Page:The L-poem of the Arabs.djvu/7



Hajjī Khalīfa gives the pedigree of Shanfarà in the following manner: Shanfarà, son of Aws  , son of Hujru-'l-Hinwu  , son of Aẓd  , son of Gawth  , son of Zayd  , son of Kahlān  , son of Saba'.

De Sacy (Chrestoraathie Arabe, vol. ii. p. 345, 2nd edition, 1826) says of Shanfarà, that he was a contemporary of Ta'abbata-Sharran; and that they lived a short time before the days of Muhammad.

The Arabic preface to the edition of Shanfarà's poem given by De Sacy is to the following effect;—very interesting, if not thoroughly critical:

"Shanfarà is one who has large lips.

"He was a poet of the tribe of Azd, and was one of the Runners.

"There were among the Arabs certain runners, whom horsemen could not overtake. Of them were this (Shanfara), Sulayk son of Sulaka, 'Umar son of Barraq, Usayr (or Aslr) son of Jabir, and Ta'abbata-Sharran.

"Now Shanfarà had vowed that surely he would slay of the tribe of the Banii Salaman a hundred men; and he had (already) killed ninety-nine of them (towards the accomplishment of his vow). For, whenever he met a man of that tribe, Shanfarà would call out to him: 'This for thy eye!' Then he would shoot at him (with an arrow), and would strike out both his eyes.

"After this, they devised a stratagem against him and seized his person. The man who captured him was Usayr son of Jābir, one of the runners, who watched for Shanfarà