Private Time in the Arabian Odes.

Résumé

This paper aims at discussing the features of private time  in three famous odes in Arabic poetry which are: Al-Khayyam's Sonnets translated by Ahmad Rami, "I Shall Meet You Tomorrow" by al-Hadi Adam, and "This Is My Night" by George Jirdaq. The paper investigates each poet's attitude towards his private time which he extracts from public time. The paper analyses the form and vision introduced in each poem, by juxtaposing each poet's aesthetic vision in regards to private time, even though every poet belongs to a different environment, for seizing the pleasure of private time is a universal desire.

The researcher has found that the concept of time in al-Khayyam's Sonnets has a specific philosophical dimension which glorifies the pleasure of the present moment while refusing to trust both the past and the future. As for the other two poets, private (individual) time connotes emotional, romantic security because they are lovers. However, the three of them glorify the pleasures of the present time in which they seize the happy moments.

In light of the aforementioned, the impact of music and singing in drawing attention to  aesthetic and philosophical values in these eloquent poems also becomes noticeable. Moreover, the paper emphasizes that man's conflict with time is eternal as long as Death is the master of all endings. Life is measured by a limited amount of time in which man experiences unforgettable joy. Poetry, no doubt, is the best art to portray the confict between man and time.