The Poem “Man and Woman” by Elia Abu Madi
O Lord, I am moved by the words of a speaker,
What could a woman accomplish, even in falsehood,
To those who belittle maidens in your midst,
Though they are far nobler than you in status?
They have been the cause of your every honor,
While you have become the source of their sorrow.
You claim they lack wisdom and insight,
But if they wished, they could turn dust into gold.
If there weren’t a discerning woman to shape opinions,
Men would surely feel the wrath and the uproar.
We hoped for fairness, yet we found none,
Thus, it is no wonder we are not surprised.
How can a beauty be just, if allowed to judge,
When the bias of beauty often prevails?
A man battles the world, bending it to his will,
While time itself shudders if he grows angry.
He gazes, and even beasts feel frightened,
For his shadow disturbs their peace.
If he chooses to conceal his heart in cold,
He can just as easily set it ablaze within.
He spends nights consumed by worries and fatigue,
But beware if he dares to complain!
If only he knew how these stars perturb him,
He would shudder at the discomfort rising up to the heavens.
He struggles so she may have a life of ease,
And he bears the burdens for her delight.
What have these beautiful women offered him,
Other than the pain that aches in his soul?
This is man, O virtuous one; who will champion him?
Surely, only those who truly uphold virtue will.
He was scorned, but he committed no sin,
Except for refusing to be treated as a fault.
The Homeland of Men by Abdullah Abdulwahab Na’man
When I feel that beauty resides on my land,
And witness that there is no room for disdain in my homeland,
And I see that goodness has slain the snakes and the vile,
And guidance has carved graves for the misguided,
When I observe that the cunning have returned to dust,
And the neglected fear the trampling of shoes,
They have settled for their abode and ceased to peek from the dirts,
And I see that those who reject goodness have packed their bags,
And those coming from the sands have returned to the sands,
When I observe mouths releasing the torrents of filth,
And I confront words that fear not being spoken,
When I witness there are men in my homeland,
When I see the roar rising above the wails,
When I perceive trembling has subsided, and manhood remains,
And I see in it the stature of great men who have risen from the binds,
And I see the squares brimming with tall stands,
Their pride has thickened, and within them, fear has met its demise,
When I see my words, and my letters extending without boundaries,
And I find that honesty is feared and cannot be grasped,
And I realize that truth is obtained without humiliation or request,
When I sense that in my homeland there are men,
When I see a human being revered, neither disgraced nor diminished,
And I notice his dignity walking without stumbling or yielding,
He will soar in my thoughts, rising above the wings of imagination,
And my spirit will fly, bringing me down upon mountain summits,
To witness, upon the fields, those who shed blood on the plains,
To behold my father,
And glimpse my brother,
Among those cloaked in garments of majesty,
Who brought them forth above our heads,
And walked with them under the sun,
Washed with blood that makes the green hills bloom,
And the years spread fragrance among the wheat and the harvest,
To see the martyrs reclining in the shade,
Contemplating the remnants of tyranny which have draped with decay,
And witnessed what for their sake fell into the jaws of punishment,
A goodness that embraces the South’s heart toward the North,
When I see this, I shall wear all wings of imagination,
And I will soar high, descending upon the peaks of mountains,
To declare that my poetry stems from a heartfelt truth,
Walking the earth and proclaiming that in my homeland, beauty thrives,
And I shall proclaim that I have matured,
And that in my homeland there are men.
Poetry About Men
- Ali ibn Abi Talib says:
The esteemed are those who lead with their deeds,
While the detractors of every matter are to be noted;
And I remain among those who are surrounded by a misleading crowd,
Some of whom aspire to take from the flawed.
They took the narrow paths and consequently became,
Distant from the path that leads to greatness.
- Mohamed Sami Al-Baroudi states:
Indeed, the moral fabric of men, though hidden,
Contains four traits that surpass all:
Dignity without arrogance, forgiveness without harm,
Generosity without strings, and patience without humiliation.
- Imam Al-Shafi’i remarks:
Whoever fears men, will indeed be feared,
And he who belittles men shall not be respected.
When men affirm one’s rights,
And the one who defies them will face dire consequences.