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al-Muqanna al-Kindi the poet المقنع الكندي الشاعر

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By Khalid on 2004/12/26 - 16:29, last updated 2022/12/12 - 22:08

The Veiled al-Muqanna al-Kindi's name is Muhammad ibn Thufar ibn 'Umair ibn Abi Shammar al-Kindi al-Hadrami محمد بن ظفر بن عمير بن أبي شمر الكندي الحضرمي. A famed poet, died in 70 A.H.

Biography

Some sources say that he covered his face because that was a habit for the elite in society. Others say that he covered his face because of his notable beauty,fearing that people would harm him by the evil eye.

You can read his biography in Arabic which has some samples of his poetry.

He was from the southern Arab tribe of Kinda.

Poetry

His poetry has a social commentary and moral tone to it. It was carefully crafted, and its message appealed to his contemporaries, who preserved much of it for posterity.

Here are several samples:

On why he incurred debt, and responding to his people comments about this debt, recounting his generosity as the main reason, and that it was good for the name of the tribe:

يعــاتبني فـي الـدين قـومي وإنمـا ديــوني فـي أشـياء تكسـبهم حـمدا
أسـد بـه مـا قـد أخـلوا وضيعـوا ثغـور حـقوق مـا أطـاقوا لهـا سدا
وفـي جفنـة مـا يغلـق البـاب دونها مكللـــة لحمــا مدفقــة ثــردا
وفي فرس نهد عتيق جعلته حجابا لبيتي ثم أخدمتـه عبـدا
فما زادني الاقتارالا تـقرباومازادني فضل الغني منهم بعدا
وإن الــذي بينـي وبيـن بنـي أبـي وبيــن بنـي عمـي لمخـتلف جـدا
اراهم الى نصري بطاءوان هم دعوني الى نصراتيتهم شدا
فـإن أكلـوا لحـمي وفـرت لحـومهم وإن هدمـوا مجـدي بنيـت لهـم مجدا
وإن ضيعـوا غيبـي حـفظت غيـوبهم وإن هـم هـووا غيـي هويت لهم رشدا
وإن زجـروا طـيرا بنحـس تمـر بي زجـرت لهـم طـيرا تمـر بهـم سعدا
ولا أحــمل الحــقد القـديم عليهـم وليس رئـيس القـوم مـن يحمل الحقدا
لهـم جـل مـالي إن تتـابع لـي غنى وإن قــل مــالي لا أكـلفهم رفـدا
وإنـي لعبـد الضيـف مـا دام نـازلا ومـا شـيمة لـي غيرهـا تشبه العبدا
على ان قومي ماترى عين ناظر كشيبتهم شيبا ولا مردهم مردا
لفضل واحلام وجود وسؤدد وقومي ربيع الزمان اذا شـدا

On old age, greying hair, and yearning for the days of youth:

نزل المشيب فأين تذهب بعده وقد ارعويت وحان منك رحيل
كان الشباب خفيفة أيامه والشيب محمله عليك ثقيل
ليس العطاء من الفضول سـماحة حتى تجود وما لديك قليل

On some good traits, being generous to one's own people, forgive their shortcomings, and general good manners:

واذا رزقت من النوافل ثروة فامنح عشيرتك الاداني فـضلـها
واسـبقها لدفاع كل ملمة وأرفق بناشئها وطاع كهـلــها
وأحلم اذا جهلت عليك غواتـها حتى ترد بفضل حلمك جـهـلها
واعلم بأنك لا تكــون فتاهـم حتى ترى دمث الخلائق سـهـلها

Another one about seeking good mannered people, and forgiving their shortcomings:

أًُبل الرجال إذا أردت إخاءهم وتوسمن فعالهم وتفقد
وفيه ظفرت بذي اللبابة والتقى فيه اليدين قرير عين فاشدد
وإذا رأيت ولا محالة زلة فعلى أخيك بفضل حلمك فاردد

Another one about ill mannered people:

وصـاحبُ الـسوءِ كالداءِ العياءِ إذا ما ارفضَّ في الجلد يجري هاهنا وهنا
يُـبدي ويـخبرُ عن عوراتِ صاحبِهِ ومـايرى عـندهُ مـن صـالحٍ دُفُنا
إن يـحيَ ذاك فـكن مـنه بـمعزلةٍ أو مـات ذاك فـلا تـشهد له جننا

Note: Do not confuse this veiled al-Kindi, the poet, with The Veiled Prophet of Khorasan, who was about one century later, and in a different area.

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