Pr Mohammed Abbassa / د. محمد عباسة

Study and bibliography of the Andalusian Muwashshahat and Azjal

الموشحات والأزجال الأندلسية دراسة ومراجع

Prof. Mohammed Abbassa
University of Mostaganem
Algeria

Andalusian strophic poetry:

The emergence of the muwashshah in Andalusia is considered one of the most important fruits of the renewal that Arabic poetry witnessed, and the origins, authenticity, and first creator of this poetic form remain shrouded in mystery. Ancient scholars defined it in numerous ways, with almost identical meanings, though some definitions occasionally contradict each other.

This art did not only attract the attention of the ancient Arabs, as modern researchers have given it great attention and studied it, but they differed among themselves about the definition of the muwashshah, according to the different sources they relied on.

As for the Orientalists, although they were among the first to try to dust off this art and paved the way for modern Arab scholars in comparative studies, especially the influence of the Muwashshahat on ancient European poetry, they did not add anything useful to what the ancient Arabs had said in defining the Muwashshah, but rather they paid excessive attention to its forms.

The definitions offered by writers and researchers are numerous, but this does not mean that the muwashshah is a separate genre unrelated to Arabic poetry. Rather, it is a form of Arabic poetry that differs from the traditional ode only in its multiple rhymes and sometimes varied meters, and in the final section, which shifts the muwashshah from classical Arabic to colloquial Arabic at times, and at other times to non-Arabic languages. It also differs in the naming of its parts. Furthermore, it differs in some of these characteristics from the rajaz verses and the musammat.

The poets of Andalusia only developed this form of poetry out of a need for innovation, a need necessitated by the circumstances of entertainment and communal singing. Thus, the Andalusian muwashshah represents a revolution against the restrictive traditional style that adheres to a single meter and a monotonous rhyme scheme, and not a rebellion against Arabic poetry in its entirety.

The muwashshah, therefore, originated in Andalusia during the third century AH (ninth century AD), and it is part of Arabic literature. Ancient literary historians agreed that the art of muwashshah was invented by the Andalusians, and they praised their skill in this art.

Scholars of the past disagreed on who first composed the muwashshah, and its origins remain shrouded in mystery, as some of the muwashshahs that have reached us have been attributed to authors other than their true creators. Muhammad ibn Mahmud al-Qabri and Muqaddam ibn Mu'afi al-Qabri are considered among the earliest Andalusian muwashshah composers, but no trace of their works has been found.

The muwashshah and zajal are poetic forms that first appeared in Andalusia. They are of Arabic origin and have no connection to foreign sources, as some European scholars claim.

The foreign words that appear in the muwashshah or zajal are not related to Spanish poems, but are taken from the everyday speech of the people of Andalusia.

On the other hand, it was the muwashshahat and zajal that influenced European poetry in the Middle Ages, and the troubadour poets were the first to come into contact with the Andalusians and be influenced by their style of verse.

After the popularity of troubadour poetry, most Western European poets were influenced by it.

The most prominent aspects that Europeans adopted from Arabic poetry in general, and Andalusian poetry in particular, were the rhyme scheme, themes of love poetry, and women's issues.

The muwashshah is a form of Arabic poetry that differs from the traditional ode only in its multiple rhymes and sometimes varied meters, and in the final refrain, in which the poet transitions from classical Arabic to colloquial Arabic at times, and at other times to a foreign language. It also differs in the naming of its parts. The muwashshah begins with the opening verse, followed by the main verses and refrains, and concludes with the final refrain. The poets of Andalusia developed this form of poetry only because of their need for innovation, a need necessitated by the circumstances of entertainment and communal singing. Thus, the Andalusian muwashshah represents a revolution against the traditional method, which adheres to a single meter and a monotonous rhyme scheme, rather than a rebellion against Arabic poetry itself.

As for zajal, it is built on the model of muwashshahat, but in a non-classical language, or a blended language. Blending in zajal is the insertion of foreign words into the verses and refrains.

Zajal represents the second art form to emerge in Andalusia after the muwashshah. Early historians differed in their opinions regarding its origins, though they agreed that zajal was born in the Andalusian environment and spread from there to North Africa and the Levant. The diwan of Ibn Quzman, along with the diwans of al-Shushtari and Abu Madyan, are among the most important sources that have survived. While the muwashshah is composed in classical Arabic, Andalusian zajal is composed in a non-classical, non-colloquial language, and it has borrowed its characteristics from the muwashshah.

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