Antara bin Shaddad | His Life and Poetic Career
Antara bin Shaddad | His Life and Poetic Career
Antara bin Shaddad: His Life and Poetic Career
Brief Life Sketch: Antara bin Shabaddad was one of the greatest poets of the pre-Islamic period. He is also known as the ‘Military Poet’ for his heroic deeds in many battles during his lifetime.
Antara bin Shabaddad was born in 525 AD in a place called Najd in the famous Abas tribe. His father’s name was Shaddad and his mother was an Abyssinian slave. His father did not initially recognize Antara as his son because he was born in the womb of a slave maid. But Antara was very brave, self-respecting, and heroic and he was determined to get his father’s recognition as a son anyway. It is worth mentioning that the child born in the womb of a slave girl in Arabia at that time was not recognized as a son and he had to live as a slave until he could do any significant work of honor. Antara became proficient in spear-throwing, horse-riding, and sword-fighting from an early age, hoping to gain the recognition of his father a son, and wanted to be free from slavery.
It is said that one day some people of the neighboring tribe forcibly took away the camels and sheep of the Abas tribe. Antara’s father ordered Antara to rescue the animals by attacking them. But Antara said, “I am a slave. A slave cannot fight. ” Then his father said, “You are free from today. Fight and rescue the animals. “Being Inspired by this, Antara jumped on the invaders with a sword in his hand and rescued all the animals from their hands. After this incident, his father declared him to be free and recognized him as his son.
It is learned that Antarai fell in love with one of his uncle’s daughters. Her name was ‘Abla’. But because Antara was the son of a slave-maid, Abla did not respond to her calling. Antara was disappointed by the rejection of love, although he went on composing poems with the joy of being freed from slavery.
He lived to be 90 years old and died in 615 AD.
Antara bin Shaddad wrote a number of short poems, although only 1,600 lines of them are found today. Antara bin Saddad’s poems were a reflection of his personal despair, love, courage, heroism, and rebellion against the aristocracy.
Antar’s Muwallaka poem is a descriptive poem of 92 lines. This poem was written on the background of the end of the famous Battle of Basus. Like other pre-Islamic Muwallalaka poets, Antara begins his Muallalaka poem with a love story. In the poem, the poet describes the pain of separation from his beloved, her physical beauty, etc. After this, the poet describes the war, the joy of drinking, the beauty of the camel, patience, etc. He concludes the Muwallaka poem with a realistic description of human qualities such as tenderness towards honest people, harsh attitude towards cruel people, generosity, etc.
Antara’s description is varied and realistic. His language is simple, rhythmic, and elegant. His imageries are adorned with wonderful and metaphorical ornaments. His narration was moderate and decent. No obscenity is found in his poems.
It can be concluded that Antara bin Shaddad’s Muallaka is written after the model of his contemporary Imraul Qays’s Muallaka but it does not have any obscenity as found in Qays’s poem. 0 0 0.
Antara bin Shaddad | His Life and Poetic Career
Read More: A Brief History of Arabic Literature: Early Islamic Period (622 AD-661 AD)
Antara bin Shaddad | His Life and Poetic Career
N.B. This article ‘Antara bin Shaddad | His Life and Poetic Career’ originally belongs to the book entitled ‘A Brief History of Arabic Literature: Pre-Islamic Period (500 AD-622 AD) by Menonim Menonimus.Antara bin Shaddad | His Life and Poetic Career
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