The Genius of Invective

by Muhammad ibn Muhammad Ibn Nuba

ISBN: 9781479835874

Published: 2025-05-06

An exposition of Arabic literate culture In eleventh-century Cordoba, the celebrated poet Ibn Zaydūn found himself jockeying for the affections of Wallādah, accomplished poet and free-spirited daughter of an Umayyad caliph. Looking to embarrass a rival suitor, Ibn Zaydūn mischievously wrote and publicized an eloquent, erudite, and searing rejection letter in Wallādah’s name, which went on to become one of the most widely read works of Arabic literature. His letter was so rich with historical references and sophisticated metaphors that it became a cultural touchstone among the literary elite. One could not belong in refined circles if one did not understand Ibn Zaydūn’s letter. Three centuries later, the Egyptian litterateur Ibn Nubātah wrote a guide to this widely-admired text. In The Genius of Invective, a brilliant work of explication, Ibn Nubātah supplements Ibn Zaydūn’s complete letter with concise biographies of every figure referenced in it and glosses arcane Arabic terms....