This work presents the complete collection of oral poetry by ad-Dindān, a bedouin poet of the Duwāsir tribe in southern Najd, transcribed and translated on the basis of taped recordings. The text is representative of a poetic tradition which has remained remarkably close to the desert poetry of the early classical age. An extensive glossary, including detailed cross-references to the classical Arabic vocabulary, completes this edition. The introduction describes Dindān's somewhat anomalous position in local society as a result of his stubborn attachment to nomadism, his fierce artistic temper, and his unreconstructed bedouin ethos. It also discusses the composition of oral poetry, the dīwān's themes and its place in the Najdi tradition, the impact of literacy on the poet's oral work, and the prosodic and linguistic features of the text.

A Saudi Tribal History, the fourth volume of the author's series Oral Poetry and Narratives from Central Arabia, presents and analyses the oral traditions of the Dawāsir tribal confederation in the area of Wādi ad-Dawāsir, south of Riyadh. The introduction focusses on the tribe's self-image and its symbiosis of Bedouin and sedentary strains; its internal social relations and its place in the surrounding tribal world; the impact of the Wahhābi movement and the Saudi state's historical efforts to control the tribes; and the store of legends that continues to shape its collective consciousness. It is followed by the Arabic text of the poems and narratives in transcription, based on taped records, with the English translation on the facing page. This is complimented by an extensive glossary, cross-referenced to the Arabic text.

The Story of a Desert Knight is the second volume of a trilogy entitled Oral Poetry and Narratives from Central Arabia. It is devoted to the narratives told about and the poems composed by Šlēwīḥ al-‘Aṭāwi and his brother Bxīt, both famous desert knights in the middle and second half of the nineteenth century. The principal source of this book is Šlēwīḥ's great-grandson Xālid, a sheikh of the ‘Utaybah tribe. The introduction discusses inter alia the general characteristics of Bedouin oral culture, the linguistic, prosodic and stylistic features of the text, and Xālid's use of his ancestors' oral legacy in order to enhance his position in the tribal hierarchy of prestige. In addition to the translation of the oral text this volume offers a complete transcription, based on taped records and including variants found in published Saudi sources, and a substantial glossary.

This volume presents and analyses the work of four contemporary Saudi Bedouin poets, based on taped records, with special emphasis on this poetry's reflection of the tribal society's evolving self-image at a time of rapid social, economic, and political transformation.

This third volume in the author's series Oral Poetry & Narratives from Central Arabia presents and analyses the work of four contemporary Bedouin poets of the Dawāsir tribe in southern Najd. The introductory part discusses the poetry within the context of the Najdi oral tradition, the poets' role in tribal society, and their mirroring of this society's self-image against the background of its rapid economic, social and political transformation, and its relation with the Saudi State. It is followed by the Arabic Text of the poems in transcription, based on taped records, with the English translation on the facing page. This is complemented by a substantial glossary, cross-referenced to the Arabic Text, other glossaries and works on the Najdi dialect and poetic idiom, as well as corresponding Classical Arabic lexical materials.

This 5-volume set includes: • Oral Poetry and Narratives from Central Arabia, Vol. 1: Poetry of ad-Dindan. A Bedouin Bard in Southern Najd (edition with translation and introduction), • Oral Poetry and Narratives from Central Arabia, Vol. 2: Story of a Desert Knight. The Legend of Šlewih? al-'At?awi and other 'Utaybah Heroes (edition with translation and introduction), • Oral Poetry and Narratives from Central Arabia, Vol. 3: Bedouin Poets of the Dawasir Tribe. Between Nomadism and Settlement in Southern Najd, • Oral Poetry and Narratives from Central Arabia, Vol. 4: Saudi Tribal History. Honour and Faith in the Traditions of the Dawasir, and • Oral Poetry and Narratives from Central Arabia, Vol. 5: Voices from the Desert. Glossary, Indices, and List of Recordings. All five volumes were published in the series Studies in Arabic Literature, as volumes 17/1 to 17/5.

"Poems and tales of a literary forefather of the United Arab Emirates"--

Shaykh Mithqal al-Fayiz's life spanned a period of dramatic transformation in the Middle East. Born in the 1880s during a time of rapid modernization across the Ottoman Empire, Mithqal led his tribe through World War I, the development and decline of colonial rule and founding of Jordan, the establishment of the state of Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict that ensued, and the rise of pan-Arabism. As Mithqal navigated regional politics over the decades, he redefined the modern role of the shaykh. In following Mithqal's remarkable life, this book explores tribal leadership in the modern Middle East more generally. The support of Mithqal's tribe to the Jordanian Hashemite regime extends back to the creation of Jordan in 1921 and has characterized its political system ever since. The long-standing alliances between tribal elites and the royal family explain, to a large extent, the extraordinary resilience of Hashemite rule in Jordan and the country's relative stability. Mithqal al-Fayiz's life and work as a shaykh offer a notable individual story, as well as a unique window into the history, society, and politics of Jordan.

Music and Traditions of the Arabian Peninsula provides a pioneering overview of folk and traditional urban music, along with dance and rituals, of Saudi Arabia and the Upper Gulf States of Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar. The nineteen chapters introduce variegated regions and subcultures and their rich and dynamic musical arts, many of which heretofore have been unknown beyond local communities. The book contains insightful descriptions of genres, instruments, poetry, and performance practices of the desert heartland (Najd), the Arabian/Persian Gulf shores, the great western cities including Makkah and Medinah, the southwestern mountains, and the hot Red Sea coast. Musical customs of distinctive groups such as Bedouin, seafarers, and regional women are explored. The book is packaged with downloadable resources and almost 200 images including a full color photo essay, numerous music transcriptions, a glossary with over 400 specialized terms, and original Arabic script alongside key words to assist with further research. This book provides a much-needed introduction and organizational structure for the diverse and complex musical arts of the region.