'UMAR IBN ABI RABI'AH

full name 'umar Ibn 'abd Allah Ibn Abi Rabi'ah Al-makhzumi born November 644, Mecca, Arabia [now in Saudi Arabia] died 712/, 719, Mecca one of the greatest early Arabic poets. 'Umar belonged to the wealthy merchant family of Makhzum, a member of the Meccan tribe of Quraysh (of which the Prophet Muhammad was also a member). He spent most of his life in Mecca, also traveling to southern Arabia, Syria, and Mesopotamia. Little is known about his life, for the numerous anecdotes related about him are manifestly literary fabrications. The internal evidence of his poetry, however, gives a valuable picture of the social life of the Meccan and Medinan aristocracy of his time. His poetry centres on his own life and emotions, eschewing the traditional themes of journeys, battles, and tribal lore, and celebrates his love affairs with the noble Arab ladies who came to Mecca on pilgrimage. Although this genre had been sporadically practiced before his time, 'Umar ibn Abi Rabi'ah was the first to perfect it with a light metre and an accurate emotional perception.