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HOW THE ARAB UNDERSTOOD
VISUAL ART

saloua raouda choucair

Having­read­your­book­and­taken­note­of­your­personal­opinions,­analy-
Schwester,­and­interpretation,­I­am­prompted­to­make­a­few­observations­that­
may­be­of­some­benefi­t,­or­even­much.1­First,­I­want­to­draw­your­atten-
tion­to­the­issue­of­Orientalists­and­how­they­appear­from­the­perspec-
tive­of­us­Arabs,­or­rather­from­the­perspective­of­you­who­studied­with­
them­and­were­infl­uenced­by­their­standards.­In­your­various­studies­
of­Arabs,­their­history,­and­their­literature,­you­compare­them­to­the­
civilizations­that­preceded­them,­whether­Indian,­Persian,­or­Greek.­I­
do­not­believe­that­such­a­comparison­is­fair­or­tenable,­unless­we­allow­
comparing­Ibn­al-Farid­with­Napoleon,­for­example.2­In­your­study­of­
the­Arabic­story,­you­ventured­to­note­some­very­strange­Arab­aesthet-
ics,­but­the­general­standards­on­which­you­base­your­study­prevented­
you­from­declaring­them­directly,­so­you­gave­only­a­glimpse,­and­con-
sequently­your­questions­proliferated.

I­acknowledge­that­Arabs­borrowed­much­from­the­peoples­they­

encountered,­among­them­Indians,­Persians,­and­Greeks.­Yet,­on­
the­other­hand,­everything­they­took,­they­stamped­with­their­own­

1­­

2­­

Choucair­originally­penned­this­essay­as­a­response­to­Musa­Sulaiman’s­study­Al-Adab
al-qisasi ʿind al-ʿarab­[Narrative­Fiction­among­the­Arabs],­which­had­appeared­the­previ-
ous­year­(Juniyah,­Lebanon:­Dar­al-Kitab,­1950).
Ibn­al-Farid­was­a­mystical­poet­active­in­12th-century­Cairo.

© 2015 arTMargins and the Massachusetts institute of Technology

doi:10.1162/arTM_a_00107

119

­personality.­You­yourself­mention­that­on­page­20­of­your­book,­in­­
the­course­of­your­study­of­A Thousand and One Nights,­saying,­“The­
Arabic­coloring­in­it­stands­out­the­strongest.”­I­will­extrapolate­from­
this­that­Arabs­imposed­their­special­character­on­all­they­borrowed­
from­other­peoples,­and­that­was­the­source­of­the­strength­of­their­per-
sonality,­a­personality­that­differed­from­all­others­around­them.­It­is­
this­personality­that­needs­to­be­studied,­in­its­own­light­and­not­in­the­
light­of­other­civilizations.­It­is­from­this­theoretical­angle­that­I­will­
analyze­Arab­visual­art,­because­it­facilitates­understanding­other­
forms­of­Arab­art,­and­because­visual­art­is­my­specialty.

How­did­the­Arab­understand­visual­art?
The­Arab­never­took­much­interest­in­visible,­tangible­reality,­or­
the­truth­that­every­human­sees.3­Rather,­he­took­his­search­for­beauty­
to­the­essence­of­the­subject,­extracting­it­from­all­the­adulterations­
that­had­accumulated­in­art­since­the­time­of­the­[Ancient]­Greeks­
(zaman al-ighriq)­until­the­end­of­the­19th­century.­The­Arab­neither­
employed­the­illusion­of­dimensionality­nor­distorted­a­truth­in­order­
to­bring­out­an­idea.­He­neither­made­visual­art­subservient­to­litera-
ture­nor­affixed­it­with­an­alien­spirit.

Arabs­are­the­most­sensitively­sophisticated­of­peoples­in­under-
standing­art,­and­that­is­why­they­broached­the­subject­at­its­abstract­
essence.4­Visual­art­has­its­own­impact­and­value­in­itself,­so­there­is­no­
need,­from­the­Arab’s­perspective,­to­associate­it­with­other­art­forms­
for­it­to­be­complete.­In­literature,­there­is­the­word,­and­in­visual­art­
there­is­color.­The­Arab­never­mixed­the­two­together,­and­this­is­what­
has­escaped­the­critics­to­this­day.­Rather,­they­judged­Arabs­according­
to­the­standards­I­mentioned­above,­those­that­affirm­the­achievements­
of­the­Greeks­and­Romans­as­the­pinnacle­of­intellect­and­innovation.­
As­I­said,­in­seeking­the­essence­in­visual­art,­the­Arab­purifies­it­of­
admixtures,­because that is in his spirit (ruh).­Not­because­the­Qurʾan­
forbade­it.­This­attitude­is­equally­apparent­in­the­sciences,­literature,­
and­religious­dogma,­where­the­Arab­seeks­abstraction­and­the­elimi-
nation­of­irregularities.

3­­

4­­

As­I­explain­in­my­introductory­article,­I­conform­to­the­original­text’s­alternation­
between­“Arabs”­(meaning­a­people)­and­“the­Arab”­(meaning­a­typical­member­of­that­
Menschen).
Choucair’s­verb­tense­oscillates­between­the­present­and­the­past.­I­have­chosen­to­honor­
this­and­reproduce­it­in­English,­despite­the­occasional­awkwardness.­I­discuss­in­the­
introduction­why­Choucair­seems­to­have­intended­to­intertwine­completed,­ongoing,­
and­not-yet-undertaken­actions.

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Do­you­not­see­that­Jews­and­some­Christians­who­believe­in­the­
Old­Testament­did­not­abide­by­the­passage­of­the­commandment­that­
says,­“Do­not­make­for­yourselves­hewn­sculptures­or­images”?5

You­ask,­“What­is­the­relationship­of­Arabic­stories­to­the­sciences­
and­arts­of­the­period?”­The­answer­to­this­question­lies­in­the­Arabs’­
quest­for­the­essence­and­the­abstract.­Indeed,­the­Arab­shone­in­math-
ematics­and­its­related­fields,­such­as­astronomy.­In­the­place­of­a­given­
truth,­these­sciences­substitute­a­deeper­truth,­that­of­numeration.6­
With­chemistry,­they­distilled­alcohol.7­This­process­of­distillation­is­in­
fact­simply­the­conversion­of­substances­back­to­their­original­nature,­
free­of­impurities.­This­is­what­Arabs­are­legendary­for.­The­idea­of­an­
Elixir­of­Life­long­engrossed­the­Arab.8

Is­there­something­in­the­Arab’s­religion­that­leads­him­to­this­out-

look?­Have­you­ever­considered­the­Qurʾanic­description­of­Heaven?­
Heaven­is­not­somewhere­beyond­our­imagination,­where­ages­and­
genders­have­all­faded,­where­food,­drink,­and­the­pleasures­of­life­have­
disappeared.­It­is­not­an­illusion­or­an­unrealistic­vision­(sura).­Rather,­
it­is­reality­in­its­very­essence;­it­is­life­itself,­as­we­know­it­on­Earth,­but­
distilled­to­its­quintessence.­Prophets­and­all­who­have­been­motivated­
by­benevolence­have­tried­to­improve­life­and­elevate­it­to­the­state­of­
perfection.­Heaven­in­the­Qurʾan­is­exactly­that­promise­of­perfection­
in­life:

Do­we­love­life?­There­is­eternal­life.
We­love­women?­There­are­the­virgins­of­paradise.

5­­

6­­

7­­

8­­

The­reference­is­probably­to­Leviticus­26:1:­“Ye­shall­make­you­no­idols­nor­graven­image,­
neither­rear­you­up­a­standing­image,­neither­shall­ye­set­up­any­image­of­stone­in­your­
Land,­to­bow­down­unto­it:­for­I­am­the­Lord­your­God”­(King­James­Version).
The­Arabic­is­inimitably­eloquent:­the­first­element­is­haqiqa waqiʿiyya;­its­substitute,­
haqiqa ashadd waqiʿiyyatan.­The­word­I­am­translating­as­given,­waqiʿiyya,­literally­means­
“befallen.”­The­implication­is­that­a­truth­“falls”­(occurs)­before­our­eyes,­thus­becoming­
a­reality,­but­the­ground­upon­which­it­falls,­the­substratum­of­possibility­for­its­reso-
nance­and­apprehension,­is­yet­more real­(literally,­“more­fallen”)­in­a­structuring,­explan-
atory­way,­than­the­particular­event.
Choucair­here­makes­reference­to­the­Arabic­origin­of­the­word­alcohol,­from­al-kuhl,­the­
name­for­antimony­sulfide,­which­ancient­Arabs­would­pulverize­and­then­heat­to­a­
vapor.­The­condensed­remains­consisted­of­a­powder­so­fine­that­its­grains­were­indistin-
guishable­and­made­for­smooth­application­on­human­skin.­By­extension,­Arabs­applied­
the­term­al-kuhul­to­substances­obtained­from­this­distillation­process,­particularly­liq-
uids.­The­word­retains­its­Arabic­form,­complete­with­definitive­article,­in­all­European­
languages,­maintaining­its­association­with­Arabic­science.
Like­alcohol,­elixir­is­an­Arabic­loanword,­from­al-iksir,­that­refers­to­a­substance­that­was­
held­to­be­incorruptible­(often­based­on­gold,­which­does­not­tarnish)­and­able­to­protect­
life­from­all­corruptions—that­is,­to­provide­immortality.

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The Arabic table of contents for Al-Abhath 4, NEIN. 1 (Juni 1951), in which the lengthier version of Saloua Raouda

Choucair’s letter to Musa Sulaiman appeared. Image courtesy of the American University of Beirut Press.

We­love­water,­in­these­parched­lands?­Heaven­has­gardens­with­

rivers­flowing­through­them.

Everything­that­we­love­on­Earth­exists­abundantly­in­Heaven,­
with­the­troubles­of­hunger,­poverty,­death,­and­all­other­imperfections­
blotted­out.­Upon­my­life,­I­prefer­such­a­heaven­to­the­illusory­para-
dise­of­no­existence,­where­pleasure­is­eternally­deprived.

Why­wasn’t­the­Arab­influenced­by­Greek­philosophy?­Why­didn’t­

he­embrace­it­as­he­embraced­Greek­science?­Because­Greek­philoso-

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phy­is­an­illusory­one:­it­takes­you­from­one­point­to­another­by­means­
of­[speculative]­argument,­leading­you­to­an­imaginary­point­that­actu-
ally­is­inaccessible­since­it­is­inexistent.9­Dialectical­argumentation­is­
the­main­foundation­for­this­illusion,­and­it­is­a­foundation­built­on­
logic,­not­experience.10­The­Arab­and­the­Greek­differ­in­spirituality­
(ruhiyya),­and­for­that­reason,­the­Arab­ignored­this­realm­[of­Greek­
thought].­The­Arab­philosophers­were­Sufis;­their­knowledge­stemmed­
from­experience,­not­dialectical­argumentation.­Until­recently,­they­
were­often­accused­of­not­having­a­philosophy­at­all,­but­then­various­
Western­philosophers­approached­Sufism­in­their­own­thinking,­such­
as­Kierkegaard,­Jaspers,­Heidegger,­and­Sartre.

What­we­see­from­the­foregoing­is­that­Arabs’­devotion­to­the­idea­

of­the­essence­was­the­result­of­neither­a­coincidence­nor­a­Qurʾanic­
interdiction­against­representing­people­and­things.­Rather,­it­was­one­
of­the­distinguishing­features­of­Arab­arts,­religion,­philosophy,­sci-
zen,­and­literature.­It­appears­in­their­storytelling,­too,­and­the­story­
of­ʿAntara­is­a­prime­example.11

The­focal­point­for­the­Arab,­in­every­artistic­and­scientific­en­-­

deavor,­is­the­essence,­and­thus­in­the­story­too.­In­the­Arabic­story,­­
we­observe­the­special­trait­of­“distillation”­that­I­mentioned­before,­or­
the­process­of­cleansing­the­essence­and­ridding­it­of­excesses­and­
“imperfections.”­A­story­needs­a­hero,­so­he­must­be­the­greatest­hero­
that­ever­lived­and­ever­will.­This­is­just­as­you­described­ʿAntara­in­
your­book:

ʿAntara­the­myth­was­lifted­to­the­loftiest­heights­of­heroism­and­
adorned­with­the­best­virtues­of­chivalry,­combining­courage­and­
the­compassion­of­the­powerful.­He­is­the­paragon­of­the­perfect­

9­­

Choucair­is­referring­to­Aristotelian­deductive­logic,­which­uses­syllogism­to­get­from­
point­X­(the­first­premise)­via­point­Y­(the­second­premise)­to­an­endpoint­(the­conclu-
sion)­that­is,­according­to­Choucair’s/“the­Arab’s”­view,­nonexistent­and­thus­
unknowable.

10­­ The­Arabic­term­is­tajriba,­which­also­means­“experiment.”­Very­likely,­a­“phenomenal-

ist”­scientist­like­Alhazen­(965–1040)­inspires­the­artist’s­thought­here,­with­his­system-
atic­manipulation­of­light­through­dark­chambers,­water­submersion,­and­varying­
apertures­to­induce­the­laws­of­nature­manifested­in­light’s­behavior.­See­the­Intro-
duction­for­an­explanation­of­Choucair’s­engagement­of­Alhazen.
ʿAntar(A)­Ibn­Shaddad­was­a­poet­in­the­Arabian­peninsula­in­the­6th­century­CE­cred-
ited­with­authoring­a­5,300-page­epic­autobiography,­Sirat ʿAntara.­It­tells­of­the­“jet­
black”­poet’s­childhood­in­servitude­and­his­quest­for­respect,­freedom,­and­love,­and­it­
relates­his­miraculous­triumphs­to­his­qualities­of­valor,­generosity,­and­dignity.

11­­

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paladin,­a­knight-hero­whose­heroism­knows­no­end.­He­fears­no­
army,­no­matter­how­large;­he­fears­no­perils,­no­matter­how­grave.­
Were­thousands­to­rise­against­him,­one­shout­from­him­would­
disperse­them.­Were­demons­to­obstruct­his­path,­he­would­set­his­
sword­to­work­on­them­and­be­rid­of­them­one­by­one.

These­traits­demonstrate­the­essence­of­heroism,­distilled,­
unblended,­far­from­the­admixture­of­reality,­approaching­the­pure­
principle.­To­he­who­does­not­understand­the­Arab­spirit,­they­look­like­
hyperboles,­exceeding­the­scope­of­conception,­as­you­said.­They­look­
like­lies­to­whomever­cannot­release­his­imagination­(khayal)­from­the­
flaws­of­reality,­[to­apprehend]­that­unadulterated­truth­which­scorns­
time­(zaman)­and­space­(makan).

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The first page of Saloua Raouda

Choucair’s “How the Arab

Understood Visual Art,”

Al-Abhath 4, NEIN. 1 (Juni 1951).

Image courtesy of the American

University of Beirut Press.

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What­use­is­this­chronological­sequence­(tasalsul al-tarikhi al-
mantiqi)­upon­which­you­all­insist?12­Does­essence­change­when­
advanced­or­delayed?­Why­do­you­want­the­Arab­to­lend­more­impor-
tance­to­ideational­series?­Have­you­[nicht]­read­modern­literature,­by­
Gide,­Proust,­Dos­Passos,­or­Woolf?­Have­you­[nicht]­noticed­how­com-
pletely­they­disregard­historical­time­(al-taʾrikh)?­Or­rather,­how­perfect­
their­intention­to­disregard­it!­See­how­they­mingle­various­ideational­
series—the­chronologies­by­which­you­would­impose­an­artificial­sepa-
ration.­Arabs’­indifference­to­those­chronologies­was­deliberate,­for­the­
purpose­of­emphasizing­that­the­hero’s­main­personality­trait­does­not­
change­with­time.­Whether­writers­take­up­ʿAntara’s­feats­today­or­a­
thousand­days­from­today,­what­counts­is­that­the­truth­of­these­feats­
can­only­intensify.

As­for­the­imaginaire­(khayal)­of­[unser]­materialist­storyteller,13­in­

which­you­find­no­“upward­thrust,”­you­say,14

The­narration­is­built­on­a­peculiar­imagination­[khayal].­It­is­
inhibited,­limited.­It­raises­you­towards­transcendence­only­to­
shock­you­with­the­concrete­and­the­tangible.­It­is­an­imagination­
that­will­always­and­forever­lead­you­to­embodied­matter.

This­imagination­is­the­same­one­you­go­on­to­praise­on­page­115­

in­your­description­of­modern­civilization:

Do­you­not­see­this­truth,­incarnated­in­the­modern­West­in­the­
submarine­exploding­through­the­belly­of­the­oceans,­and­in­­

12­­

13­­

Literally­“logico-historical­series.”­Elsewhere­in­this­paragraph,­Choucair­substitutes­­
al-tasalsul al-fikri­(ideational­series),­al-tasalsul al-mantiqi­(logical­series),­or­simply­al-
tasalsul­(Serie,­sequence).­With­each,­she­focuses­her­attack­on­the­critic’s­reliance­
upon­sequential­ordering­to­evaluate­character­traits­or­plot.
The­Arabic­word­is­khayal,­which­in­common­parlance­translates­as­“imagination,”­“spec-
ter,”­“phantasm,”­or­“fantasy.”­This­is­how­Sulaiman­used­it,­too.­At­the­time­of­his­study­
and­Choucair’s­response,­it­was­not­yet­in­use­in­literary­studies­to­translate­“fiction”­as­a­
narrative­genre­for­which­human­creativity­is­credited­(see­Lakhdar­Souami,­“Fictionnel­
et­non-fictionnel­dans­l’oeuvre­de­Gahiz,”­in­Story-Telling in the Framework of Non-fictional
Arabic Literature,­ed.­Stefan­Leder­[Wiesbaden:­Otto­Harrossowitz,­1998],­225–57).­
Jedoch,­Choucair­expands­from­talking­about­a­way­of­imagining,­or­a­human­capacity­
for­believing­in­what­is­not­present,­to­a­culturally­pre-formed­possibility­of­thinking­
about­what­is­not­present­by­using­a­collection­of­symbols,­tropes,­and­themes.­This­sug-
gests­that­her­argument­may­be­buttressed­by­Jean-Paul­Sartre’s­totalizing­social­imagi-
nary­(as­first­presented­in­his­1940­work­L’Imaginaire: Psychologie phéménologique de
l’imagination)—and­we­know­Sartre’s­work­impressed­Choucair.­For­that­reason,­in­such­
instances,­I­have­translated­khayal­as­imaginaire.

14­­ Choucair­is­quoting­Sulaiman’s­phrasing­for­“literary­dynamism.”

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the­jet­plane­cutting­through­the­skies,­is­nothing­other­than­the­
offspring­of­an­ancient­imagination,­that­of­One Thousand and
One Nights,­Solomon’s­demons,­and­the­storytellers’­genies?­The­
modern­mind­could­not­have­reached­these­achievements­had­­
it­not­been­nourished­by­the­flying­carpet,­magic­lamp,­and­
genie-servant!15

What­do­you­think­of­what­you­say?­I­agree­with­your­assertion,­
because­like­you­I­am­inclined­to­think­that­modern­thought­is­the­ful-
fillment­of­that­venerable­Arab­mentality­with­its­quest­for­the­essence­
and­its­interest­in­matter’s­fundamental­characteristics.­Modern­
thought­has­realized­the­promises­of­the­Arab­imaginaire­(al-khayal
al-ʿarabi),­and­it­has­expanded­upon­them­simply­by­utilizing­contem-
porary­sciences­as­embodied­in­inventions­and­discoveries­unknown­to­
the­Ancients.

The­Arab­did­not­disregard­matter;­he­approached­it­through­its­

essence.­He­will­always­choose­the­essence­or­noblest­material­to­
describe­a­thing.­Musk­and­amber,­for­example,­are­the­noblest­of­fra-
grances,­so­anything­that­should­be­aromatic­will­be­described­with­
them.­Genies­and­demons­are­the­cleverest­of­creatures.­Who­but­they­
can­build­luxurious­palaces?­Ivory,­ebony,­and­elephant­bones­are­the­
noblest­materials­for­furniture;­hence­you­will­find­the­prophets­and­
heroes­all­seated­on­chairs­of­these­materials.­From­here­we­see­that­
the­Arab­effected­the­realization­of­the­essence­in­visions­(suwar)­more­
real­than­common­reality.­These­visions­were­and­would­indeed­have­
remained­imaginary­were­they­not­realized­in­this­age:­the­flying­car-
pet­reappears­today­as­the­airplane­that­rips­across­the­skies;­those­
industrious­workers,­the­demons­and­genies,­have­come­into­existence­
today­as­robots;­and­the­magic­lamp­is­today’s­electric­switch,­a­servant­
at­your­fingertips.­The­actualization­of­these­visions­in­this­manner­is­
vindication­of­that­purified­thought.

He­who­disdains­matter­is­either­ignorant­or­prejudiced­by­the­

15­­

Solomon­is­the­biblical­King­Solomon,­son­of­David.­The­9th-century­Persian­scholar­
Al-Tabari­reports­that­Solomon­had­a­ring­that­gave­him­control­of­the­demons­and­
enabled­his­rule­until­his­wife­was­tricked­into­giving­the­ring­to­a­mutinous­demon­who­
usurped­the­throne­for­forty­days,­during­which­Solomon­wandered­his­lands­destitute­
and­unrecognized.­The­temporary­usurpation­was­in­fact­punishment­for­Solomon’s­
unwitting­facilitation­of­idolatry.­See­The History of al-Tabari, Bd. 3: The Children of Israel,­
trans.­W.­M.­Brinner­(Albany,­NY:­SUNY­Press,­1991),­170.­I­thank­Nader­El-Bizri­for­this­
Referenz.

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Greek­standards­that­froze­the­world­for­centuries.­He­who­fears­matter­
is­far­from­grasping­the­foundations­of­our­age­and­the­civilizations­
preceding­it.­Matter,­for­him,­is­an­airplane­that­could­explode­and­dis-
patch­the­souls­of­innocents­or­a­car­that­could­mow­down­humans.­Or,­
it­is­the­search­for­an­atomic­bomb­that­will­extinguish­the­world.­Such­
is­the­thinking­of­he­who­does­not­understand­the­spirit­of­our­era.­
Foremost­are­the­Surrealists­who­arose­between­the­two­world­wars,­
amidst­poison­gas­and­the­atomic­bomb.

Despised­in­Ancient­Greece,­the­Middle­Ages,­and­the­Renais-
sance,­matter­in­our­age­has­become­a­road­to­Heaven-on-Earth,­as­
promised­by­the­Qurʾan,­or­a­living­Hell,­if­misused.­I­do­not­think­
that­mankind­[Heute]­will­misuse­it,­at­least­not­more­than­did­his­fore-
father­in­the­days­of­religion­and­spirituality,­when­he­waged­the­
Crusades­in­the­name­of­that­religion.­In­our­era,­the­matter­that­was­
despised­by­the­Greeks­and­their­successors­has­become­an­invisible­
spirit­bringing­to­us­the­most­beautiful­theater­and­the­most­poignant­
classical­musical­compositions.­It­carries­us­to­the­highest­spiritual­
transcendence­and­the­greatest­reaches­of­the­imagination­(khayal).­
Did­not­radar­beams­reach­the­Moon­and­other­planets?

This­matter,­into­how­many­different­spirits­has­it­metamor-
phosed?­Into­how­many­prophets­has­it­transmuted?­How­many­phi-
lanthropists­has­it­reached?­Into­how­many­medical­cures­has­it­
developed?­How­many­miracles­did­it­produce?­Matter­has­resurrected­
the­dead­and­rehabilitated­the­crippled.­It­has­opened­eyes­and­trans-
planted­human­organs.­Is­it­a­means­for­knowing­God?­Maybe­in­this­
aspect,­is­there­not­a­way­to­respect­matter­rather­than­despise­it?

zuletzt,­you­say­on­page­175­of­your­book­where­you­discuss­the­

anonymous­Arab­narrator­that,

He­would­float­hither­and­thither,­seeing­a­flower­here­and­a­rose­
Dort,­and­stumbling­as­he­bumps­into­a­pearl.­He­would­scoop­it­
all­up­into­his­arms­happily­carrying­it­about­like­a­child­carrying­
his­pretty­toys,­but­he­was­unable­to­sort­and­order­them­or­make­
of­them­a­unity­that­can­satisfy­the­heart­and­spirit,­and­not­just­
the­eye.

Did­it­not­once­occur­to­you­that­perhaps­the­Arab­narrator­did­that­

purposefully?­Could­that­have­come­about­as­the­result­of­deep,­puri-
fied­thought­and­clear­comprehension?­Is­that­narrator­not­like­his­
brother­the­artist,­placing­an­emerald­circle­next­to­a­ruby-red­square­

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alongside­a­triangle­of­ivory­in­an­effort­to­reveal­the­eternal­essence­
that­is­defined­neither­by­time­nor­space?­He­who­seeks­for­essences­is­
no­child.­And­he­who­pays­no­mind­to­time­is­eternalist­in­his­thought.­
This­“child”­was­fully­aware.­His­goal­was­pure­beauty,­not­the­integrity­
of­historical­time.­He­who­does­not­see­a­unity­in­all­the­flowers,­roses,­
and­pearls­remains­captive­to­antiquated,­transient­standards.­He­who­
does­not­thrill­in­his­heart­and­soul­at­the­essence,­will­he­find­happi-
ness­anywhere?

I­am­inclined­to­believe—knowing­that­this­lacks­extensive,­scien-

tific­research—that­ʿAntara’s­biography­was­composed­by­a­single­
author­and­that­the­addition­of­self-standing­stories­into­the­biography­
was­intentional,­as­I­suggested­previously,­operating­according­to­the­
same­principle­as­the­artist­who­sets­an­independent­circle­next­to­a­
self-sufficient­triangle­to­generate­a­strange­beauty­that­only­Arab­cre-
ativity­can­understand.­Likewise,­that­anonymous­artist­who­did­not­
sign­his­name­to­his­artworks­is­like­the­anonymous­author­who,­out­­
of­humility,­did­not­record­his­name.

As­I­said­in­the­opening­of­my­letter,­I­appreciated­your­book,­and­

what­I­write­here­is­primarily­directed­to­the­older­Orientalists­and­
their­students­who­took­up­their­opinions,­and­to­all­those­who­have­
studied­Arabs­by­comparing­them­to­[ancient]­India,­Persia,­and­
Greece.­How­I­would­have­preferred­that­you­had­approached­your­
research­in­your­book­from­the­angle­I­indicate­and­which­I­think­is­
closer­to­an­understanding­of­the­ancient­civilizations.

Tr anslaTed by kirsTen scheid

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n o t e   I take responsibility for all decisions relating to translation but acknowledge

the generous advice of Nader El-Bizri, Nada Moumtaz, Munir Fakher Eldin, Omar

Gharzeddine, Hala Schoukair, Tarek El-Ariss, and the anonymous peer reviewer for

ARTMargins.

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