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Lesbian Historic Motif Project: #102e Habib 2009 "From “Al-Aghani” by Al-Asfahani, Abu Faraj (ca. 972)"


Full citation: 

Habib, Samar. 2009. Arabo-Islamic Texts on Female Homosexuality: 850-1780 A.D. Teneo Press, Youngstown. ISBN 978-1-934844-11-3

Publication summary: 

This book makes a good companion volume to Habib's other works as it provides a comprehensive set of the texts she's working with. (The relevant parts of them, at least.) It also includes the text of two lectures that provide background and context for the texts themselves.

Historic Texts: From “Al-Aghani” by Al-Asfahani, Abu Faraj (ca. 972)

I confess I'm drawing out the posting of the specific source materials in this volume. I hope the little snippets entice the interested reader to follow up with the book in question.

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A satiric poem from a man to his female rival for his beloved, using metaphors such as “you can’t patch a hole with a hole” and “what use is a hammer without a handle?” to argue the superiority of heterosex over grinding.

An anecdote about the female entertainer Bathal who, when singing to a male client, substituted a lyric in praise of "grinding" (sex between women). Her client contradicted her, but then requested that she finish the song and offers more lyrics that are in favor of grinding.

Time period: 
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historical