This study aims to analyze the textual operations and sign systems within the Nūniyyah and Qāfiyyah poems by Ibn Zaydun, a prominent neoclassical poet of the Muluk al-Thawaif era in Al-Andalus. Utilizing Roland Barthes’ two-order semiotic approach, this research dissects how natural symbols within the poems transform from literal descriptions into complex emotional and sociopolitical representations. A descriptive qualitative method is employed to identify how Andalusian vegetation elements—such as the dawn breeze and flower blossoms—are personified to express personal grief (chronic heartbreak) as well as a critique of the political instability in Madinat al-Zahra. The results indicate that Ibn Zaydun does not merely use nature as a background decoration, but as a sign system that constructs collective memory and the trauma of exile. This aesthetic transformation underscores the radical innovation of Andalusian literature, distinguishing it from the drier traditions of Eastern (Mashriq) literature. These findings confirm that the use of elaborate, metaphorical language in Ibn Zaydun's poetry functions as both a psychological defense mechanism and a profound tool of political rhetoric.
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