ABSTRACT
The oldest mentions of the Turks in Arabic Literature must be considered to be some verses by Ancient Arab poets, mentioning the name Turk. They appear to have escaped the notice of Turcologists as well as of those historians studying in detail the history of the name of the Turks. The Turks are mentioned together with the Persians, the people of Kabul and the prince's own people, the Ghassanids, as mourning the death of the prince. It is hardly worth mentioning that neither Turks not Afghans were subjects of the Roman phylarch, let alone would have mourned his death. "Enemies are forced to obey by us, although they might wish that the gates of the Turk and Kabul were barricaded with us. If one were to peruse with great care the collections of ancient Arabic poetry, especially those so far unedited, one might perhaps find a few further instances of the use of the name Turk in pre-Islamic times.
