Al-Hariri of Basra

This article is about the writer. For the former Lebanese prime minister, see Rafic Hariri.

"Discussion Near a Village", a miniature illustrating the 43rd maqāmah of a 1237 edition of al-Hariri's Maqamat al-Hariri, painted by Yaḥyā ibn Maḥmūd al-Wāsiṭī. Painting in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris

Muhammad al-Qasim ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Uthman al-Hariri (Arabic: محمد القاسم بن علي بن محمد بن عثمان الحريري‎), popularly known as al-Hariri of Basra (1054–1122) was an Arab poet, scholar of the Arabic language and a high government official of the Seljuk Empire.^[1] Born in Basra in modern-day Iraq, he is best known for writing Maqamat al-Hariri (مقامات الحريري, The Assemblies of al-Hariri), a virtuosic display of saj', consisting of 50 anecdotes written in stylized prose, which was once memorized by heart by scholars, and Mulhat al-i'rab fi al-nawh, an extensive poem on grammar.^[2] The most famous translation of his maqamat was a German version by the poet and Orientalist Friedrich Rückert as Die Verwandlungen von Abu Serug and sought to emulate the rhymes and wordplay of the original.^[3]

Some of his other works include a book on errors of expression in Arabic, Durrat al-ghawwāṣ fī awhām al-khawaṣṣ. The Assemblies of al-Hariri recounts in the words of the narrator, al-Harith ibn Hammam and al-Hariri's several encounters with artist Abu Zayd al-Saruji.^[2]

See also

Poetry portal

• Badi' az-Zaman al-Hamadhani
• Arabic literature

References

1. ^ Assemblies of Al-Hariri Shah, Amina. Octagon Press, 78 York Street London
2. ^ ^{a b} al-Hariri Encyclopædia Britannica 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. .2008-03-12
3. ^ Die Verwandlungen von Abu Serug

External links

• Maqamat Al-Hariri page
• Maqamat page

Persondata
Name	Al-Hariri
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1054
Place of birth
Date of death	1122
Place of death