Arabic Literature In Muslim Spain:

Salient Features Of Arabic Language And

Literature In Muslim Spain:
Outline:
A. Introduction
B. Background
C.Enironment
!. "oetr#$features
%a& Asnaf 'a Ag(rad
%b& Meanings and Sub)ects
%c& Alfa* 'a Asalib
%d& Meter and r(#me
E.+'o t#pes of poetr#
%a& Classical
%b& "opular
F. "rose
,. Conclusion
Introduction:
The Arabic rule in Muslim Spain had written a brightest chapter on the
pages of Arabic literature and language. The Arabs ruled nearly 800
years. The story of development of Arabic language is interesting here; so
is the epic of its literature. The tradition of Arabic poetry; the beauty of
Spanish plains and mountains; and the patronage of the rulers gave birth
to a vibrant poetry that could be sung as well Muwashasha and Zaal. This
was the hallmar! of the Spanish poetry. The prose wor!s of "bn e Abdul
#abbih$ "bn e Tufail$ "bn e %a&m and "bn ul 'hatib are respected even
today in the Arab and Muslim lands.
Background:
"n ())$ Tari* +in Ziaad$ ordered by Musa +in ,usair$ the -overnor of Afria
appointed by al./alid bin Abdul Mali!$ set foot on the mountain$ later
called the -ibralter and set in motions the chain of con*uests that swept
the whole of Spain in ()0$ in less than two years. 1rom ()0 to )234$
Muslim ruled in one form and another over Spain. Apart from other
achievements$ their literary achievements are totally unimagined. The
natural environmentt of the country$ the heartily patronage of
5mmayyads$ the pluralism and toleration of the society$ and the old
Arabic poetry provided the theme and milieu for a greater literary
accomplishment.
Enironment
Arab poets fond in 6urope what they failed to 7nd in Asia; 8olorful life;
new hori&ons$ di9erent panoramas; continued rains; shadowing trees; the
full.:owing canals; fertile lands and heavy mountains$ and medows full of
:owers. All these natural features combinely gave clarity to their minds;
elevated their trance; and sweetened their tongues; enhanced the scope of
literature; civili&ed the poetry; produced beauty in words and force in
meanings$ created variations and alterations in rhymes and vivacity in
thought. They molded it and decorated it li!e a bou*uet$ and :owed it li!e a
canal; and composed in short meters; so much so that meters were
narrowed; compelled by the sensitivity of culture$ and increasing trend of
music they introduced muwashasluh in the Arabic$ pure and manifest. "t
transformed into Zaal after the literary decay and Arab decline.
"oetr#$ Features
a; Asnaf wa Aghrad
b; Meanings and Subects
c; A<fa& wa Aslib
d; Meter and #hyme
A& Asnaf 'a Ag(rad
Andalusion poetry$ li!e that of other Muslim countries$ was bound by
strict rules and conventions . much of its themed remained that of classical
Arabic poetry.
=); Loe: called nasib or gha&al$ in which the poet sang of the beauty of
his beloved; of his pains of separation and oys of meetings.
=4; "raise: in which he praises the superior *ualities of his patron$
whether the ruler or the rich man.
=0; Satire: "n which he praise the evil *uality of his enemies.
=2; Elegies: in which a poet mourns over a dead person$ and also about
his courage$ his generosity$ wisdom and other noble *ualities.
=>; -ars: songs about victory of his poetry.
=?; .u(d: mystical and spiritual poetry.
=(; !escriptie "oetr#: called wasf$ the poet described the beauties
of nature i.e. @f the gardens$ :owers$ mountains$ palace of his patron as well
as of night$ dawn$ and of rains and of the glories of the by gone past. The
wasf poetry was the hallmar! of the Andalustan poets.
=8; -ine: he used to write poetry on wine as well.
%b& Meanings and Sub)ects:
The feeling and sentiments pertaining to afore.mentioned Asnaf
produced in the heart of poet clamoured in verse$ are called its subects and
meaning of the poetry. The more the meanings are clear$ the closer to
reality$ patron oned meter$ and the verse would be standard and considered
to be of high *uality. "n accordance with meaning and subects$ the
Andalusian poetry has following featuresA
). The meaning and subects are clear$ closer to reality and happening and
are congruent.
4. There can be traced the element of eBaggeration$ but wast poetry is real
and veritable in its meanings.
0. The subects are sometimes clothed in philosophy and badih$ thus
ambiguity is the result.
2. Though they lived in 6urope much of their poetry is modeled in 6astern
style$ but muwashahah and &aal are native and reveal original meanings.
%c& Alfa* and Asalib
); 5sed most relevant and beautiful words at right place and at right time.
4; 5sed mostly heavy and eBceptionally lighter words.
0; -harib words are avoided.
2; They used local words in Muwashash and Zaal.
>; They made full use of similies and metaphors.
?; Creferred terseness over detail.
%d& Meter and /(#me
During 5mmayad period =()4.)0)0; use has been made of traditional
pattern of meter and rhyme; but later on the short.meter.composition strut
out in the form of Muwashash and &aal mainly for musical and local needs.
+#pes of "oetr#
a; 8lassicalA 6ight motifs that we have illustrated earlier.
b; CopularA
c; Muwashasha
d; Zaal
"opular "oetr#
1rom tenth century onwards$ a popular form of poetry came into being in
Muslim Spain. "t had two forms normally Mueashsha and Zaal. Copular
poetry was di9erent from classical in language$ meter and rhyme. "t was
composed not in classical Arabic but in collo*uial Arabic$ spo!en by the
common people$ even including #omance and it could also be set to music.
"n other words$ classical people was recited$ while the popular poetry could
be sung. These reasons made Muwasha and Zaal very popular among the
common people.
"t is however diEcult to point out real di9erence between Muwashash
and Zaal forms of poetry. Ibn 0e0 1(adun put the di9erences simply thisA
FMuwashasha and Zaal poetry spread among the Spaniards. The great
mass too! to it because of its smoothness$ artistic language$ and many
internal rhymes fond in it$ which made them popular. As a result$ common
people in cities immitated them. They made poems of Muwashashal poet in
their local dialect$ without employing vowel endings. They thus invented a
new form called Zaal. They have continued to compose poems of this type$
down to this time. They achieved remar!able things in it. The new form
opened a wide 7eld for elo*uent poetryin the Spanish.Arabic dialect which is
in:uenced by non.Arab speech habits.F
FSome of the great Muwashash poets areAF
"bn Gu&ban$ "bn Zaidun$ "bn +a*i$ "bn %ani and "bn %a&m
"rose
"n the Andalus$ the litterateurs produced a great variety of prose
covering all the subects from literature to history and from sciences to
philosophy.
Conclusion
The Muslim of Spain produced a vibrant literature. Arabic language got
full vogue. Coetry got new rhymes$ eastern Arabic poetry may have verbosity
devoid of any meaning fullness$ but the Andalusian poetry is not so. The
importance lies in the fact that 6uropeans genres later on $ too! rhyme from
Arabic poetry.
They borrowed also gha&al and eulogy from it. 8hivalry constituted and
essential part$ of the Andalusian social development which was later on
transmitted to the 6uropean lands during #enaissance.