Original Poem
أمن أم أوفي دمنة لم تكلم بحومانة الدراج فالمتثلم وقفت بها من بعد عشرين حجة فلأيا عرفت الدار بعد توهم فلما عرفت الدار قلت لربعها ألا عم صباحا أيها الربع واسلم سعي ساعيا غيظ بن مرة بعدها تبزل ما بين العشيرة بالدم فأقسمت بالبيت الذي طاف حوله رجال بنوه من قريش و جرهم يمينا لنعم السيدان وجدتما علي كل حال من سحيل و مبرم تداركما عبسا و ذبيان بعدما تفانو و دقو بينهم عطر منشم وقد قلما إن ندرك السلم واسعا بمال و معروف من القول نسلم فأصبحتما منها علي خير موطن بعيدين فيها من عقوق و مأثم عظيمين في عليا معد و غيرها و من يستبح كنزا من المال يعظم رأيت المنايا خبط عشواء من تصب تمته ومن تخطئ يعمر فيهرم ومن يجعل المعروف من دون عرضه يفره ومن لا يتق الشتم يشتم
Translation (English)
Is it from Umm Awfa's place that I see remnants?
In the area of Al-Darraj and Al-Mutathallam.
I stood there after twenty years,
And barely recognized the place after doubting.
When I recognized the place, I said to its remains,
Good morning, O remains, and be safe.
A man from the tribe of Murrah caused anger,
Spilling blood among the tribe.
I swore by the house around which
Men of Quraysh and Jurhum walked.
By God, you are indeed two noble leaders,
In every situation, whether simple or complex.
Your tribes of Abs and Dhubyan made peace,
After they had nearly destroyed each other.
Rarely do we find peace,
With wealth and good words, we find safety.
You have become in the best of places,
Far from disobedience and wrongdoing.
Great in the high ranks of Ma'ad and others,
And whoever takes a treasure of wealth becomes great.
I saw death as a random strike, whoever it hits,
It kills, and whoever it misses, lives to grow old.
Whoever does good without protecting his reputation,
Will be harmed, and whoever does not avoid insult will be insulted.
About the Poet
Zuhayr ibn Abi Sulma (Pre-Islamic)
Zuhayr ibn Abi Sulma was a pre-Islamic poet known for his wisdom and moral themes. He is one of the seven poets whose work was included in the Mu'allaqat, a collection of pre-Islamic poetry. His poetry often reflects on life, death, and the nature of human existence.
Read more on Wikipedia →Historical Context
- Literary Form
- Mu'allaqat
- When Written
- Pre-Islamic era
- Background
- This poem is part of the Mu'allaqat, a prestigious collection of pre-Islamic poetry. It reflects on themes of transience, honor, and the moral values of the time.
Sources: https://www.philadelphia.edu.jo/academics/m_obaid/uploads/POEM+1.doc, https://mawdoo3.com/شرح_معلقة_زهير_بن_أبي_سلمى_(أمن_أم_أوفى_دمنة), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_poetry
Detailed Explanation
Zuhayr ibn Abi Sulma's poem reflects on the themes of transience, honor, and the moral values of the pre-Islamic era. The poem opens with the poet contemplating the ruins of Umm Awfa's abode, symbolizing the passage of time and the impermanence of human achievements. The imagery of the deserted house and the desolate landscape evokes a sense of nostalgia and loss.
As the poem progresses, Zuhayr reflects on the conflicts and reconciliations among tribes, highlighting the importance of honor and wisdom in resolving disputes. The mention of the tribes of Abs and Dhubyan, who reconciled after near destruction, serves as a metaphor for the potential of peace and unity. The poet emphasizes the value of noble leadership and the role of wealth and good deeds in achieving harmony.
The emotional arc of the poem moves from nostalgia and reflection to a contemplation of mortality and the fleeting nature of life. The tone is contemplative and philosophical, urging the reader to consider the deeper meanings of existence and the legacy one leaves behind.
Zuhayr employs literary devices such as metaphor and imagery to convey his themes. The metaphor of death as a blind strike underscores the unpredictability of life, while the imagery of the ruins and the desert landscape enhances the poem's reflective tone. The poem's structure, with its rhythmic and rhymed verses, adheres to the traditional form of Arabic poetry, adding to its timeless quality.
Overall, the poem serves as a meditation on the values of honor, wisdom, and the inevitability of change. It reflects the cultural and moral ethos of the pre-Islamic era, offering insights into the human condition and the enduring quest for meaning and legacy.
Themes
Literary Devices
Word Dictionary
| Word | Meaning | Translation | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|---|
| أمن | هل | Is it | a-min |
| أم | أو | or | am |
| أوفي | اسم امرأة | Umm Awfa (a woman's name) | awfa |
| دمنة | آثار | traces | damna |
| لم | لا | not | lam |
| تكلم | تتحدث | speak | takallama |
| بحومانة | مكان | in the desert | bi-hawmanah |
| الدراج | اسم مكان | Al-Darraj (a place) | al-darraj |
| فالمتثلم | مكان آخر | Al-Mutathallam (another place) | al-mutathallam |
| وقفت | توقفت | stood | waqaftu |
| بها | هناك | there | bi-ha |
| من | من | from | man |
| بعد | بعد | after | ba'd |
| عشرين | 20 | twenty | ishreen |
| حجة | سنة | years | hijjah |
| فلأيا | بصعوبة | barely | fa-la-ayyan |
| عرفت | تعرفت | recognized | araftu |
| الدار | المنزل | house | al-daar |
| توهم | شك | doubting | tawahhum |
| فلما | عندما | when | falamma |
| قلت | قلت | said | qultu |
| لربعها | لآثارها | to its ruins | li-rub'iha |
| ألا | ألا | O | ala |
| عم | صباحا | morning | am |
| صباحا | صباحا | morning | sabaahan |
| أيها | يا | O | ayyuha |
| الربع | الآثار | ruins | al-rub' |
| واسلم | كن آمنا | be safe | waslam |
| سعي | سعى | strived | sa'aa |
| ساعيا | شخص يسعى | a man striving | sa'iyan |
| غيظ | غضب | anger | ghayz |
| بن | ابن | son of | bin |
| مرة | اسم قبيلة | Murrah (tribe name) | murrah |
| بعدها | بعد ذلك | after that | ba'daha |
| تبزل | تسيل | spilling | tabazzala |
| ما | ما | what | ma |
| بين | بين | between | bayn |
| العشيرة | القبيلة | the clan | al-'ashirah |
| بالدم | بالدماء | with blood | bi-dam |
| فأقسمت | حلفت | I swore | fa-aqsamtu |
| بالبيت | بالكعبة | by the house | bi-al-bayt |
| الذي | الذي | which | alladhi |
| طاف | دار حول | circumambulated | taafa |
| حوله | حول | around it | hawlahu |
| رجال | رجال | men | rijaal |
| بنوه | بنوه | built it | banawhu |
| قريش | اسم قبيلة | Quraysh (tribe name) | quraysh |
| و | و | and | wa |
| جرهم | اسم قبيلة | Jurhum (tribe name) | jurhum |
| يمينا | حقا | by God | yameenan |
| لنعم | بالتأكيد | indeed | la-ni'ma |
| السيدان | السادة | two noble masters | al-sayidan |
| وجدتما | وجدتما | you found | wajaduma |
| علي | في | in | ala |
| كل | كل | every | kull |
| حال | وضع | situation | haal |
| سحيل | بسيط | simple | saheel |
| مبرم | معقد | complex | mubram |
| تداركما | تصالحا | reconciled | tadarkuma |
| عبسا | اسم قبيلة | Abs (tribe name) | abs |
| ذبيان | اسم قبيلة | Dhubyan (tribe name) | dhubyan |
| بعدما | بعد أن | after | ba'dama |
| تفانو | تقريبا دمروا | nearly destroyed | tafanu |
| دقو | كسروا | broke | daqqaw |
| بينهم | بينهم | among them | baynahum |
| عطر | عطر | perfume | itr |
| منشم | اسم | Munsham (name) | munsham |
| وقد | نادرا | rarely | wa-qad |
| قلما | نادرا | rarely | qallama |
| إن | إذا | if | in |
| ندرك | نحقق | achieve | nudrik |
| السلم | السلام | peace | al-silm |
| واسعا | كبيرا | wide | wasi'an |
| بمال | بالمال | with wealth | bi-maal |
| معروف | عمل جيد | good deed | ma'roof |
| القول | الكلام | words | al-qawl |
| نسلم | نكون آمنين | find safety | naslam |
| فأصبحتما | أصبحتما | you have become | fa-asbahtuma |
| منها | منها | from it | minha |
| خير | أفضل | best | khayr |
| موطن | مكان | place | mawatin |
| بعيدين | بعيدين | far | ba'eedeen |
| فيها | فيها | in it | feeha |
| عقوق | عصيان | disobedience | uquq |
| مأثم | ذنب | sin | ma'tham |
| عظيمين | كبيرين | great | azimeen |
| في | في | in | fee |
| عليا | عليا | high ranks | ulya |
| معد | اسم قبيلة | Ma'ad (tribe name) | ma'ad |
| غيرها | غيرها | others | ghayriha |
| يستبح | يأخذ | seizes | yastabih |
| كنزا | ثروة | treasure | kanza |
| المال | المال | wealth | al-maal |
| يعظم | يكبر | becomes great | ya'azim |
| رأيت | شاهدت | I saw | ra'aytu |
| المنايا | الموت | death | al-manaya |
| خبط | ضرب | strike | khabt |
| عشواء | عشوائية | blind | ashwa |
| تصب | تصيب | it hits | tasib |
| تمته | تقتله | it kills | tamithu |
| تخطئ | تخطئ | it misses | tukhti |
| يعمر | يعيش | lives | ya'mur |
| فيهرم | ويشيخ | to grow old | fa-yahram |
| يجعل | يجعل | does | yaj'al |
| المعروف | الخير | good | al-ma'roof |
| دون | بدون | without | doon |
| عرضه | شرفه | his honor | irdihi |
| يفره | يؤذى | will be harmed | yufarra |
| لا | لا | does not | la |
| يتق | يتجنب | avoid | yattaqi |
| الشتم | الإهانة | insult | al-shatm |
| يشتم | يُهان | will be insulted | yushtam |
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