Syrian Arabic Curriculum — Grade 10 — Page 5

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

يَدُلُّ عَلَى الْمَكَانَةِ السَّامِيَةِ الَّتِي كَانَ يَحْظَى بِهَا الشِّعْرُ فِي ذَلِكَ الْعَصْرِ، وَمِنْ أَبْرَزِ مَا مَيَّزَ هَذَا الْعَصْرَ الْقَصَائِدُ الطِّوَالُ الَّتِي سُمِّيَتِ الْمُعَلَّقَاتُ، هَذِهِ الْقَصَائِدُ أَصْبَحَتْ مَادَّةً لِكَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْمُؤَلَّفَاتِ الَّتِي تَهْدِفُ إِلَى شَرْحِهَا وَإِيضَاحِ غَرِيبِهَا وَكَشْفِ مَوَاطِنِ الْجَمَالِ فِيهَا، كَمَا أَصْبَحَتْ - بِرَأْيِ النُّقَّادِ الْقُدَامَى - مِعْيَاراً لِلشِّعْرِ الْجَمِيلِ، وَبَلَغَ عَدَدُهَا عِنْدَ بَعْضِ الْبَاحِثِينَ عَشْرَ مُعَلَّقَاتٍ وَأَصْحَابُهَا هُمْ امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ، وَطَرَفَةُ بْنُ الْعَبْدِ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ أَبِي سُلْمَى، وَعَمْرُو بْنُ كُلْثُومٍ، وَعَنْتَرَةُ بْنُ شَدَّادٍ، وَلَبِيدُ بْنُ رَبِيعَةَ، وَالنَّابِغَةُ الذُّبْيَانِيُّ، وَالْأَعْشَى، وَالْحَارِثُ بْنُ حِلِّزَةَ وَعَبِيدُ بْنُ الْأَبْرَصِ.

This reflects the high status poetry held in that era. Among its most prominent features were the long poems known as the Mu'allaqat, which became the subject of numerous works aimed at explaining them, clarifying their obscure vocabulary, and revealing their beauty. Ancient critics regarded them as the standard for fine poetry. Some researchers count ten such poems, authored by Imru' al-Qais, Tarafa ibn al-Abd, Zuhair ibn Abi Sulma, Amr ibn Kulthum, Antara ibn Shaddad, Labid ibn Rabi'a, al-Nabigha al-Dhubyani, al-A'sha, al-Harith ibn Hilliza, and Abid ibn al-Abras.

وَتَنَاوَلَ هَؤُلَاءِ الشُّعَرَاءُ فِي مُعَلَّقَاتِهِمْ مَوْضُوعَاتٍ مُتَنَوِّعَةً، مِنْهَا الْوَصْفُ، فَوَصَفُوا الدِّيَارَ وَالْأَطْلَالَ وَالظَّعَائِنَ وَالْخَيْلَ، وَلَعَلَّ أَكْثَرَ مَنْ أَجَادَ فِي الْوَصْفِ وَلَاسِيَّمَا وَصْفِ الْخَيْلِ، امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ؛ إِذْ يَقُولُ فِي مُعَلَّقَتِهِ: وَقَدْ أَغْتَدِي وَالطَّيْرُ فِي وَكَنَاتِهَا بِمُنْجَرِدٍ قَيْدِ الْأَوَابِدِ هَيْكَلِ مِكَرٍّ مِفَرٍّ مُقْبِلٍ مُدْبِرٍ مَعاً كَجُلْمُودِ صَخْرٍ حَطَّهُ السَّيْلُ مِنْ عَلِ

These poets addressed various topics in their Mu'allaqat, including description, as they depicted homes, ruins, traveling caravans, and horses. Imru' al-Qais was perhaps the most skilled in this, particularly in describing horses, as he says in his poem: 'I often set out early, while the birds are still in their nests, on a short-haired, swift-running, sturdy horse, that turns, flees, advances, and retreats all at once, like a boulder of rock that a torrent has brought down from above.'

وَتُعَدُّ الْحِكْمَةُ مِنَ الْمَوْضُوعَاتِ الَّتِي تَضَمَّنَتْهَا بَعْضُ هَذِهِ الْمُعَلَّقَاتِ، وَخَيْرُ مِثَالٍ عَلَى ذَلِكَ مَا وَرَدَ فِي مُعَلَّقَةِ زُهَيْرِ بْنِ أَبِي سُلْمَى الَّذِي يَقُولُ: وَمَنْ يَكُ ذَا فَضْلٍ فَيَبْخَلْ بِفَضْلِهِ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ يُسْتَغْنَ عَنْهُ وَيُذْمَمِ وَمَنْ يَغْتَرِبْ يَحْسَبْ عَدُوّاً صَدِيقَهُ وَمَنْ لَا يُكْرِمْ نَفْسَهُ لَا يُكْرَمِ

Wisdom is another theme found in some of these poems. A prime example is this passage from the Mu'allaqa of Zuhair ibn Abi Sulma: 'Whoever possesses virtue but is stingy with it toward his people will be cast aside and disparaged; whoever lives as a stranger will mistake his friend for an enemy, and whoever does not honor himself will not be honored.'

فِي حِينٍ يُضْرَبُ الْمَثَلُ بِشِعْرِ عَنْتَرَةَ الْعَبْسِيِّ فِي الْفُرُوسِيَّةِ، إِذْ يَقُولُ فِي مُعَلَّقَتِهِ: هَلَّا سَأَلْتِ الْخَيْلَ يَا ابْنَةَ مَالِكٍ إِنْ كُنْتِ جَاهِلَةً بِمَا لَمْ تَعْلَمِي يُحْبِرْكِ مَنْ شَهِدَ الْوَقِيعَةَ أَنَّنِي أَغْشَى الْوَغَى وَأَعِفُّ عِنْدَ الْمَغْنَمِ

Antara al-Absi’s poetry is cited as the standard for chivalry, as he says in his Mu'allaqa: 'Why did you not ask the horses, O daughter of Malik, if you were ignorant of what you did not know? Those who witnessed the battle will inform you that I charge into the fray and refrain from taking the spoils.'

وَبَرَزَتْ فِي هَذَا الْعَصْرِ مَجْمُوعَةٌ أُخْرَى مِنَ الشُّعَرَاءِ، عُرِفُوا بِتَمَرُّدِهِمْ عَلَى الْقِيَمِ الْقَبَلِيَّةِ، وَبِمُنَادَاتِهِمْ بِعَدَالَةٍ اجْتِمَاعِيَّةٍ تَقُومُ عَلَى الْمُسَاوَاةِ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ مِنْ دُونِ النَّظَرِ إِلَى نَسَبٍ أَوْ لَوْنٍ

Another group of poets emerged in this era, known for their rebellion against tribal values and their call for social justice based on equality, regardless of lineage or color.

وَعُرِفَ هَؤُلَاءِ بِالشُّعَرَاءِ الصَّعَالِيكِ، وَمِنْ أَبْرَزِهِمْ تَأَبَّطَ شَرّاً وَعُرْوَةُ بْنُ الْوَرْدِ وَالشَّنْفَرَى صَاحِبُ لَامِيَّةِ الْعَرَبِ الَّتِي تَمَرَّدَ فِيهَا عَلَى أَعْرَافِ الْقَبِيلَةِ وَآثَرَ الْعَيْشَ بَعِيداً عَنْ قَوْمِهِ، وَفِي ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ: أَقِيمُوا بَنِي أُمِّي صُدُورَ مَطِيِّكُمْ فَإِنِّي إِلَى قَوْمٍ سِوَاكُمْ لَأَمِيلُ وَفِي الْأَرْضِ مَنْأًى لِلْكَرِيمِ عَنِ الْأَذَى وَفِيهَا لِمَنْ خَافَ الْقِلَى مُتَعَزَّلُ وَلِي دُونَكُمْ أَهْلُونَ سِيدٌ عَمَلَّسٌ وَأَرْقَطُ زُهْلُولٌ وَعَرْفَاءُ جَيْأَلُ هُمُ الْأَهْلُ لَا مُسْتَوْدَعُ السِّرِّ ذَائِعٌ لَدَيْهِمْ وَلَا الْجَانِي بِمَا جَرَّ يُخْذَلُ

These were known as the Sa'alik (outlaw) poets. Among the most prominent were Ta'abbata Sharran, Urwa ibn al-Ward, and al-Shanfara, author of 'Lamiyyat al-Arab,' in which he rejected tribal customs and chose to live far from his people: 'Turn the heads of your mounts, O sons of my mother, for I am inclined toward a people other than you. In the earth, there is a place of refuge for the noble from harm, and for those who fear hatred, there is a place of seclusion. I have, instead of you, kin: a wolf, a swift-running leopard, and a maned hyena. They are my family; the secret entrusted to them is never spread, and the one who commits a crime is not abandoned for what he has done.'

فَهَا هُوَ ذَا يُفَضِّلُ الِاغْتِرَابَ وَالْفِرَاقَ عَنْ قَوْمِهِ وَمُصَاحَبَةَ الذِّئَابِ وَالسِّبَاعِ وَالضِّبَاعِ، وَيَجْعَلُ تِلْكَ الْحَيَوَانَاتِ مُسْتَوْدَعَ أَسْرَارِهِ، وَمَصْدَرَ اطْمِئْنَانِهِ؛ لِيُعَبِّرَ عَنْ رَفْضِهِ قِيَمَ الْقَبِيلَةِ وَأَعْرَافَهَا.

He chooses alienation and separation from his people, finding companionship in wolves, beasts, and hyenas. By making these animals the keepers of his secrets and his source of comfort, he expresses his rejection of tribal values and customs.

خَصَائِصُ شِعْرِ مَا قَبْلَ الْإِسْلَامِ تَبْدُو مَعَانِي الشِّعْرِ فِي هَذَا الْعَصْرِ وَاضِحَةً، قِيَاساً عَلَى الْعَصْرِ الَّذِي قِيلَتْ فِيهِ، وَشُعَرَاءُ مَا قَبْلَ الْإِسْلَامِ لَمْ يَعْرِضُوا مَعَانِيَهُمُ الْحِسِّيَّةَ جَامِدَةً، بَلْ أَشَاعُوا فِيهَا الْحَرَكَةَ وَبَثُّوا فِيهَا كَثِيراً مِنَ الْحَيَوِيَّةِ، وَتَمَيَّزَتْ مَعَانِيهِمْ.

Characteristics of Pre-Islamic Poetry: The meanings of poetry in this era appear clear when viewed within the context of their time. Pre-Islamic poets did not present sensory images as static; rather, they infused them with movement and vitality, which distinguished their work.

Vocabulary · المفردات (46 verbs · 101 nouns)

• دَلَّ — to indicate
• كَانَ — to be
• حَظِيَ — to enjoy
• مَيَّزَ — to distinguish
• سَمَّى — to name
• أَصْبَحَ — to become
• هَدَفَ — to aim
• بَلَغَ — to reach
• تَنَاوَلَ — to deal with
• وَصَفَ — to describe
• أَجَادَ — to excel
• قَالَ — to say
• اِغْتَدَى — to go early
• حَطَّ — to drop
• تَضَمَّنَ — to include
• وَرَدَ — to arrive
• بَخِلَ — to be stingy
• اِغْتَرَبَ — to be a stranger
• حَسِبَ — to consider
• أَكْرَمَ — to honor
• ضَرَبَ — to strike
• سَأَلَ — to ask
• عَلِمَ — to know
• أَحْبَرَ — to inform
• شَهِدَ — to witness
• غَشِيَ — to cover
• عَفَّ — to abstain
• بَرَزَ — to emerge
• عَرَفَ — to know
• تَمَرَّدَ — to rebel
• نَادَى — to call
• قَامَ — to stand
• تَأَبَّطَ — to carry under arm
• آثَرَ — to prefer
• أَقَامَ — to stay
• خَافَ — to fear
• جَرَّ — to commit
• خَذَلَ — to abandon
• فَضَّلَ — to prefer
• جَعَلَ — to make
• عَبَّرَ — to express
• بَدَا — to seem
• عَرَضَ — to present
• أَشَاعَ — to spread
• بَثَّ — to broadcast
• تَمَيَّزَ — to be distinguished
• مَكَانَة — status
• شِعْر — poetry
• عَصْر — era
• قَصِيدَة — poem
• مُعَلَّقَة — hanging
• مَادَّة — material
• مُؤَلَّف — book
• شَرْح — explanation
• إِيضَاح — clarification
• غَرِيب — uncovering
• كَشْف — uncovering
• مَوْطِن — homeland; native country; dwelling place
• جَمَال — beauty
• رَأْي — opinion
• نَاقِد — critic
• مِعْيَار — standard
• عَدَد — number
• بَاحِث — researcher
• صَاحِب — owner
• مَوْضُوع — topic
• وَصْف — description
• دَار — house
• أَطْلَال — ruins
• ظَعِينَة — traveling woman
• خَيْل — horse
• وَكْنَة — nest
• قَيْد — shackle
• أَوَّابِد — wild animals
• هَيْكَل — body
• جُلْمُود — boulder
• صَخْر — rock
• سَيْل — flood
• حِكْمَة — wisdom
• مِثَال — an example
• فَضْل — virtue
• عَدُوّ — enemy
• صَدِيق — friend
• نَفْس — self
• مَثَل — proverb
• فُرُوسِيَّة — chivalry
• اِبْنَة — daughter
• وَقِيعَة — battle
• وَغَى — war
• مَغْنَم — booty, gain
• مَجْمُوعَة — group
• قِيمَة — value
• عَدَالَة — justice
• مُسَاوَاة — equality
• نَاس — people
• نَسَب — lineage
• لَوْن — color
• صُعْلُوك — outlaw
• شَرّ — evil
• لَامِيَّة — a poem whose rhyme ends with the letter لام (lām)
• عَرَب — Arabs (as a people or ethnic group)
• عُرْف — custom
• قَبِيلَة — tribe
• عَيْش — living
• صَدْر — chest
• مَطِيَّة — mount
• أَرْض — earth
• مَنْأَى — distance
• كَرِيم — noble
• أَذَى — harm
• أَهْل — people
• سِيد — wolf
• عَمَلَّس — swift wolf
• أَرْقَط — spotted
• زُهْلُول — smooth, slippery; a smooth stone
• عَرْفَاء — maned (female)
• جَيْأَل — hyena
• مُسْتَوْدَع — depository
• سِرّ — secret
• جَانِي — perpetrator
• اِغْتِرَاب — estrangement
• فِرَاق — separation
• مُصَاحَبَة — companionship
• ذِئْب — wolf
• سَبُع — predator
• ضَبُع — hyena
• حَيَوَان — animal
• مَصْدَر — source
• اِطْمِئْنَان — reassurance
• رَفْض — rejection
• خَصَائِص — characteristics
• إِسْلَام — Islam
• مَعْنَى — meaning
• قِيَاس — analogy
• حَرَكَة — movement
• حَيَوِيَّة — vitality
• وَاضِحَة — clear, obvious (adjective)
• جَامِدَة — rigid
• أَكْثَر — more
• كَثِير — a lot
• اِجْتِمَاعِيَّة — social
• مُتَنَوِّعَة — diverse
• مُقْبِل — approaching
• جَاهِلَة — ignorant woman
• قَبَلِيَّة — tribalism
• قُدَامَى — ancients
• حِسِّيَّة — sensory quality; sensory perception