al-Lataif wa al-Zaraif
- Author died
- 429 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Manahil
al-Lata'if wa al-Zara'if (The Subtleties and Curiosities) is an Arabic literary anthology by the philologist and man of letters Abu Mansur al-Tha'alibi (350–429 AH / 961–1038 CE), dedicated to the rhetorical art of praise and dispraise (al-mahasin wa-l-addad).
Composition and Dedication
Al-Tha'alibi composed the work during the period in which he presented various compositions to regional rulers, dedicating it to Ma'mun ibn Ma'mun, the Amir of Khwarazm, alongside several other writings including al-Nihayah fi al-kinayah and Nathr al-nazm.
Content and Structure
The work is modeled on the classical scholastic and rhetorical tradition of praising and dispraising the same object (madh al-shay' wa-dhammuh), drawing methodologically upon the heritage of al-Jahiz. It addresses eighty thematic subjects, treating each in a chapter divided into two distinct sections:
- The first part gathers eloquent prose citations and poetic verses in praise of the subject.
- The second part presents contrasting literary excerpts in dispraise of the same subject (such as intellect or wealth).
In theme and arrangement, it forms a close parallel to al-Tha'alibi's other work on opposites, Yawaqit al-mawaqit.
Transmission and Editions
Because of their complementary subject matter, al-Lata'if wa al-Zara'if and Yawaqit al-mawaqit were frequently brought together into composite works. An anonymous synthesis is preserved in manuscript at Leiden, while a combined version compiled by Abu Nasr Ahmad ibn Abd al-Razzaq al-Maqdisi is preserved in manuscript collections across Cambridge, Istanbul (Laleli), Mosul, Rampur, and Cairo (al-Azhar), alongside individual manuscripts in Paris and St. Petersburg.
Al-Maqdisi's joint recension was published multiple times in Baghdad and Cairo, including a Cairo edition in 1324 AH (1906–1907 CE). The work has also been printed independently, including an edition published by Dar al-Manahil in Beirut in 1992 CE.
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