As is known, from time to time, I attend a long running short form poetry workshop. I went back there tonight and learned of a poetic form called the Zejel.

What is a Zejel?

• Spanish poetic form likely an even older Arabic form
• Up to15 lines
• First stanza is a tercet (3-line stanza) with an AAA rhyme scheme
• All other stanzas are quatrains (4-line stanzas) with a XXXA rhyme scheme, so the second stanza would be BBBA, third CCCA, fourth DDDA,
• Lines are usually 8 syllables long

How to write a Zejel

• Up to15 lines (can be less)
• First stanza is a tercet (3-line stanza) with an AAA rhyme scheme
• All other stanzas are quatrains (4-line stanzas) with XXXA rhyme scheme, would be BBBA, third CCCA, fourth DDDA,
• Lines are usually 8 syllables long

XXXXXXXA
XXXXXXXA
XXXXXXXA

XXXXXXXB
XXXXXXXB
XXXXXXXB
XXXXXXXA

XXXXXXXC
XXXXXXXC
XXXXXXXC
XXXXXXXA

XXXXXXXD
XXXXXXXD
XXXXXXXD
XXXXXXXA

This is the poem that I have come up with in exploring the form:

Zejel Duel of Recitation
by Michael Doyle

There in poetic duel, a song
That two poets do sing-a-long
How could this small beauty go wrong?

The people’s loved poetry plays out
Like a troubadour without doubt
A simple drunkard played as lout
Does such proper poetry belong?

Accompanied by light tambourine
There is magic in what it means
Vibrant mystics dance the unseen
Until at last, the beat is strong

Lebanese in its tradition
Subtle in its rare condition
Flowed in its metric rendition
Is it wrong to join in midsong?

(c) May 17, 2022 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved