The Mask of Farīd ed-Dīn Al-`Aṭṭār In Modern Arabic Poetry

Abstract

This paper discusses the mask of Farīd ed-Dīn Al-`Aṭṭār as portrayed in the poetry of Abdul Wahab Al-Bayyati and Mahmud Darwish with the aim of studying the concatenation between the Sufi mask and intertextuality, and between poetry and meta-poetry. Despite the gap of time that separates Darwish and Al-Bayyati from Al-`Aṭṭār, they share a lot of common points. Both were exposed to oppression by the ruling authorities. As a result, they led a life of bitter struggle using the weapon of poetry. More important, they came across the revolutionary ideas and practices of Sufism, which endowed them with an ever-flowing river of mystic thoughts and an impetus to their struggle. Moreover, they were both celebrated as great and well-known poets. They left a rich legacy whose impact was so profound, wide and everlasting that it transcended their own culture and time. 77-110