Nafhat al-Rayhana wa Rashhat Tila al-Hana
- Author died
- 1111 AH
- Editions
- Nafhat al-Rayhana wa Rashhat Tila al-Hana
Nafhat al-Rayhana wa Rashhat Tila al-Hana (The Scent of the Myrtle and the Trickle of the Tavern's Wine) is a biographical anthology of contemporary poets and men of letters compiled by the Damascene historian and scholar al-Muhibbi (d. 1111 AH / 1699 CE) .
Background and Purpose
The work was conceived as a continuation and supplement (dhayl) to Rayhanat al-Alibba wa Zahrat al-Hayat al-Dunya (The Myrtle of the Intelligent and the Flower of Worldly Life) by Shihab al-Din al-Khafaji (d. 1069 AH / 1659 CE) . Al-Muhibbi expressed deep admiration for al-Khafaji's book from his youth, describing it as an enduring source of literary delight, and sought to emulate its rhymed prose (saj') and verse selections . Observing omissions in al-Khafaji's work, al-Muhibbi compiled the anthology to record the verses, biographical notices, and prose of literary figures whom al-Khafaji had passed over or who flourished after him . Al-Muhibbi also incorporated a significant portion of his own poetry into the book .
Structure and Contents
Al-Muhibbi arranged the book into eight geographically ordered chapters (abwab), employing rhymed titles for each division :
- Chapter One: The merits of the poets of Damascus and its surrounding districts (Mahasin shu'ara' Dimashq wa-nawahiha) .
- Chapter Two: The literary anecdotes of the figures of Aleppo (Nawadir udaba' Halab) .
- Chapter Three: The prominent rhetoricians of the Ottoman lands (Nawabigh bulagha' al-Rum), preceded by a descriptive preface dedicated to Istanbul (al-Astana) .
- Chapter Four: The wits of Iraq and Bahrain (Zara'if zurafa' al-'Iraq wa-l-Bahrayn) .
- Chapter Five: The subtle figures of Yemen (Lata'if lutafa' al-Yaman) .
- Chapter Six: The distinguished talents of the Hijaz ('Aja'ib nubagha' al-Hijaz) .
- Chapter Seven: The notable figures of Egypt (Ghara'ib nubaha' Misr) .
- Chapter Eight: The literary gifts of the intelligent minds of the Maghrib (Taha'if adkhiya' al-Maghrib) .
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