User:Ff2maa/sandbox

Pre-Islamic literature, or Jahili literature (الأدب الجاهلي / ALA-LC: al-Adab al-Jāhilī), describes Arabic literature, both poetry and prose, composed before the advent of Islam in the 7th century.

Works often shared stylistic and structural characteristics exclusive to the Jahili period. Notably, poems of the era are characterized by strong vocabulary and short ideas with loosely connected verses due to a focus on the eloquence of each verse than rather than of the poem as whole. The qasida was the dominant poetic structure of the form of the time, containing a number of conventional elements. Prose would usually fall under one of three forms: parables (المَثَل / al-mathal), speeches (الخطابة / al-khitaba), and stories (القِصَص / al-qisas).

The works of this period were mainly transmitted orally, and were only transcribed by anthologists beginning in the mid-8th century, and thus their authenticity cannot be fully verified.

History
The Mu'allaqat were first translated into English by William Jones in 1783, and became a frequent subject of translation for many subsequent scholars. However, these efforts were generally criticized for their failure to capture the wildness and vigour of the works. The two most significant and acclaimed English translations of the Mu'allaqat are that of Wilfred Scawen Blunt alongside his wife Anne Blunt, as well as that of Arthur John Arberry.

Poetry
Pre-Islamic poetry was at least partially mnemonic in nature. The poetic devices employed exist in order to assure the stability of the text as well as the preservation of the underlying message due to the society not yet preserving messages in writing.

Structure
The qasida was the dominant poetic structure of the form of the time, characterized by its metered monorhyme, two-part vertical parallel structure, and typical length of fifteen to eighty lines. The poem was organized in three thematic units. Firstly, the nasib served as a prelude to the main body of the poem. The nasib typically revolved around one or more of three motifs: "al-Wuquf ʻala al-atlal" (الوقوف على الأطلال / "standing by the ruins") serving as an ubi sant, "za'n" (ظعن / "departure") describing the departure of the women of the tribe, and "Ṭayf al-Khayyal" (طيف الخيال / "the imaginary phantom") referring to visions of a loved one who departed or passed. Following the nasib is the rahil, wherein the poet described their journey through the desert. The final thematic unit varied, including fakhr, where the poet praises himself and his tribe, which may include detailing of hunting, feasting, combat, tribal wealth, authority, and generosity; madeeh, where the poet praises the ruler; or hija', which was satirical or invective.

Style
Pre-Islamic poetry took on a much more verse-centric form than poetry of subsequent eras. The eloquence and diction of individual verses was generally favored over the overall poem, resulting in a common trend of rich vocabulary and loosely connected shorter verses. Poems also tended to be non-narrative, as the different thematic units described were entirely unrelated and lacked a unifying plot.

Prose
Any compositions which did not follow the characteristic rhyme and meter of poetry of the era can be classified as pre-Islamic prose. It was not uncommon for prose to rhyme, a format known as saj'. Prose would usually fall under one of three forms: parables (المَثَل / al-mathal), speeches (الخطابة / al-khitaba), and stories (القِصَص / al-qisas).