El pícaro en la literatura árabe: ‘Aŷīb wa-Garīb de Ibn Dāniyāl

Abstract

The picaresque theme enjoyed a long tradition in Arabic literature. After a brief historical review of its main representatives, this paper presents a translation and a study of the presence of the rogue figure in the work of Egyptian playwright Ibn Dāniyāl. Poet and innovator of Shadow Play, Ibn Dāniyāl is considered one of the most important writers of the Mamluk period. In his oeuvre reality blends easily with fantasy, and real characters with others invented for his plays, always in a spontaneous, natural manner. This article applies the critical approach of the picaresque prototype to the work of Ibn Dāniyāl. It attempts to trace its most relevant aspects to their earliest source, in terms of both form and content. Finally, a detailed analysis of the texts shows that Ibn Dāniyāl's work not only adopts familiar material, but also makes new contributions, by giving life to the principal character, a mirror of his society, in spoken language and in a process of profound transformation.