Jarir ibn Atiyah
Jarir ibn `Atiyah
al-Khatfi Al-Tamimi Al-Najdi (Arabic: جرير بن عطية
الخطفي التميمي النجدي) (ca. 650 – ca. 728) was an
Arab poet and satirist. He was born in the reign of
the caliph Othman, and was a member of the tribe
Kulaib, a part of the Banu Tamim. He was a native of
al-Yamamah, but also spent time in Damascus at the
court of the Umayyad caliphs.
Little is known of
his early life, but he succeeded in winning the
favor of Al-Hajjaj bin Yousef, the governor of Iraq.
Already famous for his verse, he became more widely
known by his feud with rival poets Farazdaq and
Akhtal. Later he went to Damascus and visited the
court of the caliph Abd al-Malik and that of his
successor, Al-Walid I. From neither of these did he
receive a warm welcome. He was, however, more
successful with Umar II, and was the only poet
received by the pious caliph.
His verse, like
that of his contemporaries, is largely satire and
eulogy.