ABU DHABI - The National Library of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) announced the publication of two new books, one on Andalusian poetry, the other on Arabic linguistics.
The first book, entitled 'Ibn Farkoun Al Andalusi: The Poet of Granada', was written by the researcher Qassem Al Qahtani. The second book, 'The Shine in Explanations of Abi Al Fatah Othman bin Jenni', is presented by Mahmoud bin Mohamed Al Mawsili, who also provides commentary. It was originally written by Al Shareef Omar bin Ibrahim Al Zaydi Al Hasani Al Kufi (422-593 in the Islamic Hijri calendar).
'The Poet of Granada', which consists of 300 medium sized pages divided into 3 chapters, presents features of the life of Ibn Farkoun Al Andalusi in Granada. It deals with his name, origin, birth, family, his relationships with literary figures of the era, the positions he held and his legacy.
The areas that the book focuses on are new, and their sources can be traced back to the poet's collection of poetry ‘The Appearance of Light’.
The author arranged the book depending on the theme of the poems. These included praise, politics, description, lamentation, romance, faith, wisdom and pride.
He studied the link between the poet and his contemporaries in Granada, and studied the construction of the poems, specifically their language, music, tradition and innovation.
The book argues that the poet was no less influential in the world of poetry than his contemporaries. If anything he exceeded their talents in the first quarter of the ninth century in the Islamic calendar. His poetry helped document contemporary life in Granada.
Meanwhile, the second book published by the National Library, 'The Shine in Explanations', is comprised of 714 medium sized pages. The book is devoted to highlighting the copious amount of writing that is available on the subject of Arabic linguistics in the fourth century of the Islamic calendar.
The author sheds light on the renowned scholars of the Arabic language of the time. He looks at those who influenced, or were contemporaries of, the famous linguist, who was known for his helpful and clear works on the Arabic language.
Some of these highly-valuable works have been revealed to us, while others have either been lost or remain understudied.
