00 u<OU_1 68252 >m CD A HISTORY OF ARABIAN MUSIC A HISTORY OF ARABIAN MUSIC TO THE XIIlTH CENTURY BY HENRY GEORGE FARMER M.A., PH.D., M.R.A.S. AUTHOR OF " The Arabian Influence on Musical Theory." " The Arabic Musical Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library" " The Influence of Music : From Arabic Sources." LUZAC & co. 46 GREAT RUSSELL STREET, LONDOW, "W.C. (Opposite the British Museum} 1929 Printed in Great Britain at the BURLEIGH PRESS, Lewin's Mead, BRISTOL, To THE MEMORY OF MY MU'ALLIM, THE LATE REV. DR. T. H. WEIR, M.A., B.D., D.D., LECTURER IN ARABIC IN THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW (1902-28), THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED IN TOKEN OF GRATITUDE. " I regard it as a high compliment having been invited to write the Preface to a treatise which is the fruit of so much research, and which displays so much industry and accuracy. It is, however, certain that you require no intro- duction from me to the Orientalist public, and none from any- one to the musical. I might, therefore, be charged with presumption if I accepted your invitation. " Further, I find a fair number of propositions in the which differ from conclusions the work seriously my own ; latter may certainly be erroneous, and I am most willing and even anxious that such as differ from them should be put before the world. ... I am sure therefore that bearing in mind these considerations, you will accept my cordial thanks for your proposal while excusing me for declining it." PROFESSOR D. S. MARGOLIOUTH, Oxford University. PREFACE Although this work was commenced fifteen years ago, it was not until 1919-25, whilst I was fulfilling a Research Studentship at the University of Glasgow that it assumed its present form, During this period I had the benefit of the teaching, on the linguistical and historical side, of 1 the late Rev. Dr. T. H. Weir, a scholar of rare ability, as well as the occasional guidance, in matters relating to the 2 science of music, of the late Dr. H. J. Watt. Death has claimed both of these savants. Nevertheless, I take this opportunity of acknowledging, more especially to the former, my deep appreciation of their advice and help, always given ungrudgingly. In this work I have observed the conventional chrono- logical method because it was best suited to my purpose. Only by adopting this system could I have conveniently demonstrated how culture stood in relation to the social and political regimen. Each chapter is divided into three sections. The first deals with the social and political factors which determined the general musical culture. The second describes the musical life of the period, together with details of the theory and practice of music. This has been kept free, as far as was possible, from technicali- ties, although the author hopes to deal with the theory and science of Arabian music in detail, from an historical standpoint, in a companion volume. The third section is devoted to biographies of all the celebrated composers, singers, instrumentalists, theorists, scientists, and littera- teurs. In the transliteration of Arabic and Persian words I have adopted the system approved by the International Congress of Orientalists (1894), and recommended by the 1 The Lecturer in Arabic. The Lecturer on Psychology. vii viii PREFACE Royal Asiatic Society, with but slight modifications, notably in the non-observance of the ligature or logotype in th, dh, etc. In regard to proper names, I have kept to Arabic forms so far as I have considered reasonable. For instance, I have written Al-Mausil rather than Mosul, but with Mecca, Damascus, Cordova, I have fallen back on conventional usage, although I have only made a half- concession in Al- Medina. In dispensing with the forms Caliph and Caliphate in favour of Khalif and Khalifate, rather than the more proper Khalifa and Khilafat, I sincerely trust that I have not committed too serious a breach of convention. In the question of the use of the Arabic definite article, I probably have not always been consistent. A similar criticism may also be urged against my transliteration of the hamza. As for any inconsistency in plural forms, I have, generally speaking, only used Arabic plurals in words of non-European usage. The work has been planned to satisfy both the orienta- list and the musician, and in spite of the reputed fate of those who attempt to serve two masters, I can only hope that in this case the exception proves the rule. My sincere thanks are due to Professor Dr. D. S. Margo- liouth, of Oxford, and to Professor Dr. W. B. Stevenson, of Glasgow, for useful hints. To Dr. Richard Bell, of Edinburgh, and Mr. John Walker, M.A., I owe an acknowledgment for having read the proof sheets of this work. Glasgow, 1928 CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE vii INTRODUCTION xi CHAPTER I THE DAYS OF IDOLATRY (ist to 6th century) i CHAPTER II ISLAM AND Music 20 CHAPTER III THE ORTHODOX KHALIFS (632-661) 39 CHAPTER IV THE UMAYYADS (661-750) 59 CHAPTER V THE 'ABBASIDS (The Golden Age, 750-847) 90 CHAPTER VI - - THE 'ABBASIDS (The Decline, 847-945) - - 137 CHAPTER VII THE 'ABBASIDS (The Fall, 945-1258) - ... 178 BIBLIOGRAPHY 231 INDEX 249 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. Frontispiece. From the Kitab al-mustqi of Al-Farabi (d. 950) in the Bibliotheca Nacionale at Madrid. 1 This copy dates from the I2th century, and it is claimed that it was made for 2 Ibn Bajja or Avenpace (d. 1138). Whether this design of the shdhrud appeared in the original work of Al-Farabi, or whether it is an addition by a later copyist, we have no evidence. The design does not appear in the Leyden 3 copy. Whilst its zither-like form agrees with the nth 4 5 century descriptions of Ibn Sina and Ibn Zaila, its lute-like structure is vouched for by Ibn Ghaibi in the 6 I5th century. To face page 108. From the Risdla fl khubr ta'Kf al-alhan of Al-Kindi 7 (d. 874) in the British Museum. This transcript was made in the year 1661, and the scribe informs us that it " " " " was copied from a defective and unreliable exemplar which had been written in the city of Damascus in the year 1224. In this treatise, Al-Kindi deals with the theory of music almost entirely as he had learned it from the Greek treatises, and his system of notation was piobably influenced by these. To face page 202. From the Kitab al-adwar of SafI al-Dln 'Abd al-Mu'min 8 (d. 1294) in the British Museum. The MS. was copied in the year 1390. This folio gives a phonetic notation of a song in the Nauruz melodic mode (awdz) and the Ramal rhythmic mode (darb). This scheme of notation, which 9 may be found as early as Ibn Zaila (d. 1048), was pro- bably borrowed from Nikomachos. No. 602, fol. 18, v. Cf. Robles, Catdlago, p. 249. Or. 651. India Office MS., No. 1811, fol. 173. Brit. Mus. MS., Or. 2361, fol. 235, Bodleian MS., Marsh, 282, fol. 79. No. 2361, fol. 167, v. Or. 136, fol. 38, v. Brit. Mus. MS., Or. 2361, fol. 226. See my Facts for the Arabian Musical Influence, p. 92, and Studies in Oriental Musical Instru- ments, pp. 34-5. X INTRODUCTION " We must cease to regard Arabia as a land of deserts and barbarism ; it was, on the contrary, a trading centre of the ancient world, and the Muslims who went forth from it to conquer Christendom and found empires, were but the successors of those who, in earlier times, had exercised a profound influence upon the destinies of the East." Professor A. H. Sayce, Early Israel, p. 128. ALMOST everyone who has written on the subject of the music of the Arabs has looked, in the matter of origins, to either Greece or Persia. Much of this is perhaps excusable, seeing that until recent years we knew next to nothing of pre-Islamic Arabia save what could be gleaned from Greek and Latin authors or the legendary material handed down from pre-Islamic Arabic sources. Thus the temptation to look towards Greece and Persia in this question was considerable, especially when we consider the position of Arabia and the outside civiliza- tions which came in cultures-contact with it. Yet the truth is that Arabian culture did not originate in that " " shadowy period of the so-called Days of Idolatry when Greek, Roman, Byzantine, or Persian hegemonies were at their height, any more than it began with Islam, but dates back to a period long anterior to them all. The excavations made in recent years on the sites of ancient Semitic civilizations, have wrought wondrous changes in our notions of the world's culture-history. The earliest reference to Arabia reaches at present to the third millennium B.C., when we have cuneiform inscrip- tions which mention lands identified as being situated in Arabia. Under the Babylonian ruler Naram-Sin (ca. 2600 B.C.) a king of Magan or Makkan was conquered. In the time of Gudea (ca. 2400 B.C.) we read of a kingdom called Kimash or Mashu, as well as a place named Khakhu, and a land of Malukhkha. Finally, an inscription of xi xii INTRODUCTION Arad-Nannar (ca. 2300 B.C.) mentions a region known as Sabu. Although the precise location of these lands has been the subject of controversy, yet there is general agreement that they were situated in Arabia. Both Magan and Sabu have been identified with the South Arabian kingdoms of Ma' an (Ma'in) and Saba'.