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Library of Arabic Literature
War Songs
Poems of love and battle by Arabia's legendary warrior
From the sixth-century highlands of Najd in the Arabian peninsula, on the eve of the advent of Islam, come the strident cries of a legendary warrior and poet. The black outcast son of an Arab father and an Ethiopian slave mother, 'Antarah ibn Shaddad struggled to win the recognition of his father and tribe. He defied social norms and, despite his outcast status, loyally defended his people.
'Antarah captured his tumultuous life in uncompromising poetry that combines flashes of tenderness with blood-curdling violence. His war songs are testaments to his life-long battle to win the recognition of his people and the hand of 'Ablah, the free-born woman he loved but who was denied him by her family.
War Songs presents the poetry attributed to 'Antarah and includes a selection of poems taken from the later Epic of 'Antar, a popular story-cycle that continues to captivate and charm Arab audiences to this day with tales of its hero's titanic feats of strength and endurance. 'Antarah's voice resonates here, for the first time in vibrant, contemporary English, intoning its eternal truths: commitment to one's beliefs, loyalty to kith and kin, and fidelity in love.
Longlisted for the 2019 National Translation Award.
From the sixth-century highlands of Najd in the Arabian peninsula, on the eve of the advent of Islam, come the strident cries of a legendary warrior and poet. The black outcast son of an Arab father and an Ethiopian slave mother, 'Antarah ibn Shaddad struggled to win the recognition of his father and tribe. He defied social norms and, despite his outcast status, loyally defended his people.
'Antarah captured his tumultuous life in uncompromising poetry that combines flashes of tenderness with blood-curdling violence. His war songs are testaments to his life-long battle to win the recognition of his people and the hand of 'Ablah, the free-born woman he loved but who was denied him by her family.
War Songs presents the poetry attributed to 'Antarah and includes a selection of poems taken from the later Epic of 'Antar, a popular story-cycle that continues to captivate and charm Arab audiences to this day with tales of its hero's titanic feats of strength and endurance. 'Antarah's voice resonates here, for the first time in vibrant, contemporary English, intoning its eternal truths: commitment to one's beliefs, loyalty to kith and kin, and fidelity in love.
Longlisted for the 2019 National Translation Award.
322 pages, Paperback
Published October 9, 2018
8 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 18, 2019
Seriously? I'm the first to review this beautiful compilation of pre-Islamic Arabian poems?
Antarah's art is more human than Rumi, who writes like a bird with wings spread to the heavens. Antarah's bird flutters in a desert cage, dreaming of freedom and of love.
The warrior-poet should be at least considered by the general fan of poetry.
Antarah's art is more human than Rumi, who writes like a bird with wings spread to the heavens. Antarah's bird flutters in a desert cage, dreaming of freedom and of love.
The warrior-poet should be at least considered by the general fan of poetry.
July 31, 2018
Reading classical poems can always be problematic, because attitudes have changed drastically over time. The poems of 'Antarah ibn Shaddad were written in the sixth century CE (or more than 1400 years ago, in other words). Today, the idea of a warrior (not soldier) who will then turn around and compose poems about his enemies, his allies, his *horse*, is just not something that feels real to a modern reader. Or writing odes about his lost love, while also refering to 'my woman' (ie, a slave who travels with him).
I found the historical lessons in the introduction to the book to be fascinating, and I'm wondering if there are any books about 'Antarah ibn Shaddad, or about the time period.
Beyond all that, the poems were enthralling (although sometimes a very modern term will make me stumble, since I expected something a little more stilted). My only wish is that while each poem is preceeded by notes about the translation, there is a lot of material in the appendixes (such as commentaries from arab writers closer in time to the original), that I would have prefered to have had with those notes instead of having to flip back and forth.
I found the historical lessons in the introduction to the book to be fascinating, and I'm wondering if there are any books about 'Antarah ibn Shaddad, or about the time period.
Beyond all that, the poems were enthralling (although sometimes a very modern term will make me stumble, since I expected something a little more stilted). My only wish is that while each poem is preceeded by notes about the translation, there is a lot of material in the appendixes (such as commentaries from arab writers closer in time to the original), that I would have prefered to have had with those notes instead of having to flip back and forth.
February 3, 2023
Antarah ibn Shaddad was a pre-Islamic Afro-Arabian warrior poet who lived in the Arabian peninsula.
I don't like war, so I was not sure I was going to enjoy his poetry even though I love poetry and Arab poetry (in translation) in particular.
Turns out I enjoyed this collection of poetry very much. Antar's poetry is feisty. colorful, vivid and his use of words and descriptions are elegant. Judging by his poetry, Antarah ibn Shaddad had quite an attitude.
I plan to re-read this book again more slowly using the notes.
I don't like war, so I was not sure I was going to enjoy his poetry even though I love poetry and Arab poetry (in translation) in particular.
Turns out I enjoyed this collection of poetry very much. Antar's poetry is feisty. colorful, vivid and his use of words and descriptions are elegant. Judging by his poetry, Antarah ibn Shaddad had quite an attitude.
I plan to re-read this book again more slowly using the notes.
December 20, 2021
Fascinating.
To be reviewed...
To be reviewed...
October 8, 2020
War Songs by Antarah Ibn Shaddad and translated James Montgomery is a collection of pre-Islamic poetry. Shaddad known as ʿAntar was a pre-Islamic Arab knight and poet, famous for both his poetry and his adventurous life. Montgomery is Sir Thomas Adams's Professor of Arabic. He studied Arabic and Ancient Greek at Glasgow University, spent two years on an unfinished DPhil at Oxford, where he was a Snell Exhibitioner at Balliol College before taking up a lectureship at Glasgow. Senior Lectureships at Oslo and Leeds preceded his move to Cambridge in 1997.
'Antar plays the role of an Arab Beowulf. He is a warrior who lives for battle and destroying his enemies. He is also a poet that unlike the poetry of WWI turns battle into a romantic act. War and battle became a religion which he participated in with zeal.
nobles like this are fair game
My spear mucked him up.
He did not look so fancy
laying there, a feast for night
predators ripping him from head to wrist.
ʿAntar faces death as a challenge not as fear:
I went face to face with Death
up close, with only a shield and a burnished saber
to keep us apart.
Peter Cole (Yale University) provides a detailed introduction into Arab poetry and translation and discusses the challenges of the translation not only in language but in time bringing the 6th century into modern form. The introduction provides a detailed history of not only 'Antar's life but also a history of the Arabian peninsula. 'Antar is not only famous as a warrior but also as a mixed-race hero. He is one of the three black ravens in pre-Islamic history -- a poet warrior of a black, Ethiopian, mother who was a slave. 'Antar, himself, was born into slavery but earned his freedom through heroics in battle.
War Songs will provide the reader with an introduction to early Arabic poetry. The introduction and forward offers more than adequate information and background for a reader unfamiliar with the history or poetry. The translation along with the introduction and forward are heavily cited with explanations and source material for those readers looking for more information and further reading. An excellent collection of poetry, biography, and history.
'Antar plays the role of an Arab Beowulf. He is a warrior who lives for battle and destroying his enemies. He is also a poet that unlike the poetry of WWI turns battle into a romantic act. War and battle became a religion which he participated in with zeal.
nobles like this are fair game
My spear mucked him up.
He did not look so fancy
laying there, a feast for night
predators ripping him from head to wrist.
ʿAntar faces death as a challenge not as fear:
I went face to face with Death
up close, with only a shield and a burnished saber
to keep us apart.
Peter Cole (Yale University) provides a detailed introduction into Arab poetry and translation and discusses the challenges of the translation not only in language but in time bringing the 6th century into modern form. The introduction provides a detailed history of not only 'Antar's life but also a history of the Arabian peninsula. 'Antar is not only famous as a warrior but also as a mixed-race hero. He is one of the three black ravens in pre-Islamic history -- a poet warrior of a black, Ethiopian, mother who was a slave. 'Antar, himself, was born into slavery but earned his freedom through heroics in battle.
War Songs will provide the reader with an introduction to early Arabic poetry. The introduction and forward offers more than adequate information and background for a reader unfamiliar with the history or poetry. The translation along with the introduction and forward are heavily cited with explanations and source material for those readers looking for more information and further reading. An excellent collection of poetry, biography, and history.
June 28, 2018
The years passed
and the East Wind blew.
Even the ruins
fell into ruin -
tired playthings
of Time
and the thunder
and rain.
Clan Hind lived here once.
You can't visit them now -
Fate has spun
their thread.
I mean, COME ON, this is SUCH a gorgeous volume of translated poems. Every single one is a gem of beautiful language and heart-rending imagery and emotion.
My one criticism is that there was a TON of explanation going on in this book: a Foreword, a very lengthy Introduction, maps, "Notes to the Introduction," explanatory paragraphs before each poem, three appendices, another Notes section, and a Glossary. Total overkill, at least for the lay readers. I think an Introduction, the interesting maps, and one appendix would've more than sufficed. Let the poems speak for themselves - they do a wonderful job.
*Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, provided by the author and/or the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
and the East Wind blew.
Even the ruins
fell into ruin -
tired playthings
of Time
and the thunder
and rain.
Clan Hind lived here once.
You can't visit them now -
Fate has spun
their thread.
I mean, COME ON, this is SUCH a gorgeous volume of translated poems. Every single one is a gem of beautiful language and heart-rending imagery and emotion.
My one criticism is that there was a TON of explanation going on in this book: a Foreword, a very lengthy Introduction, maps, "Notes to the Introduction," explanatory paragraphs before each poem, three appendices, another Notes section, and a Glossary. Total overkill, at least for the lay readers. I think an Introduction, the interesting maps, and one appendix would've more than sufficed. Let the poems speak for themselves - they do a wonderful job.
*Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, provided by the author and/or the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 2, 2023
Poems romanticizing war and death, suffering from love, the quest of a man to prove himself
Favorite lines from the epic war hero's poems:
“Death is a cup we all must drink of”
"Blade-thin, war spent
I went face to face with Death
up close, with only a shield
and burnished saber
to keep us apart."
"My sword cuts deep
with a sure-sinewed hand
my sparkling bride is a weapon
never dented or dull"
“Why, my doe, is it lawful for others
to hunt you, but not for me?”
"By day and dark she lies on her pillow. My nights I pass in the saddle of a black horse, bridled, its leg strong, flank round, girth lean. “
Favorite lines from the epic war hero's poems:
“Death is a cup we all must drink of”
"Blade-thin, war spent
I went face to face with Death
up close, with only a shield
and burnished saber
to keep us apart."
"My sword cuts deep
with a sure-sinewed hand
my sparkling bride is a weapon
never dented or dull"
“Why, my doe, is it lawful for others
to hunt you, but not for me?”
"By day and dark she lies on her pillow. My nights I pass in the saddle of a black horse, bridled, its leg strong, flank round, girth lean. “
October 2, 2019
For those looking for a great introduction to pre-Islamic Middle Eastern poetry, War Songs (as translated by James E. Montgomery) gives a unique perspective and conversation about bringing medieval non-Western poetic forms into the modern. With the translation, the poetry doesn't feel like it was written so long ago; plus, there are plenty of explanations in the introduction, forward, and citations throughout the book. Overall, a very interesting read with valuable insight and connections made.
(Received Kindle ARC from Netgalley. Thanks to them and NYU Press!)
(Received Kindle ARC from Netgalley. Thanks to them and NYU Press!)
June 13, 2018
These may take some time to read and appreciate. I really have nothing, other translations, to compare them to...I did enjoy the poems I read; very strong, assertive works. Very much tribal in it's boasting. For anyone who enjoys Middle East poetry. Most like;y will appeal to folks of Middle East descent who no longer speak or read Arabic. It's an interesting and informative book.
I received a Kindle ARC in exchange for for a fair review from Netgalley
I received a Kindle ARC in exchange for for a fair review from Netgalley
August 23, 2024
"in the forest of spears I will change your fate with a single thrust." 'Antarah's poetry is at once beautiful and terrible, alternating between love poetry of great vulnerability and tenderness and odes to his bravery and brutality in war. In either tone he is equally as evocative. I was particularly taken by his personal history as a Black man born of an enslaved mother becoming the most fearsome warrior of his clan and arguably the most notable pre-Islamic poet we know of.
August 2, 2024
Today, the women on their camels
will know the mettle
of the men
who fight for them.
Our souls take their course.
The Fates claim their due.
The best way to die?
In battle.
will know the mettle
of the men
who fight for them.
Our souls take their course.
The Fates claim their due.
The best way to die?
In battle.
January 25, 2021
Read for class. Older poetry is NOT my jam
Read
August 6, 2024“Death I know-it looks like me
grim as battle, when riders wince and horses flinch
from bitter colocynth.
With no qualm or care
I embrace the terrors of War.”
grim as battle, when riders wince and horses flinch
from bitter colocynth.
With no qualm or care
I embrace the terrors of War.”
February 1, 2026
Four and a half stars
There is great imagery in these poems and a strong sense of unifying voice. I particularly enjoyed the crow poems.
There is great imagery in these poems and a strong sense of unifying voice. I particularly enjoyed the crow poems.
October 3, 2018
This was an incredibly interesting collection. A number of the poems within War Songs have come through the ravages of time unscathed and are very beautiful as well as rather profound. Definitely worth the admission alone.
Of course, there are others in the collection that haven't held up so well, and if they had been written in this day and age this review would have looked rather different. From a historical perspective I did get something out of them, if not enjoyed the actual poems themselves.
I found the commentaries and context of the time in which the poems were written incredibly well researched. While not an easy read, it was certainly an informative one.
Overall, I was glad to have read it.
This was an ARC in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to Netgalley and NYU Press.
Of course, there are others in the collection that haven't held up so well, and if they had been written in this day and age this review would have looked rather different. From a historical perspective I did get something out of them, if not enjoyed the actual poems themselves.
I found the commentaries and context of the time in which the poems were written incredibly well researched. While not an easy read, it was certainly an informative one.
Overall, I was glad to have read it.
This was an ARC in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to Netgalley and NYU Press.
September 23, 2018
I found that this set of poetry to be a collection that is not totally for me. The pieces in this work are really interesting and can be a connection to others. There can be a historical connection as well. There are longer pieces in the collection, so there is that if you are not a huge fan of longer poetry.
November 11, 2018
Poems of love & battle by Arabia’s legendary warrior
From the sixth-century highlands of Arabian peninsula, on the eve of the advent of Islam.The black outcast son of an Arab father & an Ethiopian slave mother, 'Antarah ibn Shaddad struggled to win the recognition of his father & tribe. He defied social norms & despite his outcast status, loyally defended his people. 'Antarah captured his tumultuous life in uncompromising poetry that combines flashes of tenderness with blood-curdling violence. His war songs are testaments to his life-long battle to win the recognition of his people and the hand of 'Ablah, the free-born woman he loved but who was denied him by her family.
War Songs presents the poetry attributed to 'Antarah and includes a selection of poems taken from the later Epic of 'Antar, a popular story-cycle. 🌸What I loved:
💕astonishingly beautiful use of metaphors
💕captivating
💕the poems are very well translated and explained
🌸What could've been better:
💭lots of self boast in the poems at times makes you feel less intrested in the book
💭the biggest trouble reading the book was the fact that the detailed explaination and the poems were separated so you had to go back and forth to understand the poem which became very tedious task & I eventually stopped & went with the poems flow.
From the sixth-century highlands of Arabian peninsula, on the eve of the advent of Islam.The black outcast son of an Arab father & an Ethiopian slave mother, 'Antarah ibn Shaddad struggled to win the recognition of his father & tribe. He defied social norms & despite his outcast status, loyally defended his people. 'Antarah captured his tumultuous life in uncompromising poetry that combines flashes of tenderness with blood-curdling violence. His war songs are testaments to his life-long battle to win the recognition of his people and the hand of 'Ablah, the free-born woman he loved but who was denied him by her family.
War Songs presents the poetry attributed to 'Antarah and includes a selection of poems taken from the later Epic of 'Antar, a popular story-cycle. 🌸What I loved:
💕astonishingly beautiful use of metaphors
💕captivating
💕the poems are very well translated and explained
🌸What could've been better:
💭lots of self boast in the poems at times makes you feel less intrested in the book
💭the biggest trouble reading the book was the fact that the detailed explaination and the poems were separated so you had to go back and forth to understand the poem which became very tedious task & I eventually stopped & went with the poems flow.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews