ABSTRACT
Translation was instrumental in introducing new literary forms into the traditional Arabic canon. This was especially the case with the novel and the theater, although the European influence in the latter was mediated through first-hand contact. When native Arabic theater began to emerge, it had to rely on the imitation of European models. A businessman whose travels took him to several European countries, including Italy where he experienced the classical theater, al-Naqqash decided to start an Arabic theatrical tradition based on the same principles. It is generally agreed that the new genres entered Arabic literature in stages that started with several types of translation before original authorship. In addition, al-Naqqash’s short dramatic career drew on the other major source of intellectual and literary renewal in al-Nahḏa: the revival of Arabic classical heritage.
