The Purloined Slaves
These couplets were exchanged between ʿAlī bir Erabḫ, muqaddam of the Zaʿbenōt tribe, and ʿAmr bir ‘Āmrōten, muqaddam of the Ǧeydeḥ/Jidḥī tribe in Qishn. As related by Suhayl Zaʿbenōt, a few young men of the Zaʿbenōt tribe visited a suburb of Qishn called Yentūf and, while staying there, “helped themselves” to a few things. In addition to taking some paltry items, they also stole slaves belonging to the Ǧeydeḥ tribe. When the young men returned to Ḥabarūt with their loot, ʿAlī bir Erabḫ—their muqaddam—ordered them to return everything to their rightful owners in Qishn and went himself to apologize to ʿAmr bir ‘Āmrōten. ʿAlī bir Erabḫ begins his apology with the following couplet:
| ʿAlī bir Erabḫ: | Translation |
|---|---|
| 1a) ḥsōbī l-yentūf // w-yednut ṣedḥeyt // ḏ-ḥībes yeṭmūm | I’m headed for Yentūf // and the glimmering white wadi of Yednūt, // that whose flash flood surges |
| 2a) we-ḫṭā ḏ-ber ǧrōh // bēh ḳźā men ǧsēd // w-kel fēśel yetmūm | The mistake that happened // [we’ll pay] the price of it from [our] body // so that every issue will be settled. |
| ʿAmr bir ‘Āmrōten: | Translation |
| 1b) bir ǧawn wsāʾ beh // men ediḳḳ ḏ-hārkōn // tē mtellī beh ālūm | The massive camel is broad enough for it // [even] from blows to its columns [legs] // except for the last one [which] was grievous (i.e., stealing the slaves) |
| 2b) hāṭlōḳ sebyōt // we-ḏbūr meḫdōm // ʾāfrīhem we-ǧsūm | [Erabḫ] let them wander freely [like animals] // [into] gardens that were guarded // which [the farmers] had ploughed and worked into furrows. |