The Ten Books of Old Arabic132

The Ten Books of Old Arabic are a collection of ten volumes of selected Arabic texts that were compiled by the Arab philologist and lexicographer Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani in the 10th century. The books contain a wide range of texts, including poetry, prose, and historical accounts, and they provide a valuable resource for scholars of Arabic literature and history.

The ten books are:

Kitab al-Aghani (The Book of Songs)
Kitab al-Amali (The Book of Dictations)
Kitab al-Akhbar al-Tiwal (The Book of Long Histories)
Kitab al-Hayawan (The Book of Animals)
Kitab al-Maani (The Book of Meanings)
Kitab al-Bayan wa al-Tabyin (The Book of Eloquence and Clarity)
Kitab al-Masadir (The Book of Sources)
Kitab al-Tashbih (The Book of Similes)
Kitab al-Isti'ara (The Book of Metaphors)
Kitab al-Majaz (The Book of Figurative Language)

The Kitab al-Aghani is the most famous of the ten books. It is a massive collection of over 20,000 songs and poems, and it is an invaluable source of information about Arabic music and poetry. The Kitab al-Amali is a collection of essays and speeches that al-Isfahani delivered to his students. The Kitab al-Akhbar al-Tiwal is a history of the Arabs from the earliest times to the 10th century. The Kitab al-Hayawan is a collection of stories about animals, and it is one of the earliest works of natural history in Arabic.

The Kitab al-Maani is a treatise on the meaning of words and phrases. The Kitab al-Bayan wa al-Tabyin is a treatise on rhetoric and style. The Kitab al-Masadir is a dictionary of Arabic roots. The Kitab al-Tashbih is a dictionary of similes. The Kitab al-Isti'ara is a dictionary of metaphors. The Kitab al-Majaz is a dictionary of figurative language.

The Ten Books of Old Arabic are a valuable resource for scholars of Arabic literature and history. They provide a wide range of texts that can be used to study the development of Arabic language and literature. The books are also a valuable source of information about the history and culture of the Arabs.

2025-02-15

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