Al-Ma’arri versus the figure of Christ

“I wanted to draw from Arab tradition and mythology without being tied to it,” remarked Adonis in 2010 interview for the New York Times publication. This statement by the poet himself offers an extremely accurate reflection of what this poetry does; it reflects Arab culture, yet distances itself from such. For instance, Adonis’ poems allude numerous times to Christianity, when Muslim culture is typically associated with the Arab region from which Adonis was born. It is by exploring different religions and their symbols that Adonis demonstrates the universality of religion in his work, particularly in the poem “Concerto for the Veiled Christ.”
In “Concerto for the Veiled Christ,” one allusion that particularly stands out is that of Al-Ma’ari. As the poem describes, “I recalled Al-Ma’ari and “the dust of creation” and I said, “perhaps I should step lightly as I walked,” (319). Al-Ma’ari was a famous, blind Syrian philosopher. A statue of him is erected in the town of Aleppo, a name also mentioned in the poem. Al-Ma’ari spoke openly about his disbelief in all religions, denouncing their existence and attributing their creation entirely to ancient generations who essentially relied on “divine” rule as a way to govern and control the populations. He encouraged, “Do not suppose the statements of the prophets to be true; they are all fabrications. Men lived comfortably till they came and spoiled life. The sacred books are only such a set of idle tales as any age could have and indeed did actually produce.” When Adonis narrates, “perhaps I should step lightly as I walked,” he is alluding to a eulogy by Al-Ma’ari’s. Regarding the loss of a relative and mixing grief with his sense of realism, he claims, “Soften your tread. Methinks the earth’s surface is but bodies of the dead, Walk slowly in the air, so you do not trample on the remains of God’s servants.” In this instance, Adonis acknowledges that Al-Ma’ari may very well be right – that there is no after life and that once the dead are buried, they are simply corpses decaying in the ground, diminishing slowly over the course of time. This possible acceptance of atheism is purposely employed in a poem entirely about Christ and the passage of time and ensures that the reader knows that Adonis is not comparing himself to Christ, therefore, on some level, putting himself about others, but rather suggesting that the passage of time is biblical.
As Adonis describes this biblical passage of time, comparing Christ’s death with his own aging, he uses extremly apprehensive wording which further disassociates him and Christ as a figure. Unlike Christ, the narrator is not entirely positive or trusting of what is to come after death. For example, he refers to Earth as the “planet of dirt,” once again alluding to Al-Ma’ari and the possibility that the idea of an afterlife might be inexistent (321). Additionally, when describing death in relation to the biblical passing of time, the narrator explains, “I think I am preparing to enter through the window of the myth,” (321). Not only does Adonis disassociate himself from Christ by referring to the idea of an afterlife is a possible myth, he provides the narrator with a very apprehensive tone. “I think” is used to show that the narrator, like everyone else in the world regardless of religious association, does not know what the “myth” of death holds. Unlike Christ, the narrator does not know what will happen to himself after death – and, as Al-Ma’ari refered to – neither does any person who is religiously affiliated, thus creating a common connection between all religions in the world by highlighting their commonalities.