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Arabic Book Containing 2,790 Pieces Published
ABU DHABI - The National Library of Abu Dhabi published the first part of a new book titled 'Soul of the Soul' authored by an anonymous Muslim scholar of the fifth Hijri (Islamic Year) century.
- PUBLISHED: Tue 5 Jan 2010, 10:40 PM UPDATED: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 2:23 PM
The book is considered to be among the most important poetry encyclopaedias in Arabic.
According to Ibrahim Saleh, who researched and edited the work, it is impossible to know the identity of the author, which is available in two manuscripts only - one in the National Library in Paris and the second in the Assad National Library in Damascus.
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The publication of the book comes within the framework of the commemoration of the centenary of Shaikh Zayed the First, in appreciation of his efforts as a ruler of Abu Dhabi.
Saleh explained that the importance of this work, which is divided into 360 sections, mostly comes from its 2,790 literary pieces, which make the largest collections of Arabic poetry in quantity and quality of the time, although around two percent of its predominately-verse content is prose.
The book divides Arabic poetry according to the old tradition of categorisations into authors and themes, among other divisions.
Its prime focus though, is the poets from the fourth and fifth Hijri centuries, and it hardly contains any of the works by poets from pre-Islamic, Islamic, Umayyad and Abbasid eras.
Saleh said the author is tipped to be among the disciples of Al Thaalibi (961-1038) the famous Muslim scholar, whose name is mentioned in the book with the utmost regard, and whose renowned work 'Yatimat Al Dahr' (One of its Kind) - is a primary source.
Saleh also expected that some of the unattributed poetry cited in the book is the work of the author himself, as he used the phrase “some contemporary poet said” to refer to himself implicitly.