Dīwān

The Dīwān is the collected poetry of al-Khansāʾ, an esteemed Arab poet renowned for her elegies. Her poems, often short and filled with a profound sense of loss, reflect the fatalistic worldview of pre-Islamic Arabian tribes.1

Al-Khansāʾ's deep mourning for her brothers, who died in tribal raids, and later for her father, led to her becoming the most celebrated poet of her era. Even after her tribe embraced Islam, she continued to wear traditional mourning attire in devotion to her brothers. When her four sons perished in the Battle of Qādisiyyah, the caliph reportedly congratulated her on their bravery and granted her a pension. Her elegies significantly influenced later poets. The Dīwān was published in an English translation in 1973.1