Of all the artistic vocations in the Arab world, poetry is perhaps the most esteemed.
The art form holds great importance and value in Arab culture, throughout the region’s history. As a vehicle of expression, the various forms of Arabic poetry have been a means to record and retell history and have been a reflection of traditions, culture and identity in the Arab world.
This week’s word is she'er, which translates to the word poetry, referring to the specific subset within Arab literature as well as the global artform of poetry overall.
The origin of the word she’er is sha’ara, made of the three Arabic letters, sheen, ain and rah. It’s a verb that means to perform or recite poetry. Sha’ara also means to feel, know or understand and to perceive or sense while being conscious of this sense of knowing.
She’er comes from the word sha’ara, taking from its definition the idea of experiencing emotions and knowledge and being mindful of those experiences and then expressing them through words.
Officially, she’er is defined as a work that is written or performed that has been created from the imagination, with the intent to make one feel something. This feeling that the poet, or the shaa'er in Arabic, wants to convey to their reader or audience, ranges across the emotional spectrum, depending on the nature and genre of the poem.
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Hob is the Arabic word for love, but can be used in many contexts -
The Arabic word helu translates, in English, to sweet -
Nashef is the Arabic word for dry, but has many connotations, depending on the context in which you use it -
The Arabic word hurriyeh translates to freedom in English -
The Arabic word tayeb can mean delicious or good, depending on the context -
The Arabic word mustaqbal is best expressed as future in English -
Waqaa, the Arabic word for fall, can signify a loss of power, stature, health or grace -
Hudood means borders in English -
The Arabic word rooh translates to spirit or soul in English -
The Arabic word ain means eye in English -
Waraq, the Arabic word of the week means paper in English -
Bahr, the Arabic for sea, has a poetic lilt -
Kareem means generous in English -
Bab means door in English -
Eid means holiday or festival -
Najm means star for the night sky and cosmos, but also has plenty of other meanings, including ambition or fame -
Alwan, the Arabic word for colours, has many shades of meaning -
Akel can refer to home-cooked meals, embezzlement, fire and rust -
Jamal is the Arabic word for beauty, be it literal or figurative -
Herfe translates to profession or craft -
Tabiaa translates to nature and can frame landscapes and portraits -
Sehha is the Arabic word for health -
Ijaza is Arabic for holiday and shines in summer but is not stress-free -
Aamal is the Arabic word for work -
Al dahr translates to time -
Qalb is a word for heart, with poetic roots -
Lugha in Arabic translates to language in English -
Insaan means human being -
Na'eeman is an idiomatic expression used when someone has had a shower or bath, a haircut or had their beard trimmed -
The Arabic word for life touches on eternity, death and accomplishment -
Qamar is the Arabic for moon -
The Arabic word for strength or power is quwwa -
Burj is Arabic for tower -
The Arabic word for sun is shams -
Sabr in English can translate to patience -
Hayba is the Arabic word for prestige -
The Arabic term al shay'e translates as 'the thing' in English -
The Arabic word for road is tareeq -
The Arabic word for read has mystical and scholarly connotations -
Istikan is the Arabic word for a type of tea cup -
The Arabic word hanan means affection in English -
The Arabic word atlal means ruins in English -
Kura is the Arabic word for ball, in all its forms -
Janaah in Arabic means wing in English -
The Arabic word sana translates to year in English -
Qasida is the Arabic for poem, not poetry -
Ameer, the Arabic word for prince, which influenced another English title -
Nakhla translates to palm tree in English -
Al samt is the Arabic for silence -
Kalimaat translates to words in English -
Markaz is Arabic for centre -
Beshara is the Arabic word for good news -
Bayt is the Arabic for house or home -
Fann is the Arabic word for art, and can be either a verb or an adjective -
Isim, which means name, is made up of three letters, alif, seen and meem -
Dunya is the Arabic word for world -
Nazaafah translates to cleanliness in English -
Many traditions revolve around drinking coffee, including weddings, funerals and business meetings -
Fajr is the Arabic word for dawn -
Maghrib is the Arabic word for sunset -
The Arabic language is filled with idioms, quotes and colloquial quips involving the mirror -
Raei is the Arabic word for opinion -
Wa'ed is a multifaceted word for 'promise', as well as a female name -
Qussa is the Arabic word for story -
Sadaaka is the Arabic word for friendship -
Akhbaar is the Arabic word for news -
Rasem is made up of the three Arabic letters Rah, Seen and Meem. While it can simply mean a drawing or a sketch it’s also a malleable word whose definition can change depending on context and dialect – particularly between colloquial and classical Arabic. -
As well as finishing a task, khatem denotes a deeper sense of finality -
Commonly translated to blessed, mubarak is used as a popular greeting on auspicious days -
The Arabic word for lighthouse is also a term that has become closely associated with Islam -
Siyaam, the Arabic word for fasting is also connected to silence -
Tawbah, the Arabic word for repentance, is also connected to Ramadan -
Safar, the Arabic Word for travel can also refer to sunny days, a brighter-blazing fire or exile. The National
A previous Arabic Word of the Week was qasida, which means a single poem. Its meaning is connected to the concept of intention, while she’er is connected more to feelings and awareness.
There are various genres or forms of poetry in Arabic, some with very strict rules in how they are formed and their specific word and sentence structure. This very formal manner of poetry has particular guidelines and rules pertaining to grammar, pronunciation, and rhythm. For example, a single, elaborate rhythmic structure or verse formation, usually runs from 15 to 80 lines and sometimes can be more than 100.
Many purists, particularly up to the early 20th century, considered this the only true form of poetry. However, other forms of poetry have always existed in Arabic outside the formal guidelines. These forms have become more popular, recognised and esteemed.
There is she’er al manthour which is free-flowing poetry outside the conventional rules. There is also she’er al hour, which literally translates to free poetry, which is another form of free-form poetry but one that can include colloquial words.
Within these various forms of poetry, there are several official traditional genres of Arabic poetry that are identifiable by the subject matter. There is she’er al hikma which is poetry that has a specific message, often a moral fable and one that contains plenty of proverbs.
She’er al madeeh is a genre of poetry where the poet is in a state of awe and praise of their subject matter. It is a highly complimentary poem that can be dedicated to any one person, friend, lover, family member, or any concept, such as the weather, the sea, the land, or a home.
She’er al mounaasabaat literally translates to poetry for events. This is a genre of poetry that is written or sometimes performed at events or celebrations – everything from weddings and birthdays to funerals and battle anniversaries.
Like many Arabic words, she’er is connected to other words whose meanings are all associated to the concept of poetry in subtle and surprising ways. to spiritual and romantic love poems that are often epic but vague in subject matter.
Like many Arabic words she’er is connected to other words whose meanings are all associated to the concept of poetry in subtle and surprising ways.
Sha’ara, which comes from the same root word of she’er refers to the time when someone who doesn’t have body hair begins to grow it. It’s linked more specifically to the idea of children entering puberty or when a foetus starts to grow hair. Sha’ara is connected to the concept of maturing or becoming more aware. This is in the same way that she’er is connected to the idea of the understanding and maturing of feelings with the intention to enlighten audiences through words.
