Unsuri facts for kids
Abul Qasim Hasan Unsuri Balkhi (Persian: ابوالقاسم حسن عنصری بلخی) was an important Persian poet who lived about 1000 years ago. He was born in a city called Balkh, which is now in Afghanistan. Unsuri became a famous poet in the royal court of Mahmud of Ghazni, a powerful ruler. He was even given a special title: Malik-us Shu'ara, which means "King of Poets."
Unsuri wrote many poems. It's believed he wrote about 30,000 lines of poetry! However, only about 2,500 lines of his work still exist today. One of his most famous works is a long love story poem called Vāmiq u ‘Adhrā.
Unsuri's poems often used interesting stories to share ideas. One example is a dialogue between an eagle and a crow. This poem helps us understand how Unsuri might have felt about his own place in the king's court compared to newer poets.
The Eagle and The Crow: A Poem
This poem was translated by Iraj Bashiri. It tells a story about two very different birds.
- A dialogue occurred, I happen to know,
- Betwixt the white eagle and the crow.
- Birds we are, said the crow, in the main,
- Friends we are, and thus we shall remain.
- Birds we are, agreed the eagle, only in name,
- Our temperaments, alas, are not the same.
- My leftovers are a king's feast,
- Carrion you devour, to say the least.
- My perch's the king's arm, his palace my bed,
- You haunt the ruins, mingle with the dead.
- My color is heavenly, as everyone can tell,
- Your color inflicts pain, like news from hell.
- Kings tend to choose me rather than you,
- Good attracts good, that goes for evil too.
What the Poem Means
In this poem, Unsuri uses the eagle and the crow to compare himself to other poets. The eagle represents Unsuri himself, who was the "King of Poets" and highly respected by the king. The crow represents a younger, less experienced poet who had recently joined the court.
The eagle talks about its high status: it eats like a king, lives in the palace, and is chosen by rulers. The crow, on the other hand, eats leftovers and lives in ruins. This shows how Unsuri saw himself as a top poet, while others were not as skilled or important. It's a clever way to show his pride and position in the royal court.
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