A vision of heaven and hell : preceded by Ibn al-Qāriḥ's Epistle
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
A vision of heaven and hell : preceded by Ibn al-Qāriḥ's Epistle
（Library of Arabic literature, . { The epistle of forgiveness or : a pardon to enter the garden / by Abū l-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī ; edited and translated by Geert Jan van Gelder and Gregor Schoeler } ; v. 1）
New York University Press, c2013
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- Other Title
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The epistle of forgiveness
Pardon to enter the garden
رسالة الغفران
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Note
Bilingual English and Arabic edition
Includes bibliographical references (p. 392-403) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
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. 449/1057), 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.
A bilingual Arabic-English edition.
by "Nielsen BookData"