Brains Confounded by the Ode of Abū Shādūf Expounded. Yūsuf al-Shirbīnī

الكلب أن خُذ الصحن ببقيّة ما فيه من الطعام قال فأخذه ووضعه في كمّه ووقف ساعة فلم يأت أحد يسأل عن الصحن فمضى به إلى حال سبيله ثمّ سافر إلى مدينة أخرى فباع الصحن وأخذ بثمنه بضائع وتوجّه إلى بلده فباع ما معه وقضى ما عليه من الدين وكثر عليه الرزق وصار في نعمة كبيرة زائدة وبركة عميمة مدّة من الزمان ثمّ إنّه قال لنفسه لا بدّ أنّك تسافر إلى مدينة صاحب الصحن وتأخذ له هديّة سنيّة تكافئه بها وتدفع له ثمنه وإن كان أنعم به عليك كلب من كلابه ثمّ إنّه أخذ هديّة تليق بمقام الرجل وأخذ معه ثمن الصحن وسافر أيّامًا وليالي حتّى أقبل على تلك المدينة وطلع إليها يريد الاجتماع به حتّى أقبل إلى محلّه فلم ير إلّا طَلَلا باليا * وغرابًا ناعيا * وديارًا قد أفقرت * وأحوالًا قد تغيّرت * وحالًا للقلوب قد أَرْجَفَ * ومحلًا تركه الدهر {قاعًا صفصفا} * كما قال بعضهم [طويل]

سَرَى طَيْفُ سُعْدى طارِقًا يَستَفِزُّني	سُحَيْرًا وصَحبى بالدِّيارِ رُقودُ
فَلَمّا انتَبَهنا للخَيالِ الّذي سَرَى	أَرَى الدّارَ قَفْرَا والمَزارُ بَعيدُ

      Concerning another who was caught unawares by Fate’s blows and overcome by oppression and woes—so that after he was exalted he became debased, and after riches saw his wealth effaced—is the story that is told of a man who was burdened with debts and left his children and wandered aimlessly until he came to a high-walled city, mightily built. He entered, abject and broken in spirit, devoured by hunger and exhausted by travel, and was walking along one of its streets when he saw a company of eminent persons proceeding together. He joined them and they came to a place like a king’s palace, and they entered, the man following, and they continued until they came to a man sitting in great state, with pages and servants around him, as though he were the son of a viceroy, and this man, when he saw them, rose to greet them and paid them great honor. The subject of our tale was overcome with amazement and taken aback by the magnificence of the place and the servants and retainers, and he retired in a state of perplexity and apprehension, afraid for his safety, and sat down in a spot far removed from the people, where none could catch sight of him. While he was thus seated, a man came towards him with four hunting dogs dressed in silks and brocades and with gold collars and silver chains around their necks. The man tied each dog in its appointed place and disappeared and returned with four golden dishes filled with sumptuous food and placed before each dog its own dish. Then he went away and left them. The man was so hungry that he started to eye the food, and wanted to go up to one of the dogs and eat with it, but fear prevented him from approaching them. One of the dogs, however, looked at him, understood his plight, and, ceasing to eat, signaled to him to approach. The man drew near, and again the dog made a sign, as though to say, “Eat from this dish,” and drew back from the dish, so the man ate until he was full and wanted to leave. At this, the dog made a sign to him as if to say, “Take this dish with the remaining food,” so the man picked it up and put it in his sleeve and waited a while, but no one came looking for the dish, so he took it and went his way. Then he journeyed to another city and sold the dish and bought goods with the proceeds and made his way to his own town, where he sold what he had and paid off his debts, and his business increased and he found himself in a state of the greatest ease and general good fortune. When some time had passed, he said to himself, “You must make a journey to the city of the owner of the dish and take with you a splendid gift in recompense and pay him back the price of the dish, even though one of his dogs made you a present of it.” So he took a gift befitting the man’s standing and took with him the price of the dish, and he journeyed by day and by night until he came to that city and went up into it, hoping to meet with the man. However, on approaching that place, he nothing saw but crumbling ruins and cawing ravens, dwellings reduced to desolation and all things in deterioration, a sight to leave the heart in a state of agitation and a place turned by Fate into «a scene of devastation».²⁹ As the poet³⁰ says:

      Suʿdā’s ghost agliding came and woke me in alarm

      At break of dawn, my fellows in their homes yet still asleep,

      But when aroused by that night phantom gliding,

      I found the house bereft, the tryst too far to keep.

      ٢٣،١٠

10.23

      فلمّا شاهد تلك الأطلال الباليه * ورأى ما صنع الدهر بها علانيه * اعترته الحيرة عن يقين * والتفت فرأى رجلًا مسكين * في حالة تقشعرّ منها الجلود * ورؤية يحنّ إليها الجلمود * فقال له يا هذا ما صنع الدهر والزمان * بصاحب هذا المكان * وأين بدوره السافره * ونجومه الزاهره * وما هذا الحادث الّذي حدث على بنيانه * وما هذا الأمر الّذي لم يُبْقِ منه غير جدرانه * فقال له هذا المسكين * وهو يتأوّه من قلب حزين * أمّا في كلام الرسول عبرة لمن اقتدى به وسمعه * حقّ على الله أن لا يرفع شيئًا في هذه الدار إلّا وضعه * وإن كان سؤالك عن أمر وسبب * فليس مع انقلاب الدهر عجب * أنا صاحب هذا المكان ومُنْشيه * وساكنه وبانيه * وصاحب بدوره السافره * وأمواله الفاخره * وتحفه الزاهيه * وجواره الباهيه * ولكنّ الزمان قد مال * فأَذهب الخدم والمال * وصيّرني في هذه الحالة الراهنه * ودهمني بحوادث كانت عنده كامنه * وسؤالك هذا عن أمر وسبب * فأخبرني عنه واترك العجب * قال فأخبره بالقصّه * وهو في تألّم وغُصّه * وقال له قد جئتك بهديّة فيها النفوس ترغب * وثمن صحنك الّذي أخذتُه من الذهب * فإنّه كان سببًا لغنائي