س �ب�ى ا �ل� ��و ج ى ن � غ �ة � ف ق ا ��ل �ا ��ف �� � ا ��ل �ث ت �ة ف ت ف � � �ة � �ذ�� ة ف ب��ل د �ى ب�ع��ض� م�ص� � ر��مي�� * ���عر�� �ب�ا �ل�ج��ل ن�� ا�لم� ك��ور� � او ��ا د �ه�م ا � �ل��� ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� ح فا ة �ذ � � ��خ ���ل� �ه�ا �م�م�ا ا �ش����ت ���ط�ه �ع�� ا �ل�م��ت �ج��م��ي�ن � ا �ل�م�ع ���ي�ن ���ف ك��ت� ا ��ا �ب�ه ل�ى ر ر و بر ى �� ��س�د� را ��س� * �و �ل�ك ل و ن �ن ا � � ّ ن ق ا �ف �ا � َ� � � � �ذ�� حب ��و ن� ا �� ك� ا�لم� ك��ور * � او � ا �ل��ص� رى ي ل��ل� �م ا�لم�ع��س��ل��ط ا �ل�ع��س ���ط�ل * � او ��ه ��د ر�ب� ��ى �ه��ذه ا ��ل� ن ���ث�� �ي�ن ���ف �م�د ��س��ة �ع��ي�ن �ت ا �ز � ���ف �غ��� �ه�ا �ص��ع��ة �م��ذ �عه�د ���ط� ��� � ��ّ ف� ا �ه� ك� ي ر ى ر ر وى ي ر � ويل وربى ي� ن � � خ �ج� ا ��ا ��ل�ف� ا ����س�ف��ا � ا ��ل� �ى � ����غ�ا ���ن����س��ة �م�� � ه � � او ن� �ل�ا ��س���فا �ر ا � ك � ي � ل�� ي ر ور و�ي ي ر �� ت ّ��ا ُ�ْ ا �ق � ن � ا �� ا ن � �ف � � � �ظ � � � � او � � �ل�ى ا �ل�ل��ف �� ا �لر كي���ك �� ���برك�� �يو�م��ن� � �ل��و�م ع����ه�م ا �ل��ع� �ر ���ظ� �هر � َ �ّ ح�ن ��ف �ق � � ل��ا �ل�� � ا ن �غَ� ��ن��آء ا ��ل�� ح�ن ���ف ا ��ل�ا � �ق��ا � ا ��ل�ا ��ص� ظ �����ا � ل ل � � � � � � � ا � � ه ع �د ل � � ك ��ن � ه � ل و� ى �ي ع و ى و ل ر م ّ ٌ ن�َ �� � ا �ذ ا ن �ن �ة � � � �ُ س�� ا �لم�و�ل�ى ا �ل�ى ا لله ��م���ك ر �و�م�ن �و�ل� او الا د �ب�ا �ر �ك��ل ي �و � ��� ب �ح� �ر ن َ ُ تّ� ئ ��ت � �ص �ن�ا ��ل�ا �م� ا ن ا � ا ��ا �ة � �وا ن� �ت ك� ��ج�م� ��م� ك�� � �� ا �ى � او � ��م� �و ��ص� �� �ل��ن� د �ر ع *
ف � :1855 1ر . ع
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Chapter 18
A Drain
When the Fāriyāq was left with no more dreams to interpret, he was charged with the translation of a book198 on behalf of the Committee199 in the land of the English, so he translated it for them into this language of ours, according to its proper rules. It so happened that at the same time Metropolitan Atanāsiyūs al-Tutūnjī the Aleppine, author of Al-Ḥakākah fī l-rakākah (The Leavings Pile concerning Lame Style), traveled to the same country on some pot-scraping business and got to know the aforesaid Committee, whom he proceeded to inform that the Fāriyāq’s language was utterly corrupt because of his failure to observe the conditions that he had laid down for translators and Arabizers in the abovementioned book. He also told them that the Christians200 loved disorderly, disarranged discourse, that he had been raised in this craft since many a year, that he had trained many others at the school of ʿAyn Tirāz and elsewhere,201 And that the books of the church have their own method Which differs from that of the rest of mankind and is at variance with it, And that there is blessing in the lame phrase And good fortune for a people whose shame is conspicuous And that the richness of their solecisms in speaking is to them Like a song sung to a rhythm and the common factor is obvious202 And that the use of al-Mawlā203 in reference to God is an abomination And that all should be on guard against saying wallawu l-adbāra204 And that tukāh is to be found as the plural of muttakiʾ 205 And that maṣūn is rare compared to muṣān206
301
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3.18.1
�ف � �ة �ي� ب��ل�و�ع�
����ب�ا ئ � ��ل��ل�����ش�ع� د � ن ا �� �لق �� � �م�ع ن� �م ش���َّه ا ��� � 1ف � َ�م��َل�ك لا ���ف ��م�ل�ا � ك ك � و ب و� و م �ى � ر وى ى ر َ َ ن � ن�� ���ا ��ف��ةً ا ��ل�ى ا لله ا �ْو ��ل�ى ��م�ا ��ل���ذ ا ا �ل � ك�� ع��ا د ا �م ض� � او � �ع� ي �ب��د ا لا �� ب ح�م ��ا ك�ر �ذ ��ج�م��ع� ه � ا ن ��ل ���ي ا د �ف ��ا ���ق ا ��ل ش��� ��سا ئ ���ا ت� � ���ا ك� ���ا ��لر ك� � او ن� ��ع� ا �ب�ا ك� � � ر و � �م � ر � ب ى �ى ن َّ �ن � ا � َّ ظ� ا � ظ� ق � م��ا � � ع ����ي��ه�ا �ي���ل ����ب�ل � �مو� ا ا � � � � د �ع���ي�ن��ه� ا �و�م �ق� �ل ا د د ك � � و و و و �و�م� � او ب ر َ ُ ّ ���ذ ا �ق �� ا ��لن ا � ا � ا � ا خ س �ف�ا �و�م�ن ردّ �ق�� ا ن� �ش����ئ ت� �ص�و�غ ا � � � � � � ��م �ع � � د ك� ا � � �� ص � ل � ى ل � � و ر ر م ل ل ر ِ ُْ نً �� � �ذ ن َ � ّ ن �ن ظ � ���ا ث ْ ن � � ���صر��ا ب������ي��ا ��ا �ل�ت� � � غ��ه ��ي ��ب�ا � � ������يره �و� � �و�ي ���ظ���هر �ي�ل�� ي ب ��خر ك� �ر ّ ّ َ ����م�ا ��ل��ل�ع�����ط�ف � ا � ��ت��ب�ا �ش ح � ����ع�د ك� ��َ�ص�ف� ��ل�ل�ا ��ل�ه � �و �� م س ��� � � ��ج�م� ��م� � � � � و و و ب ر ب ع م�� ا ت � � ��ن�ع ت �ج�ز � ا �ل�م ض� ا � ا �ل�م��ثن�� ��ا ��ل��ل���ذ �ى �� ت �و�م�ن ب���ع�د ا �ذ � � ��� رع � او ج� ب و و ىب ر م آ �� � ��ا ه ��ل�ه ��ق�� ا ��ل ش ��� ���ي ا �ل���م�ع�ا ا � او ��ث��ب�ا ت� ��� ء الا �م �م�ن �ن�ا �ق��� ك� � � � ح � ك �� م � ص ر و ي ر ر س ص � َ � � ��ذ �ف � ن ن � �ز ا �خ �ف ف ف �ن ت � او ��ثب�ا ت� �ن��و� ا �لر��� ��ى ا � �ل���ع�ل ب���ع�د ك��ى � او � �م���س�� ي��� � �ه�ك� ا � ��ص � �ر �ض ع �ن ا ��ئ �ف � �ن ح���ذ �ف ا �� �لف���آ ���ف ا ��ل ش��� ���ط د ا ئ ا ا �ن � � � � � � �ع �ص� � ب� � �ل و ج � � بو� و � ى ر �ر �و�م ب���ع�د �ي��ع ��ط�ى � � ب
�ت � �ة � �ذ �ذ � �ذ � �� ��ل�� � �� ا ن � ف� ض � �ت � حظ ����ى �ع ن��د �� او ا �لي��ه ��عر�� ب� ا � ك�� �و ��ط��ل ب� �م�ن ا �ل�ج���ل ن�� ا�لم� �ك�ور � �ي ��و� � ل��ا ب� ا �ل�� �ى �م ّر ك�ره ي ي ّ �ذ �� � �ة � ا ��س� ا ا �ن ه ��مت� ّ � �آ � ن � � ن ا � �ق � � ا ف ا ف � ا �ن ا ��ل� �م ��ط ار � � او �لم��ط ار � ح�� �و �ل� يم� � �ح�ل ب ج ا �ل��ص� ر�ى �ب� � �ل ب ��و�ل � او �ل� ��ل� * ��ل�م� را �وه ا ل ي � �ف ض � � � �ذ ق ف �ف � ا � ن �ّ ا � ف ��� او ا �لي��ه ا �ل�ع��م�ل * �و�ل�ه� ا �ع ن��د �ه� �ل� �ي��ك�و� ا �ل� �ع�ا �لم�ا ��ا ض� ���ل�ا ا �عت����د � او �ي��ه ا � �ل� ض����ل � او �ل�عل��� �و��و� م م �خ ا �ة � � ّ � ق � ف ا ا ق � ا �تَّ � � � �ة ف ظ �خ ا � �ن ا �ل��سب�� ب� �� �ص� �ب� ���ط�ل ا�لم�عب��ر �و�ل� ��يب ��� �ل��ل��� ر�ي� �� ا �ل� �م �رب��ه �م �و �� �ي ���� ا �ص�ل� � ا بل��ر * م ح
شَّ � :1855 1 م�����هر.
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That shaʿb is more common than qawm207 And great sins lie in saying malak and not malāk208 And that ʿabīd, when preceding “God,” Is more proper than ʿibād,209 and that is a judgment no one can deny And that the plural of ʿadhāb is of the pattern of rakākāt,210 And that sāʾir is not a synonym of bāqī211 And one shouldn’t say wāʿiẓīhā but mūʿiẓīnahā212 And that any who says addaw rather than waddaw213 is a renegade And from radda say, if you wish, that the active participle may be formed as muridd;214 so say the Christians of the latter days. And as to yaẓharu, cancel it and take yabānu215 as its equivalent And ṣirnā banīnan bi-tadhakhkhur 216 is common And likewise “a maṣaff gathered glorifying God”217 And that a wāw immediately follows ka-mā used as a conjunction218 And that idh must take the jussive219 And that the use of the relative adjective alladhī after the dual is an impeccable tradition220 As is writing imperative –ī with the weak verb,221 As told him by that modern, the priest of Choueir,222 And that retention of the nūn of -ūna following kay And an223 is widespread—so Zākhir insists. And that after yuʿṭā to put the subject supplying the agent in the accusative is A necessity,224 just as the omission of fa- in the conditional clause is common, and asked the aforementioned Committee to entrust the Arabization of the abovementioned book to him, so that it might find acceptance among the Christians, which if they didn’t, it wouldn’t. When they saw that he had a beard and, especially, that he was adorned with the charisma of a metropolitan—a metropolitan being of necessity to them a man of learning and merit—they believed that he must be possessed of merit and learning and handed the work over to him. For this reason, specifically, the Chamber closed and all that remained to the Fāriyāq was his salary from his job of treating the foul of breath.
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� � � ّ � �ذ �ز � �ه ن�ا ��ن�����غ ا ن �� �ا � �ظ � ح ��� ا ن� ا �ل�ا �ن ك� ���ل��ي�ز ا �ش���د ا �ل ن��ا ��س � حر�ص�ا �ع��ل� ا �ل�ا � �لق��ا ب� * �ف�ا ا ا ر��ه و � ي ب �ى � يل ى م � �ظ �� ة ش ا � � �ن � ا � ا ن �ة ت ف ا �ق حظ ����� �ع ن��د ��ه ا ��ل �خ� � ��� ن � ���� ح� �و� ح�د �م ا �لب��ل� د ا �ل� �ج� �ب��ي�� �م��ص��� ب���ل� ب� ا �م�ي�ر ا �و ي � ا �و مط ار � ى م ��� ا �� � غ �ة ا �� �ف� ن ا �ة �أ ا �� �ق ا �ل� �� ن �ف �ذ � ن ت� ا ��لت��ا �م��ة * �و ��ل�ا � �ه�و �ع ن��د ��ه �س�م�ا ا ا ك���ا � ��ي � ك�ل� �ب� ل�ل��� ل ر���س� � �وي� * �م� �ل ب� م�ط ار � ي � م م � ف ظ � �ة ت �ا� ا � ا � �ن �ت �ة �ت ن ه �ذ �ت � �ة � �ت غ � � � � � � � ا � ا � ع � �ه��ذه ��و�ص�ي � و ��و� * ر�ج �م� ح��ه� �م�ن ا �ل� � �لق��ا ب� ا �ل ��تى ���ن��ى �ص� لل���� �ج رى ب ي ح��ص� �ع��ل �ه��ذه ا ��ل��د ر�ج���ة �من � � ��ل��د � �ه� ��ج�م �ى ��ق� ��ل�ه� ر�ئ����� ا ��س�ا �ق��ف���ة * �و�م�ن � �ه�م ح��ص�ل �ي م ر و م ي س ل �ى � �ة � ا ف �ذ � �ن �� � � ة �ف ا ا �� �� ا �ل���ل �ة �ف � ن ا ��� � خ ح�� � �ع��ل�ى د ���ل ا بر���ع� ا �ل� �� �ه ب� م ا ل�ل�ي ر� * � �م� �ط�ول ي �ه�و ع��د لعرب� �لي����س � ح�� � ا �ة ح�ا � �ة ا �ل� ا � ن � � ا �� ف�ل ��ق �ك�ن ا ة � ���د ��ل��� �ع�� ا ��ل �ك��ا �ي�ت��ب���ي�ن �م�ن � ك� � ي��ه �ع��ل� �و�ه * �و�ل�� �ع� د� �ل� � او �ل�بن�� � م � � م � � ه م � � � م و ي ي ب ي ل ل�ى م ع آ ّ ا ��ل�ع �غ ا ة � ا � ��ل�خ ث ن � ف ا ا ق � ا ن �ق ت � ا � ت �ن ج ��م ��ي�ر �ع� د� ا �ل�عرب� * ��م ا � ا � �ل�� ر�ي� �� �لم� � � �و�� �ب� ��ط� �ل��ه �م ا �ص�ل�ح ا ب��ر �و�ه�و ف�� �ف �في�ن �ة ن اف � ت ن �ث��لث���ة ا �ش��ه ا ��ل� ف �ف �� �ن �ة �ز �ص��� ��ى �ك��ل ��س � �ع �م �ع��ل�ى ا � ي���س� �ر ا �ل�ى � ��و���س * �رك� ب� ��ى ��س� � �ٍ �ر ي � ة � ��ذ�ي�ن ي�ن � ق ي�ن ���خ � � ���ي�ن �م �ة * � �م �ة ����ن�ه� � ���ي�ن ر�ئ�����س�ه�ا �م�ن ا ��ه� ا ��ل �ج�ز�ير� ا �ل� ��هم �ب�� ا �ل��س�و�ي��� � او لر�ج ي ي ل ر و ر ب ي � م وب ا��� ا �خ� �� � ن�آ � � غ � ق � �ة �ا ن �ف ف ف ن �ث ا ش ح� �ل� ا �ل� او د * � ك� ا � �لف��ل� ��س��� * � بو���ع�د ��س� ر ا ��ى �ع���ر �ي ��و�م� ك��ل�ه� �طر �و�ع�� ب�ل� �� او � �� � ق � �ف آ � � � خ ا ف � ة �� ن ن ن ق � �ذ � ب���ع��ض� ا�لم�ل�ا � ح��ي�ن ��ي���و�ل ��ى ا ��ث ن��� ا �ل��طر�ي��ق� ا ��ه ا ��م�ا �و��� �ل�ه�م �ل��ك ب��ل� �� ا �ل�ع�ا د� �ل��ك�و� ع ا ��ل �ئ����� ��س�ا �ف �� � ا ج ��ل ��م�ع��ة �خ��ل�ا �ف�ا ��ل��س�ا ئ� ا ��ل ُّ�ّ�ا ��ن ���ي�ن * �ف�ا ��ن ه� ��ل�ا ���س�ا �ف � ن� ف���ه ا �ص�ل�ا ا �م�ا � م ي رو ي ر بر ي ري س ر ي �وم �أ �ك�ن � ف ا ا �ق ��ا ن ��ع�� � �ق ق �ة � � � ح��ترا �م�ا ��ل�ه �و �ت ش����ا ��ؤ �م�ا �م ن��ه * �ل�� ا � �ل�� ر�� � ك�� � �ي ل� � ا� �ه ��و ��ط ح ي���� ا �ل��سب�� ب� �و�ه�و ب ي م آ � � ��ا ن ت �ق � �ة ا � �غ � �ق � �ة � ا � ���غ� ا ��ل ا ا �ّ ا ��ف � ة ن �ة �ف ي�ه� �ل� �ى م�د� ��ط�ا �ل�ع�ه * � او � ��ني�� ��س� ره ��س� �و ك�� ��� رب�� و ��ي ر رب�� �ل� �ي ب�ل � �ي �ي ن �ق ا �� ا � ا ا �ل� � ن �ة �ف ا ��ن ا ض ق �ة � ا ق ا �ث ن�� � ش ���ت �ذ ��ل�� �عن ع���ر �ي ��و�م�ا * � ا ��م�ا ك� �ه� * � ل م� م�د �ي �� � �ه� � ��ي���� ا �ل� �� �س او �� ى و �م ك � م غ ة � ن ت �غ �ن � �ة � آ � ث � � � ة � � ف � � � � ش ح ا ����� * ��� ا � ه�ا ��ط�ي�� ا �له� � � ا�لم�ا �ك� �ل � ا�لم��� � � ك���� � ا � �ل �� ا ك���ه * � ا �ه��له�ا �ل و � �ص���ي�ر� ا ��و ي ي ر � ب � و و و و رو ب ي ر و �� ّ ن �خ ّ� ن � � ن ا ��لض ��ف ح �� ن� ا ��ل�غ� ��� * � ف��ه�ا �م�ن ا �ل�م�غ� نّ���ي�ن � ا ��ل�ع�ا �ز �ف��ي�ن � � � �� م � ك � � � � � و و و ي� ب ي و و ط� ��و� ��ي ر �و �ي ر ري ب �يب ي � غ ا � ا ت �� �� �ن � ��ث� � � �� ح��س�ا ن� ��س�م�ا ن� ب����� د �ع ي�ه�ود * �و�ن��س�ا �و��ه � � � � � م ا ل � � ك �ظ ع م � � �بر��� � � ط � ه �م � � و ر � ي ب �ب� �ل� � ا ل ر م ي �ض ج م م ٓ �ن�ز ا ��لن��ص�ا � ا �� �لق��ا �ئ��ل��ي�ن ا ن ا لله ��ل�عن�ه� � �م���خ �س � �ه�م ب���ع�د �ص��لب��ه�م ��س�ي �د �ن�ا �عي����س�ى �ع� �و �من��هم� رى � �مو م ع
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Here it must be noted that no people in the world accord more impor-
3.18.2
tance to titles than the English. If someone visits them from a foreign country bearing the title Emir, or Shaykh, or Metropolitan, he receives their utmost consideration, especially if he speaks French. The title of metropolitan is one that in their eyes relieves its possessor of the need for any further recommendation or reference, since they translate the word by the equivalent in their terms, which is archbishop, and any who reaches that rank among them has an income of four thousand golden guineas. Where beard length is concerned, this is no indicator among the Arabs of understanding or distinction, as is clear from the story of al-Maʾmūn and the jurisprudent ʿAllawayh.225 Arabs and non-Arabs, however, differ in their ways. When the Fāriyāq’s vacation from treating the foul of breath—the three
3.18.3
months of summer each year—arrived, he resolved that he would travel to Tunis and embarked on a ship whose captain was one of those natives of the island who are between the Market-men and the Bag-men, and sometimes between the latter and the philosophers.226 After a voyage of twelve days, each one full of peril and suffering, they reached Ḥalq al-Wād. During the voyage, some of the sailors had claimed that it was taking so unusually long simply because the captain had, contrary to the custom of all other ship’s masters, set sail on a Friday—something they never do, either out of respect for that day or because they view it as ill-omened.227 The Fāriyāq, however, knew the real reason, which was his own inborn ability to hex, just as he knew that the goal of any voyage he might undertake, be it near or far, could not be reached in anything less than twelve days. However, he kept this from them. Declared the Fāriyāq, “As for the city, its markets are cramped and its shops small. Its air and its food and drink are, however, good and it has a great variety of fruits. Its inhabitants are kindhearted and generous and they honor guests and love strangers. It has many singers and instrumentalists, most of them Jews, whose women are fat and white and have large, dark eyes. This is despite the Christians’ claim that God cursed and transfigured the Jews following their crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus, peace be upon him, stripping them of all inner and outer beauty. I think though that if the priests were to catch sight of one of their statuesque, plump, heavy-haunched women, they would call the propagator of this point of view a heretic and confute him; only those among them who spend all their time with Christian women and see no others could make this claim, it being a known fact that the appetite
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3.18.4
�ف � �ة �ي� ب��ل�و�ع�
�ذ �ن �ظ � �ة �ج�ز � �ة �ن � �غ � ا ��ن ا �� ن � �ق �ك� ���ل � ظ�ن ا � ا � �ل ��سي����س��ي�ن ا ا � �� ر� او ��ي �ه�ود �ي� � �ل� ح��س�ن �ب�ا ��ط��ى �وظ ����ا �هر�ى * ��ي ر �ى �� ّ �ذ � �ذ � ضّ ن ا ق � �ذ � �ف نّ ن ن ����ة ر� ح��ل��ة ��ي ب��د �ع�و ن� �ص�ا � �هم� ح ب� �ه� ا ا�لم� �ه ب� � �و�ي� ��د � �و�ه * � او ��م� ��ي� ��و�ل �ل��ك �م � ب�� ب �ن ��ا ن � ق � ن �ص ا ��ني��ا ت� �و �ل�� َ�ير �غ��ي�ر�ه�نّ * �و�م�ع��ل�و� ا ن� ا ��لن���ف �� �تر�غ� � ���فى ا ��ل � ح�ا ض� �م ك�� � �ل�زِ �� ا �ل�� ر ��ر س ب م م � � ن ن ا �ل�م���خ ن �ن�ز � � � ن � د �ع�ن ا ��لغ��ا ��ئ ا �ل� ف م���ق��ود * ا �و �ل�ع��ل�ه� � �يري��د �و� ا � �س � ب� � ا ��م�ا �ل �ب�ا �لر�ج��ا �ل د �و� ا �لم�وج��و م � ن �آ ف ُ ْ اَ � ن ���ث�� ا �م�ن �ه� ��ل��آء ا ��لغ���� ا �ل�م�م��س� �خ��ا ت� �غ��� ���ع��د ا ت� �ع�ن ا ��لغ�َ���ص�ن ير ا �ل����س� ���لي����س� � �ل او * � او � ك� ي ر ير ب ي و و � �ش �ص * � �م�ن �ع�ا د ��ت ه�ن ا ن� �� ش ��� �ف�ا ت� ا ��ل��س� �ق� * ث�� �ل�م�ا م�����ي�ن �غ��ي�ر �مت�ب��ر�ق��ع�ا ت� � ك ي � او �ل�ه� ر و � م�� �و و م ا� �ز �ف � � ف ا ا ق �ن � ن �ة ق ا � � ح ت� � ا ��ل�ه�ا ا ف �ن ا �ر حي���ل ا � �ل�� ر�ي� �� �م ا�لم�د ��ي �� �� �ل �ل�ه ب���ع��ض� �م�ع� ر��ه �م ا �ه��ل�ه� � �لو �م�د � و ي� � � �ت ا � � ث � ق� � � ف ��ر� �م�ن ا �ع ���ط� � او ��ن�ع� * � او ك�� � * �ف�ا �ن�ه ا ك� ا�لم�عظ �� ���ر ا �ل ن��ا ��س ا �ري�� � ح�ا ا �ل�ى ا ج�ل� �ود � او�لم�عر�و�� * ��ا �ل � م ى م م ف ق ن ت �ان � � ث � �ة ن � � �غ ة �ف � � � � � � ا ا ا � �ن � م � � ل � � � � � � � � � � � � ا � � � ل � � ل ل �م� ا ا ا � � �� ا � م � م � ه س ل ر � �ي ع�د ك�ن� �ى ��ي ر * � ر ج� �ى ر وك� � �ج ل� لرك� ب� ��د ���و��ي� �ل� � م ع �ج�ز�ي م � �ق �� ا �م� ه � �ا ن ن�� ا � � ا ن ا � �د �ه ا ا ��ن ا � � ت � ا �غ آ � �آ �خ ح��د ا �لج���ا ر ا �ل� � �ن�ي �� ء � او �ل� �ر�م�ن ��ّ او د ا �ل���ذ�ي�ن ر ج� ع�و ع� ر�ج �ل � م��س� وي� � ح� �م� ب � ا �� �ن خ ت � ق ق ��ا ن �ذ ا �ق ا �خ� ��ذ �م�ن ا �� �ف ا � ا �ق � ا � ة ع��س�� �ر ا �لب��ا �ب�ا * �وك�� � �ه� �د � � ك ح��د� �م�ن �ه��ذه ب ل����ا � ا �ل��د ��ا �� ل�� ري� � و ة �ف ف �ل ا ت ��ق � ف ا ا �ق � �ن�ز � ه �خ� �� ا � ه ن � ن�ظ �� ق ف �رد�ه�ا �ع��لي��ه ب���ع�د �ي ��و�م��ي�ن * �� �م� ا ��س� را � �ل�� ر�ي� � ب�م� �ل� �طر ب��ب�� �ل� ا � �ي �� � ���ص�ي �د� ��ى م � ن ا � �� � ش � ف ن ق ة � �ة �ذ� ف �� � ا �ش ا �ق ا ن ه �م�د �ج� �� ب� ا �لم�ول�ى ا �ل �ه م����ا ر ا �لي��ه * ��ا � ش����ا ���ص�ي �د� ��ط� �و��ل� ك��ر �� ي�ه�ا �ك��ل م� ��� � �� ك ي ح ن آ � ف � � �ذ � ن �ت � � ّ ش � � ح�ا ��س�ن � �ل��ك�ن �م�ن د � � ��ع �� �ل�� ك� �م ا �ن � �م�ن الم � �ه�ود * �ل�� �����ع ���ع�د ا ��ا � و ح� ��س ���س� ا �لي� و ر �ض ر �م ي ر ب ي م � ا � �� � ش � � � � �ة ئ م����ا ر ا �لي��ه ب���ع ث� �ل�ه �ب��ه�د �ي� �م�ن ا�لم�ا ��س ��ت ��� ا �ل� � او �لم�ول�ى ا �ل ض�ن �ب��ه�ا ا�لم��ل�وك �ع��ل� �ن��د �م�ا ���ه� * ى م � � ال�مف�خ � � � �م�عه�ا ك��ت� � �و �و ره � ط�ف �ب�ا �ش���ا �خ� �نر��د ا ر �ه��ذه �ص�ور�ت�ه �ص�� ��ا ب� �م�ن �ن�ا �م�و��س�ه ا�لم�عظ �� م � � � � و � � ى م �ز�ي م � � � ّ � �ذ � �ا �ا �� ���س �ة ق � ة ش ن «الم �ي�� ��ا �م �ب��ه�ا �ع�م��ل�ه �و�ل��س�ا �ن�ه * ا �ل� د��ي ب� ح ب� ا �ل�� �ى ر�ع�ى ا �لم�ود� ����ا ��ه * � او � �م ل�ك� ل �ج آ � ا ئ�ز �ف � ض ا «ا ��ل�ا ر��� * ا ��ل�� �خ����ذ �م�ن �ك� ح��س�ن ا ��ل�ا �خ��ل�ا �ق� * � او ��ل ���ل ��ف�نّ ا �و �ف �ر�ن �صي�� ب� * � ح� � ��ى م��م� ر يب � ا �غ �ة �ق ا �� ا �ق ا �� ا ا �� �ف ا � ا �ق � ا �ز �� ت ��م ا �ن ه �ن ّ� ة ا � ا ش ا �ق ��س�� � * لب�� ر ل�� ر� � * �ل� ا ل� ح� ��س � �ي ر� �ل� ���ر � * �ص� ل ب «ا �لب��ل� �� �� ب ي ع ا غ ت �� �� آ ف ا ق نا � ش ا � ا نا ف ا ن � ��ن� ت�ن ا م�����ر ا � ح�م�د « � �وب�ل� ����ه ك�� او ك� ب� � �� �� * ا �م� ب���ع�د �� � �و�ل�ى ع�م� � �و�م�و �ل� �� �و��س�ي �د �� ا �ل ي
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A Drain
favors what is to hand and present over what is missing and absent. Or perhaps they mean that this transfiguration befell only the men and spared the women—a point on which they should be interrogated. Moreover, many of these untransfigured women are by no means without willowiness and grace, and it is a habit of theirs to walk with their faces unveiled and their calves exposed.” When it was almost time for the Fāriyāq to leave the city, one of his local
3.18.5
acquaintances told him, “Were you to write a eulogy of its ruler august, you would find him the most generous of those who give and entrust, of all people the one most content to be generous and do favors.” He responded, “I have made my mind up now to leave and I can no longer change it.” Then he returned to the island, there being among the other passengers two Austrians, one of whom was a rich merchant’s son, the other the son of an officer in the army of the Pope. The latter had borrowed one of those thin phosphoric matches from the Fāriyāq; this he returned after two days.228 When the Fāriyāq had settled once more at home, it occurred to him to compose an ode in praise of the abovementioned most honored lord, so he wrote a long ode mentioning all the beauties of that land that he now missed (albeit without allusion to those of its Jewesses). To his surprise, in only a few days the abovementioned lord had sent him a gift of diamonds such as kings might begrudge their closest companions, and with it a letter from his companion august and vizier most just, Treasurer Muṣṭafā Pasha, of which the following is the text: To the well-beloved (whose affairs will, we may hope, be ever protected by affection, his talents, seat of his action and tongue, by perfection), that man of letters skilled, with fullest measure of all arts filled, of most excellent morals and winner, on rhetoric’s racetrack, of the victor’s mark, the distinguished Fāriyāq (may his talents remain forever bright as a spark, his rhetoric like stars in nighttime’s dark)! To proceed: His Excellency, Guardian of Our Blessings, Lord, and Master, Counselor229Aḥmad Pasha Bāy,230 Emir of Tunis’s Autonomous Province (may it remain forever protected by his presence!) is in receipt of an ode, a specimen of your literary oeuvre (may it as an adornment to your verses serve, cast further light upon your exaltation, and assure the permanence of your reputation!). And how excellent its author, creator, and elaborator doth to us appear, for he has mastered rhetoric’s every reach, both far and near, and it has submitted itself and
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3.18.6
�ف � �ة �ي� ب��ل�و�ع�
� � ا ش ا ا � � � ا ا � �ة ��ت ن �ة � ا �ز � ت � � ��م �ة �غ� �لرف�ي�� �ج� ن��ا �ب�ه �وده ح�مي�� * ب��ل «�ب� ���� �ب� ى ا �م�ي ر ا �ل� �ي� �ل� ا ل��و���س�ي � * �ل� ا �ل� ب ��وج � ع ةت ّ � �ن � �ق ف�خ� �ذ���� ح��ل ���ه�ا �ش���ع ك�� �� * � او ��ت ض�� « م ا د ا ب� ك�� � �ب��ه�ا ��رك��� * � � و��د �و� �ب��ه�ا ك�رك�� * � ب � * ��ص�ي �د� �� ر ى ي م م م م م ح �ن ح ث �م�� � �م�ن ا ��ل�� �ا �غ� �ة د ا ��ن ا � �ق ش ش ا ا ا ا ا � � � � � � م �� � �ص��ه� * بل � � «�فلله د ر م ���ي��ه� * و ب��د ع�ه� و م�و��ي��ه� * ي�� لك ي�ه� و � � ي ق� � � �ق � ن � �ص��ه�ا * � او �ل�م�و��ل�ى ا �ي��ده ا لله � ح��س�ن �ل��د �ي�ه �م�و�ق�� �خ� ���ط�ا ب� ك�� � * « � او � �ل ت� �ل��د �ي�ه �م���ا �لي��د�ه�ا �و� �� او � ي ع م آ ّ غ ���ة �ت ت �ذ � �ة �� ��ه�ا � �م�ن � � � �� �تر�ه ا �ل�ع��لي�� ُ� � * �و �و�ج��ه �� ك�� � � �و د ا ب� ك�� « � او �ث ن��ى �ع��ل� �ب�ل�ا ��ت� ك�� ل� � � حض� ح��ك� �� كر ب � ى م م م � ف � � ق ن ف �ن�ز � ض ا ���ا �ل�ه * �و�م�ن ر � �� او �ل�ه * � او لله ي� حر� ك�� �س� « �ود ا ده * � او �ي�ا �لت��ه � �وب�ل� ده * ��ا �ب���ل�ه�ا �م�ن ا ��� م �ت ا � �� � ف ق � �ص��� ��ف � ت �ق �ت «ب���ع��ي�ن �ع ن��ا ��ي ت��ه * �و���سب���ل �ع��لي� ك�� � ��س��ر �ع�ا �ب� �ه * �وك�ب�ت��ه ا � �ل����ي�ر ا �ل�ى ر�ب�ه ��ع� �ل�ى �م� � طى ي م �� � � � �ة �ت ن �ة ��ف � ا ��� ش �ي�ن � �ن �ذ ح �ة �ل� �ن �ة ل � ا �خ�ز �ن�ه د ا ر ا �ل�د �و�ل� ا �ل��و���س�ي � �ى ا �ل ار ��� �و لع���ر م �ى ج�� ا � «� حا ر � ��س � »* 1257 م بع آ ن �� ف � ة ف �غ � ف ق ق �و���فى ا ��ث ن��� ء �ذ ��ل��ك �ق�د � ا �ل�م���ط ا ن� ا ��لت�ت��و�� ا ��ل�ى ا ��ل �ج�ز�ير� �ب���ل� ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� ��د �و�م�ه �و�ل�م �ي��ك�ن �عر�� م ر جى � ّ �أ � ّ � �ذ � �ة � ف ق � ي�ز �ن �م�ا ا ف�ت�� ت� �ع��لي��ه �ب�ه �ع ن��د ا �ل�ا ك� ���ل�� �� �ه ب� �لي����سل��� �ع��لي��ه � او د �ب�ه ا �ل�ى � �ول�م� ا �ع�د �ه�ا �ل�ه * � او ��ا � ي م م ت � � �ذ �ذ � �ز ق ف ا �ل�م���ط ا ن ��ف ��� � ا �ل�م ن�ا �ز �� � ش ت � ل��ا ب� ا �ل�� �ى ا � ����غ����ل �ب��تر�ج��م��ة ��ل��ك ا � ك� ح� ا � �ل��ا ر��ا �� �ع��لي��ه * � ر � �ى ب ع �ض� � ل ي ي م �وظ ������ل ا �� �لف��ا ر��ا �ق� �ي�ن��ت��ا �ب�ه � ح��ي�ن �و�ه�و �غ��ي�ر �م�و ج��� �م ن��ه �ش���ي �ا * ف���ل�م�ا ك� ���ا ن ���ع�د ا ��ا � ح�ي�ن �ا ب���ع�د � س ي �ب يم خ ت ش �غ�ز �ة ن �ة ن ش �ة �ن��آ َ ُ ُ �ة �َْ� ا ة � ّ � �ا ث ا ت ��ف ��ل � ح� �� ء � �ه� �� � � �و�ج � � � ��س�� �م������� � ك�� � �و ج�� �� ر� �ى ا ج��و �ص� �و م������ �ب� �و�م�� ب ح� � ب ب و ب و ب �وب و رج �و�ج ش � َُ � � ا ة � � ا � � َ �ن ا �خ� �ة � � ن �ذ � �ذ � َ ْ َ � �م ش �ت� ة ه �� �و���ج� �صر و ��� ك �صر� �و�ج � � وب� ر و��س � � و�خِ �� ي�� و� � ��ر� � او �ع�ا �ص�ي�ر �ود ر �و�ج� 1و��س� �و ح ج َ�فْ �ز �ز ن َ ْ َ �فْ�ز �ف � ��ف ف �ة ُ َّ�ة �ز �� �� �ف� �ور ا � �و م��س ��س��� �� �ر�ة �و�هب��ا ر�ي� �ور � او �م��س �و � او ب��� �و�م�عت� ك ع �و �ع �ع�ا � �و�ه�ي�رع �وج ج ف �خَ ْق ا ْ ُ ْ ن ف �ة ��ة َ ْ َ ح��لق � �ز �ه��لق � � َ�سْه �ق � � ش ��ة ح�ا �����ك�� �و��س�ا �ه��ك�� �ور�عب���لي��ل� �و�م��س���� �و�ع� او �ص�� �و�ر�� �و �زِ�ِ �� و �� و � �و� و ئ � َ ���ط��ْ � َ�ع ا � � َ ا � � �َ ف�ُ ن � �َ ْ �آ � �م ْ �اه � ا ف� �آ ث� ��آ �ع��ق �ه�ا ر � او � �س �ه � � ب و ي �� �ل و ي�� �ل و�س�ه� م و�س ��و� و و ر�ه� وِ ي��ل َ و��س� ي�� * �م �ج � �ع��ل�ى ح ن ّ �ة ُ ا �ة �ز ن �ة �ذ �ة �ة � ّ �ة َ� ّ ا ّ�ة خ��َ �ة �ذ ف �ة �خ �ة ���سن�� �ة ف �خ � �ر� � �ر� �ع�د ا ر�ي� ا �م�د ر�ي� ا �م� ر�ي� ح�� ِا ��ا ي�� عب�� د �ي� ح�� �ي�� �ج ي �ه�ب��ي�� ��صم� �ي ي ي �خُ � ن ا �ز �ة َ �� ف ا ّ �ة ُ� � ا �� ّ �ة فّ ا �� �ة َ فَ � ا �ن �ة ش ا �� �ة ن ا ��ف ّ �ة �زَ ْ�هَ ��ق �ة � ق �ة �� ي�� �م ي�� �خِ�ب� را �ي�� ط�� �� ضِ� ط�� �ع�� ��ط� �ي�� ��� ِ�ي � � ي ط�� �ع��� � ي �� �ي� �ط��� ��س�ي � ح ��ط� � ي َ ّ �ة �خَ ْ �ة َ نَ �ة ق ن �ة �ن �ة �خ �ة نَ ْ �ة ��خ � �ة ُ � ْ � �ن �ة َ��خْ �ل ا �ن �ة ُ �تّ �ة خ � �� �م ت���ل��ط� �� ���ط�م ���ط�م�ا � �� � ل � � �ص��ل�� �ي��ع�ا �م�� � ��ا � �� �ل �ص��م�� ���م�� �ع �� � � � � � � � ي�� ور ي�� ب ي و ي � ي ي ي ج ي ن�ي ج �وي ّ ف ذ ف ��� ا �ي� ا �ل��ق���ا �مو��س و �ي� :1855د ر و�ج . 1ك
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A Drain its keys to his care. Our Master (may God aid him!) deems your missive worthy of his high consideration and praises your eloquence and literary articulation, and has dispatched to you from his elevated presence a casket, that you may keep the memory of his affection to hand, as of his territories and land. Accept it, then, as a token of his favor and the least his duty owes you, and may God keep you in the eye of His solicitude and drape you in the covering of His plenitude! Written by the Poor-in-His-Almighty-Lord Muṣṭafā, Treasurer of the Tunisian State, on the twenty-fourth day of the sacred month of Dhū l-Ḥijjah, 1257.231
While these events were unfolding, Metropolitan al-Tutūnjī arrived on the island. Informed of his coming and unaware of the lies that the metropolitan had told about him to the English, the Fāriyāq went to greet him and invite him to a feast that he had prepared in his honor, and the metropolitan took up residence in a house where he busied himself with the translation of that very book to which he’d contested the Fāriyāq’s right. From time to time, the Fāriyāq would pass by and see him without picking up from him a sense that anything was amiss. After a few days, a dust-laden,232 twisting, grit-bearing, shifting, raging, piercing, unflagging, blasting, blighting, track-obliterating, ground-hugging, veering, swirling, whirling, hot, scorching, blistering, howling, lightening, gusting, rain-bearing, buffeting harmattan of a wind arose, followed fast on its heels by odors overpowering,233 rotten, rank, putrefying, putrid, puent, fetid, fecal, feculent, stinking, reeky, reechy, rancid, rancidous, noisome, cacodorous, maleolent, mephitic, flatulent, flatuous, armpit-redolent, smegmatic, nidorous, hircine, plebeosudoral, latrinal, urinal, annulo-vermicular, oleaginous, nose-wrinkling, catamitic, tannic, and oro-dyslalic, mixed with Himyaritic hapax legomena, mispronunciations, lispings, misspeakings, schwa-ations,234 sibillations,235 and shibillations;236 and lo and behold, the aforementioned metropolitan, in attempting to translate the book in question into Arabic, was found to have fallen headfirst down a widemouthed well and, given that he was as ignorant of how to clean out the mud237 as he was of the language, these foul smells inevitably carried to the Fāriyāq’s house, for the director of the printing press was a friend of his and had asked him to correct the typographical errors in it, without reference to the mistakes of translation. The Fāriyāq then discovered the reason for the metropolitan’s arrival and all his
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3.18.7
�ف � �ة �ي� ب��ل�و�ع�
� �ف �� ش�ش �ة �� � �ة �ة �ة ق �ذ ا � � ن �م�ز ق �غ ��س� �و�لغ����لغ���ا ��ني�� �و���ل�ق��ل�ا ��ني�� �وك� ك ���س�ي � �وك���� ك ������ي � * � او ا �ب� �لم��ط ار � ا�ل� �ب ��ور ��د ��ا ��ص ��ى �ذ � � ت � ا��ا ن ا ا ��ت��ص�� �� �� آ �ف � �ا ل��ا ب� * �و�لم� ك�� � �ج�� �ه�ل� ب ي�ل ط�� �ز ��ا د�ة �ع��ل� �ج� �ه��ل�ه ب���ل�و�ع��ة �ف��و�ه�� ��ى ��ت�عر�� ب� �ل��ك ا � ك� � ل � � ب ح ع ي ى ي � ئ � � � � ا �ل� �� �ة �ة ن ق ف ف ن�ز �خ �غ �ت ا ا ا ���ا ن� ��ل�ا ���د �م�ن � ���ل�� �ه��ذه ا �ل � ا � ا �ل ث �ب�ا �ل��لغ����ة ك� ط��ع� و � ب�ي���� �م�� �ل ا � �ل�� ر�ي� �� * �� � �م�د �ير م� ب ب ي ر ب ح �ص �غ � � ا �� �� � �ن ن ��ت � ��لت���ص �� غ � � ��ف �ّ ف ن � ���ا ن� �م�ن ا ��ص ح�ا �ب�ه �ف ك� ك� ح � � ا � � � � � � � � ل م ل � � ط� ي� ح � ل�ط ���ل���ه �ب�ا � �ي ��� � �ل�ط �ى ب د و� عر �ض ع ح ح � � ف �� �ة � ا ��ل��تر�ج��م��ة * �و� �عر�ف� ��سب�� ب� �ق�د �و� ا �لم��ط ار ن� �و� ك� م��ا �ي��ده * �� �ص ّر ب���ع��ض� �هبّ��ا ت� ك� �ر �ه� � �ي م ٍ ح �ن ت � � � ئ ث ا �� ا ��ل��ل ن �ة � �ذ�� ة ق ا ن ت�ظ �� �ل� ث �ت ف ق �وا ب� * �� ا � � ��� ب���ع�د �م ��لك ا �لر� او � � بو���ع� �ب��ه� ا ل�ى �ج� �� ا�لم� ك��ور� � او �� �م �ي����� ر ا ج�� م ح �� ا �ل�م� ظ �� ا � ا ش ا ال�مف�خ � ة ن �ق �� ��ل ة � � ا �ل� ن ا ��ق ح�م ة ل � ش ا ع � � م ا � �ل ا � ا � ل �د� � � م �م�د� ا � �د � ا ل�ى ر ��س�ي �د � ��س� �ى ب� ��� � م����ه�ور ب� �� ب� ي� * � م �ج�ز�ي م م ّ � � � � �ن � � �ة �ف ن ف ق � ف � ق ث ش ئ ي�ه�ن��ه �ب ����د �و�م�ه * � ك� ���ل���ه ا�لم����ا ر ا �لي��ه �ب�ا � ي� ك ���ا � �ل��ل�ف��ا ر�ي�ا �� دا �ل� �ع��لي��ه ���س�ا ر ا �لي��ه �ل� �وك �م��� ف ق ا � ت � �� ة �ق � � ا �خ �ف ة � ا ت�ز � ف ا �خ �ز ت �ذ � ن �ع��ده �م�د� ا �ل� �ع�� ا �ل �� �ب��ر �و�ج� ��ه �ب�� �ل��ك * ����� �ل� �ل�ه ك�م� �مر� ا ��و�ل �ل� ��ي�ر ��ى ف ا ن ش �ف � ا � ��ف �ا � �ق ا �� � ا ا �� � ه �إ�ذ ا � ن �ق ا �� ت � ا ���ا � �م� ا �م�ي�ر �� � ���ر� ا �ل� � � ا �ل� �ع��ت�ز ا �ل * � ل �ل� �ب� س ب� س �ي����كى * � ل� �ل� ك م ع ت�ز ��ث �ق ا � ت َ َ ا � غ �ا �ف ق � فق ت � � � ه ه � � � ا ا ا � � ك � � � � �ي��� ن��ى ا �ل� �� � س �ع�ن ا � �ل���ع�ل �ش���ي �ا * ��ا �ل ������ل� ب �ل �ج � ب� ��ي ر * � ل� م �ج � ر ل� * ع ٍ م ق ا � ت � ��ا ن � ا � � غ� ن ���ا ن ت � ة �ت�ت ق �ا ��� �م�ن س �ي ���ى ك� ل�� ��� ا�ل�م ار � ك ���ل ت� �ل� ا د ر�ى * �� �ل� �ل�و ك�� � ا �ل� � � ��� ب� �ع��ل�ى �م�و ض� م ع � � ا � ف ظ � �ة ا� ض ق ا � ت � ا فاَ ْ ّ ق ت � * ج ��س�م�ه� � �ل� ���� ا �م�ي�ر * ���ل� ا �ع�و��ض� �م� ي�م���ى * �� �ل� � او �ل� �� �م��ض� �ع��ل�ى ا �ل� �عو��ض آ ا َّ � ا ��آ ق ت ق ن ّ� ن �ق��ل ت� �م�ا ا �ع � ن � ق ا � ت ح�ه�ن �ل�ل� �ب� ��ط� * ���ل� ��د ك� ��� ت� ا �ود �ل�و ا � ا لله ج ���ل ا �ل����س� * �� �ل� �و�م� ا � ب � آ � ن �� � �خ���ل�ق� ن ا � ا ة ا � ا �ن ه � � ��ن ا � ا ة ف � ا ن ف �ذ � ا ر � ��ا �م�ا ا �ل� � ��ل�ا ا ر���د ا �ل� �صب��ر �ل��ل����س�� ك���ا �لر�ج��ا �ل * �ى مر � و � �ي �ص�ي ر �ى م ي ق � ت � � � �ن آ � �ن ش �ف ن �ن � �ن ف � ا �ت �و م �ي�� ع��� ��ى �ه��ذه ا �ل��د �ي��ا ��ل�ا �ب��د � او � �ي��ك�و� � ب � �ص�ورا * �� �ل� �ل�و �ل�م ��ك�ن ا �ل����س� ا �صب��ر � � ��ّ ّ ن �ف � ا ���ث �من �ع� � �ا ����ل �ق �ه�ن � 1م�ن ا �و�ج��ا ا ��ل � �م�ن ا �لر�ج��ا �ل �م�ا �ك�ن �ي��ع�مر� ��ى ا �ل� ر��ض� ا ك�� ر ��ه� �ل�ى م يح حب��ل� � م ع ن � ا �ل� �ذ � � � �ن � ن ا � ا �ت � � ن � �ا ة ق � � او � �لو �ل� د� * ���ل ت� �لي����س �ه� ا �ه�و ا �ل��سب�� ب� � او ��م�ا �ه�و ا � ا �ل�ص� م ا �ل�� ��س �ل� � ��ط�و�ل ح � ا �ت ه �� ا � ا �� خ � * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ��ه� ���ف ا ��ل ��ا ��ل �ص� ّل�ا � � �م�ا �م�ن ��ف��س� دا ��ل�ا �ف� ا ��ل���ط�ا ��ل ح�� � ع�ل�ى �ل� ر �ض ب ح و ل ى ر�ج ي ح �ا � � �م �ت � ه ��ه ��ت��ف ا � ا �ن ا ث ��ف ا � ا �ن ا ث �ت�ف � �ذ�� �ف � �ذ�� � �م�ا � � ��س�ده ا �ل�� ك��ور ��ى ا �ل�� ك��ور * ا �ل� � او �لر�ج��ا �ل � خ� رع�و * �ل ��س�د �ل� � � �ى �ل� � :1855 1ي��ل��� ح��ق�� ن����ه��ن .
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tricks and he bagged a few revolting puffs of those smells, sent them to the aforementioned Committee, and awaited their response. A while later, it happened that the August Master Sāmī Pasha the Grand
3.18.8
(celebrated for praiseworthy qualities throughout the land) arrived on the island. As the Fāriyāq had a special place in the latter’s heart, he went to congratulate him on his safe arrival and the person in question tasked him to stay with him for the period of seclusion in quarantine, and the Fāriyāq informed his wife of this. She told him, “How many times do I have to tell you there’s nothing good to be had from reclusion?”238 He replied, “There’s no harm in it if one’s with an emir, for then the honor of the name is enough.” “The name can never take the place of the deed,” she answered. “I responded,” continued the Fāriyāq, “by saying, ‘On the contrary, lots of people have accepted the one for the other.’ ‘Will he be with one of his wives?’239 she asked. ‘I don’t know,’ I answered. ‘If the name were enough,’ she said, ‘a woman could just write “emir” somewhere on her body.’240 ‘I’ll make up for the time that’s lost,’ I said, and she said, ‘Or else set about compensating me right now!’ ‘How fast women are!’ I said and she, ‘And how they prefer taking it slow!’ I said, ‘I used to wish God had created me a woman, or turned me into a woman, but now I don’t, as women don’t have the patience of men, and to live in this world one needs patience.’ She said, ‘If women weren’t more patient than men, they wouldn’t outlive them on this earth, despite the pains they suffer in pregnancy and childbirth.’ “I said, ‘That’s not the reason. The reason is that the righteous, in contrast to the unrighteous, do not live long on this earth.’ ‘Do you mean to tell me,’ she said, ‘that righteous men exist, when there is no evil of which they are not the originators? Do females corrupt females the way males do males? Who is it that corrupts women if not men? And who is it who falls head over heels for them, seeks their company, wheedles their way into their hearts, woos them, and seduces them with promises of money, affection, and fidelity, if not they? And then, when one of them has gained the confidence of one of us and wins her heart, he goes and tells everyone. He may get drunk with some acquaintances, or pretend to do so, and then make himself out to be a hero in front of them by revealing things that should be hidden and violating what should be inviolate. You men, I declare, put all your trust in the strength and might that God has made yours and believe as a result that you are better than women in all things. If honor lay in strength, elephants
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3.18.9
�ف � �ة �ي� ب��ل�و�ع�
� ��ه � ��ف ��س�د ا ��ل ن�� ��آ �غ��� ا ��ل ��ا �� * � �م�ن �ذ ا ا �����ذ � � ت� َّ ا ه�ن ت ا � ف تن �ق ث �ه�ن ��س ي ر ر�ج ل و �ه�ن � �وي����� � �ص�� � � ��يو�� � �ل � و �ل �ي ل ى �ي � ب آ � ت �ذ � � � غ� ا �ز �� ه�ن � � غ� � ه�ن � ا �ل� ا �� � ا �� ا � ا � ف �غ ت ح��د ك��� �ب�ا � �س�و�ث��ق� ا � و�ي�� ل� و�ي ��و � ب� م� ل و ل�ود د ح��دا �ن�ا1 و �ل�و��� ��ي�ر��ه * ح�ى ا ا ا � � �ي م م �ف � � ت ف � �� ا ا حر�ز ��س ّ�ه�ا �ذ �ه� ��ى ا �ل � �ف�ا � �س��ر �م� ح�ا �ل � �وب�ا � �ب�ه * �ورب��م�ا � ك ع ب���ع��ض� �م�ع� ر��ه ا �و ���س� ك�ر ر ب ح آ ��ت �ف َ �َ ّ � � ��م�ا �ن�ه �و��� ت �ف�ا �ت�خ�� ا �م�ا �م�ه� ��ا ��ف ش����� �م�ا ي ج�� ك ه���ك �م�ا �ي��ل�ز � �ص� �ون�ه * ا �ل�ا � او ن� ا �لر ج���ل �من� ك�� � مب ر ب ب م م � � ف � � ت �ف � � ّ ن ف ة ة ق �خ ق ض ��� ت ا �ن �لي��ع��م�د �ع��ل�ى �م�ا � � �ص�ه ا لله �ب�ه �م ا � �ل ��و� � او �لب�� ��س �ي��ع����د ا � �ل�ه ا � �ل�����ل �ع��ل�ى ا�ل�م ار � ��ى �ك�ل ش � ��ا ن ا ��لف� � � ن � �ف ف ض � ا ن ن �ن نّ � ّن ن �ن ����ى * �و�ل�و ك�� � � �خر �ب�ا � �لق ��و�ة �� ك� ل��ا � ا � �ل ي���ل ا ������ل �م�ن ا �ل� ���س�ا � * ��ع� ا ��ا �لي����س �ر�ا ا � ر�ى م � َ ت �� ض ف �ة � � ن �ت �ي�ن �ة � � �ة �ك�ن ��ل�ا �ي��لي ��ق �ب�ه � او ��ل ا ا �لر ج���ل �ش���ي ��ظ���م�ا ا �يّ��د ا �و��ل�� � � �ل ل � �� ع م��س� � ك �� ح�ا �ل� �ه��ذه ا � �ي�ا ��ى ا �م ار ��ه ا ي��� � �خ �� ة � ا �� � �غ� ة � ا �� � ��ن ��ق ة � ا ���ز �ن �ت ة � ا ���ز ن�خ� ة � ا ���ز ��م ة � ا ���ز ��ن ة � ا �� ش �ن�ز ة ف���ع�ا �م��له�ا ��ا ��ل � ي عر� و ل�د �مر� و ل�د ر� و ل � ر� و ل ر� و ل �ج ر� و ل �هر� و ل���� ر� ي � ب � � � غ � � �خ�ز �ة � او ��ل ش����ن � ة � ش �ن �ظ �� ة ا �ل ش�� �ص �ة � او �ل��جع � �هر�ة � او ��لغ����ذ �م �ة � او �ل���ث�م �ة � او �ل�غ�ي���ثر�ة � او ��ل � ر�ب� ر ر �صر� � او ل��� � ر� �و ��م� ر � ظ �� � �ة � � � ��ق �ة � � � �ة � � ن� �ة ���ز �غ �ة ا �� �ق � �ة ا ��ل ش ��غ�ز �ة �خ � ���ط��ل���ة � او ��ل � او ��ل �خ ���لب�� � او �ل�د ح ب�� � او �ل�د ع �ر� � او �ل�د ح�� � او ل ��د �ب� �و ل��س��لب�� �و ��� �� ب ب ب ب �ة � �غ �ة ا �� �لق � ا ��ل ش�� �ة � �خ �ة � � �ة � � � �� �ة �ة �ة �غ � � ث� �و ���جه � ب�� � او �ل�ص�ع�بن�� � او �ل��ط ط�� � ب�� � او �ل� �� �بر� � او �ل�ع��لب�� � او �ل�ع�ص�لب�� � او �ل� ��س�لب�� �وح� ب �صر � ا �� �ل�ق ���ط���ة � ا ��ل ن��� ���ة * ث�� ا �ذ ا �ذ �ه� ا ��ل� ا �خ� �ى ا � �ه�مه�ا ا �ن�ه ا ��س�� �ه�ا � �ع�ا ��ن �ه�ا � ق�نّ�ه�ا � ق���ق�ه�ا ي ر و ي� و � ور ي � ب ى ر و � و ر ب و ي رب م ُ َ ْ �ق ا ن ا � ن ا � �� ا �ذ � ّ ح�ه�ا � د ��ن �ف� �غ� ا �مه�ا � �ع�م��د �ع ش����ق�ه�ا َ�ق ْن ا نّ ا �ه� �و ج����ل�ه� �و�مم��ل�و�ك�ه� �و �لي���ل � ب � و � �و�ي���ه� �وقِ� ��ور�ه�� 2و�م� هِ� � ر � و ي � �� �ه ا � ا � � ت � ا ا � �ش�� � ّ ا � ا ن ا ه ��ت� ا ��ل �ل�� خ��� �ق ه ��ف ا �� � ��ن ا ا �ّ ا ح�ه� * و � لل ع� �ى ي�ل�� �ى ل�د ي�� �ل� و� ه��د ب � �ص �يرع ي�� م�ه� و مي�� ه�و �ه� و � ي م ً � � ض ا �ت ا ق ا � ف ق ت �ذ ��ا ن � ط��ا ���ف �ذ ��ل��ك �ف�ا �ل��م ا �ة �غ��� � � ئ���ة ا � ض� ا ت �ص�د � �ق�ه�ا ��خ � ئ �ل�مر� ��� � �ه� * �� �ل ������ل� ا ا ك�� � ا �لر ج���ل �م �� ى ��� �ل�� �ي � بر �ي ر ي ر �ي فآ َ �ة ف ن ا � ا ه � ا ��ن ��ق ا د� ا �� ه �ق ا ��ل ت ا ن�� ا ��ت ّ ق �ت �ص�د ��ه �م�ن �ص���� ��سرر� �ه�ا �و��س�ل�ا �م� � ي� و ي�� ه� ل� * � � م� � �ص�د ر�ه�ا * ��ا � �ي � ن � ا ن ن � ا �� ا �ق � ا �ت ا ��ف � �غ � �� ��ي ن خ� ل�� ل�ص� د � �ل� �ير� ب� �ى ك� ��ل�ا �م ��ي�ره � او � ا � ك ���د * �و�ل�و ا � ا �ل ن��ا ��س ��س�م� �ع او �مث��ل� �ب�ا � ر ي م ع ا � ا �ن� � ا �ذ � � � � تف � ة �ت�ز �ة ت� �غ �ز � ��ا ر * � او � ���ل ا �ل�ا �ن ك� ي�ه� �ل�ك �ك �س����ظ����ع�وه ا �م ار � �م� �و�ج�� ��ر� او �ع�ل� ح ب� ��ي�ر �و�ج� �ه� �ل� ك � �ت ���ت � ا �ق �ف ف ت �� ّ ه �� �� � �غ ا � �ة � ا ت ف� ظ � ��� ب� ا ك ط�و�ل �و�ت�ز �مرا �ل�ز �م�ور �و�ت ك �� ي� ا �ل� ��س� � ����ا * ���طب���ل �ب� ا ل� ب � ل��� ب� * �و �ل� ��يب ���ى ��ى ع قَُّ ُّ َّ ّ ف ف ف :1855 1ب�ا ح�د ن�ا� 2 .ي� � 1855ن��ور و �ي� ا �ل��ق���ا �مو��س�( :ك�تَمور� :م�لا ح��ة �ي� ا �بل��ا د ي��ة) و( � �ِك����سن�� ْور :ا �ل�ع ب���د).
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would be better than humans. True, we enjoy seeing a man who’s tall, youthful, and strong, but it is inappropriate for him, given that he is so, to come to his poor, weak wife and treat her frivolously,241 bad-temperedly, dementedly, ill-humoredly, tetchily, coarsely, boorishly, nonchalantly, cholericly, roughly, rudely, truculently, peevishly, pettishly, petulantly, frappishly, froppishly, protervously, severely, and angrily, or with beady looks, harping and bellowing, or with huffing, or with insults, vituperation, tirades and diatribes, or with abuse of her rights and with infidelity, or by knocking her to the ground—and then go to another woman and delude her into thinking that he’s her captive, her prisoner, her retainer, her slave, her bondsman, her serf, her servant, her thrall, her chattel, who is abjectly enamored of her, sick from his passion, demolished by his ardor, laid low by his thirst for her, slain by his desire for her, and a martyr to his love for her, and that God Almighty has placed him in this world simply to make her happy.’” The Fāriyāq continued, “I told her, ‘While the man may be at fault in this, 3.18.10 the woman is not innocent either, for believing him and allowing herself to be led by him.’ She said, ‘She believes him because her heart is pure, her feelings uncorrupted. The honest person doesn’t doubt the words of others and the noble man is easily deceived. If people were to hear that a married woman had fallen in love with someone other than her husband, they would view her with the greatest disapproval and regard the matter with the greatest disgust. Drums would be beaten, heads nodded, books written, and there would be no one left in town who did not have some tale, or lie, to tell about her. If, however, they were to hear that a man had fallen in love with someone other than his wife, they’d put what he’d done down to sickness and make excuses for him, accusing his wife of withholding her favors or of being no good in bed and wetting it, or of defecating while being fucked or of keeping him out of her bed, or of whinnying through her nostrils or of being ghabūq [?]242 or of spraying water during intercourse and making a noise with her vulva, or of having a hernia and making a sound with her vagina, or of having a hole too small to admit the penis and being given to farting, or of being insatiable in intercourse and having a mons veneris that both squeaks and passes wind, or of snorting like a madwoman during intercourse and having lopsided breasts, or of having no flesh on her thighs and a bottomless tunnel, or of having smelly foreparts and a loose vagina, or of leaving her anus half washed and stinking and having privates on which no hair
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� ن ا � �ة ّ �ة ف �ذ ا �ن ه � �غ ا ��ل � � ا � � � ا �ه� � ك� ب��ل�د ح��ا �ي� ا �و �تر�ه� * ��ا �م�ا ا ا ��س�م� �ع او �ع�ن ا �لر ج���ل � ي ح ب� ��ي�ر ح�د ا �ل� �و�ير �و�ى �ع � ت �ذ ن ن ق � ن ف ن ت �غ ض �ز ت ف ا �ن �و�ج� ��ه �� � �ه�م ي �ح�م��ل�و� ���ع��ل�ه �ع��ل�ى �و�ج��ه �مر���ى �و��ي�ع�� ر �و� �ع��ه �ب ����و�ل�ه�م ا � ا �م ار ��ه ��ي�ر ُ �ُ �خ �ذ �ن �ف ة غَ ق �ز ا ف� ن���ة * ا �و ا ��ن �ه�ا ج�� �خ نّ���ة �ِمن ��ف��ا ��ص * ا �و �م�ي�را ��ص ا �و �م ن�� ش����ا � �ص * ا �و ��� � � ر� ا �و��ب ��و�� * �ت قآ غ ف ق ف قآ غ ق ق ا � �ز ّ�خ ا �خ� �ة خ� ق ق ا � ن�ّ ا �خ� �ة ��ف ش ش و �� � �� ��و�� * ا �و �ت����� ��� ��و�� * ا �و ر� ���� ء ��� ��و�� * و ج � � � ���و��� * ا �و ُ َ� خْآ ْ َ �خ ة ض آ َ ْآ ��مْ �خ آ َ ْ َ �� ا َ� ضُ ن نخ �َ * ا � � � � اَ خ� � � � ��� � � � � � ا � ا � � � � * * ه ج ح��� * ا �و � ��ض � � � � ��م � ر ح� � ج ج ى � و ر و و � �ي ه �و و و ��و ر ر جى �آ آ آ آ َ�ق ْ َ َْ َ ن ا �ة ه��� * ا �و �هر�ع��ة ر�ف�غ���� * ا �و ��س�� �لق��� �لق� ا �و �مت� ك� ���َور ا �و �م�ص� �و * ا �و �� ��س�ع� � ��� * ا �و � ش � ��ض � ي �ْ ِ �ة � َّآ ش قّآ �خَ ْف ق �ذ ت َ فْ َق َق ْ �ذَ �َ �ة َ��لخ �ص�� ء * ا �و �ل�ثِ�ي � ا �و ج� �� * ا �و �ي �� ��� ا � � � ع��� �ل� ا �و ���ل�� � * ������� * ا �و �م�ه��ل�و��س� ا �و �ل� م م �ذ ق آ �ف آ َ َ ق َ َ فَ �َقْ ة �خَ � ثْ ا ء ا � ُق� ن��ْ ش ة ق ا �و � �م� �و� � �و� * ا �و � �ل ��و� ا �و ��و * و � ع���ل ا �و � ن��� * ا �و �مي����ا ب� ا �و ج�� ح� ���ور� 1ا �و ش آ ق آ �ذَ نّآ ئ � ُ �ة َق ْ�ث �خَ ُ � �� � ا � �� * ا �و � �ر� ا �و ��س��لت�� * ا �و �ر�ور ا �و �ع�م� ء * ا �و �ع�ا �� ��ط ا �و ���ر�م� ء * ا �و �ع�بن���ل� ا �و ع � �ذ �ة ن �ف ف � �آ ا �ُ�م ّ �أ ة ا َ � ض �ة �غ �ذ � �ا �خ ��� �و��ي�ر �ل��ك �م�ن ا �ل�عي ��و ب� �و �ل� �ير �و� ��ى ���ع��ل�ه �ه� ا ���سم�ا �ج�� * �و ء * �و �ج ي�� � �و رِم� �ل� ا ا ت� ا ا ��ل ش �� � �ذ ق �ت ف � � ن �� ة �� �ه�ا ���ث �م�ن �س�� �ب� �حم��ل�ه� �ع��ل� ��� � � ا ا � م � ك ط �س��ا ب� ا �لر ج���ل * ���ل ت� � �� ض� � ر ����ل�ى �ب�� ك�ر ب ع ا � �ل�ل�م ار � ا � ب ى ح آ �� ا �ن ا ق ا � ت ّ � ا ا �ذ � �ق � حق ا ��ل�ز � او �� حق �ز �و�ج� ت��ه * � �ه � �ف � � �� � ك��ي� ا �ج�� � ب � �ه� * � �ل� ا �و�ل�ه� �م� ا ا �ل�م �ي �م ا �لر ج���ل ب� ��و � �� و �و �� ج �غ ة ق ا ��ل���ذ �ى �م�ن ا �ج���ل�ه �ت��ت ك ا ��ا �ه�ا � ا �مه�ا � ا �ه��له�ا � � ��� ن ط��ه�ا � �وب�ل�ا د�ه�ا �و��ي�ر �مر� د ��ي ن��ه�ا * ���ل ت� ر ب و � و � وو � ت ث ا �ذ � ّ � �ف قا � ت ن �ه�ا ا �ه�م�ا ��ل�ه ا �م�ور�ه�ا �وق���ل��ة ا �ه�تم�ا �م�ه ب��م�ا ف�ي��ه ا �ل��ل�ه�م �ل��ط����ك �وع�ص�م���ك ��م �م� ا * �� �ل� �و�م � �خ ا � ا ت ت ا ت ت ا �ت ت ا ت ا �ت � ن ح��ل�ت�ه�ا ا �ت � ح��ه�ا � او � ش��� ار � � ر ه���ه� �و���س��لي���ه� �و ر � ��يو��ه� �و� ي � �ص�د ر�ه� � �و �� ي ط�ي�� ب� �� ��طر�ه� * � �و�ل� ي ح �ت��د ��فئ�ت�ه�ا � ��ت ���ط � ت�ه�ا � �ت�ا ��س��ت�ه�ا � ��ت�ق�� � ت ا ت� ش ه�ئ��ت�ه�ا م�����ت�ه�ا � ��ت غ���د � ت�ه�ا � ت��م�ز� ت�ه�ا � ت��م ن���ت ا ت ت ا �ت ن �ه� �و��م��لي���ه� �و� � � �ه� �و� ي � و �ي � و �ي � و ي � � و �ير � و ي � و �يو � ن ت ��ت ت �ذ ت ت �ق ق �ن �ت ��ي��ت��ه�ا �و��م��سي��ت��ه�ا �و ج��ي�ت��ه�ا * �و� ��و�ي�ت��ه�ا * ���ل ت� ��ع� �و��ع �رت��ه�ا �و��م� ��ي ت��ه�ا �و���م �رت��ه�ا � �و�ت ن��د ��ي ت��ه�ا � �و�ت ن� ض� �ي م �ي ق ا � ت �ن �� �ذ ئ �ة � �د �مت ه �مت�� ة ���ث � ا � �ة �� �ن ا ة ت � � �ن �ه�ا ر �ق�ا ��م� ب خ� �� ع�ه�د� �� �ل� ��ع� �ك��ل �ه� ا � او ك�� ر ح� �ل� ك��و� �ه� ا ��س�ي�ر� ب��ي����ه ��ط�و�ل ا �ل � م � �ف ��ف � �ا ن � ن��ت�ق � �ن �ق �� �ا ن �� �ق �ا �ن � � � � � � � � � � ا ل ل ل � � � � ا ا م م م� م� � � � �ل� �م�وره * و ه�و �ي ط�و� �ى ب��ل�د سو� �ى ��س�و� * ك� � �ى ك� � وي ��ل �� � ف ذ ف قَ �نْ ة ��� ا �ي� ا �ل��ق���ا �مو��س و �ي� �� :1855ش���ور�. 1ك
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grows, or of having breasts that do not develop and never having a period, or of coming as soon as a man plays with her and having a tiny “thing,” or of menstruating through her anus, or of having a vaginal fistula and being unable to hold her water, or of not menstruating, or of having no flesh on her thighs, or of not having been circumcised and having a wide space between her anus and her vagina, or of having a flabby vagina, or of having thighs so tightly pressed together there is no gap between them, or of having sweaty foreparts and body, or a cold vagina, or long pubic creases and a soft wide vulva, or a large wide vagina, or of suffering from leucorrhoea, or a vaginal hernia, or a slanted slit, or of being wide-woofed, or straddle-thighed, or quick to conceive, or of being given to miscarrying, or not having periods, or having never-ending periods, or of putting kohl on one eye only and wearing her shift inside out, or of having a mutilated nose, or foreparts that produce much fluid, or buttocks that are skewed and raised, or of not conceiving for years even though she is not barren, or having a rectum and vagina that form a single passage, or of having a long clitoris, or wide sexual organs, or of being one who, having the vagina and rectum as a single passage, loses control of her bowels during intercourse, or of having thighs that rub against one another, or of other flaws, while seeing nothing revolting in what he had done, even though a woman has more reasons to go astray than a man.’ “‘Pray state them so that I may avoid them,’ I said. She said, ‘The first is 3.18.11 the husband’s failure to provide his wife with her full rights, meaning her marital rights for the sake of which she abandoned her father and mother, her family, her home, her country, and, not infrequently, her religion.’ ‘Dear God,’ I said, ‘I beseech Your indulgence and forgiveness! What next?’ ‘Others are his neglect of her affairs and lack of interest in anything that might bring her ease, give her pleasure, or raise her spirits, or in entertaining her, distracting her, giving her enough to drink, adorning her, warming her, perfuming her, consoling her, strengthening her, taking her for walks, taking her to lunch, encouraging her, lastingly delighting her, gladdening her, or preserving her.’ ‘Indeed,’ I said, ‘and in making her strip, drip, secrete, spot, undress, caress, and reveal!’ ‘Indeed,’ said she, ‘all that and more, seeing that she’s the prisoner of his house throughout the day, serving him and looking out for his affairs, while he roams the town from place to place and moves from market to market, and then, when he finally comes home, falls to the ground like one in a swoon and says that overwork has exhausted him and
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آ � � ح�ت ا �ذ ا �ج��� �م��ن�ز ��ل�ه ا ��ن ���ط � ���ا �لم�غ� ش���� �ع��لي��ه �و�ق�ا ��ل ا ن� ا ��ل ش���غ���� �ج� �ه�ده � او �ج��ل � � �ه�د �ش��غ����ل�ه � او �ن�ه ك ل ى ى رح � �ذ � �ذ � ��ذ ��ت � � ��ذ � � �� �ذ �� ا �و�ج�ر�ى �ع�لي��ه ك�� �عر��ض� �ل�ه ك�� �� ا * �م� ا �ن ه � ا � � � � � � ا � � ا �� � ل� ع � ه�و ل� ى عر �ض ل� ل�ك ك� و�ج رى �ع��ل�ى � �ذ �ك��ذ ا * � �من�ه�ا �ق��ة ��ف ا د ا �ل��م ا �ة � ا ��ل ش ف ������ق���ة ا ��ل�ت �ف� ���ط �ه�ا �ع��ل�ه�ا ا ��ل��ا � ��ت�ع�ا ��ل� * �ف�ل�ا ��ل��ك ا � � ل� و � ر �و ر و �ى ر ي� ب رى ى �ن ت� ق � � � � � �ا � � � ن �ت ي�ه�ا ا �ل�ا �ب�ا �لمي���ل ا �لي��ه ي��م��ك�ن �ل�ه�ا ا � � �ق��ا ب���ل ر�ج��ل�ا �ع�ن �م�ود �ت�ه �ل�ه�ا ا �ل� �ب�ا �ل�ود ا د ا �و �ع �م��ل���ه ا �ل� ن ا � ا ��ف � � � � اق � ح �ة �م�ن ا � ا �ش ت �ق ا �ق � ال�م ن �ة ق � او �ل� �ب��ا �ل �ع��لي��ه * � �و� �هي��ك �م� � ا �ل ح� � او �لر��م� ��ا ���س� * ���ل ت� �ل� ����� � و ج ى رم ا �ن � َ ق ا � �ف � ي�ن �ذ � ا ش ت ق ا �ق � ت�ن ا �ن � �حت� ا � �ع � س� �ب�� �م�ع� ��ى ا �ل��كي����س * �� �ل ��ى � او ج ب� �م ا ج�� �ج��ك �ب��ه� ا ا �ل� ������� � ا �ل� � �� ب �َ � غ �ة � � �ة � ق �ا � ا �� �� ّ �ك��ْ�� �خ��ل�ا �ف� ا ��ل � � � او ج��ل ح�م�ق � او ج ���ل ا �� �لق��ا �م�و��س ا � � � ل� ل ل��ا ��س� * ط �ود � او �ل�ع����ل � او �ل����لب�� �ب�ا � كي�� �� � م و ي ب � س ع �شا ة � � ض ا �ة � � � ا �� � � ش � ا ��ُ ش � ض ل � ا � ل �� � � ا � ا ل ل � ا ل �ل � � � � � � � ��� � ��� �ع� و �عور وم���� عر و �م � �وب��ي�ن ا �ل سِ�� ّر � او �ل��سر�ور �و لب����س ��ط � او �ل���ر و ب � �� و ب�� ح ع �ف � ج ت ا �� ��ف ت ا � � � ف� �ظ �� � �ق � َْ ل ا ا ا � � � ل � او � �ل �م ��ط * �و�خ� �ص�و�ص�ا �ب��ي�ن اب �ى ا د را ��س � اوب �ى د ري���س د م� �ه�م� �ى ل�� �� ت�ن ا ي�ن ��مت� ن ف���ق �ق � ا �ل�م�ع ن �ه ت� �و�ق�ا ��ل ت� ش��� ّ �ف� ا لله ��ل�غ� �ت�ن�ا ا ج��ل ا �ة ي�ن � � ه � ��ا ���س��ي�ن * * � � � �س��� �و ج �� �م�ع� �ب�� �ك�ل �م� � � ب و ى ر ن ا �ا � ق � ّ �ق��ل ت� �و��ل�� �ك�ن �ق�د �ي�ل�ا�ز � �ذ ��ل��ك ا � حو ا ر �ف�ا �ن�ه ب��م�عن��ى �ج��ا �م� ح��ا �ن�ا �م�ا ي���س�وء ا �و �م� �ل� �ي�لي ��� * � ي م ع � �م ��ا ��ل��س��ل * � � نّ� �م ��� ��ل�ه � �م���س ��ا � ت��ه * � �م�ع ��� ��ا �م� � ��ن ت��ف ا ��ل ش � ��� ع و ط ور �ى ب � و� و��ج � ر �ى بب �و و ر � �ج ر�ي �ج ع ح ح ح � ح ف ا نا ا � �ه � ض �ة � �� ن ه �� � ��مت ف �س ض � � � ا �ن ل �خ �خ � �و� � � � � � ه � � � � � ح � � � � � � � � ل� م � � �� � �� � �ج � م وب ط�� ج � و�ل � ب� حب ��ق� * �و�ج ل �م� ب � ع� * و � �س�� ب � � ي ع ع �ذ �ش ق �ف � � � � ح�ه �م� * � �م�� ا �ط�ل * ���ا �و�تردد ��ى ا �لب��ا �� �خل ���ا ا �و �ع ض� � �ج��ا �م� �و�ج��� ب� ا �ل����ى �ب� ض� �ج�� �م� �وب��س��ل ر ى و ع ع خ ا � غ �ة ّ �� �ّ ق �� � ��ا ��ل�ع�ص�ا * � � �ظّ ��� ��ا ��كظ �����ه * �و ��� �صر � �و� �ل���ص� � � � � � � د م ط � �و�م�� �ل� �ج��ا �م� �و ض� �ج و و و �ج ب ب ر ر ب ج ع ع ع ف ا ن ا �� �� �� � �ت خ � ا ا � � � � �� س ل ل ل � � م ه ه م ه � �ج��ا �م� �و���س��� � � � � ط � � � � � � � ل � � � � م� * و م� ر �ج � م وب ح� ر �ى * ح� ر �ى * و ب� �ج � م و�ل � ع ب ع ع
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exhaustion overworked him and that this occurred to him and the other befell him, though it was he who exposed himself to the first and chased after the second. Other reasons are the softness of the woman’s heart and the compassion that the Almighty Creator has made one of her innate traits, such that she is incapable of meeting a man’s love for her with anything but affection or his flattery of her with anything but interest and encouragement, to say nothing of the common origin and formal similarity of the words raḥim (“womb”) and raḥmah (“mercy”).’ “I said, ‘Even more amazing than the etymology that you have adduced 3.18.12 in evidence is the conformity of the meanings of kays (“cleverness”)—in the Qāmūs, its author says, “Kays is the opposite of ḥumq (‘stupidity’) and denotes ‘sexual intercourse, an intelligent man skilled at his work,243 generosity, the mind, and victory achieved through cunning’”—or between sirr (“secret” or “heart”) and surūr (“joy”), or basṭ (“delectation”) and sharḥ (“gladness”),244 or buḍ ʿ (“vulva”) and biḍāʿah (“commodity”), or shuʿūr (“sensation, feeling”) and mushāʿarah (“sleeping together within a single garment”), or lamj (“nibbling” or “sexual intercourse”) and qamṭ (“tasting” or “sexual intercourse”), or, especially, between Abū Idrās (“the vagina”) and Abū Idrīs (“the penis”), may their concordance long remain, in form as in meaning!’ At this, she laughed out loud and said, ‘God honor our language, which brings together sense and shape!’, to which I responded, ‘though on occasion this may require the offensive or the inappropriate, as in the case of arra, which means both “to have intercourse with” and “to expel one’s excrement,” or jannaḥa, which means both “to piss” and “to screw (one’s slave girl),” or maʿaṭa, which means “to have intercourse with,” “to pluck one’s hair,” and “to fart,” or jalakha, which means “to have intercourse with,” “to flay (someone’s belly),” and “to chop (a chunk of flesh off someone with one’s sword),” or matakha, which means “to have intercourse with” and “to expel (one’s excrement),” or malakha, which means “to have intercourse with,” “to drag something in one’s grip or one’s teeth,” and “to waver pointlessly,” or malaqa, which means “to have intercourse with” or “to strike with a stick,” or jaẓẓa, which means “to have intercourse with,” “to chase away,” “to throw to the ground,” and “to oppress (someone, with a surfeit),” or khajja, which means “to have intercourse with” and “to expel (one’s excrement),” or lakhaba, which means “to have intercourse with” and “to slap (a male),” or matara, which means “to have intercourse with” and “to expel
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� � ف �ص�د ��ا �م� � �� �ل �ى � �ف�ل�ا �ن�ا �� �ر�ه �ب�ا �ل�� �سو ��ط � او �ص�ا ب� �ج���ل��ده * �و�ع� �و�ج���ل��د �ج��ا �م� �و��ل�ا �ن�ا ض� وو و �ج ب ع ع �� �ه�ه �ع� ا ��ا �م * � ض�����ف�ن ��ا �م� � ��غ���ا �ئ� ���ط�ه �م * � � ح�ن ��ا �م� � �ض �� � * �و�م ش����ن م � بو ا ك�ر �ل�ى �ل ر و� �ج ر �ى و �ج ع و رب ع � �أ �أ �ذ � ََْ �خ ش �� ا � ح ش���� �و� �خ�ز �ى �و���فى ا�ل�م ار �ة ا �و�ع ب� * �وك�� ح��د ث� �و� �سو�ى ا � ح ��ط� �ج��ا �م� �و���د ��� * � او � � ع خ أ ��ف � �أ � �أ �ز �ق ا � ���أ � ��لت �أ � �غ � �ذ � � �م ا � ا � � � ت ن � � � � ح � � � � �ك � � �و� � ي ص � � ح�ل�� �و ج � ور�ط� و ك� و �� و��ي ر ل�ك �م� �ل� ص�ى * � ل� �ل ع ب� �ى ج � ب� ف � ا ّ �� ا �ن � ث �ن ف ن تا �ن �ذ ا ك ��ي �ه�و ن� * �و �ل� �ب��د جل �ه�م ت� �م�ن ��� حو�ى �� ��ى ا �ل�ع���س�ل �م�ن ا � �� �بره ا �ل��ح�ل * ��م ا ��ى � � � ا ف ا � �ف � �غ ت�ن ا � ش ف �ة ن ���ث �م�ن ا ن ��ت� ّ � ا ن ا �ث � �ن ق �� ا ���ر ا�لم�ع�ا ��ى ��د � ع�د * و � ك� ك��ل� �م��ك ا � �ه��ذه ا �ل� ���ع� �ل ��ى �ل� � � ا �ل��� �ر�ي��� ا ك�� ر ض � ف � ف � �ث ة ت � آ ف �ة �ذ�� ت � ق ق ت � ق ي�ه�ا ا � �ل��ا �ظ �� ك����ي�ر� ���س�م� ��� �ل�ه �� �و� ي�ه�ا ا �ل�ع��ل�م�� ا رد ا �ي�� �ع��ل�ى �م�ا ك�ر� �ل�ى ��س�ا �ب ����ا * ���ل� �ل�م ا ��ل� ع � ���ث � �ن ا ت �� ف ظ �� �ة �� � �ه��ذ ا � ا ن�� �ا �ق��ل ت �م��ت ا د �ف��ة * � ا ن �ه��ذ ا ا �� ف�ل��ع ب�خ � �ص�و�ص�ه �ل�ه ا ك�� ر م �م� �ي ��ى �ل�� �� * ل�ك و� وم � ر ��ل ض ا ق ا � ت �ف �خ � � � � ف �ظ � � �ن �ز ض غ � ف �ف � ��ك�ل � �ل � �� د �ل �ع��ل�ى د ��� ا �و � �ه ا �و � ���� ��ط ا �و ا د��ا �ل د �ل �ع��لي��ه ا ��ي � ��� * �� �ل� ���ه�ل ع ف ا � ا �� � ا ت�ن ا � �ن � ن �آ فّ �ةً �ت ق �ت �ت �� ن �ذ� � �خ ل � � � � � � � � � � � � � ا � � � ا ع ح �وى * ط�� ا � �ت�� ك��ر �ل�ى ر� ي��د ل ب� �ص�و ص �ع��ل�ى �ل� م� � ل����س� ع�� و � ��س � ي َع ع ّ � � ف � ن �ة � ����ت ه �ف ا ��ن �ُ ْ ��� � ف ح� �ظ �ف ظ ح �ف� ���ه��ذ ا ا �ل�م�ع ن�� � او ��ل�ا ��ل � ��� ا ��ل �ق��ل ت� �ل� ي���م ّر ب �ى � حر�و�� ا �ل����س�ا ئ��ي�� * ح� �� � �ى �مول ب ب ر ى م ع ن � �ف �ظ� �غ � ا ن �ت َ�� ّتََ َ ُ�َ �ّ ن � � �ت ف �ذ � � � �ي��د �ل�ا � �ع��لي��ه ��ى ا � ح��د � � او �ل����ا �هر ا � ا �ل�عرب� �ل�م �ت��ك�ن ��عر�� �ل��ك * ��ي ر � �ب ���ل و�ب ك� م �م� ا ��ن �ه� ا �ق ا �� ت ��ف ا � �د � ا � غ�� ن� �ش ا ث� ا ��س�ت ت ��ت�ق �� � �من ا � � �م� ت ��ف �ه� و ه�و �س� ي���ض� ع� ي� م� * � ل� �ى ح� �ل� �ي �ى ���ي � * �م �مر� ��ول و � ���ث � ن �آ ن ا �ل� ة �ذ � ّ � ف� ة ��س ت� ��ا �ع ا ��ض� �ز �و�ج� �ه�ا �عن��ه�ا ا �و �ب ��ف��د �وره ا �و ��ا ج��ل �ع ن��د ا ك�� ر ا �ل����س� ا � �م ار � ا ا ا ح ���و� ب ب ر � ا ت� ّ ا �� ه ق ا � ا � ه ا � �ة �� ��ن ه�ا ��ل�ه �ع ���ط��ف��ا �ه��ل� ��ا ب���ي�ع���ا �ع � ��ا �مت���ّع��ل��ة �ع���ل�ي��ا � �ل�ه� �م� حب�ب��ه� ا لي�� � او �ب�� �ل�ه� �ع�لي�� �و� ح� �ل� ك � ب ر و � و ب ج ي و ب رب ب ع آ ن �ة ا ش �ة �مت ش ش �ة �مت ش ش �ة �ذ ت ش ش �ة �م ش��� ش �ة ن ش ن ش �ة ش ش �ة � ا � � � � � �� � � � � � � �� �� ��و��� � ���س� ب� ه���� ب ���ب ���� �ه����ه���� � ر���ر��� و م���� و ��� ���� و و �
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(one’s excrement),” or jalada, which means “to have intercourse with” and “to beat (a male) with a whip and injure his skin,” or ʿaṣada, which means “to have intercourse with,” “to twist,” and “to force (a male) to do something,” or ḍafana, which means “to have intercourse with” and “to expel (one’s excrement),” or maḥana, which means “to have intercourse with” and “to strike,” or mashana, which means “to have intercourse with” and “to scratch,” or aswā, which means “to fornicate,” “to dishonor,” and “to insert (the penis, into a woman),” and likewise ḥashaʾa (“to have intercourse with” or “to whip”), haṭaʾa (“to have intercourse with” or “to defecate”), ḥalaʾa (“to have intercourse with” or “to strike [with a sword]”), khajaʾa (“to have intercourse with” or “to strike [with a stick]”), raṭaʾa (“to have intercourse with” or “to expel [one’s excrement]”), zakaʾa (“to have intercourse with [one’s young slave girl]” or “to strike”), or lataʾa (“to have intercourse with” or “to shoot”), plus innumerable others.’ She replied, ‘Every other difficulty pales into insignificance next to such things,245 and “he who gathers honey must bear the stinging of the bees.” In addition, I gather your drift to be that such verbs are too many to count in our noble language and that most senses have numerous words, which scholars call, as you once told me, “assy-nonymous.”246’ ‘I didn’t say assy-nonymous,’ I responded. ‘I said “synonymous,” and I told you that this act alone has more than two hundred words pertaining to it, for every word that denotes pushing, pricking, pressing, or inserting denotes it too.’ She said, ‘And can you cite me a single term that pertains to abstention from women, out of chastity and God-fearingness?’ I said, ‘No such term has come my way, or I would have memorized it, for I dote on every term that has to do with them. It seems the Arabs were unaware of any such thing, though tabattala and bakuma each denote it in one of their senses.’ ‘That counts for little,’ she replied. “Then she resumed her earlier theme, saying, ‘A further reason, and one 3.18.13 to be found in most women in abundance, is that, when a woman feels that her husband has turned from her or is indifferent to or distant with her, even though she still loves him, offers herself to him, and is docile toward and intimate with him, fecund with advice and with children, affectionate toward him, eager to please him with obedience and attire, obliging, kindly, companionate, cheerful with him, intimate with him, lighthearted, quick to slip out of her drawers, full of levity, responsive to his requests for coupling, yielding, retentive of the semen in her womb, submissive as the hen
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���ة �من �ة � �ة خ �ة �ز ا ا ق �ة ن � ق َ ُ ق ا �غ َ ا�ذ �ة ا � ت � �� � او ك��� ��ص�ع� � او ك� ��ع� �م�ص�و�ص� � �م�د بر ح� ر�� ا � �ل�م ا ���ل �ع�� �لو�� �و��ي�ر �ع� �م� �م� �ل� ا �ل�ى � ح�ت�ه�ا * �ف�ا ن �م�ن ا ��ل ��ا �� ا ��ل � �غ��ي�ره ��لتُ����ي�ره �و�ترده ا ��ل�ى �ق�دي�� ��م ح� ��م�ق �م�ن �ل�ا �ي��عر�ف� �ق�د ر ا �م ار �ت�ه ل � �ج � ر غِ م ب ى ا ل� ف � �ذ � ن � ت �ن � غ ت � ا �ذ � � ن ا �� � ا � � �م ا �� � � ا م ��� � �ت ه ا �ل� ا ا را ى ا ل�� س يحب ��و� �ه� * ��ك�و� حب���ه� ل��ي ره �ع�ل �ج�� حب� � �ه�و * �و�ه� ا ي �س�مى ف � �ث � ن ن ا �غ �غ �ة �ز �غ�ز �غ �ة �غ غ �ة ف ا ا �ه�ى �ل�ع�مر�ى ا ك����ر �م�ن �عي ��و ب� �ع��د �� د ��د �� �و � �� �و��س� ��س��� * �� �م� �عي ��و ب� ا �لر ج���ل � � � ة � � �ك�ن �غ ��ز ا � �ق �ة �� ح�ا ��ل��ة �ه��ذه ي�� � ّ ق ا ���ك�ف * �و��ه� � او ��ل � � �ل � ه � ا � � � � ا �ل ل� ج �ح�ل �ع���د �ه�م� ا �و ل ب �م ار � �ول�و �م �ي� �ب� ��ي ر ل �م� ل ي�� ى ٌ � �ز � تن م��� ا ��ق� ا ��ل * �ف�ا ��لن��ص�ا ر�ى �ع��ل �من��ع�ه �م� ا ��ن �ه� � �ق�� ��ل� ن� ا ن� ا �ل�م�ق�� �ص د �م�ن ا ��ل�ز � او �� يج� �ي و و �و ا �و ي� ع و و � ى ج ع م �ذً � �ذ � ا �� ��ذ ا ت ا � ا ��ن ت ا � � � ف ح� �ظ � ��� ا ��ل ن�����س�ل * � او �ل��� ب ا �ئ��ع ن � ا �� �لف�� �ا �� �ف �ة �� � � � �و�ه ا �خ��� ا �ب��ه� ا ب� ل� � �ل� ���ج و ط�� ي ��و� و ل س�� ع�ل�ى و ج � ب آ � � � � � � ا � �لق ��و��ل �ع�ي�ن �ه �و�م ار �ع�ا �ة �ل�ا د � ��ق ا �ل ة ا �� � ط�ي���ع ّ �ل�ا �ب��د �م ن��ه ا� �� ح� �م ار � ل� او ج ب� �ع��ل�ى لر ج���ل �و�ه�و ا �مر ب ى آ � ا �ز ���ف �عه�د�ة �غ� ��م ا ��ل�ز � ا �� * ا ن� �ش���� ا � ���ق ��ا �ع�� �م�ا �ه�م�ا ح��� �ع ن��ه * �و �����ق ا ج��ل � ا ��م ل ��و ى � ب ي � �و �ل� ي ص بى ى ري ��ي وج ّ � �ع��ل��ه � ا ��ل�ا ا �ف��ت �ق�ا � �ه� ا ��ل�ا �ص�� � * � �ل�ع�م �ى ا ن� ا �ل��م ا �ة ا ��ل ��ت �ت �ر�ت ض��� ��ا ن� ��ت�ق� �� �م� �ز � �ج� ه�ا �م�ن ل و و ر ي و ى ب يم ع و � و ر ى ر ح آ �ذ �ف ن �ق ض � ق ا ��ل ة ن ّ � �ة � ن � ��� � ���د �ير� �ب�ا � �ي��عي��د �ل�ه�ا �عي��د ��ى را ��س �ك���ل ��س�ن � * ا �لي����س ا � ا ��س�ت�ا ك د �و� �� ح� � �ه� ج � ن ��ن ق ق ا � � ت ا� � � ا ��ف � �� � ش � ح ب� ا � �لق��ا �م�و��س ا ��ل���ذ �ى ���س��ت ش����ه�د ب� ك� �ص� ��ل� �م�ه �ى �ك�ل م�����ك�ل ��� �س او �ى ��د �� �ل ا �لر ج���ل َ ّ ف �ذ � ��ا ن ا ���ز � � �غ � � �ف ا ��ن � �� ه ا ن � �ز �ع ن�ده ا � ا �ة � ا ��ث�ي�ر ا ج ���ل ل�� � � او � ك حو � مر �ل� �م�ا * ��ا ا ك�� � ل و�ج ��ي ر ر ج ��ل � �ى ي ح�ل ل� � ي � م ع � � �ذ � ق �ة ن ت �ف غ ف ق ن ق ح���ه�ا * اي�ح�ل �لر ج���ل ا � ��ي���ى د ا �ب� ا ا �ل� ��ي���د ر �ع��ل� �ع��ل���ه�ا * ا ��س�� � �ي��ود �ى �ل�ه�ا � � ر ا لله ى م �ع�ن �ذ ا ا ��ل��ت ش �� ه ا � �� ا � ا �� ا ن � غ� ا ا ض ه �غ � ��م � �ث �ة � � ا �م�ز � �ة � � ا ��� ��ي ر حرو� و �ل� ر و�ع� و �ل� �ه� ���ب ي�� * و ل�ص� ح ب� ر �ض � �ي �� د ر ر� ّ �� ا ��ل ش��� �ع� ا ن� � ش�����ت � ه�ا �م ن��ه � � �� ��ل� �ع��ل�ه�ا �م�ن � ت��عه�د�ه�ا �ا �م��س��قي���ة * ا �ف�ل�ا ي ج�� � �ع��ل� ا ��ل �ي � ويوى ي� ح� ك�م� ر ى ي ر�ي � ب ٍح ى تغ ّ ّ � ش ت��ا ي�ن � �ذ ��ا ن � ا �ن ت ا � ف �ظ � � ن ة �و���س����� له�ا * � او ا ك�� � ا �ل� � �� � �و� ح�� �� ا �ل�����س�ل �م�����رك�� �ب�� ا �لر ج���ل � او�ل�م ار � ب���ل ج��ل� � ي ج ا ت ق ف � ا ف �َ � � ��ا � ن ا � ض ا �ذ ق � ت ن ق � ا � ت ض � �خ ن ا ت � ش ا رك��ا ��ه �م ت���ص �ب��ه� �و�م ��و���� �ع�ل� �ه�م� ا �ي � ��� ��� ا ا ا ��� ي�ه� �ل��م �ل� �ي��ك�و� ا �ل��ط�ل� �� �م�����رك�� ب�ي�� � �ّ ََ � �ذ �ذ � � �ا ف �س��ا ب� ��ل��ك * ا ا �ل��ط�ل�ا �ق� �ع ن��د �ى �م�ن �غ��ي�ر ��سب�� ب� ا ن� �ه�و ا �ل�ا �ب� �� طر �و��س���ه * ا �ل� � ب
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to the cock, attentive to her husband’s needs while making love, gripping his member tight with her slit, not to say head over heels in love with him and perfectly willing to entertain any request he might make for anal intercourse, she will turn her attention to someone else, to incite his jealousy and make him love her as he did before. Some imbeciles only recognize their wives’ worth when they see other men loving them. In such cases, her love for another becomes the cure that restores his love for her, and this we call daghdaghah or zaghzaghah (“tickling”) or saghsaghah (“working to and fro like a loose tooth”). “‘As far as men’s faults are concerned, I swear they are more than wom- 3.18.14 en’s, though if their only fault was premature ejaculation that would be enough. Whether dissolution of the marriage is permitted or forbidden in such a case is a matter of debate. The Christians forbid it, even though they claim that the purpose of marriage is, specifically, procreation and the preservation of mankind, while the natural scientists and philosophers require it on precisely the same grounds, as well as out of consideration for the woman’s marital rights regarding her husband, which are a natural thing both necessary and unavoidable. Thus the marriage remains a matter for the two partners to decide: if they wish, they may remain as they are, or if not, they may separate, which is better—and I swear that any woman who consents to reside with her husband without consummation of her conjugal rights deserves to have a day set aside to celebrate her at the beginning of each year. Does not your mentor, the author of the Qāmūs, whose words you quote whenever some topic concerning women comes up, say, “Rajul (‘man’): too well-known to require definition; also, one who has frequent intercourse”? If, then, the husband isn’t a man, why should he keep in his possession a woman whom he does not provide with her rights? Is it lawful for a man to own a riding animal if he cannot feed it?’ (I seek refuge with God from this comparison!) ‘Or for a man to own land if he doesn’t plow it, or sow it, or water it? Is it not, in such a case, the duty of the legitimate ruler to purchase it from him and put someone in charge of it who will maintain it and exploit it? And if procreation and the preservation of mankind are the joint responsibility of the man and the woman—with, indeed, the preponderance of their basic elements being specific to her and dependent upon her—why should not divorce also be their joint responsibility, when occasion requires? Divorce for no cause is, in my opinion, wanton and shameless.
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آ �ق � � �ف ف ق � �م�ن �ذ ��ل��ك ا ن� ر �و��س�� ا ��لن��ص�ا ر�ى ��ا �ذ �ن��و ن� ���فى �مث��� �ه��ذه ا ��ل � او ب�� ح�ا �ل ��ى � ار �� ل ي ح � ا ا �ذ ن ن � ا ��ف ��ز � ن �ك�ن آ � ض ا � ا � ا � � ا � ��ف �� ه � � � � ع �و�ل��ك�ن �ل� �ي� � ��و� �ل�ه�م� �ى ا �ل � او�ج � او � �ي�� د � ء ا �لر ج ��ل � ��� �ل� �ل� �ير�ج �ى ل� �ع�ل�ج �ى ة �ن ف ا � ه � �ن �ز � ت ه �ف ا ّ � �ة �ف �ذ � ى � ك�� �م�د� ا � ���ص� �ل� ع �و�ج �� * � � ��رر �م�ن �ت�ز �و�ج� �ه�ا ب��غ���ي�ره ح�م� ��ى �ل��ك � او �ى ض� ���ا���ة ف � � ا � �ن ي�ن � �ن ا ت ف ّ ا ا �ت �ن ن ا �ن ف ق �غ ا �� �لي ��و�ل��د�ه� ا �لب� �� � او �لب� � � * ���ل�ع��ل�م� �ي� ��ى �م ب����ي�� �م ��ي� ��و�� ��ي�ره �ب� �ل��ك���س�ل � او �لرك�� ك��� �ي��ص�ي�ر ن ا ��ت �ن ن ا �ت ا �ن ��تت��ّ � ح�م�� �ب�ا �� �لو��س�ا �و��س � او ��ل�ه� او ج� را �هب��ا ا �و �م ��ط ار �ن�ا * �و�ع��س�ى ا � �ي� �ى �م ب���� � �ه� �م �� س س � �ف � �ذ � ف � ح��ا �ي��ة �ع�ن ا �لب��ا ر�ى ��ت�ع�ا ��ل�ى ا �ن�ه ح�ل�ا � �ت��ص�ي�ر را �هب���ة * �ه� ا �و�ق�د �ورد ��ى ا �لت��ورا �ة � ك� � او �ل�ا � م ق ا � �ت� ��ا �ث�� ا � ا �م�ل��أ � ا ا ��ل�ا �� �ع�� �م��ا ��لغ����ة ف���ه * �ف�ا ن� �َ�م�ْ ا ��ل�ا �� � ش���ًا ��� ج�� �خ� ا ��ه�ا ل ر �ض ب ر ي و ب ر ب � ي �� �ل ك� ور و و ر �ض ل�ى ب ��ا �ع�م ا ��ن �ا * � �ق�ا �� �م�ا � ��ل ا ن ا �ل��م ا �ة ت خ ���ل�� ��ن ��ف ��س�ه ���ت ����ت �ه�ا ا ��ل��ن ��ي�ن ا ��ل�ص�ا ��ل � ح��ي�ن * ر � ب �ل ر �ه و ل ر ب ��و ��س � ر ص ب بي � �ن �ظ � �� �ي�ن �ف��ه� ��ت�ع��ل�ق ا ��ل�ز � �� � ا ��ل�ز � ���ة �ع�ن ا ��ل�ز � ا �� �م ���ط�ا ��ق ��لن���ّ �ه��ذ�ي�ن ا �ل � ك�� � ل ي �� وج و و�ج ح�م�� * ا � �� ر ا ل�ى ا ��ه�ل وج ب �� ص ت ث � ف ��� ا ��ل ��ا ��ل �من ف����ص��ل��ي�ن �ع�ن ا �ز � ا � ه� � �ع�ا �ئ ش �ه��ذه ا ��ل � ر�ة �ف�ا �ن��ك ج���د ا ك�� �����ي�ن �ب�ا �ل��س���ا � * �ج و ر و �ج � ر ح �ج�ز�ي م �ق �ص ّ � ن� �ع�� ا ن� �ذ ��ل��ك ا � ��ف ق �م�ن ا ��ل�ز � ا �� ا ��ل ش��� �ع� * �م� ا ن� ا �� �ل�ق ��س����س��ي�ن و� �و���سي����س�و��هم �م� رو ل و ى ي � ر � ى ج �ت ئ ع آ �� � ا � ��ف ن ��ل ق ق � �غ �ة � ا ن ل � �ل� �ي�عر �و� ا � ا � �ر�ي����س ر �و��س�� �ع��ل�ى �ج ��د ح� ��و�� ا �ل�ز �و�ج�ي�� �ل� ��ن �ه� ��ي�ر �م��ت�ز �و�ج���ي�ن * ا ��ي ��ص م ح �م�م�ن ���ا ي� ن ��س�و ن� � ن �ة ��ل ح �و ب� � او �ل�مب��ا ر �ز �ة * ف���ق���ل ت� لله د رك �م�ن ا �ي�ن ��ل��ك �ه��ذ ا ك� ����ل�ه ل ح � �ص��ع� ا �ر � � � � �ق ا �ل���ل �ة ��ل ة ق � �و�ق�د ���ط�ا �ل�م�ا ا �ش��ت��ب��ه �ع��لي���ك ا ��ل�ا �م د � اولم ح�� �ع ن��د �ق�د �و�م ن��ا �ه��ذه ا � ر� * ��ا �ل ت� ح�ل�و� ي ر �ج�ز�ي �ن ��ن َّ ��ن � ا � ث ن �ن�غ ��ف �ف � �ن ��ن ��ف ت � ش��� ا �ة ا ض� ت ت ن ا ر ب رر ��ر�م� ا ��� �و� * ا ��ى ك��� ا �عر� م ��س�ى ا �ى �ل� ا �لب�� ا � 1ا � ب�� �ى �ذ � � � ث �ذ � ��ن ت � ��س � �ن � �ت�ز �ي�ن � �ن ا ��خل ف ة �ه� ا * �و �ل�ك �ل�� ��ل�ا �� � ا �ك��ر�ة �م�ا ك��� ا رى � او �م� ع ا�لم� �و�ج�� م و�لم�ع�ا ��سر� * ع � � ا �ل� ن ا �ف ة � ا ��س� ا � �ق ا ت ا � ا ن � � � ا �غ � � � � � � �ن ا ا �غ �ا�ش ن ا � � � س � و �ل������كو وم�� ر� * �ل� يم� و �د ر ��ي� �ل� � ب�ل�د ��ي ر ب�ل�د ى و� ��س� ��ي ر � �ى * ّ � �ة �خ ت ت ا ت � ة ح ا ��ل�ا �غ� � ب���ة * ف�ت�� ج�ه � ت� �ت��ل�ك ا ��ل ش��� ار ر�ة ا �ل ��تى ك� ���ا ن�� ت� �م�ود �ع� و � او � �ب��ر� �ع� د ا � �ج��د�ي��د� � او ��و �ير �ف �خ ا � ت ��آ ا � ا � ا �� ا �ل� ت غ� ا ة ح ت � ا ن ا �� � ة � ا �ن �ف ح��ي�ن �ه� ت �ع��ل� � � حو ل م��� �ير� ح��د� � او �ل� � � ار د � ب � ي�ه�ا �ن بك��� �ل� � �ى �� ��طر�ى �� د م� � ل�و � ا ��س ا ��ف � � �ة � ق ا �� ت � ا �ت ن �ذ � �خ� �� � ش �ؤ ن � ا ن �ة �� �� � � � س م� * ط � او �ل � � و ��� �و� ا�لم�بت�� ��ي �� * �و �ل� ي�م� �ى �لي��ل� ا �لر����ص ل ��ى �ل� � ى ر ٍح ت � ف � ن �ا � ا ��ف � �ق �ق ا �� � ا �� � ا � ن آ � ا و �ل����س�� �و �ل� �ب��د �م�ن ا �ل ش���ر�و �ي��ه * ب��ب��ا �ل�ى ا � ا �م��ل�ى �ع��لي���ك ك���� ب� �ى ح ��و� لر�ج � ل ع ا ��ل�ز � ���ي�ن و�ج
ن ن :1855 1ا � ا �.
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“‘Uglier still is the fact that the Christian leadership permits the separation 3.18.15 of the husband and wife in such cases but does not allow them to remarry, even though the man’s disorder is inveterate and it is not to be expected that it will be cured during the period of his separation from his wife. Where is the wisdom in that, and what harm is there in her marrying someone else who can cause her to bear boy and girl children? If one of her boys should turn out to be lazier or lamer in his use of Arabic than most, he can always become a monk or a metropolitan, and should any of her girls turn out to be particularly fond of confusions, delusions, and dreams, she can become a nun. What’s more, it is told in the Old Testament that the Almighty Creator said, “Multiply and fill the earth”247 (ignoring the exaggeration, for if the earth were to fill with people it would necessarily be ruined, not made prosperous) and Saint Paul says that “a woman saves herself by raising righteous children.”248 Is the suspension of husband and wife from remarriage an application of what these two authorities have laid down? Look at the people of this island and you’ll find that most of the men are separated from their wives and living in sin, and their priests insist that this is more proper than legal marriage even though the priests know nothing about conjugal rights because they aren’t married. Would it be right to choose an army’s leaders from those who are not skilled at the art of war and combat?’ “‘How clever you are!’ I said. ‘But where did you acquire all this knowl- 3.18.16 edge, given that, when we first came to this island, you couldn’t tell a beardless boy from a man who’d shaved off his beard?’ ‘Many a spark has lit a furnace,’ she replied. ‘I always knew in myself that it wouldn’t be long before I became an expert in such things because of all the conflict and quarreling, complaining and contradicting that I saw and heard concerning married couples, and especially now that I’ve seen a country and people other than my own and have had experience of new customs and strange situations. That spark that was lodged in my mind beneath the dung heap of loneliness and isolation burst into flame the moment the gusts of changing circumstance and varied affairs veered across it, especially on the unforgettable night of the ball. From that time on, it’s been on my mind to dictate to you a book on the rights of men and women, and you must make a start on it.’
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آ � ن � �ف � � �ق�ا ��ل ��س�ا �ف���ع�ل �ذ ��ل��ك ا ن� �ش���� ا لله �و��ل�� �ك�ن ا �ل�ا �م�ي�ر �ي���ت�ظ� �� ر �ق�د �و�م�ى �ع��لي��ه ��ى ا�لم�ع��ت�ز �ل �غ��د ا ت ّ � ق ن ش �آ � ت � � ف � ل��ا ب� * �ق�ا ��ل ت� �ق�د � ش�����في� ت� ا �ل�ا ن� ق���لي��ل�ا ب��م�ا ق���لت��ه ��ل�ا �ب��د �م�ن ا �لت��و�ج��ه ا �لي��ه �ب���ل ا ����� ا � ك�� � ن � ا �ت �ن � ف �ذ � ا ق �ة � ا ف تغ �و ا � �ل� ��ع�ا �ود ��ى �ه��ذه ا �ل� �هت����ا �ع� ا �ل� � او ن�� ت� �ه ن��ا * ��ا ��س����ا ث� ��ا �ه ب� ا �لي��ه � او رج � � ت �ذ ت �� * ث�� �ذ �ه� ا ��ل� ا ��ل�ا �م�� ا �ل� ش �س��ع�ا � او ��س��تر ج� �س�و�ز * � او � م����ا ر ا �لي��ه � بو���ع�د � او � � ير ب ى م ع ع �ا� ا ث �� �� ة � ا �ت�ز � ا �ف � � ه �� ن قض � �ة ��م ف ح��� �ف�ا ل ه � � � ل ل � � � � ا � � ا ا ا � ا ا ل م�د� م م ا � �����ى ع� �ل� �ع� ل ��س� ر ع� �ى �ي �ط� ي�� � ر ج� ع �ى �ج�ز�ير و م �� ا � ا � ا � � � ا �ن ا و ��ع�ا �م�ه * �ب� ك�ر م �ل� م�ي ر
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“‘I shall do so,’ I said, ‘God willing, but the emir is expecting me to go to 3.18.17 him in the quarantine quarters tomorrow, and I shall have to go to see him before writing down the book.’ ‘I’m feeling a little better now,’ she said, ‘after what I told you, so go to him, and I just hope that the same fit doesn’t take me again when you’re not here, for if it does I shall have to call on God for help and inspiration, seek refuge with Him and say, “From God we are come and He is our final destination.”’” Then the Fāriyāq went to the aforementioned emir and, after spending the period of his quarantine with him, traveled with him to Italy. Then he returned to the island, surrounded by tokens of the emir’s hospitality and liberality.
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ا �� ��ل�ف��ص ا ��ل��ت�ا ��س� �ع ش �� � �ل ع ر � ئ �ش�� ت ي �ڡ �ع � ��جا �� ب� ��ى ُ �َ ْ �َ �نََْ ُ �َل ٌ �خُ��زَ ْ�ع � ه �ْق ف �ل ق ْ� ة اَ ْ �َ �� ْ �� �تْ � � * ج�ع � � � � ع � ل � � � د � � � ع � � � � �د � ح� د � � � * * * � � �� � ع � ل � � �م � �� ط � � ب� � ى فِ � ي �� ِ ب ر ب ب��ل�ِب ي س ب ب ب طِ ي فِ كِ ر ِ ص ضَ َ َ َ �زَ ْ � َ�عْثَ َ� �� ّ ��فْ ت �غَ ف ّ �ْت َ ْ ّ ُ ْ ���ْ َ ْ ف� نْ���ك � �ر ِا د ب�ج�ر * �و�ل �ي �ى ب جِ���ل ِ� �� ط� ا � � ْر�و �ر�ى * ح��ك �ب��هر * هِ� � ر �ه ك ِ � م ح�ا ا ��ل �ق��ع�ا ا ��ل �ف�غ���ا ا ��ل �ص�ع�ا ح�ا الم���س ا ن� ا ��ل�ا �ن��س�ا ن� ��ل�ا �ي��ع �ف� ��ن ��ف ��س�ه * �ه��ذه ��س�يّ�د ���تى ا ��لر���س � � ر ر ر ر ��� � ّ � � � � � � � � خ � �خ � � ّ ق ْ ل ا ا ا �ل� ا ا �ل�م� �ا ا �ل��م�ز � ا ا ��ل�ع� �ا ا ل ق � ّ��ا ا�ل�مِ�ز �ل� �� � �وا ا �ج�ل ه��ا ا ج� �� ��ض �مرد � ار ا �ل�ز �ل� ا � �ل��ع� او ا �لن �� �� او ا �لث� ��ط�ا ا �ل� ص�ل ج � � ص�ل و ب ي ج ف � �� ش ا ا ��ّ�ة ق � �ت ن ف ��ق �َ � �َ ُ ت �صه�ا �ع�ن ����ذ ا �ل��م ا ف��د � او ل �ص � ا �ل�ِم نْ��د ا �� ا � �ل����ل ح��س��ة ��ت خ� � ح���� �ي� �وكب��� �� ��ط�ن � ��� ا� ك � �ب�ه �مي�� � ص ل��ر� او ا �ل�ع� �و ب ر ج آ آ آ � � � � �ة �ن ا �ث��د � ا �ت � � ن ا �ك�ن �م�ن ا �ي�ن �ج��� �ت��ك ��ا ��س �د ���تى �ه��ذه ا ��ل ط��� * �و��ل�� ح�لي�� �ي ي� �ه� �ل ��وه�م ا �ل�� ��س ا � �ه� د �ه��س� �و �� ب ي �ي ن � � شُ �ا َ � َ � �ذ �ذ �ة � ���ة ح� ا � �لق��د �ى * �و� ا �ل��ل � ا � ح�ن �نر�ى را �عي���ك ك� ���ا �ل�ي�را �ع� ا �و ك���ع�ود ا �ل��� ك� �� �ع�ى * ا�لمب�� رك�� �و�ه� ا �م ِ � ��ا � ش � ���ا ��ل�ص�ا � �� �ن��ة ا ��ل��ت �غ� ���س� ��ه�ا ا �� �لق��ّ ا ن ق � ��ا � ا � �ص� ر ل ب� �و�ع����ك ك�� �ل�ع�ص� � �وي��د �ي�ك ك�� �لم��� ��ط �و �و�ج� �ه�ك ك� ب و ى �ث ا � قَ ي�ن � فَ ّ �ي�ن � � ّ� � � َ �ة �ت ئ � ��ا � ق ف ��ت���ف ���ك �م��ؤ ��لّ��لت���ي�ن �ي�� ب� ا � �ل� ِ�د �ي��د �ي�� � او � �ل��د ا د � او �ل�د ا�ج � او �ل�د ا �ج�� * �و ار ��ب��ك ك�� � �ل�����ص �وك� ي �ف ط���ي�ن �م��س��م ��� ت ح��ّد د �ت��ي�ن �م�ق� ّ�د د �ت��ي�ن �م��س �� ��� ت له��لت���ي�ن �م �ق���ق ت���ي�ن �م�د �ق���ق ت���ي�ن ��م ط���ي�ن * �ف ك ��ي ��� �م�ه�� � ر ر بر � �ق �ف � � �غ� � �� ت ف � ا ��ل��� �ة ّ � ��م��ي�ن � �ع�م� ت � �ع�ن ا �لب��ا ��ى * ط�ي��ع� �و��س�م�ن�ت��ك ��ى �ه��ذ�ي�ن ا �لم�و ض� ���ع��ي�ن ا � ك �ل�ط� �ي��ك ب ل��ير و ي � ُ ْ آ َ � َنْ ة ��زَّ ا �� َ �� �َُ��نْ ف �ة � � نّا �ة � �ه��ذه ��س �د ���ت ا ��لُ���ْ�لق�� ���ط��ة ا ��ل��دُ ْ�ع ش � ح�ب��ر� ا �ل �� �ز� ا جل ��ْعب��ر�ة ا ��ل ���وق���ة ا �ل�زُ�لن ��ق� ���ط��ة ا ج �ل� � حر�قِ � ��� ا �ل�ِد �� �م� � و �ي ى ب و ب َ � ُ ّ ُ َ َ � � ن �ة � ِ�زّ ة � َ نّ�ة �ُ ْ �ت ة �ل� � �ُّ ا �ة ا �� ��قُ َ ْ �ز َ�ة ا �� �قَ ْ �َ�ق�ز ّ�ة �ة �ة ُ َ ف ن ا ��ل�ز ���ا � ا �ل�ع ش����� ا �ل � ��ر � ا �ل�زِ � �و� ا �ل ح��د � �ه� ر� ا �ج ب�� �ع� ل �م�ه �� ل ح� ا �ل�ز َح�� ا �ل �ه �� � � � ب ضِ ب ي ي ي ا ��لُ ْ ُ � �ة � �َ ّ �ة �� قَ فَ ن�ْ�ز �ة ا �� �ُ�ق ُ��نْ ض �ة ا �� � نْ ئ ا �� ��ق ئ ا �� �قَ �ْ نَ �ة ا �� ��قُ نُْ �ة ا �� �َ�ق�زَ �ة �� �قُ �ذَ ْ�ع � �ة �ه� ��� �فِل �ِ���ل ل �ن���ل ل�ع�ب�� ل ب���ع� ل �م� ا ل�� �م�ل� �ص�ل� ا �ل�د را �م� ا �ل���� �ع� ل رب�� ب� َ َ �ُ�ق ْ�زُ َ ْ َ � ��ْ ت �ة � قُ ّ ��ل �ْ�ئِ�ز ��ز ْ ق �ة ا �� ��قُ نْ ُ ض �ة �� � ْ�زَ ْ � �ة �ل� �َ � �ُ�زُ ّق �ة �ة ْ � ة ا ��ل ��� ا �قِل ر � حب��ن ��ط�ا � ا �ل��د �َود ر�ى ا � �ل ر � ح�ل� ا ح �� ح� ا �ل�ك�ع�� ا � �ل���ل�ى ا جِ��ل� ا �ل �عنِ ���� ل �ب�� 326
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Chapter 19
Assorted Wonders
Wonders! Marvels! Prodigies! Miracles! Sensations! Astonishments! Things
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to gawp at, things to learn from! Things stupendous! Things incredible! Things beyond understanding! Things beyond imagining! The fantastic, the extraordinary, the bewildering, the outlandish, the awesome, the amazing! Bewilderments and puzzlements! Descriptions beggared! Beliefs staggered! Holy mackerel and holy cow! Verily, men delude themselves. This bitty-buttocked,249 thin-thighed, shrivel-shanked, barely boobed,
3.19.2
ant-armed mistress of mine uses pads, stuffing, and balls of yarn to puff out her shift at her breasts so as to make people think she’s big-busted and wellendowed, but from where, my lady, are you supposed to have acquired this ample form, this appetizing flesh, when we can see that your arms are like writing-reeds or prickly artichoke stems, your neck like a stick, your hands like combs, your face like the cake of soap a fuller uses to wash the clothes of army blacksmiths and camel drivers, donkey drivers, and camp followers, your rib cage like a chicken coop, and your shoulders honed and boney, thinned and flattened, delineated and desiccated, weedy and woggly? How could Nature have made such a mistake as to fatten you at those two noble spots and turn a blind eye to the rest? This short,250 little, teeny, tiny, diminutive, itty-bitty, shrimpy, stunted, stubby, runty, scrunty, strunty, squaddy, knurly, squabby, hodmandod, miniature, minuscule, micromorphic, dwarfish, pygmy, puny, pint-sized, homuncular, hop-o’-my-thumb, gnomish, nanoid, fubsical, sesquipedalian chit of a mistress of mine leaps and bounds, stretches her neck out and holds her head straight, sticks her neck out with head held high, walks like
327
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3.19.3
�ف ��ي
�ع ا ئ ش ت ج�� �� ب� �����ى
�ذ �تُ �� �ت ت ا � ��ت�ع�� ��تَ َ ت � � ت �ت � �ف ث �ت ّ ا ا �م ش��� ت� � ��ط� ر � �وت��� ب� �و� �ه�ط �� � �و�� �ل� �و ��س ه�� � �و�ت� ��ط�ا �ل�ل �و� ش���ر��ئ ب� � �و �ص��ل�ه ب� � �و � ب عت ع ج ع �ت�ز ّ �تش��� ّ ت �ت �ق ��ا ا ن ا ��لن ظ �� ا �ي�ن � ا �ن ن ش ا ا � � � � � � � � � � ح ه � م � � � � � * �� � ع���ه� * و �ل� � ه ��� � � � � � س� ل � � � و ر و ر و � ب ل ي ب �و م��ع�ل � �و� ر ص ب ي م � ف ت �ن ا � ا �ذ �ن ا خ � ن ّ ف �وا ��طر��ه * �و �ل�ا �ي��د ر �و� ا ��ي � ار ��ش� �ي��لي ��ق� �ب��ه�ا * �و�ه��ذه ٤،١٩،٣ ��ي����ر �و� �ه� �و �ل� �ي�� ر�ع�و� �ه� ب�� م �ّ�ة � �� ّ �ة ا � �� �خ� ّ �ة � ف ا � �ة � ت �ة � �ت � ح �ة � � �ه �آ � ا ّ �ة ل� خ ح�م� ا � �لق��ا ��م� ا � �لق��ا ��م� ا �ل�د �م� ا�لم�د�ه� �م� ��س�ي �د ��ى ا �ل��س�ود ا ام�� ��سم� ا�لم�د ل�ه�م� �لم�طر �م� ا � �ل�� �َتْآ � � �ة � �آ � � ا ّ �ة ا ��ل آ � آ � �خ آ � َ َ ْ �َ �خ � �ُْ ة ا ��ل �م�� ا �ل��د �ج� ن��� ا �ل��د � ن��� ا �ل ح�م�� ا�لمب��ر ���ط�م� ا �ل��د �لم�� ا�لم�د �ل� �م� �� �ح�س � ح�ف��د �ل��س ��ت ��ط��ل� �و�ج� �ه�ه�ا �ب�ا �ل�مر� ِ ى � �ُ َ َ � � � ّ � ث � ت �ة �ة �ت ْ �ظ �خ �ت َ ت ش ن � � او �ل�غ��م �ة � او �ل�غ�م ن�� � او �ل � ي�ه� ����ز را * � �و���ي��ه حور � او �ل �ر ن�� * �� � �ص�عر���د�ه�ا �ل��ل ن��ا ��س � �و� �� ر ا �ل� � ر �ي م م ض آ � � � ت � �ذ ن ا ا ف �خ � � � ي�ه� د �ل� �ل� �وكب���را * ��ا ا � �ع��ل� ح�ا �و�ل� او ا � �ير � او �م�و� ���ع�ا � �ر �م�ن ج ��س�م�ه�ا ا د ا � �له ر � �م م � �ّ � �ذ �� � ا �ل� ض م���ق ش�� ا �ل��م�ز �ّ * � � � ت ش ا ف ا �ف ا ئ ض ��� ا �ل�م���ط�� ّ الم ���ا �ئ�ه�ا ح�مر * ا �ل ن � و ر و ج ��ع�ل��ه ���� ���ع� ��ى ��س� �ر ا �ع� � ل�ك م�و�ع ل�ى � ن � �ن ا �ف � � � ن �ز �ش ف �ت ن � غ ّ� ن ���ا �م�ن ا �ل ك �ه�ا ا �ش���د ب��ي��ا ض� م�� � ���و�� � او � �ل�و� �ه� ��ى ا �ل�لي���ل �ي��ك�و� ا ��هى � او �وه�م � �ه�م ا � ا�لم�� ��ط�ى �م � آ �ا � �ف � ا �س�م�ا �ع ن��د ا ��خل ���ل�و�ة * �ف�ا �ن�ه �ي�ز د ا د �ب��ه�� �و�ج���ل�و�ة * �ورب��م�ا � ك ح�� ت� �م ن��ه ��ى ا �لن��ه� ر * �و �ل� � ي �ن ا � ا ق ا ت �ف � غ ة � �ا �ة � �ة ت � �ك�ن �� ا � ��ق ت � ا �ن � ك� � �ل� �ص�ل�ا � �ش���ا � �ه�ا * ح�� �ي� ��ط�ي�و��ل� ���د �ل �ع��ل�ى ا � �ه� �لم� �� �م� ��ى ا �ل���د ا � �ل�م �ي�� ل�ه� و ح �ت � ا ت �� ف �خ ت ف���ل���� ت س� ��ث��ا ��ه�ا �ع�� �ع �خ ت ٥،١٩،٣ ���ل �و�ر ج�� �و��هى �ل� ���د ر�ى ك�ي��� �ر ج�� * �و�ه��ذه ��س�ي �د ��ى ي ب � ل�ى ج ب ْ � َّ َ � ْ � َ َ ق � � � ّ � َ� � �ز ا �ل ت �ة ا �ل� �ة � شَ ْ �ة ا �ل���ل �ة ا �ل� ��ف ع ش�����لي���ل ا �ل� �ص�ه�ص��لي ��ق� * طه��م�ل ِحب�� * ا �لج�ع� �ه�د �م� * حِ���ل� ا �ل����ه �رب� * ا �ل�� � �و م � � ا �� �� �� �ْ � ا ��ل شَ�����ْلَ ق ا ��ل � نْ ظ� ������ ا ��ل ش��� ش ا ج��ل م�����ل ��ق ا ��ل�� ���ل� ر ا �ل ش�����ف ش�����لي ��ق * ا ��ل �� � � ل � حر �� د د ط* �� �� ط � ط� �� �� � �م� جِ ر ر ي ب ي �خِ � � بي س ُ ر ي س � َ ْ َ ن ���ْ � شَ ْ�ف�ز�يق �� � ْ شَ فّ �ة � ْ ْ � � � �خ � ْ � � ل ا � ل� � � ا �ل�� � ا ْ ش � * ا �له ������ ا ل ح ��� ا �ل��ل��ط��ل��ط * ا �ل�هي��ع � � ك � � ��ط * ا �ل �� � * حك �ب���ل� رو جِ �ِ ر � ِبر � ِ ��م� �ل� جِ�ر ِ ح � �ت�ز �ح َ �ذ ا ��لن��عث � �ة ا ��لن غ� ظ � �ة � �ة � �ة ح شْ َ ة �ِ�ز ا ة آ � ا ت� ا � �ل�ق �ن�ث��ل� � او �لن ���ق ث���ل� * �و ��ل� �و � � � ( )1ا ��س���م� ا �ل�ع��� �ز � �����ل� (� * )1ل� �ل ����ور ع �ه� م �ج و ث نت ّ �تت ف تّ �تت ّ ت ���ر �م��ن ا � ��ع�د اك ح�زّ �ق� �ث��و���ه�ا �م�ن �ع ن��د �خ� �ص �ه�ا * �و��تُ�ه��ل�� ا �ذ ا �ج��� � ل�� � � ����ى � �و�� ب �ص��ى �و ر س س ب � �ة � ض �ة � �غ آ ا ��ل ن �ة ا �� غ� ض �ة ا ��ل فت �ف � �ت ��ل ��� ٦،١٩،٣ � ��� ا �ل� �ر * ��س��ي��ع� ل�� ي�ه�ا ��ى ��ى �وك��ر�ه�ا * �و�ه��ذه ��س�ي �د ��ى ا ج �مي���ل� ا �لب�� آ آ آ آ ّ � ُ � � � � �ص��� �ة � � � ضُ � ة � ��ق ن �ة �خ �غ ����ل��ة ا ��ل��د ج�ع ا � �ف�ل �ر * ا �ل� ب ي� ح� ا �ل�ز �ه �ر * ا �ل�عب��هر ا �ل�ي��د � * ا �ل � ��� * ا ��خل �ر��د� ا �لم�و � �و� ي � آ ��� آ ��لخَ � �ذ � �َ ا � �ق � �ة � ا لع ��و�ف� ا �ل ش���ن��ب��� * ا � ��بنِ���ة ا ��ل�� � �لف��ا * ا �ل��سِ��ل�م��ة ا �� ك� ل��ا �ع ب� * �لم�ص ��و�ل� �ج�ز� * ا �لر�ش � � خ � �ت ت � � ��مغ���ا �ز ��لت�ه�ا * � ��ت�ف���ت�ن ا ��ل��ترا ��ئ� * ا ��ل ح��ل�و�ة ا �ل�ا �ب���ت��س�ا � * ا �لر�ي�م��ة ا �� ك� � ل��ل�ا �م * ا �ل��ى � ك ��س��ر ب و � ب م 328
328
Assorted Wonders
an ostrich, or an estrich, cranes and strams, peers toward things, frisks, prances, rushes like a stream of melting snow—and thinks the onlookers aren’t measuring her inch by inch with their eyes, aren’t groping her span by span and cubit by cubit in their minds, and aren’t thinking over what bed would suit her best. This black251, sable, ebony, pitchy, inky, tar-bedaubed, raven-like, char-
3.19.4
coal-tinted, swarthy, smutty, dusky, sooty, melanic, melanous, melanotic, melanoid, melanistic mistress of mine paints her face with Indian yellow, saffron, ceruse, rouge, and lipstick and then makes a sour face at men and looks at them askance, bestowing on them from on high glances of coquetry and pride. Should any try to see any other part of her body, she turns on them the part that’s painted and rouge-caked, embellished and faked, and makes that the intercessor for the rest of her limbs, causing them to believe that the parts of her that are covered are of a whiter white than the part that’s exposed and that her color by night is more fluorescent than by day, especially if seen in seclusion, when it increases in beauty and profusion. She may tell a long tale of how, when she got up in the morning, she had no time to set herself to rights, that she dressed in a hurry and left, she has no idea how. This old,252 aged, elderly, decrepit, withered, shrunken, wizened, wrin-
3.19.5
kly, crabbed, shriveled, long-in–the-tooth, infirm, weak, debilitated, motheaten, doddery, tottery, grandevous, gerontic, badgerly, veterascent, senescent, doting, hoary, feeble, ravaged, wasting, superannuated mistress of mine, who kicks up the dirt as she waddles along bowlegged like a geriatric, (1) affects, for all that, girlishness, maidenly ways, and childishness, cinching her robe tight around her waist and
(1) The words for old women are too many to count.
smiling if a young man come to visit her in her den. This beautiful, plump and handsome, graceful, juicy and comely, bonny and bright, lovely (both inwardly and outwardly) and delicate, smooth and black-eyed, virginal, chaste, and big-buttocked, sweet-breathed and pearlytoothed, soft-voiced and small-nosed, silken-breasted, glabrously ribbed, prettily smiling, melodiously speaking mistress of mine, who intoxicates with her coquettish shilly-shallying, enchants with her dallying, captivates the heart of him who never in his life felt desire before, robbing him of his senses and leaving him disturbed, enslaving him and rendering him perturbed, even though he be on his guard against her and call upon his good
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3.19.6
�ف ��ي
�ع ا ئ ش ت ج�� �� ب� �����ى
�ت ّ �ت ّ تت تت ّ ��ت ن �ص� �ف�� ا د �م�ن �ل�� � � ُ َ ��م��ا �ع��لت ا �ص� �ع�مره * � �و���ب���ل�ه � �و�ي���م�ه * �و��عب��ده � �و �يه�م�ه * � او � بب � �ه� * �و � ب�ى و م �ي ب ت ت �ذ � �ف ح ه �ت ا � ا �� ش �� �ش���ده � �ص�� ه * � د � ن��ه � � حض ا �خ����ذ �من�ه�ا ح�� ره * � او ���س�� م���� � او ��خل � � � � � * ه � ر و و و ر ر �ي � �ج ب ى ِر ر ر ت ا غ ّ �� �ف �ذ � �ز ق �ن� �ه�ا �ف�ا �ه��ل�ه�ا �ع�ن ا ن� � ح��س�ن �خ� �� ط�و�ه�ا * � �و�تب��د �ى �ه�و�ه�ا * ��د ��ك��س را ��س�ه� �و����ض� �طر � ت � �ّ � ت ّ� ا ��لتخ�� ف � � ��ل���� ��ه�ا �ش��� �م�ن ا ��لت���غ�ن� � ا ��لت�ض �� �� � ا ��لت��� ّ �� � ا ��لت�غ� ��ّ �� � ا ��ل� ح� � � او �ل��دب � �و � �� � او �لت��د �ع���ل ل � � و و و ر وي س ب � ى ب و ج � ج � � ج � و رج ج ج ج ج � � ت تن ف � ا ��لت � � � ا ��لت����غ�ن � � �ت � � � � �ت�ز�� � ت �ن � �خ و ��د حر� و ب �� � � او �ل� ���� * �م� ا � �ه�ا � �لو د ���ل ت� � � او �ل�م�وج� � � او �ل����سرج� � او �ل� ر�ج ر�ج او �ل� �ج ج � ج ع ج � ج � � � � � � ن ة ا ا ف �خ ق ن ا ل ش ا ت �ص � ا ��ل� �ل� * � ا �����د�ه�ا ح�ا ر �وم �ع��ل� � ح����ا �ل� * � �و�ا �و�ل�ه�ا ا يل�م� ��ر�ة ا�لم��ل�ك � �ل��ا � �ل�ه�ا ا � � حض� � � ر �ج و ى م َّ ق ��لت ح�ه�ا ت�خ �ك���ة ا � ت ن � � � ت� ا ��ل � � � � ��خ�ل�ا ف��ه � � ل� ع � ��ف�د ��ي ت���ك �م�ن �م��م��ل ح � ي� � � ي �� غ �ن � �ذ �ن �خ��� �ى �ت�ا �ج��ى �ب�ا د ��ى �ل�ث��م��ة �م�ن �م�ل�ا ��� ف�ي���ك ا �و ا د ��ى ا ر�ت ش����ا ف��ه م � � ض ة ن ا � ه ال�م�فخ � � * ��ل��د� ش ه�� �ع�ن �ش��غ����ل�ه ا ك��� ��ا ا ��له�ا � ا ه �ل � � * م� ك ا �و �ع��ل�ى ح� ��ر� �� م�و��س� �� ب ر � � و و �ز�ير رم م � � ظ� ��ا ت�� ا ��س��ت��س�ل�ا �م�ا * � ا �ن ش����د�ه�ا �ه�ا ا ��خل � او � ع ����ا �م�ا * � او ��ل��قى ا �ل و ي� م �ز َْ � � �ف �� � ا � ��ف � � � ا ا � � ��س � م � ى ا �لي��ك ا � �ل���ص�ل �ى �ك�ل ا �ل� �م�ور ��ع��ل�ى ا ر ي ر و و ي ر ��ف �ا ا ����د� ت ا �ّ�ا د �� �تَْ ا ��ل � �ف��ه ���س��� ��ل��ل ش���غ � � � ��م ل � � �س�و�ر �ل س ��ور ي��ك � �ل ب ي �ل ور � � �� �خ� � ت �م � �ق ا ض� ا �� �ق ض ا ة � ا ل�� �ه�ا ا ��ل�� �ك��ن�ز � او �ل��د ر �و�م�ا �م�� ك � ت� �ي��د ا ه �ول�و د �ل� ج��ل��س � ��ى ل�� ��� � * �ل� �ه�د �ى ا �لي� ن � او � ش����د � ا ّ �ف � � �� ا ن � � ��ذ�� ى ��ى ا ل�ه�و�ى �ل�ه� ��ع��ل� �ح���ظ� � لا �ل�ل� ك�ر � � ا ن � �ؤ � ن �� ن ا �ذ �ذ �ف� � �ل�ى ��س� �ل��ي� م���ه� ا �و ا ك �و ��طر�ى
آ ش � �� �ل د �خ���ل ت� �ع��ل ���ط���� ��ع�ل�ا �� �ت���ت��� ��ل� �ص�ف� ��ل�ه �م�� ا ��ن ��ف ت � �ه�ا * �و�� � ر � و وو �ى ب ي ب �ي ج ي س م ن � او � ش����د
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��س�ا �� �ل�ف ت�ه�ا �
*
*
٧،١٩،٣
Assorted Wonders
sense and endurance, his self-discipline and conscience—this mistress of mine you will observe walking with her head averted and eyes lowered from bashfulness, too shy indeed to step out and display her lusciousness, and showing not a sign of flirtatiousness, bedizenment, or finery, or walking with a provocative gait, or dressing flashily, or wearing brocade, or being prideful, or rocking and rolling from side to side as she walks, or being coquettish, or shaking and swaying, or plucking her eyebrows, or taking wide steps like an ostrich, or her beauty flaunting, or reveling in the first flush of her youth or empty vaunting, even though, should she enter the presence of the king, he’d rise to bid her welcome, handing over to her, to honor her, both scepter and baton, and reciting I hereby ransom you from any fealty to us, To honor which the very caliph’s throne its head should dip. Take my crown, but give me in return the lightest kiss From the edges of your mouth, or tiniest sip! or should she enter the presence of the august confidant of the emir, his honored vizier, he’d be too taken aback with admiration and esteem to go on with his mission, would toss her his ring in submission, and recite To you I cede judgment in all things Over the highest-ranking emir or vizier For what is dustūr253 if not dussa tawrun254 to you? How then can you refuse this career? and, should she enter one of the chief judge’s sessions, he’d bestow on her treasure, pearls, and all his possessions, and recite She has an advantage over me in love— Two parts to which the male can lay no claim.255 Thus I am owed two things, which I demand Of her—and both this and that my lust enflame, and, should she drop in on a physician treating a man for impotence, he’d prescribe him a rub with the cartilage of her nose-end or a sniff of her neckbend, and recite
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3.19.7
�ف ��ي
�ت ق � � �ق ق د �ه�ن ا �ل��س� ن ����و�ر � او �ل��ر�ي�ا �� �ل��ل�ع��ل�ل � �ذ � �ف � ح�تى ا ا �ل� �ي��د ��ى ا �لر���ق��م�ن �و ش�����ل ي م ع
�ع ا ئ ش ت ج�� �� ب� �����ى
� ّ �ذ �� فََ ���ا ب� ف�ي���ك �و�ل��ل�ع ن���ي�ن �ى ا جل� ر ض� ���ل � ا �ش����ف ت��ه ا ��خل ����م ��ن�ع� ا ��خل ��مر�م�ن �ب��د �ل ر م �ر
���ل��� �ة غ� ف� � ا �� �خ� ��� ت ��من�� �� �م ا � ا ��س ��� � ا �م�ن ��ده � ة �ذ � ا �و �لو طر� �ع��ل�ى ج � لر�ى �ل� طر �ل� ب� ي� ح�ي�ر� �و �ه�و �ل� * � بو ب ل� �و� ��و �ل� م ن � او � ش����د �ف � ض ��ل �ن ا �ن � ا �ّ ا �م�ا ��ل��ك ��ى ا �ل���� ح�ى ��س � رى �ل� ج � فّ َّ � ��ق�د ب���ل���ب�ل ا � �ل��ف�� ك�� �ى �م ن���ك ���م����ل�ك ل�
�ن � ��ل��ي� ا ظ ������ل��م�ا ��ف�ه� ا �ل�م��ن� ب� ��ج� � ل و ير ح �ذ � �ف���ع��ل���ك ��ت�ق�� ���ي� ا �ل�� �ى ��م�ا ��ق�ّ ��م�ا و ي و� م
� �� � ا � �ع��ل ف����ل��س� �ف� ��ل���ذ �ه� ت� �م�ع�ه � ك� �ت ن �ه�ا ر�ش���د ا ��د �ل��ل�صب��ر �ع � ح��م��ه ��س�د �ى * �و�ل�م ي ج و �ى ي و ب ن � او � ش����د ��ذ �ذ � � �ذ �ت�ق � �ل � �م�ن � ك� ح��ا ك ا ج���س��م��ي�ن � � ت��دح� ا �ل ن��ا ر ك�� ا �م� �ه ب� ا �ل�� �ى �ذ � �و��هى د �ع� �ى ��ف�ا ن� ج�����س�م ا �ذ ا ا � ت ح���ك ب��ه� �ى ا ��س�ا �ل و �ى
*
*
ق �ت ف ��د � ���ف��ل�� �س� آ �ن�ز ف ��م�� ء ��ف�ا ��
� � � �� ت � ه � ا ش � � ن ا � �ع��ل �م� ن ه��د ��س �ل�ا �ش�� ك� ��ل� �ع�لي�� ا �ل� ��� ك� ��ا �ل * � �و�تب���لب���ل �م ن��ه ا �لب��ا �ل * � او � ش����د و �ى � ��َّ َ �م ن � �ك� � ف ���ل �م�ك��ع ب � ��ي���د �ى ا�لم�ك�ع ب� ��ك � � � � � �ذ ��ا ��ل� ت� �ذ ا ا �ل ش��� � ��ك�ل ا �ل�ه�ل�ا �ل�ى ا �ل�� �ى يي
ا � �ع��ل �من� ���ط��ق ّ و �ى �ى
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� ّ �ف � � � �و�م �ح�د ب� �و� �م��ق�عر ��ى ا �ل��عا �ل� م � ئ ف�ي���ك ا � ت � �س��ق ّر �ع��ل�ى �ع�م�ود �ى ا � �لق��ا �� م
ن �خ � �ف � ا � � �ق ���خل �ر�� �ع�ن ا � �ل ي��ا ��س * �و� ب� ��ط ��ى ا �ل� �ل�بت��ا ��س * � او � ش����د ج
�ق � �ذ � ض �� �ع�ا � ��م � �ي�ا � ح�م�ولا �ع��ل�ى ا �ل��ل��د �ي��د �ي�ن �م ن��ى ��س�ا ��ه�ا �و ض� ���ع ت ح��س�ن �ل��ك �م�و� �و و ّ �ذ ف ا� �ص�� ���ا ن� �ك� ح ت� �ت�ا �� �ل�ي�ه�ا ا ب����غ� �م�ق��د�م��ه�ا ا ا ك� ���ل ��سر �ور �ي��ه �م�ا �م�ولا �� ب ى
� ن � ف �ة �ذ � � � �ن � ف ض � �ف � ن ا � �ع� ن� ّ � ّ�ز � ف ��و�ل * � او � ش����د حو�ى �لم�ا �م�ي� ا � �ل��ا ��ع�ل �م�ن ا�لم���ع�و�ل * �ورا ى ا � م�عر�� �ل�ك م ا � �ل�� � و �ل�ى � 332
332
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Assorted Wonders
As fat of skink and theriac for all ills Is your mouth’s saliva, and for the limp lover too, So that when he’s squeezed of every drop of spittle, You may feed him sips of wine — and what a wine! —in lieu, and should she pay a visit to an astrologer, he’d throw down his astrolabe in
3.19.8
surprise and stupefaction, babbling and distraction, and recite We can see naught but your beauty, bright as forenoon, For that it is which fills with light the pitch dark night. Your sphere-like breasts confuse the gazer when at the stars he stares, So you now must take his charts and set them right, or to a philosopher, he and his wisdom alike would go for naught, he’d find he’d no good sense left to stop him feeling fraught, and he’d recite When two bodies rub together, sparks fly— So say followers of the philosophers’ creed But this is false for if mine rubbed yours, Water would flow and I would bleed, or an engineer, his shapes she’d muddle and his mind befuddle, and he’d recite
3.19.9
Would that your breast-work might be ransomed By every cube, convexity, and concavity in sight! Would that that crescent shape you have inside you Might be firmly seated on my own upright! or a logician, he’d violate analogy, flail in ambiguity, and recite Would that her legs might straddle my neck— How fine that would be as both subject and predicate! I have become her conclusion, though I’d rather be her premise, Since every pleasure therein is promised! or a grammarian, he’d lose all sense of active and passive, decide that knowl- 3.19.10 edge of such things was simply invasive, and recite
333
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�ف ��ي
� � � �و�ي�د ك ا �ن ن�� ��م�ا �� ئ ت �ن � �ج�� �ك ار ى ر � ئ ت �ن ��لن ا ة ق ّ ب�ر ��� �م ا �� ح� رب �ى ح� � �و��
��ث � ض� ��لت�ق �� �ف ا �و �ع��ل ع �و �� ���ط �� �� او ده * �وك���ر �ى ر ى ع
�ع ا ئ ش ت ج�� �� ب� �����ى
�� � � �� �ذ ن �ف �ذ�� �ل�د�ي�ك �و�لي����س ل�ى �� ب� ���ي� ك�ر � �ذ �� �� �لق �� ��ل���ه� ب�����تغ���� � ا �ل ل � � ك �م � ي ر ب و م
ن �ز � ف ح�ا ��ه �و��س�ن �ا ده � * 1او � ش����د
ّ �� نّ � �� ت � � ا ��غ � ه��د �ت ن�� ��ا �ذ ا ت� �ك� ���ل �م�ل�ا � �ح��ة � �و��ترك�� �ق�لب��ى �ب� �ل� ار �م �ي���ع�ل�ل ىي ا � �ع�ى ا ��لنج��� � � �س����ع�ل �م�� ت ف� س����ع�ل �م�� ت ف� �ف���ك � او �ن ن��ى �م��� ت ف� �و�م ا �ل� �ل��ي�ل � ي �س����ع�ل ر
�ق ش ا � � � � ا ن ه ت � �زّ ا ث �ت �ل �ظ � ت� �� ن طق ث�� �ع�� ب�� ن��ا �ن�ه ����س � � � ا �و �ع��ل� ���� �عر �ل�د �ل� �ل��س� �� ��ل � ح�ا * � او � ش����د ح� * �م � �م� �و�م� �� م �ض ى ع � � �ك�ن � ا ت ا � ت� � ّ � � تا �ص� �ب �ف�� ���ط ا � جل�ع هى �و� ��و� �ل�ي� � ح�� �وك �� � �ل�ي� � � ب� � او �ل�ت�ي �ه �ل�� � ي ك��م �� ه � ب ر هى ن ��ل ن ن � ت� ن����� �م ن �م��د ت� �ت�� ر ��ت � او �خ���تر ت� �ت�� ج�ي� ا � ا � �ي ��و ��ى �م��ك �ج ي س�ى ج�ا � � �ة �� س ح � ه و �ي ى و �ى
ََ �ُ َ �ت ���ل �م ن��ّ �و�م ن���ك ا � �ه�ا ا �� �لق��ا ر�ى ��ل�ا غ�� ن��ا �ه�م�ا �ع�ن ا ��ل ا ��ل�ا �و��ل� ا ��ن �ه�ا �م���س نق � ��ض ��ض� ح� و �ي ح� �ع��ل�ى �ع ��� �ك ى �َثَ ��ل�ُ َ �نُ فّ ا�خ� �نَفْ � �ة � غُ َ � ُ قَ � �قَ َ � قَ َ � � اع �ف��د � او �ل ع��د � او � �ل �م�د � او � �ل � � �م�ا �ب��ه�م�ا �م�ن ا �ل�ور� � او �ل ���� � او �ل ��� ��ط� � او �ل���د د � او �ل� � �و�م��ص ح��ر �و �ج�ر م ح ُ َ �ََ �قَ َ �نَ َ ف �ة � ُ َ �َ ا ��لُ�َ ��لُ �َ � غَ َ� �� � ا �ذ ��ع � او �لث��َع � او ��ل�زَ �َو ر � او �ل � � � � ع�� � ا �صر � او �ل�� � ا ا � ا ك ل� د � � � � � ل � و �ل��س��ل� * � � � حب��ر � او � �ل�� ب � او �ل�ع� ور و �ج ر و ج ر و ب ر و ر ر عت � َْ � � �قَ َ � � ت ن � �ََ �َ َ �َ َ � ْ �ة � ت َّ � َ َ �ف ق حّ�ن � � او �لج��� � او �لن���ك�� � او �ل�غ� ب� ب� � او �لغ����ل ب� � او �ل���ذِ ر�ب� � او �ل��ر ��ؤ د � او �ل�ع��ص�ل � او�لم�� ��ط � او � �ل ��س ��ط � او �ل�� ش������ � َ ن � ت نّ � َ ََ � �ت غ ض�ن ا ��لت �ف � �نَ ج� � ���ش ت ع ر � او �لت���قب��� � او �� �لق ف����� � او �ل َرد � � او �ل�� ش������ن � او � ��ف� � او �ل������ �و ��ص� � � او �لت�غ�� ض� � ل���� � او � � ك ل � � ك ر ب � َص �ض ع � َ�ق َ � قَ َ � َ�أ ش �ل� � �َا �ل� �َْ ة ا ��لت �ن ّ � ��ذُ ا � �� َ�ثْ �ة �ش ث � � ��ش � او ��لت� ك� �م�� � او ��لِ�ا ��� خ� � �� � � او �ل� �ب� � او ل �ر ي�� ��ا ��ص � او � �ل ره � او � �ل��ل�ه � او �ل�� �ى � او ج �م� � او حر�و� �و � ب��� � او �لت� ك � ر � َ ج ح � � ضَ �خَ َ ���ع��ة � ا ��ل ش����ا ّك���� �� ا�ة � ا ��ل�ز ّ �ة � ا ��ل �ُّا �� ���د ��ل � او �ل��ص ْمغ����ة � او �� �ل�ق �و� � او ���خل ��ة � او ��ل�ا دْ ��ل � او ��ل�ا جْ��� � او ��ل � ض� � او �ل� � و و ر و و ِ ِ ل ر ر حِ ج ح آ � َ ثْ � ا �ت � َ نَ ��لُُ ن � َ ْ � او ��ل��د �ّ�م� � او ��لِ�عنَ����ة � او ��ل�ث ��ور � او ��لث��ا ��لي��� � او ��ل �خ ن��ا ر � او �ل� �ل �� �و � او �ل�ه�� � او � � حب ��و� � او �ل ن��د ب� � او �ل�ع �� ب ل ل ب �ز�ي َ م ْ � ََ � � اُ � اُ�ثْ ع � َ � ْ ا � َ ْ ُ َ � � َ � � ْ َ َ ا ���� � او �ل � او �� �لَوك� � �ص ب� �ور � او �ل ن��د �م � او �ل�عرب� � او �ل�ع� �ذِ ر � او �ل� ر � او �ل��ط��لي�� � او �ل�ع��ل ب� � او �ل�ع� حب� ��ط � او �ل� ج�� س آ �َ ْ َ �� ْ ُ �َ شَ ف �ة �ل� � � َ � ْ �َ��فْ ت ا �� �قُ ُ �� �ف ا ���زَ َ �ف �غ ش ف خ � � ل � � � ��د �� � او جل ا � او �� �لق �� �و�� ء � او �جل ��� �ل� � او ح������ � او ح � �و ل�� � طو� �و ل ر� �ر�و � او �ل�د �� �م � او ل � ب �َ �ْ � نُ ُ ف ��لغَ� �ْ �ة ��َْ � ق �ُ ا ق � �فَ َ � ُت �ا �ف � �� �خُن ا �ق ْ َ � � � ا ل ل � � ل ل � � ��سو� �و �صم� � او � حو�ل�� � او � ل��د � � او � ح�ل� � � او � �ل رك � او ك� ل�� � � او �ل�هي��� � ا �� ل � ا � �ك و � �� � * � � � �ض و م *
:1855 1وا ����سن���ا د ه.
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Assorted Wonders
Gently, lady! I come not to you in a state of sin256 Nor have I committed offenses worth the name. I washed my hands of the grammarians, I swear, When “precedence of the masculine” they made their claim257 or a prosodist, she’d break his heart into feet, so that with “crawling”258 and “propping”259 he’d find himself replete, and recite You’ve won me, O you of ev’ry charm possessed, And left my heart with passion dizzee. By night I watch the stars that in you rise and set and—let me say it— I want pussy, I want pussy, I want pussee!260 or a poet, he’d hang out his tongue as he drooled with delight, then lick his 3.19.11 lips and smack them, bite upon his index finger to check his excitement, and recite Many an ardent lover’s grown haughty from overweening pride and self-esteem, But your “shame” inspires me to worship and to passion insane.261 If my paronomasia brings me closer to you and makes me more your like, I’ll praise my punning and rhyme only in that vein. Indeed, were she to stroke your neck and mine, dear reader, such strok- 3.19.12 ing would both render them unneedful of anti-goiter medicine and strike from them all growths,262 lumps, bumps, protuberances and swellings, pimples, pustules, papules and glands, knots, nodes, nodules, nodulosities, and nodulations, abscesses, ulcers, blisters, blebs, bullas, blains, boils, and sores, furuncles, carbuncles, tetters, tubercles, and buboes, moles, nevuses, and strawberry marks, puckerings, calluses, and callosities, pockmarks and pits, blackheads and whiteheads, yellowing of the teeth, bruises and contusions, goiters and wattles, stiffness and pain, bullneckedness and ewe-neckedness, bending, twisting, kinkiness, cricks, and crookedness, swellings and pain of the throat, quinsy, diphtheria, laryngitis, tracheitis, scars, cicatrices, and scarifications, weeping wounds, open wounds, festering wounds, suppurations, bite marks, hickeys, welts, scratches, scabs, sloughs, cariosities, and necrosities.
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�ف ��ي
�ع ا ئ ش ت ج�� �� ب� �����ى
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Assorted Wonders
And this man-mannered, ill-natured,263 shrewish, base, disobedient, 3.19.13 worthless, shamelessly staring, irascible, wayward, two-timing, unblushing, exhibitionistic, immodest, sharp-tongued, unneighborly, loudmouthed, wanton, whorish, chambering, nocturnally mobile, promiscuous, trampy, brassy, brazen-faced, interfering, spoiled, ugly, languorous, loose, depraved, insatiable, predatory, lustful, estrous, philandering, incontinent, begging, in-heat, backside-presenting, rug-spotting, swollen-vulvaed, termagant, vixenish, foulmouthed, lewd, obscene, bawdy, clamorous, nymphomaniacal, slave-chasing, lecherous, licentious, lascivious slut of a mistress of mine, whom every male in town who sees her strutting through its markets, streets, alleys, lanes, and cul-de-sacs believes to be inviting him, with her eyes and her every limb, to look lively and apply himself to intercourse,264 to cock a leg, to snatch a kiss, to become erect, to copulate, to bed, to swive, to screw, to thrum, to wimble, to ejaculate (inside and outside), to have coitus (interruptus and non-), to meng, to frig, to frot, to hug, to mount, to hump, to pump, to jigger, to jagger, to jangle, on all fours, with her on her back or her front, with her legs splayed or closed, from the side or at an angle, during menstruation or not and with or without deep penetration, as well as to “wham-bam!” and “schlup-flup!” and “jiggyjiggy!” and “hokey-pokey!,” sits in the chambers of the dame of gossips and never stops accusing her neighbors of looking out the window, laughing,
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�ف ��ي
�ع ا ئ ش ت ج�� �� ب� �����ى
� �خَْ ق � � َ � � َّ ْ � � � َ � � ا �ق �ْ � �ا � � � َ ْ ا ��ل�زَ ْ�ع� ا �ل�ى ا �ل ط ا �ل�ى ا �ل���كو��س ا �ل�ى ا �لِ� �� �و�� ا �ل�ى ا �ل��د �ع�م ا �ل�ى ا �لر ��� ح� ��ط ا �ل�ى ا � �لو�م��س ا �ل�ى ب م � �َ �ظ � �� � � �ع ظ � �ة �� � َ �غ �� � ا �ف �� ا �� ا ��ل ا � ا ����ط� ا ا ��ل ا ��لغ�َ �ف �ْ�ق ا ��ل ا ��لخ ���ق ا �ل�د �ع �� ا ل�ى ا �ل�د �م ���� ا ل�ى ا �ل��س�� ا ل�ى ا �لِ� ك���س� ل �ى �لِ� م� ر �ى �� �ى �� م � � ْ ��ل � ا �ف ا ��ل ا �� ظَل������ْ ��ل �� ت �ؤُ ��ل ا ��ل��ت��س نّ ��ل ا ��لت��ق ��ق ��ل ا ��لت� �ة ا � ا ل ا ا ل � �د � ��ى ا �ى � �م� ا �ى ج�ب��ي � ا �ل�ى ا �ل�َو ج���س ا �ى ا �لِ� � � � م ى �ه� ر ا �ى م ى � م � � � �خ ��ل ا � ا ن ا � ��ل ا � ا ن ا � ��ل ا � ا ن ش ا � ��ل � ت ن ّ�خ� �ل� ا ��ل�ى ا �ل�اِ� ا بر ك ا �ل�ى ا �لت� ب�دي��� � ا �ى �لِ� ���س�د �ج ا �ى �ل� ���سرح ا �ى �ل� �����دح ا �ى ا �ل� ��و ا �ى � �ة ��ل � � � ش ة ��ل ا �ل�َش ق ��ل ا �� َ � ق ��ل ا �� َ ْق � � َ ْق ا ة � �َ�زْ � � خ ���� ا �ى ل��س� �ل� ا �ى ل� ا �ل��د بر � ا �ى ا �ل�د ه���ر� ا �ى م � �ص�� �ل� ا �ل�ى ا �ل��س��ل��� � ا �ل�ى ا�ل�م د ا �ل�ى � َ ش � � ش �قّ ّ �ة � � ق �ة � � َ �خ ��ل ا �� ظُ �� ا َّ�ة � � ش ا ��ل ا ��لنَخ�ْ � �ت ف ن ش ا �ل ���� ي�� ا �ل�ى الم � � ح�ا ر�� ا �ل�ى ا � ك � ب� ا �ل�ى ا �ل ��������� �ه� ر�ي� ا �ل�ى ل�����ر �ى � ا �ى ل� � حر��� ا �ل�ى ا �لِ ِ �ُ � � ف � ف ا �� �ت �ّف � � ن �ف �ا �غ� ا ��ل�ى ا � �فِ�ل ش����ا�غ ا ��ل�ى ا�ل�م�ز �ّم�ع��ة ا ��ل�ى ا � �ل�قر�� ���ط��ة ا ��ل�ى ا � �ل�قر���ص��ة ا ��ل�ى ا �� ك� ل� ر� �غ� ا �ل�ى ا �لت� �� ش��� ل�� ب� ��و��س ِ َ � َ ف � ���خَّ � � � ّ � ف �ة � �ت� �ذ � � ش �فْ �خ �ذ ���� ا ��ل�ى ا ��ل��ت ش����ف��ي�ر ا ��ل�ى ا ��لت��د ��لي��� ا ��ل�ى ا �لت�� � � ل � � � � � �ي�� ا ل�ى ا � ��ط ا ل�ى ل�ى ا �ل�عر ج�� ا ل�ى ا ل����ك �وي�� ا ل�ى ا �ل ر ص � ّ ت �َ � َّ � �ت � � �زّ �ز � ح� �� ا ��ل�ى ا ��ل ا ��ل�ى ا ��ل�� حْ � ��سف� 1ا �ل�ى ا �ل��ج���لي��ف� ا �ل�ى د � د � ا �ل�ى ا ر ا ر ا �ل�ى ا ا ا �ل�ى �ب�ا �ظ �� ي�ي �ض ح ح �ف �ئ��� �ة �� ن ا ت ا ��لنَ��َ�ق � � ��ت ��� ف � ط� ��ق ��ت�ع�� �ع��ل ��ا ا ��ت ه�ا ا ��ن ه�ن ��ي ن �ظ� ��� ن� �م�ن �ب�ا �ظ ��� ��ت�ق��ع�د ��ى جم ���ل��س ر ي��س� ب �� � رى و � ي ب �ى �ج ر � � ر ض �خ �آ �ك�ن َ ن �ك�ن � �ن � ت� �� ن ��ي ت�� �ي�ن ث �خ� �ج�ن � ش ي�ن ��ل � �� � � ش ا � ���� � �� �� س � ا �ل���ب�� ك �و�ي ح� �ي�و�لب����س � �يو�ع�طر� �وح�ل�� ��م ي ر �يو�م����� ا ي��ل� * �ول� ا � ي تِ �ت �ق � ت ��ل��ش�� خ� � ا � �� ش �ّ ا غ ّ � �ذ فق � � �م�ع ش ق �ي�ا ��س�ي �د ��ى �ي ��و� �ل� ي��ك �م� ا � ���ق� ا �ل� � ��يوت����ي�ر �ل� �ون�ه �ع ن��د ك��ر � ���و��ه * �����ا �ل ح�د �ي ع � م � �ذ � ض ���ا � ا � ّ �ا �صرر ت� �ع��ل� ��ق�و��ل��ك �ف ك� ��ل��ك ��لي���� ��ل��ك ب��م��طرد * �ف ك� ��ا �بر ت� � او � �� �بر �ه�و ا ��ي � و س �صر �ع��ل�ى ى ت ّ � ث �ذ ف� ق ا � � تّ ت � � ف � � ت � ق � ن ت ت ن �ا � � � � ح ح � �ه� �و� ك� � �� ا �ن ك� � * ���� �ل �س� ِ �� ره * ����ل� �ل�ه �ى �ج ي��ه � �لوا ��ك ك�ر� ل�ى ا س�م __ ��م ا ����ب � تِ فض � ق ت �ا �خ ��ل��ك �وق��د ���ط�نّ �ق ن� د �م�ا �غ��ه ا ��س� �َم�ن * ������ ح�� ك � �ب��ك � �و���ل� �ل� ا د ر�ى * �و�ي��و�م �رج� ر تِ م ف � �ف �خ � � ت ش �ن ق ّ � ف �ف ��لي �ف�� ّ �� �ع ن���ك ا ��ل�ه� ��ى �ي ��و� را � � �ر ج� ت� �و��د ك����� ت� � � �ص� � �ص�د رك �و�لم�ع ت� ا �ل��را ��ئ ب� رج م ح م � � � � �ل� � � ا � �ة ف ة ا ف �ف غ ت ت � او �ل�م�ف��ا �هر � او �ل��ل�ع�و� �و�ه�و �ل� �ي��د ر�ى �ل� � ����لت��ه * ���ل�م�ا ا �ل�� � ا �لي���ك �و �و�ج���د ك �ع��ل�ى �ه��ذه اح� �ل� �ذ �ة � غ �ة � � ��ن �ذ � ن � ف ق فق ���ل ت� ا � ا �لير� ���ع��ل ت� �ل��ك * �وي��و ك ���ا � ي��م�ا �ش���ي ��ك ������ل ت� � او ن�� ت� ا �ه��ل� �ل����لب�� ا �ل� � هو�ى م ح �ف��ل ا ا � � ق � ت � ا � ا �ّ ا ا ن�� ت � ا ا ن�� ت ا � ا ا ف��د �ى �بر �و� ح�ى �و�ج��ه �م�ن ا �ه�و�ى * �م� ��س� �ل�ك ��ل� م� ه�و �ل� � �و م� � �ل� �غ ة�ت ق �ة �ه * � �� � ا ��س��ل ت �خ��ا د �م�� * � �� � ��� ث �خ ع� ت� ��ا د �مت���ك * �و��د ا � ك���ب�� ت� ر���ع� د �ع�و ت� �و وي�وم ر � ك وي�وم ب ض ح �ة �ت�ا �خ� ت� * � �ع ش��� ��ة ��ت�عّ ���ط ت� * � ��س�ا �ع��ة ا �عت���ذ ت ف�� ا �ن ش ا ق � ��� � * ر و ر ي�ه� �م ���� ��ك * �و ��و و �ي ر ن فَ �ة �ت ّ َة � ��فَ ْ��نَ��ة �ف ّ�م ت� * � ��ل���ل��ة ا � �ه�م ت� � �ج��جم ��م ت� * �و� نّ�� �ه�م ت� �و�ه�م�ه�م ت� �و� يه���م ت� * �و ��و� و وي و وي ر ف ذ ف �لحَ سَ ف ��� ا �ي� ا �ل��ق���ا �مو��س و �ي� :1855ا ��� �. 1ك
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Assorted Wonders
dressing, perfuming themselves, putting on their jewelry, and then going out and walking around affectedly. But have you forgotten, my mistress, the day you told your teacher,265 3.19.14 “Everyone who falls in love blanches at the mention of the beloved” and he answered you, “It isn’t always so” and you got on your high horse and insisted on your claim and he did the same and insisted on denying it, and you told him, to convince him, “If you were to mention to me the name of . . .” and then blanched and fell silent and he asked you, the horn hatching from his head with a rending sound, “The name of whom?” and you laughed and said, “I don’t know!”? Or the windy day266 when he took you out to raise your spirits and you set off (he, in his naïveté, being none the wiser) having exposed half your chest and buffed to a shine your décolletage, the skin of your chest, and the aureoles around your nipples, and when he turned to look at you and found you in this state, you said it was the wind that had done it? Or the day when he was walking with you and you said, marveling at love’s dominion, “I’d give my life for the one I love!” and when he asked you, you said, “You, of course! You’re the one.” Or the day when you sent your servingman, or on which you dispatched your serving girl,267 or the morning you wrote a slip of paper inviting the one who desired you, or the forenoon you were so late, or the evening you put on perfume, or the time you made excuses, or the occasion you claimed you were having your period, or the night you raved and talked in your sleep, or the moment you raved and muttered and mumbled or put on your finery and dolled yourself up or tied a piece of string around your finger268 or made a sour face and submitted
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�ت َّ ّ � ْ�ن �ة ���ست ��تَ� ئَ�ة َ ْت ��فَ ْئ �ةَ �ز � ت ت ت ت ت � � م � ل ل � ا ا �� � � � � � � س �ت�ز�ر ج� ت� �و��ع���م� * و �فِ �� ر�م� * وي��� �م� و �م� * وحِ ي� � حرم� ب � � �ف ُ �ا ف ئ �ة ��لن �ظ ��� ا ت � � �ن �� ش ّ � ق ت � ت � ا ا �ت � � له� � ك� م�� ��� � ر �ج�� ر��ك م ا ل���ب�� ك * ح�ى د ع�م� * ا�ل�م ��ك�ن �ه��ذه ا � �ل �� او ��ى ك��� � ا ا � �آ ن � �ت � ا �م� � � ن �ذ ا ا �ل�م��� ا ن ا ��ت ن ا � �� ا �� تت ن� ق ر�ا ك���ا ��تب��ا �م�� ش���ئ��ا * �و�ه�و ١٥،١٩،٣ ��ى ��د �ص� ر �ل� � م� ر�ج �م� ع �و�ه� طر � �� ي � �س�و س ل���و ج ب � �ة ق ض ���ق ا ��س�ت�ا �م�ن ا ن� � ف����ع * � �ل�� � ��ا ��ل ا ن� � ّ �ع��ل��ه ب��ت��ع � ��ه ا �� ت س� ا �� ك� ل���لب�� * �و��د �ج ر ي �يرب �ي �ل و م �ي ب ا � ي �� آ �ت نّ �ت ّ �َ ْ �� �ذ � ق ض ���ا �ي��ق ا ��ل � حر�ف� ك� � هو�� �و�ل�ه�و�� * �و�طر�م� ����ل�ه�ا ��س� �و * �و��ع��ى � �و�ع��م�ل * �و�ل � � ح�� ب س� �م� � ج ت � � ّ ق ش �ف �ف ف �و ��طر ��طر * � �و�ت�ف�ي�� ش�� �و� ح ّر��ش� * �و�ر� م��� �و� ش�����ف ش��� * �و�هر�� �و�ه���ل � * �و��س� �� �س� � �أ �أ بج ج �خ �ت � ث �ت�ز ّ �ّ ت �ن �ن ّ ّ ث ا �ت � ه�� * � او � �ه� � �وي�� * �و ك ����س��س �و ب�� ب� * �و�ه�م�ز �� * � او �� ر�ص �و�م �� * �و� ��وره �و� ��ض � ي ج م ��ت ن ف � ت� ��ذ �� ق �ت ا ّ خ �ت �تّ �خ ّ ة �ش ش �ة ش ت ش � � �� � � �و�� � �ولب��ل ب� * �و�ر��� ب� �و ���رب� * �وح� �ل� �و� ب�� ب� * �و �ص�وك ( )1ا لم�������م� ا �مر ا � و م�� � ن ج �و � ا � �ت ن �خ �ت�ز ن �ت�ز ن �ف ح����س�ن ��ل�ه�ا ا ����ست����ه�ا �يل� ك غ �� � � �خ �و � * � �و��د � �و � * �و�مرد �ل � او ج� ��س * �و�مر ���ط�ل �و��� طر��س * ث و �فى ا لم���ل �هو ا �ع���ظ�م �فى ح �تّ �ة نف �خ� �ق ��ز �ق � ��ت��ف �هق � �ت ش����د �ق * � �ع�ف ش �������س�ه �م��ن ا لم� ش������م� * � � � � ح � � � � � * * � � � � ��� ورب ك و ك وب ك و ر� و � و ي� �� و � � تّ � � � ش �ف �ف � �ة � ظ �ن �ن �ف �ف ت � ��ى � � ��س�ه �م�ن الم�����م� ( )1ا �لي���� ��ى ا �ل���كو� ١٦،١٩،٣ �و�لب���ك * �و�ع� �ص�د �و� �ل � * �و�ه�و ا �ع ��� س م �ن ْآ ة �ز� ن ن ظ � ا َ � �ة ُ�� �ّ �ة ا ّ�ة �زَ ��َ ق �ة َ َّ�ة �� � �� �ج�س ا ل �نج� ���ل �وعِ� ن�� ��س �و�ِم� ���� ر �و �و�ذِ �ي�ل� �و ج � �و�م� ر�ي� �و �ل�� �و�م��ذِ �ي� ا �و �م �مِ �ر � �و ��ج ج� �ل و �ز ا �ة �ص� �ف�� �ة �فت�ن �ظ � �ت � �آ ف ا � ه�ن ا ه�نّ � � �ن � ا � � �ج�� �ج�� ا �و ي� حوا �ل * ح� �� �� ر��س�ي �د ا ��ى �ه�و �ل� �� �و�ه� �و�م� � �ع�لي��ه م ا �ل� � ي�ه� �و ج � �ف � ف � � ف �ف � ق ا� ا ا �لي����س ��ى ا �ل ش���ر�� �م�ن ��سي ب�� �� �و�ه �ي�� فص��� * ا �م�ا ��ى ا �ل�غ� رب� �م�ن اب��ن �م�ا �ل��ك �ي ��ق��د * �ل� ي ع ع ف � �ز �غ �ة � �ة �� �ف � �� � ا ن ن ا خ� � ��ف ش��� �ي�غ���ا ر �ع��ل�ى �ه��ذه ا �ل��لغ��� * �و�ير��ض� را ��س �ه��ذه ا �ل�و �� * ك�ي�� �ي �� ظ�ن ا �ل� ���س�ا � � � � � � ا �ن�ه �ع�ا �ل� �و�ل� ��ي ت��عل��� * � او د��ي ب� �و�ل� ��ي ت��ا د ب� * �وف����قي��ه �و�ل� ��ي ت��ف��ق��ه * ��ن��ع ا �ن�ه �ل�ا �ير�ى �ج� �ه��ل�ه م م م م م م��ف ت ق ��ت � آ آ آ � ت � � � ق ة ة � � � ت � ل���� ��ه �م � � ا �ل�ع���� * �م�� � ا ك��� ا �ل�ع��ل�م�� ���فى �م � � �مك�ا �ير�ى �و�ج� �ه�ه �و�ل��ك�ن � � ا ا ك �� ل �� س� ى ي ل ر ر ى ر ب ب � تت ن �ّ � � �ن ��ل��� �غ ن � �� ف ن �ت ا ا ا ن �ه�م�ه� �ع � �و�ل� ��ي ف� �س�و�� ح�د �م� �و��ص�ل ا �لي��ه �م ا عل� * ��ي�ر ا � ا �لم�ط ار � ا � � � � � ا ل � � � � � � � � � س و ي ج ر ى م م ّ �م ���ط ا ن ���ط ا ���ل�� ا ��ل ش����ا � ا �ل�م�ق�� ���ف �ج��م�� ا ��ل���ل��د ا ن ا ��ل�ا ف��ه�ا �ل�� � ���ط�ا ��ل� �ش�� �ا �م�ن �م� �� �لف��ا �ت م ي� ى ي ب � و ي� م �ي ع �ي ر � رب س ع م � ن ن �ت �ن � ا�ف � � آ ف غ �ة حو �ب�ا ب� ا � �لف��ا ��ع�ل � و�لم���ع�و�ل * �و�م�ن ا �لب��ي �ا � � ��و ا �ل�ج�� �ر��د * ا �ل�ع��ل�م�� * �����ا �ي� �م�ا �ع��ل�م�ه �م�ن ا �ل��� ع ي � � �ج�ز ح ك * �و�م�ن ا ��لب��د �ي�� ردّ ا �ل�ع �و�م�ن ا �� ف�ل��ق��ه ��ا ب� ا ��لنج���ا ��س�ا ت� * �و�م�ن ا ��ل�ع �و��ض� ا ��ل� �وت��د ال�مت� � � � � ع � ل � ب ر ر ى ع � �ة ي�ن �ت �ز ي�ن ��ا ن ق ّ ت ا �ذ �ذ �ّ ا ف ��ت�� ��ف �ت ا � �ب�ه �ى �م�د ر��س� �ع�� ار � �ص�د ر * �ه� ا � � ��ل� �م� � �ه� * ا �ل� ح�د �م� �عر��ه � بو � ح�� ك�� � �ي� م جح 340
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Assorted Wonders
or said it was wrong—right up until you’d taken it all the way to the hilt? Weren’t all these sins as bad as your neighbor’s looking out of her window? In the meantime, this Metropolitan Atanāsiyūs al-Tutūnjī had become a 3.19.15 translator and an Arabizer, a writer and a pen-pusher, though he hadn’t the balls for the job and he didn’t care if in translating into Arabic he made a balls-up. He also believed that no trade was more difficult than another and toiled and moiled,269 strained and heaved, warsled and wrestled, struggled and sprattled, carked and swinked, taved and teveled, bungled and botched, bumbled and stumbled, fumbled and floundered, muddled and marred, fudged and faked, foxed and jouked, pretended and presumed, dissembled and dissimulated, bragged and boasted, stammered and stuttered, twisted and turned, and ducked and weaved, while being “more conceited than a woman with a tattoo on her backside.”(1)
(1) A muttashimah is “a woman who has tattooed her backside so that it may be more comely for her” and one says proverbially that someone is “more conceited than a woman with a tattoo on her backside.”
Is there in the universe no glass,270 no mirror, no looking glass, no seeing 3.19.16 glass, no pier glass, no pocket glass, no tire-glass, no swing-glass, no peeper, no psyche, no speculum, no reflector in which these mistresses of mine may gaze at their faces and see how they look? Is there in the East no Sībawayhi to deliver a slap to the back of that man’s neck? Is there in the West no Ibn Mālik to cry, “Enough!”, no Akhfash to leap to the defense of this language and crush the head of that gecko? How can a person think himself a scholar when he has been schooled in nothing, or a man of letters when he is barely literate, or a jurisprudent when he has no prudence? Granted, he cannot see his ignorance in the mirror as he does his face, but are not books the mirror of the mind? When he read the books of the scholars and failed to understand them, he should have realized the limits of his learning, but Metropolitan Atanāsiyūs al-Tutūnjī, metropolitan of Syrian Tripoli271 (albeit resident in every land but that) has never opened a work of scholarship in his life. His reading in grammar272 never went beyond the chapter on “the doer and the done,” his reading in metaphor beyond the figure of “stripping,”273 his reading in jurisprudence beyond the chapter on defilements, in prosody beyond “the movable peg,”274 in eloquent style beyond “having the buttock echo the
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�ع ا ئ ش ت ج�� �� ب� �����ى
� �ة ث� � �ن � �ة ��ل ا �� �� �ة ث� � �ن ا �� �� �ة ��ل ا �ف�ا �م�ا ��سب�� ب� �ف ار ره �من � ا ��ل �ه� ا �ى ر �و مي�� �م م ر �و مي�� ا �ى �م� ل�ط� �م م �م� ل�ط� ا �ى �ب� ري���س � �ن �ة � ة � � � �ة ث ف � � ةث ف ث ف �� � ار ره �م�ن �ب�ا ري���س ا �ل�ى �ل ن��د ر� �� � ار ره �م�ن �ل ن��د ر� ا �ل�ى �م�ا �ل��ط� * �� � ار ره �ه��ذه ا �ل��س � م م م ن ا ��ل ن �� � �ذ ��ا ن � �� �ف ف ا ��ت�ق ه ا �� ش ّ�ا �ق ة ي�ن ا ا ن �ن � ا ل�ى �ل�� ر� �م �� � � �� � � �ه� �و�ع��ل� �ع� �� ل����ل � * ب�ع��ض� م�د � م��س� ح� ك� � �ي ط�و� ي� ى � �ف �ة ت� � ه ��ف ا � ا �خ نا تش � ��ا ر ا ��ل �� �م���ة � حر� �م�ن ��ت�ع�ا ���ط� �ه��ذه ا ��ل ح�تى � حر� �و�����ه�ي�ره �ه�� ك �و�ج ري��س� �ى �ل� ب ي و ي ى م ت ّ ه ��ف �ز � �ن �� �� ن ة ��ف ن � � ا �ة ا ��ل ت ا �� ف� ا � �ذ � �ن �ي�ن ك�ث ة ����ي�ر� * �و���سب��ب�� �ى م �م�و � �ه� م� �س � س ل��د ر� �ى ا � �ج �م� �ج �م� �ع� ��ى ل � م ع �غ ن ق ت ش �غ ا ت �غ ّي�ن ��ق� �ب�ا ��ش� ب� ح��ل ب� * � او � � او ��ؤه ا �ي�ا �ه� �ع��ل�ى ا � ��ي��� �م� ن��� �و�م� �ن�ي � � �م�ن ب��ي��� ا � � �ص�د � او م � �ف � � � � ا �ف � ف خ � ��ل�ه �م�عه � �م� ش��� ك� ئ ���ا ���ه� ا �و �ل� ��ى ش���ر�و ��ط ا �لم� ا �لم�و��س� ���ط�م�ع�ا ��ى ا �ل بر� * �ود �� � �صر�و�� و � و ر م م ح م ع ت �ت ا ا � ��غ � ��ذ � ��ا ن ّ � ث ش �ت �� � ي�ز � ش � � او ��ل�ج� � �ل � ه ه � � �ه�م ا ��� ار ك�هم� �ه�م � او ���� را �ط� �ع�لي� � �ه� * �م ا ��س� ر�ج�� �ع� مب��ل� ا �ل� ى ك� � ا د ا ه ا �لي� �ف � �ف � �ذ �ف ��ك�ه� ��ى ا �لت��ع ب� * �و ��ل��ك ��ى �م�ق��ا ب���ل��ة ا �غ� � او �ئ�ه �و��س�عي��ه ا �ي�ا ه ��ى ا � �لف��ا �ئ��د�ة �م�ن د � ن ا ن � ش����ا � و� � ي ِر م � � �ذ �ذ � �ذ ���ا ن ��س�� �ا ��ف ت�خ �ك�ن ���س�ي�ر �رئ���ي���سى �ه��ذه ا �ل�ز �مر�ة خ���س�ا ر�ة �ز ا �ئ��د�ة ف��ل�ا ي��م�� �ه� ا ا �ل�� �مي�� ا �ل�� �ى ك� � ب ب� �ى �ف م �ذ � ت � ل��ا � * � ��م�ا ق��ا ��ل ق��ا �ئ�� �ه ن��ا ا �ن��ك ا � ه�ا ا �ل�م� ��ل�ف� ق��د �ع� ت� �ع�� ا ��ل ن��ا ش��� � � �� س ح�ه �ى �ه� ا ا � ك�� ب �ي � و ب ل ر ورب ل�ى � �ذ �ف ف ف ق ف �ن �ف �ن �ف ��ل�ا �م�ا � ه�� له� ا � � ��س�ه� * �و��د ا را ك �ج� �ه��ل ت� � � ��س��ك ��ى �ه� ا ا � �ل���ص�ل ��ا �ورد ت� �ي��ه ك�� �ج � � م آ م �ذ � ��ل�ا ���ل�ق ��ا ��ل ن����س�� * ف���ق��د ت��ا � �ز ت� ا ��ن ا � � ت ح�ا �� * �ق��ل ت� ا ��ل � ع�ي ��ق� � اوب��ن ج�� ح�ا ��م�ل �ع��ل�ى �ل��ك ج و ب بى ي ي �� ب ج � �ن �ن ق � � ت ف �ة ن �ص�د ت� � ش � ق بر �ز ��م ح��د �ه�م�ا ا � ا ا �م ار � * ا � ح�ا ��س�ن �ل�غ� �ت�ن�ا �ه��ذه ا �ل ش��� �ر��� * � او �لث��ا ��ى ا ��ى ��� ���و�ي��� �ي � ق ا ئي�ن �م �ن �أ � � ا ن ا � �ن �ق �ت �غ� ا ��ل� ش��� �آ ك��ت� ��ا � ���ف ا ��ل��لغ����ة * ف���ا ق��ا �ئ�ا ي ر �ص� ا �ل ب�� ى ر ب ى ا � �ل�� ر��� �م �م�ل� � او ي ح� ��ط� � د �ي� ره�م �م �� ب � ة � �ت � ا ا ا ا �ق ئ ا ا ا ا ق � �ل ت ن ت ن �ن ��ا ن ��ف ف� ط� ب� � �وي� ��س� �م�ع� * � �وي� را �� � �وي� �ع� �م��س� * ���ل ل� �م��ع�� ا � �م ك�� � �ى ي��ه �م ار ر� �ل�م ي�����س ��ي �ت � �ق �ت ف �ن ��ت � � � ش ق �ة � ة ق ا ��ل ح�ل�ا �و� * � بو���ع�د ��ا ��ى ا �ت ار �م�ى �ع��ل�ى ا ��د ا �م ��س�ي �د ��ى ا�لم�د �� �و��س�ي �د �ى ا �ل�د ع � ���و�� �و��س�ي �د ��ى م ا �� �لف����ل �ة ��ت ال�م�� خ �م��ة * � ا ���ط��ل� �من�ه�ن ا ��ل� فع� �� �ع�ن �س � � �د � �س � ح��س� و �ي ى و ب � و ق ��� �غ ن � �ذ � ا � � ن ط ��ي��ا � ا � �ل�ل��� ا �ل� ي��م��ك�ن �ل�ى ا � م ا �� �ل � �ة ا ب��ي�� ت� �ه��ذه ل�ي��ل� � �ه�ن ّ و �ع��ل�ى غ ���ا ب� �� ض� *
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١٧،١٩،٣
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Assorted Wonders
breast.”275 This is the sum total of what he learned and bragged about at the school of ʿAyn Tirāz when he was head monitor there. As to the reasons behind his flight from there to Rome, from Rome to 3.19.17 Malta, from Malta to Paris, from Paris to London, from London to Malta, and then, this year, to London from some cities in Austria where he’d been roaming around with his beggar’s sack over his shoulder, and behind how he was exposed and disgraced there in the newspapers to the point that he was forbidden to practice any longer that profession that had suited him so well for so many years, how he eked out a living during the London season by putting together a troupe of female and male singers from the house of Ashiq Bāsh in Aleppo, how he conned them, in his greed for profit, into going to the season, how he went into it with them and their partners in the first place on an “expenditures and equipment” basis and then took back the money he’d given them and forced them to give him a share of the profits without participating with them in the pains, this being the return for his conning them, and how his ugly scheming became the reason for the two leaders of this troupe sustaining a huge loss, all this there is no space to detail in this work. Here someone may say, “You, Mr. Author, have reproached people for 3.19.18 deluding themselves but it seems to me that in this chapter you too have made a fool of yourself, for you have introduced into it discourse inappropriate to women, surpassing that of even Ibn Abī ʿAtīq and Ibn Ḥajjāj.” In response I would declare: “Two things drove me to do that. One was to show off the beauties of our noble language and the second that I wanted to awaken a desire in those readers who cover the walls of their houses with pipe stems276 to buy a book in that language. Dear reader, then, and dear listener, dear shame-faced abstainer277 and dear blind-eye turner,278 tell the troublemaker among you, ‘To the bitter, nothing is sweet.’” To proceed: I now throw myself at the feet of that sexually voracious 3.19.19 mistress of mine, that beetle-bodied mistress of mine, that flat-breasted, small-buttocked mistress of mine, and that soot-bedaubed mistress of mine and ask them all to excuse the tyranny of the pen, for I shan’t be able to sleep tonight if they are angry.
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� �� ن ا � �ل�ف��ص�لا �ل�ع�����شر�و� �ق �ة �م �� ن �ة � �ڡ ����سر � � طر ا ����ي� ي � � �� ا �� �لف��ا ��ا �ق� �م�ن �ع ن��د ا ��ل�ا �م�� ا �ل� ش م����ا ر ا �لي��ه ا �خ�ب��ر �ز �و�ج� ت��ه ب��م�ا ا � ح��س�ن �ب�ه ا � ير �لم� ر جع ري �ذً ن � ظ � ف �ة � �ة �ف � �صر * ف���ق��ا �ل ت� ا �ن�ا ا � ب � �س�ق���ك ا ا � او ن�� ت� �ت���ت�ظ� �� ره � �وب�ا �ن�ه �و�ع�ده ب� ��و ���ي ���� ح��س�ن � ��ى �م� اف � ف ا �ن ق ش ت �ق ت � ف �ز ف � �ف ق ق� �ا ف ن �ه�م * ��ا �ل �ل� �ب�ا ��س ���ل�م�ا ا �� ا � �ل ار �� �� ��ى ��د ا ��� �� � ا �ل�ى ا �ه��ل�ى ��د �ع��ى ا ��س� �ر ا �لي� �خ �ذ �ذ ق � �� � � ا �ز � ت ا ن � � ��ف ا ��ل ة ح��ل �ا ا �خ���ل �ا � ا � ر� � ي��ل �ير�ع� ك �و ي��ل �ل� ا ��� �ي ��ود �ع�ه�ا � �و�ي� ��و�ل * ا ك�رى ي� �و ج �ى � �ل�ك � ى �ج�ز�ي � �ذ ق ا � ف� ق � ت � ّ �ذ ��ت� ني�ن ق ا � ت ن �� ن����س�ا ك * ف���ق��ا ��ل ت ا � � � �م�ن �ل�ى �ب��ه� ا * �� �ل ����ل� ا ى �ه� ا ع��� * �� �ل� ا �م� ا �ع�ن�ي �ك * ي � �ن ت � � � � �غ ئ ق ت � ف �ق ق���ل ت� ب��� ا�لم�ت��ا د ر ��ي�ر�ى * ق��ا �ل ت� ��ه� ا �ل � ا �ل�عرب� * ح���ا � ��ق� ��ت ��و� ��� �ع��ل�ى ب� �� او د رك�م� ا � ل ل ب م آ �ف � �ف �ف �ز � � ن ا �ص�د � ا �ل����س�� �م�ن ا �ل� ��س ا * � ف����ق �� �م�ا �� � �� ا ��خ �نش ا �� �ه�ن �و�م�ا ا �ل د ا ب� ك�� رر و س ى يو ي � ��ب����� �م� ��ى � ور م � �خ ��ذ �ت ه�ن ا � � ثّ � ا � ت ه�ن ا �� � � �� ا �� ��قَ ْ � � ل �م�ن ا �ل�ا �ف ك� ��ا ر * �و�م� او �� � � �ب� �ل�د � � او �ل�وه� * �و�م�ع� �م�ل س * � �ب� ح�د س �و ل �� � � م م � �ذ ق � َ � � � �غ �� ض�� ت � ���ز � �و�م�ع�ا �ج��ل � � � ت�ه�ن ا �ل ه �خ� � � ا �ل� � � � � � �ب� � ج���س � او ل ع�م * � او لر � او لر�ج �م * � او ل�� ح �و ل�م * � او لر��سي����س � غ � �َْ �َ ا ��ل � �ز ة � او �ل�َو��� * �ب��د �ل ا �ل�ع�م��س � او �ل�ع��س� * �و ج�� ��� ا �ل��ق����س ا ن ���ق � ا �ل � � �م��ن ا �لخ له � ( )1ا �ل�د ث � � �� بر و م � ي ع فى م �م ف ر�ج م � �أ �ذ ف ح��ق����ق����ة ث �ق��ل��ك ا � ش �� �� �ز � ش � ا �� ف�ل���غ � ل���ى �ت���ظ�� ن���ه �م �ي��ق��و �ى �ه� ا ا � �ظل�� ��ن �ي���� ل �ز ا ب �ص��ير � ي ل � � � � ا ا � � � � ا �ل * * ح * ل �م�� � ج � و � و �خ �خ ت ت �ت ق ن ت�ذ �ق ت ّ ت نّ و م ووم و رم م وا �لرد ��بر ���س���م�ع�ه�غ ولا ���س� ي������ه و � ح �ل�ه ج�رم و ج��ى �خ �ذ �ن غ ن � ا ��ل�ض� � � ا ��ل��د �ع� (�� � * )1ل� ا ن� ا لله ��ت�ع�ا ��ل� � �� ا �خ ��ذ � ا ش � و �� ا �ل�عب�� د ع��يل��ه �م�ا لم ي� �ب��ه وا �لو م وا �ل��ل��م ب���م�ع�ى و�هو الا � ب���ا ر ب�ا �ل���ى ىي وو و مو م ن ق �خ لا �ع��ن ي�����ي���ن وا �لر��س��ي��س ��بر لم �ي���ص��ح وا �ل�ع���م��س ا � � � ا � �ل�م�ا � ���ق �ع�� � ��ه ا �ل� � �ن ش ن � ه ا �ل�� ه�ز �ة �ب�ا �ل��لغ� ��و �مث��� ك�� � �م ب����ر * ت�ر �ى ا ن��ك لا �ت�عر�ف� الا �مر وا �ن� ت� �ت�عر ف��ه و � ل� ب �ى ل�ى و�ج ر �ض حو ج ��ل� م ن ق �ز ف ن ض � ا �لي��ه �ه ن��ا
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ا �ل�ع��س ا ���ط���ا الا ������ا ��ع�� ��ه�ا ع�� ��ع��� ا �ل قو آ م ب � �ج � ب � � لى ب �ض و و م غ �ز �ة ق �ة ف غ ت �ن �ل ش ����ض � � ا �ل�دي� وا ج����م��� ا ل��م���ا �ل� وا لم�لا �ع ب��� وا �ل������م ا �ل��� ب��ي���ل وا �ل�د�ع �م�ا ب��ع�د ه م
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Chapter 20
A Metropolitan Theft
When the Fāriyāq returned from his time with the aforementioned emir, he
3.20.1
informed his wife of the latter’s kindnesses to him and that he had promised him a good post in Cairo. “I’ll go ahead, then,” she said, “while you wait for him here. I miss my parents greatly, so let me go to them.” “So be it,” said he, and when the time for her departure drew close, he set about bidding her farewell, saying, “Remember, wife, that on this island you have a husband who cares for you and a lover who will not forget you,” to which she replied, “O that I might have such a one!” The Fāriyāq resumed, “I asked her, ‘Whom do you mean by “such a one”?’ ‘You, of course!’ she responded. ‘On the contrary, the more obvious interpretation is someone else,’ I said. ‘Must facts always depend on your readings, you Arabs?’ she responded. ‘Is it still your way to go scratching up any secrets that may be in a woman’s breast, breaking open any thoughts that, egg-like, in her head may nest, reviling her on the basis of gossip and delusion, dealing with her on a basis of conjecture and gnawing suspicion, behaving toward her according to misgiving and unsupported claims, without, for each story, confirmation, as well as practicing defamation, subjection to ungrounded accusation, false report and condemnation, instead of turning a blind eye and winking at transgression, overlooking
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(1) dathth means “reviling someone on the basis of reports”; qasm means “that some notion finds a place in your heart, and then you think that it may be true, and then that suspicion becomes stronger until it becomes a truth”; raḍkh means “a report that you hear and of which you are not sure”; tadhaqqaha lahu means “he accused someone of a crime, charging him with something of which he was not guilty”; waghm and laghm mean the same and also “to report something on less than certain evidence”; rasīs means “a report that turned out to be untrue”; ʿams means “to make out that you know nothing of the matter at hand when you do,” synonym jalhazah; ʿasm means “to bring the eyelids together until they touch”; wazm means “to pay off a debt”; jamsh means “to flirt and play”; faghm means “kissing” and daʿm means what follows.
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�ف �ق �ة � �� ن �ة �ي� ��سر� م�ط ار ��ي��
ت حت ة � �ا ن م����ا � ن ا ت ن ا �ش �ن � �غ ت�ن ا ف ا ن �� ق ت � ���ث �ه��ذه ا �ل� ش ا ة ن � ع�د� م �ه�ا �م�ل � ع� � ���ل� ا ك�� ر ح�� � �� ���ى �ع �ل� � � �� � �ك��ل �عب�� ر� �م � �ذ ق � ��ذ �ذ �ذ ق� � ��ا ن�� ت ض ق �ة ق � ت ���ا �م�ن ا ك * ��ا �ل ت� �وك��� ا ا ك ��ي���� * ���ل ت� �و�ه� ا ا ��ي ض� �ه�ا * ��ا �ل ت� �لي�ت��ه�ا ك�� � � �ل��س�ع � �ف �ذ ���ذ � � � �ل ه �ق ا �� ت � ت� ت ه ا � ض ف � ا � �ذً � � ق ق ��ى �ه� ا * ���ل ت� �وك�� �ل�ك ع�ي�� * � ل� وح�� �ي � ���ا ��ا �ل� �و�ل�ى ا ا ا �ل��س��ك�و ت� * ���ل ت� �ذ ���� � ن خ ا ّ ن فَ � ا �ف � � � � ط� ن� ��فث� �� ن� * �ق��ل ت� �م�ن ��لي����س �ع ن��د ��ل��ك * �ق�ا �ل ت� ا �ن ت�� ا �لر�ج��ا �ل ك�� ك�� ل� �مِ ��� ر�ي��و� �� ��ط� � ��ي �و ر ي و م م ف � ن �� � �ذ � ��ع ن ا ا ��ل ا �� �ه � ا �� �ل�ق �ق ا �� ت ق �ق ت � � � ل ل � ا � � ا � ا � � ا �ي�ن �ع��ل�م ت� �ل��ك * � ل � ��د ر ج �� �ى ل�و � و ��س� * �ل� ب �ل ع�د �ى ل�ود * م ع م ق � �ن �ن ن ا ��ف � � �ة �غ � � ا �ف ف � � ق آ ف ت ا ا � � � �ل � م ه ��ا �ل ت� ���ع ا ��ى ا ��س�ا �ر �و�لي����س �ل�ى �م�ن � �� �س� �ع��لي��ه * ���ل� ��ل � �ى �ج ل� ��ي ر م� ��س�و� م ضً �ذ ا ن ت ��ا � � � �ق ا � �ق � ا ت ت ت � ا ا ن � � � � � �� � � � � � ا ا ا ا � ا م � � ل د ل �� �ع��ل� ي�ه� * � ل� 1م� � ك� ح� �� س * �ل� و�ه� �ي � ��� ك�ل م ب��ه� ��س� م م ّ ش ق � َْ ُ ق � �� * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ���ف ا � � � ي�ن ق � ت �ق � � ى ����ى * ��ا �ل ت� �ج��م�ع�ه * ���ل ت� ى ح�د ا�لم�ع�ن�ي �� * ��ل� ��ه�ل ب����ى �ل�ك �ع��ل� بر ج �ل آ ت �� �� ���فى ا ��ل ش����ع ��ا �ش���ع � ء �ف�ز �ع�م ن��ا ك�� ح�ز ك�� ح��س�ا ب� �ذ ��ل��ك ���فى د �ف��تر * �ق�ا ��ل ت� ��ن�ع� �ق�د �غ� ّ�ن�ا ����ل ا �ع ن��د ك � ري ر م ر م م � � �ذ � � �ف � ���ا ت� ن ��س�و ن� ا �ل�ا ا �ل�و�ص�ف� * �ق��ل ت� �و�م�ن ي� ��ق� او �ل��ي�ن �ف��ع�ا �ل��ي�ن * �ف�ا ا ب� ك�� ح��س�ن ا � �ل���ع�ل * � ل ح � م � � �ق ا �� ت ��ف ��م ا �� ا ��ل�ع��ل �آ � ا �ق � ت � ا �ي�ن �ق ا � ا ف �ق�ا ��ل ت� �م�ن �ل�ا ي� � � ح� �ل� د ب� * � ل� �ى ج � ل��س �م� �ل� ح��س�ن ا �ل�و ص� * �ل� و � ���ف ��م�ا ��ل� ا ��ل ن����س��آ * �ق��ل ت� �ذ ��ل��ك � ف�� ض�� ا ��ل� ا ��ل�ا �ن���ت��ا ت� * �ق�ا ��ل ت� � �ه��ذ ا ا ��ل� ا ��ل�ا �ن���ت��ا ت � * و ى ب �ي �ى ى ب ى جع آ � ن ت ا �ت ق ت �� ف � � �ف ق �ذ ق ا � ت ن ش ئ ت � �ز � � ن � ا ف ���ل� ك�ي��� ي��م��ك�ن ا � �ل ار �� ا ا * �� �ل� ا � ������ ا � �لو �م ا �ل� � � او �ل� ��د �ع�ه ا �ل�ى ا � �� ��ى ا �تّ �ز ا �ش ف ن ق ت �� ف �ف ا ت ح��ي�ن ا ��� ��ق� ا � ا � �م� �صر * ���ل� ك�ي��� ��ي ت�� ��ى �و �م ا �ع� او �م * ��ى ��س� �ع�ا � ا �و ا �ي� �م * �و ّ �ذُ ا �ة �ق ا � ت �ذ ��ف ا �خ ا � � ت�خ ��ن� ت �ل�� ت خ � ش�� �م�ن ا ��ل��دَ �ي�ن � ش���� �م�ن ا ��ل � � ا ا �و�ع��ل� �ب� �ب� * � �ل� ا � ك � � ح��ي�ن * � � * م � ل � ك ى م � ى � �ذ � � �ق ا � ت ن ت ن � � � ق � ت ن � ت ت �ق��ل ت� � �ل��د ا ك�ر� ��ا ��س �ا �و ��ط�ا �لم�ا � ح��سب��� ا �ل ن��ا ��س ك���ل�ه� �مث���ل�ى * � �ل� � او ��� ا ���سي��� �ي م �ذ �� ة �� ��ن � َ � ث ا ق � ت �ذ�� ا ��ل�� �� �صف �ق ا �� ت �� ا ��ل�ص�ف ا � ا ط � او � � ح�ى * � ل� لي����س � �ل� ا ك�ر� �ل��ك�و�ى �ل�م ا ر �ل�ى �م��ل� * ��ل� ا ك�ر�ى س�� ح ح �ذ� � � �ن �� ت ا ��ل��س �� �� ق � �ق ا � ت ن �ق � ق ت ث ا � � � ل � ا � ا ا � د�� ط ا �ل��دي � * � ل� �م� ري��د ح� ي� * �ل� ط * ���ل ت� ا ��ى ا رد � �� �م�ن ك��ر ا �ل��س �� م ح ح � � �ف � � ���ة � ا ��ف ا �� �ق � �ق ا � ل��ك � �د� �� ��ذ ة ا � �ق ا �� ��ف ا � ا �مث ا �� � ا � ق ت ا ا ث � � � � � � � � � � � ا ا � م � �ي�� ل �ى �ل� �� ل �ل� برك� �ل� �ى ل��دي � * � ل� �ي�� ل �ى �ل� �� ل �ل �ج � ي��د ل� * م
ق �� :1855 1ا ل.
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error and granting tender consideration, being discreet and observing one’s marital obligation, kissing and flirtation, hugging and copulation?(1) Were the Almighty to call his servants to account for their thoughtless words as severely as you do,279 there’d be nobody left on the face of this earth.’ “I responded, ‘Most of these misunderstandings are generated by our
3.20.2
language, which is so wide that it allows every expression to bear numerous possible meanings.’ She replied, ‘I would rather it were tight!’ ‘That,’ I responded, ‘goes with the other!’280 to which she responded, ‘And the other goes into this!’ ‘And on top of it,’ I said. ‘And underneath it,’ she retorted. ‘Better not to say anything then.’ ‘Not while going to it,’ I said. ‘You men,’ she said, ‘all snort, groan, and talk dirty like women when you’re having sex.’ ‘How come you know that?’ I asked. ‘Back to delusion and suspicion!’ she said. ‘Better,’ said I, ‘we return to saying our good-byes.’ ‘Indeed!’ she responded. ‘I shall travel, leaving behind no man I shall miss.’ ‘Am I,’ I asked, ‘one of the unmissed?’ ‘You’re not “a man,”’ she said. I said, ‘That too is an ambiguous statement. Am I not a man?’ ‘In one of the two meanings,’281 she said. ‘Do I still owe you one?’ I asked. ‘More than one,’ she replied. I said, ‘Do you have the accounts for that in your ledger?’ ‘I do,’ she replied. ‘The way you poets drool over poetry deceived us into thinking you were both sayers and doers, but it turns out that the only thing you do well is describe.’ ‘And who are the good doers?’ I enquired. ‘Those who are no good at description,’ she replied. ‘So where does literature get to have its say?’ I asked. ‘In scholars’ sitting rooms, not women’s dressing rooms,’ she replied. “‘What you’ve just said could lead to the dismemberment of our relationship,’ I said. ‘And your saying that could lead to the dehydration of your member,’282 she countered. ‘How then can we part?’ I asked. ‘If you wish,’ she said, ‘you can make good on your arrears now. If not, leave it till you come to Cairo.’ ‘How,’ I asked, ‘can I make good in hours or days on arrears that have been outstanding for years? I’d hate to be taken before my time with a balance still to pay.’ ‘If you weren’t afraid to meet your obligation, why should it occur to you to fear early obliteration?’ she asked. I replied, ‘You have made one who had forgotten remember, and for long now I had reckoned all people to be like me.’ She said, ‘And you have made one who remembered forget, because I have seen none as ill-used as I.’ I said, ‘Remember the rooftop and forgive!’ She said, ‘There can be no forgiveness without mention of top[pling].’ ‘I meant the old kind of top[pling],’283 I said. ‘And I want the
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3.20.3
�ف �ق �ة � �� ن �ة �ي� ��سر� م�ط ار ��ي��
�� ف �� �ف� �ق ��ف �ق � � ض غ�ن �ق ا � ت ا � �ذ ا �� ض غ�ن �ق � ت �إ�ذ ق ���ا ن ��م�ع ن � ا � ك ح�� ا ل� ���ل ت� ك�ي��� ا ل ار � �و�ى �لب��ك � ����� * �ل� ب � � ����� * � �ل� �ي� ب ى � َ� �ْ � ش ق �� ّ ق ا � ت �ن � �ن � ا � ف ا �ظ � � �غ �ة ا �� ت ��ت� �ل ت ا ن � � ْ َ �ه� �م��ك ك� ���ا �لعِ� ��قي ��و ن� � او � �لفِ� �� ا �ل � طحل� ���و�� ا ل�ى * �� �ل� ��ع�م �هى �م ا �ل� � �ل�� �� ا �ل� ��يرب�� ل ��ى ع� �م � �� ف� �� � ا ��لف ��َ �� ة ح�ْ� �ة * �ق��ل ت� ��ل�ع��ل�ك ا �ن�� ت س� �م�ن ا ��ل�ع��ق �� ن� ا ��ل�ع��ق ��ا ن� � �م�ن ا ل� �ح� �و�م�ن ا ��ل � او ل � ط � � حب� ر� ح � و ر ب ي و ي ل ل � � ��ل َ ��لَ ْ ة ا � ��َ� �ة * �ق��ل ت� �ق�د � �ق�� �ذ ��ل��ك �ف�ا ��ن ه� �ق�ا ��ل� ا ا �لن��ع�م��ة �م�ن �ب��ر�ة * �ق�ا ��ل ت� �ل�ا �ت�ا �ن�� ا � و حب��ر� � 1ب� حِ�لب ر �م و احِ س ع ق ت � �ذ �ن � ا ��لن�� � �ة �ق ا � ت � �ق ا �� ا ا � ض ا � ت �ف � ن �ه�ى �ع�ن ا ك ع�و م� * � �ل� و � ل�و �ي � ��� ا �ل����س�د �ي��د �م ا �ل��س�د ا د * ���ل� �ل�م �يرد ��ى ا �ل � ق � ت �ذ �ذ ��ف �خ ق� ق� �ن �ق ا �مر * ��ا �ل ت� �ه�و �م�ق�ي����س �ع��ل�ى � � ي� ض� �س��ا � * ��ا �ل ت� ���ه * ��ل� �ه� ا �ب�� ر �ى ا ر��ض� � ب �ذ َ � �ذ � � � �ا � حر ث� * �ق��ل ت� ا �� ك� �و ��ل��ك �ق ار � �ب�ل�ا � ��ع�ا � �م�ا د ا � ل��ل�ا � �ع��ل�ى ا �لب�� ر * �ق�ا �ل ت� �ل� ي���مر��ؤ ا �ل��ط م م م ح �ف � ق � ا �غ �آ � � � ث �ذ �ذ � ة ا ت ق ش ّ �ز ح�� �ل � �ل� ��� �س ا�لم�� ا �ل� ا ا �م �ع�� ا �ل � �ل �� � * �� � �� ا د �ع�ا ���ع�د �م��ا ا � ا �ل�� �م� � �����عه�ا � �ل ر ل�ى وم م و ب ب ر مو ي � �ى ا � � و ي و ت ش ا � ا �ن ا��ا ن ت ث ً � ث ���ئ��ب��ا �م��س��و� �� �� ن�ز � � ح���� * �ل� � �ه� ك�� ��� ك� ����ي�را �ّم�ا �ت��د ��ل�ه ا ��ل�ى ��س��ف�ي�ن ��ة ا �ل ن��ا ر �� ر ج� ع ا ل�ى �م�� �ل�ه ك ي م ث � � ش ا �ت ن � � � �ا ئ � � ن ق � �ل�ه ا �ل ار �ى ا �ل��س�د �ي��د * �� �ل� ي� ش����عر ب���ع�د ا �ي�ا � ا �ل� �ور � او � ا �لم��ط ار � ��د �ع��ل�ى ا �لر���� د �و�� �ه م م م ح ج � � �ة � �ذ �ذ ف � � ت �� ة ا �ن��� ش���ر ت� �و��هى ا �ش���د ا �ى �م�ن ا �ل�ا �و�ل�ى * �ب��ع ث� �من��ه�ا �ق�د را ا �خ�ر ا �ل�ى ا �ل�ج���ل ن�� ا�لم� ك��ور� � ئ ن � �ت ق � �ت � � ��� �ذ �ى �خ��� ش ��ا ك�� ح��ة �م�ن �ه��ذ ا ا ج��ل �� �ك� � ��ع� او �ه��ذه ا �ل ار � �و �ش�� ك� ��� ب� �ل�ه� * ا � �ل� � �� ��ط �وك ���و� * � � ل ي م م م م ف � ��ا ��ه � �ع ض ف���ل�م�ا ���لغ��ه� ك��ت� �� ه �ع��ل ���ط�ل�ا � ا ��ل�عل��� �ع ن��د ��ه �و�ج���د � او ا ن� ��ق� ��ل�ه ا ��ل � � حق� * �ب��د ا �ل�هم� �� و ب و و � ب ر ى ب �م م م � ن ّ � �ف ق ��س�د � ا � ا �ّ ا �لم��� ا ن �ع�ن ا �خ� ا � �ذ �� � ا ��لخ �� ث� * � او ن� ي� ا � ي� � ط ��ر� او ا �ل� م�� س � حض� ل ك � � ي�ه�م ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� و ر ب م ر ج � ا ة �ت �ة � ت ��ا ن � ف ا ا �ق ��ّ ف ��ف � � �ذ ق � �ذ �ت ق �ذ� � �ل� �ع�ا د� ر�ج��م� ا � ك�� ل��ا ب� ا �ل�� �ى � ���د �م ك��ره * �ه� ا �و��د ك�� � ا � �ل�� ر�ي� � ا ل�� �ى ا � حوا �ل ف ن �ة �ن ا �ة � ا �ت�ف ت � �ة ك��ت� ا ��ه� ا ��ل ��ا �ب�ا �و�ع�ا ب� �ع��ل� �ج�ز�ير ي�ه�م �ي��ه ب���ع��ض� �ع�ا د ا � �ور�� �سو�م د �ي���ي�� �ود �ي�� � �وي� �مم� � � رد � او ل �ذ � ��ت �� � ل�ا ئ ��ف �آ ا �ل�م�ع �ة �ن غ � ا �ب�ه �ع�ن � �ص�ا ر�ى �ب�ل� ده * �و �ل��ك ك���� ��طي����س�ه� ا �ج� ا ر ��س ا �ك�ن� ���س �ى �م� ء �م�ود �ي� * م �خ � � ق آ � ق ا ا ��ل��ش ت � �� �ن �ث ي�ه�ا * �و ك � او ��ط�ل�ا �� ا ���سم�� ا � �لق�� د���س��ي�ن �ع��ل� ��ر�و�ج� �ه� �ب�ا �ل��د �م�ى � او �ل�م�ا �ي���ل � �ه�ا را � او ��ي��� د �م� و ي م ع �ت � � �ذ ��ا ن ا � ا � ا � � ا ا �ش ه �ذ ا � � ن ق � � � � ا ي�ن م� م�ه� و م� ��ب�� �ه� * وك ���ا � ��د ا �ع�ا ر ا � ك�� ل��ا ب� ا�لم� ك��ور ر�ج��ل� �م�ن ا�لم��س��ل�م�� م�م�ن ك�� � ت � � ف �ت ف ن �ز ف ف � � ن ت � ن ق � �� ا �لم��ط ار � �ي��ردد �ع��لي��ه * ��ا � ���ق� ا � ا ره ا �لم��ط ار � �ي ��و�م�ا � ار �ى ا � ك�� ل��ا ب� �ع��ل�ى ك�ر��س�ى �و��د �عر�� � � ة �ت ن ا � � ت ق� �ا ق � �خ� ���ط �م� �� �لف��ه * �ف�غ���ا �ف�� ا ��ل ج��� � ح�تى �خ�ر�� �م�ن ا ��جل� ل��ا ب� �و�� ��ط حر� � �و�� �و�ل ا � ك�� �� �م ن��ه ا �ل� �ورا �� و ل ر ل ج ع �َ ة �ل ح ب��ر�. :1855 1ا ِ
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new,’ she said. I said, ‘There’s a proverb that says, “Blessing lies in what’s old.”’ She said, ‘There’s another that says, “Pleasure lies in everything that’s new.”’ “‘How can we part,’ I said, ‘when there’s ḍighn in your heart?’ ‘And what
3.20.4
better than ḍighn?’ she replied. ‘If it’s in the sense of “yearning,”’ I said.284 ‘Indeed!’ she replied. ‘It’s one of the strange words that I’ve learned from you, like ʿIqyawn,285 fiṭaḥl,286 and ḥabrah.287’ ‘Maybe what appealed to you about ʿIqyawn was its closeness to ʿiqyān (“gold”), about fiṭaḥl its closeness to faḥl (“stud bull”), and about ḥabrah its closeness to ḥibarah (“a kind of wrap”).’288 ‘Tooth decay and wraps don’t go together,’ she responded. ‘They can,’ I retorted, ‘for they say that niʿmah (“luxury, comfort”) comes from nuʿūmah (“softness”).’ She replied,289 ‘And they also say that tasdīd (“the plugging of holes”) is from sadād (“proper behavior”).’ I replied, ‘No command prohibiting that has come down.’ She said, ‘It’s by analogy with its opposite.’ I said, ‘That’s seed cast on salty land’ and she said, ‘And that’s cleared land left unplowed.’ I said, ‘We were talking about seed’ and she said, ‘Food doesn’t nourish while it’s still on the palate and drink doesn’t quench till it’s passed down the throat.’” Following this duel of wits, they bade each other farewell and he saw her onto the steamer and then returned to his house gloomy and downcast, for often she had guided him to the right way and shown him the path to the correct opinion. Before a few days had passed, the metropolitan’s stinks spread once more, this time more harmfully than the first, so he sent another portion to the aforementioned Committee290 and wrote to them saying, “If you don’t put a stop to the pollution of the air here by this stink, everyone with a nostril will complain about you.” When his letter reached them and they submitted it to the scholars in their country, they found that what he said was correct and deemed it proper to stop up the metropolitan’s pores to prevent them from exuding any more of this malignancy. They also decided to bring the Fāriyāq over to them to retranslate the book in question. In addition, the Fāriyāq had written a book on the state of the island’s inhabitants291 in which he reproached them for certain customs and religious and secular practices that set them apart from the Christians of his own country. Examples included dunking church bells in baptismal water and giving them the names of saints, taking the figurines and statues from the churches for an outing during the day and lighting candles in front of them, and so forth. The said book also reviled a Muslim whom the metropolitan used to visit. The metropolitan
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3.20.5
�ف �ق �ة � �� ن �ة �ي� ��سر� م�ط ار ��ي��
� ث ا � ئ � � � ��ت � ث شت �ذ� ت ا �ل ��تى ا ����م��ل ت� �ع��ل�ى ك��ر ���ل�ك ا �ل�ع�ا د ا ت� * �� ب���ع� �ب��ه� ا �ل�ى ر��ي����س م�ص�ل � ا ب�ل�خ��ر �وك�� ب� م ن ��ا ن ق ا ئ �ذ �� ا �ح � � � � � � �ن ن ا ي�ه�ا �ب�ا �ل��لغ����ة ا �ل���ط��لي��ا ��ني���ة * ا ��ن �ظ �� ر ا ��ي �ه�ا ا �ل �رئ����� ا � ك�� � �� ���ل �ه� ا ا � ك� ل��ل� � �ي �ص�ل �ع��ل� � �ل� � �ي���كو� س ي م ح ت � � َ � � � �ذ شت � ��ور �ل�م�ا ك� ح ت� ر�ئ�ا ��س�ت��ك ا �ْو �ل�ا * ا �ل�ا ا ن� ا �ل �رئ����� ا�لم� ك�� ���ا ن� �ل�ا �ي��عر�ف� �م�ا ا ����م��ل ت� �ع��لي��ه يس � � �ف � � � � �ة �ة ��ا ن � ا ق �ئف ف �خ �ظ ي�ن �ت��ل�ك ا �ل��ص ح�ا ���� �م� �ع�د � ��د ر�ت�ه �ع��ل�ى �ع�ز �ل ا�لمت��و �� ���� ��ى ���د �م� ا �ل��د �و�ل� * ك�� � �ل� م ة � ا ع ق � � �ّ � � � ق ف ن ن ة ق ف �ت � ّ � � � ���� ا �ع�ا د � ه�ا ا �ن ا �ن �ل � � �ب��د �م ا �ع� د� ا �ل� �ورا �� ا ل�ى ا �لم�و�ل�� * �وك�� � ا �لم��ط ار � ��د �ر �م ا �ج�ز�ير ب ل ئ � � � �ق � �ذ � � �� ��ق � �ق �ة ا ق �ة ت � ق طهر ا ج��ل �و �م�ن ر � او � �� �و �� � ح�ه * �و�ل�و ب ���ى ب��ع�د �ل�ك ل�ع�و ب� �ع��ل�ى �ه��ذه ا �ل��سر� �م�ع� �ب�� ��لي ��� � �ف � ق ض �آ ت � ال�م� � �ة ن �ت �ة � ت �ق ئ �ذ � �ف ق � ��� ���لك ص��ل ح� ا �ع��ى ر�ج��م� ا � ك�� ل��ا ب� �ب�ا �مث��ا �ل�ه * �و �و��ت�� �ع�ز �م ا � �ل��ا ر�ي�ا �� �ع��ل�ى ا �ل��س� ر � �ل�� � ش ا � ا ا � � �ذ � ا ���س ا ��ل �ز � � ت ه ��ع��ل ا � ا ا � ت ��ق �و ا و ر �ل �ى و�ج �� �ي �م�ه� ب�م� �س� ر �ع��لي��ه ا �ل ار �ى * � او ���� ر �ع�ل� ي�ه� �ب� �لرج � ع ت � � ت � ا ة �ف �ن � �غ ن �ا �و ا �ن�ه ��يب ����ق ���فى �ب�ل�ا د ا �ل�ا �ن ك� ك ���ل��ي�ز ب���ع�د ا ��ن �ه�ا �ئ�ه ا � ك�� ���ا � �يرج�� ل�� ب� * ��ي�ر ا ��ه �ج�ر� ا �ل�ع� د� ��ى ى ّ ن � غ ا ت �ف ن � �ا ا � ا �ف ا ن ا ��ل �ة � ا � ن ن � ا � ��ا �م�ع� �ل� �ي��ك�و� ��و� ا �ل� �من��ه�م � او � ب�ل د �ل� ر� � �ب� � �م�د ر��سى ا �ل��ل��� � ��ى �م�د ا ر��س�ه�م ج ج � ف ا ا ق � � �ف ا ���ا �ن�� ا ��ا �ه��ل��ي�ن * � ���ع�د ا ن� ج� ت � ف ا ا ق �ة ت ا ر بو ك� و �ج ��ع� ا � �ل�� ر�ي� �ي�� �� �ه ب� ا � �ل�� ر�ي� �� �ل�ل��س� ر * �و�ه� �ه�و ن � ق �ق ض آ �ة � ا ّ � � ا ش �ن �ف � �آ ن ق ���� � ح�ا �ج�� �ل� �ب��د ا �ل� � �ي ��و�ع�ى ا � �لق��ا �م�و��س � او �ل� ���م�و��ى ��ى �ص�ن �د �و��ه * �و�ه�ا ا ��ا �من� ��ط�� �ل� � �ل�� � � ن ت ق ف�� ن حوا �ل�ى ا � ا ��س��ير� ���لي��ل�ا * �ه�ا * ��ا �سم� �م � ح � ���ت�ا � ا ��لث��ا ��ل ث ����ت� ا � ك � ل�� ب م
350
350
٦،٢٠،٣
A Metropolitan Theft
happened to pay the Fāriyāq a visit and saw the book on an occasional table and recognized its author’s handwriting. The man pretended not to notice until the Fāriyāq had left the room, then took the book and cut out of it the pages containing mention of those customs. These he then sent to the head of the infirmary for the foul of breath,292 having written on them in Italian, “Look, dear sir, and see whether or not the writer of these lines is worthy to be under your directorship.” The head, however, given his ignorance of what the pages contained, compounded by his lack of authority to dismiss an employee of the state, was obliged to return them to their author. By the time the pages were returned to the Fāriyāq, the metropolitan had fled the island and the air had become free of his stink, and had he stayed longer, he would have been punished for the theft in a manner appropriate to such as him. At the same time, the Fāriyāq was invited to travel so as to carry out the mission in question, meaning the translation of the book, and he sent a letter to his wife telling her what had been decided and instructing her to return, since he wanted to remain in England after finishing the book. However, it is customary in the lands of the Franks to draw the language teachers at their universities from their own race only, even if they were ignorant. When the Fāriyāqiyyah returned, the Fāriyāq made ready for the journey. Observe him then putting his copies of the Qāmūs and al-Ashmūnī into his trunk, and observe me, rushing off to see to an urgent need. Allow me then a little time to rest.
end of book three
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351
3.20.6
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Notes
1 2
“these twenty-eight letters”: i.e., of the Arabic alphabet. “venereal disease, for which our noble language has no word” (al-dāʾ al-zarnabī mimmā khalat ʿanhu lughatunā l-sharīfah): the adjective zarnabī (from zarnab “vulva”) is probably the author’s coinage, though not one that was adopted (the current term for “venereal” is zuharī), and the specific disease he had in mind is probably syphilis, introduced from the New World, hence absent from the classical lexicon. The disease was rampant in Egypt from at least the time of the visit of the Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi in the seventeenth century (Dankoff, “Ayıp değil!”). In the nineteenth century, terms for syphilis appear to have included al-tashwīsh (Spiro, Arabic-English Vocabulary, where it is defined as “sickness, illness, venereal disease”), which the author may have regarded as not belonging to the true Arab lexicon since it appears in the classical dictionaries only in the sense of “confusion” (the semantic progression being from “confusion” to “disorder, sickness” to (perhaps as a euphemism) “venereal disease”) and in the colloquial as al-ʿaya (= al-ʿayāʾ ) al-afranjī (“the Frankish disease”) (Spiro, Arabic-English Vocabulary).
3
“the author like me of lunatics” (al-muʾallifu mithlī mina l-majānīn): up to the word al-majānīn, the sentence may be understood as meaning “the author, like me a lunatic,” with min as a partitive; thereafter it reveals itself as parallel to the preceding clauses.
4
“the farter” (al-khaḍfā), etc.: the following adjectives are vowelled in the Arabic as though feminine, perhaps implying intensification of the insult; however, it is also possible that the vowelling is in error for the masculine intensive form fiʿillā (cf., e.g., in the Qāmūs, “khibbiqā on the pattern of zimikkā”).
5
Cf. Mal. 2:10: “Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?”
6
Ps. 133:1–2.
7
“prize” (maghnam): i.e., marriage.
8
“to ‘ties of kinship’ is applied” (ʿalā l-ansābi nṭabaqat): this is an extended sense of
9
“you Orientals . . . the Occidentals”: (minkum fī l-sharq . . . ahl al-gharb): probably
arḥām. meaning “any two groups of people from different parts of the world” (cf., e.g., mashāriq al-arḍ wa-maghāribuhā, “the entire world”).
353
353
Notes 10
The merchant’s last name was al-Ṣūlī, he was a Catholic from Damascus, and his daughter’s name was Wardah (al-Maṭwī, Aḥmad, 1:82).
11
“it was not to be imagined that anyone else could have been exhibited to her”: i.e., the girl’s family was too respectable to have allowed her to meet any other man.
12
“the ‘twisting of the side-tresses’” (al-haṣr bi-l-fawdayn): the reference is to the muʿallaqah (“suspended ode”) which, in this version (other versions have a different first hemistich), reads haṣartu bi-fawday raʾsihā fa-tamāyalat * ʿalayya haḍīma l-kashḥi rayyā l-mukhalkhali (“I twisted her side-tresses to me, and she leaned over me; slenderwaisted she was, and tenderly plump her ankles”) (translation: Arberry, Seven Odes, 63).
13
Prov. 5:19.
14
I.e., in chapter 7 of Volume One.
15
“regarded their wives as chattel” (kāna ḍayzanan lahu ʿalā l-māʾidah): literally, “wanted too much of their share at table,” to be understood in the context of the contrasting phrase below (3.2.7): “no man will jostle me for her affections” (wa-lā yuzāḥimunī fīhā l-rijāl).
16
“shifts would be ripped from in front and from the rear” (wa-qudda l-qamīṣāni min qubulin wa-min dubur): an echo of Q Yūsuf 12:25, 28 wa-qaddat qamīsahu min duburin . . . fa-lammā raʾā qamīṣahu qudda min duburin “she tore his shirt at the back. . . . When he saw his shirt was torn from the rear. . . .”
17
Located at the end of this chapter.
18
“My shaft . . . your luckless stick” (qidḥī . . . qidḥuka l-safīḥ): qidḥ may be taken to mean “horse,” thus extending the metaphor of the preceding line, or “arrow-shaft” (as used in the ancient Arabian gambling game of maysar), a possibility strengthened by the use of the term safīḥ, meaning “an arrow-shaft used in maysar that has no good luck” (Qāmūs).
19
“single verses” (abyāt mufradah): i.e., of self-contained, one-line (two-hemistich) unrhymed poems.
20 “Some count among this last kind the sarābātiyyah” etc: meaning, perhaps, that latrine cleaners are held up by some (presumably sarcastically) as examples of people so devoted to their fellow men that they will collect their night soil, while others see them merely as persons who have to earn a living. 21
“a sun . . . ”: mahāt means both “sun” and “female oryx”; thus the meaning is that separation from the beloved does not result in her being seen simply as a beautiful object, but rather makes the lover’s feelings more intense.
22 “of her and of me”: perhaps because in so doing the grateful lover would give precedence to the beloved for his happiness, thus fitting the conceit more closely to the sense of the preceding passage.
354
354
Notes 23
“something else that comes from her”: ʿadhirah (with identical ductus to ʿadhrah) means “feces.”
24 “who suffers from diochism” (bihi sīfanniyyah): see the author’s note that follows, which refers to the bird itself, the sīfannah; the allusion may be to the dioch (Quelea quelea), a bird that forms flocks of thousands and is known to strip trees entirely; though not found now in Egypt, the dioch is common in Sudan and the reference in the note to Egypt may be loose. 25
“the two honey-seekers” (al-mustaʿsilayn): or, punningly, “the two seekers after intercourse” (see 3.2.11).
26 “Reproach me not, for reproach is a spur” (daʿ ʿanka lawmī fa-inna l-lawma ighrāʾū): Abū Nuwās, Dīwān, 7. 27 “this manifest victory” (hādhā l-fatḥ al-mubīn): a Qurʾanic reference (Q Fatḥ 48:1) but capable also of being read as “this demonstrated opening.” 28 “The Two Titter-Making Poems” (al-qaṣīdatān al-ṭīkhiyyatān): one likely reason for the author’s calling them by this name is to be found in the third and fourth lines, where much of the vocabulary used is open to two interpretations, one respectable (and to be found in the dictionaries) and the other vulgar (and primarily vernacular). Thus, in line 3, muzabbiban, according to the definition of the Qāmūs which the author is at pains to reproduce in a marginal note, means “talking too much” or “having the sides of his mouth filled with saliva”; most readers, however, will immediately relate the word to zubb, meaning “penis,” so that it might be interpreted as “touching my penis”; similarly, mutakassisan, again according to the marginal note quoting the Qāmūs, means “putting on airs,” whereas most readers will be reminded of kuss (“cunt”), thus allowing a reading of “cunt-obsessed.” In the same vein, the two following words (mustaqbilan mustadbiran) might be understood as “approaching from the front, approaching from the rear.” Similarly, in the next line, tajmīsh, which the Qāmūs defines as “flirting” (al-mughāzalah), commonly occurs in Abbasid poetry in the sense of “(sexually) groping, fondling.” Another feature that might be perceived as “strange” (see 3.2.9) is the piling up of unusual lexical items in lists, a feature carried over by the author from the prose passages of the book. 29 “A jinni-possessed poet” (shāʿir dhū jinnah): the belief that poets were inspired by jinnis was widespread in pre-Islamic Arabia. 30 “my two little friends” (ṣuwayḥibayya): i.e., his poetic familiars. 31
“Ask her, ‘Does the oven burn hot as it should/Each month, or is it late some months?’”: meaning “Is she not, despite her pretensions to glory, a mere woman who menstruates and gets pregnant?”
355
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Notes 32
“He-of-the-Two-Horns” (Dhū l-Qarnayn): an epithet of Alexander the Great.
33
I.e., the beloved.
34 “Yūsuf . . . prison”: in Islam, Yūsuf (biblical Joseph) represents young male beauty and virtue; according to the Qurʾan, Yūsuf was imprisoned when falsely accused of assault by Pharaoh’s wife (Q Yūsuf 12:35 and passim). 35
Rashā: poetic license for Rashaʾ, which, in addition to being a female given name, means “young gazelle.”
36 Suʿād: a woman’s name often given the beloved by poets (mostly famously by Kaʿb ibn Zuhayr in the opening line of a poem dedicated to the Prophet Muḥammad); thus the author asks in effect, “Who is this Suʿād? It is you who are the true angel?” etc. 37
See Volume One, 1.13.10.
38
“thrusting the soles of his feet toward the face of the person sitting with him”: it is considered insulting to deliberately show the soles of one’s shoes.
39 “Fulān shamma l-narjisa wa-ḥabaq” etc.: these appear to be distorted versions of the saying man sabaq shamma l-ḥabaq (“he who arrives first, smells the basil,” i.e., “the early bird catches the worm”) that exploit the shared senses of ḥabaq as “basil” and “he farted”; Franks would, presumably, be ignorant of the saying itself and a fortiori be oblivious to the grammatical and semantic solecisms. 40 The Thistle and the Cedar of Lebanon by Habeeb Risk Allah (Ḥabīb Rizqallah) (London, first edition 1843, second edition 1853) includes a description of feasts (pp. 28–33), not a wedding, that he attended in Damascus at which poems such as that quoted would sometimes end the festivities. Risk Allah glosses “feast” as faraḥ, a word used colloquially to mean “wedding,” which may explain al-Shidyāq’s confusion. While it would obviously be regarded as ill-omened to sing a funeral lament at a wedding, it might have been more acceptable at a party at which the arts were on display, and it remains an open question whether al-Shidyāq’s criticism was reasonable or deliberate obfuscation. The verses form the second stanza of the longer poem quoted by Risk Allah, and in Risk Allah’s version go, “Tell me, O Grave, tell me, is her incomparable beauty gone? Has she, too, faded as the petals fall from the sweetest flower, and her lovely face changed— changed and gone! Thou art not a garden, O Grave; nor yet heaven; still all the fairest flowers and brightest plants are culled by thee”; similar verses are quoted anonymously in ʿAbbās b. Muḥammad al-Qurashī, Ḥamāsat al-Qurashī (ed. Khayr al-Dīn Maḥmūd Qablāwī, Damascus: Manshūrāt Wizārat al-Thaqāfah, 1995), 245, no. 78. 41
“two assemblies, one for the common people and another for the elite” (majlisayni aḥaduhumā ʿāmmiyyūna wa-aḥaduhumā khāṣṣī): the account of the assembly for the common people is written in colloquial Arabic.
356
356
Notes 42 “transmitter of poetry” (rāwī): premodern Arabic poetry was passed from generation to generation orally via persons who preserved and recited a poet’s works and taught them to others. 43 “smacks to the back of the neck” (al-ṣaf ʿ ): to slap oneself on the back of the neck (or the cheeks) is a ritual expression of mourning. 44 “his anterior and his posterior” (quddāmuhu wa-khalfuhu): probably an allusion to his “pantaloons that are big both in front and behind” (sarwīlātuhu l-mufarsakhah) above (3.3.8). 45 Perhaps a reference to Judaeo-Spanish (Ladino), brought to the Ottoman Empire by Jews expelled from al-Andalus at the end of the fifteenth century. 46 “from the furthest west and . . . from the further east” (min aqṣā l-maghrib . . . min aqṣā l-mashriq): i.e., from Morocco and from Iraq. 47 “the emir of al-Quffah”: either the emir of a place called al-Quffah (unidentified) or “the emir of the basket,” in which case the reference is equally obscure. 48 “in this case”: i.e., in the case of the display of the bride’s blood, which the author treats as an exercise in rubbing the beholders’ noses in the groom’s good luck at having married a virgin, or perhaps at having married at all. 49 “testing for virginity leads mostly to sterility” (al-ʿuqru yakūnu ghāliban sababan fī l-ʿuqr): the definition used in the translation of the author’s note (“the exploration . . .”) is taken from Lane’s Lexicon (s.v. ʿuqr); Lane comments, “Perhaps it is a meaning inferred from . . . bayḍat al-ʿuqr [meaning] ‘That [egg] with which a woman is tested on the occasion of devirgination.’” 50 “penetration” (baṣīrah): punning on the two meanings of the word, i.e., “insight, acumen” and “bloody proof.” 51
“the baker’s oven flared up, the heated pot boiled over” (qad fāra l-tannūr wa-fāḍa l-masjūr): i.e., the bride was menstruating.
52
“to the Island of the Foul of Breath” (jazīrat al-bukhr) etc.: i.e., Malta (see Volume Two, 2.3.16 and below, 3.11.2).
53
“dream interpreter” (muʿabbir li-l-aḥlām): the author was in fact engaged by the Church Missionary Society, for whom he was already working in Cairo as a teacher, to go to Malta in the capacity of a translator (Roper, Fāris al-Shidyāq as Translator and Editor). The non-figurative key to the ironic substitution of dream interpretation for translation lies in the fact that while the root ʿ-b-r means “to interpret (dreams),” reversal of the second two consonants results in ʿ-r-b, from which taʿrīb “to translate into Arabic.” The author has already in this work (Volume One, 0.2.3) shown his interest in metathesis and
357
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Notes later was to write a book—Sirr al-layāl fī l-qalb wa-l-ibdāl (The Secrets of Morphology and Metathesis, 1884)—devoted to this form of word play. 54 “a man is tied by his tongue” (al-rajulu yurbaṭu bi-lisānihi): i.e., a man must honor his word. 55
“make for the back of that Friend of God” (yaqṣidna ẓahra hādhā l-walī): i.e., go for a boat ride; the speaker likens the sea to one of God’s chosen “friends” among men, to whom He grants the power to perform wonders.
56 “the two sweetest things” (al-aʿdhabayn): i.e., food and coitus. 57
“He had triumphed and succeeded—and with what triumph and what success!”: presumably meaning that he felt that his sexual performance on what was in effect his honeymoon had been more than adequate.
58 “the fire-ship” (safīnat al-nār): i.e., the steamer; the implications of the Arabic term are the topic of further discussion below (3.5.6). 59 “Angering Women Who Dart Sideways Looks, and Claws like Hooks”: i.e., Volume One, chapter 10, where the author says, for example, “if [women] set their hearts on reading, who knows where it will end?” (1.10.10) 60 “the al-” (al-alif wa-l-lām): i.e., the Arabic article, often translatable as “the.” 61
“generic or referential” (al-jinsī aw al-dhihnī): i.e., whether the poet meant that the beloved’s rump was incapable of passing through any door or only of passing through some specific door that was in the mind of the poet and his readers.
62 Imam al-Zawzanī: al-Ḥusayn ibn Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Zawzanī (d. 468/1093), a noted philologist and man of letters best known for his commentary on the seven “suspended odes,” entitled Sharḥ al-qaṣāʾid (or al-muʿallaqāt) al-sabʿ. 63 “for a man’s eye, despite its small size” (fa-ʾinna ʿayna bni ʾādama maʿa kawnihā ḍayyiqah): also, punningly, in allusion to the Lebanese idiom ʿēnu ḍayyiqah, “for a man, despite the limitations of his imagination.” 64 “six-letter verbs . . . ” (al-af ʿāl al-sudāsiyyah . . . ): by “six-letter verbs” the author means those called in English-language grammars of Arabic “Form X verbs,” which are formed by prefixing to the three root consonants the three-letter formative element ist-, which, as a substantive, means “anus”; Form X verbs may “express the taking, seeking, asking for, or demanding, what is meant by the first [form]” (e.g., istaghfara “to ask pardon”), as also that “a person thinks that a certain thing possesses . . . the quality expressed by the first form” (e.g., istathqala “to find (s.th.) heavy”) (Wright, Grammar, I:44, 45). 65 “‘bearing,’ as some poets would have it” (ḥāmilah kamā dhahaba ilayhi baʿḍu l-shuʿarāʾ ): no description in poetry of the posterior as “bearing” has been found. 66 “the Most Beauteous Names” (al-asmāʾ al-ḥusnā): the names, or epithets, of God, e.g., “the Satisfier of All Needs,” “the Opener,” “the Patient,” etc.
358
358
Notes 67 “they encompass both front and back” (maʿa ḥtiwāʾihimā ʿalā l-qubuli wa-l-dubur): i.e., “even though the anus and the vagina, in animals, are located in close proximity to one another between the buttocks.” 68 “what is concave” (al-mujawwaf): perhaps meaning the small of the back. 69 Al-Ḥusayn ibn Aḥmad ibn Khālawayh (d. 370/980–81) was a leading philologist of Baghdad. The reference is to his work Laysa fī kalām al-ʿArab (Not to Be Found in the Speech of the Arabs) (p. 267); Ibn Khālawayh does not otherwise gloss al-ṣawfaqatān and the word is not to be found in the lexica. 70 mirfad: “the bustle by which a flat-buttocked woman enlarges herself ” (Lisān). 71
“no matter how you switch them around, they’ll give you a new meaning each time” (kayfamā qalabtahā ẓahara laka minhā ayḍan maʿnā): i.e., the consonants d-b-r that form dubur (“backside”) may be arranged in different combinations to produce new words (e.g., radb [“dead-end road”], rabada [“to erect”], badr [“full moon; beautiful girl or boy”], bard [“cold”]).
72 “according to their numerical values” (bi-ḥisāb al-jummal): i.e., according to the counting system that allots a numerical value to each letter of the Arabic alphabet; dubr yields the values 4 (d), 2 (b), and 200 (r), any two of which add up, of course, to an even number. 73
“the two ‘u’s imply ponderousness and gravity” (al-ḍammatayni ishāratun ilā l-thiqal wa-l-razānah): the ḍammah or “u,” as in dubur, is conventionally described as a “heavy vowel” (ḥarakah thaqīlah); the author exploits the literal sense of the terminology.
74 “at the end of the month” (dubura l-shahr): dubura is simply a noun used as a preposition and it makes no sense, as the author knows, to posit it as the etymon of the noun (Wright, Grammar, I:280 [357]). 75
“the question of its derivation from ‘the afterpart of anything’” (al-khilāfu fī shtiqāqihā min ʿaqibi l-shayʾ ): the author appears to willfully misunderstand the formulation that he has quoted earlier from the Qāmūs (see 3.5.13, last sentence), where the words wa-min kulli shayʾin ʿaqibuhu (literally, “and [al-dubr and al-dubur also] mean ‘the afterpart . . . of anything’”), as though the lexicographer had written wa-l-dubr wa-l-dubur min ʿaqibi l-shayʾ (“al-dubr and al-dubur are [derived] from the ʿaqib of anything”), which is, of course, nonsense, but of a piece with his reasoning concerning dubura l-shayʾ (see preceding endnote).
76 “they [would certainly] turn their backs” ([la-]wallawu l-adbāra): cf. Q Fatḥ 48:22. 77 On Metropolitan Atanāsiyūs al-Tutūnjī and Al-Ḥakākah fī l-rakākah, see Volume Two, 2.3.5 and 2.9.3; this volume, chapter 20; and Volume Four, chapter 19.
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Notes 78 “Raising a Storm” (Fī Ithārat al-Riyāḥ): i.e., Volume One, chapter 1 (see 1.1.6., pp. 45–47). 79 Umm Suwayd, Umm al-ʿIzm, and Umm Khinnawr: epithets (i.e., kunyas, or descriptive labels consisting of either abū (“father of ”) or umm (“mother of ”), in the sense of “possessed of,” followed by a noun) are often nontransparent or ambiguous; thus Umm Suwayd might be translated as “Mother of a Little Black Thing,” Umm al-ʿIzm has no clear meaning, and Umm Khinnawr may denote “Mother of a Hyena,” or “of a Cow,” etc. 80 “had they not held it in the same esteem” etc.: i.e., since the Arabs typically allocated heroic descriptive epithets to lions, etc. and since they did the same for the backside, they must have viewed them as being on a par. 81
“a possessor of Umm Suwayd” (umm Umm Suwayd): i.e., a woman, which the cat resembles in its fertility, playfulness, etc.
82 “or that they may be used as a means to get hold of one” (aw annahā takūnu dharī ʿatan lahā): i.e., as a go-between with access to women’s quarters, a common theme in Arabic romances and one to which the author refers again below (3.15.4). 83
“another book”: unidentified.
84 “the massively uddered”: thus the Qāmūs (al-ʿaẓīmatu l-ḍarʿ ), though the word seems out of place in this list. 85 balkhāʾ: feminine singular of bilākh. 86 Most of the words in the following table were cited in an earlier list (Volume Two, 2.14.8ff.). 87 “this custom” (hādhihi l-ʿādah): i.e., that of a woman’s turning her backside toward her husband (see 3.5.7 above). 88 “the city”: Valletta. 89 “Steven”: probably William Stevens, a notary and solicitor, who worked in Valletta from 1803 to his death in 1854, when he left behind him six sons and seven daughters (see 3.6.5 below); he lived at Pieta, which would have been most easily reached from the Marsamxett side of Valletta, where the author and his wife were staying, by boat; one of William’s sons—William John—also worked in Malta from 1831 to 1878 but his place of residence does not fit the author’s description (personal communication from Dr. Simon Mercieca, University of Malta). That Stevens was a lawyer explains the author’s apparently mocking allusions to him by the Islamic terms faqīh (“jurisprudent”) and (3.6.2 below) faraḍī (“expert on the division of inheritances”). 90 “in Across the Sea” (fī ʿIbra l-Baḥr): the odd wording may reflect the Maltese expression jaqsam il-baħar (“to cross the sea”), used of crossing either of the two harbors that
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Notes flank Valletta (personal communication from Dr. Simon Mercieca, University of Malta); if that is the case, the author seems to have mistaken the phrase for a place-name. 91
“for both orientation and osculation” (fī l-qiblah wa-l-qublah): i.e., by virtue of having the qiblah (the place—Mecca—to which Muslims direct themselves in prayer) in their lands and by virtue of their excellence in kissing.
92 “the same downfall had befallen them as befell the Barāmikah” (nazala bihinna nakbatu l-barāmikah): the Barāmikah family held high office at the court of the early Abbasid caliphs and became known for the extravagance of their lifestyle. In 187/803, they were imprisoned and had their possessions confiscated by Hārūn al-Rashīd. 93 “khawals”: Lane calls these “dancing-men” (see Lane, Description, 381–82). 94 “The Fāriyāq went on” (qāla): many of the Fāriyāq’s discussions with his wife begin by being reported in the third person (i.e., putatively by the author) and shift to being reported in the first person by the Fāriyāq himself. 95 The final word in the author’s note does not in fact occur in the text. 96 “the protuberance of her two breasts and their perkiness . . .” (burūz al-nahdayni wa-nuhūduhumā . . .): the following list of words related to breasts is shorter than that in the original and is intended as a representation, not a one-to-one translation, of the latter, using words from the same semantic areas drawn from thesauri, dictionaries, and other lexical resources; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. 97 saʿdān: a creeping desert plant, Neurada procumbens, that has conical prickles. 98 “ra . . .”: the first syllable of the word rajīm (“the lapidated”), which follows al-shayṭān in the pious formula aʿūdhu bi-llāhi mina l-shayṭān al-rajīm, and also of rajul meaning “man”; in the following sentence, reference is to the phrase bi-smi llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm (“In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate”). 99 “and the fact of his being strong and hard” (wa-kawnuhu qawiyyan shadīdan): the following list of words related to being strong and being hard is shorter than that in the original and is intended as a representation, not a one-to-one translation, of the latter, using words from the same semantic areas drawn from thesauri, dictionaries, and other lexical resources; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. 100 “al-Suyūṭī . . . suits . . . sots” (al-Suyūṭī . . . al-sawṭiyyīn . . . al-miswaṭiyyīn): the Fāriyāqiyyah believes that the name al-Suyūṭī (“from al-Asyūṭ,” referring to the town in Upper Egypt) is related to the word sawṭ meaning “whip” and the Fāriyāq carries the joke further by invoking a further related word, miswaṭ, meaning the same; this purely phonetic play has been realized here in a different form. 101 “splitting it into hemistichs and inserting between them others of her own or building new stanzas based on what I’ve already written” (shaṭṭarathu wa-khammasathu): tashṭīr
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Notes and takhmīs are practices by which existing, usually well-known, poems are expanded by a later poet; tashṭīr, strictly interpreted, consists of inserting a new hemistich after the first and before the second hemistich of the original, resulting in two lines where before there was one; takhmīs consists of the “expansion of a given poem into a strophic poem of five-line stanzas in which the last two lines consist of one line (two hemistichs) from the original poem, and the three new lines at the beginning rhyme with the first hemistich” (Meisami and Starkey, Encyclopedia, I:82). 102 “Postscript” (ḥāshiyah): Having exhausted the resources available to him (see n. 95, above), the translator is unable to provide equivalents for the further ninety-seven synonyms for “strong and vigorous” and “hard and tough” listed here and invites readers to read the transcribed Arabic to themselves and experience its purely phonic aspects; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. 103 “scraps of paper . . . scrap of food” (ṣaḥfatun min ṣuḥufi ṭ-ṭaʿām): the double entendre depends in the Arabic on the fact that ṣuḥuf may be used as the plural of both ṣaḥīfah (“leaf, page”) and ṣaḥfah (“large eating bowl”). 104 “the head of the Chamber” (raʾ īs al-muʿabbar): i.e., Christoph Schlienz, a German missionary recruited by the Church Missionary Society soon before the author’s first visit to Malta and to whom he had, during that stay, taught Arabic (Roper, Fāris al-Shidyāq as Translator and Editor). “In 1838 Schlienz was hit on the head by a barge-pole while in Egypt, which rendered him intermittently insane for the next three or more years. In December 1841 he suffered a particularly bad relapse. This took the form of an insistence on undressing and walking naked in the street, so that he had to be forcibly re-dressed. This incident was recorded in a report now in the CMS archives” (personal communication from Geoffrey Roper). The incident is described in chapter 17 below. 105 “The rest of the dream is self-explanatory”: the author hints that the wife retained two lovers (two “branches”) and returns to this theme later (3.14.5 and 3.15 passim). 106 kuʿkubbah: this almost comically strange-sounding word is defined in the Qāmūs as “four lengths of hair braided so that they intertwine with one another.” 107 “wipe her nose” (yuraʿʿimahā): exactly what is implied here is unclear, but see the author’s comments on the same word below (3.12.21, wa-lā turaʿʿimuhu, sixth item in table).
108 “figure 2 . . . two strokes” (ʿadada thnayn): i.e., she wrote the Arabic figure 2, which
consists of a lateral stroke and a vertical stroke; when the first is removed, something resembling a figure 1 is left.
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Notes 109 “rafḍ . . . farḍ . . . ʿirḍ . . . ʿarḍ”: i.e., if the husband substitutes refusal (rafḍ) for religious duty (farḍ), his wife will trade in her honor as a woman (ʿirḍ) for the exposure (ʿarḍ) of his failure as a man. 110 “its circularity”: the idea of the repetition of worldly events (such as the rise and fall of nations) over time is a well-established trope. 111 “figure 3 . . . two teeth . . . a crooked figure 1” (ʿadada thalāthatin . . . sinnayn . . . wāḥidan dhā ʿawaj): as with the “figure 2” above, except that the lateral stroke of the Arabic figure 3 (3) consists of two joined “teeth,” or small peaks.
112 “a people with breath so foul” etc.: the author says earlier of the inhabitants of the island (i.e., the Maltese) that “they speak a language so filthy, dirty, and rotten that the speaker’s mouth gives off a bad smell as soon as he opens it” (Volume Two, 2.3.16). Al-Shidyāq considered Maltese a dialect of Arabic, although some modern linguists consider it a mixed language. It is descended from eleventh-century Sicilian Arabic but contains a preponderance of elements from Sicilian Romance, standard Italian, and English (Brincat, Maltese and Other Languages). Decoded, al-Shidyāq’s “treating the foul of breath” may be taken to mean teaching formal Arabic to Maltese speakers. 113 “cap . . . tail” (raʾs . . . dhanab): a play on the word raʾsmāl, meaning “(financial) capital” (literally, “the head, or greater part, of wealth”). 114 “the rope . . . the knot” (al-ʿiqd . . . al-ʿaqd): a play on two similar-sounding words, both derived from the root for “tying”; by the second (literally, “contract”) he means the tie of marriage. 115 bihim . . . bihā: in using plural concord to refer to “earnings” (darāhim, literally “silver coins”), the wife is following colloquial rules, which allow the use of plural concord with inanimate objects; literary Arabic prefers feminine singular concord in such cases, reserving plural concord for persons. 116 “matron . . . patron” (ḥayzabūn . . . zabūn): the wife mishears the little-known word ḥayzabūn (literally “old woman, hag”) as the common word zabūn, “patron, customer.” The patron the Fāriyāqiyyah has in mind would no doubt be one of the “foul of breath,” come for a lesson; see again 3.12.3, at the end. 117 “If you’d ‘opened’ the ṣād . . . a perfect line of verse” (law fataḥti l-ṣāda . . . baytan muṭlaqan): i.e., if she had ended the last word of each hemistich with an a vowel (fatḥah), mark of the accusative case (i.e., al-raqṣ-ā . . . al-naqṣ-ā), she would have turned her words into properly metered (rajaz) and rhymed verse; at the same time, baytan muṭlaqan may be understood in its technical meaning of “a line of verse whose final short vowel is converted into a long vowel, according to the convention.”
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Notes 118 “such a thing”: the wife is scandalized because the letter ṣād is used in poetry as a code for the vagina (see Volume Two, 2.4.15). 119 “Dah-da-dah-dah dah-da-dah! Dah-da-dah-da dah-da-dah!” (fāʿilātun fāʿilūn fāʿilūna fāʿilāt): the Fāriyāq mimics his wife’s words, employing the mnemonic forms (constructed from the root f-ʿ-l “to do”) used to fix the patterns of long and short vowels from which the meters of classical Arabic poetry, which are quantitative, are constructed; in this case the meter seems close to majzūʾ al-madīd. At the same time, the mnemonics may be understood literally, i.e., as feminine and masculine plural active participles of the verb faʿala (“to do”), here used in a sexual sense, so that the Fāriyāq is also saying “women having sex and men having sex, men having sex and women having sex.” See 3.19.10 below for a similar conceit. 120 See Volume Two, chapter 12. 121 “the companion of madmen”: probably referring to the Bag-man who thought he could revive the dead, in Book Two, chapter 20. 122 “monk”: i.e., here, “saint.” 123 “mufāqamah, mubāḍaʿah, muwāqaʿah, and similar forms”: i.e., these verbs, all of which mean “to have sexual intercourse,” are of the pattern mufāʿalah, with which “the ideas of effort and reciprocity are always more or less clearly implied” (Wright, Grammar, I:33 D). 124 “‘What’s “conserve you” mean?’ ‘Nothing at all,’ I replied”: in the phrase ḥayyāki llāhu wa-bayyāki, rendered here as “May God preserve you and conserve you,” the element bayyāki is regarded by some lexicographers simply as an imitative element serving to increase the rhetorical force of the formula. 125 “je t’adore! . . . There’s no one there” (qultu li-llāhi ʿalaykī mā arā lī min yadayki manjā . . . mā jāʾa aḥad: the Fāriyāqiyyah understands manjā (“place of escape”) as man jā (“who came?”), the glottal stop being dropped as in the colloquial; in the translation, the locus of the misunderstanding has been shifted to the phrase li-llāhi ʿalayki (approx. “What a caution you are!”). 126 “patrons” (al-zabūn): a reference to an earlier, similar joke (see 3.11.3 at the end). 127 “How I wish that he” (alā laytuhu); ḥabīb (“beloved”), the grammatical referent of the pronoun, is always masculine in Arabic, even when, as here, the actual referent is unambiguously female. 128 “meaning her” (bi-hi ay bi-hā): a reminder to the reader that, though the Fāriyāq is following the convention of referring to the beloved in the masculine, he means the feminine; see preceding note.
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Notes 129 ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Muʿtazz (247–96/861–908), son of the thirteenth Abbasid caliph and himself caliph for one day before being assassinated, was a poet, “[t]he rhetorical brilliance and originality of [whose] conceits, especially in his descriptive verses . . . have been greatly admired by medieval critics” (Meisami and Starkey, Encyclopedia, I:354–55). 130 “not every slave is an ʿAbd Allāh”: the author plays with the original meaning of ʿabd, namely “slave,” a usage often extended to mean “mortal man” and used in proper names of the form “Slave of the [name of God]” (e.g., ʿAbd al-Raḥmān (Slave of the Compassionate), etc.). 131 “the monster” (al-waḥsh): i.e., the dream of the monster, see 3.11.5. 132 In 1831, Egypt invaded Syria and Lebanon and threatened the Ottoman state; in 1840, the time of this journey, Egypt was being forced out of the Levant under pressure from both the Western powers and local uprisings. 133 “though adding nothing thereby to that of the terrifier” (wa-lam yazid qalba l-muhawwili shayʾan): the assumption apparently being that the more heart one has, the more one feels fear; in this case, the soldier remained unaffected by the shot that terrified the Fāriyāq. 134 “some staying at home” (al-barthaṭah): the author appears to have allowed his list of verbs describing ways of “sitting” (qiʿdah) to be contaminated by one relating to the radically related concept of “staying” (quʿūd), for the Qāmūs defines al-barthaṭah as “to remain unmoving in one’s house and to stick to it” (thabata fī baytihi wa-lazimahu). 135 ṭanṭūr: a cone-shaped headdress worn by women (see Volume One, 1.2.4, n. 123.) 136 “thrower of the palm-branch javelin” (rāmī al-jarīd): i.e., as a sport and a martial art. 137 Maʿbad . . . Ibrāhīm al-Mawṣilī: singers of the early to high Islamic period. 138 “akl (‘eating’) would mean taʿām (‘food’)”: this would not be surprising since, though akl is in origin a verbal noun (“eating”), it is widely used in speech as a substantive. 139 “taʾtaʾah is onomatopoeic” (al-taʾtaʾah ḥikāyatu ṣawtin): though al-Shidyāq does not specify what al-taʾtaʾah imitates, the entry in the Qāmūs implies that it is the sound of stuttering, and specifically the repetition of the letter t. 140 “two strange words that have no like in terms of structure in the entire language”: ṣaṣaṣ and qaqaq are unique in having the same consonant for each radical. 141 See Volume One, 1.13.2 n. 219. 142 “‘Wife’ is a form that’s used” (qad yuqālu zawjah): zawj, meaning “one of a pair” and hence “spouse (of either sex)” has higher authority than zawjah, with the feminine marker -ah, the latter form having been introduced, according to some lexicographers,
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Notes simply “for the sake of perspicuity, fearing to confound the male with the female” (Lane, Lexicon). 143 “your regret / for the one you lost is plainly displayed” (wa-ʿalā lladhī bāyanta ḥuznuka bādī): perhaps meaning that the regret felt by a woman at foregoing promiscuity leads her to commit other offenses. 144 “food and copulation” (al-aṭyabayn): literally, “the two best things.” 145 I.e., Būrān bint al-Ḥasan ibn Sahl, wife of the Abbasid caliph al-Maʾmūn. 146 “the palace of Ghumdān”: a fabled palace in Yemen (see Volume Two, 2.14.41). 147 “the one who’d attacked women without distinction” (alladhī hajā l-nisāʾa jamī ʿan): see 3.13.8 and the reference to the man who “cast on women a wholesale blot” (hajā l-nisāʾa ṭurran). 148 “cleans them . . . gripes them . . . preens them” (tarḍiʿuhu . . . wa-tuṭawwisuhu . . . watuzahniʿuhu): the following list, preceding and following the table, of words and expressions related to child rearing is shorter than that in the original and is intended as a representation, not a one-to-one translation, of the latter using words from the same semantic areas drawn from thesauri, dictionaries, and other lexical resources; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. 149 See 3.12.21 (tubāghim/bāghamahu). 150 See 3.12.21 (turaʿʿim/raʿʿamuhu). 151 See 3.12.21 (tuqarrim/taqrīm). 152 See Volume One, 1.16.10. 153 “lactation though not pregnant . . . postpartum prolapse . . . morning sickness” (wa-ldiḥāq . . . wa-l-tafarruth): the author’s note, which consists simply of the definitions of these words as given in the Qāmūs and which has been followed in the translation verbatim, has been omitted to avoid repetition. 154 “requiring a female neighbor to suck on it a couple of times to make it drain” (al-ʿayfah): Lane says that ʿayfah “is a term employed in the case when a woman brings forth and her milk is suppressed in her breast, wherefore her fellow-wife, or female neighbour, draws it, by the single sucking and the two suckings” (Lexicon); he also mentions that the definition in the Qāmūs, quoted by the author in his note, should read fa-tarḍiʿuhu for fa-tarḍiʿuhā. 155 ʿiddah: in Islam a divorced woman who is pregnant is forbidden to remarry for forty days following childbirth. 156 “Not for nothing did Qaṣīr cut off his nose” (li-amrin jadaʿa Qaṣīrun anfahu): the story goes that in the third century AD, during the rivalry between the Arab cities of al-Ḥīrah and Tadmur (Palmyra), a certain Qaṣīr ibn Saʿd of al-Ḥīrah cut off his nose in order to
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Notes convince al-Zabbāʾ (Zenobia), queen of Tadmur, that he had been unjustly punished by the ruler of his city; this, along with a series of other maneuvers, allowed him to gain her confidence and, eventually, bring about her death in revenge for her murder of al-Ḥīrah’s former king (see al-Maydānī, Majmaʿ, I:158–59). The saying, attributed to al-Zabbāʾ, became proverbial for extreme determination in pursuit of a goal. 157 “the boon companion abandoned the one to whom he’d been so close”: an allusion to the speaker’s leaving his wife, as described in 3.13.1 above. 158 “neither his body nor his mind”: the significance of the reference to the mind is made clear in chapter 17, below. 159 The monastery in question was probably that of Mār Ilyās (Roper, Fāris al-Shidyāq as Translator and Editor) near El Qraye, Mount Lebanon. 160 “or vice versa” (aw bi-l-ʿaks): i.e., it may be the monks that appeal to women, or it may be the challenge of their seduction that is uppermost in their minds. 161 “Shitter Bāy” (Bāʿir Bāy): while, at first glance, the name seems reminiscent of the code used earlier in references to Amīr (Emir) Ḥaydar as Baʿīr Bayʿar (see Volume One, 1.5.2, n. 148), in which case it might be read as standing for, for example, “Māhir Bāy” or “Tāmir Bāy,” it appears more likely that here the author is simply exploiting, for comedic purposes, the root b-ʿ-r, which has associations with “dung” (also significant, as Geoffrey Roper has pointed out, in the earlier case); thus the meaning of Bāʿir Bāy would be “Shitter Bāy” (on the title Bāy, see below 3.18.6, n. 229) and the doors that cannot be closed would be those of latrines (on which theme see further Volume Four, 4.18.3). 162 “darnel” (al-zuʾān): a weed, hard to distinguish from wheat, that can be infected by an intoxicating fungus. 163 Taftāzān: a town in Khorosan, birthplace of Masʿūd ibn ʿUmar al-Taftāzānī (died between 791/1389 and 797/1395), whose works on rhetoric were “widely accepted as the primary authoritative texts” in that field (Meisami and Starkey, Encyclopedia). 164 “Zayd struck ʿAmr”: a conventional sentence used to illustrate a certain grammatical rule; see Volume One, 1.11.2. 165 “Which of you could bestow such blessings?” (min ayyikum yaḥṣulu dhālik): i.e., which of you, who are supposedly celibate, could provide such blessings (to be understood here as meaning “a bit of slap and tickle” or the like), this in turn being a veiled invitation to the lady to avail herself of the blessings that the non-celibate Fāriyāq was qualified to provide. 166 “a branch from the first dream”: i.e., one of the Bag-man’s wife’s lovers (see 3.8.6), whom the narrator will henceforth refer to as “the Branch.” Though it is impossible to be certain
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Notes of the identity of “the Branch,” there are some pointers: in the (admittedly obscure) poem in which the author recapitulates these events (3.17.7–9), he refers to a certain Ḥannā in a way that suggests that he might be the Bag-man’s wife’s lover, while Ferdinand Christian Ewald, a missionary who passed through Malta, writing of his visit to the Schlienz household on 3 January, 1842, states that he met there “a converted Persian . . . another convert from Egypt, and a young Greek from Beyrout” (Ewald, Journal, 11; I am indebted to Geoffrey Roper for bringing Ewald’s statement to my attention); the convert from Egypt was likely Ḥannā al-Jawālī, a Copt who had been brought over from Egypt to assist with the translation project (Roper, Fāris al-Shidyāq as Translator and Editor). Al-Jawālī, who had attended the Protestant school in Cairo since the age of eight or nine, was in Malta between 1838 and 1842 (personal communication from Geoffrey Roper). Church Missionary Society records relating to Schlienz’s trip to Syria mention that he was accompanied by al-Shidyāq but make no mention of al-Jawālī. However, they do not state that he did not go and al-Shidyāq here explicitly links “the Branch” to dreams Schlienz dreamed while in Malta. It does therefore seem possible that Ḥanna al-Jawālī was “the Branch.” The “converted Persian” appears in chapter 17, below. 167 “his companion”: it is not clear who is intended; the likeliest candidate is the Bag-man (which may explain why the two were received so hospitably by the British vice-consul, see 3.15.6 below), though in that case the question of the whereabouts of his wife arises; this would imply that “the Branch” stayed on in Syria for a while, perhaps as a result of his accident, which would be consonant with the terms in which his reappearance is described later (see 3.17.3). 168 “the ḥabar of the women of Egypt”: a mantle of black (for married ladies) or white (for the unmarried) silk covering the head and body and open in front; see Lane, Description, 45 and 46 (illustration). 169 “eloquent” (manāṭīq): or, punningly, “had such stuffing to emphasize the size of the buttocks” (Qāmūs). 170 “a drunk” (nāhib): literally, “a thief.” 171 “the Turkish jīm”: i.e., “j” as in “James”; anjaq is Turkish ancak. 172 yitqallanu: from kullanmak, “to use.” 173 khōsh khuy: apparently, hoşhuy (“good-natured”). 174 “the deputy to the British consul (who was not the skilled and sagacious Khawājā Asʿad al-Khayyāṭ)”: according to his own account (Kayat, A Voice, 265–66), Asʿad al-Khayyāṭ actually joined Schlienz’s party in Lebanon, though al-Khayyāṭ makes no mention of the author and the author refers to al-Khayyāṭ only in this oblique fashion. Al-Khayyāṭ was in fact appointed consul in Jaffa in May 1847 (List of Consuls-General, Consuls,
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Notes Vice-Consuls, Consular Agents and Consular Assistants in H.M. Service Presented to the House of Commons on 6th of June 1848, [989] XXXIX, 307, p. 7) and the sentence should presumably be understood to mean “the British vice-consul (who was not at that time the skilled and sagacious Khawājā Asʿad al-Khayyāṭ).” 175 “the smell of Umm Dafār”: according to the Qāmūs, Umm Dafār means both this world, or life itself (al-dunyā), and “a slave girl” (amah); in other words, the author seems to be saying, the smell of a woman is both another name for ecstasy, and life itself. 176 “The two of them”: i.e, the Fāriyāq and his companion referred to above (3.15.3, 3.15.6); see also n. 166 above. 177 “bringing with him the delirious promise of delicious fruit and a sturdy trunk” (wahuwa mutarjimun ʿan janyin shahiyyin wa-jidhʿ qawī): the unusual use of mutarjim, active participle of tarjama “to translate,” may reflect the colloquial usage yitarjim billisān, “to speak in unknown tongues, jabber” (see Davies, Lexicon); at the same time, the author may be hinting at the identity of “the Branch,” if the identification of the latter with the translator Ḥannā al-Jawālī is correct (see n. 165), and a second reading may be intended as well, as though the author were saying “he being a mutarjim [‘translator’] (by which of course I mean a mutarjim [‘a jabberer’]) about . . .” 178 Dhāt al-Niḥyayn: literally, “She of the Two Butterskins.” The story is told that this woman sold butter at the market of ʿUkāẓ near Mecca in the period immediately preceding Islam and was tricked by a man into holding two skins that he pretended he wanted to buy; while she was thus encumbered, the man had his way with her. 179 “particles of attraction” (ḥurūf al-jarr): the Arabic term for “prepositions.” 180 “But you omitted ‘particles’ . . . They’re still there” (qad ḥadhafti l-ḥurūf . . . bal hiya bāqiyah): the point is obscure; perhaps the Fāriyāqiyyah understands ḥurūf in the sense of “edges” and gives the word a sexual connotation (i.e., “edges of the vagina”). 181 “theology . . . talking” (al-kalām . . . al-kalām): “theology” is referred to as kalām, literally, “talk”; the Fāriyāqiyyah recognizes the word only in its literal sense. 182 “the Hairy One” (al-Ashʿarī): ʿAlī ibn Ismāʿīl al-Ash ʿarī (260–324/873–936), whose last name might be taken to mean “hairy” (albeit its real sense is “affiliate of the Banū Ash ʿar”), was the founder of an influential school of theology “famed for its adoption of rational argumentation” (Meisami and Starkey, Encyclopedia); again the Fāriyāqiyyah recognizes the word only in its literal sense. 183 “seminary talk . . . semen” (kalāmaki hādhā l-maʿṣūd . . . al-ʿaṣd): in the Arabic, “twisted talk.” 184 “for reasons that will be explained” (li-asbābin yaʾtī bayānuhā): presumably, a reference to the account given in 3.17.7.
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Notes 185 The poem that follows poses so many problems that this translation must be considered tentative, literal, and incomplete. The poem employs a style that the author uses only rarely (another example is the “Qaṣīdah Qimāriyyah” (“A Poem on Gambling”) in Volume Four, 4.20.39). Both poems allude to and satirically retell past events but deal with these elliptically, use coded references to persons who may or may not have been mentioned earlier in the work, and rely heavily on puns and the multiple meanings of single words. In this case, the events seem to be those of chapter 15 above (“The Journey from the Monastery”), which presents the Bag-man, his wife, and her lover (“the Branch”) in a triangle of deceit and hidden passions, and those of the present chapter, with its account of the Bag-man’s madness; the poet appears to imply a link between the two. The first part of the poem appears to be addressed to the mentally unstable missionary Christoph Schlienz (see n. 97); then, from 3.17.8 on, to the Persian convert. 186 Ḥannā: see n. 147 above. 187 “sick, depleted” (marīḍun mannā): from manna (root m-n-n) “to become diminished” (Qāmūs: naqaṣa) but also, punningly, “sick, from masturbating,” from mannā (root m-n-y). 188 “some lecher” (fāsiq): presumably meaning the Bag-man himself, given that he, along with his wife, was the only member of the party to have ridden a horse rather than a mule (see 3.15.1). 189 “his joints go weak” (zannā): from roots z-n-n and z-n-w or, punningly, “he oppressed [us],” from z-n-ʾ, or “he called us fornicators,” from z-n-y. 190 “from any tormentor who may hurt him” (min kulli muʿannin ʿannā): from root ʿ-n-y, or “from any person curious about us,” from root ʿ-n-n. 191 “the whickering doe, the snickering buck” (wa-l-ghannāʾa wa-l-aghannā): i.e., the wife and her lover, or perhaps amorous couples in general. 192 “a preacher who went mad— / And from one who goes around here—and who wept” (min nadhīrin janna/wa-min ṭawwāfin hāhunā wa-hannā): the preacher presumably is Schlienz; the identity of “one who goes around here” is not obvious. 193 “The loving couple” (al-muḥibbayn): presumably Mrs. Schlienz and “the Branch.” 194 “Madmen who have exposed their willies” (fa-min majānīna abānū l-hannā): presumably a reference to Schlienz. 195 “One afflicted . . . and a sickly invalid who moans” (wa-min muṣābin . . . wa-min ʿalīlin qad annā): both may stand for the Fāriyāq (see 3.15.2–3 above). 196 “a crabbed little man” (khubunnan): probably meaning the Fāriyāq/author. 197 “His devil” (shayṭānuhu): i.e., presumably, the poet’s demon.
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Notes 198 “a book”: during the period of his first visit to England, in 1845, the author was involved in the translation of both the Bible and the Psalms (Roper, Fāris al-Shidyāq as Translator and Editor). 199 “the Committee” (al-lajnah): i.e., the governing board of either the Church Missionary Society or the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge, both of which were involved in the project for the translation of the Bible. 200 “the Christians”: i.e, the Christians of the Arab world at whom the translation was targeted. 201 This insertion of a poem into the middle of a sentence that begins and ends as prose is certainly unusual and may be unique in Arabic letters. 202 “the richness of their solecisms in speaking . . .” (ghanāʾa l-laḥni fī l-qawli ʿindahum . . . ): the poet appears to be saying that (from a classical literary perspective) Christians make a lot of mistakes in speaking but that they are happy with that because the way they speak sounds musical to them. 203 “al-Mawlā in reference to God”: literally, “the Lord, the Master”; presumably al-Tutūnjī favored al-rabb. 204 “wallawu l-adbāra”: the phrase means “they turned their backs” and occurs in the Qurʾān (Q Fatḥ 48:22); the metropolitan may have wanted to pronounce wallawu as wallū in keeping with colloquial paradigms. 205 “tukāh . . . muttakiʾ ”: the root w-k-ʾ/t-k-ʾ does not form a (Form I) verb *wakaʾa/takaʾa; hence *tukāh, putative plural of an active participle *tākiʾ, does not exist, the correct form being (Form VIII) muttakiʾ. 206 “maṣūn . . . muṣān”: the first means “sheltered, chaste”; the second wrongly assumes the existence of a verb *aṣāna from the same root. 207 “shaʿb . . . qawm”: both words refer to collectivities of people but the former has connotations related to the concept of “nation” that are lacking in the second. 208 “malak . . . malāk”: both mean “angel” but the former belongs to the literary lexicon, the latter to the colloquial. 209 “ʿabīd . . . ʿibād”: both mean “slaves” but only the second is used in the phrase ʿibād allāh (“slaves of God, humankind”). 210 “ʿadhāb . . . rakākāt”: the plural of ʿadhāb (“torment”) is aʿdhibah, and not *ʿadhābāt; rakākāt means “leavings” or “lame forms.” 211 “sāʾir is not a synonym of bāqī”: it is usually considered to be so. 212 “wāʿiẓīhā . . . mūʿiẓīnahā”: the first means “those who preach to them,” the second wrongly assumes the existence of a verb *awʿaẓa from the same root; should it exist, the correct form would be *mūʿiẓīhā.
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Notes 213 “addaw . . . waddaw”: the first word is correct according to literary norms, the latter is its colloquial equivalent. 214 “radda . . . muridd”: the active participle of the verb radda (“to send back”) is rādd or rādid; muridd assumes a nonexistent verb *aradda. 215 “yaẓharu . . . yabānu”: while the roots ẓ-h-r and b-y-n both refer to “appearing, becoming distinct,” the imperfect form of the latter (Form I) is yabīnu. 216 “ṣirnā banīnan bi-tadhakhkhur” (“and we became children by laying up” [?]): the error is banīnan for banīna, the sound plural not taking tanwīn; the sense of al-tadhakhkhur is not obvious and the verse is unidentified though reminiscent of Prov. 13:22, al-ṣāliḥu yūrithu banī l-banīna wa-tharwatu l-khāṭiʾ tudhkharu li-l-ṣiddīq (“A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just”). 217 “a maṣaff gathered glorifying God”: maṣaff is used here in the sense of “row” (ṣaff), whereas its correct meaning is “the place where a row is formed” (mawḍiʿ al-ṣaff) (Qāmūs). 218 “that a wāw immediately follows ka-mā used as a conjunction” (wa-baʿda ka-mā li-l-ʿaṭfi wāwun tubāshiru): though not apparently documented in older Middle Arabic texts (the translator is indebted to Jérôme Lentin for this information), the use of the redundant wāw is frequently met with on the Internet in phrases such as ka-mā wa-yuḥabbadhu (“just as it is to be preferred that”) (http://www.bakhdida.com/BehnamAtallah/ MasrahDoma.htm) and qaṭarāt al-nadā wa-jamāluhā r-rāʾiʿ ka-mā wa-lam tushāhidhā min qabl (“dewdrops and their amazing beauty as you have never seen them before”) (http://www.forum.ennaharonline.com/thread24136.html) . 219 “idh must take the jussive”: idh (“since”) should be followed by the indicative. 220 “alladhī after the dual”: invariable alladhī following referents of different number and case is a common feature of Middle Arabic.
�
ُ�أ
ُ � ْ �أ
�� �عfor “( �ع ��ِطgive!”). 221 “writing imperative –ī with the weak verb”: i.e., writing �ط �ي 222 “that modern, the priest of Choueir” (qass al-Shuwayr al-muʿāṣir): the village of Choueir, or Dhour el Choueir, is located in the Matn region of Lebanon; the priest is ʿAbd Allāh Zākhir (1684–1748), a Melkite Catholic of the Basilian Choueirite Order credited with the establishment, in 1733, of the first printing press in the Middle East to use movable Arabic type, and a writer (see also next line). 223 “retention of the nūn of -ūna following kay and an”: i.e., use of the indicative in place of the subjunctive following kay (“in order to”) and an (conjunctive “that”) (e.g., *kay yaktubūna for kay yaktubū [“that they may write”] or *arādū an yadhhabūna for arādū an yadhhabū[“they wanted to go”]).
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Notes 224 “after yuʿṭā to put the subject supplying the agent in the accusative is / A necessity”: i.e., when a subject supplying the place of an agent (here, nāʾib fāʿil; see Wright, Grammar, II269 D) follows a passive verb, as in the sentence yuʿṭā l-kitāb (“the book is given”), the subject must be in the accusative (though correct usage requires the nominative). 225 “the story of al-Maʾmūn and the jurisprudent ʿAllawayh”: in this much-recorded anecdote, the caliph al-Maʾmūn demonstrates to his companions, at the expense of a certain faqīh called “Ḥamdawayh, known as ʿAllawayh,” that “a man’s brain shrinks as his beard grows” (see, e.g., Muḥammad al-Munāwī, Fayḍ al-qadīr fi sharḥ al-Jāmiʿ al-ṣaghīr [Lebanon: Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah, 1994], 5). 226 “one of those natives of the island who are between the Market-men and the Bag-men, and sometimes between the latter and the philosophers”: one might hazard that the author means the Anglicans. 227 I.e., either out of respect for Friday as the Muslim Sabbath or the contrary. 228 “The latter had borrowed . . . .”: a swipe, presumably, at the man’s rudeness in not returning so necessary an item sooner and/or his miserliness in not buying his own, despite being “the son of an officer in the army of the Pope”; “phosphoric matches” (nabakhāt) were a recent invention and little known at the time in the Levant (see Kayat, Voice, 255). 229 “Counselor” (mushīr): a title awarded the ruler of Tunis by his nominal suzerain, the Ottoman sultan. 230 Bāy is a variant of the Turkish honorific that is realized more frequently in the eastern Arab countries as Bayk or Bayh and was appended to the names of all rulers of the Husainid dynasty of Tunis. 231 I.e. February 5, 1842 AD. 232 “dust-laden . . . harmattan” (ḥāṣib . . . sāfiyāʾ ): the following list of words related to wind is shorter than that in the original and is intended as a representation, not a one-to-one translation, of the latter using words from the same semantic areas drawn from thesauri, dictionaries, and other lexical resources; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. 233 “odors overpowering . . . and oro-dyslalic” (rawāʾiḥ hanbiyyah . . . najwiyyah): the following list of words, most of which are related to foul smells, with others related to effeminacy and to impaired speech, is shorter than that in the original and is intended as a representation, not a one-to-one translation, of the latter using words from the same semantic areas drawn from thesauri, dictionaries, and other lexical resources; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. 234 “schwa-ations” (al-qalqalāniyyah): it is assumed here that the word, which is not to be found in the lexica, is to be taken as equivalent to qalqalah, meaning “the insertion of
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Notes /Ə/ [the neutral vowel schwa] after syllable-final /q/, /d/, /ṭ/, and /j/” in the recitation of the Qurʾān (Nelson, Art, 22). 235 “sibillations” (al-kaskasiyyah): “the adding of /s/ following the feminine suffix /k/ . . . at the end of an utterance” (Lisān). 236 “shibillations” (al-kashkashiyyah): “substitution of /sh/ for the feminine second-person suffix /k/” (Lisān). 237 “how to clean out the mud” (taṣlīḥ al-ṭabaʿ ): or, reading al-ṭabʿ, “how to correct the proofs.” 238 “reclusion” (al-iʿtizāl): the Fāriyāq has used the same word in its contemporary sense of “quarantine,” but the Fāriyāqiyyah takes it in its root sense of “holding oneself aloof,” with, in this context, a sexual connotation. 239 “Will he be with one of his wives?” (amaʿa jārin lahu): the Fāriyāqiyyah appears to be questioning whether Sāmī Pasha will be making the same sacrifice of female companionship that he is demanding of the Fāriyāq. 240 “If the name were enough . . .”: i.e., if a name were enough to compensate a woman for what she will miss by way of lovemaking when her husband is summoned by his emir, she could simply write “emir” on her body. 241 “and treat her frivolously . . .” (wa-yuʿāmiluhā bil-khayʿarah . . .): the following list of words, most of which are related to levity and unsteadiness, anger, disordered speech, rudeness and coarseness, physical violence, and infidelity, is shorter than that in the original and is intended as a representation, not a one-to-one translation, of the latter using words from the same semantic areas drawn from thesauri, dictionaries, and other lexical resources; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. 242 ghabūq: defined by the Qāmūs as “what (i.e., of camel’s milk) is drunk in the evening” and by Lane as “a she-camel whose milk one drinks in the evening,” the relevance being, in either case, obscure. 243 “an intelligent man skilled at his work” (al-ṭabb): this, and most of the other words in this and the following lists, have multiple meanings and/or vowelings, and it is not always obvious which the author has in mind. 244 “basṭ . . . sharḥ”: here, as in some further items in this list, the “conformity” is semantic rather than formal (as each comes from a different root), with both having the underlying sense of “opening up” and similar figurative uses (note shariḥa ṣadruhu, “his breast became open” or “he became glad”). 245 “Every other difficulty pales into insignificance next to such things” (kullu ṣaʿbin fī janbi dhāka yahūn): i.e., next to the difficulties of the Arabic language.
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Notes 246 “assy-nonymous” (ardāfiyyah): i.e., mutarādifah meaning “synonymous,” though the Fāriyāqiyyah confuses the word with ardāf, from the same root, meaning “buttocks.” 247 “Multiply and fill the earth”: cf. “be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth” (Gen. 8:17) . 248 Cf. (1 Tim. 2:15): “. . . she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.” 249 “This bitty-buttocked . . .” (hādhihi . . . al-rasḥāʾ . . .): the following list of words related to having insufficient flesh on the backside, the thighs, the calves, the breasts, or the arms is shorter than that in the original and is intended as a representation, not a oneto-one translation, of the latter using words from the same semantic areas drawn from thesauri, dictionaries, and other lexical resources; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. 250 “This short, little . . .” (hādhihi . . . al-bultūqah al-duʿshūqah . . . ): the following list of words related to shortness of stature is shorter than that in the original and is intended as a representation, not a one-to-one translation, of the latter using words from the same semantic areas drawn from thesauri, dictionaries, and other lexical resources; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. 251 “This black, sable . . .” (hādhihi . . . al-sawdāʾ al-musakhkhamah . . .): the following list of words related to blackness is shorter than that in the original and is intended as a representation, not a one-to-one translation, of the latter using words from the same semantic areas drawn from thesauri, dictionaries, and other lexical resources; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. 252 “This old, aged . . .”: (hādhihi . . . al-ʿajūz al-mutahaddimah . . .): the following list of words related to old age and decrepitude is shorter than that in the original and is intended as a representation, not a one-to-one translation, of the latter using words from the same semantic areas drawn from thesauri, dictionaries, and other lexical resources; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. 253 “dustūr”: “The great wezeer . . . to whom recourse is had [by the King] with respect to what he may prescribe concerning the circumstances of the people” (Lane, Lexicon); see also following note. 254 “dussa tawrun”: “a messenger was secretly sent”; as usual in such word puzzles, it is the
ت ٌ َُْ َّ ت vowelled, and reconstructed as given ()د ��س � ��و ر.
ت
unvowelled ductus that is in play; thus �س�و ر � � دmay be broken down into د ��سand � ��و ر, re-
255 “Two parts to which the male can lay no claim” (ḥaẓẓāni lā li-l-dhakar): an echo of Q Nisāʾ 4:11, where, in stipulating inheritance shares, God says, “a male should receive a share equivalent to that of two females” (li-l-dhakari mithlu ḥazzi l-unthayayn); the conceit inverts the allocation.
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Notes 256 “in a state of sin” (nukran): and also perhaps, punningly, “as a cipher” or “one unknown,” or even “in a state of indefiniteness” (cf. nukirah “indefinite noun”). 257 “precedence of the masculine” (taghlīb al-mudhakkar): on taghlīb, see Volume Two, 2.12.7 n. 140; the “precedence” referred to here is that implied by the grammatical rule that a masculine plural form may be taken to refer to persons of both sexes, whereas a feminine plural form can refer to women only, e.g. yarawna (“they (masculine and possibly feminine) see”) and yarayna (“they (feminine only) see.”) 258 “crawling” (ziḥāf): a pun combining the nontechnical sense of the word and its technical use in the science of prosody, where it refers to certain metrically acceptable changes to a two-consonant syllable (sabab) as a component of a foot. 259 “propping” (sināduhu): again, a pun combining the nontechnical sense of the word and its technical use in the science of prosody, where it refers to “dissimilarity of two ridfs in
verse” (ikhtilāf al-ridfayni fī l-shiʿr), the ridf being “one of the letters of prolongation ا, �ى or �و, when it immediately precedes the rawī” (Wright, Grammar, II:353); dissimilarity
would mean the permissible rhyming of, e.g., qarīḥ with ṭarūb, since “the long vowel ā remains invariable” (idem). 260 “I want pussy, I want pussy, I want pussee!” (mustaf ʿilun mustaf ʿilun mustaf ʿilū): forms based on the root f-ʿ-l are used to represent the combinations of short and long syl-
lables from which the sixteen quantitative meters of Arabic verse are formed; thus mustaf ʿilun (mustaf ʿilū in the final foot) represents the combination LLSL, a variant of the meter called al-kāmil (see Wright, Grammar, II:359). However, mustaf ʿilun may also be interpreted as the active participle of the desiderative form of the verb (see Wright, Grammar, I:45 [63]), deriving its sense here from fiʿl, meaning “the vulva of any female” (Qāmūs). A similar conceit is used in 3.11.4 above. 261 “your ‘shame’ inspires me to worship and to insane passion” (ḥayāʾuki taʾlīhī wa-tawlīhī): ḥayāʾuki may be interpreted as either “your shame/modesty” or “your vagina”; this allows for the possibility that taʾlīhī (“my considering you divine”) is intended to evoke the first meaning (“your shame/modesty”) while tawlīhī (“my being driven insane by passion”) evokes the second, according to the rhetorical figure known as istikhdām (“employing (both meanings of a homonym)”) (see Meisami and Starkey, Encyclopedia, II:657). 262 “growths, lumps . . . necrosities” (al-waram wa-l-nuffākh . . . al-khunāq): the following list of words related to maladies affecting the neck, throat, and face, or more generally the skin is shorter than that in the original and is intended as a representation, not a oneto-one translation, of the latter using words from the same semantic areas drawn from
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Notes thesauri, dictionaries, and other lexical resources; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. 263 “man-mannered, ill-natured . . . .” (al-zanmardah al-ʿanjarid . . .): the following list of words related to shamelessness, foulmouthedness, promiscuity, and the display of sexual desire is shorter than that in the original and is intended as a representation, not a one-to-one translation, of the latter using words from the same semantic areas drawn from thesauri, dictionaries, and other lexical resources; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. 264 “to look lively and apply himself to intercourse . . .” (ilā l-tamshīr . . .): the following list of words related to sexual activity is shorter than that in the original and is intended as a representation, not a one-to-one translation, of the latter using words from the same semantic areas drawn from thesauri, dictionaries, and other lexical resources; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. 265 “your teacher”: i.e., her husband, the Fāriyāq. 266 “the windy day . . . when” (wa-yawma . . . wa-ḥīnata): each of the next several sentences begins with a word meaning “on the day (or at another point in time) when”; the original list comprises thirteen separate words for point of time or time periods but these can be matched by only ten expressions for time in the English; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. 267 “sent your servingman . . . dispatched your serving girl”: i.e. to take someone a billetdoux. 268 “you tied a piece of string around your finger” (artamti): perhaps as a reminder of an assignation. 269 “toiled and moiled . . .” (taʿannā wa-taʿammala . . .): the following list of words related to hard work, failure to complete or to properly carry out work, lying, confusion, and conceitedness is shorter than that in the original and is intended as a representation, not a one-to-one translation, of the latter using words from the same semantic areas drawn from thesauri, dictionaries, and other lexical resources; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. On takassus and tazabbub, see also the author’s marginal note to 3.2.27. 270 “Is there in the universe no glass . . .” (a-laysa fī l-kawni min mirʾāh . . .): the following list of words related to mirrors is shorter than that in the original and is intended as a representation, not a one-to-one translation, of the latter using words from the same semantic areas drawn from thesauri, dictionaries, and other lexical resources; see further Volume Four, Translator’s Afterword. The term māriyyah is defined in the printed editions of the Qāmūs as al-marʾah al-bayḍāʾ al-barrāqah (“a shining white woman”) and
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Notes its presence in the list reflects either the author’s misreading of marʾah as mirʾāh or an incorrect vowelling of the word in a printed edition of the Qāmūs. 271 “Syrian Tripoli” (Ṭarābulus al-Shām): i.e., the city that today is in Lebanon, as distinct from Libyan Tripoli. 272 “His reading in grammar . . .” (fa-ghāyatu mā ʿalimahu mina l-naḥw . . .): here and in the following clauses the author uses terms that may be interpreted either technically, according to the field in question, or according to their base senses, in which case they are also open to a sexual or vulgar interpretation. Thus al-fāʿīl wa-l-maf ʿūl are “subject and object” in grammatical terms but “the doer and the done” in their basic senses and “the fucker and the fucked” when used sexually. 273 “the figure of ‘stripping’” (nawʿ al-tajrīd): in the field of rhetoric, “abstraction,” i.e. “‘abstracting a general attribute from an individual’ according to the pattern of ‘in him (individual) I have a true friend (general attribute)’” (Meisami and Starkey, Encyclopedia, II:659); the base sense is “stripping off (of clothes).” 274 “the movable peg” (al-watid al-mutaḥarrik): in the science of prosody, the watid (literally “peg”) is a three-consonant syllable as a constituent of a metrical foot; when a watid ends in a consonant followed by a vowel it is said to be “moving” (mutaḥarrik) (see Wright, Grammar, II:358D and 355B); its base sense is “peg,” commonly used for “penis.” 275 “having the buttock echo the breast” (radd al-ʿajuz ʿalā l-ṣadr): i.e., “repeating the rhyme word in the first hemistich, often at the beginning of the line, or sometimes at the start of the second hemistich” (Meisami and Starkey, Encyclopedia, II:660); the technical sense of ʿajuz is “the last foot,” that of ṣadr “the first foot of the first hemistich,” of a line of verse; their base senses are as given in the translation. 276 “pipe stems” (qaṣab al-tibgh): tobacco pipes of the period consisted of a small earthenware bowl fitted to the end of a long stem, and these stems were stored on racks on the walls. 277 “dear shame-faced abstainer” (yā rāqiʾan): i.e., yā rāqiʾan ʿalā ẓalʿika, see Volume One, 1.1.2, n. 35. 278 “Dear blind-eye turner” (yā ʿāmisan): i.e., “turner of a blind eye to one’s own faults” though also, punningly, “dear peruser (of this book).” The reader will note too that in Arabic, not only do the four preceding words rhyme but the first and third and the second and fourth are examples of “perfect paronomasia,” i.e., each consists of the same letters in different order. 279 “Were the Almighty to call his servants to account for their thoughtless words as severely as you do” (law inna llāha taʿālā yuʿākhidhu l-ʿibāda fī-l-laghwi mithlukum): an
378
378
Notes echo of Q Baqarah 2:225 lā yuʾākhidhukumu llāhu fi l-laghwi fī aymānikum (“God will not call you to account for thoughtlessness in your oaths”) (trans. Yūsuf ʿAlī), and similarly Māʾidah 5:89. 280 “That . . . goes with the other!” (wa-hādhā ayḍan min dhāk): the Fāriyāq seems to mean that the Fāriyāqiyyah’s last remark is an example of the fact that “our language . . . is so wide that it allows every expression to bear numerous possible meanings”; the Fāriyāqiyyah, however, lends a sexual innuendo to “that” and “this.” Here and throughout the exchange the language is elusive and open to more than one interpretation, and the translation offered here—for which I am indebted in part to the suggestions of Michael Cooperson and Gerald Van Gelder—is tentative; for a different interpretation, see Khawam, Jambe, 554. 281 “In one of the two meanings”: as already mentioned (3.18.14, in the middle), the Qāmūs defines rajul as “too well-known to require definition [i.e., ‘man, a male of the human species’]; also, one who has frequent intercourse.” 282 “the dismemberment of our relationship . . . the dehydration of your member” (al-inbitāt . . . al-inbitāt): the joke lies in each phrase using the same word in a different way; thus the verb inbatta may mean either “[i]t was . . . cut off [of ] a thing . . . and a tie . . . between two persons” or “[h]is . . . seminal fluid became cut off . . .” (Lane, Lexicon), the Fāriyāqiyyah presumably meaning that he will never find another woman to have sex with. 283 “rooftop . . . top[ling] . . . top[ling]” (al-saṭḥ . . . al-saṭḥ . . . al-saṭḥ): after the Fāriyāq evokes the “rooftop” (al-saṭḥ) that witnessed their falling in love (3.2.1), the Fāriyāqiyyah uses the opportunity to (mis)understand the word in another of its senses, namely “to bed.” 284 “ḍighn . . . ‘yearning’”: according to the Qamūs, ḍighn means both “yearning” and “malice.” 285 “ʿIqyawn”: “a sea of wind beneath the Throne in which there are angels of wind with spears of wind gazing at the Throne whose Magnificat is ‘Glory to Our Lord Most High!’” (Qāmūs); see Volume Two, 2.14.43. 286 “fiṭaḥl”: “the preadamic period” (see 3.12.2). 287 “ḥabrah”: “yellowness of the teeth” (Qāmūs); in fact, the word has not occurred in precisely this form before; however, ḥabar, the verbal noun from which it derives, is used in the list of maladies affecting the neck and adjacent parts of the body in 3.19.12. 288 “its closeness to ʿiqyān . . . faḥl . . . ḥibarah”: i.e., the Fāriyāqiyyah was able to memorize these abstruse words because of their resemblance to other words describing things dear to her heart.
379
379
Notes 289 “She replied, ‘And they also say that tasdīd (“the plugging of holes”) is from sadād (“proper behavior”) . . .’” (qālat wa-qālū . . .): the following passage poses numerous problems and the translation advanced above is tentative and does not claim to reveal the underlying argument. 290 I.e., he sent further examples of the metropolitan’s grammatical errors. 291 “a book on the state of the island’s inhabitants”: in 1834, al-Shidyāq published al-Riḥlah al-mawsūmah bi-l-Wāsiṭah bi-maʿrifat aḥwāl Māliṭah (The Book of Travel Entitled Means to a Knowledge of the State of Malta) (Beirut: al-Muʾassasah al-ʿArabiyyah li-l-Dirāsāt wa-l-Nashr, 2004). 292 “the head of the infirmary for the foul of breath” (raʾ īs maṣlaḥ al-bukhr): i.e., the director of the school for teaching Arabic to the Maltese (see 3.11.2).
380
380
Glossary
Abū Nuwās Abū Nuwās Al-Ḥasan ibn Hāni ʾ al-Ḥakamī (ca. 140–ca. 198/755– 813), Abbasid poet, best known for his poetry in praise of wine and boys. Aḥmad Pasha Bāy Aḥmad I ibn Muṣṭafā (r. 1837–55). Akhfash (al-) ʻAbd al-Ḥamīd ibn ʻAbd al-Majīd al-Akhfash al-Akbar (d. 177/ 793), a noted grammarian of the school of Basra, teacher of Sībawayh and others.
ʿAmr ibn Kulthūm a pre-Islamic poet and tribal chieftain (sixth century ad), whose only surviving poem is that included among the muʿallaqāt (the “suspended odes”). Ashʿarī (al-) ʿAlī ibn Ismāʿīl al-Ash ʿarī (260–324/873–936), a theologian famed for his rational argumentation in the defense of Islamic orthodoxy. Ashmūnī (al-) ʿAli ibn Muḥammad al-Ashmūnī (838–918/1434–35—1512–13), author of a well-known commentary on Ibn Mālik’s Alfiyyah, a poem of a thousand lines containing the principal rules of Arabic grammar.
ʿAyn Tirāz a village in Mount Lebanon (“Ain Traz”) southeast of Beirut and the site, from 1790 to 1870, of a Greek Melkite seminary. Baalbek a town in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, east of the Litani River, site of the celebrated ruins of a Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter-Baal. Bag-men (khurjiyyūn) the author’s term for Protestant missionaries in the Middle East, whether the American Congregationalists of the Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions with whom he first came into contact in Beirut or the British Anglicans of the Church Missionary Society for whom he worked later in Malta, Egypt, and London. The Congregationalists established their first mission station in Beirut in 1823 (Makdisi, Artillery, 81, 83). In December 1823, when their intention to proselytize became clear, Maronite patriarch Yūsuf Ḥubaysh (1787–1845), who had initially received them cordially, ordered his flock to avoid all contact with what he referred to as “the Liberati” or “Biblemen” (Makdisi, Artillery, 95–97). Barāmikah the Barāmikah family held high office at the court of the early Abbasid caliphs and became known for the extravagance of their lifestyle.
381
381
Glossary
Būlāq Cairo’s river port. Church Missionary Society an evangelical Protestant missionary society founded in London in 1799 and active in Egypt (as a mission to the Copts) as of 1825. Dayr al-Qamar a village in south-central Lebanon, site of the residence of the governors of Lebanon from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. emir (amīr) a title (literally, “commander” or “prince”) assumed by local leaders in the Arab world; as used in this work, the term most often refers to the emirs of the Shihābī dynasty of Mount Lebanon. Fāriyāq, the the hero of the events described in the book and the author’s alter ego, the name itself being a contraction of Fāri(s al-Shid)yāq. Fātiḥah, the the opening sūrah (“chapter”) of the Qurʾān. Fīrūzābādī (al-) Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb al-Fīrūzābādī (d. 817/1415), compiler of the Qāmūs (q.v.). Ḥalq al-Wād the port of Tunis, also known as La Goulette. Ibn Abī ʿAtīq Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Bakr (1st–2nd/7th–8th century), usually referred to as Ibn Abī ʿAtīq, was the great-grandson of the caliph Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq and “a friend of many poets and singers, who appears in many stories and anecdotes as a kind of wit” (Van Gelder, Classical, 379, 460); it is not obvious why the author brackets him with Ibn Ḥajjāj (q.v.), as unlike the latter he was irreverent rather than foulmouthed. Ibn al-Fāriḍ ʿUmar ibn ʿAlī ibn al-Fāriḍ (576–632/1181–1235), an important Egyptian Sufi poet, celebrated for his blending of erotic and divine imagery. Ibn Ḥajjāj al-Ḥusayn ibn Aḥmad Ibn (al-)Ḥajjāj (ca. 333–91/941–1000): a Baghdadi poet best known for his obscene poetry. Ibn Khālawayh, Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn (d. 370/980–81) a leading philologist of Baghdad. Ibn Mālik Muḥammad ibn Mālik (600 or 601 to 672/1203 or 1205 to 1274), a scholar best known for his Alfiyyah (Thousand-Line Poem), in which he presents the rules of Arabic grammar. Imruʾ al-Qays Imruʾ al-Qays ibn Ḥujr (sixth century ad), a pre-Islamic poet, author of one of the muʿallaqāt (“suspended odes”). Khawājā a title of reverence and address afforded to Christians of substance. Majnūn Laylā Qays ibn al-Muwallaḥ (first/seventh century), known as Majnūn Laylā, said to have gone insane (majnūn) when his childhood love, Laylā,
382
382
Glossary
was married off to another; he came to epitomize obsessive devotion to the beloved and its expression in verse. maqāmah, plural maqāmāt “short independent prose narrations written in ornamented rhymed prose (sajʿ ) with verse insertions which share a common plot scheme and two constant protagonists: the narrator and the hero” (Meisami and Starkey, Encyclopedia, 2/507). The thirteenth chapter of each volume of the present work is described by the author as a maqāmah, the plot scheme in these maqāmāt being a debate. See, further, Zakharia: “Aḥmad Fāris al-Šidyāq.” Maronite of or pertaining to the Maronite Christian community, whose historical roots lie in northern Syria and Lebanon and whose church, while using Syriac as a liturgical language, is in communion with the Roman Catholic church. Market-men (sūqiyyūn) the author’s term for the Maronite and Roman Catholic clergy, or the Maronite and Roman Catholic churches in general. mawāliyā a nonclassical (i.e., not monorhymed) verse form that lends itself to both non-colloquial and colloquial varieties of the language. Mountain (the) Mount Lebanon, a mountain range in Lebanon extending for 170 kilometers parallel to the Mediterranean coast and the historical homeland of both the Maronite and Druze Lebanese communities. Muṣṭafā Pasha Muṣṭafā Pasha Khāzindār (1817–78), a Greek slave raised at the Tunisian court who married the sister of the ruler Aḥmad I Muṣṭafā and became treasurer (khāzindār) and eventually prime minister of the Tunisian state. Mutanabbī (al-) Abū l-Ṭayyib Aḥmad ibn Ḥusayn al-Mutanabbī (ca. 303–54/ 915–65), a poet renowned for his virtuosity and innovation, which he often deployed in praise of the rulers of the day. Nakhaʿī (al-) the name of a number of related Traditionists, of whom the best known is perhaps Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī (ad 666–71). Qāmūs (al-) Al-Qāmūs al-muḥīṭ (The Encompassing Ocean), a dictionary compiled by Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb al-Fīrūzābādī (d. 817/1415) that became so influential that qāmūs (“ocean”) eventually came to mean simply “dictionary.” The author later published a study of the Qāmūs entitled Al-jāsūs ʿalā l-Qāmūs (The Spy on the Qāmūs). Sāmī Pasha an Ottoman reformer, born in the Peloponnese region. He entered Egyptian service in 1821 and was appointed director of the official
383
383
Glossary
gazette, Al-Waqāʾiʿ al-Miṣriyyah (where al-Shidyāq may have made his acquaintance), in 1828 and Ottoman minister of education in 1856 (al-Maṭwī, Aḥmad, 898–99). Sharīf al-Raḍī (al-) Muḥammad ibn Abī Ṭāhir al-Ḥusayn ibn Mūsā (359–406/ 970–1015), poet and syndic of the descendents of ʿAlī ibn Ṭālib at the Buyid court. Sayyid al-Raḍī (al-) see Sharīf al-Raḍī (al-). Sībawayhi ʿAmr ibn ʿUthmān ibn Qanbar Sībawayhi (second/eighth century), the creator of systematic Arabic grammar.
ʿUdhrī pertaining to the Banū ʿUdhra, a Yemeni tribe, and applied to a type of elegiac love poetry that flourished during the Umayyad period. Yāzijī (al-), Sheikh Nāṣīf Nāṣīf al-Yāzijī (1800–71), a leading Maronite scholar of Arabic, prolific author and translator, and contemporary of the author, with whom he was later to maintain a celebrated feud over linguistic issues that was inherited by al-Yāzijī’s son Ibrāhīm after his father’s death (see, e.g., Patel, Arab Nahdah, 103ff ). Yūsuf the Prophet Joseph, whose story is told in the Qurʾān (Sūrah 12) and who is often invoked in verse as the epitome of young male beauty and virtue.
384
384
Index
ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Muʿtazz, 231, 365n129
Baalbek, 279, 283, 381
Abū l-Baddāḥ, 241, 365n137
bachelor, bachelorhood, 9, 55, 123, 181, 249
Abū Nuwās, 79, 221, 355n26, 381
backside, backsides, of the Fāriyāq, 237;
Abū l-Ṭayyib al-Mutanabbī, 41, 71, 73, 149,
immodesty, 337, 341, 341n1; moving over the ground on, 73; use to indicate
383 Across the Sea, 159, 360n90
anger, 139–57; of women, praise for,
Aḥmad Pasha Bāy (ruler of Tunis), 307, 381
141–47, 167, 360n80; words related to,
al-Akhfash, 111, 341, 381
149–57. See also bustle, bustles; buttock,
Aleppo, compared with Damascus, 285–87;
buttocks; posterior; rump Bag-man, Bag-men (Protestant
house of Ashiq Bāsh, 343 Alexandria, the Fāriyāq’s lodging in, 135; the Fāriyāq’s travel to, 131–33, 287
missionaries), definition, 381; the Fāriyāq as dream interpreter for, 129,
ʿAllawayh, 305, 373n225
201, 233; the Fāriyāq in the house of,
ʿAmr ibn Bānah, 241, 365n137
53; madness, 293, 364n121, 370n185;
analepsis, 127
Market-women, marriage to, 49, 77;
Arabic language, Aleppine dialect, 287;
name, 287; travel with the Fāriyāq,
common and elite speakers, 113–19; difficulty, 374n245; fully inflected, 145;
129–31, 135, 139, 157, 273, 305, 368n167, 370n188
metropolitans as poor speakers of, 309,
Barāmikah, 163, 361n92, 381
323, 341; mistakes, 131, 299
beard, of Aaron, 49; length, 305, 373n225;
Arabs, and Arabic, 77, 145, 149, 249, 319,
respect of Christians for, 303–5;
345–47; beard length, 305; children,
shaving, removal, 163–65, 191, 237, 291,
importance of, 249; dress, 165;
323; women’s attraction to, 163, 169;
honeymoons, 63; kissing, skill in, 161; women’s education, 171–73
words related to, 23 beauty, of expression, 71; physical, in
Ashiq Bāsh, 343
Jewish women, 305; physical, in men,
al-Ashmūnī, 351, 381
197, 356n34; physical, in women, 43, 63,
Atanāsiyūs al-Tutūnjī, 149, 301, 309, 341,
71, 73, 83–85, 93–107, 147, 149, 163, 203,
359n77, 371n203
221–223, 231, 251, 329–35; poetry and
al-ʿAth ʿath, 241, 365n137
songs in praise of, 83–85, 93–107, 333
Austria, Austrians, 307, 343
Beirut, 233, 249, 273, 287
ʿAyn Tirāz, school, 301, 343; village, 381
bloody proof, 79–81, 119, 123, 357n50
385
385
Index book, books, banned by metropolitans,
English, 163; the Fāriyāq’s plea to the
277; burning, 41; in Cairo, 131; of the
emirs of the Mountain concerning,
Fāriyāq, 53, 177, 323–25, 349–51, 371n198,
239–49; Frankish, 111, 239; love for, 9,
380n291; the Fāriyāq as translator,
65 ; pregnancy and childbirth, 131, 209,
301–3, 349–51, 371n198; by Franks,
267, 295, 311, 319, 323; protection, 39;
287; on Franks, 111–19; of Jews, 121; of
violence toward, 47; words related to,
judges, 39; metropolitan as translator, 309; mirrors of the mind, 341; reading,
241–247, 263–65 Christian, Christians, of Aleppo and
137, 171, 237, 247; used for evidence, 291;
Damascus, comparison between,
writing, 41, 129, 171, 231, 313, 323–25, 343
283–87; beliefs concerning Jews, 305;
Book of Psalms, 49
“bloody proof,” adoption from Jews,
Branch, the (the Bag-man’s wife’s lover),
119–23; conversion from Islam, 291–93;
279, 281, 283, 293, 367–68n166, 368n167,
divorce, 321–23; in Egypt, treatment of
369n177, 370n185, 370n193
wives, 207–13; of Malta, 349; omens and
breasts, augmentation, 55, 327; curative qualities, 285; descriptions, 167–69, 313, 315, 329, 333; display, 235; retention of
portents, 113; oriental and occidental, 121–23, 131; style of discourse, 301, 303, 371n200, 371n202 Committee, the, 301, 303, 311, 349, 371n199
milk, 267; size, 55–57, 79, 155 British, 287, 368–69n174
Daḥmān al-Ashqar, 241, 365n137
Būlāq, 131, 139, 382 bustle, bustles, 55, 57, 141, 185, 189, 359n70. See also backside, backsides; buttock, buttocks; posterior; rump buttock, buttocks, Arabic eloquence concerning, 149–57, 343, 375n246; defects and diseases, 13, 33, 35, 37, 315, 327; manner of sitting, 235; in men, display of, 165; size, 85, 145, 239, 327, 329, 343, 368n169; in women, attractiveness of, 141–47, 285. See also backside, backsides; bustle, bustles; posterior; rump
al-Dalāl ibn ʿAbd al-Naʿīm, 241, 365n137 Damascus, compared with Aleppo, 285–87; the Fāriyāq’s travel to, 279, 281–85; girls, 135, 283–85; wedding in, 111–19 Dayr al-Qamar, 121, 382 Dhāt al-Niḥyayn, 293, 369n178 dialect, 233, 287 disease, diseases, in Cairo, 131; hardship, 9; list of, 11–39, 353n2; love as, 43, 103; suffered by the Fāriyāq, 53, 297, 370n195 doctor, 43, 91, 131, 215, 285 dream, dreams, the Fāriyāq as dream interpreter, 129, 175, 177–83, 185–89,
Byron, 233
191–99, 201, 205, 215, 233, 275, 279, 291,
Cairo, 129–131, 135, 345, 347
293, 301, 357n53, 365n131; love, 105, 255;
child, children, affection, 67; brains of, 109; defects and diseases, 27, 267;
386
of women, 323 Dubays, 241, 365n137
386
Index Egypt, Egyptian, Egyptians, Christians,
349–51; marriage, advice concerning,
treatment of wives, 207–13; dress,
267–71; Master of the Chamber, 291,
55, 159, 285; khawals (dancing men),
297–99; Metropolitan al-Tutūnjī,
165; marriage, 79–81; mawāliyā (verse
309; at the monastery, 273, 277–79; at
form), 71; rebellion of the people of the
the Mountain, 235–37; the Persian, a
Mountain against, 233, 273, 365n132
convert to Christianity, 291–95; return
emir, emirs, appearance, 75; backsides,
to Beirut, 249; ruler of Tunis, ode in
attraction to, 143; compared with poor
praise of, 207–9; Sāmī Pasha, 311, 325,
men, 247; definition, 382; English
345; on sorrow and loneliness, 229–33;
reverence for, 305; the Fāriyāq and, 325,
translation, 301–3, 309, 349–51; travel
345; Frankish, 239; friendship with,
to Malta, 129–33, 157, 287; travel to
credibility gained by, 117; high rank of,
the Mountain, 235; travel to Syria, 215,
311, 331, 374n240; honorifics, 157; of
281–83; travel to Tunis, 305–7; wedding,
the Mountain, avoidance of women,
79; wedding night, 79–81; wife, 135–39,
237–39; rule of, 39, 57; wife of, 279
157, 165, 203, 205, 207–13, 215, 287, 311, 313, 325, 345
Emir of al-Quffah, 121, 357n47 English, Englishman, commoners’ attitudes toward, 115; customs regarding children, 163; faqīhs, 119; and the Fāriyāq, 301,
the Fāriyāqiyyah (protagonist of Leg over Leg), 159, 161, 293, 351 father, fathers, in the Bible, 47, 353n5;
309; kissing among, 159–63; language,
children, 47, 65, 263, 315; children,
111; reverence for titles, 305; trust in
appearance, 295; daughters, finding
books, 113, 119. See also Franks, Frankish
husbands for, 127, 163; of the Fāriyāq, 285; in oaths, 125, 241; strictness, 173;
the Fāriyāq (protagonist of Leg over Leg), in Across the Sea, 159–63; in Alexandria, 135; author’s commentary upon, intrusiveness of, 175; Bag-man/ Bag-men, 53, 77, 129–33, 135, 139, 157, 293; Bag-man’s wife, 233; courtship, 53, 61, 77–79, 81; at a dance, 205; dream interpretation, 175, 177–81, 189, 195–99, 201, 203, 205, 215, 291, 301; the foul of breath, physicking, 201–3, 291; identity, 382; illness, 283–85; on infidelity, 313; jealousy, 275; kissing in public, attitude toward, 161–63; in Malta, 159; Malta’s inhabitants, book on the customs of,
387
wives, infidelity of, 267; wives, spending on, 203 females, 69, 127, 129, 311. See also girl, girls; woman, women, womenfolk fire-ship, 135, 139, 157, 358n58 al-Fīrūzābādī, 153, 382 Flummox son of Lummox, 181, 187, 189, 195, 197 Franks, Frankish, commoners’ attitudes toward, 115; court protocol, 203; dancing, 205; dress, 55, 109; good qualities, 111; honeymoon, 63; imitation by Arabs, 109–11; kissing among, 161–63;
387
Index Franks, Frankish (cont.), language
hunger, 9, 43, 121, 267, 269, 275, 277, 293,
teachers, 351; platonic love, 71; proof of virginity among, 121–23; style of
299 husband, husbands, anxieties, 41; in
description, 57; women, jealousy
dreams, 195–99; the Fāriyāq as, 175;
concerning, 77, 233, 239; women in
Frankish, trust in their wives, 233;
public, 205, 239. See also English,
impotence, 321–23; infidelity, 313; rights,
Englishmen
129; sexual role and duties, 57, 61, 197;
Friend of God, 131, 358n55
strictness, 173, 263; wives, dislike of,
funeral lament, 113, 356n40
253–59, 261, 319–21; wives, infidelity
girl, girls, attractiveness of, 61, 87, 127, 147, 151, 163, 239, 293; of the desert, 149; the Fāriyāq’s courtship and marriage, 53–55, 77–81; ignorance, 135–39; kissing of,
of, 267; wives, marital rights, 315, 321; wives, travel without, 217; women’s dislike of, 79, 139, 221; women’s love for, 171; women’s wiles, 59, 127, 221, 233
among Franks, 161–163; seduction of,
Ibn Abī ʿAtīq, 343, 382
157; slave and serving girls, 71, 211–13,
Ibn al-Fāriḍ, 69, 382
317, 319, 329; virginity, 79–81, 123–25;
Ibn Ḥajjāj, 343, 382
wiles, 137, 323; young, marriage to,
Ibn Jāmi ʿ al-Sahmī, 241, 365n137
209–211. See also females; woman,
Ibn Muḥraz, 241, 365n137
women, womenfolk
Ibn Shurayḥ, 241, 365n137 Ibn Ṭunbūr al-Yamanī, 241, 365n137
Greek Orthodox, 273
Ibnat ʿAfzar, 241, 365n137
al-Ḥakākah fī l-rakākah (The Leavings Pile
Ibrāhīm al-Mawṣilī, 241, 365n137
concerning Lame Style) (Atanāsiyūs al-
Imam al-Suyūṭī, 171, 361n100
Tutūnjī), 149, 301, 359n77
Imam al-Zawzanī, 141, 358n62
Ḥakam al-Wādī, 241, 365n137
imams, 57, 143, 145
Ḥalq al-Wād, 305, 382
Imruʾ al-Qays, 55, 382
Hāshim ibn Sulaymān, 241, 365n137
ʿIrfān, 241, 365n137
al-Hāwif ibn Hifām (character in Leg over
island, the Fāriyāq’s travel to, 135, 139, 157,
Leg), 251, 267, 271
287, 307, 325; the Fāriyāq’s wife alone
He-of-the-Two-Horns (Alexander the Great), 87
on, 217, 233, 275; the foul of breath, 201; inhabitants, the Fāriyāq’s book
horn, horns, in dreams, 177–83, 205, 207;
on, 349–51; inhabitants, living in sin,
male genitalia, 43–45, 87, 131, 257,
323; Metropolitan al-Tutūnjī, 309;
279; of Satan, 43–45, 279; symbol of
quarantine, 157, 287, 311, 325; Sāmī
submission to wife, 87, 131; symbol of
Pasha, 311
cuckoldry, 177–81, 297, 339
388
388
Index Island of the Foul of Breath, 129, 357n52. See also Malta
333, 335; rejection, 69; requited love, 71; separation, 47, 219–27, 231; tricks
al-Jarādatān, 241, 365n137
to bring together, 283; types, 73–77;
Jew, Jews, Jewesses, 119–21, 305–7
women, sexual appetite of, 257, 261, 269
Jirmānūs Farḥāt, 285 judge, judges, friendship with, credibility gained by, 117; honorifics, 157; judging, 121; women, attraction to, 39, 143, 331 Kaaba, 285
Maʿ bad, 241, 365n137 Madame Ditzia, 195, 197 Majnūn Laylā, 71, 382 males, 69, 127, 311. See also man, men, menfolk
Khalīlān, 241, 365n137
Malta, 343, 357n52. See also The Island of
Khān Fāris, 283
the Foul of Breath
Khawājā (term of address), 113, 287, 382 khawals, 165, 361n93
Mamdūd ibn ʿAbd al-Wāsiṭ al-Rabbānī, 241, 365n137
kings, 143, 145, 307
al-Maʾmūn, 305, 373n225
kiss, kissing, among Arabs, 161; the
man, men, menfolk, 39–51; beards, 163–65,
backside, 145; children, 241; among
169, 323; Christian, attitude toward
Franks, 111, 161; between lovers/
wives, 207–9; definition, 321, 347;
spouses, 69, 99, 127, 145, 331, 337,
diseases, 109; disharmony, al-Fāriyāq’s
345–47; withheld by husband, 209
warnings against, 43–51; dress, 159; impotence, 321–23, 331; infidelity, 217,
lament, 113–19, 356n40
223–27, 233, 313, 321; jealousy, 77, 123;
Levant, Levantines, 81, 119, 207
Jewish, 307; kissing, 161; love, 63–77,
London, 343 love, 63–77; among blacks, 169; the Fāriyāq in, 53–55, 79, 129, 203; among Franks, 121; infidelity, 313, 321; mechanism of control, 117; nature, 63–77, 137, 163; physical effects, 339; platonic, 71; separation, 217–23, 233; -sickness, 43; songs, 93–107; Titter-Making Poems, 83–93; ʿUdhrī, 71; in women, 211, 273, 313, 317, 321; of women, 255, 259, 313, 317, 321; words related to, 243 lover, lovers, celibacy, 59; degrees of love, 65; the Fāriyāq as, 55, 345; letters, 173; multiple, 211; pleasure, 161; poems and songs, 83, 95, 99, 103, 105, 147,
389
83–93, 105; marriage, 53, 61, 79, 123–25, 181, 261, 293; marriage, arrangement of, 79–81, 163; marriage to young girls, 209; Muslim and Christian, 283–85; nature, 217; poverty, 121, 247; promises, 131, 358n54; seduction, 223–27; suffering, 9, 39–41, 47; turning into women upon marriage, 129; on the verge of marriage, description of, 57–63; wealth, 121; wives, bad behavior toward, 209–13; wives, spending on, 203; women, dancing with, 205; women, dislike for, 253–57; women, equals of men, 137; women, need for, 83;
389
Index man, men, menfolk (cont.), women, men’s position over, 85, 227, 267, 311–17; women, cause of sin, 87; women’s attraction to, 75–77, 135–37, 165–71, 237,
the Fāriyāq at the monastery, 277–79; occupation, 323; scholarship, 231; women’s love for, 273 mother, mothers, in the Bible, 47; children,
269; women’s backsides, attraction to,
appearance, 295; children, love for,
143–45, 153; women’s flirtation with,
65; children, marriage of, 81, 127, 163,
127, 329; women’s knowledge of, 135–39;
315; children’s spouses, spying on, 77;
women’s wiles, victims of, 259–61
in Damascus and Cairo, 135–137; of the
maqāmah, maqāmahs, 109, 231, 249, 383
Fāriyāq’s wife, 77–81, 129–31, 135–39,
Market-man, Market-woman, Market-men
203; kissing in front of, 161–63; nursing,
(Maronite and Roman Catholic clergy), 49, 79, 287, 305, 383
9, 47; pregnancy and childbirth, 9 Mountain, the (Mount Lebanon), 81,
marriage, alliance, 51; consummation,
233–35, 273, 383
123; description of man on the verge
mules, 279, 281
of, 57–63; dissolution, 321–23; among
Muslim, 113, 283–85, 291, 349
Egyptian Christians, 207; of the
mustache, child’s toy, 241; in a dream, 191;
Fāriyāq, 53, 77–79, 129–31, 139; among
of the Fāriyāq, 181; trimming/shaving,
Franks, 123; obligations, 293; pleasure,
45, 163–65, 191, 237, 291
213; social good, 139
Mustafā Pasha, 307, 383
al-Mashdūd, 241, 365n137
al-Mutanabbī. See Abū l-Ṭayyib
Master of the Chamber, dream
al-Mutanabbī
interpretation, 181; incitement to public nudity, 295–97; letter to the Fāriyāq’s wife, 215; travel to Damascus, 279, 281; visit from the Persian, 291 metropolitan, metropolitans (religious
al-Nakhaʿī, 209, 383 Nāṣīf al-Yāzijī, 147, 384 Nile, 131 non-Arab, 117–19
leader), Atanāsiyūs al-Tutūnjī, 149,
occidentals, 51, 353n9
301–9, 341, 349–51; books, banned, 277;
Old Testament, 323
celibacy, 247; Jirmānūs Farḥāt, 285–87;
oneiromancer, Oneiromancer’s Chamber,
occupation, 323; reverence for among
criticism of, 189; customs, 181; the
the English, 303–5
Fāriyāq as, 175, 201, 203, 207; master of
ministers, 39, 117
the chamber, dreams of, 185, 191, 205,
monastery, 231, 273, 277, 279, 367n159 monk, monks, celibacy, 209, 231, 279; cells of (term for buttocks), 147; in a dream, 279; false statements concerning, 287;
390
279 orientals, 51, 77, 353n9 Paris, 121, 343 Persia, Persian, 291–93
390
Index physician, anxieties, 39; the Fāriyāq as, 203,
Raqīq, 241, 365n137
207; illness, of the Fāriyāq, 285; love/
religion, 97, 249, 315, 345
marriage, metaphors related to, 97, 129;
Rome, 343
love poetry by, 331
rump, 141, 147. See also backside,
Plato, 71
backsides; bustle, bustles; buttock,
poet, poets, amatory verses, 169, 233, 335;
buttocks; posterior
anxieties, 41; backsides, attraction to, 141, 143; confidant, 43; criticism, 347; in a dream, 193–95; meeting of the Fāriyāq with, 259, 271; the Persian, 291; poetic formulations, 145, 161; poetic license, 279; possession by jinn, 83; truthfulness, 233
Sallāmah, 241, 365n137 Sāmī Pasha, 311, 383 scholars, Arabic language, views on, 319; backsides, attraction to, 141, 143; books, 341; childbirth, views on, 267; English, 349; friendship with, credibility gained by, 117; as lovers, 75, 257; married men,
Pope, 307 posterior, 19, 119, 145, 149, 167. See also backside, backsides; bustle, bustles; buttock, buttocks; rump preacher, 47, 193, 195, 197, 297, 370n192 priest, priests, anxieties, 41; backsides, attraction to, 143; of Choueir, 303; dress, 165; false statements concerning, 287; al-Fāriyāq as, 201; marriages, assistance in arrangement of, 81; remarriage, views on, 323; women, Jewish, views on, 305 proverb, 123, 131, 347
views on, 123; monks as, 231; Persian, 291; poverty, 229; sorrow, 229 sermon, 185, 187, 191, 193, 213 servant, servants, of God, 347; lovers as, 313; of the master of the Chamber, 295; masters, waiting upon 237, 239, 249; scheming, 127, 135; seduction, 157 Shamūl, 241, 365n137 al-Sharīf al-Raḍī, 69, 384 shaykhs, 131, 247 al-Shidyāq, 382 Shitter Bāy, 273, 367n161
Proverbs, 57
Siwāṭ, 241, 365n137
the Qāmūs (al-Firūzābādī), 383;
son, sons, of the Fāriyāq, 215; pleasure in,
disagreements with, 243; al-Fāriyāq, copy owned by, 351; items in, 149, 161, 317, 321; items overlooked in, 147, 153, 169
9, 65, 241; resemblance to fathers, 295; verbs related to, 243 sorrow, 11, 37, 59, 123, 207, 219, 229, 253, 297, 299
Qaṣīr, 269, 366n156
Steven, 159, 360n89
quarantine, 157, 287, 291, 311, 325
Sulaymān (Solomon), 57
Qur’anic, 251
sultan, sultans, 39, 143, 145
Qurʾān, 149, 356n34, 371n204
al-Suyūṭī, 171, 361n100
391
391
Index Syria, Syrian, book on, 111–115; dress, 149; Syrian Tripoli, 341, 378n271; travel of the Branch from, 293; travel of the Fāriyāq to, 215
Fāriyāq, to Tunis, 305; separation of spouses, 217 wedding, consummation, 123, 227; in Damascus, book describing, 113–17; of the Fāriyāq, 79, 129; honeymoon, 63;
Taftāzān, 277, 367n163
jewelry, 61; between an old man and a
tambour, 131, 237
young girl, 209
ṭanṭūr, 237, 365n135, 384
wife, wives, abandonment, 41; age
Titter-making Poems, 83, 355n28 travel, ardors, 287; of Atanāsiyūs al-Tutūnjī, 301; in a dream, 177, 181, 187; of the Fāriyāq, to England, 351; of the Fāriyāq, to Italy, 225; of the Fāriyāq, to Syria, 215, 279; of the Fāriyāq, to Tunis, 305; infidelity, 225; by mule, 281; Orientals, 51; the wife of the Fāriyāq, 129–31, 157, 347; women, 129–31, 157
disparity, 57, 209; childbirth, 111; companionship, 39, 55, 239; conniving, 127, 253; desirability, 127, 219; disliked by husband, 253–57; of the Fāriyāq, 129–31, 135, 139, 159, 161, 163, 203–7, 215, 275, 283, 293, 311, 345, 351; fertility, 9; Frankish, 239; ill treatment, 207–13, 313; infidelity, 197, 211, 233, 257, 313, 321; jealousy, 57, 77, 255; kissing, 161;
Tripoli, 341, 378n271
marital rights, 61, 197, 313; marital
Tunis, 305, 307
strife, 57; marriage arrangements, 81;
Turk, Turks, Turkish, 121, 287
money spent on, 203; position, 209–11;
al-Tutūnjī. See Atanāsiyūs al-Tutūnjī
regarded as chattel, 57; rejection of
Ṭuways, 241, 365n137
husband, 57, 73; relationship with
ʿUdhrī, 71, 145, 384
husband, 57, 239–41, 247; separation of spouses, 323; sexual appetite, 197, 199,
veil, 207, 227 verse, verses, amatory, 63, 69, 169, 205, 233, 363n117; by the Fāriyāq, 229, 237, 277–79, 297, 307; funeral lament, 113; hunger, adverse effects on, 269; on mendacious transmitters, 117–19; paucity of, by monks, 231; by unhappy husbands, 255
255, 257; travel, 129–31 woman, women, womenfolk, affairs of, 199, 283; anger, 139; attacks on, 263, 269; attraction to men, 75, 77, 163–71, 217; attraction to monks, 273; avoidance of, 237; barrenness, 131; beauty, 231; bodies, 55, 59, 75, 79, 139–57, 239, 243, 283–285, 305–7; burdens, 261, 265–67; childbirth,
villages, 131, 231, 273, 277
267; children, 243, 265, 295, 321, 323;
virginity, 71, 81, 119, 123, 131 voyage, of the Fāriyāq, to the Island of the Foul of Breath, 129, 135, 139; of the Fāriyāq, to Syria, 233, 275; of the
392
compassion, 317; conceitedness, 341; cunningness, 251, 259; of Damascus, 283; dancing, 205;
392
Index woman, women, womenfolk (cont.),
surrounding, 161; nature, 211; need for
discourse concerning, 343; diseases,
social interaction, 213, 247; obedience
25, 33; dislike of, by husbands, 253–59;
to, 209; old, 127, 151, 283; patience,
in a dream, 181–83; dreams of, 197;
311; poetry on, 233; position below
dress, 119, 149, 159, 285; education, 173;
men, 311; procuring, 163; provision for,
effects on men, adverse, 109; Egyptian
259; respectability, 67, 173, 217, 227;
Christian views on, 207; falling in love
seclusion, 263; secrets, 345; seduction
with, 71–73; the Fāriyāq’s esteem for,
of, 157, 223, 311, 313; sexual appetite, 311,
213; flirtation, 61; Frankish, 111, 239;
347; sin, 291; singers, 241; suspicions
funeral lament for, 113–19; gladness,
concerning, 297; temptresses of men,
281; hair, 109; honesty, 227; honor,
87, 227; travel, 129–31, 157; as treatment
217–19; impatience, 215; importance,
for madmen, 295; turning her back on
247; infidelity, 233, 313–15, 319–21;
her husband in bed, 139–57; types of,
intelligence, 137; jealousy, 233; Jewish,
73–77; weeping, 55; wiles, 59; worries,
305–7; kissing, 161; left behind by
207; worthiness, 71. See also females;
husband, 217; in love with another,
girl, girls
69; marital rights, 321–23; marriage, 79–81, 233; marriage, turning into men upon, 129; men’s desire for, 9, 43, 65, 83, 85, 87, 91, 219, 223, 279, 285, 287,
youth, female, 331; male, corrupted by women, 257; male, educated, 137; male, folly of, 269; male, in love, 67, 93
295; of the Mountain, 235–37; Muslim
Zalzal, 241, 365n137
and Christian, 283–85; mysteries
al-Zunnām, 241, 365n137
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About the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute
The Library of Arabic Literature is supported by a grant from The NYU Abu Dhabi Institute, a major hub of intellectual and creative activity and advanced research. The Institute hosts academic conferences, workshops, lectures, film series, performances, and other public programs directed both to audiences within the UAE and to the worldwide academic and research community. It is a center of the scholarly community for Abu Dhabi, bringing together faculty and researchers from institutions of higher learning throughout the region. NYU Abu Dhabi, through the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute, is a world-class center of cutting-edge research, scholarship, and cultural activity. The Institute creates singular opportunities for leading researchers from across the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, engineering, and the professions to carry out creative scholarship and conduct research on issues of major disciplinary, multidisciplinary, and global significance.
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About the Typefaces
The Arabic body text is set in DecoType Naskh, designed by Thomas Milo and Mirjam Somers, based on an analysis of five centuries of Ottoman manuscript practice. The exceptionally legible result is the first and only typeface in a style that fully implements the principles of script grammar (qawāʿid al-khaṭṭ). The Arabic text in the footnotes and margin notes is set in DecoType Emiri, drawn by Mirjam Somers, based on the metal typeface in the naskh style that was cut for the 1924 Cairo edition of the Qur’an. Both Arabic typefaces in this series are controlled by a dedicated font layout engine. ACE, the Arabic Calligraphic Engine, invented by Peter Somers, Thomas Milo, and Mirjam Somers of DecoType, first operational in 1985, pioneered the principle followed by later smart font layout technologies such as OpenType, which is used for all other typefaces in this series. The Arabic text was set with WinSoft Tasmeem, a sophisticated user interface for DecoType ACE inside Adobe InDesign. Tasmeem was conceived and created by Thomas Milo (DecoType) and Pascal Rubini (WinSoft) in 2005. The English text is set in Adobe Text, a new and versatile text typeface family designed by Robert Slimbach for Western (Latin, Greek, Cyrillic) typesetting. Its workhorse qualities make it perfect for a wide variety of applications, especially for longer passages of text where legibility and economy are important. Adobe Text bridges the gap between calligraphic Renaissance types of the 15th and 16th centuries and high-contrast Modern styles of the 18th century, taking many of its design cues from early post-Renaissance Baroque transitional types cut by designers such as Christoffel van Dijck, Nicolaus Kis, and William Caslon. While grounded in classical form, Adobe Text is also a statement of contemporary utilitarian design, well suited to a wide variety of print and on-screen applications.
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About the Editor-Translator
Humphrey Davies is an award-winning translator of some twenty works of modern Arabic literature, among them Alaa Al-Aswany’s The Yacoubian Building and Elias Khoury’s The Gate of the Sun. He has also made a critical edition, translation, and lexicon of the Ottoman-period Hazz al-quḥūf bi-sharḥ Abī Shādūf (Brains Confounded by the Ode of Abū Shādūf Expounded) by Yūsuf al-Shirbīnī and compiled with a colleague an anthology entitled Al-ʿāmmiyyah al-miṣriyyah al-maktūbah: mukhtārāt min 1400 ilā 2009 (Egyptian Colloquial Writing: selections from 1400 to 2009). He read Arabic at the University of Cambridge, received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, and, previous to undertaking his first translation in 2003, worked for social development and research organizations in Egypt, Tunisia, Palestine, and Sudan. He is affiliated with the American University in Cairo, where he lives.
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