Lineage and Life of Abu Sakhr Al-Hudhali
Abu Sakhr Al-Hudhali, also known as Abdullah ibn Salm al-Sahmi, hails from the Muramad tribe. This succinct lineage detail is notable, as it deviates from the customary comprehensive lineage accounts typically provided in historical references. Abu Al-Faraj corroborates this lineage in his biography, having derived it from a version by Al-Sukari, which is recognized as one of the most complete versions available. It is important to acknowledge that much of the poet’s life remains shrouded in mystery. According to the historian Nuri Al-Qaisi, the life of the poet extended to the year 126 AH, with scattered reports about him in 127 AH. Additionally, he had a son named Dawood who passed away while Abu Sakhr was still alive, leading the poet to express intense grief in a poignant elegy comprising sixty-four verses.
In the second line of this elegy, the poet alludes to another son named Muhammad; however, little information is provided about him. Abu Al-Faraj notes that Abu Sakhr al-Hudhali had only one surviving son. Notably, Abu Sakhr had a deep affection for a woman from the Banu Quda’a tribe named Layla bint Sa’d, who was nicknamed Umm Hakim. Their relationship endured for some time until she married another man and left with him to her tribe, instigating feelings of longing and nostalgia within Abu Sakhr, which he articulated in various poetic forms. Abu Sakhr al-Hudhali is recognized as an Islamic poet of the Umayyad period, demonstrating strong allegiance to the Banu Marwan, through his compositions praising both Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan and his brother Abd al-Aziz.
Thematic Elements in Abu Sakhr Al-Hudhali’s Poetry
Abu Sakhr al-Hudhali stands out as a poet whose stances are vividly illustrated in his verses; he ardently defended his positions, enduring considerable hardships for them. Despite this, critics and scholars often classify him within the realm of Islamic poetry. When examining Islamic poetry, readers rarely encounter citations of his work or analyses of its thematic content. Furthermore, he is not included among the groups of poets recognized for their specific characteristics within the study of Umayyad poetry, even though his verses enjoy considerable renown.
His poetry has been compiled in the Diwan of the Hudhalis and published alongside commentary by Abu Sa’id Al-Sukari. An examination of his poetry reveals that many of his poems adhere to the traditional structure, dealing with themes of love while employing various symbols and fictitious names to convey his feelings. This sincerity of emotion resonates deeply with readers. Notably, Abu Sakhr showcases remarkable talent in descriptive poetry; he vividly captures the essence of Hudhail, including its soil, landscapes, winds, and dew, while also mentioning places of significance in his life associated with cherished memories. Additionally, he was among the poets who strategically employed their work to praise the Umayyads. Conversely, elegy is another notable aspect of Abu Sakhr’s poetry, as exemplified by the palpable sorrow expressed in his elegy for his son, consisting of sixty-four lines, which parallels the style he used in his elegy for Abd al-Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Khalid.
Selected Verses from Abu Sakhr Al-Hudhali’s Poetry
Abu Sakhr praises Abu Khalid Abd al-Aziz ibn Khalid ibn Asid in the following lines:
أَرَائحٌ أنتَ يَوْمَ اثنَينِ أمْ غَاديولمْ تُسَلِّم عَلى ريحانَةِ الوَادِيومَا ثَناكَ لَها والقوْمُ قَدْ رَحَلُواإلّا صَبَابةُ قلبٍ غَيرِ مِرْشادِإنّي أَرَى مَن يُصاديني لأهْجرَهاكزَاجرٍ عَن سَبيلِ اللهِ صَدَّادِلولا رَجاءُ نوالٍ مِنكِ آمُلُهُوالدهرُ ذُو مِرَرٍ قَد خَفَّ عُوادييا حبَّذا جُودُها بالبَذلِ تَخلطُهُبالبخلِ بَعدَ عِتابيها وَتعدَاديوحبَّذا بُخْلُها عَنّا وقد عَرَضتْدُونَ النوالِ بِعلّات وألدَادِتَجلو عوارضَ ذِي ظُلمٍ إذا ابتسمتْكلَوْحِ مُزْنَةِ عَرضٍ ذَاتِ أرصادِممكورةُ الخَلقِ مُرتَجٌّ رَوادِفُهاراقتْ على حَاضرِ النسوانِ وَالبَادييُصبي تَبسُّمهَا مَن لا يكلِّمُهَابِمِثلها يَشتفي ذُو النيقَةِ الصَّادييا أَطيبَ الناس أرداناً ومُبْتَسماًكيف العزاءُ وَقدْ زَوَّدتني زَاديوقرَّة العَيْن قد عادَ الهوى ذِكراًوعَادَ لي منك وَسْواسي وَأفناديقامت تُودّعُنا والعينُ مُشعِلَةٌفي واضحٍ مِثلِ فَرقِ الرأسِ مُنقادِتَغشى عوائده طُوراً وتنظمهُنَشْطَ النَّواسجِ في أنيار جُدّادِوالطَّرفُ في مُقلةٍ إنسانُها غرقٌبالماءِ تَذري رَشاشاً بعد أجوادِلولا الحفيظةُ شقَّت جَيْب مُجسدِهَامِن كَاشحينَ ذوي ضغنٍ وأحقادِماذا غَداة ارْتَحلنا من مُجَمِجَمةٍتُخفي جَوى قدْ أسرته بآبادِومن مسرٍ سَقاماً لا يَبُوحُ بهِعلى الذي كان يخفي قبل مزدادِومن عيونٍ تَساقى الماء ساجمةًومن قُلوبٍ مريضات وأكبادِإنَّ القُلوبَ أقامت خَلفنا وثوتْفما غَدت عِيرُنا إلا بأجسادِيا أمَّ حسَّان أنَّي والسرى تعبٌجُبت الفلاةَ بلا نعتٍ ولا هَاديإلى قلائصَ لم تُطرح أزمَّتهاحتى وَنينَ وملَّ العُقبة الحاديلَها وَمالوا على الأشزانِ فاضطجَعُواعلى طنافِسَ لم تنفضْ وألبادِ
In a romantic vein, Abu Sakhr al-Hudhali expresses his sentiments in these lines:
أَمَا والذي أَبْكَى وأَضْحَكَ، والذيأَماتَ وأَحيا، والذي أَمْرُه الأَمْرُلقد تَرَكَتْنِي أَغْبِطُ الوَحْشَ، أَن أَرىأَلِيفَيْنِ منها، لا يَرُوعُهما الزَّجْرُإِذا ذُكِرَتْ يَرْتاحُ قَلْبي لِذِكْرِها،كما انْتَفَضَ العُصْفُور، بَلَّلَه القَطْرُتَكادُ يَدِي تَنْدَى، إِذا ما لَمسْتُها،وتَنْبُتُ، في أَطْرافِها، الوَرَقُ الخُضْرُوصَلْتُكِ حتى قِيلَ: لا يَعْرِفُ القِلَىوزُرْتُكِ حتى قِيلَ: ليس له صَبْرُفيا حُبَّها زِدْني هَوىً كلَّ ليلةٍويا سَلْوةَ الأَيّامِ مَوْعِدُكِ الحَشْرُعَجِبْتُ لِسَعْيِ الدَّهْرِ بيني وبينَهافلمّا انْقَضَى ما بيننا، سَكَنَ الدَّهْرُ