Qasmūna bint Ismā‘īl

Qasmūna bint Ismā‘īl Ibn Bagdāla is the only known female medieval Jewish author of Arabic poetry. She lived in Granada, in al-Andalus (Muslim Spain), and her name appears in the writings of two late medieval Muslim authors. Both writers make clear that Qasmūna learned poetics from her father. Only a couple of her poems survive; they reflect themes current in contemporary Andalusi poetry. It has been suggested that Qasmūna’s father was none other than Samuel ha-Nagid (993–1056), but this remains unproven. Either way, her poetic prowess stands as a singular testimony.