Sharh al-Muallaqat al-Sab al-Zawzni
- Author died
- 486 AH
- Editions
- Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-Arabi
Sharh al-Muallaqat al-Sab (Commentary on the Seven Suspended Odes) is a classical Arabic literary commentary authored by the judge and philologist Abu Abd Allah al-Husayn ibn Ahmad al-Zawzani (d. 486 AH / 1093 CE) .
Composition and Scope
In his opening preface, al-Zawzani notes that he dictated the commentary in a brief and concise manner in response to a request made of him . The work focuses exclusively on the canonical seven pre-Islamic odes (the Mu'allaqat), omitting poets added in ten-poem compilations such as al-Nabigha al-Dhubyani and al-A'sha .
The odes are arranged in the following sequence:
- Imru' al-Qays (Qifa nabki min dhikra habibin wa-manzili)
- Tarafa ibn al-Abd (Li-Khawlata atlalun bi-Barqati Thahmadi)
- Zuhayr ibn Abi Sulma (A-min Ummi Awfa dimnatun lam takallami)
- Labid ibn Rabi'ah ('Afati al-diyaru mahalluha fa-muqamuha)
- Amr ibn Kulthum (Ala hubbi bi-sahnik fa-asbahina)
- Antara ibn Shaddad (Hal ghadara al-shu'ara'u min mutaraddami)
- Al-Harith ibn Hilliza al-Yashkuri (Adhanatna bi-bayniha Asma'u)
Method and Content
Al-Zawzani precedes poems with the historical occasions and tribal lore connected to their composition, such as the account of Darat Juljul for Imru' al-Qays . He then provides a verse-by-verse analysis centered on:
- Defining rare and archaic vocabulary (gharib al-alfaz) and explaining morphological forms .
- Clarifying syntax and grammatical inflection (i'rab), noting differing opinions among grammarians .
- Paraphrasing the intended meaning of each verse and illustrating usage with poetic textual witnesses (shawahid) and references to earlier authorities like Ibn al-Anbari .
Abridgments and Publication History
In the nineteenth century, Abd al-Rahim ibn Abd al-Karim produced an abridgment of the work titled Kitab Sharh al-Mu'allaqat 'ala al-Tamam wa-al-Kamal, incorporating minor supplementary notes .
The commentary was widely printed across the Islamic world and Europe:
- A lithograph edition was printed in Mount Lebanon in Shawwal 1269 AH (June 1853 CE) penned by Hanna Bek Abi Sa'b, followed by a Cairo edition in 1304 AH .
- Several individual odes accompanied by al-Zawzani's commentary and European translations were printed in the early nineteenth century, including Imru' al-Qays (Bonn, 1823), al-Harith ibn Hilliza (Bonn, 1827), Labid (Breslau, 1828), and Tarafa (Bonn, 1829) .
- Complete editions of the Mu'allaqat featuring al-Zawzani's commentary were edited by F. A. Arnold (Leipzig, 1850) and Ludwig Abel (Berlin, 1891) .
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