A major translation achievement, this anthology presents a rich
assortment of classical Arabic poems and literary prose, from
pre-Islamic times until the eighteenth century, with short introductions
to guide non-specialist students and informative endnotes and
bibliography for advanced scholars. Both entertaining and informative,
Classical Arabic Literature ranges from the early Bedouin poems with
their evocation of desert life to refined urban lyrical verse, from
tender love poetry to sonorous eulogy and vicious lampoon, and from the
heights of mystical rapture to the frivolity of comic verse. Prose
selections include anecdotes, entertaining or edifying tales and
parables, a fairy-tale, a bawdy story, samples of literary criticism,
and much more.
With this anthology, distinguished Arabist Geert Jan van Gelder brings
together well-known texts as well as less familiar pieces new even to
scholars. Classical Arabic Literature reveals the rich variety of
pre-modern Arabic social and cultural life, where secular texts
flourished alongside religious ones. This masterful anthology introduces
this vibrant literary heritage--including pieces translated into English
for the first time--to a wide spectrum of new readers.
An English-only edition.