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Afro-Asian Literature by Mac Jane Tirol

INDIAN LITERATURE

Parable of Returning Love for Hatred

This story is all about Buddha in the 5th century BC. He is a prince of the house Gautama and himself called Siddhartha. Gautama was the great religious leader of Northern India and also the founder of Buddhism which is one of the chief religious faiths of mankind today. He said that “suffering is inseparable from existence” which is evil. It means that the principal cause of suffering is desire and suppression of suffering can be obtained by suppression of desire. In this lesson I learned that a religion whose great aim is the teaching of holy living in this world, we must necessarily be rich in moral precepts and such maxims are the peculiar beauty of Buddhism. It will be our pleasant task in this lesson to glean some of these graceful precepts which will give us some idea of the essence of Gautama’s moral teachings.

The Lion Makers

This story is all about the four brahmans who lived in friendship. They wanted to live their life giving ripeness to their scholarship but out of the four of them, only three have scholarship and the only one left they are calling a dullard. They didn’t know that the one without the scholarship has the most sense in all of them. So during their travels they encountered some bones of an animal in the forest. They talk about bringing the animal back to life. The first one said he could assemble the skeleton, the second one said he could supply skin, flesh and blood, the third said he can give it life but the fourth one said that it’s a skeleton of a lion if they bring it back to life it could kill them. The three brahmans who have scholarship had their prides high so they still decided to bring the lion back to life which caused them their lives. The important lesson that I learned in this story is that we should not judge someone because of their knowledge and ability. We do not know the capabilities of each person around us which is why we should listen to everyone and we should think first about the decision we’re making.

The Duel between the Elephant and the Sparrow

This story is all about an arrogant elephant who uses his bravery without thinking that he hurt someone and broke the most precious gift they received, which happens the sparrow is celebrating because they finally have an egg but the arrogant elephant broke it from the branch of the three for his own satisfaction. So in the end the sparrow got angry and sought revenge on the elephant together with the sparrow’s friends. “Intelligence is Mightier than bravery” In this story the sparrow couple proves to us that no matter how tiny we are, if we use our intelligence against any arrogance we can defeat bravery and let us taste the essence of victory. No matter how brave you are or arrogant you are, if you don’t have friends to help you and you don’t have the intelligence, you can’t conquer problems and difficulties in life.

The Mahabharata

We all know that this story is one of the earliest and the most popular epics of India. It is a story about a king named Shanthanu who ruled Bharatavarsha. Shanthanu happened to meet Sathiavathy, a very beautiful woman who was the daughter of a fisherman, he fell in love and wished to marry her. Sathiavathy gave birth to two sons, one of them died early and the other was named Vichitra Veerya. In this story “The Mahabharata” teaches us how to live, what to do and what not to do. Mahabharata contains every human feeling from love, courage, truth, honesty, wisdom and dislikes. I learned that humans as we are now know what is the right thing to do and not, in everything we do we should do it with love and honesty.

Ramayana

This story is an ancient Sanskrit epic which follows Prince Rama’s quest to rescue his beloved wife Sita from the clutches of Ravana with the help of an army of monkeys. Ramayana is traditionally attributed to the authorship of the sage Valmiki and dated to around 500 BCE to 100 BCE. This story teaches us that not only is it possible, but it is also necessary to ensure victory over evil forces. I love how Lord Ram showed his epitome of kindness, compassion and love. Also his wisdom and patience made it possible for him to follow his inner good without worrying about the loss of luxuries and kingship.

HEBREW LITERATURE

The story of Joseph

Joseph’s life offers us a magnificent portrayal of the grace of God as He came to our rescue in the Person of His Son, Jesus. Joseph’s dreams first get him into trouble, but his ability to understand them leads him to be chosen by the Pharaoh and to save the world. I learned a lesson about the mysteries of how the world works. We as a believer can see it as an illustration of the need to keep trying and persevere. In this story I learn that God really has a plan for us even if we ourselves are sinners He will still love us just like Joseph and his brother in the story turned out to be okay.

The story of Ruth

The book of Ruth is a beautiful piece of sacred literature, applauded by many for its literary excellence. The story is all about a woman who after being widowed remains with her husband’s mother. The Book of Ruth relates that Ruth and Orpah, two women of Moab, had married two sons of Elimelech and Naomi, Judeans who had settled in Moab to escape a famine in Judah. The husbands of all three women die; Naomi plans to return to her native Bethlehem and urges her daughters-in-law to return to their families. This story was written to the Israelites. It teaches that genuine love at times may require uncompromising sacrifice. Regardless of our lot in life, we can live according to the precepts of God. We will be rewarded by God for our genuine love and kindness to others. Just like what Ruth in the story did, she is kind and genuine just like she is.

The Parable of Talents Gitanjali

Everyone has talents but not everyone uses their talents. In the Parables of Talents, it appears that Jesus is stressing the importance of a person using their talents. A talent is useless unless it is used because there is no one that has no talent. Even the unsure and unsaved people have given a talent. The Parable of Talents is given by Jesus right after He talks about His second coming and that no one knows the day or the hour and so a believer must be using their talents to the best of their abilities as if Jesus will be returning today.

PERSIAN LITERATURE

The Beautiful Queen of Persia

Queen of Persia tells us about the moving story of Esther, a young Hebrew girl in a foreign land whose life seemed to be at the mercy of those more powerful than herself and how she found the strength to change the fate of a nation. Esther's beauty was such that it could catch and hold the eye of an oriental emperor accustomed to being surrounded by loveliness. What I’ve learned in this story is that we should believe in our hidden powers just like Esther’s name means “hidden” in Hebrew. She kept hidden her identity as a Jew in the palace of the Persian king. She also didn’t lose hope when it seemed that G‑d’s protection of the Jewish people was in hiding. Lastly, let your inner beauty shine, just like When contestants vying to be Ahasuerus’s new queen were brought to the palace, they were given a lengthy beauty regimen involving physical pampering and cosmetic treatments, but Esther declined those luxuries. Instead, it was her natural beauty that immediately captured the king’s attention above all the others. You are the best version of yourself.

ARABIAN LITERATURE

The Lady and her Five Suitors

The story is about the use of trickery for getting what you want and in the pursuit of having what you love. This is one of the Arabian Literary pieces that shows the real state of the world- full of oppressor and oppressed, users and used, and players and played. In the mimetic approach of analyzing the story, it started with the presentation of the main character and her present situation. The truth about this story is really happening in real life. Trickery is one of the most common activities done by a lot of people in varied forms and situations. In the story where the five suitors obeyed the lady without them noticing it that they are being tricked, it is also very common today. People were using other people for their own benefits. People are lured by what their eyes can see and act out of impulse without thinking first.

Aladdin and the Magic Lamp

This story is all about a young boy who found himself a genie of his own. One day aladdin was tricked by an evil wizard to go inside the cave that holds a great treasure and there he saw an old lamp without knowing that it has a magical genie in their that can grant him three wishes and of course aladdin wishes for power and fame, after that he became the famous boy in the town and married the beautiful princess in their kingdom. I learned that there is always a place for you depending on what attitude you’ve shown in the world, just like the evil wizard did, he became boastful and not content with what he had so he tasted his own destiny and became the next genie of the magical lamp. Lastly, Aladdin taught us the importance of friendship whether it is good or bad as long as you learn to be content and help friends who are in need.

The Food of Paradise

This story is one of the most influential writers in the field of Arabian Literature. It is considered as one of the most important masterpieces made. This story tackles the story of hope and faith in which deals with the divinity and religious beliefs towards Allah. The Food of Paradise is a story about hope and faith towards our God. Mullah is the main character in this story, he was a teacher before he was tired and got a lower salary, he decided to go to the City of Baghdad wherein near the river, even though he was lazy, he always had trust in Allah his God. In conclusion, I realize that in our lives, we can't avoid feeling that the world is so unfair but we should not question our one and only creator. Everything happens for a reason and God has a purpose.

LEBANESE LITERATURE

The Sayings of the Brook

Alfred Lord Tennyson begins his poem in describing its nature. It was a simple body of water before it started moving forward in a rush. Tennyson follows the progression of the brook through the valleys, around farms and then into a river. The speaker also talks about human life and the nature of a moral existence. He also used clear images to paint pictures of the scenes that require a reader to use a variety of senses to imagine them. The poem concludes by alluding to the fact that the brook, unlike humans, is going to exist forever. The sayings of the brook teaches us that life is full of hurdles but we should not slow down. We must continue ahead keeping our goals in mind and if we do that we will surely achieve happiness and fulfillment.

Simon who was called Peter

When we read the Bible, as a series of body lessons we were told just to prove a point, we miss something. When we treat people inside the Bible as characters in a story, we lose something incredible. Intercept lessons are clean and simple. People, on the other hand, are chaotic and complex. When we look at Simon Peter's life, we see one of the most chaotic people in the new era, Peter walks on the water and drowns in the waves, he declares that Jesus has missed the point, he vows to Christ, even pulls a sword in the defense of his God, and then gives up Jesus Christ and burns him three times. Go to Jerusalem, though death awaits you, stand with Peter as God uses to build his church and watch that church grow. Peter is just like every single one of us, despite being overzealous and impulsive, Peter has a big heart. And that’s probably what makes Jesus pull this disciple into His inner circle. Along with James and John, Peter shares an intimacy with Jesus that the other disciples don’t experience. The same is true for us. We’ll all have moments of spectacular failure, but that doesn’t mean that there’s no way back. Jesus is continually at work in our lives redeeming and restoring us.

CHINESE LITERATURE

The Analects of Confucius

This Analects is a Foundational Confucian text written by the sage’s disciples after his death. It was an important legalist commentary on nature and led the Chinese to be environmentally aware. It is a documentary by Laozi that helped Chinese people live in harmony with the universe and the natural world. The analects begins with a quote about the importance of hardwork and patience. I learned that gentlemen are not influenced by their egos but their actions shouldn’t be aimed at impressing others. That a young man should be filial within his home and be respectful of elders when outside because according to Confucius, being filial is more than simply taking care of one's parents.

Waking from Drunkenness on a Spring Day

"Life in the World is but a big dream;

I will not spoil it by any labour or care."

So saying, I was drunk all the day,

Lying helpless at the porch in front of my door.

When I woke up, I blinked at the garden-lawn;

A lonely bird was singing amid the flowers.

I asked myself, had the day been wet or fine?

The Spring wind was telling the mango-bird.

Moved by its song I soon began to sigh,

And as wine was there I filled my own cup.

Wildly singing I waited for the moon to rise;

When my song was over, all my senses had gone.

This poem means that we should not take life so seriously we should be able to not worry what season or time it is. Li Bai states "So why should we sweat and toil our lives away" I think he means why we shouldn’t spend our lives doing something that we dislike when you can pour some wine and stay drunk. I am not stating that we should get drunk at any given moment which was what Li Bai enjoyed doing in his poems idolized drinking. Drinking should be replaced with what we all like to do individually to enjoy living and not have those stressors of life. When we spend, our days toiling away and being worried about everything we tend to not notice the little things in life. “Till I woke up, and spied among the courtyard’s Blossoming flowers one small songbird at play” Li Bai has noticed this beautiful sight and enjoyed it, if he was busy working he wouldn’t have been able to appreciate the beauty in that very moment.

Hard Roads in Shu

This is a Poem by the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai describing the treacherous passage to Shu, which is located in modern day Sichuan Province. The poems were models for celebrating the pleasures of friendship, the depth of nature, solitude, and the joys of drinking wine. Among the most famous are "Waking from Drunkenness on a Spring Day", "The Hard Road to Shu", and "Quiet Night Thought", which still appear in school texts in China. In the West, multilingual translations of Li's poems continue to be made. I learned that his life has even taken on a legendary aspect, including tales of drunkenness, chivalry, and the well-known fable that Li drowned when he reached from his boat to grasp the moon's reflection in the river while drunk.

Song of Everlasting Sorrow (Chang Hen Ge)

The Song of Everlasting Sorrow is a 1995 Chinese novel by Wang Anyi. The novel follows Wang Qiyao, a sensitive Shanghai beauty, from 1945 to her murder in 1986. The title is identical to a famous 809 poem by Bai Juyi, about the romance and tragic death of the beautiful imperial consort Yang Yuhuan. It was an instant success when Bai published it in 806 CE and has been regularly memorized by Chinese students in the centuries since then. I learned that the poem is a romanticized version of the real-life affair of Xuanzong and Lady Yang but is set further back in time during the Han Dynasty (202 BCE - 220 CE). Bai Juyi is known for his highly romantic poetry which uses vivid but also very simple imagery because he wanted everyone to be able to enjoy his work without having to struggle to find its meaning.

The Song of the Pipa Player

In my own opinion, the pipa is one of the most popular Chinese instruments and has been played for almost two thousand years in China. The Chinese instrument is the only one of the three that is no longer widely used. Another is that, Pipa is a unique musical instrument which has strong expressiveness.It has close contact with Chinese Literature.This uses Song of A Pipa Player as an example to analyze the mingling of Tang Poems and Pipa art from the perspectives of Pipa Art showed in Tang Poems and the expressiveness of Tang Poems.

A Little Incident

One of the most catchy stories that had a great impact on me was “A Little Incident” by Lu Xun. It is something that made Lu Xun a classic author. The story took place in a little town one breezy day. The characters include the “I” (the one who narrated the story), the rickshaw puller, the old woman and the police officer. The “I” in the story was the one who narrated the events in chronological order. He is both the protagonist and the antagonist in the story since he experienced internal conflict after the incident. We can draw the conclusion that even if the elite had the riches, they still need the manpower of the masses to make their visions real. They need the poor to move for them because without these people below, no one will do the move for them. Even if they want to stand and move ahead of their lives, they just couldn’t because they lack the capacity to do so. They hunger for grace that only those who are also poor can give. The theme of the story for me is that kindness lies in everyone’s heart. This story is a light read but contains a lot of message not only about grace but as well as the truth in the social status of the people within a nation.

JAPANESE LITERATURE

The Thief who became a disciple

This story is all about a man named Shichiri Kojun who was reciting sutras and a thief with a sharp sword entered. The thief told Shichiri to give him all his money, and Shichiri told him that he could take it, but leave him some so he could pay his taxes. Victor Hugo, possibly the greatest French writer in history, used this story in his famous novel Les Misérables. His goal is to show that nothing can change a man so profoundly as compassion and mercy. In fact, being kind to a person no matter how heartless he may be at first sight may work wonders after a while.

Madman on the Roof

It was a story written by Kikuchi Kan about a family who we’re the wealthiest in the inland sea. They have two sons namely, Yoshitaro and Suejiro. Yoshitaro was the eldest and has a psychological disorder. Yoshitaro always wanted to go to the rooftop even when he was a baby. His father was very worried about Yoshitaro because he climbed again on the roof even though the sun was terribly hot. They cannot convince Yoshitaro to go down, they even hire a professional climber. Until one day Tosaku, their neighbor recommended the priestess, because for some reason, the priestess believed in the god Kompira that Yoahitaro was talking about. Suijero didn’t agree on what they would do to Yoshitaro. He always agreed on Yoshitaro, and he took it as the responsibility because he was Yoshitaro’s brother. I learned that we must love our family. We must be the ones to understand what they really feel. We must take responsibility. We must do anything we want to for the sake of our loved one’s.

My Native Village

This poem is all about loving your own hometown, it is about embracing what you owned and treasuring every moment of it. By the time you explore a new culture you yourself will always miss the beauty of your own native language. Regardless of what might happen or someone will come ahead of everything, all you think is what’s waiting ahead of you to embrace the village and the environment you always love. In my opinion, my native village may give me rigor and boredom. These houses cover the beauty of nature, but on the other hand they hide people from the cold in winter. It would seem that unusual in life. Every corner of the house, every step I know, like my five fingers, which I would expect from a man who loves his homeland. I close my eyes and my house seems to me, my street, in which my mother was born, I was born, in which my best and carefree childhood years pass!

The Picture Wife

This is a famous Japanese Folktale. This story tells us that a poor and wicked man cannot marry a beautiful woman nowadays. In this generation, a beautiful woman's dream of marrying a rich person is the new standard of marrying. I learned that, if you are fortunate enough and have money then you can marry such a beautiful young lady but if you are unfortunate, no woman will marry and want you.

The Spider’s Thread

We all know that the Spider's Thread is Akutagawa's most well-known short story. It is an exquisite allegory about good, evil and redemption. In the story, a thread of a spider is a symbol of slight hope and fragility. I learned that this story aims to impart a moral lesson on compassion and salvation. The story is about a bandit named Kandata who was given the chance to redeem his soul from hell but eventually was denied after he refused to share the thread from heaven to his fellow sinners. The story teaches about moral values and is fitted for an audience of mixed age brackets. The story is inspiring and full of priceless lessons. For me, the story reflects the culture of the origin of the story. It emphasizes the forgiveness of a god because even though he is a very wicked criminal, with only a small good deed, he was pardoned by Buddha and let him climb up to heaven using a spider’s thread. But his selfishness contributed to the weakening of the thread and eventually, put him back to hell where he deserved.

KOREAN LITERATURE

The Zen Monks and the Governor

According to what I have read, Zen stories teach us to think in a logical way of thinking. Some of his stories teach riddles that help students to realize their true nature. The story Zen monks and the governor uses magic to realize and think of a bright side logically. Some of Zen’s logical stories are the story of a man who did not work. He was very depressed because it became apparent to him that his existence is a burden to his social contract as much as not being part of it would be a loss of his social contract. So by thinking logically he came to a conclusion that he must find work. As you can see his story teaches us nothing but thinking logically to find the right answer.

The Vanity of the Rat

The Vanity of the Rat reflects the tradition of Korean arranged-marriage. In order to have a better future and benefactor, the parents are the one prospecting for the daughter’s fiance. For me, it is quite interesting, and a bit humoristic, that a rat would want to pair his daughter to someone not of their kind. Reena’s parents are so materialistic and shallow-minded and upon seeing her parents’ attitude Reena should really be embarrassed of them. After the search for a rich and powerful husband for Reena, her parents were gullibly led to arrange her marriage to another rat. Reena’s parents were so hell-bent finding an absolutely powerful husband for her but ended up arranging with another of their kind.

THAI LITERATURE

The Thai Cat

We all know that the story is made by the famous writer Pratoomratha Zeng. This story is very charming because of its main character, who is called Sii Sward the Cat. It brings us the belief of superstitions and customs of the Thai peasants. This story tells us that at the end of the day, it’s the faith and belief of people who can work miracles, not customs, bizarre ancient traditions, and superstitious practices. We should not abuse any kind of animal that has life just like the proud and clean Siamese or Thai cat who is harassed in the name of their traditions by the villagers. Luckily when the cat was on the verge of dying she was saved by a writer’s timely intervention, which took her back home safely.

VIETNAMESE LITERATURE

The Betel and the Areca Tree

Betel and the Areca Tree is one of the most popular stories in Vietnam. This story is all about the faithfulness of a wife towards her husband and the love between two siblings. In the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people, chewing betel is not only a habit and a custom but also an element of the traditional cultural values. Betel and areca are indispensable gifts in the engagement and wedding ceremonies as well as during conversations. Chewing betel is a popular practice of people from all walks of life, from normal people to the court and it has become a beautiful characteristic of the traditional culture. The tree symbolizes the conjugal and fraternal love of the wife that brings sadness to the story.

SINGAPOREAN LITERATURE

To Grandma

This story is a famous Singaporean piece that tells us the love of their grandma. It is a letter for her grandma telling the sacrifices that their grandma faced and they are thankful for her. We should be thankful to our grandparents every single day because they love us as much as we do. They are a precious gift to us so we must treasure them.

Run

In the late 1990s poetry in English in Singapore found a new momentum with a whole a new generation of poets born around or after 1965 now actively writing and publishing, not only in Singapore but also internationally. The poetry of this younger generation is often politically aware, transnational and cosmopolitan, yet frequently presents their intensely focused, self-questioning and highly individualized perspectives of Singaporean life, society and culture. Some poets have been labelled Confessional for their personalized writing, often dealing with intimate issues such as sexuality.

The Old Man, His Son, and Their Bike

This story tells us about how unity works, if we have unity the work will be easier if there is unity. It is about learning to please yourself. We see that in everything we do we must consider that people who are older than us have the right to be respected and honored just like the old man in the story. The theme of the tale is "older people should be treated with respect and regarded as a source of wisdom."

AFRICAN LITERATURE

Africa

This piece demonstrates how African cultures and beliefs work in their life and how they remained strong in the midst of hardships in life. Diop emphasizes the problems of Africa that were brought about by colonialism, and shares a message to Africans to bring about change and freedom through his poem, Africa My Africa. It states that the people resisting oppression are specifically African men and women. They are fighting to survive in a physical sense as well as emotionally and spiritually. Diop wants to prove to everyone through his poem that Africans have the right to fight and not to be oppressed. They also have the freedom to choose and decide on what they want without discriminating them, separating them from others its like they have a contagious disease.

Piano and Drums

The poem broadly talks about the experience that Africans had with colonization and the aftermath of colonization on the African continent. The poem is strongly built around symbolism and metaphor. The poet uses the "piano" to symbolize the western culture, and the drums to symbolize African culture. The main theme of this poem is the cultural conflict of Africans, as well as a clash between the social values of the author himself. The poet tries to convey to his readers the purity of African culture before civilization and how she has been impelled to change the traditional culture.

Give Thanks My God

This poem is a good anthem for black pride. It satirically weaves its way around mythical, biblical and historic tales and brings its story through. Dadie is ironically thankful here to God for having made him a bearer of the world's sorrow as a black man. This is a symbolic statement of the history of forced service and suppression that the black race has endured since “the first morning” and “the first night” of creation. This story tells us that the speaker is thanking God for the beauty of nature, particularly the trees and sky, but also for "for everything / which is natural which is infinite which is yes." The Author is thanking God for all that is positive.

My Country, Ethiopia

Ethiopia offers some of the most extraordinary landscapes anywhere in Africa. From the jagged-peaks of the Simien Mountains, the thick afro-alpine forests of the Bale Mountains, or the kaleidoscopic acid springs of the Danakil Depression - it's one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Originally founded in 980 BC, Ethiopia is the oldest independent nation on the continent. Additionally, Ethiopia has remnants of some of the most ancient human beings on earth dating back millions of years making it one of the most important archaeological areas in the world. This poem is all about those Ethiopians who feel countryless, propertyless, powerless, helpless and defenseless. It is a poem that cries out, “I can't take it anymore! I can't live in a neo-apartheid system anymore!

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