Poems Describing Nature
- As mentioned by Elia Abu Madi:
A garden, when visited, feels gloomy,
It eases the burdens weighing on your heart.
It renews the heart of the lonely one,
And makes the lover forget their beloved.
When the clouds weep, it reveals,
The flowers, drenched in sorrow, glisten.
Therein, serenity offers plenty,
Yet you won’t find a counterpart there.
And there, raindrops shimmer brightly,
Its cloak now a symbol of age-old beauty.
From branches swaying with pride,
And flowers that exude fragrance sweet.
And from birds that sing in delight,
They make the troubled heart feel elated.
With a narcissus watching like a sentinel,
What need have we for another beholder?
And the blossoms show you pearls,
And the amaranth reflects a fiery glow.
And a stream flows endlessly,
As if tracing the path of the boundary.
At times, you hear its gentle murmur,
And at others, it moves softly like a whisper.
When it crashes upon barren lands,
It transforms it into a fertile abode.
Or when it stretches across lush lands,
It turns into a desolate wilderness.
It’s a truth that if a sick one came,
No healer would follow in their wake.
Every meaning is beautiful within it,
Teaching the poet the essence of connection.
A land that, when visited by a stranger,
Makes them feel estranged from their own home.
- As expressed by Ahmad Shawqi:
Oh nature, linger with us, Oh traveler,
Until I show you the wondrous works of the Creator.
The earth around you and the sky tremble,
At the splendors of signs and artifacts.
From every uttering of majesty, it appears,
Like the mother of books upon the lips of the reader.
It points to the King of Kings, leaving behind
No evidence for scholars and sages.
If anyone doubts this, just take a look at its creation,
It wipes out sinful doubt and denial.
The curtain has unveiled from the truths, and
Nature shines through without veils.
Poems of Reprimand
- As stated by Al-Ghathmash Al-Dabi:
Oftentimes the one who speaks ill of me wishes
That I were the son whose lineage is acknowledged.
Whether a benefactor or a nuisance,
It is a noble beast that dominates the lineage.
So, hope for my affection through goodwill,
And what mortal would want estrangement?
I speak, as tears have filled my eyes,
I see the earth remains, while friends shall leave.
O friends, if but misfortune were to visit you,
I would have reproached, but time bears no blame.
How could I wish to live and see the likes of
Abid, Jawwab, Qais, and Jarab have passed?
- As noted by Ahmad Shawqi:
Reprimand arrives proportional to love,
And whom I chastise, I would sacrifice for.
Upon awakening, my heart denied solace,
Yet I recalled the youthful joy.
In life, youth—and once it departs,
Every remaining drop in the cup is bitter.
What I inherited from him was no rope,
Nor did clothing tighten against me.
As if the narrative of yearning was a cue,
Returning to a start where the book remains incomplete.
If I may substitute one love for another,
I return the cup and let the drink pour forth.
And every passion mingled with blame,
Your love, woven in the reprimand, remains untainted.
For you, O homeland, are the sanctuary,
And you are the rights of my nation and my demands.
- As expressed by Ibn Sana al-Malik:
You struck my heart when you aimed,
No amount of caution could save me from you.
And when you shot with the arrows of the bow,
It was in truth the arrows of your gaze.
Indeed, a glance from you is piercing,
And the blink of your eyelash launches the dart.
Poems Reflecting on Death
- As articulated by Abu Alaa Al-Ma’arri:
If death draws near to me,
I would not dread its approach.
It is a strong fortress,
Preparing the grave for its path.
Whoever encounters it does not fear
The fate, nor shies away from its grips.
As if I were the lord of camels,
Now tasked with herding the herd.
Or a wanderer seeking refuge,
In the desolate expanse of lands unknown.
And if I were returned to my roots,
I would rest in the harsh soil.
And the passage of time would scarcely pass,
As age is sewn into the life of fate.
Each one wary of their demise,
Yet cannot avoid the sip of its fate.
And they evade the sharp blade,
Rather than embracing the stranger.
And the moment of departure upon the bed,
Is more challenging than a thousand strikes.
And the heart battles within,
Enduring its wars with resolve.
O dweller of the grave, recount,
My essence and its demands.
And do not refrain, for I,
Have no guidance in that embrace.
It writhes among people like a beggar,
Delivering the deeds of the persistent.
Or like a borrower from countries afar,
Knocking on their doors uninvited.
There is no right of exclusivity during the night,
Nor is it a matter of comfort.
And I do not believe that fate,
Treads as long as the stars endure beyond.
- As stated by Al-Farazdaq:
I see that death does not spare the strong,
Nor the gallant; it approaches with stalking.
When will this world offer us one night,
From the passage of time, without leading to ruin?
And whosoever bore the noble steeds to the battlefield,
Are led to the enemies, two by two or alone.
By your life, I will never forget Ibn Ahwaz,
When the winds blew, giving rise to gracious sounds.
Indeed, the strings were touched when the battle was fierce,
In the lands of Azd Oman during their bravest acts.