The First Emirati Poet: al- Māyidī ibn Ẓāhir 

The First Emirati Poet: al- Māyidī ibn Ẓāhir 

Experts from the Emirates explore the poetry and narrative legacy of the earliest poet associated with the UAE. Māyidī ibn Ẓāhir's poetry is closely related to the classical Arabic poetry of the pre-Islamic and early Islamic era. Its language is an early version of the poetic idiom of the region, called Nabaṭī poetry. Uniquely, he developed a philosophical vision of love and life, mixed with folksy wisdom, drawn from images of the Bedouin, desert, palm oasis, and sea. His poetry and stories are being edited and translated for the NYUAD Library of Arabic Literature.

Convened by
Marcel Kurpershoek, Senior Humanities Research Fellow, NYUAD
Sultan Al Amimi, Director, Abu Dhabi Academy of Poetry

Hosted by
NYU Abu Dhabi Institute

In collaboration with