Muluk Himyar wa Aqyal al-Yaman wa Sharhuha al-Musamma Khulasat al-Sira al-Jamia li-Ajaib al-Muluk al-Tababi'a
- Author died
- 573 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-ʿAwdah
Muluk Himyar wa Aqyal al-Yaman wa Sharhuha al-Musamma Khulasat al-Sira al-Jamia li-Ajaib al-Muluk al-Tababi'a (The Kings of Himyar and Princes of Yemen and its Commentary Named The Summary of the Comprehensive Biography on the Wonders of the Tubba' Kings) is a didactic historical poem and prose commentary by the Yemeni scholar, poet, and genealogist Nashwan al-Himyari (d. 573 AH / 1178 CE) on the history, lineages, and rulers of ancient South Arabia .
Overview and Structure
The work comprises two integrated components composed by the author: a rhymed historical poem (al-manzuma) and an explanatory prose commentary . The poem is widely known as al-Qasida al-Himyariyya or al-Nashwaniyya, as well as by the title Muluk Himyar wa Aqyal al-Yaman . Its prose commentary is entitled Khulasat al-Sira al-Jamia li-Ajaib Akhbar al-Muluk al-Tababi'a .
The poem functions as didactic historical verse (al-shir al-talimi al-tarikhi) . It enumerates the pre-Islamic Tubba' kings (al-Tababi'a), regional chieftains (al-Aqyal), and titled monarchs (al-Adhwa') of Himyar and the southern Arabian tribes descended from Qahtan . The composition combines expressions of ancestral pride in South Arabian history with moral exhortations reflecting on the impermanence of worldly kingdoms and the fate of ancient rulers .
Content and Method
In the commentary, the author explicates each section of the ode by providing biographical notices, genealogical lineages, and historical narratives associated with the names mentioned in the verses . He identifies individual kings and princes, describing their territories, conquests, and architectural works, such as fortresses, dams, and palaces across Yemen .
To corroborate the historical accounts, the commentary frequently quotes lines of classical and pre-Islamic poetry attributed to early figures, including Hassan ibn Thabit, Salama ibn Jandal, Quss ibn Sa'ida, and Alqama Dhu Jadan . The work represents a key late classical source for South Arabian historiography and genealogical traditions, utilized alongside the historical works of al-Hamdani and Wahb ibn Munabbih .
Editions and Reception
The work was printed in early European editions, including a publication in Leipzig in 1865 and another in Algiers in 1914 . In Yemen, the poem and commentary were published serially in the journal Majallat al-Hikma al-Yamaniyya in Sana'a before being issued as a standalone volume .
A prominent critical edition was prepared by Ali ibn Ismail al-Mu'ayyad and Ismail ibn Ahmad al-Jirafi, published in Cairo at al-Matba'a al-Salafiyya in 1378 AH (1958 CE) and reissued in 1395 AH, and subsequently published in Beirut by Dar al-Awdah in 1978 and 1986 .
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