The Epistle of the Birds by Yosef ben Tanhum

Abstract

Abstract:We offer the Spanish  traslation  of  the The Epistle of the Birds (or  'Igeret ha­siporim) version on the famous Risalat at-Tayr (the Epistle ofthe Bird) by the celebrated philosopher Avicenna  (d. 1037),  and it takes part of an allegorical  treatises'  collection  of him.   The Spanish  hebrew poet   introduces  in its work, distinctly  from the original,  sorne narrative techniqhes  typical of the maqama's  genre (the means of expression,  the introductory  fixed formulas, the participation oftwo players: a narrator andan erudite hero, etc.). Even iftake part in it sorne characteristics  ofthe maqama's genre, its symbolically  nature inserts  it in a new category, the allegorical maqama.