Arabian Satire

Satirical verse on society and its hypocrisiesA master of satire known for his ribald humor, self-deprecation, and invective verse (hijA E ), the poet a mA dA n al-ShwA E ir was an acerbic critic of his society and its morals. Living in the Najd region of the Arabian Peninsula, a mA dA n wrote in an idiom widely referred to as "e;Nabaa A ,"e; here a mix of NajdA vernacular and archaic vocabulary and images dating to the origins of Arabic poetry. In Arabian Satire, a mA dA n is mostly concerned with worldly matters and addresses these in different guises: as the patriarch at the helm of the family boat and its unruly crew; as a picaresque anti-hero who revels in taking potshots at the established order, its hypocrisy, and its failings; as a peasant who labors over his palm trees, often to no avail and with no guarantee of success; and as a poet recording in verse how he thinks things ought to be.The poems in Arabian Satire reveal a plucky, headstrong, yet intensely socially committed figure-representative of the traditional NajdA ethos-who infuses his verse with proverbs, maxims, and words of wisdom expressed plainly and conversationally. a mA dA n is widely quoted by historians of the Gulf region and in anthologies of popular sayings. This is the first full translation of this remarkable poet.An English-only edition.