pearl". This is his own interpretation, but it is certainly not very laudable. Abu al-Qasim compares the verses of Abu Tamrnam and Buhtari
claiming impartiality, but he is partial towards Buhtari and criticises Abu
Tamrnam. He is quite oblivious to the fact that Abu Tamrnam has put
forward this theme (first), and the other poets have followed him. Every
new thing, be it an animal, bough of a tree, or a plant, is necessarily as
soft and humid, since it possesses the capacity to grow, if, therefore, a
pearl is growing within the shell, it is essential that it should be moist,
even though there may be a little himidity in it. The poet by humidity
means lustre, even though the object may be harder than iron and stone.
Similarly, he has objected to the expression, "chosen pearl". He
writes: "A chosen verse could only be a plagiarised one, and it is very reprehensible for a poet to confess to plagiarism". We do not know
whether Abu al-Qasim has learned about the plagiarism of the couplet
through sooth-saying, intuition, or star-gazing. We do not see even the
slightest suspicion of borrowing. What is the harm if a poet says he has
selected a verse that is superb, free from blemish, and after the exercise
of the utmost care? See how Ibn al-Riffa' says:
I spent those nights in polishing a qasidah till it was free from all
blemishes.
Buhtari says:
I have picked words in a way in which solid gold is picked for a
qasidah on which are carved designs like those of ashrafis.
Provided no animus is displayed, this is what the selection and choice
of words amounts to. How would Abu al-Qasim know whether Abu
Tamrnam has not alluded to his own words rather than those of the
other poets?
Another reason for the moistness of the pearl — and this does not
strike the observer immediately — is that, whereas all the other jewels are
stable as soon as they appear upon the earth, the pearl, because of the
special property of its form, rolls. It rolls out of one's fingers, as they
cannot grip it well. It rolls out like the seed of the apple or pear, if the
seeds of these fruits are moist and they are pressed between the two
fingers, they spring up because of their viscosity, ibn al-Mu'tazz says:
The cup in the hands of the cup-bearer is like a bride having a rope of
moist pearls round her throat.
Here the moisture is that upper layer of the wine that is about to be
poured out.
Mansur al-Qadi observes:
Laden with the fragrance of the bower, Zephyr has brought us salutations. Awakened by it, the buds began to smile, although their eyes
were glistening like a shower of moist pearls.
Khubz Arzi says:
