Original Poem
كأنَّ قُلُوبَ الطَّيْرِ رَطْبًا ويابسًا لَدَى وَكْرِهَا العُنَّابُ والحَشَفُ البالي
Translation (English)
As if the hearts of birds, moist and dry
At their nest, are like jujube and old dates
About the Poet
Unknown (Classical Arabic Poetry)
This line is a part of classical Arabic poetry, often used as a grammatical or rhetorical example. The specific poet is not identified in the sources.
Historical Context
- Literary Form
- Classical Arabic Poetry
- When Written
- Classical era, exact date unknown
- Background
- This line is often cited in grammatical and rhetorical studies of Arabic poetry. It exemplifies the use of metaphor and simile in classical Arabic literature.
Sources: https://shamela.ws/book/17712/834, https://al-maktaba.org/book/31874/34501, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_poetry
Detailed Explanation
This line of poetry uses a simile to compare the hearts of birds to both fresh and dry fruits, specifically jujube and old dates. The imagery suggests a contrast between vitality and decay, capturing the essence of life and death. The use of 'hearts of birds' could symbolize fragility or sensitivity, while 'moist and dry' indicates a range of conditions or states. The nest represents a place of origin or home, tying the metaphor to themes of nature and life cycles. This line is often used in Arabic literature to illustrate the beauty and complexity of metaphorical language.
Themes
Literary Devices
Word Dictionary
| Word | Meaning | Translation | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|
| كأنَّ | مثل | as if | ka'anna |
| قُلُوبَ | قلوب | the things that feel emotions | quloob |
| الطَّيْرِ | الطيور | birds | at-tayr |
| رَطْبًا | طري | moist | ratban |
| ويابسًا | جاف | dry | wayabisan |
| لَدَى | عند | at | lada |
| وَكْرِهَا | عشها | their nest | wakriha |
| العُنَّابُ | نوع من الفاكهة | jujube | al-'unnab |
| والحَشَفُ | التمر القديم | old dates | wal-hashaf |
| البالي | القديم | very old | al-baali |
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