al-Khansa

al-Chansas name in Arabic calligraphy

Tumādir bint ʿAmr ibn al-Hārith ibn asch-Sharīd as-Sulamīya ( Arabic تماضر بنت عمرو بن الحارث بن الشريد السُلمية, DMG Tumāḍir bt. ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥārith b. aš-Šarīd as-Sulamīya ), usually referred to as al-Chansāʾ ( Arabic الخنساء, DMG al-Ḫansāʾ , which means either " gazelle " or "snub nose") was a 7th century Arab poet who is said to have died in 646 . She is the most famous poet in Arabic literature .

In her day, the role of a poet was to write elegies for the dead and perform them in public oral competitions for the tribe. Al-Chansāʾ gained respect and fame at these competitions for her elegies for her brothers Sachr and Muʿāwiya, who had died in battle.

Life

Al-Chansāʾ was born in Najd and grew up in a wealthy family. She was a contemporary of Mohammed and eventually converted to Islam.

In 612 her brother Muʿawiya was killed by members of another tribe. Al-Chansāʾ insisted that her other brother avenge Sakhr Muʿawiya's death, which he did. Sachr was wounded in the process and died of his wounds a year later. Al-Chansāʾ mourned his death in poetry and became famous for her elegiac compositions.

She had four sons: Yazīd, Muʿāwiya, ʿAmr and ʿAmra, all of whom converted to Islam. All four sons were killed in the battle of al-Qādisīya .

When she received the news, she did not mourn, but said: “Praise be to Allah, who has honored me with her martyrdom. And I hope from my Lord that he will reunite me with them in the abode of his mercy ”( Arabic الحمد لله الذي شرفني بقتلهم ، وأرجو من ربي أن يجمعني بهم في مستقر رحمته).

reception

Fantasy drawing of al-Chansāʾ by Khalil Gibran , 1917

The contemporary Arab poet an-Nabigha adh-Dhubyani said to her: "You are the best poet of the jinn and the people." ( Arabic إنك أشعر الجن والإنس).

Another anecdote says an-Nabigha would have told her, “If Abu Basir had not already told me, I would say you are the greatest Arab poet. Go, for you are the greatest poet among those with breasts ”.

Web links

A Great Arab Poetess of Elegy . an essay about Al-Khansa
Other Women's Voices collection, contains links, secondary sources, and excerpts
Biography of al-Khansa. Project Continua

Individual evidence

↑ Abdullah al-Udhari: Classical Poems by Arab Women . Saqi, London 1999, p. 58.
^ Classical Arabic Literature: A Library of Arabic Literature Anthology . Translated by Geert Jan van Gelder. New York University Press, New York 2013.
^ Classical Arabic Literature: A Library of Arabic Literature Anthology . New York University Press, New York 2013
↑ Ibn Qutaybah: asch-Shiʿr wa-sh-shuʿarāʾ (Arabic). Dār Aḥyāʾ al-ʿUlūm, Beirut 1987, p. 218.
↑ Butrus al-Bustani : Udabāʾ al-ʿArab fī l-Jāhiliyya wa-sadr al-Islām ( ar ). ktab, 1968, p. 209.

personal data
SURNAME	Chansa, al-
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Tumādir bint ʿAmr ibn al-Hārith ibn al-Sharīd as-Sulamīya; Khansāʾ, al-; Ḫansāʾ, al-; تماضر بنت عمرو بن الحارث بن الشريد السُلمية (Arabic); الخنساء (Arabic)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Arab poet
DATE OF BIRTH	6th century
DATE OF DEATH	7th century

[1] Abdullah al-Udhari: Classical Poems by Arab Women . Saqi, London 1999, p. 58.

[2] Classical Arabic Literature: A Library of Arabic Literature Anthology . Translated by Geert Jan van Gelder. New York University Press, New York 2013.

[dughmi-3] Classical Arabic Literature: A Library of Arabic Literature Anthology . New York University Press, New York 2013

[Qutayba-4] Ibn Qutaybah: asch-Shiʿr wa-sh-shuʿarāʾ (Arabic). Dār Aḥyāʾ al-ʿUlūm, Beirut 1987, p. 218.

[Butrus_al-Bustani-5] Butrus al-Bustani : Udabāʾ al-ʿArab fī l-Jāhiliyya wa-sadr al-Islām ( ar ). ktab, 1968, p. 209.