The heroic deeds and words of a warrior poet of northern Arabia
An epic hero and a poet, the semi-legendary Sh膩yi士 al-Amsa岣� was a prominent ancestor of the Shammar tribal confederation that stretches across the Great Naf奴d desert in the northern Arabian Peninsula. Sh膩yi士鈥檚 corpus of extant poems are preserved in narratives about his chivalrous exploits transmitted orally for centuries. In this volume, Marcel Kurpershoek vividly translates the deeds and verses of this compelling poet, based on recordings of late-twentieth century reciters, a testament to Sh膩yi士鈥檚 prominence as an embodiment of Bedouin virtue, courage, wiliness, and generosity.
Born with one eye, Sh膩yi士 presents himself as unattractive and unassuming, only to reveal a hero鈥檚 strength, sagacity, and wiliness. In a number of stories, he is shown hiding his identity, whether in disguise as an impoverished Bedouin or on a camel deliberately made to look mangy and weak. In the oral culture of the Bedouin, the epic cycle of Sh膩yi士 al-Amsa岣� delights and instructs listeners through its unmasking of false appearances and its revelation of the hero鈥檚 true character.
Translated into English for the first time, these engaging tales and poems tell of dangerous desert travel, warlike exploits, chivalrous conduct and its opposite, feats of hospitality that defy belief, and convey nuggets of wisdom from the Bedouin manual of survival, making this collection a colorful compendium of the manners and customs of the tribes of northern Arabia.
A bilingual Arabic-English edition.
