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Quilt Final Stiches 7 Solomon ibn Gabirol and Samuel ibn Naghrela: An Examination of Life and Death Master’s Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Miriam Rudavsky-Brody, B.A. Graduate Program in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures The Ohio State University 2013 Thesis Committee: Dr. Adena Tanenbaum, Advisor Dr. Daniel Frank Copyright by Miriam Rudavsky-Brody 2013 Abstract This thesis focuses upon the poetry of Samuel ibn Naghrela (993-1056) and Solomon ibn Gabirol (c. 1021-1057), two of the most notable poets of the Andalusian period of Hebrew poetry. These two contemporary poets personify different characteristics of medieval Andalusia: Ibn Gabirol’s poetry incorporates the Neoplatonic philosophical ideas that infused medieval Andalusian society, while that of Ibn Naghrela, written several years earlier, is unaffected by Neoplatonism. The first chapter introduces the historical and cultural context which gave birth to these two poets. The second chapter introduces the two poets. Chapters three and four present the themes of death and life in the context of eight poems. Ibn Gabirol accepts death as inevitable and reflects on life’s brevity. He regards death as a new beginning and celebration of the soul’s release. Ibn Naghrela regards death with trepidation. But in the poetry that is examined, he neither advises his reader to prepare for death, nor indicates that he himself is altering his life to prepare for death. Examining the two poets’ views towards death in these poems also indicates how they lived their lives. As will be shown, in the poems that are discussed Ibn Naghrela exhorts his readers to enjoy life, reminding them that life is fleeting, and that life’s pleasures will not outlast death. He does not advise his reader to renounce the material world in preparation for death, for he views death as a grim finality, and broods on the gruesome aspects of physical decay. Ibn Gabirol, on the other hand, influenced by the Neoplatonic theme of spiritual purification and the soul’s release, advocates more pietistic practices in the poems that are examined, urging his readers to improve themselves while they are alive for the edification of their trapped soul, so that she may escape the corporeal body upon its demise. ii Dedication Dedicated to those who helped in every way. iii Vita June 2005………………………………………………High School, Columbus School for Girls June 2009………………………………..B.A. Comparative Literature, The University of Chicago 2010-Present……………………...Graduate Student, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, The Ohio State University Fields of Study Major Field: Near Eastern Languages and Cultures iv Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………….ii Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………………iii Vita………………………………………………………………………………………………...iv Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………...1 Chapter 1: Hebrew Poetry in Medieval Andalusia……………………………………………..4 Historical Context………………………………………………………………...4 Medieval Hebrew Poetry…………………………………………………………6 A. The Advent of Hebrew Liturgical Poetry……………………………..6 B. The Development of Secular Hebrew Poetry…………………………8 C. Themes and Settings in Secular Poetry……………………………...13 Chapter 2: Solomon ibn Gabirol and Samuel ibn Naghrela...……………………………...17 Solomon ibn Gabirol…………………………………………………………….18 Samuel ibn Naghrela………………………………………………………….....21 Chapter 3: On Death…………………………………………………………………………28 Solomon ibn Gabirol…………………………………………………………….28 Dweller of the Mundane World )………………………….29) ’ ֲִאח י ֵת ֵב ל ‘ Go Forth to Those Who Say)……………………….37) ’ ְֶל - ְָל יםרְוָלמא ‘ Samuel ibn Naghrela…………………………………………………………….40 Will You Have Strength When Death) ’ ְהִיתֲה הֶ ְָב בְבו ׂא ָמ ו ֶת ובג הר ‘ Comes)……………………………………………………………….....40 Is There a Sea Between You and Me?) ……………...46) ’ ֲה םָי ֵב ִני י בו ֵ י ֶנ ָ ‘ Chapter 4: On Life…………………………………………………………………………..52 Solomon ibn Gabirol…………………………………………………………….52 I Sought You at Every Dawn)…………………..54) ’ ַחְש ִתר ָי לְָבכ ְחַש ר י‘ Bow Down to God),………………………………………..57) ’ ִחְש י לֵָלא ‘ Samuel ibn Naghrela…………………………………………………………….62 She Said: Rejoice),…………………………………….63) ’ רהְָאמ : חַמְש ‘ You Owe to God) ………………………………….64) ’ ֵלֲע ֶםכי ְלֶַםועכְלפ ‘ Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………..71 References………………………………………………………………………………………...74 v Introduction Tenth and eleventh century Andalusia was a place of intellectual creativity. Hebrew and Arabic speaking intellectual communities coexisted, producing similarly themed literary, philosophical, and religious compositions. For members of the Jewish community, relative acceptance into Andalusian culture as dhimmis under Muslim rule promised certain civic and personal benefits. In return for a special tax and certain restrictions to which they had to comply, the Muslim state recognized these Jews as members of an autonomous community, thereby granting them protections derived from the state’s current regime. Jewish culture in Spain underwent an Arabization, through which the Jewish community began speaking Arabic.1 Along with their studies of Jewish religious texts such as the Bible, the Talmud, and other literatures, some Jewish children studied formal Arabic grammar, poetry, literatures, and sometimes even the Qur’ān and other Islamic religious texts.2 At this time all Jewish texts were written in Judeo- Arabic except for Hebrew poetry. Until the Middle Ages liturgical piyyuṭ dominated the Hebrew poetry scene. In medieval Andalusia, Jewish poets also began writing secular Hebrew poetry, which adopted the rhyme schemes and meters of Arabic poetry, combining these with the language of the Hebrew Bible. Throughout the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth centuries-- the ‘Golden Age of Hebrew Poetry’-- Jewish poets in the Andalusian city of Granada, which eventually became the center of Arabized Jewish culture, produced this unique style of Hebrew poetry.3 1. Brann, Compunctious Poet, 1-9. 2. Scheindlin, Song of the Distant Dove, chapters 12-15. 3. Tanenbaum, Contemplative Soul, 174. 1 This thesis focuses upon the poetry of Samuel ibn Naghrela (993-1056) and Solomon ibn Gabirol (c. 1021-1057), two of the most notable poets of the Andalusian period of Hebrew poetry. The first chapter highlights those historical developments in Andalusia that allowed the birth of a new style of Hebrew poetry. In addition to illustrating the historical and cultural context in which these two poets wrote, it describes the development of ‘Arabized’ Hebrew poetry-- introduced to Andalusia by Dunash ben Labraṭ-- and the significance of the revival of biblical Hebrew. The second chapter introduces Ibn Naghrela and Ibn Gabirol, two contemporary poets who personify different characteristics of medieval Andalusia: Ibn Gabirol’s poetry incorporates the Neoplatonic philosophical ideas that infused medieval Andalusian society, while that of Ibn Naghrela, written several years earlier, is unaffected by Neoplatonism. Chapters three and four present the themes of death and life in the context of eight poems. Chapter three discusses Ibn Gabirol and Ibn Naghrela’s attitudes towards death, a theme put forth by many scholars. Tanenbaum reflects on the importance of death to both poets: As one who had enjoyed the recognition and material wealth which accrued to him in this world, Samuel [ibn Naghrela] viewed death with trepidation. Repeatedly emphasizing its finality, he laments the inescapable decay of the grave in gruesome detail. His only solace derives from the thought that death may be reversed through resurrection. […] He is thus a staunch adherent of classical rabbinic eschatology, seemingly unimpressed by the spiritual concerns that enflames his younger contemporary, Solomon Ibn Gabirol. Neoplatonism led Ibn Gabirol to view death not as the cessation of life, but as a veritable release. Genuine life would begin only when the soul had withdrawn from the body and was free to contemplate the true realities of the upper world.4 Examining the two poets’ views towards death also indicates how they lived their lives. Based on the conclusions from chapter three, chapter four presents their respective attitudes towards life in several poems. As will be shown, Ibn Naghrela exhorts his readers to enjoy life, reminding them that life is fleeting, and that life’s pleasures will not outlast death. He does not advise his reader to renounce the material world in preparation for death, for he views death as a grim finality, and broods on the gruesome aspects of physical decay. Ibn Gabirol, on the other hand, influenced by 4. Tanenbaum, Contemplative Soul, 56. 2 the Neoplatonic theme of spiritual purification and release of the soul, advocates more pietistic practices, urging his readers to improve themselves while they are alive for the edification of their trapped soul, so that she may escape the corporeal body upon its demise. 3 Chapter 1: Hebrew Poetry in Medieval Andalusia This chapter presents the historical and cultural context in which Ibn Gabirol and Ibn Naghrela composed their poetry. It presents two different angles in order to provide a comprehensive and contextually relevant portrayal. First, it examines the historical context. Second, this chapter traces the development of Hebrew literature to include secular poetry alongside liturgical piyyutim. I. Historical Context Arabs first landed in Andalusia when Tāriq b. Ziyād crossed the Straits of Gibraltar in 710 or 711 C.E. Several Arabic historical accounts claim that the Jews in the Iberian Peninsula played a significant
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