JEHUDA HA-LEWI. SELECTED POEMS - COLLECTIVE WORK

Discover the treasures of the Golden Age literature in Al-Andalus, presented in an anthology dedicated to the works of Jewish authors from the Iberian Peninsula. Volume 4 of the series "Treasures of the Golden Age Literature in Al-Andalus" presents the outstanding poet, thinker, physician, and diplomat, Jehuda ha-Lewi (1070/75-1141), whose work transformed the face of Jewish culture.

• Outstanding poet and thinker of the Golden Age
• Reconstruction of the Hebrew language in its biblical form
• Diversity of literary topoi explored by the author
• Rich selection of works in translations by Barbara Gryczan
• Courtly and religious poetry in one volume
• Portrait of an artist torn between Al-Andalus and Jerusalem

Jehuda ha-Lewi, the hero of this volume, is an extremely versatile figure. His poetry, considered one of the most outstanding achievements of Hebrew literature since biblical times, has forever influenced Jewish culture. He managed to reconstruct the Hebrew language, giving it a biblical character, and to explore various literary topoi, which makes his work unique and inspiring.

In this volume, we find a rich selection of works by Ha-Lewi, translated by Barbara Gryczan with respect for the poetic art of the era. Among them are works representing courtly poetry, such as riddles, charades, songs about wine, friendship, and love, as well as religious poetry, including liturgical works and those of a philosophical and mystical nature, focused on the dream of uniting with God in Jerusalem.

Ha-Lewi's work is a portrait of an artist torn between the sensual pleasures of Al-Andalus and the longing for the distant, mythical Jerusalem. His poems evoke the image of a medieval world, while telling about the universal needs of the human heart and soul. The series "Treasures of the Golden Age Literature in Al-Andalus" was created as part of a grant from the National Program for the Development of the Humanities (NPRH).