3. Sermon being preached from a min-bar, miniature from the Maqāmāt of al-Ḥarīrī, 1223; in the National
Library, Paris (MS Arabe 6094, fol. 93).
Al-Hariri scholar of Arabic language and literature and government official
who is primarily known for the refined style and wit of his collection of
tales, the Maqāmāt, published in English as The Assemblies of al-Harîr
4. The Maqāmāt
- NARRATOR - al-Hārith ibn
-
Hammām, encounters with Abū Zayd as-
SarūjĪ, an unabashed confidence artist and
wanderer possessing all the
eloquence, grammatical knowledge, and
poetic ability of al-HarĪrĪ himself.
- Abū Zayd brings tears to his listeners' eyes
-
with the vivid description of his pretended
hardships and dazzles them with his
poetry, then suddenly disappears with their
presents.
-Through these tales, filled not only with humor
and adventure but with linguistic and poetic
feats as well,al-HarĪrĪ's Maqāmāt unites the
author's experiences as an information officer
with his authoritative knowledge of Arabic
grammar, style, and verse.
5. The Maqāmāt
When I journey far and wide,
When I cross the lonely waste,
When I cast away my pride
Tis that mirth I thus may taste,
When I curb the fiery steed,
When I stem the foaming main,
Tis that I may gaily lead,
Youth and Pleasure in my train,
I forfeit honours hope,
If I sell my all away,
Tis that I may freely tope,
Tis that I here love to stay.
6. Influence of work
Al-Hariri most famous work was translated in many different languages, including
German, Spanish, and Indian. His work helped to influence the works of many people, especially
with the powerful prose writing and rhyming. His work is also said to be the closest to short story
writing in Islamic literature.
