Ibn Khafaja
Ibn Khafaja | |
|---|---|
| Born | Abu Ishaq ibn Ibrahim ibn Abu al-Fath 1058 Alzira, Al-Andalus (now Spain) |
| Died | 1138/1139 |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Language | Arabic |
| Nationality | Andalusian |
Abu Ishaq ibn Ibrahim ibn Abu al-Fath (1058–1138/9), called Ibn Khafajah (إبن خفاجة), a native of Alzira, was a poet of al-Andalus during the reign of the Almoravids. He was born in 1058 in Alzira (Arabic: جزيرة شقر) near Valencia where he spent most of his life. He was the maternal uncle of poet Ibn al-Zaqqaq.
He wrote sophisticated nature poetry. He remained unmarried but had many friends and lived to be over eighty.There is a style based on him afterwards followed by many known as 'khafājī'.
His poetry often uses images to a dramatic function, such as contrasting light and darkness, or humanising the night environment.
Composer Mohammed Fairouz set three poems of Ibn Khafajah to music in a cycle of vocal chamber music written for the Cygnus Ensemble.