Baghdad throughout the Abbasid dynasty, was the centre of Arab-Muslim culture where the assimilation of Persian, Indian and Greek writing and thought produced a rich and diverse literature. The three poets represented in this volume wrote between the eighth and tenth centuries AD, and range in mood from serious speculation to exuberant snsuality to delicate lyricism. Together they form a brilliant kaleidoscope which incorporates all aspects of human life: Abbas ibn Al-Ahnaf; Abdullah ibn Al-Mu’tazz; Abu Al-Ala Al-Ma’arri