What 'Isa ibn Hisham Told Us - Muhammad al-Muwaylihi Library of Arabic Literature

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to such assemblies and enjoy the conversation in gatherings of this kind. Since the majority of meetings in Egypt are like that, princes have also descended to that level and adapted themselves to their moral standards. The prince whom you’ve seen here may actually be more ethical, cultured, amiable, and pleasant than other princes who only consort with the European riffraff and recoil from any contact with their own countrymen.

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      قال عيسى بن هشام: وما وصلنا الى هذا الحد من الكلام حتى رأينا العمدة قد أفاق من غشيته وخرج امامنا بين الخليع والتاجر يتهادى في مشيته وقمنا وراء النحيط ببقية سيرته.

      ʿĪsā ibn Hishām said: At this point in our conversation we saw that the ʿUmdah had recovered from his drunken stupor. He staggered out between the Playboy and Merchant. We followed them to see what would happen next.

      مصباح الشرق ٩٠، ٢٥ يناير ١٩٠٠

      Miṣbāḥ al-sharq 90, January 25, 190029

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      قال عيسى بن هشام: وبعد أن خرجوا من ذلك المحل ونحن أتبع من الظل سمعنا العمدة يقول للخليع تالله لقد أجهدتنا فهلم الآن الى ما وعدتنا لنجلو أعيننا بالوجوه الصباح قبل ان يغير علينا الصباح فيبدي الخليع اهتمامه ويظهر اغتمامه ثم يقطع عليه كلامه ويدفع عن نفسه ملامه بأن طول الانتظار يذهب بحسن الاصطبار ولا يجمل بربات الجمال وصاحبات الدلال أن ينتظرن الرجال ويتحملن الضجر والملال فتلك لفرصة أضعناها لنزعة أطعناها فخاب ما كنا نرتجيه وفات ما كنا نبتغيه وقد جاءتني في غفوتك منها رسالة بأن قد غشيها ما غشيها من الملالة فندمت على جيئتها وذهبت لطيتها فيقول التاجر: اذن ما الذي اكتسبناه بعد الذي فقدناه وأين منا ما نجمع به شملنا ونبدد به ليلنا؟ فيقول له الخليع: لم يبق أمامنا في هذه الساعة الا ملاعب الرقص والخلاعة عسانا نجد فيها بديلا مما لم نجد اليه سبيلا فيخرج العمدة دراهمه من جيبه يعدها ثم يخشخش بها ويردها فيقول التاجر للعمدة: لا تهتم فدرهم الأنس ميسر وللخليع: تقدم فما من شيء عليك معسر

      ʿĪsā ibn Hishām said: When they left the tavern, we followed behind, sticking closer to them than their own shadows. We heard the ʿUmdah tell the Playboy that he had worn them out. “Let’s go to the place you promised us,” he said. “That way we can make use of comely faces to clear the dirt from our eyes before morning changes everything.” The Playboy looked concerned and distressed. He interrupted the ʿUmdah and palmed off his reproach by pointing out that, if someone has to wait too long, even the height of patience dissipates. Pampered maidens rapidly grow impatient if they have to wait for men and put up with aggravataion and sheer boredom. “We gave in to a whim,” he told them, “and so we’ve lost an opportunity. Our hopes have been dashed and our goal has eluded us. While you were dozing, the girl sent me a message, complaining that she’d become utterly bored. She regretted ever coming and went on her way.” “So then,” the Merchant asked, “what can we get to compensate for what we’ve lost? Where can we sit together now and while away the night?” “At this time of night,” the Playboy replied, “the only thing we can still do is head for one of those raunchy dance-halls. Perhaps we’ll find some substitute there for what we’ve missed.”

      The ʿUmdah now took out his cash, jingled the coins, then put them back in his pocket. “Don’t worry,” the Merchant told him. “Friendly company is readily available!” He turned to the Playboy. “Lead the way!” he said. “For you, nothing’s a problem!”

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      فيعطف بهما نحو مكان قريب من غير ما تراخ ولا تعقيب وقد دخلنا من ورائهم وجلسنا بأزائهم فرأينا المكان حومة وغي احتدم وطيسها وهيجاء حرب اصطدم خميسها ومعتركا عجاجته الدخان ومتاريسه الدنان ونباله أصمة القوارير وطبوله الدفوف والمزامير وصلصلة الحلي فيه بالحلي صليل المشرفي بالمشرفي وبريق الاكواب والاقداح بريق الآسنة والصفاح وقواده وأركانه قواده وغلمانه ومغافره العصائب وآزره اعلام الكتائب ودروعه الغلائل ومناديله حمام الرسائل ومنصة الرقص حصنه الحصين وصاحب الحان هو الكمين وحركات الردق والخصر هي حركات الكر والفر والجالسون هناك جيش محصور وجند مقهور والمغنون كماته وأقرانه والنساء حماته وفرسانه:

      ألات الظلم جئن بشر ظلم

      وقد واجهننا متظلمات

      فوارس فتنة أعلام غي

      لقينك بالأساور معلمات

      So, without further delay, the Playboy took them to a place close by. We followed them inside and sat opposite them. We soon realized that the place was a veritable battlefield, its fiery furnace all aglow; in fact, a theatre of war involving opposing armies. On this battlefield smoke was the dust cloud; wine casks served as ramparts, pitchers and glasses as armaments. Here flutes and oboes were substitutes for drums, and the clink of jewelry far surpassed the clang of Mashrafi swords.30 Glasses and bottles gleamed as bright as lance-tips and spears. Here the generals and commanders were managers and waiters; headcloths replaced helmets, shawls replaced battle standards, mantillas replaced armor, and handkerchiefs replaced carrier pigeons. The dancing platform resembled an inaccessible fortress, and the hall’s owner played the role of guard on watch. Swaying buttocks and waists were like attack and retreat. The people seated were beseiged, a vanquished army, while singers were its warriors and foes, and women its defenders and cavaliers:

      Agents of sweet oppression have wrought an evil tyranny,

      turning to us in complaint.

      Cavaliers

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