The Book of Noble Character: Critical Edition of Makarim al-akhlaq wa-mahasin al-adab wa-bada'i’ al-awsaf wa-ghara'ib al-tashbihat, Attributed to Abu Mansur al-Tha'alibi (d. 429/1039)

This critical Arabic text edition of K. Makarim al-akhlaq wa-mahasin al-adab wa-bada'i’ al-awsaf wa-ghara'ib al-tashbihat(Book of Noble Character, Excellent Conduct, Admirable Descriptions, and Curious Similes) is a substantial work of adab attributed to the prominent litterateur Abu Mansur al-Tha'alibi (d. 429/1039) that consists of a short introduction and three chapters. The first chapter addresses acquiring noble character and excellent conduct (al-tahalli bi-makarim al-akhlaq wa-mahasin al-adab); the second addresses shunning away from base character and ugly traits (al-tazakki ‘an masawi’ al-akhlaq wa-maqabih al-shiyam); and the third addresses admirable descriptions and curious similes (bada'i’ al-awsaf wa-ghara'ib al-tashbihat). At the end of the text one finds a relatively large collection of widely circulating proverbs (amthal sa'ira) that are alphabetically arranged. Makarim al-akhlaq is in essence an anthology of good conduct and of quotations suitable for social and literary discourse. It reflects the three ingredients of adab: behavior, literary culture, and learning. The work is introduced by an analytical study discussing the attribution of the work, the related genres, and the unique manuscript of the text.