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\input arabtex.tex
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\centerline{HEMISTICH BREAKS IN TYPESETTING ARABIC POETRY WITH ARAB\TeX}
\bigskip
The Arabic text below contains the first ten lines of the {\it mu`allaqah\/} of
al-\d H\=arith ibn \d Hilli\d zah.  The meter of this poem is {\it khaf\=\i f: 
f\=a`il\=atun, mustaf`ilun, f\=a`il\=atun\/}.  Since many of its hemistich 
breaks come in the middle of words, certain typesetting problems may be 
encountered.
\par
In the first three lines of the poem the hemistich breaks come between words, so 
no problems arise.  In the fourth line the break comes in the middle of the word 
{\it al-shurbub\/} between the {\it r\=a'\/} and the {\it b\=a'\/}.  Since these 
letters do not connect, the word can be separated between them.  In the fifth 
line the break comes in the middle of the word {\it al-yawm\/} between the {\it 
l\=am\/} and the {\it y\=a'\/}.  Since these two letters are normally connected, 
an extended connecting line has been used to indicate the hemistich break.  The 
sixth line is similar to the fourth line.  In the seventh line the break again 
falls in the middle of a word between two letters which are normally connected.  
In this case the break has been indicated not with an extended connecting line 
but by breaking the word in two with medial letters on either side of the 
intervening space.  In lines 9 and 10 the break occurs between the two {\it 
m\=\i m\/}s written as one letter under a {\it shaddah\/}.  Since a single 
letter cannot be split in writing the {\it m\=\i m\/} is centered in the space 
between the two hemistichs.  In line 9 it is connected to the last letter of the 
first hemistich, but in line 10 it is not.
\bigskip
\centerline{<mu`allaqaTu al-.hAri_ti bni .hilli.zaT>}
\bigskip
\halign{\hskip 1 true in#&#&#&\quad#\cr

<rubba \hfil _t---AwiN \hfil yumallu \hfil min--hu \hfil 
al-_ta----wA'u>& &<'A_danatn------A \space\hfil 
bibaynih--------A \space\hfil 'asm--------A'u>& \cr

<fa----'adnY \^^M diy----Arih----A \^^M 
al-_hal.s----A'u>& &<b`da \hfil `ahdiN \hfil lan------A \hfil 
bi-burqaTi \hfil ^samm------A>& \cr

<_dI \hfil fit--AqiN \hfil fa-`--A_dibuN \hfil 
fa-al-waf----A'u>& &<fa-al-mu.hayy----Atu \hfil fa-al-.sif----A.hu \hfil 
fa-'a`----lY>& \cr

<bubi \space fa-al-^su`bat----Ani \space 
fa----al-'ab----lA'u>& &<fa-riy----A.du \hfil al-qa.tA \hfil 
fa----'awdiyaTu \hfil al-^sur>& \cr

<-yawma \hfill dalhaN \hfill wam----A \hfill yu.hIru \hfill 
al-buk----A'u>&<----------------->&<lA 'arY man `ahidtu fIhA 
fa-'abkI al->&<5>\cr

<ra \hfil 'a.sIlaN \hfil tulwI \hfil bi-h--A \hfil 
al-`aly----A'u>& &<wa-bi-`aynay----ka \hfil 
'awqadat \hfil hin----duN \hfil al-n----A>& \cr

<-ni \hfil bi-`UdiN \hfil km|A \hfil yalU.hu \hfil 
al-.diy----A'u>& &<'awqadath----A \hfil bayna \hfil al-`aqIqi \hfil 
fa-^sa_h.say->& \cr

<bi-_hazAzY hayh----Ati min----ka al-.sa----lA'u>& &<fa-tanawwarta \space 
n----Arah----A \space min \space ba`IdiN>& \cr

<'i_dA \space _haffa \space bi-al-_tawiyyi \space 
al-na^g----A'u>&<-------mmi \hfil\hfil>&<.gayra 
\hfil 'annI \hfil qa--d \hfil 'asta`Inu \hfil `alY \hfil al-ha->& \cr

<ri'--------AliN \space\hfil dawiyya------TuN \space\hfil 
saqf------A'u>&\hfil<mmu>\hfil&<bi-zafUfiN \space 
ka-'annah------A \space hi----q----la----TuN \space 'u>&<10>\cr}


\vfill
\hfill---Nicholas Heer (heer@u.washington.edu)
\end

