The Aesthetics of Literary Expression and Arabic Poetic Imagination in Saadi Shiraz’s Poem "Baghdad Elegy" as a Model

Abstract

     Understanding the literary personality of the Persian poet and mystic Saadi Shirazi and his entire career in his influence on Arabic literature is not only fully clear by studying his literary works in Persian, but also requires studying his Arabic production represented by his Arabic poems, in addition to studying his Persian production. The poet Saadi Shirazi has various purposes in the language of Dad, such as praise, preaching, monotheism, supplication, hope, and lamentation. Among his Arabic poems, he is distinguished in the last purpose by a unique poem that deserves to be given a special space, which is his visionary poem and his elegy that he composed about the destruction of Baghdad, the killing of the Caliph, and the loss of the Abbasid Caliphate. The poet Saadi has various purposes: praise, preaching, monologues, monologues, hopes, lamentation, etc. For this last purpose, he has a unique poem in his Arabic poetry, which deserves to be given a special space, which is his visionary poetry and his elegy, which he said about the destruction of Baghdad, the death of the Caliphate, and the loss of the Abbasid Caliphate. This wonderful poem, which he created after Baghdad was destroyed by the Mongol attacks, is an artistic, poetic, or emotional poem, or by all accounts, it is his longest poem, in Persian and Arabic, and it is the Qur’an of Saadi, which they did not take the right to mention, refer to, or scrutinize. As a primary source of information, Christian culture had a great influence and an effective role in the way it allowed him to express his various purposes, experiences, ideas, and goals. He used the rich vocabulary of the Qur’an, was inspired by its images and references, and was familiar with its text and style. His poems include charitable work, which is characterized by eloquence, rhetoric, spirituality, and beauty, due to its noble content and various social problems, and he is fully aware of its moral, social, and religious message. Saadi Siraj relies on the use of the Arab cultural heritage acquired by students in schools and educational centers in Arab countries, as well as travel and tourism in other countries, and the influence of ancient Arab culture is evident through the use of methods of expression in the Arabic language. The poet Saadi Shirazi has multiple objectives in the Arabic language, including praise, preaching, monotheism, supplication, hope, and lamentation. Among these purposes, his visionary poem, which he wrote in mourning for Baghdad after its destruction and the killing of the Caliph, stands out. It is a unique elegy that deserves to be highlighted. This poem, which Saadi created after the Mongol attacks on Baghdad, is considered one of his most beautiful and wonderful poems in terms of art, poetry, and emotion, and are the longest among his poems, whether in Persian or Arabic. However, this poem has not received sufficient attention in terms of mention and study. The Quranic culture that Saadi was influenced by played a major role in shaping his style, as he used the rich lexicon of the Quran and was inspired by its images and allusions, which helped him, express his thoughts and experience in a distinctive way. His poem includes embellishments that are characterized by eloquence, rhetoric, spirituality, and beauty, due to the noble content and diverse social issues it contains. He is fully aware of his moral, social, and religious responsibilities. Saadi Shirazi resorted to benefiting from his Arab cultural heritage that he acquired from his studies in Arab schools and educational centers, in addition to his travels and tourism in various countries. The influence of ancient Arab culture is also clearly evident in his methods of expression