Classical Arabic Literature: A Library of Arabic Literature Anthology (Library of Arabic Literature, 5)

A major translation achievement, this anthology presents a rich assortment of classical Arabic poems and literary prose, from pre-Islamic times until the 18th century, with short introductions to guide non-specialist students and informative endnotes and bibliography for advanced scholars. Both entertaining and informative, Classical Arabic Literature ranges from the early Bedouin poems with their evocation of desert life to refined urban lyrical verse, from tender love poetry to sonorous eulogy and vicious lampoon, and from the heights of mystical rapture to the frivolity of comic verse. Prose selections include anecdotes, entertaining or edifying tales and parables, a fairy-tale, a bawdy story, samples of literary criticism, and much more. With this anthology, distinguished Arabist Geert Jan van Gelder brings together well-known texts as well as less familiar pieces new even to scholars. Classical Arabic Literature reveals the rich variety of pre-modern Arabic social and cultural life, where secular texts flourished alongside religious ones. This masterful anthology introduces this vibrant literary heritage including pieces translated into English for the first time to a wide spectrum of new readers. " Geert Jan van Gelder was Laudian Professor of Arabic at the University of Oxford from 1998 to 2012. He is the author of several books on classical Arabic literature, including Beyond the Line: Classical Arabic Literary Critics on the Coherence and Unity of the Poem and Of Dishes and Discourse: Classical Arabic Literary Representations of Food. Cover......Page 1 Table of Contents......Page 8 Letter from the General Editor......Page 4 Acknowledgements......Page 12 Abbreviations......Page 13 Introduction......Page 14 Notes to the Introduction......Page 27 Verse......Page 30 A Qasidah......Page 31 A Qasidah......Page 33 A Qasidah......Page 37 An Elegy (Marthiyah)......Page 41 Polemics in Verse: An Invective Qasidah......Page 44 Love in the Desert: A Qasidah......Page 50 An Umayyad Ghazal Poem, used as an Abbasid Song Text......Page 56 An 'Udhri Ghazal attributed to Majnun Layla......Page 58 An Umayyad Ghazal......Page 60 A Love Poem......Page 62 Anti-Arab, Pro-Iranian Lampoon (Hija')......Page 63 A Modern (Muhdath) Ghazal Epigram......Page 66 A Ghazal......Page 67 Two wine Poems......Page 69 A Lampooning Epigram (Hija')......Page 72 A Ghazal Poem......Page 73 Three Love Epigrams......Page 75 A Poem of Asceticism (Zuhdiyyah)......Page 78 Ibn al-Rumi: On His Poetry......Page 80 A Qasidah: A Party at 'Abd al-Malik ibn Salih al-Hashimi’s......Page 82 A Panegyric Qasidah......Page 87 A Victory Ode: The Qasidah on Sayf al-Dawlah’s Recapture of the Fortress of al-Hadath......Page 90 Nature Poetry: Two Epigrams......Page 94 Strophic Poem: A Muwashshahah......Page 96 An Anonymous Muwashshahah from Spain......Page 98 There Descended to You: A Philosophical Allegory......Page 102 Five Epigrams on Death and Belief......Page 104 Mystical Ghazal: A Poem......Page 108 A Mystical Zajal......Page 112 Two Elegies on the Death of his Concubine......Page 114 A Zajal: An Elegy on the Elephant Marzuq......Page 118 Rajaz......Page 122 Early Rajaz......Page 123 A Few Lines from the Poem of Proverbs......Page 124 A Few Lines from The Thousand-liner......Page 125 Light Verse: A Domestic Disaster......Page 126 “Didactic” Verse: From a Poem on How to Behave in Society......Page 131 Prose......Page 138 Examples of Early Rhymed Prose (Saj')......Page 139 A Pre-Islamic Tale: The Princess on the Myrtle Leaf (Three Versions)......Page 143 How the Queen of Sheba Became Queen......Page 146 Two Stories from Meadows of Gold......Page 148 Lives of The Poets: al-Farazdaq Tells the Story of Imru' al-Qays and the Girls at the Pond......Page 152 Bedouin Romance: The Unhappy Love Story of Qays and Lubna......Page 156 A Parable: The Human Condition, or The Man in the Pit......Page 195 Mirror for Princes (and Others): Passages from Right Conduct......Page 197 Al-Jahiz on Flies and Other Things......Page 205 Essayistic Prose: Al-Tawhidi on the Superiority of the Arabs......Page 224 History as Literature: Al-Amin and al-Ma'mun, the Sons of Harun al-Rashid......Page 237 Moral Tales and Parables: Passages from The Epistles of the Sincere Brethren......Page 247 Prose Narrative: Four Stories......Page 254 The Isfahan Maqamah......Page 274 The Debate of Pen and Sword......Page 277 A Visit to Heaven and Hell......Page 284 Poetics: Ibn Rashiq on the Definition and Structure of Poetry......Page 306 Literary Criticism: From The Secrets of Eloquence......Page 310 Popular Science: Two Chapters from the Encyclopedia of Animals......Page 326 A Section from an Adab Encyclopedia: The Chapter on Stinginess from The Precious and Refined in Every Genre and Kind......Page 334 A Fairytale: The Tale of the Forty Girls......Page 347 Erotica: The Young Girl and the Dough Kneader, from The Old Man’s Rejuvenation......Page 362 Two Burlesque Stories from Brains Confounded......Page 368 Lyrical Prose: A Visit to the Bath......Page 374 Notes......Page 381 Chronology......Page 455 K......Page 458 R......Page 459 Z......Page 460 Bibliography......Page 461 Further Reading......Page 481 A......Page 486 B......Page 487 H......Page 488 I......Page 489 J......Page 490 M......Page 491 Q......Page 492 T......Page 493 Z......Page 494 About the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute......Page 495 About the Typefaces......Page 496 About the Translator......Page 497 A major achievement in the field of translation, this anthology presents a rich assortment of classical Arabic poems and literary prose, from pre-Islamic times until the 18th century, with short introductions to guide non-specialist students and informative endnotes and bibliography for advanced scholars. Like many pre-modern Arabic anthologies it aims at being both entertaining and informative. It ranges from the early Bedouin poems with their evocation of desert life to refined urban lyrical verse, from tender love poetry to sonorous eulogy or vicious lampoons, and from the heights of mystical rapture to the frivolity of comic verse. The prose contains anecdotes, entertaining or edifying tales and parables, a fairy-tale, a bawdy story, samples of literary criticism, and much more. With this anthology, distinguished Arabist Geert Jan van Gelder brings together well-known texts as well as less familiar pieces that will be new even to scholars in the field. Many recent studies and anthologies of Middle Eastern literatures are primarily interested in Islam and religious matters-an emphasis that leads to the common misconception that almost everything in the region was and is dominated by religion. Classical Arabic Literature instead brings to life the rich variety of pre-modern Arabic social and cultural life, where secular texts happily coexisted with religious ones. This masterful anthology, in English only, will introduce this vibrant literary heritage to a wide spectrum of new readers A Major Translation Achievement, This Anthology Presents A Rich Assortment Of Classical Arabic Poems And Literary Prose, From Pre-islamic Times Until The 18th Century, With Short Introductions To Guide Non-specialist Students And Informative Endnotes And Bibliography For Advanced Scholars. Both Entertaining And Informative, Classical Arabic Literature Ranges From The Early Bedouin Poems With Their Evocation Of Desert Life To Refined Urban Lyrical Verse, From Tender Love Poetry To Sonorous Eulogy And Vicious Lampoon, And From The Heights Of Mystical Rapture To The Frivolity Of Comic Verse. Prose Selections Include Anecdotes, Entertaining Or Edifying Tales And Parables, A Fairy-tale, A Bawdy Story, Samples Of Literary Criticism, And Much More. With This Anthology, Distinguished Arabist Geert Jan Van Gelder Brings Together Well-known Texts As Well As Less Familiar Pieces New Even To Scholars. Classical Arabic Literature Reveals The Rich Variety Of Pre-modern Arabic Social And Cultural Life, Where Secular Texts Flourished Alongside Religious Ones. This Masterful Anthology Introduces This Vibrant Literary Heritage--including Pieces Translated Into English For The First Time--to A Wide Spectrum Of New Readers. Verse -- Prose. Selected And Translated By Geert Jan Van Gelder. Verse -- Prose. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Parallel Arabic Text And English Translation. A major translation achievement, this anthology presents a rich assortment of classical Arabic poems and literary prose, from pre-Islamic times until the eighteenth century, with short introductions to guide non-specialist students and informative endnotes and bibliography for advanced scholars. Both entertaining and informative, Classical Arabic Literature ranges from the early Bedouin poems with their evocation of desert life to refined urban lyrical verse, from tender love poetry to sonorous eulogy and vicious lampoon, and from the heights of mystical rapture to the frivolity of comic verse. Prose selections include anecdotes, entertaining or edifying tales and parables, a fairy-tale, a bawdy story, samples of literary criticism, and much more. With this anthology, distinguished Arabist Geert Jan van Gelder brings together well-known texts as well as less familiar pieces new even to scholars. Classical Arabic Literature reveals the rich variety of pre-modern Arabic social and cultural life, where secular texts flourished alongside religious ones. This masterful anthology introduces this vibrant literary heritage—including pieces translated into English for the first time—to a wide spectrum of new readers. An English-only edition. This anthology presents an assortment of classical Arabic poems and literary prose, from pre-Islamic times until the 18th century, with short introductions to guide non-specialist readers and informative endnotes and bibliography for advanced scholars. Like many pre-modern Arabic anthologies, it aims at being both entertaining and informative. It ranges from the early Bedouin poems with their evocation of desert life to refined urban lyrical verse, from tender love poetry to sonorous eulogy or vicious lampoons, and from the heights of mystical rapture to the frivolity of comic verse. The prose contains anecdotes, entertaining or edifying tales and parables, a fairy-tale, a bawdy story, samples of literary criticism, and more