what is Mauritanian literature?
Mauritania has a long and rich tradition of poetry composed in a local dialect of Arabic, called hassaniyya (the name comes from the Arabic tribe Beni Hassan that ruled Mauritania from the 15th to the 17th century). It has also long tradition of writing in Arabic and producing visually striking manuscripts, with multidirectional writing I love so much. Oral and written word is in a constant interplay, Poets, known as "griots" or "iggiw" and highly respected in Mauritanian society, compose essentially on the basis of their memory and transmit their poetry orally. The themes of such poetry, known as "gazra" or "g'naawa," often include praise of eminent individuals, historical narratives, and social commentary. Another type of activity is oral storytelling, performed not by a specific class, but generally by elders. They pass down stories and legends to younger generations, teaching moral lessons and preserving the history and culture of the Mauritanian people. On the other hand, traditional written literature is essentially of the religious kind, often giving expression to Sufi spirituality.
Literature in the modern assertion of the term is written both in Arabic and in French. Among the narrow group of published authors, three names stand out: Mohamed Bouya Bamba, Mohamed El-Mokhtar Ould Bah, and Mohamed Yahya Ould Jiddou. Yet if I had to single out a book appreciable by the global public, it could be Birds of Nabaa, by Abdallah Uld Mohamadi Bah offering a modernized version of Sufi ascetism on a journey through Madrid, Gulf states, Guinea and back to Nabaa, the Sufi's native village. Along the peregrination, Mauritanian poetry and Sufi spirituality are a constant source of lyricism and solace, providing that inner peace the contemporary reader needs so badly. A rarity is also the depiction of a chaste relationship between a man and a woman (the wandering Sufi and his Portuguese friend Teresa).
More on Mauritanian collections:
West African Arabic Manuscripts LibGuide: https://guides.library.illinois.edu/westafricanmanuscripts
Literature in the modern assertion of the term is written both in Arabic and in French. Among the narrow group of published authors, three names stand out: Mohamed Bouya Bamba, Mohamed El-Mokhtar Ould Bah, and Mohamed Yahya Ould Jiddou. Yet if I had to single out a book appreciable by the global public, it could be Birds of Nabaa, by Abdallah Uld Mohamadi Bah offering a modernized version of Sufi ascetism on a journey through Madrid, Gulf states, Guinea and back to Nabaa, the Sufi's native village. Along the peregrination, Mauritanian poetry and Sufi spirituality are a constant source of lyricism and solace, providing that inner peace the contemporary reader needs so badly. A rarity is also the depiction of a chaste relationship between a man and a woman (the wandering Sufi and his Portuguese friend Teresa).
More on Mauritanian collections:
West African Arabic Manuscripts LibGuide: https://guides.library.illinois.edu/westafricanmanuscripts
I have readsome translated poetry ...
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I have written... nothing ...
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