al-Muwazana bayn Shi'r Abi Tammam wa al-Buhturi

al-Muwazana bayn Shi‘r Abi Tammam wa al-Buhturi (The Comparison between the Poetry of Abu Tammam and al-Buhturi) is a foundational work of Arabic literary criticism composed by the critic and philologist Abu al-Qasim al-Amidi (d. 370 AH / 980 CE; also dated 371 AH) al-Idah fi Ulum al-Balagh…+1. The book presents a structured comparative evaluation of the two prominent 3rd-century AH poets, Abu Tammam and al-Buhturi al-Muwazana bayn Shi'r Ab….

Context and Purpose

Al-Amidi composed the work in response to a patron's request to arbitrate an intense literary dispute between two competing factions of critics and transmitters Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L…+1. One faction favored Abu Tammam for his philosophical depth, novelty of meanings, and mastery of rhetorical ornamentation (badi‘), while the other favored al-Buhturi for his natural diction, melodious phrasing, and fidelity to the established traditions of Arabic verse (‘amud al-shi‘r) Tarikh al-Adab al-Arabi l…+1. Rather than issuing a sweeping verdict declaring one poet unconditionally superior to the other—which al-Amidi considered impossible due to varying critical tastes—the author aimed to provide a methodologically rigorous, theme-by-theme evaluation based on objective textual analysis Fi al-Naqd al-Adabi+1.

Structure and Method

The treatise proceeds systematically through several distinct sections:

• Polemical Arguments: Al-Amidi opens by recording the arguments advanced by the partisans of each poet along with the counter-arguments of their opponents Fi al-Naqd al-Adabi+1.
• Flaws and Plagiarisms: He addresses the shortcomings and alleged literary thefts (sariqat) of both poets, examining Abu Tammam's obscure metaphors, syntactical complications, metrical irregularities, and conceptual errors, followed by al-Buhturi's borrowings from Abu Tammam and his own occasional missteps Fi al-Naqd al-Adabi+1.
• Distinctive Motifs: He inventories the exclusive themes, similes (tashbih), and proverbs found in each poet's oeuvre Fi al-Naqd al-Adabi.
• Detailed Thematic Comparison: In the central core of the work, al-Amidi juxtaposes individual verses where both poets addressed the same subject—such as opening descriptions of ruined encampments (wuquf ‘ala al-diyar), panegyrics, and elegies—and judges which poet expressed the shared motif more successfully Majallat al-Risala+1.

In establishing his critiques, al-Amidi relied on textual scholarship, cross-referencing variant readings across older manuscript copies (al-nuskha al-‘atiqa) of both diwans before delivering judgments on disputed lines Fi al-Naqd al-Adabi.

Reception and Influence

Al-Muwazana established an enduring model for comparative Arabic literary criticism, profoundly influencing later works such as al-Qadi al-Jurjani's al-Wasata bayn al-Mutanabbi wa-Khusumih al-Idah fi Ulum al-Balagh….

While al-Amidi professed strict impartiality, classical commentators frequently noted his underlying preference for al-Buhturi's natural fluency over Abu Tammam's intricate craft al-Idah fi Ulum al-Balagh…+1. Yaqut al-Hamawi recorded that scholars were divided over the work: some accepted al-Amidi's findings in line with their admiration for al-Buhturi, whereas others condemned him for scrutinizing Abu Tammam's faults excessively while excusing al-Buhturi's shortcomings Fi al-Naqd al-Adabi. The polymath al-Biruni similarly criticized al-Amidi for injustice toward Abu Tammam and defended the poet against al-Amidi's strictures in Kitab al-Jamahir Buhuth wa Maqalat fi al-L….