Introduction to Abu Firas Al-Hamadani
Abu Firas Al-Hamadani, known as Abu Firas Al-Harith ibn Abu Al-Ala ibn Said ibn Hamdan ibn Hamdun Al-Hamadani, was born in 933 AD (321 AH) in the town of Manbij, located north of Aleppo, Syria. It is also said that he was born in Mosul, Iraq. He experienced the loss of his parents at the tender age of three and was a cousin of the renowned Sayf al-Dawla Al-Hamadani. Known by the nickname Abu Firas—an honorific which means ‘father of Firas’ and is derived from the names of lions—his lineage traces back to the Arabs through his father and to the Romans through his mother. Sayf al-Dawla held Abu Firas’s poetry in high regard, involving him in both military and civil affairs, and entrusting him with responsibilities in his absence. Abu Firas’s poetic works encompass a variety of themes including love, elegy, pride, wisdom, and more.
Abu Firas Al-Hamadani’s Captivities
The accounts regarding the number of times Abu Firas Al-Hamadani was captured vary. In his book *Yateemat al-Dahr*, Al-Thaalibi mentions that Abu Firas was captured only once at the hands of the Romans in Kharsinah, and subsequently taken to Constantinople. In contrast, Ibn Khalkan asserts that Abu Firas was captured twice: first in the Cave of Al-Kohl, where he was imprisoned in Kharsinah, and secondly in Manbij while he was serving as its governor. He was eventually transported to Constantinople, where he endured a long captivity lasting seven years, commencing in 965 AD (333 AH). During this period, he requested his cousin Sayf al-Dawla to arrange for his release, but the response was delayed for reasons that remain unknown. While imprisoned, Abu Firas composed some remarkable poetry, known as the *Rumiya* verses. Tragically, he met his demise in 969 AD (357 AH) due to a conflict with his niece’s son, Sa’d al-Dawla, who was the offspring of Sayf al-Dawla Al-Hamadani.
Highlights of Abu Firas Al-Hamadani’s Poetry
Poem: “I See You Defiant to Tears”
I see you defiant to tears; your character is patience.
Is there no prohibition upon love for you, nor command?
Indeed, I am yearning, and I possess a longing,
Yet a person like me should not have their secrets revealed.
When night envelops me, I reach forth to desire,
And I humbly lay a tear that is burdened by pride.
Poem: “O Sword of Guidance and Leader of the Arabs”
O sword of guidance, O leader of the Arabs,
Why the resentment, and what is the reason for the anger?
What has happened to your books that have now become
A burden unto me amidst my calamities?
And you are the noble one, the patient one,
The compassionate one, and the one who is kind-hearted.