90
Zaynab bint Ja~sh al-Asadiyah
Makkah in the company of a brother of his, wanting to get his son back and paying whatever ransom was needed, for before that, he was very sad and tearful. Of the poem he used to repeat in expression of his sorrow about Zayd is the one whose meaning is rendered as follows: "I wept over Zayd for I didn't know what happened to him; Is he still alive or he has been seized by death. By Allah! I don't know if I may ask: Were you snatched by the even ground or you were snatched by the mountain. Would that I knew whether you will be back; For, it suffices me in this world that you return to me quickly. Whenever the sun rises it reminds me of him; And when the rain falls, the memory of him comes to me. When the wind blows, it stirs his memory; How often is my sorrow and fear over him! I will make of the camel over the land with great effort; And I shall not relent in roaming about the land (in search of him) until the camel becomes weary and tired. Or until the death comes to me; Then, every man will die even if he is deluded by hope." The above lines sufficiently show us the suffering ofI}fuithah from the agony of his missing of Zayd. Every word, rather every letter of these lines indicates how sad and distressed he was. We can notice the tears that fall from I}fuithah's eyes with every poetic fonn he exudes. I take Allah as a witness that each time I read these poetic lines, I am seized by shock and I share with I}fuithah his emotions and then tears roll down from my eyes.