AKHTAL (ahth-tahl') (GHIYATH IBN HARITH) (c. 640 710), Arabian poet of the Omayyad period, belonged to the tribe of Taghlib in Mesopotamia, and was, like his fellow tribesmen, a Christian, enjoying the freedom of his religion, while not tak ing its duty very seriously. Akhtal, Jarir and Ferazdaq form a trio celebrated among the Arabs, but as to relative superiority there is dispute. Abu `Ubaida placed him highest of the three on the ground that amongst his poems there were ten flawless qasidas ("elegies"), and ten more which were nearly so, and that this could not be said of the other two poets.
See Diwan de Ahtal Reproduction photolithographique du manu scrit de Bagdad, avec preface et variantes par le P. A. Salhani (Beirut, 19o5) ; Le Diwan d'al-Ahtwl reproduit par la photolitho graphie s'apres un manuscrit trouve au Yemen, avec preface, glos saires . . . par le Dr. Eugenio Griffini (Beirut, 1907). A full ac count of the poet and his times is given in H. Lammens' Le chancre des Omiades (Paris, 1895) (a reprint from the Journal Asiatique for 1894)•