Las Jarchas (y las moaxajas): características y ejemplos

El Edén de los Cínicos

19 Oct 201804:34

Summary

TLDRThe video explores 'jarchas', early lyrical compositions in the Romance language, marking the beginning of Spanish literature. These short poems, written in Mozarabic dialect and influenced by Arabic, were appended to 'moaxajas', cultured poems in Hebrew or Arabic. Jarchas, written in aljamiado using Arabic characters, often dealt with love and were expressed through a young woman's voice. They featured stylistic elements like questions, exclamations, and anaphoras, with about 70 historically collected. The video provides an example and invites viewers to engage with the content.

Takeaways

📜 Jarchas are considered the first lyrical manifestations in Romance, marking the beginning of Spanish literature.
📝 They are brief poetic compositions, typically not exceeding 4 or 5 verses, written in Mozarabic, a dialect spoken by Christian converts in Al-Andalus.
🌐 Mozarabic dialect is a blend of Latin with strong Arabic influences, reflecting the cultural mix of the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages.
🖋 Jarchas were written in aljamiado, using Arabic characters to mimic the sound of the Romance language.
💌 They often served as popular love letters, usually expressing a young woman's feelings for a loved one who is absent.
📚 Jarchas were attached to the end of more cultured poems known as moaxajas, which were written in Hebrew or Arabic.
🕰️ The earliest known Jarchas date back to the mid-11th century, though they might be older, and they ceased to be produced around the 14th century due to the Reconquista.
❤️ The themes of Jarchas are predominantly amorous, with a focus on love and longing.
👩‍👧 The mother figure often acts as a confidante or recipient of the sentiments expressed in Jarchas, aligning with the lyrical tradition of the Galician-Portuguese cancioncillas.
🎨 Stylistic features of Jarchas include frequent use of questions and exclamations, vocatives, and a fondness for anaphoras, parallelisms, and antitheses.
🔢 Scholars have collected a historical corpus of approximately 70 Jarchas, representing a significant part of early Spanish literary heritage.

Q & A

What is a jarcha and how is it related to moaxajas?
-A jarcha is one of the earliest lyrical expressions in Romance, marking the beginning of Spanish literature. It is a short poetic composition, usually no more than 4 or 5 verses, written in Mozarabic, a dialect spoken by Christian converts in Al-Andalus who had adopted Islam. Jarchas were written in aljamiado, using Arabic characters to mimic the sound of the Romance language, and were often appended to moaxajas, which were cultured poems written in Hebrew or Arabic.
Why are jarchas considered important in the history of literature?
-Jarchas are important because they represent the first manifestations of lyrical poetry in the Romance language, thus signifying the inception of Spanish literature.
In what language were jarchas originally written?
-Jarchas were originally written in Mozarabic, a dialect that retained the base of Latin but was heavily influenced by Arabic.
What is the typical length of a jarcha?
-Jarchas are typically brief, consisting of no more than 4 or 5 verses.
How were jarchas written in relation to moaxajas?
-Jarchas were written in aljamiado at the end of moaxajas, which were cultured poems. They were meant to be in a popular style, contrasting with the cultured language of the moaxajas.
What is the significance of the term 'aljamiado' in the context of jarchas?
-The term 'aljamiado' refers to the use of Arabic characters to write texts in the Romance language, imitating its phonetics. This was a way to bridge the gap between the dominant Arabic culture and the emerging Romance languages.
When were the first jarchas created?
-The first jarchas date back to the mid-11th century, although they could potentially be older.
Why did the creation of jarchas cease around the 14th century?
-The creation of jarchas ceased around the 14th century due to the advance of the Reconquista, which led to significant cultural and linguistic changes.
What are the common themes found in jarchas?
-The common themes in jarchas are love and longing, often expressed by a young woman for the absence of her beloved. The mother often serves as a confidante or recipient of these expressions.
What are the stylistic features that characterize jarchas?
-Jarchas are characterized by the frequent use of questions and exclamations, an abundance of vocatives, and a preference for anaphoras, parallelisms, and antitheses.
How many jarchas have been historically collected?
-Scholars have collected a historical corpus of approximately 70 jarchas.
Can you provide an example of a jarcha and its translation to modern Spanish?
-An example of a jarcha is: '¡Tant' amáre, tant'amáre, habib, tant' amáre! Enfermiron welios nidios e dólen tan málē.' Translated to modern Spanish, it would be: '¡De tanto amar, de tanto amar, amigo, de tanto amar! Enfermaron unos ojos antes sanos y que ahora duelen mucho.'

Outlines

00:00

📜 Introduction to Jarchas and Moaxajas

This paragraph introduces jarchas as the earliest lyrical expressions in the Romance language, marking the beginning of Spanish literature. Jarchas were short poetic compositions, typically no more than 4 or 5 verses, written in Mozarabic, a dialect spoken by Christian converts in Al-Andalus who had adopted Islam. This dialect was based on Latin but heavily influenced by Arabic. Jarchas were written in aljamiado, using Arabic characters to mimic the Romance language's sound. They were usually popular love letters attached to the end of cultured poems written in Hebrew or Arabic, known as moaxajas. The jarchas were written in a style that eventually transitioned into cultured language and then concluded in Romance language. The first jarchas date back to the mid-11th century, and they ceased to be created around the 14th century due to the Reconquista. The themes of jarchas are usually amorous, with a young woman expressing love for an absent beloved, often with the mother as a confidante or recipient. Stylistic features include frequent use of questions and exclamations, vocatives, and a preference for anaphoras, parallels, and antitheses. Scholars have collected around 70 historical jarchas, with one example provided in the script.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Jarcha

A 'jarcha' refers to a brief poetic composition, typically consisting of no more than 4 or 5 verses. In the context of the video, jarchas are significant as they represent the first lyrical expressions in Romance languages, marking the beginning of Spanish literature. They were written in Mozarabic, a dialect spoken by Christian converts in Al-Andalus who had adopted Islam, and were characterized by their Latin base with strong Arabic influences. The script mentions that jarchas were usually love-themed and often expressed by a young woman about the absence of her beloved, with the mother being a confidante or recipient of these expressions.

💡Moaxaja

A 'moaxaja' is a cultured poem written in Hebrew or Arabic, to which jarchas were appended. The video explains that moaxajas were sophisticated poems that were followed by jarchas, which were then concluded in Romance language. This structure is likened to a firefly, where the light is at the tail, suggesting that the jarcha, despite being a shorter composition, holds significant importance at the end of the moaxaja.

💡Mozarabic

Mozarabic is a dialect that was spoken by Christian converts in Al-Andalus who had adopted Islam. It is characterized by its retention of Latin roots but was heavily influenced by Arabic. In the video, the dialect is highlighted as the language in which jarchas were written, showcasing a fusion of cultures and linguistic influences.

💡Aljamía

Aljamía refers to the practice of writing in Arabic characters while attempting to mimic the sound of the Romance language. The video script notes that jarchas were written in aljamía, indicating a unique form of bilingual expression that was both visually Arabic and phonetically Romance.

💡Romance Languages

Romance languages are a group of languages that evolved from Vulgar Latin and include Spanish, French, Portuguese, and others. The video emphasizes that jarchas are the first lyrical expressions in these languages, thus marking the inception of Spanish literature.

💡Reconquista

The 'Reconquista' refers to the period in Spanish history when Christian kingdoms gradually reclaimed territories from Muslim rule. The video mentions that the creation of jarchas ceased around the 14th century due to the advance of the Reconquista, indicating a cultural shift influenced by political changes.

💡Cancioncillas

Cancioncillas are a form of Galician-Portuguese lyric poetry. The video draws a connection between jarchas and cancioncillas, suggesting a shared tradition of expressing love and longing, often through the voice of a young woman, which is a common theme in both poetic forms.

💡Stylistic Features

The video highlights certain stylistic features of jarchas, such as the frequent use of questions and exclamations, the abundance of vocatives, and a preference for anaphoras, parallelisms, and antitheses. These elements contribute to the distinctive style and emotional expressiveness of the jarchas.

💡Emilio García

Emilio García is mentioned in the video as one of the early investigators of jarchas. His metaphor comparing the composition of a jarcha to a firefly, with the light at the tail, captures the idea that the essence or the most significant part of the poem is found at the end, in the jarcha itself.

💡Historical Corpus

The term 'historical corpus' refers to a collection of historical texts or documents. In the video, it is mentioned that scholars have gathered a corpus of approximately 70 jarchas, which serves as a record of this early form of Spanish literature.

Highlights

Jarchas are considered the first lyrical manifestations in Romance, marking the beginning of Spanish literature.

Jarchas were short poetic compositions, typically no more than 4 or 5 verses.

They were written in Mozarabic, a dialect spoken by Christian converts to Islam in Al-Andalus.

Mozarabic dialect was based on Latin but heavily influenced by Arabic.

Jarchas were written in aljamiado, using Arabic characters to mimic the Romance language's sound.

These compositions were usually popular love letters attached to the tradition.

Poets would create moaxajas in a cultured language and conclude in Romance language based on jarchas.

Emilio García described the composition as a firefly, with the light at the tail.

The earliest jarchas date back to the mid-11th century, but they might be older.

Jarchas ceased to be created around the 14th century due to the advance of the Reconquista.

The themes of jarchas are usually amorous, with a young woman expressing love for an absent beloved.

The mother, though not present in the poem, is often the confidante or recipient.

This is closely related to the lyrical tradition of the Galician-Portuguese cancioncillas.

Stylistic features include constant use of questions and exclamations, abundance of vocatives, and preference for anaphoras, parallels, and antitheses.

Scholars have collected a historical corpus of around 70 jarchas.

An example of a jarcha is provided, illustrating its translation from Mozarabic to modern Spanish.

Jarchas are seen as the first manifestations of Spanish literature by many scholars.

The video encourages viewers to like, subscribe, comment, and share if they enjoyed the content.