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وأرض كأخلاق الكرام قَطَعْتُهَاوقدْ كَخَلَ اللَّيْلُ السَّمَاكَ فأبصرا (۳ by Unknown — Analysis & Translation

2 min read Arabic

Original Poem

وأرض كأخلاق الكرام قَطَعْتُهَاوقدْ كَخَلَ اللَّيْلُ السَّمَاكَ فأبصرا (۳

Translation (English)

A land like the noble's morals, I crossed it And the night decorated the sky, making stars visible

About the Poet

Unknown (Classical Arabic Poetry)

The poet of this specific excerpt is not identified. Classical Arabic poetry often reflects themes of nature, morality, and human experience, utilizing complex metaphors and structured meters.

Read more on Wikipedia →

Historical Context

Literary Form
Classical Arabic Poetry
When Written
Classical era, likely pre-Islamic or early Islamic period
Background
This poem reflects the classical Arabic tradition of using nature and celestial imagery to convey deeper philosophical or moral insights. The reference to 'night' and 'stars' is common in Arabic poetry to discuss themes of guidance, clarity, and revelation.

Sources: http://www.alfaseeh.com/vb/archive/index.php/t-1989.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_poetry

Detailed Explanation

This excerpt from a classical Arabic poem uses rich imagery to convey a journey both literal and metaphorical. The poet describes traversing a land that is as noble as the character of honorable people, suggesting a journey through a place of virtue and integrity. The second line uses the image of the night adorning the stars, a metaphor for clarity and revelation, as if the darkness of night enhances the visibility of the stars. This could symbolize enlightenment or insight gained through the journey. The poem reflects themes of nobility, guidance, and the beauty of the natural world, common in classical Arabic poetry.

Themes

  • Nobility
  • Guidance
  • Nature

Literary Devices

  • Metaphor: 'land like the morals of the noble' compares the land to noble character.
  • Imagery: 'night adorned the stars' creates a vivid picture of the night sky.

Word Dictionary

Word Meaning Translation Transliteration
وأرض مكان a place wa-ard
كأخلاق مثل أخلاق like the morals ka-akhlaq
الكرام الشرفاء the noble al-kiram
قَطَعْتُهَا عبرتُها I traversed it qata'tuha
وقدْ و and wa-qad
كَخَلَ زين decorated ka-khala
اللَّيْلُ الظلام darkness al-layl
السَّمَاكَ النجوم the sky as-samaak
فأبصرا رأيا they saw fa-absara

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