Introduction to Arabic Literature & Pre-Islamic Poetry PDF

Adab originally meant good manners or behavior, later on it was given a more specialized meaning which is “literature” Literature is the art of written works. Literature means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter). 1 It is anything written or printed. But, it may be written or unwr...

Adab originally meant good manners or behavior, later on it was given a more specialized meaning which is “literature” Literature is the art of written works. Literature means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter). 1 It is anything written or printed. But, it may be written or unwritten! It is artistic interpretation of life through the medium of words. It is considered to be mirrors of a culture. 2 Poetry Poems rely heavily on imagery, precise word choice, and metaphor. Classical Arab poetry always rhymes (qafiyeh ) it has measure, rhythm (wazn) -Imagery: The ability to form mental images of things or events -Metaphor: a speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity. 3 Prose Prose consists of writing that does not adhere to any particular formal structures (other than simple grammar); "non-poetic" writing, perhaps. Prose writing can of course take beautiful forms; but less by virtue of the formal features of words (rhymes ,meter) but rather by style. 4 Oral literature The term oral literature refers not to written, but to oral traditions, which includes different types of poetry and proverbs, sermons, legends… 5 Arabic literature emerged in the 6th century with only fragments of the written language appearing before then. It was the Quran in the 7th century which would have the greatest lasting effect on Arabic culture and its literature. Arabic literature flourished during the Islamic golden age and continues to the present day 6 Periods of Arabic Literature The pre-Islamic Period (500-622) The Early Islamic Period (622-661) The Umayyad Period (661-750) The Abbasid period (750-1258) Post Abbasid period (1258- 1800) not in ARA101 Hispano – Arabic period (711 – 1492) Modern period (1800 to the present) not in ARA101 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0VdJAg LRoE&list=PLE5ot8GGduWwTjU2KgqSOYbbKtohEPU7&index=3&t=27s 7 “Read An Overview of Arabic Literature” from p.24 to 27. “Literature” by Mounah Khouri, from p. 28-34. 8 Pre-Islamic literature Poetry What do we mean by ‘classical’ Arabic poetry? We learn about pre-islamic period from: poetry, Legends, proverbs and Qur’an In the context of Arabic poetry, the term ‘classical’ is conventionally applied to the period extending from the early 6th century C.E. to the end of the ‘Abbasid caliphate (13th century C.E.). It was during this period that the genres, themes and stylistic techniques emerged. ‘ANTARA Characteristics of qasidah Epic qualities Verse is divided into two halves of equal metrical value (hemistichs). Meter and rhyme (wazn and qāfiyeh) adheres throughout to one of a fixed set of syllabic metres (codified in the 8th century C.E. by al-Khalīl ibn Aḥmad al-Farahidi) monorhyme, i.e. each line ends with the same rhyming element (qāfiyeh) According to medieval Arab critics (al-Jāḥiẓ, for example), the qaṣīda format was invented by Muhalhil ibn Rabī‘a (early 6thcentury C.E.), but its most famous early exponent is Muhalhil’s nephew, Imru-l-Qays. The opening section, or nasīb, in particular of Imru-lQays’s Mu‘allaqa came to be regarded as the model, or locus classicus, which others would follow. Prosody Prosodic: the rhythm and pattaern of sound. Metrical scheme: Scheme: the way something is arranged or organized Metre: The basic rhythmic structure of a verse or a line in verse. A metre is a consequence of feet, each foot being a specific sequence of syllable types Syllable: any one of the parts into which a word is naturally divided when it is pronounced. ‫أول ﺑﯿﺖ ﻣﻦ ﻗﺼﯿﺪة أﻣﺮؤ اﻟﻘﯿﺲ‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺼﯿﺪة ‪ /‬اﻟﻣﻌﻠﻘﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺑﺤﺮ اﻟﻄﻮﯾﻞ‬ ‫ﻗﻔَﺎ ﻧ ْﺒ ِﻚ ْ‬ ‫ﺐ و َﻣ ْﻨ ِﺰ ِل‬ ‫ﻣﻦ ذ ْﻛ َﺮى ﺣ ِﺒ ْﯿ ٍ‬ ‫ق ف ا ن ب ‪ /‬ك م ن ذ ك ر ى ‪ /‬ح ب ي ب ن‪ /‬و م ن ز ل ن‬ ‫ﻗﻔﺎﻧب‪ -‬ﻛﻣﻧذﻛرى‪ -‬ﺣﺑﯾﺑن –وﻣﻧرﻟن‬ ‫ﻓﻌﻮﻟﻦ ‪ /‬ﻣﻔﺎﻋﯿﻠﻦ ‪ /‬ﻓﻌﻮﻟﻦ ‪ /‬ﻣﻔﺎﻋﻠﻦ‬ ‫ﺴ ْﻘ ِﻂ اﻟ ِﻠ َﻮى ﺑ ْﯿ َﻦ اﻟ ّﺪ ُﺧﻮ ِل و َﺣ ْﻮ َﻣ ِﻞ‬ ‫ﺑ ِ‬ ‫ﺑﺳﻘطل –ﻟوﺑﯾﻧﻠد –دﺧول –وﺣوﻣﻠن‬ ‫ب س ق ط ل ‪ /‬ل و ى ب ي ن د ‪ /‬د خ و ل‪ /‬و ح و م ل ي‬ ‫ﻓﻌﻮﻟﻦ ‪ /‬ﻣﻔﺎﻋﯿﻠﻦ ‪ /‬ﻓﻌﻮ ُل ‪ /‬ﻣﻔﺎﻋﻠﻦ‪.‬‬ Pre-Islamic Poetry – questions 1. What are the two types of pre-Islamic poems and what are the differences between them? 2. Why is it said that the classical Arabic poetry cannot be translated without losing its essential quality? What is this essential quality? 3. What are the three main thematic division of a pre Islamic qasida (ode) 4. Who are the most famous Pre-Islamic Arab poets? The role of the poet in pre-Islamic Arabian society: In pre-Islamic Arabia poetry was closely linked to the nature of tribal society. The poet was typically the spokesman of his clan, and his craft was a means of preserving the collective memory of the clan. He was a propagandist, preacher, entertainer, moralist… The poet’s status: The role of tribal poet was therefore seen as an important one, as indicated in the following well-known quote from a medieval Arab critic: “They [the Arab tribesmen of pre-Islamic times] used not to wish each other joy but for three things: the birth of a boy, the coming to light of a poet, and the foaling of a noble mare.” (Ibn Rashīq (d. 1065), Kitāb al-‘Umda fī maḥāsin al-shi‘r) The 2 basic categories of early Arabic poem: The 2 basic categories of early Arabic poem: In terms of their basic structure the earliest examples of Arabic poetry fall into 2 main categories: -qit‘a (‘piece’), short poem on single theme - qaṣīda (‘ode’), more complex , longer and comprising a number of thematic sections The qaṣīdais a highly conventionalised genre in terms of structure, progression, recurrent themes, motifs and tropes. Structural characteristics: typically around 30 –100 lines in length each line is divided into hemistichs adheres throughout to one of a 16 fixed set of syllabic metres (codified in the 8thcentury C.E. by al-Khalīl ibn Aḥmad al-Farahidi) monorhyme, Standard outline of qasidah Three main thematic divisions 1.Love prelude: the nasīb or amatory prelude; characterised by the poet’s melancholic nostalgia for a past love affair. Such nostalgia is usually prompted by his encountering and describing the traces of his beloved’s abandoned encampment. (in pre-Islamic times nomadic Arabs would often form brief romantic attachments but these would always take second place to tribal loyalty 2. Journey theme: (rihla) the raḥīl, or journey, an opportunity for the poet to flaunt his descriptive powers by praising the qualities of his horse and describing the flora and fauna of the desert 3. The main theme All of the foregoing is typically (though not in the case of Imru-lQays’s Mu‘allaqa) a prelude to the poem’s main theme (al-gharaḍalra’īsī) Main topics of a qaṣīda (aghrāḍ): Self-praise (fakhr) Praising qualities like: honor, loyalty, generosity, courage, justice, tribal solidarity Panegyric (madīḥ) and Eulogy Satire (hijā’) Elegy or lament (rithā') Love (Ghazal) wisdom (ḥikma) Usually, meditations on life’s transitory nature Terminology: Bayt : a line of poetry Shaṭr : a half-line or hemistich Metrical feet (tafa’eel) The Mu‘allaqāt A collection of seven pre-Islamic qaṣīdas (albeit compiled in the 8th century C.E.) which were widely regarded as the best of their kind. The story behind the supposed derivation of the term Mu‘allaqa–namely that they used to be hung on the Ka‘ba as a mark of esteem –is probably nothing more than a legend. The poets of Mu‘allaqāt Imru’ al-Qays, the wandering king Ṭarafah ibn al-ʿAbd, the defender of sensual pleasures Zuhayr bin Abī Sulmá, the moralist ‘Antara bin Shaddad, the Arab hero ʿAmr ibn Kulthūm, the regicide al-Harith b. Hilliza, the leper Labid bin abi Rabi’a, the centenarian Imru-l-Qays Imru-l-Qays ibn Ḥujr (d. circa 550) was a prince of the Kinda tribe. He is generally regarded as one of the most outstanding Arab poets of the pre-Islamic period. Legend has it that following his father’s death at the hands of the Banī Asad, Imru-l-Qays put aside the pursuit of youthful pleasures and devoted his life to avenging his father, a mission that led him to seek the aid of the Byzantine emperor, on whose command Imru-l-Qays was later poisoned as punishment for seducing the emperor’s daughter… Other Pre-Islamic Poets Al-A’sha, al-Nabigha the professional panegyrist, Hutay’ah the satirist Al-Shanfara, the vagabond Al-Khansa’ the poetess known for her elegies. Zuhayr’s qasida: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mi-fk40XTc Imru’ al-Qays qasida https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKeyuqfhfOo&t=95 s Some verses of Imru al-Qays poetry explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB7H8Z8ybLg Imru al-Qays bio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljb_oUWZx3E Poets and jinn: Poetry was also seen as having a supernatural power. Poets were often thought to be inspired by their own personal jinn. For this reason, and because of the conduct of some pre-Islamic poets, poets are condemned in the Qur’ān: As for the poets, the erring follow them. Hast thou not seen how they stray in every valley, and how they say that which they do not? (Qur. 26, 224-26)