You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
THE TWO GREATEST EGYPTIAN POETS Ibn al-Farid & Ahmed Shawqi SELECTED POEMS Translation & Introduction Paul Smith IBN AL-FARID, an Egyptian poet (1181-1235), is the undisputed master of Islamic mystical (Sufi) poetry in Arabic. He is not only ta poet but a Perfect Master (Qutub) a God-realized soul, and it is his journey to unity with God he reveals in probably the longest qasida (ode) in Arabic (761 couplets), his famous The Mystic's Progress. The other poem for which he is most known is his Wine Poem. Although these poems have been translated into English before, this is the first time in the correct rhyme of the qasida and in clear, concise, modern English. Included in the Introduction are...
QASIDAH BURDAH THE THREE POEMS OF THE PROPHET'S MANTLE Translations & Introduction by Paul Smith Ka'b ibn Zuhair (died 7th century A.D.) was a famous poet who at first opposed Prophet Muhammad. Finally, he secretly went to Medina and approached the Prophet to ask if one who repented and embraced the faith would be forgiven. Mohammed answered yes and the poet asked, "Even Ka'b ibn Zuhair?" When he affirmed this, Ka'b revealed his identity and read a poem, his Banat Suad (of 55 couplets), which would become his most famous poem. As a reward Prophet Mohammed took off his mantle (cloak) and put it on Ka'b's shoulders. The second for Mohammed was composed by the eminent Sufi, Imam al-Busiri (1210...
AHMED SHAWQI: LIFE & POEMS Translation & Introduction by Paul Smith Ahmed Shawqi (1869 - 1932) was the great Arabic Poet-Laureate: an Egyptian and at times a Sufi poet and dramatist who pioneered the modern Egyptian literary movement, most notably introducing the genre of poetic epics to the Arabic literary tradition. Shawqi was sent to continue his studies in Paris where he was influenced by the Molière and Racine. He returned to Egypt in 1894 and remained a prominent member of Arab literary culture until the British forced him into exile in southern Spain in 1914. Shawqi remained there until 1920. In 1927 he was crowned by his peers the 'Prince of Poets' in recognition of his considerable...
In the United States and Europe, the word "caliphate" has conjured historically romantic and increasingly pernicious associations. Yet the caliphate's significance in Islamic history and Muslim culture remains poorly understood. This book explores the myriad meanings of the caliphate for Muslims around the world through the analytical lens of two key moments of loss in the thirteenth and twentieth centuries. Through extensive primary-source research, Mona Hassan explores the rich constellation of interpretations created by religious scholars, historians, musicians, statesmen, poets, and intellectuals. Hassan fills a scholarly gap regarding Muslim reactions to the destruction of the Abbasid c...
DIWAN OF AHMED SHAWQI Translation & Introduction Paul Smith AHMED SHAWQI (1869 - 1932) was the great Arabic Poet-Laureate; an Egyptian poet and dramatist who pioneered the modern Egyptian literary movement, most notably introducing the genre of poetic epics to the Arabic literary tradition. Shawqi was sent to continue his studies in Paris where he was influenced by the Molière and Racine. He returned to Egypt in 1894 and remained a prominent member of Arab literary culture until the British forced him into exile in southern Spain in 1914. Shawqi remained there until 1920. In 1927 he was crowned by his peers the 'Prince of Poets' in recognition of his considerable contributions to the litera...
‘A poem, I thought, is a physical object, as tactile as a statue. I began to consider poems in textual terms; there were shaggy surfaces, knobbly ones, mere veneers as sleek as glassine, but my favourites were those in which a complex and tensile music prevailed....’ Eric Ormsby, that gracious, intelligent and occasionally fractious poet, has produced another vigorous collection of essays to shake North American literary criticism from its lethargy. Opinionated and hilarious, Ormsby indulges his wide-ranging interests and discusses writers from Bob Dylan to S. D. Goitein, La Fontaine to Leo Tolstoy. Fine Incisions also draws connections between Ormsby’s literary criticism and his trave...
Chronicles of Majnun Layla and Selected Poems brings together in one volume Haddad’s seminal work and a considerable selection of poems from his oeuvre, stretching over forty years. The central poem, Chronicles of Majnun Layla, recasts the seventh-century myth into a contemporary, postmodern narrative that revels in the foibles of oral transmission, weaving a small side cast of characters into the fabric of the poem. Haddad portrays Layla as a daring woman aware of her own needs and desires and not afraid to articulate them. The author succeeds in reviving this classical work of Arabian love while liberating it from its puritanical dimension and tribal overtones. The selected poems reveal Haddad’s playful yet profound meditations. A powerful lyric poet, Haddad juxtaposes classical and modern symbols, and mixes the old with the new, the sensual with the sacred, and the common with the extraordinary. Ghazoul and Verlenden’s masterful translation remains faithful to the cultural and historical context in which the original poetry was produced while also reflecting the uniqueness of the poet’s style and his poetics.
Includes passages translated into English.
The remarkable story of a small, makeshift library in the town of Daraya, and the people who found hope and humanity in its books during a four-year siege.Daraya lies on the fringe of Damascus, just southwest of the Syrian capital. Yet for four years it lived in another world. Besieged by government forces early in the Syrian Civil War, its people were deprived of food, bombarded by heavy artillery, and under the constant fire of snipers. But deep beneath this scene of frightening devastation lay a hidden library. While the streets above echoed with shelling and rifle fire, the secret world below was a haven of books.Long rows of well-thumbed volumes lined almost every wall: bloated editions...
This collection presents insights into the latest developments in linguistics and translation studies. It addresses many salient issues in both fields with considerable depth and lucidity, allowing fresh views to underpin, and even challenge, existing ideas. The contributors here are all distinguished scholars with extensive experience in the fields.