Al-Sarī al-Raffā’
Al-Sarī al-Raffā’ or Abul-Hasan Al-Sari ibn Ahmed ibn Al-Sari Al-Kindi Al-Raffa Al-Mausili was a poet in the court of Sayf al-Dawla, noted for his ekphrastic poetry. He compiled the anthology al-Muḥibb wa-l-maḥbūb wa-l-mashmūm wa-l-mashrūb, an extensive collection of 'verses about love, fragrant plants, and wine'.One of al-Sarī's riddles runs as follows:
A‘dadtu li-’l-layli idha ’l-laylu ghasaq, / wa-qayyada ’l-alḥāẓa min dūni ’l-ṭuruq,
Quḍbāna tibrin ‘ariyat ‘ani ’l-waraq / shifā’uhā in maruḍat ḍarbu ’l-‘unuq.
I prepared for the night
Leaveless twigs of gold which, should they wilt, may be reanimated by cutting their necks.
The answer is 'candles'.Editions
- al-Sari al-Raffāʾ, Diwān al-Sari al-Raffāʾ, ed. by Ḥabīb Ḥusayn al-Ḥasani, 2 vols..
- al-Sari b. Aḥmad al-Raffāʾ, al-Muḥibb wa-l-maḥbūb wa-l-mashmūm wa-l-mashrūb, ed. Miṣbāḥ Ghalawinjī and Majīd Ḥasan al-Dhahabī, 4 vols.
