Original Poem
قِفَا نَبْكِ مِنْ ذِكْرَى حَبِيبٍ وَمَنْزِلِ بسِقْطِ اللَّوَى بَيْنَ الدَّخُولِ فَحَوْمَلِ وَلَيْلٍ كَمَوْجِ الْبَحْرِ أَرْخَى سُدُولَهُ عَلَيَّ بِأَنْوَاعِ الهُمُومِ لِيَبْتَلِي فَقُلْتُ لَهُ لَمَّا تَمَطَّى بِصُلْبِهِ وأَرْدَفَ أَعْجَارًا وَنَاءَ بِكَلْكَلِ أَلا أَيُّهَا اللَّيْلُ الطَّوِيلُ أَلَّا انْجَلِي بِصُبْحٍ وَمَا الإِصْبَاحُ مِنْكَ بِأَمْثَلِ فَيَالَكَ مِنْ لَيْلٍ كَأَنَّ نُجُومَهُ بِكُلِّ مُغَارِ الفَتْلِ شُدَّتْ بِيَذْبُلِ كَأَنَّ الثَّرَيَّا عُلِقَتْ فِي مَصَامِها بِأَمْرَاسِ كَتَانٍ إِلَى صُمَّ جَنْدَلِ وقَدْ أَغْتَدِي وَالطَّيْرُ فِي وُكُناتِها بِمُنْجَرِدٍ قَيْدِ الأَوَابِدِ هَيْكَيلِ مُكِرٍ مِفَرٍ مُقْبِلٍ مُدْبِرٍ مَعًا كَجُلْمُودِ صَخْرٍ حَطَّهُ السَّيْلِ مِنْ عَلِ كُمَيْتٍ يَزِلُّ اللَّبْدُ عَنْ حَالِ مَتْنِهِ كَمَا زَلْتِ الصَّفْوَاءُ بِالْمُتَنَزَّلِ يُطِيرُ الغُلَامَ الخِفَ عَن صَهَوَاتِه وَيُلوِي بِأَثْوَابِ العَنِيفِ مُثْقَلِ دَرِيرِ كَخُذَرُوفِ الوَلِيدِ أَمَرَّه تَقَلُّبُ كَفَّيهِ بِخَيطٍ مُوَصَّلِ له ايطلا ظبي وَسَاقَا نَعَامَة وَارِخَاهُ سِرحَانَ وَتَقْرِيبُ تَنفُلِ
Translation (English)
Pause and let us cry over the memory of a loved one and a home at Siqṭ al-Liwā between al-Dukhūl and Ḥawmal.
And a night like the sea's waves, it spread its curtains over me with various worries to test me.
So I said to it when it stretched its back and followed with weights and leaned with its heaviness.
O long night, won't you clear away with the morning, and the morning is not better than you.
Oh, what a night, as if its stars were tied with ropes of Yathbul.
As if the Pleiades were hung in their places with linen ropes to solid rocks.
And I may rise early while the birds are in their nests with a swift horse, restrained from wild beasts, a structure.
Deceptive, fleeing, advancing, retreating together like a boulder of rock that the torrent has brought down from above.
A bay horse, the saddle slips from its back as the smooth rock slips at the descent.
It throws the light boy from its back and twists with the clothes of the heavy rider.
Swift like the top of a child's spinning toy, turned by the turning of his hands with a connected string.
It has the speed of a gazelle and the legs of an ostrich, and its long neck is like a wolf, and its stride is like a fox.
About the Poet
Imru' al-Qais (6th century CE)
Imru' al-Qais was a pre-Islamic Arabian poet, often regarded as one of the greatest poets of the Arabic language. He is known for his Mu'allaqat, a series of seven pre-Islamic poems that are considered some of the finest examples of classical Arabic poetry.
Read more on Wikipedia →Historical Context
- Literary Form
- Mu'allaqa
- When Written
- 6th century CE
- Background
- This poem is part of the Mu'allaqat, a collection of pre-Islamic poems that were highly esteemed and often memorized. Imru' al-Qais's poem reflects themes of love, nostalgia, and the harshness of life, capturing the essence of Bedouin life and the poet's personal experiences.
Sources: https://www.toarab.ws/m/poems/poem/1/1/امرؤ-القيس/قفا-نبك-من-ذكرى-حبيب-ومنزل-بسقط-اللوى-بين-الدخول-وحومل/, https://www.aldiwan.net/poem50.html, https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A9_%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A6_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%B3
Detailed Explanation
This poem is part of the famous Mu'allaqat by Imru' al-Qais, a pre-Islamic poet. The poem begins with the poet asking his companions to pause and weep over the memories of a beloved and a dwelling place, evoking nostalgia and longing. The imagery of the night is used to convey the poet's emotional turmoil, comparing it to the waves of the sea, enveloping him with worries. The poet addresses the night, wishing for it to end, but acknowledges that the morning offers no relief. The poem vividly describes the stars and the Pleiades, using them as metaphors for the poet's feelings of entrapment and longing. The poet then shifts to describing a horse, symbolizing strength and freedom, yet also depicting the challenges and struggles of life. The horse's movements are likened to natural phenomena, emphasizing the poet's connection to nature and the transient nature of life. The poem captures the essence of Bedouin life, reflecting themes of love, loss, and the harsh realities of existence.
Themes
Literary Devices
Word Dictionary
| Word | Meaning | Translation | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|
| قِفَا | توقفا | stop | qifaa |
| نَبْكِ | نبكي | weep | nabki |
| مِنْ | من | from | min |
| ذِكْرَى | ذكرى | remembrance | dhikraa |
| حَبِيبٍ | محبوب | beloved | habeebin |
| وَمَنْزِلِ | بيت | dwelling | wamanzil |
| بسِقْطِ | في مكان | at | bisiqt |
| اللَّوَى | اسم مكان | name of a place | al-lawaa |
| بَيْنَ | بين | between | bayna |
| الدَّخُولِ | اسم مكان | name of a place | ad-dukhool |
| فَحَوْمَلِ | اسم مكان | name of a place | fahawmal |
| وَلَيْلٍ | ليل | night | walaylin |
| كَمَوْجِ | مثل موج | like the waves | kamawji |
| الْبَحْرِ | البحر | sea | al-bahri |
| أَرْخَى | أنزل | spread | arkhaa |
| سُدُولَهُ | ستائره | its veils | sudoolahu |
| عَلَيَّ | علي | on me | alayya |
| بِأَنْوَاعِ | بأنواع | with types | bi-anwaa'i |
| الهُمُومِ | القلق | worries | al-humoomi |
| لِيَبْتَلِي | ليختبر | to test | liyabtalee |
| فَقُلْتُ | قلت | I told | faqultu |
| لَهُ | له | to him | lahu |
| لَمَّا | عندما | when | lammaa |
| تَمَطَّى | امتد | extended | tamattaa |
| بِصُلْبِهِ | بظهره | its back | bisulbihi |
| وأَرْدَفَ | وتبع | and followed | wa-ardafa |
| أَعْجَارًا | أثقال | burdens | a'jaaran |
| وَنَاءَ | مال | leaned | wanaa |
| بِكَلْكَلِ | بثقله | with its weight | bikalkali |
| أَلا | يا | O | alaa |
| أَيُّهَا | أيها | O | ayyuh |
| اللَّيْلُ | الليل | night | al-laylu |
| الطَّوِيلُ | الطويل | long | at-taweelu |
| أَلَّا | ألا | will not | alla |
| انْجَلِي | انكشف | clear away | injali |
| بِصُبْحٍ | بصباح | with a morning | bisubh |
| وَمَا | وما | and | wa ma |
| الإِصْبَاحُ | الصباح | morning | al-isbaah |
| مِنْكَ | منك | than you | minka |
| بِأَمْثَلِ | أفضل | better | bi-amthal |
| فَيَالَكَ | يا لك | Oh, what a | fayaalak |
| لَيْلٍ | ليل | night | laylin |
| كَأَنَّ | كأن | as though | ka'anna |
| نُجُومَهُ | نجومه | its stars | nujoomahu |
| بِكُلِّ | بكل | with all | bikulli |
| مُغَارِ | حبل | rope | mughaar |
| الفَتْلِ | الفتل | twisting | al-fatli |
| شُدَّتْ | ربطت | tied | shuddat |
| بِيَذْبُلِ | اسم مكان | name of a place | biyathbul |
| الثَّرَيَّا | الثريا | the Pleiades | ath-thurayaa |
| عُلِقَتْ | علقت | were hung | uliqat |
| فِي | في | inside | fi |
| مَصَامِها | أماكنها | their places | masaamiha |
| بِأَمْرَاسِ | بحبال | with ropes | bi-amraas |
| كَتَانٍ | كتان | linen | katan |
| إِلَى | إلى | towards | ila |
| صُمَّ | صلب | solid | summ |
| جَنْدَلِ | صخور | rocks | jandal |
| وقَدْ | وقد | and | waqad |
| أَغْتَدِي | أخرج صباحًا | rise early | aghtadee |
| وَالطَّيْرُ | والطيور | while the birds | wat-tayru |
| وُكُناتِها | أعشاشها | their nests | wukunatiha |
| بِمُنْجَرِدٍ | بفرس سريع | with a swift horse | bimunjarid |
| قَيْدِ | مقيد | restrained | qaydi |
| الأَوَابِدِ | الوحوش | wild beasts | al-awabidi |
| هَيْكَيلِ | هيكل | structure | haykal |
| مُكِرٍ | ماكر | deceptive | mukir |
| مِفَرٍ | هارب | fleeing | mifar |
| مُقْبِلٍ | مقبل | coming | muqbil |
| مُدْبِرٍ | مدبر | going | mudbir |
| مَعًا | معًا | together | ma'an |
| كَجُلْمُودِ | مثل صخرة | like a boulder | kajulmud |
| صَخْرٍ | صخرة | rock | sakhr |
| حَطَّهُ | أسقطه | brought down | hattahu |
| السَّيْلِ | السيل | the torrent | as-sayl |
| عَلِ | فوق | above | ali |
| كُمَيْتٍ | فرس أحمر | bay horse | kumayt |
| يَزِلُّ | ينزلق | slips | yazil |
| اللَّبْدُ | السراج | the saddle | al-labd |
| عَنْ | عن | from | an |
| حَالِ | ظهر | back | haal |
| مَتْنِهِ | ظهره | its back | matnihi |
| كَمَا | كما | as | kamaa |
| زَلْتِ | انزلقت | slips | zalt |
| الصَّفْوَاءُ | الصخرة | the smooth rock | as-safwaa |
| بِالْمُتَنَزَّلِ | في النزول | at the descent | bilmutanazzil |
| يُطِيرُ | يطير | throws | yuteer |
| الغُلَامَ | الولد | the boy | al-ghulaam |
| الخِفَ | الخفيف | the light | al-khifa |
| عَن | عن | off | an |
| صَهَوَاتِه | ظهره | its back | sahawaatihi |
| وَيُلوِي | يلوي | bends | wayulwi |
| بِأَثْوَابِ | بملابس | with the clothes | bi-athwaabi |
| العَنِيفِ | الثقيل | the heavy | al-aneef |
| مُثْقَلِ | المثقل | rider | muthqal |
| دَرِيرِ | سريع | swift | dareer |
| كَخُذَرُوفِ | مثل خذروف | like the top | kakhuthroof |
| الوَلِيدِ | الطفل | child | al-waleed |
| أَمَرَّه | أداره | turned | amarrah |
| تَقَلُّبُ | تدوير | turning | taqallub |
| كَفَّيهِ | يديه | his hands | kaffayhi |
| بِخَيطٍ | بخيط | with a string | bikhaytin |
| مُوَصَّلِ | موصول | connected | muwassal |
| له | له | it possesses | lahu |
| ايطلا | سرعة | agility | aytla |
| ظبي | غزال | gazelle | zabi |
| وَسَاقَا | ساقي | legs | wasaaqaa |
| نَعَامَة | نعامة | ostrich | naama |
| وَارِخَاهُ | طويل | long | waarikhaahu |
| سِرحَانَ | ذئب | wolf | sirhan |
| وَتَقْرِيبُ | خطوة | stride | wataqreeb |
| تَنفُلِ | ثعلب | fox | tanful |
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