Modern and Traditional Culture in the UAE

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Table of Contents

Literature Review
Nabaṭī Poetry and Classical Arabic Poetry
References

Literature Review

For the written essay, books and articles were used that made it possible to form a complete understanding of the poetic tradition of the UAE. The article “History of Saudi folklore and factors that shaped it” by Altwaiji (2017) allowed considering the factors that shaped the poetic tradition from a historical perspective. This article does not provide enough information on the culture of the UAE as it focuses on Saudi Arabia. However, the information provided by the author on the development of poetry in the pre-Islamic period is useful for the discussion.

The books The Nabati Poetry of the United Arab Emirates (2011), Trends and movements in modern Arabic poetry (1977), Modern Arabic poetry: 1800 – 1970; the development of its forms and themes under the influence of western literature (1976), and Nabati Poetry: The oral poetry of Arabia (1985) provided the most valuable information for the research. The authors of these works have done extensive research into the poetic tradition of the UAE, including a particular focus on nabaṭī poetry. Another significant advantage of these works for discussion is a comprehensive analysis of the current position of poetry in the culture of the UAE and the factors that shaped it. The chapter “Poetry in the UAE” in the book the United Arab Emirates: A new perspective (2001) provides a valuable overview of both the oral and classical tradition of Arab poetry. The chapter also contains examples for analyzing the structure and content of the poems.

Creation of the modern Middle East: United Arab Emirates (2009) provides additional information on contemporary UAE culture and the prevalence of poetic tradition in modern society. This book does not represent significant academic research, but it represents a comprehensive overview of contemporary culture. Although “Contemporary Emirati literature: Its historical development and forms” (2014) focuses on classical Arabic poetry, it devotes considerable attention to oral tradition. The article provides valuable information on the development of Arabic literature and culture.

Nabaṭī Poetry and Classical Arabic Poetry

The poetic tradition in the Arabian Peninsula is the oldest and richest in the whole world. This fact explains its popularity and significant influence on the culture of modern Arab countries, including the UAE. The pre-Islamic period contains many documents, according to which researchers can observe the rich poetic tradition of peoples. In particular, nabaṭī poetry is the most popular and influential example of the UAE’s oral folklore tradition that exists and develops in modern society. In contrast to classical Arabic poetry, which developed later and was composed in Standard Arabic, nabaṭī is a reflection of the daily life of the Bedouins. Despite the fact that both types of poetry exist today, nabaṭī occupies a special position in the culture of the UAE. Although this type of poetry is ancient, it is widely used by modern poets and is even exploited on television. Classical Arabic poetry is not as popular in modern society as it has a more formal structure and discusses topics that are less familiar to the general public.

The culture of the UAE is strongly connected to the Islamic tradition due to the following of the religion in the region. Early poets, therefore, focused on religious enlightenment and passed their art in places of worship. Bedouin poetry stands prominent among the artistic creations of ancient Arabs. The community members performed the poems orally, and most of the pieces do not have documented evidence. In the pre-Islamic period, the poetry recounted the experiences of nomads in their personal exploits and tribal wars (Altwaiji, 2017). Successive generations received these cultural expressions through oral literature, including storytelling. Groups of nomads usually gathered around poets in the traditional Bedouin society, and they listened to their creative narrations. The reciters became famous for their excellent language, and they enjoyed high status as brave knights. The introduction of Islam in the region significantly enriched the traditional language and elevated the beauty of poetry.

Despite the development of Arab culture in various fields, poetry occupied the most significant position in the pre-Islamic period. Early poetry in UAE documented the history of the communities and served recreational purposes. In particular, nabaṭī poetry communicated important events and narrated experiences of the nomads with watering holes, battles, and social matters. Nabaṭī, an early vernacular tradition of Arabic poetry, is also called “Bedouin poetry” since it depicted predominantly the traditional life of ordinary people (Sowayan, 1985). The poems incorporated dances and emotional expression as part of the social entertainment. The poetry was significant in understanding the values and aspirations of the nomadic communities that mainly lived nomadic lives. Nabaṭī poetry still thrives in the UAE and explores various subjects, including love, marriage, and family. Currently, nabati poetry in the UAE is quite popular, and “almost every newspaper and magazine now has a weekly page for nabati poems” (Ghanem, 2001, p. 307). Despite the gradual modernization of the poetic tradition due to contact with the Western world, as well as the development of mass communication, nabati remains a significant part of Arab culture in the UAE.

Nabaṭī was an oral tradition through which the Arab society passed on its values to the next generations. The main reason for the popularity of this genre among people is the transmission of complex phenomena of the life of people and society in a simple language. In particular, in contrast to classical Arabic poetry, nabaṭī is understandable to a wide range of people. In addition to celebrating the Bedouin lifestyle, nabaṭī poetry explores “other themes like ghazal (love), rithāʾ (elegy), madḥ (eulogy), and hijāʾ (invective)” (Tijani, 2014, p. 126). Since this type of poetry is predominantly oral and also discusses a wide range of everyday moral topics, often in a satirical form, it has gained particular popularity even in the modern UAE. Holes and Abu Athera (2011) emphasize the importance of nabaṭī poetry among people of the Arabian Peninsula and, in particular, UAE. Thematic and structural features, combined with socio-cultural functions, give this type of poetry relevance.

In this regard, it is noteworthy that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who is the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE is a nabaṭī poet. A collection of his verses was published in 2009 and entitled Poems from the Desert (Tijani, 2014). Although classical Arabic poetry in Standard Arabic is a later form, it is not as common in the modern UAE. Moreover, modern television even takes poetry as the basis for shows such as Million’s Poet and Prince of Poets (Darraj & Puller, 2009). The first show uses nabaṭī as the main form of versification, while the second uses classical Arab poetry.

Classical literature and poems written in the standard Arabic language are considered modern forms of poetry tradition in the UAE. Classical poetry began to develop in the middle of the nineteenth century, while nabaṭī existed in the pre-Islamic period (Sowayan, 1985). The main difference between classical Arabic poetry and earlier forms is the distraction from everyday matters to more socially significant ones (Moreh, 1976). Classical Arabic poetry was written in standard Arabic, which was more accessible to the educated population of the UAE. This fact led to longer and more complexly structured verses compared to the earlier tradition. Although classical Arabic poetry also existed in the pre-Islamic period, nabaṭī enjoyed great popularity due to its availability to people. Despite the fact that classical poetry was not closely associated with political changes, it still influenced its formation in the modern period (Khadra Jayyusi, 1977). The oral poetic tradition, despite the creation of the printed press, is still more popular in society, while the more formal classical poetry is the subject of research.

However, classical tradition and nabaṭī poetry still discuss similar topics. The common themes of gnomic wisdom, hunting and elegy, and descriptions of nature, among other topics, run through both traditions. This aspect is unique to all Arabic poetry that exists both in the UAE and beyond. Classical poetry followed a regular structure comprised of multiple themes. However, each theme obtained a unique Semitic identity as the author sought a balance between the regular and the unique. However, the composer does not explore all the themes in the poem or attempt to organize them in a coherent order. Despite the similarities, the nabaṭī poems are rich in thematic exposition and bear a religious touch. In addition, the nabaṭī poems commonly explore the six tropes of animals, an upside-down world, the buttercup, fate, and rain. The observation shows that the modern adaptation of poetry in Arabic culture led to a diversification of the themes.

The nabaṭī poems represent literary modernity as they include themes associated with Islamic influence. Classical poems explored limited themes related to the life and culture of tribal communities in the pre-Islamic era. In addition, the poems distinctively lack references to the Islamic mythological figures as contained in the nabaṭī. Classical poetry also bears limited reference to God and the religious culture that dominated the Arabic peninsula from the 7th Century CE and beyond. The observations show that the nabaṭī poems emanated from the dominance of Islam in the latter days of civilization in the UAE region (Khadra Jayyusi, 1977). Thus, classical Arabic poetry reflects the world in a less religious and traditional light. Nabaṭī poetry is filled with references to tribal life in the pre-Islamic period, while modern poetry in Standard Arabic is used as an example of high intellectual culture. However, due to its less formal structure and the wide range of topics discussed, nabaṭī is more common in modern society.

The literary and, in particular, the poetic tradition of the Arabian Peninsula is extremely ancient and rich, which explains the variability of genres. The modern society and culture of the UAE are closely related to traditional arts, which makes poetry so popular. In particular, nabaṭī poetry, which developed in the pre-Islamic period, is still widespread and is developing in a modern context. Although classical Arabic poetry has the same ancient roots, it is less common in the UAE and has developed for the most part since the mid-nineteenth century. However, this fact did not make it more popular in modern society. Nabaṭī poetry is a reflection of the traditional life of the peoples of the Arabian Peninsula and has a less formal structure and is also characteristic of the oral tradition. These factors make this type of poetry more popular than classical Arabic poetry, which discusses a narrower range of topics using a more complex form.

References

Altwaiji, M. (2017). History of Saudi folklore and factors that shaped it. Trames Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences, 21(2), 161-171. Web.

Darraj, S. M., & Puller, M. (2009). Creation of the modern Middle East: United Arab Emirates. Chelsea House Publishers.

Holes, C., & Abu Athera, S. S. (2011). The Nabati Poetry of the United Arab Emirates. Ithaca Press, Reading.

Ghanem. (2001). Poetry in the UAE. In P. Hellyer, United Arab Emirates: A new perspective (pp. 305-311). Trident Press.

Khadra Jayyusi, S. (1977). Trends and movements in modern Arabic poetry. Brill.

Moreh, Samuel. (1976). Modern Arabic poetry: 1800 – 1970; the development of its forms and themes under the influence of western literature. Brill Archive.

Sowayan, S. A. (1985). Nabati Poetry: The oral poetry of Arabia. University of California Press.

Tijani, O. I. (2014). Contemporary Emirati literature: Its historical development and forms.Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies, 14, 121-136. Web.

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Modern and Traditional Culture in the UAE

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