In this article, I provide one example of how a careful engagement with poetry can enrich our understanding of West African history. In 1852, al-ḤājjʿUmar Fūtī Tāl (d.1864) completed his panegyric of the Prophet Muḥammad—Safīnat al-saʿāda li-ahl ḍuʿf wa-l-najāda or The Vessel of Happiness and Assistance for the Weak. Through an analysis of Safīnat al-saʿāda, I explain Tāl’s creative use of two older poems that were widespread in West Africa—al-ʿIshrīniyyāt—The Twenties—of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Fāzāzī (d. 1230), and its takhmīs (pentastich) by Abū Bakr ibn Muhīb (n.d.). Though Safīnat al-saʿāda was primarily meant for devotion, it also reflected Tāl’s scholarly prestige and claims he made about his religious authority. In the long prose introduction to the poem, Tāl claimed that he was a vicegerent of the Prophet, and therefore had authority to guide and lead the Muslims of West Africa. His composition of Safīnat al-saʿāda was partly meant to prove this point.

中文翻译：

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赞美诗学：al-ḤājjʿUmar Tāl 的 Safīnat al-saʿāda li-ahl ḍuʿf wa-l-najāda 中的爱与权威

在这篇文章中，我提供了一个例子，说明仔细接触诗歌如何丰富我们对西非历史的理解。1852 年，al-ḤājjʿUmar Fūtī Tāl (d.1864) 完成了他对先知穆罕默德的颂词——Safīnat al-saʿāda li-ahl ḍuʿf wa-l-najāda 或幸福与援助的容器。通过对 Safīnat al-saʿāda 的分析，我解释了 Tāl 创造性地使用了两首在西非广为流传的古老诗歌——al-ʿIshrīniyyāt-The Twenties-of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Fāzāzī（卒于 1230 年）及其 (takh五角星）作者：Abū Bakr ibn Muhīb (nd)。虽然 Safīnat al-saʿāda 主要是为了奉献，但它也反映了 Tāl 的学术声望和他对自己宗教权威的主张。在对这首诗的长篇散文介绍中，塔尔声称他是先知的代理人，因此有权指导和领导西非的穆斯林。他创作的 Safīnat al-saʿāda 部分是为了证明这一点。