Classical Arabic Literature & Short Stories (2 anthologies)

These two anthologies represent the astonishing grandeur, sophistication and variety of classical Arabic literature. We encounter the literary environments of the desert, salon, mosque, and bookshop and are introduced to the caliphs, princesses, warriors, scribes, dandies, and mystics who created such a rich and diverse literary culture.

NIGHT AND HORSES AND THE DESERT spans the fifth to the sixteenth centuries, from Afghanistan to Spain, presenting a wide range of Arabic poetry and prose in translation, from the most renowned texts ("The Qur'an", "The Thousand and One Nights") to the esoteric (Ibn Washshiyya's "Book of Poisons"; a 10th-century poem in praise of asparagus). We encounter the dashing Byronic poetry of Imru' al-Qays and a treatise on bibliomania by Al-Jahiz, possibly the only writer to have been killed by books. There's a sorcerer's manual from 11th century Spain and an allegory by the mysterious "Brethren of Purity," in which animals argue their case against humanity. Alongside the extracts, Irwin's copious commentary and notes provide an explanatory history of Arabic literature.

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; "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". Salma Khadra 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.


* CLASSICAL ARABIC STORIES: An Anthology (Columbia University Press, 2010). Edited with an Introduction by Salma Khadra Jayyusi. -- PDF

* NIGHT & HORSES & THE DESERT: An Anthology of Classical Arabic Literature (Overlook Press, 1999). Edited by Robert Irwin. -- ePUB