Pre-Islamic Arabian poetry by arguably the greatest pre-Islamic Arabian hero and warrior, Antarah ibn Shaddad. A black Arabian man born to an Ethiopian slave woman, he rose up the status hierarchy and became the leader of his people the Banu 'Abs. Forever immortalized in history are his poems, many dedicated to war, love, honour and sacrifice.
This poem is called:
حَكِّم سُيوفَكَ (Let your sword judge)
حَكِّم سُيوفَكَ في رِقابِ العُذَّلِ
وَإِذا نَزَلتَ بِدارِ ذُلٍّ فَاِرحَلِ
وَإِذا بُليتَ بِظالِمٍ كُن ظالِم
وَإِذا لَقيتَ ذَوي الجَهالَةِ فَاِجهَلي
وَإِذا الجَبانُ نَهاكَ يَومَ كَريهَةٍ
خَوفاً عَلَيكَ مِنَ اِزدِحامِ الجَحفَلِ
فَاِعصِ مَقالَتَهُ وَلا تَحفِل بِه
وَاِقدِم إِذا حَقَّ اللِقا في الأَوَّلِ
وَاِختَر لِنَفسِكَ مَنزِلاً تَعلو بِهِ
أَو مُت كَريماً تَحتَ ظُلِّ القَسطَلِ
فَالمَوتُ لا يُنجيكَ مِن آفاتِهِ
حِصنٌ وَلَو شَيَّدتَهُ بِالجَندَلِ
مَوتُ الفَتى في عِزَّةٍ خَيرٌ لَهُ
مِن أَن يَبيتَ أَسيرَ طَرفٍ أَكحَلِ
إِن كُنتَ في عَدَدِ العَبيدِ فَهِمَّتي
فَوقَ الثُرَيّا وَالسِماكِ الأَعزَلِ
أَو أَنكَرَت فُرسانُ عَبسٍ نِسبَتي
فَسِنانُ رُمحي وَالحُسامُ يُقِرُّ لي
وَبِذابِلي وَمُهَنَّدي نِلتُ العُل
لا بِالقَرابَةِ وَالعَديدِ الأَجزَلِ
وَرَمَيتُ مُهري في العَجاجِ فَخاضَهُ
وَالنارُ تَقدَحُ مِن شِفارِ الأَنصُلِ
خاضَ العَجاجَ مُحَجَّلاً حَتّى إِذ
شَهِدَ الوَقيعَةَ عادَ غَيرَ مُحَجَّلِ
وَلَقَد نَكَبتُ بَني حُريقَةَ نَكبَةً
لَمّا طَعَنتُ صَميمَ قَلبِ الأَخيَلِ
وَقَتَلتُ فارِسَهُم رَبيعَةَ عَنوَةً
وَالهَيذُبانَ وَجابِرَ بنَ مُهَلهَلِ
وَاِبنَي رَبيعَةَ وَالحَريشَ وَمالِك
وَالزِبرِقانُ غَدا طَريحَ الجَندَلِ
وَأَنا اِبنُ سَوداءِ الجَبينِ كَأَنَّه
ضَبُعٌ تَرَعرَعَ في رُسومِ المَنزِلِ
الساقُ مِنها مِثلُ ساقِ نَعامَةٍ
وَالشَعرُ مِنها مِثلُ حَبِّ الفُلفُلِ
وَالثَغرُ مِن تَحتِ اللِثامِ كَأَنَّهُ
بَرقٌ تَلَألَأَ في الظَلامِ المُسدَلِ
يا نازِلينَ عَلى الحِمى وَدِيارِهِ
هَلّا رَأَيتُم في الدِيارِ تَقَلقُلي
قَد طالَ عِزَّكُم وَذُلّي في الهَوى
وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ عِزَّكُم وَتَذَلَّلي
لا تَسقِني ماءَ الحَياةِ بِذِلَّةٍ
بَل فَاِسقِني بِالعِزِّ كَأسَ الحَنظَلِ
ماءُ الحَياةِ بِذِلَّةٍ كَجَهَنَّمٍ
وَجَهَنَّمٌ بِالعِزِّ أَطيَبُ مَنزِلِ
Translation:
"Let your sword judge in the face of the enemy and when thy enter upon a land disgraced; then leave. And when your tested with an oppressor then become a oppressor – and when you meet an ignorant, then get ignorant.
And when the coward tries to prevent you on a frightful day – fearing for you the outnumbering crowd. Disobey his suggestion and pay it no mind and rush to be first when you meet thy enemy.
And choose for yourself a rank, you will be lofty in or die honourably under the shade of the Qustal (tree). A lad dying honourably is better for him than to be a slave looked down upon. If your content amongst the slaves then my aspirations are above the skies.
Even if the knights of the Abs tribe disregard my lineage then the teeth of my spear and sword will vouch for me. With my seal and Muhannad (an Indian sword) I have attained greatness not with relatives or great numbers. As I throw my hand into the dust and wage war sparks flame from the clashes of the blades.
For verily I caused calamity for Bani Hurayqa when I stabbed the best of the best. When I killed their knights, Rabi’ah Anwa, Hudhayban and Jabir bin Muhalhal. And the sons of Rabi’ah, Huraysh, Malik and Zabarqan Al Jundali.
And I’m the son of a black whose forehead resembles that of a hyena being bred in the living room. And her shin resembling that of an ostrich and her hair resembling a peppercorn seed. With her front teeth under the upper lip like lighting flashing through intense darkness.
Oh, attackers of the compound and it’s residences how come you didn’t see me back down? My dominance is long overdue and my lowliness is a thing of the past. And what is strange is your esteem and my lowliness!
Don’t quench me with water while disgraced. Rather quench me with a cup of coloncynth with honour. Life being humiliated is like Hell and Hell while honoured is a better place."
Here is the video with the best voice:
This poem is called:
حَكِّم سُيوفَكَ (Let your sword judge)
حَكِّم سُيوفَكَ في رِقابِ العُذَّلِ
وَإِذا نَزَلتَ بِدارِ ذُلٍّ فَاِرحَلِ
وَإِذا بُليتَ بِظالِمٍ كُن ظالِم
وَإِذا لَقيتَ ذَوي الجَهالَةِ فَاِجهَلي
وَإِذا الجَبانُ نَهاكَ يَومَ كَريهَةٍ
خَوفاً عَلَيكَ مِنَ اِزدِحامِ الجَحفَلِ
فَاِعصِ مَقالَتَهُ وَلا تَحفِل بِه
وَاِقدِم إِذا حَقَّ اللِقا في الأَوَّلِ
وَاِختَر لِنَفسِكَ مَنزِلاً تَعلو بِهِ
أَو مُت كَريماً تَحتَ ظُلِّ القَسطَلِ
فَالمَوتُ لا يُنجيكَ مِن آفاتِهِ
حِصنٌ وَلَو شَيَّدتَهُ بِالجَندَلِ
مَوتُ الفَتى في عِزَّةٍ خَيرٌ لَهُ
مِن أَن يَبيتَ أَسيرَ طَرفٍ أَكحَلِ
إِن كُنتَ في عَدَدِ العَبيدِ فَهِمَّتي
فَوقَ الثُرَيّا وَالسِماكِ الأَعزَلِ
أَو أَنكَرَت فُرسانُ عَبسٍ نِسبَتي
فَسِنانُ رُمحي وَالحُسامُ يُقِرُّ لي
وَبِذابِلي وَمُهَنَّدي نِلتُ العُل
لا بِالقَرابَةِ وَالعَديدِ الأَجزَلِ
وَرَمَيتُ مُهري في العَجاجِ فَخاضَهُ
وَالنارُ تَقدَحُ مِن شِفارِ الأَنصُلِ
خاضَ العَجاجَ مُحَجَّلاً حَتّى إِذ
شَهِدَ الوَقيعَةَ عادَ غَيرَ مُحَجَّلِ
وَلَقَد نَكَبتُ بَني حُريقَةَ نَكبَةً
لَمّا طَعَنتُ صَميمَ قَلبِ الأَخيَلِ
وَقَتَلتُ فارِسَهُم رَبيعَةَ عَنوَةً
وَالهَيذُبانَ وَجابِرَ بنَ مُهَلهَلِ
وَاِبنَي رَبيعَةَ وَالحَريشَ وَمالِك
وَالزِبرِقانُ غَدا طَريحَ الجَندَلِ
وَأَنا اِبنُ سَوداءِ الجَبينِ كَأَنَّه
ضَبُعٌ تَرَعرَعَ في رُسومِ المَنزِلِ
الساقُ مِنها مِثلُ ساقِ نَعامَةٍ
وَالشَعرُ مِنها مِثلُ حَبِّ الفُلفُلِ
وَالثَغرُ مِن تَحتِ اللِثامِ كَأَنَّهُ
بَرقٌ تَلَألَأَ في الظَلامِ المُسدَلِ
يا نازِلينَ عَلى الحِمى وَدِيارِهِ
هَلّا رَأَيتُم في الدِيارِ تَقَلقُلي
قَد طالَ عِزَّكُم وَذُلّي في الهَوى
وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ عِزَّكُم وَتَذَلَّلي
لا تَسقِني ماءَ الحَياةِ بِذِلَّةٍ
بَل فَاِسقِني بِالعِزِّ كَأسَ الحَنظَلِ
ماءُ الحَياةِ بِذِلَّةٍ كَجَهَنَّمٍ
وَجَهَنَّمٌ بِالعِزِّ أَطيَبُ مَنزِلِ
Translation:
"Let your sword judge in the face of the enemy and when thy enter upon a land disgraced; then leave. And when your tested with an oppressor then become a oppressor – and when you meet an ignorant, then get ignorant.
And when the coward tries to prevent you on a frightful day – fearing for you the outnumbering crowd. Disobey his suggestion and pay it no mind and rush to be first when you meet thy enemy.
And choose for yourself a rank, you will be lofty in or die honourably under the shade of the Qustal (tree). A lad dying honourably is better for him than to be a slave looked down upon. If your content amongst the slaves then my aspirations are above the skies.
Even if the knights of the Abs tribe disregard my lineage then the teeth of my spear and sword will vouch for me. With my seal and Muhannad (an Indian sword) I have attained greatness not with relatives or great numbers. As I throw my hand into the dust and wage war sparks flame from the clashes of the blades.
For verily I caused calamity for Bani Hurayqa when I stabbed the best of the best. When I killed their knights, Rabi’ah Anwa, Hudhayban and Jabir bin Muhalhal. And the sons of Rabi’ah, Huraysh, Malik and Zabarqan Al Jundali.
And I’m the son of a black whose forehead resembles that of a hyena being bred in the living room. And her shin resembling that of an ostrich and her hair resembling a peppercorn seed. With her front teeth under the upper lip like lighting flashing through intense darkness.
Oh, attackers of the compound and it’s residences how come you didn’t see me back down? My dominance is long overdue and my lowliness is a thing of the past. And what is strange is your esteem and my lowliness!
Don’t quench me with water while disgraced. Rather quench me with a cup of coloncynth with honour. Life being humiliated is like Hell and Hell while honoured is a better place."
Here is the video with the best voice:
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Last edited:
Why tf shouldn’t afro-centrics claim him
