The noblest place in the world is the saddle of…
Quote
The noblest place in the world is the saddle of a swift horse, and the best companion is a book.
Arabic original
أعز مكان في الدنى سرج سابح، وخير جليس في الزمان كتاب.
What it means
The verse pairs movement with reading: the horse stands for adventure and the book for intellectual companionship. The poet values a life in which experience and learning support each other.
The story behind this quote
The passage belongs to al-Mutanabbi’s poem beginning Muna kunna li. In it, he describes his independence, love of travel and pride.
The saddle places the reader in a rider’s movement, while the book suggests company available in solitude. Joining them brings two pleasures into a single verse. Reading and travel form part of the poet’s self-portrait, beside other signs of his independence.
The source
منى كن لي أن البياض خضاب, من قصيدته في مدح كافور الإخشيدي، في مصر
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.
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.
What use is sight to a person if light and darkness are the same to him?
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