The Literary Heritage of the Arabs: An Anthology

(Hardback)

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The Literary Heritage of the Arabs samples some of the finest literature produced by Arab writers from pre-Islamic times to the Abbasid Dynasty. The selection of poetry and prose spans many genres and styles, conveying the full range of Arab experiences and perspectives - from the tragic to the comic, the wistful to the mystical, and the courtly to the lowly. This volume includes Arabian odes (or Mu'allaqat), the pre-eminent poetic form in pre-Islamic tribal society; selections from the Holy Qur'an, which revolutionized Arab spiritual and poetic sensibility and contributed a literary exemplar and inspiration that has endured to this day; samples of Hadith that testify to the words and actions of the Prophet Muhammad; and examples of poetry produced during the Umayyad dynasty. The anthology concludes with a cornucopia of poetry and prose that flourished during the Abbasid period - the fruit of vibrant cross-cultural interaction and influence - such as the poetry of rivalry, love, adventure and mystic transcendence, as well as prose conveying scientific innovation, philosophical inquiry, theological disputation and historical analysis

Author Bio

Suheil Bushrui is a distinguished author, poet, critic and translator, particularly revered as an authority on the works of W. B. Yeats and Kahlil Gibran. He is a senior research scholar at the Center for International Development and Conflict Management at the University of Maryland. James M. Malarkey is a specialist on Middle Eastern and North African affairs. He is the Chair of Humanities and General Education at Antioch University Midwest.