Behold the lion of the firmament; from its mouth issues forth the Milky way* Here, Abu ‘Abbas describes a brass lion discharging water from its mouth into a pool to resemble the Milky Way. The Andalusian poet, Abu Abbas of Tudela (d.1126), is one of the many poets in Islamic Civilisation who used Astronomy in his poems. She stood with her full stature... said al-Mutamid, a former emir of Seville, when a moon-like maiden (perhaps her name was Qamar) stood before him warding off the suns rays from a book he was reading. This refers to the longer four-line verse the prince-poet is believed to have penned as quoted by al-Marrakeshi: She stood with her full stature Between me and the sun I swear only the moon (qamar) Can eclipse the sun* It is not surprising to see many scientific terminologies in the poems of that time. Sufis were often quoted to mention atoms or molecules in the lines of their poetry: “No vibrant molecules in swarms of motion Lovers of perfection, every atom Turns sapling-like to face the sun and grow Their haste to shed their fleshly form for soul Sings out an orison of praise to God” (Rumi, Masnavi 5: 3854-9)** https://youtube/watch?v=GaNGDrKKasA What may be even more unanticipated is that this terminology was not just mentioned as metaphors or comparisons, some scholars even used science in their poems directly. This is actively demonstrated in the poems of Ibn Sina on mediicine: “Symptoms are obtained through physical examination of the body at certain moments There are some visible ones such as jaundice and oedema There are some perceptible to the ear such as gurgling of the abdomen in dropsy The foul odour strikes at the sense of smell; for example that of purulent ulcers There are some accessible to taste such as the acidity of the mouth Touch recognizes certain ones; the firmness of cancer”** There are also examples of short poems embodying great wisdom, such as the example of Abu l-Qasim of Granada (d.1345): “Knowledge is beauty and Ornament Ignorance is ugliness and evil. Prosperity commands respect And poverty is disgrace and death All men are organs of one body, Some are heads, some eyes. This is the only truth I know There is no doubt about it.”* Sources: * The Story of Islamic Spain by by Syed Azizur Rahman, ISBN 8187570571 ** muslimheritage/node/2309 *** huffingtonpost/coleman-barks/rumi-and-some-new-ways-to_b_777382.html
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 15:26:09 +0000
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