Ibn al-Jawzi
Akhbar al-Zurafa wa al-Mutamajin
- Author died
- 597 AH
- Editions
- Dār Ibn Ḥazm
Akhbar al-Zurafa wa al-Mutamajin (Reports of the Witty and the Jocular) is a work of literary anecdotes and humor compiled by the Hanbali polymath and preacher Abu al-Faraj Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597 AH / 1201 CE).
Content and Literary Context
The work compiles humorous narratives, witty retorts, and biographical anecdotes concerning witty individuals (zurafa) and jocular, audacious figures (mutamajinun). It belongs to a group of closely related thematic compilations composed by Ibn al-Jawzi that combine entertainment, humor, and historical reportage (al-musamarat wa al-mufakahat wa al-tara'if), which includes Akhbar al-Adhkiya', ‘Uqala’ al-Majanin, Akhbar al-Hamqa wa al-Mughaffalin, and Kitab al-Tatfil.
Among its narratives are literary encounters and sharp exchanges involving poets and rulers, such as a report concerning a panegyric recited before Sayf al-Dawla ibn Hamdan and the humorous commentary made in his presence by the poet al-Shaydhami.
Manuscripts and Publication
Manuscript copies of the work are preserved in Cairo at the Egyptian National Library (Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyya) and the library of al-Azhar.
The text was printed in Damascus in 1347 AH (1928–1929 CE) by Maktabat al-Qudsi wa al-Budayr in a 106-page small-octavo edition. Another edition was published in Najaf in 1386 AH (1966–1967 CE).
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