al-Nafha al-Nasriniyya wa al-Lamha al-Mariniyya
- Author died
- 807 AH
- Editions
- al-Nafha al-Nasriniyya wa al-Lamha al-Mariniyya
al-Nafha al-Nasriniyya wa al-Lamha al-Mariniyya (The Eglantine Breeze and the Marinid Glimpse) is a historical work in verse and prose by the Andalusian prince and historian Ibn al-Ahmar (d. 807 AH / 1404 CE), chronicling the rulers and dynastic history of the Marinid Sultanate.
Composition and Purpose
The work was composed by Abu al-Walid Ismail ibn Yusuf ibn al-Ahmar, a scion of the Nasrid ruling house of Granada who took up residence in Fez. Ibn al-Ahmar dedicated the text to the Marinid sultan Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Abi Salim (al-Mustansir bi-Allah). In his introduction, the author stated that he compiled the book to celebrate the lineage and achievements of the Marinid monarchs and presented it as a panegyric and petition to Sultan Abu al-Abbas, seeking royal favor and relief from personal adversity and poverty.
Structure and Content
The core of the work consists of a historical poem in rajaz metre, paired with explanatory prose commentary. It surveys the Marinid rulers in chronological order, recording their names, personal traits, military expeditions, and the lengths of their reigns down to their deaths. The narrative traces the dynasty from its early tribal leadership in the desert and the Zab region—mentioning figures such as Makhokh, Marin, al-Mukhaddab, Hamama, and Abu Bakr—through the foundational campaigns of Abd al-Haqq ibn Mihyu and his sons, up to the capture of Fez and the consolidation of Marinid rule.
Method and Style
Ibn al-Ahmar structured the poem as rhymed couplets (muzdawajat), aiming for a concise yet comprehensive dynastic chronicle. He explicitly compared his didactic verse to earlier historical rajaz compositions by al-Malzuzi and Lisan al-Din Ibn al-Khatib, asserting that his own composition distinguished itself by incorporating complex rhetorical artistry (badi') and self-imposed rhyming constraints (luzum).
Manuscripts and Publication
A manuscript copy of the text is preserved in the El Escorial library in Spain (MS Casiri/al-Ghaziri 1769). The work was published in Damascus in 1992.
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