Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadani

Badi ' az- Zaman al - Hamadhani, also briefly called al - Hamadhani (Arabic بديع الزمان الهمذاني, DMG Badī ʿ az- Zaman al - Hamadani, * 969, † 1007), was an Arab -writing poet of the 11th century the Middle East and the landscapes that are in the broadest sense to Central Asia, roamed. In fact, he comes from the northern Iraq, but also wandered through the areas of Khorasan and went as far as Nishapur. He settled in Herat, where he also married. He wrote short stories or narratives in Arabic rhymed prose ( maqamat ), which described life on the streets, at the court and in the country.

Like no other he masterfully captured the ambivalence between the then elite romance of life on the road and the disapproval of the people bustle by the cultural elite. He constructed his literary miniatures in a narrative subject - Ibn Hisham - and an active protagonist - Abu l -Fath al - Iskandari. Ibn Hisham represents the cultural elite, the esthete who is looking now and then distraction on the road. Abu l -Fath is a beggar, rogue, actor and monkey leader. He looks for the niches that claimed the vagrants ( Banu Sassan ) for himself and makes his fortune by all kinds of game. A close imitation of the work of al - Hamadhani was the poet al -Hariri of Basra.

The poet and orientalist Edward Amthor, who has left us quite offbeat adaptations, see al - Hamadhani even himself as Abu l -Fath '. He had processed their own life experiences in his work.

In the Islamic Middle Ages there were no life-long specialization in one of the above activities. They used situationally of crafts and arts. In the eyes of the elite, these activities were the people of the street, the " dregs of society ", are reserved. Abu l -Fath speaks against it and ultimately remains in each novella winner.