Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
suyuti:2-3217bʿUmariw b. Ḥurayth
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السيوطي:٢-٣٢١٧b

"عَنْ عُمَرِو بْنِ حُرَيْثٍ: أَنَّ شَاعِرًا كَانَ فِى عَهْدِ عُمَر يَرْوِى شِعْرًا كَبِيرًا، فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: لأَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ (جَوْفُ أحَدِكُمْ قَيْحًا خَيْر مِنْ أَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ) شِعْرًا".  

ابن جرير

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Aḥmad
bukhari:6154ʿUbaydullāh b. Mūsá > Ḥanẓalah > Sālim > Ibn ʿUmar

The Prophet ﷺ said, "It is better for a man to fill the inside of his body with pus than to fill it with poetry."  

البخاري:٦١٥٤حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى أَخْبَرَنَا حَنْظَلَةُ عَنْ سَالِمٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ؓ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ لأَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ جَوْفُ أَحَدِكُمْ قَيْحًا خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ شِعْرًا  

muslim:2258Muḥammad b. al-Muthanná And Muḥammad b. Bashhār > Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > Qatādah > Yūnus b. Jubayr > Muḥammad b. Saʿd > Saʿd

It is better for the belly of any one of you to be stuffed with pus rather than to stuff (one's mind) with poetry.  

مسلم:٢٢٥٨حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنْ سَعْدٍ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ لأَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ جَوْفُ أَحَدِكُمْ قَيْحًا يَرِيهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ شِعْرًا  

ahmad:8375Abū al-Naḍr > Abū Jaʿfar > ʿĀṣim > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

"If a man were to fill his stomach completely with pus until it destroyed him, that would be better for him than filling (his mind) with poetry." (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3760)  

أحمد:٨٣٧٥حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النَّضْرِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ عَاصِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ لَأَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ جَوْفُ أَحَدِكُمْ قَيْحًا خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ شِعْرًا