University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Some days after, Antar rode out in company with
Harith and Prince Malik to the chase; and as they
wandered far over the desert in search of game,
they drove the wild beasts over the wastes, till the
heat overpowering them, they returned to the valley
of Ghadha, where was a party of Arabs established,
called the tribe of Ghorab. Antar and his
comrades drank at their wells, and whilst watering
their horses, they observed a Sheikh, who was very
infirm from the number of years he had lived; with
him also was a young girl, like the thirsty fawn, in
shape resembling the branch of the tamarisk. As
soon as Prince Malik beheld her, he was bewildered,
and a violent flame was roused in his bosom. He
instantly turned towards her father, and saluting
him, inquired after his health, saying, O Sheikh,
what is this damsel to thee? My daughter, he replied,
and of all my family and tribe she alone remains
to me. She assists me in milking in the
desert, and helps me as thou seest. Wilt thou consent,
said the prince, that I become her husband,
that I may make thee lord of all I possess in cattle
and sheep, and I will remove thy poverty and thy

distresses from thee? The Sheikh smiled, and said,
How can that be? My lord, I am but a poor man,
and thou art a great prince. Speak not so, added
Malik; think not, O Sheikh, it is wealth that adorns
the man; lineage and birth are far better than property
and worldly acquisitions. Whilst they were
thus conversing, up came Antar and Harith, and
asked Malik what was the matter? So he related
his adventure, and complained to Antar of the
agonies of love, saying, O Aboolfawaris, I used to
accuse thee of folly when thou didst complain of thy
passion, and I used to say love was only a phrensy
till I tasted it myself, and beheld those eyes; but
as soon as I felt it, I knew that in forbearance you
must be the most patient of men, and the firmest
against grief and affliction. Antar laughed, and
perceiving that love had worked a change in his
mind, O my lord, said he, if in less than an hour all
this has been effected in you, in what a state must
he be who for years has been seeking consolation,
and has found none? Rejoice, said Antar, to the
old man, at the departure of sorrow and poverty,
and in thy future happiness. Marry thy daughter
to this prince, that thou mayest become lord of the
tribe of Ghorab, and ruler over its elders and
youths. It all appears to me like a dream, said the
man; there is nothing to be done but to accept her
as a gift from me, without any fixed settlement, or
calculated dower—that indeed is quite beyond my
powers. When I am married to thy daughter, said
Malik, the Arabs shall see how I will requite thee.
So he took his hand for the nuptials, and he succeeded
in all his wishes.

Malik returned quite bird-hearted, and Antar
congratulated him, and wished him joy. But when
he came home he told his brother what had passed:
By thy life, O my brother, what is this? said Cais:
couldst thou not consent to connect thyself with the
daughters of our uncles, the swoln-bosomed damsels
of the earth? but must thou have recourse to the
daughters of the tribe of Ghorab? Reproach me
not, O brother, said Malik, for what could not be
resisted; it is the only God that has power over
love. Hearts communicate and meet of themselves,
and the only messenger is the glance of the eyes.
They were thus talking when Antar approached,
who overhearing Cais reproaching his brother, God
forbid, O king, said he, that you should rail at
lovers, and increase the flames of passion. Your
brother has not acted violently or oppressively, and
has done nothing but what all the world has done
before: you ought to partake in his sorrows, and
not blame him or reproach him. Let him have his
way in his passion, for he has not distressed you in
any point for which you should rebuke him. On
this the countenance of Cais brightened; he wished
him joy: As the business is as you describe it, said
he, and you yourself encourage it, let us also complete
your nuptials and his on the same day. That
affair, said Antar, entirely depends on my uncle

Malik; permit me to expect my happiness from the
king of all slaves.

On the next day Prince Malik sent to the Sheikh
he and she camels, and variegated robes, and cattle,
and precious jewels, and howdahs, brilliant with
magnificent velvet, and servants and slaves, and with
them horses and sheep, ordering them to be expeditious,
on account of the passion that was in his heart:
and he appointed a certain hour on the seventh day.
When all these presents reached the tribe of Ghorab,
the old and young rejoiced; they passed those days
in the greatest delight, and slaughtered the sheep
and the camels, and filled the goblets with wine,
and they were perfectly happy to the exclusion of
every sorrow. Soon after, Prince Malik clad himself
in the robes of noble-born kings, and his beauty
was more dazzling than the new moon. On this
expedition Antar accompanied him, fearful lest some
enemy should waylay him; and he took ten horsemen
and five of his brothers. They wandered through
the Arab dwellings till they reached the tribe of
Ghorab, and Prince Malik dismounted at the marriage
canopy, his brothers also alighting round the
tent. The feast immediately commenced; the damsels
waved the cymbals, and the horsemen flourished
their swords; exclamations of joy arose, and the
cups went round; and thus they continued till the
laughing day was spent, when the nymph was married
to Malik. All the chiefs and lords of the tribe
soon fell asleep, on account of the watchings and

fatigue; but by morning their joys were converted
into sorrows, and shots were precipitated at them
from arrows, for which there is no surgeon; for
fortune never gives, but it pillages; is never stationary,
but it revolves; is never merry, but it sorrows;
never bestows, but it takes back; never joys,
but it grieves; never sweetens, but it embitters.
Now the cause of the interruption of their happiness
was, that Hadifah, having accepted the composition
for the blood of his son from Cais, returned home.
What hast thou done, son of Beder? exclaimed his
wife; hast thou sold the blood of thy son for things
that have no value? hast thou received, as the price
of his blood, grazing flocks, and forgotten thy infamy
and disgrace amongst every passing Arab?
By God, no more shalt thou be my husband or my
friend; I will never acknowledge a coward for my
husband. Upon this she forbade him her presence
for three days. On the fourth day he entered, and
found her in great grief, the tears rushing down in
torrents, whilst she thus expressed her sorrows:

"Hadifah! thou wilt never be secure from the
foe; thou wilt never be protected from the malignity
of misfortunes. What! has Cais slain my
only one, and hast thou accepted camels and
grazing flocks? Thou hast put on, O Hadifah,
garments of shame and indelible disgrace, even to
thy dying day. Dost thou not dread that thy
foes will say, Hadifah's heart is the heart of a
girl? Away with what Haml, son of Beder, said,

every fated event must take place. Retaliate with
the barbs of the spears, and with the blades of the
thin scimitars; otherwise leave me, that I may
weep day and night in streaming tears. Haply
my death will speedily come, and the penetrating
arrows will overtake me. Shall I ever take to my
love a coward husband, whose life is the baseness of
life? Alas! alas! for my murdered boy—cruelly
murdered. Alas! he was stretched dead on the
desert! Behold the birds of the Erak, how they
mourn, like me, on the tops of the waving
branches! but does the turtle-dove feel an anguish
like my anguish, even when it is dashed down
with the arrows of dispersion? O day of the race!
I shall mourn thee for one who excelled in every
mental virtue. O that thy dawn had never seen
the night, and the face of the full moon had never
been shaded in obscurity! O horses of the race!
that ye had drank of poison, diluted in the purling
streams! that your backs had been weighed down
with the burthens of the firmly-rooted mountains!
for your race has cast a sorrow at me that can
never subside but in death."

At hearing these verses the tears gushed from the
eyes of Hadifah; his regrets increased. (The women
heard these verses, and the shepherds and the horsemen
used to repeat them, and they were called the
exciters of woe). Daughter of my uncle, said he,
I only accepted the compensation by Sinan's advice;
for when he saw the ancient Sheikhs issue forth

against us, and endeavour to make peace between
us, Thy son cannot be recalled, said he to me, and it
will be as well to listen to my advice: thus it is;
take from Cais the compensation, renounce violence
and hostility; then station over Cais and his brothers
some spies and emissaries, till you catch one
of them; kill him, and thus accomplish your designs:
fight them at your pleasure, but just now you cannot
possibly succeed. This conversation took place between
him and me, and ever since we made the
peace, I have had spies stationed over the Absians,
and I will afflict them in one who is the dearest of
the tribe. Thus he continued to soothe her, till
the account of Prince Malik's marriage in the tribe
of Ghorab reached him; and immediately he assembled
his brothers Awef and Handhala, to whom
he communicated Malik's situation; but not a word
would he say to his brother Haml, because he was
aware he would not obey him in such a project.
His brothers assented, and they set out with seventy
horsemen of the tribe as soon as it was dark (but in
his great exultation Hadifah forgot to ask his informant
whether Antar had accompanied Malik).
They travelled over the wilds till they reached the
tribe of Ghorab by morning, and they found them
all asleep. Hadifah observed the nuptial canopy
apart from the tents; he made towards it, and the
horsemen encompassed him, preceded by his brothers.
As the horses galloped forward the slaves
started up, and the earth far and wide was in commotion.
Shouts arose among the horsemen. Antar
sprang upon his stallion, and the tribe of Ghorab
mounted in all fifty horsemen, old and young.
Antar was the foremost in the contest; and when
he saw the men, he knew, beyond a doubt, they
were of the tribe of Fazarah: he soon recognized
Hadifah and his brothers; Hola! O Ebe Hijar, he
cried, this day will I bring down destruction upon
thee; it was for such a day as this that I have waited.
I must indeed appease the anguish of my bosom on
ye all, ye wretches! He shouted at the horsemen
and assailed them, playing away his spear through
their sides; Abjer, under him, hastened down, like
a torrent, rushing against the horses. But Hadifah,
beholding his exploits, was afraid lest he should fail
in his attempt; he determined, however, to avail
himself of the opportunity; he burst into the nuptial
canopy, there to slay Malik, and make his friends
mourn for him. Whilst he was forming this resolve,
lo! Malik rushed out upon him. He was scarcely
awaked from sleep, immersed as he had been in the
sweetest of enjoyments. He was also intoxicated,
and his garments were scented with musk and saffron.
As he beheld Hadifah, and the horsemen
prepared to attack him, he was inflamed with ardour,
and a foolish pride worked through him. Moreover,
being anxious to exhibit to his bride a proof of his
courage, he mounted his horse, he snatched up his
spear, and he assaulted in his arrogance, making at
Hadifah and his brothers, and crying out, I am
Malik, son of Zoheir! He shouted on his steed;
he was intoxicated, and his hand being unable to
direct the bridle, his horse precipitated him to the
ground. He attempted to arise in the excess of his
spirit, but Hadifah overtook him on his mare, and
smote him with his sword on his skull, and the instrument
descended half way down his body. Convinced
that he had killed him, he returned to his
comrades, crying out, O retaliation of grief! But
being afraid of Antar, and well aware were he to
find him he would make him drink of a violent
death, he fled in haste home, and his fury subsided.

He left Antar occupied with the remainder of the
Fazareans, and no one followed him, but those who
were more immediately about him. The party opposed
to Antar were soon diminished, and most of
them being slain, he returned to Malik, just to see him
in the agonies of death, where he was lying bathed
in blood in front of his horse. At this sight he
screamed and threw himself upon him: he smote
himself with his hands like a woman deprived of
her children. O full moon of perfection! he exclaimed,
never, never did I imagine such would be thy end.
And he let his head fall upon his knees; he kissed
his face till he nearly swooned upon his body; and
his tears streamed over Malik's cheeks, who at last
just opened his eyes. He attempted to speak and
move his lips, but he could not, so violent was the
fate that had fallen upon him; he could only point
with his fingers towards him; he bade him farewell,

and his spirit groaned in the excess of agony. Antar's
afflictions became more vehement; and whilst
they were in this state, behold! Malik's bride
rushed forth, her face uncovered, her hair dishevelled,
and surrounded by a number of women and
high-bosomed damsels beating their breasts and
throwing dust upon their heads. Malik's bride
smote her cheeks with her hands: and when she
reached the death-place of her husband, she thus
spoke:

"I will weep for thee, not in festivities or nuptials,
but in spears, and swords, and shields. I
will weep for him who is gone, and has abandoned
me after having become my husband. I will
weep for him who is gone and made me heir to
interminable grief, even to the end of time. I
will weep for the full moon, whose light is fled,
whose glory is eclipsed and destroyed. Alas!
my lord has vanished from me; he has left me a
solitary being; he is concealed from me in the
darkness of the grave. I am left forlorn in the
morning to mourn my beloved, whom I knew but
yesterday. I will weep for him: I will mourn
for him as long as the moon of heaven and the
sun shall shine. No joy shall ever again please
me; never again shall my soul be at ease. I will
weep for my lord; I will grieve for him who has
widowed me on my marriage morn. O that before
his dissolution I had drank of the cup of
death in my soul. I will make fortune and the

world weep in concert with me for my beloved,
or my senses must be annihilated. Never will I
cease to mourn him in sorrowing strains, as long
as the bird of the Erak shall pour its piteous
notes."

Malik's bride did not cease till Malik, with a
sigh, expired, and he was united to his God.
Antar wrapped him up in his clothes, and tying
him on the back of his horse, took him away; and
as he sought the land of Abs, he thus exclaimed:

"Alas! O raven hastening in thy flight, send me
thy wings, for I have lost my support. Is it true
that I have seen the day of Malik's death and
murder, or has it befallen me in a dream? The
light of day is darkened in grief for the youth,
the hero of Abs and of Ghiftan. O that Ghabra
had never been! that Dahis had never been!—
that the day had never been, when that wager
was made! O it was a day black in look, harsh
and stern, the night wanderers of evil might dread
its calamity. O by God! my eyes will ever be
ulcered on his account in ever streaming tears,
till the moment I see the bones of Hadifah dispersed,
and death close upon him. Alas! my
force is weakened; I am weighed down by misfortune,
and my heart is in continued palpitation
for him who was my strength whenever the foes
unsheathed their swords against me to cut off my
fingers. Now he is gone, who will be our defence
when the nocturnal invaders shall surprise

us? O woe is me! how fell he from his horse,
and my sword and my spear were not near him?
The fated arrow of the all-bounteous Archer cast
him down. O that when it cast him down, it
had cast me down too! O that my soul had bade
farewell, and that his hands had not beckoned to
me a double adieu! Alas! his kindnesses, were I
to comment on them, my tongue would fail ere I
could repeat them. I swear I will not sleep from
taking vengeance! I will not repose, but on the
back of my stallion. Never shall my sword cease
to cleave those Fazareans, till the desert be converted
into a sea of crimson blood. Sons of
Beder! your power will not be the strongest
when we join the plain in the day of spear-thrusts!
if I do not make blood flow on account of Malik,
and leave his foes in the mansions of disgrace,
may my heart never cease, night and day, to
repeat to me what has oppressed it, and cast me
down. Soon will I extirpate the sons of Beder
and all Fazarah; for I shall never have succeeded
in my hopes, unless I accomplish my project
in retaliating with the thrust of my spear and the
blow of my sword."

Antar returned to the tents, and there were only
fifty of his horsemen and Malik's two brothers that
had escaped, and they endured what no one ever
endured before, so that they were nearly dead with
grief. And as they approached the dwellings, Cais
met them with the whole tribe in tears and mourning;

his mother Temadhur smote her bosom, till
she came close to her son, who was tied on the
horse's back; and the land of the tribe of Abs was
in universal convulsion. Cais wished to bury
Malik, but his mother would not permit him. I
will not bury my son till to-morrow, said she; I will
go to our foe, and I will demand the blood of my
son of the family of Beder, or never will the flame
of my heart be quenched. We will never allow
thee to do such an act, my mother, said Cais; we
will not let thee go to our enemies, but we will go
with our sharp-edged swords, and our tall spears,
and our sturdy warriors. We will have vengeance
for our brother, perfidiously murdered, and all the
family of Beder will I put to death. Thus they
entered the dwellings, and continued their grief
and lamentation, insensible to all consolation for
Malik.

As to Hadifah, when he returned to the tribe of
Fazarah, he had but few of his companions remaining.
Sinan met him, for it was he who contrived
these projects, till this eventful disaster
befel the tribe of Abs. His brother Haml and
Rebia also met him. Well, said Sinan, hast thou
effected the deed that we planned? We have sought
the bird, and have chased it, said Hadifah, and
when we had chased it, we sacrificed it. Oh! Hadifah,
said Rebia, tell me the meaning of these
words, for my anxiety is extreme, and I know you
have nothing concealed from me. O Rebia, said

he, we must inform you; thus it is, we have slain
Malik, son of King Zoheir. On hearing this, the
light became darkened in the eyes of Rebia. Verily,
cried he, you have passed all bounds in your
perfidy. O son of Beder; of evil omen will be this
murder; frightful indeed will be the consummation
of this deed. Son of Zeead, said Hadifah, as his spirit
was roused against him, there is no evil but near
thee and the tribe of Abs. By the faith of a noble
Arab, were there not engagements and sacred
rights between us, I would make thy head fly off
with this sword; thou son of ordure, what means
this talk? Begone from us, whence thou camest
in an unlucky hour, and be again of the filth of thy
tribe; and turning his bridle, he sought his own
dwelling. As to Rebia, he went back to his brothers,
and his mind felt relieved. He told them
of the murder of Malik, and of Hadifah's actions,
adding, This is the reward of him who abandons
his relations, and takes refuge with strangers. He
then made his preparations for departure, he and
his brothers, and all that belonged to his family,
and only waited till the sunset, when they set out
for the land of the Absians. Approaching the tents,
they perceived the whole population in confusion,
with cries, and the Absians wandering over the
desert. They had deposited Malik in the tomb,
and the women were screaming in their tears. Rebia
dismounted, and threw away his turban off his head,
and tore all the garments he had on (his brothers
doing the same), and there was not one but whose
grief was excessive, and sobs incessant. Rebia
came up to the grave; he threw himself upon it,
and embraced it; and as his sorrow, and tears,
and sighs, and lamentations augmented, he thus
spoke:

"O unexpected misery! O mind-distracting calamity!
O misfortune! when I think of it, the
light and darkness are one to me. O my eyelids!
perhaps ye will aid me in my grief, for to me all
joy would be sacrilege. Aid me then, for I have
lost a youth, the age could not boast of such another.
O, I marvel how Malik could be encompassed
in a tomb, and thus be hid, for he was
a full moon! the crown of Abs! its glory! its
defence! its honour! its spear! and its sword!
Aid me then with eagerness, O my friends, sleep
not in vengeance for Malik. I swear by the
sacred wall, and the shrine of truth, and also by
Zemzem, and the Lord of the Temple, that I
will not permit the retaliation of Malik to pass
away, were I even, in its results, to drink of the
cup of death."

[5] When Rebia had finished, torrents of tears
gushed from his eyes; he and his brothers hastened

to King Cais and embraced him, excusing themselves
to him, and complaining of what they had
experienced in their absence. After condoling with
Cais, they repaired to Antar. Antar was seated by
Malik's tomb, his head hanging over his knees. As
Rebia drew near, he met him, and stood up, kissing
his hand, and clearing their hearts of sorrow, and
they all vowed to take retaliation for Malik. Rebia
gave orders to his slaves, and they brought him
twenty camels, which he distributed amongst the
poor and the orphans, having first slaughtered them
on the tomb of Malik. But King Cais's heart revolted
at Rebia, for he was full of deceit and
cunning, and he wished to put his friendship to the
test. Waiting till night came on, he summoned
one of his maidens, called Bedrah, and said to her,
Hie thee to the dwellings of Rebia, and conceal thyself
among the tents; quit him not till he is alone
with his wife and asleep; listen to their conversation,
for I fear again we shall be annoyed by Rebia's
stratagems, and all our tranquillity vanish and be
lost. The maiden set out, and stopping among the
tents, she concealed herself among the baggage-camels;
and when it was bed-time, Rebia came and
laid himself down to repose. And as he was lying
on his bed, his wife came unto him, and was about
to take off her clothes and sleep by his side; but he
cried out to her, Begone from me! the sorrows and
anguish I endure, suffice me; after the murder of
Malik, what has a man to do with woman? Then as
his regrets increased, he thus spoke:

"Sleep is forbidden; for how bitter is the past
through fear of some evil tidings at hand. O, it is
an event to delight the hearts of our foes; it is the
road of mortals that turns the hair grey. For him in
the evening, women are in tears, and in agonies of
grief they remain with those that watch. What!
after the murder of Malik, son of our Zoheir,
does woman desire the results of marriage? He
who joys in the assassination of Malik, let him
come to our tribe by the light of day; he will find
the women full of sorrow, grieving for him in the
morning, before the dawn is illumined. They would
conceal their faces, and cover themselves, but in
the day they return to be seen by spectators.
They scratch their faces for the youth—pure as
the fountain stream—our intrepid Knight—the
emblem of joy—the high-minded hero—the protector
of our women, and the remover of all
shame. When we adhered to him, we adhered
to a horseman, firm and resolute in the scene of
battles. I see nought for his murder among the
tribes, but the camels loaded with pack-saddles.
Knights, the rust of the sword is on them, as if
the steel were smeared with pitch; let every horse
of our steeds be led out, tractable, well-trained,
undaunted; that we may raise at Moreicab a dusty
war, and make them drink of cups of predition.

He who joys in the murder of Malik, let him drink
of it at the edge of the deadly scimitar. Soon ye
shall know, if we once meet with the sword and
the spear, fraught with peril, who can caper his
high-blooded steed over the heads, and who will
gnaw his nails in shame. Do ye think we will
abandon Malik? No! by the God of the Shrine,
and secrecy! till we have exterminated your chiefs
to revenge him. O Haml, and your knights! O
Ebe Hidjar! O Absian Antar, charge over their
lands—God forbid thou shouldst forget retaliation
for Malik. O Aboolfawaris! never let the invasion
cease with the sabre, till they haste away in
flight. Show them the spear-thrust and the sword-blow:
Oh, slay for Malik the whole tribe of those
wretches! O Aboolfawaris, let there not be one
in their land to stand forth, or establish himself in
a tent! Sons of Bedr—ye shall not drink of the
cup of shame, but of the burning water of liquid
fire. O Cais, destroy them all for Malik, and remove
the dishonour with the murder of Hadifah!
Kill Haml for him and Awef; let the flints of war
strike fire in retaliation, and I too will to-morrow
extirpate them, and will pierce them with the
mortal spear. I will abandon the carcasses as
carrion on the desert, as if they had drank of the
wine of calamity. If I do not execute my word,
then am I the offspring of illegitimacy, and a mine
of infamy."

The damsel instantly quitted the dwellings in the

obscurity, and joined King Cais, to inform him of
the beautiful rhymes she had heard; and he was
delighted at the purity of Rebia's intentions.

When it was day, King Cais went out to the tomb
of his brother; thither also came the chiefs of the
tribe, and Rebia, and his brothers, and all his dependants.
Cais welcomed him, and showed him
great honour. Here they remained three days, but
on the fourth day they assembled to consult, and
they resolved on marching; they sought for Antar,
but he was not to be found; no tidings of him whatever.
This was a grievous blow, and his anguish
was renewed; for he thought, he was enraged at
the arrival of Rebia. He remained in deep melancholy
till the forenoon, when behold, a dust from the
quarter of the tribe of Fazarah arose. The Absians
were confounded, till the dust clearing away, there
appeared from beneath it he and she camels marching
along, and howdahs, and an immense quantity
of cattle. Cais was amazed, and galloped towards
it to learn what it meant, followed by the horsemen;
and as they came near to it, lo! it was Antar.

Cais advanced, and inquired what was the matter:
O my lord, said Antar, as he wept for Malik, and
sobbed, truly, I have pursued the track of the villains,
and I have in some measure had retaliation
for thy brother. Soon will the tribe of Fazarah
come against thee; be prepared for the contest;
brace up thy resolution, and summon thy men.
This is thy brother's property, which he had sent as

the dower of his bride to the tribe of Ghorab; and
it is come into my possession by the will of God. I
have slain ten horsemen of Fazarah, and amongst
them Awef, Hadifah's brother. Last night, my lord,
I watched till midnight, when I fell asleep, and lo!
my lord, Malik stood before me; and, beckoning
with his fingers, said to me, O Aboolfawaris, dost
thou sleep, and I unrevenged? Hast thou forgotten
our former friendship? Before thee many have
been faithful to their friends; be thou faithful also
to him, who was slain but yesterday: and then he
vanished, whilst the tears trickled down his cheeks.
I instantly awoke from my sleep, and I felt like one
misfortune-struck. I mounted, and took Shiboob
before me, and sought the land of Fazarah, in the
darkness of the night. I heard the noise of camels
ahead of me; I approached them, and saw a hundred
warriors, surrounding them right and left. I
resolved to engage them, but ten of them turned
upon me, the foremost of whom was Awef, Hadifah's
brother, who cried out, I am Awef, son of
Bedr. Overjoyed, I met him with a spear-thrust
through the chest, and it passed through his back.
I pursued the hose to destroy their riders; and I
well know, I slew ten of their heroes, besides the
men I wounded.

The cause of this was, that Hadifah, after his
dispute with Rebia, consulted with his party, and
sent his brother Awef to the tribe of Ghorab, with
one hundred horsemen, saying, Drive hither the

property which Malik sent them, whilst the Absians
are engaged with their sorrows: endeavour to bring
me his bride, that I may rip open her belly, for I
am resolved to destroy them root and branch. Awef
did as he was directed, and effected his purpose.
As to the women, he did not succeed with them, for
they fled to the mountain-tops; but on his return
he encountered Antar, and every vestige of him was
erased; for speedily were ten of his heroes killed.
The fugitives repaired to Hadifah, and as they communicated
his brother's death, his life nearly quitted
his body. He determined instantly to march against
the Absians, but Sinan advised him to collect the
troops of the tribes and the lakes, till Numan's armies
should arrive. In this manner they continued
making preparations for war and battle; and such
was the treachery and stratagem they harboured in
their minds.

As to Antar, he passed his time in his tent, like
a spirit of the night, when lo! Khemisah, Ibla's
handmaiden, came to him and said, O Aboolfawaris,
my mistress sends her compliments to you, and tells
you, that as this is the time of total abandonment to
grief and sorrow, she wishes this night to go with a
party of her cousins to the lake, and she desires you
will go there also, to protect her from the night-wanderers
of the time.

At hearing this, Antar was much delighted and
overjoyed at the fidelity of his mistress's mind under
all circumstances. So he took up his weapons immediately,

whilst Khemisa returned to Ibla, and
informed her of his acquiescence and obedience.
Now it is very remarkable, that Amarah at that
period had stationed his spies over Ibla till that very
night on which she went out to the lake, requesting
her cousin to protect her. Informed by some of the
women of this, Amarah could almost have flown with
joy; but he waited till the darkness obscured the
land, when he quitted the tents, and put on women's
clothes that the hearts of the girls might not revolt
at him. He continued till he came to the lake:
staring about he saw the damsels, and Ibla among
them, like a brilliant moon. At this sight his senses
were in agitation; phrensy and distraction seized
him, and he pounced down upon Ibla like a voracious
eagle. She thought him a woman, but when
she experienced the force of his muscles, she was
aware that he who held her was a man. Fully sensible
of the dishonour and infamy, she cried out in
his face, Who art thou, thou black greasy pot! thou
foulest of hogs? The damsels were aghast and
amazed. I am Amarah, said he, whom you have
repulsed and discarded. Ibla's heart fluttered, in
hopes her cousin might be near her. She roared at
Amarah like a lioness; Thou son of the ordure of
cowards, dost thou not fear Antar?

Antar was a witness of all that passed, for as soon
as Ibla had sent to him, he went out and concealed
himself behind the sand-hills, where he waited till
Ibla came with the girls; and they were amusing
themselves among the hillocks when Amarah started

out. The universe turned black in the eyes of
Antar: he burst forth like a furious leopard, till he
closed on the cuckold Amarah. He roared and
bellowed at him, and seized him by the small of the
belly, and raising him, he dashed him on the ground,
and almost pounded his bones. In the excess of his
terror Amarah was in a most unseemly plight; he
was dying in fear of Antar, who on seeing his ridiculous
situation, laughed in the violence of his rage.
Arise, thou greasy black pot, he cried; mayest thou
never drink of rain, or a drop of moisture, thou
bastard! Were it not out of respect for the women
and thy kindred, I would behead thee with this
sword.

But as to Ibla, when she saw Amarah in such a
filthy state, she spit at him, whilst the women surrounded
him, and laughed at him. Antar, indeed,
would have put him to death, had not this happened
to him, and Ibla also interceded for him. The girls
ran away, roaring with laughter, and he had nothing
for it but to retreat to the lake and take off his
clothes, and wash his legs and his thighs: and thus
he returned home without his clothes, well aware,
too, that this event could not be kept secret from
the tribe, but that the girls would tell it all over the
place; he went to his mother and his brothers,
blubbering most piteously, and told them what had
happened to him. Thou unlucky wight! said Rebia,
what need hadst thou to do this? Verily, thou
hast made us a tale of tales: never can we raise up
our heads to any one again. Never, never, said

Amarah, will I quit the tents again; never will I
let a creature see me—not a walker or a rider, if you
do not retaliate for me, and remove from me this
shame. Oh! that I had thought better of it, and
had left myself dead by the side of the lake! Oh,
that I had not seen myself in so foul a condition!
and Ibla too, she laughed at me, and cursed me, and
stopped her nose at me. Thou accursed fellow, thou
son of an accursed woman, cried Rebia—what retaliation
wouldst thou? The man has not struck thee,
or wounded thee, that we can retaliate for thee:
thou wouldst indeed play the bravo to thy mistress,
and thy plight proves thy courage. But by the past
and future, thank the glorious God that he did not
leave thee dead on the lake side. By God, he has
treated thee nobly; it will be well for thee to abandon
such practices, and talk no more to us of Antar.
The girls will soon lampoon thee in their songs, and
thou wilt be disgraced amongst slaves and chiefs.
Ah, woe! woe! grief of griefs! said Amarah, Antar
will enjoy those charms, those beauties; and I—
this disgraceful situation must ever bespeak my fears.
Rebia still abused him; Thy ill stars will not cease,
he cried, till thou hast worked our total ruin. Avaunt
from before me this instant; let the iniquity of thy
acts suffice us. May God curse the father of thy
mustachioes! Thus Amarah remained, emancipated
by the consequences of his terror, and quitted
his brother's presence.

This circumstance with Ibla soon spread abroad,
and all the women, and men, and girls, and boys,

and slaves, and slave-girls, joined in the laugh against
Amarah, singing these verses, whilst Amarah heard
them. The women and shepherdesses sang them
at their spindles; for there was a girl among the
Absians who could compose verses: she was very
eloquent, so she repeated these verses on Amarah
the cuckold, and they were recollected by all the
women and girls, and they were as follows:

"Amarah, leave alone the beautiful, full-hipped
damsels; let alone all disputes about the lovely
girls, for thou canst not plunge into the sea of
deaths, and thou art no horseman in the day of
battle. Aspire no more to Ibla; if thou dost but
look at her, thou wilt see horrors from the lion of
the forests. As to the thin quivering spear, touch
not its strength, nor the cleaving scimitar. Ibla
is a fawn chased by a lion, with eyes that afflict
with disorder the stoutest in health. Let alone
all contest about her, or the unflinching Antar
will make thee drink of death. Thou didst not
cease thy obstinacy, till thy foul condition gave
evidence against thee. All the girls laughed at
thee; thou wert the carrion of the plains and deserts;
thou wert the common talk of the merry,
and the laughing-stock for every passenger. Thou
camest to us in the robes of dyed silk, thou black
greasy kettle! As thou didst meet us, a lion
met thee, whom all the lion-heroes acknowledge
in the carnage: then fear trembled in thy heart;
intoxication quitted thee, and thou wert restored
to thy senses. Nothing but contempt remained

for thee, when thou didst retire like a dunghill.
Ibla beheld thee laid low, stretched out; and all
the beautiful high-hipped damsels with her. We
held our noses at thee, as we laughed at thee,
and quizzed thee. The Antar of Knights, the
lion of the cave came—he, who in generosity is a
sea of liberality; and thou art the vilest of all
those that ever crossed a horse—the noblest of
those who are tenacious of their lives. We are
like the sweetest flowerets; scented like the violets
and the camomile; and Ibla amongst us is like
the branch of the tamarisk: her beauty is the full
moon, and the sun of the desert. Thou wouldst
possess her by violence and outrage—thou, the
vilest of all the dogs that bark. Die in grief,
otherwise live in contempt; for never, never, will
there be an end of our lampoons upon thee."

These verses were soon made public amongst the
women and young girls, who used to sing them at
their spindles. Amarah and his brothers heard
them, and they melted from rage and shame.

About this time arrived a slave from Mootegeredah
to Cais, announcing fresh troubles and disasters, and
saying, Numan has sent against you his brother
Aswad, and with him an innumerable army, among
which are the tribe of Aamir, with the Brandisher
of Spears, and the tribe of Darem with Locait. Be
on your guard also against the tribe of Fazarah, for
they are assembling bodily against you, and are preparing
to fight you. The cause of this new misfortune
was the contemptible Sinan; for he despatched

the men he had with him to King Numan, directing
them to inform him of what had passed, and the
disgrace and indignities he had suffered from the
tribe of Abs and Adnan, and that Antar had said,
Were Chosroe Nushirvan, or the Emperor of the
Worshippers of the Cross to demand Harith, I would
not deliver up to any of them even a single hair of
his head, till after the contest of swords that blinds
the sight, and mangles bodies.

Numan's fury increased, and his two eyes were
like fire-balls. As long as this tribe exists in the
desert, he cried, I shall have no authority. I shall
enjoy no esteem, no consideration with any one.
He at the instant summoned Prince Aswad, and
told him what had happened, and was preparing,
adding, The tribe of Abs is harbouring against me
acts of iniquity and perverseness. Harith is now
with Antar, and he presumes to protect him against
me, and he fears me not, knowing as he does, that
Harith slew my child, and has set my heart on fire,
and that he also murdered Khalid in my private
apartments; it is incumbent on me to tear out
every vestige of him, and of the tribe of Abs, were
they even to fly from me to the rising of the sun.
Know, my brother, said Aswad, much troubled,
that as this tribe has committed acts of rapacity
against your government, your influence is diminished;
and there is no other expedient, but that
you unburthen your heart of your enemies, and
despatch an army with me to be employed in the
establishment of your sacred dignity. Draw forth

all the Arabs from every quarter against them, and
let us devastate their whole country.

Numan felt his pains relieved; he ordered out,
under his command, an army of twenty thousand
horse, and he sent messengers to every Arab tribe
to enforce their obedience, ordering them to march
in his service. Mootegeredah was much distressed,
and was alarmed for the tribe of Abs and her brother;
and as Numan had already cast her off, and
had renounced all affection for her from the time he
had heard of her delivering Harith from his grasp,
she sent one of her slaves to her brother to inform
him of what was preparing. Aswad is proceeding
against you, said she, with twenty thousand warriors,
armed with sharp swords and spears, besides
the hordes to which messengers are despatched.
Aswad exhibited all his active zeal; he felt strong-hearted
as to the tribe of Fazarah, and he depended
upon them above all. As to King Cais, as soon as
the messenger arrived, as we mentioned, and related
the march of Prince Aswad, he was greatly alarmed;
he summoned the noble Absian Chiefs, and the
dreadful Antar, and consulted with them about engaging
Prince Aswad. May it be easy on thee,
O King, said the Chiefs; we will march with thee,
and before thee, and we will not be sparing of our
lives for thee: we will meet Aswad, were all that
dwell on the waste and the wilds with him. O
King, said Harith, it is for those condemned to die
that I should weep and lament. I am the object of
this wrath. I am he who is the cause of these wars.

But I will instantly write to my tribe of Marah,
and I will show thee what I will do with this Aswad
and his armies. No, by the faith of an Arab, said
Antar, we require not thy aid in this affair. We
are sufficient for the whole universe, were I not
alarmed for our families at the treachery of the tribe
of Fazarah, that they would, during our absence,
invade our lands, and capture our families, and
plunder our property. But let us instantly proceed
against them, and let us scatter them over every
wild and plain, or else let us make Hadifah swear
he will not be either for us or against us. In such
circumstances and calamities, this is the wisest plan;
for if the sons of Beder are not fettered down by
us, they will occupy our hearts in the hour of
battle. When Antar had finished, he cried out,
To arms, my cousins! come on to the tribe of
Fazarah! retaliate on them! Thus saying, he
sprang on the back of Abjer. And when the Absians
heard what he said, and saw what he did, they
followed him, and amongst the foremost was King
Cais. They set out, resolved on fighting the tribe
of Fazarah, amounting to four thousand horsemen,
mailed and clothed in armour, undaunted at death,
and fearless of defeat.

Hadifah was confounded; he called out to his
tribe and his assembled host; they put on their
armour and their brilliant corslets, seeking the
battle and the combat, life and death being indifferent
to them; in number about ten thousand
horsemen, headed by Hadifah, an adept in perfidy

and treachery. He was mounted on Ghabra, and
in his hand he bore his tall spear; but his heart
and mind were on fire, as he thus encouraged his
troops:

"Sons of Beder, if ye do not exert your whole
souls in the field of battle with the cleaving scimitars,
the arrows of infamy will hurl ye down
on every side, and ye will become a common tale
to the ear. What! can our eyes know rest now
my brother Awef is gone? Shall our eyelids
swoon in sleep on the couch of ease? We were
content with the murder of Malik from the Absians,
and copious tears ulcerated their eyes: they
have grieved, but they have tortured my heart by
the murder of the warrior; and the death of A wef
is the severest of pains. O, may I lose the spirited
horsemen, and may my fingers be unable to
move the spear in the hot contest, if I do not
leave the land of Abs a desert, and their women
captives, deprived of their garments. I will wreak
my vengeance on all the tribe of Abs, and no intercessor
shall avail them."

The tribes soon came in sight of each other, and
they met on a sand-hill called Moreicab. When
their eyes encountered, the shouts arose, so that
both armies were startled. The Absians cried out,
Vengeance! retaliation for Malik! The Fazareans
cried out, Retaliation for the slaughtering knight!
In the excess of their rage and rancour, there was
not one but rushed on and shouted; the horses
crushed against each other and neighed—the men

launched forward, and then burst asunder—long
lasted the sword-blow—the combat was fierce—
misfortune and calamity were at their height—the
troops were mingled together—ambition was roused
—swords clashed—every drinker was glutted with
the wine of agitation—clouds of dust mounted east
and west—horrors and wonders were exhibited by
the Chief Antar. He succeeded in his wishes against
the foe—he overpowered them with the force of a
tyrant, never seen in later days—the dead fell singly
and in couples—blood gushed from the jugular
veins—reproach and pretences were in vain—the
universal bray and din grew more terrific among the
warriors—what a frightful day! The horses tossed
about the skulls of the dead, and the warriors were
disgusted with their corslets and mail—the mace
and battle-axe laboured among them—every fierce
hero roared, and the day was dreadful, as one, who
has described it, thus says:

"The millstones of war revolved in death, and
warriors were pounded by them. Heroes were
hurled dead on the field, where many knights lay
stretched out. Swords cleaved every joint, and
spears rent open the bowels. The blow of the
battle-axe dashed off the eyebrows, as the arrows
tore out the eyeballs. In the scene of carnage
were heard echoes from the blows of the
sword edge against the skulls of the combatants.
Breast-plates were shivered by the spears, and
the pierce of the lance rent through all opposition.
In every direction heroes lay dead, felled low in

every plain. Hands and legs were cut off on opposite
sides, and heads flew off from the branch-tops.
The steeds galloped over the plain, whose
brave riders were disgraced, hacked to pieces.
The eagles of the air hovered over them, pouncing
upon them to pluck out their eyes. The coward
fled openly, and ran away alarmed at his very
imagination. The courageous in war bellowed
like wild beasts, and resembled contending lions.
The messengers of death prowled about for lives,
and separated families from their children. The
cup-bearer of death circled every glass to the
chieftains that intoxicated them for ever. The
swords rang a tune, at which every warrior rejoiced
in his glory. Men were dotted about, and
rushed promiscuously to the fight. The chargers
of the combatants pranced in sport, and charged
incessantly over the back of the earth. The
dancers started up, and every tribe had recourse
to all its manœuvres. Antar, the knight of
knights, kindled the hell-fire on the day of the
combat of the armed warriors. He rushed upon
the foe, and extirpated the chieftains that remained
as pledges of his victory—he dispersed—
he drove them stupefied away, great and noble
as they were. He captured the first of their
tribes and princes clothed in iron. He protected
the chieftains of the race of Abs, who exhibited
their martial feats in the field. Every instant he
left a foe dead—he every moment defended those
he loved. The Chiefs of Adnan were enconraged;
they persevered in their exertions and their
achievements."

The battle continued to rage, and the eagles of
death to hover over their heads; every spot and
place was darkened—man and beast were exhausted
by the fall of the spear and the sabre. They persisted
in this horrid contest till evening came on,
when the two armies separated, the whole country
being crammed with the dead. The greatest number
were of the tribe of Fazarah, for Antar cut
through them, and he relieved his heart amongst
them on account of the murder of Prince Malik. He
retired towards evening, and the blood was coagulated
on his shoulders, like camel's livers. The
Absians descended to a retired spot, exulting in the
intrepidity of Antar, and what he had done that
dusty day, among the Fazareans; and as they counted
the dead, they amounted to thirty, all stern-faced
warriors. O Ebe-ool-Ebyez, said he to Oorwah, in
one day then, thirty of us have been slain by the
tribe of Fazarah. By the faith of an Arab, tomorrow
I will not permit any one to anticipate me
in the field, and the theatre of sword-blows and
spear-thrusts: I will myself challenge them. O
Aboolfawaris, said Oorwah, mayst thou be ever protected
from harm; if the Fazareans have slain thirty
of us, we have filled the tombs with their dead, who
cannot be less than a thousand horsemen and warriors;
and to-morrow, by the grace of the Almighty
Forgiver, we will entirely crush them. Thus they
went to rest, establishing guards round the plain,

till morning dawned, when the troops being drawn
up, Antar wished to start into the field of battle.
But an Absian, called the Sheikh Makzoom, advanced.
O Aboolfawaris, said he, I ask thee, in the
name of the two eyes of Ibla, daughter of Malik, to
permit me to open the door of the battle, and to
relieve my heart amongst the tribe of Fazarah, by
the force of my thrust and my blow. Antar was
ashamed at his adjuring him, so he said, On then,
do what you please, O Sheikh, and should your
antagonist refuse to fight, point him out to me, that
I may show you wonders: and the Sheikh stood
forth between the two lines; he galloped and charged.
Come on, O tribe of Fazarah, he cried. On to the
contest! ye shepherds, ye who are the slaves and
herdsmen of the tribe of Abs. The Sheikh Makhzoom
had not finished his speech, when Malik,
Hadifah's brother, stood before him. Eh! thou
son of a cuckold, said he, when were the Fazareans
thy shepherds? and instantly he attacked him. The
Sheikh Makhzoom met him, and charged with him
for an hour; but fatigue soon falling on his limbs,
Malik, son of Beder, shouted at him, and smote him
with his sword on the side of the neck, and gave
him a dreadful wound. So he wheeled round and
fled, his neck bathed in blood, and pursued with
hisses from the tribe of Fazarah. Eh! thou contemptible
Sheikh, cried Antar, thou foul dog! what
did such a coward as thyself mean by adjuring me
in the name of the eyes of Ibla, daughter of Malik?
By the faith of an Arab, were there not between
thee and me some kindred, I would make thee drink
of perdition. He quitted him for the battle, and
when he came nigh to the Fazarean ranks, Eh!
sons of Beder, he exclaimed, what honour is there
in sallying forth against an old Sheikh, whom age
has bent double? But there is honour in attacking
one like Antar, and in subduing him under the dust;
let me wreak my vengeance for my lord; I will
show you a scene of battle like sparks of fire, and
he thus recited:

"O sons of Beder, come on to the contest; unsheath
before us the sharp scimitar. Ye have
acted foully, and treachery shall root out every
vestige of ye, and shall orphan your children. Ye
have followed Hadifah, and ye think that he knows
how to guide ye on the desert course. He has
contradicted what his brother asserted, for he
thought peace and perfidy were alike. Ye have
slain Malik, and he was noble. Ye struck Dahis,
and he was of generous blood. Ye have outraged
us, and ye claimed the bet. Was that pretension
not an act of violence? Ye have acted foully in
every deed. All of ye have acted perfidiously—
deep are ye in depravity. Behold the sword that
destroyed the foul dealer Pharaoh, and before
him Themood, and Aad. Now, meet the reward
of your deeds, and taste of speedy death."

Not one of the tribe of Fazarah dared to answer;
so he assaulted the right like an eagle: he charged
them like an all-powerful lion. A gain he challenged,
but no one would sally forth against him. He

assaulted the left; he rolled round them, as a revolving
millstone, and slew multitudes. He again
returned into the open plain. Eh! O sons of Beder,
he shouted out, cannot ye ride? Cannot ye fight?
Cannot ye speak? And will ye not fly? What! think
ye after your treachery to the tribe of Abs, that ye
shall escape? Come on—on to the fight; if ye are
as ye pretend to be, warriors. It is I who slew
your brother Awef; I filled your hearts with terror
and dismay. At these words, Hadifah's heart was
still more infuriated, and he wished to stand forth;
when lo! a knight called Akhtal, son of Sohab,
anticipated him; and he was one of the grandees of
Fazarah. Eh! thou ordure-born, cried he at Antar,
we are come to enjoy the battle; but is there no
reason for our declining to contend with thee? Thou
canst not know who we are—we cannot combat with
a slave, and then presume to seat ourselves among
the noble horsemen. As Antar halted to listen to
his antagonist, he burst into a loud laugh, and going
up to Akhtal, Eh! thou son of a harlot, said he,
why art thou ashamed at a black outside, which the
Omniscient has created? And thus saying, he rushed
at him, and began the contest of thrusts and blows,
till, perceiving his adversary give way, he roared at
him, in a voice like the thunder in a cloud—it terrified
him, and paralysed all his efforts; he smote him
under the jaw, and severed his head from his shoulders.
The Absians gave a shout of exultation; but
the tribe of Fazarah was confounded and stupefied.
As Antar continued to gallop and charge, the brother
of the dead started forth, whilst the tears streamed
down his cheeks. Antar would not permit him even
to wheel once, but he thrust at him with the head of
his spear, and hurled him off his horse. It was then
Hadifah gave a shout, and throwing his helmet off
his head, he roared aloud and attacked, followed
by the tribe of Fazarah. Antar met them as the
parched land the first of the rain. Whatever he
smote he dissected—at whomever he thrust, he hurled
dead; and when the horse hemmed him in, his roar
drove them back on their haunches, and made them
hurl their riders off their backs. Seeing what the
Fazareans had done, and how foully they had acted
by Antar, King Cais shouted to the Absians, and
they attacked as he attacked, and they did as he did.
Men met men, and heroes heroes—blood flowed,
and streamed—limbs were hewn off. How many
brave men were precipitated from their horses! the
day was imperceptible—the heroes roared—the
warriors still advanced—the cowards fled—spears
were shivered—hearts were rent open—heads were
cut in twain—blood gushed out—warriors were slain
in troops—and it was a scene of calamities, that
staggered the imagination. How many necks were
severed! how many old and young were slaughtered!
The action continued, till night advancing with obscurity,
the two armies desisted from the blow of the
sword; and Hadifah alighted. Bewildered as to
what he should do, he sent for Sinan to consult.
My son, said he, I feared this event; I told you
not to fight the Absians till the armies of King
Numan should come. Their arrival is at hand.
The Absians will never be subdued as long as this
black slave of a cuckold is with them. The best
plan for us is, to fortify ourselves in the mountains.
If not, to-morrow you must start forth between the
two ranks, and challenge Cais and his brothers to the
combat, that I may show you what I can effect by
art and stratagem. Hadifah acquiesced in this
project, and early next day he mounted Ghabra,
the cause of all these troubles, and hastened over
the plain, galloping and charging, and challenging
to the contest, and shouting, O tribe of Abs, know,
a tribe should not forsake truth, and he is the best
of men who distinguishes justice and follows it.
This is an affair that has resulted from the race of
Dahis and Ghabra; and now, O Cais, here are you
and I; between us was the wager. We are the
persons who have excited this disturbance among the
warriors. Belonging to me and you have been slain
persons most dear to us. Let us not permit, O Cais,
the women to complain of us; but let us extinguish
the war with our lives; let us appease our hearts
with our swords and the barbs of our spears. King
Cais being alarmed, lest he should be blamed and
upbraided, left one of his brothers at his post, and
with the rest issued forth to the plain. But no
sooner saw Antar what the sons of Zoheir were
doing, than he advanced towards Cais. O my lord,
said he, why do you thus stand forth to the contest
whilst your slave Antar is able to answer your foes
in your presence? The man, replied Cais, has complained
to me in the name of justice; and were I
not to reply to his demand, the Arabs, far and near,
would be scandalized at me. Antar, at these words,
retired abashed; but the sons of Zoheir rushed
upon the sons of Beder. Men met men, and heroes
heroes; but the spear-thrust had not commenced
against them, when Sinan, accompanied with the
Sheiks of the tribe of Fazarah, all bare-headed, came
forth. Disgrace to the tribes of Fazarah and Dibyan,
they cried, woe to the tribes of Abs and Adnan!
May God be on ye! O people, may the descent of
our grandfathers and progenitors not be cut off!
renounce this outrage—this malice; ride not over
the paths of perverseness and dissension; haste not
to destroy your lives with the sharp swords; let not
your names live amongst posterity for iniquity and
sedition! Sheath then the swords of violence and
oppression, for they are still sharper than the
sharpest scimitar; and consider how many warriors
heretofore have been destroyed by perfidy. Upon
this, they each seized the bridle of a horseman;
they forced him to retire from the spear-thrust and
the sword-blow, and compelled them to peace and
abandonment of obstinacy. Cais was abashed at
their conduct, and acquiesced in their demands,
saying, As to your project, I will not thwart it—as
to your engagement, I assent to it; but on a
condition, that shall be stipulated on your part,
namely: Hadifah shall give us hostages from the
children of the grandees of the Fazarah tribe, to
remain with us till our dispute with Numan is
decided, and moreover, he must swear to us, that
he will be neither for us nor against us; for, as our
enemies are numerous, and as we have no allies or
confederates, we cannot leave in our vicinity persons
who may act against us. When Sinan heard this,
he felt aware that Cais was an experienced man;
but being sensible too, that if he did not agree to
this proposal, his life would be exposed to imminent
hazards, he repaired to Hadifah, and explained
Cais's proposal. My opinion, he continued, is, that
you accept the proposition, otherwise, what havoc
will they make among us! Wait till we find a proper
object for the sword, and till we see the means
and road to victory; for King Numan will assuredly
root out every vestige of this tribe, and will leave
you lords of the highest honours. Thus he brought
about a meeting between him and King Cais, and
they bound themselves by reciprocal oaths. King
Cais then returned home with his horsemen; as did
Sinan and Hadifah also, to the tribe of Fazarah.
But at early dawn, they collected the children of
the horsemen, about two hundred and fifty of the
sons of the chiefs, from the age of five to ten, and
sent them to King Cais, who, on their arrival, accommodated
them with a separate dwelling on one
side of the horde, and whatever they wanted was
supplied in abundance, and not sparingly, and the
whole tribe was greatly delighted at this arrangement.