In this collection of poetry of Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt, as well as poems published in his name, Schulthess does a great service in bringing together these legendary Arabic poems. Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt was a contemporary of Muhammad who did not accept Islam. His poems are infused with biblical images and references, and thus are of interest to scholars of Late Antiquity who are curious about how the Bible was viewed in this period. Printed here in the original Arabic, the poems are also translated in German and annotated. Schulthess also provides a knowledgeable introduction that includes a listing of the manuscript sources utilized in the reconstruction of the texts. A useful sampler of early Arabic poetry, this collection will appeal to a wide variety of readers on subjects throughout the ancient world.

Friedrich Schulthess (1868-1922) was a Professor of Semitic Languages at the universities of Königsberg, Strasbourg, and Basel. He wrote widely in this area before his premature death.