Muajiz Ahmad
- Author died
- 449 AH
- Editions
- Muajiz Ahmad
Muajiz Ahmad (The Miracle of Ahmad) is a literary commentary on the Diwan of the poet Abu al-Tayyib al-Mutanabbi (303–354 AH / 915–965 CE) composed by the Syrian poet and philologist Abu al-Ala al-Maarri (363–449 AH / 973–1057 CE) .
Background and Structure
The work is one of several commentaries al-Maarri dedicated to classic poets, alongside Dhikra Habib on the poetry of Abu Tammam and Abath al-Walid on al-Buhturi . Al-Maarri also composed another commentary on al-Mutanabbi titled al-Lami al-Azizi, named after Aziz al-Dawla Thabit ibn Thimal ibn Salih ibn Mirdas . While Carl Brockelmann treated the two titles as alternative names for a single book, they represent two distinct texts: al-Lami al-Azizi arranges the poems alphabetically by rhyme letter, whereas Muajiz Ahmad is structured sequentially according to poetic themes (al-aghrad) . The title Muajiz Ahmad was chosen to honor al-Mutanabbi and highlight his preeminence over other poets .
Method and Content
In the commentary, al-Maarri explicates al-Mutanabbi's verses by clarifying rare vocabulary (gharib), analyzing poetic meanings, and examining al-Mutanabbi's borrowing and adaptations from earlier poetry (al-maakhidh) . He also records textual variants, grammatical analyses, and specific vocalizations in the transmitted lines . His critical observations include identifying subtle rhetorical features; for example, Safi al-Din al-Hilli noted that al-Maarri extracted the rhetorical device of al-taa wa-l-isyan ("compliance and defiance") during his analysis of a verse in Muajiz Ahmad .
Publication
The book was edited by Abd al-Majid Diyab and published by Dar al-Maarif in Cairo .
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