Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1135
The Expedition of Uḥud
[ شِعْرُ كَعْبٍ فِي أُحُدٍ ] وَقَالَ كَعْبٌ أَيْضًا فِي أُحُدٍ إنَّكِ عَمْرَ أَبِيكَ الْكَرِ يمِ أَنْ تَسْأَلِي عَنْكِ مَنْ يَجْتَدينا فَإِنْ تَسْأَلِي ثَمَّ لَا تُكْذَبِي يُخْبِرُكَ مَنْ قَدْ سَأَلْتِ الْيَقِينَا بِأَنَّا لَيَالِي ذَاتِ الْعِظَا مِ كُنَّا ثِمَالًا لِمَنْ يَعْتَرِينَا تَلُوذُ الْبُجُودُ بِأَذْرَائِنَا مِنْ الضُّرِّ فِي أَزَمَاتِ السِّنِينَا بِجَدْوَى فُضُولٍ أُولِي وُجْدِنَا وَبِالصَّبْرِ وَالْبَذْلِ فِي الْمُعْدِمِينَا وَأَبْقَتْ لَنَا جَلَماتُ الْحُرُو بِ مِمَّنْ نُوَازِي لَدُنْ أَنْ بُرِينَا مَعَاطِنَ تَهْوِي إلَيْهَا الْحُقُو قُ يَحْسِبُهَا مَنْ رَآهَا الْفَتِينَا تُخَيِّسُ فِيهَا عِتَاقُ الْجَمَا لِ صُحْمًّا دَوَاجِنُ حُمْرًا وُجُونَا وَدُفَّاعُ رَجْلٍ كَمَوْجِ الْفُرَا تِ يَقْدُمُ جَأْوَاء جُولَا طَحُونَا تَرَى لَوْنَهَا مِثْلَ لَوْنِ النُّجُو مِ رَجْرَاجَةً تُبْرِقُ النَّاظِرِينَا فَإِنْ كُنْتَ عَنْ شَأْنِنَا جَاهِلًا فَسَلْ عَنْهُ ذَا الْعِلْمِ مِمَّنْ يَلِينَا بِنَا كَيْفَ نَفْعَلُ إنْ قَلَّصَتْ عَوَانًا ضَرُوسًا عَضُوضًا حَجُونَا أَلَسْنَا نَشُدُّ عَلَيْهَا الْعِصَا بَ حَتَّى تَدُرَّ وَحَتَّى تَلِينَا وَيَوْمٌ لَهُ وَهَجٌ دَائِمٌ شَدِيدُ التَّهاوُلِ حَامِي الأرِينا طَوِيلٌ شَدِيدُ أُوَارِ الْقِتَا لِ تَنْفِي قَواحِزُهُ الْمُقْرِفِينَا تَخَالُ الْكُمَاةَ بِأَعْرَاضِهِ ثِمَالًا عَلَى لَذَّةٍ مُنزفِينا تَعاوَرُ أَيْمَانُهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ كُؤُوسَ الْمَنَايَا بِحَدِّ الظُّبِينَا شَهِدْنَا ككُنَّا أُولِي بَأْسِهِ وَتَحْتَ العَمَايَةِ وَالْمُعْلِمِينَا بِخُرْسِ الْحَسِيسِ حِسَانٍ رِوَاءٍ وَبُصْرِيَّةٍ قَدْ أُجِمْنَ الجُفونا فَمَا يَنْفَلِلْنَ وَمَا يَنْحَنِينَ وَمَا يَنْتَهِينَ إذَا مَا نُهِينَا كَبَرْقِ الْخَرِيفِ بِأَيْدِي الْكُمَاةِ يُفَجِّعْنَ بِالظِّلِّ هَامًا سُكُونَا وَعَلَّمْنَا الضَّرْبَ آبَاؤُنَا وَسَوْفَ نُعَلِّمُ أَيْضًا بَنِينَا جِلَادَ الْكُمَاةِ، وَبَذْلَ التِّلَا دِ عَنْ جُلِّ أَحْسَابِنَا مَا بَقِينَا إذَا مَرَّ قَرْنٌ كَفَى نَسْلُهُ وَأَوْرَثَهُ بَعْدَهُ آخَرِينَا نَشِبُّ وَتَهْلِكُ آبَاؤُنَا وَبَيْنَا نُرَبِّي بَنِينَا فَنِينَا سَأَلْتُ بِكَ ابْنَ الزِّبَعْرَى فَلَمْ أُنَبَّأْكَ فِي الْقَوْمِ إلَّا هَجِينَا خَبِيثًا تُطِيفُ بِكَ الْمُنْدِيَاتُ مُقِيمًا عَلَى اللُّؤْمِ حِينًا فَحِينَا تَبَجَّسْتُ تَهْجُو رَسُولَ الْمَلِ يكِ قَاتَلَكَ اللَّهُ جِلْفًا لَعِينَا تَقُولُ الْخَنَا ثُمَّ تَرْمِي بِهِ نَقِيَّ الثِّيَابِ تَقِيًّا أَمِينَا قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: أَنْشَدَنِي بَيْتَهُ: بِنَا كَيْفَ نَفْعَلُ، وَالْبَيْتَ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ، وَالْبَيْتَ الثَّالِثَ مِنْهُ، وَصَدْرَ الرَّابِعِ مِنْهُ، وَقَوْلَهُ نَشِبُّ وَتَهْلِكُ آبَاؤُنَا وَالْبَيْتَ الَّذِي يَلِيهِ. وَالْبَيْتَ الثَّالِثَ مِنْهُ، أَبُو زَيْدٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ. قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ:، قَالَ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ أَيْضًا، فِي يَوْمِ أُحُدٍ : سَائِلْ قُرَيْشًا غَدَاةَ السَّفْحِ مِنْ أُحُدٍ مَاذَا لَقِينَا وَمَا لَاقَوْا مِنْ الْهَرَبِ كُنَّا الْأُسُودَ وَكَانُوا النُّمْرَ إذْ زَحَفُوا مَا إنْ نُرَاقِبُ مِنْ آلٍ وَلَا نَسَبِ فَكَمْ تَرَكْنَا بِهَا مِنْ سَيِّدٍ بَطَلٍ حَامِي الذِّمَارَ كَرِيمِ الْجَدِّ وَالْحَسَبِ فِينَا الرَّسُولُ شِهَابٌ ثُمَّ يَتْبَعُهُ نُورٌ مُضِىءٌ لَهُ فَضْلٌ عَلَى الشُّهُبِ الْحَقُّ مَنْطِقُهُ وَالْعَدْلُ سِيرَتُهُ فَمَنْ يُجِبْهُ إلَيْهِ يَنْجُ مِنْ تَبَبِ نَجْدُ الْمُقَدَّمِ مَاضِي الْهَمِّ، مُعْتَزِمٌ حِينَ الْقُلُوبِ عَلَى رَجْفٍ مِنْ الرُّعُبِ يَمْضِي ويَذْمُرنا عَنْ غَيْرِ مَعْصِيَةٍ كَأَنَّهُ الْبَدْرُ لَمْ يُطْبَعْ عَلَى الْكَذِبِ بَدَا لَنَا فَاتَّبَعْنَاهُ نُصَدِّقُهُ وَكَذَّبُوهُ فَكُنَّا أَسْعَدَ الْعَرَبِ جَالُوا وَجُلْنَا فَمَا فَاءُوا وَمَا رَجَعُوا وَنَحْنُ نَثْفِنَّهُمْ لَمْ نَأْلُ فِي الطَّلَبِ لَيْسَا سَوَاءً وَشَتَّى بَيْنَ أَمْرِهِمَا حِزْبُ الْإِلَهِ وَأَهْلِ الشِّرْكِ وَالنُّصُبِ قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: أَنْشَدَنِي مِنْ قَوْلِهِ: يَمْضِي ويَذْمُرنا إلَى آخِرِهَا، أَبُو زَيْدٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ. [ شِعْرُ كَعْبٍ فِي أُحُدٍ ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: وَقَالَ كَعْبُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ: أَبْلِغْ قُرَيْشًا عَلَى نَأْيِهَا أَتُفْخَرُ مِنَّا بِمَا لَمْ تَلِي فَخَرْتُمْ بِقَتْلَى أَصَابَتْهُمْ فَوَاضِلُ مِنْ نَعَمِ الْمُفْضِلِ فَحَلُّو جِنَانًا وَأَبْقَوْا لَكُمْ أُسُودًا تُحَامِي عَنْ الْأَشْبُلِ تُقَاتِلُ عَنْ دِينِهَا، وَسْطَهَا نَبِيٌّ عَنْ الْحَقِّ لَمْ يَنْكُلْ رَمَتْهُ مَعَدٌّ بِعُورِ الْكَلَامِ وَنَبْلِ الْعَدَاوَةِ لَا تَأْتَلِي قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: أَنْشَدَنِي قَوْلَهُ: لَمْ تَلِي، وَقَوْلَهُ: مِنْ نَعَمِ الْمُفَضَّلِ زَيْدٌ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ.
Translation
✧ [Kaʿb’s poetry on Uḥud] Kaʿb also said concerning Uḥud: If you, by your noble father ʿAmr, should ask about us from those who seek us out, Indeed, if you ask there, you will not be told a lie You will be informed by those whom you have asked with certainty That during the nights of Dhāt al-ʿIẓām We were a support for those who come to us The needy seek refuge in our courtyards From hardship in the years of famine With the bounty of our surplus from those of us who have plenty And with patience and giving to the destitute The wars have left us with shorn mares From those we match ever since we were created Watering places to which the mature camels hasten Which anyone who sees them thinks are fitna Wherein are kept the noble camels Dark, domesticated, with red cheeks And a thrust of foot-soldiers like the waves of the Euphrates Led by a strong, large she-camel, a great grinder You see their color like the color of stars Luxuriant, dazzling the onlookers So if you are ignorant of our affair, Ask about it from one of knowledge among those near us How we act when it becomes fierce, Old, biting, hard, and reluctant Do we not tighten upon it the headbands Until it flows and becomes tractable to us? And a day with a perpetual blaze, Severe in its malice, hot in its heat, Long, with intense heat of battle, Whose driving thrusts repel those who fall short. You would think the warriors on its flanks Are cups upon pleasure, exhausted, Their right hands passing between them The cups of death with the edge of the blades. We witnessed it, as we were its people of courage, And beneath the banner and the marked ones, With silent-edged swords, beautiful and supple, And with Buṣrī bows whose eyelids were veiled. They do not break, nor do they bend, Nor do they cease when we are forbidden. Like autumn lightning in the hands of the warriors, They strike the shadow, causing still skulls to fly. Our fathers taught us to strike, And we shall also teach our sons The fighting of the warriors, and the giving of wealth For the protection of our noblest lineages as long as we remain. When a generation passes, its offspring suffices, And bequeaths it to others after them. We grow up while our fathers perish, And while we raise our sons, we also fade away. I asked about you, Ibn al-Zibaʿrā, and I was not told About you among the people except that you are a base-born hybrid, Vile, surrounded by calamities, Persisting in baseness time after time. You burst forth to satirize the Messenger of the King— May God destroy you—a crude, accursed one, Speaking obscenity, then casting it at One pure of garments, pious, trustworthy. Ibn Hishām said: Abū Zayd al-Anṣārī recited to me his verse “How we act,” and the verse that follows it, and the third verse from it, and the opening of the fourth from it, and his saying “We grow up while our fathers perish,” and the verse that follows it, and the third from it. Ibn Isḥāq said: Kaʿb b. Mālik also said concerning the day of Uḥud: Ask Quraysh on the morning of the foot of Uḥud: What did we meet, and what did they meet of flight? We were the lions, and they were the leopards when they advanced— We did not regard any kin or lineage. How many a noble hero did we leave there, Protector of the sanctuary, generous in fortune and lineage! Among us is the Messenger, a blazing brand, then followed by A shining light that surpasses the stars. Truth is his speech, and justice his conduct; Whoever answers him to it is saved from destruction. He is the foremost of the valley’s protectors, resolute in purpose, When hearts are trembling with terror. He advances and urges us on without disobedience, As though he were the full moon, never created upon falsehood. He appeared to us, and we followed him, believing him, While they denied him; so we were the happiest of the Arabs. They charged and we charged; they did not return or come back, While we pursued them, not slackening in the chase. They are not equal—how different are the two affairs— The party of God and the people of polytheism and the stone altars. Ibn Hishām said: From his saying “He advances and urges us on” to the end, Abū Zayd al-Anṣārī recited it to me. [Kaʿb’s poetry on Uḥud] Ibn Isḥāq said: And Kaʿb b. Mālik said: Convey to Quraysh, despite their distance: Do you boast over us of what you did not accomplish? You boasted of slain ones whom Surplus favors from the Beneficent struck down. They have attained gardens, and they left for you Lions that protect the cubs. They fight for their religion, and in their midst Is a Prophet of truth who did not hold back. Maʿadd cast at him with one-eyed words And arrows of enmity, not slackening. Ibn Hishām said: His saying “you did not accomplish,” and his saying “from the favors of the Beneficent” were recited to me by Zayd al-Anṣārī.
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