The Aristotelian Triad of Persuasion in the Poetry of Ka'b ibn Ma'dan al-Ashqari al-'Omani (d. 102 AH): The Poem "Taribtu" as a Model

Abstract

This study applies Aristotle's (384–322 BCE) three modes of persuasion—Ethos (credibility), Pathos (emotion), and Logos (logic)—to the poem of the poet Kaʿb ibn Maʿdān al-Ashqarī (d. 102/718), known by its opening line “Ṭaribtū wa-hāja lī dhāka iddhikārā.” It examines the poem's alignment with Aristotelian principles, transforming it into a coherent persuasive discourse beginning with nasīb (longing and complaint about gray hair), defending honor, and concluding with pride in the Omani Azd tribes. The approach reveals how the poet converts individual weakness (old age, social rejection, injustice) into collective strength, reflecting early Umayyad tribal context. Drawing on Aristotle alongside Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca, it demonstrates ancient Arabic poetry's rhetorical-argumentative awareness beyond emotional expression. Through over sixty textual examples from this 33-verse wāfir poem, utilizing rhythm and sensory imagery, the poet persuades the Azd and Caliph of loyalty to al-Muhallab (d. 82/701), Umayyad commander in eastern frontiers like Kerman, Ahvaz, and Sistan.