Arabic poetry is poetry composed and written down in the Arabic language either by Arab people or non-Arabs. Knowledge of poetry in Arabic dates from the 6th century but oral poetry is believed to predate that. The amount of Arabic poetry composed has, at times, been greatly reduced with Persian poetry and Poetry of the Ottoman Empire becoming dominant in the region. While there has been a resurgence of the language for literature, particularly in the 20th century, the poets are usually classified into separate national literatures as their work is often written in a local dialect of Arabic Arabic (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب Ê»arab) are a large and heterogeneous ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa, originating in the Arabian Peninsula of southwest Asia. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... Persian literature is literature written in Persian, or by Persians in other languages. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... The Arabic language is classified as a Semitic language. ...

Pre-Islamic poetry

The earliest works of Arabic literature are poems, with prose only used later. The distinction between the forms is particularly blurred in Arabic with saj, maqama or rhymed prose being frequently employed. Poetry held an important position in pre-Islamic society with the poet or sha'ir filling the role of historian, soothsayer and propagandist, similar to the Sibyl in ancient Greek society. Words in praise of the tribe or qit'ah and lampoons denigrating other tribes hija' seem to have been some of the most popular forms of the early poetry. The sha'ir represented an individual tribe's prestige and importance in the Arabian peninsula and mock battles in poetry or zajal would stand in lieu of real wars. 'Ukaz, a market town not far from Mecca, would play host to a regular poetry festival where the craft of the sha'irs would be exhibited. Prose blah blah blahProse generally lacks the formal structure of meter or rhyme that is often found in poetry. ... Maqāma (Arabic, assemblies, pl. ... A historian is a person who studies history. ... For prophecy in the context of revealed religions see Prophet. ... This article is about the type of communication. ... The word sibyl comes (via Latin) from the Greek word sibylla, meaning prophetess. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ...

Along side the sha'ir, and often as his poetic apprentice, is the rawi or reciter. The job of the rawi was to learn the poems by heart and to recite them with explanations and probably often with embellishments. This tradition would allow the transmission of these poetic works and the practice would be adopted later by the hafiz for their memorisation of the Qur'an. At some periods there have been unbroken chains of illustrious poets, each one training a rawi as a bard to promote his verse and then to take over from them and continue the poetic tradition. Tufayl trained 'Awas ibn Hajar, 'Awas trained Zuhayr ibn Abî Sûlmâ, Zuhayr trained his son Ka'b bin Zuhayr, Ka'b trained al-Hutay'ah, al-Hutay'ah trained Jamil Buthaynah and Jamil trained Kuthayyir 'Azzah. Hafiz or Hafez (Arabic: حافظ), literally meaning guardian, is a term used by Muslims for people who have completely memorized the Quran. ... The Quran (Arabic , literally the recitation; also called or The Noble Quran; also transliterated Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... Zuhayr, also Zuhair, (full name Zuhayr ibn Abî Sûlmâ, born ca. ... Kab bin Zuhayr was the elder son of Zuhayr ibn Abî Sûlmâ, whose early work satirised Islam, but who subsequently converted and wrote the ode Baanat Suaad which became known as Qasidat al-Burda as the Prophet is reputed to have given him his cloak (burda) after...

Singers who simply performed works included performed Ibrahim al-Mawsili, his son Ishaq al-Mawsili and Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi son of caliph al-Mahdi. Many stories about these early singers were retold in the Kitab al-aghani or Book of Songs by Abu al-faraj al-Isfahani. Ibrahim Al-Mausili (742-804), Arabian singer, was born of Persian parents settled in Kufa. ... Muhammad ibn Mansur al-Mahdi (ruled 775–785), was the third Abbasid Caliph. ...

Some poets, such as Ta'abbata Sharran, al-Shanfara, 'Urwah ibn al-Ward, were known as su'luk or vagabond poets, much of whose works consisted of attacks on tribal life and praise of solitude. These works were designed to be ironic, criticising all that the Arabs held most dear in their tribal lifestyles in order to sing their praises. While such poets were identified closely with their own tribes others, such as al-A'sha, were known for their wanderings in search of work from whoever needed poetry. Al-Asha or Maymun Ibn Qays Al-asha ( 570– 625) was an Arabic poet from Durna, Arabia. ...

The very best of these early poems were collected in the 8th century as the Mu'allaqat meaning "the Hanged poems" and the Mufaddaliyat meaning al-Mufaddal's examination or anthology. The former is named the hanged poems for supposedly being hung up on the Kaaba and other prominent buildings although this is now though unlikely. It also aimed to be the definitive source of the era's output with only a single example of the work of each of the so-called "seven renowned ones", although different versions differ in which "renowned ones" they choose. The Mufaddaliyat on the other hand contains rather a random collection; apparently all that was remembered and perhaps some that was only produced in the 8th century and was not truly pre-Islamic. (7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ... The Muallaqat is the title of a group of seven long Arabic poems that have come down from the time before Islam. ... The Mufaddaliyat or Mofaddaliyat, (Ar. ... The Kaaba (Kaabah), (Arabic: الكعبة or Al Kaabah Al Musharafah : الكعبة المشرًّفة) also al-Bait ul Ateeq (Arabic: البيت العتيق ) and al-Bait ul Haram (Arabic: البيت الحرام ), is a building located inside the mosque known as Masjid al Haram in Mecca (Makkah). ...

Poetry under Islam

These early poems were to some extent a threat to the newly emerging faith of Islam and if not actually suppressed, fell into disuse for some years. The division of society into tribes and the internecine warfare carried out through verse served to separate Arabs at a time when religion was trying to pull them together. The sha'ir and their pronouncements were too closely associated with the religion practiced before Islam and the role of the poet was singled out for criticism in the Qur'an. They also praised subjects of dubious merit such as wine, women and gambling, which clashed with the new ideology. Satirical poems attacking an idea or leader were less censured. While some poets were early converts, poetry about or in praise of Islam took some time to develop. Islam (Arabic: ; ( (help· info)), submission (to the will of God)) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second-largest religion. ...

It was the early poems' importance to Islamic scholarship, though, which would lead to their preservation. Not only did the poems illuminate life in the early years of Islam and its antecedents but they would also prove the basis for the study of linguistics of which the Qur'an was regarded as the pinnacle.

Many of the pre-Islamic forms of verse were retained and improved upon. Naqa'id or flytings, where two poets exchange creative insults, were popular with al-Farazdaq and Jarir swapping a great deal of invective. The tradition continued in a slightly modified form as zajal, in which two groups 'joust' in verse, remains a common style in Lebanon. In Norse and Germanic cultures, flyting is a contest of insults, either as a prelude to battle or as a form of combat in its own right. ... Tammam ibn Ghalib Abu Firas, commonly known as al-Farazdaq (Ar. ... Jarir (650? - 729?) was an Arabian poet and satirist. ...

Court poets

Ghaylan ibn 'Uqbah (c. 696 - c. 735), nicknamed Dhu al-Rummah, is usually regarded as the last of the bedouin poets. His works had continued the themes and style of the pre-Islamic poets particularly eulogising the harsh but simple desert life, traditionally told round a campfire. Although such themes continued—and were returned to by many modern, urban poets—this poetic life was giving way to court poets. The more settled, comfortable and luxurious life in Ummayyad courts led to a greater emphasis on the ghazal or love poem. Chief amongst this new breed of poet was Abu Nuwas. Not only did Abu Nuwas spoof the traditional poetic form of the qasidah and write many poems in praise of wine, his main occupation was the writing of ever more ribald ghazal many of them openly homosexual. Events Births Deaths Categories: 696 ... Events Abkhazia becomes independent, and will remain such until the 15th century Births Alcuin, missionary and bishop (approximate date) Deaths May 25 - Bede, English Historian and monk Categories: 735 ... Bedouin resting at Mount Sinai Bedouin, derived from the Arabic , a generic name for a desert-dweller, is a term generally applied to Arab nomadic groups, who are found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and Negev... The Umayyad Dynasty (Arabic الأمويون / بنو أمية umawiyy; in Turkish, Emevi) was the first dynasty of caliphs of the Prophet Muhammad who were not closely related to Muhammad himself, though they were of the same Meccan tribe, the Quraish. ... In poetry (and as the lyrics in songs), the ghazal (Arabic: غزل; Turkish gazel) is a poetic form consisting of couplets which share a rhyme and a refrain. ... Abu-Nuwas al-Hasan ben Hani al-Hakami (750?–813?) was a renowned Arabic poet. ...

While Nuwas produced risqué but beautiful poems, many of which pushed to the limit what was acceptable under Islam, others produced more religiously themed poetry. It is said that Nuwas struck a bargain with his contemporary Abu al-Alahijah: Abu Nuwas would concentrate on wine and love poems whilst al-Alahijah would write homilies. These homilies expressed views on religion, sin and the afterlife, but occasionally strayed into unorthodox territory. While the work of al-Alahijah was acceptable, others like the poet Salih ibn 'Abd al-Quddus were executed for heresy. Waddah al-Yaman was also executed for his verse but this was probably due to his over familiarity with the wife of the caliph Al-Walid I. In the Roman Catholic Church A homily is usually given during mass at the end of the Liturgy of the Word. ... Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik (Arabic: ) or Al-Walid I (668 - 715) was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 705 - 715. ...

The Sufi tradition would also produce poetry closely linked to religion. Sufism is the mystical offshoot of Islam and it emphasised the allegorical nature of language and writing. Many of their works appear to be simple ghazal or khamriyyah. Under the guise of the love or wine poem they would contemplate the mortal flesh and attempt to achieve transcendence. Rabi'ah al-'Adawiyyah, Abd Yazid al-Bistami and Mansur al-Hallaj are some of the most significant Sufi poets, but their poetry and doctrine were dangerous and al-Hallaj was eventually crucified for heresy. Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ... David McCarthy of Lower Columbia College says that An allegory (from Greek αλλος, allos, other, and αγορευειν, agoreuein, to speak in public) is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than and in addition to the cularly important case is the Song of Songs, which was accepted as canonical only... Wikimedia needs your help in its 21-day fund drive. ... Mansur Al-Hallaj (c. ...

The caliph himself could take on the role of court poet with Al-Walid II a notable example, but he was widely disliked for his immorality and was deposed after only a year Walid ibn Yazid or Walid II (d. ...

An important doctrine of Arabic poetry from the start was its complexity but during the period of court poetry this became an art form in itself known as badi. There were feature such as metaphor, paronomasia (basically puns), juxtaposing opposites and tricky theological allusions. Bashar ibn Burd was instrumental in developing these complexities which later poets felt they had to surpass. Although not all writers enjoyed the baroque style, with argumentative letters on the matter being sent by Ibn Burd and Ibn Miskawayh, the poetic brinkmanship of badi led to a certain formality in the poetic art, with only the greatest poet's words shining through the complex structures and wordplay. This often makes Arabic poetry even less easy to translate then poetry from other languages and much of a poet's skill is usually hidden. March 2004 issue Badi (バデイ) is a monthly Japanese magazine for gay men. ... In language, a metaphor (from the Greek: metapherin) is a rhetorical trope defined as a direct comparison between two seemingly unrelated subjects. ... A pun (also known as paronomasia) is a deliberate confusion of similar-sounding words or phrases for comic or serious effect. ... Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Miskawayh, ,ابن مسكوويه, aka Ibn Miskawayh (932-1030) was a prominent Persian philosopher from Ray, Iran. ...

Arabic poetry declined after the 13th century along with much of the literature due to the rise of Persian literature and Turkish literature. It flowered for little longer in Andalucia (Islamic Spain) but ended with the expulsion of the Arabs in 1492. The corpus suffered large-scale destruction by fire in 1499 or 1500. It was at the orders of Cisneros, Archbishop of Granada and was apparently due to the 'indecent' nature of a large part of the poetry, though Cisneros conceived of Islam as constituting a state within a state: inspite of this, however, it continued to exert a subtle, almost underground influence, as evidenced by the love poetry of Sebastiano de Córdoba, whose eroticism was re-inverted for a spiritual purpose by the Christian mystic poets Saint John of The Cross and Saint Teresa of Ávila. (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Persian literature is literature written in Persian. ... A page from the Dîvân-ı Fuzûlî, the collected poems of the 16th-century Ottoman poet Fuzûlî Turkish literature refers to literature written in the Turkish language, either in its Ottoman variety—which was heavily influenced by Persian and Arabic and used a variant of the Arabic... Motto: Dominator Hercules Fundator Andaluc a por s , para Espa a y la humanidad (Andalusia for herself, for Spain, and for humanity) Capital Seville Area  - total  - % of Spain Ranked 2nd 87 268 km 17,2% Population  - Total (2003)  - % of Spain  - Density Ranked 1st 7 478 432 17,9% 85,70... 1492 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cisneros (sitting) directs the construction of the Hospital of the Charity. ... Saint John of the Cross (Juan de la Cruz) was a Spanish Carmelite friar, born on June 24, 1542 at Fontiveros, a small village near Avila. ... Teresa of Ávila by Peter Paul Rubens Saint Teresa of Ávila (known in religion as Teresa de Jesús, baptised as Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada) (March 28, 1515 - October 4, 1582) was a Spanish Roman Catholic mystic and monastic reformer. ...

Modern poetry

The revival of Arabic poetry in the late 19th, early 20th century first displayed a neo-classical style. It consciously used the themes and forms of some of the earliest poets with Hafiz Ibrahim being one of the best exponents. Later poets would reject the purely Arabic neo-classical style and instead many would seek inspiration from romanticism and particularly the romanticism of English poetry. Poets such as Sa'id 'Aql from Lebanon, with its closer ties to France, would be more influenced by the symbolist movement. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Neoclassicism (sometimes rendered as Neo-Classicism or Neo-classicism) is the name given to quite distinct movements in the visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture. ... Hafiz Ibrahim (1871 - 1912) was an Egyptian poet. ... Romanticism was a secular and intellectual movement in the history of ideas that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ... Many regard William Shakespeare as the greatest English poet ever. ... La mort du fossoyeur (The death of the gravedigger) by Carlos Schwabe is a visual compendium of Symbolist motifs. ...

A common theme in much of the new poetry was the use of the ghazel or love song in praise of the poet's homeland. This is manifested either as a nationalism for the newly emerging nation states of the region or in a wider sense as an Arab nationalism emphasising the unity of all Arab people. The poems of praise or the madih, and the hija or lampoon also returned. Ahmed Shawqi produced several works praising the reforming Turkish leader Kemal Atatürk, but when Atatürk abolished the caliphate Shawqi was not slow in attacking him in verse. Political views in poetry were often more unwelcome in the 20th century than they had been in the 7th and several poets faced censorship or, in the case of Abd al-Wahhab Al-Bayyati, exile. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Ghazal. ... // Nationalism is an ideology which holds that the nation, ethnicity or national identity is a fundamental unit of human social life, and makes certain cultural and political claims based upon that belief; in particular, the claim that the nation is the only legitimate basis for the state, and that each... A nation-state is a specific form of state (a political entity), which exists to provide a sovereign territory for a particular nation (a cultural entity), and which derives its legitimacy from that function. ... Arab nationalism refers to a common nationalist ideology in wider Arab world. ... Ahmed Shawqi (1868-1932) Egyptian poet and dramatist who pioneered the modern Arab literary movement, most notably introducing the genre of poetic epics to the Arabic literary tradition. ... Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881–10 November 1938), until 1934 Mustafa Kemal, Turkish army officer and revolutionist statesman, was the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey. ... An Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word خليفة or Khalīfah, Caliph (  listen?) is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... // Biography Al-Bayyati, who passed much of his life in urban cafés. ...

After World War II there was a largely unsuccessful movement by several poets to write poems in shi'r hurr or free verse. Most of these experiments were abandoned in favour of prose poetry. The growth of modernist poetry also influenced poetry in Arabic. Combatants Allies: • Soviet Union, • UK & Commonwealth, • USA, • France/Free France, • China, • Poland, • ...and others Axis: • Germany, • Japan, • Italy, • ...and others Commanders Strength Casualties Full list Full list World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a large scale military conflict that took place between 1939 and 1945. ... Free verse (also at times referred to as vers libre) is a term describing various styles of poetry that are not written using strict meter or rhyme, but that still are recognizable as poetry by virtue of complex patterns of one sort or another that readers can perceive to be... Prose poetry is prose that breaks some of the normal rules of prose discourse for heightened imagery or emotional effect. ... Mountebanks ...

Poetic forms

Poetry in Arabic is traditionally grouped in a diwan or collection of poems. These can be arranged by poet, tribe, topic or the name of the compiler such as the Asma'iyyat of al-Asma'i. Most poems did not have titles and they were usually named from their first lines. Sometimes they were arranged alphabetically by their rhymes. The role of the poet in Arabic developed in a similar way to poets elsewhere. The safe and easy patronage in royal courts was no longer available but a successful poet such as Nizar Qabbani was able to set up his own publishing house. Al-Asmai or Asma`i [Abu Sa`id `Abd al-Malik ibn Qurayb al-Asma`i] (c. ... Nizar Qabbani (21 March 1923 – 30 April 1998) was a Syrian diplomat, poet and publisher. ...

A large proportion of all Arabic poetry is written using the monorhyme. This is simply the same rhyme used on every line of a poem. While this may seem a poor rhyme scheme for people used to English literature it makes sense in a language like Arabic which has only three vowels which can be either long or short. A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhyming lines in a poem or in lyrics for music. ... The term English literature refers to literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; Joseph Conrad was Polish, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Edgar Allan Poe was American, Salman Rushdie is Indian. ... In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language that is characterized by an open configuration of the vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure above the glottis. ...

Mu'rabbah: literary Arabic

• Qarid
  • Qit'ah, an elegy or short poem about an event
  • Qasidah, an ode, designed to convey a message. A longer version of qit'ah
• Muwashshah, meaning "girdled", courtly love poetry

• Dubayt or Ruba'i, a quatrain
• Rajaz, a discourse in rhyme, used to push the limits of lexicography

A qasida (also spelled qasidah) in Arabic قصيدة, in Persian قصیده, is a form of poetry from pre-Islamic Arabia. ... Ode is a form of stately and elaborate lyrical verse. ... Muwashshah is an Arab poetic form and an eastern secular musical genre which uses muwashshah texts for lyrics. ... Rubaiyat is a common shorthand name for the collection of Persian verses known more formally as the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. ... A quatrain is a poem or a stanza within a poem that consists of four lines. ...

Malhunah: informal poetry

• Kan wa-kin, meaning "once upon a time"
• Quma,
• Zajal, meaning "shout", a strophic poem usually an attack
• Mawwal or Mawaliya, folk poetry in four rhyming lines

Poetic themes

• Madih, an eulogy or panegyric
• Hija, a lampoon
• Ritha', an elegy
• Wasf, a descriptive poem
• Ghazal, a love poem, sometimes expressing love of home
• Khamriyyah, wine poetry
• Tardiyyah, hunt poetry
• Zuhdiyyah, homiletic poetry

In poetry (and as the lyrics in songs), the ghazal (Arabic: غزل; Turkish gazel) is a poetic form consisting of couplets which share a rhyme and a refrain. ...

Selected poets & anthologists

See also List of Arabic language poets

• Labid
• Zuhayr
• Tarafa
• Antara Ibn Shaddad
• Buhturi
• Abu Tammam (9th Century)
• Abu Nuwas (9th Century)
• al-Mutanabbi (10th Century)
• Ahmad al-Tifashi
• Bashar ibn Burd
• Muti’ ibn Iyas
• Ibn Quzman
• Nizar Qabbani, (1923–1998)

// F Fadwa Touqan I Ibrahim Touqan M Mahmoud Darwish N Nizar Qabbani Z Zuhair Categories: Lists of poets ... LabÄ«d (Abu Aqil LabÄ«d ibn RabÄ«ah) ( 560– 661), was an Arabian poet. ... Zuhayr, also Zuhair, (full name Zuhayr ibn Abî Sûlmâ, born ca. ... Tarafa, or Tarafah ibn al Abd ben Sufyan ben Malik al Bakri, was a 6th Century Arabian poet of the tribe of the Bakr. ... Antara Ibn Shaddad al-Absi عنترة بن شداد العبسي, pre-Islamic Arab hero and poet (fl. ... Buhturi al-Walid ibn Ubaid Allah (820 - 897) was an Arabian poet born at Manbij (Hierapolis) in Syria, between Aleppoand the Euphrates. ... Abu Tammam (Habib ibn Aus) (ca. ... Abu-Nuwas al-Hasan ben Hani al-Hakami (750?–813?) was a renowned Arabic poet. ... Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Mutanabbi (915–965) was an Arab (Iraqi-born) poet. ... Ahmad al-Tifashi (or Ahmad ibn Yusuf al-TÄ«fāchÄ«). Born in Tunisia, died 1253. ... Nizar Qabbani (21 March 1923 – 30 April 1998) was a Syrian diplomat, poet and publisher. ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

See also

• Arabic literature
• Arab music

Further reading

• E.G. Browne. Literary History of Persia. (Four volumes, 2,256 pages, and twenty-five years in the writing)
• Philip F. Kennedy. The Wine Song in Classical Arabic Poetry: Abu Nuwas and the Literary Tradition.. Open University Press, 1997.
• Khaled El-Rouayheb. The Love of Boys in Arabic Poetry of the Early Ottoman Period, 1500 - 1800. Middle Eastern Literatures, January 2005, vol.8, no.1.

Abu-Nuwas al-Hasan ben Hani al-Hakami (750?–813?) was a renowned Arabic poet. ... The Open University (OU) is the UKs open learning university, established in 1969. ...

External links

• Arabic Poets at Poet Seers