The poetry of bin Talha: Compilation, Documentation, and Study

Abstract

The poet Ibn Talha’s poetry is characterized by several features that appeared in his verses such as the accuracy in choosing vocabulary, the wide range of meaning, narcissism that threw him into perils that led to his killing, in addition to his high ego, and his sense of success and preference over others, as well as a sense of lack of appreciation by his community, which was reflected on his poetry. He lived in the era of Almohads and killed in 632 A.H. In spite of the merits of this era, he had drawn for himself a path that differed from what prevailed in terms of religious orientation. With the little poetry preserved, it is important to direct the attention and shed light on it. Due to frailty and decay that affected the Andalusian literature, many Andalusian monuments were exposed to being lost, so researchers began to document it, cherish its inclusion, and display it to the public, in addition to careful attention in gathering it.  With the aim to collect the literature of Ibn Talha, it becomes obvious the extent of the loss and lack of the poetry he wrote, as well as the absence of his prose. Although the sources mentioned the poet's poetry and prose, his prose was lost in light of the information provided by the Andalusian sources documenting it.