What use is sight to a person if light and…
Quote
What use is sight to a person if light and darkness are the same to him?
Arabic original
وما انتفاع أخي الدنيا بناظره إذا استوت عنده الأنوار والظلم.
What it means
Seeing is of little use without discernment. Light and darkness stand for distinctions that judgement should recognise, particularly when a ruler must decide between people with competing claims.
The story behind this quote
Al-Mutanabbi addresses this reproach to Sayf al-Dawla in Wa-harra qalbah. He asks the ruler to recognise his worth amid rivalries at court.
The question does not ask how the eye works. It concerns the use of judgement: receiving signs is insufficient if everything is treated alike. The reproach is personal within the courtly scene, while its wording also allows a more general reflection on discernment.
The source
واحر قلباه ممن قلبه شبم, 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