The Genius of Invective

Ibn Zaydūn's Letter Explained

Ibn Nubātah, Peter Webb

• Publisher: NYU Press
• Year: 2025
• Print ISBN: 9781479835874
• eBook ISBN: 9781479835898
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Medieval Literary Collections
• Index: Literature

A brilliant exposition of Arabic literary culture

In 11th-century Córdoba, the celebrated poet Ibn Zayd?n found himself jockeying for the affections of Wall?dah, accomplished poet and free-spirited daughter of an Umayyad caliph. Looking to embarrass a rival suitor, Ibn Zayd?n mischievously wrote and publicized an eloquent, erudite, and searing rejection letter in Wall?dah'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 His letter was so rich with historical references and sophisticated metaphors that it became a cultural touchstone among the literary elite.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 Zayd?n's letter.

Three centuries later, the Egyptian litterateur Ibn Nub?tah wrote a guide to this widely-admired text. In The Genius of Invective, a brilliant work of explication, Ibn Nub?tah supplements Ibn Zayd?n's complete letter with concise biographies of every figure referenced in it and glosses arcane Arabic terms. This wide-ranging volume offered readers a veritable encyclopedia of the key cultural and literary references that peppered Ibn Zayd?n's famous letter.

As impressive in its own right as the remarkable letter that inspired it, The Genius of Invective is a peerless example of the breadth, depth, and complexity of the Arabic classical literary tradition.

A bilingual Arabic-English edition.

Table of contents

• Letter from the General Editor
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Maps
• Note on the Text
• Notes to the Introduction
• The Frivolous Letter
• The Genius of Invective
• Appendix: Alexander Stories and Further Explanations
• Notes
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Further Reading
• Index of Arabic Poetry
• Index
• About the NYUAD Research Institute
• About this E-book
• Titles Published by the Library of Arabic Literature
• About the Editor–Translator