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175 175 Chapter 12 A Dish and an Itch I must go on at some length in this chapter, just to test the reader’s endurance . If he gets to the end of it at one go without his teeth smoking with rage, his knees knocking together from frustration and fury, the place between his eyes knitting in disgust and shame, or his jugulars swelling in wrath and ire, I shall devote a separate chapter to his praise and count him among those readers “who are steadfast.”216 And because the Fāriyāq had become prone in those days to making a long tongue at people—even though his brains remained quite short and his head quite small and exiguous at the occiput— and I had taken a vow to follow along behind him step by step, mimicking the way he walked, if I saw him doing something stupid I would do the same, wandering off the path if he did, and matching too anything sensible he did, for otherwise I’d be his foe, not the writer of his life story or the reporter of his sayings. An injunction to do the same should be hung around the necks of all writers, who, in fact, are very far from obeying it. I observe that most of them depart from this approach, and you suddenly find such a writer, in the middle of describing a disaster that has affected some mortal’s sanity, wife, or wealth, going to the trouble of inserting paragraphs in rhymed prose and expressions full of parallelisms, padding his story with all sorts of metaphors and metonymies, and forgetting all about his subject’s worries, thus indicating that he doesn’t care about them. As a result you find the victim moaning and wailing, objecting and complaining, while the author is rhyming and using paronomasia, making parallel constructions and puns, going off on tangents, switching persons,217 and playing with unlikely topoi, as when he reaches out his hand now to the sun, now to the stars, trying to bring them from the zenith of the heavens down to the lowly level of his words, 1.12.1 176 176 ‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬�‫ك‬ � �� ُ ‫أ‬ �‫و‬�� ‫ة‬ ��‫ل‬��‫ك‬ � �� ‫ا‬ ‫ي‬ � � ‫ف‬ � � � ‫�ن‬‫م‬� ‫�ض‬� �‫ا‬�‫ي‬ � ‫�غ‬ �‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬‫و‬�� ‫ق‬ � � ‫ئ‬ ��‫دا‬��‫ح‬ � ‫ل‬�� ‫ا‬ ‫ى‬ � ‫�ف‬ � � ‫ر‬ ‫ف‬ ��‫ط‬ �� � ‫ي‬ ��‫و‬�� * ‫ر‬ ‫ا‬�‫ه‬� ‫ا�ز‬ � ‫ل‬ � � ‫ا‬ ‫ف‬ ��‫ط‬ �� �‫ت‬ � ‫�ق‬�‫�ي‬� ‫ى‬ � � ‫ر‬ ‫خ‬ � �‫ا‬‫و‬�� * ‫ر‬ ‫ا‬�‫ح‬ �‫ب‬ �‫ل‬��� ‫ا‬ ‫م‬ � ‫ح‬ � ‫ت‬ � ‫ق‬ ���‫�ي‬� ‫ة‬ �‫ر‬‫م‬�‫و‬�� ‫�ن‬‫ع‬ � ‫ا‬�‫م‬�‫ا‬� ‫ل‬�‫ك‬ � �� ‫ت‬ �‫د‬‫ور‬�� ‫ا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ذ‬ �‫ا‬ ‫ى‬ � ‫�ن‬� ‫ا‬� ‫ف‬ � � � ‫ى‬ �‫ب‬ �� ‫ا‬‫د‬ ‫ك‬��‫ل‬� � ‫ذ‬ � ‫ا‬�‫م‬� * ‫ة‬ �‫و‬�‫ب‬ ��‫ر‬ ‫ى‬ � ‫ل‬�� ‫ا‬ ‫ة‬ ��‫ط‬ �� �‫و‬� ‫�غ‬ � ‫�ن‬‫م‬�‫و‬�� ‫ع‬ ‫ر‬ ‫ف‬ � � � ‫ى‬ � ‫ل‬�� ‫ا‬ ‫ل‬�‫ص‬�� �‫ا‬ ‫ى‬ � ‫�ف‬ � � ‫ه‬�‫ع‬ �‫م‬� ‫ت‬ �‫ب‬��‫د‬‫ا‬�‫ت‬ �� ‫ر‬‫ي‬ ��‫م‬�‫ا‬ ‫�ن‬‫ع‬ � ‫ت‬ �‫ل‬��‫ق‬ ��‫�ن‬� ‫ا‬ ‫ذ‬ �‫ا‬‫و‬�� * ‫ة‬ ��‫ف‬ ��‫ي‬ �‫�خ‬ � ‫س‬���‫ل‬�� ‫ا‬ ‫ظ‬ � �� �‫ا‬�‫ف‬ ��‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬ � ‫ل‬ � � ‫ا‬ ‫ع‬ �‫ي‬ �‫�م‬‫�ج‬ � ‫ه‬�‫ل‬� � ‫ه‬�‫ي‬ � ‫ف‬ � � � ‫ت‬ �‫ي‬ � ‫ق‬ ��‫ت‬ �‫�ن‬�‫ا‬ ‫ق‬ � � ‫م‬�‫ح‬ �‫ا‬ ‫ع‬ �‫ي‬ �‫�م‬ ‫ج‬ � �‫ب‬ � ‫ه‬�‫ت‬ � ‫�ف‬�‫ح‬ � ‫ت‬ � ‫ا‬ ‫ن‬ �‫ا‬‫ر‬‫ط‬ �� � ‫م‬�‫و‬�� ‫ا‬ ‫ا‬� ‫ل‬�‫ث‬ �‫م‬� ‫س‬��‫ي‬ �� ّ ‫��س‬ ‫�ق‬ � � ‫�ن‬‫ع‬ � ‫و‬�� ‫ا‬ * ‫ه‬�‫س‬��‫ل‬��‫ج‬ � � ‫م‬�‫ب‬ � ‫س‬��‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬�‫ج‬ � � ‫ى‬ � ‫�ن‬� ‫ا‬�‫ك‬ � � �‫ف‬� � � ‫ك�ن‬ � � �‫م‬�‫ا‬ ‫ا‬�‫م‬� ‫ل‬� ‫ق‬ ���‫ن‬ �‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬ ‫ف‬ ��‫ي‬ �‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬�‫ت‬ �� ‫�ن‬‫م‬� ‫�ض‬� �‫ر‬ ‫غ‬ � �‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬ ‫ت‬ �‫و‬� ‫�ف‬�‫ي‬ � ‫ف‬ � � � ‫ى‬ � ‫ن‬�‫ع‬ �‫م‬ ‫�ل‬ � ‫ا‬ ‫ه‬�‫ي‬ �‫ل‬��‫ع‬ � ‫ب‬ �‫ع‬ �‫ص‬� �‫ي‬ �� ‫ا‬� ّ ‫ل‬�‫ئ‬ �‫ل‬� � * ّ ‫ل‬�‫ت‬ ��‫�خ‬ � ‫م‬ ‫ل‬ � ‫ا‬ ‫م‬ �‫ا‬� ‫ل‬�‫ك‬ � � �‫ل‬�� ‫ا‬‫و‬�� ‫ك‬��‫ي‬ �‫ك‬ � ��� ‫ر‬‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬ ‫ظ‬ � �� �‫ف‬ 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‫ا‬‫و‬� ‫ت‬ �‫ي‬ �‫ب‬ ��‫ي‬ �‫ل‬� � ‫ر‬‫ي‬ ��‫م‬� ‫ا‬ � ‫ل‬ � � ‫ا‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ا‬�‫ب‬ �‫�ت‬�‫ا‬ ‫�ن‬‫م‬� ‫ر‬‫ي‬ �� ‫ث‬ �‫ك‬ � ��‫ه‬�‫ب‬ ��‫ا‬�‫ت‬ � ‫ن‬ ��‫ي‬ �� ‫ن‬ �‫ا‬�‫ك‬ � �� ‫�ير‬‫د‬��‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬ ‫ن‬ � ‫ا‬ � ‫ل‬ � � ‫�ن‬‫م‬� ‫ن‬ �‫ا‬�‫ب‬ �‫�ه‬‫ر‬‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬ ‫ف‬ �� ّ ‫ل‬��‫ك‬ � � �‫�ي‬ ‫ة‬ ��‫ل‬��‫ي‬ �‫ل‬� � َّ ‫م‬ � ‫ث‬ � ‫ت‬ �‫ا‬�‫ب‬ �� ‫ا‬ ‫ذ‬ �‫ا‬ ‫م‬ � ‫ه‬�‫د‬��‫ح‬ �‫ا‬ ‫ن‬ �‫ا‬�‫ك‬ � � �‫ف‬� � � * ‫م‬ � ‫�ق‬� ْ ‫ي‬ � َ ‫�ه‬ ‫ه‬�‫ل‬� � ‫ع‬ � َ ‫م‬ �‫س‬�� ُ ‫ي‬ � ‫م‬ �ِ‫�ق‬� َ ‫�ه‬ ‫م‬ �ِ‫�خ‬ �َ ‫و‬�� ‫م‬ �ِ ‫ح‬ �َ ‫و‬�� ‫�ي�ن‬ ‫ر‬ ّ‫ت‬ ��‫ق‬ ��‫م‬ ‫�ل‬ � ‫ا‬ ‫ي�ن‬ ��‫ف‬ �� ‫ش‬ ��� ‫ق‬ ��‫ت‬ �‫م‬ ‫�ل‬ � ‫ا‬ ‫ة‬ ��‫ش‬ ���‫ي‬ ��‫ع‬ � َ‫ن‬ �‫و‬� ‫ش‬ ���‫ي‬ ��‫ع‬ �‫�ي‬� ‫ق‬ � � ‫ل‬��‫خ‬ � � ‫ل‬�� ‫ا‬ ‫ء‬ ‫آ‬ � � ‫ل‬ � � ‫و‬�‫ه‬� ‫ن‬ � ‫ا‬ � ‫ل‬ � � * ‫ه‬‫و‬��‫ه�د‬ � ‫ع‬ �‫�ي‬� ‫م‬ � ‫�ل‬ � ‫ا‬�‫م‬� ‫ة‬ �‫ر‬ ‫خ‬ � �‫ا‬�‫ف‬ ��‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬ ‫م‬ � ‫ع‬ � ‫ا‬�‫ط‬ �� � ‫م‬ ‫�ل‬ � ‫ا‬ ‫م‬ � ‫ه‬�‫�د‬‫ن‬ �‫ع‬ � ‫ى‬ � ‫ه‬ � ‫ف‬ � � � * ‫و‬��‫ع�د‬ �‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬‫ر‬ ‫�ظ‬ �� �‫ن‬ �� ‫ا‬�‫ه‬ � ‫ت‬ ��‫ا‬ ‫�ذ‬��‫ل‬� � ‫ى‬ � ‫ل‬�� ‫ا‬‫و‬�� ‫ا‬�‫ي‬ �‫�ن‬�‫د‬��‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬ ‫ى‬ � ‫ل‬�� ‫ا‬ ‫ن‬ �‫و‬��‫ر‬ ‫�ظ‬ �� �‫ن‬ �‫�ي‬� ‫م‬ � ‫ه‬� ‫ذ‬ �‫ا‬ * ‫ت‬ �‫و‬� ‫�ق‬�‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬ ‫ى‬ � ‫�ن‬� ‫د‬‫ا‬�‫ب‬ �� ‫ي�ن‬ ��‫غ‬ � � ّ ‫ل‬��‫ب‬ �‫ت‬ �‫م‬ ‫�ل‬ � ‫ا‬ ‫ن‬ �‫ا‬ ‫ى‬ � ‫ت‬ �‫ح‬ � * ‫ة‬ ��‫ن‬ � ‫�ج‬ � ‫ل‬�� ‫ا‬ ‫ى‬ � ‫ل‬�� ‫ا‬ ‫ب‬ �ّ ‫ر‬ ‫ق‬ ��‫�ت‬� ‫ا‬�‫ه‬ �‫ي‬ � ‫ف‬ � � � ‫ق‬ � � �‫و‬�‫ل‬��‫خ‬ � � ‫م‬ ‫ل‬ � ‫ا‬ ‫ن‬ �‫ا‬�‫س‬�� ‫ن‬ � ‫ا‬ � ‫ل‬ � � ‫ا‬ ‫ا‬�‫ه‬ � ‫ن‬ �‫ع‬ � ‫ع�د‬ � ‫ا‬�‫ب‬ �‫�ت‬� ‫ا‬�‫م‬�‫ل‬��‫ك‬ � �� * ‫ة‬ �‫ر‬ ‫خ‬ � � ‫آ‬ � � ‫ل‬ � � ‫ا‬ ‫ة‬ � َ ّ ‫ر‬ ‫ض‬ �� � ‫ا‬�‫ق‬ ��‫ي‬ � ‫ق‬ � � �‫ر‬ ‫ه‬‫و‬�� ‫�ز‬ ‫ب‬ ��‫خ‬ � �‫ي‬ � ‫ن‬ �‫ا‬ ‫ع�د‬ �‫ب‬ �� ‫م‬�‫ه‬ � ‫ن‬ ��‫ا‬� ‫ف‬ � � � * ‫س‬��‫ا‬�‫ن‬ �‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬ ‫�ز‬ ‫ب‬ �� ‫خ‬ � � ‫ك‬ � �� ‫س‬��‫ي‬ ��‫ل‬� � ‫م‬ �‫ا‬‫ِد‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ر‬‫ي‬ ��‫غ‬ � �‫ب‬ �� ‫ه‬�‫ن‬��‫و‬�‫ل‬��‫ك‬ � �� ‫ا‬�‫ي‬ �� ‫ا‬�‫م‬� ‫ا‬‫ر‬‫ي‬ �� ‫ث‬ �‫ك‬ � �� ‫ى‬ � �‫�ذ‬��‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬ ‫�ز‬ ‫ب‬ ��‫خ‬ � � ‫ل‬�� ‫ا‬ ‫ه‬�‫ي‬ ��‫�د‬‫ي‬ �� ‫ا‬�‫ت‬ �‫ل‬��‫ك‬ � � �‫ب‬� ‫�ذ‬��‫خ‬ � �‫ا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ذ‬ �‫ا‬ ‫ن‬ �‫ا‬�‫س‬�� ‫ن‬ �‫ا‬� ‫ل‬�‫ل‬�� ‫ك�ن‬ � � �‫�م‬‫ي‬ � ‫ث‬ �‫ي‬ �‫ح‬ �‫ب‬ � * ‫س‬��‫ب‬ ��‫ي‬ �‫�ي‬ �‫و‬�� ّ ‫ف‬ �� ‫ج‬ � �‫ي‬ � ‫ى‬ � ‫ت‬ �‫ح‬ � ‫ة‬ ��‫ي‬ �‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬‫و‬�‫ت‬ �‫م‬� ‫ا‬�‫م‬�‫ا‬� ّ ‫ي‬ ��‫ا‬ ‫ه‬�‫ن‬��‫و‬�‫س‬�� ّ ‫�م‬ ‫ش‬ ���‫ي‬ � ‫ن‬ �‫ا‬ ‫و‬�� ‫ا‬ * ‫�ير‬‫د‬��‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬ ‫ن‬ �‫ا‬ ‫ذ‬ �‫ر‬ ‫ج‬ � � ‫ع‬ �‫ي‬ �‫�م‬‫�ج‬ � ‫ا‬�‫م‬�‫ه‬ � ‫ت‬ �‫ع‬ �‫ف‬ � � � ‫ر‬ ‫ق‬ ��‫ب‬ �� ‫ف‬ ��‫ي‬ �‫�خ‬ �‫ي‬ � ‫ن‬ �‫ا‬‫ر‬ ‫خ‬ � � ‫آ‬ � � ‫ل‬ � �‫ا‬�‫ب‬ �� ‫ا‬�‫م‬�‫ه‬�‫د‬��‫ح‬ �‫ا‬ ‫ب‬ �‫ر‬ ‫ض‬ �� �‫و‬�� ‫ي�ن‬ ��‫ف‬ ��‫ي‬ � ‫�غ‬ �‫ر‬ ‫ه‬�‫ل‬��‫ك‬ � �� ‫ا‬ ‫ى‬ � ‫ل‬��‫ع‬ � ‫ن‬ �‫و‬��‫ر‬‫�د‬‫ق‬ ��‫�ي‬� ‫ا‬ � ‫ل‬ � � ‫و‬�� * ‫ة‬ �‫و‬�‫ل‬��‫ص‬� � ‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬ ‫ت‬ �‫ا‬� ‫ق‬ � � �‫و‬�� ‫ا‬ � ‫ل‬ � � ‫ه‬�‫ب‬ �� ‫ب‬ �‫ر‬ ‫ض‬ �� � ُ ‫ي‬ �� ‫ى‬ � �‫�ذ‬��‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬ ‫س‬��‫و‬� ‫�ق‬ � � ‫ا‬�‫ن‬ �‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬ ‫�ذ‬��‫خ‬ � � ‫ت‬ �‫�م‬� ‫ا‬�‫م‬�‫ه‬� ‫�ذ‬��‫خ‬ � � ‫ت‬ � ‫ي‬ �� ‫ل‬�‫ي‬ ���‫و‬�‫ه‬ � ‫ت‬ ��‫و‬�‫ه‬� ‫ا‬�‫م‬� ‫ن‬ �‫ا‬� ‫ف‬ � � � ‫ف‬ ��‫ي‬ �‫�س‬�‫ل‬� � ‫ا‬�‫ب‬ �� ‫ر‬‫ي‬ ��‫م‬� ‫ا‬ � ‫ل‬ � � ‫ا‬ ‫ع‬ �‫ب‬ ��‫ا‬�‫ت‬ �� ‫د‬�� ّ ‫ل‬��‫ق‬ ��‫�ت‬� ‫ا‬�‫م‬�‫ا‬� ‫ف‬ � � � * ‫ا‬�‫ي�ن‬ � ‫�ج‬ � ‫ع‬ � ‫د‬‫و‬�‫ع‬�‫�ي‬� ‫ى‬ � ‫ت‬ �‫ح‬ � ‫ء‬ ‫آ‬ ��‫م‬ ‫�ل‬ � ‫ا‬�‫ب‬ �� ‫ا‬�‫ع‬ �‫و‬� ‫�ق‬�‫ن‬ �‫م‬� ‫ا‬ � ‫ل‬ � � ‫ا‬ 2،12،1 [3.141.24.134] Project MUSE (2024-04-24 03:11 GMT) 177 177 A Dish and an Itch or, on some occasions, plows across oceans and at others plucks orchids while bounding around in garden and thicket from trunk to branch and from hollow to hill. Such, though, is not my way of doing things, for if I introduce the words of an idiot, I put every kind of silly expression in his mouth, and if I report something said by an emir, I use, to the extent possible, polite language, as though I were sitting with him in this salon; or by a priest, for example, or a bishop, I make him a gift of every variety of lame and defective phrase so that it isn’t too difficult for him to express himself, which, should it happen, would undermine the purpose of writing this book. Know, then, that after the Fāriyāq’s brains had boiled over following the application of the heat of grammar, which came on top of his desire to be a poet, he set off one day to take care of some business. On the road he passed a monastery and, it being evening, thought it would be a good idea to spend the night there. Turning off to it, he knocked on the door, at which a young monk appeared before him. “Can you provide a guest with bed and board?” the Fāriyāq asked, to which the young monk replied, “He’d be most welcome so long as he has no sword.” The Fāriyāq was delighted with this response and amazed to find in the monastery someone who was good at repartee. The young monk had only said what he did because numbers of the largegulleted , omnivorous, gluttonous, voracious, craving, dyspeptic, ravenous, loudly swallowing followers of the emir afflicted the monastery with their demands for lodging, and, whenever one of them spent the night there, he would charge the monks with providing fine dishes that they knew nothing of, for these folk live a life of short commons and abnegation, surviving on the most meager ration, regarding, as they do, this world and its pleasures as their foe; it is to them the arch-rival of the life to...

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