Matmah al-Anfus wa Masrah al-Taannus fi Milah Ahl al-Andalus
- Author died
- 528 AH
- Editions
- Dār ‘Ammār - Mu’assasat al-Risālah
Matmah al-Anfus wa Masrah al-Taannus fi Milah Ahl al-Andalus ("The Aspiration of Souls and the Arena of Sociability Concerning the Witty Anecdotes of the People of al-Andalus") is a biographical and literary anthology of Andalusian poets, statesmen, and scholars compiled by the Andalusian author al-Fath ibn Khaqan (d. 528 AH / 1134 CE; variant death dates include 529 AH, 533 AH, and 535 AH) .
Purpose and Scope
Conceived in part as a supplement to the author's earlier work Qala'id al-Iqyan, the book provides concise biographical notices accompanied by literary selections and anecdotes (mulah) . In his introduction, Ibn Khaqan stated that he compiled the work to preserve a record of Andalusian literary figures and to demonstrate their parity with the celebrated authors and poets of Iraq .
Unlike Qala'id al-Iqyan, which concentrated on contemporaries and figures from a specific proximate period, Matmah al-Anfus spans the broader history of Andalusian poetry from its early development . It includes ninety-six poets across multiple eras, ranging from third-century AH figures such as Ahmad ibn Abd Rabbih and fourth-century figures like Munzir ibn Sa'id al-Balluti, al-Ramadi, Ibn al-Qutiyya, and Muhammad ibn Hani, to numerous literary figures of the fifth and sixth centuries AH .
Structure and Content
The work is organized into three distinct parts according to social and professional rank:
- Part One: Ministers and secretaries (al-wuzara' wa-l-kuttab), opening with the Umayyad chamberlain Ja'far ibn Uthman al-Mushafi .
- Part Two: Prominent scholars, judges, and jurists (al-ulama' wa-l-qudah wa-l-fuqaha') .
- Part Three: Literati and poets (al-udaba' wa-sh-shu'ara') .
The biographies are composed in ornate, rhymed prose (saj'), featuring vivid characterizations of each subject followed by curated selections of their poetry and epistolary writings .
Versions, Reception, and Editions
Ibn Khallikan noted that the book circulated in three recensions—major (kubra), intermediate (wusta), and minor (sughra)—and praised its immense utility and stylistic mastery, while observing that copies were rare in the eastern Islamic lands in his time . Other accounts mention two recensions (a major and a minor version) . Modern scholars consider Matmah al-Anfus, alongside Qala'id al-Iqyan, an indispensable primary source for Andalusian literary and historical studies .
The text was printed at Matba'at al-Sa'ada in Cairo in 1325 AH (1907 CE) . Its individual sections were later published in the Iraqi academic journal al-Mawrid, and a critical edition prepared by Muhammad Ali Shawabkah was published by Mu'assasat al-Risala in 1403 AH (1983 CE) .
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