Emiotic Analysis of Jahiliyah Poetry: A Study on the Poems of Imru’ Al-Qais

Muhammad Khaidar Barqi

Authors

Muhammad Khaidar Barqi Ma'had Aly Walindo, Pekalongan Author

Keywords:

Classical Arabic Literature, Imru’ Al-Qais, Mu’allaqāt, Semiotics, Symbolism

Abstract

This study aims to analyze Imru’ al-Qais’s Mu’allaqāt using the semiotic frameworks of Ferdinand de Saussure and Roland Barthes. Jahiliyah poetry functioned not only as an aesthetic expression but also as a cultural document that preserved the experiences, values, and worldview of pre-Islamic Arab society. This research employs a library-based qualitative descriptive-analytical method. The primary data are drawn from the poetic text of the Mu’allaqāt and its commentaries, while the secondary data come from books, journal articles, and other relevant academic sources. The analysis was carried out by identifying poetic symbols, interpreting their denotative meanings, and uncovering their connotative layers. The findings reveal that symbols such as al-aṭlāl (abandoned campsite), the camel, night, rain, as well as the imagery of love and women, represent longing, loss, endurance, hope, and the cultural vitality of Jahiliyah Arabs. This study highlights that Imru’ al-Qais’s poetry is significant not only as classical literary heritage but also as a medium for understanding cultural constructions and systems of thought in pre-Islamic society. The research further suggests the importance of integrating semiotic studies of classical Arabic literature into Indonesian academic contexts to enrich Arabic literary studies with critical and interdisciplinary perspectives.

References

Allen, R. (2000). An Introduction to Arabic Literature. Cambridge University Press, 23–41.

Arberry, A. J. (2007). Arabic Poetry: A Primer for Students. Cambridge University Press, 57–89.

Azizah, A. (2022). Simbolisme alam dalam syair Arab klasik: Analisis semiotik. Al-Ma’rifah: Jurnal Budaya dan Sastra Arab, 6(2), 77–92.

Barthes, R. (1977). Image, Music, Text. Fontana Press, 109–159.

Hitti, P. K. (2002). History of the Arabs. Palgrave Macmillan, 89–124.

Nicholson, R. A. (1969). A Literary History of the Arabs. Cambridge University Press, 86–110.

Saussure, F. de. (1983). Course in General Linguistics. Duckworth, 65–78.

Stetkevych, S. P. (1993). The Mute Immortals Speak: Pre-Islamic Poetry and the Poetics of Ritual. Cornell University Press, 45–102.

Ukhrawiyah, N., & Munir, M. (2019). Estetika cinta dalam syair Arab pra-Islam: Analisis semiotik. Adabiyyāt: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra Arab, 3(2), 105–118.

Zain, A. (2018). Simbol perjalanan dalam puisi Jahiliyah: Kajian semiotika budaya. Arabiyatuna: Jurnal Bahasa Arab, 2(1), 45–60.

Alfarisi, M. (2020). Motif al-Aṭlāl dalam Mu’allaqāt: Perspektif sejarah dan budaya. Qaul ‘Arabiy: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Arab & Sastra Arab, 4(2), 88–100.

Al-Jabiri, M. A. (2001). Takwin al-‘Aql al-‘Arabi. Beirut: Markaz Dirasat al-Wahdah al-‘Arabiyah, 211–230.