Diwan Qays ibn al-Khatim
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- 1 BH
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- دار صادر
Diwan Qays ibn al-Khatim is the collected poetry (diwan) of the pre-Islamic poet and knight Qays ibn al-Khatim (d. c. 2 BH / 620 CE) of the Banu Zufr branch of the Aws tribe in Yathrib .
Transmission and Themes
The collection survived through the transmissions of early classical philologists, notably in the recension associated with Ibn al-Sikkit (d. 244 AH / 858 CE) and others .
The poems in the diwan are predominantly centered around the tribal wars of Yathrib (Ayyam al-Aws), such as the Battle of Bu'ath between the Aws and the Khazraj, and the poet's pursuit of blood revenge for his slain father, al-Khatim, and grandfather, 'Adi . It includes poetic polemics against prominent Khazrajite poets, such as Hassan ibn Thabit and Abdullah ibn Rawahah . Beyond martial and historical records, the diwan also contains love poetry (nasib and ghazal), including verses addressed to figures such as 'Amrah and Layla . Several of his verses on martial prowess and revenge were celebrated in classical anthologies, such as Abu Tammam's Kitab al-Hamasa .
Manuscripts and Editions
Manuscripts of the diwan are held across several libraries, including:
- Topkapı Palace Library (Ahmet III MS 2534/2, dated 419 AH, transcribed from a manuscript copied in 255 AH) .
- Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyya (Adab 612 and No. 70 Shin) and the Taymuriyya Library (Shi'r 296) in Cairo .
- Yale University Library (MS 755) .
The diwan was edited and published in the twentieth century by several scholars:
- An early critical edition prepared by Tadeusz Kowalski in Leipzig (1914) .
- An edition edited by Nasir al-Din al-Asad, published in Cairo (Dar al-'Urubah, 1962) and later reprinted in Beirut (Dar Sadir, 1991) .
- An edition edited jointly by Ahmad Matlub and Ibrahim al-Samarra'i, published in Baghdad (1962) .
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