Akhtal
Encyclopedia
Akhtal (c. 640-710) was one of the most famous Arab
poets of the Umayyad
period. He belonged to the tribe of Taghlib
in Mesopotamia
, and was, like his fellow-tribesmen, a Christian
, enjoying the freedom of his religion.
Of his private life few details are known, save that he was married and divorced, and that he spent part of his time in Damascus
, part with his tribe in Mesopotamia. In the wars of the Taghlibites with the Qaisites he took part in the field, as well as by his satire
s.
In the literary strife between his contemporaries Jarir ibn Atiyah and Farazdaq, he was induced to support the latter poet. Akhtal, Jarir and Farazdaq form a trio celebrated among the Arabs, but as to superiority there is dispute. In the Abbasid
period there is no doubt that Akhtal's Christianity told against his reputation, but Abu Ubaydah
placed him highest of the three on the ground that among his poems there were ten flawless qasida
s, and ten more nearly so, and that this could not be said of the other two.
Most of his poems consist of either panegyric
of patrons and satire of rivals, the latter being, however, more restrained than was usual at the time.
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
poets of the Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
period. He belonged to the tribe of Taghlib
Taghlib
Banu Taghlib or Taghlib ibn Wa'il were a large and powerful Arabian tribe of Mesopotamia and northern Arabia. The tribe traces its lineage to the large branch of North Arabian tribes known as Rabi'ah, which also included Bakr, 'Anizzah, Banu Hanifa and Anz bin Wa'il .The tribe's ancestral...
in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
, and was, like his fellow-tribesmen, a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, enjoying the freedom of his religion.
Of his private life few details are known, save that he was married and divorced, and that he spent part of his time in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, part with his tribe in Mesopotamia. In the wars of the Taghlibites with the Qaisites he took part in the field, as well as by his satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
s.
In the literary strife between his contemporaries Jarir ibn Atiyah and Farazdaq, he was induced to support the latter poet. Akhtal, Jarir and Farazdaq form a trio celebrated among the Arabs, but as to superiority there is dispute. In the Abbasid
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
period there is no doubt that Akhtal's Christianity told against his reputation, but Abu Ubaydah
Abu 'Ubaida
Abu ’Ubaida or Ubayda was a Muslim scholar.Born in Basra, he was a mawla of a family from the Arab tribe of Quraish, and said to have been Jewish.” In his youth, he was a pupil of Abu 'Amr ibn al-'Ala', and in 803 he was called to Baghdad by the Caliph Harun al-Rashid...
placed him highest of the three on the ground that among his poems there were ten flawless qasida
Qasida
The qaṣīdaᵗ , in Arabic: قصيدة, plural qasā'id, قــصــائـد; in Persian: قصیده , is a form of lyric poetry that originated in preIslamic Arabia...
s, and ten more nearly so, and that this could not be said of the other two.
Most of his poems consist of either panegyric
Panegyric
A panegyric is a formal public speech, or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing, a generally highly studied and discriminating eulogy, not expected to be critical. It is derived from the Greek πανηγυρικός meaning "a speech fit for a general assembly"...
of patrons and satire of rivals, the latter being, however, more restrained than was usual at the time.