MAP OF SAUDI ARABIA

LITERARY DEVELOPMENT OF SAUDI ARABIA

Pre-Islamic literature The structure of the Arabic language is well-suited to harmonious word-patterns, with elaborate rhymes and rhythms. The earliest known literature emerged in northern Arabia around 500 AD and took the form of poetry which was recited aloud, memorised and handed down from one generation to another. It began to be written down towards the end of the seventh century. The most celebrated poems of the pre-Islamic period were known as the mu'allaqat ("the suspended"), reputedly because they were considered sufficiently outstanding to be hung on the walls of the ka'ba in Makkah.

The typical poem of this period is the qasidah (ode), which normally consists of 70-80 pairs of half-lines. Traditionally, they describe the nomadic life, opening with a lament at an abandoned camp for a lost love. The second part praises the poet's horse or camel and describes a journey, with the hardships it entails. The third section contains the main theme of the poem, often extolling the poet's tribe and villifying its enemies. Classical Arabic prose The birth of Arabic prose as a literary form is attributed to the Persian secretarial class who served under the Abbasid caliphs (750-1256) in Baghdad. Ibn al-Muqaffa' (died 757) was a convert to Islam who translated classical Persian works into Arabic. He became famous as the author of Kalila and Dimna, a series of didactic fables in which two jackals offer moral and practical advice.

Arabic poetry A large proportion of Arabic literature before the 20th century is in the form of poetry, and even prose from this period is either filled with snippets of poetry or is in the form of saj or rhymed prose. The themes of the poetry range from high-flown hymns of praise to bitter personal attacks and from religious and mystical ideas to poems on sex and wine. An important feature of the poetry which would be applied to all of the literature was the idea that it must be pleasing to the ear. The poetry and much of the prose was written with the design that it would be spoken aloud and great care was taken to make all writing as mellifluous as possible.

SETTINGS: Arabian desert, Tents of Ali Ben Ahmed and other Arabs, Near the well Characters : Ali Ben- a great leader of his tribe. The one who welcomed the the great sheik with hospitality. Zuleika- a wonderful kid, daughter of Ali Ben and the reason why there was a wonder tree. Sheik Ben Nedi- A great leader of the other tribe. The visitor of Ali Ben. The Fairy- a kind fairy who helped Zuleika in her problem on what to give the Sheik.

THE WONDER TREE Far out in the desert of Arabia lived a chief called Ali Ben Ahmed and his tribe. There tents were pitched on the trackless sand where the blazing sun beat down all day. Month after month, they saw no stranger for the paths of the travelers lay far to the south. One evening, however, little Zuleika, the chiefs daughter, ran to her father for she have seen someone riding their way from the south. Ali Ben Ahmed came out of his tent and stood beside his beautiful little daughter. The chief scanned the southern horizon until his eyes found a little yellow cloud of dust in the far distance.

Zuleika danced with delight. She loved visitors who told stories of the wonders which her eyes had never seen. They had talked of cities with great stone houses, of lovely green gardens, of sparkling rivers, and cool blue seas. To the little girl who had lived all her life in the desert, these stories were marvelous fairy tales.

Ali Ben Ahmed called his men to welcome the new comer for the desert Arabs are very hospitable. They bowed their turbaned heads almost to the ground to a low salaam as the rider pulled up his sweating mount.

The stranger, who was proud and dignified, returned the salute and said that the great sheik Ben Nedi will visit their tribe the next day. The whole camp bustled with excitement, Ben Nedi was a very great sheik indeed, known far and wife for his power and goodness, and to have him visit the remote tents of Ali Ben Ahmed was an honor. Every Arab in the camp busied humself in preparing a gift for the coming sheik for ity is an Arabian custom to gicve gifts of welcome and hospitality. Only little Zuleika sat alone and idle. Tears stood in her lovely dark eyes because she had no gift to give the great man who would come the next day.

Her mother, busy in the womens tent unrolling a beautiful peace of silk that would be her gift the next day, tried to comfort the child and told her that children are not expected to give gifts.
But Zuleika was not comforted. She slipped away from the tents and sat on a great stone near the well and wept.

Suddenly, out of the well appeared a misty white figure which took the shape of a beautiful veiled woman. Her smile was sweet and when she spoke; her voice was like the soft ripple of running water. Zuleika, looking at her in amazement, knew that she could be no other than the good fairy of the well.
The fairy asked Zuleika to stop crying because she shall have a gift to give to the sheik and Zuleika will find it the next day where her tears have fallen upon the sand.

Then the shining figure faded away, melting into the misty light like a pale moonbeam. Zuleika ran back to her tent, but she could sleep little that night. As soon as dawn broke, she hurried out into the sand to find the gift which she was to give that day.