Poetry as Exegesis: St. Ephrem and Ibn ʿArabī on the Representation of Scriptural Exegesis in Poetry

Abstract

This article attempts to shed light on the representation of scriptural exegesis in mystical poetry. Concentrating on the poetry of St. Ephrem the Syrian (d. 373 CE) and Ibn ʿArabī the Andalusian (d. 638/1240), the article explores how both authors transformed Scripture – the Bible and the Qur’an – into poetry and how they incorporated exegesis into their poems. On the level of exegetical method, the article presents various techniques of exegetical poetry such as typology, juxtaposition, and the creation of thematic links. On the level of intellectual history, the article highlights the common ground between the approaches of St. Ephrem and Ibn ʿArabī to both Scripture and exegetical poetry. More generally, it highlights the parallels between Eastern Christian and Muslim mystical traditions of exegetical poetry.