Tarafa
Encyclopedia
Tarafa was a 6th century
Arabian poet of the tribe of the Bakr.
After a wild and dissipated youth spent in Bahrain
, left his native land after peace had been established between the tribes of Bakr and Taghlib
and went with his uncle Al-Mutalammis (also a poet) to the court of the king of Hira, 'Amr ibn-Hind (died c. 568–69), and there became companion to the king's brother. Hira was as the time a vassal of the Persian Sasanian Empire. Having ridiculed the king in some verses he was sent with a letter to Dadafruz Gushnasban, the Persian Governor of Southern shores of the Persian Gulf
, but Tarafa and his uncle managed to escape during the journey.
One of his poems is contained in the Mo'allakat.
His Diwan
has been published in Wilhelm Ahlwardt's The Diwans of the Six Ancient Arabic Poets (London
, 1870). Some of his poems have been translated into Latin
with notes by B. Vandenhoff (Berlin
, 1895).
6th century in poetry
-Arabic world:Pre-Islamic poetry at its height as the Arabic language emerges as a literary language.-Poets:* 'Abid ibn al-Abris, * Samaw'al ibn 'Adiya * 'Alqama ibn 'Abada* Maymun Ibn Qays Al-a'sha...
Arabian poet of the tribe of the Bakr.
After a wild and dissipated youth spent in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, left his native land after peace had been established between the tribes of Bakr and Taghlib
Taghlib
Banu Taghlib or Taghlib ibn Wa'il were a large and powerful Arabian tribe of Mesopotamia and northern Arabia. The tribe traces its lineage to the large branch of North Arabian tribes known as Rabi'ah, which also included Bakr, 'Anizzah, Banu Hanifa and Anz bin Wa'il .The tribe's ancestral...
and went with his uncle Al-Mutalammis (also a poet) to the court of the king of Hira, 'Amr ibn-Hind (died c. 568–69), and there became companion to the king's brother. Hira was as the time a vassal of the Persian Sasanian Empire. Having ridiculed the king in some verses he was sent with a letter to Dadafruz Gushnasban, the Persian Governor of Southern shores of the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, but Tarafa and his uncle managed to escape during the journey.
One of his poems is contained in the Mo'allakat.
His Diwan
Diwan (poetry)
-Etymology:The English usage of the phrase Diwan Poetry comes from the Arabic word diwan , which is loaned from Persian means designated a list or register. The Persian word derived from the Persian dibir meaning writer or scribe...
has been published in Wilhelm Ahlwardt's The Diwans of the Six Ancient Arabic Poets (London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 1870). Some of his poems have been translated into Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
with notes by B. Vandenhoff (Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, 1895).