Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ الْخُزَاعِيُّ أَخْبَرَنَا شَرِيكٌ عَنْ سِمَاكٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ كُنَّا نَجْلِسُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَكَانُوا يَتَنَاشَدُونَ الْأَشْعَارَ وَيَتَذَاكَرُونَ أَشْيَاءَ مِنْ أَمْرِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَاكِتٌ فَرُبَّمَا تَبَسَّمَ أَوْ قَالَ كُنَّا نَتَنَاشَدُ الْأَشْعَارَ وَنَذْكُرُ أَشْيَاءَ مِنْ أَمْرِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَرُبَّمَا تَبَسَّمَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.
English Translation
Abu Salamah al-Khuza'i told us, Sharik informed us, from Simak, from Jabir, who said: We used to sit with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and the people would recite poetry to one another and mention things from the pre-Islamic era, while the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, remained silent, though at times he would smile -- or he said: We used to recite poetry to one another and mention things from the time of pre-Islamic ignorance, and sometimes he, peace and blessings be upon him, would smile.