Horses, night and desert know me, as do sword, spear…
Quote
Horses, night and desert know me, as do sword, spear, paper and pen.
Arabic original
الخيل والليل والبيداء تعرفني، والسيف والرمح والقرطاس والقلم.
What it means
The poet joins two pictures of himself: a horseman familiar with danger and a writer skilled with words. The list expresses pride in belonging to both the world of action and that of literature.
The story behind this quote
The verse appears in the self-praise section of Wa-harra qalbah. Al-Mutanabbi combines reproaches to Sayf al-Dawla with an assertion of his own abilities.
The first set of images belongs to travel and warfare; the second introduces the tools of writing. The verb know turns these things into witnesses. Within the poem’s logic, they testify to the experience and talent claimed by the speaker himself.
The source
قصيدة «واحر قلباه ممن قلبه شبم» (ديوان المتنبي), من قصيدته في عتاب سيف الدولة, 957
The text appears in the indicated source. A traditional attribution remains distinct from proof of authorship: see the context.
More quotes by Al-Mutanabbi
I have no need of homelands; no longing for return carries me back to a land I have left.
Among human failings, I have seen none like the shortcomings of those capable of perfection.
The noblest place in the world is the saddle of a swift horse, and the best companion is a book.
I am the one whose poetry even the blind have seen, and whose words have reached the deaf.
If you see a lion baring its fangs, do not imagine that it is smiling.
Author
Al-Mutanabbi
Abu al-Tayyib al-Mutanabbi is often considered the greatest poet of the Arabic language. His verses, famous for their pride and concision, are still quoted as proverbs throughout the Arab world.
Quotes by Al-Mutanabbi