Kharidat al-Qasr wa Jaridat al-Asr - Qism Shuara al-Iraq j 4 al-Mujallad al-Thani 2
- Author died
- 597 AH
- Editions
- Iraqi Republic - Ministry of Information - Directorate of General Culture
Kharidat al-Qasr wa Jaridat al-Asr: Qism Shu'ara' al-'Iraq (The Virgin Pearl of the Palace and Gazette of the Era: Section on the Poets of Iraq) is a biographical anthology of sixth-century AH poets from Iraq, compiled by the historian, scholar, and administrator al-Imad al-Isbahani al-Katib (519–597 AH / 1125–1201 CE) .
Background and Context
Al-Imad al-Isbahani conceived Kharidat al-Qasr wa Jaridat al-Asr as an extensive continuation (dhayl) to Zinat al-Dahr by Sa'd ibn 'Ali al-Haziri, which itself continued Dumyat al-Qasr by al-Bakharzi, which continued Yatimat al-Dahr by Abu Mansur al-Tha'alibi . The broader work covers poets who lived from after the fifth century AH up to 572 AH (1176 CE)—the year al-Imad completed it—spanning Iraq, al-Sham, Egypt, the Maghreb, al-Andalus, Sicily, the Jazira, and the Persian lands (al-'Ajam) . Al-Imad subsequently compiled his own supplement to the book, entitled al-Sayl 'ala al-Dhayl .
Scope and Structure of the Iraqi Section
The Iraqi division (Qism Shu'ara' al-'Iraq) documents poets active during the sixth century AH up to around 570 AH, while also touching upon certain fifth-century figures . It bridges two distinct political periods in Iraq: the Seljuk era extending until 551 AH, and the subsequent restoration of direct Abbasid caliphal rule in Baghdad . The section is organized across four large volumes:
- Volume 1: Opens with biographical entries and poems of the Abbasid caliphs from al-Qa'im bi-Amr Allah (reigned 422–467 AH) to al-Mustadi' bi-Amr Allah (reigned 566–575 AH) . It then devotes around two hundred large-format pages to viziers and scribes from the mid-fifth century AH to the reign of al-Mustadi', followed by an exhaustive entry on the poet Haysa Baysa that spans roughly 150 pages with poems arranged alphabetically .
- Volume 2: Contains biographies of thirty-six poets, including 'Ali ibn Aflah, Ibn al-Habbariyya, and Ibn Jallina .
- Volume 3: Focuses on literary figures from the rural environs (sawad) of Baghdad on both the eastern and western sides, including al-Haziri and al-Bandaniji, followed by poets from al-Hilla, Kufa, Hit, and al-Anbar, concluding with poets of Wasit such as Ibn al-Sawadi .
- Volume 4: Continues the entries on the poets of Wasit, prominently featuring Ibn al-Mu'allim, and proceeds to the poets and literati of Basra, most notably al-Hariri and Yahya ibn Sa'id ibn Mari al-Nasrani .
Method and Sources
Al-Imad draws extensively on firsthand encounters and oral transmissions collected as he traveled across regions, interviewing poets and transmitters, while also quoting written sources, such as the works of al-Haziri, to fill chronological and biographical gaps .
Editions
The Iraqi section of Kharidat al-Qasr was edited and published in Baghdad by the Iraqi scholar Muhammad Bahjat al-Athari, with publication beginning in 1955 CE .
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