Thamarat al-Awraq fi al-Muhadarat
- Author died
- 837 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Jumhuriyyah al-Arabiyyah
Thamarat al-Awraq fi al-Muhadarat (Fruits of the Leaves in Conversational Lore) is a classical Arabic literary anthology by the Syrian scholar, poet, and chancery scribe Ibn Hijja al-Hamawi (d. 837 AH / 1433 CE) .
Content and Method
The work belongs to the muhadarat (literary assemblies and conversational lore) genre of adab literature. Haji Khalifa describes it as a compilation containing the essential anecdotes (nawadir) and stories (hikayat) required for cultured gatherings and salons (al-majalis wa-l-mahafil) .
In the book's opening, Ibn Hijja states that he titled the compilation Thimar al-Awraq (or Thamarat al-Awraq) by using a double entendre (tawriya), observing that its fruits are gathered for persons of refined literary taste . The text draws on earlier literary and philological sources, including al-Hariri's Durrat al-Ghawwas .
Supplement and Transmission
Ibn Hijja subsequently compiled a continuation to the work titled Dhayl Thamarat al-Awraq ("Supplement to the Fruits of Leaves") to provide additional conversational material, and this supplement is traditionally transmitted and printed alongside the primary text . Modern printed editions of the book and its supplement include the Cairo edition issued by Maktabat al-Khanji in 1391 AH .
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