'Adi ibn Zayd, Christian poet of al-Hira
c. c. 550 – c. 600
Place: al-Hira, Lakhmid capital and Arab Christian center
31.980, 44.390 · On the map
Known from later Arabic literary sources (Kitab al-Aghani, etc.). How authentic the poems are is debated.
'Adi was an 'Ibadi Christian Arab who served as a secretary at the Persian court and as a poet-diplomat at al-Hira, and he was finally imprisoned and killed by al-Nu'man III. Verses attributed to him retell creation and the fall in Arabic, which shows biblical stories being told in Arabic poetry before Islam.
People named here
- 'Adi ibn Zayd
- al-Nu'man III
Links
Place
In
al-Hira, Lakhmid capital and Arab Christian center
'Adi was a Christian 'Ibadi poet of al-Hira.
home_of
traditional
Conflict and authority
In
al-Nu'man III, last Lakhmid king, becomes Christian
Al-Nu'man imprisoned and killed 'Adi (traditional).
opposed
traditional
Sources
- Wikipedia: Adi ibn Zayd
Wikipedia contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-11-11.
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, 'Hira'
Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation. Accessed 2026-11-11.