Al-Gassaniyya facts for kids
Al-Gassaniyya was a talented writer and poet who lived around the 10th or 11th century. She was from a place called Bayyāna, which is now Pechina in Almería, Spain.
Not many details about Al-Gassaniyya have survived through history. Her last name, Gassaniyya, tells us she belonged to the Gassān family. She likely lived during a time when the small kingdom of Almería, called the Taifa of Almería, was very rich and had a thriving culture. This was during the rule of kings like Jairán and Almotacín. She might have lived at the same time as Zaynab al-Mariyya, another woman poet from Almería.
Al-Gassaniyya was known for writing special poems called panegyrics. These poems were written to praise kings and important leaders.
Only six lines of Al-Gassaniyya's poetry are still known today. These lines are part of a romantic introduction to what was probably a much longer poem, called a qasida. This longer poem was about Jairán, who was the king of Almería.
Did it sadden you to hear them say:
"The palanquins of the women have departed"?
How could you bear it, woe is you,
when they left?
There are but only deaths on their departure,
and if not, a resignation.
See also
In Spanish: Al-Gassaniyya para niños
