Kanz al-Kitab wa Muntakhab al-Adab
- Author died
- 651 AH
- Editions
- Al-Majma‘ al-Thaqāfī
Kanz al-Kitab wa Muntakhab al-Adab (The Treasury of Scribes and Selection of Literature) is an Andalusian literary anthology composed by the Andalusian man of letters and scribe Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Ali ibn Ahmad al-Fihri al-Sharishi al-Bunsi (d. ca. 651 AH / 1253 CE) .
Background and Purpose
Al-Bunsi, whose nisba connects him to the village of Bunus in the administrative district of Jerez (Sharish), compiled the work as an instructional and stylistic resource for scribes and literary enthusiasts . In his preface, he noted that he did not compose poetry as a trade or use panegyric for soliciting patronage, taking content instead with teaching the Quran . He composed the collection to revitalize interest in belles-lettres at a time when he perceived literary learning to have declined . A transmission note in the work records it being read to him in the month of Safar 633 AH .
Scope and Sources
The anthology gathers ornate prose, poetry, anecdotes, witty accounts, and rare literary lore produced by figures who lived in or visited al-Andalus, focusing specifically on writers prominent during the 5th and 6th centuries AH, alongside occasional selections from contemporary figures . Al-Bunsi chose to emphasize later writers (al-muta'akhkhirun) rather than earlier ones, observing that the works of earlier generations were already widespread and frequently repeated among students of literature .
For his source material, al-Bunsi relied substantially on two classical Andalusian literary compendia:
- Al-Dhakhira fi Mahasin Ahl al-Jazira by Ibn Bassam .
- Qala'id al-Iqyan by Abu al-Nasr al-Fath ibn Khaqan .
Throughout the text, al-Bunsi integrated supporting textual citations (shawahid) from the Quran and Prophetic hadith, and incorporated concise glosses to clarify rare and obscure vocabulary (al-gharib) without excessive length .
Structure
Al-Bunsi arranged the book into fourteen thematic chapters (abwab), each devoted to a specific literary genre or subject :
- Eloquence and poetry (al-Fasaha wa-al-shi'r)
- Selected epistolary prose (Rasa'il min muntakhab al-nathr)
- Pleasant tales and anecdotes (Hikayat hisan)
- Love and what has been said regarding it (al-Hubb wa-ma qila fih)
- Amatory preludes and love poetry (al-Nasib wa-al-taghazzul)
- Reproach and conciliation (al-Mu'ataba wa-al-isti'taf)
- Blossoms and flower gardens (al-Anwar wa-hada'iq al-azhar)
- Wine descriptions and cupbearers (Sifat al-khamr wa-suqatiha)
- Praise of youths with emerging facial hair (Madh al-ghilman al-mu'adhdharin)
- Censure of youths with emerging facial hair (Dhamm al-ghilman al-mu'adhdharin)
- Humor and jesting (al-Fukaha wa-al-mujun)
- Miscellaneous descriptions and arts (Awsaf shatta wa-funun)
- Invitations (al-Istid'a')
- Days and nights of convivial gathering (Ayyam al-uns wa-layalih)
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