Sacred-Texts Islam

The Hanged Poems

translated by F. E. Johnson,
with revisions !" by Shei#h Fai$-%llah-bhai

&rom The Sacred 'oo#s and Early (iterat%re o& the
East, vol%me ), *ncient *rabia
ed. +harles F. Horne
Par#e, *%stin, and (i,scomb- .ew /or#
and (ondon
012134
red%ced to HT5( by +hristo,her 5.
6eimer 5arch 7887, revised 5ay 7889"
only three o& the seven ,oems are ,resented
in this version,
see the bibliogra,hy at the end o& the
introd%ction &or com,lete versions"
Introd%ction
The Poem o& Imr%-%l-:%ais ;<98 *.=.!>
The Poem o& *ntar ;<?8 *.=.!>
The Poem o& @%hair ;<28 *.=.!>
Sacred-Texts Islam
Index .ext
I.TAB=C+TIB.
by +harles F. Horne"

THE (*ST SE5ITI+ +B.:CEABASD THE SC==E.
'(BSSB5I.E BF *A*'I+ (ITEA*TCAE
THE *rabs are one o& the most ancient races #nown to history.
Historical records, which are ,erha,s earthFs earliest, have been
recently rediscovered among the
r%ins o& 'abylon and the other cities o& the E%,hrates valley- and these
re&er &reG%ently to *rab invasions o& the &ertile valley and to *rab
conG%ests over its &airest
regions. The c%lt%red classes o& many an ancient 'abylonian city were
th%s o& the *rabian race, s,ringing &rom the intermarriage o& the
&ierce desert conG%erors
with the de&eated valley &ol#. /et in their own homeland the *rabs
were among the last o& *siatic ,eo,les to develo, a written
literat%re. 6e come down almost
to the time o& 5ohammed, that is, to the sixth cent%ry a&ter +hrist,
be&ore we &ind among them any written boo#s.
That the *rabs were th%s slow in creating written literat%re was d%e
to their ,ec%liar mode o& li&e. The art o& words was highly honored
among the most ancient
*rab tribes. '%t to these dwellers amid the desert silence, the art was
one o& s,o#en, not o& written, words, an art o& ,olished and
sarcastic oratory or o&
,assionately chanted verse. The *rab ,rided himsel& %,on three
virt%esD his generosity to those whom he acce,ted as his &riends,
his s#ill in the arts o& warHthat
is, his handling o& his horse and wea,onsHand, lastly, his mastery o&
his lang%age. 6hen a new ,oet o& %n%s%al merit a,,eared in any
tribe, a &estival o& reIoicing
was held- and the other tribes sent envoys to congrat%late the &ort%nate
&ol#, %,on the honor and ha,,iness that the gods had sent them.
That a ,eo,le who so val%ed the arts o& s,eech sho%ld have st%died
them &or tho%sands o& years witho%t develo,ing them into written
&orms is one o& the
stri#ing oddities o& literary history. /et the ca%ses o& this oddity are
obvio%s. The greater ,art o& the vast *rabian ,enins%la is so barren
that its ,eo,le m%st #ee,
ever on the move to &ind eno%gh green &ood &or the animals %,on
which they de,end &or their own existence. Hence they have no
,lace &or the storing o& boo#s,
the ,reservation o& libraries. Tr%e, there are in *rabia some &ertile
s,ots, in oases or along the so%thern coast, where *rab cities have
grown %,- b%t even the
*rabs o& these cities Io%rney o&ten and &ar into the desert. Its blan# and
b%rning s%nshine is their tr%e home- and in its vast solit%des a
manFs own memory is, even
to-day, the best treas%re-ho%se &or his boo#s.
Hence *rabic literat%re in the written &orm, the only &orm in which it
can be ,ermanently ,reserved, does not begin %ntil the sixth
cent%ry o& o%r own era, the
cent%ry I%st be&ore 5ohammed. =%ring this ,eriod there were several
o& the tribal ,oets so val%ed, that the idea was &ormed o& honoring
them by hanging co,ies
o& their best ,oems in the chie& religio%s shrine o& *rabia, the b%ilding
called the Jaaba at 5ecca. So the *rabic literat%re which we #now
to-day begins with
these KhangedK ,oems, and they &orm the o,ening o& the ,resent
vol%me.

THE SE)E. H*.EE= PBETS
There were seven o& these celebrated ,oems, each by a di&&erent
,oet. Cn&ort%nately the seven ,oems are no longer ,reserved in the
JaabaHi&, indeed, they
ever did literally KhangK thereHand the *rabs themselves are not
entirely agreed as to either the names or the ,oems o& these, their
earliest writers. '%t the most
noted among them are &%lly agreed on and highly treas%red. *mong
them all, the ,oet ,robably earliest in date is Imr%-%l-:%ais, o&ten
s,elled in o%r letters, which
di&&er widely &rom *rabic &orms, *mr%l#ais. He was a ,rince, who by
his ,assionate devotion to a&&airs o& love so angered his &ather, the
shei#, or #ing, o& the
tribe, that Imr%-%l-:%ais was banished to the solitary li&e o& a
she,herd. He th%s esca,ed the destr%ction which came %,on all his
,eo,le in a bitter tribal war- and
he was le&t a tribeless wanderer. He came &inally, abo%t the year <98,
to the co%rt o& the great Eree#-Aoman em,eror J%stinian, at
+onstantino,le- and there the
,oet-wanderer was m%ch honored. Tradition says he was ,%t to death
by tort%re &or winning the love o& a ,rincess o& J%stinianFs &amily.
5ohammed declared
Imr%-%l-:%ais to be the greatest o& the *rab ,oets- and the ,oet-,rince
is said to have been the &irst to red%ce to a reg%lar-meas%red
rhythm the wild individ%al
chanting o& the earlier desert-singers.
* ,oet among the seven who is even more noteworthy is *ntar, or
*ntarah- &or he was a&terward made the hero o& the most celebrated
o& *rab romances.
*ntar was the son o& a negro slave-woman and was bro%ght %, as a
slave in the ho%sehold o& his *rab &ather. S%ch, however, was his
strength and co%rage that
he rose to be the chie& hero o& his tribe. He was also its chie& ,oet,
singing sometimes o& its war&are, sometimes o& his love &or its
,rincess, Ibla or *blah. *blah at
&irst ridic%led the advances o& the yo%ng slave b%t a&terward cl%ng to
him thro%gh all his career o& glory and mis&ort%ne. The tales which
later generations wove
aro%nd *ntar are li#e those which the English b%ilt %,on Jing *rth%rFs
li&e, or the S,aniards on the +id. He has become the national hero
o& his race.
I& we ,a%se &or yet another o& the KhangedK ,oets, it m%st be &or
@%hair, who is credited with beginning the ,hiloso,hical and
religio%s writings o& his nation.
@%hair was among the latest o& the KhangedK ,oets and so nearly
contem,orary with 5ohammed that the two are said to have met.
@%hair was then an aged and
revered sage, a h%ndred years old- and 5ohammed, I%st beginning his
,ro,hetic mission, ,rayed Eod to ,rotect him &rom the witty
tong%e o& the ,oet. That is, in
*rab ,hrase, he so%ght hel, against @%hairFs dIinn or s,irit- &or the
early *rabs believed their ,oets to be gen%inely ins,ired- and as
most o& the ,oems were
e,igrams, brie&, biting, and sarcastic, the ins,iration was attrib%ted to
the evil s,irits, the dIinns or genii who were s%,,osed to ,ossess
the earth eG%ally with
man.
@%hair in his verses was less satiric than most o& his brother ,oets.
He strove to ex,ress dee, tho%ghts in sim,le words, to be clear and
by his clear ,hrases to
teach his ,eo,le high and noble ideas. He was a man o& ran# and
wealth, the &oremost o& a &amily noted &or their ,oetic s#ill and
religio%s earnestness. In brie&,
@%hair is the gentleman ,hiloso,her among *rab ,oets.

'I'(IBEA*PH/
*. J. *rberry, KThe Seven BdesK ;(ondon, 12<3>."
(ady *nne 'l%nt and 6. S. 'l%nt, KThe Seven Eolden Bdes o& Pagan
*rabiaK ;(ondon, 1289>.
Sir 6illiam Jones, KThe 5oFalla#at or Seven *rabian PoemsK ;new
ed., +alc%tta, 1?33>.
F. E. Johnson, KThe Seven Poems S%s,ended in the Tem,le at 5eccaK
;'ombay, 1?29>.
+harles J. (yall, K*ncient *rabian Poetry.K
+harles J. (yall, KThe =iwans o& F*bid ibn al-*bras and F*mir ibn at-
T%&ailK ;(ondon, 1219>
6. *. +lo%ston, K*rabian Poetry &or English AeadersK ;Edinb%rgh>.
.extD The Poem o& Imr%-%l-:%ais
Sacred-Texts Islam
Index Previo%s .ext
THE PBE5 BF I5AC-C(-:C*IS1
Sto,, oh my &riends, let %s ,a%se to wee, over the remembrance o&
my beloved.
Here was her abode on the edge o& the sandy desert between
=a#hool and Howmal.
The traces o& her encam,ment are not wholly obliterated even now.
For when the So%th wind blows the sand over them the .orth wind
swee,s it away.
The co%rtyards and enclos%res o& the old home have become
desolate-
The d%ng o& the wild deer lies there thic# as the seeds o& ,e,,er.
Bn the morning o& o%r se,aration it was as i& I stood in the gardens
o& o%r tribe,
*mid the acacia-shr%bs where my eyes were blinded with tears by
the smart &rom the b%rsting ,ods o& colocynth.
*s I lament th%s in the ,lace made desolate, my &riends sto, their
camels-
They cry to me K=o not die o& grie&- bear this sorrow ,atiently.K
.ay, the c%re o& my sorrow m%st come &rom g%shing tears.
/et, is there any ho,e that this desolation can bring me solace!
So be&ore ever I met Cnai$ah, did I mo%rn &or two others-
5y &ate had been the same with Cmm%l-H%wairith and her neighbor
Cmm%l-Aahab in 5asal.
Fair were they also, di&&%sing the odor o& m%s# as they moved,
(i#e the so&t $e,hyr bringing with it the scent o& the clove.
Th%s the tears &lowed down on my breast, remembering days o&
love-
The tears wetted even my sword-belt, so tender was my love.
'ehold how many ,leasant days have I s,ent with &air women-
Es,ecially do I remember the day at the ,ool o& =arat-i-J%lI%l.7
Bn that day I #illed my riding camel &or &ood &or the maidensD
How merry was their dividing my camelFs tra,,ings to be carried on
their camels.
It is a wonder, a riddle, that the camel being saddled was yet
%nsaddledL
* wonder also was the sla%ghterer, so heedless o& sel& in his costly
gi&tL
Then the maidens commenced throwing the camelFs &lesh into the
#ettle-
The &at was woven with the lean li#e loose &ringes o& white twisted
sil#.
Bn that day I entered the howdah, the camelFs howdah o& Cnai$ahL
*nd she ,rotested, saying, K6oe to yo%, yo% will &orce me to travel
on &oot.K
She re,%lsed me, while the howdah was swaying with %s-
She said, K/o% are galling my camel, Bh Imr%-%l-:%ais, so
dismo%nt.K
Then I said, K=rive him onL (et his reins go loose, while yo% t%rn to
me.
Thin# not o& the camel and o%r weight on him. (et %s be ha,,y.
K5any a bea%ti&%l woman li#e yo%, Bh Cnai$ah, have I visited at
night-
I have won her tho%ght to me, even &rom her children have I won
her.K
There was another day when I wal#ed with her behind the sandhills,
'%t she ,%t aside my entreaties and swore an oath o& virginity.
Bh, Cnai$ah, gently, ,%t aside some o& this coG%etry.
I& yo% have, indeed, made %, yo%r mind to c%t o&& &riendshi, with
me, then do it #indly or gently.
Has anything deceived yo% abo%t me, that yo%r love is #illing me,
*nd that verily as o&ten as yo% order my heart, it will do what yo%
order!
*nd i& any one o& my habits has ca%sed yo% annoyance,
Then ,%t away my heart &rom yo%r heart, and it will be ,%t away.
*nd yo%r two eyes do not &low with tears, exce,t to stri#e me with
arrows in my bro#en heart.
5any a &air one, whose tent can not be so%ght by others, have I
enIoyed ,laying with.
I ,assed by the sentries on watch near her, and a ,eo,le desiro%s o&
#illing me-
I& they co%ld conceal my m%rder, being %nable to assail me o,enly.
I ,assed by these ,eo,le at a time, when the Pleiades a,,eared in the
heavens,
*s the a,,earance o& the gems in the s,aces in the ornamented
girdle, set with ,earls and gems.
Then she said to me, KI swear by Eod, yo% have no exc%se &or yo%r
wild li&e-
I can not ex,ect that yo%r erring habits will ever be removed &rom
yo%r nat%re.K
I went o%t with her- she wal#ing, and drawing behind %s, over o%r
&ootmar#s,
The s#irts o& an embroidered woolen garment, to erase the
&oot,rints.
Then when we had crossed the enclos%re o& the tribe,
The middle o& the o,en ,lain, with its sandy %nd%lations and
sandhills, we so%ght.
I drew the tow side-loc#s o& her head toward me- and she leant
toward me-
She was slender o& waist, and &%ll in the an#le.
Thin-waisted, white-s#inned, slender o& body,
Her breast shining ,olished li#e a mirror.
In com,lexion she is li#e the &irst egg o& the ostrichHwhite, mixed
with yellow.
P%re water, %ns%llied by the descent o& many ,eo,le in it, has
no%rished her.
She t%rns away, and shows her smooth chee#, &orbidding with a
glancing eye,
(i#e that o& a wild animal, with yo%ng, in the desert o& 6aIrah.
*nd she shows a nec# li#e the nec# o& a white deer-
It is neither dis,ro,ortionate when she raises it, nor %nornamented.
*nd a ,er&ect head o& hair which, when loosened, adorns her bac#
'lac#, very dar#-colored, thic# li#e a date-cl%ster on a heavily-laden
date-tree.
Her c%rls cree, %,ward to the to, o& her head-
*nd the ,laits are lost in the twisted hair, and the hair &alling loose.
*nd she meets me with a slender waist, thin as the twisted leathern
nose-rein o& a camel.
Her &orm is li#e the stem o& a ,alm-tree bending over &rom the
weight o& its &r%it.
In the morning, when she wa#es, the ,articles o& m%s# are lying over
her bed.
She slee,s m%ch in the morning- she does not need to gird her waist
with a wor#ing dress.
She gives with thin &ingers, not thic#, as i& they were the worms o&
the desert o& @abi,
In the evening she brightens the dar#ness, as i& she were the light-
tower o& a mon#.
Toward one li#e her, the wise man ga$es incessantly, lovingly
She is well ,ro,ortioned in height between the wearer o& a long
dress and o& a short &roc#.
The &ollies o& men cease with yo%th, b%t my heart does not cease to
love yo%.
5any bitter co%nselors have warned me o& the disaster o& yo%r love,
b%t I t%rned away &rom them.
5any a night has let down its c%rtains aro%nd me amid dee, grie&,
It has whelmed me as a wave o& the sea to try me with sorrow.
Then I said to the night, as slowly his h%ge b%l# ,assed over me,
*s his breast, his loins, his b%ttoc#s weighed on me and then ,assed
a&ar,
KBh long night, dawn will come, b%t will be no brighter witho%t my
love.
/o% are a wonder, with stars held %, as by ro,es o& hem, to a solid
roc#.K
*t other times, I have &illed a leather water-bag o& my ,eo,le and
entered the desert,
*nd trod its em,ty wastes while the wol& howled li#e a gambler
whose &amily starves.
I said to the wol&, K/o% gather as little wealth, as little ,ros,erity as
I.
6hat either o& %s gains he gives away. So do we remain thin.K
Early in the morning, while the birds were still nesting, I mo%nted
my steed.
6ell-bred was he, long-bodied, o%tstri,,ing the wild beasts in s,eed,
Swi&t to attac#, to &lee, to t%rn, yet &irm as a roc# swe,t down by the
torrent,
'ay-colored, and so smooth the saddle sli,s &rom him, as the rain
&rom a smooth stone,
Thin b%t &%ll o& li&e, &ire boils within him li#e the snorting o& a
boiling #ettle-
He contin%es at &%ll gallo, when other horses are dragging their &eet
in the d%st &or weariness.
* boy wo%ld be blown &rom his bac#, and even the strong rider loses
his garments.
Fast is my steed as a to, when a child has s,%n it well.
He has the &lan#s o& a b%c#, the legs o& an ostrich, and the gallo, o&
a wol&.
From behind, his thic# tail hides the s,ace between his thighs, and
almost swee,s the gro%nd.
6hen he stands be&ore the ho%se, his bac# loo#s li#e the h%ge
grinding-stone there.
The blood o& many leaders o& herds is in him, thic# as the I%ice o&
henna in combed white hair.
*s I rode him we saw a &loc# o& wild shee,, the ewes li#e maidens
in long-trailing robes-
They t%rned &or &light, b%t already he had ,assed the leaders be&ore
they co%ld scatter.
He o%tran a b%ll and a cow and #illed them both, and they were
made ready &or coo#ing-
/et he did not even sweat so as to need washing.
6e ret%rned at evening, and the eye co%ld scarcely reali$e his bea%ty
For, when ga$ing at one ,art, the eye was drawn away by the
,er&ection o& another ,art.
He stood all night with his saddle and bridle on him,
He stood all night while I ga$ed at him admiring, and did not rest in
his stable.
'%t come, my &riends, as we stand here mo%rning, do yo% see the
lightning!
See its glittering, li#e the &lash o& two moving hands, amid the thic#
gathering clo%ds.
Its glory shines li#e the lam,s o& a mon# when he has di,,ed their
wic#s thic# in oil.
I sat down with my com,anions and watched the lightning and the
coming storm.
So wide-s,read was the rain that its right end seemed over :%atan,
/et we co%ld see its le&t end ,o%ring down on Satar, and beyond that
over /a$b%l.
So mighty was the storm that it h%rled %,on their &aces the h%ge
#anahb%l trees,
The s,ray o& it drove the wild goats down &rom the hills o& :%anan.
In the gardens o& Taimaa not a date-tree was le&t standing,
.or a b%ilding, exce,t those strengthened with heavy stones.
The mo%ntain, at the &irst down,o%r o& the rain, loo#ed li#e a giant
o& o%r ,eo,le dra,ed in a stri,ed cloa#.
The ,ea# o& 5%Iaimir in the &lood and r%sh o& dMbris loo#ed li#e a
whirling s,indle.
The clo%ds ,o%red &orth their gi&t on the desert o& Ehabeet, till it
blossomed
*s tho%gh a /emani merchant were s,reading o%t all the rich clothes
&rom his tr%n#s,
*s tho%gh the little birds o& the valley o& Jiwaa awa#ened in the
morning
*nd b%rst &orth in song a&ter a morning dra%ght o& old, ,%re, s,iced
wine.
*s tho%gh all the wild beasts had been covered with sand and m%d,
li#e the onionFs root-b%lbs.
They were drowned and lost in the de,ths o& the desert at evening.
.extD The Poem o& *ntar
Footnotes
1. This is s%,,osed to be the oldest o& the KhangedK ,oems. (i#e the
others it shi&ts abr%,tly &rom theme to theme, and is &%ll o& ,oetic
com,arisons. Indeed, its
a%thor is said to have started this &ashion, winning &or himsel& the
name o& KThe creator o& images.K
7. The ,oet in this and the &ollowing lines re&ers to an incident which
is th%s told %sD d%ring his wooing o& Cnai$ah he &ollowed her and
the other maidens when they
rode on camels to the ,ool =arat-i-J%lI%l. The women bathed in the
,ool and he ca,t%red their clothes and wo%ld not s%rrender these
%ntil each one came o%t o&
the water in t%rn and as#ed &or hers. They held bac# so long be&ore
they yielded to this, that a&terward they com,lained o& being &aint
with h%nger. Thereon he
lavishly slew his camel so they co%ld have it immediately &or &ood.
6hen they had eaten, they wo%ld not leave him stranded in the
desert, so divided the tra,,ings
o& his camel, each carrying home a ,art %,on her beast, while the
carrying o& the ,oet himsel& &ell to Cnai$ah. She Iestingly ,rotested
that the howdah on her
camelFs bac# was too small &or them both.



Sacred-Texts Islam
Index Previo%s .ext
THE PBE5 BF *.T*A1
Have the ,oets le&t in the garment a ,lace &or a ,atch to be ,atched
by me- and did yo% #now the abode o& yo%r beloved a&ter
re&lection!7
The vestige o& the ho%se, which did not s,ea#, con&o%nded thee,
%ntil it s,o#e by means o& signs, li#e one dea& and d%mb.
)erily, I #e,t my she-camel there long gr%mbling, with a yearning at
the blac#ened stones, #ee,ing and standing &irm in their own
,laces.
It is the abode o& a &riend, lang%ishing in her glance, s%bmissive in
the embrace, ,leasant o& smile.
Bh ho%se o& F*blah sit%ated at Jiwaa, tal# with me abo%t those who
resided in yo%. Eood morning to yo%, B ho%se o& F*blah, and be
sa&e &rom r%in.
I halted my she-camel in that ,lace- and it was as tho%gh she were a
high ,alace- in order that I might ,er&orm the wont o& the lingerer.
*nd F*blah ta#es %, her abode at Jiwaa- while o%r ,eo,le went to
Ha$an, then to 5%tathallam.
She too# %, her abode in the land o& my enemies- so it became
di&&ic%lt &or me to see# yo%, B da%ghter o& 5ah$am.
I was enamored o& her %nawares, at a time when I was #illing her
,eo,le, desiring her in marriage- b%t by yo%r &atherFs li&e I swear,
this was not the time &or
desiring.9
*nd verily yo% have occ%,ied in my heart the ,lace o& the honored
loved one, so do not thin# otherwise than this, that yo% are my
beloved.
*nd how may be the visiting o& her- while her ,eo,le have ta#en %,
their residence in the s,ring at FCnai$atain and o%r ,eo,le at
Ehailam!
I #new that yo% had intended de,arting, &or, verily, yo%r camels were
bridled on a dar# night.
.othing ca%sed me &ear o& her de,art%re, exce,t that the baggage
camels o& her ,eo,le were eating the seeds o& the Jhim#him tree
thro%gho%t the co%ntry.N
*mongst them were two and &orty mil#-giving camels, blac# as the
wing-&eathers o& blac# crows.
6hen she ca,tivates yo% with a mo%th ,ossessing shar,, and white
teeth, sweet as to its ,lace o& #issing, delicio%s o& taste.
*s i& she sees with the two eyes o& a yo%ng, grown %, ga$elle &rom
the deer.
It was as tho%gh the m%s# bag o& a merchant in his case o& ,er&%mes
,receded her teeth toward yo% &rom her mo%th.
Br as i& it is an old wine-s#in, &rom *$riFat, ,reserved long, s%ch as
the #ings o& Aome ,reserve-
Br her mo%th is as an %ngra$ed meadow, whose herbage the rain has
g%aranteed, in which there is b%t little d%ng- and which is not
mar#ed with the &eet o&
animals.
The &irst ,%re showers o& every rain-clo%d rained %,on it, and le&t
every ,%ddle in it bright and ro%nd li#e a dirham-
S,rin#ling and ,o%ring- so that the water &lows %,on it every
evening, and is not c%t o&& &rom it.
The &ly enIoyed yet alone, and so it did not cease h%mming, as is the
act o& the singing dr%n#ard-
H%mming, while he r%bs one &oreleg against the other, as the stri#ing
on the &lint o& one, bent on the &lint, and c%t o&& as to his ,alm.
She ,asses her evenings and her mornings on the s%r&ace o& a well-
st%&&ed co%ch, while I ,ass my nights on the bac# o& a bridled blac#
horse.
*nd my co%ch is a saddle %,on a horse big-boned in the leg, big in
his &lan#s, great o& girth.
6o%ld a Shadanian she-camel ca%se me to arrive at her abode, who
is c%rsed with an %dder scanty o& mil# and c%t o&&!<
*&ter traveling all night, she is lashing her sides with her tail, and is
str%tting ,ro%dly, and she brea#s %, the mo%nds o& earth she ,asses
over with her &oot with
its sole, treading hard.
*s i& I in the evening am brea#ing the mo%nds o& earth by means o&
an ostrich, very small as to the distance between its two &eet, and
earless.O
The yo%ng ostriches &loc# toward him, as the herds o& /amanian
camels &loc# to a barbaro%s, %nintelligible s,ea#er.
They &ollow the crest o& his head, as tho%gh it was a howdah on a
large litter, tented &or them.
He is small headed, who ret%rns constantly to loo# a&ter his eggs at
@il-FCshairah- he is li#e a slave, with a long &%r cloa# and witho%t
ears.
She dran# o& the water o& =%hr%$ain and then t%rned away, being
disg%sted, &rom the ,ools o& stagnant water.3
*nd she swerves away with her right side &rom the &ear o& one,
whistling in the evening, a big, %gly-headed one-?
From the &ear o& a cat, led at her side, every time she t%rned toward
him, in anger, he met her with both claws and mo%th.
She #nelt down at the edge o& the ,ool o& AadaF, and groaned as
tho%gh she had #nelt on a reed, bro#en, and emitting a crac#ing
noise.
*nd the sweat on the bac# was as tho%gh it were oil or thic# ,itch,
with which &ire is lighted ro%nd the sides o& a retort.
Her ,laces o& &lex%re were wetted with it and she lavishly ,o%red o&
it, on a s,reading &oreloc#, short and well-bred.
The length o& the Io%rney le&t her a strong, well-b%ilt body, li#e a
high ,alace, b%ilt with cement, and rising high- and &eet li#e the
s%,,orts o& a &irmly ,itched
tent.
*nd s%rely I recollected yo%, even when the lances were drin#ing
my blood, and bright swords o& Indian ma#e were dri,,ing with
my blood.
I wished to #iss the swords, &or verily they shone as bright as the
&lash o& the &oretooth o& yo%r smiling mo%th.
I& yo% lower yo%r veil over yo%rsel& in &ront o& me, o& what %se will
it be! &or, verily, I am ex,ert in ca,t%ring the mailed horseman.
Praise me &or the G%alities which yo% #now I ,ossess, &or, verily,
when I am not ill-treated, I am gentle to associate with.
*nd i& I am ill-treated, then, verily, my tyranny is severe, very bitter
is the taste o& it, as the taste o& the colocynth.
*nd, verily, I have dr%n# wine a&ter the midday heats have s%bsided,
b%ying it with the bright stam,ed coin.
From a glass, yellow with the lines o& the glass-c%tter on it, which
was accom,anied by a white-sto,,ered bottle on the le&t-hand side.
*nd when I have dr%n#, verily, I am the sG%anderer o& my ,ro,erty,
and my honor is great, and is not s%llied.2
*nd when I have become sober, I do not diminish in my generosity,
and as yo% #now, so are my G%alities and my liberality.
*nd many a h%sband o& a bea%ti&%l woman, I have le&t ,rostrate on
the gro%nd, with his sho%lders hissing li#e the side o& the mo%th o&
one with a s,lit li,.18
5y two hands ,receded him with a hasty blow, stri#ing him be&ore
he co%ld stri#e me- and with the dro,s o& blood &rom a ,enetrating
stro#e, red li#e the color
o& 'ra$il wood.
6hy did yo% not as# the horsemen, B da%ghter 5ali#L i& yo% were
ignorant, concerning what yo% did not #now abo%t my condition,
*t a time when I never ceased to be in the saddle o& a long striding,
wo%nded, st%rdy horse, against whom the warriors came in
s%ccession.
*t one time he is detached to charge the enemy with the lance, and
at another he Ioins the large host with their bows tightly str%ng.
He who was ,resent in the battle will in&orm yo% that verily I r%sh
into battle, b%t I abstain at the time o& ta#ing the booty.
I see s,oils, which, i& I want I wo%ld win- b%t my bash&%lness and
my magnanimity hold me bac# &rom them.
*nd many a &%lly armed one, whom the warriors sh%nned &ighting
with, neither a hastener in &light, nor a s%rrenderer-
5y hands were genero%s to him by a G%ic# ,oint with a straightened
s,ear, strong in the Ioints-
In&licting a wo%nd wide o& its two sides, the so%nd o& the &low o&
blood &rom it leads at night the ,rowling wolves, b%rning with
h%nger.
I rent his vest%re with a rigid s,ear, &or the noble one is not
&orbidden to the s,ears.
Then I le&t him a ,rey &or the wild beasts, who sei$e him, and gnaw
the bea%ty o& his &ingers and wrist.
*nd many a long, closely woven coat o& mail, I have s,lit o,en the
lin#s o& it, with a sword, o&& one de&ending his rights, and
renowned &or bravery.
6hose hands are ready with gambling arrows when it is winter, a
tearer-down o& the signs o& the wine-sellers, and one re,roached
&or his extravagance.11
6hen he saw that I had descended &rom my horse and was intending
#illing him, he showed his teeth, b%t witho%t smiling.17
5y meeting with him was when the day s,read o%t, and he was as i&
his &ingers and his head were dyed with indigo.19
I ,ierced him with my s,ear, and then I set %,on him with my Indian
sword ,%re o& steel, and #een.
* warrior, so stately in si$e as i& his clothes were on a high treeD so&t
leather shoes are worn by him and he is not twinned.
Bh, how wonder&%l is the bea%ty o& the doe o& the h%nt, to whom is
she law&%l! To me she is %nlaw&%l- wo%ld to Eod that she was not
%nlaw&%l.1N
So, I sent my &emale slave, and said to her, KEo, &ind o%t news o& her
and in&orm me.K
She said, KI saw carelessness on the ,art o& the enemies, and that the
doe is ,ossible to him who is shooting.K
*nd it was as tho%gh she loo#ed toward me with the nec# o& a doe, a
&awn o& the ga$elles, ,%re and with a white %,,er li,.
I am in&ormed that F*mr% is %nthan#&%l &or my #indness while
ingratit%de is a ca%se o& evil to the so%l o& the giver.1<
*nd, verily, I remember the advice o& my %ncle, in the battle, when
the two li,s G%iver &rom o&& the white teeth o& the mo%th,
In the thic# o& the battle, o& which the warriors do not com,lain o&
the rigors, exce,t with an %nintelligible noise.
6hen they ;i.e., my ,eo,le> de&ended themselves with me against
the s,ears o& the enemy, I did not re&rain &rom them ;i.e., the
s,ears> thro%gh cowardice, b%t
the ,lace o& my advance had become too strait.
6hen I heard the cry o& 5%rrah rise, and saw the two sons o&
AabiFah in the thic# d%st,
6hile the tribe o& 5%hallam were str%ggling %nder their banners,
and death was %nder the banners o& the tribe o& 5%lhallam sic.",
I made s%re that at the time o& their enco%nter there wo%ld be a blow,
which wo%ld ma#e the heads &ly &rom the bodies, as the bird &lies
&rom o&& her yo%ng ones
sitting close.
6hen I saw the ,eo,le, while their mass advanced, excite one
another to &ight, I t%rned against them witho%t being re,roached &or
any want o& bravery.
They were calling F*ntarah, while the s,ears were as tho%gh they
were well-ro,es in the breast o& *dham.
They were calling F*ntarah, while the swords were as tho%gh they
were the &lash o& lightnings in a dar# clo%d.
They were calling F*ntarah, while the arrows were &lying, as tho%gh
they were a &light o& loc%sts, hovering above watering ,laces.
They were calling K B F*ntarah,K while the coats o& mail shone with
close rings, shining as tho%gh they were the eyeballs o& &rogs
&loating in a wavy ,ond.
I did not cease charging them, ;the enemy,> with the ,rominent ,art
o& his ;horseFs> throat and breast, %ntil he became covered with a
shirt o& blood.
Then he t%rned on acco%nt o& the &alling o& the s,ears on his breast,
and com,lained to me with tears and whinnyings.
I& he had #nown what conversation was, he wo%ld have com,lained
with words, and verily he wo%ld have, had he #nown s,eech,
tal#ed with me.
*nd verily the s,eech o& the horsemen, K6oe to yo%, F*ntarah,
advance, and attac# the enemy,K c%red my so%l and removed its
sic#ness.
6hile the horses sternly &rowning were charging over the so&t soil,
being ,artly the long-bodied mares, and ,artly the long-bodied,
well-bred horses.
5y riding-camels are tractable, they go wherever I wish- while my
intellect is my hel,er, and I drive it &orward with a &irm order.1O
)erily, it lay beyond my ,ower that I sho%ld visit yo%- so, #now
what yo% have #nown, and some o& what yo% have not #nown.
The lances o& the tribe o& 'aghee$ interce,ted yo% and the
,er,etrators o& the war set aside those who did not ,er,etrate it.
*nd, verily, I t%rned the horse &or the attac#, while his nec# was
bleeding, %ntil the horses began to sh%n me.
*nd verily I &eared that I sho%ld die, while there has not yet been a
t%rn &or war against the two sons o& @am$am-13
The two revilers o& my honor, while I did not revile them, and the
threateners o& my blood, when I did not see them.
There is no wonder sho%ld they do so, &or I le&t their &ather a ,rey
&or the wild beasts and every large old v%lt%re.
.extD The Poem o& @%hair
Footnotes
1 This is the *ntar, or *ntarah, who became the most noted o& *rab
heroes o& romance.
7 That is, have the ,oets le&t any de&iciency to be s%,,lied! Have the
,oets o& the &ormer days le&t any ,oetry %nsaid that the ,oets o& the
,resent day may say it!
9 6hen there was war between the two tribes, there was little %se his
wishing to marry her.
N He #new that her tribe wo%ld have to move on, as there was no
&orage le&t &or their camels.
< * she-camel, %,on whom this o,eration has been ,er&ormed, is
swi&ter, stronger, and &atter than others.
O He com,ares the &leetness o& the camel to that o& an ostrich.
3 Ae&erring to the she-camel.
? The big, %gly-headed one is the whi, with its heavy handle, or a cat.
2 That is, dr%n#enness ma#es him genero%s and not ill-tem,ered. The
*rabs, be&ore 5ohammed, considered drin#ing with oneFs &riends
to show a genero%s
dis,osition.
18 That is, the blood was s,%rting and hissing &rom a wo%nd in his
sho%lder.
11 The richer *rabs gamble as to who shall #ill his camel in the time
o& scarcity to distrib%te the &lesh amongst the ,oor. The wine-
sellers ta#e down their signs
when they have r%n o%t o& liG%or- the meaning o& tearing down the
signs being that he drin#s %, all their wine.
17 The all%sion is to the ,oetFs #illing @am$am, &ather o& H%sain and
Harim, who ins%lted him. See close o& the ,oem.
19 The dried blood was o& an indigo color.
1N Here he again reverts to address his sweetheart. The *rabs may not
marry with a woman o& a tribe with whom they are at war.
1< F*mr%, the F*bsian, who ins%lted the ,oet.
1O That is, I carry o%t my ,lans with sagacity and determination.
13 I &eared that I sho%ld die, be&ore I had &o%ght the two sons o&
@am$am. F*ntarah #illed their &ather d%ring the war between the
tribes o&F *bs and Fa$Prah,
wherein the latter were de&eated with great loss. Harim and H%sain,
the two sons o& @am$am, were #illed shortly a&terward.


Sacred-Texts Islam
Index Previo%s
THE PBE5 BF @CH*IA1
K=oes the blac#ened r%in, sit%ated in the stony gro%nd between
=%rraI and 5%tathallam, which did not s,ea# to me, when
addressed, belong to the abode o&
Cmmi *w&a!
K*nd is it her dwelling at the two stony meadows, seeming as
tho%gh they were the renewed tattoo mar#s in the sinews o& the
wrist!
KThe wild cows and the white deer are wandering abo%t there, one
herd behind the other, while their yo%ng are s,ringing %, &rom
every lying-down ,lace.
KI stood again near it, ;the encam,ment o& the tribe o& *w&a,> a&ter
an absence o& twenty years, and with some e&&orts, I #now her
abode again a&ter thin#ing
awhile.
KI recogni$ed the three stones blac#ened by &ire at the ,lace where
the #ettle %sed to be ,laced at night, and the trench ro%nd the
encam,ment, which had not
b%rst, li#e the so%rce o& a ,ool.
K*nd when I recogni$ed the encam,ment I said to its site, F.ow
good morning, oh s,ot- may yo% be sa&e &rom dangers.F
K(oo#, oh my &riendL do yo% see any women traveling on camels,
going over the high gro%nd above the stream o& J%rth%m!7
KThey have covered their howdahs with coverlets o& high val%e, and
with a thin screen, the &ringes o& which are red, resembling blood.
K*nd they inclined toward the valley o& SoobPn, ascending the
center o& it, and in their &aces were the &ascinating loo#s o& a so&t-
bodied ,erson bro%ght %, in
easy circ%mstances-
KThey arose early in the morning and got %, at dawn, and they went
straight to the valley o& Aass as the hand goes %nswervingly to the
mo%th, when eating.
K*nd amongst them is a ,lace o& am%sement &or the &ar-sighted one,
and a ,leasant sight &or the eye o& the loo#er who loo#s attentively.
K*s i& the ,ieces o& dyed wool which they le&t in every ,lace in
which they halted, were the seeds o& night-shade which have not
been cr%shed.
K6hen they arrived at the water, the mass o& which was bl%e &rom
intense ,%rity, they laid down their wal#ing stic#s, ;i.e., too# their
lodging there,> li#e the
dweller who has ,itched his tents.
KThey #e,t the hill o& :anan and the ro%gh gro%nd abo%t it on their
hand- while there are many, dwelling in :anan, the shedding o&
whose blood is law&%l and
%nlaw&%l.9
KThey came o%t &rom the valley o& SoobPn, then they crossed it,
riding in every :ainian howdah new and widened.
KThen I swear by the tem,le, ro%nd which wal# the men who b%ilt it
&rom the tribes o& :%raish and J%rh%m.N
K*n oath, that yo% are verily two excellent chie&s, who are &o%nd
worthy o& honor in every condition, between ease and distress.<
KThe two endeavorers &rom the tribe o& Ehai$ bin 5%rrah strove in
ma#ing ,eace a&ter the connection between the tribes had become
bro#en, on acco%nt o&
the shedding o& blood.
K/o% re,aired with ,eace the condition o& the tribes o& F*bs and
@%byPn, a&ter they had &o%ght with one another, and gro%nd %, the
,er&%me o& 5anshim
between them.O
K*nd indeed yo% said, Fi& we bring abo%t ,eace ,er&ectly by the
s,ending o& money and the con&erring o& bene&its, and by good
words, we shall be sa&e &rom the
danger o& the two tribes, destroying each other.F
K/o% occ%,ied by reason o& this the best o& ,ositions, and became
&ar &rom the re,roach o& being %nd%ti&%l and sin&%l.
K*nd yo% became great in the high nobility o& 5aFadd- may yo% be
g%ided in the right way- and he who s,ends his treas%re o& glory
will become great.
KThe memory o& the wo%nds is obliterated by the h%ndreds o&
camels, and he, who commenced ,aying o&& the blood money by
instalments, was not g%ilty o& it
;i.e., o& ma#ing war>.
KBne tribe ,ays it to another tribe as an indemnity, while they who
gave the indemnity did not shed blood s%&&icient &or the &illing o& a
c%,,ing glass.
KThen there was being driven to them &rom the ,ro,erty yo%
inherited, a booty o& vario%s sorts &rom yo%ng camels with slit ears.
K.ow, convey &rom me to the tribe o& @%byPn and their allies a
message,HFverily yo% have sworn by every sort o& oath to #ee, the
,eace.F
K=o not conceal &rom Eod what is in yo%r breast that it may be
hidden- whatever is concealed, Eod #nows all abo%t it.
KEither it will be ,%t o&& and ,laced recorded in a boo#, and
,reserved there %ntil the I%dgment day- or the ,%nishment be
hastened and so he will ta#e revenge.
K*nd war is not b%t what yo% have learnt it to be, and what yo% have
ex,erienced, and what is said concerning it, is not a story based on
s%,,ositions.
K6hen yo% stir it %,, yo% will stir it %, as an acc%rsed thing, and it
will become greedy when yo% excite its greed and it will rage
&iercely.
KThen it will grind yo% as the grinding o& the %,,er millstone against
the lower, and it will conceive immediately a&ter one birth and it
will ,rod%ce twins.3
K'y my li&e I swear, how good a tribe it is %,on whom H%sain 'in
@am$am bro%ght an inI%ry by committing a crime which did not
,lease them.?
K*nd he had concealed his hatred, and did not dis,lay it, and did not
,roceed to carry o%t his intention %ntil he got a good o,,ort%nity.
K*nd he said, FI will ,er&orm my obIect o& avenging mysel&, and I
will g%ard mysel& &rom my enemy with a tho%sand bridled horses
behind me.F
KThen he attac#ed his victim &rom F*bs, b%t did not ca%se &ear to the
,eo,le o& the many ho%ses, near which death had thrown down his
baggage.2
KThey allowed their animals to gra$e %ntil when the interval between
the ho%rs o& drin#ing was &inished, they too# them to the dee,
,ool, which is divided by
wea,ons and by shedding o& blood.18
KThey accom,lished their obIect amongst themselves, then they led
the animals bac# to the ,ast%re o& %nwholesome indigestible grass.
KI have grown weary o& the tro%bles o& li&e- and he, who lives eighty
years will, mayest tho% have no &ather i& tho% do%bt11 grow weary.
K*nd I #now what has ha,,ened to-day and yesterday, be&ore it, b%t
verily, o& the #nowledge o& what will ha,,en to-morrow- I am
ignorant.
KI see death is li#e the bl%ndering o& a blind camel-Hhim whom he
meets he #ills, and he whom he misses lives and will become old.
K*nd he who does not act with #indness in many a&&airs will be torn
by teeth and tram,led %nder &oot.
K*nd he, who ma#es benevolent acts intervene be&ore honor,
increases his honor- and he, who does not avoid ab%se, will be
ab%sed.
KHe, who is ,ossessed o& ,lenty, and is miserly with his great wealth
toward his ,eo,le, will be dis,ensed with, and ab%sed.
KHe who #ee,s his word, will not be reviled- and he whose heart is
g%ided to sel&-satis&ying benevolence will not stammer.
K*nd he who dreads the ca%ses o& death, they will reach him, even i&
he ascends the tracts o& the heavens with a ladder.
K*nd he, who shows #indness to one not deserving it, his ,raise will
be a re,roach against him, and he will re,ent o& having shown
#indness.
K*nd he who rebels against the b%tt ends o& the s,ears, then verily
he will have to obey the s,ear ,oints Ioined to every long s,ear
sha&t.17
K*nd he who does not re,%lse with his wea,ons &rom his tan#, will
have it bro#en- and he who does not o,,ress the ,eo,le will be
o,,ressed.
K*nd he who travels sho%ld consider his &riend an enemy- and he
who does not res,ect himsel& will not be res,ected.
K*nd he, who is always see#ing to bear the b%rdens o& other ,eo,le,
and does not exc%se himsel& &rom it, will one day by reason o& his
abasement, re,ent.
K*nd whatever o& character there is in a man, even tho%gh he thin#s
it concealed &rom ,eo,le, it is #nown.
KHe, who does not cease as#ing ,eo,le to carry him, and does not
ma#e himsel& inde,endent o& them even &or one day o& the time,
will be regarded with
disg%st.
K5any silent ones yo% see, ,leasing to yo%, b%t their excess in
wisdom or de&iciency will a,,ear at the time o& tal#ing.
KThe tong%e o& a man is one hal&, and the other hal& is his mind, and
here is nothing besides these two, exce,t the sha,e o& the blood
and the &lesh.
K*nd verily, as to the &olly o& an old man there is no wisdom a&ter it,
b%t the yo%ng man a&ter his &olly may become wise.
K6e as#ed o& yo%, and yo% gave, and we ret%rned to the as#ing and
yo% ret%rned to the giving, and he who increases the as#ing, will
one day be disa,,ointed.K
Sacred-Texts Islam Index
Footnotes
1 This ,oem begins, as do most *rab ,oems, with love longings, b%t
soon dri&ts into ,raise o& two ,eacema#ers and the story o& the &e%d
between two tribes
which ,receded the ,eace. From this &ield the ,oem soon wanders to
the ,hiloso,hic maxims o& the a%thor. @%hair is above, all a
,hiloso,her.
7 He &ancies he sees the women again whom he saw twenty years
,revio%sly, and he a,,eals to his com,anion to #now i& what he
sees is real.
9 There are many enemies and many &riends dwelling there.
N This re&ers to the tem,le at 5ecca which was b%ilt by Ismail, son o&
*braham, ancestor o& the tribe o& :%raish, who married a woman
o& J%rh%m, an old tribe
o& /aman, who were the #ee,ers o& the tem,le be&ore :%raish.
< The theme changes here abr%,tly, to ,raise o& two ,eacema#ers.
O Some *rabs, ma#ing a leag%e to be revenged against their enemies,
too# oath with their hands ,l%nged in a certain ,er&%me, made by
5anshim, as a sign o&
their coalition. They &o%ght %ntil they were slain to the last o& them.
Hence the ,roverb, K5ore %nl%c#y than the ,er&%me o& 5anshim.K
3 The mis&ort%nes arising &rom war are do%ble.
? H%sain 'in @am$amFs &ather was #illed d%ring the war between the
'enQ @%byPn and the 'enQ F*bs. 6hen ,eace was concl%ded
between the tribes, he made a
vow secretly that he wo%ld #ill one o& the tribe o& F*bs o%t o& the
revenge &or his &ather. This he did, b%t when the 'enQ F*bs came to
ta#e revenge on him, HPrith
Ibn F*w& o&&ered them one h%ndred camels as blood money or his own
son to #ill. The F*bsioms too# the camels and s,ared his son. The
,oet is now ,raising
them &or their act.
2 He #illed no one while the ,eace was in &orce exce,t the one ,erson
on whom he meant to ta#e revenge.
18 'y the dee, ,ool is meant war, and the meaning o& the lines is that
the tribes re&rained &rom war &or a certain time, a&ter which they
again had reco%rse to
arms.
11 * common term o& im,recation.
17 The wandering desert *rabs when they met %sed to ,resent the b%tt
ends o& their s,ears toward one another i& their intentions were
,eace&%l, the ,oints i& they
intended &ighting.