Celebrating centuries of al-Nahyan poetry

379-page book contains poems from Abu Dhabi's ruling family over the course of five centuries — from the 16th to the 20th century.
A collection of verses from 17 poets from Al Nahyan family has been published by the Poetry Academy under the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee umbrella.
The 379-page book contains poems from Abu Dhabi's ruling family over the course of five centuries — from the 16th to the 20th century.The editors of the collection said the selected works is a "social contribution” to a literary genre that constituted an important part of the local identity and the region's culture and history.
It records the oldest versions of Al Wanna poetry, a form of poetry that characterised the Abu Dhabi society, dating back to Sheikh Dhiab bin Issa Al Nahyan, the first ruler of the emirate to establish a settlement on Abu Dhabi island.
The collection also records the oldest versions of Al Taghrouda poetry, which dates back to Sheikh Sultan bin Shakhbout Al Nahyan in the 19th century.
The Al Nahyan poetic experience also provides an insight into the lifestyle, personality and ideology of the members of the ruling family, who created verses for various purposes — from wisdom and advice to politics, love and enthusiasm.
Al Nahyan poets knew very well that poetry had a huge impact on communicating with all groups and was a perfect channel to explain many social, humanitarian and political affairs. In political poetry, the ruling Sheikhs were actually practicing politics through poetry. The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was a master of this genre.
The collection, which comprises 132 poems with text and vocabulary explanations, is available at the Poetry Academy, National Library and bookshops across the country.

Source: Khaleej Times