Arabic Literature - An Overview (Culture and Civilisation in the Middle East.)

209 Pages·2002·1.78 MB·English

by  Pierre Cachia

ARABIC LITERATURE –
AN OVERVIEW
This book gives a rounded and balanced view of Arab literary
creativity, past and present. Because it assumes no previous
knowledge of Arabic or of its literary conventions, it is accessible
to the first year student of the subject, and even to the inquisitive
generalreaderwhohasnointentionofbecomingaspecialist.Yetit
has features that ought to stimulate interest among established
scholars as well. ‘High’ literature is examined alongside popular
folk literature (long ignored by Arab scholars and Arabists alike),
and the classical and modern periods, usually treated separately,
are presented together. Cachia’s observations are not subordinated
to any pre-formed literary theory, but describe and illustrate the
directions taken and results achieved, whether these conform to
Western norms orstrike out alongdistinctive lines.The book does
not claim to have the last word on contentious issues, but it does
indicatewherethedebatemaybefollowedandwherenewresearch
is being undertaken. It presents an overall picture of the field of
relevancetothestudentofliteratureaswellastoArabistsworking
in related fields.
PierreCachiawasborninEgyptin1921,ofaMaltesefatheranda
Russian mother. After war service with the British 8th Army, he
taught in the American University in Cairo (1946–48), in the
University of Edinburgh (1950–75), and in Columbia University
(1975–91). His publications are mostly on modern Arabic
literature. He was a co-founder in 1970, and joint editor until
1996, of the Journal of Arabic Literature.
CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION
IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Series editor: Ian R.Netton
University of Leeds
This series studies the Middle East through the twin foci of its
diverseculturesandcivilizations.Comprisingoriginalmonographs
aswell as scholarlysurveys, it covers topics inthe fields ofMiddle
Eastern literature, archaeology, law, history, philosophy, science,
folklore, art, architecture and language. While there is a plurality
of views, the series presents serious scholarship in a lucid and
stimulating fashion.
ARABIC LITERATURE –
AN OVERVIEW
Pierre Cachia
...like a goodlytree,
firmits roots,
andits branches
upin thesky
(Qur(cid:1)a¯n14:24)
Firstpublishedin2002
byRoutledgeCurzon
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SimultaneouslypublishedintheUSAandCanada
byRoutledgeCurzon
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To my former students
whose enthusiasm sustained me
and whose insights enriched me

CONTENTS
Preface viii
The transcription of Arabic xi
1 The root 1
2 The stem 15
3 The bifurcation 31
4 The main growth 47
5 The Iberian branch 87
6 The stunting 103
7 The grafting 123
Bibliography 183
Index 185
vii
PREFACE
Duringmylongteachingcareer,Iwishedthatmyfirstyearstudents
had access to a short, readable, self-explanatory book that would
givethemnotadeepbutaroundedandbalancedviewoftheentire
field of Arab literary creativity. It would in itself be valid and
worthwhile. It would guide their choice of the more advanced
courses they might take. It would enable them to fit the detailed
information theygotinthesecoursesintoasensibleperspective.It
mightevenopenoutforthemanareainwhichtoconductresearch
of their own.
ItissuchabookthatIhavetriedtoproduceinmyretirement.It
assumes no previous knowledge of Arabic, although it does not
evade linguistic peculiarities essential to the understanding of the
literature. It dips only minimally into the political and cultural
background of this literature. It does not even yield to all the
priorities of the literary historian in that it does not necessarily
nameandcharacterizeallthemajorliteraryfiguresofeachperiod.
What above all it tries to do is to identify the trends and themes
that developed over the centuries, and to illustrate these with
samples that will yield something of their flavour.
I like to think that such a book may be of service to the
inquisitive general reader as well.
An Egyptian folk proverb has it that “the flautist dies with his
fingersstilltwitching”.Ihavetriedtocurbmyacademichabitsand
inclinations,subordinatingthemtotherealneedsofthereadership
Ihaveinmind.Forexample,thefieldbristleswithmootquestions
that can be resolved only by detailed examination of texts and
discussion of arguments. I have been content to draw the broad
viii
PREFACE
parameters of the issue and list other sources to which the reader
may turn if he is so minded.
I am aware, however, that I betray my academic formation by
my use of footnotes. I have never had the antipathy to footnotes
thatthegeneralreaderisreputedtoharbour.Theyareaconvenient
way of conveying necessary information without interrupting the
flow of an argument. Nevertheless, I have used them for only two
purposes. One is to identify the source of a precise citation that is
essentialtoanargumentandnotimmediatelytraceablethroughthe
Internet. The other is to pass on to the reader additional
information of the kind I have described in the preceding
paragraph.
A source of much confusion is Arabic names. Very few Arabs
havesurnamesthat are passed from fathertoson.Thesesurnames
usuallyendinalongı¯andareprecededbythearticle‘al-’ofwhich
the ‘l’ assimilates into a number of phonetically congruent
consonants; but this is not always the case. A person is often
identifiedbyastringofnames,andiftheyareallofthesameorder
then it is by the first that he ought to be addressed, even formally;
thesecondishisfather’spersonalname,nothis,andthethirdishis
grandfather’s. But a man may also have a patronymic or an
honorificname,andhemaybebestknownbyoneofthem,oreven
by a sobriquet that is not used to his face. I have tried to take the
burden off the reader’s shoulders by consistently using only one
brief and widely used designation for each writer; but for the sake
ofthemorepunctiliousreaderIgiveadditionaloralternativeforms
only in the index. Similarly, except in a few awkward instances
IgivethetitlesofbooksinEnglishtranslationwithinthetext,and
add the Arabic wording only in the index.
Asforthetranscriptionofthesenamesandtitles,itisaproblem
onaparwithdeathandtaxes.Itisunavoidablewhendealingwith
a language with phonemes that have no equivalent in English. My
advice to the budding Arabist is to grit his teeth and master one
entirely reliable system good and early, otherwise he will be
plagued with inconsistencies day after day. As for the general
reader, he may ignore the technicalities and make what he can of
the outlandish symbols. He will not be better served by any other
scheme.
ix