Abbas Ibn Al-Ahnaf

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Abbas Ibn Al-Ahnaf

 

Born about 750, in Baghdad; died about 808, in Baghdad. Arabian lyric poet.

Al-Ahnaf enjoyed the special favor of the caliph Harun al-Rashid. He wrote elegiac amatory poetry (ghazals) in the style of the so-called new school, which disregarded the canons of pre-Islamic poetry. His elegant verses, which suffer from a certain conventionalism and monotony of theme, were set to music and performed by court singers.

REFERENCES

Hell, J. “Al-Abbas ibn al Ahnaf, der Minnesánger am Hofe Harün ar-Rašid‘s,” Islamica, 1926, vol. 2, no. 2.
Torrey, C. C. “The story of El-Abbas ibn El-Ahnaf and His Fortunate Verses” Journal of the American Oriental Society, 1893, vol. 16.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.