Arabian Satire: Poetry From 18th-Century Najd

This comprehensive collection of poems is not for the fainthearted or sticklers for political correctness. Ḥmēdān’s satire is rife with ribald humor and deliciously venomous criticisms sparing no one, himself and his family included. Frequently self-deprecating, Ḥmēdān, who hails from Najd, in present-day Saudi Arabia, also calls himself a “learned and discerning poet,” who relishes “bursting vain pretentions.” The poems reflect Ḥmēdān’s time in 18th-century Arabia, when honor was equivalent to generosity and bravery—and when a man’s worth was measured by his virility and battlefield performance, and women by their youth, beauty and chastity. The accompanying notes explain much and augment the experience nicely. This paperback is English only, unlike its hardback, bilingual version. Rhymes and vernacular were lost in translation, but the unforgiving, often hilarious tone is very present.