The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) is set to publish a new book titled One Hundred and One Songs: Modern Poems that Enriched Arabic Music, the fifth volume in its annual One Hundred and One Books series. The book is prepared by a panel of ten researchers specialising in poetry and music, overseen by His Excellency Dr. Ali Bin Tamim, Chairman of the ALC.
Spanning 396 large-format pages, the book brings together the wonder of the written word, the mastery of composition, and the enchantment of song. It provides scholarly analyses that bridge the literary, cultural, and musical spheres, serving as a continuation of its predecessor, One Hundred and One Sung Poems, which examined sung Arabic poetry from the pre-Islamic era to the modern age. The latter explored a wide selection of modern Arabic poems that are set to distinctive musical compositions and vocal performances.
In the book’s foreword, His Excellency Dr Ali Bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, notes that the relationship between poetry and song is not new. The art of singing among Arabs received meticulous attention—not merely for entertainment, but owing to the very nature of the language, which is steeped in music and rhythmic harmony. Arabic poetry proved so inherently lyrical, so much so that ancient singers such as Ma'bad, Ibn Surayj, Ibrahim al-Mawsili, and Ziryab had no difficulty in performing hundreds of poems and verses composed by pre- and post-Islamic poets, setting them to evocative and soul-stirring melodies. So when Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani titled his renowned work Kitab al-Aghani (The Book of Songs), this was no coincidence, but rather a natural outcome of the profound bond between poetry and song, wherein al-Isfahani chose to chronicle the icons of Arabic poetry through the voices of singers.
The publication takes readers on a unique journey through modern poems and melodies, exploring the creative alliances forged over a century between giants of poetry, music, and song: from the Prince of Poets Ahmed Shawqi, Riad Al Sunbati, and Umm Kulthum; to Said Akl, the Rahbani Brothers, and Fairouz; and Nizar Qabbani and Kadim Al Sahir. It also provides extensive insights into diverse poetic figures across the Arab world belonging to various poetic, melodic, and performance traditions, thereby reviving the art of literary anthologies and introducing the treasures of the Arabic library to younger generations.
The volume comprises 101 entries, each dedicated to a modern sung poem. Every entry offers a brief biography of the poet, a simple commentary on the sung verses, and a rigorous academic analysis of the composition and vocal performance. The book also features a glossary of musical and poetic terms to serve as a reference for readers. Enhanced by high-quality production and typography, the edition is richly illustrated with portraits of the featured poets, composers, and vocalists.
