Ancient-Classical Arabic Poetry.
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Introduction
Why did Modern
Standard Arabic form when Ancient Arabic is more complex?
1 - Any Orientalists who try to criticize the Qur'anic
language using the rules of Modern Standard Arabic - they are mistaken because
they are measuring a deeper language [Classical Arabic] with a more simplified
version of that language.
2 - People who lived in the desert wanted to beautify and describe the
world through their speech and words. The Arabs language was pure and refined
because it was not affected by other cultures (since other nations did not
affect/influence them much - the arabs
were Sovereign/independent from other states). The Arabs
did not have any arts/buildings/philosophies to take pride in. But what they
did have full pride in was their Language.
Arab Poets Introduction:
Arabs took pride in poetry and spread their news and status through it. The 'Arabs poetry spoke in Riddles.
They saw desert when they woke up - nothing imaginative. So they were
very imaginative (picturesque/visual) in their thoughts - the words they said
had very deep and imaginative images, so that One
word in Arabic can mean a whole Sentence in any other language, or one Sentence in Arabic can mean a whole Paragraph in any other language.
We will attempt to Collect some Classical Arabic lines of poetry and discuss
their meanings insha' Allah in this section.
Example
#1 of Classical Arabic
Poetry:
There was a man who lived on a highly located house on a hill. He said
poetry - stating that he is really Generous.
His wife asked him how so, if he is extremely poor – without wealth?
He replied;
فَ سَيلُ حَربٌ عَلي مَكَانٍ عَالِيَه
"Heavy rain does not get along with a house on top
of a hill."
[literal translation: the Stream (saylu) is at war
(harbun)
upon a home ('alaa makaanin) on
a high place ('aaliyah)]
____________________________________________
*Poetry
& its Explanation from talk by Nouman Ali Khan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6uBX_--j4c-50 seconds onwards.
What does he mean?
Imagine a hill, and a house located on top
of it. Does the rain go down to the bottom of the hill, or does it stay
at the bottom? It goes to the bottom.
He is saying that the Rain (which is the
source of all wealth [Rizq] - food/drink) goes down
past his high house, to provide wealth for lowly people below him. While he is generous by living at the top, living highly closer to
the sky (where all goodness of rain comes from.)
So he is ascribing a 'higher rank' to
himself, as well as generosity to himself, while being above others.
Riddle & Idiom and Word Choice of Classical Poets.
This is just one example of Riddles which the 'Arabs took pride
in.
If you did not understand their riddle, they would consider you an 'Ajamiy [عَجَمي]
(non-Arab), and it would show your lack of knowledge and eloquence.
This is a good
example of how Ancient Arabic was much more complex than Modern Standard Arabic
spoken today.
This is the context/Setting of the society in which Allah sent His final
Messenger (sal Allah alayhi wasalam) to.
If there is a word that you could say better in your poetry but you did
not, the other poets would criticize your poetry. This meant your life-time
honour could be destroyed by just saying one wrong word.
..Yet, if the poets
could not come up with something similar to the Qur’an – it surely was
something amazing!
If Allah wills, we
may add more Classical Arabic Poetry and their explanations to this
section in the future.
CONTENTS:
Figures of Speech:
1 - Qurrata A'yun - Coolness of the Eyes.
Poetry:
1 - The famous Mu'allaqah of 'Amr ibn Kulthum