The Poem Between Thirst and Quenching, Scarcity and Satiety

The recipient's condition determines the poem's reach

The recipient's thirst for content is the basis for receiving any product, whether prose or poetry, just as the satiation of meaning is also fundamental for acceptance, even in news, stories, novels, and others.

The poem always lies between thirst and quenching, scarcity and satiety, and is never in a single state for the recipient. It is accepted and rejected at the same time, whether recited or written, depending on the recipient's state as mentioned: thirst, quenching, or surfeit and scarcity if we liken it to food.

A poem may remain dormant for a long time, then acceptance revives it, or vice versa.

The poet must refine the structure, choose a long-lasting idea, satiate the meaning, then present it among millions of reception windows, and have no further concern.

If we review some poems from different time periods, we find variation in presentation. For instance, the poet Murshid al-Badhal - may God have mercy on him - says in a long poem, including:

Men are birds described to the free / And every bird flies with its two wings / Where is a bird that cares for every neighbor / And where is a bird frightened by the sound of a whistle / Where is a bird that, when it rises, tears the curtain / And where is a bird that hunts only the wicked / If you say bravery is in flying / Then we would have preferred the sandgrouse over every bird / The falcon has power over action / And the dove circles around sanctities / If you are ignorant of beauty and the destructive kind / Ask those knowledgeable about them / Understand from me brief words / The difference between wool and silk thread / And the difference between love and the chaff of the street / Their origin is one, but taste differs / The four noble ones increase your victory / They raise you high like a peerless house / And the bad one is known like a collapsing well / You sink into it and the digger buries you / The good perfume comes from the backbone / And the bad gives you a camel's wrist / Do not befriend one who betrays a covenant / And if he is loyal once, he is abundant good / Let experiences be your advisor / Do not take anything other than experiences as your guide.

And the poet Muhanna al-Saadi al-Aklabi says:

I excused myself to you, my friend, with the finest excuses / And informed you of what is in my conscience and what I conceal / Because you are a companion; you have esteem and worth / But by God's grace, you have no favor over me / Do not think that your displeasure is a sin that leads to hellfire / Nor think that your satisfaction admits me to paradise.

And the poet Shayim bin Mifluh al-Sharari says:

From the start, you had esteem and worth with me / But today my heart has lost trust in you / Our friendship has become a disgrace and a standard / And each one sharpens his spear against his dear / You gave us no chance nor prior warning / Your war against us you wage every day / Do not apologize, excuses no longer help you / Whoever sold my worth, I care not for him in my heart / Your anger is not a sin we commit to enter hellfire / And your satisfaction does not open for us the gates of paradise..

Where is a bird that, when it rises, tears the curtain

Muhanna al-Saadi al-Aklabi

Shayim bin Mifluh al-Sharari

Murshid al-Badhal

Nasir al-Humaydi