Rithā’ (Arabic: رثاء) is a genre of Arabic poetry corresponding to elegy or lament. Along with elegy proper (marthiyah, plural marāthī), rithā’ may also contain taḥrīḍ (incitement to vengeance).[1]
Rithā written in Arabic, 1863
Characteristicsedit
The genre was used by both male and female poets, and is one of the main genres in which ancient and medieval Arabic female poets are known to have composed.[2] Almost all known pre-Islamic women's poetry is in this form.[3] The subjects of the rithā’ are (almost) invariably dead male warriors (fursān) and lords (sādah), predominantly those who fell in battle.[4]
The genre is prominent in the corpus of the earliest surviving Arabic poetry; it 'provides some of the most moving examples of the poetic voice, as in the poems of al-Khansā' (d. ca. 644) for her brother, Ṣakhr, killed in tribal combat':[5]
Alongside al-Khansā', major female exponents of the rithā’ poems of whose survive include the pre-Islamic Janūb Ukht ‘Amr dhī-l-Kalb, Laylā al-Akhyaliyya (d. 706 CE), and Laylā bint Ṭarīf (d. 815 CE). Their style was characterised by 'uninhibited expression of sorrow coupled with praise for the deceased'. 'Most of the elegy composed by men, however, resembled the eulogistic qaṣīdah in general pattern'.[7]
^Suzanne Pinckney Stetkevych, The Mute Immortals Speak: Pre-Islamic Poetry and the Poetics of Ritual (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1993), p. 163.
^Suzanne Pinckney Stetkevych, The Mute Immortals Speak: Pre-Islamic Poetry and the Poetics of Ritual (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1993), p. 163.
^R. M. A. Allen, 'Arabic Poetry', in The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, edited by Stephen Cushman, Clare Cavanagh, Jahan Ramazani, and Paul Rouzer 4th edn (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2012), pp. 65-72 (p. 66).
^Trans. by A. J. Arberry, quoted by R. M. A. Allen, 'Arabic Poetry', in The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, edited by Stephen Cushman, Clare Cavanagh, Jahan Ramazani, and Paul Rouzer 4th edn (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2012), pp. 65-72 (p. 66).
^Arabic Literature to the End of the Umayyad Period, ed. by A. F. L. Beeston, T. M. Johnstone, R. B. Serjeant and G. R. Smith, The Cambridge History of Arabic Literature (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983)
This poetry-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
rithā, rithā, arabic, رثاء, genre, arabic, poetry, corresponding, elegy, lament, along, with, elegy, proper, marthiyah, plural, marāthī, rithā, also, contain, taḥrīḍ, incitement, vengeance, rithā, written, arabic, 1863characteristics, editthe, genre, used, bot. Ritha Arabic رثاء is a genre of Arabic poetry corresponding to elegy or lament Along with elegy proper marthiyah plural marathi ritha may also contain taḥriḍ incitement to vengeance 1 Ritha written in Arabic 1863Characteristics editThe genre was used by both male and female poets and is one of the main genres in which ancient and medieval Arabic female poets are known to have composed 2 Almost all known pre Islamic women s poetry is in this form 3 The subjects of the ritha are almost invariably dead male warriors fursan and lords sadah predominantly those who fell in battle 4 The genre is prominent in the corpus of the earliest surviving Arabic poetry it provides some of the most moving examples of the poetic voice as in the poems of al Khansa d ca 644 for her brother Ṣakhr killed in tribal combat 5 I was sleepless and I passed the nightkeeping vigil as if my eyes had been anointed with pus dd For I had heard and it was not newsto rejoice me one making a report who had come repeating intelligence dd Saying Sakhr is dwelling there in atomb struck to the ground beside the grave between certain stones 6 dd Alongside al Khansa major female exponents of the ritha poems of whose survive include the pre Islamic Janub Ukht Amr dhi l Kalb Layla al Akhyaliyya d 706 CE and Layla bint Ṭarif d 815 CE Their style was characterised by uninhibited expression of sorrow coupled with praise for the deceased Most of the elegy composed by men however resembled the eulogistic qaṣidah in general pattern 7 See also editRitha al AndalusReferences edit Suzanne Pinckney Stetkevych The Mute Immortals Speak Pre Islamic Poetry and the Poetics of Ritual Ithaca Cornell University Press 1993 p 161 Tahera Qutbuddin Women Poets in Medieval Islamic Civilisation An Encyclopedia ed by Josef W Meri 2 vols New York Routledge 2006 II 865 http nelc uchicago edu sites nelc uchicago edu files 2006 20Women 20Poets 20 Med 20Islamic 20Civ 20Enc pdf Suzanne Pinckney Stetkevych The Mute Immortals Speak Pre Islamic Poetry and the Poetics of Ritual Ithaca Cornell University Press 1993 p 163 Suzanne Pinckney Stetkevych The Mute Immortals Speak Pre Islamic Poetry and the Poetics of Ritual Ithaca Cornell University Press 1993 p 163 R M A Allen Arabic Poetry in The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics edited by Stephen Cushman Clare Cavanagh Jahan Ramazani and Paul Rouzer 4th edn Princeton Princeton University Press 2012 pp 65 72 p 66 Trans by A J Arberry quoted by R M A Allen Arabic Poetry in The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics edited by Stephen Cushman Clare Cavanagh Jahan Ramazani and Paul Rouzer 4th edn Princeton Princeton University Press 2012 pp 65 72 p 66 Arabic Literature to the End of the Umayyad Period ed by A F L Beeston T M Johnstone R B Serjeant and G R Smith The Cambridge History of Arabic Literature Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1983 nbsp This poetry related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ritha 27 amp oldid 1210724433, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
