al-Awraq Qism Akhbar al-Shuara
- Author died
- 335 AH
- Editions
- Sharikat Amal
al-Awraq: Qism Akhbar al-Shu'ara (Arabic: الأوراق قسم أخبار الشعراء, also published as Akhbar al-Shu'ara al-Muhdathin) is a surviving section of the multi-volume historical and literary compendium Kitab al-Awraq by the Abbasid scholar and court companion Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Suli (d. 335 AH / 946 CE; another report gives 336 AH), dedicated to biographical accounts and selected poetry of modern Abbasid poets (al-shu'ara al-muhdathun) .
Background and Context within Kitab al-Awraq
Al-Suli conceived his larger work, Kitab al-Awraq fi Akhbar al-Khulafa wa-al-Shu'ara ("The Leaves Concerning the History of Caliphs and Poets"), as a broad record of Abbasid dynastic history, caliphal reigns, aristocratic lineages, and contemporary literary figures . According to Ibn al-Nadim, al-Suli did not complete the entire project, but what was circulated included the annals of the caliphs, the poetry of their sons from al-Saffah to Ibn al-Mu'tazz, verses of other Abbasid kinsmen and Talibid descendants, and distinct monographs devoted to individual poets and their selected works . Al-Safadi noted that the book received the title al-Awraq ("leaves" or "sheets") because al-Suli expounded upon each subject across several leaves, contrasting with Muhammad ibn Dawud ibn al-Jarrah, who titled his concise work al-Waraqa ("The Single Leaf") because he restricted each poet's biography to approximately one leaf .
Structure and Content
The surviving section on the modern poets spans 255 pages in print and follows an arrangement based on family groupings and literary-social circles :
- The Lahiqi family: Covering 73 pages, this section treats Aban ibn Abd al-Hamid al-Lahiqi, Hamdan ibn Aban al-Lahiqi, Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Hamid al-Lahiqi, and Isma'il ibn Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal al-Lahiqi .
- The family of Ashja' al-Sulami: Detailed biographical reports and selected poems of Ashja' ibn Amr al-Sulami spanning 53 pages, followed by a six-page entry on his brother, Ahmad ibn Amr .
- The circle of Ahmad ibn Yusuf: Devoted to the vizier and scribe Ahmad ibn Yusuf (who served the caliph al-Ma'mun), continuing with his sons and his nephew Ahmad ibn Salama al-Katib through the remainder of the text .
Throughout the work, al-Suli presents transmitted narratives, social and court anecdotes, critical assessments, and anthologized poems, occasionally interspersing his own verses .
Sources and Critical Reception
Al-Suli's compilation of al-Awraq drew differing evaluations among early scholars. Ibn al-Nadim alleged that al-Suli relied heavily on, or copied without attribution, the earlier book on poetry and poets (Ash'ar Quraysh) by Ahmad ibn بشر al-Marthadi (d. 285 AH), claiming to have seen Marthadi's original draft surface from al-Suli's personal library . Conversely, the historian al-Mas'udi commended al-Suli and praised his historical writing . Material preserved in al-Awraq served as an essential source for later literary anthologists, notably Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani in Kitab al-Aghani and al-Marzubani .
Modern Publication
The surviving manuscript parts of Kitab al-Awraq were edited by J. Heyworth-Dunne and published in Cairo between 1934 and 1936 . This poetical section appeared first in 1934 under the title Kitab al-Awraq: Qism Akhbar al-Shu'ara (or Akhbar al-Shu'ara al-Muhdathin), alongside companion volumes covering the reigns of al-Radi and al-Muttaqi (1935) and the poetry of the caliphs' sons (1936) . Heyworth-Dunne's edition was later reprinted in Beirut .
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