Ibn Sahl of Seville facts for kids
Ibn Sahl (whose full Arabic name was Abu Ishaq Ibrahim Ibn Sahl al-Isra'ili al-Ishbili) was a very important poet from Seville, a city in what is now Spain. He lived from 1212 to 1251 and is known as one of the greatest poets from the region of Al-Andalus in the 13th century. He was born into a Jewish family but later chose to become a Muslim.
Contents
Early Life and Faith
Ibn Sahl was born in Seville around 1212 or 1213. Even when he was quite young, around 1227, he started to get noticed for his poetic skills. He even suggested an improvement to a poem by a famous poet, which showed his talent early on.
Even though he came from a Jewish family, Ibn Sahl was a very dedicated Muslim after his conversion. People never doubted that he truly believed in his new faith, which he likely adopted very early in his life. His collected poems, called a diwan, show how deeply religious he was.
Moving to Ceuta and Tragic End
In 1248, a big change happened in Seville: the city was taken over by Ferdinand III of Castile. Because of this, Ibn Sahl left Seville and moved to Ceuta, a city across the strait in North Africa. There, he became a secretary for the governor, Abu Ali Ibn Khallas.
Later, Governor Ibn Khallas decided to send his son to visit al-Mustanir I, who was the leader (caliph) of the Hafsids in Ifriqiya (a region in North Africa). Ibn Sahl was chosen to go with the governor's son on this important journey. Sadly, the ship they were traveling on was caught in a storm and sank. All the people on board, including Ibn Sahl, lost their lives. It is said that the governor, saddened by the news, remarked about Ibn Sahl: "The pearl is returned to the sea," meaning a valuable person was lost to the ocean.
His Amazing Poetry
Ibn Sahl's diwan contains some of the most beautiful and refined examples of poetry from Al-Andalus. He was especially known for his love poetry and a special type of poem called muwashsahat. These poems were very popular and showed his great skill with words. His work is still admired today for its beauty and deep feelings.
Legacy
A Moroccan writer named Mohammed al-Ifrani (who lived much later, from 1670 to 1747) wrote a book about Ibn Sahl's life. This shows that Ibn Sahl's poetry and story continued to be important and remembered long after his time.
An Example of a Love Poem by Ibn Sahl
O full moons that arose on the day of departure,
bright, going forth on peril’s path:
My heart bears no sin in loving; instead
from you comes beauty; from my eye, the glance.
I rejoice though wounded by passion;
mutuality with my beloved is only imaginary.
Whenever I complain of my passion to him, he smiles
like the hills at the pouring cloud,
When it brings rain to them, like a funeral,
while they, in their joy, are a wedding celebration.
Does the protected fawn know he inflamed
the heart of a lover in which he dwelt,
So that it burns and throbs just like
the firebrand teased by the east wind?
See also
In Spanish: Ibn Sahl de Sevilla para niños
