Dhu Jadan al-Himyari explained

Dhu Jadan al-Himyari
Birth Date:6th century
Birth Place:Yemen
Death Date:7th century
Occupation:Poet
Language:Arabic
Nationality:Yemeni
Notableworks:Poems about the fortresses of Yemen

ÊżAlqama bin Dhi Jadan al-Himyari also Dhu Jadan al-Himyari (fl. 6th - 7th century) was an Arab poet from Yemen. He was noted in particular for his poems about the fortresses of Yemen and their destruction including Ghumdan Palace, Baynun Fortress and Silhin Fortress.[1]

Poetry

Dhu Jadan's poetry has been compiled in the eighth volume of Al-Iklil of Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Hamdani.[2]

An example of the poems he wrote is his eulogy to the Ghumdan Palace after its destruction:[3] [4]

You have heard of Ghumdan's towers:

From the mountain top it lowers

Well carpentered, with stones for stay,

Plastered with clean, damp, slippery clay;

Oil lamps within it show

At even like the lightening's glow.

This once-new castle is ashes today

The flames have eaten its beauty away.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Kueny, Kathryn. The rhetoric of sobriety: wine in early Islam. 11 July 2011. 2001. SUNY Press. 978-0-7914-5053-6. 82.
  2. Book: al-Hamdani . Kitab al-Iklil al-Juz' al-Thamin . Princeton University Press . 1940 . Faris . Nabih A. . New Jersey.
  3. Web site: Citadels of High Yemen. CPA Media. 11 July 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110607205727/http://www.cpamedia.com/travel/citadels_high_yemen/. 7 June 2011.
  4. Book: Calder. Norman. Mojaddedi. Jawid Ahmad. Rippin. Andrew. Classical Islam: a sourcebook of religious literature. 11 July 2011. 2003. Routledge. 978-0-415-24032-1. 66.