al-Mutalif wal-Mukhtalif fi Asma al-Shuara
- Author died
- 370 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Jīl
al-Mu'talif wa-al-Mukhtalif fi Asma' al-Shu'ara' (The Congruent and Divergent Concerning the Names of Poets) is an onomastic reference work by the literary scholar and critic Abu al-Qasim al-Amidi (d. 370 AH / 980 CE; another report gives 371 AH) . The book is dedicated to disambiguating poets' names, patronymics (kunyas), epithets (alqaab), genealogies, and associated verses that share identical or similar written outlines in Arabic script but differ in diacritics, vocalization, or identity .
Subject and Scope
The work belongs to the genre of al-mu'talif wa-al-mukhtalif, which addresses proper names, lineages, and nisbas that are identical in orthographic shape but divergent in pronunciation or referent . While earlier and contemporary authors in the field often focused on tribal designations—such as Muhammad ibn Habib al-Baghdadi (d. 245 AH)—or on Hadith transmitters—such as al-Daraqutni (d. 385 AH)—al-Amidi specifically restricted his compilation to poets across Arabic literary history . In its fuller title, the work is cited as al-Mu'talif wa-al-Mukhtalif fi Asma' al-Shu'ara' wa-Kunaahum wa-Alqaabihim wa-Ansaabihim wa-Ba'd Shi'rihim (The Congruent and Divergent Concerning the Names of Poets, Their Kunyas, Epithets, Genealogies, and Some of Their Poetry) .
Transmission and Reception
The book circulated among later scholars through chains of transmission; al-Khatib al-Baghdadi cited entries from it in al-Muttafiq wa-al-Muftariq on the authority of Abu al-Khattab al-Ala' ibn Abi al-Mughira ibn Hazm al-Andalusi, who found it in the book of Abd al-Salam ibn al-Husayn al-Basri from al-Amidi . Modern scholars noted its specialized value for Arabic poetry and genealogy, though Abd al-Rahman al-Mu'allimi characterized it as containing some omissions (i'waz) .
Editions
The work has appeared in multiple modern printed editions:
- An early edition prepared by the orientalist Fritz Krenkow, published by Maktabat al-Qudsi together with Mu'jam al-Shu'ara' by al-Marzubani .
- A critical edition by Abd al-Sattar Ahmad Farraj, published in Cairo by Dar Ihya' al-Kutub al-Arabiyya in 1381 AH / 1961 CE, twenty-five years after Krenkow's publication . Farraj provided supplementary corrections while noting that the original publisher had omitted corrections previously sent by Krenkow, though both editors relied on the same manuscript exemplar .
- An edition edited by Abd al-Aziz Ahmad, published in Cairo (1963 CE) .
- A facsimile reprint of Krenkow's edition published by Dar al-Jil in Beirut (1411 AH / 1991 CE) .
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