This is the first Western monograph since a century about a genre, cherished by Arab literati: the pre-Islamic dirge (martiya) by women. It dwells on the problem of the authenticity of these texts. Metre and rhyme of this genre are discussed in relationship to the genres predecessor - niyâha - and the dominating qasîda. Unlike the latter, the martiya does not have a clear thematical order, although the poem is often introduced by a dialogue, followed by a laudatory part, which serves to legitimize the break of self control, and finally some general remarks on Fate and Death. Marâtî were sometimes composed to comment on historical events. A poetess like al-Kansâ' used her marâtî in early Islam to emphasize pre-Islamic values.