Jarir ibn Atiyah

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Jarir (Jarir ibn `Atiyah al-Khatfi, died ca. 728) was an Arab poet and satirist. He was born in the reign of the caliph Othman, was a member of the tribe Kulaib, a part of the Banu Tamim, and lived in Najd.

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.

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• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.