Quote by Al-Khansa: “O eye, weep freely and shed your tears abundantly.”

This direct address to her own eye is an uninhibited call for unrestrained expression of sorrow. It reflects a culture where public mourning was deeply valued and allows her to fully embrace and articulate her profound grief without reservation.

In ancient Arabian culture, eloquent lamentation was a highly respected poetic form, and Al-Khansa was considered its greatest practitioner, openly expressing her anguish over the loss of her brothers.

Pre-Islamic and early Islamic Arab poet born around 575 CE in the Najd region of Arabia, considered the greatest female poet in classical Arabic literature. She is best known for her elegies mourning her brothers Sakhr and Muawiya, which set the standard for the genre of Arabic lamentation poetry.