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Auction #114 begins on 11 Apr 2024

Ahmad FARIS Shidyaq

... Arabic and English grammatical exercises and familiar dialogues ...

Published: Malta, [probably 1840]

Edition: 1st

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[Ahmad FARIS Shidyaq (1805 – 1887, known also as Fares Chidiac, Faris Al Chidiac].

Kitāb al-muḥāwarah al-unsīyah fī al-lughatayn al-Inklīzīyah wa-al-ʻArabīyah : fī amthilah naḥwīyah ... Arabic and English grammatical exercises and familiar dialogues chiefly intended for the use of students in the English language.

[Malta: no date but 1840].

Octavo signed in fours (8 ¾ x 5 3/8 inches). Pp. [1-188] but page ‘1’ at ‘rear’ and ‘188’ at ‘front’ in accordance with normal practice. Text in Arabic [i.e the Egyptian dialect] and English. (Title with repaired tear and small hole [see images], leaf 9.3 with small section of upper outer blank corner torn away, 14.3 with 3-inch clean tear, old stain from title to leaf 21.1 approx.)

Original roan-backed marbled paper-covered boards (scuffed and rubbed).

Provenance: “Joseph Francis’ (inscription); ‘Harriet’ (leaf 7.2 inscribed and dated 1888); H.M. Lewis (signature).

A rare work from a writer who is today considered to be “one of the founding fathers of modern Arabic literature”. “Since 2001, scholars around the world seem to have rediscovered Ahmad Faris Shidyaq. Several books have been published about his life, thought and unpublished works. Shidyaq's major works were dedicated to the modernization of the Arabic language, the promotion of the Arab culture in opposition to the turkization movement of the 19th century Ottoman Empire, and the modernization of the Arab societies.” Wikipedia.

Ahmad Faris Shidyaq was born into a Maronite Christian family “in 1804 in Ashquot, a mountain village of the Keserwan District in the modern Mount Lebanon Governate. … His family was very well educated, and its members worked as secretaries for the governors of Mount Lebanon. In 1805, the family was forced to leave Ashqout following a conflict with a local governor; Butrus al-Shidyaq…

The family settled in Hadath, in the suburbs of Beirut, [working in the ]… service of a Shihabi prince. Faris joined his brothers, Tannous … and Assaad …, and his maternal cousin Boulos Massaad …, in Ayn Warqa school, one of the most prestigious Maronite schools of the 19th century. Again, a family conflict, in which the Shidyaq were at odds with the Prince… obliged their father Youssef Ash-Shidyaq to take refuge in Damascus, where he died in 1820.

Faris left school and continued his studies under his older brothers Assaad and Tannous. He joined his brother Tannous as a copyist at the service of the Prince Haydar Shihab; their brother Assaad worked as the secretary of … Sheikh Ali Al-Emad in Kfarnabrakh… Assaad's life had a major influence on the life and career of Faris. Around 1820, Assaad Shidyaq encountered Jonas King, [an American] Protestant missionary … eventually Assaad became Protestant. He was excommunicated under the … edict issued by the Maronite Patriarch Youssef Hobaish (1823–1845), who sought to prevent all dealings with the Protestant missionaries. Assaad was later detained for years in the Monastery of Qannoubine in the Qadisha valley, where he died in 1830. By 1825, Faris … left Lebanon for Egypt, as he was tormented by his brother's ordeals. Assaad's death permanently affected the younger man's choices and his career. He never forgave his brother Tannous [or]… his cousin … for … their role in the events that led to the death of Assaad.

In 1826, Faris married Marie As-Souly, daughter of a wealthy Christian family, who were originally from Syria. They had two sons: …. From 1825 to 1848, Faris divided his time [between]… Cairo and … the island of Malta. … In Malta, he was the director of the printing press of [the]American missionaries. He also studied Figh in Al-Azhar University in Cairo … Faris is believed to have converted to Protestantism during this period in Egypt, an extended time of relative solitude and study.

In 1848 he was invited to Cambridge, England by the Orientalist Samuel Lee (1783–1852) to participate in the Arabic translation of the Bible [published in 1857] …. Faris stayed in England with his family for almost 7 years…. [Towards the end of this period] … he moved to Oxford, … became [a] naturalized… British citizen, [and]… tried in vain to secure a teaching post. Disappointed by England … he moved to Paris, France around 1855 [where he] …stayed … till 1857. … In Paris he wrote and published his major works. It is also in Paris … where he became a Socialist. …

His wife died in 1857. Faris later married an English woman, Safia, who had embraced Islam. They had one daughter together, Rosalinde Faris. The couple moved to Tunisia, at the invitation [of] the Bey of Tunis. He was appointed as editor-in-chief of the newspaper Al Ra'ed, and supervisor of the Education Directorate. While in Tunisia, Faris converted to Islam … in 1860 and took the name Ahmad. He soon afterwards left Tunis for Istanbul, Turkey, …

Ahmad Faris spent the last part of his life in Istanbul where, in addition to [working]… as an official translator, he founded in 1861 an Arabic newspaper Al Jawa'eb… It was modeled on the modern Western newspapers and continued publication until 1884.

Ahmad Faris strongly defended [the] use of the Arabic language and its heritage, and Arabic culture against the Turkization attempts of the Turkish reformers of the 19th century. Ahmad Faris Ash-Shidyaq is considered one of the founding fathers of modern Arabic literature and journalism.” (Wikipedia)

  • Binding Condition: Rubbed but holding
  • Overall Condition: Stained & rubbed
  • Size: 8 13/16 x 5 3/8in; 224 x 138mm
  • Sold By: Shadowrock Rare Books
  • Contact Person: Adam Langlands
  • Country: United States
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Telephone: 001-860-248-1547
  • Preferred Payment Methods: Paypal, US$ checks and wire transfers, major credit cards through paypal
  • Trade Associations: AA Approved


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