Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (8/232)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

He rose up in al-Jazīrah with thirty men along the Euphrates irrigation canals. They slew a Christian merchant and seized his money. He then ravaged Dara (1) and looted it, and his forces swelled. Next he marched on Mayyāfāriqīn, whose inhabitants ransomed their town from him for twenty thousand. The people of Khilāṭ (2) likewise concluded a monetary truce with him. He routed the army of al-Rashīd, his power became formidable, and he sacked Nisibis, killing five thousand of its people. In the end Yazīd ibn Mazyad fought him, defeated him, and killed him.

His sister, al-Fāriʿah (4), lamented him in well-known verses (3). Among them:

O trees of the Khabur, why do you still wear your leaves?
As though you had never mourned for Ibn Ṭarīf!

A youth who sought no provisions save those gained through piety,
And no wealth save that won with lances and swords (5).

He treasured nothing but every bare-maned, stalwart steed,
Forever returning to the charge amid the ranks (6).

A lifelong ally of generosity—while he lived, liberality was pleased with its companion;
When he died, generosity could find no companion to please it (7).

(1) A town in the Jazira region, famous for its orchards and flowing water. (2) A locality in central Armenia. (3) This poem is recorded in al-Buhturi’s Hamasah, pp. 276–277; its opening line reads: “bitlu nabatha rasmu qabrin ka-annahu / ala jabalin fawqa al-jibali munif” (“The abandoned trace of a grave appears as though perched on a lofty mountain above other mountains”). (4) Ibn Khallikan reports that her name was Fatimah, whereas Ibn Hazm, in al-Jamharah, calls her Layla—the name also found in al-Buhturi’s Hamasah. (5) Al-Buhturi’s Hamasah reads: “a youth who cared nothing for provisions.” (6) Al-Buhturi’s version of the line is: “wa-la l-khayla illa kullu jurda-in shatba / wa-ajrada ali l-munsijayni azuf” (“No horses except every sleek, lean-flanked mare and every high-strung stallion with twin belly-straps, aloof”). The term al-saldam denotes a horse with exceptionally hard hooves, while muʿawada signifies unfailing perseverance. (7) In the Hamasah, the phrase appears as: “halif al-nada in ʿasha” (“an ally of generosity, if he lives”).

خَرَجَ بِالجَزِيْرَةِ فِي ثَلاَثِيْنَ نَفْساً بِسقي الفُرَاتِ، فَقَتَلُوا تَاجِراً نَصْرَانِيّاً، وَأَخَذُوا مَالَهُ، ثُمَّ عَاثَ بِدَارَا (١) ، وَنَهَبَ، وَكَثُرَ جَيْشُهُ، فَقَصَدَ مَيَّافَارِقِيْنَ، فَفَدَوُا البَلَدَ مِنْهُ بِعِشْرِيْنَ أَلْفاً، وَصَالَحَهُ أَهْل خِلاَطٍ (٢) عَلَى مَالٍ، وَهَزَمَ عَسْكَرَ الرَّشِيْدِ، وَاسْتَفْحَلَ أَمْرُهُ، وَاسْتبَاح نَصِيْبِيْنَ، فَقَتَلَ بِهَا خَمْسَةَ آلاَفٍ، إِلَى أَنْ حَارَبَه يَزِيْدُ بنُ مَزْيَدٍ، وَظَفِرَ بِهِ، فَقَتَلَهُ. وَرَثَتْهُ أُخْتُهُ بِأَبْيَاتٍ مَشْهُوْرَةٍ (٣) ، وَاسْمُهَا الفَارِعَةُ (٤) . وَمِنْ أَبْيَاتِهَا: فَيَا شَجَرَ الخَابُوْرِ مَا لَكَ مُوْرِقاً؟ ... كَأَنَّكَ لَمْ تَحْزَنْ عَلَى ابْنِ طَرِيْفِ! فَتَىً لاَ يُحِبُّ الزَّادَ إِلاَّ مِنَ التُّقَى ... وَلاَ المَالَ إِلاَّ مِنْ قَناً وَسُيُوْفِ (٥) وَلاَ الذُّخْرَ إِلاَّ كُلَّ جَرْدَاءَ صِلْدِمٍ ... مُعَاوِدَةٍ لِلْكَرِّ بَيْنَ صُفُوفِ (٦) حَلِيْفُ النَّدَى مَا عَاشَ يَرْضَى بِهِ النَّدَى ... فَإِنْ مَاتَ لَمْ يَرْضَ النَّدَى بِحَلِيْفِ (٧)

(١) بلد بالجزيرة ذات بساتين ومياه جارية. (٢) بلد في قصبة أرمينية الوسطى. (٣) وهي في حماسة البحتري: ٢٧٦، ٢٧٧ مطلعها: بتل نباثا رسم قبر كأنه * على جبل فوق الجبال منيف (٤) قال ابن خلكان: وقيل: فاطمة، وسماها ابن حزم في " الجمهرة ": ليلى، وكذلك ورد اسمها في حماسة البحتري. (٥) في حماسة البحتري: فتى لم يحب الزاد. (٦) رواية البيت في حماسة البحتري. ولا الخيل إلا كل جرداء شطبة * وأجرد عالي المنسجين عزوف والصلدم: الشديد الحافر، ومعاودة: مواظبة لا تمل. (٧) في الحماسة: حليف الندى إن عاش.