Malḥūn as a Concept: Some Preliminary Reflections

Macnack, Oussama Youssef (2026) Malḥūn as a Concept: Some Preliminary Reflections. ARABIST: BUDAPEST STUDIES IN ARABIC, 49. pp. 107-118. ISSN 0239-1619

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Abstract

This reflection addresses the epistemological challenges of defining malḥūn, a Maghrebi poetic genre whose contours remain unclear due to limited scholarly research. Rather than proposing a definitive definition, the study critically examines previous interpretations, particularly the debate on the meanings attributed to the root l.ḥ.n as discussed by al-Fāsī (1986–97) and al-Ǧirārī (2025). Building on insights from a contemporary malḥūn poet, Aḥmad Suhūm (1993), the article suggests a new reading that revisits an insight briefly articulated in the final pages of his work and develops it further by linking the term to intelligence, creativity, and persuasive expression, while grounding this interpretation in a lexicographical dimension beyond the two dominant interpretations expounded by al-Ǧirārī and al-Fāsī. By reflecting on language, geography, and metre, this contribution aims to stimulate further debate on what fundamentally defines malḥūn.

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