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Chapter 14: A Sacrament
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203 203 Chapter 14 A Sacrament227 Ahahahah! Ahahahah! Thank God! Thank God I’m done with the composition of that maqāmah, and with its number too,228 for it was weighing on my mind. Now all that remains for me to do is to urge the reader to read it. Though more coarsely woven than the finely knit rhymed prose of al-Ḥarīrī and despite its prosodic irregularities, it may, for all that, be worn, and commended for its beneficial verities. I believe the second will be better than it was, the third better than the second, the fourth better than the third, and the fiftieth better than the forty-ninth. (Don’t panic! Don’t panic at these attempts to shock and scare! There are in fact, as promised, only four.) Now I have to squeeze my sconce to extract some more nice thoughts, figures, and choice words, at the same time avoiding chatter, a process that scholars refer to, I believe, as “voiding verbiage.” But hang on a moment, and I’ll ask them! What do you call words that are so bursting with meaning that they drench the reader, so that I can fetch them for you? If you don’t tell me their name right away, don’t blame me if I use their opposite. I exist, and it is my custom to look for what exists, not for what doesn’t. Given that the term “voiding verbiage” exists and its opposite doesn’t, it is perfectly appropriate for me to turn to it in preference to some other term. You may if you wish put your heads together and come up with a word—but instead of flying at each other’s throats and fighting, pecking out each other’s eyes and biting, or striking with swords and swiping with words, or grabbing each other by your pockets and skirts, do so sedately and soberly, serenely and rationally, for when someone sedate bestows a name on something, it comes out as sedate as he is and cannot thereafter be converted into something different. In fact, the thing named may even acquire dignity from the name given it, 1.14.1 1.14.2 204 204 ������ � �� � � ة �� َّف �� خ � � ل�� ا�ب �� ف ��ص� � ت ��ا ا�م�م� ك�ن � � ��ي ن �او�� ى � َّ م�س��م ل � ا م � س�� ا � ل � �ا�ب �� َ ر ُ ق � � � َ و�� ا�م� َّ ب �ر ل�ب ��� * ر خ � � آ � ى � ل�� ا ه�ل� � ا�ق ��ت ��ن�ا ُ ع�د �ب �� ك�ن � � ��مي � ا� ل� ف � � � * ا� م� خ � ��ض �� �ى � �ت� ا�ي �� م � خ � � ض ��� � ل�� ا م �ا� ل�ك � �� و�� * ا�ق ��ي � ق � � �ر ى � �ت� ا�ي �� ق � �ي � ق � � �رل� � ارع � ا�ش ���ل� � ا م �ا� ل�ك � �� ن �ا ى � �ر �ت ا � ل � � ا * ش ���ي ��ط �� � ل� � او�� ب �ا�ب �ل� � ا � ل � �ا�ب �� ا�ب �ع � ا � ل � � ل� � و� �ق�ع �ل��ل� � ا�ب �ل� � ا�خ � � ى � �ت� ا�ي �� ة � أ �ر�م �ل � ارع � ش ���و�� * م �ا� ل�ك � � �ل�� ا كو�ل��م� كو�ل��م �ل � ا م �ا� ل�ك � �� ل�ي �� ق � � � ا� م� ك �� * د��ل� � و�ل� � ا �غ � �ي ��ز و� ت �� ة �دا�م� ى � � ا ه�ي �ب ��ا ل� ب �� ق � � � �نم� د��ل� � و�ل� � ا ع � ض �� �و�� ة �ع�د � ا�ق ��ل� � ا �ه��ذه �نم� ى � ن�ت�ث ��س�� ي �و�� * ا�ه � ل��ث �م� * ا�ح � �ي ب ���ص � ده��ل� � و�� ى � �ت� ا�ي ��و�� ا�ح � �ي ب �� �ق � � ن �و�ك � � ��ي �د ق � � � د��ل� � او�ل� � ا ن �ا ك��ل� � ذ �و�� * د��ل��ي ��و�� ل� ب ��ح �ي � ب � ا � ل � � ا ن �ا ا � ل � � ا� ل�ج � �ر ى � ن�ع � ا ي�ن ��ن ��ث�ا ة���ك � �� ر ا�ش ���م�ب� ا � ل � � ا ّ م � ت ��ت ا � ل � � ى � ت �ل� � ا ل� � ا�ع �ف � � � ا � ل � � ا �نم� ن �ا�ك � ��ا�م �ل � اد� ل�ي �� ا � ل � � ا ن �ا ه�ب � ب ��س��و�� ى � �ف � � ف � � � ر�ص �ت �ل� � ا ق � � ل��ط �� � م� د��ل� � او�ل��ل� � ك�ن � � ��ي م � �ل � * م �ا�ه �ب �� ا � ل � � ا �نم� ا� ض �� �ي ��ا و�ل��خ � �ي � ا � ل � � ا�ن ��ه ب �ي �ل��غ � �ت �ل� � ا ذ �ا ة �ارم�او�� ه� ّ م�ا ن �و�ك � � ��ت و�� ها� ض �� � ت ��را ا� ل�ك � � � ش ��� ه�ل� � ار ّ �دق ��م� ك��ل� � ذ � �دن �ع �و�ه� ن �و�ك � � ��ي �دق ��ف � � � * ء آ ��ش ��� ا� م� ك ��ده��ل� � و�� ه�ت � ئ ��ي �ه � ت �� ى � �ت� ا�ي � ف � � � * كا ذ � ذ �ا ا�ه�ر�ص�د � �ج � ل��خ � �و�� ه�ت � ن ��س��ح � ت �س��� ا ا�م�ب ���سح �ب � ر خ � � آ � ا� ل�ك � � � ش ��� ه�ل� � ة �ر ّ �دق ��م� هللا ا�ه ��س�رح � ه�ل� � و�ه� �ذ��ل� � ة ��م�و�ل��ع �م� ة �رو�ص� � ك��ل� � ذ � �دن �ع �ر ض �� � ح � ت �س���ي � ا � ل � � ل� ج �� �رل� � ا ن �ا ل� � ا�ق ���ي� ا � ل � � * ا� ّ ي ��ر ا�ش ��� ف ��ن � �خ � د��ل� � و�ل� � ا ن �ا� ف � � � * ه�ص� �و�ص� � �خ �ب � دا��ح �او�� ا��ي ش ��� َف ��ِ ل� �َ ا �نم� ى � ل��ع � ق � � � �ص�د �ي �� ا � ل � � ك��ل� � ذ � ن �ا� ف � � � * ة �دا�م �ل � ا ل� غ �� � ا�ش ���ب � ل� َ ث �� َ �مك � �� ه�ل��ث � َ �م َ�ف � � * ة �� َّ ي ��و��ور�� �دش ���بر � هر ش ���ا�ب �ي � �ف � � * ه�ي � ف � � � هاو�ه� ل� � ّ ع�د ��ت� ى � ش ���ل� � ن �ا�س�� ن � ا � ل � � ا ة ��ف ��ل� � ا ل� � و�ط �� � �ج � و�ه � ل��ي �� ه�ن��ا� ف � � � ع ��ئ�ا�ج � � ل�� ا ف � � � ا� ل�خ � �ب � م �ا�ك � � � ح �او�� ن �ا�ق ���ت�ا�ب �� م �ا�ع �ط � �� � ل� � ا �ض� � ض �� � �خ � خ � �ب �ط� �� �ي �� ن �ا�ع � ب � ش ���ل� � ا خ � �ا�ّ ب �ط �� � ل� � ا ن �ا * ع �ي � �ج � ُ م ل � ا ل� � ا� ض �� � ع �ل� � او�� * ع ��ي��دب �ل� � ا دارط �� �ت ��س� ا � ل � � ا ا �ذ ��ه ع�د �ب �� ا ًذ �ا م � ل ��ع � ا� ف � � � * ه� ق � � �و�ه � ل��ي ��و�� ه�ل��م�ع � ل� � ا� ق � � �و�� * رك � � �ف� � �و�� ل�ع� �ف � � � ا�م�ب� ه�ل� � ف � � �ر ت ��ع �ي �ل� � ي�ن ��س��ي ��س�� ق ��ل� � ا �ض� � ع �ب �� ى � ل�� ا م �و�ي �� ت �ا ذ � ب ��ه ذ � ق � � � ا�ي ��ر ا�ف ��ل� � ا م � ظ � �� �ن �ل� � ا�ب �� ف ��ِ ل�� َ ك � �� ك��ن��ا ك��ن �ع � ت �ع �م �س�� �د ق � � � * ه�ب �� ه�ل� � ا�س�� ا�م�ي � ف � � � س��ي ��س�� ق ��ل� � ا ه�ل� � ل� � ا�ق ��ف � � � * ر َ ك � � �ن� ُ م �ل � ا �نم� ن �ا س��ا�ن ��خ � ل�� ا ك��ي �ل� � ا ل� �ّ و�س�� ل�ه� � ف � � � * م �ار غ � �ل� � او�� دا�س�� ف ��ل� � ا ب �ا�ب ��س�ا م � ظ � �� � ع � ا �نم� ا�م�ه�و�� ن �ا�ح � ل�� ا � ل � �ا�ب ��و�� * ل� ف ���ك � � �ل�� ا ة �� ّ ج � � ت � رم� * ل � �� َ ح � َ ك � � �ل�� ا ة ��ن � ّ ي ��ب �� * ّ د��خ � � ل�� ا ة �د َ ّ رو�م� * ه�د � ن �ل� � ا ة �ع�د � ا� ق � � � ة �ارم�ا�ب �� رع � ش ���ل� � ا ى � �ف � � ل� �غ�ز � �ت ��ت� رع � ش ���ل� � ا آ �دو�س�� * �ي�نع�د � ا�س��ل� � ا ة ��ل� � و��د��ج � � م� * ي�ن �� ق � � � ا�س��ل� � ا ة ��ل��ِث � َ ع � * ر غ � �ث �ل� � ا ة ��ج � � َّ ل�� ف ��م� * ر�ص � �خ � ل�� ا ة ��ل��ي �ح � ن � * ي�ن ��ب � �ج �ا�ح � ل�� ا ة ��ج � �ج � �م�ز � * ي�ن ��ت � �ف� ش ���ل� � ا ة ��ق ��ي � ق � � �ر * ي�ن �� ف ��ك � � �ل�� ا ة ��ب � َّض �� � �خ � م� * ي�ن ��ي�ن �ع �ل� � ا ء آ �� ل�ج � � ن � * ي�ن ��ت ��م َ ل�� َ ح � ل�� او�� 3،14،1 4،14،1 [3.133.154.123] Project MUSE (2024-04-17 21:26 GMT) 205 205 A Sacrament even when it is innately insignificant and frivolous. Have you not noticed how the words of a slim poet come out slim, and those of a big poet come out big? As the saying goes, “The words of kings are the kings of words.” By the same token, poetry written by a woman is as bewitching to the mind and teasing to the heart as a woman. An exception to this principle is the donation of the child by the father, meaning the donation by the father of the material used to form the child. By making an exception of this I don’t mean to say that the father becomes pregnant and gives birth but that the father may be ugly and the child turn out good-looking. The reason is that, because conception requires the collaboration of two persons, i.e., a man and a woman, it is unclear which contribution is determinative. The father does not have absolute sway to shape the child as he wishes. He may have in mind at that instant a certain form that he finds attractive, while the mother, God protect her, may have another, depending on her preferences and whatever is then uppermost in her mind; as a result the child may come out a bit of this and bit of that. By the way, it cannot be said that the man is incapable of summoning up a familiar form at that moment just because he’s all in a tizzy over the business of that formative material. That’s not credible in the case of one who’s become used to what is always the same old thing where he’s concerned, for long acquaintance modifies a person’s attitude to a thing, and, as a result, he deals with it with good sense and deliberation. Take for example the well-fed cook, who prepares all the various dishes with perfect skill and mastery, unlike the hungry cook, who hurries his work and botches it. Know then (after this polished excursion and prolonged and stimulating insertion) that the Fāriyāq went one day to a...