حياة الشنفرى ومكانته بين الشعراء الصعاليك: دراسة وصفية تحليلية

The life of Shanfrā and his place among Tramps poets: A descriptive analysis

Abstract

Tramps (صعاليك) in literary history of Arabic are a group of Arab opponents who are out of obedience to the chiefs of their tribes. The connotation of this term has evolved so that it denotes a group of poets who were professional in conquest, robbery, and looting. The term “Sa‘lakah” (صعلكة) is a social phenomenon that emerged in pre-Islamic Arab culture as a reaction to some customs and practices of tribal leaders, and it continued for a period of time. In general, the tramps were Arab poets who resisted against the policies of their tribal chiefs and eventually left their tribes and started living in desert and mountain and adopted theft and robbery as an occupation and rebelled against their chiefs. They did not adhere to the commitments of their tribe or its alliances with other tribes. In addition to that, these poets were known as tramps (صعاليك) because of their economical situations, poetical nature, boldness, and bravery. Therefore, the cries of panic, poverty and revolution resonated in their poetry. al-Shanfrā was one of these poets who used to invade his enemies alone and, on his feet, his poetry is full of his invading trips as well as ethical values and based on his unique poetic style and bravery, he was able to secure a high position among his fellow tramps and used to play the role of a leader to them whenever the situations demanded. He was born and raised in Banī-Salmān and after growing up become the enemy of his own tribe and eventually he promised to kill one-hundred individuals of this tribe. This research intends to describe the phenomena of “Sa‘lakah” (صعلكة) and tramps in general and  life of al-Shanfrā and investigate his positions among his fellow poets-cum tramps.