raḥīl

Arabic literature

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In Arabic literature: Categories and forms
…transition, a second section (the raḥīl) recounts a desert journey, thus affording the opportunity for descriptions of animals—especially the camel and horse as primary riding beasts—that are among the most famous and beloved within the entire tradition of Arabic poetry. A section in praise of the tribe (the madīḥ) comes…
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In qaṣīdah
…this conventional beginning follows the rahil, which consists of descriptions of the poet’s horse or camel or of desert animals and scenes of desert events and Bedouin life and warfare; it may conclude with a piece on fakhr, or self-praise. The main theme, the madih, or panegyric, often coupled with…
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