and indulging in the sophistry of hair-splitting.
The poet has employed the expression, "shadowy day," as when
there is no sunlight a shadow falls upon the pearl, and its lustre is redoubled. When the sun shines, the lustre of the pearl diminishes. When
the sun is up, the pearl is like a candle that has been lighted during the
period between sunrise and meridian. The fact is that the pearl glows
when the day is cloudy and in shadow alone does its beauty manifest
itself. Things are recognised through their opposites.
Craftsmen of all kinds at a special time and place display and present
their goods and at specific places and times practice deceit.
Some have read the expression as yaunn tall (a dewy day) instead of
yaurn zill (a shadowy day) without the diacritical mark. Dew falls at
night and ceases to fall as soon as it is morning. It cannot stop the sun
from shining; rather it reflects the light of the sun and, by moistening the
ambient air, makes sunlight brighter. The poet implies that the pearl is
with the venerable one in the absence of the sun. If there is a slight
drizzle or moisture, a "dewy day" could be acceptable, since a slight
drizzle could be compared with dew.
'Amr bin Ahmar says:
(Like) the lustre of the goldsmith's pearl which its maker has unveiled.
He wraps it in silk and brocade so that he may keep it clean and it
may shine before the observer.
In these verses the pearl has been associated with the goldsmith, since he
works with jewels and makes pearls out of silver. (For those who have
suggested that jumman is made from silver, this relationship should be
self-evident). Hassan bin Thabit says:
Beautiful thou wast when thou appeared on the day of departure in
the courtyard of the palace.
More beautiful than the pearl which the king purchased at high expense and which the diver preserved so carefully.
Perforation in Pearls
Pearls are used for self-adornment. They are strung from some parts
of the body and tied round certain other parts. But this is impossible
without their being perforated and joined to each other by a thread.
There would be no order and symmetry without this process in them.
They lie concealed in the shell without any order. Perforated pearls are
called mathaqib, just as the plural of mamluk (slave) is mamalik (slaves).
Abu al-Faraj bin Hindaw says:
What aught is the price of a precious pearl until it is taken out
of its shell?
And further:
