The Diwan of Ibn al-Mu'taz

Ibn al-Mu'taz 249-296 AH is Abdullah ibn al-Mu'taz, the Abbasid caliph, born in Baghdad and raised there away from the court and its intrigues, until he succeeded al-Muqtadir. Some of the military and literary leaders rebelled against him, deposed him, and carried Ibn al-Mu'taz to the throne, pledging allegiance to him as caliph, and they nicknamed him al-Murtada billah. Ibn al-Mu'taz borrowed the manners and sciences of the Arabs from Abu al-Abbas al-Mubarrad and Abu al-Abbas Thalab, so he became a naturally talented poet, good in both the beautiful and the ugly, delicate in words and meanings. However, his culture was purely Arab, so his soul was not influenced by the Abbasid intellectual renaissance nor by the new culture. Rather, his influence was limited to the material beauty surrounding the poet's life, a life filled with convivial gatherings, entertainment, musical instruments, singing, jewelry, and fine clothes. The images of this life appeared in his poetry, infused with the scent of perfume and wine, reflecting softness of living and luxury. He paid special attention to similes, but his metaphors, although distinguished by their precise expression of mental images, were characterized by tangible, colorful, material images. Most of these lacked vitality and were tinged with the apparent craftiness, making them seem more material than spiritual, with no heartfelt emotion, but rather as a distraction for the imagination and a source of admiration. Our poet was not one to confine his inspiration to a single subject; he freely moved from one topic to another. Since he lacked the genius for innovation and creation, he relied on the traces of predecessors and those who came before him, the imitators. We see him, indeed, describing deserted plains, horses, and rain, following the footsteps of Imru' al-Qays; describing the dilapidated khan, the vine, and the waters of the Euphrates irrigating them, following al-Akhṭal; influenced by Ibn Abi Rabi'ah in his nighttime visits; and by Abu Nuwas in describing gatherings of merriment, wine, cups, hunting, and his dogs and spears. However, even when he imitated them, he adorned what he took with beautiful similes and decorated it with elegant, dazzling expressions. This is a brief overview of Ibn al-Mu'taz's approach to poetry. Dar Sader