here is a nice article for this ocassion
By: Ghada Al Atrash Janbey
Published in The Daily Townsman
Cranbrook, BC
November 17, 2008
This week, I choose to share with my readers a cultural contrast between my Arab heritage and that of Western society. One notable phenomenon that exists in the Arab world and less common in the West is poetry and song dedicated to a mother. Even though a love for one’s mother is a universal feeling whether in the West or the East, it was not easy for my Western friends to recall a song devoted to a mother. However, it has always been quite common in our Arab social gatherings to hear and sing songs dedicated to mothers where tears are stimulated and nostalgias are awakened in the hearts of all ages.
Most songs heard in the West speak a dialogue, nostalgia, or some form of feelings expressed by a lover to his or her beloved. There is much of that as well in Arabic poetry and song, where the word habeeby / habeebty (masculine and feminine for my beloved) is heard many times within one song. However, in addition to poetry dedicated to a beloved, Arab men and women, young and old, grow up reciting and singing poetry dedicated to their mothers.
full article is in the link below: http://meaningwithinwords.blogspot.com/2008/11/mother-in-arabic-literatu...
here is a nice article for this ocassion
By: Ghada Al Atrash Janbey
Published in The Daily Townsman
Cranbrook, BC
November 17, 2008
This week, I choose to share with my readers a cultural contrast between my Arab heritage and that of Western society. One notable phenomenon that exists in the Arab world and less common in the West is poetry and song dedicated to a mother. Even though a love for one’s mother is a universal feeling whether in the West or the East, it was not easy for my Western friends to recall a song devoted to a mother. However, it has always been quite common in our Arab social gatherings to hear and sing songs dedicated to mothers where tears are stimulated and nostalgias are awakened in the hearts of all ages.
Most songs heard in the West speak a dialogue, nostalgia, or some form of feelings expressed by a lover to his or her beloved. There is much of that as well in Arabic poetry and song, where the word habeeby / habeebty (masculine and feminine for my beloved) is heard many times within one song. However, in addition to poetry dedicated to a beloved, Arab men and women, young and old, grow up reciting and singing poetry dedicated to their mothers.
full article is in the link below:
http://meaningwithinwords.blogspot.com/2008/11/mother-in-arabic-literatu...