Al-Tutili facts for kids

Abu ’l-ʿAbbās (also known as Abū Dj̲aʿfar) Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Hurayra al-ʿUtbī (or al-Kaysī), who died in 1126, was a famous poet from Al-Andalus. He was often called al-Aʿmā al-Tuṭīlī, which means the Blind Poet of Tudela. He wrote his poems in Arabic.

He was born in Tudela, but he grew up in Seville. It was in Seville that he became very good at writing poetry. Later in his life, he lived in Murcia. He passed away when he was still quite young.

A Famous Poet and Songwriter

Al-Aʿmā al-Tuṭīlī was one of the most well-known poets who wrote muwas̲h̲s̲h̲aḥ and zajal. These were special types of poems that were often sung, like songs. He lived during the Almoravid period in Al-Andalus, which lasted from 1091 to 1145.

He was so talented that he even competed with another famous poet, Ibn Bajjah, in writing clever poems. This happened at the court of Ibn Tifilwit, who was the Almoravid governor in Saragossa.

What He Wrote About

Al-Aʿmā al-Tuṭīlī wrote different kinds of poems:

• Praise Poems: He wrote poems called panegyrics to praise the Almoravids in al-Andalus and the Banu Kasim family.
• Love Poems: He was also very famous for his beautiful love poems.
• Sad Poems: One of his most famous poems was a sad poem, called an elegy, that he wrote when his wife died. In this poem, he spoke to her by the name of Amina.

See also

In Spanish: Al-Tutili para niños