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Abul 'Ala Al-Ma'arri was born in December 973 in modern day Maarrat al-Nu'man, near Aleppo, in Syria. He was a member of the Banu Sulayman, a noted family of Ma'arra, belonging to the larger Tanukh tribe that had formed part of the aristocracy in Syria dating back many hundreds of years. Aged only four he was rendered virtually blind due to smallpox and whilst this was thought to explain his pessimistic outlook on life and his fellow man it seems too young an age to support that. He was educated at Aleppo, Tripoli and Antioch and the area itself was part of the Abbasid Caliphate, the third Islamic caliphate, during what is now considered the Golden Age of Islam. During his schooling he began to write poetry, perhaps from as young as 11 or 12. In 1004-5 Al-Ma'arri learned that his father had died and, in commemoration, wrote an elegy in praise. A few years later, as an established poet and with a desire to see more of life and culture in Baghdad, he journeyed there, staying for perhaps as long as eighteen months. However, although he was respected and well received in literary circles he found the experience at odds with his growing ascetic beliefs and resisted all efforts to purchase his works. He was also by now a somewhat controversial figure and although on the whole respected his views on religion were now also causing him trouble. By 1010 with news of his mother ailing back at home he started the journey back to Ma'rra but arrived shortly after her death. He would now remain in Ma'arra for the rest of his life, continuing with his self-imposed ascetic style, refusing to sell his poems, living alone in seclusion and adhering to a strict vegetarian diet. Though he was confined, he lived out his years continuing his work and collaborating with others and enjoyed great respect despite some of the controversy associated with his beliefs. He is often now described as a "pessimistic freethinker". He attacked the dogmas of organised religion and rejected Islam and other faiths. Intriguingly Al-Ma'arri held anti-natalist views; children should not be born to spare them the pains of life. One of the recurring themes of his philosophy was the truth of reason against competing claims of custom, tradition, and authority. Al-Ma'arri taught that religion was a "fable invented by the ancients", worthless except to those who exploit the credulous masses. He went on to explain "Do not suppose the statements of the prophets to be true; they are all fabrications. Men lived comfortably till they came and spoiled life. The sacred books are only such a set of idle tales as any age could have and indeed did actually produce. However, Al-Ma'arri was still a monotheist, but believed that God was impersonal and that the afterlife did not exist. For someone who was not widely travelled Al-Ma'arri stated that monks in their cloisters or devotees in their mosques were blindly following the beliefs of their locality: if they were born among Magians or Sabians they would have become Magians or Sabians, further declaring, rather boldly, that "The inhabitants of the earth are of two sorts: those with brains, but no religion, and those with religion, but no brains." Abul 'Ala Al-Ma'arri never married and died aged 83, in May 1057 in his hometown, Maarrat al-Nu'man. Even on Al-Ma'arri's epitaph, he wanted it written that his life was a wrong done by his father and not one committed by himself. Today, despite fundamentalists and jihadists at odds with his thinking and viewing him as a heretic, Al-Ma'arri is regarded as one of the greatest of classical Arabic poets as these translated work readily attest too.

Arabic poetry. --- Arabic literature

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Arabic literature --- History and criticism.

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Representations and visions of home, homeland (watan), and nation are perennial themes in Arabic literary writing. In its most recent iteration, namely modern Arabic poetry and prose, these ideas are framed against the backdrop of an increasingly expansive conceptual universe, taking in a wide array of artistic and intellectual expressions. Indeed, the notion and prospect of home and homeland gained even great currency in contemporary Arabic literature, largely in light of the Arab uprisings in 2010 and 2011, where the Arab people attempted to reclaim their countries from the many oppressive power structures guilty of robbing them of their homeland. The present volume highlights the complexity, diversity, and vitality of literary voices in expressing a broad spectrum of ideas and images centered around the Arab homeland and nation. This book therefore contributes to a deeper understanding of the historical dimensions and literary representations of home and homeland in the modern Arab world on the one hand, and the far-reaching cultural and political impact of these concepts on the other. The thematic spectrum of this book ranges from studies of writings on home and nostalgia, travel accounts, didactic epistles, and prison memoirs, as well as the nahda-literature and the genre of collective autobiographies or “village books”. While some essays focus on the processes of symbolic nation-building, others deal with the literary techniques and poetic devices that modern Arab authors employ in order to deconstruct and question the political discourses on watan and Arab nationalism. This collection of essays is the result of a symposium held in 2011 at the University of Göttingen, Germany. The contributors to the volume are renowned specialists in Arabic literature and Middle East Studies working in Universities across the globe, including such countries as Australia, Denmark, Lebanon, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, and Germany.

Arabic literature --- History and criticism.

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Dit is een boek van twee-eiige tweelingen. Zeven auteurs zijn bekend in literair Vlaanderen, zeven andere mogen dat ook zijn, als landgenoten met wortels in Irak, Syrië, Palestina of Soedan, die bovendien voor hun komst publiceerden in hun geboorteland. Naar aanleiding van hun verhalen en gedichten schreven de Vlaamse auteurs op verzoek van PEN Vlaanderen vrijelijk hun eigen proza en poëzie. Het resultaat is dit boek vol verrassingen. Wat ligt er aan de andere oever van het verlangen? Een vreemd land vol knotsgekke taferelen! Een land waar een papegaai de nieuwe leider wordt. Een land van giftige wafels en bloeddorstige makelaars. Een land waar je bestraft kunt worden met een besmeurde profielfoto. Hier moeten dieren met een boerka hun schaamte bedekken. Hier wonen waanzinnige kolonels op pensioen en vergeetachtige weduwen in rusthuizen. Hier woont een man die zich afvraagt waarom we woorden van dood gebruiken als we liefhebben. Een man die bang is dat de stad hem als stof van haar lichaam bezemt. Een vrouw die bang is voor ogen die glanzen als ruwe olie. En toch beginnen ze te dansen! Je vindt het allemaal aan de andere oever van het verlangen.

Dutch literature --- Arabic literature --- Arab authors.

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An anthology of Arabic literature, ancient and modern, in both prose and verseIntroducing readers to the extremely rich tradition of Arabic literature, this Anthology covers some of its major themes and concerns across the centuries, from its early beginnings to modern times. The texts chosen are a 'library of personal preferences' of a scholar who has spent half a century or more in the company of Arabic books, marking then translating those passages that seemed to him to capture some of its most memorable moments.Reflecting the great diversity and unpredictability of Arabic literature as the carrier of a major world culture, both pre-modern and modern, the Anthology is divided thematically to highlight modern issues such as love, religion, the human self, human rights, freedom of expression, the environment, violence, secular thought and feminism. The short, easy-to-read texts are accessible to non-specialists, providing an ideal entry point to this extraordinary literature.Key FeaturesA wide thematic and chronological spread including both verse and proseNewly translated texts on a range of subjects such as the occult sciences, heresy, psychological reflections, literary theory, sexual etiquette, man and nature, geographical observations and reflections on world historyIncludes extracts from philosophers, theologians and scientistsMarginal glosses explain key terms, figures and momentsRead the introduction and first few extracts for free (pdf)"

Arabic literature --- LITERARY COLLECTIONS / Middle Eastern. --- Translations into English.