Annotated Commentary on the Suspended Odes (Volume One)

Name: Annotated Commentary on the Suspended Odes (Volume One)
ISBN: 9787301360774

乌姆鲁勒·盖斯 / 林丰民Peking University Press · ChinaNov 2025

4.1

Word count: 113K words
Chapters: 9
ISBN: 9787301360774

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Summary

The Mu'allaqat are treasures of classical Arabic poetry. Emerging in the Jahiliyyah, or Age of Ignorance, they represent the early Arabic poetry of the sixth and seventh centuries and have exerted a profound influence on later poetic development, reflecting the social conditions of Arab tribal society.

The Mu'allaqat is the collective name for ten long odes of this period—representative works of renowned poets of the age—which together embody the principal achievements of literary creation. Their place in Arabic literature is comparable to that of the Book of Songs in Chinese literature.

This book translates the ten Mu'allaqat into Chinese and, in a Chinese-Arabic bilingual format, provides detailed introductions to the ten poets and in-depth analysis and interpretation of the artistic features, literary value, and social significance of the ten odes. It offers a pathway to understanding Arabic literature and culture, as well as social life in the Arabian Peninsula before the advent of Islam.

Editor's review

An In-Depth Commentary on the Mu'allaqat (Volume One) is a scholarly work that offers an in-depth interpretation of the Mu'allaqat, the treasures of classical Arabic poetry. Carefully translated and annotated by Arabic literature expert Lin Fengmin, the book focuses on the representative work of Imru' al-Qays, hailed as "the father of Arabic poetry." Imru' al-Qays's Mu'allaqa is not only the literary pinnacle of pre-Islamic Bedouin culture but also a key to understanding the Arab national spirit, aesthetic tradition, and linguistic art.

The editorial value of this book lies in its distinctive format of "commentary and evaluation." It not only provides accurate and elegant Chinese translations but also builds a bridge across time, space, and cultural barriers through detailed annotations, background research, and literary criticism. Through the verses, readers can glimpse the nomadic life, tribal warfare, natural landscapes, and passionate emotions of the Arabian Peninsula in the sixth century CE. Professor Lin Fengmin's analysis combines scholarly rigor with readability, surveying classical interpretations by Arab scholars across the ages while incorporating perspectives from modern literary theory, revealing the timeless appeal of the Mu'allaqat in rhythm, imagery, and theme, as well as their profound influence on later Arabic and even world poetry.

For Chinese readers, this book is a rare and excellent pathway to systematic engagement with this world literary heritage. It transcends mere translation, serving as a guide and appreciation companion that leads readers into the inner sanctum. Reading this book is not only an appreciation of immortal lines such as "Stop, let us weep" but also a journey through classical spirit concerning love, honor, nostalgia, and reflection on life.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literature enthusiasts with a strong interest in Arabic literature and pre-Islamic classical poetry
Professional scholars and students engaged in comparative literature and Oriental literature research and teaching
Readers who wish to broaden their literary horizons and gain a deeper understanding of classic works from different world civilizations
Explorers curious about ancient nomadic culture and the history and humanistic landscape of Bedouin society

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking light entertainment or fast-paced online literature
Those with no foundation in classical poetry, scholarly annotation, or foreign cultures who are unwilling to invest patient reading

Reading tips

First-time readers may read through the poem translations to feel their rhythm and emotion, then return to read closely alongside the annotations and commentary to understand deeper meanings and cultural context.
Reading with a map or historical and geographical materials about the ancient Arabian Peninsula is recommended, to better imagine the deserts, stars, camps, and journeys depicted in the poetry.
Readers may compare Imru' al-Qays's Mu'allaqa with classical poetry from other civilizations (such as China's Book of Songs or Greek epics) to appreciate the common motifs and differing expressions of early human poetry.

About the publisher

Peking University Press China · Founded in 1979

Peking University Press is a comprehensive university press whose publishing areas cover classical literature, popular science, social culture, world history, Western philosophy, and culture. Its catalogue contains 6,031 titles, with representative books including A Dream of Red Mansions, Relativity: The Special and General Theory (15th Edition) (with Einstein's classic papers on unified field theory and other topics), Elements, Conics, The Aristocratic Families of the Eastern Jin, The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume I), The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume II), and The Origin of Continents and Oceans. Representative authors include Cao Xueqin, Zhou Ruchang, Albert Einstein, Euclid, Apollonius, Tian Yuqing, Schelling, and Xian Gang. The press has developed distinctive strengths in classical Chinese literature and in the translation of Western philosophical classics, while also covering scientific classics and social and cultural studies. As public information is limited, this description is based only on the books in the catalogue and offers no further extrapolation.

版权信息
前言
原序一：历久弥新的《悬诗》
原序二：千禧一代的《悬诗》：故事·地图·新意
乌姆鲁勒·盖斯的悬诗
塔拉法·本·阿卜杜的悬诗
祖海尔·本·艾比·苏勒玛的悬诗
莱比德·本·拉比阿的悬诗
阿慕鲁·本·库勒苏姆的悬诗

FAQ

What special meaning does the name "Mu'allaqat" carry?

"Mu'allaqat" is the Chinese rendering of the Arabic "al-Mu'allaqat." Tradition holds that these outstanding poems were written in gold water and hung on the curtains of the Kaaba in Mecca to signify their nobility and immortality, hence the name. They represent the highest achievement of pre-Islamic Arabic poetry.

What are the main content and characteristics of Imru' al-Qays's Mu'allaqa?

Imru' al-Qays's Mu'allaqa opens with lamenting the ruins of an abandoned campsite and recalling lost love, interspersed with finely wrought descriptions of natural scenes (such as night, the desert, and thunderstorms), autobiographical accounts of adventures, and portrayals of tribal life. Its characteristics lie in the intensity and sincerity of emotion, the novelty and strangeness of its similes, the precision and grandeur of its depictions of the desert environment, and a complex mood intertwining deep melancholy with hedonism, establishing many basic paradigms of classical Arabic poetry.

What unique value does the "commentary and evaluation" section of this book offer?

The "commentary and evaluation" section, written by translator Professor Lin Fengmin, offers value in three respects: first, it provides detailed lexical explanations, allusions, and historical background to remove obstacles to reading; second, it analyzes the poems' structure, themes, artistic techniques, and place in literary history from a critical perspective; third, it cites multiple views of classical and modern Arab critics, presenting readers with a rich space for interpretation and serving as both a reference work and an appreciation guide.

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About the author

乌姆鲁勒·盖斯 Author

Umru' al-Qays is one of the most influential poets in the history of classical Arabic poetry and is regarded as a pioneer of the Arabic love-poem and long-ode tradition. Publicly available information about his life is limited; his dates of birth and death, nationality, and other specifics are not recorded in our database, and this page makes no conjectures about them. Judging from the two works held in our collection, Xuan Shi Shu Ping (Part One) and Xuan Shi Shu Ping (Part Two), his writing is closely tied to the Mu'allaqat, an important poetic tradition of the pre-Islamic Arabian period. His themes often involve travel, love, nature, and tribal life; his language is concise and his imagery vivid, and he excels at advancing a poem through scene-setting and emotional shifts. His works were transmitted through later commentary and explication, and they have had a profound influence on the development of Arabic poetic meter and subject matter. He is often treated as an essential figure for understanding early Arabic literature.

林丰民 Author

Lin Fengmin is an author for whom limited public information is available; his name appears mainly as the credited author of books in the field of foreign literature. Three of his works are held in the collection: Xuan Shi Shu Ping (Upper), Xuan Shi Shu Ping (Lower), and The Tendency toward Othering in Oriental Literary and Artistic Creation. These titles suggest an interest in the compilation and annotation of classical Arabic poetry as well as in the issue of "othering" in Oriental literary and artistic creation, combining textual scholarship with theoretical critique. The two-volume Xuan Shi Shu Ping reflects close reading and annotation of a classic text, while The Tendency toward Othering in Oriental Literary and Artistic Creation adopts a comparative perspective to examine tendencies that arise when the Orient is observed and represented. His writing emphasizes scholarly organization and textual analysis, with a restrained tone, and may be useful to readers of foreign and comparative literature.