Ziryab!!
What a delightful, immortal personality, and how important in the history of the letters of civilized peoples. Such is the personality of the singular musician and Persian singer Ziryab.. the artist who, though seldom mentioned in the books of Arabic literature, remains immortal so long as beautiful art endures..
Ziryab was a black slave, far from the Arabs in appearance and in origin, yet near to them in feeling and imagination. This artist exerted a great literary and social influence upon the people of Andalusia, so that the whole land of Andalusia took to imitating his refined habits and his high arts, which afterward became its own habits and arts, and which the Westerners celebrated, giving them the name “Etiquette” — I mean the principles of the science of social conduct.
Among the personalities of his age Ziryab enjoyed a fame few artists have ever won. For he was not merely a polisher of the people's refinements; he was intimate with their taste and their
ways. And how difficult a labor such polishing is, and how rarely does he who attempts it succeed! Yet our artist succeeded even with kings, who took his habits and his art as their model; and he was among those persons through whom intercession was sought with them...
His true name was Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Nafi; as for his nickname, Ziryab, it clung to him in his country on account of the blackness of his color joined to the eloquence of his tongue and the sweetness of his qualities, for among them he was likened to a black songbird. Reports of his early life are almost wholly absent from the books; all we know of him in this regard is that he grew up in the city of Baghdad and that he was an assistant and pupil of the famous singer Ishaq al-Mawsili.
Ziryab studied singing under Ishaq, mastered his craft, and caught up the greater part of his songs. Indeed he surpassed Ishaq, and Ishaq never sensed it. At one of al-Rashid's entertainments Ziryab was able, through his master, to sing his famous song:
O king whose bird of augury is blessed, Harun — to you the people come at evening and set out at dawn
When he had finished the piece, al-Rashid was transported with delight, praised him to the skies, and ordered Ishaq to look after him.
When Ishaq heard this, his rancor against Ziryab flared up and jealousy ate at his heart; and when his patience ran out he took him aside and gave him the choice between two things: departure or death. Ziryab judged that his best course was to save himself and his family. So he set out for the West; and there he judged that his best course was to turn to al-Hakam. He wrote to him, informing him that he had chosen him, telling him of his standing in the craft he professed, and asking leave to come to him. Al-Hakam was greatly pleased by his letter and showed a keen desire to make his acquaintance. So Ziryab journeyed toward him with his household and his children. In Andalusia Ziryab was given a reception such as he had never dreamed of in all his life; he was lodged in one of the finest of houses, and lavish stipends were assigned to him and to his children..
In Andalusia fortune smiled upon Ziryab and set him in a lofty place. The emirs began to keep his company over wine and the hearing of song; and the familiarity between him and them grew until he took his meals with them, and at last a private door was opened for him, through which the Emir would summon him whenever he wanted him.
Ziryab's coming brought about a renaissance of song in Andalusia. It was Ziryab who added a fifth string to the strings of the oud,