Poems About the Homeland
- By Mahmoud Sami Al-Baroudi:
The longing for you, my homeland, is profound,
Though trials may test my love for you.
You are my desire, and in the dawn
My dreams, happiness comes into view.
How can I forget you when within me
There beats a heart, forever bound to you?
I am unfazed if time proves harsh,
For you remain my solace when I’m blue.
I wish the dove’s message could convey
To my beloved ones how deeply I rue.
Are they steadfast in love, or has betrayal
Visited them, altering what they once knew?
If they forget me, let my memory endure,
For how can a body forget its own soul?
- By Nizar Qabbani:
When I yearn for my homeland,
I carry it to the tavern in the city,
And I place it on the table,
I drink with it until dawn,
Engaging in conversation until morning light.
I wander within the empty bottle,
Until the night fades away.
When the homeland becomes intoxicated at midnight,
And confesses that it, too, is homeless,
I pull out my handkerchief from my pocket,
And wipe its tears.
- By Ahmed Shawqi:
Your beauty soothes my heart, correcting its schemes,
Sweet with memories of my love, where signs fade.
Oh, wondrous sights! Observe the joy of the enthusiastic,
Who, unaware of the usual, will be revealed by time’s blade.
- By Mahmoud Darwish:
Grow bigger… grow bigger!
No matter how distant you may seem,
You remain, in my sight and flesh, an angel.
You stay true to how our love wishes to see you,
Your breeze is amber,
Your land is sweetened sugar,
And I love you… deeper.
Your hands are graceful,
But I sing not like the nightingales,
For chains remind me to fight.
I will fight… I will fight
Because I love you even more!
My song is edged with roses,
And my silence, thunderous innocence,
A lily from the blood of my heart,
For you embody soil and sky,
Your heart is green!
And love’s low tide within you, a high current,
So how can I not love you more,
When you are as our love desired me to perceive:
Your breeze is amber,
Your land is sweetened sugar,
Your heart is green!
I am a child of your love,
In your sweet embrace, I grow and thrive!
Poems About Separation
- By Ibn Daninier:
He left swiftly, and the sorrow of departure lingered,
Where passion took residence, leaving the heart trembling.
A gazelle with a serene face graces the landscape,
As the heart beats calm, pure as snow.
Her glances cast deadly darts,
And from her beauty, a sharpened sword is drawn.
Yet it struck my heart, not my flesh,
Melting my form as fate sanctioned it.
I asked her for forgiveness, hoping she would respond,
And though she forgave, my existence has waned.
They marveled at how gracefully she moves,
While my body, through her affection, has grown slender.
If my body were veiled in shadows,
To her gaze, it would surely vanish.
Oh, slayer with features that enchant,
In beauty, you surpass descriptions.
My promises to you have weakened, as I linger in despair,
But my resolve is fading under its weight.
Take pity on the one who loves you,
After intimacy has led to distance and void.
He conceals his affection from prying eyes,
Yet tears betray the secret of his love.
I expressed my love openly, lifting its banner high,
Hoping that her lips would draw close to mine.
- He also states:
As for separation, its appointed time is upon us,
So why should a critic scorn or dismiss it?
They have resolved to part, to the point that
The distance between us has emerged.
My tears will not cease to flow,
And the flames of my heart in love do not extinguish.
You have left me dejected through separation,
Enduring greater shame than one can bear.
Oh, neighbors of the scholars, your patience wanes,
Regarding your company, truly you must remain steadfast.
Every time I mention you, a deeper patience takes over,
As my heart is ensnared in your love.
A spark of longing ignited between my ribs,
A sigh of desire surges forth.
- By Al-Buhturi:
I seek refuge in the moon from the separation of my beloved,
And from the anguish of my lament for him.
And from my grief for him, a comfort of my eyes,
When longing encroaches and hearts are burdened.
He might set off towards home while the distance lies beyond,
For often the one close to home is not truly near.
Like the honored star, eloquence in its deeds,
Grieves for an ache or embraces the estranged.
Poems About Nature
- By Nazik Al-Malaika:
Be satisfied with life’s art and
Nature’s enchanting beauty revealed.
Dream of birds in the shade of the trees,
Between the soaring and the melodious.
Love the snow upon the mountains’ slopes,
And the roses blooming in the hills.
Listen to the nightingale’s voice
As it serenades in the dark of night.
Sit in the shade of the willow,
And listen to the trickling water.
Draw inspiration from the sound of falling rain,
This pure melody brings forth creativity.
Sing along with shepherds as they pass,
With their beautiful herd at their side.
Adore the palms, the wheat, and the flowers,
And be enchanted by the charm of the fields.
The shade of the willow offers truer comfort
Than the shadows of palaces and terraces.
The shepherd’s song is a purer tune
Than the noise of trumpets and carriages.
The fragrance of the orange blossom is sweeter and fresher
Than the city’s accumulated dust.
The clarity of the fields resonates deeper in the soul
Than violence, pain, and misdeeds.
The love of the butterfly for the flower is loftier
Than the yearning of a human lover.
The breeze of the villages keeps promises of affection
More faithful than the bonds of humanity.
The shepherd’s imaginary life offers more comfort
Than the life of the affluent in their palaces.
In the hills where the herd grazes
By the cool brook.
Where the sheep bleat amongst the fragrant sage
Cavorting through endless fields.
And the singing shepherd sprawls under the shade,
Surrendering to the touch of fantasy.
In his hand, a cheerful flute whispers
As he sings to the rhythm of the sheep.
Drawing from the murmurs of the brook,
Melodies of youth and dreams arise.
Oh, if I could live in those distant mountains,
Tending the flock each morning.
Singing to the willow and the cedar,
I listen to the winds’ sighs.
I adore the vineyards and the flowers,
Living my life as a divine being.
Every day I walk to the riverside,
Gazing at the clarity of the waters.
My friends are the snow, the flowers, and the sheep,
The lute is my companion, my solace.
And with me in the mountains is a poetic anthology
Of a genius poet.
I sing sometimes, and the waters listen
To my melodies flowing from its heights.
And I converse with books while beside me,
A poet’s whisper soothes my heartstrings.
The babbling of a grassy brook flows to the riverbank,
And the sweet bleating of the grazing sheep.
Oh, if only I could have a poetic cottage there,
Amidst the sorrowful meadows.
In the tranquility and solitude of the villages, I would spend my life,
Not amidst the city’s uproar.
I wish to be a daughter of those mountains,
For beauty dwells in every corner.
Poems About Happiness
- By Al-Hatiah:
I do not see happiness as amassed wealth,
But rather, the pious are truly content.
Righteousness is the best provision to store,
And with Allah, rewards increase for the pious.
What must come will arrive sooner or later,
Yet those who depart seem far away.
- By Amara Al-Yemeni:
Happiness has embraced its time,
And the joy of contentment is its gift.
The first of its year comes with gladness,
More delightful than Eid or Ramadan.
A year where its months sparkle,
Gems that giggle as they adorn our days.
Your victories open doors to joy,
So rejoice in this glorious kingdom.
Splitting the day’s brightness with generosity,
Wearing smiles as you recognize its light.