Ibn Quzman facts for kids

Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Isa Abd al-Malik ibn Isa ibn Quzman al-Zuhri (1087–1160) was a very famous poet from a place called Al-Andalus. Al-Andalus was the part of Spain where Muslims lived for many centuries. Ibn Quzman was known for his unique and original poems. He especially liked to write poems that made fun of things in a clever way, which is called satire. He looked up to an older poet named Abu Nuwas from the East.

Life Story

Ibn Quzman was born and died in Cordoba, a big city in Spain. This was during the time when a group called the Almoravids ruled the area. His family might have been from a group called the Goths, or perhaps from an Arab family, as his name suggests. He even described himself as having blond hair and blue eyes in some of his poems!

When he was younger, Ibn Quzman lived a bit like a traveling musician or poet, similar to the troubadours in France. He traveled to different cities like Seville, Granada, and Jaén. Later in his life, he became an imam, which is a leader in a mosque.

His Famous Poems: The Diwan

Ibn Quzman's collection of poems is called a Diwan. We only have about 149 of his poems today. These poems were found in an old handwritten book in Saint Petersburg. This book was later published as a copy in 1896.

Most of the poems we have are called zajals. This was the type of poem that made him famous! Zajals were special because they used everyday language, not just formal Arabic. They also had a unique rhyming pattern: aaab cccb dddb. This means the 'b' lines would always rhyme with a repeating part of the poem, like a chorus.

Ibn Quzman's poems often showed his relaxed view on life. They also sometimes used words from other languages spoken in Spain at the time. This style was quite similar to the troubadour poems that became popular in France later on.

Translations of His Work

His Diwan has been translated into other languages so more people can read it. It was translated into Spanish by Federico Corriente and into English by James T. Monroe.

See also

In Spanish: Ibn Quzman para niños