Al-Akhtal al-Taghlibi facts for kids

Al-Akhtal (full name Ghiyath b. Ghawth al-Taghlibi) was a very famous Arab poet. He lived during the Umayyad period, which was a powerful Islamic empire. Al-Akhtal belonged to the Banu Taghlib tribe. Like many people in his tribe, he was a Christian. His nickname, al-Akhtal, means "The Loquacious," which suggests he was a great speaker.

A Famous Poet

Al-Akhtal was known for two main types of poems. He wrote panegyrics, which were poems that praised important people. He also wrote satires, which were poems that made fun of or criticized others. During his time, poetry was a very important way to share ideas and influence people.

Al-Akhtal became friends with Yazid I, who was the son of Caliph Mu'awiya I. When Yazid became the new caliph, he was very kind to al-Akhtal. Even though al-Akhtal was a Christian, powerful Umayyad leaders liked his poetry. He always supported the ruling Umayyad dynasty.

He wrote many poems praising leaders like Yazid, Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, and al-Walid I. He also used his satires to attack anyone who opposed the caliphs. Al-Akhtal even became the official poet for Caliph Abd al-Malik. However, he later lost favor with Caliph al-Walid.

Al-Akhtal's poems often showed the old traditions of the Bedouin people from before Islam. His praise poems were considered classics. Many experts believed his poetry was an excellent example of pure Arabic language.

His Life and Rivals

We don't know many small details about al-Akhtal's personal life. We know he was married and later divorced. He spent time in Damascus, a major city, and also with his tribe in the Jazira region.

He took part in a conflict between his tribe, the Taghlib, and another tribe called Qays. He fought in battles and also used his satires to support his tribe.

Al-Akhtal was also part of a famous poetic rivalry. He competed with two other great poets of his time, Jarir ibn Atiyah and al-Farazdaq. These three poets are very famous among Arabs. People often debated who was the best. One scholar, Abu Ubayda, thought al-Akhtal was the best. He said that al-Akhtal had ten perfect qasidas (long Arabic poems) and ten more that were almost perfect. He felt the other two poets couldn't match this.

Works

A collection of The Poetry of al-Akhtal was published in Beirut in 1891. You can also find more information about him and his time in a book called Le chantre des Omiades by H. Lammens, published in Paris in 1895.

See also

In Spanish: Ghiyath ibn Ghawth al-Taghlibi al-Akhtal para niños