Most of the [poets of the] desert Arabs—nay, all of them—were impassioned lovers. Among those of frequent mention and widespread fame for passion and love-song were:
Qays Majnun of the Banu ‘Amir, who was the lover of Layla
Qays ibn Dharih, who loved Lubna
Tawba ibn al-Humayyir, who loved Layla al-Akhyaliyya
Kuthayyir, who loved ‘Azza
Jamil ibn Ma‘mar, who loved Buthayna
al-Mu’ammil, who loved al-Dhalfa’
al-Muraqqish, who loved Asma’
al-Muraqqish the Younger, who loved Fatima bint al-Mundhir
‘Urwa ibn Hizam, who loved ‘Afra’
‘Amr (sic) ibn ‘Ajlan, who loved Hind
‘Ali ibn Udaym, who loved Manhala
al-Muhadhdhib, who loved Ladhdha
Dhu 'l-Rumma, who loved Mayya
Qabus, who loved Munya
al-Mukhabbal al-Sa‘di, who loved al-Mayla’
Hatim al-Ta’i, who loved Mawiya
Waddah al-Yaman, who loved Umm al-Banin
al-Ghamr ibn Dirar, who loved Juml
al-Nimr ibn Tawlab, who loved Hamza
Badr, who loved Nu‘m
Shubayl, who loved Falun
Bishr, who loved Hind
‘Amr who loved Da‘d
‘Umar ibn Abi Rabi‘a, who loved Thurayya
al-Ahwas, who loved Salama
As‘ad ibn ‘Amr, who loved Layla bint Sayfi
Nusayb, who loved Zaynab
Suhaym ‘Abd Bani 'l-Hashas, who loved ‘Umayra
‘Ubayd Allah ibn Qays, who loved Kuthayyira
Abu 'l-Atahiya, who loved ‘Utba
al-‘Abbas ibn al-Ahnaf, who loved Fawz
Abu 'l-Shis who loved Umama
These are just a few of the many impassioned lovers. We have limited ourselves to these few in preference to others so as not to go on too long and mar our book. For every one of these men there is a love story, relating the circumstances of their passions, with much to comment upon and describe.
From The Book of Refinement and Refined People
by Muhammmad ibn Ishaq ibn Yahya al-Washsha’ (Cf.)
