Proximity and Distance: Medieval Hebrew and Arabic Poetry (tudes Sur Le Judasme Mdival) (English, Hebrew and Arabic Edition)

The first steps in Hebrew secular poetry took place around the turn of the ninth century, under the impact of contemporary Arabic poetry. This impact was so great that some researchers, incorrectly, define the Hebrew poetry as a school which is distinct from the Arabic school only by virtue of its Hebrew language. However, the right way to the essence of medieval Hebrew poetry is not only by revealing and describing its ties with Arabic poetry but also by determining the specific characteristics by which it stubbornly distinguished itself from its Arabic contemporaries. This innovative critical approach is the central feature of this book. CONTENTS......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 INTRODUCTION......Page 14 Chapter One: Research on the Affinity of Hebrew Poetry to Arabic Poetry in the Middle Ages......Page 16 PART ONE: THE BEGINNING OF THE CONTACTS IN THE EAST......Page 42 Chapter Two: The Encounter of Hebrew and Arabic Poetry in the East in the Tenth–Twelfth Centuries......Page 44 Chapter Three: Sa'adia and Arabic Poetry: Philosophical Culture and Philosophical Poetry......Page 78 Chapter Four: Sa'adia's Poetics: Old Wine in a New Bottle......Page 130 PART TWO: HEBREW SECULAR POETRY IN SPAIN......Page 190 Chapter Five: Hebrew Poetry and Arabic Poetry in Spain: Similarity and Distinctiveness......Page 192 Chapter Six: Philosophy in Medieval Hebrew and Arabic Poetry in Spain......Page 218 Chapter Seven: Medieval Hebrew Secular Poetry: Pagan Ideas Versus the Tenets of Judaism......Page 230 Chapter Eight: The Poetry of Sh∂muel Ha-Nagid against the Background of Arabic Poetry of Self-Praise......Page 260 PART THREE: THE POETICS OF HEBREW POETRY IN SPAIN......Page 280 Chapter Nine: Metaphor in Hebrew Medieval Poetry......Page 282 Chapter Ten: Modifications of Language and of Metre in Hebrew Medieval Poetry Compared with darūrat al-shi'r, zihāfāt, and 'ilal in Medieval Arabic Poetry......Page 304 Chapter Eleven: The Source of Alharīzī's t∂na'e ha-shi'r (Conditions of Poetry) in 'amūd al-shi'r of Arabic Poetry......Page 322 Chapter Twelve: Aristotle's Poetics in Medieval Jewish Literature......Page 336 APPENDICES......Page 356 Appendix One: The Proverb Writer Sa'īd B. Bābshād: A Tenth-Century Eastern Hebrew Poet......Page 358 Appendix Two: Sh∂lomo b. Gabirol and Bahye b. Paqūda: Philosophical Ideas in Spanish Liturgical Poetry......Page 369 Appendix Three: A Poem by the Jewish Apostate to Islam Abraham B. Sahl?......Page 377 Bibliography......Page 388 F......Page 410 M......Page 411 P......Page 412 T......Page 413 A......Page 414 F......Page 415 L......Page 416 R......Page 417 V......Page 418 K......Page 419 Y......Page 420 Annotation The central feature of this book is an innovative critical approach, which understands medieval Hebrew poetry not only by revealing its ties with Arabic poetry but also by determining the specific characteristics by which it stubbornly distinguished itself from Arabic poetry