ABSTRACT
The multifarious uses of speech pervading Ibn al-Rūmī’s panegyrics strike the seasoned reader of madīḥ as unfamiliar. Ibn al-Rūmī deftly dramatizes himself and other personae. Similar to an action on stage, the direct speech of his and other dramatis personae creates scenes of dialogue whose key utterances are underscored by imagery. Scenes assemble in a larger dramaturgy, whose elements are conventional, yet novel in their composition. The speech of these dramatic scenes has two functions: first, it symbolizes feelings and actions to the point that monologue and dialogue no longer merely describe and accompany action, but rather they contain it. Second, utterances (and the acts they perform) characterize the dramatis personae. Such scenes of verbal action are counterbalanced by purely descriptive passages. But even there, speech may occur through the personification or fantastic reinterpretation of inanimate objects and abstract concepts. To the poet’s mind, these things and ideas speak figuratively, on an abstract level of fantastic action. In this way, Ibn al-Rūmī creates drama even in mute static scenes. These functions of speech expand the limited realm of the performative as identified in the direct phrases of praise.
