The Middle East is best known for the tales of The Thousand and One Nights, but a rich variety of Arabian folk literature also exists. The stories, proverbs, rhymes, and jokes that people use in everybody conversation are largely undocumented, since most scholars concentrate on the written literary tradition. The folktales of South Arabia, comprising the modern states of North and South Yemen, are virtually unknown to Western audiences. While attention has been given to the folklore of Yemeni Jews living is Israel, few of the stories till told in Islamic South Arabia have been collected. Three of these tales, which shed light on dominant themes in South Arabian culture, are translated here.
Folktales often appear dry and hard to understand in translation, owing mainly to readers' lack of familiarity with the culture and the difficulty of matching puns and rhymes between languages. It is important to remember that the themes and story lines developed in such folktales have as much significance and relevance to the people involved as our novels and movies have for us. Even when there is no obvious punch line, the tales emphasize what is important to the people of Southern Arabia.
The first tale in this collection concerns one of the major folk heroes of North Yemen, Ali ibn Zayid. The theme of the story is one of simple rustic faith in the mercy of God, a reminder that Islam, more than any other worldview, has shaped life in South Arabia.
Yemen is still very much a traditional society, despite recent political and economic changes. The second tale deals with tribal life: To be tribal in Yemen is to be bound by a rigid standard of honor. One of the most difficult obligations of the tribesman is the necessity of vengeance, the theme of the story. Ultimately, tribes are made up of families and emphasize the obligations of children to their parents.
The final tale translated here tells the tragic story of love in a royal family. Family life, as we know from the worldwide fascination with American television series like Dallas or Dynasty, is a theme that easily crosses cultural borders. We may not share the faith of Ali ibn Zayid or the passion of a son avenging his father, but we do know what it is like to live in a family.
Ali ibn Zayid prays for rain
The Yemeni Paul Bunyan is called Ali ibn Zayid, the epitome of the clever Yemeni tribesman. Some say that Ali ibn Zayid was a real poet who lived over a thousand years ago in the central highlands of Yemen, but in fact almost any witty rhyme or saying may be attributed to him. Like Nasrudin Khoja of Turkey or Jiha of Egypt, Ali ibn Zayid speaks for the common man facing the uncommon difficulties of life. He is a Yemeni Everyman, timeless in a land where time seemingly stood still for so long.
The Prophet Moses came near Ali ibn Zayid, who called out, "O Prophet of God, ask your Lord and Master when He will send rain." "How long have you had a drought?" asked Moses. "Seven years," answered Ali ibn Zayid, "Hold on, then," said Moses, "I'll go and bring you word."
So the Prophet called on God about the problem, saying, "My
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