Snow Poetry!

Sanawbari  (d. 945CE / 334H) was famous for describing nature in his poetry, and appears to be a pioneer of the sub-genre of snow poetry (easy to remember, given that his name is pronounced “Snowbury”!). Below is my translation of one of his brief pieces on snow (in unrhymed, iambic tetrameter; yes I know), followed by the original Arabic (note that the Arabic versions show some variation.)

 Shake off your slumber, fellow fine,
 Rejoice amidst this sterling day!
 Behold the meadow air made crisp,
 Today she’s decked in lustrous pearl!
 Do you consider this is snow? O Fie!
 It’s roses that the boughs shake off,
 For spring’s rosettes are diverse hues,
 But winter’s roses are pure white!

انفض نُعاسَك يا غلا               مُ فإن ذا يوم مُفَضَّــضْ

 

والجو يُجْلى في الريــا               ض وفي حُليِّ الدرِّ يُعْرَض

 

أظننت ذا ثلجاً؟.. وذا              ورداً من الأغصان يُنْفَض

 

وَرْدُ الربيع ملـــوَّنٌ                   والوردُ في كانونَ أبيـض

PICTURE CREDIT: Snowscape, by F. Laher