Ayar al-Shi'r

Ayar al-Shi'r (The Criterion of Poetry) is a treatise on Arabic poetics and literary criticism written by the Abbasid poet and scholar Abu al-Hasan Ibn Tabataba (d. 322 AH / 934 CE) Mawsuat al-Amaal al-Kamil…+1. The book establishes criteria for evaluating poetic quality, examines the nature of poetic composition, and defines the aesthetic standards governing Arab verse Fi al-Naqd al-Adabi+1.

Purpose and Definition of Poetry

Ibn Tabataba opens the work in response to an inquiry asking him to explain the art of poetry and elucidate the methods by which verse is composed Ayar al-Shi'r. He defines poetry as metered speech distinct from ordinary prose; its metric structure is limited and known, such that an individual endowed with sound natural disposition (tab') and refined taste (dhawq) does not require prosody ('arud) to compose, whereas one whose innate ear falters relies on prosody until acquired mastery functions effortlessly like natural disposition Ayar al-Shi'r+1.

To achieve mastery in poetic composition, Ibn Tabataba outlines essential prerequisites and tools (adawat al-shi'r). These include broad knowledge of the Arabic language, mastery of grammar, transmission of literary lore, acquaintance with tribal history and battles (ayyam al-nas), genealogies, and virtues and vices, as well as adherence to the established traditions and conventions of Arab poetry across its various genres Tarikh al-Naqd al-Adabi i…+1.

Method and Poetic Theory

The core of Ayar al-Shi'r centers on poetic craft, the unity of the ode, and the correspondence between words and meanings Fi al-Naqd al-Adabi+1.

• The Composition of the Ode: Ibn Tabataba details the creative process of poem construction (bina' al-qasidah). He explains that the poet first churns the intended meaning in prose within the mind, prepares suitable vocabulary, rhymes, and meter, records initial verses as they emerge, and then weaves the scattered lines together with connecting verses to ensure seamless continuity Fi al-Naqd al-Adabi+1. The poet then rigorously edits and polishes the poem, replacing awkward phrasing with clear diction, drawing analogies to an expert weaver or jewel-stringer crafting an harmonious work Ayar al-Shi'r.
• Words and Meanings: Ibn Tabataba posits that poetry is a craft that treats meaning as the spirit and speech as its body Fi al-Naqd al-Adabi. Meanings require matching words, just as an attractive garment enhances a beautiful maiden; poor diction disfigures sound meaning, while superficial embellishment collapses under close critical scrutiny Fi al-Naqd al-Adabi+1.
• Simile and Imagery: The author classifies similes (tashbih) into various categories based on physical appearance and form, abstract meaning, color, sound, and speed or movement Tarikh al-Adab al-Arabi l…+1. A simile gains strength, veracity, and poetic excellence when it unites multiple points of correspondence between the compared entities al-Basair wa al-Dhakhair.
• Standards and Plagiarism: He warns contemporary poets against borrowing others' motifs and altering meters or phrasing under the pretense of novelty, counseling them instead to internalize high-quality classical models until their own thought naturally produces refined verse al-Basair wa al-Dhakhair.

Reception and Editions

Ayar al-Shi'r stands among the earliest systematic specialized works on Arabic literary criticism, alongside early treatises by Ibn al-Mu'tazz and Qudamah ibn Ja'far Mawsuat al-Amaal al-Kamil…. Its critical formulations and criteria for poetic quality influenced subsequent theorists, including Abu al-Hasan al-Amidi, who authored a corrective treatise titled Islah ma fi Mi'yar al-Shi'r li-Ibn Tabataba al-Fihrist.

The text was edited and published in Cairo in 1956 by Taha al-Hajiri and Muhammad Zaghlul Sallam, and later published in an edition prepared by 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Nasir al-Mani' in Riyadh in 1985 al-Lataif wa al-Zaraif+1.