The Battle of ʾĀḳəbbōt
This poem documents the battle of ʾĀḳəbbōt, which occurred approximately seventy to eighty years ago between the Ṣmōdā and Ḥrēzī tribes. The battle was named for the eḳbīb tree, from which firewood is gathered. During the battle of ʾĀḳəbbōt, Sādīt of Ḥrēzī and his companions were sniping at Ṣmōdā from a mountaintop. However, Sādīt didn’t want to kill any of the Ṣmōdā because his mother was Ṣmōdā and the men below were his relatives. So instead he and his companions shot at their headscarves and weapons in order to scare them off. Ḥājj Dākōn met Sādīt when he was still young (in the early 1980s). Even as an old man, Sādīt was an excellent shot and his marksmanship was proverbial throughout al-Mahra. He lived to be over one hundred years old. In this poem, Slōm is from Smōdā, and Sēlim is Ḥrēzī. Bir Sʿīd is from Ṣmōdā.
| Poem | Translation |
|---|---|
| 1) hel ysūken bir sʿīd // beyn bwōdī we-hrīt // we-kkwōrī ḏe-mhərūt | Where the son of Sʿīd lives // between the deserts of Hrīt // and the feeder ravines of Mahrūt |
| 2) we-ḳṣeylet ʾōfyōt // we-dġawt əmāməlēt // le-ḳnawṭer ḏe-zhūt | The cease-fire expired // the “field has sprouted” // at the irrigation channels, it has grown tall (and abundant) |
| 3) nūka be-ḫbēr ḏrey // le-mǧawma ḏe-ḥḥəǧīr // tōba be-śtīrfūt | They brought strange news // to all of those assembled // the possessors of excellent, exalted virtues |
| 4) fōn heǧs ertəbūb // ḏ-īšṣawten le-ffəlēk // hebṭā w-lē sbūt | And after the passion [of Sʿīd] became dense [like the stars] // he listens carefully for the appointed time // whether it is delayed or comes earlier |
| 5) tē ḫbēr ǧrōh w-fār // sōyer ke-mneddəbīn // we-ṣfeth ṭeyrūt | Until the news came and spread // going with the messengers // and its information flew all around |
| 6) we-ḥsōbī le-slōm // bēl əǧesm w-hammēt // habrē ḏ-semdəyūt | My hopes are with Slōm // possessor of fortitude and power // son of the Smōdī woman |
| 7) bēr əǧōrem leh ʾāṣūr // yeškōf w-heh klawl // w-la ʾāyneh hāǧfūt | [Days] and nights have already passed over him // he lays down [to sleep] and is kept awake by pains // and his eyes do not sleep |
| 8) tē ǧsēdeh ərteḳawḳ // we-mṭā’t ḏ-meḫḫəlīḳ // l-ād ḥōlet ṣeydūt | Until his body becomes emaciated // and the food of humans // does not help his condition |
| 9) ənnəḳawd meḥḥəzūr // w-nḫā l-heh sḫawṭ // hel əḫaffeh seyrūt | [Slōm] chose the choice fighting men of his tribe // under him [i.e., his command] (are) the bravest ones // wherever he goes |
| 10) ṣalb we-ǧsēdeh ṭāt // wel ḫāśer beh ḫśūr // men əsōseh we-ṣmūt | All from one back and body [they are kin] // in no one is there mixed a mixing // from his roots, his is of one flesh |
| 11) w-ewōber beh bsūl // śill ʾāyneh we-nśərūt | His mounts are swift and strong // lifting their eyes and walking proudly [being happy] |
| 12) kūneḥ bīsen əssəbēḫ // teḳrīren b-hāwēl / tē šnēdeḫ le-khūt | He sets off with the camels across the plain // trotting at the front // he brought them up to their secret camp |
| 13) wōfeḳ we-ġrīm ḥźawr // we-ǧdīdem leh yheyt // we-hdīyet ġabrūt | They found what they wanted and that their target was present // they begin the encounter anew and shouted yheyt at him // a gift that was there |
| 14) ġmōleh be-ksēl // bād əmazh we-źḥāḳ // w-hōbītem we-ġmūt | They threw him down after a bit // after playing a joke // they pinned him down and covered his face |
| 15) sēlem ḳawṭa le-fwōd // bēh bḫeys mharḳōn // we-nyēt mhelwūt | Sēlim [the quarry] cut off [the feelings] of his heart // in him were pains well-known // his intentions all wrought up |
| 16) ḳōbel ke-swīyet lā // we-bkōr w-lū ʾāḳawr // we-klēf ḏ-yertəbūt | He doesn’t think about the things [done to him] // or the pile [of worries], even if it grows large // and its burden increases |
| 17) we-ṭmūten ebtəlūl // śūra men ḥmō krā’ // we-frūd l-hāḳfūt | Their thirsty camels drank their fill // and drank pure water // and then took off for their hills |
| 18) tē w-lū brēk əźeyḳ // we-mlōda ḏe-ffərūḳ // əġmūlem we-kfūt | Even if they are [ridden] in a narrow area // their eyes glance around in fear…// they threw him to the ground and pinioned his arms |
| 19) ʾār ḫźeyr w-lō ʾāmūm // we-shīb ḏ-īḳḳədūt // le-mkawser we-nkəśūt | Like the ocean when it is angry // waves follow upon wave // over the reefs [the ocean] roils |
| 20) kem men ṭīt w-seh ṭnūh // ətġawleḳ əmūḥeyr // beh ṣrōt mhōhəfūt | How many raging she-camels // looking upon an fenced-in garden // but ropes stop them from moving at all |
| 21) ḏ–ʾār ədarb hawrēs // bāl əzōyed ḏe-ḥwōl // we-śśəḳāt l-ʾāfdūt | But the road prevents her [from reaching the garden] // the wall is large and has many layers // and the steps [she takes] do not take [her] over [it] |
| 22) we-b-sats ʾālḳōt // we-ḥṭāb men əṣerbeyt // w-ǧellōt əǧensəfūt | And soon [war] broke out // its fuel [taken] from the ṣarbeyt tree // hot flames burning from the stumps |
| 23) we-ǧźawret yekrūr // w-sūmeydī le-slōm // hēs hatf ənǧəzūt | The “lions” attacked // and the Smōdī surrendered // when his rifle was emptied |
| 24) le-ḳlūten yebhōr // be-ǧmīlet we-drēk // we-slōmet ḥeṣlūt | He called for help from the young men // [to come] well and speedily // the help arrived |
| 25) we-ḥǧūfem leh ġyūǧ // men ədēfer we-lhīb // ḫōzem leh men əḥwūt | Men came to protect him // from the fire and flames // and defended him from the net of death |
| 26) w-sādīt ḏlūf w-ferr // we-ḳdōm hṭeyr əḳōn // əġfōr ḏ-bēr ḳnūt | Sādīt jumped up and went // coming to the very top of a mountain // May God have mercy on the woman who bore him |
| 27) yekhōb ḏ-heh ṣendūd // yestūfī men əġell // berh nōǧeḥ we-ṯbūt | He who is brave came // throwing dust on himself out of excitement // indeed he is ready (“well cooked”) and steadfast |
| 28) we-brūkem hārwōn // le-mḫawbeṭ əġzōn // ṣnets ənǧəbūt | The “rams” kneeled [with their rifles] // in order [to shoot] their new bullets // fresh from the factory |
| 29) b-śīwōṭḏ-seh nǧiḥt // men ʾawafh ḏ–ṭerrāb // wet rišt ənḳəbūt | With the fire that is strong and continuous // from the rapid action of the firing pin // and the clicking of the trigger |
| 30) we-ḥzūrem mešwōf // we-tḳawnem źebtāt // hel əśawket ḫaṭfūt | They know well the rifle sights // and are experts at taking aim // when the bullets whiz by |
| 31) tē mīzōn dkūs ʾāḳā // we-ǧwēher ḏe-zhē // men əkabś eftəlūt | Until the scale tilted to the ground // and “the jewels of the wedding” escaped // and were lost from their hand |
| 32) we-zġīf ḏ-hāhmənōn // w-kīlōten ǧāryōt // ṣāreb bēhem we-hbūt | They poured out their cartridges // running through measures [of ammo] // [there was] a loss [of ammo] and a heedless expenditure |
| 33) we-ḥsōb el menh bedd // mīzōn tē l-ṣār // le-brē men hkūt | But there is no avoiding [taking vengeance] into consideration // until the scales are even once again // and is fixed of its tilt |
| 34) w-ber ʾāmer men khēn // ḏ-el yṭōmeh śḳāt wel yrikt ḏe-rkūt | And Bir ʾĀmer, for a long time past, // is not one greedy to overstep [the bounds] // and is not one who stomps on one who has stomped on him |
| 35) ġeyr we-killem hāmtōn // we-śrūḳem men əḫawf // yebṣeyr šūdəfūt | Except if they cause him pain in his back // or it is split in half from fear // or if he sees the end-game coming |
| 36) we-ṣrōma we-krēm // hɛ̄s əlēḥen ərtəbūb // w-mehṣāt l-ġārəffūt | And now ōdī we-krēm krēm // when the melodies gather // a reservoir that can’t be emptied by scooping |
| 37) men taʾmērem ənśəkōt // ḏ–ʾār ḥmō brēk sōs // w-mehṣāt mhaḥsūt | [Beware] of saying that it has dried up // indeed there is water in its deepest bedrock // and the reservoir has been re-dug |
| 38) wet nkūśes tentəkūś // ke-mḫawreǧḏe-rbā // we-mdīt dōṯəyūt | If it is searched for, it is found // [as though it were a well] at the time of the departure of Rbā // and the mdīt of Dōṯa |
| 39) kem men ṭīṭ w-seh ṭmīt // mnōhel ṣedrūt | How many she-camels when she [sic] is thirsty // goes forth from the streams [quenched of thirst] |
| 40) wet ṭwōren thāḳawb // beyn ərāmel we-ḫṭāt // hēs əbīr messənūt | Sometimes the “muse” migrates // between the sandy plain and the pasture land // like a spring from which people habitually draw water |
| 41) w-adh ǧēza medḥeyḳ // we-bḳāt ḏ-šāḳawt | And Wadi Ǧēza is still well-travelled // and the place of Šāḳawt |
| 42) hād ṣeydet ḏe-ḫḫəlē // ḏīk tehyūm ʾāḳā // le-hnefs we-ḫlūt | No one but the desert gazelle // the one who roams the land // by herself in the desolate waste |
| 43) bēr thawzer əlebbōd // ke-rdōten ḏ-rīḥeyn // wet əǧēs əškerfūt | She has known the hunter // when the wind blows back and forth // when she smells his sweat |
| 44) teḥrīren b-āzīb / tē men hāl ġeyṭāṭ / we-ḥrō əġteybūt | She takes off at a run // until she has disappeared // and her head has completely disappeared. |