Time and space matter a lot for everything. The current of culture and civilization are ruthless in a way that they burry poets of sublime nature under debris of time. However, poetry was such a powerful art that it withstood the test of time. It continued to resonate beyond the ages, enlivening the poets through wisdom, words woven in the images and sensational source of emotions to confront the reasoning as opposed to rhymes.
Poets held a high status in every society. However, the Arab and Persian world was a fertile ground for poets of passion and emotions. They have unwielded their facile pen and tongue to opine and comment upon their contemporary societies. The poet was an adept opinion-maker, historian, sooth-sayer and propagandist to propagate views through poetic medium.
Since Mu’allaqat (The suspended poems) to Sinan Antoon himself, the poetry stands tall as archive of Arab history, society and culture. It has fabulously carried ‘the narrative of people and class’. They reflected upon the passions, sentiments, desiresand tales of bravery.
The poet which is part of our discussion here is a unique proponent of perhaps elite Arabian culture. The name is second to none, the tall and lofty tower the Sukhuf, famously known as Ibn Hajjaj. The content and thoughts are either invariably based upon the text of Sinan Antoon’s massive labour of love entitled as ‘The Poetics of the Obscene in Premodern Arabic Poetry’.
The poetry, approach of scholarship adopted by Antoon and majestic vastness of crude wisdom laying in between the original of poem and apparent views of the scholar has tempted me write upon the subject of ‘Sukhuf’
Before, I could take a dip in the ocean of Sukhuf, an interesting comment of al-Misri (686-768) captured my attention for assuming poetry as an offspring, and like a nation well spread over the planet earth and true fruition of innocence, experience and imagination.
In his words,”I saw that the fruits of poets’ thoughts are [like] offspring, akin to each other, and like nations, their poems are scattered upon the earth. Except for the poems of the unique littérateur Abu ? Abdullah Ibn al- Hajjaj, for they are a strange nation that spreads on its own and a wondrous offspring . . . no one’s mind was able to master their likeness.”
Ibn Nubata al-Misri (686-768/1287-1366)
In this treatise, Sinan Antoon delves into the culture of obscene poetry in the premodern era. These poems are erotic, plainly indecent, but had a currency in the then society as a source of entertainment and commentary.
Sukhf is a genre in Arabic literature perhaps. It does exist in the other languages as well. However, assuming the level of sensitivities and broadness of Arabian culture, the medium has been a royal highway of passion and emotions.
Hamid Dabashi, a leading intellectual and thinker opines up:
“The purpose of this series is to take advantage of the most recent advances in literary studies, textual hermeneutics, critical theory, feminism, postcolonialism, and comparative literature to bring the spectrum of literatures and cultures of the Islamic world to a wider audience and appreciation. Usually, the study of these literatures and cultures is divided between classical and modern periods. A central objective of this series is to cross over this artificial and inapplicable bifurcation and abandon the anxiety of periodization altogether.”
Sinan Antoon has chosen a very unique subject of obscene poetry and given it a high treatment of scholastic inquiries into language, textual hermeneutics and critical theory. Such an act of scholarship is breaking the boundaries of so-called sobriety. Hence, it constitutes a colossal amount of work imbued in passion for scholarship and love for language.
Geert Jan van Gelder, Laudian Professor of Arabic, University of Oxford, identifies ‘Sinan Antoon as among the few scholars who in recent years have embarked on the unprejudiced study of what in Arabic is called sukhf’. Gelder considers the Antoon’s work readable, written in an accessible style, neither marred by the excessive use of jargon nor suffering from being clothed in a straightjacket of Theory.
Keeping aside the outpouring of praise, Antoonhad a heavenly feel for the Sukhuf. It was enlightening about abrasive use of language which is part and parcel of human society. The foul, harsh and vulgar words usually constitute a slang Language. Quite opposite to our largely held views, it is only Arabic language which has, since ages, continued to fascinate our amazement for bearing with such a terse adoption of indecent medium.Whatever, this book is offering a blissful dive into the ocean of Sukhuf and generates a matchless treasure of knowledge.
Antoon deplores the demise of Sukhf as a genre. He laments upon the disappearance of Sukhf and the skills of mighty Ibn al Hajjaj who considered himself as Prophet of Sukhuf.
[I am] A man who claims messenger hood in sukhf /
Who dares to doubt the messenger?
Such is my poetry, its leaves /
are spread and turned over again
There is not a noble man on earth /
without a book of them
He acknowledged that I am the prophet /
of sukhf and he is merely a poet.
I can only imagine in a dream whether such a wonderful work of scholarship can happen in Pakistan. I have read a few reviews of the book about Bhandpan, the comic performances by Prof. Paiment Claire (Afterall, she also has a western orientation for scholarly research). I am yet to go through it. Not sure, whether she has touched upon obscenity in her book ‘Comic Performance in Pakistan: The Bhand’ published by Palgrave Macmillan.
To put up a clarity for the readers, Sukhf cannot be plainly described as Bhandpan (or can be). Since this is a scholastic debate, I am frankly limited in my familiarity with vast body of literature spread around to draw a delineating differentiation. Sukhuf, however, is a testament of expressive and entertaining commentary on socio-cultural and ethical dimensions the period in a befitting way.
At one point, Sinan says that Ibn al-Hajjaj had glorified the Sukhuf so much that people started to differentiate between a kind of Sukhuf and other kind of obscene and scatological humour. The Sukhuf was an immediate recognition of fruition by al-Hajjaj. He not only entrenched it as a genre’, but caused it (in Antoon’s words) to influence the trajectory of Arabic poetry.
Al-Hajjaj had claims (though self-assumed ones, but typically righteous for some contested reasons) to glorify the splendour that he had.
The demons of poetry /
kneel before mine when it comes to sukhf.
Ibn al Hajjaj says,
When I compose sukhf I am Imru? al-Qays /
even though my father is not Hujr
Had I wanted to write serious poetry /
It would not be difficult for me
But then I would merely be like /
all those who write poetry in our age
Were it not for me, sukhf would never /
have been written down or read
And to him who faults me for my sukhf I say: /
You most foolish of all people!
Besides Sukhuf, Ibn al-Hajjaj had written Hazls (jest). He is seen applying manliness or potency as metaphor of declining vigour over a period of time. It is a fact that male impotency has remained a major concern afflicting the grace and majesty of a man. The frailty of age and falling of sexual vigour has been an elegy for man. Ibn al-Hajjaj while talking about the galore of sexual depravity laments impotency of once a youthful person,
If you were amazed that he is weak after [being so] potent /
Many a warrior was overtaken by calamities.
While explaining the boundaries of Sukhuf and Hazl, Sinan appears to have understandable unease in defining the limits and drawing the boundaries between Hazl and Sukhuf. He sees Sukhuf as poetry of silly or loose language embodying a loose thought. Contrary to Sukhuf, Hazl is not eagerly identical with humorous or non-sensical words or a kind of foulness or impropriety of language entwining the ideas. Sinan contends it with fuzzy edges (uncertain boundaries). Sinan gracefully concedes his inability to demarcate the lines between two contending mediums of obscene poetry.
Ibn al-Hajjaj had written Hijja’ as well. He had a so overweening attitude over his art, that he hardly tolerated anyone’s claim as an authority.
Sinan recalls that the majestic Sufi poet Al-Mutanabbi (who is also said to have been a claimant of prophethood) was a contemporary and an enemy of al-Hajjaj. Out of a malice (or whatsoever), he composed a few hija’ poems composed targeting al-Mutanabbi as well:
[I am] a man who claims majesty in sukhf /
and who dare doubt my art?
I bring forth miracles to which I call /
So, answer all ye ribald ones!