Love Poetry

A poet saw an attractive woman, but he did not lower his gaze as prescribed, so the woman looked away – to safe him from the fitnah. The poet said:

السيف في الغمد لا تخشى مضاربه
وسيف عينيك في حالين بتار
“One does not fear a sheathed sword,
but your eyes are killers,
whether sheathed (turned away) or not.”

What he means is: if a sword is put away in its case, it causes no damage. But her eyes cause harm, whether they’re staring at someone or looking away.

The classical poet Al-Mutanabbi, says in a poem:
‎لا السيفُ يفعلُ بي ما أنتِ فاعلةٌ
‎ ولا لقاءُ عدوَّي مثلَ لُقياكِ
‎لو باتَ سهمٌ من الأعداءِ في كَبدي
‎ ما نالَ مِنَّيَ ما نالتْهُ عيناكِ
“No sword did to me,
what you did to me.
Nor has any of my encounters,
with my enemies been,
like my encounter with you.
If an arrow of the enemies,
were to pierce though my liver,
It would inflict less damage,
than the damage caused to me,
by your eyes.”