Title
The Epistle of Forgiveness : Volume One: A Vision of Heaven and Hell / Abū l-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī; ed. by Gregor Schoeler, Geert Jan van Gelder.
ISBN
9780814768990
Published
New York, NY : : New York University Press, [2013]
Copyright
©2013
Language
English
Language Note
In English.
Description
1 online resource
Other Standard Identifiers
10.18574/nyu/9780814768990.001.0001 doi
Call Number
PJ7750.A25 R513 2013
Dewey Decimal Classification
892.783408
Summary
One of the most unusual books in classical Arabic literature, The Epistle of Forgiveness is the lengthy reply by the prolific Syrian poet and prose writer Abu l-?Ala? al-Ma?arri (d. 449 H/1057 AD), to a letter written by an obscure grammarian, Ibn al-Qarih. With biting irony, The Epistle of Forgiveness mocks Ibn al-Qarih's hypocrisy and sycophancy by imagining he has died and arrived with some difficulty in Heaven, where he meets famous poets and philologists from the past. He also glimpses Hell, and converses with the Devil and various heretics. Al-Ma?arri-a maverick, a vegan, and often branded a heretic himself-seems to mock popular ideas about the Hereafter. This book, the first of two volumes, includes Ibn al-Qarih's initial letter to al-Ma?arri, as well as the first half of The Epistle of Forgiveness.This translation is the first complete translation in any language and retains the many digressions, difficult passages, and convoluted grammatical discussions of the original typically omitted in other translations. It is accompanied by a comprehensive introduction and detailed annotation. Replete with erudite commentary, amusing anecdotes, and sardonic wit, The Epistle of Forgiveness is an imaginative tour-de-force by one of the most pre-eminent figures in classical Arabic literature.
Access Note
Access limited to authorized users.
System Details Note
Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
Digital File Characteristics
text file PDF
Source of Description
Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 18. Sep 2023)
Series
Library of Arabic Literature ; ; 32
Available in Other Form
print 9780814763780
Frontmatter
Letter from the General Editor
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations used in the Introduction and Translation
Introduction
A Note on the Text
A Note on the Edition
Notes to the Introduction
The Epistle of Ibn al-Qāriḥ
The Epistle of Forgiveness.
Preamble
Paradise (I)
The Sheikh's Story of his Resurrection, the Day of Judgement, and his Entry into Paradise
Paradise (II)
Between Paradise and Hell
Hell
Return to Paradise
Notes
Glossary of Names and Terms
Bibliography
Further Reading
Index
About the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute
About the Typefaces
About the Editor-Translators
