JERUSALEM STUDIES IN ARABIC AND ISLAM 43 (2016)lib1.qsm.ac.il/articles/articles/Masarwah Anabsah JSAI 43.pdfPatricia Crone: list of publications v Mehdy Shaddel Qurʾānic ummī: genealogy,

The Institute of Asian and African Studies The Max Schloessinger Memorial Foundation

Offprint from

JERUSALEM STUDIES IN ARABIC AND ISLAM

43 (2016)

Nader~Masarwah and Ghaleb Anabseh

Acoustic rhythm in al-Ḥarīrī’s Maqāmas

THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM THE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES

CONTENTS

Robert Hoyland Obituary for Patricia Crone: a student’s view

i

Patricia Crone: list of publications

v

Mehdy Shaddel Qurʾānic ummī: genealogy, ethnicity, and the foundation of a new com-munity

1

Raoul Villano Phonological deletion in the Qurʾān: the alternation of isṭāʿa and istaṭāʿa in Sūrat al-kahf

61

Francesco Grande From word to construction: a syntactic etymology of the Qurʾānic Arabic lāta

101

Ofir Haim, Michael Shenkar and

Sharof Kurbanov

The earliest Arabic documents written on paper: three letters from Sanjar-Shah (Tajikistan)

141

Aryeh Levin What does Sībawayhi mean by ḥarfun... laysa bi-smin wa-lā fiʿlin

191

Arik Sadan Arab grammarians’ theories versus actual linguistic usage: the nasb (subjunctive) mood after lan and ḥattā as used in al-Iṣfahānī’s Kitāb al-aghānī

209

Michal Marmorstein Subtleties of narrative syntax: patterns of chaining in Classical Arabic narratives

219

Ahmad Ighbariah Grammatical features in Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ’s Categories

251

Nader~Masarwah ~and Ghaleb Anabseh

Acoustic rhythm in al-Ḥarīrī’s Maqāmas

273

José Martínez Delgado Risālat al-tanbīh by Ibn Ǧanāḥ: an edition, translation and study

309

REVIEW ARTICLE

Yaacov Lev The Red Sea: medieval Muslim internal maritime artery. A review article

357

REVIEWS

Mohammad-Ali~Amir-Moezzi

David S. Powers. Zayd: the little known story of Muḥammad’s adopted son

371

Milka Levy-Rubin William F. Mccants. Founding Gods, inventing nations: conquest and culture myths from Antiquity to Islam

381

Mohammad-Ali~Amir-Moezzi

Ehud Krinis. God’s chosen people : Judah Halevi’s Kuzari and the Shīʿī Imām doctrine

389

JSAI 43 (2016)

ACOUSTIC RHYTHM IN AL-H. ARIRI’SMAQAMAS

Nader MasarwahAl-Qasemi Academy, Baqa al-Gharbiyya

Ghaleb AnabsehBeit Berl Academic College

Rhythm is first-and-foremost a matter of repetition.1 No doubt such arepetition can occur for a great variety of purposes and objectives. Theidea of repetition is associated with temporal regularity between theunits that are repeated. Such regularity is necessary for rhythm in orderto maintain the pace and distance between each unit in the sequence.Rhythm is thus “the temporal organization of movement.”2

Man feels rhythm in his own movements and in the movements of theworld around him. A mother’s heartbeats are the first rhythm experi-enced by a human being when still in the womb, and later as an infant onhis mother’s breast. Other types of rhythm then follow gradually, fromthe regular rocking movements of the cradle that put him to sleep to arealization of the various kinds of rhythm presented by the phenomenaof nature, and his own limbs, that also operate with a certain rhythm.A person’s inner world, too, is dominated by rhythm, as shown by theclear way rhythm appears in the expression of feelings and emotions inthe arts, where the individual units and elements fit together in a specificuniform order.

In the plastic arts, such as painting and decoration, rhythm is clearlyperceived, as are the units that are repeated. In the literary arts, how-ever, whether poetry or prose, a perception of the units of repetition isnot enough; for example, a poem may delight us when its composer re-cites it, but will be less effective if it is read from paper. The perceptionof rhythm in written works depends on “the repetition of homogeneousacoustic manifestations after intervals possessing a similar extent”3 —that is, on hearing the repeated units.

1Frye, Anatomy of criticism, p. 323.2H. usam al-Dın, al-Dalala al-s.awtiyya, p. 151.3 ↪Id, al-Bah. th al-↩uslubı, p. 197.

273

274 Nader Masarwah and Galeb Anabseh

The sequence of passages arranged in a specific manner prepares themind for accepting a new sequence of the same type by putting ourpsyche at that moment into a mindset that can receive only a limitedgroup of possible stimuli, so that, for example, after reading a verseor two, or half a prose sentence, it would be a normal thing but whenwe sing these verses or a prose sentence our ears will be delighted.4

Richards maintains that rhythm is based on an impression that is usuallysubconscious, and associates the rhythm of poetry and prose with thatimpression. He explains that the rhythm of poetry is expected, sincethe metric units prepare the reader for a certain temporal regularity,while such mental preparedness and expectation are weaker in the caseof prose.5 Poetry is thus more closely associated with rhythm than othertypes of literature, because it is based on meter, and this in turn makesthe rhythm more salient, as the element that organizes the meter andensures its repetition. Poetry and prose also differ with respect to theway in which each of them creates and manifests rhythm.

The preceding discussion makes it clear that rhythm and meter do nothave such a close relationship that would make it impossible for rhythmto appear in literary genres other than poetry. Rhythm possesses, in fact,a more general nature than meter, while meter is merely one possible wayin which rhythm can be made manifest in an overt and orderly way.6 TheRussian Structuralists also see it in this way; they conclude that speechcan take the form of poetry even if meter is not preserved, since theprinciple that underlies rhythm, namely harmony, can be implementedin many ways, of which meter is only one.7 Rhythm thus comes to besomething general, no longer restricted to poetry but applicable also toprose and other art forms, so that today one speaks of the “rhythm ofa novel,” the “rhythm of a play,” the “rhythm of a painting” and the“rhythm of literary prose.” Rhythm can thus be found in all types ofliterature, including prose.

The acoustic material functions in the text as the basis of its rhythm.It can function differently in different places in the text, and take theform of word patterns, alliteration, similarities between words, parono-masia, juxtaposition, and parallelism.8 In other words, rhythm is builtupon the repetition of an acoustic unit and linguistic structural unitsin context placed at nearly equal distances in order to create harmony;some repetitions may appear at some distance from each other in orderto prevent monotony.

4Al-S. akr, “Ma la tu↩addıhi al-s.ifa,” p. 63.5Richards, Principles of literary criticism, pp. 188–189.6Al-T. arabulsı, “Fı mafhum al-ıqa↪,” p. 15.7Al-Khat.ıb, Naz.ariyyat al-manhaj al-shaklı, p. 52.8Al-Bas.rı, Iqa↪ al-shi ↪r al-h. urr, p. 4.

Acoustic rhythm in al-H. arırı’s Maqamas 275

A text may have an internal rhythm based on recorded elementsof movement that are not acoustic at all. Such movement can only beperceived through an understanding of the evolution of movement withinthe overall structure of the text, the movement of its components andthe fabric of its interrelations.9

This concept is derived from rhythm, since the movement in questionreflects the author’s inner self; the text thus takes on a resonance withthe internal rhythm created at the moment of writing.10 In his study,al-Zu↪bı in fact attempted to apply the concept of rhythm to a numberof Arabic novels, in which he analyzed the rhythms of place, time, eventsand personalities.11

In our study of rhythm in al-H. arırı’s12 Maqamas, we shall focusmainly on the acoustic elements. Since the works in question are inprose, in order to study their rhythm, we shall undertake to analyze thestructure and arrangement of the texts. The study will address aspectsof the text as a whole, including the rhythm of pronunciation, as wellas other manifestations of rhythm and the semantic frameworks incor-porated in it that reflect structural repetition with changes in meaning.By this we mean the rhythmic frameworks that are derived from thevarious cases of paronomasia and parallelism. To this we add an analy-sis of the rhythm of the structure and the various forms this can take.The study will conclude with a discussion of melodic rhythm, a rhythmbased on the repetition of rising and falling tones according to a certainpattern. Our analysis of this type of rhythm is based on the dialoguepassages in which it occurs, where the clear connection between it andacoustic-based rhythm will be shown.

Stylistics and linguistics

Stylistics is a branch of linguistic science,13 and as such it is one ofthe objects of linguistic theory.14 It is thus natural that it takes itsconceptual and procedural foundations from the science to which it be-longs. The relationship between stylistics and linguistics is thus that ofroot and offshoot. According to Culler, stylistics belongs to theoretical

9Al-S. akr, “Ma la tu↩addıhi al-s.ifa,”, p. 62.10Al-Sa↪afın, T. a↩ir al-faw,” pp. 300–301.11Al-Zu↪bı, Fı al-ıqa↪ al-riwa ↩ı, p. 17.12Abu Muh. ammad al-Qasim b. ↪Alı b. Muh. ammad al-H. arırı (d. 516 AH/1122 CE);

see EI 2, “al-H. arırı.”13Ullmann, Semantics, p. 19.14Culler, Structuralist poetic, p. 30.


linguistics, together with grammatical theory, in contrast to applied lin-guistics. Stylistic research is based on stylistic theory, and gives rise toprocedures of textual studies.15

Saussure noted that language was by nature interconnected, so thatits components possessed meaning only in relation to each other.16 Inaddition, Saussure pointed out that language was a social phenomenon,and cannot exist except by means of a kind of contract among the mem-bers of the society that speaks it.17 Language is thus defined as a socialphenomenon created by common usage; “It is but an inherent, restrictedpart of linguistic knowledge. It is at one and the same time the resultof linguistic disposition and of necessary agreements adopted by the so-cial body in order to facilitate the execution of this disposition amongindividuals.”18

It is worth noting that these approaches employ Saussure’s duality inmost of their conceptions. We focus on the creative level, as one that isuniquely derived from the private usage of language. It may well be thatthe dissemination of the four trends has given shape to modern stylisticresearch. Below we present the most important features of each of theseapproaches:

A. Descriptive stylistics, or the stylistics of expression, studies the rela-tionship between language and thought. Its most important pio-neer was Charles Bally.

B. Mental stylistics, or the stylistics of the individual, focuses on thestudy of the relationship of expressions to the individual or societythat produces them. Its most important pioneer was Leo Spitzer.

C. Structural stylistics sees the foundation of the linguistic phenomenonnot only in language itself but also in its relations and its functions.Its most famous pioneer was Roman Jakobson.

D. Statistical stylistics deals with the number of repetitions of stylisticphenomena in the text. It then uses the outcome to analyze thetext.

Charles Bally concluded that the science of style “extends to everyfacet of language. For every linguistic manifestation, from sounds tothe structure of the most complex sentences, may reveal a fundamentalfeature of the language under study.”19 But what is unique to stylistics

15Ibid.16Saussure, Course in general linguistics, p. 115.17Ibid., p. 27.18Ibid., p. 21.19Bally, “Linguistique generale et linguistique francaise,” p. 31.


and what makes it an independent field of study is that it studies thephenomena of language “as seen from a special angle.”20 This specialangle to which Bally refers has to do with the mental aspect on whichhe focuses in his study on the phenomena of rhetoric.

Indeed, there can be no doubt that the expressive style used in anygiven sentence may be manifested at a number of levels. Thus, for ex-ample, an expression such as “Hello there,” may express a greeting, butit may also be pronounced in a way that expresses appreciation, or scornand laughter. In short, verbal expressions may convey multiple expres-sive values. From a phonetic perspective this multiplicity of expressivevalues is produced through the multiple ways in which the expressionmay be pronounced. Of course, context also contributes to the determi-nation of a sentence’s expressive value. The same points are valid alsofor all other linguistic levels.

It thus turns out that the multiplicity of expressive values is related tothe multiplicity of stylistic variables, each of which constitutes a uniqueway for expressing the same concept. There are three basic values whichan verbal expression may possess: conceptual, expressive and intentional.

The conceptual value is communicative in nature. In other words,it depends purely on the sounds, independently of tone or intonation.Expressive values are determined by the social order; they reveal the ba-sic features of society, psychological tendencies and spontaneous values.The intentional values are aesthetic in nature, targeting the listener withthe intention of making a certain impression on him or her.21 If we nowgo back to the previously mentioned expression “Hello there,” we willfind that from a phonetic perspective it possesses three aspects:

A. The sounds themselves, whose value is purely communicative.

B. The expressive value, consisting of the spontaneous intonation bywhich the speaker exposes his social principles, and his own stateat the time of uttering the expression. This value is unintentionaland spontaneous.

C. The intentional value is represented by the intended intonation,through which the speaker intends to create some effect on thelistener.

From the preceding discussion we learn that it is the mental contentof language which constitutes the subject of stylistics. This content isstudied through linguistic expressions, words and constructions. Stylis-tics may thus be defined as the study of facts concerned with linguistic

20Ibid., p. 32.21Roland, Essais critiques, p. 255.


expression from the perspective of their mental content. In other words,it studies linguistic expressiveness through the psyche and its emotionaleffects on others.

Structuralist stylistics and its relation to rhythm

This approach views language and its functions as structures and re-stricts its attention to the relations that exist among the elements of thestructure within the context of the utterance and the functions whichthese elements themselves have within the context of the literary com-position.

↪Ayyad used the same point of origin as Jakobson, namely the text,and viewed style as a feature that accompanies the linguistic utterance.Style is found only in the text; it is the feature which determines the in-formational content of the linguistic signs. He analyzed style by meansof pairing and contrasting linguistic elements. Style, for him, is “the ac-centuation which a certain element in a sequence of utterances imposeson the reader’s attention, so that it cannot be ignored without distort-ing the text, and its symbols cannot be translated without their beingperceived as important and significant.”22

Khalıl based his stylistic analysis on the structural parallelism be-tween linguistic unites within a literary composition. In this way hetransfers the connections of comparison among these units to the textitself. Stylistics is thus seen to be connected to the structure of the text,so that it is to be considered within the framework of the sequence oflinguistic units in accordance with their order in the text.23 Accordingto Jakobson, the choice of words takes place based on the principles ofequilibrium, resemblance or difference, synonymity and antonymity.24 Itis also worth noting that stylistic analysis is based on the text’s linguis-tic structure and that the objective of such an analysis is to arrive atthe essence of the text’s expressive devices. It is thus concerned withdiscovering the way the words are ordered in the text and the mannerin which the words, the sentences, and paragraphs are strung togetherto make up the text.25

Most scholars have limited stylistic analysis to the commonly ac-cepted linguistic levels. Thus they include in their analysis the level of

22↪Ayyad, Madkhal ila ↪ilm al-uslub, pp. 44–49.23Ibid., p. 49.24Jakobson, “Closing statement,” pp. 370–371.25Khalıl, “The literary text,” p. 15.


phonetic rhythm. At this level, one takes various parameters of soundinto account, including the phonetic devices used in the text, such asrhythm, the elements that create it and the esthetic effect which it en-genders. Stylistic analysis also deals with sound as such, for examplethe repetition of sounds and the various semantic effects which this canevoke. For it is well-known that sounds by themselves do not bear mean-ing, but when they are strung together within a given verbal context theymay give rise to a meaning.26

Roman Jakobson, in his Huit questions de poetique, discovered a rela-tionship between the prosodic value of a phonic feature and its signifyingvalue, each language tending to give the greatest prosodic importance tothe system of oppositions most relevant on the semantic plane: stress or“dynamic accent” in Russian, length in Greek, pitch or “musical accent”in Serbo-Croatian.27 This passage from the phonetic to the phonemic,that is to say, from the pure sound substance, dear to early Formalistthinking, to the organization of this substance in a signifying system (orat least one capable of signification) is of interest not only to the studyof metrics, since it was rightly seen as an anticipation of the phonologicalmethod.28 It represents rather well what the contribution of structural-ism might be to the study of literary morphology as a whole: poetics,stylistics, composition.29

The structuralists’ adversaries naturally concluded from this that“colored sounds” were a myth — and as a fact of nature, they may wellbe nothing more. But the disparity of the individual tables does notdestroy the authenticity of each of them, and structuralism can suggestan explanation here that takes account both of the arbitrariness of eachvowel-color and of the very widespread sense of a vocalic chromaticism:it is true that no vowel evokes, naturally and in isolation, a particularcolor; but it is also true that the distribution of colors in the spectrum(which indeed is itself, as Gelb and Goldstein have shown, as much a factof language as of vision) can find its correspondence in the distributionof vowels in a given language. Hence the idea of a table of concordance,variable in its details but constant in its function: there is a spectrumof vowels as there is a spectrum of colors; the two systems evoke andattract one another, and the overall homology creates the illusion of a

26Richards, Principles of literary criticism, p. 190; Ricoeur, “Structure ethermeneutique”; “Structuralism and Hermeneutics” (McLaughlin, tr.). About Struc-turalism, see also Deleuze, “How do we recognise structuralism?”; Sturrock, Struc-turalism and since; Piaget, Le structuralisme; Assiter, “Althusser and structuralism”;Dosse, History of structuralism, vol. 1, p. 24.

27Jakobson, Huit questions de poetique, p. 219.28N.S. Trubetzkoy, The principles of phonology, pp. 3–4.29Genette, Figures of literary discourse, pp. 7–8.


term-by-term analogy, which each realizes in its own way by an act ofsymbolic motivation comparable to the one analyzed by Levi-Strauss inthe case of totemism. Each individual motivation, objectively arbitrarybut subjectively based, can be regarded, then, as the index of a particularpsychic configuration. The structural hypothesis, in this case, gives backto the stylistics of the subject what it takes from the stylistics of theobject.

So structuralism is under no obligation to confine itself to “surface”analyses, quite the reverse: here as elsewhere, the horizon of its approachis the analysis of significations.

No doubt verse is primarily a recurrent “figure of sound.”Primarily, always, but never uniquely. . . Valery’s view of po-etry as ‘hesitation between the sound and the sense’ is muchmore realistic and scientific than any bias of phonetic isola-tionism.30

Here we should point out that more intense phonetic values may leadto secondary meanings which will bolster the semantic content of wordsand sentences. Repeated sounds do not have to consist of the exact samesounds, but may also involve sounds with a similar articulation.

From the preceding discussion it is clear that style is to be studiedwithin the various levels of language. Sounds, words and sentences allwork together in a literary composition to create a complete harmony ofsounds, meanings and structures.

Acoustic rhythm in al-H. arırı’s Maqamas

Every letter in the Arabic alphabet represents a sound whose categoryis determined by its place of articulation. Scholars have analyzed thehuman articulatory system and determined each sound’s place of artic-ulation.

In this study, we deal with rhythm created by various types of jinas,31

the repetition and concentration of sounds in the text, in an attempt toshed some light on the semantic dimensions of this rhythm in the text’sspaces, since a repeating acoustic unit in a text gives it a distinctivecharacter and has an effect on the shaping of its meaning.

30Jakobson, “Closing statement,” p. 367.31For a definition of jinas, see W.P. Heinrichs, “Tadjnıs,” EI 2, s.v.: “. . . a pair of

utterances (mostly, but not necessarily single words), within a line or colon, whichare semantically different but phonetically, either completely or partially, identical.”


Let us begin with the rhythm born of the concentration of [s] sounds,“that alveolar, fricative, whispering sound that leaks out the air inspeech, bringing about an audible friction in the text.”32 Abu Zaydal-Sarujı created a magic stick with which he was able to cheat thepeople and defraud them of their money. The validity of our claim isdemonstrated by what Abu Zayd said to al-H. arith when the latter askedhim how he managed to trick the judge:

33.

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Were it not that his forehead put forth its ringlets, I shouldnot have snatched the fifty.34

Wherever the [s] sound is oft-repeated, it creates a rhythm thatevokes sorcery and trickery, as we find in al-Maqama al-H. alwaniyya,in which Abu Zayd enters the mosque and silently slinks through thecrowd and begins to breathe out his spell:

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And he saluted those who sat, and took seat in the last rowsof the people.36

Note the frequency with which the [s] sound appears in the introduc-tion of Abu Zayd’s act of sorcery and trickery.

In al-Maqama al-Dınariyya, the repetition of the [s] sound appearswhen the protagonist speaks about the poverty into which he has fallen,as he tries to trick his listeners and obtain their money:

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[A]nd made pits our home, and deemed thorns a smooth bed,and came to forget our saddles, and thought destroying deathto be sweet, and the ordained day to be tardy. — And nowis there any one generous to heal, bountiful to bestow?38

32Ayyub, As.wat al-lugha, p. 204.33 Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Rah. biyya (10), p. 90.34The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, pp. 161–162.35Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-H. ulwaniyya (2), p. 24.36The assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 114.37Maqamat al-H. arır ı, al-Maqama al-Dınariyya (3), p. 30.38The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 118.


It would appear that Abu Zayd’s wife also absorbed some of herhusband’s wiles, for she uses her husband’s magic stick to arouse thejudge’s sympathy, with words in which [s] appears repeatedly:

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And when he had drawn me forth from my covert, and carriedme away from my people, and removed me to his habitation,and brought me under his bond, . . . until he had altogetherdestroyed whatever was mine, and spent my property on hisneed. . . . I said to him, “Sir, know that there is no con-cealment after distress, no perfume after the wedding. . . . .”Also I have a boy by him, thin as a toothpick.40

The judge is affected by what al-Sarujı’s wife says and the magic of[s] enters his speech as well:

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I42 heard thy wife’s story; now testify of thyself: else will Idiscover thy deceit and bid thy imprisonment.43

In al-Maqama al-Nas. ıbiyya, Abu Zayd suffers from an illness whichafflicts him for a long time. His friends cry over him; al-H. arith portraysthe extent of their grief in verses that rhyme in the syllable sa, whichdemonstrates a certain degree of power, followed by the sign for a:

A�ð ðQË@ @ñ

�j.

��ð XðY

mÌ'@ @ñº�ð H. ñJm.

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They poured forth their tears, and they rent their bosoms,and they beat their cheeks, and they wounded their head;And they had been willing that fate had made a peace withhim, and had seized their possessions and themselves.45

39Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Iskandariyya (9), p. 78.40The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 153.41Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Iskandariyya (9), p. 79.42Chenery has “thou hast,” which is erroneous.43The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 154.42Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Nas.ıbiyya, (19), p. 166.45The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 216.


The glottal stop, on the other hand, “is an explosive sound fromthe throat through which air rushes out when it is articulated, after ithas been imprisoned inside the space of the throat, producing an explo-sion.”46 It appears frequently in a number of different contexts, suchas anger, resistance, and trading insults. In all these contexts, speech isonly possible with difficulty, because the parties doing the speaking areunder emotional stress. Thus, for example, Abu Zayd repeats the glottalstops by way of repeated uses of the af ↪al pattern as he curses his wifeand describes her disagreeable features before the judge, saying to her:

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�

Yet thou knowest, that when I made thee a wife, and gazed atthee, I found thee uglier than a monkey, and drier than a stripof hide and tougher than a palm-fibre, and more offensivethan carrion, and more trouble-some than the cholera, anddirtier than a menstrual cloth, and more barefaced than thebark of a tree, and colder than a winter night, and sillierthan purslans (the plant rijlah). And wider than the riverTigris.48

She then replies, using the same pattern:

�Õ�Î

�ª

��K

��I

�K

� @�ð , . .

�áÓ�

��

��

�£

� @�ð , . . .

�áÓ�

�á��.

�g.

� @�ð , . .

�áÓ�

�Ð

� A

��

�

� @�ð , PX� A

�Ó

�áÓ�

�Ð

� B� � @ A

�K

49.

�áÓ��Q��

�g

� @�ð , . . .

�áÓ�

�i

��

�¯

� @�ð , . .

�áÓ��

I.�J�«

� @�ð , . . .

�áÓ��Q�®

�k

� @ ½

K @

O thou, meaner than Madir, and more ill-omened than. . . ,and more cowardly than. . . and flightier than. . . , while thouknowest that thou art more contemptible than. . . and morevicious than. . . and more indecent than. . . and more out ofplace than a. . . 50

46Ayyub, As.wat. al-lugha, p. 217.47Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Tabrıziyya, (40), p. 347.48The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, pp. 103–104.49Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Tabrıziyya (40), p. 347.50The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 104.


Note the great frequency with which the glottal stop occurs here.This is a sound that is notoriously difficult to articulate and its repetitioncreates the rhythm of the angry judge’s reply:

�à

� @

��J£

� @

� @ ,

á��Ó �Q

�ª�Üß.�

�é�

�J

��

��¯ ú

¯�

�Ð

�QË

� @

� @ ,

á��Ò

�îD

��.

�

��

�ñ

�Ó ú

¯

��

��

� �P

� @

� @

51? á

�K

� @

�áÓ��ð

�á�K

� @

�áÓ��ð ,

á��Ò

��

�m

�Ì'@ ú

æ

��

�P

� @

Am I in one place to be hit two arrows, am I in one case madeto deal with two debtors, am I able to please both litigants?Where from, I ask, where from?52

Al-H. arith, too, provides us with an explicit description of Abu Zayd’spreparations for cheating a group of people. In this description, thesound [s] occurs frequently:

,à�

A�J.�ë

��QË @�

�ñ�J.

�Ë

�é

��ñ

�J.

�Ë�ð ,

à�

A��J.

��

�Ë@ �Õæ��JÓ�

�é�Ò

��Ó�

��

�m�

�� Ñ

�î�E

�Yg�

àA

�¿ð . . .

53. . .

à@

�ñ�

��Ë @

��é

�jJ.

�� è�Y�

�JK.�

�ð

But opposite them was a person whose demeanor was as thedemeanor of the youthful, and his garb as the garb of monks,and in his hand was the rosary of women.54

Abu Zayd begins to apply the spell of the [s] sound:

A �Üß.�Ñ

�»�Q

�®

�k

� A

��

�¯ ,

�Ñ

�º

�K.

�Qå��áÓ

� AJËð . Õ

�º

�K.

�Q�»

�h. Q

®

�JË�

�Ðñ

�¯ A

�K : ÑêË ÈA

��¯ �Õç

�'

©Ê£ éJÓ A

�JªÊ¢

�J�A

�¯ : ø

ð@ �QË @ ÈA

��¯ .

�Ñ

�º

�«ñ

�£ ð

�YJ. Kð ,

�Ñ

�º

�«

�ð �P ð �Qå

��

Õº�K. @

�P A�Ó ù

®�

�K A

�� ú

�G @ �

�Õç��' . . .

�èPA

�®�Ë@ ú

¯

�éËA

�ª

�m.Ì'@

�éË A

�J�J

��

@ð ,

�èPA

�®

m�Ì'@

ú

¯ Õº

�®

¯ @ �P@

�ð ,

�èð@

�YJ. Ë @ ú

¯ Õº

��®

¯ @

�ð

� @

à

AK. . ÕºK. A

�K ø

Y

�Ë @ �P

�Y

�mÌ'@

��É��

��

��

@ð

55. . . ø

�Yg.�

@�ðYª�

@ð , ø

Y� ª

�� @ð

��Yg.�

A¯ , ø

Y«ð Õº

�¯Y�

àA

�

¯ ,

�èðA

�Ò

��Ë@

. . . He said to them, “O people, let your care relieve itself, letyour mind be tranquil; for I will guard you with that whichshall put off your fear and show itself in accord with you.”Said the narrator: Then we asked him to show us concern-ing his safe conduct, and promised him a higher wage for it

51Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Tabrıziyya (40), pp. 351–352.52The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 107.53Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Dimashqiyya (12), p. 102.54The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 169.55Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Dimashqiyya (12), p. 103.


than for an embassy. . . Besides, I will remove what gives youdoubt, I will draw away the distrust that has come on you,in that I will consent with you in the desert and accompanyyou on the Semaweh. Then, if my promise has spoken youtrue, do ye renew my weal and prosper my fortune. . . 56

Here, too:

ñëð , ��Ê¢

��ð �

�Ê

�®�Kð

��

�ª

�¯@

�ð �

�ñ

�®�K Y

�¯

�qJ

�� é

�J�Êë

@ ¡�ðð . . .

57. PðY

��Ë@ ù

®

��

¡«ñK. Ÿ��

And in the midst of its halo, and among its full moons, wasan old man, bowed and with a breast-hunch, and he wore thecap and the cloak; and he was breaking forth into a sermonto heal breasts. . . 58

Another form of rhythm based on repeating sounds is that created bythe frequent use of [r]. This sound often appears with great frequencyin the texts of the Maqamas: “[r] is a trilling alveolar sound. In itsarticulation, the side of the tongue meets the gums and withdraws fromthem a number of times in a row . . . The sound is perceived as a seriesof short interruptions and explosions.”59 This sound, by its very nature,is repetitive, since in its articulation the tongue vibrates for a time.60

The way the presence of this sound affects the sense of the text can beseen, for example, in the following passage:

áÓð ,�

�®

JJÊ

¯ @

�Q�

g ú

�Gð

@ áÓ , Z @ �Q

®� Ë @ ú

¯

�á�Ê¯ @

��QË @ , Z @�Q��Ë @ H. A

�K. P

@ A

�K

61. . . Pñ

�J« �Që

�YË@

�ð ,Pð

�Y

« A

�JK

�YË@

�àA

�

¯ ,

��

�

�Q��Ê

¯

��

Q

�K

à

@

�Ä

�¢

�J�@

O ye lords of wealth who trail in furred robes, he that isendowed with good let him expend; he that is able to bestow,let him bestow. For the world is treacherous and fortunetrips. . . 62

We saw how the frequent repetition of the sound [r] creates a senseof trembling. This is the explicit trembling in the speech of people whosuffer from the cold, as reflected in the tremors produced by the [r]. This

56The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, pp. 169–170.57Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Raziyya (21), p. 176.58The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 24459Ayyub, As.wat al-lugha, p. 203.60↪Izz al-Dın, al-Takrır bayna al-muthır wa-’l-ta↩thır, pp. 8–9.61Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Karjiyya (25), pp. 213–214.62The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 255.


sound also appears in al-H. arith’s speech, where it reflects his tremblingout of fear as he perceived that Abu Zayd began to steal the people’smoney after he had warned them:

�I

Jk. Y

�®Ë , @�Q£ áKPA�Ë@ AîE. øYëð , @Që P AêªÊ£

@ áÖß. Õæ�

�¯ @ :

�IÊ

�®

¯ . . .

, è�Q« øðY« áÓ�é

®J

kð , èQÓ

@ Pñ

�J� ú

¯

�èQº

¯

��H�Qk�

�Õç�' . . . , @Qº

K A

J�

��

63. . . A«AJ

�KP@ ú

æ�

�@Q

¯

��HY«P@ð , A«Aª

�� ú

æ�

®

K

�HPA£ ú

�æk

Then I said: “I swear by Him who makes the stars rise inbrightness and guides by them all wayfarers, thou hast donea hateful thing and secured thee a record amongst shame-ful deeds.” Thereupon I was bewildered at thought of whatwould come of his affair, and with fear of infection from hisscab, so that my soul fluttered within me distractedly, andmy side- muscles quivered with fright.. . . 64

[r] also appears with considerable frequency in the following passage,in which al-H. arith describes the rage that overcame Abu Zayd:

65. Q

�º

¯ð Q

�º

J�Kð Qj. Ó Pð Q

�j.

�

�J¯

But he was angry, and growled, and his countenance changed,and he thought a while.66

The same can be found in al-Maqama al-Sinjariyya, in which AbuZayd describes the governor’s anger at him:

67. . . Ð �P

B@ �ú

Î«

��Qkð , Ð

��Qå�

��ð Ð �Qm.

��' . . .

He shouted, he burned with rage, he gnashed upon me withhis teeth.68

The same kind of alliterative rhythm can be created with the sound[j], which can be encountered frequently in al-H. arith’s speech whenAbu Zayd appears following a period of quiet: “[j] is a loud explosivesound.”69 When this sound is preceded by a number of sounds thatevoke a sense of calm, it creates a contrast and draws attention:

63Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Wasit.iyya (29), p. 249.64The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 21.65Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Dimashqyya (12), p. 111.66The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 175.67Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Sinjariyya (18), p. 157.68The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 211.69Ayyub, As.wat al-lugha, p. 209.


AÒJ�J.

¯ ,PAJ.

k

B@

¬Q£ éJ

¯ øXAî

�DKð ,PAî

�DË @ ú

¯Q£ èQÒ

�Jª

K AKXA

K A

K

Y

m�

�' @ð

ðX A

JJÊ«

�¯ð , ÐA

J�JËB@ ½

�Ê� ú

¯ A

JÒ

¢

�JK @

�Y

�¯ð , ÐA

�K

B@

�ªK. ú

¯ ám�

'

70. �ø

P

�ñê

�k. �Qk. ð �ø

Q�k. Èñ

��®Ó

And we took a chamber that we might frequent it at the twoends of day and present each other with the choice of thenews. Now while we were there on a certain day, and hadstrung ourselves on the thread of union. Lo, there stood byus one with a hold tongue and a loud voice.71

In Abu Zayd’s speech, the sound [j] occurs after a long silence thatarouses the listener’s surprise. It is preceded by the long vowel [a],creating a sense of power, dread and fear. [j] makes a peculiar impactwhen it is used repetitively in context:

�é�J�ÊK. @ Y

�¯ A

JÊ

�¯ ú

�æk A

¢

®Ë YJm.

�' Bð , A

¢mÌ QKYK B

��Q£

@ Õç

�' . . .

Õæ��¯ @ : ÈA

�¯ð , é�A

®

K @ Y

�ª�ð é�

@P ©

J�¯ @ Õç

�' ,

��éJ

��

« é

�J�Q

k

@ ð

@ ,

��éJ

��

k

h. @Qå�Ë @ð , h. A�j.

�JË @ Z AÖÏ @ð , h. Aj.

®Ë @

�H@

X

�P

B@ð , h. @QK.

B@

�H@

X ZAÒ�ËAK.

72. . . h. Aj. ªË@ Z @ñêË @ð , h. A

�j. ªË@ QjJ. Ë @ð , h. A

�ëñË@

Then he looked down, and he turned not glance, he answerednot a word: So that we said, “A fear has confounded him ora stupor struck him dumb.” Then he raised his head anddrew his breath, and said, I swear by the heaven with itsconstellations, and the blazing sun, and the sounding sea thewind and the dust storm.73

The power evoked by hearing the sound [j] is perhaps appropriate forswearing by God’s power and ability. It is used repetitively by al-H. arithin his speech after he awakens from his sleep and discovers that Abu Zaydhas stolen his she-camel. He is overcome with feelings of helplessness andworry:

Bð úk.ðQå�Ë @ Bð , i.

�ÊJ.

�K Y

�¯ Ñj.

�JË @ð , l .

�Ì'ñ

�K Y

�¯ ÉJ

�ÊË @ð B@

��

�

@ ÕÎ

¯ . . .

�QëA�

� @ð , Ðñk.

�ñË@ �PðA�

@ ,

�é�JK. ñ

�®ªK

à@ Qk@ ,

�é�J

ªK. A

K

�éÊJÊK.

��IJ.

¯ , h.

�Qå�ÖÏ @

74. ú

�æ�ª

�k.

�P ú

¯ ø �Q

�k

� @ð , ú

�æ�

�Ê

�g.

�P ú

¯

��èPA

�K Q

�º

¯ @ , Ðñj.

��JË @

70Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Fariqiyya (20), p. 171.71The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 220.72Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Dimashqiyya (12), p. 106.73The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 172.74Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Wabariyya (27), p. 231.


And I recovered not myself, until night had crept in, andstars began to twinkle, when, lo, there was no friend of Seruj,and, also, no saddle-beast, so that I passed a night such asNabighah sings of, pregnant with the grief of Jacob, while Iwas battling against my sullenness, and vying with the starsin wakefulness. Now I bethought me that I had hence forthto fare on foot.75

The frequent repetition of [j] here follows a relatively long period ofcalm and serenity and creates a powerful rhythm which breaks the calm.

The sound [q], “a whispered alveolar plosive,”76 is also used repet-itively in certain contexts and creates a rhythm that evokes harshness,anger and severity, and therefore appears in a stern oath.

��I�

�Ë Bð , A

�¯A �Ü

�Ï �

I�¯

�X B , A

�¯@Qå

�� @

Aê�®

�J.£ð , A

�¯AJ.£ Aê

�®Ê

g ø

YË@ð

77. . . A

�¯A

�¯ �P

Said I: “By Him, who created the heavens one above another,and permeated them with light, I will not taste a morsel, norturn in my mouth a bit. . . ”78

[q] is used repetitively in a number of passages which speak aboutthe difficulties of life, as in

79. . . Q�

®

K Bð ÉJ

�J�¯ B ,Q�

¯ð

�Q��®

¯

Y�

JÓñK A

K @ð

He said:. . . And then was I poor and laden; I had not thesprout or the split of a date-stone.80

Here Abu Zayd explains to al-H. arith just how difficult life is with hiswife:

�

��

�¯ ú

�æ«

�

�kQ

�Kð ,

�é�K. Q

�ªË @ ú

¯ ú

æ�

�

ñ��JË è

Yë

��Ik.

�ð Q

�K : ÈA

�¯ð

��ñ

¯ ú

æ

�®�Ê¾

��Kð , ù

��®

�m�'

. ú

æ�

�Ê¢�Ü

�ß ,

�é�K.

�Q�®� Ë @

��Q

�« Aî

DÓ

��IJ

�®Ê

¯ ,

�éK.

Q�ªË @

Y�¯ ám�

' Aëð , úm

.�

��ð Qm.

��

�Êgð , ú

�k.

�ð

�ñ

�

� Aî

DÓ A

K A¯ , ú

�¯�

�ñ

�£

,�

�A�¯ñ

�Ë @ A

JJ�K.

�Ñ

¢

�JK @

�àA

¯ , ÕË A

¢Ë@ YK úÎ« H. Qå

�JË , Õ» AmÌ'@ úÍ@

AJJ«A�

��

81. . .

��C¢

�B@ð

��C

�¢ËA

¯ B

�@ ð

75The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 5.76Ayyub, As.wat al-lugha, p. 214.77Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-S. uwariyya (30), p. 260.78The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 30.79Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Raqt.a↩ (26), p. 221.80The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 260.81Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Tabrıziyya (40), p. 345.


Said he: I had married this one, that she might make meforgetful of exile, and cleanse me from the squalor of celibacy;but I met from her with the sweat of [the carrier of] the water-bag, in that she now kept me out of my right, and now pliedme beyond my strength, wherefore I am through her jadedwith foot-soreness, and an ally to cark and choking care, andhere we are on our way to the judge, that he may strike onthe hand of the oppressor. So, if he arrange matters betweenus, let there be concord, but if not, a divorce, a divorce.82

The rhythm created by the repetition of [q] also has a share in giv-ing greater depth to the figure of the old man on whose features life’sdifficulties and worries can clearly be seen:

83. . . �

�Ê¢

��ð �

�Ê

�®�Kð , ��

�ª

�¯@ð �

�ñ

�®�K Y

�¯

�qJ

�� , é

�J�Êë

@ ¡�ðð . . .

And in the midst of its halo, and among its full moons, wasan old man, bowed and with a breast-hunch, and he wore thecup and the cloak. . . 84

The use of repetitive [q] together with a long vowel can be found inal-Maqama al-Raqt.a↩, in which Abu Zayd takes a loan from an evil man.When the time comes to repay his debt, Abu Zayd apologizes to thelender and asks him to wait until things get better:

�l .Ì'

�ð , ú

æ

��

A�®�JË @ ú

¯

�Yg. ÉK. , ú

�¯�AëP@

á«

�¨

�QK Bð , ú

�¯�CÓ@

��

�Y�� ÕË

85. ú

æ

��

A�®Ë @ úÍ@

ø

XAJ�J�¯@ ú

¯

But he believed not my poverty and drew not off from wor-rying me; Nay, he was instant in demanding and obstinatein carrying me to the qad. ı. . . 86

The rhythm created by the repetition of the sound [q] accompaniedby the long vowel [a] evokes the adversity that has befallen Abu Zayd.The [q] sound is repeatedly used together with repeated occurrences ofthe sound [↪] in curses, together with repeated long vowels, especially [a],whereby the utterance is made to last longer to ensure that it reachesthe target of the curse:

82The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 102.83Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Raziyya (21), p. 176.84The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 224.85Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Raqt.a↩ (26), p. 222.86The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 261.


Õº�K A¿ ú

��æk . . . Ä

��®J.�

Ë @�

©Ó� @ �Q�Kð , Ä

�®Ë @

�©ÓCK AK : ÈA

�¯

�à

@ é

JÓ

� Q

®

¯

87. . .

�é��®

��

� B��é�®

��Ó Õ

��æ

®

��Ê�¿

And it escaped him to say, O mirages of the plain, whiteshingle of the hollow! . . . It is as though ye were tasked witha heavy labour, not with a rag. . . 88

In a different context, this repetitive use of the same sounds evokesvainglory and ingratiation when Abu Zayd says to his son, in whosememory and intelligence he puts his faith:

89. . . Ä

�®J. Ë @

��éª

�¯AK. AK

�Ä

�®ª

�¯ AK

��Õ�Îë

Hither, O Qa↪qa↪, O thou bird, cautious as to where thousippest water.90

The rhythm born of the repetition of [q] in the text also evokes state-liness, severity and anger, because it is a powerful sound.

The frequent repetition of strong sounds in the text provides arhythm with various different meanings. Such rhythms take on a clearershape when they are accompanied by repeated long vowels (a, u, ı) inthe text. Al-H. arırı takes care to place such long vowels in his maqamas,even where they are not grammatically necessary, by means of phoneticsubstitution. Thus we find that he substitutes a long [a] for the glottalstop [↩] in the word rasika (“your head,” instead of ra↩sika) and in kasika(“your cup,” instead of ka↩sika), when al-H. arith expresses his wonder atthe contradictory behavior evinced by Abu Zayd, who preaches religionduring the day, but drinks wine at night:

¡��®

��

�Ó

�ð , ½�� A

�K

� @ á«

�½J

��Ê

��

��

�áÓ�

I. j. « @ @ ø

PX

@ AÓ é� ÊË @ð :

�IÊ

�®

¯ . . .

91. ½�A¿ P

�@Y

�Ó

�ð , ½�A

KX

@

�©Ó ½

�J��K. A¢

k áÓ Ð

@ , ½�� @P

Said I: “By Allah, I know not whether to wonder more at thyunconcernedness as to thy kinsfolk and thy birthplace, or atthy preacher-office with thy foul habits, and the rotation ofthy winecup.”92

In this text, we can see the frequent use of the long vowel [a], which inthis case evokes astonishment and perplexity at Abu Zayd’s behaviour.

87Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Fariqiyya (20), p. 174.88The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 222.89Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-H. alabiyya (46), p. 409.90The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 153.91Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Samarqandiyya (28), p. 240.92The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 13.


We also find this substitution in:

��k

@ð , èAg. @Qå� QëX P

@ A

�ÒÊ

¯ , é�Aª

�K áÓ

�I. ë ú

��æk , é�@P Y

J«

��I�Êm.

¯

93. . . I. KQÖÏ @ �Q

®�

�J�K A

�Ò

�» �Q

�®

�K , è A

�g. A

�¯

�á�Üß.�

So I sat beside his head until he awoke from his drowse; thenwhen his lamps were lit (i.e., his eyes opened), and he sawwho had suddenly come upon him, he started back, as startsthe suspicious. . . 94

Here the glottal stop has been replaced by a long vowel in rasihi(“his head,” instead of ra↩sihi) and in fajahu (“surprised him,” insteadof faja↩ahu). This increases the frequency of the long vowel [a] in thetext, which in turn evokes the surprise and fear that Abu Zayd felt uponseeing the man in the desert, before he realized that it was al-H. arith.This sense is deepened with the use of the sound [h].

The long vowels, it should be noted, occur with greater frequency incontexts in which the speaker needs to express his own feelings of sadness,or vainglory, or provocation, or rebuke or grief, as well as supplicationto God, preaching and counsel. The long vowels fit in with the song ofthe soul, its loves, joys and pains, because of their broad articulation.

The “lightest” of the long vowels is [a], which is oft repeated in thewords of the woman who boasts of her people before a group of poets:

, ÈA�Ó�B@

�È

�A�Ó A

�K @ñ

�Ò

�Ê�«@ ,

¬P

�A�ª

�Ó

�á�º

�K

�Õ�Ë

�à@

�ð ,

¬P

�A�ª�ÜÏ @

�éÊË @ A

�Jk :

�IËA

�¯

95. . . É

K� A

��®

�ªË@

�H�

A��KQ

�å��ð , É

K� A

�J.

��®Ë @

�H�

@�ð �Qå

�� áÓ ú

G @ �

, ÉÓ� @P B@ ÈA �Ü

�ß�

�ð

. . . she said: God save the faces present, though they are notof my acquaintance! — Know, O ye who are the refuge ofthe hoping, the stay of the widowed, that I am of the Princesof the tribes, the ladies that are kept jealously. . . 96

The repetitive use of [a] has created a rhythm that provides theproper vocal lengthening for expressing the request for help.

The frequent repetition of the long vowel [a] reveals what is in themind of a man whose feelings of grief and remorse cause him to repentfor the sins he has committed:

��

QË

�é�K.

�A¾Ë@ ø

XAK. A

K @ Aëð , Z @

��QªË @

�é�ÊJ

��ÊË @ ú

¯ ZAîD

.

��Ë@

�©KQå�

��IK. ð . . .

93Maqamat al H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Bakriyya (43), p. 370.94The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 121.95Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Baghdadiyya (13), p. 112.96The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 177.


��

�®

K áÓ

��A®

��B

@

�YKY

�� ,

�éÓ@Y�ÜÏ @ É

��ñË

�é�Ó@Y

JË @ ú

×A

K ,

�éK. A

KB

@

97.

¬C

��Ë@

��I. « ú

¯

¬@Qå�B

AK.

�¬Q�

�ªÓ ,�

�A�JJÖÏ @

. . . and allowed myself to be thrown prostrate by the brightwine during the sacred night. Therefore behold me contritefor my abandoning the way of return to God, and exceedinglypenitent for my indulgence in constant drink, greatly in fearfrom the breach of my convenant and openly confessing myexcess in quaffing the fermenting must.98

The long vowel [a] is also repeated in invocations, in order to extendthe time of the utterance, as in:

99. . . Õ» A

�®

��K ø

�ñ

�¯ð , Õ

�» A

�¯ðð

�é�ÊË @ Õ» A«P

�èQå�J. Ë @ Éë

@ AK

. . . O ye people of Bas.ra! May Allah keep and guard you,and strengthen your piety. . . 100

In al-Maqama al-Dınariyya, Abu Zayd begs the people for alms asfollows:

,�AgAJ.¢�@ @ñ

�Òª�

K @ð

�AgAJ.� @ñ

�Ô« , Q

KA

��ªË@ �Q

KA

��. ð ,Q

K� A

g

�YË@ �QKA

g

@ AK

, øQ��¯ð PA

�®

�«ð , @Yg. ð

�è�

�Yg. ð , ø

�Y

Kð

��ø

YK @

X

�àA¿ áÓ úÍ@

@ðQ

¢

� @ð

P�Qå

��ð , H. ðQ

�ºË@ H.

�ðQkð , H. ñ

�¢

�mÌ'@

�H. ñ

�¢

��¯ éK. È@ P AÔ

¯ , øQ

�� ð PA

�®

�Óð

101. . . Xñ

��Ë@ H.�

�ñ

��JË @

�H. AJ

��K @ð , Xñ�mÌ'@

��Qå��

. . . O ye best of treasures, joys of your kindred: Health toyou this morning; may ye enjoy your morning draught. Lookon one who was erewhile master of guest-room and largess,wealth and bounty, land and villages, dishes and feasting.But the frowning of calamities ceased not from him, and thewarrings of sorrows, and the fire-flakes of the malice of theenvious, and the succession of dark befallings. . . 102

Here we see how the repetitive use of [a] creates a connection thatevokes a life of relaxation and comfort. This is followed by the repetitiveuse of the sound [u], which creates a rhythm that evokes a life of difficultyand poverty.

97Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-H. aramiyya (48), p. 428.98The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, pp. 166–167.99Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Bas.riyya (50), p. 443.

100The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 176.101Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Dınariyya (3), p. 29.102The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 118.


In al-Maqama al-Shatawiyya, the sounds [w] and [r] are used to evokethe great opulence seen in the house of a rich man:

, Pñ�Ü�ß

�è

�Y

KBðð , Pñ

�®�K è �PA

��«

@ð ,Pñ

�m�

�'

�è �PA

��«

�I�

�K. úÍ@

ú

GXA

�J�¯@ð

103. . . Pð

�Y

�K è

�Y

K @ñÓð

. . . and led me into a house whose camels roared, whosecauldrons boiled, whose slave-girls carried provisions, whosetrays went round . . . 104

The sound [f] is used repetitively in contexts of differentiation andpreference, as well as the enumeration of qualities, creating an atmo-sphere of continuous rhythm:

, H.�QË @

�I.

�

ª

�K

�Pñ�

�

��Ë @

�à

@

�I�

ÒÊ« AÓ @ ½m�'

ð : úæ

�A

�®Ë @ AêË ÈA

�®

¯ . . .

PAm.Ì'@

�Y

g

AKð ,P@

�YË@

�Ê

g �PðYK

�á��ÒÓ

�é�K @

:�

IËA�®

¯ !? H.

�Qå�Ë@

�I. k.�

ñKð

��

IJk�pQ

�

�®�J

��

��ð , pA

�J.

��Ë@ ú

¯ P

��Y

�J.

��K @ , ½Ë

�A�J.�K : ú

æ

��

A�®Ë @

�éË

�ÈA

�®

¯ .PAm.

Ì'AK.

ñ�K.

@

�ÈA

�®

¯ ,

�½

�¯

�ñ

�k

�áÓ�

@ Bð ,

�½

�¯

�ñ«

�Ñª�

�K B ú

�æ«

�H. Q

«@ ,? p@Q

¯ @

B

�á�Ó

�ð ñë ÉK. :

�IËA

�®

¯ . hA

�m.�� áÓ

�H.

�Y»

B , hAKQË @ É

��

�Q�Ó

�ð Aî

��E @

: YKP

��Q

�j

�Ó

�á�g�é�ÓA �Ü

��ß ú

G.�

@ áÓ

�H.

Y»

B ,

�éÓAª

JË @

�i

�Jk. ð ,

�éÓAÒmÌ'@

��

�ñ£

105. . .

@ñ

��

�Ë@ Q�¯ P YK

P ñK.

@ �Q

�¯ Q

¯ ,

�é�ÓA

�Ò

�JËAK.

. . . Then the qad. ı said to him: “Out upon thee, sowestthou in the salt-marshes, and lookest out for chicks, whereno chicks are to be got? May it never go well with thee, norbe thou safe from terror.” Said Abu Zayd: “Lo by Him, whosends down the winds, she is more of a liar than Sajah. i.”Said she: “Nay! by Him, who has adorned the neck of thedove with a ring, and given wings to the ostrich, he is aworse liar than Abu S. amamah, when he forged falsehoods inTamamah.” Thereupon Abu Zayd hissed with the hiss of theflaring fire. . . 106

This repetition evokes the unstopping movements and sounds in ahouse that resounds with life.

103Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Shatawiyya (44), p. 384.104The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 133.105Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Tabrıziyya (40), p. 346.106The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 103.


Another type of rhythm that occurs frequently in al-H. arırı’s Maqa-mas is realized through the use of rhymed prose (saj ↪), which makesit possible to achieve a succession of rhythms of different forms andwith different meanings. The rhythm of rhymed poetry appears overtlyin forms that create embellishment, “in cases in which one of the twoassociated words or phrases possesses a similar derivational pattern andrhyme scheme as the other,”107 as in the following utterance by al-H. arithb. Hammam:

X�AK úÍ@

,

¬A¢Ë

B@

��ém�

�'A

¯ ú

æ

�K

�Yëð ,

¬A¢ÖÏ @

��éÖ

�ßA

g ú

æ�K�X @ ú

��æk . . .

108. . . I. JkP

. . . Until the close of my circuit brought me, and the overtureof courtesy guided me, to a wide place of concourse. . . 109

And in another passage:

Q�k. @ð QK.

�ÄÖÞ�

B@

�¨Q

�®Kð , é

¢�

®Ë Q

�ë@ñm.

�'.

�Äm.

�� B@

�©J.¢� ñëð . . .

110. é

¢� «ð

. . . And he was studding cadences with the jewels of his word-ing, and striking hearings with the reproofs of his admoni-tion. . . 111

and:

I. KA

�j. « áÓ

�éJ. Jj. « ð

� @ , ¼P

�A�ÖÞ�

� @ I.

K @ �Q

« áÓ

�éJ. KQ

ªK. A

JQ£

� @

�é�Ë

��IÊ

��¯

112. ¼PA

�®�

� @

. . . I said to him, “Present us with one of the rare stories fromthy night talkings, or some wonder from among the wondersof thy journeys.”113

The rhythm may be based on two sounds, which are maintained inorder to create the rhymed prose. This rhythm brings about an acousticharmony, as in the following utterance by Abu Zayd:

107Rabı↪, ↪Ulum al-balagha al-↪arabiyya, p. 173.108Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-S. an↪aniyya (1), p. 16.109The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 108.110Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-S. an↪aniyya (1), p. 17.111The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 109.112Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Kufiyya (5), p. 45.113The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 129.


Q�� AÔ

¯ ,

��@Pð

B@

àñ¢�. AëðY

�Ê

gð ,

��A

®��KB@ I.

KAj. « ú

¯ Aëñ

�J�.

�K @ ÈA

�®

¯

114.

��A

¯�B@ ú

¯ AêÊ

�JÓ

. . . He said, “Record it among the wonders of chance; bid itabide forever in the hearts of scrolls; for nothing like it hasbeen told abroad in the world.115

The rhymed prose may also be based on three sounds, as in thefollowing passage, in which a man says to Abu Zayd:

áÓ�

IJ»

�à@

�éK

�AK.

�H

A¯ ,

á��®JËAK. ½

®

��ð á«

�I

�«Y�

�I

J»

àA

�

¯

116. . .

á��¯XA

��Ë@

. . . Now, if thou hast disclosed thy character with accuracy,Come with a Sign, if thou be of the truthful. . . 117

Rhymed prose, as we noted above, forms a balance between theclauses that are connected by the rhyme and creates the equal temporaldimensions on which the rhythm arises. Al-H. arırı uses the technique ofrhymed prose in all his Maqamas, so that his rhythms can be anticipated.

In a number of poems, al-H. arırı uses a division into hemistiches:“The term tas. rı↪ (“hemistich”) is taken from the two shutters (mis.ra↪)of a door; it involves having the last foot of the first hemistich rhymewith the last foot of the second hemistich.”118 Division into hemistichesis one aspect of the rhyme scheme in poetry. Here are a number of versesin which al-H. arırı uses this technique:

�é

��K �Q

®

��

��I Ó@Q

�K

��A

¯�@

�H. @

�ñ k.

�é��KQ

®

��

��I

�¯@P �Q

®�

@ é� K.

�ÐQ»

@

�é

��K�Qå��

@ ú

æ

ª� Ë @ �Qå��

��I «Xð

� @ Y

�¯

�é

��K �Q îD

��ð

�é

�J ª ÖÞ

��

èPñ�K A Ó

119é

�K�Q

�« ÐA

K B@ úÍ@

�

I��.

�J.

�kð

�é��K �Q¢

k ú

«A� �ÜÏ @

�im.

��'

��I

KPA

�¯ð

How noble is that yellow one, whose yellowness is pure,

Which traverses the regions, and whose journeying is afar.

Told abroad are its fame and repute:

Its lines are set as the secret sign of wealth;

Its march is coupled with the success of endeavors;

Its bright look is loved by mankind. . . 120

114Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Kufiyya (5), p. 47.115The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 131.116Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Maraghiyya (6), p. 55.117The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 136.118Rabı↪, ↪Ulum al-balagha al-↪arabiyya, p. 174.119Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Dınariyya (3), p. 31.120The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 119.


The division into hemistiches in these verses enhances their musicalrhythm, since the poem already possesses a basic rhyme and meter.

Another type of literary rhythm is created by the repetition of a cer-tain type of sound in the linguistic games for which al-H. arırı’s Maqamasare famous. Thus, for example, in al-Maqama al-Maghariyya, there is apassage in which one word with diacritics is followed by another without:

�á®k.

�Që�YË@

��

«

�Ð

ñÊË @ð , áK

Q�

�K

�¼X� ñ

�ª

��

��k. é

��<Ë @

�I

��.�K

�Ð �Q

�ºË@

121. . .

á��

�� ¼X� ñ�

��

k

. . . Generosity (may God establish the host of thy successes)adorns; but meanness (may fortune cast down the eyelid ofthy enviers) dishonors;. . . 122

In this passage, the reader expects the rhythm, as the letter proceedsaccording to a specific plan. We made a statistical study of this textto find how often each letter appears in it, and found that the mostcommon letter with a diacritic was [b], while the most common oneswithout diacritics were [a] and [w or u].

In one passage of al-Maqama al-Raqt.a↩, each letter with a diacritic isfollowed by one without:

123. . .

�Ê��K

�é�K

A�K�ð ,

�m�

��'

�é�K. Q

�¯ð ,

�I. Ê

�K é

�K�

�ñ

��®

�ªK.�

�ð ,

�I. m�

�' A

KY

�J�

��C

g

@

. . . The qualities of our Lord are loved, and at his courtyardthere is abiding, And nearness to him is as gifts, and farnessfrom him as destruction. . . 124

In al-Maqama al-Samarqandiyya, there is a long passage which con-tains not a single letter with a diacritic:

�ñ«YÖÏ @ , ZA¢ªË@ ©�@ñË@ , ZB

�B@ XñÒjÖÏ @ , ZAÖÞ�

B@ hðYÒÖÏ @ é

�ÊË YÒmÌ'@

125. È

�B@ð ÈAÖÏ @

�éÓPA�Óð . . . Z @ð

CË@ Õæ�mÌ

. . . Praise be to Allah, the exalted of names, the praised forHis bounties, the abundant in gifts, the called upon for therescinding of calamity. . . and the cutting off from pelf andkin126

121Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Maraghiyya (6), p. 56.122The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 136.123Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Raqt.a↩ (26), p. 222.124The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 236.125Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Samarqandiyya (28), p. 236.126The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 9–10.


The most oft-repeated of these letters are those representing thesounds [a] and [l]. In al-Maqama al-Wasit.iyya, there is another sermonwith no diacritics:

��É¿ È

�AÓð , Xñ

�ËñÓ

��É¿ P

�

�ñ�Ó , Xð

�X

�ñË@ ½� ËAÖÏ @ , X� ñÒjÖÏ @ ½� ÊÖÏ @ é� ÊË

�YÒmÌ'@

127. AëPY�Óð PñÓB@ XPñÓð . . . Xð �Q

�¢

�Ó

. . . Praise be to Allah the king glorified with praise, thebeloved Lord, the fashioner of every born one, the refugeof every outcast. . . who initiates affairs and bring them toan issue.128

Here, too, the most common letters were those representing [a] and[l].

Al-Maqama al-H. alabiyya contains five different poetic games, suchas verses with no diacritics, as in:

129hAÒ

��Ë@ X �Pð

�ÉÓ

�B@ XP

�ð

@ð hC � Ë@

�Y g ¼XA

�� mÌ XY� «

@

Make ready for thy enviers’ weapons sharp, but kindly deal

with him who sets hope in thee. . . 130

Our count revealed that here, too, the most commonly occurringletters without diacritics in these verses were [a] followed by [l].

Note also the rhythm of the letters with diacritics in the verses whichuse only letters with diacritics:

131ú

�æ m.

��' �

I.«�

�á��

® K

�á j.�J K. ú

�æ m.

��' ú

æ

�J

�

�J m.

¯ ú

æ

�J

�

�J

¯

Fair Tajannı has maddened me and bewitched me with her

thousands of wily tricks and beguilements.132

The count showed that the most frequently occurring letter withdiacritic in these verses was [y]. Note also the rhythm created by theletters in the mixed verses, consisting of a word made up of letters withdiacritics followed by a word made up of letters without, as in:

133

�J

��

�� C Ó

�@

�I.

m�

��' Bð

�áKP h

�A Ò

�� Ë@

��

I J.¯ iÖÞ� @

127Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Wasit.iyya (29), p. 247.128The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 19.129Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-H. alabiyya (46), pp. 402–403.130The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 148.131Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-H. alabiyya (46), pp. 403–404.132The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 149.133Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama Al-H. alabiyya (46), pp. 404–405.


Be bountiful, bounty is a jewel,

and disappoint none who hopes for shelter.134

The succession of words with and without diacritics creates a se-quential rhythm. Our count showed that the most frequently occurringletters without diacritics in these verses were [a] and [l], while the mostcommonly occurring letters with diacritics were [y] and [f].

These rhythm and musical tone are not absent from the “twin verses”either. These are verses consisting of pairs of words, in which the shapeof the letter is identical (disregarding the diacritical marks), as in:

135.��Y

�î�E

�Y

�î�E

�èC

�K

�ð

�èC

��Kð

��Y

��®

�K

��Y

�® K.

�I.

� K

P�

I�

�K

�P

Zaynab’s stature, erect and lithe,

kills beholders, and a bane is her rounded bosom to lovers.136

The same goes for verses whose two ends are identical or similar:�é

�Ò��

�ÖÞ�� ñËð ù¢«

@

�á �ÜÏ �Q�º

��@ð A ë �PA

�K�@

�á�

��m�

�'

��é

�ÖÞ��

�Õæ��

137 �é Ó �Qº �ÜÏ @ð

�X

�X

� ñ�Ë@ ú

æ

��J

��®

�J Ë é�

�K A�K B

��Iª¢

�J�@ AÒêÓ �QºÖÏ @ð

Make thee a mark, whose traces show fair to sight, givethanks

for gifts, though trifling as sesame-seed,

And shun deceitfulness with all might and main, that thoumayst

gain thee lordship and weight with men. . . 138

There are also verses in which only a single letter is persistentlyrepeated, and they, too, create a rhythm. There are verses in which thepersistent letter is [s],139 others in which it is [s.],

140 and yet others inwhich it is [z.].

141

134The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 150.135Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-H. alabiyya (46), pp. 405–406.136The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 150.137Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-H. alabiyya (46), pp. 406–407.138The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 151.139Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-H. alabiyya (46), p. 407.140Ibid., p. 408.141Ibid.


Rhythm based on jinas

Jinas is a literary technique of using two or more analogous sounds orforms, with or without additions or changes in order or vowels, or asimilar form that is synonymous with another in a verse.142 In otherwords, it is the use of two utterances that have a point of similaritydespite a difference in meaning.143

Such repetitions have a dual effect, on the meaning of the word andon the utterance’s sound. There is no doubt that al-H. arırı was muchenamored with jinas, but refrained from utterances that make it difficultfor the reader; rather, he chose expressions that caused one to think ofthe meaning. The two similar utterances could appear in different places;thus, for example, one of them could appear at the end of one sentencewhile the second appeared at the end of another sentence. It may wellbe that the fact that al-H. arırı uses rhymed prose in his Maqamas was afactor in his decision to make use of this device in order to bring rhythminto his text.

When this device is used at the end of a construction, it is usuallyintended as a means for completing or supplementing the meaning. Oneexample is that of the shaykh who comes before the judge and accuseshis student of having stolen his hair:

144. ék�

�Qå�� ú

��æ

�Ê��K ú

�Î

�« �PA

�«

� @�ð , ék�

�Qå��

�É

�ÖÞ

�� Q

��K.

�à

� @ ø

�ñ��

��

H�Y

�g

� @ A

�Ó

He did nought less than dock the completeness of its exposi-tion, and make foray on two thirds of its flock.145

Another example is that of the creditor who threatens Abu Zayd asfollows:

�½Ë�A

��

�Ó ø �Q

��K A

�Ó ½

��®k

�ñ

�¯ , PA

��

JË @

àAj.

�Jk@ð , PA

¢

�B �

@ ú

¯ ©Ò¢

�� B : ÈA

�¯

146. �C

m�Ì'@

�½

K� A

�J.

�� ú

æ�KQ

�

��K

�ð

� @ , �C

�mÌ'@

He said, “set not thy desire on being waited for while thouholdest fast the bright gold, For by the existence thou seestnot the paths of deliverance ere thou show me the meltingsof the pure ore.”147

142Al-S. afadı, S. alah. al-Dın, Jinas al-jinas, pp. 19–20.143Al-↪Alawı, al-T. araz, vol. 3, p. 351.144Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Shi↪riyya, (23), p. 192.145The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 236.146Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Raqt.a↩, (26), p. 222.147The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 261.


Here the way to save oneself is compared to obtaining gold ingots.Yet another example is provided by Abu Zayd when he counsels thosewho go on pilgrimage to Mecca not only to purify their outer self butalso their inner being:

Yª�� Bð ,Q��®��JËAK. ½

��Ò

��JË @

�à �P

�X , Q��

��®

��JË @ ú

¯�

�½

��

��JË @

��kQK Bð

,

�J�mÌ'@ ú

¯�

I.

�« �Q

�K

�á�Ó ,

J

mÌ'AK.�

ñ�»

�Q�K B

�ð ,

�éQªÖÏ @ Éë

@ Q�

« ,

�é

QªK.

¨@

�P�á

�Ó ,

�é

��j.

�mÌ'@ Èñ

�J.

��®K.�

ù�

¢�m�

�' B

�ð , ÐA

�®

�J�@ áÓ B@

ÐA

�®ÖÏ @ YîD

�� Bð

148. . . A

�®

��Ë@ ú

�Í@

�èA

�ª

��

�Ó

�É

�J.

��¯ , A

�®

�� '@ �Q

�Ó@

�éÊË @

�Ñk�

�Q�¯ ,

�é

��j.

�j�ÜÏ @ á

�«

. . . rubs not off dirt of persistency in shortcomings. Noneprospers [by visiting mount] ↪Arafat, but he who is endowedwith wisdom, nor is any blessed [hallowed] by al-Khayf,149

who is addicted to injustice. None witnesses the standingplace [of Abraham] but he who stand upright, and he rejoicesnot in the acceptance of his pilgrimage who swerves from theright path. So have Allah mercy upon the man who is sincere[pure] before his running to [mount] S. afa. . . 150

A further example is what the old woman said to the youth:

151. ÉJÖ�

Ï @Y

�g

�ð �Õ

�®

¯ , ÉJÓ

@

��mÌ'@ á«

��I�Ëð

Nor do I swerve from justice, so come and take the pencil.152

In the latter case, the role of the second occurrence (ÉJÒË@) is restrictedto adding rhythm for completing the meaning.

The rhythm of this form may indicate comprehension and completion,as in the following utterance by Abu Zayd when he counsels his son:

148Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Ramliyya (31), p. 266.149Al-Khayf Mosque is located at the foot of a mountain in the south of Mina,

close to the smallest Jamarat. It was at this spot that the Prophet (pbuh) andnumerous other prophets before him performed s.alat. Masjid al-Khayf is a mosquewhose virtues are proven in some h. adıth. According to a traceable h. adıth of Ibn↪Abbas, the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Seventy prophets prayed in Masjid al-Khayf.”(Majma↪ al-zawahid).150The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, pp. 33–34.151Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Ma↪arriyya, (8), p. 73.152The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 149.


153.

�

�ñ

�k

�É

�¿ ú

¯�

¼�

ñ�Ë�X

��Ë

� @�ð ,

�

�ð �P

�É

�¿

�©j.�

��J�K @

�ð

Forage over every pasture ground and sink thy bucket intoevery fountain.154

The similarity in sound between the two words �ñ k and

�ðP

signifies that a living may be sought anywhere. The similarity also pointsto the parallelism between the two parts of the paronomasia. Mostexamples of the use of this form have to do with a comparison of thematerial with the spiritual, for example the following words of praise forthe ruler by Abu Zayd:

155.

�A

�« éJ.�

�Ê��¯

�l�

�� ð ,

�A

�¯ é

�K

�Y

�K

�É

K� A

�K�ð

The gift of his hand flows freely, while avarice from his heartsinks away.156

The similarity between the two antonyms ( �A

« and

�A¯) serves

to indicate generosity and the removal of hatred from the governor’sheart. In the case of the following utterance by al-H. arith, the phonetic

similarity between èQ�.�� and èQ�.�

� points to a contrast between a materialfeature, beauty, and a spiritual one, the teacher:

157. è

�Q��.

��ð è

�Q��.

�g ù

�®K. ð , è

�Q��.��

�ð è

�Q��.g�

�I.

�ë

�X

�Y

�¯

�q

�J

��

� A�J�J

�Ê�« É

gX

An old man intruded upon us, whose bloom of complexionand beauty of form had gone, while knowledge and experienceremained with him.158

In most cases, al-H. arırı uses jinas in the names of countries visitedby Abu Zayd and in the deeds which he performed in those places, with

153 Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Sasaniyya, (49), p. 436.154The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 172.155Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Raqt.a↩, (26), p. 223.156The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 262.157Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Malt.iyya (36), p. 312.158The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 76.


no specific added meaning beyond the creation of phonetic rhythm, as,for example, in al-H. arith’s utterance:

159. H. Q

�

�ª�ÜÏ @ Y� g.�

A�

��Ó

��

�ª

�K. ú

¯�

H.�Q�

�ª�ÜÏ @

��èC

��

��H

�Yî

�D��

I was present at the prayer of sunset in one of the mosquesof the west160

and in the following sentence which Abu Zayd says to al-H. arith:

161. �ñ

��Ë@ ú

�Í@ �

ú

æ�J.

�j

��

��

�ð

� @ , �ñ

��. Ë @

�H.

�Q�

k�½Ó� @ �Q

�Ó

�àðX : ÈA

�®

¯

He said:“The war of al-Basus was a less thing than what thoudesirest, unless, indeed, thou wilt accompany me to Sus.”162

In this case, the jinas shows the speaker’s opinion of the countrywhich he is visiting. Similarly, al-H. arith says:

163. ¡�� @

�ð

�� P

@

�©j.�

��J�K @

�à

� @ ú

�Î

�« , ¡�� A

��¯ Q

�

�ë

�X Õ

�º

�k ú

G�

� A�m.

�Ì'

� @

The decree of waning fortune drove me to the country ofWasit..

164

Most cases of jinas tamm (complete agreement of terms) are of thisform, which helps create rhythm. Al-H. arırı uses it to draw the read-ers’ attention and cause them to search for the various meanings of the

similarly-sounding words, as, for example, his repetition of the word�

I�

��YË@, in its various meanings,165 in the following dialogue between the

judge and al-H. arith:

159Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Wasit.iyya (16), p. 137.160The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 194.161 Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Raqt.a↩ (26), p. 223.162The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 260.163 Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Wasit.iyya (29), p. 242.164The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 15.165See Lane, Lexicon, “d-s-t,” s.v.: “. . . A place, or seat, of honour. . . A game. . . A

suit, or complete set, of clothes. . . ”


ø

Y�

��Ë @

�ð B :

��IÊ

�®

¯ ?

�I

��

�YË@

�è �PA

�«

� @ ø

Y�

��Ë @

��I

��

�Ë

� @ , éÊË @

�½

��KY

��

� : ÈA

�¯ Õç

�'

�Õç��' ø

Y�

��Ë @

��I

�K

� @

�É

�K. ,

�I�

�YË@ ½Ë

�X I.�

k� A�

��.�A�K

� @ A

�Ó

�I

��

�YË@ @

�Y

�ë

�½

�Ê

�g

� @

166.

�I�

�YË@ é�

�J

�Ê�«

Then he said, “I conjure thee by God, art thou not he wholent him the suit? (dast)” I said, “No, by Him who has setthee on that cushion, (dast) I am not the owner of the suit,(dast) but thou art he against whom the game (dast) hasgone.”167

Occasionally, two similar forms are separated by the conjunction waor aw.

The rhythm of such two similar forms indicates completeness, whilethe conjunction wa separates two antonyms, as in the following utter-ances by al-H. arith:

168. . .

à@

�P�ð

�àA

��

� A�Ó

�HQ

��.

g

�ð . . .

�É

��¯

�ð

�É

�g.

á�Ó

�É

�¿

��

IkAK.

@

I discussed with every one, great and small. . . and provedwhat was worthless or fine. . . 169

170. Ñê

�£�

�ñ

K

�áÓ�

��è�

ñ�

j.

�JË @

�ð

��è�

ñ�

j.�ªË @ @ð

�Q��K

And scattered fruit, good and bad, from their store.171

In this case, the conjunction wa connects two antonyms, as an indi-cation of completeness of the utterance, in which the good and the badare intertwined. The rhythm of this form is evoked by the use of theconjunction fa and others like it, for example in the following disdainfulutterance:

172.

�É

�¯

�ð �Õ

��®

�¯

��I

� �

��

�à@

�

�ð ,

�É

�¾

�¯

�à

�X@ : ú

Í ÈA

�¯ �Õç

�'

And he said to me, “Come and eat; or, if thou wilt rise andtell.”173

The two similar elements here appear in sequence without anythingcoming between them, making the musical rhythm appear very clearly.One of the elements here is the conditional verb and the other is the verbof the result clause. Similarly we find Abu Zayd exclaiming defiantly:

I. îD� @

à@

�ð ,Q

��.g

Q��.« @

X @ �ð , úæ

��ð A

��

� @ @

X @

áÓà

�B@

¬Q«

� B ú

�G @ ð

166Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Shi↪riyya (23), p. 201.167The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 242.168 Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-H. ulwaniyya (2), p. 22.169The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 113.170 Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Maraghiyya (6), p. 51.171The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 134.172 Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-S. an↪aniyya (1), p. 21.173The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 112.174Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Maraghiyya (6), p. 52.


174. ¨Q

k ¨Q�

�

g@ ú�æÓð , è

�Y

�� è

�Y

�K.

à@

ð , Qj. «

@ Qk. ð

@ @

X @ �ð , I. ë

X @

Now truly know I one who when he composes colours richly;and when he expresses, embellishes; and when he is lengthy,finds golden thoughts; and when he is brief, baffles his imita-tor; and when he improvises, astonishes; and when he creates,cuts the envious.175

and when giving advice to his son:

176. ÈA

K ÈAg.

áÓð , I. Êg. I. Ê£ áÓ

He gets, who begs, he who roves, makes sure of his loaves.177

The use of jinas in al-H. arırı’s Maqamas thus plays a dual role, bybringing together the esthetics of musical rhythm and the depth of mean-ing. In other words, jinas in many cases goes beyond the merely phoneticand takes on a semantic role in the context in which it appears, as if ex-pressing the proximity between the meanings of the two elements, whichmay in fact truly share a meaning, or only belong to the same type. Jinasmay also express a parallelism between two meanings that are opposedto each other. However, this does not invalidate the fact that in manycases the effect of jinas is restricted to the aesthetic aspect, especiallyin cases where the similar elements occur at the end of the construction,where it is used in a purely formal fashion in order to make the textconform to the proper shape of the rhymed verse.

Conclusion

In this study, we have shown how the repetitive use of the same letterscan affect the text’s rhythm. We surveyed the various forms which thisrhythm can take, using numerous examples of repetition in a single text.In many cases, we saw that an acoustic rhythm reflects a character’sstate of mind, or feelings and emotions, such as fear, grief, anger, confu-sion, worry and calm; or social characteristics, such as life’s harshness,poverty, wealth, social relations and more. Al-H. arırı succeeded in givingexpression to all these by using acoustic tones that are repeated in thetext. These give his writings a unique character and have an effect onthe crystallization of meaning.

175The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 1, p. 134.176Maqamat al-H. arırı, al-Maqama al-Sasaniyya (49), p. 436.177The Assemblies of al-H. arırı, vol. 2, p. 172.


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