The Impact of Variant Transmission in Abū Tammām’s Kitāb al-Ḥamāsah: The Chapter of al-Ḥamāsah as a Case Study

This study examines the impact of variant readings in the Hamasa by Abu Tammam, focusing on the Chapter of Valor as an applied model. It is based on the premise that variation in transmission is a textual phenomenon that affects the semantic meaning, syntactic structure, and rhetorical value of the poetic text, rather than being merely superficial lexical variation. The research problem lies in the multiplicity of variant readings, which leads to differences in meaning and interpretation, raising questions about the nature and stability of the poetic text. The study aims to analyze the impact of these variations on the semantic and syntactic levels, and to examine how classical commentators, particularly al-Marzuqi, dealt with them. Adopting a descriptive, analytical, and comparative approach, the study relies on linguistic, syntactic, and rhetorical analysis, drawing on critical editions and classical commentaries. It concludes that variant readings may alter meaning, affect grammatical structure, or reshape poetic imagery, and that al-Marzuqi’s preferences were based on precise critical and rhetorical criteria.