Ibn Abd Rabbih
Encyclopedia
Ibn `Abd Rabbih or Ibn `Abd Rabbihi (Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Abd Rabbih) (860–940) was a Moorish writer and poet. He was born in Cordova
, now in Spain
, and descended from a freed slave of Hisham I
, the second Spanish Umayyad
emir. He enjoyed a great reputation for learning and eloquence. Not much is known about his life. He was a friend of many Umayyad princes and was employed as an official panegyrist at the Umayyad court. No collection of his poems is extant, but many selections are given in the Yatima al-Dahr and Nafh al-Tip.
More widely known than his poetry is his great anthology, the Al-ʿIqd al-Farīd (The Unique Necklace), a work divided into 25 sections. The 13th section is named the middle jewel of the necklace, and the chapters on either side are named after other jewels. It is an adab book resembling Ibn Qutaybah
's `Uyun al-akhbar (The Fountains of Story) and the writings of al-Jahiz
from which it borrows largely. Although he spent all his life in al-Andalus and did not travel to the East like some other Andalusian scholars, most of the his book's material is drawn from the East Islamic world. Also, Ibn Abd Rabbih quoted no Andalusian compositions other than his own. He included in his book his 445-line Urjuza, a poem in the meter of the rajaz
in which he narrate the warlike exploits of Abd al-Rahman al-Nasir, along with some of his eulogies of the Ummayads of al-Andalus.
The White Complexion
Never have I seen or heard of such a thing; a pearl that for modesty transforms itself into a cornelian.
So white is her face, that, when you contemplate her perfection, you see your own face submerged in its clarity.
Ben Abd Rabbihi of Cordova (860-940) translated by Joan Penelope Cope
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
, now in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and descended from a freed slave of Hisham I
Hisham I
Hisham I or Hisham Al-Reda was the second Umayyad Emir of Cordoba, ruling from 788 to 796 in the Al-Andalus .Hisham was born in Cordoba. He was the 1st son of Abd ar-Rahman I and his wife, Halul and the younger half brother of Suleiman. He built many mosques and completed the Mezquita. In 792 he...
, the second Spanish Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
emir. He enjoyed a great reputation for learning and eloquence. Not much is known about his life. He was a friend of many Umayyad princes and was employed as an official panegyrist at the Umayyad court. No collection of his poems is extant, but many selections are given in the Yatima al-Dahr and Nafh al-Tip.
More widely known than his poetry is his great anthology, the Al-ʿIqd al-Farīd (The Unique Necklace), a work divided into 25 sections. The 13th section is named the middle jewel of the necklace, and the chapters on either side are named after other jewels. It is an adab book resembling Ibn Qutaybah
Ibn Qutaybah
Ibn Qutaybah was a renowned Islamic scholar of Persian origin.-Biography:His full name is Abu Muhammad ‘Abdullaah bin Muslim Ibn Qutaybah Ad-Dinawaree. He was born in Kufa in what is now modern day Iraq. He was of Iranian descent; his father was from Merv...
's `Uyun al-akhbar (The Fountains of Story) and the writings of al-Jahiz
Al-Jahiz
Al-Jāḥiẓ was an Arabic prose writer and author of works of literature, Mu'tazili theology, and politico-religious polemics.In biology, Al-Jahiz introduced the concept of food chains and also proposed a scheme of animal evolution that entailed...
from which it borrows largely. Although he spent all his life in al-Andalus and did not travel to the East like some other Andalusian scholars, most of the his book's material is drawn from the East Islamic world. Also, Ibn Abd Rabbih quoted no Andalusian compositions other than his own. He included in his book his 445-line Urjuza, a poem in the meter of the rajaz
Rajaz
Rajaz is the 13th studio album by Camel, released in 1999. The album's songs have been composed on the camel's walking metre. Praised by fans & critics alike, the album is a return to form.-Track listings:#"Three Wishes" – 6:58...
in which he narrate the warlike exploits of Abd al-Rahman al-Nasir, along with some of his eulogies of the Ummayads of al-Andalus.
The White Complexion
Never have I seen or heard of such a thing; a pearl that for modesty transforms itself into a cornelian.
So white is her face, that, when you contemplate her perfection, you see your own face submerged in its clarity.
Ben Abd Rabbihi of Cordova (860-940) translated by Joan Penelope Cope
External links
- (Fr) Ibn Abd Rabbih and music musicologie.org
- Ibn ‘Abd Rabbihi (860-940), muslimheritage.com