Poems about Sadness in Literary Arabic
Among the most beautiful expressions of sadness in Arabic are the following poems:
Poem: I See That Sadness Is Useless for Those I Have Lost
The poet Al-Imad Al-Asbahani articulates:
I see that sadness is of no use for those I have lost
If there was more sorrow in my heart, I would increase it.
The circumstances have changed entirely in your absence,
So I don’t see the world as I once knew it.
I made promises of success with your presence,
Yet fate dissolved what I had vowed.
And I believed you were my eternal relief,
But the days deceived me in what I had believed.
I wished you a long life, but what was,
Was only what God had willed, not what I desired.
O loneliness of the companion I have lost,
And the isolation of the friend I have missed.
A farewell called my name, reminding me of him,
And the mention of his name brought memories flooding back.
I have lost those dear to me, the best among them,
So who is there to blame if I seek to remember him?
Poem: O Sadness That Overwhelms My Country
The poet Ahmad Matar laments:
O sadness that overwhelms my country
I am overwhelmed by sadness because of you.
You are everywhere,
You exist in every era.
I go around serving all people
Without any reward.
How strange you are! Do you not complain of weariness?
Which heart hasn’t assigned you a task?
Which eye hasn’t borne your burdens?
Some invite you to embrace confinement,
While others push you towards the farewell of the shroud.
Some invite you to adorn a spirit,
While others push you to toil in vain.
Whom will you satisfy, O sadness, and whom?
And when will you grow weary of dwelling in a land
Where you are unappreciated?
I wish to leave it behind,
But love for my homeland holds me back.
Poem: May God Not Sadden the Emir, for I
Abu Al-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi expresses:
May God not sadden the Emir, for I
Will take my share from his conditions.
And whoever among the people shed tears of joy, then weep out of sorrow
Wept with eyes that conceal pleasure and hearts that overflow.
And yet, while he is buried, he remains dear to my heart,
My beloved’s beloved.
Those who departed this life before us
Could not be healed by any physician’s remedy.
If the people of this world had lived,
Their existence would have prevented our comings and goings.
The future holds it captive, stealing possession,
And the past leaves in surrender.
In it, courage and generosity hold no favor,
Patience of a youth is meaningless without encounter.
And the life of the ancient ones belongs to the one
Who was betrayed in his old age.
To remain with my feelings of longing,
Aside from every fleeting moment.
Not every respectable face is blessed
Nor every narrowed eyelid praiseworthy.
If a sense of sadness appeared among us,
It has emerged at the heart of each stake.
And in every bow, each day battles with life,
In every glance, each day invites a ride.
It’s painful to break a customs,
While calling for a matter that remains unanswered.
And when I catch a sight of you standing,
I look at the one with the two locks and the reader.
And if precious sweet wine is lost,
From whose hand was it wasted?
As if death were to return to every noble heart,
If his glory is not protected by flaws.
Without the hands of fate joining us,
We would’ve been oblivious to our sins.
And the separation from goodness is better for the benefactor,
If kindness is not based on a child.
And the one who seized Nizar’s spirit today,
Is free from the enslavement of the stranger.
Let the purity of affection be enough to soften its heart,
And proximity to him becomes a source of pride.
Thus, compensate with the sword of the state; for he
Is the finest reward amongst the best of the rewarded.
The knight of steeds has soaked the wounds with their essence,
Fighting fiercely in a dire position.
He shuns the tents of ruin in his battles,
For there is no shelter except the dust of wars.
May your happiness descend if it brings benefit,
By tearing hearts apart, not by destroying garments.
For perhaps a miserable one does not shed tears,
And perhaps a moist-eyed one is not miserable.
Take solace in your father; for surely
Your grieving was met with laughter soon after.
If you encounter the noble soul in distress,
You could have turned sadness into generosity.
And how many have you encountered that you have not seen?
Yet you did not travel in his traces before sunset.
May your soul be protected from the envious, for they
Are tormented by presence and absence.
And in the toil of one who envies the sun its light,
You would labor to challenge it in vain.
Poem: The Stranger Is Not the Stranger from Sham and Yemen
Zain Al-Abidin states:
The stranger is not the one from Sham and Yemen,
Rather, the truly strange is one who lies beneath the shroud.
The stranger is entitled to his rights due to his estrangement,
Over those who remain in their homes and dwellings.
Do not scorn a stranger when he finds himself alone,
For time has humiliated him with misery and trials.
My journey is far, and my provisions will not sustain me,
And my strength has faltered while death seeks me.
I possess remnants of sins which I am unaware of,
Only God knows them in secret and overtly.
How patient is God with me when He has granted me respite,
While I have exceeded the limit of my sins and He conceals me.
Days pass without remorse,
And there is no weeping, no fear, nor sadness.
I am the one who closes the doors diligently,
Against sins, while the eye of God observes me.
O slip that was written in carelessness,
O regret that remains in the heart, burning me.
Let me lament for myself and grieve over her,
And cut through time with reminders of sorrow.
Give up your reproach, O one who reproaches me,
If you had known what I endured, you would have forgiven me.
Let me shed tears that have no end,
Perhaps a single drop could save me.
As though I lie among my loved ones,
On a bed while their hands turn me.
And they have gathered around me, some lamenting,
Some weeping over me, and some mourning me.
They even brought a doctor to attend to me,
Yet I saw no treatment today that could aid me.
The struggle intensified, and death tugged the life
From every vein without gentleness or ease.
As my soul was drawn out during its throes,
And my throat became bitter when I gasped for breath.
They closed my eyes, and everyone left,
After despair, they hastened to prepare the shroud.
And those whom I loved hurried in anguish,
Towards the place of washing to may cleanse me.
They said, “O people, we need a skilled washer,
Free, alert, knowledgeable, compassionate.”
Then one came among them who stripped me,
Of my garments, leaving me bare.
And they placed me on the boards, letting me lie,
And water cascaded over me to purify me.
He poured water over me and washed me,
Washing three times, and the people called for the shroud.
They clothed me in garments with no sleeves,
And my provisions became the perfume prepared for burial.
They brought me out from this world, oh lament,
For leaving without provisions that could deliver me.
They carried me on shoulders of four men,
While behind me, some followed my procession.
And they placed me at the prayer area, then left,
Behind the Imam, who prayed and then bid me farewell.
Pray over me a prayer without bowing,
Nor prostration, perhaps God grants me mercy.
And they gently lowered me into my grave,
Sending forth one of them to lay me to rest.
With a covering over my face, for them to see me,
A flood of tears fell from his eyes, drowning me.
He stood there, respectfully and firmly gripping,
And arranged the earth over me, then departed.
He said, “Sprinkle dust upon him, and benefit,
With a reward from the All-Merciful One.”
For in the darkness of the grave, there is no mother there,
Nor a compassionate father, nor a brother to comfort me.
A terrifying vision startled me as I gazed upon,
At the terrifying sight of what came to haunt me.
What will I say to Munkar and Nakir?
Frightened by their state, I was astounded.
They sat me up and rushed to question me.
Who else do I have, my Lord, to save me?
Pour forth your mercy upon me, O my hope,
For I am shackled by my sins, detained.
My family shared my wealth after they departed,
And my burdens became heavy upon my back.
And my wife replaced me with another man,
And he ruled over the wealth and home.
And my children became slaves to serve her,
While my wealth was a commodity without price.
Do not be deceived by this fleeting world and its adornments,
And witness its impact on family and homeland.
And consider those who possessed this world in its entirety,
Did they leave it behind without the shroud and coffin?
Seek contentment from your life and be content with it,
Even if all you have is the comfort of your body.
O planter of goodness, you will reap a harvest,
And O planter of evil, you will stand still in weakness.
O soul, refrain from disobedience and seek goodness,
Perhaps God will grant you mercy after your passing.
O soul, woe unto you, repent, and do good,
It may result in a reward of kindness after death.
Then may blessings be upon our chosen Prophet,
Upon whom the light shone in Sham and Yemen.
And all praise belongs to God as we rise and set,
With goodness, forgiveness, benevolence, and countless blessings.
Poems about Sadness in Colloquial Arabic
Among the poems that discuss sadness in colloquial language are the following:
Poem: Do Not Ask Me About the Reason for Hiding My Sorrows
The poet says:
Do not ask me about the reason I hide my sorrows,
Just ask me about my absence and presence.
Do not inquire about the tears I hide,
Simply ask me about the sources of my joy.
Do not question me about the twists of fate,
I mingle with my loved ones, relatives, and brothers.
Putting others at ease has become my significance,
I provide them with happiness while I am amidst sorrows.
And I mend others’ breaks while neglecting my own.
Do not ask me about the reason I hide my sorrow,
Just ask me about my absence and presence.
Do not inquire about the tears I conceal,
Simply ask me about the sources of my joy.
Do not question me about the twists of fate,
I mingle with my loved ones, relatives, and brothers.
Putting others at ease has become my significance,
I provide them with happiness while I am amid sorrows.
And I mend others’ breaks while neglecting my own.
Poem: I Randomly Passed Through the Street of Sorrows
The poet writes:
I randomly passed through the street of sorrows,
Where I met a dream wandering aimlessly.
He was searching through the ruins of time,
For a heartbeat stolen from beneath my gaze.
Returning with memories to a realm of grief,
Flipping through pages erased by forgetfulness.
Moments sprang forth from the well of estrangement,
Drowning the heart in despair and humiliation.
A salute to the heartbeat of humanity for feelings of sadness,
A tribute to the night of sorrow when tears overwhelm the eyes.
Poem: What Can I Say When My Heart is Heavy?
The poet laments:
What can I say when my heart feels heavy? The whole universe is constricted within me.
What can I say when your absence is difficult? Distance is taking its toll on me.
I worried a thousand times about you, and we never mentioned parting,
Perhaps I can harbor it in my heart and forgive you if you only reconcile with me.
If only you would feel my absence as much as I miss you and long for you.
I swear to God, you wouldn’t even think of leaving me.
In my eyes, you are this world; without you, nothing else can be found.
There are many who fill my sight, but my heart is satisfied with you alone.
Separation… I was hoping you’d redeem my patience with an embrace.
Because of you, I sold this world and came, and now you’re turning me away.
My dear, the distance has settled, and your indifference has scattered the papers of my heart.
My consolation in your absence is a reflection of you that comforts me in your distance.
I’m forced to accept your absence and conceal my longing,
I am stubborn despite my deprivation and I conceal my tears away.
My love, and neglect is my prison while your presence frees me from misery.
Despite all my faults in your eyes, I’ve lost you, where are you, and where am I?
My beloved, feel my sadness, for my world is insufferable.
What’s worse than this immense shock I feel within?
What would the world say if you just came back to me longing?
What do you lose if you think of pleasing me?
In the end, your absence gave me a heartbreaking blow,
Because I thought you’d die rather than leave me.