Someone with a bitter, sick mouth finds even pure water…
Quote
Someone with a bitter, sick mouth finds even pure water bitter.
Arabic original
ومن يك ذا فم مر مريض يجد مرا به الماء الزلالا.
What it means
A judgement can be distorted by the state of the person making it. Pure water represents something good that seems unpleasant because the faculty assessing it is already troubled.
The story behind this quote
The image comes from al-Mutanabbi’s poem praising Badr ibn Ammar. It appears in a defence of his poetry against unfavourable criticism.
The example rests on an everyday experience: disturbed taste changes the perception of a drink. The poet applies that mechanism to judging a literary work. He suggests that a perceived fault may come from the critic’s perspective, while defending his own position in a dispute.
The source
بقائي شاء ليس هم ارتحالا, من قصيدته في مدح بدر بن عمار
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