Night & Horses & the Desert: An Anthology of Classical Arabic

Night & Horses & the Desert: An Anthology of Classical Arabic Literature

Spanning the fifth to sixteenth centuries and societies that range from Afghanistan to Spain, this anthology is a testament to the astonishing grandeur and variety of classical Arabic literature. Here are excerpts from dozens of worksâ€“both renowned (The Qurâ€™an, The Thousand and One Nights) and esoteric (Ibn Washshiyyaâ€™s â€œBook of Poisonsâ€; a 10th-century poem in praise of asparagus)â€“all accompanied by Robert Irwinâ€™s erudite commentaries that illuminate readers on the vanished world in which they were written.

In Night & Horses & the Desert we encounter the dashing Byronic poetry of Imruâ€™ al-Qays and a treatise on bibliomania by Al-Jahiz, possibly the only writer to have been killed by books. Thereâ€™s a sorcererâ€™s manual from 11th century Spain and an allegory by the mysterious â€œBrethren of Purity,â€ in which animals argue their case against humanity. Encompassing piety and profanity, fables and philosophy, this volume is a thrilling and invaluabe introduction to one of the worldâ€™s great bodies of literature.
Country USA
Manufacturer Anchor
Binding Paperback
ReleaseDate 2002-01-08
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780385721554

Night & Horses & the Desert: An Anthology of Classical Arabic Literature