The Rajaz Meter and the Craft of Didactic Narrative: A Rhythmic Study of Ibn al-Habbariyya’s Natā’ij al-Fiṭna fī Naẓm Kalīla wa-Dimna

بحر الرجز وصناعة السرد التعليميّ: دراسة إيقاعيّة في «نتائج الفطنة في نظم كليلة ودمنة» لابن الهبارية

Abstract

This study investigates the rhythmic architecture of Ibn al-Habbariyya’s Natāʾij al-Fiṭna fī Naẓm Kalīla wa-Dimna (5th–6th century AH), with particular emphasis on the functional significance of his use of the complete paired rajaz metre (al-rajaz al-tāmm al-muzdawaj) in rendering a didactic-narrative corpus into verse. The study argues that the poet’s selection of this metrical form represents a deliberate artistic and structural choice, shaped by the pedagogical objectives and narrative characteristics of the source material. Adopting a descriptive-analytical approach, the research combines prosodic scansion with an examination of the narrative and rhetorical functions of rhyme and metrical variations (ziḥāfāt). The findings demonstrate that rhythm in Natāʾij al-Fiṭna operates through four interrelated levels: external metre, end rhyme, internal rhythmic patterning, and phonetic texture. These rhythmic components work together as an integral structural system rather than merely serving an ornamental function. The study further reveals that rhythmic organization contributes significantly to maintaining narrative continuity, reinforcing the didactic and mnemonic dimensions of the text, and enhancing its aesthetic and auditory impact. Thus, the rajaz muzdawaj emerges not simply as a conventional poetic form, but as a functional rhythmic framework particularly suited to the transmission, organization, and memorization of didactic narrative material.