Ancient Arabic Poetry Research Articles

Ali Ahmad Hussein. The Lightning-Scene in Ancient Arabic Poetry: Function, Narration and Idiosyncrasy in Pre-Islamic and Early Islamic Poetry. Arabische Studien 3: Wiesbaden, 2009. Pp. xiii+302.

Ali Ahmad Hussein. The Lightning-Scene in Ancient Arabic Poetry: Function, Narration and Idiosyncrasy in Pre-Islamic and Early Islamic Poetry. Arabische Studien 3: Wiesbaden, 2009. Pp. xiii+302.

Meters and formulas

This paper deals with the metrical and rhythmical foundations of the formulaic style of ancient Arabic poetry. It is first shown how proper formulas can match different verse-patterns, by means of slight modifications such as the adjunction, deletion or substitution of conjunctions, prepositions, interrogative pronouns or aspectual markers, which partly behave like “stop-gaps”, keeping the meaning unchanged while modifying the metrical pattern of the formula. The analysis is then extended to “rhythmical formulas”, i.e. to combined metrical and word-stress patterns which serve as models for a great number of “formulaic expressions”. Word boundaries may be specified, as well as some morphological and syntactical informations, so that expressions derived from a same rhythmical formula can be classified into a number of more or less abstract subcategories. Finally, the syntagmatic combination of rhythmical formulas into lines leads to the identification of a small number of prototypical verse-instances underlying the various actual instances of a same verse-pattern.

Towards a systematic corpus analysis of Arabic poetry

Recent work on Arabic metrics aims at developing a coherent research programme which relies on the systematic analysis of electronic corpora. The computer program XALIYL performs, for any line of ancient Arabic poetry, an automatic recognition of the metre used. This operation takes place whatever the length of the verses, and regardless of whether they are encoded in ordinary Arabic script (with the addition of vowels) or by means of the TRS system, which relates functionally to ordinary Arabic script. XALIYL produces a textual database that contains the syllabic decomposition for each hemistich of each line, as well as its metrical analysis. It can cope not only with the general problems linked to re-syllabification and sandhi, but also with problems of syllabification specific to Arabic metrics. Errors due to the metrical scanning or to the editing of poems can be located automatically. Moreover, by allowing a computerised search for formulae, XALIYL provides significant information on the “formulaic systems” of ancient Arabic poetry.

Anthropomorphism and interpretation of the Qur'an in the Theology of al-Qasim ibn Ibrahim. Kitab al-Mustarshid

This work deals with anthropomorphism and interpretation of the Qu'ran in the theology of the Zaidite imam al-Qasim ibn Ibrahim (785-860 AD). The edition and annotated translation of al-Qasim's epistle, Kitab al-Mustarshid, is preceded by an introduction which examines early Islamic theology. For the abrogation of the literal meanings of Qur'anic anthropomorphic expressions, the author uses similies, idioms and phrases in Arabic, pieces of evidence from ancient Arabic poetry and rational arguments which often reflect the Mu`tazilite ways of dealing with anthropomorphism. The second subject, the place of the Qur'an in al-Qasim's writings and his methods of interpretation of the Qur'an, bears directly upon his doctrines in general and upon his doctrine of anti-anthropomorphism in particular, and also contributes to the understanding of the development of Qur'anic exegesis in the first half of the 9th century.

On Some Umayyad Poetry in the History of al-Ṭabarī

Ancient Arabic poetry in general is rightly regarded in Arab circles as one of the paramount monuments of Arabic literature, and it is of course also held in esteem among Western scholars. For the most part, however, this admiration does not, in effect, extend to the specifically historical poetry quoted – sometimes in vast quantities – in the works of such historians as Ibn A‘tham al-Kūfī, al-Balādhurī, and al-Ṭabarī. It is readily apparent that this verse is often of extraordinary difficulty, that some represents retrojections from later times, and that many poems (in particular the later forgeries) are of an inferior quality; but the often-heard views holding that the historical poetry is, as a whole, of no particular historical importance or literary merit are simply false.

A New Reading of an Ancient Poem

HABIT ibn Jabir, better known as Ta'abbata Sharran, was a 1poet from the pre-Islamic Saald1fk. In his poetry, we find a short passage that consists of nine lines, in which he described a unique experience that he underwent when a group of Banui Lihyan chased him, pushing him into a narrow pass, out of which he managed to emerge safely thanks to his wit and daring. This poem celebrates the poet's escape, which he consideres as a great victory over his pursuers. In the present study I wish to analyze this poem in full, in terms of both content and form, and to correct some common mistakes concerning certain points in it. I would also like to include a discussion of a number of current opinions concerning interconnectedness of the verses in ancient Arabic poetry, as well as the relationship between metre and content. I also wish to point out the reciprocal relationship between the opening words and stereotyped expressions of the poem and its metre. The following is the text of the poem is cited in Abui-Tammam's Hama-sa 1, in English transliteration, each verse followed by an English translation2.

Al‐Muwailihi's criticism of Shawqi's introduction

In a recently published paper Roger Allen draws attention to the importance of the criticism, levelled by Muhammad al-Muwailihi at Ahmad Shawqi's Introduction to the first publication of the Shawqiyyat for understanding the earlier phases of modern Arabic literature. ' With the passage of time both the Introduction and the Criticism seem to be gaining a great deal as major statements of two prominent Egyptian literary figures at the turn of the century. It is no wonder that these documents appear now to merit even closer study. Abd al-Hayy Diyab was probably the first contemporary scholar to show that there is in these documents a great deal more than a record of personal rivalry of the rather typical sort for those days.2 In his valuable and lucid presentation of the critical situation of the time he places each one of them in context, thus enabling us to see clearly the nature of the intracultural conflict within which they were born. The advantage of Diyab's approach is that it helps to overcome the mistaken impression of Shawqi's Introduction as 'a confused jumble' which Allen evidently shares.3 In fact, this was alMuwailihi's main criticism against Shawqi's view on poetry and for a long time no one challenged its validity. The argument which readers found most impressive in the Criticism is summarized as follows: at first Shawqi speaks very highly of Arab poets such as al-Ma'arri and al-Mutanabbi, but soon after that he claims that having knocked at poetry's door meaning Arab poetry he had found only unpoetic diwans.4 Yet, strange as it may be, this representation of Shawqi's argument is inaccurate. What Shawqi really said was: 'I knocked at poetry's door without knowing as much about it then as I know now. All I found were diwans of the dead ... and qasidas by the living which merely imitated the ancients.'5 The underlined qualification is of the essence of Shawqi's argument, which becomes very clear in Diyab's book. For the situation of Arabic poetry facing Shawqi in his youth was indeed lamentable, and a young intellectual could understandably know no more of it than was being written in his days. The realistic evaluation of the situation had nothing to do with the excellence of ancient Arabic poetry which Shawqi apparently learned to appreciate only after he began writing poetry of his own. As Diyab shows the very desire for a renaissance of Arabic poetry sprang from the realization that Arabic poetry had degenerated into sheer metre and rhyme. Only after the Barudian renaissance re-discovered the long neglected ancient poetry was it possible to appreciate that those ancient diwans were anything more than 'diwans of the dead'. Thus al-Muwailihi's accusation of Shawqi that he had displayed inconsistency by first admiring some of the ancient poets and then telling of his distaste for the poetic situation in his youth, before knowing of poetry as much as he came to know subsequently, is one of the weakest points in his Criticism.

Poetry as a Source for the History of Early Islam: The case of (al-)ʿAbbās b. Mirdās

We expect poetry to be poetical, an expression of emotions, meditative and the like. It seems unusual to even consider the value of poetry as a historical source, but given the characteristics of early Arabic poetry this objective becomes less farfetched: Arab poets used their poetic compositions sometimes as the media of the time, to state publicly their points of view and their deliberations. By studying these we come across motivations, reflections of discussions and considerations of the options that these individuals had. For an era of turmoil like the beginning of Islam we can hardly come closer to the persons who witnessed it than reading and interpreting their own words.Keywords: Ancient Arabic poetry, early Islam, genesis of religions in context

Ancient Arabic Poetry

The most illustrious tradition of romantic poetry on oriental subjects, from the Westöstlicher Diwan to Rückert, Platen, Hugo and Leconte de Lisle, was inspired essentially by Indian and Persian epic, lyric and gnomic poetry, referring only to a minor degree to the ancient poetry of the Arabs—although it is precisely Rückert to whom we are indebted for a version of the Hamâsa, a famous anthology of pagan Arabic poetry. Goethe approached this anthology through the versions of Jones, described it briefly in the “Notes and Commentary” to the Diwan, and among other sections retold one tale splendidly in verse: the “Song of Vengeance” of Taâbbata Sharran. Here the force of his genius lifted him well above the bristling Latin of Freytag, through whom he had come to know the song, and brought him very close in lyrical intuition to the original of this masterpiece of debated authenticity. But on the whole, the poetic heritage of the ancient Arabs was not adequately echoed in the literature of the romantic age. Rückert himself, inspired by pagan Arabic poetry, is read by few people today; and the poetry that was his model is studied rather by philologists, for its documentary value. Theodor Noeldeke, at the beginning of his classic study of the Mu'allakat, declared frankly: “It is questionable whether the aesthetic pleasure provided by the study of ancient Arabic poetry is worth the great pains required even to approach an understanding of the same.” It is difficult to stand in opposition to the authority of the “old master” of German orientalists, who confessed that “the more he studied the Semites, the more he loved the Greeks.” Even the most humble author of these lines dares to appropriate for himself the lines of Noeldeke; and yet, beyond every comparison, which cannot help resulting unfavorably for the ancient poets of the desert, he who knows how to love and seek out poetry will find in them authentic artistic values. Even the harsh pagan song can in certain passages interest us, fill us with enthusiasm, and move us.

Notice of an unknown Anthology of Ancient Arabic Poetry, “Muntaha 'l-ṭalab min Ash'âr-i 'l-'Arab,”, by Muḥammad b. al-Mubârak b. Muḥammad b. Maimûn

At Oxford, in 1927, while hunting up references to the verses of an unknown anthology of ancient Arabic poetry, which I hope to present shortly to the students of Arabic, I came to find mention of another unknown anthology of Ancient Arabic poetry: Muntaha 'l-Ṭalab min Ash'dr-i 'l-'Arab by Muḥammad b. al-Mubârak b. Muhammad b. Maimûn, said to contain one thousand Arabic odes. Although the anthologist, Muḥammad b. al-Mubârak b. Muhammad b. Maimûn, was no familiar figure in Arabic literary history, the name of the anthology and the note about its enormous extent at once struck me and led me to think that it was a very valuable work. So I at once consulted the well-known expert, Mr. (now Dr.) F. Krenkow about it. Mr. Krenkow informed me that he also had come across the name of this anthology, most probably in the catalogue of the books in the late De Slane's library. Afterwards, when I visited Germany and met Dr. Hommel of Munich, he felt immensely interested in this anthology, and suggested to me to be on the look-out for it in my intended Near East tour especially in the libraries of Istanbul and Damascus. As a matter of fact, in Istanbul I came upon a codex of this work in the library of Laleli, where it is numbered 1941. But this codex, 2·1 cm. × 1·5 cm., containing 164 folios, was only a small part—one-sixth—of the whole work. Again in Cairo I found two manuscripts of the Muntaha 'l-Ṭalab in the Royal library.

Notes on the editions of the Arabic Poets 'Abid ibn al-Abras, 'Amir ibn at Tufail, and 'Amr ibn Qami'a published by Sir Charles J. Lyall

Since the publication of these three important collections of ancient Arabic poetry, I have had access to two valuable old works dealing with the older period of Arabic poetry, viz. the second volume of Ibn Qutaiba's Kitāb al-Ma'ānī (India Office, No. 1155) and the Ḥamāsa of Hibat Allāh Ibn ash-Shaǧarī (Paris: Arabe No. 6018), the latter in photographs belonging to Mr. Storey.

Some Aspects of Ancient Arabic Poetry, as illustrated by a little-known Anthology. By SirCharles J. Lyall, K.C.S.I., D.Litt. Published for the British Academy by H. Milford, Oxford University Press, Amen Corner. 1s. 6d. net.

Some Aspects of Ancient Arabic Poetry, as illustrated by a little-known Anthology. By SirCharles J. Lyall, K.C.S.I., D.Litt. Published for the British Academy by H. Milford, Oxford University Press, Amen Corner. 1<i>s</i>. 6<i>d</i>. net.

Arabic Chrestomathy. Selected passages from Arabic prose-writers, with an Appendix containing some specimens of ancient Arabic poetry. With a complete Glossary by Ernst HarderDr. phil. pp. viii and . London and Heidelberg: Julius Gross, 1911.

Arabic Chrestomathy. Selected passages from Arabic prose-writers, with an Appendix containing some specimens of ancient Arabic poetry. With a complete Glossary by Ernst HarderDr. phil. pp. viii and . London and Heidelberg: Julius Gross, 1911.

Art. III.—Ancient Arabic Poetry; its Genuineness and Authenticity

An indescribable charm surrounds the early poetry of the Arabs. Dwelling in the wonderful creations of their genius with these ancient poets, you live, as it were, a new life. Cities, gardens, villages, the trace of even fields, left far out of sight, you get away into the free atmosphere of the desert; and, the trammels and conventionalities of settled society cast aside, you roam with the poet over the varied domain of Nature in all its freshness, artlessness, and freedom.