Diwan of Urwa ibn al-Ward and al-Samawal

Author's name: Urwah ibn al-Ward, al-Samawal ibn Aadiya

Anyone who peruses literary collections will notice many poets whose stories, poems, or verses have not survived, passed down through narrators. Some of them may have had poetry collections compiled by scribes or booksellers that were lost due to neglect, conquest, or other reasons. Among these are Urwah ibn al-Ward and al-Samawal, the two poets whose poetry collections are contained in this book, arranged alphabetically, vocalized, and explained in a simple and easy-to-understand style to facilitate their reading for those who wish to study literature. Anyone who studies Urwa's poetry will find it agreeable and pleasant. He does not see in it what he is accustomed to in pre-Islamic poetry, such as standing on ruins and crying over dung heaps, or describing the young camel and the she-camel and other things. Rather, he finds that he has gone with it to lofty human aims and humane manners. As for the poetry of Samawal, it is characterized by honor and pride, and distance from self-interest, flattery, and lying, and a rush to glory and pride. These are the characteristics of the Arab in his desert, which inspires the spirit of pride and boasting about lineage and ancestry, preserving one's trust, and extending one's hand. Samawal is the son of Ghraidh bin Aadiya bin Habba. It is said that his mother was from Ghassan, or it is said that he is even a descendant of the priest Aaron bin Imran, meaning Aaron, the brother of Moses, the one who spoke to God. It is worth noting that Samawal was Jewish in origin and did not believe, like his people, in the coming of Jesus Christ.