Ebook: Romance Kharjas in Andalusian Arabic Muwaššaḥ poetry : a palaeographical analysis

Alan Jones' important work, published in 1988, on the Mozarabic kharjas. Includes facsimiles in the Arabic script, and a detailed analysis of how they can be read. This should correct many of the misreadings by previous scholars.

From the introduction of the book: "The aim of this work is to put the academic record straight by making available to non-Arabists accurate information about the texts of the Romance kharjas to be found in the extant Andalusian Arabic muwaššaḥāt.

... With the benefit of hindsight, some obvious questions are bound to be asked. Why, for example, were facsimiles of the other kharjas not printed? And why was there no attempt to re-edit the texts of the kharjas after the manuscrit Colin had been consulted further? Without condoning what has happened, or, rather, what has not happened, I think it fair to point out that the facsimile reproduction of Arabic sources has always been something of a rarity. ... When I did eventually turn my attention to the transcriptions in Veinticuatro jarŷas, I could hardly believe my checking. Not one transcription is completely accurate. ... All who have relied on them have been perforce misled. ...

I very much hope that with the texts and supporting information presented here Romance scholars will begin the reappraisal that is so clearly needed. As far as possible, I have tried not to pre-empt them. Therefore I have refrained from commenting on the Romance material unless that could not be avoided."