«حَتَّى أَنَّنَا اسْتَطَلْنَا الْقَوْلَ وَاسْتَثْقَلْنَا الطَّوْلَ»
Until we found his words overly long and the extended speech burdensome.
Istaṭalnā / ista thqalnā are form-X verbs: regarding something as long or heavy. The sonic echo of al-qawl / al-ṭawl sharpens the observation.
A touch of gentle humour now interrupts the solemn mood. Gratitude can become overlong even when the initial kindness is welcome. Yet the company continues to listen, allowing Abū Zayd to begin another display of verbal skill.