Jewish Prince in Moslem Spain
176 pages, 6 x 9
Paperback
Release Date:08 Jan 2006
ISBN:9780817352806
Jewish Prince in Moslem Spain
Selected Poems of Samuel Ibn Nagrela
SERIES:
Judaic Studies Series
University of Alabama Press
Translated by Leon J. Weinberger
Of all the Hebrew poets of the 'Golden Age' in Spain, Samuel Ibn Nagrela (993-1056 A.D.) remains perhaps the most fascinating personality. A leading statesman in the kingdom of Granada, he was as successful in court as on the battlefield, maintaining a position of power for several decades while walking a political tightrope. Endowed with great literary talents, he opened up new paths in Hebrew poetry, and his mastery of its metrical intricacies was as consummate as his political and military skill.
The selection of the poems is good, and the thirteen sections into which the 95 poems are divided reflect the wide range of the poet's interests. Ibn Nagrela's powerful personality and the fascinating revelations of his inner life exert considerable appeal.'
—Journal of Jewish Studies
