The Influence of Al-Farabi's “Ihsa' al-'ulum” (De scientiis) on the Writers on Music in Western Europe

Henry George Farmer

doi:10.1017/S0035869X00153031

The Influence of Al-Farabi's “Ihsa' al-'ulum” (De scientiis) on the Writers on Music in Western Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011

Henry George Farmer

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The question of the Arabian influence on the music of Western Europe has been considerably stressed of recent years. In the practical art, the minstrel class of the Middle Ages not only adopted the actual instruments of the Arabs, such as the lute ('ūd), rebec (rāb), guitar (kaithār), and others, but also the actual musical devices of the performers on them. In the theoretical art, clues in the Mediaeval Latin treatises on music enable us to follow a track which leads us to the conclusion that the teachings and writings of Arabian or/and Mozarabian theorists of music also had some influence on the theory of music of Western Europe.

Type: Articles
Information: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 64 , Issue 3 , July 1932 , pp. 561 - 592

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0035869X00153031 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1932

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References

^{page 591 note 1} See Farmer, H. G., The Arabian Influence on Musical Theory (1925)Google Scholar, Historical Facts for the, Arabian Musical Influence (1930), The Organ of the Ancients from Eastern Sources (1931), and Studīes in Oriental Musical Instruments (1931), as well as the same writer's chapter on music in The Legacy of Islām (Clarendon Press, 1931)Google Scholar. See also Ribera, J., La música de la cantigas (1922)Google Scholar, La música Andaluza medieval en las canciones de trovadores, iroveros, y minnesinger (1923–5), and Historia de la música Árabe medieval y su influencia en la Espa˜ola (1927).

^{page 562 note 1} Al-Fārābī, , Grande traité de la musigue. Traduction française par Baron Rodolphe d'Erlanger. (La musique arabe, tome 1.) Paris, 1930Google Scholar.

^{page 562 note 2} See Farmer, , Historical Facts . . . , p. 292Google Scholar.

^{page 562 note 3} See Farmer, , “Greek Theorists of Music in Arabic Translation”: Isis, xiii, 1930Google Scholar.

^{page 563 note 1} See Farmer, , Historical Facts . . . , p. 187Google Scholar.

^{page 563 note 2} Ibn Ghaibī, Sharḥ al-adwār MS. Khallikān, IbnBiog. Dict., iii, 309Google Scholar.

^{page 563 note 3} Khallikān, IbnBiog. Dict., iii, 307Google Scholar.

^{page 563 note 4} Ibn al-Qifṭī gives a shorter title—Book of Rhythms (Kitāb al-īqā'āt). Steinsehneider, , in his Al-Fārābi (p. 216)Google Scholar, gives the title of another book on rhythm, but it would appear that this latter is merely a continuation of the title of the previous work. See Ibn Abī Uṣaibi'a, ii, 134; Ibn al-Qifṭi, 280; and cf. Farmer, , History of Arabian Music, p. 176Google Scholar.

^{page 563 note 5} Al-Hilāl, xxviii, 214.

^{page 564 note 1} Al-Shifā'.

^{page 564 note 2} Al-mūsīqī al-'arabiyya, Alexandria, 1914Google Scholar.

^{page 564 note 3} Steinschneider, , Al-Fārābī, 81Google Scholar.

^{page 564 note 4} Or the Statistics of Sciences.

^{page 564 note 5} Khallikān, IbnBiog. Dict., iii, 308Google Scholar.

^{page 564 note 6} Steinschneider, , Al-Fārābī, 83Google Scholar.

^{page 564 note 7} Casiri, , Bibl. Escur., Madrid, 1760–1770, No. 643Google Scholar.

^{page 564 note 8} Munk, , Mélanges, 343Google Scholar. It is to be regretted that the word has also been used by the present writer in his contribution to the Legacy of Islām, p. 369.

^{page 565 note 1} The older writers wrote this name Gundisalvi, a form which does occur in some MSS. More recent examination shows that the name is more generally written Gundissalinus, and this is the form adopted by Baur in his edition of the De divisione philosophiae of this writer. In the Legacy of Islām the form Gundisalvus has been adopted.

^{page 565 note 2} The old number (Casiri, Bibl. Escur.) was 643. The present press mark (Derenbourg, MSS. arabes de l'Escurial) is 646.

^{page 565 note 3} Baur, , Dominicus Gundissalinus: De divisione philosophiae (Beiträge zur Geschichte der Philosophie des Mittelalters, Band iv), Munster, 1903Google Scholar.

^{page 565 note 4} Beiträge zur Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften, xi. Über Al-Fārābīs Aufzählung der Wissenschaften (De Scientiis). (Sitz. der physikalischmedizinischen Sozietät in Erlangen, Band 39, 1907.)

^{page 565 note 5} The 'Irfān is a monthly review published at Saida in Syria under the editorship of Aḥmad 'Araf al-Zain. The above text is given in vol. vi, pp. 11–20, 130–43, 241–57.

^{page 566 note 1} Beyrout, 1923. Tome ix, pp. 49–70.

^{page 566 note 2} The difficulty of access to the MS. has been pleaded as an excuse.

^{page 568 note 1} Dieterici, , Die Propaedeutik der Amber, Berlin, 1865Google Scholar.

^{page 568 note 2} Liber Mafātīh al-olūm . . . Ed. Van Vlolen, Leyden, 1895Google Scholar.

^{page 568 note 3} This word is vocalized throughout the Escorial MS. as mūsīqā not mūsīqī. This form also occurs in the thirteenth century Vocabulista in Arabico edited by Schiaparelli. Perhaps the Latin musica influenced the Maghribī form. In the East it was generally written mūsīqī, although may be found.

^{page 568 note 4} X adds

^{page 568 note 5} X has

^{page 568 note 6} X has Z has

^{page 568 note 7} X and Z

^{page 568 note 8} X and Z

^{page 568 note 9} X It is nomen in the Latin text.

^{page 569 note 1} X

^{page 569 note 2} X omits .

^{page 569 note 3} X and Z .

^{page 569 note 4} X omits Z has

^{page 569 note 5} X and Z

^{page 569 note 6} Z

^{page 569 note 7} Z omits

^{page 569 note 8} X

^{page 569 note 9} X and Z

^{page 569 note 10} This word is vocalized nigham not nagham. This form also occurs in the thirteenth century Vocabulista in Arabico.

^{page 569 note 11} X and Z

^{page 569 note 12} Z

^{page 569 note 13} X and Z

^{page 569 note 14} Z

^{page 569 note 15} X and Z

^{page 569 note 16} X and Z

^{page 569 note 17} X and Z

^{page 569 note 18} X and Z

^{page 569 note 19} Z omits

^{page 570 note 1} x and Z omit

^{page 570 note 2} Z

^{page 570 note 3} Z

^{page 570 note 4} X

^{page 570 note 5} X and Z

^{page 570 note 6} Z

^{page 570 note 7} Z

^{page 570 note 8} Instead of , X has , Z has

^{page 570 note 9} X Z

^{page 570 note 10} X and Z

^{page 570 note 11} X and Z

^{page 570 note 12} X and Z

^{page 570 note 13} X Z

^{page 570 note 14} X

^{page 571 note 1} X Z

^{page 571 note 2} X

^{page 571 note 3} Z

^{page 571 note 4} X and Z

^{page 571 note 5} X and Z

^{page 571 note 6} Z

^{page 571 note 7} X and Z

^{page 571 note 8} X

^{page 571 note 9} X omits

^{page 571 note 10} X omits

^{page 571 note 11} X and Z omit

^{page 571 note 12} X

^{page 571 note 13} Z

^{page 571 note 14} X

^{page 571 note 15} X and Z

^{page 571 note 16} X

^{page 571 note 17} X and Z .

^{page 571 note 18} X Z

^{page 572 note 1} MS. X has “science” () instead of “name” (). The latter word occurs in the Latin translation of Gerard of Cremona.

^{page 572 note 2} The nose as a medium is mentioned by the Jewish writer Profiat Duran, writing in 1403, who quotes a passage from an Arabic treatise by Abūl-Ṣalt Umayya (1068–1134) as follows: “Says Abū'1-Ṣalt in his book Haṣpaqah dealing with music: ‘Now for the media by which music is produced, some are natural as the throat and the nose.’” Duran's, Ma'seh Efod, Vienna (1865)Google Scholar.

^{page 572 note 3} In MS. X and Z the word is “heard”, and this agrees with the Latin texts. MS. W has “produced” () with an interlineal correction to “heard” ().

^{page 573 note 1} MS. W has “opinions” (), but a marginal note has “fundamentals” () which is also confirmed by X and Z.

^{page 573 note 2} Cf. the passage in X and Z.

^{page 573 note 3} W has “facilitated” (). X and Z have “concordant” ().

^{page 573 note 4} X and Z have “fundamentals” () instead of “opinions” ().

^{page 573 note 5} Cf. X and Z, where the word is “in” as in the Latin texts.

^{page 574 note 1} Cf. the word in X.

^{page 574 note 2} Cf. X and the Latin texts.

^{page 574 note 3} Al-Maqqarī, , Mohammedan Dynasties in Spain, i, 30Google Scholar.

^{page 574 note 4} Quaestiones naturales. See Gollancz, , Dodo Ve-Nichdi, viiiGoogle Scholar.

^{page 574 note 5} Thorndike, , Hist. of Magic and Experimental Science, ii, 173Google Scholar.

^{page 574 note 6} Bacon, Fr. Rogeri, Opera guaedam hactenus inedita, ed. Brewer, , xxxvGoogle Scholar.

^{page 575 note 1} The remainder were: De ortu scientiarum, De naturali auditu, De causis, De intellectu et intelligibili, De syllogismo, De tempore, and Declaratio compendiosa super libris Rhetoricorum Aristotelis. Others were translated into Hebrew. See Munk, , Mélanges, 351–2Google Scholar.

^{page 575 note 2} Jourdain, , Recherches critiques sur l'age et l'origine des traductions latines d'Aristote, 117Google Scholar. Leclerc, , Hist. de la médecine arabe, ii, 430Google Scholar. Wüstenfeld, , Die Übersetzungen arabischer Werke im Latinische, 67Google Scholar. Steinschneider, , “Die europäischen Übersetzungen aus dem arabischen”: Sitz. Wien. Akad., cxlix, xli, Nos. 46, 68Google Scholar. Haskins, ; Studies in the Hist. of Mediaeval Science, 13Google Scholar. Thorndike, , Hist. of Magic and Experimental Science, ii, 73Google Scholar. Huart, , Histoire des arabes, ii, 379, 380Google Scholar.

^{page 575 note 3} Jourdain, 118. Sudhoff, , “Die kurze Vita und das Verzeichnis der Arbeiten Gerhards von Cremona . . .”: Archiv f. Gesch. d. Med. . . . an der Universität Leipzig, viii, 73Google Scholar. Haskins, 13. Steinschneider, No. 68.

^{page 575 note 4} Brown, J. W., Life and Legend of Michael Scot, 35Google Scholar.

^{page 575 note 5} Thorndike, ii, 76.

^{page 575 note 6} Haskins, 15.

^{page 576 note 1} Jourdain, 117.

^{page 576 note 2} Leclerc, ii, 377.

^{page 576 note 3} Cf. Wüstenfeld, 39. Leclerc, ii, 379.

^{page 576 note 4} It is scarcely correct, however, to say that the De scientiis appears in its entirety in the De divisione philosophiae. Cf. Wulf, , Histoire de la philosophie médiévale, 1905, 286Google Scholar.

^{page 576 note 5} “Lib. Alfarabii de scientiis translatus a Magistro Girado Cremonensi in Toleto de Arabico in Latinum.”

^{page 577 note 1} Sitz. der physikalisch-medizinischen Sozietät in Erlangen, Bd. 39.

^{page 577 note 2} The title runs: Alpharabii vetustissimi Aristotelis interpretis, opera omnia, quae latino, lingua conscripta reperiri potuerunt, ex antiquissimis Manuscriptis eruta, studio et opera Guiliemi Camerarii, Scoti. Fiwtraei, Sacrae Theologiae professoris, juris canonici doctoris etc. DrSarton, George (Intro, to the Hist. of Science, II, i, 340)Google Scholar attributes the Camerarius version to Gerard of Cremona. (See also Wüstenfeld, p. 67, and Wiedemann, p. 77.) A comparison between my texts and the Camerarius version will show that this cannot be maintained.

^{page 577 note 3} Baur, 163.

^{page 577 note 4} Karpinski, , Robert of Chester's . . . Algebra of Al-Khowarizmi (1915), 23Google Scholar.

^{page 577 note 5} Thorndike, ii, 79.

^{page 577 note 6} Cf. Baur, 163. Thorndike, ii, 79.

^{page 578 note 1} The texts are quoted verbatim, contractions excepted.

^{page 580 note 1} “harmoniarum” in C.

^{page 580 note 2} “quo” in C.

^{page 580 note 3} Cf. Baur.

^{page 580 note 4} “harmoniarum” in J. “armoni-carum” in K.

^{page 580 note 5} “componuntur” in J and K.

^{page 580 note 6} In C but not in B.

^{page 580 note 7} “et ad illud componuntur” in J. The phrase is wholly omitted in K.

^{page 580 note 8} “et ex” in C.

^{page 580 note 9} “apparer” in C.

^{page 580 note 10} “quod, sint” in C.

^{page 580 note 11} “comparationem” in C.

^{page 580 note 12} In C but not in B.

^{page 580 note 13} “penetrabilem” in C.

^{page 580 note 14} “vero” in C.

^{page 581 note 1} “speculatiua, alia actiua” in C.

^{page 581 note 2} E has “Alphorabius autem dividit musicam in activam primo et speculativam”.

^{page 581 note 3} Not in C nor in Baur.

^{page 581 note 4} “vniuocae” in C.

^{page 581 note 5} “Activa” in E.

^{page 581 note 6} In E but not in D.

^{page 581 note 7} “harmoniarum” in C.

^{page 581 note 8} “naturum” in C.

^{page 581 note 9} “existens” in C.

^{page 581 note 10} In G but not in F. Cf. Baur.

^{page 581 note 11} In C but not in B.

^{page 581 note 12} “vel natura vel arte” in C.

^{page 581 note 13} In C but not in B.

^{page 581 note 14} In C but not in B.

^{page 581 note 15} “epiglotes” in E.

^{page 581 note 16} Same in G. Baur has “naturalis”.

^{page 581 note 17} “epyglotes” in C.

^{page 581 note 18} Here is a variation: “ut pulmo, guttur, lingua, dentes, palatum et cetera membra spiritualia; sed principaliter factor vocis est epiglotus.”

^{page 582 note 1} “vincula” in C.

^{page 582 note 2} “uwla” in E.

^{page 582 note 3} “vasa” in E.

^{page 582 note 4} sic. “uilla” in G.

^{page 582 note 5} Not in C.

^{page 582 note 6} “nō” in G.

^{page 582 note 7} Here follows: “organa, vielle, cythara, cytole, psalterium.”

^{page 582 note 8} Not in C.

^{page 582 note 9} “chorde” in C.

^{page 582 note 10} “alta” in C.

^{page 582 note 11} “tuba, timpanum” is added in F but omitted in G.

^{page 582 note 12} “actiue” in C.

^{page 582 note 13} “neumata non format” in C.

^{page 582 note 14} “pneumata” in E.

^{page 582 note 15} Not in K.

^{page 582 note 16} K adds “quasi”.

^{page 582 note 17} “neupmata” in K.

^{page 582 note 18} “harmonias” in C.

^{page 582 note 19} Not in C.

^{page 582 note 20} In C but not in B.

^{page 582 note 21} In K only.

^{page 583 note 1} Not in C.

^{page 583 note 2} Same in G.

^{page 583 note 3} “eorum omnes” in E.

^{page 583 note 4} Not in C.

_{page 583 note 5} “eius omnes” in E.

^{page 583 note 6} “harmoniae” in C.

^{page 583 note 7} Not in C.

^{page 583 note 8} “componuntur armonie” in E.

_{page 583 note 9} “vel” in C.

^{page 583 note 10} Not in C.

^{page 583 note 11} In C but not in B.

^{page 583 note 12} “accepta” in C.

^{page 583 note 13} In E but not in D.

^{page 583 note 14} “mō.”

^{page 584 note 1} Not in C.

^{page 584 note 2} “conuincit” in C.

^{page 584 note 3} In C but not in B.

^{page 584 note 4} “chordae” in C.

^{page 584 note 5} Same in E.

^{page 584 note 6} “occidant” in C.

^{page 584 note 7} “autem” in C.

^{page 584 note 8} “partes magnas” in C.

^{page 584 note 9} “doctrina” omitted in C.

^{page 584 note 10} In C but not in B.

^{page 584 note 11} “Prima pars” in E.

^{page 584 note 12} See Baur.

^{page 584 note 13} “est, vt” in C.

^{page 585 note 1} In C but not in B.

^{page 585 note 2} “sit modus” not in C.

^{page 585 note 3} “hoc” in E.

^{page 585 note 4} Same in E.

^{page 585 note 5} “quare” for “qua via” in C.

^{page 585 note 6} Same phrase in E.

^{page 585 note 7} “quare” for “qualiter” in E.

^{page 585 note 8} In C but not in B.

^{page 585 note 9} “aliud” in C.

^{page 585 note 10} In C but not in B.

^{page 585 note 11} In C but not in B.

^{page 585 note 12} Cf. J.

^{page 586 note 1} Not in E.

^{page 586 note 2} “neupmata” in K.

^{page 586 note 3} “et quot sunt, species eorum” in J.

^{page 586 note 4} In C but not in B.

^{page 586 note 5} Same in E.

^{page 586 note 6} “demonstrationes” in J and K.

^{page 586 note 7} In C but not in B.

^{page 586 note 8} “illis” in J and K.

^{page 586 note 9} Same in J and K.

^{page 586 note 10} “eorum” in C.

¹¹ “sectionum” in C.

^{page 586 note 12} “situm” in Baur.

^{page 586 note 13} “eorum situum” in K.

^{page 586 note 14} “ut” and “aut” in Baur.

^{page 586 note 15} “accipiator” in K.

^{page 586 note 16} “placet” in K.

^{page 586 note 17} “componatur” in K.

^{page 587 note 1} “harmonias” in C.

^{page 587 note 2} In C but not in B.

^{page 587 note 3} Not in E.

^{page 587 note 4} In J but not in H.

^{page 587 note 5} “harmonias” in J.

^{page 587 note 6} “demonstrationes” in C.

^{page 587 note 7} Not in Baur.

^{page 587 note 8} “actione” in C.

^{page 587 note 9} In C but not in B.

^{page 587 note 10} In C but not in B.

^{page 588 note 1} Not in C.

^{page 588 note 2} Not in C.

^{page 588 note 3} “neumatum” in C.

^{page 588 note 4} In E but not in D.

^{page 588 note 5} “harmoniarum” in C.

^{page 588 note 6} “positae” in C.

^{page 588 note 7} Same in E.

^{page 589 note 1} In C but not in B.

^{page 589 note 2} “qualitatem” in C.

^{page 589 note 3} Text has “intentionum”.

^{page 589 note 4} “harmoniarum” in C.

^{page 589 note 5} “quando” in E.

^{page 589 note 6} Same in E.

^{page 589 note 7} “interlimitate” in E.

^{page 589 note 8} Baur, , Die Philosophie des Robert Grosseteste, . . . 1917, p. 11Google Scholar.

^{page 590 note 1} For evidence of the possibility of Al-Farabian, teaching in music being already known in England, see my Historical Facts for the Arabian Musical Influence, pp. 268–9Google Scholar.

^{page 590 note 2} Lib. xvii, cap. xv et seq.

^{page 590 note 3} “Et non solum isti Latini, sed principales auctores, scilicet Ptolomaeus et Euclides, et etiam Alpharabius libro De scientiis, in hoc concordant. . . . Nam musicaliter tractant ista per causarum assignationem; sicut etiam confirmat Alpharabius in libro memorato.” Opus tertium, cap. lix.

^{page 590 note 4} Loc. cit. He also quotes Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna) and ‘Alī ibn al-'Abbās (Haly). “Et Avicenna primo Artis Medicinae docet quod, inter omnia exercitia sanitatis, cantare melus est,” cap. lxxiii. “Nam nunquam bonus erit medicus et perfectus in consideratione pulsuum, nisi sit instructus in proportionibus musicae, sicut docent auctores medicinae, ut Haly in libro De regimine regali, et multi alii,” cap. lix.

^{page 590 note 5} Coussemaker, , Script., i (1)Google Scholar.

^{page 591 note 1} Wolf, Johannes says “about 1242” (Handbuch der Notationskunde, i, 242, 247)Google Scholar. Both Eitner (Quell.-Lex.) and Grove (Dict. Mus.) say twelfth century, which is too early.

^{page 591 note 2} Coussemaker, , Script., i (6)Google Scholar. See Farmer, , Historical Facts . . . , 218Google Scholar.

^{page 591 note 3} Coussemaker, iv (2).

^{page 591 note 4} Lull, , Opera (1617), 209Google Scholar. Cf. Regino Prumiensis in Gerbert's, Scriptores eccles. de musica . . . (1784), i, 232, 236Google Scholar.

^{page 591 note 5} Gerbert, op. cit., ii, 378, 392.

^{page 591 note 6} Gerbert, op. cit., iii, 333.

^{page 591 note 7} See my Historical Facts . . . , p. 269.

^{page 592 note 1} says, Reisch: “Denique, Alfarabio auotore, per harmonias, gratiâ contemplationis et divinarum scientiarum, studia non mediocriter juvantur.” Lib. v, tract, i, cap. iGoogle Scholar.

^{page 592 note 2} Farmer, , The Arabian Influence on Musical Theory, 15Google Scholar.

^{page 591 note 3} There is no ground for the wide statement made by Trend, J. B. on this question in The Legacy of Islām (pp. 17–18)Google Scholar.

^{page 591 note 4} Other portions of both of these works were translated into Latin.

^{page 591 note 5} Sarton, , Introduction to the History of Science, ii, 25Google Scholar.

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The Influence of Al-Farabi's “Ihsa' al-'ulum” (De scientiis) on the Writers on Music in Western Europe

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