شَجْنٌ

Full Definition

شَجْنٌ (S, L, K [in the CK شَجَنٌ, but expressly said in the S to be بِالتَّسْكِينِ]) A road of a valley; or a road in a valley: or in the upper, or uppermost, part thereof: as also شَاجِنَةٌ : pl. of the former شُجُونٌ: and of : or شَاجِنَةٌ signifies a valley in which are many trees; or a place in which are شُجُون, which means tangled trees; and شَوَاجِنُ is its pl.: or شَاجِنَةٌ signifies a sort of valley producing good herbage: or, as some say, شَوَاجِنُ signifies the upper, or uppermost, parts of a valley; and its sing. is شَجَنٌ [thus written in the L in this instance], as ISd mentions on the authority of A'Obeyd, but adding that, as such, it is irregular, and that it is more properly to be regarded as pl. of شَاجِنَةٌ .
2 [Hence,] one says, الحَدِيثُ ذُو شُجُونٍ, شُجُون being pl. of شَجْنٌ, with the ج quiescent; a prov., meaning The story is involved, or intricate; or has several ways [in which it may be understood]; or has several modes, or manners; and objects of aim: applied to a story by which one calls to mind another: the first who said it was Dabbeh Ibn-Udd Ibn-Tábikhah: he had two sons, named Saad and So'eyd: and some camels belonging to him ran away by night, so he sent his two sons to seek them; and they separated; and Saad found them and restored them; but So'eyd went on seeking them; and El-Hárith Ibn-Kaab met him; and there were upon the young man two [garments such as are called] burds (بُرْدَانِ), which El-Hárith asked him to give to him, but he refused to comply with his desire; whereupon he slew him, and took his two burds: and Dabbeh, when he saw a dark object in the night, used to say, أَسَعْدٌ أَمْ سُعَيْدٌ [“ Is it Saad or So'eyd? ” (see سَعْدٌ)]; and this saying of his became current as a prov.: some time after this, having gone on pilgrimage, he met El- Hárith Ibn-Kaab at 'Okádh, and saw upon him the two burds of his son So'eyd, and asked him respecting them; and he answered that he had met a young man wearing them, and slain him, and taken them: Dabbeh said, “ With this thy sword? ” and he answered, “ Yes: ” and he said, “ Give it me that I may look at it, for I think it to be sharp: ” and El-Hárith gave it him: and he took it, and shook it, and said, إِنَّ الحَدِيثَ ذُو شُجُونٍ; and slew him with it: whereupon it was said to him, “ O Dabbeh, in the sacred month? ” and he said, سَبَقَ السَّيْفُ العَذْلَ [“ The sword preceded the censure ”): these three provs. he originated.

Lane's Lexicon — The most scholarly Arabic-English dictionary available

The product of over thirty years of unrelenting labor. A work of such unique greatness that to this day it remains supreme in the field of Arabic lexicography.

✓ Full text search • ✓ Root-based navigation
✓ Advanced filters • ✓ Mobile access

Trusted by 1000+ researchers worldwide
Featured on Fons Vitae • Used by universities globally

Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon

Full Definition

Related Words from the Same Root

Verbs

Nouns