# Dhu ar-Rumma

Abū l-Ḥārith Ghaylān b. ʿUqba, generally known as Dhū al-Rumma ('the one with the frayed cord', possibly referring to a cord amulet; c. 696 – c. 735) was a Bedouin poet and a rāwī of al-Rāʿī al-Numayrī (died c. 715). In the assessment of Nefeli Papoutsakis, 'he stands at the end of a long poetic tradition which, for the most part, expressed the ethos and intellectual preoccupations of the pre-Islamic tribal society of Bedouin Arabs—a fact reflected in the saying of Abū 'Amr b. al-'Alā' that "poetry was closed with Dū r-Rumma" '.

## Life

Little reliable information about Dhu ar-Rumma's life is available, but various later sources suggest the following: his mother was called Ẓabya and of the Asad tribe. He himself belonged to the ʿAdī tribe, which was part of the Ribāb confederation, and therefore probably lived in Al-Yamāma and its vicinity. He had three brothers, who also composed poetry: Hishām, Masʿūd, and Jirfās. He seems to have spent part of his life in the cities of Iraq, notably Basra and Kufa, where it seems he spent time with such poets as al-Farazdaq (d. c. 728 CE), Jarīr ibn 'Atiya (d. 728×29 CE), Ruʾba (d. 762 CE), and al-Kumayt (d. 743 CE), and the scholars Abū ʿAmr b. al-ʿAlāʾ (c. 770×72 CE), ʿĪsā b. ʿUmar al-Thaqafī (d. 766 CE), and Ḥammād al-Rāwiya (d. 772×73 CE). He may have been a professional poet. He fell in love with and later married a woman called Mayya, from the Banū Minqar (Tamīm), but his odes also celebrate one Ḥarqā', of the 'Āmir b. Ṣa'ṣa'a.

## Work

Ar-Rumma's extensive diwan was widely studied, attracting commentaries from Abū Naṣr Aḥmad ibn Ḥātim al-Bāhilī (d. 846 CE) and (building on al-Bāhilī's) Abū al-ʿAbbās Thaʿlab (d. 904 CE).$^{:48}$ Its themes and forms included love poetry (in the nasīb and ghazal forms), self-praise (fakhr) about himself and his tribe, eulogy, invective, and riddles (among them the noted Uḥjiyyat al-ʿArab). His poetry is particularly noted for its detailed descriptions of animals.
In the assessment of Nefeli Papoutsakis,
   Contemporary views of his poetry were generally negative: he is said to have been incompetent in satire and eulogy (al-Jumaḥī, 551; al-Balādhurī, 10:238; al-Iṣfahānī 18:31), an unjustified criticism, due to the prevalence of travel fakhr in his poetry. He is, nevertheless, regarded as the best poet, in Islamic times, at drawing comparisons (al-Jumaḥī, 549; al-Iṣfahānī, 18:9). Despite all the reported criticisms, his poetry never ceased to be studied and was often quoted in lexicographical and grammatical works, as well as in adab literature, which speaks for its high artistic quality and popularity. Many prominent figures in Arabic letters—such as the poets al-Ṣanawbarī (d. c.334/945) and al-Maʿarrī (d. 449/1058), who wrote commentaries on his work, and literati, including the caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd (r. 170–93/786–809)—admired his talent. Dhū l-Rumma’s poetry represents a mature phase in the development of the Bedouin poetic tradition but also marks the end of its supremacy. This is succinctly expressed in Abū ʿAmr b. al-ʿAlāʾ’s saying that “poetry came to an end with Dhū l-Rumma” (al-Iṣfahānī, 18:9).

### Lists of poems and manuscript

| first hemistich | number in Abū Ṣāliḥ | number in Macartney | metre |
| ما بال عينك منها الماء ينسكب | 1 | 1 | basīṭ |
| خليلي عوجا عوجة ناقتيكما | 2 | 64 | ṭawīl |
| ألا حي دارا قد أبان محيلها | 3 | 69 | ṭawīl |
| يا دار مية بالخلصاء فالجرد | 4 | 20 | basīṭ |
| خليلي عوجا اليوم حتى تسلما | 5 | 79 | ṭawīl |
| تصابيت في أطلال مية بعد ما | 6 | 40 | ṭawīl |
| أقول لنفسي واقفا عند مشرف | 7 | 53 | ṭawīl |
| ما هاج عينيك من الأطلال | 8 | 63 | rajaz |
| قفا نحي العرصات الهمدا | 9 | 14 | rajaz |
| ذكرت فاهتاج السقام المضمر | 10 | 28 | rajaz |
| قلت لنفسي شبه التفنيد | 11 | | |
| أ- هل تعرف المنزل بالوحيد | 11 | 22 | rajaz |
| أأن ترسمت من خرقاء منزلة | 12 | | |
| أدارا بحزوى هجت للعين عبرة | 13 | 52 | ṭawīl |
| دنا البين من مي فردت جمالها | 14 | 68 | ṭawīl |
| ألا يا اسلمي يا دار مي على البلى | 15 | 29 | ṭawīl |
| خليلي لا رسم بوهبين مخبر | 16 | 30 | ṭawīl |
| أقول لأطلاح برى هطلانها | 17 | 54 | ṭawīl |
| ألا حي أطلالا كحاشية البرد | 18 | 19 | ṭawīl |
| أحادرة دموعك دار مي | 19 | 76 | wāfir |
| كأن ديار الحي بالزرق خلقة | 20 | 18 | ṭawīl |
| ألا حي ربع الدار قفرا جنوبها | 21 | 8 | ṭawīl |
| بكيت وما يبكيك من رسم منزل | 22 | 43 | ṭawīl |
| أمن دمنة بين القلات وشارع | 23 | 46 | ṭawīl |
| خليلي عوجا الناعجات فسلما | 24 | | |
| خليلي عوجا عوجة ناقتيكما | 25 | 48 | ṭawīl |
| وقفت على ربع لمية ناقتي | 26 | 5 | ṭawīl |
| أمن دمنة جرت بها ذيلها الصبا | 27 | 11 | ṭawīl |
| أخرقاء للبين استقلت حمولها | 28 | 49 | rajaz |
| أتعرف أطلالا بوهبين فالحضر | 29 | 35 | ṭawīl |
| يا حاديي بنت فضاض أما لكما | 30 | 9 | basīṭ |
| مررنا على دار لمية مرة | 31 | 82 | ṭawīl |
| لمية أطلال بحزوى دواثر | 32 | 32 | ṭawīl |
| ألا حي عند الزرق دار مقام | 33 | 78 | ṭawīl |
| أمن دمنة بالجو جو جلاجل | 34 | 47 | ṭawīl |
| ألا أيها الرسم الذي غير البلى | 35 | 16 | ṭawīl |
| ألم تسأل اليوم الرسوم الدوارس | 36 | 41 | ṭawīl |
| يا دار مية بالخلصاء غيرها | 37 | 25 | basīṭ |
| ألا أيهذا المنزل الدارس اسلم | 38 | 81 | ṭawīl |
| أمنزلتي مي سلام عليكما | 39 | 10 | ṭawīl |
| ألا لا أرى كالدار بالزرق موقفا | 40 | 23 | ṭawīl |
| عفا الدحل من مي فمحت منازله | 41 | 62 | ṭawīl |
| أمنزلتي مي سلام عليكما | 42 | 45 | ṭawīl |
| ألا حي بالزرق الرسوم الخواليا | 43 | 87 | ṭawīl |
| خليلي عوجا حييا رسم دمنة | 44 | 83 | ṭawīl |
| خليلي عوجا من صدور الرواحل | 45 | 66 | ṭawīl |
| يا دار مية لم يترك لها علما | 46 | 17 | basīṭ |
| نبت عيناك عن طلل بحزوى | 47 | 27 | wāfir |
| ألا حي المنازل بالسلام | 48 | 77 | wāfir |
| لقد جشأت نفسي عشية مشرف | 49 | 24 | ṭawīl |
| قف العنس في أطلال مية فاسأل | 50 | 67 | ṭawīl |
| أراح فريق جيرتك الجمالا | 51 | 57 | wāfir |
| أتتنا من نداك مبشرات | 52 | 59 | wāfir |
| أمن أجل دار بالرمادة قد مضى | 53 | 50 | ṭawīl |
| أتعرف الدار تعفت أبدا | 54 | 13 | rajaz |
| وجدنا أبا بكر به تقرع العلا | 55 | 33 | ṭawīl |
| خليلي ما بي من عزاء على الهوى | 56 | 2 | ṭawīl |
| زرق العيون إذا جاورتهم سرقوا | 57 | 3 | basīṭ |
| أمنكر أنت ربع الدار عن عفر | 58 | 4 | basīṭ |
| أتعرف دار الحي بادت رسومها | 59 | 84 | ṭawīl |
| لقد ظعنت مي فهاتيك دارها | 60 | 73 | ṭawīl |
| خليلي عوجا ساعة ثم سلما | 61 | 71 | ṭawīl |
| عليكن يا أطلال مي بشارع | 62 | 72 | ṭawīl |
| لعمري وما عمري علي بهين | 63 | 80 | ṭawīl |
| أللربع ظلت عينك الماء تهمل | 64 | 61 | ṭawīl |
| عفا الزرق من أطلال مية فالدحل | 65 | 60 | ṭawīl |
| أللأربع الدهم اللواتي كأنها | 66 | 51 | ṭawīl |
| تتمة الديوان | | | |
| القسم الأول شرح أبي نصر | | | |
| أشاقتك أخلاق الرسول الدواثر | 67 | 39 | ṭawīl |
| أما استحلبت عينيك إلا محلة | 68 | 55 | ṭawīl |
| على الأرض- والرحمن- يا مي غبرة | 69 | | |
| لعمرك للغضبان يوم لقيته | 70 | | |
| القسم الثاني شرح أبي نصر وغيره | | | |
| تغير بعدي من أميمة شارع | 71 | 15 | ṭawīl |
| فلو كان عمران ابن موسى أتمها | 72 | 26 | ṭawīl |
| لقد حكمت يوم القصيبة بيننا | 73 | 31 | ṭawīl |
| فإن تقتلوني بالأمير فإنني | 74 | 36 | ṭawīl |
| إني إذا ما عجز الوطواط | 75 | 44 | rajaz |
| هيماء خرقاء وخرق أهيم | 76 | 74 | rajaz |
| لحا الله أنانا عن الضيف بالقرى | 77 | | |
| القسم الثالث شرح أبي العباس الأحول | | | |
| لقد خفق النسران والنجم نازل | 78 | 6 | ṭawīl |
| يا أيها ذيا الصدى النبوح | 79 | 12 | rajaz |
| أصهب يمشي مشية الأمير | 80 | 37 | rajaz |
| قلت لنفسي حين فاضت أدمعي | 81 | | |
| وجارية ليست من الإنس تشتهى | 82 | 85 | ṭawīl |
| تعرفت أطلالا فهاجت لك الهوى | 83 | 86 | ṭawīl |
| القسم الرابع لشارح مجهول | | | |
| خليلي اسألا الطلل المحيلا | 84 | 58 | wāfir |
| فهلا قتلتم ثأركم مثل قتلنا | 85 | 65 | ṭawīl |
| ألا يا دار مية بالوحيد | 86 | 21 | wāfir |
| أأن ترسمت من خرقاء منزلة | 87 | 38 | basīṭ |
| لمن طلل عاف بوهبين راوحت | 88 | 34 | ṭawīl |
| وبيض رفعنا بالضحى عن متونها | 89 | 42 | ṭawīl |
| أأحلف لا أنسى وإن شطت النوى | 90 | 56 | ṭawīl |
| ملحق الديوان | | | |
| خليلي عوجا بارك الله فيكما | | 7 | ṭawīl |
| أخرقاء للبين استقلت حمولها | | 70 | ṭawīl |
| أعن ترسمت من خرقاء منزلة | | 75 | basīṭ |
The following list of manuscripts is based on Macartney's edition.
| Macartney’s siglum | Shelfmark | Date and scribe | Notes (numbering of odes is Macartney’s) |
| D | India Office 1240 | | contains scholia related to C’s |
| C | Cairo, Khedivial Library, Adab 562 | | contains scholia attributed in the MS to Abu’l FatH al-‘Ā’iDī |
| L | Leiden, Leiden University Library, 2028 | 1880 | 38 of the longer poems |
| Lugd. | Leiden, Cod. Lugd. 287 | | 61 and first 20 lines of 81 |
| L* | Lugd. 2029 | | |
| C(I) | | | |
| C* | | | |
| BM | London, British Library, MS Add. 7573 | 740 AH (1339 CE), MuHammad ibn ‘Alī ibn Madhkūr | Concise scholia, related to C’s, and limited vocalisation. Title page says the recension was by al-Asma‘ī. |
| BM(1) | London, British Library, MS Add. 7530 | | contain texts and scholia for odes 1, 52, 67, 75 |
| BM(2) | London, British Library, Or. 415 | | full vocalisation and exceptionally extensive glosses, probably by al-Sikkīt |
| Const | Istanbul, Faizīyyah Mosque, 1677 | | full and accurate vocalisation and scholia |
| Ambr | Milan, Ambrosian Library | | formerly in San‘ā’ |

## Editions and translations

* ʿAbd al-Qaddūs Abū Ṣāliḥ (بد القدوس أبو صالح) (ed.), Dīwān Dhī l-Rumma. Sharḥ Abī Naṣr al-Bāhilī, riwāyat Thaʿlab (ديوان ذي الرمة شرح أبي نصر الباهلي رواية ثعلب). Based on the editor's Ph.D. thesis.
** 1st edn, 3 vols (Beirut 1972), vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3.
** 2nd edn, 3 vols (Beirut 1982), archive.org scan, machine-readable text.
** 3rd edn, 3 vols (Beirut 1994).
* Muṭī al-Babbīlī (ed.), Diwān Dhū l-Rummah (Damascus, 1964).
* Carlile Henry Hayes Macartney (ed.), The Dîwân of Ghailân Ibn ʿUqbah known as Dhu ’r-Rummah (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1919).
* Michael Sells, Desert tracings. Six classic Arabian odes by ʿAlqama, Shánfara, Labíd, ʿAntara, Al-Aʿsha, and Dhu al-Rúmma (Middletown CT 1989), pp. 67–76 (first published as 'Dhũ al-Rumma's "To the Two Abodes of Mayya..."', Al-'Arabiyya, 15.1/2 (Spring and Autumn 1982), 52-65).
* Selections from the Diwan of Gailan ibn ʻUqba Dhuʹl Rumma, trans. by Arthur Wormhoudt ([Oskaloosa, Iowa]: William Penn College, 1982), ISBN 0916358135 (text in Arabic and English, on opposite pages; notes in English)
* Rudolf Smend, De Dsu r'Rumma poeta Arabico et carmine ejus 'Mā bāl ʻayniki minhā al-māʼ yansakibu' commentatio (Bonn: Weber, 1874)