Opening the text

The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume 6 (of 14): Medieval Arabic, Moorish, and Turkish

Religion

The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume 6 (of 14): Medieval Arabic, Moorish, and Turkish

Oriental literature -- Translations into English

"_Fortune, that whilom owned my sway,
        And bowed obsequious to my nod,
    Now sees me destined to obey,
        And bend beneath oppression's rod._"
  PRINCE MOHAMMED BEN ABAD.


POETRY OF THE SPANISH MOORS

(INTRODUCTION)


While the scientific leadership of the Moors faded with the breaking
of their military unity in the twelfth century, they still retained in
some of their smaller kingdoms, and especially in that of Granada, a
high degree of culture. The love of beauty and the spirit of romance
were strong among all the Spanish Moors; and so their poetry continued
long after science failed them. Poetry indeed became their main
expression. Granada, the last of all their Spanish kingdoms, did not
fall before the advancing Christians until 1492. Then, as our histories
have so often told, Ferdinand and Isabella, the Christian rulers
of Spain, conducted a holy war for the destruction of Granada. Its
last fortress surrendered, and its people withdrew to Africa. There,
according to a characteristically dreamy legend, they still retain the
keys of their mansions in Granada, treasuring them up for the day of
their triumphant return.

Of the Moorish poetry which survived the fall of Granada, much was
preserved by the Spaniards themselves and in the Spanish language. The
victors knew how to value the spirit of the vanquished; and ballads
of Moorish origin, telling of Moorish loves, long remained popular in
Spain. The authors of most of these have been forgotten. The text of
some of the best known of them is given here.


MOORISH POETRY


VERSES TO MY DAUGHTERS[53]

 (BY PRINCE MOHAMMED BEN ABAD)

    With jocund heart and cheerful brow
      I used to hail the festal morn—
    How must Mohammed greet it now?—
      A prisoner helpless and forlorn.

    While these dear maids in beauty's bloom,
     With want opprest, with rags o'erspread,
    By sordid labors at the loom
     Must earn a poor, precarious bread.

    Those feet that never touched the ground,
      Till musk or camphor strewed the way,
    Now bare and swoll'n with many a wound,
      Must struggle through the miry clay.

    Those radiant cheeks are veiled in woe,
      A shower descends from every eye,
    And not a starting tear can flow,
      That wakes not an attending sigh.

    Fortune, that whilom owned my sway,
      And bowed obsequious to my nod,
    Now sees me destined to obey,
      And bend beneath oppression's rod.

    Ye mortals with success elate,
      Who bask in hope's delusive beam,
    Attentive view Mohammed's fate,
      And own that bliss is but a dream.


SERENADE TO MY SLEEPING MISTRESS[54]

 (BY ALI BEN ABAD)

    Sure Harut's[55] potent spells were breathed
    Upon that magic sword, thine eye;
    For if it wounds us thus while sheathed,
    When drawn, 'tis vain its edge to fly.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Religion

The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume 6 (of 14): Medieval Arabic, Moorish, and Turkish

Oriental literature -- Translations into English

"_Fortune, that whilom owned my sway,
        And bowed obsequious to my nod,
    Now sees me destined to obey,
        And bend beneath oppression's rod._"
  PRINCE MOHAMMED BEN ABAD.


POETRY OF THE SPANISH MOORS

(INTRODUCTION)


While the scientific leadership of the Moors faded with the breaking
of their military unity in the twelfth century, they still retained in
some of their smaller kingdoms, and especially in that of Granada, a
high degree of culture. The love of beauty and the spirit of romance
were strong among all the Spanish Moors; and so their poetry continued
long after science failed them. Poetry indeed became their main
expression. Granada, the last of all their Spanish kingdoms, did not
fall before the advancing Christians until 1492. Then, as our histories
have so often told, Ferdinand and Isabella, the Christian rulers
of Spain, conducted a holy war for the destruction of Granada. Its
last fortress surrendered, and its people withdrew to Africa. There,
according to a characteristically dreamy legend, they still retain the
keys of their mansions in Granada, treasuring them up for the day of
their triumphant return.

Of the Moorish poetry which survived the fall of Granada, much was
preserved by the Spaniards themselves and in the Spanish language. The
victors knew how to value the spirit of the vanquished; and ballads
of Moorish origin, telling of Moorish loves, long remained popular in
Spain. The authors of most of these have been forgotten. The text of
some of the best known of them is given here.


MOORISH POETRY


VERSES TO MY DAUGHTERS[53]

 (BY PRINCE MOHAMMED BEN ABAD)

    With jocund heart and cheerful brow
      I used to hail the festal morn—
    How must Mohammed greet it now?—
      A prisoner helpless and forlorn.

    While these dear maids in beauty's bloom,
     With want opprest, with rags o'erspread,
    By sordid labors at the loom
     Must earn a poor, precarious bread.

    Those feet that never touched the ground,
      Till musk or camphor strewed the way,
    Now bare and swoll'n with many a wound,
      Must struggle through the miry clay.

    Those radiant cheeks are veiled in woe,
      A shower descends from every eye,
    And not a starting tear can flow,
      That wakes not an attending sigh.

    Fortune, that whilom owned my sway,
      And bowed obsequious to my nod,
    Now sees me destined to obey,
      And bend beneath oppression's rod.

    Ye mortals with success elate,
      Who bask in hope's delusive beam,
    Attentive view Mohammed's fate,
      And own that bliss is but a dream.


SERENADE TO MY SLEEPING MISTRESS[54]

 (BY ALI BEN ABAD)

    Sure Harut's[55] potent spells were breathed
    Upon that magic sword, thine eye;
    For if it wounds us thus while sheathed,
    When drawn, 'tis vain its edge to fly.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume 6 (of 14): Medieval Arabic, Moorish, and Turkish

The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume 6 (of 14): Medieval Arabic, Moorish, and Turkish

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