Arabic poetry has been central to Arabic culture for millennia. Early Arabic poetry before Islam was not narrowly tribal, but engaged with ancient Egyptian, Persian, and Greek ideas. Christianity, which was prevalent in Arabia before Islam, figured importantly in early Arabic poetry. In the enormous, cosmopolitan civilization of the Abbasid caliphate, Arabic poetic fluency played a crucial role in determining a person’s social status.
Ibn Rumi’s poem about a singing slave-girl highlights the physical and spiritual passion men felt for singing slave-girls in the ancient Islamic world. … Read the post ibn al-Rumi shows dangers of singing slave-girls
An early Arabic poem — Buthaynah and Jamīl’s conversation on aging — works to redeem Roman love elegy in exquisite, humane poetic truth. … Read the post early Arabic love poetry caps Roman love elegy on aging
Al-Asma’i, an exemplar of adab in the early Abbasid caliphate, contrasted Bedouin love poetry, not with courtly poetry, but with sex. … Read the post courtly and Bedouin love poetry in the early Islamic world
In al-Jahiz’s sophisticated storytelling, the story of Buthaynah, Jamil, and their families is a comedic / tragic story of love / sex. … Read the post al-Jahiz’s story of Buthaynah, Jamil, and their families
Poetry was a common currency for claiming social distinction in the ancient Islamic world. … Read the post poetic currency of ancient Islamic social distinction