| Summary: | The contents of the future are the contents of a cloud. So begins translator David Larsen's introduction for the Book of Rain by ancient Arabic linguist and hadith narrator Abū Zayd Sa'īd ibn Aws al-Anșārī. While far from a definitive list, The Book of Rain is the earliest known catalogue of Arabic weather-words. In Larsen's translation, Abū Zayd's lexicography of rain is simultaneously an academic, archival and poetic pursuit. These rich, extensive lists provide detailed descriptions of "The Dribble," "The Discharge," "The Flat," "The Beetle-Brow" and "The Nebuline " all specific types of rain-as well as words for frosts, dews, thunder, lightning, clouds and, of course, the various and plentiful words for waters. Coupled with Larsen's introduction, The Book of Rain is a source of endless interdisciplinary inquiry which is sure to fascinate readers for years (if not centuries) to come.
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