If you venture in pursuit of glory, settle for nothing…
Quote
If you venture in pursuit of glory, settle for nothing below the stars.
Arabic original
إذا غامرت في شرف مروم، فلا تقنع بما دون النجوم.
What it means
The stars represent the highest ambition. The poet urges someone entering a difficult undertaking to aim high, rather than narrowing the goal in advance through fear. It is an image of resolve.
The story behind this quote
This line opens al-Mutanabbi’s poem on ambition and courage. The next verse compares the risks taken for a small cause with those taken for a great one.
Comparing the goal with stars gives concrete height to an abstract ideal. In the following verses, the poet weighs small and great causes against the same risk of death. Ambition is therefore part of a wider reflection on courage and the meaning of risk.
The source
قصيدة «إذا غامرت في شرف مروم» (ديوان المتنبي), مطلع القصيدة
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