The Most Beautiful Romantic Verses in Pre-Islamic Poetry
The following are some of the most exquisite romantic verses from pre-Islamic poetry:
- From the words of Antarah ibn Shaddad:
I said to her, “O Abla, I am departing,
Even if boundaries and separations stand in my way.
We were created for this love before our days began,
So why should doubt be found within my ears?”
- From the words of Tarafa ibn al-Abd:
Salma has taken your entire reason away,
Will anything other than prey be caught in her snares?
How did Salma find her way and the means between us,
When the joy of love resides deeply within my heart?
My longing for Salma is akin to the longing of Murqus,
For names that never escape reproach from her dismissers.
The Most Beautiful Romantic Verses in Umayyad Poetry
Here are some of the finest romantic verses from Umayyad poetry:
- From the words of Jamil Buthayna:
She is the moon in beauty, and the women are merely stars,
There is a vast difference between the stars and the moon.
She surpasses others in beauty, just as
the Night of Decree surpasses a thousand months in virtue.
May God’s peace be upon her, from one filled with yearning,
And affection, tormented with thoughts and reflections.
- From the words of Omar ibn Abi Rabi’a:
For your love, I have cherished one not a friend,
Nor a companion to my soul, but merely an acquaintance.
I lavish my wealth for your pleasure,
And I scold anyone who brings me reproach.
And I long for the affection of one I have not desired,
Except for your company, my heart is ever yearning.
If others sought paths on one side,
And withdrew to the other,
I would follow her tracks, indeed,
For proximity to her is sublime wonder.
- From the words of Jarir:
Indeed, the eyes that have a twinkle in their corners,
Have slain us, yet resurrected not our fallen breath.
They cause hearts to weaken, till they lose their motion,
And they are the weakest of all of God’s creations.
The Most Beautiful Romantic Verses in Abbasid Poetry
- From the words of Al-Mutanabbi:
For your eyes, my heart has endured what it has encountered,
And in love, there remains nothing of me that is not touched.
I was not among those whose heart succumbed to love,
But whoever gazes upon your eyelids shall surely love.
- From the words of Al-Abbas ibn al-Ahnaf:
Calamities befall and leave no trace on their folk,
Yet the affliction of your love grows stronger each day.
- From the words of Abu Nuwas:
His beauty and charm have beckoned me to him,
With his enchanting eyes and a mole on his cheek.
Like the flickering light of a rose beneath his gaze,
The water sparkles beneath the soft moonlight.
I’ve never seen anyone turned into a slave for such beauty,
Nor has anyone harmed his own servant for a beauty like his.
The Most Beautiful Romantic Verses in Modern Poetry
The following verses represent some of the finest expressions of love in modern poetry:
- From the words of Nizar Qabbani:
Do you doubt that you are the most beautiful woman in the world?
And the most significant woman in existence?
Do you doubt that when I found you,
I possessed the keys to the universe?
Do you doubt that the moment I touched your hands,
The makeup of the world changed?
Do you doubt that your entry into my heart
Was the greatest day in history?
And the most beautiful news in the world?
- From the words of Ahmed Shawqi:
Modesty approached her, seeking permission,
As a breeze meandered beneath her shade.
The Nile flowed past her, tossing silver,
Scattering gems and smoothing stone.
It entices her companions, drawing them near,
And their beauty becomes even more captivating.
Darkness marvels at the lively maidens,
As they fall like deer from the hills towards us.
- From the words of Ahmed Shawqi:
If love could reward the beloved for his longing,
I would be repaid manifold for my desires.
I have tasted sweetness and bitterness in love,
And the ecstasy of passion is found in its diverse flavors.