June 16, 2019
June 7, 2019
Palms up ears down
A palm grove is slow
to give back to the planter.
But a happy return is assured
once the leaves start to show.
Time sustains the palm
when other stumps wither.
In a race against wheat,
the palm is the winner.
to give back to the planter.
But a happy return is assured
once the leaves start to show.
Time sustains the palm
when other stumps wither.
In a race against wheat,
the palm is the winner.
Ibn al-Rumi
Meter: majzu’ al-ramal
May 18, 2019
May 12, 2019
Sheep for sheep
Al-Asma‘i said: I was told by Khalaf al-Ahmar, who heard it from a man of the Banu Hirmaz, whose father told him:
Al-‘Ajjaj came to me and asked, "Would you accept a ewe lamb in exchange for another sheep that answers my description?"
"What is your description?" I said.
"Not much hair in the front, but lots of hair in back. From the front, you'd think it was a goat, but from behind you can tell it's a sheep."
I searched my flocks, and found one sheep answering his description, which I gave to him, and took his ewe lamb in exchange. I wouldn't have done this for just anyone - but this was al-‘Ajjaj, who might bring fame to my flocks!
From The Book of the Sheep by Al-Asma‘i
April 26, 2019
Women who loved women
Names of [books about] elegant women who were lovers:
The Book of Rayhana and Qaranful (Basil and Clove)
The Book of Ruqayya and Khadija
The Book of Mu’yas and Dhakiya
The Book of Sukayna and al-Rubab
The Book of Ghatrifa and al-Dhalfa’
The Book of Hind and the Daughter of al-Nu'man
The Book of ‘Abda the Clever and ‘Abda the Fickle
The Book of Lu’lu’ and Shatira
The Book of Najda and Za‘um
The Book of Salma and Su‘ad
The Book of Sawab and Surur
The Book of al-Dahma’ and Ni‘ma
April 4, 2019
To the Graces
On spying Aristagoras, you the very Graces
flung your gentle arms around his darling person.
Thanks to you's the fire thrown off now by his frame, whether
sweet talking or making silence talk with just his eyes.
Keep him away from me? As if that would help! Like a new Zeus,
the boy knows how to make a bolt land far from Olympus.
March 25, 2019
An imbecile from the Age of Ignorance
Another imbecile was ‘Ijl ibn Lujaym ibn Mus‘ab ibn ‘Ali ibn Bakr ibn Wa’il. One example of his idiocy is that when asked, "What do you call your horse?" he stood before it, put out one of its eyes and said, "I call him al-A‘war." And al-‘Anazi said (meter: tawil):
The Banu ‘Ijl accuse me of their patriarch's malady.
But what man was ever dumber than ‘Ijl?
It was their patriarch who made his steed half-blind, when
into a byword for idiocy he made their name.
From Reports of Imbeciles and Simpletons by Ibn al-Jawzi (Ibid).
