FARAZDAQ [Hammam ibn Ghalib ibn Sa'sa', known as al-Farazdaq] (ca. 641-ca. 728)

This article appears in Volume V10, Page 175 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

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FARAZDAQ [Hammam ibn Ghalib ibn Sa'sa', known as al-Farazdaq] (ca. 641-ca. 728) , Arabian poet, was born at Basra. He was of the Darim, one of the most respected divisions of the bani Tamim, and his mother was of the tribe of Dabba. His grandfather Sa'sa' was a Bedouin of

great

GREAT

repute, his father Ghalib followed the same manner of life until Basra was founded, and was famous for his generosity and hospitality. At the age of fifteen

Farazdaq

FARAZDAQ [Hammam ibn Ghalib ibn Sa'sa', known as al-Farazdaq] (ca. 641-ca. 728)

was known as a poet, and though checked for a short time by the advice of the caliph Ali to devote his attention to the study of the Koran, he soon returned to making verse. In the true Bedouin spirit he devoted his talent largely to satire and attacked the bani Nahshal and the bani Fuqaim. When Ziyad, a member of the latter tribe, became

governor

GOVERNOR (from the Fr. gouverneur, from gouverner, O. Fr. governer, Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, to direct, guide)

of Basra, the poet was compelled to flee, first to Kula, and then, as he was still too near Ziyad, to Medina, where he was well received by Said ibn ul-Asi. Here he remained about ten years, writing satires on Bedouin tribes, but avoiding city politics. But he lived a prodigal life, and his amorous verses led to his expulsion by the caliph Merwan I. Just at that time he learned of the death of Ziyad and returned to Basra, where he secured the favour of Ziyad's successor `Obaidallah ibn Ziyad. Much of his poetry was now devoted to his matrimonial affairs. He had taken advantage of his position as guardian and married his

cousin

Nawar against her will. She sought help in vain from the court of Basra and from various tribes. All feared the poet's satires. At last she fled to Mecca and appealed to the pretender `Abdallah ibn Zobair, who, however, succeeded in inducing her to consent to a confirmation of the

marriage

MARRIAGE

. Quarrels soon arose again.

Farazdaq

FARAZDAQ [Hammam ibn Ghalib ibn Sa'sa', known as al-Farazdaq] (ca. 641-ca. 728)

took a second wife, and after her death a third, to annoy Nawar. Finally he consented to a divorce pronounced by Hasan al-Bari. Another subject occasioned a long

series

SERIES (a Latin word from serere, to join)

of verses, namely his

feud

FEUD

with his rival Jarir (q.v.) and his tribe the bani Kulaib. These poems are published as the Naka'id of Jarir and al-Farazdaq (ed. A. A. Bevan, Leiden, 1906 ff.). In political life Farazdaq was prevented by fear from taking a large part. I-Ie seems, however, to have been attached to the

house

HOUSE
HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in
Gothic
- GOTHIC
it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

of Ali. During the reign of Moawiya I. he avoided politics, but later gave his allegiance to `Abdallah ibn Zobair.
The fullest account of his life is contained in J. Hell's Das Leben Farazdaq nach seinen Gedichten (

Leipzig

LEIPZIG

, 1903) ; Arabian stories of him in the Kitab ul-Aghani and in Ibn Khallikan. A portion of his poems was edited with French translation by R. Boucher (Paris, '187o); the remainder have been published by J. Hell (Munich, 1900). (G. W. T.)

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