The Quranic Arabic Blog
In the opening lines of the Mu'allaqa of Tarafa, he talks about Khawla who is said to be a woman from the tribe of Kalb. 'Atlal' is the plural of 'Talal' which here means the traces that are left of a house or a building. 'Burka' is a place the sand and rock are mixed, or is rocky in terrain. …
[Read more...] about Tarafa [Poetic Inspiration] The Mansion of Khawla
Here Tarafa wishes to say, that you find him to be both serious and playful. If you look for him in the gatherings of the clan where they consult on serious matters, you will find him there. And, if you look for him in the places of drink and play, there to you will find him. Then he goes on the …
[Read more...] about Tarafa [Poetic Inspiration] Both Serious and Playful
'Basil' means brave, strong, fierce, severe and so on. 'Alqam' is known as the bitter apple, bitter cucumber or desert gourd. It is a very bitter viny plant. …
[Read more...] about Antara [Poetic Inspiration] My Tyranny is Severe
He says here 'Ask the horses', which is a literary device in Arabic called 'Majaz'. It implies 'Ask the riders on the horses'. Malik was the uncle of Antara, who refused to marry his daughter 'Abla' to him. Here he addresses her in his poem, as he does in many of his poems. …
[Read more...] about Antara [Poetic Inspiration] Ask About Me If You Know Not
Tarafa describes the smile of his beloved. He likens her front teeth, appearing between her dark lips when she smiles to the blossom of a privet-plant from pure moist sand. 'Al-Ithad' is the Kuhl that they use to beautify themselves. The Arab women had a custom of using Kuhl on their gums and …
