The Adventures of Sayf Ben Dhi Yazan: An Arab Folk Epic (Prota Book)

The Military Adventures Of A King Of Yemen As He Battles Monsters, Ghosts And Ethiopian Christians, And His Romantic Interlude In The City Of Maidens. An Arabic Folk Tale Of Unknown Authorship, Written In Prose And Poetry. Translation And Narration By Lena Jayyusi ; Introduction By Harry Norris. The Selections In This Volume Cover The First 500 Pages Of The Authorized 4-volume Arabic Ed. Published In Cairo By Maktabat Al-jumhūrīyah With No Publication Date. A Prota Book. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. One of the most beautiful and fascinating medieval Arab-Islamic folk romances is presented in English for the first time. For contemporary readers, The Adventures of Sayf Ben Dhi Yazan offers unusual perspectives on issues of gender, religion, race, and ethnicity, as woven into the art of an oral narrative. Composed between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries during the Mamluk age, this folk romance is still cherished by storytellers in the Middle East. Sayf Ben Dhi Yazan was a historical figure, a sixth-century Arab king who ruled in Yemen before the rise of Islam. In the tale he is presented as a Muslim warrior; his exploits range across Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan, where his Muslim followers do battle with pagan peoples. . Colorful panoramas of heroic feats, magical escapades, bizarre landscapes and beings, brief or long-lasting love affairs, sincere friendships, demonic hatreds, supernatural forces, and dark spells propel this sira - an Arabic romance in the grand tradition of The Thousand and One Nights.

"A charming and agreeable surprise . . . A welcome gift to Western readers." —Kirkus Reviews

"Editor Jayyusi offers a major example of the Arabic folk epics or romances called siras . . . The siras are full of heroic adventures, exotic landscapes, love affairs, friendships, supernatural dangers, magical spells, and great Arab heroes. . . . " —Library Journal

"This text should find its place alongside the translations of other epic traditions of the world as a text well suited for use in university courses on the Middle East, world literature, epic, and folklore." —Journal of Arabic Literature

This colorful panorama recounts the fantastic tales of a sixth-century Arab king and offers unusual perspectives on gender, religion, race, and ethnicity. Composed between the 13th and 16th centuries and presented here in English for the first time.

"A charming and agreeable surprise . . . A welcome gift to Western readers." -Kirkus Reviews "Editor Jayyusi offers a major example of the Arabic folk epics or romances called siras . . . The siras are full of heroic adventures, exotic landscapes, love affairs, friendships, supernatural dangers, magical spells, and great Arab heroes. . . . " -Library Journal "This text should find its place alongside the translations of other epic traditions of the world as a text well suited for use in university courses on the Middle East, world literature, epic, and folklore." -Journal of Arabic Literature This colorful panorama recounts the fantastic tales of a sixth-century Arab king and offers unusual perspectives on gender, religion, race, and ethnicity. Composed between the 13th and 16th centuries and presented here in English for the first time A medieval Arab-Islamic folk romance, this book offers unusual perspectives on issues of gender, religion, race, and ethnicity, as woven into the art of an oral narrative. The folk are composed between the 13th and 16th centuries during the Mamluk age. The siras (Ar. plural siyar), Arabic for "folk-epic," "geste," or "romance," were composed in Middle Arabic during the Mamluk period, that is some time between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries.