Palestine Exploration Fund - Quarterly Statement for 1894/The Birth of Abu-Zaid
THE BIRTH OF ABU-ZAID.[1]
By P. J. Baldensperger, Esq.
The Birth of Abu-Zaid and the poem of Beni-Helal were told me by an illiterate fellah of die plain of Philistia. I wrote them down whilst he told them by heart. When I had written it all from his dictation, I revised and translated it, using no published work whatever. Clot Bey, in his "Egypte," states that this is a very popular romance amongst the Egyptians.
Abu-Zaid is the popular name of the black hero, but his real name is Barakat, and Salamé Shiha is his sister. Both Shiha and Barakat are the children of the Emir Risk and Khadra. Abu-Zaid is one of the great heroes in the exodus of the Beni-Helal from Naj'd to Tunis, passing by Palestine.
The legend is sung by the bards on their one-stringed fiddle (ربابه) Rababy, during whole nights after weddings or any other public rejoicing (see Quarterly Statement, April 1894, p. 137).
The Emir Risk had a daughter, named Shiha, شيحه, by his wife Khadra, خدره, who then remained seven years barren, to the great sorrow of Risk. One day when Khadra went to a fountain to wash, she saw a black bird pounce on other birds, killing some, and scattering the rest. She prayed to God, "Oh, my Lord, hear my petition, make me conceive and bear a son, who shall drive the knights before him as does this bird the other birds; and let him be as black as this bird." Her prayer was fulfilled, and she had a black son.
Now Ser'han, سرحان, the father of Sultan Hassan, visits Risk and says:—
| Bring the new-born, let us give him gifts! | هات المولود لمننا اننقته |
| And may we not decrease for a day of need. | ولا نقتع العدد الى يوم هشل |
When Risk brings in the child; Ghanem, the father of Thiab, says:—
| Oh Risk, this child is not from our ranks, | يارزق هل ولد ماهو صفتنا |
| But from the rank of the bought slaves. | الا صفت العبيد الجلايب |
| Upon my conscience, oh Risk, this is not born. | على دمتي يارزق انه مولد |
| He resembles greatly our negro Murjan. | ولا يشبه الا لعبدنا مرجان |
And Risk says:—
| Ho, all ye present, witness his mother is divorced. | على ماتشهدوا يا حدور امه امطلقه |
| And none shall bring her back, no judge, nor learned Sheikh. | ولا يرودها لاقادي ولاشيخ عالم |
Then, turning to Khadra, he continues:—
| Oh Khadra, break down, and load, and tie fast, | ياخدره هدي وشدي وحملي |
| And take thy servants and thy goods. | خدي سرايركي وكل الغنام |
| May it be defended to me, to enter thy tent | ويحرم عليي بيتكي ان عيد اخشه |
| And should the wealth be with pearls thick as the thumb. | ولا في المال عقد الخناست |
She takes her son and the slave Keied to Mecca to her relatives, but on the way she changes her mind, and goes to Za'hlan, زحلان, the greatest enemy of Beni-Helal.
| I'll go and bring up this child by him. | تمني اربي هل ولد احدا |
| If I go to my parents and say I am offended, they say I left angry. | وان رحت على اهلي وان قلت حردانه بتقول حردتي |
| And if I say I was beaten, I tell a lie. | وان ولت مقتوله بزل معه |
She remains 15 years with Za'hlan, and her son is brought up in the art of war. The Beni-Helal, after one of their wars, ask the tenth of the goods, and Abu-l-Jud, ابوالجود, sends a letter, in which he says:—
| Oh thou that goest abroad on horseback, | آلايا غادي مني على دهر غامر |
| Kiss the ground, be it far or near, | وقبل الاراضي قربها وبعيد |
| And if thou comest to Za'hlan read well my missive | ومن جيت على الزحلان بلغ ارسالتي |
| Prepare for us a tenth of all the girls, | وحدر لنا عشر البنات جميعها |
| And a tenth of the slave-girls, and the black slaves, | وعشر الجواري والعبيد السود |
| Prepare for us a tenth of all the camels, | وحدر لنا عشر الجمال جميعها |
| And of every ten a red one, one picked out. | وكل عشره احمر مفرود |
| Prepare for us the tenth of all goods, | وحدر لنا عشر المال جميعها |
| From every ten pieces one piece of gold. | وكل عشره من الذهب منقود |
| But Barakat (the black son) takes it and reads it, | وبركات بمسكهُ وبقرا |
| And tears it and throws it away, | وكدده ورما |
| And curses the father of the Sheikh who sent it. | ونعل ابو الشيخ الى كزا |
Barakat now writes another letter without letting Za'hlan know:—
| Oh thou who goest abroad on horseback, | آيا غادي مني على دهر غامر |
| Kiss the ground, be it far or near, | وقبل الاراضي قربها وبعيد |
| And if thou comest to Abu-l-Jud, read well my missive, | ومن جيت على ابو الجود بلغ ارسالتي |
| And tell him, your time is gone, your nights are dark! | وقلهُ زمانك راح واسود ليلكَ |
| But our nights are our feasts. | واما لييلينا علينا عيد |
Abu-l-Jud takes it and reads it, then tears it and throws it away, curses the father of the Sheikh who sent it, and now sends 40 knights to kill Za'hlan. Barakat meets them, kills 39, and cuts off their heads, Abu-l-Jud only remaining, who says:—
| Oh negro, oh shoe, thou single slipper, | يا عبد يا زربود يا فردة وطا |
| Thou killest our heroes, swift, never idle, | قتلت فرسانا سريعين بلا بطا |
But Barakat says:—
| By your life, oh liberal one, and perfect in power, | وحياتكم يا جواد والقدر الوافي |
| I'm the son of Za'hlan the king, it is no secret! | ابن الملك زحلان ماني مختافي |
And then pounces on Abu-l-Jud, and kills him. The Beni-Helal sent a negro for the tenth, but Barakat cuts off his hand and his ear and sends him back, saying: if you like, come out to war; and the Beni-Helal come to war; and Risk comes forth and meets Barakat, and says:—
| Oh ho, thou negro, go home to your mother, | آلا يا عبد روح راوح لامك |
| And play with a crowd of small ones, | والعبلك مع صربت صغاره |
| I fear, to-morrow, they'll find fault with me, | وانا خايف من معياري باكر |
| And say. Risk goes to fight the little ones. | يقولوا رزق تايح لالصغاره |
| Oh Risk, till thy eve with me, | آلا يارزق واملى العين مني |
| I am Barakat, thy adversary, and more! | انا بركّات خصمك وزياده |
| I drove away Abu-l-Jud before thee, | انا ابو الجود من قبلك تحيته |
| And spilt his blood in pebbles and sand. | ورعيته دمه على الحصى والرمله |
Barakat and Risk now fight. Every time Barakat lifts his hand to strike his father, his hand is kept back; when suddenly Shiha, who is with Risk as 'Amarie (misleading woman), knows her brother, and says: Cursed be the Sheikh who brought you up; this is your father. Risk says: What is the trouble; do you want to become a bad woman, عشاقه, as your mother? But, she says, this is my brother; every time he could strike you, he withdrew; and if he is not my brother, you can cut off my head. But listen, she says, take this sign; bring three apples, and we will throw them to him; if he catches them on the point of his spear, it is my brother from father and mother; and if not, cut off my head. I know my brother is at Za'hlan's. They take three apples. They throw: the first he catches with his spear; the second he catches in his stirrup, and the third in his hand. Whereupon Shi'ha utters a cry of joy, زغريت. Barakat listens, till she tells him that she is his sister, and that he is fighting his father. Barakat throws himself down, rubs his nose with dog's grass, انجيل, till it bleeds, and then runs to his mother and falls down; whilst Khadra goes to assemble the maidens to wail over him, saying:—
| Say after me girls, say about Barakat | قولن يا بنات على برَّكات |
| Barakat died, the progeny of the wealthy, | برَّكات مات خلفت غانمين |
| Thy kindred rejected thee, and threw thee upon me. | واهلك جوفوك عليى رموك |
| And Za'hlan brought thee up, son of honour, | وزحلان رباك بابن الكرم |
| Your father is Risk, your uncle Ser'han! | وابوك رزق وعمك سرحان |
Barakat now rises slowly, astonished, and says: Is it true mother? Is Risk my father? She answers in the affirmative. Whereupon he asks why he is here. She now tells him the whole story, and asks him to bind his father and bring him alive. He goes out to fight again and captures him. When Risk sees Khadra, whom he always loved, he comes to her barefoot and bareheaded. And when the news is spread Za'hlan falls down dead, whilst Risk takes Khadra home again with Barakat and all they possess. So Barakat having increased the Arabs is henceforth called Abu-Zaid, "father of increase," for having increased the tribe of Beni-Helal.[2]
- ↑ A recension of this story was published in Arabic under the title "Kissat al Khadra," &c., at Beyrout in the year 1869. A copy of this book is in the British Museum (14,570, C. 14 (I)). No English translation is known to have been published.—[Ed.]
- ↑ The Arabic of the above paper has been kindly corrected by A. Gr. Ellis, Esq., of the British Museum.