Tarikh (al-Tabari) 551
Genealogy of Our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Some Accounts of His Forefathers and Ancestors
ذِكْرُ مَقْتَلِ حُجْرٍ أَبِي امْرِئِ الْقَيْسِ وَالْحُرُوبِ الْحَادِثَةِ بِمَقْتَلِهِ إِلَى أَنْ مَاتَ امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ نَذْكُرُ أَوَّلًا سَبَبَ مُلْكِهِمُ الْعَرَبَ بِنَجْدٍ وَنَسُوقُ الْحَادِثَةَ إِلَى قَتْلِهِ وَمَا يَتَّصِلُ بِهِ فَنَقُولُ: كَانَ سُفَهَاءُ بَكْرٍ قَدْ غَلَبُوا عَلَى عُقَلَائِهَا وَغَلَبُوهُمْ عَلَى الْأَمْرِ وَأَكَلَ الْقَوِيُّ الضَّعِيفَ، فَنَظَرَ الْعُقَلَاءُ فِي أَمْرِهِمْ فَرَأَوْا أَنْ يُمَلِّكُوا عَلَيْهِمْ مَلِكًا يَأْخُذُ لِلضَّعِيفِ مِنَ الْقَوِيِّ. فَنَهَاهُمُ الْعَرَبُ وَعَرَفُوا أَنَّ هَذَا لَا يَسْتَقِيمُ بِأَنْ يَكُونَ الْمَلِكُ مِنْهُمْ لِأَنَّهُ يُطِيعُهُ قَوْمٌ وَيُخَالِفُهُ آخَرُونَ، فَسَارُوا إِلَى بَعْضِ تَبَابِعَةِ الْيَمَنِ، وَكَانُوا لِلْعَرَبِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَطَلَبُوا مِنْهُ أَنْ يُمَلِّكَ عَلَيْهِمْ مَلِكًا، فَمَلَّكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حُجْرَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو آكِلَ الْمُرَارِ، فَقَدِمَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَنَزَلَ بِبَطْنِ عَاقِلٍ وَأَغَارَ بِبَكْرٍ فَانْتَزَعَ عَامَّةَ مَا كَانَ بِأَيْدِي اللَّخْمِيِّينَ مِنْ أَرْضِ بَكْرٍ وَبَقِيَ كَذَلِكَ إِلَى أَنْ مَاتَ فَدُفِنَ بِبَطْنِ عَاقِلٍ. فَلَمَّا مَاتَ صَارَ عَمْرُو بْنُ حُجْرٍ آكِلُ الْمُرَارِ، وَهُوَ الْمَقْصُورُ، مَلِكًا بَعْدَ أَبِيهِ، وَإِنَّمَا قِيلَ لَهُ الْمَقْصُورُ لِأَنَّهُ قَصَرَ عَلَى مُلْكِ أَبِيهِ، وَكَانَ أَخُوهُ مُعَاوِيَةُ، وَهُوَ الْجَوْنُ، عَلَى الْيَمَامَةِ. فَلَمَّا مَاتَ عَمْرٌو مَلَكَ بَعْدَهُ ابْنُهُ الْحَارِثُ، وَكَانَ شَدِيدَ الْمُلْكِ بَعِيدَ الصَّوْتِ، فَلَمَّا مَلَكَ قُبَاذُ بْنُ فَيْرُوزَ الْفُرْسَ خَرَجَ فِي أَيَّامِهِ مَزْدَكُ فَدَعَا النَّاسَ إِلَى الزَّنْدَقَةِ، كَمَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ، فَأَجَابَهُ قُبَاذُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ، وَكَانَ الْمُنْذِرُ بْنُ مَاءِ السَّمَاءِ عَامِلًا لِلْأَكَاسِرَةِ عَلَى الْحِيرَةِ وَنَوَاحِيهَا، فَدَعَاهُ قُبَاذُ إِلَى الدُّخُولِ مَعَهُ، فَامْتَنَعَ، فَدَعَا الْحَارِثَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو إِلَى ذَلِكَ فَأَجَابَهُ، فَاسْتَعْمَلَهُ عَلَى الْحِيرَةِ وَطَرَدَ الْمُنْذِرَ عَنْ مَمْلَكَتِهِ. وَقِيلَ فِي تَمَلُّكِهِ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ، وَقَدْ ذَكَرْنَاهُ أَيَّامَ قُبَاذَ. فَبَقُوا كَذَلِكَ إِلَى أَنْ مَلَكَ كِسْرَى أَنُوشِرْوَانُ بْنُ قُبَاذَ بَعْدَ أَبِيهِ فَقَتَلَ مَزْدَكَ وَأَصْحَابَهُ وَأَعَادَ الْمُنْذِرَ بْنَ مَاءِ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى وِلَايَةِ الْحِيرَةِ وَطَلَبَ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو، وَكَانَ بِالْأَنْبَارِ، وَبِهَا مَنْزِلُهُ، فَهَرَبَ بِأَوْلَادِهِ وَمَالِهِ وَهَجَائِنِهِ، وَتَبِعَهُ الْمُنْذِرُ بِالْخَيْلِ مِنْ تَغْلِبَ وَإِيَادٍ وَبَهْرَاءَ فَلَحِقَ بِأَرْضِ كَلْبٍ فَنَجَا، وَانْتَهَبُوا مَالَهُ وَهَجَائِنَهُ، وَأَخَذَتْ تَغْلِبُ ثَمَانِيَةً وَأَرْبَعِينَ نَفْسًا مِنْ بَنِي آكِلِ الْمُرَارِ، فِيهِمْ عَمْرٌو وَمَالِكٌ ابْنَا الْحَارِثِ، فَقَدِمُوا بِهِمْ عَلَى الْمُنْذِرِ، فَقَتَلَهُمْ فِي دِيَارِ بَنِي مَرِينَا، وَفِيهِمْ يَقُولُ عَمْرُو بْنُ كُلْثُومٍ: فَآبُوا بِالنِّهَابِ وَبِالسَّبَايَا وَأُبْنَا بِالْمُلُوكِ مُصَفَّدِينَا وَفِيهِمْ يَقُولُ امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسَ: مُلُوكٌ مِنْ بَنِي حُجْرِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو يُسَاقُونَ الْعَشِيَّةَ يُقْتَلُونَا فَلَوْ فِي يَوْمِ مَعْرَكَةٍ أُصِيبُوا وَلَكِنْ فِي دِيَارِ بَنِي مَرِينَا وَلَمْ تُغْسَلْ جَمَاجِمُهُمْ بِغُسْلٍ وَلَكِنْ فِي الدِّمَاءِ مُرَمَّلِينَا تَظَلُّ الطَّيْرُ عَاكِفَةً عَلَيْهِمْ وَتَنْتَزِعُ الْحَوَاجِبَ وَالْعَيُونَا وَأَقَامَ الْحَارِثُ بِدِيَارِ كَلْبٍ، فَتَزْعُمُ كَلْبٌ أَنَّهُمْ قَتَلُوهُ، وَعُلَمَاءُ كِنْدَةَ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ خَرَجَ يَتَصَيَّدُ، فَتَبِعَ تَيْسًا مِنَ الظِّبَاءِ فَأَعْجَزَهُ، فَأَقْسَمَ أَنْ لَا يَأْكُلَ شَيْئًا إِلَّا مِنْ كَبِدِهِ، فَطَلَبَتْهُ الْخَيْلُ، فَأُتِيَ بِهِ بَعْدَ ثَلَاثَةٍ، وَقَدْ كَادَ يَهْلِكُ جُوعًا، فَشُوِيَ لَهُ بَطْنُهُ فَأَكَلَ فِلْذَةً مِنْ كَبِدِهِ حَارَةً فَمَاتَ. وَلَمَّا كَانَ الْحَارِثُ بِالْحِيرَةِ أَتَاهُ أَشْرَافُ عِدَّةِ قَبَائِلَ مِنْ نِزَارٍ فَقَالُوا: إِنَّا فِي طَاعَتِكَ وَقَدْ وَقَعَ بَيْنَنَا مِنَ الشَّرِّ بِالْقَتْلِ مَا تَعْلَمُ وَنَخَافُ الْفَنَاءَ فَوَجِّهْ مَعَنَا بَنِيكَ يَنْزِلُونَ فِينَا فَيَكُفُّونَ بَعْضَنَا عَنْ بَعْضٍ. فَفَرَّقَ أَوْلَادَهُ فِي قَبَائِلِ الْعَرَبِ، فَمَلَّكَ ابْنَهُ حُجْرًا عَلَى بَنِي أَسَدِ بْنِ خُزَيْمَةَ وَغَطَفَانَ، وَمَلَّكَ ابْنَهُ شُرَحْبِيلَ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي قُتِلَ يَوْمَ الْكُلَابِ، عَلَى بَكْرِ بْنِ وَائِلٍ بِأَسْرِهَا وَعَلَى غَيْرِهَا، وَمَلَّكَ ابْنَهُ مَعْدِي كَرِبَ، وَهُوَ غَلْفَاءُ، وَإِنَّمَا قِيلَ لَهُ غَلْفَاءُ لِأَنَّهُ كَانَ يُغَلِّفُ رَأْسَهُ بِالطِّيبِ، عَلَى قَيْسِ عَيْلَانَ وَطَوَائِفَ غَيْرِهِمْ، وَمَلَّكَ ابْنَهُ سَلَمَةَ عَلَى تَغْلِبَ وَالنَّمِرِ بْنِ قَاسِطٍ وَبَنِي سَعْدِ بْنِ زَيْدِ مَنَاةَ مِنْ تَمِيمٍ. فَبَقِيَ حُجْرٌ فِي بَنِي أَسَدٍ وَلَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ جَائِزَةٌ وَإِتَاوَةٌ كُلَّ سَنَةٍ لِمَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ، فَبَقِيَ كَذَلِكَ دَهْرًا، ثُمَّ بَعَثَ إِلَيْهِمْ مَنْ يَجْبِي ذَلِكَ مِنْهُمْ، وَكَانُوا بِتِهَامَةَ، وَطَرَدُوا رُسُلَهُ وَضَرَبُوهُمْ، فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ حُجْرًا، فَسَارَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِجُنْدٍ مِنْ رَبِيعَةَ، وَجُنْدٍ مِنْ جُنْدِ أَخِيهِ مِنْ قَيْسٍ وَكِنَانَةَ، فَأَتَاهُمْ فَأَخَذَ سَرَوَاتِهِمْ وَخِيَارَهُمْ، وَجَعَلَ يَقْتُلُهُمْ بِالْعَصَا وَأَبَاحَ الْأَمْوَالَ، وَسَيَّرَهُمْ إِلَى تِهَامَةَ، وَحَبَسَ مِنْهُمْ جَمَاعَةً مِنْ أَشْرَافِهِمْ، مِنْهُمْ عُبَيْدُ بْنُ الْأَبْرَصِ الشَّاعِرُ، فَقَالَ شِعْرًا يَسْتَعْطِفُهُ لَهُمْ، فَرَقَّ لَهُمْ وَأَرْسَلَ مَنْ يَرُدُّهُمْ، فَلَمَّا صَارُوا عَلَى يَوْمٍ مِنْهُ تَكَهَّنَ كَاهِنُهُمْ، وَهُوَ عَوْفُ بْنُ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ الْأَسَدِيُّ، فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: مَنِ الْمَلِكُ الصَّلْهَبْ، الْغَلَّابُ غَيْرُ الْمُغَلَّبْ، فِي الْإِبِلِ كَأَنَّهَا الرَّبْرَبْ، هَذَا دَمُهُ يَتَثَعَّبْ، وَهُوَ غَدًا أَوَّلُ مَنْ يُسْتَلَبْ ؟ قَالُوا: وَمَنْ هُوَ ؟ قَالَ: لَوْلَا تَجِيشُ نَفْسٌ خَاشِيَهْ، لَأَخْبَرْتُكُمْ أَنَّهُ حُجْرُ ضَاحِيَهْ، فَرَكِبُوا كُلَّ صَعْبٍ وَذَلُولٍ حَتَّى بَلَغُوا إِلَى عَسْكَرِ حُجْرٍ فَهَجَمُوا عَلَيْهِ فِي قُبَّتِهِ فَقَتَلُوهُ، طَعَنَهُ عِلْبَاءُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ الْكَاهِلِيُّ فَقَتَلَهُ، وَكَانَ حُجْرٌ قَتَلَ أَبَاهُ، فَلَمَّا قُتِلَ قَالَتْ بَنُو أَسَدٍ: يَا مَعْشَرَ كِنَانَةَ وَقَيْسٍ أَنْتُمْ إِخْوَانُنَا وَبَنُو عَمِّنَا، وَالرَّجُلُ بَعِيدُ النَّسَبِ مِنَّا وَمِنْكُمْ، وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُمْ سِيرَتَهُ وَمَا كَانَ يَصْنَعُ بِكُمْ هُوَ وَقَوْمُهُ فَانْتَهِبُوهُمْ. فَشَدُّوا عَلَى هَجَائِنِهِ فَانْتَهَبُوهَا، وَلَفُّوهُ فِي رَيْطَةٍ بَيْضَاءَ وَأَلْقُوهُ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ، فَلَمَّا رَأَتْهُ قَيْسٌ وَكِنَانَةُ انْتَهَبُوا أَسْلَابَهُ وَأَجَارَ عَمْرُو بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ عِيَالَهُ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ حُجْرًا لَمَّا رَأَى اجْتِمَاعَ بَنِي أَسَدٍ عَلَيْهِ خَافَهُمْ فَاسْتَجَارَ عُوَيْمِرُ بْنُ شُجْنَةَ أَحَدَ بَنِي عُطَارِدَ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ زَيْدِ مَنَاةَ بْنِ تَمِيمٍ لِبِنْتِهِ هِنْدٍ بِنْتِ حُجْرٍ وَعِيَالِهِ، وَقَالَ لِبَنِي أَسَدٍ: إِنْ كَانَ هَذَا شَأْنَكُمْ فَإِنِّي مُرْتَحِلٌ عَنْكُمْ وَمُخَلِّيكُمْ وَشَأْنَكُمْ. فَوَادَعُوهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَسَارَ عَنْهُمْ وَأَقَامَ فِي قَوْمِهِ مُدَّةً، ثُمَّ جَمَعَ لَهُمْ جَمْعًا عَظِيمًا وَأَقْبَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ مُدِلًّا بِمَنْ مَعَهُ، فَتَآمَرَ بَنُو أَسَدٍ وَقَالُوا: وَاللَّهِ لَئِنْ قَهَرَكُمْ لِيَحْكُمَنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ حُكْمَ الصَّبِيِّ، فَمَا خَيْرُ الْعَيْشِ حِينَئِذٍ فَمُوتُوا كِرَامًا. فَاجْتَمَعُوا وَسَارُوا إِلَى حُجْرٍ فَلَقَوْهُ فَاقْتَتَلُوا قِتَالًا شَدِيدًا، وَكَانَ صَاحِبُ أَمْرِهِمْ عِلْبَاءَ بْنَ الْحَارِثِ، فَحَمَلَ عَلَى حُجْرٍ فَطَعَنَهُ فَقَتَلَهُ، وَانْهَزَمَتْ كِنْدَةُ وَمَنْ مَعَهُمْ، وَأَسَرَ بَنُو أَسَدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِ حُجْرٍ وَغَنِمُوا حَتَّى مَلَأُوا أَيْدِيَهُمْ مِنَ الْغَنَائِمِ، وَأَخَذُوا جَوَارِيَهُ وَنِسَاءَهُ وَمَا مَعَهُمْ فَاقْتَسَمُوهُ بَيْنَهُمْ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ حُجْرًا أَخَذَ أَمِيرًا فِي الْمَعْرَكَةِ وَجَعَلَ فِي قُبَّةٍ، فَوَثَبَ عَلَيْهِ ابْنُ أُخْتِ عِلْبَاءَ فَضَرَبَهُ بِحَدِيدَةٍ كَانَتْ مَعَهُ لِأَنَّ حُجْرًا كَانَ قَتَلَ أَبَاهُ، فَلَمَّا جَرَحَهُ لَمْ يَقْضِ عَلَيْهِ، فَأَوْصَى حُجْرٌ وَدَفَعَ كِتَابَهُ إِلَى رَجُلٍ وَقَالَ لَهُ: انْطَلِقْ إِلَى ابْنِي نَافِعٍ، وَكَانَ أَكْبَرَ أَوْلَادِهِ، فَإِنْ بَكَى وَجَزِعَ فَاتْرُكْهُ وَاسْتَقْرِهِمْ وَاحِدًا وَاحِدًا حَتَّى تَأْتِيَ امْرَأَ الْقَيْسِ، وَكَانَ أَصْغَرَهُمْ، فَأَيُّهُمْ لَمْ يَجْزَعْ فَادْفَعْ إِلَيْهِ خَيْلِي وَسِلَاحِي وَوَصِيَّتِي. وَقَدْ كَانَ بَيْنَ وَصِيَّتِهِ مِنْ قَتْلِهِ وَكَيْفَ كَانَ خَبَرُهُ. فَانْطَلَقَ الرَّجُلُ بِوَصِيَّتِهِ إِلَى ابْنِهِ نَافِعٍ فَوَضَعَ التُّرَابَ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ ثُمَّ أَتَاهُمْ كُلَّهُمْ، فَفَعَلُوا مِثْلَهُ حَتَّى أَتَى امْرَأَ الْقَيْسِ فَوَجَدَهُ مَعَ نَدِيمٍ لَهُ يَشْرَبُ الْخَمْرَ وَيَلْعَبُ مَعَهُ بِالنَّرْدِ، فَقَالَ: قُتِلَ حُجْرٌ، فَلَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ، وَأَمْسَكَ نَدِيمُهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ: اضْرِبْ، فَضَرَبَ حَتَّى إِذَا فَرَغَ قَالَ: مَا كُنْتُ لِأُفْسِدَ دُسْتَكَ، ثُمَّ سَأَلَ الرَّسُولَ عَنْ أَمْرِ أَبِيهِ كُلِّهِ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: الْخَمْرُ وَالنِّسَاءُ عَلَيَّ حَرَامٌ حَتَّى أَقْتُلَ مِنْ بَنِي أَسَدٍ مِائَةً وَأُطْلِقُ مِائَةً. وَكَانَ حُجْرٌ قَدْ طَرَدَ امْرَأَ الْقَيْسِ لِقَوْلِهِ الشِّعْرَ، وَكَانَ يَأْنَفُ مِنْهُ، وَكَانَتْ أُمُّ امْرِئِ الْقَيْسِ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ أُخْتَ كُلَيْبِ بْنِ وَائِلٍ، وَكَانَ يَسِيرُ فِي أَحْيَاءِ الْعَرَبِ يَشْرَبُ الْخَمْرَ عَلَى الْغُدْرَانِ وَيَتَصَيَّدُ، فَأَتَاهُ خَبَرُ قَتْلِ أَبِيهِ وَهُوَ بِدَمُّونَ مِنْ أَرْضِ الْيَمَنِ، فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ الْخَبَرَ قَالَ: تَطَاوَلَ اللَّيْلُ عَلَيْنَا دَمُّونْ دَمُّونُ إِنَّا مَعْشَرٌ يَمَانُونْ إِنَّنَا لِقَوْمِنَا مُحِبُّونْ ثُمَّ قَالَ ضَيَّعَنِي صَغِيرًا وَحَمَّلَنِي دَمَهُ كَبِيرًا، لَا صَحْوَ الْيَوْمَ وَلَا سُكْرَ غَدًا، " الْيَوْمَ خَمْرٌ وَغَدًا أَمْرٌ ". فَذَهَبَتْ مَثَلًا. ثُمَّ ارْتَحَلَ حَتَّى نَزَلَ بِبَكْرٍ وَتَغْلِبَ، فَسَأَلَهُمُ النَّصْرَ عَلَى بَنِي أَسَدٍ، فَأَجَابُوهُ. فَبَعَثَ الْعُيُونَ إِلَى بَنِي أَسَدٍ، فَنُذِرُوا بِهِ، فَلَجَأُوا إِلَى بَنِي كِنَانَةَ، وَعُيُونُ امْرِئِ الْقَيْسِ مَعَهُمْ، فَقَالَ لَهُمْ عِلْبَاءُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ: اعْلَمُوا أَنَّ عُيُونَ امْرِئِ الْقَيْسِ قَدْ عَادُوا إِلَيْهِ بِخَبَرِكُمْ وَأَنَّكُمْ عِنْدَ بَنِي كِنَانَةَ، فَارْحَلُوا بِلَيْلٍ وَلَا تُعْلِمُوا بَنِي كِنَانَةَ. فَارْتَحَلُوا. وَأَقْبَلَ امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ بِمَنْ مَعَهُ مِنْ بَكْرٍ وَتَغْلِبَ وَغَيْرِهِمْ حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى بَنِي كِنَانَةَ، وَهُوَ يَظُنُّهُمْ بَنِي أَسَدٍ فَوَضَعَ السِّلَاحَ فِيهِمْ وَقَالَ: يَا لِثَارَاتِ الْهُمَامِ ! فَقِيلَ لَهُ: أَبَيْتَ اللَّعْنَ ! لَسْنَا لَكَ بِثَأْرٍ، نَحْنُ بَنُو كِنَانَةَ فَدُونَكَ ثَأْرَكَ فَاطْلُبْهُمْ فَإِنَّ الْقَوْمَ قَدْ سَارُوا بِالْأَمْسِ. فَتَبِعَ بَنِي أَسَدٍ، فَفَاتُوهُ لَيْلَتَهُمْ، وَقَالَ فِي ذَلِكَ: أَلَا يَا لَهْفَ هِنْدٍ إِثْرَ قَوْمٍ هُمُ كَانُوا الشِّفَاءَ فَلَمْ يُصَابُوا وَقَاهُمْ جَدُّهُمْ بِبَنِي أَبِيهِمْ وَبِالْأَشْقَيْنِ مَا كَانَ الْعِقَابُ وَأَفْلَتَهُنَّ عِلْبَاءُ جَرِيضًا وَلَوْ أَدْرَكْنَهُ صَفِرَ الْوِطَابُ يَعْنِي بِبَنِي أَبِيهِمْ كِنَانَةَ، فَإِنَّ أَسَدًا وَكِنَانَةَ ابْنَيْ خُزَيْمَةَ هُمَا أَخَوَانِ. وَقَوْلُهُ: وَلَوْ أَدْرَكْنَهُ صَفِرَ الْوِطَابُ، قِيلَ: كَانُوا قَتَلُوهُ وَاسْتَاقُوا إِبِلَهُ فَصَفِرَتْ وِطَابُهُ مِنَ اللَّبَنِ، أَيْ خَلَتْ، وَقِيلَ: كَانُوا قَتَلُوهُ فَخَلَا جِلْدُهُ، وَهُوَ وِطَابُهُ، مِنْ دَمِهِ بِقَتْلِهِ. فَسَارَ امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ فِي آثَارِ بَنِي أَسَدٍ فَأَدْرَكَهُمْ ظُهْرًا، وَقَدْ تَقَطَّعَتْ خَيْلُهُ وَهَلَكُوا عَطَشًا، وَبَنُو أَسَدٍ نَازِلُونَ عَلَى الْمَاءِ، فَقَاتَلَهُمْ حَتَّى كَثُرَتِ الْقَتْلَى بَيْنَهُمْ وَهَرَبَتْ بَنُو أَسَدٍ. فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَتْ بَكْرٌ وَتَغْلِبُ أَبَوْا أَنْ يَتْبَعُوهُمْ وَقَالُوا: قَدْ أَصَبْتَ ثَأْرَكَ. فَقَالَ: لَا وَاللَّهِ. فَقَالُوا: بَلَى وَلَكِنَّكَ رَجُلٌ مَشْؤُومٌ وَكَرِهُوا قَتْلَهُمْ بَنِي كِنَانَةَ فَانْصَرَفُوا عَنْهُ، وَمَضَى إِلَى أَزِدْ شَنُوءَةَ يَسْتَنْصِرُهُمْ، فَأَبَوْا أَنْ يَنْصُرُوهُ وَقَالُوا: إِخْوَانُنَا وَجِيرَانُنَا. فَسَارَ عَنْهُمْ وَنَزَلَ بِقَيْلٍ يُدْعَى مَرْثَدَ الْخَيْرِ بْنَ ذِي جَدَنٍ الْحِمْيَرِيَّ، وَكَانَ بَيْنَهُمَا قَرَابَةٌ. فَاسْتَنْصَرَهُ عَلَى بَنِي أَسَدٍ، فَأَمَدَّهُ بِخَمْسِمِائَةِ رَجُلٍ مِنْ حِمْيَرَ، وَمَاتَ مَرْثَدٌ قَبْلَ رَحِيلِ امْرِئِ الْقَيْسِ، وَمَلَكَ بَعْدَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ حِمْيَرَ يُقَالُ لَهُ قَرْمَلُ، فَزَوَّدَ امْرَأَ الْقَيْسِ ثُمَّ سَيَّرَ مَعَهُ ذَلِكَ الْجَيْشَ، وَتَبِعَهُ شُذَّاذٌ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ، وَاسْتَأْجَرَ غَيْرَهُمْ مِنْ قَبَائِلِ الْيَمَنِ، فَسَارَ بِهِمْ إِلَى بَنِي أَسَدٍ وَظَفِرَ بِهِمْ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ الْمُنْذِرَ طَلَبَ امْرَأَ الْقَيْسِ وَلَجَّ فِي طَلَبِهِ وَوَجَّهَ الْجُيُوشَ إِلَيْهِ، فَلَمْ يَكُنْ لِامْرِئِ الْقَيْسِ بِهِمْ طَاقَةٌ وَتَفَرَّقَ عَنْهُ مَنْ كَانَ مَعَهُ مِنْ حِمْيَرَ وَغَيْرِهِمْ، فَنَجَا فِي جَمَاعَةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ وَنَزَلَ بِالْحَارِثِ بْنِ شِهَابٍ الْيَرْبُوعِيِّ، وَهُوَ أَبُو عُتَيْبَةَ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ الْمُنْذِرُ يَتَوَعَّدُهُ بِالْقِتَالِ إِنْ لَمْ يُسَلِّمْهُمْ إِلَيْهِ، فَسَلَّمَهُمْ، وَنَجَا امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ وَمَعَهُ يَزِيدُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ وَابْنَتُهُ هِنْدٌ ابْنَةُ امْرِئِ الْقَيْسِ وَأَدْرَاعُهُ وَسِلَاحُهُ وَمَالُهُ، فَخَرَجَ وَنَزَلَ عَلَى سَعْدِ بْنِ الضَّبَابِ الْإِيَادِيِّ سَيِّدِ قَوْمِهِ، فَأَجَارَهُ، وَمَدَحَهُ امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ، ثُمَّ تَحَوَّلَ عَنْهُ وَنَزَلَ عَلَى الْمُعَلَّى بْنِ تَيْمٍ الطَّائِيِّ فَأَقَامَ عِنْدَهُ وَاتَّخَذَ إِبِلًا هُنَاكَ، فَعَدَا قَوْمٌ مِنْ جَدِيلَةَ يُقَالُ لَهُمْ بَنُو زَيْدٍ عَلَيْهَا فَأَخَذُوهَا، فَأَعْطَاهُ بَنُو نَبْهَانَ مِعْزَى يَحْلِبُهَا فَقَالَ: إِذَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِبِلٌ فَمِعْزَى كَأَنَّ قُرُونَ جِلَّتِهَا الْعِصِيُّ الْأَبْيَاتَ. ثُمَّ رَحَلَ عَنْهُمْ وَنَزَلَ بِعَامِرِ بْنِ جُوَيْنٍ، فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَغْلِبَ امْرَأَ الْقَيْسِ عَلَى مَالِهِ وَأَهْلِهِ، فَعَلِمَ امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ بِذَلِكَ فَانْتَقَلَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ بَنِي ثُعْلٍ يُقَالُ لَهُ حَارِثَةُ بْنُ مُرٍّ فَاسْتَجَارَهُ، فَأَجَارَهُ. فَوَقَعَتْ بَيْنَ عَامِرِ بْنِ جُوَيْنٍ وَالثُّعْلِيِّ حَرْبٌ، وَكَانَتْ أُمُورٌ كَثِيرَةٌ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ أَنَّ الْحَرْبَ قَدْ وَقَعَتْ بَيْنَ طَيِّءٍ بِسَبَبِهِ، خَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِهِمْ فَقَصَدَ السَّمَوْأَلَ بْنَ عَادِيَاءَ الْيَهُودِيَّ، فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَأَنْزَلَهُ، فَأَقَامَ عِنْدَهُ امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ، ثُمَّ طَلَبَ مِنْهُ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ لَهُ إِلَى الْحَارِثِ بْنِ أَبِي شِمْرٍ الْغَسَّانِيِّ لِيُوصِلَهُ إِلَى قَيْصَرَ، فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ، وَسَارَ إِلَى الْحَارِثِ وَأَوْدَعَ أَهْلَهُ وَأَدْرَاعَهُ عِنْدَ السَّمَوْأَلِ، فَلَمَّا وَصَلَ إِلَى قَيْصَرَ أَكْرَمَهُ. فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ بَنِي أَسَدٍ فَأَرْسَلُوا رَجُلًا مِنْهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ الطِّمَّاحُ، كَانَ امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ قَتَلَ أَخًا لَهُ، فَوَصَلَ الْأَسَدِيُّ، وَقَدْ سَيَّرَ قَيْصَرُ مَعَ امْرِئِ الْقَيْسِ جَيْشًا كَثِيفًا فِيهِمْ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ الْمُلُوكِ. فَلَمَّا سَارَ امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ، قَالَ الطِّمَّاحُ لِقَيْصَرَ: إِنَّ امْرَأَ الْقَيْسِ غَوِيٌّ عَاهِرٌ، وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُرَاسِلُ ابْنَتَكَ وَيُوَاصِلُهَا، وَقَالَ فِيهَا أَشْعَارًا أَشْهَرَهَا فِي الْعَرَبِ، فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ قَيْصَرُ بِحُلَّةِ وَشْيٍ مَنْسُوجَةٍ بِالذَّهَبِ، مَسْمُومَةٍ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ: إِنِّي أَرْسَلْتُ إِلَيْكَ بِحُلَّتِي الَّتِي كُنْتُ أَلْبَسُهَا تَكْرِمَةً لَكَ، فَالْبَسْهَا وَاكْتُبْ إِلَيَّ بِخَبَرِكَ مِنْ مَنْزِلٍ مَنْزِلٍ. فَلَبِسَهَا امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ وَسُرَّ بِذَلِكَ، فَأَسْرَعَ فِيهِ السُّمُّ وَسَقَطَ جِلْدُهُ، فَلِذَلِكَ سُمِّيَ ذَا الْقُرُوحِ، فَقَالَ امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ فِي ذَلِكَ: لَقَدْ طَمِحَ الطِّمَّاحُ مِنْ نَحْوِ أَرْضِهِ لِيُلْبِسَنِي مِمَّا يُلَبِّسُ أَبْؤُسَا فَلَوْ أَنَّهَا نَفْسٌ تَمُوتُ سَوِيَّةً وَلَكِنَّهَا نَفْسٌ تَسَاقَطُ أَنْفُسَا فَلَمَّا وَصَلَ إِلَى مَوْضِعٍ مِنْ بِلَادِ الرُّومِ يُقَالُ لَهُ أَنْقِرَةُ احْتُضِرَ بِهَا، فَقَالَ: رُبَّ خُطْبَةٍ مُسْحَنْفِرَهْ، وَطَعْنَةٍ مُثْعَنْجِرَهْ ، وَجَفْنَةٍ مُتَحَيِّرَهْ، حَلَّتْ بِأَرْضِ أَنْقِرَهْ . وَرَأَى قَبْرَ امْرَأَةٍ مِنْ بَنَاتِ مُلُوكِ الرُّومِ وَقَدْ دُفِنَتْ بِجَنْبِ عَسِيبٍ، وَهُوَ جَبَلٌ، فَقَالَ: أَجَارَتَنَا إِنَّ الْخُطُوبَ تَنُوبُ وَإِنِّي مُقِيمٌ مَا أَقَامَ عَسِيبُ أَجَارَتَنَا إِنَّا غَرِيبَانِ هَاهُنَا وَكُلُّ غَرِيبٍ لِلْغَرِيبِ نَسِيبُ ثُمَّ مَاتَ فَدُفِنَ إِلَى جَنْبِ الْمَرْأَةِ، فَقَبْرُهُ هُنَاكَ. وَلَمَّا مَاتَ امْرُؤُ الْقَيْسِ سَارَ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ أَبِي شِمْرٍ الْغَسَّانِيُّ إِلَى السَّمَوْأَلِ بْنِ عَادِيَاءَ وَطَالَبَهُ بِأَدْرَاعِ امْرِئِ الْقَيْسِ، وَكَانَتْ مِائَةَ دِرْعٍ، وَبِمَا لَهُ عِنْدَهُ، فَلَمْ يُعْطِهِ، فَأَخَذَ الْحَارِثُ ابْنًا لِلسَّمَوْأَلِ، فَقَالَ: إِمَّا أَنْ تُسْلِمَ الْأَدْرَاعَ وَإِمَّا قَتَلْتُ ابْنَكَ. فَأَبَى السَّمَوْأَلُ أَنْ يُسَلِّمَ إِلَيْهِ شَيْئًا، فَقَتَلَ ابْنَهُ، فَقَالَ السَّمَوْأَلُ فِي ذَلِكَ: وَفَيْتُ بِأَدْرُعِ الْكِنْدِيِّ إِنِّي إِذَا مَا ذُمَّ أَقْوَامٌ وَفَيْتُ وَأَوْصَى عَادِيًّا يَوْمًا بِأَنْ لَا تُهَدِّمَ يَا سَمَوْأَلُ مَا بَنَيْتُ بَنَى لِي عَادِيًا حِصْنًا حَصِينًا وَمَاءً كُلَّمَا شِئْتُ اسْتَقَيْتُ وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ الْأَعْشَى هَذِهِ الْحَادِثَةَ، فَقَالَ: كُنْ كَالسَّمَوْأَلِ إِذْ طَافَ الْهُمَامُ بِهِ فِي جَحْفَلٍ كَسَوَادِ اللَّيْلِ جَرَّارِ إِذْ سَامَهُ خُطَّتَيْ خَسْفٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ قُلْ مَا تَشَاءُ فَإِنِّي سَامِعٌ حَارِ فَقَالَ: غَدْرٌ وَثُكْلٌ أَنْتَ بَيْنَهُمَا فَاخْتَرْ فَمَا فِيهِمَا حَظٌّ لِمُخْتَارِ فَشَكَّ غَيْرَ طَوِيلٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ: اقْتُلْ أَسِيرَكَ إِنِّي مَانِعٌ جَارِي وَهِيَ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ هَذَا.
Translation
✧ Account of the killing of Ḥujr, father of Imruʾ al-Qays, and the wars that occurred because of his killing until Imruʾ al-Qays died We first mention the reason for their kingship over the Arabs in Najd and we trace the event to his killing and what is connected to it, so we say: The fools of Bakr had overcome their wise men and overcome them in the affair, and the strong devoured the weak. So the wise men looked into their affair and saw that they should appoint a king over them who would take for the weak from the strong. The Arabs forbade them and knew that this would not be proper if the king were one of them, because one group would obey him and others would oppose him. So they went to one of the tabābiʿa of Yemen—and they were to the Arabs as the caliphs are to the Muslims—and asked him to appoint a king over them. So he appointed over them Ḥujr b. ʿAmr, the eater of bitter herbs. He came to them and encamped at Baṭn ʿĀqil and raided with Bakr, seizing most of what was in the hands of the Lakhmid kings of the land of Bakr, and he remained thus until he died and was buried at Baṭn ʿĀqil. When he died, ʿAmr b. Ḥujr, the eater of bitter herbs—and he is al-Maqṣūr—became king after his father. He was called al-Maqṣūr only because he confined himself to his father’s kingdom. His brother Muʿāwiyah, who is al-Jawn, was over al-Yamāmah. When ʿAmr died, his son al-Ḥārith became king after him, and he was a mighty king of far-reaching fame. When Qubādh b. Fayrūz ruled the Persians, Mazdak appeared in his days and called the people to heresy, as we have mentioned, and Qubādh answered him to that. Al-Mundhir b. Māʾ al-Samāʾ was the agent of the Kisrās over al-Ḥīrah and its districts, so Qubādh called him to enter with him into it, but he refused. So he called al-Ḥārith b. ʿAmr to that and he answered him, so he appointed him over al-Ḥīrah and expelled al-Mundhir from his kingdom. It is said regarding his taking kingship otherwise, and we have mentioned it in the days of Qubādh. So they remained thus until Kisrā Anūshirwān b. Qubādh became king after his father. He killed Mazdak and his companions, restored al-Mundhir b. Māʾ al-Samāʾ to the governorship of al-Ḥīrah, and sought al-Ḥārith b. ʿAmr. He was at al-Anbār, where his dwelling was, so he fled with his sons and his wealth and his riding camels. Al-Mundhir pursued him with horsemen from Taghlib, Iyād, and Bahrāʾ and caught up with him in the land of Kalb, so he escaped, and they plundered his wealth and riding camels. Taghlib seized forty-eight persons from the Banū Ākil al-Murār, among them ʿAmr and Mālik, the two sons of al-Ḥārith, and brought them to al-Mundhir, who killed them in the abodes of the Banū Marīnā. About them ʿAmr b. Kulthūm said: They returned with the plunder and the captives, and we returned with the kings in fetters. About them Imruʾ al-Qays said: Kings from the Banū Ḥujr b. ʿAmr being driven at evening to be slain. If only they had been struck on a day of battle, but in the abodes of the Banū Marīnā. Their skulls were not washed with a washing, but in the blood they were dyed. The birds remain hovering over them and pluck out the eyebrows and the eyes. Al-Ḥārith stayed in the abodes of Kalb. Kalb claim that they killed him, but the scholars of Kindah claim that he went out hunting and followed a buck of the gazelles, but it eluded him. He swore that he would not eat anything except from its liver. So horsemen sought it, and it was brought to him after three days when he had nearly perished of hunger. Its belly was roasted for him, and he ate a piece of its liver hot and died. When al-Ḥārith was at al-Ḥīrah, nobles of several tribes of Nizār came to him and said: “We are in obedience to you, and there has occurred among us of evil by killing what you know, and we fear annihilation. So send with us your sons to dwell among us, and they will restrain some of us from others.” So he distributed his sons among the tribes of the Arabs. He made his son Ḥujr king over the Banū Asad b. Khuzaymah and Ghaṭafān. He made his son Shuraḥbīl—the one killed on the day of al-Kulāb—king over Bakr b. Wāʾil in its entirety and over others. He made his son Maʿdī Karib—he is Ghalfāʾ, and he was called Ghalfāʾ only because he perfumed his head with fragrance—king over Qays ʿAylān and groups other than them. And he made his son Salamah king over Taghlib and al-Namir b. Qāsiṭ and the Banū Saʿd b. Zayd Manāt of Tamīm. So Ḥujr remained among the Banū Asad, and he had from them a due and a tribute every year for what he needed. He remained thus for a long time, then he sent to them those who would collect that from them. They were in Tihāmah, and they drove away his messengers and beat them. That reached Ḥujr, so he marched against them with an army from Rabīʿah and an army from the army of his brother from Qays and Kinānah. He came to them and seized their chiefs and their best men, and he began killing them with the staff and made the wealth lawful, and he drove them to Tihāmah. He imprisoned among them a group of their nobles, among them ʿUbayd b. al-Abraṣ the poet, who composed poetry seeking to soften him toward them, so he felt compassion for them and sent someone to bring them back. When they were a day’s journey from him, their soothsayer—he was ʿAwf b. Rabīʿah b. ʿĀmir al-Asadī—divined and said to them: “Who is the tall, mighty king, the conqueror not conquered, among the camels as if they were a herd of gazelles? This is his blood flowing, and he is tomorrow the first to be stripped?” They said: “And who is he?” He said: “Were not a fearful soul boiling, I would tell you that he is Ḥujr of the open land.” So they mounted every refractory and docile mount until they reached the camp of Ḥujr, and they fell upon him in his tent and killed him. ʿIlbāʾ b. al-Ḥārith al-Kāhilī thrust him and killed him—Ḥujr had killed his father. When he was killed, the Banū Asad said: “O assembly of Kinānah and Qays, you are our brothers and our paternal cousins, and the man is distant in lineage from us and from you. You have seen his conduct and what he and his people used to do with you, so plunder them.” So they fell upon his riding camels and plundered them, and they wrapped him in a white cloak and cast him on the road. When Qays and Kinānah saw him, they plundered his belongings, and ʿAmr b. Masʿūd gave protection to his family. It is said: When Ḥujr saw the gathering of the Banū Asad against him, he feared them, so he sought protection from ʿUwaymir b. Shujnah, one of the Banū ʿUṭārid b. Kaʿb b. Zayd Manāt b. Tamīm, for his daughter Hind bt. Ḥujr and his family. He said to the Banū Asad: “If this is your affair, then I am departing from you and leaving you to your affair.” So they made peace with him on that, and he departed from them and stayed among his people for a while. Then he gathered a great host against them and came to them exulting in those with him. The Banū Asad took counsel and said: “By God, if he overcomes you, he will judge over you with the judgment of a child. What good is life then? So die honorably.” They gathered and marched against Ḥujr and met him, and they fought a fierce battle. The leader of their affair was ʿIlbāʾ b. al-Ḥārith, and he charged at Ḥujr and thrust him and killed him. Kindah and those with them were routed, and the Banū Asad captured some of the household of Ḥujr and took booty until they filled their hands with spoils, and they took his slave-girls and his women and what was with them and divided it among themselves. It is said: Ḥujr was taken as a prisoner in the battle and placed in a tent, and the nephew of ʿIlbāʾ leaped upon him and struck him with an iron implement he had with him, because Ḥujr had killed his father. When he wounded him, he did not finish him off, so Ḥujr made his will and handed his written will to a man and said to him: “Go to my son Nāfiʿ”—he was the eldest of his sons—“and if he weeps and shows anguish, leave him and question them one by one until you come to Imruʾ al-Qays”—he was the youngest of them. “Whichever of them does not show anguish, deliver to him my horses and my weapons and my will.” And among his will was an account of his killing and how his affair had been. The man went with his will to his son Nāfiʿ, who put dust on his head; then he came to all of them, and they did the same, until he came to Imruʾ al-Qays and found him with a drinking companion of his drinking wine and playing backgammon with him. He said: “Ḥujr has been killed,” but he paid no attention to his words and held back his drinking companion. Imruʾ al-Qays said to him: “Throw,” so he threw until when he finished, he said: “I would not spoil your game.” Then he asked the messenger about all the affair of his father, and he informed him. So he said to him: “Wine and women are forbidden to me until I kill a hundred of the Banū Asad and set free a hundred.” Ḥujr had expelled Imruʾ al-Qays because he composed poetry, and he disdained it. The mother of Imruʾ al-Qays was Fāṭimah bt. Rabīʿah b. al-Ḥārith, the sister of Kulayb b. Wāʾil. He used to travel among the quarters of the Arabs drinking wine at the pools and hunting. The news of his father’s killing came to him while he was at Dammūn in the land of Yemen. When he heard the news, he said: The night has grown long for us, Dammūn, Dammūn; we are a people, Yemenis, And we love our people. Then he said: “He lost me when I was small and burdened me with his blood when I was grown. No sobriety today and no drunkenness tomorrow: ‘Today wine, tomorrow the affair.’” It became a proverb. Then he departed until he encamped with Bakr and Taghlib and asked them for help against the Banū Asad, and they answered him. He sent scouts to the Banū Asad, but they were warned of him, so they took refuge with the Banū Kinānah, and the scouts of Imruʾ al-Qays were with them. ʿIlbāʾ b. al-Ḥārith said to them: “Know that the scouts of Imruʾ al-Qays have returned to him with news of you and that you are with the Banū Kinānah, so depart by night and do not inform the Banū Kinānah.” So they departed. Imruʾ al-Qays came with those with him from Bakr and Taghlib and others until he reached the Banū Kinānah, thinking they were the Banū Asad, and he put weapons among them and said: “O for the vengeance of the noble chief!” It was said to him: “May you not be cursed! We are not your blood vengeance; we are the Banū Kinānah. Here is your vengeance before you, so seek them, for the people departed yesterday.” So he pursued the Banū Asad, but they eluded him that night, and he said about that: Alas, O grief of Hind after a people who were the cure, but they were not struck! Their fortune protected them with the Banū their father and with al-Ashqayn; what was the punishment! ʿIlbāʾ escaped them choking, and had they caught him, the milk-skins would have been empty. He means by “the Banū their father” Kinānah, for Asad and Kinānah, the two sons of Khuzaymah, are brothers. As for his saying “had they caught him, the milk-skins would have been empty,” it is said: they would have killed him and driven off his camels, so his milk-skins would have been empty of milk, that is, void; and it is said: they would have killed him, so his skin—which is his milk-skin—would have been emptied of his blood by killing him. Then Imruʾ al-Qays traveled in the tracks of the Banū Asad and overtook them at noon, while his horsemen had become scattered and had perished of thirst, and the Banū Asad were encamped at the water. He fought them until the slain became many among them and the Banū Asad fled. When morning came, Bakr and Taghlib refused to pursue them and said: “You have obtained your vengeance.” He said: “No, by God.” They said: “Yes, but you are an ill-omened man,” and they disliked his killing them as they had killed the Banū Kinānah, so they turned away from him. He went to Azd Shanūʾah seeking their help, but they refused to help him and said: “They are our brothers and our neighbors.” So he departed from them and encamped with a chief called Marthad al-Khayr b. Dhī Jadan al-Ḥimyarī, and there was kinship between them. He sought his help against the Banū Asad, so he supplied him with five hundred men from Ḥimyar. Marthad died before the departure of Imruʾ al-Qays, and after him a man of Ḥimyar called Qarmal became king, and he provisioned Imruʾ al-Qays and then sent that army with him. Vagabonds from the Arabs followed him, and he hired others from the tribes of Yemen, and he marched with them against the Banū Asad and triumphed over them. Then al-Mundhir sought Imruʾ al-Qays and persisted in seeking him and sent armies against him, and Imruʾ al-Qays had no strength against them, and those with him from Ḥimyar and others dispersed from him. So he escaped with a group of his family and encamped with al-Ḥārith b. Shihāb al-Yarbūʿī—he is the father of ʿUtaybah b. al-Ḥārith—and al-Mundhir sent to him threatening war if he did not hand them over to him, so he handed them over. Imruʾ al-Qays escaped, and with him were Yazīd b. Muʿāwiyah b. al-Ḥārith and his daughter Hind bt. Imruʾ al-Qays and his coats of mail and his weapons and his wealth. He went out and encamped with Saʿd b. al-Ḍabāb al-Iyādī, the chief of his people, and he gave him protection, and Imruʾ al-Qays praised him. Then he departed from him and encamped with al-Muʿallā b. Taym al-Ṭāʾī and stayed with him and acquired camels there. A people of Jadīlah called the Banū Zayd raided them and took them, so the Banū Nabhān gave him goats to milk, and he said: If there are no camels, then goats, whose old ones’ horns are like staffs. The verses. Then he departed from them and encamped with ʿĀmir b. Juwayn, who wanted to seize Imruʾ al-Qays’s wealth and family. Imruʾ al-Qays learned of that and moved to a man of the Banū Thuʿal called Ḥārithah b. Murr and sought his protection, and he protected him. A war broke out between ʿĀmir b. Juwayn and the Thuʿalī, and there were many affairs. When Imruʾ al-Qays saw that war had broken out among Ṭayyiʾ because of him, he departed from them and made for al-Samawʾal b. ʿĀdiyāʾ the Jew, who honored him and lodged him. Imruʾ al-Qays stayed with him as long as God willed, then he asked him to write for him to al-Ḥārith b. Abī Shimr al-Ghassānī so that he would convey him to Caesar, and he did that. He traveled to al-Ḥārith and deposited his family and his coats of mail with al-Samawʾal. When he reached Caesar, Caesar honored him. That reached the Banū Asad, so they sent a man of theirs called al-Ṭimmāḥ, whose brother Imruʾ al-Qays had killed. The Asadī arrived when Caesar had sent with Imruʾ al-Qays a dense army, among them a group of the sons of kings. When Imruʾ al-Qays set out, al-Ṭimmāḥ said to Caesar: “Imruʾ al-Qays is a seducer and an adulterer, and he has claimed that he corresponded with your daughter and had relations with her, and he composed poems about her, the most famous among the Arabs.” So Caesar sent to him a suit of variegated silk woven with gold, poisoned, and wrote to him: “I have sent you my suit that I used to wear as an honor to you, so put it on and write to me of your news from halting place to halting place.” Imruʾ al-Qays put it on and was delighted with it, and the poison acted quickly in him and his skin fell off, and for that he was called Dhū al-Qurūḥ (the one with sores). Imruʾ al-Qays said about that: Al-Ṭimmāḥ has aspired from the direction of his land to clothe me with what misery clothes. If only it were a soul that dies whole, but it is a soul that sheds souls. When he reached a place in the land of the Byzantines called Anqirah, he was at the point of death there, and he said: Many an overflowing oration, and a copious thrust, And a great bowl of broth, settled in the land of Anqirah. And he saw the grave of a woman of the daughters of the kings of the Byzantines buried beside ʿAsīb—it is a mountain—and he said: O our neighbor, calamities befall, and I shall stay as long as ʿAsīb stays. O our neighbor, we are two strangers here, and every stranger is kin to the stranger. Then he died and was buried beside the woman, and his grave is there. When Imruʾ al-Qays died, al-Ḥārith b. Abī Shimr al-Ghassānī went to al-Samawʾal b. ʿĀdiyāʾ and demanded from him the coats of mail of Imruʾ al-Qays, which were one hundred coats of mail, and what of his property was with him. He did not give it to him, so al-Ḥārith seized a son of al-Samawʾal and said: 'Either you hand over the coats of mail or I kill your son.' Al-Samawʾal refused to hand over anything to him, so he killed his son. Al-Samawʾal said about that: I kept faith with the coats of mail of al-Kindī; indeed I, when peoples are blamed, keep faith. And ʿĀdiyāʾ enjoined one day that you not demolish, O Samawʾal, what I have built. ʿĀdiyāʾ built for me a fortified fortress and water from which I drew whenever I wished. Al-Aʿshā mentioned this incident and said: Be like al-Samawʾal when the noble chief circled him in a host like the blackness of night, dragging along, When he offered him two plans of humiliation, and he said to him: 'Say what you wish, for I am listening, O free noble one.' He said: 'Treachery and bereavement — you are between the two, so choose, for in neither of them is there any share for one who chooses.' He doubted not for long, then said to him: 'Kill your captive; I am the defender of my neighbor.' And it is more than this.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.