Andalusian Poems

Andalusian Poems (of the Middle Ages)
Read these poems and underline the similes, metaphors and examples of personification. Then try to give a title to the poem.

In this space write your interpretations and reactions to the poems. Explain the similes, metaphors, and examples of personification.

Think of a title for each poem. Sketch the scene that the poems creates.

Look at the beautiful sun.

As it rises, it shows one golden eyebrow,

plays miser with the other one,

but we know that soon

it will spread out a radiant veil

over all.

A marvelous mirror that appears in the East

only to hide again at dusk.

The sky is saddened

when the sun leaves

and puts on mourning robes.

I believe that falling stars

are nothing more

than sky's gem-hard tears.

- Ibn Abi I-Haytham, Andalusia

.

This beautiful pool,

a brimming eye,

has thick eyelashes of flowers.

Turtles cavort

in their capes of green algae.

Now they squabble on the bank

but when winter comes

they'll dive below and hide.

At play they resemble

Christian soldiers

wearing on their backs

their leather shield.

Ibn Sarah (d. 1123, Santarem)

.

Look at the ripe wheat

bending before the wind

like squadrons of horsemen

fleeing in defeat, bleeding

from the wounds of the poppies.

Ibn 'Iyad (1083-1149, Central Andalusia)

.

Sparks shooting from his eyes

and wearing a poppy on his head

he arises to announce the death of night.

when he crows he himself listens

to his call to prayer

then hurriedly beats his great wings

against his body.

It seems the king of Persia

gave him his crown

and Maria the Copt, sister of Moses,

hung the pendant around his neck.

He snitched the peacock's dressiest coat

and to top it off

his strutting walk

he stole from a duck.

Al-As'ad Ibrahim ibn Billitah (11th century Toledo)

.

The sky darkens:

flowers open their mouths

and search for their udders

of the nurturing rain

as battalions of black

water-laden clouds

parade majestically past

flashing their golden swords.

Ibn Shahayd (992-1034, Cordoba)

.

If white is the colour

of mourning in Andalusia,

it is a proper custom.

Look at me,

I dress myself in the white

of white hair

in mourning for youth.

Abu l-Hasan al-Husri (d. 1095)

(translated by Emilio Garcia Gomez & Cola Franzen)

.

On the morning they left

we said goodbye

filled with sadness

for the absence to come.

Inside the palanquins

on the camels' backs

I saw their faces beautiful as moons

behind veils of golden cloth.

Beneath the veils

tears crept like scorpions

over the fragrant roses

of their cheeks.

These scorpions do not harm

the cheek they mark.

They save their sting

for the heart of the sorrowful lover.

Ibn Jakh (11th century)

(translated by Emilio Garcia Gomez & Cola Franzen)

.

Form adapted from TCI, Teachers' Curriculum Institute, Islamic Poetry unit.

Andalusian Poems (of the Middle Ages) Read these poems and underline the similes, metaphors and examples of personification. Then try to give a title to the poem.	In this space write your interpretations and reactions to the poems. Explain the similes, metaphors, and examples of personification. Think of a title for each poem. Sketch the scene that the poems creates.
Look at the beautiful sun. As it rises, it shows one golden eyebrow, plays miser with the other one, but we know that soon it will spread out a radiant veil over all. A marvelous mirror that appears in the East only to hide again at dusk. The sky is saddened when the sun leaves and puts on mourning robes. I believe that falling stars are nothing more than sky's gem-hard tears. - Ibn Abi I-Haytham, Andalusia	.
This beautiful pool, a brimming eye, has thick eyelashes of flowers. Turtles cavort in their capes of green algae. Now they squabble on the bank but when winter comes they'll dive below and hide. At play they resemble Christian soldiers wearing on their backs their leather shield. Ibn Sarah (d. 1123, Santarem)	.
Look at the ripe wheat bending before the wind like squadrons of horsemen fleeing in defeat, bleeding from the wounds of the poppies. Ibn 'Iyad (1083-1149, Central Andalusia)	.
Sparks shooting from his eyes and wearing a poppy on his head he arises to announce the death of night. when he crows he himself listens to his call to prayer then hurriedly beats his great wings against his body. It seems the king of Persia gave him his crown and Maria the Copt, sister of Moses, hung the pendant around his neck. He snitched the peacock's dressiest coat and to top it off his strutting walk he stole from a duck. Al-As'ad Ibrahim ibn Billitah (11th century Toledo)	.
The sky darkens: flowers open their mouths and search for their udders of the nurturing rain as battalions of black water-laden clouds parade majestically past flashing their golden swords. Ibn Shahayd (992-1034, Cordoba)	.
If white is the colour of mourning in Andalusia, it is a proper custom. Look at me, I dress myself in the white of white hair in mourning for youth. Abu l-Hasan al-Husri (d. 1095) (translated by Emilio Garcia Gomez & Cola Franzen)	.
On the morning they left we said goodbye filled with sadness for the absence to come. Inside the palanquins on the camels' backs I saw their faces beautiful as moons behind veils of golden cloth. Beneath the veils tears crept like scorpions over the fragrant roses of their cheeks. These scorpions do not harm the cheek they mark. They save their sting for the heart of the sorrowful lover. Ibn Jakh (11th century) (translated by Emilio Garcia Gomez & Cola Franzen)	.