Tanās (Intertextuality) in Martyrs’ Elegies: The Examples of ʿUmar al-Mukhtār and Yahya Sinwar

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The tradition of composing elegies for martyrs in Arabic literature is a deep-rooted practice that has existed since the early periods. This tradition, which began with the elegy composed by Muhalhil b. Rabīʿa (d. 525?) for his brother Kulayb (d. 494) during the Jahiliyyah era, continued with elegies written for Ḥamza (d. 3/625) during the Islamic period. In the modern era, it has persisted through Aḥmad Shawqi’s (d. 1932) elegy ʿUmar al-Mukhtār, composed for ʿUmar al-Mukhtār (d. 1931) and Tamim al-Barghouti’s Ramā bi’l-ʿaṣā, written for Yahya Sinwar (d. 2024). There are several stylistic similarities between the elegies ʿUmar al-Mukhtār and Ramā bi’l-ʿaṣâ, such as the use of the ʿarūḍ meter, an easy baḥr, the rhyme (rawī) letter, the art of taṣriʿ, and medium-length verses, along with common themes like resistance to occupation, the desire for independence, rejection of captivity, dedication to struggle, and martyrdom. These stylistic and thematic parallels reveal the presence of tanāṣ (intertextuality) between the texts, indicating that both resistance leaders shared similar ideals and worldviews. In this study, following a qualitative research approach, the data from selected poems will undergo comparative analysis, and their stylistic and thematic characteristics will be evaluated within the framework of the literary device of intertextuality. The study examines how poets use intertextuality to articulate their affiliation with a particular literary school and support their ideologies by referencing earlier works. In doing so, it offers a concrete example of how literature not only reflects social events but also functions as a tool for raising societal awareness and reminding societies of their historical roots. The absence of any scholarly work on Tamim al-Barghouti’s elegy Ramā bi’l-ʿaṣā, written for Yahya Sinwar, and the lack of a comparison with the elegy composed for ʿUmar al-Mukhtār further highlight the originality and significance of this study.