Hamasat al-Zurafa
- Author died
- 431 AH
- Editions
- Hamasat al-Zurafa
Hamasat al-Zurafa (Hamasat al-Zurafa min Ash'ar al-Muhdathin wa-l-Qudama, "The Hamasa of the Elegant Wits from the Poetry of the Moderns and Ancients") is an Arabic poetry anthology compiled by Abu Muhammad Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Abdalkani al-Zawzani (d. 431 AH / 1040 CE) .
Structure and Content
The work was structured following the thematic chapter arrangement (tabwib) of the renowned Hamasa of Abu Tammam . It brings together poetic selections from both ancient (qudama) and modern (muhdathin) poets, chosen according to the compiler's personal literary taste . Al-Zawzani also incorporated some of his own verses within the anthology .
Author
The author, Abu Muhammad Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Abdalkani al-Zawzani, was a scholar of literature, poet, and courtier active in Khurasan . Known for his wit, humor, and sharp conversational skills, he served as a boon companion to regional rulers and tutored their sons . The anthologist Abu Mansur al-Tha'alibi met him in Nishapur at the home of Abu al-Fadl Ubayd Allah al-Mikali and solicited poetry recitations from him .
Manuscripts and Publication
The anthology survived in manuscript form, notably preserved in the Istanbul University Library (MS Arab 1455, comprising 178 folios copied in 779 AH) . The work was edited by Muhammad Jabbar al-Mu'aybid and published in Baghdad in two volumes between 1973 and 1978 .
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