وَقَالَAnd saidالْكُمَيْتُal-Kumaytفِيinصِفَةِdescription ofالْقِدْرِthe pot
And al-Kumayt said in describing the pot:
إِوَزٌّA gooseتَغَمَّسُit divesفِيinلُجَّةٍa deep water
A goose dives into deep water
تَغِيبُit disappearsمِرَارًاrepeatedlyوَتَطْفُوand floatsمِرَارًاrepeatedly
It disappears repeatedly and floats repeatedly.
كَأَنَّas ifالْغَطَامِطَthe boiling soundsمِنْfromغَلْيِهَاits boiling
As if the boiling sounds from its boiling
أَرَاجِيزُare rajaz poemsأَسْلَمَof Aslamتَهْجُوsatirizingغِفَارًا1Ghifar
Are like the rajaz poems of Aslam satirizing Ghifar. [1]
وَأَمَّاAnd as forمَاwhatذَكَرُواthey mentionedمِنْofصِفَاتِdescriptions ofالْقُدُورِthe pots
As for what they mentioned of descriptions of pots,
مِنْofتَعْيِيرِblamingبَعْضِهِمْsome of themبَعْضًاothers
of some of them blaming others,
فَهُوَthen it isكَمَاasأَنْشَدَنِيhe recited to meمُحَمَّدُMuhammadابْنُson ofيَسِيرٍYasir
It is as Muhammad ibn Yasir recited to me,
قَالَhe saidلَمَّاwhenقَالَsaidالْأَوَّلُthe first
He said: When the first said:
إِنَّIndeedلَنَاfor usقِدْرًاa potذِرَاعَيْنِtwo cubitsعَرْضُهَاits width
Indeed we have a pot two cubits wide
وَلِلطُّولِand for the lengthمِنْهَاof itأَذْرُعٌcubitsوَشِبَارُ2and spans
And for its length, cubits and spans. [2]
قَالَsaidالْآخَرُthe otherوَمَاand whatهَذِهِis this
The other said: And what is this?
أَخْزَىmay disgraceاللَّهُAllahهَذِهِthisقِدْرًاpot
May Allah disgrace this pot.
وَلَكِنِّيbut Iأَقُولُsay
But I say:
بَوَّأْتُI placedقِدْرِيmy potمَوْضِعًاin a placeفَوَضَعْتُهَاand I set it
I placed my pot in a spot and set it
بِرَابِيَةٍon a hillمِنْbetweenبَيْنَbetweenمَيْثٍsoft groundوَأَجْرَعَ3and hard ground
On a hill between soft and hard ground. [3]
جَعَلْتُI madeلَهَاfor itهَضْبَthe plateau ofالرُّخَامِal-Rukhamوَطَخْفَةَand Takhtafaوَغَوْلًاand Ghawl
I made for it the plateau of al-Rukham, Takhtafa, and Ghawl
أَثَافِيas hearthstonesدُونَهَاbelow itلَمْnotتُنَزَّعْ4removed
As hearthstones below it, not to be removed. [4]
بِقِدْرٍWith a potكَأَنَّas ifاللَّيْلَthe nightسَحْمَةٌdarkقَعْرُهَاits bottom
With a pot whose bottom is as dark as the night
تَرَىyou seeالْفِيلَthe elephantفِيهَاin itطَافِيًاfloatingلَمْnotيُقَطَّعْcut into pieces
You see the elephant floating in it, not cut into pieces.
يُعَجِّلُIt hastensلِلْأَضْيَافِfor the guestsوَارِيthe glowing embersسَدِيفِهَاof its meat
It hastens for the guests the glowing embers of its meat
وَمَنْand whoeverيَأْتِهَاcomes to itمِنْfromسَائِرِthe rest ofالنَّاسِthe peopleيَشْبَعْbecomes full
And whoever comes to it from the rest of the people becomes full.
قَالَsaidأَبُوAbuعُبَيْدَةَUbayda
Abu Ubayda said:
وَلَمَّاAnd whenقَالَsaidالْفَرَزْدَقُal-Farazdaq
And when al-Farazdaq said:
وَقِدْرٍAnd a potكَحَيْزُومِlike the chest ofالنَّعَامَةِthe ostrichأَحْمَشَتْwas heatedبِأَجْذَالِwith logs ofخَشَبٍwoodزَالَremovedعَنْهَاfrom itهَشِيمُهَا5its dry twigs
And a pot like the chest of an ostrich, heated with logs of wood whose dry twigs have been removed. [5]
قَالَsaidمَيْسَرَةُMaysaraأَبُوAbuالدَّرْدَاءِal-Darda'
Maysara Abu al-Darda' said:
وَمَاAnd whatحَيْزُومُis the chestالنَّعَامَةِof the ostrich
And what is the chest of the ostrich?
وَاللَّهِBy Allahمَاnotتُشْبِعُsatisfiesهَذِهِthisالْفَرَزْدَقَal-Farazdaq
By Allah, this does not satisfy al-Farazdaq
وَلَكِنِّيbut Iأَقُولُsay
But I say:
وَقِدْرٍAnd a potكَجَوْفِlike the interior ofاللَّيْلِthe nightأَحْمَشَتْwas heatedغَلْيُهَاits boiling
And a pot like the interior of the night, its boiling was heated
تَرَىyou seeالْفِيلَthe elephantفِيهَاin itطَافِيًاfloatingلَمْnotيُفَصَّلْseparated
You see the elephant floating in it, not separated.
Footnotes
- 1.الْغَطَامِطُ: الْأَصْوَاتُ. وَأَسْلَمُ وَغِفَارُ قَبِيلَتَانِ، وَكَانَتْ بَيْنَهُمَا أَرَاجِيزُ هِجَاءٍ.
Al-Ghatamit: the sounds. Aslam and Ghifar are two tribes, and there were satirical rajaz poems between them.
- 2.الشِّبَارُ: مَا بَيْنَ الْإِبْهَامِ وَالْخِنْصَرِ.
Al-Shibar: the span between the thumb and the little finger.
- 3.الْمَيْثُ: الْأَرْضُ اللَّيِّنَةُ. وَالْأَجْرَعُ: الْأَرْضُ الصُّلْبَةُ.
Al-Mayth: soft ground. Al-Ajra': hard ground.
- 4.هَضْبُ الرُّخَامِ وَطَخْفَةُ وَغَوْلٌ: أَمَاكِنُ. وَالْأَثَافِي: الْحِجَارَةُ الَّتِي تُوضَعُ عَلَيْهَا الْقِدْرُ.
Hadb al-Rukham, Takhtafa, and Ghawl are places. Al-Athafi: the stones upon which the pot is placed.
- 5.حَيْزُومُ النَّعَامَةِ: صَدْرُهَا. وَالْهَشِيمُ: مَا يَبِسَ مِنَ الْحَطَبِ.
Hayzum al-Na'ama: its chest. Al-Hashim: what has dried of firewood.