شعر الخمر في العصر المملوكي الثاني (784-923هـ)

Abstract

Wine poetry during the second Mamluki period

This study addresses the issue of poetry during the second Mamluki era. The significance of the study is the objective it seeks to attain in adding a more detailed view of this little detailed aspect across the time span of 784-923 AH. In spite of the overall decline in different life aspects, yet, poetry and scholars kept up the pace of development, in building and adding to the previous achievements of their predecessors, thus the authenticity and vividness of scholarly art remained alive in the writings and art productions of the second Mamluki era scholars, whose literature was a living and vivid true depiction of their true life.

Their writings reflected the different realities of life at that time in such a gorgeous attractive charming way, whereby, any reader or beholder of that artistic production will feel as if being taken back into that era, with all of its harmonies and dissonance. During that period, wine poetry flourished and gained a high rank among the poetry of second Mamluki period poets. That, like in previous times, flourished with no boundaries or limitations; regardless of the situation of liberties or freedom, such poetry remains sought after and needed as much as wine is to the public.

Poets portrayed their wine-attached life and meetings in a most vibrant detailed way; they depicted drinks, drinkers, bartenders and partners. They also depicted their meetings and their festive times and above all, they depicted wine as a crosscutting theme for the majority of that poetry. Poets detailed their happy hour as a lasting happy time, where they would meet each after a long time of being apart, thus they’d drink wine and enjoy their happy time, while joining a jolly singing and music time.