Comparing the Use of Colors in Persian and Arabic Narrative Poems and Prose Stories: The Case Study of Nizami-Ganjavi’s Eskandar-Nameh and al-Hariri’s Maqamat

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 . M.A. in Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran

2 Associate Professor Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ilam, University, Ilam, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran

Abstract

Poets and writers, for a long time, have figuratively or explicitly uttered their emotions and feelings in their works through various colors, in such a way that significant results can be achieved regarding their personality traits if their works are examined psychologically. The present study was an attempt to analyze the use of colors in Nizami-Ganjavi’s Eskandar-Nameh and al-Hariri’s Maqamat, recruiting descriptive-analytical approaches. The results revealed that Nizami-Ganjavi had exploited colors by 380 times in Eskandar-Nameh, namely, 261 times directly and 119 times indirectly, using words such as dark, light, pitch-black, and the like. Accordingly, black and its derivatives with 107 repetitions, respectively with 57 and 50 direct and indirect cases, had the highest frequency. The use of colors had been typically employed as a simile, a metaphor, and an irony to account for the inner states of humans, which was to a great extent in agreement with the views of contemporary psychologists about different colors. Al-Hariri had also referred to 37 colors in his Maqamat, with yellow having the highest frequency (14 repetitions). In contrast to Eskandar-Nameh, the use of colors in Maqamat had been more symbolic and ironic, often stemming from the nature of colors; for example, white signifying hopefulness, black representing despondency and misfortune, or yellow indicating sorrow, ailment, and demise in one place and a symbol of delight and exhilaration in another. Additionally, the frequency of the colors in these two works is illustrated in diagrams.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Article Title [العربیة]

مقارنة استخدام اللون فی القصص الشعریة والنثریة الفارسیة والعربیة (إسکندرنامة لنظامی ومقامات الحریری أنموذجا)

Abstract [العربیة]

کان الشعراء والکتّاب، یصوّرون عواطفهم ومشاعرهم فی آثارهم منذ القدم باستخدام اللّون بشکلٍ رمزی أو صریح؛ حیث نستطیع أن نحصل على نتائج هامة حول شخصیاتهم عن طریق دراسة نفسیة لآثارهم. قد حاولت هذه الدراسة بمنهجی الوصفی – التحلیلی و الإحصائی، تبیین استخدام الألوان فی کتابی «إسکندر نامه» لنظامی و"المقامات" للحریری. تشیر النتائج ، إلی أنّه قد استخدم نظامی اللون فی "اسکندرنامه" 380 مرة، 261 مرة بصورة مباشرة و 119 مرة بصوررة غیر مباشرة باستخدام لون الأسود، الأبیض،أسود مظلم و... . وقد أخذ اللّون الأسود ومشتقّاته أکثر ظهورا فی هذا الأثر بتکراره 107 مرة بصورة مباشرة و 50 مرة بصورة غیر مباشرة. فاستخدام اللون کان على شکل التشبیه والاستعارة والکنایة، للتعبیر عن الحالات النفسیة للإنسان غالباً، والتی تطابق آراء علماء النفس المعاصرین حول استخدام الألوان تطابقاً واسعاً. کما استخدم الحریری فی مقاماته 37 مرة، الألوان المختلفة. وقد حظی اللّون الأصفر أعلى نسبة لدیه بتکراره 14 مرة. فاستخدام الألوان فی المقامات جاء خلاف إسکندرنامه، بشکل رمزی وکنائی؛ وکثیراً ما ینبع عن طبیعة الألوان نفسها؛ کدلالة اللّون الأبیض على الأمل، والأسود على الیأس والشقاء. والأصفر قد یکون رمزا للحزن والموت تارة، ویکون رمزاً للفرح والسعادة تارة أخرى. قد قامت هذه الدراسة إضافة إلی الأمور المذکورة، بتقدیم رسم بیانیّ لنسبة تکرار الألوان فی هذین الأثرین.

Keywords [العربیة]

  • اللون
  • علم النّفس
  • نظامی کنجوی
  • الحریری
  • إسکندرنامه
  • المقامات

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