Background
Ibn al-Fāriḍ was born on March 22, 1181 in Cairo, Egypt, his father was well regarded for his work in the legal sphere. His parents came from Hama in Syria, lived for some time in Mecca and died in Cairo.
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Ibn al-Farid's "Khamriyya" ("Ode on Wine")
(In Arabic literature and philosophy, mysticism is one of ...)
In Arabic literature and philosophy, mysticism is one of the most significant traditions. The fountainhead of Sufism in Islam is still a debatable issue. The Persians had many famous mystic poets. Arabic literature has only one great mystical poet of pure Arabic descent worthy to stand next to the Persian masters: Sharaf ad-Din Umar Ibn Ali as-Sadi, known as Ibn al-Farid, or the Notarys Son (1181-1253), who was born in Cairo. He was dedicated from early manhood to the mystics method of withdrawal from the world. He was utterly satisfied in later life to remember with ecstatic pleasure the pilgrimage he had made to Mecca, and to meditate upon the union with the spirit of the Prophet which he had then experienced. Ibn al-Farids Diwan of mystical odes, which was first collected by his grandson, is small in comparison with similar works of Persian mystics. The Diwan could be viewed as a collection of homogeneous poems expressing the ecstasy and longing of a devoted lover to become one with his beloved. It is equally conspicuous to assume that with the exception of the Khamriyya and The Poem of the Way, the bulk of Ibn al-Farids Diwan should be read simply as love poetry void of any mystical and spiritual overtones. In the mean time, it would equally be an exaggeration to adopt Nabulsis argument which maintains that Ibn al-Farid did not harbor a thought without spiritual implications. Ibn al-Farids Diwan may well be considered a miracle of literary accomplishments. If all critics seem to agree that al-Taiyyatul-Kubra is his masterpiece, we can safely say that the Khamriyya is the second jewel in the collection. It is a masterpiece in its own right, and one of the longest poems after The Poem of the Way. In this piece, every word is transparent. Every word is a world bathing in tradition, carrying two meanings or more. The symbolism of Khamriyya is not to be found in any other poem of the poets collection. Love is the wine of life; the Khamriyya dedicated to this divine wine, stands in its own right as an incomparable masterpiece in the history of Arabic mystical poetry.
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Ibn al-Farid: Wine & The Mystic's Progress
(IBN AL-FARID: WINE & THE MYSTICS PROGRESS Translation, I...)
IBN AL-FARID: WINE & THE MYSTICS PROGRESS Translation, Introduction & Notes by Paul Smith Umar Ibn al-Farid, an Egyptian poet (1181-1235), is considered to be the undisputed master of Islamic mystical poetry into Arabic. He is considered not only to be a poet but a Perfect Master (Qutub) a God-realised soul and it is his journey to unity with God that he reveals in probably the longest qasida (ode) in Arabic (761 couplets), his famous The Mystics Progress. The other poem for which he is most known is his Wine Poem that is often seen as a prologue to the The Mystics Progress. Although these long poems have been translated into English before this is the first time in the correct rhyme of the qasida and in clear, concise, modern English. Included in the Introduction are chapters on his Life & Work, The Qasida in Arabic, Previous Qasidas by Master Arab Poets that would have influenced him, The Perfect Master (Qutub), and the Wine Poem and The Mystics Way. Selected Bibliography. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept and the beauty and meaning of these beautiful poems. 174 pages. COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITHS TRANSLATION OF HAFIZS DIVAN. It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all. Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith. Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator and knower of Hafizs Divan off by heart. Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz. Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author). Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 80 books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, Attar, Sanai, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Muin, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Bulleh Shah, Shah Latif, Mahsati and others, and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, childrens books and screenplays.
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Passion Before Me, My Fate Behind: Ibn Al-Farid and the Poetry of Recollection
(Explores the work of beloved Sufi poet Umar Ibn al-Farid ...)
Explores the work of beloved Sufi poet Umar Ibn al-Farid and its context. Provides many translations of Ibn al-Farids poetry. Umar Ibn al-Farid (11811235), author of two classic works, the Wine Ode and the Poem of the Sufi Way, is considered the greatest Sufi poet to write in Arabic. In this study, these and other poems by Umar Ibn al-Farid are considered within the context of Islamic mysticism, Arabic literature, and Sufi poetry. Th. Emil Homerin uncovers the literary and religious intent of these poems and their aesthetic and mystical content, showing them to be a type of meditative poetry. Indeed, Ibn al-Farid often alludes to the Sufi practice of recollection, or meditation on God, to evoke a view of existence in which the seeker may be transformed by an epiphany of love revealing an intimate relationship to the divine beloved. Homerin provides elegant translations and close readings of Ibn al-Farids poetry, highlighting the beauty of his verse, its moods, meanings, and significance within Islamic mysticism and Arabic poetry, where Ibn al-Farid is still known as the Sultan of the Lovers. This is the major work on the mystical poetry of Umar Ibn al-Farid by the leading Western expert on Arabic Sufi poetry. Stylistically refined and polished, Homerins translations of the extremely difficult medieval mystical poetry successfully convey the peculiarities of diction and the cultural and aesthetic richness of the original material. Together with the authors earlier studies, this will remain a definitive study of Ibn al-Farids poetic oeuvre for years to come. Alexander Knysh, author of Islamic Mysticism: A Short History
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Umar Ibn Al-Farid: Sufi Verse, Saintly Life (Classics of Western Spirituality)
(Umar Ibn al-Farid (b. 576 hijri date/1181 CE; d. 632 hijr...)
Umar Ibn al-Farid (b. 576 hijri date/1181 CE; d. 632 hijri date/1235 is the most venerated mystical poet in Arabic. An accomplished Sufi as well as a respected poet, his poetry blends the two traditions -- classical Arabic poetry and Islamic mysticism -- in a body of work with a distinctly devotional and mystical character. In a major contribution to the critically acclaimed and long lived Classics of Western Spirituality "TM" series, editor Th. Emil Homerin makes available here two of Ibn al-Farid's poems that have long been considered classics of Islamic mystical literature. The Wine Ode, a poem in praise of wine as well as a love poem, can also be seen as an extended meditation on the presence of divine love in the universe. The Poem of the Sufi Way, one of the longest poems ever composed in Arabic, and the most famous one rhyming in "T", begins as a love poem and then explores a number of crucial concerns confronting the seeker on the Sufi path. Both works have been treated for centuries in numerous mystical commentaries. Noteworthy as well in this volume is the addition of the Adorned Proem, a reverential account of Ibn al-Farid's life by his grandson. Individuals interested in the fields of mysticism and spirituality, as well as lovers of poetry, particularly love poetry, will find this to be fascinating reading. It will have great relevance, of course, for scholars and students of Arabic literature, Islam and mysticism.
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Sharaf al-Dīn Abū Ḥafṣ ʿUmar ibn al-Fāriḍ
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also known as
Ibn al-Fāriḍ
philosopher writer author poet
Education
When he was a young man Ibn al-Fāriḍ would go on extended spiritual retreats among the oases, specifically the Oasis of the Wretches (Wadi al-Mustad'afin), outside Cairo, but he eventually felt that he was not making deep enough spiritual progress. He abandoned his spiritual wanderings and enrolled in a madrasa studying in the Shafi'i school of law.
Career
Ibn al-Fāriḍ went to Mecca on advice from a greengrocer, and stayed there for fifteen years, but eventually returned to Cairo because he heard the same greengrocer calling him back to attend his funeral. Upon return, he found the greengrocer on the point of death and they wished each other farewell. Upon Ibn al-Fāriḍ's return to Cairo, he was treated as a saint. He would hold teaching sessions with judges, viziers and other leaders of the city. While walking down the street, people would come up to him and crowd around him, seeking spiritual blessings and try to kiss his hand (he would respond by shaking their hand). Ibn al-Fāriḍ became a scholar of Muslim law, a teacher of the hadith (the traditions surrounding the sayings and life of the prophet Muhammad), and a teacher of poetry. Unlike many other respected poets of the day such as Ibn Sana al-Mulk, Ibn Unayn, Baha al-Din Zuhayr and Ibn Matruh, Ibn al-Fāriḍ refused the patronage of wealthy governmental figures which would have required him to produce poetry for propaganda, preferring the relatively humble life of a teacher that allowed him to compose his poetry of enlightenment unhampered. One time al-Malik al-Kamil, who was the Ayubbid sultan at that time, liked sone of his odes so much that he sent the poet an exorbitant amount of money and offered to build a shrine for him. Ibn al-Fāriḍ denied both the money and the offer of the shrine, choosing to trust in God to supply for his needs. His position as a teacher at the Azhar mosque allowed him to provide for his family, which included three children. Ibn al-Fāriḍ died in the Azhar mosque.
Achievements
Works
book
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Ibn al-Farid: Wine & The Mystic's Progress
(IBN AL-FARID: WINE & THE MYSTICS PROGRESS Translation, I...)
-
Ibn al-Farid's "Khamriyya" ("Ode on Wine")
(In Arabic literature and philosophy, mysticism is one of ...)
-
Passion Before Me, My Fate Behind: Ibn Al-Farid and the Poetry of Recollection
(Explores the work of beloved Sufi poet Umar Ibn al-Farid ...)
-
Umar Ibn Al-Farid: Sufi Verse, Saintly Life (Classics of Western Spirituality)
(Umar Ibn al-Farid (b. 576 hijri date/1181 CE; d. 632 hijr...)
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Ibn al-Farid: Wine & The Mystic's Progress
Religion
During the later part of his life, Ibn al-Fāriḍ was known to enter into spiritual raptures known as jadhabat in Arabic, a common occurrence in sufism.
Personality
Normally described as being handsome, his son wrote that when a mystical state overcame Ibn al-Fāriḍ, his face would increase in beauty and brightness. Sweat would pour from his body and collect at the ground beneath his feet, which was a result of jumping and dancing. He would also take forty-day fasts, during which he would neither eat, drink nor sleep.
Connections
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Born
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Died
1235 (aged 53) -
Resting place
City of the Dead, Cairo, Egypt -
Ethnicity
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Religion
Islam