al-Mutrib min Ashar Ahl al-Maghrib
- Author died
- 633 AH
- Editions
- دار العلم للجميع للطباعة والنشر والتوزيع
al-Mutrib min Ash'ar Ahl al-Maghrib (The Delightful Selections from the Poetry of the People of the Maghrib) is an anthology of Andalusian and Maghrebi poetry and literary biography compiled by the traditionist and man of letters Ibn Dihya al-Kalbi (d. 633 AH / 1235 CE) .
Background and Purpose
Ibn Dihya composed the anthology for the Ayyubid ruler al-Kamil Muhammad while serving him . The work was conceived with a clear apologetic objective: to introduce the scholars and literati of the Islamic East to the poetic excellence of the Islamic West and demonstrate that Western poets equaled the greatest Eastern authorities . Ibn Dihya argued, for instance, that verses by Andalusian poets like al-Ghazal (al-Hakam ibn Ma'mar) would have been widely celebrated had they been attributed to classical figures such as Umar ibn Abi Rabi'ah, Bashar ibn Burd, or al-Abbas ibn al-Ahnaf, rather than neglected merely because of their author's Andalusian origin .
Scope and Contents
The anthology focuses on poetry characterized as mutrib—verse of remarkable charm that moves and delights the listener . The text brings together love poetry (ghazal and nasib), vivid descriptions (wasf), rare similes, and spontaneous conceits, interspersed with historical anecdotes concerning Western rulers, ministers, judges, and orators .
Although its title refers generally to the people of the Maghrib, the work is overwhelmingly dominated by Andalusian literature and poets, containing only a smaller portion dedicated to North African figures . Ibn Dihya drew upon both written accounts and his own direct encounters during his earlier life in the Islamic West, preserving numerous personal testimonies :
- A detailed notice on the physician and scholar Abu Bakr ibn Zuhr (d. 595 AH), whom Ibn Dihya accompanied for a lengthy period, remarking on his mastery of the poetry of Dhu al-Rummah .
- Information on Ibn Bassam, author of al-Dhakhira, transmitted from his contemporaries concerning his compositions and his violent death in Marrakesh in 529 AH .
- Biographical sketches and poetic selections from figures such as the Granadan poetess Hafsah bint al-Hajj al-Rukuniya, the traditionist Ibn Qarqul, and the Ceutan poet Ibn al-Qabila .
Reception and Influence
The work earned wide recognition as an important documentary source for Andalusian literary history . Ibn Khallikan cited al-Mutrib directly in Wafayat al-A'yan when recording biographical dates, literary critiques, and verses of Andalusian figures . The literary anthologist Ibn Sa'id al-Maghribi was influenced by Ibn Dihya's aesthetic terminology, adopting the concept of al-mutrib alongside al-murqis into his own fivefold classification of poetic imagery in works such as Unwan al-Murqisat wa-l-Mutribat . The book was likewise utilized and excerpted by later polymaths, including al-Suyuti .
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