Ibn Sahl of Sevilla
Encyclopedia
Ibn Sahl of Seville
(1212-1251) is considered one of the greatest Moorish poets of Andalusia
of the 13th century. He was a Jewish convert to Islam
.
Ibn Sahl was born in 1212-3 in a Jewish family in Seville. Already in 1127 he drew some attention to himself by suggesting of adding a sentence to a poem made by renowned poet. Despite his Jewish family background Ibn Sahl was a devout Muslim. His diwan (collected works) are a testimony to his deep felt religious feelings. Some have criticized Ibn Sahl because he drank wine. The sincerity of his conversion (probably very early in his life), however, was never questioned.
When Seville came into the hands of Ferdinand III of Castile
in 1248, Ibn Sahl left for Ceuta
, where he became the secretary of the Almoravid governor Abu Ali Ibn Khallas. When Ibn Khallas sent his son to al-Mustanir I, the caliph
of the Hafsids of Ifriqiya
, he decided to send Ibn Sahl with him. The galley with which they travelled was shipwrecked and all the passengers perished.The governor is to have said about Ibn: "The pearl is returned to the sea."
The diwan of Ibn Sahl contains the most refined examples of Andalusian
poetry, almost exclusively love poetry and muwashsahat.
Mostly known for his love poetry in muwashshah
form, Ibn Sahl two young male lover addressees, Mûsâ ibn ʿAbd al-Ṣamad and Muḥammad, are thought by some to represent the two religions that played important roles in his life, his original Judaism and the Islam to which he converted. Others hold that the youths were historical individuals.
The Moroccan author Mohammed al-Ifrani
(1670-1747) wrote a biography of Ibn Sahl.
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?
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
(1212-1251) is considered one of the greatest Moorish poets of Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
of the 13th century. He was a Jewish convert to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
Ibn Sahl was born in 1212-3 in a Jewish family in Seville. Already in 1127 he drew some attention to himself by suggesting of adding a sentence to a poem made by renowned poet. Despite his Jewish family background Ibn Sahl was a devout Muslim. His diwan (collected works) are a testimony to his deep felt religious feelings. Some have criticized Ibn Sahl because he drank wine. The sincerity of his conversion (probably very early in his life), however, was never questioned.
When Seville came into the hands of Ferdinand III of Castile
Ferdinand III of Castile
Saint Ferdinand III, T.O.S.F., was the King of Castile from 1217 and León from 1230. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berenguela of Castile. Through his second marriage he was also Count of Aumale. He finished the work done by his maternal grandfather Alfonso VIII and consolidated the...
in 1248, Ibn Sahl left for Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
, where he became the secretary of the Almoravid governor Abu Ali Ibn Khallas. When Ibn Khallas sent his son to al-Mustanir I, the caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
of the Hafsids of Ifriqiya
Ifriqiya
In medieval history, Ifriqiya or Ifriqiyah was the area comprising the coastal regions of what are today western Libya, Tunisia, and eastern Algeria. This area included what had been the Roman province of Africa, whose name it inherited....
, he decided to send Ibn Sahl with him. The galley with which they travelled was shipwrecked and all the passengers perished.The governor is to have said about Ibn: "The pearl is returned to the sea."
The diwan of Ibn Sahl contains the most refined examples of Andalusian
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
poetry, almost exclusively love poetry and muwashsahat.
Mostly known for his love poetry in muwashshah
Muwashshah
Muwashshah or muwaššaḥ can mean:...
form, Ibn Sahl two young male lover addressees, Mûsâ ibn ʿAbd al-Ṣamad and Muḥammad, are thought by some to represent the two religions that played important roles in his life, his original Judaism and the Islam to which he converted. Others hold that the youths were historical individuals.
The Moroccan author Mohammed al-Ifrani
Mohammed al-Ifrani
Mohammed al-Ifrani was a Moroccan historian. He is noted as the author of Safwat man intashar, a compilation of biographies of 17th century Morrocan saints, as well as his 1724 history of the Saadi Dynasty.-External Links:...
(1670-1747) wrote a biography of Ibn Sahl.
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?