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I can just imagine it being announced
in a local shul: “The Rabbi’s Talmud Shiur will take place at 530 this
afternoon in the Beis Ha Midrash followed by his weekly poetry recital”. I know
I would laugh. Religious poetry is one thing, and even that seems rather arcane
and outdated. Whilst I often leaf through the compilations of Slichot and Kinot
at the appropriate time of year trying to feel some sort of connection with the
unfamiliar words and sentence patterns, I have no doubt that ‘secular’ poetry
in the Jewish world would be treated as frankly bizarre. It doesn’t sound very
frum, does it?
So I find it
fascinating to glimpse the world of the medieval Jews living in Muslim Spain
and to note that for a period spanning several hundred years poetry was one of
the most popular literary devices for Jewish writers and thinkers to express
themselves. Additionally, it provides a fascinating insight into the lives and
personalities of some of the great medieval luminaries.
What is equally
interesting is that many individuals such as R. Abraham Ibn Ezra, Dunash ibn
Labrat and R. Yehudah ha Levi did not restrict their scope of expertise to one
area but wrote works which spanned a number of disciplines. They didn’t have a
specific religious vocation. It seems that today you are either a Posek, a
Dayan, a communal Rov, more philosophically/Hashkafically inclined, Kiruv
orientated or the like. I have rarely met anyone who would advocate an equal
love for Halachic study and appreciation of the natural world, for example.
The idea of poetry,
seemingly for its own sake, is particularly jarring. In a sentence, its nakedly
personal sentiments are often difficult to reconcile with popular ideas of
religiosity. This topic came up in a course which I am studying on Chassidus –
the idea that very few of the mystical experiences described by any of the
great Kabbalistic masters touch upon what might be described as personal
experiences. Rather, the feelings are presented in objective terms as a means
of divine inspiration. It is as though the personal element detracts from the
religiosity of the subject matter.
In the hands of the
skilled word-smith, however, the reader stares into the deepest recesses
of the writer’s soul. An interesting point of comparison may also be made
with the 19th century romantic philosophers, some of whom
described poetry as being the very essence of philosophy, as “A philosophical
system is not so much an inanimate baggage to be acquired or transferred at
will; it springs from the depths of the soul”. (Quote from a random book on
Western Philosophy that I picked up in a second-hand bookshop in
Jerusalem)
Similarly, the
distinction between overtly religious and secular poetry might also be
considered illusionary. To quote one of the translators and scholars of R.
Yehudah Ha-Levi’s Kuzari writing in 1905, Hartwig Hirshfield: “Such a division
is superficial. For the essential characteristic of HaLevi’s poems – which are
the expression of a deeply religious soul – is the lofty key to which they are
attuned. Even in his drinking and love-songs, an attentive reader may hear the
vibrations of religion’s overtones”.
As a particular
social group, Spanish Jewry in particular took to poetry. It flourished from
the middle of 10th to middle of 12th Century in
Muslim Spain and in Christian Spain from then until the mid-15th Century.
It could be described as versatile poetry rooted in Biblical tradition. Some
notable poets include Solomon ibn Gabirol, Samuel ha Nagid and Yehudah ha Levi,
who achieved artistic excellence in both devotional and secular poetry.
So how did it start?
The patronage
of Jewish courtiers either as government official financiers or as landowners
created favourable conditions for the development of secular poetry, and many
Jews were appointed as court poets. Most eminent Jewish courtiers attracted
scholars and artists of their own. As the court poet depended on his patron’s
favour, he was commissioned to compose panegyrics (public speeches in praise of
something) for his patron and dirges for death of his relatives. Poetry added
to the prestige of the patron, but could also be a satirical weapon in the hand
of poet.
The Andalusian
community took great pride in their poets. Genizah fragments show that poetry
was preserved even after decline of the Spanish centres in the 12th Century,
and taken to Egypt and North Africa. In terms of style, many early poets
emphasised a return to Biblical Hebrew which was seen as clear, precise,
beautiful and divine. It often went hand-in-hand with philology and a precise
understanding of grammatical forms was considered essential to producing good
poetry. Certainly, this was greatly influenced by the spirit of rationalism and
cultural exchange with Islam.
Spanish Hebrew poets
insisted that poetry should be rhymed and meticulous meter applied. The themes
usually revolved around specific areas: e.g. satire, wisdom poems, classical
feasts, wine and love, with motifs such as the theory of opposite absolutes
being applied.
The first poet to
achieve fame as a secular poet was Menachem ben Saruk, but his rival and fellow
grammarian Dunash b. Labrat achieved greater prominence for his merging of
Hebrew and Arabic styles. This fusion became immensely popular. It was then
expanded by Shmuel ha Nagid, whose prominent status helped spread poetry
amongst Jewish communities. The author of the Mekor Chaim, Shlomo
ibn Gabirol, added elements of depth and complexity to Jewish poetry, including
personal poems about the struggle against fate and the yearning for love. The
motif of the paradox – the feelings of intense sadness turning to intense joy,
is particularly notable. By the end of 11th century, the
style was largely defined and many produced enriching and commendable works.
The pinnacle of
Jewish-Spanish poetry in Muslim Spain is undoubtedly found in the writings of
R. Yehudah ha Levi whose poetry is characterised by his unique personality,
love of the land of Israel and stylistic beauty. He composed both prayers and
secular poems, and was unique in his flexible use of rhetorical devices,
personal touches, and invention of new genres such as the return to Zion and Sea
poetry. Even after the Almohad invasion of Andalusia in 1145 wrought havoc
amongst the Jewish communities in Muslim Spain, completely destroying them, the
tradition of poetry continued to develop in the Christian Spanish communities
until the late 15th Century.
Next week I will give
a few examples of some of these poems and different genres from a book lent to
me by Adam Gaventa (Shout-out number 2).
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