University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XIX.

When Antar departed in quest of Prince Aswad,
he deputed his uncle Malik and his son, and a party
of Oorwah's people, to take charge of the prisoners,
and to protect the place. But as soon as he was
gone, Amroo entered unto the prisoners, and began
to abuse them, demanding restitution of the property
they had taken from Ibla. Alas, O Amroo!
said Rebia, art thou not ashamed of this discourse,
and art not thou, as well as thy father, utterly disgraced
by following this cursed and perfidious slave?
Thinkest thou, O Amroo, that Antar can resist the
Arab and the Persian, when King Numan shall
send for him? What will ye do then? And moreover,
O Amroo, how canst thou reconcile it to
thy heart to marry thy sister to one, who used to
tend her camels and her flocks? Rejoice then in
the certainty that Antar will never return; for
he is gone to fight with twenty thousand horsemen.
My opinion is, thou shouldst persuade thy
father to avail himself of this opportunity before he
repents.

These words entered deep into Amroo's ears;
Rebia's wily ways had their effect; and he felt

ashamed on the subject of his sister. But how can
we manage to escape? said he. My advice is, said
Rebia, that you refer your business to this noble
hero Mooferridj, he will take you with him to King
Numan, and will secure his protection for you, and
when we arrive at Hirah, and shall see Prince
Aswad on his return, with King Zoheir, a prisoner,
and all the tribe of Abs, we will mediate
for King Zoheir, and will marry his daughter to
King Numan, and marry Ibla to this valiant Chief
Amarah; then we will return all together home to
our families and friends. God bless you for this
contrivance! said Amarah.

As soon as Amroo heard this, he was convinced.
So he quitted the prisoners, and repaired to his
father Malik, and related all that Rebia had mentioned.
All this is perfectly correct, said his father,
but I fear the good fortune of Antar: for we have
never attempted to oppose him, but we have fallen
into most grievous calamities; but have patience
with me till I have decided on the plan. They
waited till night came on with its obscurity. Arise,
said Malik to his son, seek the prisoners, that is,
release them.

Amroo instantly arose, and went to the prisoners,
and unbound them, and informed them of what his
father had planned. He delivered to them their
arms and accoutrements, and their horses; and
as we have said, they were the tyrants of warriors.

So when they gained possession of their arms
and armour, each sprang forth a lion. They assaulted
the mountain; they seized the men, and
bound them fast by the shoulders. They made the
women and families captive, and plundered the stores
and cattle; and by morning they were masters of
every thing. But the first thing Mooferridj and
Rebia did was to hang Basharah on the mountain
top. They set their wives at liberty, and bound
the women of the family of Carad, and Ibla was
treated in the most ignominious manner, in contempt
towards Antar. They drove away the cattle,
and issued from the monntains, seeking the land of
King Numan.

Amarah was in ecstacy, and kept trotting round
the howdah in which was Ibla, brandishing his spear
in his left hand. They continued their journey that
day and night, but on the next day, soon after sunrise,
there arose a dust: they halted, it cleared away,
and there appeared five thousand horse, preceded
by a knight, like a huge fragment of a mountain,
or one of the remnants of the tribe of Aad. His
feet drew deep lines over the land, such was the
length of his body.

As soon as Mooferridj saw him, Fly, my cousins,
fly, he cried; this is the Chief Maadi Kereb, and
he wheeled round and fled, Sinan and Rebia following
him. How can we fly, exclaimed Amarah,
and abandon Ibla, and not fight a little at any rate,

that she may view the intrepid conduct of the fierce
Amarah? O thou defiled mustachioed fool! follow
me, and give us none of your bark-husks[1] , cried
Rebia. Upon this, he threw away his spear and
fled.

When Zalim saw what the family of Zeead had
done, May God disgrace you among men, he cried;
you that cannot protect your women, or repulse an
enemy or foe. Then he also took to flight, and
escaped.

This warrior that met them was a sturdy hero,
and an undaunted lion, one of the thousand tyrants;
his stature equalled the tallest trees, when he stood
still and when he moved; in his hand he bore a
thundering spear, and he was the dread of all warriors.

When Antar had taken Jayda captive, and had
slain her cousin Khalid, Jayda obtained her liberty
and fled, and in grief at what had befallen her,
she clothed herself in black, and wept and mourned
incessantly. And Maadi Kereb, when drinking,
found his pleasures so disturbed by her lamentations
and plaints, that he resolved on an expedition, when
lo! a messenger came towards him, and saluting
him, informed him of all Antar had done, and that
he was gone down to the mountains of Radm, and
that King Numan had sent twenty thousand horsemen
against him.

When Maadi Kereb heard this, he was delighted;
he sent for Jayda. Be comforted in the
death of Antar, as a compensation for your cousin,
said he. Let us, cried Jayda, undertake the destruction
of this perfidious slave, and let us avenge
ourselves.

On hearing this, Maadi Kereb ordered the tribes
of Morad and Zebeed to prepare their warlike
weapons. He selected five thousand horsemen, and
resolved on departing. Jayda too was overjoyed at
this expedition to engage Antar, for she was filled
with the notion that she should kill him, and take
vengeance for the loss of her cousin Khalid; and
when they were at some distance from the tribe of
Zebeed, Jayda thus expressed herself:

"My life is wasting, but my grief passes not
away. My courage is diminished, and my soul is
exhausted. My tears flow abundantly, and my
eyelids are ulcered; any sleep, now Khalid is
gone, is my oppression. Alas! alas! O my regrets
for him who defended us with his Indian
blade! But a slave of the tribe of Carad has afflicted
us; whose arm is fate and approaching
death. Were there not such vicissitudes of
fortune, honours would not be granted to the
base-born slaves. O sons of my uncle! rouse the
dust of battle against the country of Abs and its
regions. Drive away all their virgins with the
point of the spear, to their infamy and disgrace.

My fury can never be appeased without the
piercing spear that raises the dust of contention,
or the blow from the sharp-edged scimitar,
that makes the bravest gnaw their fingers with
rage."

When Jayda had finished her verses, pride burst
like a hurricane through the heads of her warriors,
and they continued their course till they met Mooferridj,
and all his people fled.

When Maadi Kereb marked Mooferridj and his
flight, See these wretches, daughter of my uncle!
he cried to Jayda, when the wolf snuffs the smell of
a lion, he flies and runs in terror away. But as soon
as he saw Malik, Ibla's father, he recognised him,
and also his son Amroo, and the whole body of Caradians.
Know, said he to Jayda, these are our
enemies, and Malik, son of Carad, who sent Antar to
our country to slay your cousin. Thou old wretch,
thou perfidious dog, bellowed he at Malik, we have
heard the tribe of Shiban were your captives; how
is it we see you with them in captivity and bondage?
And truly they have carried off your property and
families, and this is indeed a most curious affair. O
warrior, said Malik, all you have heard is true, and
we are ourselves the cause of this calamity; for we
have abandoned truth, and have followed fraud and
deceit; and we have been betrayed by those in
whom we confided. He then informed him all
about Antar, and how he had delivered the prisoners

over to them, and was gone to meet Prince
Aswad, and we, he continued, have set them at
liberty, and this fatality is now come upon us. Maadi
Kereb was amazed at this recital. You have indeed
rewarded Antar most infamously, said he; but you
know that it is Antar who has made you the common
talk among the Arabs; and truly you have
acted in the basest manner. And he fell upon him
and his son Amroo with a whip he had in his hand,
till he made their blood stream upon the ground
from the violence of his blows.

After this, Maadi Kereb and Jayda, with their
troops, returned, seeking their own country, taking
with them the property of the family of Carad,
their women and children. Ibla wept night and
day for her cousin, the magnanimous conqueror
Antar. But Jayda had ever in her mind the words
of Malik to Antar, viz.—I will not marry my daughter
to you, till you bring me Jayda to hold the bridle
of her camel on the marriage night. So she went
aside to him and his son, and beat them violently,
till their blood trickled upon the earth, and they
were nearly lifeless from excessive torture. Thus
they indeed repented of their behaviour to Antar.
But as to the Shibanians that fled from Antar
when he took their Chief Mooferridj prisoner, they
continued their hasty course till they came to
King Numan, and related what Antar had done
to them. On hearing this, the light became darkness

in the eyes of Numan, and he was amazed
at Antar's good fortune. Well, said he to his attendants,
entertain them till Prince Aswad arrives
with his prisoner King Zoheir, and the whole Absian
tribe; and then I will send all my armies and
troops against Antar, and will order them to bring
him to my presence, that I may inflict on him
the severest torments, and feed the dogs on his
flesh.

He remained quiet for seven days, when the
Chief Mooferridj arrived, together with Rebia, and
the warriors, and there was not one but wept and
shed torrents of tears in detailing his condition and
his adventures, and when King Numan heard the
occasion of this disaster, wrath was kindled in his
countenance—he made them repeat their story.
And Antar has proceeded against your brother the
Prince, they added, with one hundred and fifty
horsemen. Verily, exclaimed King Numan, this
circumstance deserves to be recorded and inscribed,
particularly if Antar should rout my brother and
his army; then indeed there will be no resource but
for me to deliver up the kingdom of the Arabs
to Antar, and put myself to no further trouble
about it.

King Numan waited patiently in expectation of
his brother's arrival, his heart all the time enduring
unknown tortures. In a few days the army that
fled from the great lake arrived, all cut to pieces—

wandering over the wilds—not one daring to look
behind him—each ignorant of the fate of his companions—till
they presented themselves before King
Numan, all exclaiming, What terrors! what dreadful
events! King Numan, on seeing them in this
condition, felt his heart on fire, and his distraction
was insupportable. What! has Antar vanquished
you? he cried. Yes, they exclaimed; he has rooted
out every vestige of us, and has not left of us even
one to fight, nor a banner to wave.

Yet he would not have succeeded in his attempts
but by thirst and drought, they added; for he met
us at the great lake. He took your brother prisoner,
with seven thousand of his horsemen, of
the tribes of Lakhm and Juzam, and four thousand
were slain in the dust; the remainder fled
over the wilds, and this is our fate. As to those
four thousand, exclaimed Numan, who have been
killed, how shall we be revenged on that sturdy
slave, and how shall we take his blood, in compensation
for the chieftains of Lakhm and Juzam? For
truly, if this news reaches Chosroe, we shall be no
longer considered or respected by him. I am quite
distracted, and know not how to extricate myself
from these difficulties.

O King, said Rebia, write to the Arabs who are
under your dominion, and I will also write to the
tribe of Fazarah. We will all go against Antar, and
tear up every vestige of him. Thou Sheikh of

iniquity, exclaimed Numan, turning upon him; by
the faith of an Arab, thou hast indeed opened an
unfortunate door with these Arab dogs, and thou
for this disturbance deservest nought but to have
your chin shaved, and the cruelest tortures, thou
ordure of Arabs and men! But Numan ordered
letters to be written to all the Arab tribes, both near
and distant, requiring them to repair to him with
all speed, and the Vizier Amroo, son of Nefilah,
wrote accordingly to the Arabs, and amongst others
to Maadi Kereb, the Zebeedian, ordering him to
come with his troops, and he also was directed
to release the Shibanian women, and to restore
to Mooferridj the property he had captured, and
to take care of Ibla, and the family of Carad he
had with him, until the differences with Antar
should be arranged; and we, it was said in conclusion,
will give you half the spoil, when Antar is
dead.

As soon as this letter reached Maadi Kereb, he
was greatly astonished. What extraordinary times,
what wonderful events are these! he exclaimed.
This slave must be endued with the most admirable
qualities; and the proof is, that he has taken Prince
Aswad prisoner; and truly by this his name will be
recorded for ages: in fact, at first it was a disgrace
and a dishonour to fight with Antar, but now it will
be a glory and a boast, now that he has vanquished
kings, and overcome the bravest. But I am anxious

to outstrip the armies of King Numan, and succeed
in putting this black wittol to death. He inquired
intelligence of the messengers about Antar, and they
informed him that he was gone down to the mountains
of Radm.

On hearing this, he sent for Jayda, and related to
her Antar's adventures; and now, he added, Numan
has ordered me to attack him, and to restore Mooferridj's
property. And what have you resolved on
doing? asked Jayda. As to his orders, replied
Maadi Kereb, about the restitution of Mooferridj's
property, I must obey; but as to his directions
about my repairing to him, that I will not do; but
I will collect my troops, and will go against Antar
myself. I will not trouble King Numan, but will
accomplish his wishes, and I will not proceed to
King Numan, but with all the tribe of Abs driven
ahead of me, with ropes round their necks, and
Antar's head raised high on one of my longest
spears. And who, said Jayda, must go with
Mooferridj's property? You; said Maadi Kereb.
But then, said she, I must have with me the family
of Carad, and their property, that I may
not be slack in torturing that Malik, and his son
Amroo.

Jayda remained that night, but the next day she
mounted her steed, and taking away with her Mooferridj's
property, the family of Carad, and their
goods, she set out on her way to Irak. Maadi

Kereb, too, mounted with five thousand stout Zebeedians,
and went to engage Antar. He marched
at the head of his warriors like a strong tower, thus
reciting:

"The lions of the desert are my delight and
my companions; they see in me their fellow and
ally. Behold, the dwellings of the family of Carad
are near their final doom. In the combat I
have overwhelmed their horsemen on account of
their slave, surnamed the accursed. I will destroy
their chiefs with the thrust of the spear
through their bowels and their waists. You shall
be satiated with their blood, after ye have eaten
your fill, ye wild beasts—so thank me—I am
Maadi Kereb, the chief of the Zebeedians, and
every Arab horseman is my inferior. Every
warrior humbles himself before me, struck with
fear when I brandish my sword in my hand.
Mine is the universe, and every slave therein in
the castles and the fortresses. My force is the
force of the lion; they fear my-power, and approach
me not. I heed them not. I care not
for them when they oppose me; and were it not
a heinous sin, I would say to the whole earth,
my right hand and my left hand should subvert
it."

These verses proceeded from that extreme ignorance
of the Arabs, for when any one of them
mounted a horse, he used to say, the earth tottered

in affright at him, and that all the bravest warriors
were within his grasp, and thus Maadi Kereb
sought the mountains. But as to Antar, when he returned
to the mountains, and saw that whole country
destroyed, and Basharah hung up and the birds
feeding on him, he was as no one had ever been
before him, such was his distress at the loss of Ibla;
yet he concealed his grief, and in appearance was
patient and resigned. O my brother, said Shiboob,
by the faith of an Arab, no one but your uncle
Malik and his son Amroo have released the prisoners;
indeed I was never comfortable at leaving
them behind us in the mountains, for treachery is
their nature, and iniquity can never be extracted
from their hearts; but their perfidy will certainly
fall upon them.

Antar and the Absians alighted in the mountains;
they pitched their tents, and raised their
standards, and crammed the caverns full with
the prisoners; and whilst Shiboob and a party
of slaves were stationed guard over them, Antar
remained quiet; but in his heart was the flame
of anxiety to learn some intelligence, and though
in company with King Zoheir he evinced the
most perfect courage and forbearance, yet when
alone he thought only of Ibla; his grief then became
extreme; he wept immoderately, and thus
spoke:

"Who is it by whom the lands of the valley of

Raml are laid waste? Where are his traces, O
northern blasts? Here I stand, and my tears
flood my eyes at the inutility of my demand.
Should I ask of the damsels of Carad and of her
companions for that beauty, how deceitful would
be the reply! how irrelevant to my question! At
the voice of the raven I am melancholy, and my
tears flow like pearls. O raven, wherefore dost
thou call all the day long on my right hand and
on my left? thou communicatest to me every
species of grief, and tellest of separation after enjoyment,
as if I had sacrificed thy young with the
edge of my sword, and had laid snares for thee.
By the virtue of thy parent, rather soothe the
wounds of my heart, and quench the flame of my
soul with thy song. Speak to me of my Ibla, tell
me where she is, and what the hands of darkness
are doing to her. My heart roams distracted over
the earth, marking the traces of her camel's footsteps.
My body is cast among the mountains of
Radm, and my imagination is haunted with
phantoms. In the valley the bird flits on the
branches, and its complaints are in the extreme of
bitterness. I say to it whilst it continues its sorrows,
complain no more; is thy condition like
mine? As for me, my tears flow, and thou
mournest also, but without tears; and that is the
just explanation of my state. May God execrate
separation and respect it not; how oft has my
heart been shivered with its arrows! I have engaged
every hardy obstinate warrior, but absence
kills me without a contest. I am truly called the
Antar of horsemen, and the animated leader in
every affair of importance and peril!"

Antar indulged in incessant grief and lamentation
morning and evening till the arrival of his brother
Jareer; his coming was indeed like a festival, for he
informed him of all that had happened; and Maadi
Kereb, he added, is marching against you with five
thousand warriors, all immersed in steel and refulgent
armour. Jareer had been taken prisoner
with Ibla, and was unable to effect his escape till
Jayda set out to go to King Numan. Jayda indeed
did not know him, or that he was Antar's brother,
or she would have treated him ill; for among the
Arabs it was not generally understood that Antar
had any brother but Shiboob.

Antar conducted him to King Zoheir, to whom he
related all he had heard. O Aboolfawaris, said he,
as to this knight that is coming against us, all the
warriors are unanimous in their opinion that he is a
tyrant fire even cannot overcome; and now what are
your intentions, and what is your advice? None but
to meet this Maadi Kereb, exclaimed Antar, and all
his host. Afterwards I will engage King Numan, and
will extirpate all the Arabs he has assembled round
him. I will raise thee to his station: then will I go
to Moodayin, and will put Chosroes Nushirvan to
death. I will exterminate all the armies of Persia,

and will not leave one of them to wag a leg; then
will I become lord of the balcony, and will rule over
the Persian and the Arab, for I know when death
is protracted, the sharpest scimitar cannot avail, and
man can effect what he pleases and desires, were he
even the most contemptible of slaves. When King
Zoheir heard Antar's discourse he was amazed at
his intrepidity, and the little account he made of the
Arabs. Do as you please, he said, for we will be
guided by your actions. If you engage, we will
engage; if you fight, we will fight; if you die, we
will die. Yours is our property, and yours is all
we possess. Console your heart and brighten up
your eye, said Antar, for by the faith of an Arab,
I must absolutely put you in possession of King
Numan's station, had he even with him men and
demons, and the fiends that rebelled against our
Lord Soliman. I will strike off the head of my
uncle Malik and his son Amroo. Thus saying, he
started out of King Zoheir's presence, and every
night he kept the watch, but on the third night the
Absians searched for Antar, but could not find him.
King Zoheir was greatly agitated, and he said, Antar
is surely gone to encounter Maadi Kereb and
the tribe of Zebeed; never will he let them reach
this desert.

As to Maadi Kereb, he marched on till he came
into the vicinity of the mountains, when he halted
at one of the lakes, where assembling his people
about him, O my cousins, said he, I am sure when

Antar hears of our expedition, he will either not
dare to appear without the mountains, or he will
intercept our road, or he will run away when he
hears of us, and will not venture to establish himself
in this country. But I am desirous of executing a
plan, which is this: I will take with me ten warriors,
and will set out and surprise the defile at day-break
before they have any information of us. I will ply
the sword well among them, and will allay my heart
with them till you come up and facilitate the business
for us, and make the affair easy. We shall
gain a great reputation by this enterprise, for a well-contrived
plan is more creditable than engaging in
a battle. Do as you please, they said. He reposed
till the greater part of the night was passed; he
then mounted his horse, and took with him ten
horsemen, whose firmness in the most imminent
perils he well knew, and he set out for the mountains.
He travelled on till day-break, when he
heard something ahead of him, and saw a man on
foot skulking before them. Go, said Maadi Kereb
to one of his horsemen, and bring me news of this
fellow on foot. But he observed them as soon as
they observed him. Hey! young man, cried the
Zebeedian, who art thou? whence comest thou?
and whither art thou going? I am a Zebeedian,
said the man on foot, and my master Maadi
Kereb has sent me to obtain intelligence of Antar.
Thou liest, said the Zebeedian, thou ordure-born
wretch, we are the tribe of Zebeed marching to engage
Antar, and no human being has been sent
before us. And he fixed his spear in his hand, and
was about to drive him into Maadi Kereb's presence,
but the man on foot had already drawn out an
arrow from his quiver, and fixed it on the handle of
his bow, and shot the Zebeedian with it on the chest,
and the arrow pierced him quivering through his
back; he gave a scream, and fell dead. My cousins,
cried out Maadi Kereb, this fellow on foot has slain
our cousin; come on, on to him: and the nine
crowded after him, and shouted out, and sought
him in all directions. But when the man on foot
saw the troop in quest of him, he fled out of their
sight in less than the twinkling of an eye, and they
could perceive no trace of him. The Zebeedians
were amazed at his agility: This can be no human
being, said they. He had not disappeared long
when he returned, and with him a knight on a black
steed. Ye ignoble dastards, he cried, I am Antar,
son of Shedad, the vanquisher of heroes.

Now Antar, after what had occurred in the presence
of King Zoheir, kept watch; but on the third
night, said Antar to Shiboob, Let us, son of my
mother, go to some distance from the mountains;
perhaps we may come upon Maadi Kereb, and I
will show him what will surprise him, for the king
has been crying up his intrepidity. Do what you
please, said Shiboob. So they marched on till they
met Maadi Kereb and his party. Shiboob slew the
horseman, and returned to acquaint his brother with

what had passed. Antar was delighted, and congratulated
himself, and assaulted the Zebeed heroes;
he slew five of them, and Shiboob three with his
arrows, and only one escaped, no more, who returned
to Maadi Kereb, and told him what Antar
had done to his comrades. When Maadi Kereb
heard this, the light became dark in his eyes, and
without saying a word he rushed upon Antar like a
furious lion. Antar also received him as the parched
up ground the first of the rain, and descended upon
him like the descent of fate and destiny. They engaged
till the very tears gushed from their eyes,
and darkness involved them in shades of night.
Thrusts fell at random, and the blood flowed from
their bodies upon the surface of the earth. It
was a moment the horrors of which turned youth
to age. They continued the fight and the conflict
till the morning rose upon them, and in
their hands only remained the stumps of their
spears. They threw them away, and unsheathed
their scimitars, more ready instruments of death;
they smote each other with their swords against
their shields till the whole country was illumined
by their flashes. The sweat streamed from their
bodies, and both wished they had never been born;
they rushed at each other with the fury of lions, so
that their feet ground down even the stones and the
rocks. Shiboob was also occupied with the horseman
who had escaped out of the ten; neither did
he discontinue his wiles and tricks till he had slain
his horse, and he became a man of foot like himself.
It was then he attacked him with his arrows, but
could make no impression on him on account of the
steel and coat of mail he had on him. The conflict
continued between Antar and Maadi Kereb like a
sparkling fire till Maadi Kereb was fatigued and
exhausted, and disgrace followed glory; for he observed
in Antar something on which he had not
calculated. So he was overwhelmed with shame
and repentance, for he had not suspected that he
should meet with such a reception from Antar, or
be subject to such difficulties with him. They flung
away their swords out of their hands, and slung
their shields behind their shoulders; the two approached
with their horses, and wrestled on their
backs with their whole power and force till their
horses sunk beneath them, and both fell to the
ground. During this they both bellowed like the
roar of lions, and their feet pounded the stones and
the rocks whilst they wrestled and struggled, and
the sweat poured down from their bodies like the
froth of caldrons, and their feet stamped up furrows
like graves. But Maadi Kereb was worn
out and exhausted, and observing how Antar engaged,
the tears started from his eyes from excess
of rage. Antar roared at him in a voice like thunder
in the clouds, and extending at him his arm
like the neck of a black camel, he grasped him
by the rings of his corslet and his coat of mail,
and cried out, O by Abs, I will not be controlled,
I am the lover of Ibla; I will not be restrained!
and he tore him up from the ground, took him
prisoner, and dashing him again on the earth, bound
fast his shoulders. But when the Zebeedian saw
Maadi Kereb in Antar's power he attempted to
escape by flight from the presence of Shiboob, but
he overtook him like a blast of wind, and as he
raised his hand with his dagger, the other begged
for quarter, and delivered himself up to Shiboob,
who pinioned his arms, and went with him to his
brother Antar. As soon as he came before him,
Hey! we are on a par in intrepidity this night, said
he, for you have taken prisoner a knight and I also.
By the truth of Him who distinguishes between
morning and evening, no woman will ever bring
forth another such man as Maadi Kereb, unless indeed
it should be the express will and pleasure of
the God of old, said Antar. By the faith of noble
Arabs, who preserve inviolate their faith and protection,
exclaimed Maadi Kereb, all skill fails when
you are present in the field, and even the boldest is
but a coward before you. At that period knights
did justice to each other in their conversation, and
no one amongst them forfeited the consideration of
a hero.

Antar bound Maadi Kereb on the back of a
horse as he said to Shiboob, Make fast also your
prisoner, and return with me to the tribe that we
may see how this business will terminate, for it is
my wish to ransom Maadi Kereb for Ibla and all

our prisoners in the power of King Numan, otherwise
I will strike off the head of his brother Prince
Aswad, and all the prisoners of the tribes of Lakhm
and Juzam; and I will release my own people with
the edge of my sword, were they even on the back
of the clouds. O Aboolfawaris, said Maadi Kereb,
there is no occasion for these threats, for Ibla shall
be at liberty, and so shall all the women, men and
children with her, and their property, and there
shall not be lost of all that belonged to you the
value of a halter; and if you will but confide in my
word, and release me from bondage, I will restore
your family to you, and will intercede for a termination
of this difference. Then will I take you
as my master and friend for ever, and perhaps I
shall be able to mediate between you and King
Numan before he marches the Arabs against you,
and a host numerous as the sands attack you; and
should you then wish for a conference it will not be
granted, for intrepidity avails not with numbers, and
good counsel is preferable to exposure to dangers.
But now you are apprised of the whole business, so
consider your own safety. O Maadi, I am aware of
all you have said, replied Antar; but know I have
not undertaken this enterprise or opposed King
Numan but in order to erase from me the name of
servitude, and to attain high honours; and my mind
assures me I shall subvert governments, and my
name become celebrated among the mountains and
the plains. It is only on this account I expose my
person to perils, and in this crisis I must seat myself
in the very station of Chosroe Nushirvan, the
lord of the tiara and the balcony. Maadi Kereb
was amazed at the strength of his heart, and he was
convinced he must be a most potent warrior and of
no soft mould.

Antar had not advanced far when the Zebeedian
army approached, that filled the whole surrounding
region. Maadi Kereb told Antar what he had done,
and that his tribe was advancing on no other account;
but, said he to Shiboob, go you away with
the prisoners, and let me attack this army alone, and
let me destroy them with the force of my arm and
my elbow. Shiboob proceeded with the prisoners;
but Maadi Kereb shuddered, and was stupefied at
Antar's expressions, seeing a single knight prepare
to engage five thousand horsemen. Thou brave
slave, he exclaimed, fire even cannot harm thee.
The Zebeedians soon reached the field of battle;
they saw the carcasses of their companions stretched
on the ground, and knowing they were those who
had accompanied Maadi Kereb, they cried out,
Misery and ruin! They looked round to the right
and left, searching out some one of whom to inquire
who had done this deed: they saw no one but
Antar stalking towards them, when one cried out,
Come on, here is a knight, I will ask him; but if it
is he that has acted thus to our comrades, cut him
in pieces with your swords; and they crowded on
till they came near to him. Hey, foul-born! they

cried, who has executed this deed on our companions?
Where is our chief Maadi Kereb?

Antar's answer was that of a ferocious lion; he
roared, and he bellowed, and shouted: Ye sons of
harlots, as to your chief, I have taken him prisoner;
and as to you, ye shall drink of disgrace and misery;
and as to myself, I am Antar, son of Shedad, the
destroyer of heroes. He had no sooner spoken than
he rushed upon them; he pierced the first and
hurled him over; the second he disgraced; a third
he annihilated his existence; and so likewise with a
fourth and a fifth; and in less than an hour the
whole five thousand halted, and the foremost fell
back upon the hindmost, shouting at him from a
distance, not one of them venturing to come near
the spot where he stood, for if they approached, he
slew them instantly, and he killed above two hundred.
The remainder were seized with panic and alarm,
and when they saw the calamity that was falling upon
them, they divided into five parties, and surrounding
Antar on all sides, the men made at him with their
spears and their swords, but Antar uncovered his
head and assaulted them, raving like a furious
camel; his eyeballs flashed fire, and the foam poured
from the corners of his lips. He shouted forth:
O by Abs! O by Adnan! By thine eyes, O Ibla,
this day will I slay these horsemen. The Zebeedians
were in the utmost consternation as they said
to each other: Fly not, or ye will remain a foul
disgrace among the Arabs; they hemmed him in,

and drew blood from his body; his horse Abjer was
giving way, and there was not space for him to advance
or retreat. Antar wanted to dismount, when
lo! a dust arose, and discovered King Zoheir and
five hundred Absian horsemen, preceded by Shiboob
like a wolf, and when they came up they attacked
and shouted, men met men, and heroes encountered
heroes. Antar recovered his power. The
cause of King Zoheir's arrival was this: being exceedingly
distressed at the disappearance of Antar,
he sent for Jareer and asked him, how long ago it
was that he had quitted Maadi Kereb? My lord,
he replied, I only left him behind two nights.
Then, said King Zoheir, Antar is only gone with a
view to finish their business, but it will be as well
for us to join him and assist him: And I will go,
said Oorwah, with my men to his aid; and I, said
Shedad, I will accompany you, and thus said
Zakhmetuljewad, and all the Carad horsemen. And
I will also go myself, said King Zoheir, I will not
be backward in aiding our protector Antar, the
overwhelming knight. So he took in all five hundred
horse as we mentioned, and followed the traces
of Antar. About midday they met Shiboob, and
with him Maadi Kereb and his associates, and their
hearts were at ease, particularly when they saw his
prisoners. They saluted him, and asked him what
had happened to them. He related all that had
passed about Maadi Kereb: Overtake my brother,
he added, for he is in trouble; the Zebeedian troops
have attacked him alone, and he is now in the midst
of an army of five thousand men.

Shiboob gave over Maadi Kereb and his companion
to ten horsemen, and directed them to go
with them to the mountains, and returned at the
head of the horse like an antelope, till they came up
with Antar, and attacked the tribe of Zebeed. By
their assault, the horsemen were drawn off from
Antar, and he rushed among the warriors. The
Zebeedians, perceiving the destructive force of Antar
and the Absians, turned away in flight, and departed
in haste and confusion. In an hour a thousand
of them were slain, and they said to each
other, We, when Antar was even alone, could
make no impression upon him; how can we succeed
now that he has five hundred horsemen with him?
and they wheeled about their horses' heads, and
sought their own country. But Antar and the
Absians pursued them till they drove them out of
that land, and then returned to the scattered horses
and dispersed armour, and having collected all the
spoil, they set out for the mountains; Antar going
ahead, as if he had been immersed in a sea of blood.
When they reached the mountains, they assembled
the women and families, and all were in high spirits
at this event. They reposed that night, rejoicing
in victory and triumph, and extolling Antar till daybreak;
when Antar mounted and repaired to King
Zoheir. As soon as he appeared, the king sprang
on his legs and met him, and seating him in the

most honourable place, O Aboolfawaris, said he,
you expose your person to great hazards, and I
fear some dreadful accident will happen to you, and
you will leave us to regret you for ages. O noble
king, said Antar, by the faith of an Arab, verily all
these events do not hasten death, and do not avert
misfortune. King Zoheir was amazed at his words,
(and it was on this account that all the Arab horsemen
were so brave). Antar having ended his discourse,
directed Shiboob to produce Maadi Kereb,
and when he was in his presence: O Maadi Kereb,
said he, write to Jayda and Numan, and demand
your ransom of them. He agreed to the propriety
of the proposal, and immediately wrote to Jayda,
and thus expressed himself:

You, whom I acknowledge as the daughter of
my uncle, know that fortune is treacherous, and the
wise are not always secure from adversity, and he
who says no one can slay me, errs in his speech. I
indeed have acted like a fool, and was not aware of
the vicissitudes of fortune. I have fallen into the
power of the knight of Abs and Adnan. Then he
explained in his letter all that happened with Antar:
he recommended her to restore all the Carad women,
adding, Treat Ibla kindly, and her father also, and
make your excuses to them; do not detain any
particle of their property; but be quick, be quick!
before death arrives.

He despatched it by a Zebeedian horseman, and
ordered him to return with all speed. But as to

Jayda, after she had separated from Maadi Kereb,
she eagerly pursued her course, taking with her the
women of Carad, and their property and children,
till she arrived in the lank of Irak, where she saw
the numerous assembled tribes. She presented
herself to King Numan, and saluting him, delivered
to him the women of the tribe of Carad and their
property. Numan was much pleased, and to his
inquiries about Maadi Kereb, she told him he was
gone to meet Antar: By the faith of a noble Arab,
said he, if Maadi Kereb effects this, and vanquishes
the tribe of Abs and Antar, I will make him ruler
over all the Arab tribes of the desert. Rebia looked
at Ibla, and her father, and her brother, and observing
how tortures had altered their condition,
his heart grieved for them.