Qasida (MS 53496b)
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Material Information

Title:
Qasida (MS 53496b)
Series Title:
Hichens Collection :
Creator:
Sayyid Mansab bin Abdirrahman ( Author, Primary )
Hichens, William, -1944 ( contributor )
Publication Date:
Language:
Swahili
Materials:
Paper ( medium )
Technique:
Handwritten manuscript : Green bound small book; handwritten with black ink

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
Swahili poetry ( LCSH )
Religious poetry ( LCSH )
Religious belief
Islam ( LCSH )
Imani za kidini
Uislamu
Kiswahili mashairi
Faith ( LCSH )
Genre:
Poem
Poetry ( LCTGM )
Spatial Coverage:
Africa -- Kenya -- Lamu County -- Eastern Africa -- Lamu -- Lamu Island
Coordinates:
-2.269444 x 40.902222

Notes

Abstract:
This section of MS 53496 contains a translation into Swahili of the Arabic Qasida entitled ‘Tabaraka Dhu’l’ula’, by Sayyid (in the text the translator is referred as al-Sheikh) Mansab bin Abdurrahman, in a transliterated version, with copy. The transliteration may have been done by Hichens himself, but this is not mentioned in the manuscript. This poem is a waadhi because it reminds people of judgement day and gives religious admonition and advice to people in order to follow the teachings of God. The first line translates the Arabic title. The poetic prosody is of four kipande per stanza, and the overall number of stanzas is ninety. A relevant error that appears throughout the transliteration of the poem is the use of the Arabic letters of the alphabet in the heading, to suggest that every line begins with the letter mentioned at the beginning of the stanza. However, this is not shown in the stanzas. Possibly, the person who did the transliteration assumed that every Qasida has this poetic pattern. There are also grammatical errors. For instance, in the first line ‘Ule tukushiye’ should be ‘Ulitukushiye’. ( en )
General Note:
Biographical information: Sayyid Mansab bin Abdurrahman was of sharif origins, that is descendant of the prophet from his mOther and father’s side, from Lamu and was a well-known poet.
General Note:
Date of Composition: 1877 AD (1294 A.H.)
General Note:
Languages: Swahili (Roman script)
General Note:
Dialects: KiAmu
General Note:
Poetic Form: Various
General Note:
Extent: 19 leaves
General Note:
Purchased from Kegan Paul, 6 October 1948
General Note:
Incipit: Ule tukushiye mutukufu mwenye athama
General Note:
VIAF (name authority) : Hichens, William, -1944 : URI http://viaf.org/viaf/250560982
General Note:
Africa -- Eastern Africa -- Kenya -- Lamu County -- Lamu -- Lamu Island
General Note:
Africa -- Eastern Africa -- Tanzania -- Manyara Region -- Siu District
General Note:
Publication information: Knappert, Jan. 1971. Swahili Islamic Poetry, Vol. 1. Leiden: E.J. Brill.
General Note:
Publication information: Abdulaziz, M.H. 1996. The Influence of the Qasida on the development of Swahili rhymed and metred verse. in Sperl & Schackle (eds). Qasida Poetry in Islamic Asia and Africa. Brill, Leiden.
General Note:
Publication information: Harries, L. 1958. Maulid Barzanji. The Swahili Abridgement of Seyyid Mansab. Afrika und Ubersee, 42: 27-39.
General Note:
Dammann, Ernst. 1940. Dichtungen in der Lamu Mundart des Suaheli. Hamburg, pp. 276-284

Record Information

Source Institution:
SOAS University of London
Holding Location:
Archives and Special Collections
Rights Management:
This item is believed to be in the public domain
Resource Identifier:
MS 53496 ( SOAS manuscript number )
MS 53496b ( SOAS manuscript number )