Durham E-Theses The Arabic qasida its origin, characteristics and development to the end of the Umayyad period Ismail, Inad Gh. How to cite: Ismail, Inad Gh. (1963) The Arabic qasida its origin, characteristics and development to the end of the Umayyad period, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/8121/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 THE ARABIC QASIDA ITS ORIGIN, CHARACTERISTICS AND DEVELOPMENT TO THE END OF THE UMAYYSD PERIOD By Inad Gh. Ismail Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in the University of Durham for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. School of Oriental Studi Elvet Hill June, 1963* Durham. Foreword Notes on the Arabic Transliteration CHAPTER I The Background to the Classical Age CHAPTER II The Semitic Elements in the Arabic Qaslda CHAPTER III The Characteristics of the Arabic Qaslda; The Unity of the Line, the Qit'a. the Qaslda and the Mu'allaaa CHAPTER IV The Mu*allaqat in the Literary Balance CHAPTER V { The Themes of the Arabic Qasida and ' their Artistic Development; i- Love Poetry The Naslb Umarite Love 'Udhrl Love Political Love ii- Nature Poetry iii- War Poetry : The Days' Poetry The Islamic-Conquests Poetry Homesickness Poetry iv- Panegyric,Self-Praise and Satire Poetry v- Wine Poetry vi- Religious Poetry vii-Ri^ha1 Poetry CHAPTER VI 393-^2 The Language of the Arabic Qasida CHAPTER VII #^3-^69 The Prosody of the Arabic Qasida CHAPTER VIII U70-1+82 The;Position of the Arabic Qasida amongst the Transmitters and Critics BIBLIOGRAPHY *f 83-515 FOREWORD My interest in writing this thesis goes back to the days when I was a student in the University of Baghdad when I was somewhat puzzled by the opinions of some modern scholars who deemed the Arabic Qaslda a fabrication of the Islamic Trans- mitters and not a Jahillya product of the desert as had always been traditionally held. I have had a love for Arabic poetry since childhood, and have used poetry as the main source whenever possible in this study. The object of this thesis is to deter• mine the merits of the Qaslda as an artistic ideal in Arabic literature, attempting always to portray the setting of the Qaslda in its desert environment with all its vicissitudes. The task before me has not been an easy one for it has led me into fields previously unknown to me, namely viewing the place of the Arabic Qaslda in its Semitic literary environment. I have not attempted to determine whether or not the Qaslda was the work of the RGwat, but have followed the traditional view quoting wherever possible from pre-Islamic sources. The Qasida, the offspring of the barren desert of Arabia, was the poetical ideal of the Bedouin and is to this day the greatest pillar in Arabic literature. Born between the naked sand dunes in that unstable, nomadic environment, it is indeed puzzling that such a stage of poetic perfection could have been reached. It will forever leave in the mind of the reader not only the greatest admiration but also profound bewilderment as to its origins. lost in the minds of tribal tent-dwellers, -ii- who had not yet learned the meaning of settled and civilised communities, the origins of this poetry must lie in an instinctive characteristic of the race. The Arabs, who were the last to leave the desert environment (and even some have remained to this day), are of Semitic origin. Was poetry then a natural gift of the Semites? Did the Babylonians, the Hebrews, the Syrians and the Ethiopians produce poetry? Is there any connection between the literatures of the Semitic peoples producing Semitic characteristics? An attempt has been made in this thesis to answer these questions and also to determine the place of the Arabic Qasida in Semitic literature. The latter study did indeed throw light upon the origins of the Qasida, and, while one cannot be absolutely sure as to the precise development of a poetry in its primitive stages, a suggestion has been made as to the development of the Qasida from a single line to what are known as the Mu'allaq&t, the most famous odes in Arabic literature. These Seven Odes have received much popularity and have even been determined the ideal of Arabic poetry. How did this come about? Is their literary value worthy of their publicity? Why are they called the Mu'allaqat? An attempt has been made to answer these questions and also to compare the Qasida to the Pindaric Odes of Vistory and to Homeric compositions. I have studied the mechartical unity of the Qasida, its metre and rhyme together with the influence of music and sone (ghina1) upon its formation and development and its poetic -ill- diction and linguistic features. As for the artistic development of its themes, I have tried to emphasise their originality and influence upon both the Islamic and Umayyad poets together with the hew themes which emerged as a result of the new environment created by the Islamic Conquests. The independence of some themes, such as wine and love, came at the end of the Umayyad period and were more fully developed in *Abbasid timss. The position of the Qaslda amctagst the critics and the REwat has been discussed with a view to the validity of their opinions in Arabic literary criticism. I should like to acknowledge the kindness of many who have helped me in this thesis. First of all I should like to thank my supervisor, J.A. Haywood, Esq., B. Mus., M.A., most sincerely for his constant encouragement and valuable suggestions. I gratefully acknowledge the kindness of my tutor,Dr. K. Kuhn, who helped me in the translation of certain texts from German into English. To Mr. and Mrs. R.I. Hill I am indebted for their kindness in translating certain texts from Italian into English. I must acknowledge Professor T.W. Thacker for his ready encouragement. It is my duty to thank Professor E. Ullendorff of the University of Manchester for kindly answering my questions about Ethiopic literature. I should like to express my thanks to the staff of both the Main University Library and to the Oriental Section in the School df Oriental Studies:. Finally, I should like gratefully to thank my wife for her sincere encouragement, help and patience. I.G. Ismail* Ni 0 T E S I- Transliteration! of Arabic : hamza not shown , when initial, otherwise, 1 ^ to z *• ^ t t < & th & J «J f C kh d k J d Jl f n v r J z -* h t/" s ( consonant) u* sh 'W S u» d Jit - Vowels t Short damma £- u fatha a kasra Long, — u a i Diphthongs? au or aw *- ai or ay 3- The Shadda r^-is expressed by repeating the letter. h- The definite article - J'- is expressed without any assimilation of Sun - Letters 1 s ! *" *udi^i\f For ezample the name 5 ^MI , the letter Ni is one of the Sun-Letters and according to Arabic pronunciation; should be transliterated as • am-Nkbigha ' but in this thesis; the definite article is expressed fully , to show? the exact letters in; the Arabic word im its written shape rather than* its pronunciation. Therefore, the latter name will be: transliterated as 1 al-Nabigha 1 unless the word occurs in a quotation,; Poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge; .... the Poet .. is the rock of defence for human nature; an upholder and preserver, carrying everywhere with him relationship and love. In spite of difference of soil and climate, of language and manners, of laws and customs: in spite of things silently gone out of mind, and things violently destroyed; the Poet binds together by passion and knowledge the vast empire of human society, as it is spread over the whole earth, and over all time .... Poetry is the first and last of all knowledge - it is as immortal as the heart of man. (Wordsworth: Preface to "Lyrical Ballads", 2nd. Ed., p.124, Lines 435-448) CHAPTER I THE BACKGROUND TO THE CLASSICAL AGE In the bare, sandy desert of Arabia, between the naked sand-dunes, thirsty for water and unprotected from the cruel wind, under the scorching sun by day and the bitter cold of the star-studded sky by night, in this barren wilderness, amid this death in life was born the Arabic Qaslda. It was an offspring of the desert. She had mothered it, nursed it, and directed its thoughts and images. The qaslda itself had painted such a vivid picture of its cradle that it became the poetical ideal of the Bedouin himself, the record of his glory, and the home of his memories. The passionate love of freedom and individuality of the Bedouin is truly reflected in his qa^Ida.