Tafrij al-Karb fi Marifat Lamiyyat al-Arab
- Author died
- 1120 AH
- Editions
- Tafrij al-Karb fi Marifat Lamiyyat al-Arab
Tafrij al-Karb fi Ma‘rifat Lamiyyat al-‘Arab (Relieving Distress in Understanding the L-Rhyming Ode of the Arabs) is an Arabic literary commentary by the Moroccan scholar Ibn Zakur (d. 1120 AH / 1708 CE) on the famous pre-Islamic ode Lamiyyat al-‘Arab by al-Shanfara .
Background and Purpose
The work is also known under fuller title variations, including Tafrij al-Karb ‘an Qulub Ahl al-Arab fi Ma‘rifat Lamiyyat al-‘Arab and Tafrij al-Karb ‘an Qulub Ahl al-Adab . The composition of the commentary has been recorded as taking place in 1112 AH .
In his introduction, Ibn Zakur states that understanding the language of the ancient Arabs serves as a vital prerequisite and pathway toward comprehending the speech of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the divine revelation revealed to him . He explains that his aim in composing the commentary was to unveil the meanings of al-Shanfara's poem while restricting himself to what is necessary and essential, providing a concise yet thorough guide for students of literature .
Method and Contents
The commentary proceeds sequentially through the poem, starting from its opening verse:
أقيموا بني أمي صدور معطيكم ... فإني إلى قوم سواكم لأميل "Set upright, sons of my mother, the chests of your mounts, for I am indeed more inclined to a people other than you."
For each line, Ibn Zakur provides:
- Contextual background: Explaining the underlying narrative circumstances behind the verses, such as al-Shanfara's departure from his maternal kin to rejoin his tribe .
- Lexical analysis: Defining obscure and classical vocabulary (such as desert fauna, weapons, and travel terminology) and consulting established linguistic authorities such as al-Sihah .
- Grammar and syntax: Parsing ambiguous constructions, case endings, and syntactic roles within the poetic meter .
- Rhetorical figures: Highlighting stylistic devices such as metaphors (isti‘ara), figurative analogies (tamthil), corroborating appositions (tadhyil), and parenthetical remarks (i‘tirad) .
Transmission and Print History
Manuscripts of Tafrij al-Karb are preserved in several libraries, including the Municipal Library of Alexandria, the Dahdah collection in Berlin, the National Library of Tunisia, the Ez-Zitouna Mosque collection, and the High School Library in Rabat .
The commentary was published in Istanbul at Matba'at al-Jawa'ib in 1300 AH . It was subsequently printed in Cairo in 1324 AH alongside al-Zamakhshari's commentary A‘jab al-‘Ajab and a commentary by ‘Ata' Allah ibn Ahmad al-Maliki, and was reissued in Cairo alongside al-Zamakhshari's work in 1328 AH .
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