Diwan Amr ibn Qami'a

Diwan Amr ibn Qami'a is the poetic collection of the ancient pre-Islamic poet Amr ibn Qami'a (d. c. 81 BH / 540 CE), gathering his extant odes, fragments, and attributed verses Tarikh al-Turath al-Arabi…+1.

Poet and Historical Context

The poet belonged to the tribe of Bakr ibn Wa'il, from the lineage of Dubay'ah ibn Qays ibn Tha'labah ibn Ukabah Mukhtasar Tarikh Dimashq+1. He was among the long-lived figures (mu'ammarun) of pre-Islamic Arabia, having lived past ninety years of age, and reportedly exceeding a century al-Mufassal fi Tarikh al-…+1. When the celebrated poet Imru' al-Qays arrived among the encampments of Bakr ibn Wa'il seeking a skilled poet, the tribe presented him with Amr ibn Qami'a, whose verses deeply impressed him Man Ismuhu Amr min al-Shu…. Despite his advanced age, Amr accompanied Imru' al-Qays on his embassy toward the Byzantine Emperor (Qaysar) to seek aid Mawsuat al-Amaal al-Kamil…+1. He died while on that journey, which earned him the epithet Amr al-Da'i' ("the Lost Amr") for having perished in a foreign land far from his kin Khizanat al-Adab wa Lubb …+1.

Themes and Contents

The poetry preserved in the collection reflects classical pre-Islamic motifs, characterized by elevated diction, concise phrasing, and vivid imagery Man Ismuhu Amr min al-Shu…+1. A prominent theme throughout his surviving work is the lamentation of advanced age, the loss of bodily strength, and the fleeting nature of youth al-Mufassal fi Tarikh al-…+1. In these verses, he frequently depicts himself leaning on a staff and being assaulted by the inevitable strokes of time Mujam al-Shuara+1.

Other poems and fragments in the Diwan address tribal obligations, the strain of kinship, patience under hardship, hospitality during harsh winters, and the conventional desert prelude (nasib), including descriptions of deserted encampments and apparitions of the beloved (khayal) Mukhtasar Tarikh Dimashq+1. Early critics credited him as one of the earliest poets to introduce the motif of the spectral visitation of the beloved in verse Mukhtasar Tarikh Dimashq.

Transmission and Editions

Transmitted through early Kufan and Basran philologists such as Abu Amr al-Shaybani, Amr's verse was anthologized and quoted across classical literary compendia Man Ismuhu Amr min al-Shu…+1. In modern scholarship, the Diwan has appeared in several critical editions:

• An edition edited and translated by Charles James Lyall (Cambridge, 1919) al-Adab al-Jahili fi Atha…+1.
• An edition and commentary prepared by Hasan Kamil al-Sayrafi, published under the auspices of the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts in Cairo al-Adab al-Jahili fi Atha…+1.
• An edition edited by Khalil Ibrahim al-Attiyya, published in Baghdad (1392 AH / 1972 CE) al-Takhmir Sharh al-Mufas…+1.