Kharidat al-Qasr wa Jaridat al-Asr - Qism Shuara al-Iraq Juz 1
- Author died
- 597 AH
- Editions
- مطبعة المجمع العلمي العراقي
Kharidat al-Qasr wa Jaridat al-Asr - Qism Shuara al-Iraq Juz 1 (The Pearl of the Castle and Periodical of the Age: Section on the Poets of Iraq, Part 1) is the opening volume of the Iraqi section in the biographical anthology composed by the historian and chancery scribe al-Imad al-Isbahani al-Katib (519–597 AH / 1125–1201 CE) . The broader work documents Arabic poetry and literary figures of the sixth Islamic century across various regions of the Islamic world .
Context and Purpose
Al-Imad conceived Kharidat al-Qasr as a continuation (dhayl) in the established tradition of Arabic literary anthologies, building upon Abu al-Ma'ali Sa'd ibn Ali al-Haziri's Zinat al-dahr, which was itself a sequel to al-Bakharzi's Dumyat al-qasr, following al-Tha'alibi's Yatimat al-dahr and Harun ibn Ali al-Munajjim's al-Bari' . In the introduction to the first volume of the Iraqi section, al-Imad explains that he resolved to record the achievements of contemporary literati after observing that literary excellence had suffered neglect and diminished appreciation in his time . The anthology gathers poets who flourished from after the 5th century AH up to 572 AH (or 592 AH according to another report), covering figures from Iraq, Persia, Syria, the Jazira, Egypt, and the Maghreb .
Contents and Structure
The author opens the Iraqi division with the prominent figures of Baghdad, designating Iraq as central and honoring Baghdad as the seat of the Abbasid caliphate . The first part is organized into three main divisions:
- Abbasid Caliphs and Princes: Beginning with the reigning caliph al-Mustadi' bi-Amr Allah (r. 566–575 AH) and extending back through the caliphs from al-Qa'im bi-Amr Allah (r. 422–467 AH), recording their verses and literary anecdotes . It includes verses by figures such as Prince Abu al-Hasan Ali, son of al-Mustazhir bi-Allah, as well as panegyrics al-Imad himself delivered to caliphs, starting with al-Muqtafi li-Amr Allah in 552 AH and al-Mustadi' upon the restoration of the Abbasid khutbah in Egypt in 567 AH .
- Viziers and Chancery Scribes: A chapter spanning nearly two hundred pages surveying the poetry, correspondence, and praise poems of viziers and scribes from the mid-5th century AH down to the era of al-Mustadi' .
- Leading Poets: A chapter devoted to notable poets, prominently featuring an exhaustive biographical profile and collection of poems by Shihab al-Din Sa'd ibn Muhammad al-Sayfi al-Tamimi, widely known as Hays Bays (d. 574 AH), with selections from his diwan arranged alphabetically by rhyme covering roughly one hundred and fifty pages .
Publication
The Iraqi section of Kharidat al-Qasr was edited by Muhammad Bahjat al-Athari and published in Baghdad in 1955 .
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