Classical Arabic Stories: An Anthology

✍ Scribed by Salma Khadra Jayyusi (Editor)

• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 425
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Short fiction was an immensely innovative art in the medieval Arab world, providing the perfect vehicle for transmitting dazzling images of life and experiences as early as pre-Islamic times. These works also speak to the urbanization of the Arab domain after Islam, mirroring the bustling life of the Muslim Arabs and Islamized Persians and reflecting the sure stamp of an urbanity that had settled very staunchly after big conquests. All the noises and voices of the Umayyads and Abbasids are here. One can taste the flavor of Abbasid food, witness the rise of slave girls and singers, and experience the pride of state. Reading these texts today illuminates the wide spectrum of early Arab life and suggests the influences and innovations that flourished so vibrantly in medieval Arab society. The only resource of its kind, Salma Khadra Jayyusi's Classical Arabic Stories selects from an impressive corpus, including excerpts from seven seminal works: Ibn Tufail's novel, Hayy ibn Yaqzan; Kalila wa Dimna by Ibn al-Muqaffa; The Misers by al-Jahiz; The Brethren of Purity's The Protest of Animals Against Man; Al-Maqamat (The Assemblies) by al-Hamadhani and al-Hariri; Epistle of Forgiveness by al-Ma'arri; and the epic romance, Sayf Bin Dhi Yazan. Jayyusi organizes her anthology thematically, beginning with a presentation of pre-Islamic tales, stories of rulers and other notables, and thrilling narratives of danger and warfare. She follows with tales of love, religion, comedy, and the strange and the supernatural. Long assumed to be the lesser achievement when compared to Arabic literature's most celebrated genre-poetry-classical Arabic fiction, under Jayyusi's careful eye, finally receives a proper debut in English, demonstrating its unparalleled contribution to the evolution of medieval literature and its sophisticated representation of Arabic culture and life.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 8
Preface and Acknowledgments......Page 12
Introduction......Page 16
I. Pre-Islamic Tales......Page 52
1. The Sons of Nizar......Page 54
2. The Priestess of the Banu Sad......Page 57
3. Faithfulness and Sense of Honor......Page 60
4. Al-Nu'man’s Outfit......Page 63
5. A Lowly Man Gains a Wife......Page 66
6. A Charitable Gift......Page 68
7. A Cunning Message......Page 69
8. A Noble Wife......Page 70
9. The Exile of al-Harith ibn Midad......Page 71
10. The Story of the Cave Where Shaddad ibn 'Aad Was: How the Adventurers Entered and What Happened to Them There......Page 78
11. Luqman......Page 82
II. Tales of Rulers and Other Notable Persons......Page 86
12. 'Amara the Faqih and 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan......Page 88
13. The Justice of 'Adud al-Dawla......Page 90
14. The Piety of 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz......Page 92
15. A Further Story of 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz......Page 94
16. The Chief of Police and Caliph al-Hadi......Page 96
17. At Khosrow’s Court......Page 98
18. An Arab at Khosrow’s Court......Page 100
19. I Take Refuge in Your Justice, Prince of the Faithful......Page 101
20. Tricked She Was......Page 107
21. Um Asya the Midwife and the Palace of Khumarawayh......Page 109
22. Yazid and Habbaba......Page 112
23. A Ruse of Mu'awiya......Page 118
24. Caliph 'Umar and the Soldier’s Wife......Page 124
25. Al-Akhtal Imprisoned in a Church......Page 126
26. A Miserly Governor......Page 128
27. All Lies......Page 129
28. Two Great Musicians......Page 131
29. An Attendant of al-Hallaj Fasts for Fifteen Days......Page 134
30. A Vizier Removes a Dessert Stain with Ink......Page 136
31. How a Baghdadi Chief of Police Questioned Suspects......Page 137
32. God Alone Be Thanked......Page 142
33. Al-Hajjaj Orders the Torture of Azadmard......Page 144
34. Iyas as Judge......Page 146
35. The Wisdom of Judge Iyas......Page 147
36. Why a Judge Pardoned a Fraudster......Page 149
III. Tales of Danger and Warfare......Page 152
37. Ma'n ibn Za'ida and the Black Man......Page 154
38. Al-Mansour’s Pride......Page 156
39. With the Byzantines......Page 158
40. Muslims at the Court of China......Page 161
41. Greed and Treason......Page 164
42. Consequences of Oppression......Page 170
43. Avoiding a Conflict......Page 172
44. The Byzantine Rulers and the Muslim Prisoners......Page 173
45. From The Lion and the Diver......Page 177
IV. Tales of Religion......Page 180
46. The Tale of Ka'b ibn Malek......Page 182
47. The Tale of Jurayj the Worshipper: Showing How Attending to Parents Has Priority Over Prayer......Page 188
48. The Tale of the Crevice People, and of the Magician, the Monk, and the Young Man......Page 191
49. The Tale of the Leper, the Bald Man, and the Blind Man......Page 194
50. Virtue and Divine Reward......Page 197
51. A Vision of the Next World......Page 199
V. Comic Tales:......Page 204
52. Juha as a Vehicle for Satire......Page 206
53. The Comic Wit of Juha......Page 209
54. Juha the Fool......Page 215
55. The Logic of Juha......Page 218
56. Juha the Judge......Page 220
Other Comic Tales
......Page 222
57. Abu 'l-Qasim’s Slippers......Page 224
58. The Party Crashers......Page 227
59. Me Too?......Page 229
60. A Quick-Witted Prisoner......Page 231
61. Al-Hajjaj and al-Muttalib......Page 233
62. A Cunning Marriage Broker......Page 234
63. Forgery on a Shaky Boat......Page 235
64. A Tempting Wager......Page 236
VI. Tales of the Strange or Supernatural......Page 238
65. The Strangest Story......Page 240
66. I Shall Never Eat Elephant Flesh......Page 242
67. A Dream Come True......Page 245
68. The Body Snatcher......Page 248
69. The Old Tailor and His Untimely Call to Prayer......Page 254
70. Crime and Punishment......Page 259
71. An Unlucky Encounter......Page 263
72. The Man and the Lark......Page 266
73. Two Surrealist Stories from the Desert......Page 267
74. The Story of Tamim al-Dari......Page 268
VII. Tales of Love......Page 278
75. A Love Story......Page 280
76. A Strange Vow......Page 285
77. A Merchant and His Wife......Page 293
78. A Final Meeting......Page 296
79. A Party Crasher’s Reward......Page 298
80. Parting and Reunion......Page 301
VIII. Excerpts from Seven Major Classical Works......Page 306
81. From Ibn Tufail, Hayy ibn Yaqzan......Page 308
82. From Al-Jahiz, Al-Bukhala' (Book of Misers)......Page 320
83. From Ibn al-Muqaffa', Kalila and Dimna......Page 333
84. From Rasa'il Ikhwan al-Safa (Epistles of the Brethren of Purity)......Page 361
85. From Al-Maqamat (The Assemblies)......Page 373
86. From Abu 'l-'Ala' al-Ma'arri, Risalat al-Ghufran......Page 389
87. From The Adventures of Sayf Ben Dhi Yazan: An Arab Folk Epic......Page 397
Notes on the Translators......Page 414
Name Index......Page 416
Subject Index......Page 424

✦ Subjects

Литературоведение;Изучение зарубежной литературы;Литература Востока;Арабская литература;