ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines a course at the undergraduate level on classical Arabic literature in English translation. The topics of this course on classical Arabic literature are: pre-Islamic Arabic literature, rulers and other political elites, religion, love, comedy, travel, and fantasy and the supernatural. Teaching classical Arabic literature in translation is useful because undergraduates often are not able to reach a level of Arabic at which they can study and enjoy classical Arabic literature in the original format. The study of classical Arabic literature in translation can attract students to the study of Arabic and enrich the program of study for students of other medieval literatures or comparative literature. Commentary on or parody of religious ideas and cultural production was just as important for classical Arabic literature as the practices of interpretation and chains of transmission that were shared by the fields of religion and literature.
