سِفْرٌ

A book, or writing: (S, M:) or a great, or large, book: or a section of the Book of the Law revealed to Moses: (M, K:) or a book that discovers, or reveals, truths: (TA:) or a book is thus called because it discovers things, and makes them evident: (M:) plural أَسْفَارٌ. (S, M.)

With respect to the saying of Aboo-Sakhr El-Hudhalee,

زلِلَيْلَى بِذَاتِ البَيْنِ دَارٌعَرَفْتُهَا

وَأُخْرَى بِذَاتِ الجَيْشِ ايَاتُهَاسِفْرُ

Skr says, [the poet means,] the marks, or traces, thereof had become effaced: [accordingly, the verse may be rendered, To Leylà there was in Dhát-el-Beyn an abode that I knew, and another in Dhát-el-Jeysh whereof the marks, or traces, are effaced:] IJ says, [apparently holding the meaning to be, the marks, or traces, whereof are (like those of) an ancient book, such as a portion of the Mosaic Law,] the last word should be from the phrase سَفَرْتُ البَيْتَ, i. e. “ I swept the house, or chamber; ” as though the writing were swept off from the طِرْس [or “ written paper ” or the like, to which the poet seems to compare the site of the abode in Dhát-el-Jeysh]. (M, TA.)