Arabic Poetry in the Cairo Genizah

Read our latest publication by Dr Ahmed Sheir:


"Shared Memory and History: The Abrahamic Legacy in
Medieval Judaeo‑Arabic Poetry from the Cairo Genizah"

Shared Memory and History: The Abrahamic Legacy in Medieval Judaeo-Arabic Poetry from the Cairo Genizah The Cairo Genizah collections provide scholars with a profound insight into Jewish culture, history, and the deeply intertwined relationships between Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Among these treasures are often overlooked Arabic poetic fragments from the eleventh to fifteenth centuries, which illu...

Join us in our next hybrid seminar "Beyond words: Requests in Arabic papyrus letters" by our guest speaker Professor Petra Sijpesteijn, Leiden University on Tuesday 26 November 5:00pm:

https://tcd-ie.zoom.us/j/92551229736?pwd=bEiaZ53k7yobMDnJwlvDBy3BoEZ1uW.1

European Research Council School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies, TCD Trinity College Dublin

Hebrew script:

1. תגירת אלאיאם ואנקלב אלדהרו
2. וצאר כיאר א אנאס ליס להו
3. קדרו
Arabic script:

1. تغيرت الايام وانقلب الدهرو
2. وصار خيار اناس ليس لهو
3. قدرو

Translation

1. The days have changed and the era has overturned
2. And the best of people have become without
3. Value

A poem of wisdom describing the social changes, possibly belongs to the Al-Qāḍī `Ayyāḍ (1083 – 1149).

European Research Council Trinity College Dublin University of Cambridge Genizah Research Unit #أدباء #أدب #ادبستان #ادبيات #ادباء #ادب #ادبیات #شعر

קד סבא עקלי
חביבי
ויח קלבי
אלכאיבי

قد سبا عقلي
حبيبي
ويح قلبي
الكئيبي

My beloved captured my mind
Woe unto my miserable heart

#أدباء #أدب #ادبستان #ادبيات #ادباء #ادب #ادبیات #شعر

School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies, TCD Genizah Research Unit European Research Council

יא קדים לם יזל ואחד חק
מבין : אנת נעם אלמתכל
ואנת כנז אלטאלבין :

Arabic:
يا قديم لم يزل واحد حق
مبين: انت نعم المتكل
وانت كنز الطالبين :

Translation:
Oh The Everlasting One, Who does not cease to be, the One, the Truth,
the Manifest : You are the most trustworthy
and You are the treasure for prayers

This is praise for God, and an affirmation that it is only He who is eternal, that ever-lasts, and the One who is the essence of Truth. The only ultimate reality is God.

European Research Council
University of Cambridge
Trinity College Dubli
#أدباء #أدب #ادبستان #ادبيات #ادباء #ادب #ادبیات #شعر

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/apcg/episodes/07--the-Ego-and-Morals-in-Medieval-Arabic-Poetry-from-the-Cairo-Genizah-e2k018h

ולו כאן ללשכר שכצאً יבין אדא מא תאמלה אלנאטׄרُ

למתלתה לך חתי תראה פתעלם אני אמרُ שאכרُ

ولو كان للشكر شَخصاً يبين اذا مـا تامـله الناظـرُ
لمـثـلته لك حـتـى تراه فتـعـلم أَني امرٌ شاكرُ
#أدباء #أدب #ادب #ادباء #ادبيات #ادبیات #شعر

If gratitude were a figure who could be seen by an onlooker
I would have copied it so that you might see it and know that I am a grateful person.

Two lines from the ʿAbbāsid poet Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAbbās al-Ṣūli (792–857 CE) in Hebrew script

European Research Council Trinity College Dublin

רוח אלמחב עלי אלאחכאם צאברה לעל מסקמהא יום ידאויהא

روح المحب على الأحكام صابرة لعل مسقمها يوم يدوايها

A lover’s soul is patient with judgements
For maybe one day he who causes its sickness would heal it

EEuropean Research CouncilSSchool of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies, TCDTrinity College DublinUUniversity of CambridgeGenizah Research Unit

Empty are the houses where my beloved once dwelled
Why is it that when I call, no voice responds?
Pause by the wall of the house and call out for friends.
O houses, where are the kin and companions?

خلت الديار علي من أحبابي
مالي أنادي لا يرد جوابي
قف بالديار وناد بالاترابي
يا دار أين الأهل والأصحاب

European Research Council Trinity College DublinSchool of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies, TCDArabic Poetry in the Cairo Genizah Khaleej Times

#الشعر

Join us for Prof. Umar Ryad's keynote on "Dutch-Muslim Relations Through Arabic Scholarship, Trade, and Diplomacy in Early Modern Times" on Aug 1st at 4:30 PM, Trinity Long Room Hub or via Zoom.


School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies, TCD Trinity College Dublin

יא לאים כףֿ ויך אל מלאם פֿאן קלבי מגֿרם מסתהאם

يا لائيم كف ويك الملام فان قلبي مغرم مستهام

You cunning one, stop. Wherefore the blame? My heart is fond and infatuated.

פי אלאסחאר דליל מן חאר

في الاسحار دليل من حار

In the early dawn, there is a guide for the perplexed.

Commentary:

This line is in Judeo-Arabic. It comes from a set of poems in Hebrew with only four in Judaeo-Arabic. The Arabic poems are possibly Sufi poems. The poet is anonymous.

#أدب .

#أدباء #ادبستان #ادب #ادباء #ادبيات #ادبیات #شعر

European Research Council of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies, TCD