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Ihsan Abbas

イフサーン・アッバース

Ihsan Abbas

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1920-12-02 （Ayn Ghazal, Mandatory Palestine）
Died
2003-07-30 （Amman, Jordan） age 82
Nationality
Palestinian
Languages
Arabic, English
Religion
Sunni Islam
Residence History
Haifa → Acre → Jerusalem (Arab College) → Cairo (Cairo University) → Khartoum, Sudan (Gordon Memorial College / University of Khartoum) → Beirut (American University of Beirut) → Amman (died)

Career

Occupations
university professor, literary scholar, text editor, translator, literary critic
Active Years
1940-2003
Affiliations
American University of Beirut (AUB), University of Khartoum (formerly Gordon Memorial College), University of Jordan (post-retirement research)
Influenced By
Ibn Hazm, Kahlil Gibran

Education

Arab College (Jerusalem)
Period: 1937–1941
Country: Mandatory Palestine
Secondary education; formative training prior to university studies.
Cairo University
Arabic literature
Degree: 学士 (BA)
Year of Graduation: 1950
Country: Egypt
Earned a BA in Arabic literature. Subsequently pursued MA and PhD studies at the same institution.
Cairo University
Degree: 修士・博士 (MA, PhD)
Country: Egypt
MA thesis on Arabic literary culture in Sicily; doctoral dissertation on asceticism and its influence in Umayyad culture.

Awards

King Faisal International Prize in Arabic Language and Literature
1980
Category: Arabic Language and Literature
Organization: King Faisal Foundation
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Modern Trends in Contemporary Arabic Poetry

literary criticism

A study analyzing trends in modern Arabic poetry and its development in relation to foreign literatures.

modern poetrycomparative literature

Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab

poetry study / author study

A study of the Iraqi poet Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab, analyzing his work and influence.

poet studymodern Arabic poetry

Abd Al-Wahhab Al-Bayati

poet study

An examination of Al-Bayati's poetry, symbolism, and intellectual background.

symbolismpolitics and poetry

Edition of Ibn Bassam (8-volume edited edition)

1979 text editing / philology

A monumental 8-volume edited edition of a 12th-century biographical dictionary of Andalusian intellectuals; an important contribution to Arab-Islamic cultural history.

Andalusian literaturetextual scholarship

Bibliography

  • Modern Trends in Contemporary Arabic Poetry
  • Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab
  • Abd Al-Wahhab Al-Bayati
  • Edition of Ibn Bassam (8 volumes)

Translations by Author

  • Moby-Dick (translation)
  • The Poetics of Aristotle (translation, co-translator)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
meticulous philological editingclear and precise expositioncomparative literary perspective
Recurring Motifs
Andalusian literary heritageconnection between poets' biographies and poetic productiongenealogy of modern Arabic poetry

Health

  • prolonged illness (details unknown)
    Affected late-life activity; he died in Amman in 2003.

Legacy

Considered a leading figure in 20th-century Arabic and Islamic studies; notable for critical editions of classical texts and influential studies of modern Arabic poetry. His works became standard readings in many universities and he was regarded as a custodian of Arabic cultural heritage.

Quotes

  • “Professor Ihsan Abbas was awarded the prize for his valuable contributions in the Arabic literary field, especially in the contemporary Arabic poetry studies.”
    Source: King Faisal International Prize citation (1980) (1980)

Trivia

  • Authored over one hundred books during his career.
  • Edited and republished Ibn Bassam's 12th-century biographical dictionary in an 8-volume edition.
  • Participated in translations of major works including Herman Melville's Moby-Dick.