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دان علي أيدي العفاة و شاسح by Unknown — Analysis & Translation

2 min read Arabic

Original Poem

دان علي أيدي العفاة و شاسح عن كل يد في الندي والضريب كالبدر أفرط في العلو و ضوءه للعصبةالسارين جد قريب

Translation (English)

Humble to the hands of the needy and distant From every hand in generosity and hardship Like the moon, excessive in height and its light To the group of travelers very near

About the Poet

Unknown (Classical Arabic Poetry)

The poet of this specific piece is unknown, but it belongs to the tradition of classical Arabic poetry, which was characterized by its use of meter and rhyme. Classical Arabic poetry often explored themes of nature, love, and social values.

Historical Context

Literary Form
Classical Arabic poetry
When Written
Classical era
Background
This poem uses metaphor and simile to convey themes of generosity and the contrast between apparent distance and actual closeness. Such themes are common in classical Arabic poetry, often reflecting social values and philosophical ideas.

Sources: https://tafsir.app/iraab-aldarweesh/9/20, https://shamela.ws/book/17669/122, https://almerja.com/reading.php?idm=137811, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_poetry

Detailed Explanation

This poem reflects on the duality of generosity and distance. The first two lines describe a person who is humble and accessible to those in need, yet distant from others in terms of generosity and hardship. The metaphor of the moon in the last two lines illustrates this duality further. The moon is high and distant, yet its light reaches those who travel at night, symbolizing how someone can be both elevated and approachable. This reflects the classical Arabic poetic tradition of using nature to explore human virtues.

Themes

  • Generosity
  • Distance and Closeness
  • Nature

Literary Devices

  • Metaphor: The moon is used to symbolize a person who is both distant and close.
  • Simile: Comparison of a person to the moon to illustrate duality.
  • Imagery: Vivid description of the moon's light reaching travelers.

Word Dictionary

Word Meaning Translation Transliteration
دان قريب close daan
علي على on 'alaa
أيدي أيدي hands ayadi
العفاة المحتاجين the needy al-'afaah
و و and wa
شاسح بعيد far shaasiH
عن من from 'an
كل كل every kull
يد يد hand yad
في في in fi
الندي الكرم generosity al-nadi
والضريب الصعوبة difficulty wa-al-dhareeb
كالبدر مثل القمر like the moon kal-badr
أفرط زاد excessive afrat
العلو الارتفاع height al-uluww
ضوءه نوره its light daw'uhu
للعصبةالسارين للمسافرين to the travelers lil-usbat al-saarin
جد جدا very jidd
قريب قريب near qareeb

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