1331.] 
C. J. Lyall —Translations from the Hamaseh. 
Notes. 
115 
The metre is JVaf rol the first form, and is imitated in the English 
kj _ w w _ 
_ KJ KJ _ I _ 
KJ 
KJ KJ _ 
KJ 
\J KJ 
The poem belongs to the early days of el-Islam, when the rivalries of 
the Arab tribes were still as strong as before the coming of the new faith. 
The event on which it touches happened in the days of ‘Othman (A. TI. 
25—-35). El-Waqba (or el-Waqaba according to the Mardsid, iii. p. 291) 
was a hima or pasturage surrounding a well of water, reserved by a tribe 
or family for its own use and forbidden to others, lying on the road be¬ 
tween el-Basrah and el-Medineh, three miles distant from ed-Daju‘. Such 
liimas (which I render by “ guarded meadow”) are often heard of in Arab 
verse and story, and disputes connected with them gave occasion to bloody 
contests. The War of Basus, for instance, took its rise in the trespass of 
a strange camel named Sarabi, belonging to a guest of the house of 
Tessas son of Murrah, of the family of Buhl son of Sheyban, into the him a, 
of Kuleyb, chief of the combined clans of Teghlib and Bekr. Kuleyb shot 
at and wounded the camel, and was himself slain by Tessas in revenge for 
the insult done to his guest. In the days of ‘Othman, says et-Tebrlzi, 
‘Abdallah son of ‘Amir, of the family of ‘Abd-Shems son of ‘Abd-Menaf, 
was governor of el-Basrah and its dependencies, and he gave over the charge 
of the himas of that region to Bishr son of Hazn of Mazin (a branch of 
Temim). Bishr and his brother Kdiufaf took possession of el-Waqba, and 
digged there two wells, called Dat-el-Qasr and el-Taufa, which exist to this 
day. Fearing lest ‘Abdallah should take them away by force (for their 
water was sweet as morning rain), they buried them under mounds ot earth 
to hide them. But the matter reached ‘Abdallah, who demanded of them 
the wells which they had dug without his leave. They refused to sur¬ 
render them, and were ejected by him from their office. Now ‘Abdallah 
had placed his uncle Mas‘adeh of Suleym over the well of Abu Musa. This 
well was taken forcible possession of by some men of Bekr and a company 
gathered from other tribes, and when Mas‘adeh called upon them to 
pay for its use, Sheyban son of Khasafeh of Bekr smote him in 
the face with his sword, so that he was carried wounded to his house. 
Thereon the men of Bekr removed to el-Waqba, as being nearer to their 
home and a safer abode, and settled there. And Bishr son of Hazn sent 
word to the Bekris—“ If ye desire only to halt here this summer, ye and 
those that are with you of your tribe, halt and be welcome ; but if ye desire 
aught else, let me know of it: for this is my land and my water.” But 
they replied, threatening him—“ If we see thee in el-Waqba, we will do 
to thee thus and thus.” Whereon Bishr sent his brother Khufaf and otaer 
p 
