The meaning of the poems of the Alhambra in Granada

1. The poems of the Alhambra.

Detail of Arabic calligraphy door Lindaraja

The Nasrid works are distinguished by converting poetry inseparable element of ideation, construction and symbolization of palaces, to form a subgenus of courtly poetry can be called "mural poetry." Thus, the Alhambra in Granada contains the largest collection of mural known classical Arabic poetry. Has in its walls and fountains arrocabes thirty poems have been preserved, almost half of which came to be recorded on your stays.
Therefore, the sacralization and aesthetic privilege granted to language in Islam reached one of its peaks in this moorish XIV century palace.

2. The authors of the Alhambra.

The poems of the Alhambra were written by the heads of the Editorial Office, whose mission was to compose royal casidas that were recited in honor of the monarchs in official celebrations as breaking the fast, the feast of sacrifice or Nativity Prophet, as well as weddings, births, circumcisions emirs, military campaigns, funeral ceremonies, etc. Other prepared to be stamped in the palaces, sumptuous objects and epitaphs. With Ibn al Yayyab (1274-1349) the number of poets of the Alhambra, serving from the head of the editorial office, six sultans ranging from Muhammad Yusuf II I, for which he wrote regal casidas opens for over 50 years. He was succeeded by his disciple and protected Ibn al-Khatib (1313-1395). The other poet Ibn Zamrak Alhambra (1333-h.1393) who developed an active work panegirista of Muhammad V, thus becoming the greatest poet of this monument.

2.1. Ibn al Yayyab: It was a poet and politician during the Nasrid dynasty of the Kingdom of Granada. It was the predecessor of Ibn al-Khatib as vizier in the court of Granada. He wrote neoclassical casidas; monorrimos series of verses in uniform meter. Inside the Alhambra stands his poem in the Tower of the Captive.

-Poem Tower of the Captive.

  

The Tower of the Captive houses inside one of the areas most prominent room in the Alhambra, due to its decoration. This is a tower-palace or calahorra, heritage Almohad architecture having a military exterior and a luxurious interior. Its structure and distribution is the same as the other houses and palaces of the Monumental. This space along with the Hall of Comares, boasts the most complex decorative program of the Alhambra. In its walls houses the poetic inscriptions Ybn al-Yayyab that allude to the Sultan in connection therewith beauty of the ornamentation. The poem of the Tower of the Captive constantly expresses the richness of calahorra.

This work has come to decorate the Alhambra;
It is home to the peaceful and warriors;
Calahorra that contains a palace
Say it is a strength while mansion for joy!
It is a palace in which the splendor is spread
between its roof, its soil and its four walls;
in the stucco and tiles there are wonders,
but the carved wood ceilings are even more extraordinary.

2.2. Ibn al-Khatib:
He was born into a wealthy family yemedí and Granada played prominent political functions as the head of the Royal Secretariat, minister and military, first president in the Nasrid court of Yusuf I and later during the reign of his son Muhammad V, with who had a close relationship. With this sultan also served as historian and vizier after the death of the vizier Ibn al-Yayyab. The only poems preserved and authentically classified as theirs in the Alhambra are two, located at the entrance arch to the Hall of Comares.

Arc -Poema entry into the Hall of Comares.

The three bands of calligraphy that line the outside of each preserved tacas are the work of Ibn al-Khatib. The two poems give voice to tacas first person feminine. This embodiment is a common resource in this literature, and appears in both the author and his disciple Ibn Zamrak. addressing the audience to boast of aesthetic superiority and the range of the place with these images: the crown jewels and the astral metaphor, over the fabric and the bridal couch, signs all brightness, lifting and such. After alluded to water of tacas, that becomes a sign of purity and benevolence; then the attributes of brightness (full moon, sun) the monarch Yusuf I, who triumphs over darkness are mentioned, and appeals to their permanence. In the poem right Taca is also compared with the mihrab niche and vase with prayerful praying in his Qibla.

TACA RIGHT
With my jewelry and my crown the most beautiful edged,
and to me down the stars of the zodiac.
The vase of water seems to me a devotee
standing before the mihrab alquibla praying.
My bounty at all times
quenches thirst and serves the needy.
It is as if I follow the footsteps of the largesse
from the hand of my lord Yusuf I
Full moon shining it remains in my sky,
and in the darkness full moon.

TACA LEFT
The fingers of my creator my embroidered fabric
after crimping the jewels in my crown.
At a wedding I liken throne, even as I pass,
and to assure the couple happiness.
Whoever comes to me complaining of thirst,
my source gives sweet, clear and unadulterated water.
I'm like when the rainbow appears
with the sun of our Lord Yusuf I.
That remains hangout protected
while God's house pilgrims gather.

-Poem of Alcoba Central Hall of Comares.

Dome (the sky's poem)

The poem of the central alcove is the only one inside the room and is engraved on the side walls (three lines on each side) of the alcove to eye level. Its content indicates the function of the room and stay as own throne room, while symbolically links all semantic and architectural components of living together and with the figure of the sovereign. The poem does speak to the living room alcove in person. which, after expressing good wishes to the Sultan, described the show as a whole constellations, nine bedrooms that are dependent of the supreme sky and represented by the wooden frame of the dome of the central hall, and specifies the upper value of the central alcove as the throne room where the sun shines figure of the sultan. Finally, states the protection and support of the monarchy by the Light, the seat and the divine throne, recent concepts of clear Quranic connotations.

For me, day and night, greet
Wish mouths, fortune, happiness and kindness.
She is the Supreme Dome and we are his daughters,
although the favor and glory in my class distinguished me,
being undoubtedly the heart and they Member,
because in the heart the power of the spirit and soul resides.
If my sisters are constellations in the sky of the Dome
in me, not in them lies the honor of having the sun.
My lord Yusuf, supported by God, I dressed
in robes of dignity and unquestionable distinction.

2.3. Ibn Zamrak:
From a native of Levante Peninsula poor family fled during the Christian conquest to reside in the single safest core: Granada. Despite their pitiful situation, received an excellent education, and had studied under Ibn al-Khatib, who introduced him to the Granada administration. Ibn Zamrak is considered the most brilliant poets of the Alhambra, and there are many examples of his work.

-Poem of Door of Mexuar:

In the wainscot which is under the umbrella of this door is inscribed a poem I 3 verses. Like many others of the Alhambra, is a true reflection of courtly ideals of the Nasrid monarchs: the palace, wonderful architectural work of Muhammad V, representative of God on earth is home to the monarchy that opens the door to symbolize victory.

Oh sublime podium royalty who possess a wonderful way!
Open went to a clear victory and good work or action.
Monument is the Imam Muhammad, God's shadow on all sifted.

-Poem Cup of Lions:

The central courtyard fountain, formed by twelve lions stood and arranged discoidal, belongs to a palace of the eleventh century, probably by the Jewish vizier Samuel ibn Nagrella. However Cup font styling was sent by Sultan Muhammad V. This also commissioned that found in the Hall of Abencerrajes. Apparently, Muhammad was cautious and spent two cups calligraphic if one is malograba during implementation. In any case, the basin of the fountain is decorated with an inscription of twelve verses, half a casida. In the poem the mechanism of supply and drainage of the source and the meaning of it is described: the basin of the fountain, which is the center of it, compared to the Sultan, who is the center of the organization state, so that the water is similar to the generosity of the sultan, who like water spilled on the loyal warriors, represented by crouching lions. Also interested in the poem aesthetic consideration that has water, since it is incorporated into the plastic effect of the whole.

Detail of the cup. On the edge inscription is located

Blessed be He who granted the imam Mohamed

the beautiful ideas to decorate their mansions.

Well, is there not in this garden wonders

God has made incomparable in their beauty,

and a sculpture of pearls transparent clarity,

whose edges are decorated with fringe of seed pearls?

Melted silver flows through the pearls,

resembling the dawn and pure beauty.

Apparently, water and marble seem confused,

without knowing which of the two slides.

Do not see how water is poured into the cup,

but its spouts hide it immediately?

He is a lover whose eyelids are brimming with tears,

Tears hiding for fear of an informer.

Not actually a white cloud

Lions pouring into their rivers

and it seems the hand of the caliph, that morning,

Lions lavishes her favors war?

Whoever contemplates the lions in a threatening manner,

(Knows that) only respect (to the Emir) holds his anger.

Oh descendant of the Ansar, and not by indirect line,

heritage of nobility, who despises the fatuous:

May the peace of God be with you and unscathed multiplying

your feasts and tormenting your enemies!

-Poem of Comares facade.

              

Built during the reign of Muhammad V, this facade that gives access to the Courtyard of the Myrtles and the Torre de Comares. The poem that decorates personifies the wooden eaves and this metaphorically proclaimed from his position on the facade, ie, the royal crown (symbol of power) that dominates the entrance. Then verse 1 goes to a literary topic of Arabic and Andalusian poetry: the comparison between East and West, demonstrating the superiority of this palace, whose beauty is envied for East, beginning not only of Islam but also the light. In verse 2 victory that, in this door, asked to forward, ie, the royal crown that opens to give way appears. This victory of the poem speaks apparently is that, in 1369, Muhammad V scored against Christians in the Battle of Algeciras, considered the last great victory of the Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula.
In the third verse the door, in metaphorical expression, says he is hoping that identifies with the dawn light that ends the darkness, the sovereign. The last verse is a clear allusion to the perfection of divine creation and draws a parallel between the Prophet and the monarch who lives in the palace.

My position is a crown, my front door: in me envy the East to the West.
Muhammad V has instructed me to hastily open to victory calling
I'm waiting for him to appear as the horizon in the morning revealed.
God made his work as good as good is your character and your figure!

-Poem of the Board of Las Dos Hermanas.

Muqarnas dome on octagonal drum of the Board

The largest of all the poetic texts of the Alhambra is in this Room Two Sisters, inscribed above the socket. It consists of 24 verses that are happening along the wall, starting with the right of the door that stay with the Patio de los Leones, entering it. The room, which is square, has four doors, one in the center of each wall. Are, for registration, the four angles, or eight pieces of perfectly equal wall. Each piece of wall has three verses, of which the first and the third are enrolled in a medallion, while the center is in a rectangular cartouche. Almost all lines of the poem belong to the casida of 146 verses of Ibn Zamrak which was recited during the circumcision of Emir Abd Allah, son of Muhammad V, which was further extracted half of the poem of the Fountain of Lions , incorporating the same meter and rhyme.

I am a garden adorned by beauty:
You will know my being if look at my beauty.
For Muhammad, my king, a pair I wear
the noblest thing that will or has been.
Sublime work, Fortuna wants
that outshine all other monuments.
What a delight for the eyes!
Their noble aspirations renews here.
The Pleiades serve amulet;
the breeze defends his magic.
Unparalleled sports a shiny dome,
of patents and hidden beauties.
Rendered gives Gemini hand;
comes with her to discuss the moon.
Embed the stars there want,
not turn around the celestial wheel,
and await submissively in both courtyards,
and serve as slaves contention.
No wonder that the stars err
and marked limit,
to serve my Lord willing,
those who serve the glorious glory reached.
The portico is so beautiful that the palace
competes with the sky.
With so beautiful You dressed tissue,
I forgot put the loom of Yemen.
How many arches are high on its summit,
on columns adorned by the light,
as heavenly spheres
flip above the glowing pillar of the dawn!
The columns are all so beautiful,
that his fame goes runners languages:
marble throws its clear light that invades
black corner that blackens the shadow;
iridesce reflexes, and say they are,
Despite their size, pearls.
We never saw the most exquisite palace,
more brighter and wide areas.
We have never seen flourishing garden,
Harvesting sweeter and aroma.
By permission of the judge of beauty
pays double the tax in two currencies,
because if, at dawn, in the hands of the Zephyr
left drachmas of light, which would suffice,
then pulled into the bushes, among the trunks,
gold doubloons sun, which embellish it.