Imru Al-Qays

(also, Hunduj ibn Hujr al-Kindi). Date of birth unknown; died between 530 and 540. Arab poet.

Imru al-Qays came from the Kinda tribe. For indecent conduct, he was deprived of his inheritance and banished by his father, who headed an early unified state in central Arabia. After his father’s death, he waged war with his native tribe and sought support from the Byzantine emperor Justinian. Love lyrics and bucolic lyrics predominate in his poetry. His joyous verses and the simplicity and expressiveness of their poetic language were highly valued by the Arabs, although many critics considered them somewhat coarse. He was one of the creators of the qasida, the classic genre of Arabic poetry. Particularly well-known is his qasida “Both of you stop, we’ll cry a bit. …”