The Gazelle: Medieval Hebrew Poems on God, Israel, and the SoulFrom the tenth century to the thirteenth, the Jews of Spain belonged to a vibrant and relatively tolerant Arabic-speaking society, a sophisticated culture that had a marked effect on Jewish life, thought, artistic tastes, and literary expression. In this companion volume to Wine, Women, and Death, we see how the surrounding Arabic culture influenced the new poetry that was being written for the synagogue service. The Hebrew poems here, accompanied by elegant English translations and explanatory essays are short lyrics of the highest literary quality. |
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Abraham Ibn Ezra alludes allusions Arabic love poetry Bahya Bahya Ibn Paquda beloved benediction Bible biblical Blessed century Chapter commentary congregation culture Death derives dition divine dream epithet erotic exegesis exile expression Ezra's gazelle geonim God's Golden Age poets Hashira ha'ivrit heart heavens Hebrew poetry hemistich Ibn Ghiyath idea imagery individual intellectual interpretation INTRODUCTION Islam Israel Jerusalem Jewish Jews Judah Halevi Kuzari language literally literary literature liturgical poems liturgical poetry Lord lover man's meaning medieval Hebrew Messiah midrash Mirsky Moses Ibn Ezra Muslim muwashshah Mystical Neoplatonic Nishmat NOTES original passage philosophical piyyut poem's poet's praise precentor Psalm quotation rabbinic redemption refer religious poetry rhyme Saadia Schirmann secular love poetry secular poetry seems Shire haqodesh Solomon Ibn Gabirol Song of Songs soul Spain speaker speaks spiritual stanza strophic synagogue synagogue poetry Temple theme thought tradition trans translation verb verse Wine words worshiper