War Poetry

There were two tribes in pre-Islamic Jahiliyah ‘جاهلية’ times of Arabia, called: طسم وجديس

An evil king, named ‘عمليق’ belonged to one of these tribes and wanted to oppress the other tribe. He ordered that any girl who wanted to get married of that tribe, had to spend a night with him first.

Afira bint ‘Abbad, was one of those girls, who was carried to the king. Afterwards, she came out of his tent while her clothes were ripped, addressing her own tribe in a poem:

أَتَرْضَوْنَ مَا يُقْضَى إلَى فَتَـيَاتِـكُـمْ … وأَنْتُمْ رِجَالٌ فِيكُمُ عَـدَد الـنَّـمـلِ
وتُصْبِحُ عُفْيراً بـالـدمـاءِ غَـرِيْقَةً … جِهَاراً ، وقد زُفَّتْ عَرُوساً إلى البَعْلِ
فَلَوْ أننـا كُـنَّـا رِجَـالاً وَكُـنْـتُـمْ … نَسَاءً لَكُنَّا لاَ نَقِـرُّ لِـذا الـفِـعـلِ
وإِنْ أَنْتُمُ لَمْ تَغْضَـبُـوا بَـعْـدَ هـذِهِ … فَكُونُوا نَسَاءً لا تَغيبُوا منَ الكُـحْـلِ
وَدُونَكُمُ طِيبُ الـعَـرُوسِ فـإنَّـمَـا … خُلقْتُمْ لأثْوَابِ الْعَرُوسِ ولِلـنَّـسْـلِ
فَبُعْداً وَسُحْقاً للَّـذِي لَـيْسَ دَافِـعـاً … وَيَخْتَالُ يَمْشِي بَيْنَنَا مَشْيَةَ الفَـحْـلِ

“What has become of you,
that you let the king rape your brides!
You are as numerous as the ants,
yet Afira walks in broad daylight
stained with her virginal blood!
If we were men and you were women,
we’d stop this crime!
Spark the fire of war and kill the tyrant,
or be killed,
or take to the wilderness and starve,
for it’s better to die honourably than live in shame!
But if you’re not moved by this outrage,
you might as well bathe in scent,
kohl your eyes,
and wear the bridal dress!
Death to cowards,
who strut like men among women.”

The tribes gathered and a huge massacre took place which wiped out both tribes.

It shows that poetry can rise entire nations and start revolutions… It is said that when the Soviets came to Afghanistan, they said: “silence the poets!”

It also shows that even the people of Jahiliyah had dignity in them, to defend their women.

A nation which cannot defend its women, is worthless.