Poetry in a dream: meaning in Ibn Sirin, al-Nabulsi and Ibn Shahin

26 passages from 3 sources, quoted as written, every one linked to its page.

Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam

Whoever sees that he is composing poetry and seeking gain by it, then he will bear false witness.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 192

And if he sees that he recited an ode in an assembly, then it is wisdom inclining toward hypocrisy.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 192

And if he hears poetry, then he will attend assemblies in which the truth is not spoken.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 192

Poetry in a dream is false speech. So whoever hears poetry in his dream and memorises it, let him take instruction from its meaning.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 192

And if the poetry is wisdom or the remembrance of Allah the Exalted, then it is good.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 192

And composing poetry in a dream, or memorising it, may indicate the loss of one's office and a deficiency in religion.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 192

Ibn Shahin al-Zahiri, al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat

As for poetry, it has several aspects: if it contains wisdom and admonition and the like, then it is good and [indicates] the obtaining of reward and recompense.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 70

Some interpreters said it indicates wisdom, because of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): "Indeed, some poetry is wisdom."

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 70

And if it contains nothing of that, then it is vain terror, falsehood and lies, because of His saying, Exalted is He: "And the poets—[only] the deviators follow them. Do you not see that in every valley they roam?"

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 70

(Al-Kirmani said): Whoever sees that he is reciting poetry—if it is love poetry, it indicates barking; and if it is as previously mentioned, then it is preaching and admonition; and if it is satire (lampoon), then it is lying speech, hypocrisy, and the earning of sins.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 70

Kinds and conditions of Poetry

poet and poetry

attributed to Ibn Sirin, Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam

(The poet) is a misguided man who says what he does not do, and poetry is speech of falsehood.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 666–670

And whoever sees that he is composing poetry and seeking gain by it, then he bears false witness.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 666–670

poetry and reciting it

Ibn Shahin al-Zahiri, al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat

As for poetry and reciting it: whoever sees that he is reciting poetry, if it contains obscenity then there is no good in it and it is not a (true) dream; but if it contains wisdom then it is sound, because of his saying (peace be upon him): "Indeed, some poetry is wisdom."

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 195

Ibn Sirin said: poetry is not praiseworthy, since it is falsehood; but poetry in praise of the Messenger and the like of that, of speech and wisdom, is praiseworthy.

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, p. 195

poetry and verse

attributed to Ibn Sirin, Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam

And he is in need, along with rajaz and poetry, of considering their meanings, so that he may thereby be strengthened in the meanings of the likes of dreams — as in the saying of the poet: "And a caller who called me to the summons, and a glass whose beautifying meant neither water nor wine." By "the caller" he means the invitation to singing, and by "the glass" the mouth of the woman.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 5–10

And as in the saying of another: "The narcissus has no covenant; the covenant belongs only to the myrtle." And as in the saying of another: "You are a rose, and the endurance of the rose is a month, not months; whereas it — that is, the myrtle — and the myrtle is patient against time." So by this he attributes little permanence to the rose and the narcissus, and lastingness and endurance to the myrtle; and that is what is interpreted in a dream when it occurs therein.

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 5–10

seeing the dead reciting poetry

Ibn Shahin al-Zahiri, al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat

A rare anecdote: Abu al-Qasim ibn al-'Ala' the poet said: I saw in a dream, after the death of the Sahib Abu al-Qasim ibn 'Abbad, someone saying to me: "Why do you not compose an elegy for the Sahib, given your excellence and your poetry?" I said: "The multitude of his good qualities has bridled me, so I did not know with which of them to begin, and I feared that I would fall short while people expected of me a full accounting of them." So he said: "Complete what I say." I said: "Speak." So he recited: "Generosity and the Sufficient One [al-Kafi] have come to rest together in one grave-pit," and I answered him: "So that each of them may find comfort in his brother." "They lay down together while alive, then they embraced," and I answered him: "Two bedfellows in the tomb at a hateful gate." Then he said: "When those who rest depart from their resting place," and I answered him: "These two shall remain in it until the Day of Resurrection."

al-Isharat fi Ilm al-Ibarat, pp. 260–261

composing poetry

attributed to Ibn Sirin, Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam

As for composing poetry: if it contains no wisdom and no remembrance of Allah the Exalted, then it is falsehood. The Nabateans call the poet "a composer of falsehood." And Allah the Exalted says: "And the poets—the deviators follow them. Do you not see that in every valley they wander aimlessly, and that they say what they do not do?" And the poet said: "The poet is but a mad dog — most of what comes out of his mouth is lying."

Muntakhab al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Ahlam, pp. 759–762

Reciting or composing a line of poetry

Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam

Whoever memorises something of it in a dream, or composes it, will attain knowledge, provision, and good fortune in his craft, or in whatever crafts he turns to.

Ta'tir al-Anam fi Ta'bir al-Manam, p. 126

7 more passages on this symbol are in the database and used by the interpreter.