“Beating the Drums in God’s Wrestling Arena”: Spirituality Translated into Local Metaphor in Wolof Sufi ʿAjamī Poetry
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Abstract
How do ʿAjamī scholars translate Sufi spirituality and esoteric concepts into a language accessible to their audience? The body of Senegalese Wolof ʿAjamī poetry often seeks to translate divine concepts into a language that is local, both in time and place. This translation takes place within the local language in all of its literary dimensions. For the Wolof ʿAjamī poet, proverbs, parables, and metaphors are key literary devices that facilitate understanding among listeners. Studying ʿAjamī poems opens a window into a historic locality, teaching the contemporary reader-listener about both Sufi spirituality and the particular contexts in which the poems were produced. Through these metaphors, the poet ʿAjamizes, conferring sacred meaning onto practices and devices that otherwise might be outside the Sufi realm. In the process, metaphors become vessels of divine meaning. This article treats the metaphor as a key literary device whose understanding is paramount for grasping the meaning of the religious message. Treating the poems as social documents and works of literature also offers scholars new possibilities for understanding the everyday life of ordinary users in Senegambia.
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“Beating the Drums in God’s Wrestling Arena”: Spirituality Translated into Local Metaphor in Wolof Sufi ʿAjamī Poetry
In: Islamic AfricaSearch for other papers by Gana Ndiaye in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Margaret Rowley in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Elhadji Djibril Diagne in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
How do ʿAjamī scholars translate Sufi spirituality and esoteric concepts into a language accessible to their audience? The body of Senegalese Wolof ʿAjamī poetry often seeks to translate divine concepts into a language that is local, both in time and place. This translation takes place within the local language in all of its literary dimensions. For the Wolof ʿAjamī poet, proverbs, parables, and metaphors are key literary devices that facilitate understanding among listeners. Studying ʿAjamī poems opens a window into a historic locality, teaching the contemporary reader-listener about both Sufi spirituality and the particular contexts in which the poems were produced. Through these metaphors, the poet ʿAjamizes, conferring sacred meaning onto practices and devices that otherwise might be outside the Sufi realm. In the process, metaphors become vessels of divine meaning. This article treats the metaphor as a key literary device whose understanding is paramount for grasping the meaning of the religious message. Treating the poems as social documents and works of literature also offers scholars new possibilities for understanding the everyday life of ordinary users in Senegambia.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 622 | 453 | 63 |
| Full Text Views | 42 | 24 | 1 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 364 | 174 | 1 |
