External links
- Henry Gardiner Adams, ed. (1857). "Aisha". A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography: 24. Wikidata Q115453561.
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ʿĀʾisha bint Aḥmad al-Qurṭubiyya | |
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| Occupation | Poet |
ʿĀʾisha bint Aḥmad al-Qurṭubiyya (d. 1009/1010 CE, Córdoba, Spain), sometimes spelled Aysha or al-Qurtubiyya, was a tenth-century poet who primarily wrote in Arabic.
It is assumed that ʿĀʾisha was probably born in Córdoba. [1] She is regarded as both a famed poet and calligrapher of Andalusia. [2] Little is known about her life and background, though it does seem clear that she was the sister of Muḥammad b. Aḥmad b. Qādim (d. 990 CE). [1] Other claims include that she was a princess of Cordova; [3] that her father's full name was Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Qādim b. Ziyād; and that she was the niece of the Cordovan physician and poet Abū ʿAbdallāh b. Qādim al-Ṭabīb. [1] Apparently she was a virgin throughout her life, never marrying. [1] Her death came at the beginning of the Fitna of al-Andalus in 1009. [1] 'Ibn Ḥayyān (d. 469/1076), quoted in Ibn Bashkuwāl's (d. 578/1183) Ṣila, praises, among other qualities, ʿĀʾisha's intelligence, her knowledge of literature and poetry, and her eloquence. Her handwriting was beautiful, and she made a practice of copying in her own hand the Qurʾān (maṣāḥif) and secular books (dafātir). She showed a great interest in science (ʿilm), which led her to collect books in what became a large and beautiful library.' [1]
Aisha's poetic works are included in writing on medieval Moorish women poets, noted for their surprising vitality, freshness, and aggressive boldness. [4] Her poems were often received with applause in the Royal Academy at Cordova. [5] One of her most famous works is a poem turning down a marriage proposal by a male poet. [1] One example of Aisha bint Ahmad al-Qurtubiya's writing is:
I am a lioness
and will never allow my body
to be anyone's resting place. But if I did,
I wouldn't yield to a dog ─
and O! the lions I've turned away! [4]
Her works included panegyrics addressed to contemporary rulers. A surviving example is a panegyric to Abd al-Malik al-Muzaffar (r. 1002–8 CE). [1]
Aisha is included in the list of Notable Muslims in the 2002 special edition of Saudi Aramco World . [2]
Aisha is a featured figure in Judy Chicago's installation piece The Dinner Party , being represented as one of the 999 names on the Heritage Floor. [6]
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