Poets of al-Andalus

Ḥafṣa bint al-Ḥājj was a celebrated poet from Granada who came from a wealthy and educated family. Known for her beauty and intellect, she hosted literary salons and exchanged verses with the most prominent poets of her time, including her famous love poetry addressed to the poet Abū Jaʿfar.

"If he were not a star, I’d be unaware. Now he’s gone, that I’m here floating in the black."

Emotional tone: Passionate, expressive, refined

Ibn Khafāja was an Andalusian Arab poet from Valencia known as "the garden poet" for his vivid depictions of Andalusian landscapes. His poetry is celebrated for its sensuous descriptions of gardens, rivers, and natural beauty.

"I watch the stars of night out of love for its full moon, but I am not, as the indifferent assume, an astrologer."

Emotional tone: Contemplative, sensuous, harmonious

Ibn Zaydūn was one of the most renowned poets of al-Andalus, famous for his love poetry. After falling from political favor, he wrote moving poems of exile and longing that are considered masterpieces of Arabic literature.

"If I am absent, I find no one to comfort me; but when I’m present, it’s as if all the world has gathered."

Emotional tone: Melancholic, passionate, nostalgic

Wallāda was an Andalusian poet and the daughter of the Caliph Muhammad III of Córdoba. Known for her beauty and wit, she hosted a literary salon and was famous for her outspoken poetry.

"I grow jealous over you—from myself and from me, from you, your time, and even the place."

Emotional tone: Defiant, sensual, independent

Ibn Hazm was a philosopher, poet, and scholar who wrote extensively on love and human relationships. His work "The Ring of the Dove" is considered one of the greatest treatises on love in world literature.

"He among your friends who conceals from you a secret that concerns you is more treacherous than one who reveals your secret — for the one who reveals it has merely betrayed you, but the one who hides his secret from you has both betrayed you and deemed you unworthy of trust."

Emotional tone: Philosophical, introspective, elegant

Ibn Shuhayd was an Andalusian poet, writer and vizier from Córdoba. He is best known for his work "Epistle of the Familiar Spirits and Demons," where he imagines meeting the spirits that inspired earlier poets.

"God knows that I never part from him except with a burning ache of longing in my chest."

Emotional tone: Imaginative, bold, otherworldly

Ibn Darrāj served as a court poet to Almanzor and later to the rulers of other taifas after the fall of the Caliphate. His poetry ranges from praise of patrons to moving descriptions of his family's exile.

"And when she drew near to bid farewell, a sigh and a moan escaped my patience for her."

Emotional tone: Contemplative, dignified, mournful

Al-Ramādī was a prominent poet from Córdoba whose work often challenged social and religious norms. He is particularly known for his protest poems against the closing of wineries and his criticism of rising conservatism in Andalusian society.

"Neither does the letter R hope for union, nor do I — estrangement unites us, and thus we are the same."

Emotional tone: Rebellious, satirical, defiant

Ibn ʿAbd Rabbih was a poet and writer of Córdoba during the height of Umayyad power. His most famous work is "Al-ʿIqd al-Farīd" (The Unique Necklace), an anthology of poetry, history, and wisdom that became a treasure of Andalusian literature.

"Has my pain killed me while you are my healer? You're near—yet can one near not see what's close?"

Emotional tone: Erudite, philosophical, wise