al-Durr al-Farid wa Bayt al-Qasid
- Author died
- 710 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah
al-Durr al-Farid wa Bayt al-Qasid (The Unique Pearl and the Quintessential Verse) is an extensive Arabic poetic encyclopedia compiled by Muhammad ibn Aydamar al-Musta'simi (639–710 AH / 1241–1310 CE), gathering approximately twenty thousand standalone verses arranged alphabetically by their opening words.
Structure and Arrangement
The work is organized alphabetically into twenty-eight chapters corresponding to the letters of the Arabic alphabet, based on the initial letter of the opening word of each verse. The author adopted three exceptions in the ordering of the letter alif: verses opening with the phrase al-Hamdu lillah (Praise be to God) were placed at the very beginning of the compilation; verses beginning with Allah were placed immediately after them; and verses opening with Astaghfirullah (I seek God's forgiveness) were reserved for the very end to conclude the entire work. At the conclusion of each alphabetical section, Ibn Aydamar recorded the precise count of verses included, as well as the number of quires and folios occupied by that letter in his manuscript.
Theoretical Introduction and Content
The book opens with an extensive critical introduction spanning 184 pages. In this treatise, the author examines Arabic eloquence, reports of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ listening to and citing verse, the classes of poets, and a fourfold typology of poetry. He also details various rhetorical figures (al-badi'), illustrating each with poetic citations, and outlines the essential prerequisites of a poet—including grammar, lexicography, prosody, broad memorization, and critical evaluation (naqd). The introduction further distinguishes praise (madh) from gratitude (shukr), examines the nuances of varied poetic themes, classifies poetic borrowing and plagiarism (al-sarqat) into three distinct categories, and highlights the virtues of poetry.
Beyond individual verses, Ibn Aydamar enriched the margins and text with linguistic, historical, and biographical glosses, proverbs, and historical anecdotes. When drawn to particular poems, he incorporated them in full, such as the Khamriyya of Ibn al-Farid, the elegiac ode of Abu al-Hasan al-Tihami for his son, poems by Hatim al-Ta'i and Ibn al-Dumaynah, as well as selections from al-Mufaddaliyyat.
Composition and Publication
The compilation was completed in stages over several years. The first part was finished on 1 Rabi' al-Awwal 693 AH, and subsequent portions were completed later, including a section finalized on 1 Shawwal 705 AH.
The work was reproduced in facsimile form by the Institute for the History of Arabic-Islamic Science under the direction of Fuat Sezgin as part of its 'Uyun al-Turath series. A critical edition edited by Kamil Salman al-Juburi, accompanied by an introduction by Nuri Hammudi al-Qaysi, was published by Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyya in Beirut in 1436 AH / 2015 CE across thirteen volumes.
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