Arabic anthology LEFT in Arabic, finally!

From Yale University - As far as I know, this is the only anthology available to Arabic students in which the texts are left in Arabic. Like the title suggests, the literature spans pre-Islamic times (al-Jahiliyah) to contemporary writings. The pieces from the Golden Age of Islamic Civilization, especially the mystic writings, are practically indecipherable. I'm glad they were included in the collection, especially ibn-'Arabi, but it is definitely not light reading. Each passage also offers a vocabulary list. A CD is included.

Basically, modernday Arabic can be broken down into two large bodies. One is unofficially called Modern Newspaper Arabic, which is the widespread standard used in media across the Arab world. Despite the vast differences in dialects from region to region, educated Arabs from all around the world can understand Newspaper Arabic. This is also the form of Arabic usually taught to foreigners. The other part is called Modern Literary Arabic, which is the language of poets, writers and mystics. Collectively, Newspaper and Literary Arabic are known as Modern Standard Arabic. In other words, if you're used to reading newspapers, this anthology will kick your ass.

From the publisher:

This book—the first comprehensive reader of Arabic literature from pre-Islamic times to the present—is an essential work for advanced students of the Arabic language. Presenting seventy works by seventy authors, it includes:
• pre-Islamic poetry and prose;
• selections from the Qur’an;
• the Prophet Muhammad’s last sermon;
• the powerful writing of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the fourth Islamic Caliph;
• writings from the “Golden Age of the Arabs” (750-1258 A.D.) in philosophy, mysticism, prose, and poetry;
• works from the neoclassical, modernist, and metaphorical schools;
• literature of the Arabs in Andalus, Spain;
• discussions of cultural, literary, critical, and political movements of the present day;
• vocabulary lists, a list of idioms and notes, a set of questions about the text, and two glossaries.

9/10