Abu-l-'Atahiya (full name Abu Ishaq Isma'il ibn Qasim al-'Anazi, also known as Abu'l Atahiya) (748–828) was an Arabian poet, born at 'Ain ut-Tamar in the Hijaz near Medina. His ancestors were of the tribe of 'Anaza . His youth was spent in Kufa, where he was engaged for some time in selling pottery. Moving to Baghdad, he continued his business there, but became famous for his verses, especially for those addressed to 'Utba, a slave of the caliph al-Mahdi. His love was unrequited, although al-Mahdi, and after him Harun al-Rashid, interceded for him. Having offended the caliph, he was imprisoned for a short time. The latter part of his life was more ascetic. He died in 828 in the reign of al-Ma'mun.

The poetry of Abu-l-'Atahiya is notable for its avoidance of the artificiality almost universal in his days. The older poetry of the desert had been constantly imitated up to this time, although it was not natural to town life. Abu-l-'Atahiya was one of the first to drop the old qasida (elegy) form. He was very fluent and used many metres. He is also regarded as one of the earliest philosophical poets of the Arabs. Much of his poetry is concerned with the observation of common life and morality, and at times is pessimistic. Naturally, under the circumstances, he was strongly suspected of heresy.

Bibliography

Primary

• Diwan (1887, Beirut: Jesuit Press; 2nd ed. 1888)
  • translated and published by Arthur Wormhoudt as Diwan Abu'l Atahiya (1981) ISBN 0916358054

Secondary

• W. Ahlwardt, Diwan des Abu Nowas (1861, Grelfswald), pp 21 ff
• A. von Kremer, Culturgeschichte des Orients (1877, Vienna) vol. II, pp 372 ff
• Stefan Sperl, Mannerism in Arabic Poetry: A Structural Analysis of Selected Texts (3rd Century AH/9th Century AD–5th Century AH/11th Century AD) (2005, Cambridge University Press) ISBN 0521522927