A strophic Arabic verse form closely related to the muwashshah but composed entirely in colloquial rather than classical Arabic, developed in Islamic Iberia and still a living oral and performance form in the Levant today, especially in Lebanese improvised poetic duels.
Facts
Place of OriginAl-Andalus (Islamic Iberia), 11th-12th century; today a living oral tradition in Lebanon and the Levant. 1 StructureStrophic stanzas in colloquial Arabic, structurally close to the muwashshah's shifting rhyme and refrain pattern. 1 Notable ExampleIbn Quzman's 12th-century zajal collection, the form's classical foundation; Lebanese zajal poetic-duel performance today. 1 Connections
Form Of Genre
Source The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics
Influenced By
Source The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics
Sources
1. The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics
Princeton University Press
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Al-Zajal, Recited or Sung Poetry
Description section, opening paragraphQuote, Description section, opening paragraph
Al-Zajal is a form of Lebanese folk poetry declaimed or sung at social and family celebrations and in daily life.
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