Zajal facts for kids

Zajal (Arabic: زجل) is a traditional type of poetry that is spoken or sung. It uses everyday language, not formal Arabic. This poetry is often performed in a back-and-forth style, like a friendly debate.

The exact start of Zajal is not fully known. However, the first recorded Zajal poet was Ibn Quzman, who lived in al-Andalus (parts of Spain and Portugal long ago) from 1078 to 1160. People believe that Zajal and a similar poetry style called muwashshaḥah came to Egypt and the Middle East when Moors left Spain in the 1200s and 1300s.

Today, Zajal is very popular in the Levant region. This includes countries like Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Jordan. It is also popular in the Maghreb region, especially in Morocco and Algeria. Professional Zajal poets, called zajjalin, can become very famous.

Zajal performances are often partly made up on the spot and partly sung. They usually involve a debate between two or more zajjalin. The poets are often joined by musical instruments, especially drums. Sometimes, a wind instrument like the ney is used. A group of men, and more recently women, sing parts of the poem as a chorus.

Some famous Egyptian poets who used Zajal include Bayram al-Tunisi and Ahmed Fouad Negm. In Lebanon, well-known zajjaali include Zein Sh'eib and Talih Hamdan.

What Zajal Means

The word "Zajal" comes from an Arabic root word. This root word means to make a sound, to cry out, or to show strong feelings. It can also mean to play, to have fun, or to sing loudly. So, the name "Zajal" connects to its lively and musical nature.

Lebanese Zajal

Lebanese Zajal is a special type of Zajal poetry from Lebanon. It is partly improvised and partly sung. It uses the everyday Lebanese Arabic language. This form of poetry has very old roots, possibly going back to poetry from before Islam. However, similar styles of Zajal can be found in Moorish Spain from the 10th to 12th centuries. The poet Ibn Quzman is a key figure from that time.

Lebanese Zajal shares many features with other sung poetry traditions. These include nabati poetry and even troubadour poetry from Europe. Many cultures around the Mediterranean Sea have similar traditions. They often feature verbal duels between poets, the use of tambourines, and a chorus of men who repeat parts of the verses.

Lebanese Zajal is known for being very complex and having many different rhythms. It is also incredibly popular. Many professional Zajal poets travel around Lebanon and to Lebanese communities worldwide. They perform for thousands of fans.

How Lebanese Zajal Grew

One of the earliest known Zajal poets in what is now Lebanon was Bishop Gabriel ibn al-Qilai Al-Hafadi (1440-1516). Some experts believe Lebanese Zajal goes back even further to a poet named Souleiman Al-Ashlouhi (1270-1335).

Zajal became very popular in the 1800s. Many poets helped improve its style and content. The way modern Lebanese Zajal evenings are performed was largely set in the 1930s. This was thanks to a master poet named Assad Al-Khuri Al-Fghali (1894-1937). He was also known as Shahrur Al-Wadi, which means "Merle of the Valley." He added many new ideas to Zajal.

A typical modern Zajal evening starts with a debate, or verbal duel, between two or more poets. After the debate, there is often a recitation of love poetry, called ghazal. The performance usually includes different poetry forms like qasida, m3anna, and qerradi. The muwaššah form, when used in Lebanese Zajal, is a joyful and playful type of love poem. A chorus with tambourines and other drums always accompanies the poets. The event often ends with a sad love song, usually in the Shruqi form.

Zajal's Rhythm and Style

Experts who have studied Zajal's rhythm agree that it uses two main systems. One system is based on the strict rules of classical Arabic poetry. For example, forms like m3anna follow classical Arabic meters. The other system is based on stressed syllables. Many forms of qerradi are similar to the rhythms found in Syriac poetry.

Both types of Zajal rhythms can change with the music and how words are emphasized. This is possible because the everyday language used in Zajal is flexible. It allows for changes in how words are pronounced.

Zajal in Different Regions

The popularity of Zajal in Lebanon varies by region. This often matches the different groups of people living there. Traditionally, people from cities, like Sunnis, Greek Orthodox, and Armenians, have shown less interest in Zajal. They have produced fewer important zajjali.

However, groups like the Maronites, Druze, and Shiites, who live in or come from the Lebanese mountains and rural areas, have produced many zajjali over the centuries. This regional difference is also seen in the themes of Zajal. It often talks about country life and feelings, rather than the more formal ideas of city thinkers. Still, many poets have been able to write about a wide range of human topics.

The Language of Lebanese Zajal

In Lebanon, Arabic exists in two main forms: formal Arabic and everyday spoken Arabic. This situation, called diglossia, has made it a bit of a debate whether everyday language can be used for serious literature.

To someone who doesn't speak Arabic, or even to a native speaker, a phrase in formal Arabic and the same phrase in Lebanese Arabic can sound very different. This is partly because Lebanese Arabic has influences from older, non-Arabic languages of the region. These include Aramaic, Syriac, and Canaanite. Later, words from Persian, Turkish, French, and English were also added.

When Islam spread in the 600s, classical Arabic came to the Levant. Over time, it largely replaced the local dialects. However, the influence of other languages remained. This change was easy because Arabic and the local dialects are all Semitic languages. This means they are related and share similar word structures.

Zajal as a Literary Art

For a long time, everyday literature like Zajal was not seen as important as formal literature. This idea became stronger in the 1950s and 60s when schools in Lebanon became more widespread and standardized. As a result, the rich collection of Zajal poetry is mostly spoken and rarely written down. It is almost never taught in schools or universities. Most educated Lebanese people today don't know the different forms of Zajal, like m3anna or qerradi. They are more likely to know about French poetry forms like the sonnet.

Even though many Zajal performances have been recorded, especially on Lebanese TV in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, there hasn't been much effort to write them down or keep them in libraries for study. Also, during the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), some extreme groups used the idea of Lebanese colloquial language to claim a Lebanese culture separate from Arab culture. This made it harder for Zajal to be taken seriously by scholars.