🌟[Final] 3/3: Departing Labīd Ibn Rabīah in Heaven

"I gave up poetry in the World of Illusion & I shall not take to it again in this, as I have now recieved a far better reward".

Whenever I may perish, I do not care —
For life itself is now but insignificance.

I have long grown weary of its endless stretch,
And what is drawn is destined to be tiresome

And Ibn Qarih said, “ If one said ‘Labīd’, for more there’d be no need. Your first name has sufficient fame.” Tell me, “How do you feel in the forgiveness of your Lord? ”

“ Praise be to Allah! ”, Labīd replied. “ I live a life of which every description would fail. I have servants male, female [and a life] in which there is neither old age nor care. ”

“ Blessed be The Holy King, who passes all understanding ”. Replied Ibn Qarih.

“ [You say all this in Heaven] As if you hadn’t said in the world… ”

[This verse we’re going to now break down].

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🔵 Technical Analysis of The Verse:

This verse consists of four hemistichs (شطران), following a structured classical poetic format.

First Hemistich:

فَمَتَى أَهْلِكْ فَلَا أَحْفِلُهُ

• فَمَتَى (fa-matā) → "So when" (interrogative/adverb of time).

• أَهْلِكْ (ahlik) → First-person singular jussive¹ verb from هَلَكَ ("to perish"). The jussive form suggests a conditional structure ("If I perish...").

• فَلَا أَحْفِلُهُ (fa-lā aḥfiluhu) → أَحْفِلُ (present verb from حَفِلَ, "to care about, be concerned with"). هُ (hu) refers to the act of perishing.

• Meaning: "So when I perish, I will not care about it."

Second Hemistich:

بَجَلِ الْآنَ مِنَ الْعَيْشِ بَجَلِ

• بَجَلِ (bajal) → The meaning is obscure and debated. Likely refers to something trivial or insignificant (akin to contempt or disregard).

• الْآنَ (al-ān) → "Now" (adverb of time).

• مِنَ الْعَيْشِ (min al-ʿayshi) → "Of life" (genitive construction).

• بَجَلِ (bajal) → Possible repetition for emphasis or rhythmic effect.

• Meaning: "For now, life itself is of little worth."

Third Hemistich:

مِنْ حَيَاةٍ قَدْ مَلِلْنَا طُولَهَا

• مِنْ حَيَاةٍ (min ḥayātin) → "From a life..." (indicating the source of boredom).

• قَدْ مَلِلْنَا (qad malilnā) → First-person plural past verb from مَلَّ ("to be bored, weary").

• طُولَهَا (ṭūlahā) → "Its length" (referring to life).

• Meaning: "From a life whose length has wearied us."

Fourth Hemistich:

وَجَدِيرٌ طُولُ عَيْشٍ أَنْ يُمَلَّ

• وَجَدِيرٌ (wa-jadīrun) → "And it is deserving" (predicate, meaning "worthy or fitting").

• طُولُ عَيْشٍ (ṭūlu ʿayshin) → "The long span of life" (subject).

• أَنْ يُمَلَّ (an yumalla) → Passive verb ("to be found boring").

• Meaning: "And the long span of life is certainly worthy of being found tiresome."

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🟢 Intricacies of the Verse:

Themes of Existential Weariness:

The poet expresses indifference toward death and disillusionment with life’s duration. to which the repetition of بَجَلِ² adds a sense of frustration or dismissal.

Use of Contrasts:

Life vs. Death:
The poet equates prolonged life with boredom, not fulfillment.

Personal Indifference vs. Universal Truth:
"I do not care about perishing" (personal). vs "A long life is naturally tiresome" (universal).

Poetic Devices:

=> Repetition: بَجَلِ... بَجَلِ (rhetorical emphasis).

=> Parallelism:

• "We have grown weary of life’s length..."

• "And long life is certainly worthy of being found boring."

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🔘 Root Analysis and Their Classical Usages:

🟡 Identifying the Meter (البحر الشعري):

This verse seems a standard Baḥr al-Tawil (الطويل) with a little variation at the end:
📌 فَعُولُنْ مَفَاعِيلُنْ فَعُولُنْ مَفَاعِلُنْ ((faʿūlun mafāʿīlun faʿūlun mafāʿilun)

🔹 فمتى أهلك فلا أحفلُ

1. فَ مَ تَا (fa-ma-tā) → فَعُولُنْ (faʿūlun)

2. أَهْ لِ كَ فَ (ahlika fa) → مَفَاعِيلُنْ (mafāʿīlun)

3. لَا أَحْ فِ (lā aḥfi) → فَعُولُنْ (faʿūlun)

4. لُ (lu) → مَفَاعِلُ (mafāʿilu, shortened)

🔹 بجَلِ الآنَ من العيشِ بَجَلْ

1. بَ جَ لِلْ (ba-ja-lil) → فَعُولُنْ (faʿūlun)

2. آ نَ مِنَ (āna mina) → مَفَاعِيلُنْ (mafāʿīlun)

3. الْعَيْ شِ بَ (al-ʿayshi ba) → فَعُولُنْ (faʿūlun)

4. جَلْ (jal) → مَفَاعِلُ (mafāʿilu, shortened)

🔹 من حياةٍ قد مللنا طولَها

1. مِنْ حَ يَا (min ḥayā) → فَعُولُنْ (faʿūlun)

2. تٍ قَدْ مَ لَلْ (tin qad malal) → مَفَاعِيلُنْ (mafāʿīlun)

3. نَا طُو لَ (nā ṭūla) → فَعُولُنْ (faʿūlun)

4. هَا (hā) → مَفَاعِلُ (mafāʿilu, shortened)

🔹 وجديرٌ طولُ عيشٍ أن يُمَلْ

1. وَ جَ دِ يـ (wa-jadī) → فَعُولُنْ (faʿūlun)

2. رٌ طُو لُ عَيْ (run ṭūlu ʿay) → مَفَاعِيلُنْ (mafāʿīlun)

3. شٍ أَنْ يُـ (shin an yu) → فَعُولُنْ (faʿūlun)

4. مَلْ (mal) → مَفَاعِلُ (mafāʿilu, shortened)

The truncated final foot (مَفَاعِلُ instead of مَفَاعِلُنْ) is a known permissible variation of Bahr At Tawil.

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🔴 The Final Conversation:

Ibn Qarih then Asks Labid to recite his famous verse in “Meem”.³

“Be it far from me to recite any poetry” Replies Labid.

“I gave up poetry in the world of Illusion, & I shall not take to it again in this, as I have recieved a far better reward”.

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[& what of poetry in the next world? this now I contend with myself :D.].

After this I now plan on an introduction of Risalat Al Ghufran, which I should’ve included in the start with an introduction of the characters. After which we’ll keep on with more couplets. ‘Laamiyaat’ of As Shanfaraa & ‘Sirat Delhemma’ [Tale of the Princess Fatima] are on my mind too to explore :D.

1. The Jussive form of verb expresses commands or wishes directed at third persons. It is similar to an imperative but that an imperative mood issues direct commands to the second person. The jussive form is more about suggesting or allowing actions for others.

2. From Misbaah - Al Lughaat. Which is a Hindustaani Lughah which has collected “Roots” from Al Qamoos, Taj Ul Uroos and Sibwayhs Grammar and More. ‘Bajala’. Such an explicit use of “ب-ج-ل (بَجَلِ)” in this context is uncommon and somewhat obscure, making it a unique lexical case.

بَجَلِ is in majrūr (genitive) form, possibly because it follows مِنَ الْعَيْشِ ("from life"), making it an adjective, noun, or a verbal noun (masdar). It could either be: A noun (اسم): Meaning something related to life, possibly describing it as insignificant, unworthy, or trivial. A masdar (verbal noun): Meaning "disregard," "low worth," or "meaninglessness."
It is also a repeated word for rhythmic emphasis (بَجَلِ... بَجَلِ).

Lisan al-ʿArab & Taj al-ʿArus note that بَجَلَ can mean, "To be great or esteemed" (opposite of contemptible). "To enlarge something" (linked to honor). "To harden" (especially in relation to bones or skin). e.g In classical use, “رجلٌ باجلٌ” → A great and honored man or “ البَجَلُ مِنَ النَّاسِ ” → The dignified people.

In that sense, the word can be used in an ironic sense and the couplet can mean
"Life, which people think is grand, is actually trivial." on these lines.

in Sibawayh's Grammar and Maqayis al-Lugh, "To despise, disregard, belittle." or / "To be disinterested in something insignificant." It is in this sense which the verse has been assumed to be translated. implying contempt or insignificance. so the couplet has been taken to mean “Life has become contemptible to me”.

3. In “Meem”, In “Laam” in “Taa”,
These refer to the end letter (radeef) of the couplets. As Shanfaraa’s Laamiyaat, just means the verses which end with Laam. Abul Ishaaq’s Taiyaat is just a poem whose every verse ends at ‘ت’.
In Urdu, Mohsin Kakorvi has a Qasida in ‘Laam’ following the same tradition. “سمتِ کاشی سے چلا جانبِ متھرا بادل”.