By N.A. Miller | April 5, 2025 | Classy Arabic
Al-Aʿmā al-Tuṭaylī, whose nickname means “the blind man of Tudela,” was actually born in Seville to parents from Tudela, in present-day Navarre in northeastern Spain. He was born blind and died relatively young, around the age of 40. He was a professional poet, and most of his ouevre is panegryic (praise of rulers). Our poem this week is an exception to this, as he rails against the (unnamed) ruler of Seville, implying that he should be overthrown
