Poems of Arab Andalusia

We should not let the horrors perpetrated around the world by Islamic terrorists blind us to the positive contributions of Muslim culture. This anthology is a collection of poems written in Moorish Spain from the tenth through the thirteenth century, based on the codex of Ibn Sa'id. They were translated into Spanish by Emilio Garcia Gomez in 1930 and had a profound influence on Spanish literature, particularly the work of Federico Garcia Lorca, who tragically would be assassinated in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War. Cola Franzen's excellent translation is based on Garcia Gomez's edition, so it is basically a translation of a translation. Not being able to read Arabic and having only a limited command of Spanish, I cannot vouch for her accuracy. Nonetheless this is an enchanting book that should strike a chord with all true lovers of poetry, bringing to life a long-vanished civilization far more gracious than our own, a world free from the blights of modern life--video games, slasher movies, and gangsta rap. The poems deal with universal themes that have occupied poets of different cultures for millennia--love, wine, nature--and are surprisingly secular in tone, revealing a culture less repressed and puritanical than what we see of Islam now. The poems are full of voluptuous and often startling imagery, with a simplicity and directness reminiscent of Japanese poetry, while the rich metaphorical language brings to mind the French Symbolists. The collection ends with several poems by "the poet king," King Al-Mu'tamid of Seville (reigned 1068-1091), whose exile to Morocco by the Almoravids marked the beginning of the end of the Golden Age of Moorish Spain. His poems convey a poignant and unbearable sense of loss. This collection should appeal to students of both Arab and Hispanic literature and is well worth seeking out.

I used this book as a resource for my term paper in an Islamic history course. My focus is how Jews, Christians, and Muslims developed a cultural and social renaissance in Islamic Spain. This book was the most beautiful. The poems put at ease. Most are great love poems that are highly recommended to read to a loved one. The nostalgia you feel takes you back to witness the cultural scene that had developed there is breathtaking. A great book for anybody to read or use in their studies.

Lovely collection of Poems!

I needed this book for my literature class. I really liked all of the poems and stories in this book.

I felt as if the poet, reached into my heart, and spoke to my very soul......

Book of poems with the Arab twist. Bought it for my husband, and he loves it!

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Beautiful poetry.

This collection of poems occupies an important place in the development of literature in Spain. In its Spanish translation it inspired Rafael Alberti, a key figure in the 'Generation of '27', a group of artists that included such luminaries as the genius Federico Garcia Lorca, himself a close friend of Alberti. Oh to be able to read the poems in their original Arabic! This collection of English translations provides more than a good second best.