syllable followed by two long ones (⏑ ‑ ‑), and consequently forms a
foot, which the classics would call Bacchíus. In Latin there is no
connection between this name and the metrical value of the foot: we must
learn both by heart. But if we are told that its Taf’íl in Arabic is
Fa’úlun, we understand at once that it is composed of the Watad majmú’
fa’ú (⏑ ‑) and the Sabab khafíf lun (‑), and as the Watad contains
three, the Sabab two letters, it forms a quinqueliteral foot or Juz
khamásí.
In combining into feet, the Watad has the precedence over the Sabab and
the Fásilah, and again the Watad majmú’ over the Watad mafrúk. Hence the
Prosodists distinguish between Ajzá aslíyah or primary feet (from Asl,
root), in which this precedence is observed, and Ájzá far’íyah or
secondary feet (from Far’ = branch), in which it is reversed. The former
are four in number:—
1. Fa’ú.lun, consisting, as we have just seen of a Watad majmú’ followed
by a Sabab khafíf, = the Latin Bacchíus (⏑ ‑ ‑).
2. Mafá.’í.lun, _i.e._ Watad majmú’ followed by two Sabab khafíf = the
Latin Epitritus primus (⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑).
3. Mufá.’alatun, _i.e._ Watad majmú’ followed by Fásilah = the Latin
Iambus followed by Anapaest (⏑ ‑ ⏑ ⏑ ‑).
4. Fá’i.lá.tun, _i.e._ Watad mafrúk followed by two Sabab khafíf = the
Latin Epitritus secundus (‑ ⏑ ‑ ‑).
The number of the secondary feet increases to six, for as No. 2 and 4
contain two Sabab, they “branch out” into two derived feet each,
according to both Sabab or only one changing place with regard to the
Watad. They are:
5. Fá.’ilun, _i.e._ Sabab khafíf followed by Watad majmú’, = the Latin
Creticus (‑ ⏑ ‑). The primary Fa’ú.lun becomes by transposition
Lun.fa’ú. To bring this into conformity with a current derivative of
fa’l, the initial Sabab must be made to contain the first letter of the
root, and the Watad the two remaining ones in their proper order. Fá is
therefore substituted for lun, and ’ilun for fa’ú, forming together the
above Fá.’ilun. By similar substitutions, which it would be tedious to
specify in each separate case, Mafá.’í.lun becomes:
6. Mus.taf.’ilun, for ’Í.lun.mafá, _i.e._ two Sabab khafíf, followed by
Watad majmú’ = the Latin Epitritus tertius (‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑), or:
7. Fá.’ilá.tun, for Lun.mafá.’í, _i.e._ Watad majmú’ between two Sabab
khafíf = the Latin Epitritus secundus (‑ ⏑ ‑ ‑).
8. Mutafá.’ilun (for ’Alatun.mufá, the reversed Mufá.’alatun) _i.e._
Fásilah followed by Watad majmú’ = the Latin Anapaest succeeded by
Iambus (⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑). The last two secondary feet are transpositions of
No. 4, Fá’.i lá.tun, namely:
9. Maf.’ú.látu, for Lá.tun.fá’i, _i.e._ two Sabab khafíf, followed by
Watad mafrúk = the Latin Epitritus quartus (‑ ‑ ‑ ⏑).
10. Mus.taf’i.lun, for Tun.fá’i.lá, _i.e._ Watad mafrúk between two
Sabab khafíf = the Latin Epitritus tertius (‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑).[452]
The “branch”-foot Fá.’ilun (No. 5), like its “root” Fa’úlun (No. 1), is
quinqueliteral. All other feet, primary or secondary, consist
necessarily of seven letters, as they contain a triliteral Watad (see
supra i. 2) with either two biliteral Sabab khafíf (i. 1,) or a
quadriliteral Fásilah (i. 3). They are, therefore, called Sabá’í = seven
lettered.
iii. The same principle of the Watad taking precedence over Sabab and
Fásilah, rules the arrangement of the Arabic metres, which are divided
into five circles (Dawáir, pl. of Dáirah) so called for reasons
presently to be explained. The first is named:
A. Dáirat al-Mukhtalif, circle of “the varied” metre, because it is
composed of feet of various length, the five-lettered Fa’úlun (supra ii.
1) and the seven-lettered Mafá’ílun (ii. 2) with their secondaries
Fá’ilun, Mustaf.’ilun and Fá.’ilátun (ii. 5–7), and it comprises three
Buhúr or metres (pl. of Bahr, sea), the Tawíl, Madíd and Basít.
1. Al-Tawíl, consisting of twice
Fa’ú.lun Mafá.’ílun Fa’ú.lun Mafá.’ílun,
the classical scheme for which would be
⏑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ |
If we transfer the Watad Fa’ú from the beginning of the line to the end,
it would read:
Lun.mafá’í Lun.fa’ú Lun.mafá’í Lun.fa’ú which, after the substitutions
indicated above (ii. 7 and 5) becomes:
2. Al-Madíd, consisting of twice
Fá.’ilátun Fá.’ilun Fá.’ilátun Fá.’ilun,
which may be represented by the classical scheme
‑ ⏑ ‑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ |
If again, returning to the Tawíl, we make the break after the Watad of
the second foot we obtain the line:
’Ílun.fa’ú Lun.mafá ’Ílun.fa’u Lun.mafá, and as metrically ’Ílun.fa’ú
(two Sabab followed by Watad) and Lun.mafá (one Sabab followed by Watad)
are = ’Ílun.mafá and Lun.fa’ú respectively, their Taf’il is effected by
the same substitutions as in ii. 5 and 6, and they become:
3. Basít, consisting of twice
Mustaf.’ilun Fá.’ilun Mustaf.’ilun Fá.’ilun,
in conformity with the classical scheme:
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ |
Thus one metre evolves from another by a kind of rotation, which
suggested to the Prosodists an ingenious device of representing them by
circles (hence the name Dáirah), round the circumference of which on the
outside the complete Taf’íl of the original metre is written, while each
moved letter is faced by a small loop, each quiescent by a small
vertical stroke[453] inside the circle. Then, in the case of this
present Dáirat al-Mukhtalif for instance, the loop corresponding to the
initial f of the first Fa’úlun is marked as the beginning of the Tawíl,
that corresponding to its l (of the Sabab lun) as the beginning of the
Madid, and that corresponding to the ’Ayn of the next Mafá’ílun as the
beginning of the Basít. The same process applies to all the following
circles, but our limited space compels us simply to enumerate them,
together with their Buhúr, without further reference to the mode of
their evolution.
[Illustration]
B. Dairat al-Mútalif, circle of “the agreeing” metre, so called because
all its feet agree in length, consisting of seven letters each. It
contains:
1. Al-Wáfir, composed of twice
Mufá.’alatun Mufá.’alatun Mufá’alatun (ii. 3).
= ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ⏑ ‑ |
where the Iambus in each foot precedes the Anapaest, and its reversal:
2. Al-Kámil, consisting of twice
Mutafá.’ilun Mutafá.’ilun Mutafá.’ilun (ii. 8)
= ⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ |
where the Anapaest takes the first place in every foot.
C. Dáirat al-Mujtalab, circle of “the brought on” metre, so called
because its seven-lettered feet are brought on from the first circle.
1. Al-Hazaj, consisting of twice
Mafá.’ílun Mafá.’ílun Mafá.’ílun (ii. 2)
= ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ |
2. Al-Rajaz, consisting of twice
Mustaf.’ilun Mustaf.’ilun Mustaf.’ilun,
and, in this full form, almost identical with the Iambic Trimeter of the
Greek Drama:
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ |
3. Al-Ramal, consisting of twice
Fá.’ilátun Fá.’ilátun Fá.’ilátun,
the trochaic counterpart of the preceding metre
= ‑ ⏑ ‑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ ‑ |
D. Dáirat al-Mushtabih, circle of “the intricate” metre, so called from
its intricate nature, primary mingling with secondary feet, and one foot
of the same verse containing a Watad majmú’, another a Watad mafrúk,
_i.e._ the iambic rhythm alternating with the trochaic and _vice versa_.
Its Buhúr are:
1. Al-Sarí’, twice
Mustaf.’ilun Mustaf.’ilun Maf’ú.látu (ii. 6 and 9)
= ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ‑ ⏑
2. Al-Munsarih, twice
Mustaf.’ilun Mafú.látu Mustaf.’ilun (ii. 6. 9. 6)
= ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ‑ ⏑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ |
3. Al-Khafíf, twice
Fá.’ílátun Mustaf’i.lun Fá.’ílátun (ii. 7. 10. 7)
= ‑ ⏑ ‑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ ‑ |
4. Al-Muzári’, twice
Mafá.’ílun Fá’i.látun Mafá.’ílun (ii. 2. 4. 2)
= ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ |
5. Al-Muktazib, twice
Maf’ú.látu Mustaf.’ilun Maf’ú.látu (ii. 9. 6. 9)
= ‑ ‑ ‑ ⏑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ‑ ⏑ |
6. Al-Mujtass, twice
Mustaf’i.lun Fá.’ilátun Mustaf’i.lun (ii. 10. 7. 10)
= ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ |
E. Dáirat al-Muttafik, circle of “the concordant” metre, so called for
the same reason why circle B is called “the agreeing,” _i.e._ because
the feet all harmonise in length, being here, however quinqueliteral,
not seven-lettered as in the Mútalif. Al-Khalíl, the inventor of the
’Ilm al-’Arúz, assigns to it only one metre:
1. Al-Mutakárib, twice
Fa’úlun Fa’úlun Fa’úlun Fa’úlun (ii. 1)
= ⏑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ |
Later Prosodists added:
2. Al-Mutadárak, twice
Fá’ilun Fá’ilun Fá’ilun Fá’ilun (ii. 5)
= ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ |
The feet and metres as given above, are however to a certain extent
merely theoretical; in practice the former admit of numerous licenses
and the latter of variations brought about by modification or partial
suppression of the feet final in a verse. An Arabic poem (Kasídah, or if
numbering less than ten couplets, Kat’ah) consists of Bayts or couplets,
bound together by a continuous rhyme, which connects the first two lines
and is repeated at the end of every second line throughout the poem. The
_last_ foot of every odd line is called ’Arúz (fem. in contradistinction
of Arúz in the sense of Prosody which is masc.) pl. A’áiriz, that of
every even line is called Zarb, pl. Azrub, and the remaining feet may be
termed Hashw (stuffing), although in stricter parlance a further
distinction is made between the _first_ foot of every odd and even line
as well.
Now with regard to the Hashw on the one hand, and the ’Aruz and Zarb on
the other, the changes which the normal feet undergo, are of two kinds:
Zuháf (deviation) and ’Illah (defect). Zuháf applies, as a rule,
occasionally and optionally to the second letter of a Sabab in those
feet which compose the Hashw or body-part of a verse, making a long
syllable short by suppressing its quiescent final, or contracting two
short quantities in a long one, by rendering quiescent a moved letter
which stands second in a Sabab sakíl. In Mustaf’ilun (ii. 6. = ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑),
for instance, the s of the first syllable, or the f of the second, or
both may be dropped and it will become accordingly Mutaf’ilun, by
substitution Mafá’ilun, (⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑) or Musta’ilun, by substitution,
Mufta’ilun (‑ ⏑ ⏑ ‑), or Muta’ilun, by substitution Fa’ilatun (⏑ ⏑ ⏑
‑).[454] This means that wherever the foot Mustaf.’ilun occurs in the
Hashw of a poem, we can represent it by the scheme ⏓ ⏓ ⏑ ‑ _i.e._ the
Epitritus tertius can, by poetical license change into Diiambus,
Choriambus or Paeon quartus. In Mufá’alatun (ii. 3. = ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ⏑ ‑) and
Mutafá’ilun (ii. 8. = ⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑), again, the Sabab ’ala and muta may
become khafíf by suppression of their final Harakah and thus turn into
Mufá’altun, by substitution Mafá’ílun (ii. 2. = ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑), and
Mutfá’ilun, by substitution Mustaf’ilun (ii. 6. = ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ as above). In
other words the two feet correspond to the schemes ⏑ _ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ _ and ⏑ ‑ ⏑
_ ⏑ _, where a Spondee can take the place of the Anapaest after or
before the Iambus respectively.
’Illah, the second way of modifying the primitive or normal feet,
applies to both Sabab and Watad, but only in the ’Aruz and Zarb of a
couplet, being at the same time constant and obligatory. Besides the
changes already mentioned, it consists in adding one or two letters to a
Sabab or Watad, or curtailing them more or less, even to cutting them
off altogether. We cannot here exhaust this matter any more than those
touched upon until now, but must be satisfied with an example or two, to
show the proceeding in general and indicate its object.
We have seen that the metre Basít consists of the two lines:
Mustaf.’ilun Fá.’ilun Mustaf’ilun Fá’ilun
Mustaf’ilun Fá’ilun Mustaf’ilun Fá’ilun.
This complete form, however, is not in use amongst Arab poets. If by the
Zuháf Khabn, here acting as ’Illah, the Alif in the final Fá’ilun is
suppressed, changing it into Fa’ilun (⏑ ⏑ ‑), it becomes the first
’Aruz, called makhbúnah, of the Basít, the first Zarb of which is
obtained by submitting the final Fá’ilun of the second line to the same
process. A second Zarb results, if in Fá’ilun the final n of the Watad
’ilun is _cut_ off and the preceding l made quiescent by the ’Illah Kat’
thus giving Fá’il and by substitution Fa’lun (‑ ‑). Thus the formula
becomes:—
Mustaf’ilun Fá’ilun Mustaf’ilun Fa’ilun
Mustaf’ilun Fá’ilun Mustaf’ilun { Fa’ilun
{ Fa’lun
As in the Hashw, _i.e._ the first three feet of each line, the Khabn can
likewise be applied to the medial Fá’ilun, and for Mustaf’ilun the
poetical licenses, explained above, may be introduced, this first ’Arúz
or Class of the Basít with its two Zarb or subdivisions will be
represented by the scheme
⏑ ⏑ │ ⏑ │ ⏑ ⏑ │
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │ ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │ ⏑ ⏑ ‑
⏑ ⏑ │ ⏑ │ ⏑ ⏑ { ⏑ ⏑ ‑
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │ ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ { ‑ ‑
that is to say in the first subdivision of this form of the Basít both
lines of each couplet end with an Anapaest and every second line of the
other subdivision terminates in a Spondee.
The Basít has four more A’áriz, three called majzúah, because each line
is shortened by a Juz or foot, one called mashtúrah (halved), because
the number of feet is reduced from four to two, and we may here notice
that the former kind of lessening the number of feet is frequent with
the hexametrical circles (B. C. D.), while the latter kind can naturally
only occur in those circles, whose couplet forms an octameter (A. E.).
Besides being majzúah, the second ’Aruz is sahíhah (perfect) consisting
of the normal foot Mustaf’ilun. It has three Azrub: 1. Mustaf’ilán (‑ ‑
⏑ ‑, with an overlong final syllable, see supra p. 277), produced by the
’Illah Tazyíl, _i.e._ addition of a quiescent letter at the end
(Mustaf’ilunn, by substitution Mustaf’ilán); 2. Mustaf’ilun, like the
’Aruz; 3. Maf’úlun (‑ ‑ ‑), produced by the ’Illah Kat’ (see the
preceding page; Mustaf’ilun, by dropping the final n and making the l
quiescent becomes Mustaf’il and by substitution Maf’úlun). Hence the
formula is:
Mustaf’ilun Fá’ilun Mustaf’ilun
{ Mustaf’ilán
Mustaf’ilun Fá’ilun { Mustaf’ilun
{ Maf’úlun,
which, with its allowable licenses, may be represented by the scheme:
⏑ ⏑ │ ⏑ │
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │ ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑
{ ⏑ ⏑
{ ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑
⏑ ⏑ │ ⏑ { ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │ ‑ ⏑ ‑ { ⏑
{ ‑ ‑ ‑
The above will suffice to illustrate the general method of the
Prosodists, and we must refer the reader for the remaining classes and
subdivisions of the Basít as well as the other metres to more special
treatises on the subject, to which this Essay is intended merely as an
introduction, with a view to facilitate the first steps of the student
in an important, but I fear somewhat neglected field of Arabic learning.
If we now turn to the poetical pieces contained in The Nights, we find
that out of the fifteen metres, known to al-Khalíl, or the sixteen of
later Prosodists, instances of thirteen occur in the Mac. N. edition,
but in vastly different proportions. The total number amounts to 1,385
pieces (some, however, repeated several times), out of which 1,128
belong to the first two circles, leaving only 257 for the remaining
three. The same disproportionality obtains with regard to the metres of
each circle. The Mukhtalif is represented by 331 instances of Tawíl and
330 of Basít against 3 of Madíd; the Mutalif by 321 instances of Kámil
against 143 of Wáfir; the Mujtalab by 32 instances of Ramal and 30 of
Rajaz against 1 of Hazaj; the Mushtabih by 72 instances of Khafíf and 52
of Sarí’ against 18 of Munsarih and 15 of Mujtass; and lastly the
Muttafik by 37 instances of Mutakárib. Neither the Mutadárak (E. 2), nor
the Muzári’ and Muktazib (D. 4. 5) are met with.
Finally it remains for me to quote a couplet of each metre, showing how
to scan them, and what relation they bear to the theoretical formulas
exhibited on p. 282 to p. 286.
It is characteristic for the preponderance of the Tawíl over all the
other metres, that the first four lines, with which my alphabetical list
begins, are written in it. One of these belongs to a poem which has for
its author Bahá al-Dín Zuhayr (born A.D. 1186 at Mekkah or in its
vicinity, ob. 1249 at Cairo), and is to be found in full in Professor
Palmer’s edition of his works, p. 164. Sir Richard Burton translates the
first Bayt (vol. i. 290):
An I quit Cairo and her pleasances ✿ Where can I hope to find so
gladsome ways?
Professor Palmer renders it:
Must I leave Egypt where such joys abound?
What place can ever charm me so again
In Arabic it scans:
⏑ ‑ ⏑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑
A-arhalu ’an Misrin wa tíbi na’ímihi[455]
⏑ ‑ ⏑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑
Fa-ayyu makánin ba’dahá li-ya sháiku.
In referring to iii. A. I. p. 282, it will be seen that in the Hashw
Fa’úlun (⏑ ‑ ‑) has become Fa’úlu (⏑ ‑ ⏑) by a Zuháf called Kabz
(suppression of the fifth letter of a foot if it is quiescent), and that
in the ’Arúz and Zarb Mafá’ílun (⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑) has changed into Mafá’ilun (⏑
‑ ⏑ ‑) by the same Zuháf acting as ’Illah. The latter alteration shows
the couplet to be of the second Zarb of the first ’Arúz of the Tawíl. If
the second line did terminate in Mafá’ílun, as in the original scheme,
it would be the first Zarb of the same ’Arúz; if it did end in Fa’úlun
(⏑ ‑ ‑) or Mafá’íl (⏑ ‑ ‑) it would represent the third or fourth
subdivision of this first class respectively. The Tawíl has one other
’Arúz, Fa’úlun, with a twofold Zarb, either Fa’úlun also, or Mafá’ilun.
The first instance of the Basít occurring in The Nights are the lines
translated vol. i. p. 25:
Containeth Time a twain of days, this of blessing, that of bane ✿ And
holdeth Life a twain of halves, this of pleasure, that of pain.
In Arabic (Mac. N. i. 11):
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ⏑ ‑ |
Al-Dahru yaumáni zá amnun wa zá hazaru
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ⏑ ‑ |
Wa ’l-’Ayshu shatráni zá safwun wa zá kadaru.
Turning back to p. 283, where the A’áríz and Azrub of the Basít are
shown, the student will have no difficulty to recognise the Bayt as one
belonging to the first Zarb of the first ’Arúz.
As an example of the Madíd we quote the original of the lines (vol. v.
131):—
I had a heart, and with it lived my life ✿ ’Twas seared with fire and
burnt with loving-lowe.
They read in Arabic:—
‑ ⏑ ‑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ⏑ ‑ |
Kána lí kalbun a’íshu bihi
‑ ⏑ ‑ ‑ | ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ |
Fa’ktawà bi’l-nári wa’htarak.
If we compare this with the formula (iii. A. 2 p. 283), we find that
either line of the couplet is shortened by a foot; it is, therefore,
majzú. The first ’Arúz of this abbreviated metre is Fá’ilátun (‑ ⏑ ‑ ‑),
and is called sahíhah (perfect) because it consists of the normal third
foot. In the second ’Arúz Fá’ilátun loses its end syllable tun by the
’Illah Hafz (suppression of a final Sabab khafíf), and becomes Fá’ilá (‑
⏑ ‑), for which Fá’ilun is substituted. Shortening the first syllable of
Fá’ilun, _i.e._ eliminating the Alif by Khabn, we obtain the third ’Arúz
Fa’ilun (⏑ ⏑ ‑) as that of the present lines, which has two Azrub:
Fa’ilun, like the ’Arúz, and Fa’lun (‑ ‑), here, again by Khabn, further
reduced to Fa’al (⏑ ‑).
Ishak of Mosul, who improvises the piece, calls it “so difficult and so
rare, that it went nigh to deaden the quick and to quicken the dead;”
indeed, the native poets consider the metre Madíd as the most difficult
of all, and it is scarcely ever attempted by later writers. This
accounts for its rare occurrence in The Nights, where only two more
instances are to be found, Mac. N. ii. 244 and iii. 404.
The second and third circle will best be spoken of together, as the
Wáfir and Kámil have a natural affinity to the Hazaj and Rajaz. Let us
revert to the line:—
⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ |
Akámú ’l-wajda fí kalbí wa sárú.
Translated, as it were, into the language of the Prosodists it will be:—
Mafá’ílun[456] ’Mafá’ílun Fa’úlun,
and this, standing by itself, might prima facie be taken for a line of
the Hazaj (iii. C. 1), with the third Mafá’ílun shortened by Hafz (see
above) into Mafá’í for which Fa’úlun would be substituted. We have seen
(p. 287) that and how the foot Mufá’alatun can change into Mafá’ílun,
and if in any poem which otherwise would belong to the metre Hazaj, the
former measure appears even in one foot only along with the latter, it
is considered to be the original measure, and the poem counts no longer
as Hazaj but as Wáfir. In the piece now under consideration, it is the
second Bayt where the characteristic foot of the Wáfir first appears:—
⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ |
Naat ’anní’l-rubú’u wa sákiníhá
⏑ ‑ ⏑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ |
Wa kad ba’uda ’l-mazáru fa-lá mazáru.
Anglicè (vol. iii. 296):—
Far lies the camp and those who camp therein; ✿ Far is her tent-shrine
where I ne’er shall tent.
It must, however, be remarked that the Hazaj is not in use as a
hexameter, but only with an ’Arúz majzúah or shortened by one foot.
Hence it is only in the second ’Arúz of the Wáfir, which is likewise
majzúah, that the ambiguity as to the real nature of the metre can
arise[457]; and the isolated couplet:—
⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ |
Yarídu ’l-mar-u an yu’tà munáhu
⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ |
Wa yabà ’lláhu illá má yurídu
Man wills his wish to him accorded be, ✿ But Allah naught accords save
what he wills (vol. iv. 157),
being hexametrical, forms undoubtedly part of a poem in Wáfir although
it does not contain the foot Mufá’alatun at all. Thus the solitary
instance of Hazaj in The Nights is Abú Nuwás’ abomination, beginning
with:—
⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ |
Fa-lá tas’au ilà ghayrí
⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ | ⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑ |
Fa-’indí ma’dinu ’l-khayri (Mac. N. ii. 377).
Steer ye your steps to none but me ✿ Who have a mine of luxury (vol. v.
65).
If in the second ’Arúz of the Wáfir Maf’áílun (⏑ ‑ ‑ ‑) is further
shortened to Mafá’ilun (⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑), the metre resembles the second ’Arúz
of Rajaz, where, as we have seen, the latter foot can, by license, take
the place of the normal Mustaf’ilun (‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑).
The Kámil bears a similar relation to the Rajaz, as the Wáfir bears to
the Hazaj. By way of illustration we quote from Mac. N. ii. 8 the first
two Bayts of a little poem taken from the 23rd Assembly of Al-Hariri:—
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ |
Yá khátiba ’l-dunyá ’l-daniyyati innahá
⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ‑ |
Sharaku ’l-radà wa karáratu ’l-akdári
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ |
Dárun matà má azhakat fí yaumihá
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ‑ |
Abkat ghadan bu’dan lahá min dári.
In Sir Richard Burton’s translation (vol. iii. 319):—
O thou who woo’st a World unworthy, learn ✿ ’Tis house of evils, ’tis
Perdition’s net:
A house where whoso laughs this day shall weep ✿ The next; then perish
house of fume and fret.
The ’Arúz of the first couplet is Mutafá’ilun, assigning the piece to
the first or perfect (sahíhah) class of the Kámil. In the Hashw of the
opening line and in that of the whole second Bayt this normal
Mutafá’ilun has, by license, become Mustaf’ilun, and the same change has
taken place in the ’Arúz of the second couplet; for it is a peculiarity
which this metre shares with a few others, to allow certain alterations
of the kind Zuháf in the ’Arúz and Zarb as well as in the Hashw. This
class has three subdivisions: the Zarb of the first is Mutafá’ilun, like
the ’Arúz; the Zarb of the second is Fa’alátun (⏑ ⏑ ‑ ‑), a substitution
for Mutafá’il which latter is obtained from Mutafá’ilun by suppressing
the final _n_ and rendering the _l_ quiescent; the Zarb of the third is
Fa’lun (‑ ‑) for Mútfá, derived from Mutafá’ilun by cutting off the
Watad ’ilun and dropping the medial _a_ of the remaining Mutafá.
If we make the ’Ayn of the second Zarb Fa’alátun also quiescent by the
permitted Zuháf Izmár, it changes into Fa’látun, by substitution
Maf’úlun (‑ ‑ ‑) which terminates the rhyming lines of the foregoing
quotation. Consequently the two couplets taken together, belong to the
second Zarb of the first ’Arúz of the Kámil, and the metre of the poem
with its licenses may be represented by the scheme:
‑ │ ‑ │ ‑ │
⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │
‑ │ ‑ │ ‑ │
⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │⏑ ⏑ ‑ ‑ │
Taken isolated, on the other hand, the second Bayt might be of the metre
Rajaz, whose first ’Arúz Mustaf’ilun has two Azrub: one equal to the
Arúz, the other Maf’úlun as above, but here substituted for Mustaf’il
after applying the ’Illah Kat’ (see p. 288) to Mustaf’ilun. If this were
the metre of the poem throughout, the scheme with the licenses peculiar
to the Rajaz would be:
⏑ ⏑ │⏑ ⏑ │⏑ ⏑ │
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │
⏑ ⏑ │⏑ ⏑ │⏑ │
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ │‑ ‑ ‑ │
The pith of Al-Hariri’s Assembly is that the knight errant, not to say
the arrant wight of the Romance, Abú Sayd of Sarúj, accuses before the
Wáli of Baghdad his pretended pupil, in reality his son, to have
appropriated a poem of his by lopping off two feet of every Bayt. If
this is done in the quoted lines, they read:
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ |
Yá khátiba ’l-dunyá ’l-daniy
⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ⏑ ⏑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ |
Yati innahá sharaku ’l-radà
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ |
Dárun matà má azhakat
‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ | ‑ ‑ ⏑ ‑ |
Fí yaumihá abkat ghadá,
with a different rhyme and of a different variation of metre. The
amputated piece belongs to the fourth Zarb of the third ’Aruz of Kámil,
and its second couplet tallies with the second subdivision of the second
class of Rajaz.