🌟 Banquet With The Geniuses [2]: Joined by Al-A'shaa, Adi bin Zaid & More
Verses on Joys of Feasting
✨ The Story Continues:
The drinking scene continues as heavenly music and wine is praised. Ibn Qarih, on road with Adi bin Zayd (Abū Sawāda) is joined by the Nabigha of Ja’dah (Abū Laylā) and Nabigha of Dhubyan (Abū Umāma) wishing if only Maymun Ibn Qays Al - A’shaa (Abū Baṣīr) was here in the gathering, it would elevate the scene.
Ibn Qarih says to his fellow drinking companions Abū Sawādah, Abū Umāmah, and Abū Laylā, let us have a drink together! Didn’t our worthy ʿIbādī poet1 said in the world the following verse,
Ay-yuhal-qalbu taʿallal bidadan Inna hamī fī samāʿin wa adhan
My heart, divert yourself with pleasure:
I long for music and for listening,.
Wa sharābin khusrawāniyyin idhā Dhāqahush-shaykhu taghannā warjaḥan
And the wine of Khusraw, which when the elder sips,
He sings and dance and joy upon his spirit drips
Wasn’t he also the one to say?
Wa-samāʿin yaʾdhanu ash-shaykhu lahu || Wa-ḥadīthin mithlu mādhiyyin mushār
And listening — so fine, the elder gives consent,
And speech — like honey clear and richly eloquent
“I wish if only Abū Baṣīr were here. how do we get him here?” expresses Ibn Qarih.
He did not finish his speaking that Al-Ashaa appeared before him! joining them to be the fifth in the company. All of them thanking God for bringing them all together.2
Ibn then recites this Qurʾanic verse: (As Shuraa : 29)
وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ جَمْعِهِمْ إِذَا يَشَآءُ قَدِيرٌۭ ٢٩
« He (Allah ﷻ) is able to gather them whenever He wishes. »
And whilst the company eats from the good things of the Garden, drinking its wine, which God has stored for His fearing servants, Ibn Qarih says,
“Abū Umāmah, you have a sound judgement and you are intelligent, so how could you find it proper to say to al-Nuʿmān ibn al-Mundhir that verse for which he was angry against you, for you to go on to say things such that everyone, high and low, condemned you!”3
Al-Nābighah, sensibly and intelligently, replies: “Those who found fault with me have wronged me. If they were fair they would understand that I had been extremely careful. Al-Nuʿmān was infatuated with that woman and he told me to describe her in my verse. I turned it over in my mind and said to myself: If I depict her in terms that are general, they could be applied not merely to her but to several. However, I was afraid to mention her name in verse, because the king would not agree, for kings do not like their women to be mentioned. So I thought I would put her description from An-Nu’mān’s POV and say ‘The great man stated…’,
for if I had omitted to mention him the listener would think that my description was based on personal observation. The verses that follow still belong to the description by the ‘great man.’ Therefore, if one considers the sense one will find it to be not incorrect.” replies Abu Umama, pleading his point.
“Have a look at this line of mine” he continues…
وَإذا نظرت رايت أقمر مشرقاً
“When I look I see a shining moon”
When you recite this, what do you take to mean from it?”4
Ibn Qarih says, “We recite to take the meaning ‘when you look,’ ‘when you touch,’ ‘when you stab,’ and ‘when you withdraw,’ all in the second person singular.”
“That is a possibility,” admits al-Nābighah, “but it is better to put it in the first person singular, as direct speech in quotation5, because when I say ‘the great man stated’ it means refers to him directly that “He is saying…”
That is safer; for then the king himself is the speaker. But when you read it in the second person, it is improper: if you attribute the words to me it would be an affront to him, and if you attribute them to al-Nuʿmān it would be shameful and lacking in respect.”
“Bravo, star of the tribe of Murrah6!” said Ibn Qarih
“But the learned transmitters of your verse have corrupted it. I wish all of them were here to drink with us too… Abū ʿAmr al-Māzinī7, Abū ʿAmr al-Shaybānī8, Abū ʿUbaydah9, ʿAbd al-Malik10, and the other transmitters of poetry, that I could ask them in your presence how they read the lines, and you could know I neither falsely accuse you nor put a slur on you.”
No sooner had Ibn Qarih uttered these words and Abū Umāmah’s ears heard them that all the mentioned transmitters of poetry are made to appear at God Almighty’s call, without any trouble or effort to them at all. They greet politely and gracefully.
Ibn Qarih surprised, shocked asks, “Who are these Paradisial persons?”
“We are the transmitters,” they reply, “those whose presence you have just now requested!”.
“There is no god but God,” exclaims the Sheikh, “He who forms and records everything, praise be to God who resurrects and inherits.11” (Surah Maryam : 40)
[Lets understand the classical verse there-in & learn Arabic using the couplets!]
🟢 Understanding The Arabic Words in Context of The Verse:
Couplet 1:
اَيُّها الْقَلْبُ تَعَلَلْ بِدَدَنْ
إِنَّ هَمَي فى سَماعٍ وَأذَنْ
💎 Meanings:
أيّها (Ay-yuhā) – Vocative particle meaning “O…!” used to call upon someone or something; (in this case, addressing the qalb (heart))
القلب (al-qalb) – The heart; symbolic of emotion, thought, or soul.
تعلّل (taʿallal) – Seek diversion, take comfort, occupy oneself with pretense or distraction; often used in poetry for emotional diversion.
بددن (bidadan) – Amusement, or Comfort. can be taken to refer to light playfulness
-.-
إنّ (inna) – Verily, truly.
همي (hamī) – My worry, my concern, my emotional preoccupation.
في (fī) – In.
سماعٍ (samāʿin) – Listening, hearing; often musical or poetic in context.
وأذَنْ (wa adhan) – And ears, i.e. attentive listening or auditory enjoyment.
Couplet 2:
وَشَرابٍ خُسْرُوَانِيٍ إذا
ذَاقَهُ الشيْخُ تَغَنَّى وارْجَحَنْ
💎 Meanings:
وشرابٍ (wa sharābin) – And drink; connotes wine or luxurious refreshment.
خسرُوانيٍ (khusrawāniyyin) – Of Khusraw (Persian king); meaning royal, luxurious, Persian-style wine.
إذا (idhā) – When.
.-.
ذاقه (dhāqahu) – He tasted it.
الشيخ (ash-shaykh) – The elder; possibly the poet himself, suggesting age or wisdom.
تغنّى (taghannā) – Began to sing or intone, or became joyful with song; evocative of revelry.
وارجحن (warjaḥan) – And became lively or swayed with rhythm; literally, swayed or became balanced (like in music/dance). Could also mean: became spirited or merry.
The Other Verse:
وَسَمَاعٍ يَأْذَنُ الشَّيْخُ لَهُ
وَحَدِيثٍ مِثْلُ مَاذِيٍّ مُشَارْ
💎 Meanings:
وَ (wa) – And.
سَمَاعٍ (samāʿin) – Listening or auditory experience, particularly one that involves music or recitation. Implies not passive hearing, but deep engaged listening, often with spiritual or artistic connotation.
يَأْذَنُ (yaʾdhanu) – He permits, he allows.12
الشَّيْخُ (ash-shaykhu) – The elder; can be literal (old man) or symbolic (one of stature or authority). In context: one whose permission or standards dictate propriety.
لَهُ (lahu) – For it (the auditory experience).
;--;
وَحَدِيثٍ (wa-ḥadīthin) – And speech, conversation, narration.
مِثْلُ (mithlu) – Like, resembling.
مَاذِيٍّ (mādhiyyin) – A kind of rich, sweet honey; specifically high-quality honey of exquisite consistency.
مُشَارْ (mushār) – Polished, clarified, refined — like fine honey that has been sifted or cleared of impurities. The word may derive from sh-w-r (to clarify), and some consider it to be an allusion to rare delicacies or fine-quality goods.
🔵 Intricacies of the Verse:
In the first verse, the poet seems to be speaking to his heart directly, as though it were a close companion. He tells it to distract itself, not with recklessness or vice, but with delight and ease (bidadan). His sadness has settled not in deep grief or lament, but in things that soothe the soul: music that is permitted, even dignified, and wine of the most exquisite sort. A Particular to be noted is the term ‘Khusrawānī’, a term denoting luxury and excellence, originally Persian. The persians were, even then, famed for being delightful, luxurious and elegent. Here however, it is being used to draw parallel to a celestial feast.
The second verse continues this picture: the samaʿ (listening or music) is so noble that even poet, the wise and often austere elder, gives it his approval. The conversation in such a gathering is not idle, it's mādhī (clarified honey): smooth, nourishing, and pleasurable. This shows the quality of Paradise: even the speech is sweet, rich, and full of delight, offering spiritual pleasure, not just entertainment.
Together, these verses sketch a scene from a refined banquet in Paradise. A place of spiritual rejuvenation, not careless indulgence. The poet turns away from worldly sorrows toward a gathering filled with calm, permitted music, exquisite drink, and honey-sweet, wise speech. Nothing here is vulgar. Everything is elegant, measured, and full of joy that the heart can finally rest in.
🔘 Roots of words and Their Classical Usages:
🌟 Forthcoming:
The brought forward transmitters of verses of An-Nabigha, are put to test by Ibn Qarih for their potential mistakes in transmission of Arabic Verses. Ibn Qarih asks them to recite the following verse rhyming in ‘dal’ as the festive conversation continues.
It is all in good heavenly fun :D.
⭐Footnotes:
Referring to Adi bin Zaid al Alqamah i.e (Abu Sawadah)
لطفِ خرامِ ساقی و ذوقِ صدائے چنگ
یہ جنتِ نگاہ وہ فردوسِ گوش ہے
Ghalib, The Indian poet, had this to say of Mughal courts and their occasions of festivities. Whilst reading and writing the post, I had this throughout my mind.
The verse in brought up by Ibn Qarih is
زعم الهمام بأنَّ فاها بارد
عذب إذا ما دفته قلت ازدد
زعم الهمام ولم أذقه بأنه
يشفى ببرد لثاتها العتش الصدى
to mean roughly,
“The great man stated that her mouth is cool and sweet;
whenever you taste it, you say: more!
The great man stated (I’ve not tasted it myself ):
a parched man will recover through the coolness of her mouth.”
Which was written by An - Nabigha Dhubyani for the a love-interest of Abu Qabus An-Numan Ibn Munzir , who was the last Lakhmid king of al-Hirah and a Nestorian Christian Arab.
It became a challenge for Nabigha for he had to write the poetry in a way that clears himself of having an interest in the woman which would certainly be fatal for his own self. Nabigha was condemned for that irl but here, Ibn Qarih asks precisely this question to him which is defended.
Meaning Ibn Qarih, and everyone generally recites the verse as “wa-idha nazarta ra’ayta” to mean “When you look, you see…”.
To recite it as “wa-idha nazartu ra’aytu” to mean “When I look, I see…”
Banu Murra was sub-tribe of The Tribe of Dhubyan to which An-Nabigha belonged. Both these divisions come under the Ghatafan Tribal Confederation.
Abū ʿAmr al-Māzinī (d. 249 AH / 863 CE) was a sharp-minded grammarian of Basra, a student of al-Aṣmaʿī (also to join Ibn Qarih) and contemporary to al-Farrāʾ. Known for his crisp judgment and sound philological taste, al-Māzinī helped crystalize early Arabic grammar with an intense focus on Bedouin Arabic and Qur’anic usage. Despite being less famous than Sibawayh, his Kitāb al-Taṣrīf was considered essential reading by later grammarians. He belonged to the Banū Māzin, and his cool, analytic method often clashed with the poetic exuberance of the Kūfans.
Abū ʿAmr al-Shaybānī (d. 206 AH / 821 CE) was a legendary rāwī; a transmitter of poetry, who claimed to have memorized over 30,000 qaṣīdas. A disciple of al-Kisāʾī and a tireless wanderer of tribal lands, he collected pre-Islamic and early Islamic poetry directly from the mouths of wandering Arabs. From the tribe of Shaybān, his vast oral corpus was a living archive of desert eloquence, and he’s famously associated with preserving the Muʿallaqāt. Scholars revered him not as a theorist but as a human tape recorder of authentic Jahilī expression.
Abū ʿUbaydah Maʿmar ibn al-Muthannā (d. 209 AH / 824 CE) was an ocean of lexical and poetic knowledge, half-Persian by origin but thoroughly Arab in scholarship. A student of al-Kisāʾī and rival of al-Aṣmaʿī, he compiled an astounding number of works about over 200 books, including the famed Majāz al-Qurʾān. Though criticized by rivals for his anti-Qurayshī tendencies and Muʿtazilī leanings, he was indispensable in preserving tribal poetry and idioms. His austere tone masked a razor-sharp memory and a mastery of subtle linguistic shifts between Arab tribes.
Abd al-Malik ibn Qurayb al-Aṣmaʿī (d. 213 AH / 828 CE), nicknamed, “the squinter,” was the court philologist of the Abbasid Caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd, and a cultural superstar of his day. Known for his wit, humor, and Bedouin field trips, he was the darling of the Basran school, and perhaps the first “celebrity grammarian.” The Caliph reportedly used to test him by making Bedouins recite rare expressions, which al-Aṣmaʿī would always explain with ease. His Asmaʿiyyāt collection preserved priceless pre-Islamic verses, and though often at odds with Abū ʿUbaydah, both men shaped the backbone of Arabic philology.
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَرِثُ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَنْ عَلَيْهَا وَإِلَيْنَا يُرْجَعُونَ ٤٠
From Surah Maryam, “Indeed, it is We Who will succeed the earth and whoever is on it. And to Us they will ˹all˺ be returned.”
The triliteral root أ-ذ-ن generally carries the core idea of awareness, attentiveness, and receptivity.
From this root come:
أُذُن (ʾudhun) — ear → the organ that receives or becomes aware of sound.
إِذْن (ʾidhn) — permission → giving access, allowing someone to do something (by making them aware they may).
أَذِنَ (ʾadhina) — to permit, to listen, to be informed, or to obey (in the Qur’an and classical usage).
آذان (adhān) — call to prayer, which makes people aware that it’s time to pray.
Both words are tied by the core concept of allowing awareness or access. The ear receives sound (awareness). Permission is the act of allowing someone to proceed (you’re “letting something be heard or allowed”). We also say B’idhni-Allah. (to mean by the will of God).