A Poem: For Every Concern, There is Relief
- The poet Al-Adab Al-Saadi states:
For every concern, there is relief,
And the suffering does not seem fruitful when dawn breaks.
What about those who find joy in your misfortunes?
They possess little of their own affairs and guide them.
I guard their pond, yet they push me away.
Oh people, who shall excuse me from this deception?
Until when the illusion is removed,
They come to me adoring, while their confusion disclaims them.
Wealth may gather without its owner enjoying it,
And the one who consumes wealth is not the one who collected it.
And the tailor cuts the cloth without wearing it,
While the one who wears it is not the one who cut it.
Thus, accept from fate what it brings you,
For whoever is content with his life is benefited by it.
Connect the distant ties if they reach you,
And sever the close ties if they become cut.
And do not belittle the poor, lest you find yourself
Bow down one day while fortune has elevated him.
A Poem: He Who Rises Cannot Bear Hatred
- The poet Antar Ibn Shaddad expresses:
He who rises cannot carry hatred,
And no one achieves greatness with a temper.
And whoever is the servant of a people does not oppose them,
If they scorn him, he pleases them if they offend.
I once tended their camels,
And now I defend their honor whenever they are attacked.
For the grace of Banu Abs, truly they have descended,
From noble lineage, as noble as the Arabs.
If they criticize my blackness, I hold it as lineage,
In the day of battle, if noble lineage eludes me.
If you know, O Numan, that my hand,
Is short against you, then times may change.
Today you shall know, O Numan, which man
Encounters his brother who has been misguided.
Indeed, the snakes, even if their touches are gentle,
When challenged, their venom will be fatal.
A man who dives into the chaos of war with a smile,
And bends as the spear’s tip is stained with blood.
If he draws his sword, its impact ravages foes,
And the sky shines, while the veils are torn apart.
And the horses bear witness that I defend myself,
And the strikes are like the sparks of fire that ignite.
If you meet the enemies on the day of battle,
You would hear their haughty gathering being plundered.
For my souls, the flesh of birds,
And for the wild there are spoils for the cavalry.
May God not stray my eyes from sighting,
People if they descend, and spirits if they ride.
They are lions of the jungle, yet they have no fangs,
Except for the lances and the Indian javelins.
They ride upon them strange beasts laden,
Like sheep in collars around their necks.
I keep encountering the horse’s fronts with strikes
Until the saddle and mane become overwhelmed.
Were the blind to see in their eyelids,
The mute would speak if they had a cause.
And the dust on the day the horses rush bears witness for me,
And the blows, stabs, pens, and books.
A Poem: Death is Better for a Young Man than His Life
- The poet Al-Muthaqib Al-Abdi states:
Death is better for a young man than his life,
If he can only arise with a leader.
So tackle the weighty matters, do not become,
Someone whose heart mourns upon pillows.
If the wind brings clouds that cease him,
This is his night; it will cease the freezing camels.
And the skies, with reduced rains at night,
Will suffice for the guests until they are satisfied.
From the living among us, every honored being,
You see him relieving matters and wrapping them,
When he has received from their kindness without repulsion.
And indeed, our brother in times of sorrow does not fear it,
Nor in times of goodness if he hopes for abundance.
If he is asked who resolves the dilemmas,
The strong bones among us are tall in the arms.
Beautiful Wisdom Poems by the Poet Al-Nabigha Al-Dhubani
- The poet states:
Maintain your friendship for your companion and do not become,
A stalk that bites with relentless persistence.
For gentleness is a blessing, and patience is happiness;
So take things gently, you shall achieve success.
And despair from what has passed bequeaths comfort,
And perhaps a feast may return to be slaughtered,
Promising the son of Jafna and the son of his throne,
And the two Hariths for increased prosperity.
And I have indeed seen that what is dear to them,
Has cherished Hamyar, as dawn speaks.
And the descendants have faced one another as the morning breaks.
- He also states:
Whoever seeks fortune, its claws will reach him,
And fortune with the bow is not sought after,
There are those among men of distinction and honor,
Their steadfastness is like the wolf’s fierceness.
Until it destroys, recklessly it claims their leaders,
By capturing with arrows of calamity.
I have found the arrows of death approaching,
With every situation, from the ages it is prescribed.
- He further states:
A man hopes to live,
But a prolonged life may hurt him.
His youth shall fade,
And what follows a sweet life is bitterness.
And the days betray him until
He sees nothing to please him.
For there is much joy in my demise,
And a voice proclaiming, “Blessed is he.”
- He also states:
You disobey God while you openly show your love for Him,
This, I swear, is indeed a beautiful statement.
If you were truthful in your love for Him, you would have obeyed him,
For indeed, the one who loves submits to the beloved.
Wisdom Poems by the Poet Al-Samawal
- The poet expresses:
Indeed, a man who is ignorant of dangers,
Wishes immortality like a gambler with dice.
After the ages of time and needs,
And a merchant with bright morning faces.
A calamity passed them, as if
It had been erased from their footprints.
Oh, if only I knew when I am mourned as lost,
What will you mention me when I‘m gone?
Will they say, “Stay near, for perhaps an ugly one,
I’ve banished with courage and generosity.”
And a fierce attack that is feared on that day,
When I deflected its assault with my weapon.
And perhaps a blazing fire will kindle too,
I extinguished its fiery rage with my arms.
And a battalion I brought close to a battalion,
And those pushing me presented a dreadful morning.
If I master a rock, I have approached first,
I call upon triumph one time and fate another.
Do not turn away; every living creature is doomed,
Inevitably lead to destruction through triumph,
Indeed, a man who is ignorant of perils,
And hopes for immortality like a gambler with dice.
And I have seized truth without an adversary,
And I have given truth without a disputant.
And I have struck with the merit of my wealth
In the winter and the struggle for lives.
- He also states:
When a man is not tainted by shame,
Then every garment he wears is beautiful.
And if he does not carry upon himself a grievance,
Then there is no way to good praise.
You accuse us of being few in number,
I replied, indeed the noble are few.
And few are those whose remnants remain like us—
Youth who have soared to greatness and elders.
And it does not harm us that we are few while our neighbor,
Is mighty, while the neighboring crowd is weak.
We have a mountain we protect,
It is a stronghold which pushes back the gaze, though it is little.
Its roots are under the earth while its stature has risen,
Shooting towards the stars where it cannot be reached,
He is the pure white stallion, whose mention is famous,
Difficult to reach, and he is unmatched.
And indeed, we are a people who do not view killing as dishonorable,
If it is deemed noble by Amer or Sulayl.
Love for death draws us closer to our destiny,
While our deaths they detest and prolong.
No noble among us has died by chance,
Nor has any fallen where they could be killed.
Our spirits spill on the battlefield,
And nowhere else do they spill.
We remain resolute and do not muddy our truths,
With women who bear us children and men who govern us.
We have risen to be the best among the extraordinary and descended,
To the times of the best of the bellies – our place to rest.
Thus, we are like the rains, and in our ranks,
There are few who are counted among the greedy.
And we deny if we wish the words of men,
And they cannot deny the words when we speak.
If an honorable one amongst us falls, another rises,
A doer who acts according to the words of the noble and wise.
No fire has been extinguished for us without a visit,
Nor have we been blamed by those alighting upon us.
Our days are famed in our enmities,
They hold known decorations, and charm.
And our swords, in every direction and lineage,
Bear remnants of battles at the back of the fighters.
They are accustomed not to dull their edges,
To be unsheathed until our tribe is subjugated.
Just ask if you know the people about us and them,
For there is no comparison between the wise and the ignorant.
Indeed, the descendants of Al-Rayan are leaders among their people,
Their fortunes revolve around them and are mutable.
Thus, we are like the rains, and in our ranks,
There are few who are counted among the greedy.
And we deny if we wish the words of men,
And they cannot deny the words when we speak.
If an honorable one among us falls, another rises,
A doer who acts according to the words of the noble and wise.
No fire has been extinguished for us without a visit,
Nor have we been blamed by those alighting upon us.
Our days are famed in our enmities,
They hold known decorations, and charm.
And our swords, in every direction and lineage,
Bear remnants of battles at the back of the fighters.
They are accustomed not to dull their edges,
To be unsheathed until our tribe is subjugated.
Just ask if you know the people about us and them,
For there is no comparison between the wise and the ignorant.
Indeed, the descendants of Al-Rayan are leaders among their people,
Their fortunes revolve around them and are mutable.