The only certainty of our brief lives is death. Faced with this unflinching and brutal reality, the pre-Islamic poet, Ṭarafah ibn al-ʿAbd, develops a philosophy of hedonistic honour.
In the absence of revelation, Ṭarafah, a proud, young orphan born into nobility, concludes that the wisest course of action is to savour every breathing moment by squandering his wealth on himself, friends & family. Wine, women & war are not distractions, but what make life worth living.
Ṭarafah’s lavish lifestyle is constricted by the older, more frugal executors of his father’s estate. This causes him to develop his legacy of hedonism-cum-honour. Given the ephemerality of life, what better virtues are there than generosity and valour? A delicate flame offers no value and is easily forgotten. Ṭarafah surrounds the flame of life with tinder, kindling it into a roaring fire. He vindicates himself, lampoons his father’s relatives, and eternalizes his legacy in poetry.
In this course, we will read the entire text of Ṭarafah’s Hanging Ode, focusing on thematic & stylistic elements, vocabulary, syntax, and a bit of rhetoric.
Note: We will be taking a break for Ramadan, and will resume the course thereafter.
