14 – ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAbd Allāh b. Qurayb al-Bāhilī related to me; my uncle related to me; Khalaf al-Aḥmar related to us. He said: al-Shammākh b. Ḍirār said to ʿAbd Allāh b. Jaʿfar: ⦗23⦘

[in the rajaz metre]

Indeed, O son of Jaʿfar, you are a splendid youth,
A welcome haven for the night-traveller when he arrives.
Many a guest who reached the camp in the dark of night
Found provisions—and talk—just as he desired;
For lively conversation is itself a part of hospitality.

Khalaf added: It is the Bedouin custom that if they converse with a stranger, show eagerness toward him and entertain him with friendly banter, he is certain that a meal will follow; but if they turn away from him, he knows he has been refused. Hence the saying: “Conversation is one form of hospitality.”