Al-Adab Al-Mufrad #859
Poetry
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَرْزُوقٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، سَمِعَ مُطَرِّفًا قَالَ: صَحِبْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ مِنَ الْكُوفَةِ إِلَى الْبَصْرَةِ، فَقَلَّ مَنْزِلٌ يَنْزِلُهُ إِلاَّ وَهُوَ يُنْشِدُنِي شِعْرًا، وَقَالَ: إِنَّ فِي الْمَعَارِيضِ لَمَنْدُوحَةٌ عَنِ الْكَذِبِ.
Mutarrif said, "I accompanied 'Imran ibn Husayn from Kufa to Basra.
Very rarely did he arrive at my house without reciting some poetry to me.
He said, 'Indirect speech accords great scope in avoiding lies.'"
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About Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
This hadith is #859 from Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, in the Book of Poetry.