Hospitality without imposition, subtle wordplay, a revelation by lamplight and a renewed gathering; printed pages 170–174 Read the bilingual lesson for The Kūfan Maqāmah: The Guest’s Condition and Abū Zayd Revealed and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. The welcome takes an unexpected turn
The stranger’s verse has persuaded the companions to open their door. Their first impulse is to arrange food, yet the guest responds by laying down an unexpected condition before accepting their hospitality.
«وَقُلْنَا لِلْغُلَامِ: هَيَّا هَيَّا وَهَلُمَّ تَهَيَّأْ!»
We said to the servant: Hurry, hurry; come and prepare!
Ghulām here denotes the servant. Repeating hayyā creates urgency. The guest’s refusal to let them go to trouble produces a meaningful contrast with this enthusiastic welcome.
2. Three invitations to immediate action
«هَيَّا هَيَّا وَهَلُمَّ تَهَيَّأْ»
Hurry, come along, and get ready.
Hayyā urges action; halumma summons someone to come or attend; tahayyaʾ means “get prepared.” The final verb is an imperative from the form V verb tahayyaʾa, root h-y-ʾ.
These are not simply three interchangeable words. The sequence conveys a servant being mobilised to prepare the guest’s reception promptly.
3. A courteous oath before a condition
«وَالَّذِي أَحْلَى ذُرَاكُمْ»
By the One who has made your shelter pleasant and sweet.
Dhurā recalls the protective shelter mentioned earlier. Aḥlā (“made sweet”) gives hospitality the language of taste. The sweetness is figurative, describing the welcome rather than a literal flavour.
The oath begins courteously: before refusing a meal, the guest honours those offering it, making his reservation sound considerate rather than dismissive.
4. Qirā and talammaẓ: declining the meal
«لَا تَلَمَّظْتُ بِقِرَاكُمْ»
I shall not savour your hospitality with lip-smacking delight.
Qirā means the meal or provisions offered to a guest. Talammaẓ evokes licking one’s lips in anticipation or enjoyment. The guest is not condemning food; he makes his willingness to eat depend on a promise from his hosts.
This vivid physical image keeps the discussion of courtesy lively instead of reducing it to an abstract instruction.
5. First condition: no burdensome guest
«أَوْ تَضْمَنُوا لِي أَنْ لَا تَتَّخِذُونِي كَلًّا»
Unless you promise me that you will not make me a burden upon you.
Taḍmanū means to guarantee or promise; tattakhidhūnī means “take or regard me as”; kallan is a burden or dependent weight.
Although the hosts eagerly offer a meal, the visitor insists that hospitality should not become hardship for the people providing it. The apparent reversal makes the exchange memorable.
6. Second condition: no strenuous preparation
«وَلَا تُجَشِّمُوا لِأَجْلِي أَكْلًا»
And do not put yourselves through the trouble of preparing food solely for my sake.
Tujashshimū concerns taking on strain or imposing demanding work. Li-ajlī means “because of me” or “for my sake.”
The first condition concerns becoming a personal burden; the second concerns the labour of an elaborate meal. Together they show a guest who knows when gracious provision can turn into excessive effort.
7. One meal can have unwelcome consequences
«فَرُبَّ أُكْلَةٍ هَاضَتِ الْآكِلَ وَحَرَمَتْهُ مَا أَكَلَ»
Many a meal has harmed the eater and deprived him of the benefit of what he ate.
Rubba introduces an instance that can occur; hāḍat suggests weakening or harming the eater. Al-ākil is the eater, while mā akala is what he consumed.
The maxim uses irony: what is offered as comfort or pleasure may, through excess or ill timing, become a source of discomfort instead.
8. When the guest imposes obligations
«وَشَرُّ الْأَضْيَافِ مَنْ سَامَ التَّكْلِيفَ»
The worst guest is one who demands burdensome obligations.
Al-aḍyāf is a plural of “guest”; sāma here means to impose or demand; al-taklīf refers to a burdensome duty.
The guest juxtaposes the host’s generosity with the visitor’s responsibility to show consideration. It is a character’s ethically coloured speech, not a newly stated formal legal ruling.
9. A chain of linked meanings and sounds
«وَأَذَى الضَّيْفِ خُصُوصًا أَذًى يَتَعَلَّقُ بِالْأَجْسَامِ وَيُفْضِي إِلَى الْأَسْقَامِ»
Especially a guest’s imposition that affects bodies and leads to illness.
Adhā is harm or distress; ajsām is the plural of body; asqām means illnesses; and yufḍī ilā expresses leading to an outcome.
The end-rhyme ajsām / asqām also connects a cause to its consequence: strain to the body followed by sickness. This is semantic progression reinforced by sajʿ.
10. An old proverb about a timely supper
«خَيْرُ الْعَشَاءِ سَوَافِرُهُ»
The best evening meal is the one that appears in good time.
Sawāfir is connected with being visible or emerging. The proverb favours a supper available earlier, rather than an unnecessarily delayed one.
Its role is rhetorical: the visitor argues against a late and burdensome meal. It should be read as a traditional maxim within the story, not as a precise medical or nutritional prescription.
11. Night and impaired sight: an old wordplay
«وَيُجْتَنَبُ أَكْلُ اللَّيْلِ الَّذِي يُعْشِي»
And one should avoid a night meal believed to dim the sight.
Yuʿshī is linked to deficient or dim vision; it resonates with ʿashāʾ, the evening meal. The closeness of sound creates wordplay.
This is a traditional literary formulation used to support the visitor’s point. It is not evidence that every late meal causes visual impairment.
12. The exception: hunger prevents sleep
«اللَّهُمَّ إِلَّا أَنْ تَقِدَ نَارُ الْجُوعِ وَتَحُولَ دُونَ الْهُجُوعِ»
Unless the fire of hunger blazes up and keeps one from sleeping.
Taqida means to kindle or blaze; al-jūʿ is hunger; taḥūla dūna means to stand in the way; and al-hujūʿ is sleep.
The exception matters. He distinguishes genuine hunger from an unnecessarily elaborate meal. The language of “hunger’s fire” turns an ordinary practical distinction into vivid imagery.
13. Comparing burden with genuine need
The visitor distinguishes two situations: a feast that burdens hosts and real hunger that prevents a traveller from sleeping. Treating them as identical misses the precision of his speech.
SituationArabic phraseFunctionUnneeded preparationتُجَشِّمُوا لِأَجْلِي أَكْلًاExtra work for the hostsGenuine hungerنَارُ الْجُوعِA real need for foodLoss of sleepتَحُولَ دُونَ الْهُجُوعِThe need becomes pressing
The comparison clarifies the visitor’s balanced argument rather than making his refusal absolute.
14. The narrator thinks his mind has been read
«فَكَأَنَّهُ اطَّلَعَ عَلَى إِرَادَتِنَا»
It was as though he had become aware of what we intended.
Kaʾanna signals comparison or an impression: “as if.” Iṭṭalaʿa ʿalā means to become aware of something. The narration does not establish literal mind reading.
Instead, the guest’s perceptiveness impresses the companions. He seems to anticipate their thoughts from their actions and mood, shifting attention toward his remarkable intelligence.
15. The metaphor of shooting from the same bow
«فَرَمَى عَنْ قَوْسِ عَقِيدَتِنَا»
He shot from the very bow of our opinion.
Ramā means to shoot; qaws is a bow; ʿaqīda here indicates a firm opinion or conviction. No arrow is literally discharged. The idiom says the guest has voiced what the companions themselves were inclined to think.
An invisible agreement between minds becomes a vivid physical image of shared aim.
16. Accepting the condition without offence
«لَا جَرَمَ أَنَّا أَنْسَأْنَاهُ بِالْتِزَامِ الشَّرْطِ»
So we accommodated him by agreeing to the condition and postponing the matter.
Lā jarama marks a confident conclusion; ansaʾnāhu carries the idea of postponing or granting respite; iltizām al-sharṭ means accepting a binding condition.
No resentment follows the refusal. The hosts accept the request, allowing the scene to shift from urgent meal preparation to thoughtful conversation.
17. The guest’s easy, open manner
«وَأَثْنَيْنَا عَلَى خُلُقِهِ الْبَسْطِ»
And we praised his easy, open-hearted manner.
Athnaynā ʿalā means to praise. Al-basṭ evokes openness, ease and a lack of affectation. The guests’ companions do not take offence at his conditions; they admire the gracious form in which he presents them.
The exchange demonstrates how persuasive literary expression can win favour even when the speaker declines what is offered.
18. The lamp changes the narrative
«وَلَمَّا أَحْضَرَ الْغُلَامُ مَا رَاحَ وَأَذْكَى بَيْنَنَا السِّرَاجَ تَأَمَّلْتُهُ»
When the servant brought what was at hand and brightened the lamp among us, I examined the visitor closely.
Adhkā al-sirāj means to brighten or kindle the lamp; taʾammaltuhu means to look at him attentively. Earlier the guests knew the stranger through his voice and verse; now the light reveals his face.
This is the narrative hinge: the moonlit evening, the knock and the courteous refusal all lead to a moment of recognition.
19. The stranger is Abū Zayd
«فَإِذَا هُوَ أَبُو زَيْدٍ»
And suddenly, it was Abū Zayd!
Idhā here marks a surprising discovery. The narrator first appreciates the visitor’s literary sophistication and only then discovers his identity: Abū Zayd al-Sarūjī, the recurring figure from the earlier maqāmāt.
The suspense depends on delaying his name. Readers encounter the guest’s words and manners before learning who he is.
20. Al-Ḥārith announces the extraordinary guest
«فَقُلْتُ لِصَحْبِي: لِيَهْنَئْكُمُ الضَّيْفُ الْوَارِدُ بَلِ الْمَغْنَمُ الْبَارِدُ»
I told my companions: May you delight in the arriving guest—indeed, in this prize gained without effort!
Al-wārid means the one who arrives; maghnam is a gain; al-bārid figuratively suggests a benefit obtained with ease. Bal upgrades the praise from “guest” to “fortunate gain.”
For al-Ḥārith, the literary presence of Abū Zayd is itself a gift, not merely someone to feed.
21. Two moons and the triumph of eloquence
«فَإِنْ يَكُنْ أَفَلَ قَمَرُ الشِّعْرَى فَقَدْ طَلَعَ قَمَرُ الشِّعْرِ»
If the light associated with al-Shiʿrā has set, the moon of poetry has risen.
Al-Shiʿrā names the bright star Sirius; al-shiʿr is poetry. Their near-identical sound creates a pun, while afala / ṭalaʿa contrasts setting and rising.
The celestial comparison elevates Abū Zayd’s poetic skill, transferring the imagery of light from the night sky to the gathering’s new guest.
22. Joy passes through the gathering
«فَسَرَتْ حُمَيَّا الْمَسَرَّةِ فِيهِمْ»
A heady wave of delight spread through them.
Sarat suggests moving or permeating; ḥumayyā an intense, heady state; masarra joy. Delight is presented as something travelling through the company.
The same people who had been drifting toward sleep now experience collective excitement. Personified joy makes the change vivid and almost physical.
23. Drowsiness disappears from their eyes
«وَطَارَتِ السِّنَةُ عَنْ مَآقِيهِمْ»
And drowsiness flew from their eyes.
Sina is a light doze; maʾāqī refers to the inner corners of the eyes; ṭārat means “flew away.” Drowsiness is personified as something capable of flight.
Link this to the preceding lesson: wakefulness gave way to nodding off, but recognition instantly revives the gathering. The changing rhythm of the story is mirrored by changing words for sleep.
24. From planned rest to renewed conversation
«وَرَفَضُوا الدَّعَةَ الَّتِي كَانُوا نَوَوْهَا وَثَابُوا إِلَى نَشْرِ الْفُكَاهَةِ بَعْدَمَا طَوَوْهَا»
They abandoned the rest they had intended and returned to spreading the mirth they had already folded away.
Daʿa means rest, fukāha cheerful conversation, nashr spreading or unfolding, and ṭayy folding up. The opposition between unfolding and folding makes the renewed conversation visual.
The previously closing gathering comes alive again. This forms a natural stopping point before the next exchange with Abū Zayd.
25. How the revelation was constructed
The narrative progresses through distinct but linked stages:
StageKey phraseFunctionWelcomeهَيَّا هَيَّاThe hosts’ eagernessConditionلَا تَتَّخِذُونِي كَلًّاThe guest’s restraintApprovalخُلُقِهِ الْبَسْطِTrust and admirationLamplightأَذْكَى السِّرَاجَPrepares the discoveryRecognitionهُوَ أَبُو زَيْدٍThe revelationRevived gatheringنَشْرِ الْفُكَاهَةِA new conversation awaits
The guest’s ethical speech is also an instrument for revealing character and advancing the plot.
Practice questions
Question 1
What does the repeated “hayyā hayyā” convey?
- Silent waiting
- Urgent preparation and eagerness
- Intense anger
- The guest’s departure
Question 2
Which analysis fits “tahayyaʾ”?
- Past tense, form IV
- Imperfect, form I
- Imperative, form V
- Active participle, form VIII
Question 3
What is “sweet” in “aḥlā dhurākum”?
- Sugar added to food
- The colour of the belongings
- The price of silver
- The pleasantness of their shelter
Question 4
How should “qirā” be understood here?
- Provisions offered to a guest
- The traveller’s name
- The moon’s colour
- The servant’s clothing
Question 5
What does “kallan” mean in the guest’s condition?
- A second servant
- A burden upon the hosts
- Something on the table
- Good news
Question 6
What relationship does “li-ajlī” express?
- Time
- Place
- Cause or purpose
- Number
Question 7
What distinguishes the guest’s two requests?
- Both complain only of travel
- Both praise the food
- First concerns travel, second sleep
- One avoids being a burden; the other avoids laborious cooking
Question 8
What is the point of “many a meal has harmed the eater”?
- Every feast is forbidden
- An ill-judged meal may harm rather than help
- Only poets eat
- Every guest is ill
Question 9
Which conduct is criticised by “sāma al-taklīf”?
- Enjoying food
- Taking rest
- Imposing demanding obligations on hosts
- Thanking the host
Question 10
What makes “ajsām / asqām” effective?
- Only identical verb patterns
- Exactly the same meaning
- English cognates
- Sound echo and movement from bodies to illness
Question 11
Why is the proverb about supper introduced?
- To discourage undue delay and trouble
- To teach lunar astronomy
- To punish the servant
- To reveal the poet’s name
Question 12
What is suggested by “yuʿshī”?
- Beginning a journey
- Causing dim vision
- Spreading joy
- Opening a door
Question 13
What exception does the guest allow to his reluctance to eat?
- If the moon fails to rise
- If the company recites poetry
- If hunger prevents sleep
- If the servant is late
Question 14
What figure is used in “nār al-jūʿ”?
- Literal oath
- Historical reference
- Inflectional paradigm
- Metaphor depicting hunger as fire
Question 15
What does the wording “kaʾannahu iṭṭalaʿa” establish?
- The narrator felt the visitor understood their intent
- The guest demonstrably knew the unseen
- The servant revealed everything
- The narrator fell asleep
Question 16
What does “he shot from the bow of our opinion” mean?
- He fired a real arrow
- His words matched their view
- He sold a bow
- He started a fight
Question 17
How did the companions respond to the guest’s condition?
- They expelled him
- They began arguing
- They accepted the condition
- They all departed
Question 18
What quality is praised in “khuluqihi al-basṭ”?
- Severity
- Speaking loudly
- Suspicion
- Openness and easy courtesy
Question 19
What makes recognition possible?
- Examining his face when the lamp is lit
- Hearing his horse
- Tasting the meal
- Sunrise
Question 20
What effect does “idhā” have in the recognition sentence?
- Duration of the past
- Sudden discovery
- A future promise
- A declaration of war
Question 21
How is the guest viewed as “al-maghnam al-bārid”?
- A source of hardship
- An enemy spy
- A valuable benefit gained without toil
- A setting moon
Question 22
What wordplay links “al-Shiʿrā” and “al-shiʿr”?
- Both are names of one person
- Both refer to food
- They are exact synonyms
- Similar sounds connect a star with poetry
Question 23
What contrast occurs in “afala / ṭalaʿa”?
- Setting / rising
- Drinking / eating
- Giving / taking
- Sleeping / waking
Question 24
What happens when “ḥumayyā al-masarra” spreads?
- The gathering ends
- Delight spreads through the company
- The guest becomes ill
- The servant is dismissed
Question 25
What does “al-sina” mean when it flies from their eyes?
- Deep night
- Lamplight
- Light drowsiness
- Fear
Question 26
What does the opposition “nashr / ṭayy” depict?
- Locks on a door
- Flavours of food
- Length of travel
- A gathering unfolding again after closing
Question 27
The visitor ordered the servant to prepare an elaborate meal at once.
Question 28
Because of “kaʾannahu,” the narrator’s wording is best read as an impression.
Question 29
After the lamp is brightened, al-Ḥārith recognises Abū Zayd.
Question 30
The gathering ended its conversation immediately on learning the guest’s identity.
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