Ancient Arabian Poetry as a Source of Historical Information Author(s): C. J. Lyall Reviewed work(s): Source: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, (Jan., 1914), pp. 61-73 Published by: Cambridge University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25189102 . Accessed: 10/12/2011 17:37Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

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Ill ANCIENT ARABIAN POETRY AS A SOURCE OF HISTORICAL INFORMATIONBy Head Sik C. J. LYALL, Congress K.CS.L, of Historical CLE., Studies, LL.D. 7, 1013

at the International

Ajwil

TjlHE the

conquest

Empire seventh

the Persian and half of the Byzantine the in Arabs, under the banner of Islam by was one of the most century, extraordinary

of

events

in the history of the world. On the one side were two the of forces powers, ranged military highly-organized over Rome and for New which Persia, Imperial Imperial in constant had been engaged three centuries conflict with each the other. material be Although resources supposed this tended necessarily of the combatants, it must their have a leaders to exhaust it would given them

naturally military

that and

experience,

to enable them adequate generalship, fidence of victory enemies hitherto regarded with contempt as mere barbarians. On the other side we see hosts of men, reared in a country where the conditions of been of the hardest and most precarious, feuds and secular against hatreds, poorly disciplined Yet from life have divided with with

in training con to face with

always by tribal

no practice in warfare no allies to swell their the progresssuccess.

armed, foes, and the

of the Arabs

legions. was one of almost what the

beginning

uninterrupted were the that be

How led to civilizations

this the

happened, great before

antecedents befell must

catastrophe the new world-power,

which

ancient

always

one of the most Materials

problems interesting exist for the study of the Byzantine Empire of in the works of Greek historians. For the conditions

of history.

62 the Persian

ANCIENT ARABIAN POETRY

of the Sasanians Empire we have the history as recorded by Tabari, based upon the Kliudhdl-namah of some and also from information indigenous origin, good sources. cases But in both the period of the Syriac is poorly represented documents. conquest by contemporary I not to Of this part of the subject, do however, propose to draw to is attention the materials My object speak. which Arabia for a survey of the history and conditions of the which the century conquests during preceded of that part of Arabia which of Islam, and more especially exist furnished religious from the forces, as distinguished invading at at Mecca and consummated revolution, begun which drew its inspiration from the Prophet the so far as in texts the they ancient are contemporary, Arabian poetry, be said are the

Medina, Muhammad. These wholly earliest with the

materials, contained

surviving commencement

of which of

poetry was almost we have no reason special reduced conquest picture the first of so custom that

and entirely a few in to suppose that, except very was cases it I will further of which on, speak to writing of Muslim the first until century was well tribal advanced. of composers in verse: It who is the the life of nomadic and the product in the work, Arabia, a formed special class

may the sixth century transmitted by memory,

to begin a.d. This

of

skilled

instance, artists

of making in every as

from whom, the however, verse later on took a wide extension, a large number of tribe we meet with of action, who celebrate their own their

singers, mostly deeds as well called The means during of the under forth

men

in poems fellows were by they engaged. bulk of this poetry which is by no has survived in the of scholars the small, although, who, opinion the latter half the literary set in with age which reign of the early the House 'Abbaside of Umayyah and continued and recorded collected Caliphs,

the exploits of the events in which

ANCIENT ARABIAN POETRY the remains before which carried we the

63 which has

the death down, it in their memories, is very large. How much has so perished we have no means of judging. The earliest which have survived poems probably of the sixth belong to the end of the fifth or beginning perished of those who a.d. relate to the which They long warfare a for stated in round numbers by tradition raged, period at forty years, two large kindred between groups, who mountains the in al-Yamamah East pf Central occupied Arabia called Bakr and Taghlib. This war, known as century one of al-Basus, poets on both sides, produced many of whom, Muhalhil, the chief of Taghlib, is perhaps the most ancient of whom we have remains: two short the War

it could

possess, be written

amount with

in the collection of ancient poems by him are contained 210 odes made al-Asma'i Another (died 11.). by very ancient with Muhalhil, is poet, probably contemporary are attributed to whom the Elder, of Bakr, Muraqqish several pieces preserved in the collection IG8 H.). called the was before Peace (completed III, king of al-Hirah by al-Mundhir eventually arranged on the a wide over who exercised Euphrates, jurisdiction but the rancour nomad Arabia; stirred the conflict by Afufaddaliydt for generations, and two of the seven long poems one by 'Amr son of Kulthfun, the Mn'allaqdt, chief of Taghlib, and the other by al-llarith son of Ilillizah, of a division were of Bakr, which Yashkur, composed between 55G and 5G8, testify to the enmity which still survived called subsisted'Ann: of

inal-llirah.

the

time

of

al-Mundhirs

successor,

king

than these is the group of poets the history of a tribe of Yamanic origin called Kindah, which, in the latter half of the fifth and the first third of the sixth century itself in a.d., established a as the northern half of Central Arabia superior power the tribal Its who took chiefs, controlling organizations. Not connected with

much

later

64 the the stand Wadl title of

ANCIENT ARABIAN POETRY the

Ma'addic

contracted king, tribes, and had well-watered comparatively Arab the towns of Buraidah the main the

intermarriages their centre territory and

with

in al-Qasim, now where

ar-Rummah, connects Tradition with

in the great 'Unaizah, torrent-bed of Central Arabia. of and the of authority internecine strife

extension

Kindah

the state

of confusion

of al-Basus, and it is certain that by the. War produced the princes of the tribe were connected with by marriage stood at The power of Kindah both Bakr and Taghlib. and beginning its highest at the end of the fifth century on the the king, of the sixth, when al-Harith, appeared one an seems as time to He at invader. Roman border have who that held was al-Hirah the most on the Euphrates, and al-Mundhir formidable of the Romans enemy III, in

was his his son-in-law, afterwards though region, to al-Harith owned The tribes who enemy. allegiance were four sons, of his him the under governance placed by were to the and Asad, whose lands those nearest among Kindite became the portion centre at Ghamr Dim Kindah, son. son of Hugr was al-Harith's eldest The of Hugr, the most of all ancient the Imra' al-Qais, celebrated poets, of whom

a large quantity of verse has survived. During in Asad the art of poetry dominion the years of Hugr's 'Abid son of The bard of Asad was made much progress. now for the first time published whose al-Abras, diwdn, is about to in the British Museum, MS. from an ancient slew the men of Asad The death of Hugr, whom appear. had the king of Kindah, about A.D. 530 after al-Harith, much died, is the central event round which has gathered and 'Abid; and there can be no poetry by Imra' al-Qais the doubt, from poems by these authors which we possess, were other contemporary that there many though singers, little of that early time has reached us. After of the the wreck kings of of the dominion gradually of Kindah extended al-Hirah the power itself over

ANCIENT ARABIAN POETRY

05

the northern coasts Mundhir of in the former King of III

half the and

of

Persian of

the peninsula and along the southern The Gulf. al energetic kings are often his son 'Amr b. Hind heard that time. and the These latter ruled, the kings from 554 to 569.

poems from 505 was

to 554,

in the midst of his Court, by a killed, 'Ami* son of Kulthum of Taghlib, proud Arab chief, upon to fix an whom he was endeavouring which the indignity s fierce nomad resented. Two of 'Amr brothers succeeded 'Amr him or the and had short followed reigns, and then, between their nephew an-Nu'man king of al-llirah. The 580 and Abu Courts 602

603, last Lakhmite

Qabus, of all

nomad On the

were visited frequently kings verse much and which tribes, on these occasions. composed these the side of Rome line of there was

from the by poets was has survived

another

marches

though Syrian in their habits, were civilized wilderness, comparatively most to by poets from the South. Their also resorted son of Jabal ah, who the Lame, al-llarith famous king, in a long poem by from 529 to 569, is addressed reigned son of 'Abadah of Tamlm, in the contained 'Alqamah Mufaddaliydt; Imra al-Qais. of a fine the Within frequent endeavour quarrel. contest origin sister poem last decade the between figures in the history of his successors, 'Amr, of Dhubyan, by an-Nabighah but one of the sixth century. One he also of 'Abid and is the subject probably in

Byzantine of Christianity,

of Ghassan, Jafnah, kings Limes which defined the along rule. These who princes, and, nomads

house, princely who the kept the boundary of were of adherents the

was this time warfare peninsula during the tribes, but it would take too long to to set forth the various causes and histories of famous From a literary point of view the most that called the War held to the horse-race belonging5

was in a stocks

between

of Dahis, which the chiefs group

had of

its two

large

of Ghatafan,

.IRAS. HM4.

66 the said tribes to have of

ANCIENT ARABIAN POETRY is also struggle its that is it forty years, probable To this period considerably exaggerated. This but

'Abs and Dhubyfin. lasted

length

has been

of Dhubyfin, the famous poets an-Nabighah belong of Zuhair whose and of 'Antarah Muzainah, 'Abs, which of peace, the making celebrates Mu'allaqah some the of the before close time probably happened sixth In the A.D. century the next years, twenty of Muhammad appearance which preceding as a prophet, the number most famous were Maimfm are those

The of poets was very large. a division settled of Bakr b. of Tha'labah, al-A'sha, Qais a branch of b. Kilab, of Ja'far in al-Yamamah; Labid, son of Abii of 'Amir b. Sa'sa'ah; Bishr, Hatim, T&yyi'; Khfizim, mentioned of the of Asad; : of all son of the Zuhair Ka'b, Another these we have dvwdns. and just poet was

man of action, time, and also a celebrated now cousin of Labid, whose diwdn, 'Amir son of at-Tufail, Tufail of to appear. for the first time, is about published 'Amir a alliance with in tribe subordinate small Ghani, to the same age, and his diwdn, belongs is also now on the eve of publication. hitherto unknown, were not written these poems I said just now that save were in a few down at the time when they composed, b. Sa'sa'ah, exceptional the diwdn al-Hirah of an-Nu'man of his cases. of who One of these 'Adi b. Zaid, was intimately Qabus, the is afforded by exceptions a Christian of Tamimite with the history connected The last king of that state. his and of an-Nu'man, by in order after poem poem

Abu

story long imprisonment to the king addressed having to induce him to release him, necessarily implies that the were His in writing. poems, which messages surviving of as the work Arab are of a town-bred interesting and was ministers he culture up among (for brought collected been have at the Persian secretaries Court),

and will,

I hope, shortly be published

by my

friend

ANCIENT ARABIAN POETRY Another

67

Mr. Krenkow, in the works of

of Leicester. of Umayyah and an older remains

at-Taif, whose collected to the world These

is found exception also a townsman, of the Prophet, contemporary have recently (1911) been given b. Abi-s-Salt,

F. Schulthess, of Gottingen. by Professor are as of and interest poems great importance in the neighbourhood of the currency, evidence of Mecca, the stories of the Old and New of an acquaintance with and and

the apocryphal literature connected there some as source to thus clue the whence with, affording same drew the narratives Muhammad with the dealing in the contained Qur'an. subjects The of Islam, and the diversion to exterior coming Testaments of the energies had hitherto which been spent conquest a on had tribal influence the poetry feuds, upon striking a mass verse have We of of Arabia. large by composed been the who, persons pagans, accepted having originally like al-Ilutai'ah, Besides authors ash religion. and Abu Dhu'aib, who have left al-Khansa, Shammakh, a of the odes contained in the diiuans, large proportion are as the work of such Mukhadrims, Mufaddaliydt they were the called. austere is very to notice interesting new faith affected the of practices It how the little ideals new

or the to of these singers. continue workmanship They and gambling celebrate the delights of wine-drinking in hospitality, to extol unbounded with arrows, expense in art of war, and the to of boast and accomplishment especially handledas its

of by the

satire. early Themore

Satire, Caliphs,and

indeed, becomes,more

though withwork

severely panegyricof the

complement,

the

poets poet. to be recorded in Islam, when poetry began as it was includes (to mention only writing composed, those of whom we have published diwans) al-Farazdaq a Christian of both of Tamim, and Jarlr, al-Akhtal, professional of century Taghlib, and al-Kumait of Asad, all of whom were expert

list

of

born

in the

first

68

ANCIENT ARABIAN POETRY

in the arts of praising great men and of delivering their enemies. shafts of satire upon Amatory in the poems of 'Umar extension took a wide

biting themes ibn Abi

a Quraishite of Mecca. called Dhu-r Ghailfiu, Rabi'ah, was the last who main of 'Adi b. 'Abd-Manat, Rummah, of poetic achievement, and with tained the old standards is sometimes said to have the cycle of nomad poetry H. in He 117 His closed. 40, died, (a.d. 735). aged for the first time by my friend Mr. C. edited diwdn, now in is the press. Macartney, him These period of compositions, time?fully documents. it will 200 be seen, and cover arc a very strictly to discuss here propose and authenticity of their genuineness ; what on the subject in the will to urge be found I have of 'Abid b. al-Abras, which to the Diwdn Introduction soon be before the public. It will suffice to say that will verses and even whole while fabricated poems are to be temporary the proof found in our the stamp of (in my opinion) and its vividness and us, by compels genuineness, known with the and close correspondence actuality its claims to admit of the age and conditions locality, contained of its reputed authors. are not, the poems by themselves strictly speaking, ever contains a consecutive Arabian An ode hardly histoiy. in the nature of Epic poetry narrative of events. Nothing for The occurrences touched exists. upon are mentioned to be the real work But in the briefest manner, generally part allusively, an actor in the scenes he often himself bard, on his own prowess of the glories and portrajTs, enlarges his enemies his tribe; or, on the other hand, he assails the most and the with recounts their defeats contempt, in most them the odious aud disasters, and depicts light. is the chief subject of which In all cases of tribal warfare, words and the poems, great exaggeration prevails. of scorn collections, in them bears the majority of the materials years, I do not long con

ANCIENT ARABIAN POETRY In order

69

to utilize the poems, to read them aright, to in interpreting the situation, we require to know source the circumstances from some outside in which they were us is to This the furnished labours of composed. by those men who, during the first aud second centuries of use them from the mouths collected of the living Islam, sentatives of the the traditions tribes the of histories. task Many when the but scholars themselves occupied came to be written with down repre tribal this for

preservation, and industry

their through and Ma'mar ibn al-Muthanna, son of Muhammad former, 146

out among all others in their the thoroughness with which they carried ibn al-Kalbi task. These two are Hisham called Abu 'Ubaidah. al-Kalbi The b. as-Saib

poems two stand

(died in historical interest research, il), had an hereditary for his father before him was an industrious of collector To

Ibn al-Kalbi, who died in 204 H., we owe to obtain a sequence of dates for made attempts a great mass the kings of al-Hirah, and Kindah, Ghassan, and of the traditions of tribal genealogies bearing thereon, Arabian and other His into antiquity. investigations " or celebrated in the narratives of the battles Days" the and who of his anecdotal persons poems, biographies traditions. the first in the figure and liveliness, sct a constant Yamanic own tribe itself never tribes traditions, of graphic detail. tribal are full of Against to exalt the cause of disposition Arabs. of that the Ma'addic against interest, this must of be the His

from QuchVah, considered of Kalb, descended on this account he is to be of Yamanic and ; origin a when the contest between is repre impartial He appears and one of Ma'add. sentative of al-Yaman than of Abu his one occasion to have to the fabricated discredit anecdotes 'Ubaidah in poems of Ma'addic

on more support heroes.

n.), on the other hand, has every appearance of being ; his narratives impartial arc full of detail, and his citation of the authorities from (J 10-20!)

70 whom he derived most

ANCIENT ARABIAN POETRY his information He (see the index is often critical was to the in his

Naqaid) examination

He like Ibn not, of Arab himself but a Jew of al-'Iraq descent, al-Kalbi, whose had become converts to Islam. he Thus family stands outside of racial partialities, though he everywhere the keenest in his We interest learn displays subject. from a Ibu Khallikan that he was the author of a work

complete. sources. the of

setting forth the evil qualities of the Arabs (Mathdlib),of literature in his time under very popular species came into favour. the Persians 'Abbasi rule, when If this must at is correct, it least be admitted that he did not for them odious stories eyes at in a manner

but told his characteristics, if not is, to our which, flattering, not to press marked manifest desire least, by any traits, and generally upon their unamiable appears the stamp of truth. invent Neither of Ibn al-Kalbi nor of Abu 'Ubaidah possess (so far as known) form ; but these two are innumerable compilers draw books written their material.

unduly to bear do we

in their original any works source the main from which and historical literary by of all these The greatest

of Abu-1-Faraj is the Kitab of al-Aghdnl compilations now rendered accessible Isfahan (284-356), conveniently we series of indices which of the exhaustive by means a book it is owe to Professor Of so well-known Guidi. The at any first volume to speak unnecessary length. an called the Kdmil contains of Ibn al-Athir's history abridgement very useful, leaves much where the which is 'Ubaidah's Ay yam al-lAvab in the the verses, especially printing, though even than the AghanI, Better to be desired. of Abu two come into

are the extracts competition, in the commentary to the contained 'Ubaidah from Abu or satiric contests the Jarlr and of al-Farazdaq, Naqaid, been Professor has of which edition by just completed Bevan. This work, which from its character is full of

ANCIENT ARABIAN POETRY allusions and we is that have elucidated to Arabian of Abu is supplied in which al-Yazidi from Abu

71 a

antiquity,

with the

instructive

commentary, 'Abdallah extracts

complete latest hand

large as to language and often so far as which leave nothing to be desired accounts, concerns the events with which deal. Professor they indices render the use of the work Bevan's for reference as easy as possible, and an exhaustive is also glossary in the press and will, it is be before is the collection of very completed hoped, long ancient Arabian odes made of the tribe by al-Mufaddal, a learned man who of Dabbah, lived under both Umayyad and 'Abbasid in 168. The exhaustive rule, and died supplied. Another work which is now

Here (died 310). 'Ubaidah's Ayydm, other compared with

of al-Qasim which is being printed al-Anbari, commentary the text, contains, like that to the Naqd'id, with large accounts detailed of the events to which the poems relate, drawn from Ibn al-Kalbi. I need only mention mainly another celebrated at-Tibrizi's scholars When work of a similar of has but Abu llamdsah commentary, since 1828. we less authentic the kind, with Tammam, which, been in the hands of Arabic

the with the traditions compare poems we of deficiencies. them, course, many find, illustrating there are no details Often to explain obscure forthcoming once were those who able to furnish them passages: the before scholars of hold them. Not perished got the poems do not agree with the traditions. unfrequently a case I may illustrate this by is well-known which to my hearers, and comes from a cycle of literature strictly to the Arabian historical analogous legends and ancient mean heroic the Book of in the Old poems?I Judges Testament. In the Song of Deborah, which celebrates the defeat Israel, of Sisera and his the description host by the tribes of Northern of the murder of the fugitive chief

72

ANCIENT ARABIAN POETRY

laws of hospitality, is in defiance of all the by Jael, in the with the account inconsistent prose story. given we is in all probability the poem As contemporary, to that of the prose writer, naturally prefer its testimony who may have lived some centuries in the old although the material of able the later. tribal such Similar poetry cases call is discrepancies and traditions for careful are not uncommon But

of Arabia.

critical

and very large, narratives put together

examination, the help by we are

available

in general outline, a fairly complete in Arabia events and the state of society during the establishment which century preceded pregnant the Empire Not only deal, established the of Islam.

and the poems to construct, at least account of the main that of

so : owing to causes with which I cannot now are those which conditions of life in Arabia, features natural of the the climate and by prevailed seventh over

the mighty forces unifying drew the tribes century together In spite of them on their career of conquest. and started live at the present nomads Islam, the Arabian day very as their ancestors centuries thirteen much lived ago. have country, in the which same characteristics, are marked divided by They by the same life of in the the same blood-feuds, rapine, engaged and to the same customary laws of hospitality subject as the of mutual before intercourse, Prophet prevailed that those in hand. it happens them So Medina took who have travelled with seeing eyes and an understanding heart set in that before us society picture is extraordinarily made, The best of all com from the ancient poems. gather and seventh on the of the sixth literature mentaries allowances great a wilderness of in our own are able to day certain with which, we like that which

in the great book of is to be found in Arabia centuries With our countryman Arabia Descrta. Charles Doughty, of the scholar whose the Tagbuch this I should mention

ANCIENT ARABIAN POETRY recent we all mourn,

73 and the works

death

Julius

Euting,

of Aloys Musil dealing withDesert.

the tribes of the Syrian

his

de Perceval years ago M. Gaussin Sixty-six published sur Vhistoire Essai well-known des Arabes avant of which So then it it was only it was is difficult far as based to speak in it dealt with the almost entirely in MS., and

a work VIslamisme, terms of too much century on the Kitdb clearness before

praise. Muhammad,

for the time

al-Aghdni, of its production

accessible a marvel

insight it appeared, with want and which

of arrangement, into the subject. and the time it dealt

attractive But has

of industry, and style, penetrating has happened much since now come afresh. for the period As a basis for

to be handled to me it appears of the ancient utilization be admitted

such a re-handling, is translations commented It must

that what

on, with

we chiefly worked poems, up of all the available

material.

that to general historians a measure in closed. the field is still The texts, in great the original Arabic, have to a large extent been published ; are not and elucidation but without commentaries they to the specialist. except to make them scholars It is the task for the so that all available,

available

latter-day No works of an ancient poet may judge of their bearing. a translation. without To translate should be published close and minute demands study, and to deal adequately one the problems with by any poet's work presented a survey of a wide field and many necessitates by-paths of

set us a great have France and Germany inquiry. : is it too much to also hope that in this country example the cause ? labourers will be found to help forward