Luzūmiyyāt
Poetry collection by Al-Ma'arri / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Luzūmiyyāt (Arabic: اللزوميات) or Luzūm mā lā yalzam (Arabic: لزوم ما لا يلزم) is the second collection of poetry by al-Ma'arri, comprising nearly 1600 short poems[1] organised in alphabetical order and observing a novel double-consonant rhyme scheme devised by the poet himself.[2][3]: 336
The title has been variously translated into English as Unnecessary Necessity, The Self-Imposed Compulsion or Committing oneself to what is not obligatory. This is a reference to the difficult, 'unnecessary' rhyme scheme which al-Ma'arri applied to his work. This self-imposed technical challenge was a parallel to other constraints he adopted in his own life, including veganism and virtual social isolation. The poems were written over a period of many years and bear no individual titles. They were circulated by Al-Ma'arri under the title Luzúmiyyāt during his lifetime.[4] The poems are known chiefly for the ideas they contain, written in an ironic and, at times, cynical tone. Unlike traditional qasidas, they focus on doubt, uncertainty, sin, death, and the afterlife.[5][6][7]