← Back to Taj al-Arus

قرل

Root entry · 2 derived lemmas

This root primarily describes a type of bird, known for its hunting prowess, caution, and speed. It also extends to a metaphorical usage for someone swift and observant, and a type of edible seed.

Derived headwords

القُرْلَىnoun
  1. 1.
    Water birdclassical

    A small water bird that catches fish, is a fast diver, and is quick to snatch prey. It is characterized by its cautious nature, often seen alone.

  2. 2.
    Metaphorical descriptorclassical

    Used metaphorically to describe someone who is swift, cautious, and observant, like the bird.

  3. 3.
    Edible seedclassical

    A type of seed, similar to the lupin (jilbān), which is edible and Egyptian in origin.

قَرِلَverb
  1. 1.
    To be cautiousclassical

    To be characterized by caution and wariness, like the bird 'qurlā'.

Parallel reading

هو طائر، زاد ابن بري: صغير من طيور الماء، يصيد السمك سريع الغوص، حديد الاختطاف، ذو حزم لا يرى إلا فرقا
It is a bird, and Ibn Barrī added: a small water bird that catches fish, is a fast diver, quick to snatch prey, and characterized by caution, seen only when separated.
إلا مرفرفا، على وجه الماء على جانب، يهوي بإحدى عينيه إلى قعر الماء طمعا، ويرفع الأخرى في الهواء حذرا
Except fluttering, on the surface of the water at the side, it plunges one eye into the bottom of the water greedily, and raises the other in the air cautiously.
يا من جفاني وملا ... نسيت أهلا وسهلا
O you who have shunned me and turned away... have you forgotten family and greetings?
ومات مرحب لما ... رأيت مالي قلا
And Marhab died when... I saw that my possessions were few.
إني أظنك تحكي ... بما فعلت القرلا
Indeed, I think you are imitating... what the qurlā has done.
أحزم من قرلى
More cautious than a qurlā.
وأخطف من قرلى
And quicker to snatch than a qurlā.
وأحذر من قرلى
And more wary than a qurlā.
كن حذرا كالقرلى، إن رأى خيرا تدلى، وإن رأى شرا تولى.
Be cautious like the qurlā; if it sees good, it descends, and if it sees evil, it withdraws.
كن بصيرا كالقرلى، يقال: إنه إذا أبصر سمكة في قعر البحر انقض عليها كالسهم، وإن رأى في السماء جارحا مر في الأرض.
Be observant like the qurlā; it is said that if it spots a fish at the bottom of the sea, it swoops down on it like an arrow, and if it sees a bird of prey in the sky, it moves on the ground.
القرلى: كان مولى لحمير لا يسمع بأحد أخذ شيئا إلا جاء إليه وداخله، ولا يتخلف عن طعام أحد وإذا سمع خصومة لم يمر بتلك الطريق، فضرب به المثل، يقال:: وبه شبه هذا الطير، كذا في شرح ديوان أبي نؤاس.
Al-Qurlā: He was a freedman of Himyar who, upon hearing that someone had taken something, would come to him and get involved. He would not miss anyone's meal, and if he heard of a dispute, he would not pass by that way. He became a proverbial figure, and it is said that this bird was likened to him, as stated in the commentary on the Diwan of Abu Nuwas.
والقرلى أيضا: حب كالجلبان يؤكل، مصرية.
And al-Qurlā also: a seed like the lupin, edible, Egyptian.