University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XXVII.

But as to Nacmah, son of Ashtar, I will positively
exterminate the whole tribe of Cayan, cried
he to his people, I will sacrifice their women and
their children; then will I march into the land of
Hidjaz, and put to the sword the tribe of Abs, who
have slain my son. He reposed till day dawned,
when he sent to the tribes of Riyah, and Sabah,
Washah, and Atbool, and Barik, and Shamrack,
and ordered them to march with all expedition; for
these tribes were subject to him, and feared his
cruelty. Their residences were round the mountain
of volcano, and all had adopted the worship of the
Moon. This mountain was one of the phenomena
of the All-merciful Lord, for there incessantly issued
from it something like a black cloud, and whenever
the new moon rose, from this mountain burst forth
groans, and sparks of fire flew forth. It was a black
mountain, and no one was able to ascend it, and
iron could not have any effect on its stony sides.
An historian has noticed it, saying, The Lord God
has been angry with this mountain, ever since he
created the world at first, and at the consummation

it will be the stone-work of hell. In one
of my excursions I ascended it, and I saw within
it terrific wonders; its summit is divided in two,
and in the centre is a sea of fire, that never subsides,
but day and night it rolls in waves of flame, and
on it are angels of wrath, and stern enormous
monsters, that are never weary, but are continually
stationed for its punishment by the will of the
omnipotent God. But let us return to our story,
and to Nacmah. As soon as the tribes came to
him, he was also informed that his brother had
marched away with his property, in order to assemble
the Arabs against him; And he will, they
said, conduct against you the tribes from the surrounding
regions, and will requite you for your
contemptuous conduct towards him. Ah! I am
foiled, cried Nacmah, for I should have cut off his
head, and thus I should have been at ease; but I
will pursue him, and put to the sword all his companions.
He instantly ordered his slaves to proclaim
the march, and early in the forenoon all the tribes
had mounted, as well his allies as his attendants, and
he ordered them to pursue his brother and his companions,
directing them to take a vast supply of
horses, and arms, and armour, and coats of mail,
and before mid-day they had quitted the land, and
they continued traversing the wastes and wilds in
their march, till next day at sunrise, when they
distinctly saw ahead of them a black dust. Behold
how fortune favours us, cried they all. Niamet was
in company with his associates on the march, and
when they were distant from home, and nigh unto
the plains of Khidret, and the fountains of Hywan,
he considered himself as secure. It was thus, when,
on a sudden, arose the shouts in his rear, and the
whole country was in agitation. He gazed attentively,
and perceived the camp, and the troops and
horsemen galloping over the desert, and various
corps that cut off all communication, and every road.
Niamet was certain his brother had overtaken him.
O my cousins, said he, here is my brother, who has
overtaken us, and our hostility has been discovered.
I request of you to make some proper arrangement,
and let no one call me `Chief.' Comfort your heart,
and brighten your eyes, said they, for there is not
one of us that will shrink from the fight; every one
of us will engage with the scimitar, and defend his
wife and family. Then shaking their spears, they
advanced to the battle and the contest, and at that
moment approached Antar, son of Shedad. He
beheld armies that filled the desert; he was exceedingly
astonished. Gain some intelligence for
us about these bold armies, cried he to Shiboob, for
I perceive troops are preparing for battle.

Shiboob set his feet forward, and coming up
with the companions of Niamet, O Arabs, he exclaimed,
tell me what is your kindred, and what is
your business?—What want you of us, young man?

asked Niamet himself; we are a tribe flying from
a tyrant, and he is in our rear, seeking to destroy
us, and capture our women. He is Nacmah, son
of Ashtar; but you, who are ye? Explain to me,
perhaps by your means this trouble may be removed
from us.—Congratulate yourself, O Arab, replied
Shiboob, on the annihilation of Nacmah, and the
arrival of relief, for we are come purposely against
him. We are those who slew his son Kelboon, and
we are come to send him to bear his son company,
and pull down his dwellings over his head; but as
to your question about our parentage, we are a
tribe from the land of Hidjaz.

On hearing this, joy infused itself into the heart
of Niamet, and he felt assured all his troubles would
be satisfactorily settled. O my brother, said he to
Shiboob, were it not for these troops that have
overtaken us, I would go with you to pay my
respects to your companions; but the time presses
upon us. Return to your party, and relate what
you have heard, and assure them of wealth and
success in their enterprise; and when he is slain,
we will return home. Shiboob returned to Antar,
and informed him of the news; much delighted,
he said to his father Shedad, I am afraid there may
be some plot against us; and when we are among
the two parties, said he, it is possible they may
turn upon us the troops on both sides.—We, said
Shedad, shall not meet them, but with the firm

resolution to fight. My opinion is, you should
attack their right, and we their left; probably
we may thus terminate our labours, and return
home.

Antar alone assaulted their right, Shiboob going
ahead; and the troops of Niamet closed upon them,
transfixing them with their spears. The armies were
thronged together, and the flame of war blazed.
Necks were cleft by the sword—armour was clotted
with gore—hope itself became despair; chests were
pierced with the spear, and souls fled from bodies;
while skulls flew about on all sides, or were rolled
along the plain. As soon as the black lion attacked,
the renowned hero, the invincible warrior,
the knight of the battle and contest, the serpent of
the centre of the valley, the Chief Antar, son of
Shedad—he alone burst through the right, though
more than a thousand horsemen opposed him, and
with his cleaving falchion he struck horror into their
hearts. On that day Shiboob assisted him with his
arrows: the troops again attempted an attack; he
turned upon them, and dispersed them; and he did
not desist from his assault till he scattered them
over the desert, and filled the whole country with
the dead. Thus also did Oorwah and his father
Shedad, and the Absians; they completely destroyed
the left by their terrible attacks. Niamet
and his men observed their battle and their actions,
and were astounded at their deeds, observing in

them what they could not comprehend. The battle
continued to rage in every quarter till the armies of
night came on, when the two hostile forces separated
and dismounted.

Nacmah's troops retreated, for they were totally
routed, and there was not one but talked of the
tribe of Abs and their deeds. Eh! cried Nacmah,
assembling his companions about him, with such
hearts would ye wish to go with me into the land
of Hidjaz, and encounter its heroes in the combat?
Here one knight with three hundred men has overthrown
you, and these stern fellows have annihilated
you.—O Chief, said they, do not reproach us, for
this day we saw, with your brother, horsemen, whom
had we seen in a dream we should have been horror-struck:
we know not whence they come. Perhaps
you beheld the knight who attacked on the left,
how he crushed it; how he roared out to the right,
and dispersed it. If you blame us for this, you are
no wise man. On hearing this, his rage became
dreadful. I had resolved to attack them in person,
he bellowed out, and with my single power to remove
this evil from you; but I was afraid of shame
and reproaches, for truly men of high dignity may
scorn me on this account. But I must clear my
honour now that this catastrophe has befallen us,
and I will not endure the insults of living man.
To-morrow I will disguise myself, and I will
sally forth into the plain, and I will engage myself

in fight, in the scene of the spear-thrusts;
and for every one of that tribe I will slay another
of you also, so that not one of you must retreat
or quit the battle unless he be covered with
wounds.

When his comrades heard this, they were alarmed
for the fate that awaited them, and they remained
expecting the daylight. But as to the Absians
and Niamet's troop, the women and young damsels
were in agonies of fear, alarmed for their husbands
and chiefs, as soon as the tribe of Arcat approached
them, and surrounded them on all sides. They
continued weeping and lamenting, in dread of captivity
and separation, till the moment they saw the
Absians, and the deeds they performed, and how
they environed the troops right and left. At
this their hearts were composed, and they thanked
the omniscient Creator. Niamet ordered his slaves
to slaughter deer and sheep, and the women prepared
the repast; and before evening the horsemen
being returned to the tents, they took their
food.

Antar, having mangled the right and left, went
to his father Shedad, and Oorwah, and his men,
and found them all safe from peril, for they only
lost seven men: he congratulated the rest on their
safety. Niamet advanced towards him, and saluting
them all, received them with honour: he walked
before them till they came to the tents, where he

made them dismount at their dwellings, among
their wives and daughters. But Antar declined,
and alighted with his party without their tents; so
they supplied them with victuals, and Niamet stood
amongst the slaves, to attend on them: but Antar
perceiving him arose, and taking him by the hand,
made him sit down by his side, saying, Do not so,
young man; eat with us, and feel assured of success.
Know that we entered this country for our
own concerns only, and we did not come without
reasonable grounds. And he gave him a full account
of Nazih's adventure, at which Niamet was
exceedingly surprised, remarking the wondrous
changes of fortune. The tribe of Abs rose still
higher in his estimation, and he said within himself,
Doubtless these horsemen are the wonders of
the Genii, for they have marched against my brother
with these two hundred horsemen. Now, O Arab,
said he to Antar, if you slay my brother, and complete
my wishes, I will submit myself as a slave to
the tribe of Cayan, and I will for ever live their
servant. I consent that the country be yours, and
all the wealth therein.—By the faith of an Arab,
said Antar, I never in all my life took a bribe for
an honourable action; and now we will only consider
you as independent, and our friend, for our
possessions are great, and our property abundant.
But, by him who ordered us to make a pilgrimage
to the sacred shrine, I must make thy brother drink
of the cup of death. By to-morrow's dawn I will
assail him, and I will strike off his head from between
his shoulders: I will make thee lord over
all his property and possessions, and I will put to
death his adherents and friends.

When they had finished their dinner, they hasted
to repose; and as soon as the day arose in smiles,
they hurried to the battle and the combat. Do you
and your comrades, said Antar to Niamet, betake
yourselves to the left, and leave us the right;
and if you find yourselves unable to sustain the
combat, retire from before them for a few steps
only, so that the troops may pursue you, and
rush with avidity among you: but when I look
towards you, and you are engaged with them,
I will sally out against them, and will plunder
their souls. Niamet highly approved the plan:
he separated towards the left, and quitted the Absians.

When the tribe of Arcat saw this manœuvre,
they were alarmed for Nacmah. O my cousins,
cried Antar to his friends, know that this affair is
a mere trifle; be assured of victory and conquest.
Attack with me, that we may attempt the lord of
the great standard, on which is the form of the
moon, for King Nacmah is beneath it, and if we
do not slay him we shall not succeed in our expectations.

Antar had scarcely finished when the foe attacked.

Then too the Knight of the swarthy Abs went to
work, and fell among the enemy like inevitable
fate. The battle commenced; the heroes stood firm
against the spear-thrust and the sword-blow—the
warriors turned upon each other—the men assaulted
—all headed by Antar, the ravenous lion. The
spear-barbs laboured on the backs of the tribe of
Arcat like sparks of fire. Certain of death and
destruction, they dispersed over the wastes. Nacmah
sought out his brother in the battle, but
the party met him like the waves of the ocean;
fear and horror seized him, and he attempted to
fly, when lo! Antar rushed against the standard-bearer,
and piercing him through the heart, hurled
him off his horse, and then made at Nacmah, to
overwhelm him also in death. He fled, for he felt
his death certain: still Antar drove at him, and
smote him on the head with his sword; he cleft it
even to the girdle of his garment. He poured
destruction upon the tribe of Arcat, and let loose
an overwhelming calamity upon them. In fine,
every one that knew of the death of Nacmah immediately
returned under allegiance to his brother
Niamet, and sought his protection; and those who
ran away at first fled home.

Before mid-day Niamet possessed a valiant army,
and over his head waved the standards and ensigns.
The whole camp came towards him, and marched
before him till they reached the tribe of Abs.

Niamet was about to dismount, but Antar checked
him, and kissed him between the eyes. Niamet
kissed Antar's two hands, and extolling him, requested
his protection; and peace was concluded
between him and the Chief Obad, and terms were
arranged.

And when they were about to proceed each to
his country, Niamet turned towards Antar, saying,
Aboolfawaris, I request you will do me a
favour.—Speak your wishes, said Antar, and say
what you want.—I swear, said Niamet, by the faith
of an Arab, not an article of my property, great or
small, that came with me, shall return with me:
but do not reprove your slave for its inadequacy.—
No, by the duty of an Arab, exclaimed Antar, not
even a halter shall follow me of yours. But if you
have any other enemy, tell me, that I may go
against him, and extinguish his life, and may ease
you of his iniquity.—Besides my brother, said
Niamet, I have not a foe; and if I had, you ought
to return home. So take some of my camels, that
are unequalled in all lands; very patient they are
in traversing the deserts, and they are not to be
had in the land of Hidjaz. Upon this, two thousand
she camels were put aside, all with large overlapping
humps: they were given over to a hundred men
and as many women slaves, who were ordered to
drive them before Antar, son of Shedad, the Knight
of the dust and the fight.

This done, Niamet and his subjects returned
home, and Antar, with his comrades, set out for
the land of the tribe of Cayan. That day they
remained in the desert, and the next till mid-day;
when lo! there arose a dust ahead of them, and
they discovered the tribe of Cayan, commanded by
the Chief Nazih, and his father Asyed, and the
Chief Obad. They advanced, and the heroes saluted
each other. Obad came forward; he kissed
Antar's hand, and inquired what had passed. Antar
recounted the whole; at which the Arab chieftains
were in amazement, and they returned to the dwellings
of the tribe of Cayan.

About this time rose the moon of Redjib, which
the Arabs held sacred, hostilities were checked:
men and women were secure during that season.
Arrived, they married Dhymia to Nazih, and they
passed that month in feasts and entertainments.
Asyed also took away his wife, and soon they set
out on their way to their own country. Obad
bade them adieu, and returned home with his
troops, whilst Antar continued his march over the
desert; and as his love and passion for Ibla seized
him, he thus expressed himself:

"I march, and in my heart is a flame and a fire,
and I point towards home in my eager love—I
languish for thee; so understand that I am weak,
and thoughts only are alive. I march over the
desert adoring her, and in my heart, are hell-flames

and fiery tortures. O Ibla, I have encountered
warriors, from the thrust of whose
spears gushes out blood; but I have dispersed
them with the spear-thrust, till I have left them
to be dried up on the earth in the deserts. I have
killed Kelboon before Nacmah, and I have abandoned
them as dried flesh on the ground. I die,
and revive every day and night; for captive lovers
there is no rescue. Fortune and time have favoured
Nazih, a youth skilled in the spear-thrust,
and tried in war. O mountain of volcano, ever
be in hell-flames—ever be thy food the infernal
fire! and thou, O Mount Saadi, mayst thou ever
be my home, and mayst thou ever be moistened
with rain; there is my home; in every hour I
languish for it; there is my beloved, from whom
no captive can break loose. But I have endured
in patience this lengthened absence. May God
now unite us! He alone is omnipotent!"

At hearing Antar's verses, there was not one but
thanked him and praised him, and they travelled
night and day till they came nigh unto the defiles
of the passage where Khalid was concealed, and of
which he had taken possession, in order to succeed
in his attempts upon Antar, having stationed scouts
and advanced posts. Antar arrived about nightfall,
and halted by a lake on the Yemen side; as
soon as the outposts saw his dust, they came to
Khalid, and informed him. He was overjoyed;

but waiting till the night was quite darkened over,
he sent out a slave to obtain intelligence. He departed,
and returned about midnight, saying, It is
the Absians, and with them is Antar: so prepare
your companions for the battle and the combat. As
to Antar, as soon as the men had rested, and the
horses and camels had eaten their provender, he said
to Shiboob, Order the slaves to load the baggage,
and let us move.

Shiboob quitted him, and made the proclamation
in conformity with his brother's orders, and in an
hour the men were mounted, and the slaves had
loaded the camels, and they set out over the country
till they reached the defile. About an hour before
daylight they stopped at the head of the pass, when
the slaves were ordered to drive the cattle before
them: so the he and she camels, and the howdahs,
and the baggage, were driven forward, and
entered the defile. As soon as Khalid saw this,
and perceived the baggage-camels, and behind one
hundred horsemen with Shiboob to protect them,
letting them pass till Antar appeared with Shedad,
and Asyed, and Nazih, he shouted to his comrades,
and they assaulted in every direction, brandishing
their barbed spears and their scimitars, and rushing
upon them in the obscurity of darkness. The first
that engaged Antar was Rebia, son of Ocail: he
made a murderous thrust at Antar, but he grasped
his cleaving Dhami, and striking the spear, clipped

it off; then aiming at him with his sword, he cut
through his helm, and smote him on the crown of
his head, depriving him of his senses, and before he
could recover himself, Shiboob sprang upon him
and bound him fast by the shoulders, and pinioned
his arms and sides.

Jandah attacked Nazih, followed by his horsemen:
they were all so crowded in the defile, and so
thick rose the dust, that it was impossible to distinguish
friend from foe. Rebia being secured, Antar
vigilantly looked after himself, as he continued to
pierce the chests of the heroes. But Shiboob, when
he had bound fast Rebia, returned to seek for Jandah:
he had almost overpowered Nazih, when
Shiboob met him, and struck his horse with an
arrow: he threw him off, and Jandah being hurled
over from his height, Nazih was about to dismount,
but Shiboob anticipated him, saying, Do not trouble
yourself, O Chief; do not dismount, for the game
belongs to him who first struck it down, and besides
I understand such business much better than
you. So saying, he ran up to him and tied down
his arms.

The Absians then came on, issuing from the
defile. They extended their spears, and the battle
and the contest grew fiercer: their bodies were covered
with wounds, and blood streamed over the
sands. Antar slew of the tribe of Aamir those
whose death was at hand, and whose departure
was ordained.

Khalid observed the defeat, and repented of what
he had done; but they continued the engagement
till the day dawned, when the tribe of Aamir being
completely discomfited, took to flight; and Khalid,
feeling aware of his death and destruction, had no resource
but deceit and stratagem. So he cast away
his spear out of his hand, and returning his sword
to its scabbard, urged the speed of his horse Caasa,
that had belonged to King Zoheir, till he came up
to Antar, exclaiming, Hold, in the name of God!
O Arab, I see my mistake, truly rapacity has excited
our men, and the horrors of war have visited
them; they attacked your property in the dark,
but vengeance has overtaken them—they arose to
engage you before they made inquiries of you, but
their treachery has swiftly laid them low, and the
great and mean have been slain: but, O Arab, I
am their Chief, and on me ought to fall the blame
and the reproach; but, O hero, I demand of you
in the name of Him who raised the heavens, that
you tell me to what Arabs you belong, and that
you order your companions to withhold the sword-blow
till the morning brightens, when perhaps
our dissension may terminate in peace. Know
too, that the daylight will demonstrate this fact,
and the Cahtanian will be distinguished from the
Adnanian.

Antar, on hearing this, acquiesced, and seeing
that he had thrown away his spear, instantly despatched
Shiboob, ordering him to withdraw the

Absians from the tribe of Aamir, and to tell the
tribe what Khalid, the chief of the fugitives, had
said, and to prohibit them from thrusting and
striking. O Arab, exclaimed Antar to Khalid, as
to your demand about our parentage, we are of the
noble tribe of Abs, and I am Antar, son of Shedad;
our leader is the Chief Asyed, son of Jazeemah,
and wherefore have you exposed us to this disgraceful
transaction? I have been absent in the
land of Yemen on an affair that interested our chiefs.
I went and I slew their foes, and with my sword I
have overturned their power. I exerted myself,
that my promise might be fulfilled. Having finished
all my business, I am now on my way to my family
and tribe. But what is it you mean by your questions?
Woe! woe, O Aboolfawaris, said Khalid,
how is it you have concealed all this from us, so
that evil at your hands is come upon us? How has
misfortune fallen on us from a tribe most dear to
us! Truly my love for you would have increased,
and in my heart would have been your glory and
honour, had not this cruel affair cut asunder the
connexion between us. What relationship is there
between us and you? said Antar in the greatest
astonishment, and what parentage? Hear, O champion
of the tribe of Abs, said Khalid, for I will
relate to you what has occurred during your absence,
when you were in the lands of Yemen: but
be not too much distressed at what you have done
to my people, and that you have brought destruction
upon them, for we commenced the insult, and we
were the origin of the violence, and truly I will forgive
you the blood of those who have been slain
out of regard to your Chief Zoheir, whom may Lat
and Uzza keep in holy remembrance! for his
liberality was universally aknowledged by us all,
and in him we have found a strong tower and a
defender. The reason of this is, that I met him at
Mecca at the holy shrine, and between him and me
was formed mutual faith and engagement, and
when we returned from the pilgrimage, I bound
myself to him, and took him with me to the tribe
of Aamir (for I am their Chief Khalid, son of
Gíafer); I made him and his sons alight with me
in the middle of the tents, and I offered them
all that was in my power, in the way of hospitality,
for the space of ten days, and they did not quit me
till between them and us relationship was confirmed:
for Zoheir, whom may Lat and Uzza ever guard in
holy remembrance I demanded my daughter Bederool-Hoolel
for his son Shas, and gave us things incalculable,
such as no human being possesses: he
also did not depart till he had given me his charger
Caasa, and it is this I have under me; and he girt
me on this his sword, which is now slung over my
shoulders, and its name is Zeenoor: he left us
praising him and full of obligations, and when he
departed, I took with me a thousand horsemen of
my tribe, and I am now on my way to the land of
Yemen, that I may procure jewels, and robes, and
articles no King of Yemen possesses. We halted
in this spot but yesterday evening, and in the
morning we resolved on marching, when you arrived
with your baggage-camels, and your slaves
were driving them. As soon as my party saw
them, they considered them as some plunder of the
inhabitants of Yemen. Their avidity excited them
to seize on them, and thus it all happened.

When Antar heard Khalid's narrative, and saw
King Zoheir's charger under him, and his sword
over his shoulder, he was confounded for a reply,
and hung his head to the ground in excess of
shame, and he knew not what to do.

Khalid, on seeing this, felt certain that by his
artifice and deceit, the stratagem and manœuvre
had had its effect, so he did not cease his villany
till he dismounted and did homage to Antar, saying,
May God be ever with thee; grieve not, O
champion of Abs; repent not, for unwittingly you
have acted thus; the fault was ours, and on us has
fallen the loss. And Khalid wished to kiss his feet;
but Antar dismounted: My lord, said he, death
would be more tolerable to me than this act; but a
liberal man pardons a slave when he perceives the
apology is sincere.

The Absians came up and heard all Khalid said,
and they did as Antar had done; and Antar cried
out to the slaves to release the prisoners they had
in charge, amongst whom were Jandah, son of
Beca, and Rebia, son of Ocail, and others of the

Aamir horsemen. The whole came up to Antar
and made their excuses. Peace was concluded,
and Khalid rescued his friends by this deceit and
stratagem, and as they took leave of each other,
said Khalid, Make my compliments to my brother,
King Zoheir; and he went off with the Aamirites,
hardly crediting their escape. As to the Absians,
they continued traversing the desert on their way
home. Antar went ahead, and when his love and
pensiveness overcame him, he began thus:

"O tamarisk of the mountains, is there one to
report of me—to tell the state of a lover—one
distracted and melancholy? Mention then, in the
name of God, ye northern breezes, the honours
and glories I have attained; tell Ibla that, for
her sake, I have encountered horrors of the most
eminent hazard; that I have endured dreadful
scenes, and have returned triumphant, and the
foe, in terror of me, dared not to appear before
me. O Ibla, by thy life, couldst thou but see
Antar amongst the armies and contending multitudes,
and the horse tearing down towards me
at the head of the defile, like the tempestuous
rain, in the battle, destroyer of joys. They come
on the backs of swift high-mettled steeds, some
black, like the winds when they rush forth, some
red, some white, and some piebald. I shout at
them with an Absian shout, like thunder, that
thrills through the whole army. I charge towards
them, and I gallop at them, and I storm them with

the chest of Abjer. I make them taste of sword-blows,
and terrible spear-thrusts, with my cutlass
and the barb of my lance. I make them like the
harvest, as if they were the roots of date trees,
deeply interwoven in the rocks. I have dyed the
face of the land with their blood, and it has become
like the crimson cornelian. The gore, like a rolling sea of Judas flowers, resembles a bursting
river. O Ibla, couldst thou but behold my
achievements against the foe on the day of battle,
in my force and my impetuosity, and my arms,
like the Judas tree, and my Abjer dyed with the
blood of every lion-hero. It is then I cry out from
beneath the forest of spears, whilst the dust and
black volumes of sand encompass me. O, by Abs,
I am the stubborn one among men, I will annihilate
horsemen with my cleaving scimitar. It is then
I dart from beneath the dust, and my coat of mail
is like the piony, and as if painted with saffron.
I have slain Jabir, and Hosein, and also the
voracious lion Ebeleshbal. I have left Masood
and Amroo in the desert, on the ground, and
Nabih, son of Ashter; also Kelboon and his father,
called Nacmah the tyrant, the oppressor; and
Soheib, him have I made to drink of the cup of
death on the lofty towering mountains. Them
all I have destroyed with the hewing blows of my
polished, my irresistible Dhami. Their property
I have seized, their plunder I have taken, and the
deserts are filled with the incalculable booty. As
to the troops of horsemen in the valley, there does
not survive of them one to tell the tale. The
heroes can witness for me in the contest, that I
am the lion—the devouring warrior: not a knight
like me has arrived at the highest glory, durable
for ages. My mother is Zebeeba, I disavow not
her name, and I am Antar; but I am not vainglorious:
her dark complexion sparkles like a
sabre in the shades of night, and her shape is
like the well-formed spear. I am the son of Shedad,
and my lineage is Absian, known above the brilliant
canopy of heaven. I have attained honour,
glory, and fame, by my resolution, so that I am in
the vicinity of Jupiter. Were death to see me,
ay to see me, he would turn aside from me, in
fear of my tempestuous might and power. I am
sublime above all knights in the field of fight, by
my intrepidity, by my modesty and forbearance."

When Antar had finished his verses, they all
cried, May God never abandon thy mouth, may
there never be one to harm thee, O hero of the age,
thou champion of the tribe of Abs and Adnan!
They continued their march till they came near to
the land of Shoorebah and Mount Saadi, and when
they turned their eyes toward their homes, and saw
the desert in tumult with the glitter of armour, and
the concourse of people, and wailing lamentations,
Antar was startled, and so were his companions.
Doubtless some evil has befallen our families in our
absence, he cried, for the whole tribe is in the utmost
affliction. Now when Cais had returned home, after
the death of his father, the whole land was convulsed

with weeping and clamorous sorrow. Their grief
for Zoheir continued long. The tents and the
dwellings of the tribe of Abs were thrown down,
and re-echoed to the groans and sobs of the mourners.
The people met them, and seated themselves, with
Cais, on the carpet of affliction. The tribes of Fazarah,
and Ghiftan, and Marah, and Dibyan, all
attended, with their friends and allies; they let
their turbans hang loose over their necks, and rent
all the garments they had on. But when they had
condoled with Cais for his father, they congratulated
him on the kingdom that had fallen to him.
Congratulate me not on my kingdom, said he; there
is no joy till you see that I have had my revenge.
Comfort your heart, and brighten your eye, said the
warriors, for we will not separate from you till we
have avenged you. And they despatched their
slaves to bring them their horses and their arms, and
they remained preparing for the contest, whilst Cais
every day rode out, gaining the hearts of the people,
and showing every kindness to the warriors, giving
them arms, and weapons, and corslets. His father,
in his lifetime, had banished many of the Absians.
Cais recalled them; he conciliated them, and made
them return to their native land. But as to Rebia,
son of Zeead, he had great influence with King Cais,
for Cais had married his daughter, and he placed
great confidence in him, in all his plans, and when
Cais was making his preparations for his expedition
to attack the tribe of Aamir, and had assembled his
forces, said Hadifah, son of Beder, to him, Wait for
me ten days, till I write to my allies, the tribe of
Marah; for their knight Harith, son of Zalim, is
my relation by birth, and he is now the knight of
the Arabs. My cousin, said King Cais, I have indeed
heard marvels of this knight, and they raise
him above Antar, son of Shedad. Who is Antar,
said Rebia, O Cais, when Harith is present? Now
then will he exhibit in his actions things that shall
be recorded of him to eternity. So Hadifah wrote
to Harith, requesting his assistance against the tribe
of Aamir, having first stated all about King Zoheir,
and the disgrace and infamy they had brought down
upon him, and he despatched the letter by a horseman
of Fazarah. This Harith was a confirmed
impostor; he regarded no hospitality, neither did
he respect any engagement. He never kept his
word; he was a great depredator, and iniquitous in
all his actions. If he associated with a friend, he
would betray him; and if he could overreach an
ally, he would put him to death. All the Arabs
were on their guard against him, and his villany
had been felt by every man alive, and moreover he
could not be quiet with Antar; he stationed spies
and scouts over him, and his very favours were
malice and perfidy.

Khalid had also written to Harith to require his
aid in his hostile preparations against the tribe of
Abs, saying, O Harith, I have slain King Zoheir
and his son Shas, and I am resolved not to leave
them a tent standing. You know what their slave
Antar did to your father Zalim, and how he cut his

hair off. If you are really what I have heard you
to be, that you are active and zealous, haste then,
that I may accomplish your every wish, and marry
you to my daughter Sitularab. Harith acquiesed
in the requisitions of Khalid's letter, and having assembled
five hundred of the tribe of Marah, he
resolved on the expedition. About that time also
arrived Hadifah's messenger, and gave him the
letter; to whom he said in his malignity and deceit,
There was no occasion for your chief to write me a
letter; I am now marching to his assistance, and
shall probably have slain Khalid ere he arrives. He
sent the messenger back that very day, and he himself
set out for the tribe of Aamir. When they had
proceeded some distance, O Harith, said his people,
we wish you would tell us what is your real intention,
and whom you will assist? My cousins, said he,
march with me, and be sure of wealth, for these
tribes are populous, and they must engage each
other; and whichever we see will conquer, to that
we will turn. But we wish, said they, you would
inform us which you will join first? The tribe of
Khalid, said he. And thus he continued his march
with his comrades, and such was his resolution.

In the meantime Hadifah's messenger returned,
and informed him that Harith had preceded him
against the tribe of Aamir with five hundred horsemen.
Away went Hadifah to King Cais: O King,
said he, know that the man is wise and faithful; he
is now gone to execute what we requested of him,

and he is already on his march to fight the Aamirites
before us: it is my opinion we should join him,
or he will sustain their attack alone. Do, my uncle,
what you please, said Cais, and tell the Arabs to
make ready their warlike weapons for the expedition
on this very day. The Absians accordingly came
forth with their arms; they slung on their spears,
and were preparing to march, and at that very moment
arrived Antar and Asyed with the horsemen;
they stopped near the tents. The Absian warriors
mounted to go and meet them; and amongst them
were Malik, King Zoheir's son, Antar's friend, and
his brother Harith by his side; and as soon as they
saw their uncle Asyed and Antar they scattered dust
over their heads, and let down the turbans over their
necks.

But Antar, marking the conduct of King Zoheir's
sons, shuddered, and was stupefied, for he thought
they were occupied on Shas' happiness, as Khalid
had informed him. He dismounted, and in great
dismay, My lord, he said to Malik, what is the
matter? O Aboolfawaris, said he, a calamity never
to be forgotten, a misfortune that overwhelms both
men and women. And he announced the death of
his father King Zoheir, and his brother Shas. The
colour of the swarthy Antar became wan and livid;
he was nearly fainting. My lord, said he, dead? or
killed? Killed, my cousin, said Prince Malik, and
their enemies have triumphed over them; and then
he told Antar how his father and brother were

slain, and what Khalid had done. Upon this, Antar
also related his victory over the tribe of Aamir
in the defile, and that he had taken more than two
hundred prisoners, among whom were Rebia, son
of Ocail, and Jandah, son of Beka, and that all
were set free; and how Khalid had duped him by
his stratagem and deceit. On hearing this, all King
Zoheir's sons set up an universal shout of grief. O
Aboolfawaris, said Prince Malik, it was that Jandah
who slew my father. At this Antar's agony and
transports were most intense. Woe, woe unto thee,
O Khalid! he cried; by the faith of an Arab I will
not leave thee but as a proverb for every one that
stands and sits. His tears flowed in streams; his
sobs and lamentations augmented; and thus he gave
vent to his sorrows:

"O my eyes, shed showers of tears for the anguish
and calamities that have befallen me. Dry
not on my cheeks, but flow in gushing torrents
like the rain-charged clouds. O my woes, quit
not my frame. O my agonies, leave not my body.
O mourners of the tribe, weep and lament; multiply
your afflictions with sobs of sorrow and
distress, for he is lost on whom I most relied for
aid. Fear not the rebukes of the railers: he was
my stay in every evil, and my sword when calamities
flowed upon me. He was the refuge for
the weak, and the asylum of the poor, who
mourned in emaciating penury. He was a king
to whom princes bowed down, and to whose

power the Arab chiefs submitted. O Zoheir,
verily my spirit is broken. It was thou that didst
repulse the foe, and every enemy from me. Alas!
O race of Abs, thou hast lost thy glory; thy
noble, thy merciful, and bountiful prince! Past
away is thy benefactor! Thy days are darkened;
now their light is gone, thy flame is extinguished
in the obscurity of death. He was a full moon
shining in its sublimity, and he was to me the
most eminent of virtues. How indeed has the
tribe of Aamir triumphed! Khalid exults and is
proud of his conquest. Verily they have slain
Shas, and he was a knight who was my succour
in every adversity. Oh! I will weep for them as
long as the birds shall sing, or the drops of the
pouring clouds shall fall. I will take vengeance
on the tribe of Aamir, who have revolted, and
have vanquished these warriors. Khalid! Oh!
I will make him drink with my sword the draught
of the black gore in the midst of the heroes. I
will exterminate the tribes with penetrating spear-thrusts,
and tear out their hearts with sharpedged
scimitars. If I do not keep my word, may
I never succeed in my wishes for a friend! Soon
will I realize my project against them with my
sabre; soon will I pull down their glories and
their honours. I will leave among their dwellings
nought but lamentations and shrieks of woe
for the loss of friends! I am Antar, well known
in war and battle, when I make the heroes fly
terrified at death. But, alas! fortune has cast
me into affliction, and for the loss of Zoheir my
heart is melted!"

When the horsemen heard these verses they
burst out into a loud expression of grief and affliction,
and the creeping thrill of sorrow crawled over
their bodies. They entered the tents, their heads
exposed, and their clothes all torn. Rebia, old in
villany, met them, saying, Cousins, men should assuage
their grief, and soon resign their sorrows.
Let not one of ye prolong his discourse, for this day
is fixed for departure. It was Rebia's intention
thus to add new anguish to the heart of Antar. He
made him no reply, but he swelled with fury; his
eyeballs glared red, till they became like two liquid
globes of crimson blood; he roared and bellowed;
his patience was spent; he struck Rebia on the
chest, and hurled him on his back, and his helmet
flew off from his head, and he was unable to utter
a word. Antar repaired unto King Cais. At the
entrance of the tent Antar stopped and wept; he
sobbed and shrieked in excess of grief, as also Asyed;
but Antar thus exclaimed:

"Set is the full moon, though once it was in its
zenith; hidden is its light, and all is dark.
Eclipsed is the sun, and the morn no more returns
in smiles. Fallen are the constellations;
they have disappeared; the atmosphere is obscured;
the dust of darkness is over it; all the
seas are hollow, and are sunk deep; we have lost

its dews and its clouds. At the moment that Zoheir
fell dead infamy shrouded us, and sat upon
us. Fortune has made him drink of the cup of
death, but likewise fortune will be quick in its
vengeance. He was my stay, my armour in adversity;
he was my breastplate, my spear, my
scimitar. O my eyes, when ye shed not tears,
may sleep be denied ye! I swear by Him who
slays and brings to life, by Him who rules the
light and the darkness, never will I raise my
sword in battle till I behold all my enemies in
dismay and in shame. O tribe of Aamir, O clan
of Kelab, dread the light and shade of my sword;
soon shall thy wives scream in terrors of captivity;
soon shall they weep for their orphaned little ones.
I am Antar, son of Shedad, and my star is high
raised above the sublimity of the seven heavens!"

When Antar had finished his verses, his tears
gushed out in incessant streams, and he wept bitterly,
till he could no more, and he fainted; but
when he recovered from his swoon, he cast his eyes
towards King Zoheir's seat, and thus expressed
himself:

"Weep abundantly, my eyes, in torrents of tears;
aid me, relieve my woes with weeping! For oh!
I have lost a prince that was my support—that
was my full moon; but it is now set below the
earth! I have lost the sea and the rain by my
enemies, and him whose benevolence resembled
the deluging clouds. I have lost a lion, but in no

lion was there his power. I have lost the knight
of war, the invincible hero: my heart is on fire.
I have lost all resignation for a prince who taught
the Arabs on the day of combat with his spear.
O Cais, depend on me; for in my heart is a flame
of fire that consumes it, and my forbearance I can
no longer persist in. Rise with me; let us seek
vengeance speedily, for death is sweeter to my
heart than honey. Reproach me not for my wars
—I love them: I will hear neither word nor rebuke.
Night is my complexion, and the lions of
war know me. The coat of mail is my strong
tower, and my heart is hewn out of a rock. Warriors
are reduced to contempt by me in the day of
combat, as the Arabs can witness for me. Woe,
woe to my heart, for what it has lost. Death,
now Zoheir is no more, is my noblest aim. O
race of Abs, haste ye to vengeance against the
tribe of Aamir, and fear not death. Exert yourselves
with me, for you have a slave that has felled
into disgrace every knight of the plains and the
mountains. How many tribes are there in whose
blood I have dyed my sword in the day of battle!
How many the heroes I have laid low! How
many valleys has it tinged! How many lions have
bowed to me! How many multitudes have I extirpated!
death can bear me witness. Khalid!
soon will I leave him stretched on the face of the
earth, and his women as childless mothers shall
mourn him. To-morrow will I annihilate ye, tribe
of Aamir, quick with the point of the spear, and
the edge of my polished sabre. I will capture
your women; I will leave no vestige of them; I
will plunder your cattle, your property, and your
camels. I am Antar, whose qualities are well
known; the destruction of warriors, undaunted at
death."

When Antar had finished his verses, he went to
his own dwelling, where all his regrets were renewed.
But Cais was resolved on immediate departure;
and he set out with the tribes of Abs and
Fazarah, and the Arabs of that land and country.
Antar also wished to go and aid him; but Malik,
the brother of Cais, came to him: O Aboolfawaris,
said he, stay at home, and do not follow my brother
this time, for he would ill-use you, and perhaps even
reject you, and make you ashamed on account of
that miserable Amarah, and his despicable brother.
How so? said Antar. Malik upon this related to
him about Harith, and told him all the news;
how Hadifah had written to him requesting his assistance,
and last night Rebia hinted that the expedition
would not be offered to you, and it is he who
has concerted this plan. Then he described to him
Harith's intrepidity and prowess, and how the Arabs
boasted of him, even above you, said Malik.

Antar was exceedingly annoyed at hearing this:
Go you, however, and join your brother, and tell
him that Antar thanks him, and begs his pardon for
all he has done. May the praise of God be on the

man who assists him, and can serve him instead of
me in this expedition; and if he can take his revenge
on Khalid, son of Giafer, praise be to the only and
Omnipotent God! but, if he does not subdue his foe,
then will I go against him alone, and will do nto
him and his, what shall be for ages recorded. Thus
Malik taking leave of him, astonished at his magnanimity,
said, O Aboolfawaris, were I not afraid of
being a scandal among the Arabs, and of their reproaches,
for refusing to seek vengeance for my
father, I would not follow him on this occasion. At
last he departed, and his tears streamed copiously.

The camps, and horsemen, and troops, all followed
Cais: his army amounted in all to twenty-five
thousand men, all bold horsemen. Every one
of them thought that Antar only staid at home to
have his fill of Ibla, whilst Amarah headed all the
warriors, brandishing his spear in his left hand, quite
delighted at the absence of Antar on this expedition.
But Antar, as soon as Prince Malik quitted him,
returned home; he took off his warlike weapons,
and entering the tents, his tears burst from his eyes,
and he was absorbed in an ocean of reflection; when
lo! the wives of his uncles came to him, and congratulated
him on his safety. He paid them great
respect, and received them with honour and attention;
and they thus addressed him:

"Had we known of your arrival in the night,
we would have hasted to you on the crowns of
our heads. We would have given you the most

honourable reception. O you illustrious one! the
life of our existence!"

Ibla and her mother were among the women; so
Antar was much pleased, and his heart was filled
with joy at seeing his beloved. He inquired about
her health, &c.—to which she replied, Nothing has
happened but what you have heard respecting King
Zoheir and his son Shas—every one is acquainted
with that. But we have been expecting your arrival,
and that you would take vengeance on them; but
we see all the men are gone, and you remain at
home. Daughter of my uncle, said Antar, the party
have obtained one who will seek their retaliation
without me: they rejected me; I wished to accompany
them, but they refused me. He told her what
Prince Malik had imparted to him, at which the
women were greatly surprised, saying Ay! that is
the foul plan of the rogue Amarah and his iniquitous
brother, for King Cais never did any thing but by
the advice of Rebia. Well, cousin, said Ibla to
Antar, pray where is my share of all this spoil? or
am I no longer an object of value or consideration
with you? By the faith of an Arab, said Antar,
my share has been five hundred he and she camels,
of the camels of Sewda, and the mountain of Volcano,
and they are all blue-eyed, with black hair and
bodies. So tell your black slaves to drive them out
to-morrow morning, and mix them with the Asafeer
camels, and excuse the trifle, for I was on Asyed's
business. Then he told her all that had occurred

n the excursion, and the horrors he had endured,
hus expressing himself:

"O Ibla, I have a heart steady in its love for
thee; and ever anxious in its passion. O Ibla,
pity me for my love. I am thy captive-victim,
and my tears are like the stormy ocean. O Ibla,
thou hast vanquished my heart with a form, whose
beauties even flash before the brilliant sun. O
Ibla, thy face resembles in its lustre the dawn,
and thy tresses the darkness of night, the complexion
of thy adorer. O Ibla, not in all the
songstresses together are thy charms: no, by
God, thy beauty is far superior. O Ibla, I am
indeed overwhelmed with love; all the world must
pity—compassionate me. O Ibla, thy cheek resembles
the crimson rose, and the pionies of the
gardens are like it. O Ibla, in thy bosom are the
pomegranates I desire, were even the swords armed
with lightning to flash from it. O Ibla, among
the Houris there is not a face like thine; and
amongst mankind there is no lover like me. O
Ibla, grant but a meeting to me, whose whole
soul pants for thee. O Ibla, were even death to
visit me, nought shall daunt me, for I am true
and firm; for all I demand of God is a sight of
thee at the dawn and mid-day, and whenever
shines the sun!"