The Most Beautiful Sad Poetry in Classical Arabic
Among the most exquisite verses of sad poetry in classical Arabic are the following:
How Difficult It Is to Cry Without Tears
How difficult it is to cry without tears.
How difficult it is to leave without return.
How difficult it is to feel constricted,
As if the space around you grows smaller.
How difficult it is to speak without a voice,
To live only to wait for death.
How difficult it is to feel boredom,
Seeing nothing around you but emptiness,
And to be overwhelmed by a sense of regret,
For a sin you have not committed.
How difficult it is to experience profound sadness,
As if deep within you lies an ancient pain.
You continue your journey alone,
Without a goal, without a companion, without a friend,
And you become part of a trio of sorrow, regret, and despair,
Finding your face drowned in tears.
Hope dwindles into a mere glimmer.
How difficult it is to live inside yourself in solitude,
Without a friend, companion, or beloved.
You feel that joy is distant,
And you suffer from a wound that never heals.
A deep wound, a stubborn wound,
A wound that no doctor can remedy.
How difficult it is to see light as darkness,
To perceive happiness as mere illusions,
While you are alone in your alienation.
They Gathered in Goodness One Day, Forgetting the Taste of Deprivation
They gathered in goodness one day, forgetting the taste of deprivation.
They pledged closeness and to uphold the meaning of security.
For they spoke of love, words that time bears witness to.
They promised to love and to build their circumstances upon love.
Silk was their wall, and hearts fell under the mercy of the Almighty.
But pride persisted, and the fire of life burned fierce,
As if the remaining people had no feelings left.
Night stretched among them, turning distance into a volcano.
Wherever they turned, they sought to avoid the day of separation.
They dreamed greatly, like a drunkard on the day of celebration,
Giving orders and forgetting that authority matters.
They flew while melodies played around them,
Thus their dance became a routine, ignoring the threats surrounding.
They uttered strange words that elevated the human realm.
Everyone who beheld them was astonished by wonders of the realm.
Fates circled amongst them, shattering those sorrows,
And what was once absent has become a homeland today.
This world always divides the unity of embraces,
So let us be a memory cherished by generations of gazelles.
How Can I Not Be Sad?
How can I not feel sad, I wonder?
They have said this many, many times,
And I used to tell them, “I will see.”
Days pass, and I remain as I am,
They scoff at my attachment to a past that has departed.
How could I not be sad when I have devoted my life,
My heartbeat, my sighs, my tears,
My expressions, my poetry, and my promises
To someone who turned away as swiftly as death?
How can I not mourn when my dreams have shattered,
And my pens have broken, while my burdens scattered?
Pain has surged forth, scattering before me,
And my ailments repeat while my melodies are severed.
How can I not feel sadness when the sun has set,
And the candles have melted while destinies have softened?
As the end has arrived, and the beginning was lost,
The path has disappeared, and the way back has become impossible,
And life has ceased to exist.
How can I not grieve when my beloved has betrayed me,
And my uncle has vanished, and my heart is starved?
And the body trembles while sleep is measured in abundance,
And the grave, now sold, is auctioned off.
How can I not be sad when night has become day,
And the neighbor has deserted the neighbor?
And the birds have flown from their nests,
While the wise man is perplexed by my condition.
The train has surpassed me,
And my heart has been pierced by a thousand nails.
And my body has burned with fever,
While the believer has turned into a non-believer.
How can I not be sad when sadness draws its sorrow from me,
And fate learns its strength from me?
And patience learns its essence from me?
And the heart learns love from me?
And loyalty learns to stay true from me?
And my beloved learns affection from me?
And the clever learns wisdom from me?
And the foolish learns their folly from me?
And the deceived learns treachery from me?
And the forgetful learns forgetting from me?
And the remembering learns remembrance from me?
And life learns existence from me?
And extinction learns termination from me?
But from me, do not learn from me.
How can I not be sad when friends have departed,
Leaving, abandoning, forgetting?
And deceiving, betraying, and forsaking me,
And I remain alone, wishing they had never existed.
How can I not mourn when truth is a lie,
And the gift is returned, the smile is robbed?
When reality is limited, and loved ones are hidden,
And hearts are turned upside down, and necks are strained?
With arteries tainted and blood drawn,
The life we live is laced with falsehood.. Ask, ask where is certainty?
For I find nothing but deep betrayal
From this soul, body, spirit, and cursed fate.
Love, passion, longing, and the accursed time.
Don’t turn, oh eye, don’t seek out anyone,
For this place is unfit for human habitation.
Here, there are only monsters, phantoms, and trees,
And sands, winds, inanimate objects, and rodents.
And this abandoned house is occupied by that lean,
Weeping, hungry one longing for a glass of nostalgia.
That bent, curled figure lying on memories,
On pains and on his words,
Owner of the sorrowful heart.
I Wept, But Does the Weeping of the Heart Help?
I wept, but does the weeping of the heart help?
The separation from my loved ones and the yearning of my soul.
What is the meaning of life if we are parted?
And does wailing help? I do not know.
Neither does remembrance grant me relief and let me forget,
Nor does longing allow me a moment of sleep.
Separation from my loved ones has rocked my being,
And even when we meet, I will continue to weep.
I am tired of suppressing the anguish of love and defying all my detractors,
And I wish that no one knew about my life and what has transpired.
On the day I proclaimed my love for you, it felt like my birthday.
The Most Beautiful Sad Poetry in Gulf Dialect
Among the most beautiful verses of sad poetry in Gulf dialect are the following:
Silence Suffices and Heals the Heart of Its Owner
Silence suffices and heals the heart of its owner,
When all the words have lost their meaning.
And the heart no longer cares for the conversations,
And the eyes are no longer tempted by wishes.
The mind wanders, who can entertain it?
Whether it’s people, poetry, or singing,
O writer of sadness in my heart, read my verses.
In my gaze, my emotions, in my affection,
Oh, how I long for my sadness to be just tears to shed.
It does not live with me among the surroundings,
It will not show itself, and I try to hide it.
And my sorrowful looks become my language,
If clouds imprisoned me, oh tears of confusion.
By God, you haven’t been away from my heart for even a moment,
I wonder if you remember a time when you forgot me.
I used to hate the sea and fear sinking in it,
But today I love it and fear the ports.
I used to yearn for tomorrow’s dreams and hopes,
How many times did I build palaces for it in my imagination?
How many times did I wish for a gift that has remained unseen?
Until it took everything and gave me nothing.
I Won’t Say My Chest Is Constricted
I won’t say my chest is constricted; I will say the universe within me has shrunk.
I won’t say that your absence is hard; I will say that the distance is overwhelming me.
How many times has my heart grieved over you without mentioning separation?
Perhaps I hold a grudge, and I might accept if you reconcile with me.
I wish you would miss me as much as I miss you and long for you.
I swear by God that you do not recall it crossed your mind to leave me.
In my eyes, you are this world. And who else remains worthy of being in my sight?
Many have come, but they haven’t filled my eyes; your presence alone suffices me.
Separation changed everything, scattering your leaves with your absence.
My solace in your absence is the picture that offers me consolation.
I am forced to accept your distance and stifle my longings,
And I suppress my tears in my eyes despite the ache inside.
My beloved, this neglect is my prison while your closeness to the heavens is my freedom.
Despite my many faults in your eyes, I lost you; where are you and where am I?
My love, feel my sorrow; for this life is unlivable.
I can stand it, but it’s too hard on me; your betrayal has stunned me.
What happens in this world if you return to me longing for my love?
What do you lose if you think of pleasing me?
In the end, after you, this time has dealt me such a blow,
For I thought you would perish and not leave me.
Be Patient, Oh Heart
Be patient, oh heart, and wait; let sorrow remain masked.
All meanings have changed, and the picture has clarified.
Honesty is now rare like loyalty in this era,
And our souls are bruised, and joy has shattered.
Every principle has been betrayed, and those who have it are oppressed,
Even emotions have depreciated, and words have lost their value.
Don’t Ask Me
Don’t ask me about the reasons behind my suppressed grief,
Just ask me about my absence and presence.
Don’t ask me why my eyes weep,
Just inquire about what brings me joy.
Don’t ask me about the twists of time,
For I cater to my loved ones and my friends.
Healing the broken is the essence of my presence,
While offering joy amidst rainy sadness.
I mend the fractures of others while neglecting my own wounds.