ʻUmar ibn al-Fāriḍ
Subtitle: Sufi verse, saintly life
By: translated and introduced by Th. Emil Homerin ; preface by Michael A. Sells
Contributors: Homerin, Th. Emil, 1955-; Ṣibt ibn al-Fāriḍ, fl. 1334
Series: The classics of Western spirituality
Publisher: Paulist Press
Published: 2000
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 366
Subjects: Ibn al-Fāriḍ, ʻUmar ibn ʻAlī, -- 1181 or 2-1235 -- Criticism and interpretation
Other titles: Sufi verse, saintly life
Work titles: Dīwān.
Description: "Umar Ibn al-Farid is the most venerated mystical poet in Arabic. An accomplished Sufi as well as a respected poet, his poetry blends the two traditions - classical Arabic poetry and Islamic mysticism - in a body of work with a distinctly devotional and mystical character. Th. Emil Homerin makes available here two of Ibn al-Farid's poems that have long been considered classics of Islamic mystical literature.

The Wine Ode, a poem in praise of wine as well as a love poem, can also be seen as an extended meditation on the presence of divine love in the universe. The Poem of the Sufi Way, one of the longest poems ever composed in Arabic, and the most famous one rhyming in "T," begins as a love poem and then explores a number of crucial concerns confronting the seeker on the Sufi path. Both works have been treated for centuries in numerous mystical commentaries. Noteworthy as well in this volume is the addition of the Adorned Proem, a reverential account of Ibn al-Farid's life by his grandson.

Individuals interested in the fields of mysticism and spirituality, as well as lovers of poetry, particularly love poetry, will find this to be fascinating reading. It will have great relevance for scholars and students of Arabic literature, Islam and mysticism."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes English translation of the introduction to the Dīwān, known as Dībājah (The adorned proem) by Abū al-Hasan Nūr al-Dīn ʻAlī al-Miṣrī

Includes bibliographical references (p. 351-360) and indexes
Table of contents: title: Sufi verse. Wine ode = al-Khamrīyah ; Poem of the Sufi way (Ode in T Major) = Naẓm al-sulūk/al-Tā'īyah al-kubrā / ʻUmar ibn al-Fāriḍ; title: Saintly life. Adorned proem to the Dīwān = Dībājat al-Dīwān / ʻAlī Sibṭ ibn al-Fāriḍ