Part 1 · Pages 200-201
The Day of Jablah
English rendering of the source section
Local English translation across printed pages 200–201; battle reports and later verses are identified separately.
This local English rendering may condense the Arabic narration and editorial notes. It is not a complete published English edition. Consult the Arabic source for exact wording and context.
Read the corresponding Arabic sectionThe day of Jablah was a battle between Banu Hanzalah ibn Malik ibn Zayd Manat ibn Tamim and Banu ‘Amir ibn Sa‘sa‘ah. Banu ‘Amir prevailed over Banu Hanzalah. Laqit ibn Zurarah ibn ‘Udas was killed, and Hajib ibn Zurarah ibn ‘Udas was captured. The account continues on printed page 201.
[1] Nasa’t means that you seized them by the forelock and contested with them. The same usage appears in a report from ‘A’ishah: no wife of the Prophet contended with me except Zaynab. [2] This is an addition from recension A. [3] The day of Jablah was forty years before Islam, the year the Messenger was born. See al-‘Iqd al-Farid and al-Rawd al-Unuf. [4] Ajdham is a known command used to urge horses forward. [5] Most copies read jillah, “the great ones”; recension A has al-hillah, meaning those who dwell in the open land. [6] Ibn ‘Abd Rabbih’s al-‘Iqd al-Farid calls this the battle of Shu‘b Jablah and says it was fought by ‘Amir and ‘Abs against Dhubyan and Tamim. [7] ‘Udas is pronounced with a dammah on the dal by most authorities; Abu ‘Ubaydah pronounces it with a fathah. See al-Rawd al-Unuf, Sharh al-Sirah by Abu Dharr, and Ibn Habib’s genealogical works.
‘Amr ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Udas ibn Zayd ibn Abdullah ibn Darim ibn Malik ibn Hanzalah was routed. Jarir said to al-Farazdaq in a poem: It is as though you never witnessed Laqit and Hajib, or ‘Amr ibn ‘Amr when they called out, “O Darim!” This line is from a longer poem of his.
[1] Dhu Najab, with a medial vowel, is a valley near Mawan. See Ma Yu‘awwal ‘Alayh and Mu‘jam al-Buldan. [2] The manuscripts read “son of”; other copies have “father of Kabshah.” [3] Mu‘jam al-Buldan attributes these verses to Suhaym ibn Wathil al-Riyahi. [4] Qarzal, with a dammah, was the name of al-Tufayl ibn Malik’s horse; al-Tufayl was called “the rider of Qarzal.” [5] Mu‘jam al-Buldan gives another version of this line, naming Yazid and ‘Ubaydah. [6] “The brooding mother of chicks” means the head, or owl; they believed a slain man’s spirit became an owl crying “Give me drink!” until his death was avenged. [7] Misqa‘ here derives from “he struck it against a solid object.”