University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XXIX.

Hadifah and his brothers hearing of King Cais's
return, took with them a party of the Fazarah tribe,
and came to compliment him on his safety, and congratulate
him on his victory and triumph. Cais
made a splendid feast for them, to which he invited
the chiefs of the Absians and his brothers, and informed
them of the loss of Antar. Hadifah appeared
greatly affected, and exhibited the reverse
of what he felt. They ate meat and drank wine
till mid-day, when the King, hearing some loud acclamations
in the tents, asked what was the matter.
Shiboob and his brother Antar are returned, was
the general cry; when lo! Antar arrived. He
saluted the Absians, and he was on horseback.
King Cais inquired the cause of his absence. O
King, he replied, I was on the service of one who
deserved no duty at my hands; for he is of a villanous
disposition, and of a foul origin.—To what
dost thou allude by that? said Cais. Hear my
tale, O King, said he, and you will acknowledge I
am right. On the night that you missed me, I had
launched out into the desert, fearful of the night-wanderers
and the robbers on your account; and
whilst I was thus employed, a figure appeared
before me. I went forward, and lo! it was a vagrant

Arab on his journey. I hailed him; and to
my inquiries, Warrior, said he, I am a poor, ill-used
fellow. I am going to the tribe of Abs, to
make a demand of Rebia.—I am, said I, O Arab,
one of the slaves of Rebia, so tell me what he owes
you.—Warrior, he replied, I am called Basharah,
son of Mabid, and I have a daughter, who was
demanded in marriage of me. I consented; and
taking with me one hundred she-camels, I set out
for the valley of Deecar, that I might purchase
with their produce some clothes, with which to set
off my daughter; but some plundering horse met
me and waylaid me; they carried away my camels,
but I escaped on this steed. Being certain the
party were of the tribe of Kenanah, I took the
nearest road, saying to myself, I will go to the
tribe of Abs, to my friend Rebia. On this, I said
to him, Rejoice, O Arab, for I am his deputy:
lead on, and conduct me to your enemies, that I
may realise your wishes. He proceeded, whilst I
followed till the day dawned, when lo! we came
upon a troop near the water of Career, and the
land of Nefeer: there were forty horsemen; five
and twenty of whom I slew, and the rest ran away.
I restored to the man the horses, and the she-camels
and he-camels, with which being well satisfied and
grateful, he repaired to the family of Zeead. I
returned, and have now erected for them a strong
columned building; but I find them talking infamously
of me, and abusing my mother for adultery:
this is all my reward, and thus you may
distinguish the legitimate-born from bastards. How
long, thou son of Zeead, added he, turning sharply
on Amarah, must this insolence last? for by him
who has clothed the night in darkness, if thou dost
not cease talking foully of me, and mend thy
manners, I will hack thy limbs with this sword.
What! thou bastard, cried Amarah, jumping up
and unsheathing his sword, such language to me!
Darest thou thus impertinently insult me among
the chiefs? At my pastures I have a thousand
slaves such as thee; and he made at Antar sword
in hand. But the others rose up and checked him;
and Rebia called out, reproaching and abusing
him: he ordered him to be silent, and taking the
sword out of his hand, said, Is this a recompense
for our cousin, who has exposed his life for us?
But Antar moved silently away, and went home
greatly ashamed on account of Cais, for he had
vexed him, and disturbed the entertainment. When
Antar reached his mother's tent, she hung upon
him and wept from excess of joy and love.

Now King Cais had been greatly distressed at
this interruption; but Rebia soothed his heart,
saying, It is quite impossible that my brother and
Antar can ever meet in the same place again; but
I have in my heart something I should wish to do.
Thus they continued over their cups of wine and
conversing, and made Hadifah and Haml drink,
and loaded them with all manner of favours. Thus
it continued whilst the day withdrew its light, and

the night shaded them in its darkness till morning,
when Hadifah and his brother returned home.

But Rebia and his brothers quitted the tents,
and, together with their dependants, descended into
the valley of Yamooriyah, also accompanied by
their horsemen and warriors, and those who hated
Antar, that they might seek the means of annoying
him. As soon as this circumstance was made known
to King Cais, he disregarded it, and cursing them,
Wherever they go, cried he, may death overtake
them! And thus he cast them from his heart,
saying to the Arab chiefs that surrounded him, Ye
know, my cousins, that King Zoheir admitted Antar
to our birth and parentage, and called him cousin,
and accepting him as such, he raised him to honour
and legitimacy. Now, whenever Amarah and Antar
meet, they quarrel and disturb the union of the
tribe; and should they remain separate, it will be
better than their living together. Antar every day
associated with King Cais, and attached himself to
him, and thus they continued many days and nights.
But Antar, on his arrival, having heard what had
passed between his uncle Malik and his wife, and
how he had attempted to kill her, remained entirely
with his mother. In the mean time, King
Cais became very anxious for the termination of
the year, on account of Khalid, son of Giafer, who
he understood had thrown himself on Direed, son
of Samah, chief of the tribes of Howazin, and
Jeshm and Hamadan, and had induced him to promise

his assistance with ten thousand horsemen
against the tribe of Abs.

This Direed was four hundred and fifty years
old, and by the Arabs he was called the Mill-stone
of War. He was referred to on every difficult
point, on account of his great age, and his orders
were obeyed among the Arabs like King Numan's.
So when King Cais heard this, he was in dismay:
This, he cried, is indeed complete ruin! He then
assembled the Absian chiefs, and consulted about
what he should do. Comfort your mind and
brighten your eye, exclaimed they all, for were
Khalid to come against us with the armies of
Chosroe, we will fight till we die in your presence.
O King, said Antar, easy let it lie on thee, and on
the sepulchre of King Zoheir! I will disperse the
armies of our foes, and will not leave one of them
alive. The words of Antar revived him, and feeling
re-assured: O Aboolfawaris, said he, you indeed
can speak and act!

From that day they made preparations for war,
and searched for arms; but only finding a small
quantity, Cais consigned the country to the care of
Antar, and leaving his uncle in his place, he took a
noble string of he and she camels, and resolved on
selling them, in order to purchase with their produce
some arms and weapons. He set out for
Medina Yathreb, for that was the nearest place,
and its chief was called Ajijah, son of Jellah,
the Yathrabee; and he was the brother of Abdoolmotallab
on the mother's side; and between him

and King Cais there existed a friendship of long
standing, from the time of his father King Zoheir;
and when King Cais reached Medina Yathreb,
Ajijah was much pleased, and received him very
kindly. Cais related his adventures, and that he
was come to purchase arms. Now Cais having
heard that Ajijah had a coat of mail of the workmanship
of David, and exquisitely riveted, whose
like no one possessed; he addressed him, saying,
O Chief, I have heard that you have a coat of mail
made by David, which I am anxious to purchase,
that in it I may go against my enemies, and I will
give you its value instead. O Cais, said Ajijah, I
would have given it you, but Khalid has already
asked me for it, and praised me in his verses. What
are the verses, said Cais, in which he praised you?
Let me know them; and Ajijah thus repeated:

"When I demanded a favour from the race of
Yathreb, Ebe Amroo cried out, and Ajijah consented.
Remain under the protection of a Yathrabee,
for if thou stayest there, a shadow will
even dread thy power. I saw a man, over the
brilliancy of whose countenance was a vizor, by
which the sun was hid or shone. I have a
station in glory, in honour, and on high, but his
mansion is above the two Pisces. If he brandishes
his sword on the day of horrors, thou mayest see
the rays of his sabre flashing with death; and were
his hand and the cloud impregnated with rain, to
exhibit their bounties, his beneficence would endure,
and the cloud desist. In his house every

fugitive is safe, and with his donations he even
satisfies the unsatiable. Virtues were of old in
Jellah, and since him Ajijah has imitated him."

On hearing these verses, Cais was astonished at
their import and allusion: By the faith of an Arab,
said he, I cannot blame or reproach you. Cais remained
with Ajijah till morning, and having purchased
all the arms he wanted, Ajijah questioned
him, saying, O Cais, have you purchased the arms?
Yes, said he. Well then, said Ajijah, bid now for
the coat of mail. Cais was pleased; but said, By
the faith of an Arab, of all my trifling articles, I
have now only remaining one hundred camels: so
take them, whether it be much or little, and excuse
me for the deficiency. On this, he sent for the
coat of mail, and it was of great length in the skirts.
Take it, O Cais, said he, let it be considered as a
purchase made for a hundred she-camels, though,
in fact, it is a present from me to you. So he took
one of the she-camels out of the hundred, and restored
the remainder to Cais, who was very grateful,
and in three days, having procured every thing he
wanted, he took leave of Ajijah, and setting out for
his own country, he reached the valley of Yamouriyeh,
whence he sent home his arms with his slaves,
and proceeded unattended to Rebia, who, being
told of his arrival, met him, and complimented him,
receiving him hospitably, and making him welcome.
In the course of conversation, Cais asked his advice
about his attacking Khalid and the Aamirites. My
cousin, said Rebia, we are all yours, and at your

disposal. But whither have you been travelling?
I have been to Medina Yathreb to purchase some
arms. And where, said Rebia, are your purchases?
I have sent them home, said Cais, with the slaves.
Rebia stared about, and at last espied his portmanteau,
which was full. O my cousin, said he,
what is in your portmanteau? Cais laughed. O
my cousin, said he, there is in it what would surprise
you indeed, were you to see it. Let me see it then,
said Rebia. Cais alighted and took out the coat of
mail of Ajijah, and opened it before Rebia, who
was astonished. O Cais, said he, whence came you
by this? This is, said he, the coat of mail of
Ajijah, son of Jellah, the Yathrabee, and he has
made me a present of it. O Cais, said he, if that
man made you a present of any thing, it must be
invaluable; and Rebia stood up and put on the
coat of mail, and though he was very tall, it came
down to his heels. He walked away with it and
entered the tents; then rushing out with a drawn
sword in his hand, he cried out to Cais, This is my
coat of mail! it was stolen from me, and there are
my marks on it, this very flaw in the sleeves; and
if you do not tell me all about it, I will sue you for
it, and he recited these verses:

"O Cais, my coat of mail I never sold, neither
did I give it away; it was stolen from me by some
of the Arab hordes: I am not one that speaks
falsehoods—no; by the truth of Him who is concealed
from sight! It happened by chance there
was a flaw on it, and it will serve as a proof on

all points. By God, were you not nearly related
to me, I would bring down death upon you, even
in the month of Rejib."

Cais was stupefied for a time: Son of Zeead, he
said, what outrage is this? Dost wish to purloin
my coat of mail by such a frivolous pretence? And
thus he expressed himself:

"Wretch! thou wouldst purloin my coat of mail
by fraud, by foul accusations and falsehoods: the
coat of mail belonged to Ajijah, son of Jellah, the
Yathrabee. Talk not such nonsense; thou art
no more a child. By the truth of Him who spread
the wings of nocturnal obscurity, I will not give
it up, were even my father alive."

[1] Upon this, they disputed violently in words, and
a serious quarrel ensued, and they abused each other
most virulently. The Arabs assembled round them,
but Cais was unable to contend with Rebia and his
Arabs, for he was alone. So he calmed them with
his words, whilst the family of Zeead laughed at
him. Away, O Cais, said Amarah, to your family;
we will restore it to you, but should it happen that
we do not return it, send to us your champion Antar,
son of Shedad; let him come here and rescue
it from these horsemen.

Cais, being now aware they only sought to quarrel
and provoke him, mounted his camel and returned
home. He hastened to his wife, Rebia's daughter,
and said to her, If I abandon my coat of mail to
your father, all the Arabs will accuse me of imbecility
over the deserts and the wastes, and will reduce

me to infamy and disgrace. O my father, cried
his daughter Jemanah (and she was the most beautiful
of the daughters of Arabia; she could even
compose poetry, so that she was quite a proverb), I
will restore to you your coat of mail, for my grandfather
Rebia is very fond of me. Do so, O Jemanah,
said her father, do what you please.

Upon this she mounted her camel, and taking a
slave with her, she went to the valley of Yamoor,
where, as she entered the tent of her grandfather,
he stood up to receive her, and saluting her, treated
her with the greatest kindness, saying, What has
brought thee hither, O Jemanah? I am come, replied
she, on account of my father's coat of mail.
Here I am; send me not back disappointed, for I
am thy favourite. Yes, said Rebia, in his wily manner,
when I have fought Khalid with it, I will return
it to him. Jemanah, perceiving that he would persist
in his obstinacy, thus addressed him:

"My father will not permit that his coat of mail
should be purloined from him, and my grandfather
consents to purloin the coat of mail from
my father. My father's judgment is the judgment
of a prudent and cautious man; but the conduct
of my grandfather is the conduct of an oppressor
and a tyrant. The son of Zoheir will not give up
his coat of mail, neither will the son of Zeead yield
to salutary counsel. O Cais, this coat of mail was
left with thee, as an act of generosity, for the battle
that turns infants grey: so I fear that Antar,
who plunges into the horse-dust, will not yield it."

As soon as Jemanah had finished she departed,
and repaired to her father. May God be with thee,
O my father! said she: if it be possible for thee to
resign the coat of mail, give it up; for now that he
has denied me, he will resign it to no one. And if
thou dost dispute with him, he will dispute with
thee; and if thou wilt fight with him, he will fight
with thee: thus will the tranquillity of the tribe be
dissolved. Very well, said Cais. But the news soon
spread about the dwellings of the Absians, and it
came at last to Antar, who was exceedingly indignant,
and went to King Cais, to whom he said, How!
hast thou been cajoled by thy enemies? and thou
the king of the age! and canst thou submit to such
disgrace and infamy? If thou art willing to have
thy coat of mail rescued, I will soon redeem it for
thee, ay, before to-morrow's dawn, were it even on
the back of the driving clouds. I will slay that Rebia,
and Amarah, and the whole race of Zeead. It
was on this very account, said King Cais, I would
not inform you of it. And he told him all that had
passed with the family of Zeead, and how Amarah
had said, Hie thee hence, and send us thy champion
Antar, son of Shedad.

Without word or comment Antar retired home,
and called out for Shiboob, who instantly appeared.
O son of my mother! he cried, I wish thee to tell
me how I must manage, for King Cais has been
cajoled by Rebia, and my heart is in an agony at
the words of Amarah, for he even said to Cais, Hie
thee away; send us thy champion Antar, to rescue

thy coat of mail from hence. My advice is, said
Shiboob, that we proceed to the valley of Yamoor,
and that we hide ourselves near the tents of the
Zeead family. No doubt some one of them will fall
into our hands: we will take him prisoner, and
we will not desist tormenting him, till we ransom
him for the coat of mail of Ajijah.

That's just the thing, said Antar; and they waited
till evening, when they set out for the valley of
Yamoor, where, lo! they saw in front of them a
fellow lying asleep, and before him stood a horse.
Shiboob went up to him, and struck him with a
stick over the back of his head. Heinstantly awoke,
and much alarmed he was. Eh! said Shiboob, who
art thou? My lord, said the fellow, whilst he shook
as if in an ague—my lord, said he, I am no horseman.
I am no great man; but I am the slave of
the magnanimous Chief Amarah. And where is
Amarah? said Shiboob. My lord, said he, he is
just passed over to the tents of the Carad family,
just to have a look at his beloved Ibla, the daughter
of Malik; and this has been his practice for a long
time every night, and when he reaches this spot, he
puts on my clothes, and disguises himself in them,
and enters their tents. Ay! said Shiboob, I did
not know a word of all this. Accursed be ye both;
come, arise, strip off thy clothes, before I cut off thy
head.

The slave had just stripped off his clothes, when
Antar came up, and smote the slave with Dhami on
the neck, and severed his head from his body. Instantly

Shiboob put on the slave's clothes, and laid
himself down in his place, whilst Antar hid himself
near at hand for an hour, when lo! advanced Amarah.
As soon as the horse saw him, he neighed: I
am come to thee, thou neigher! said Amarah, now
that I have beheld my beloved. And he came up
to Shiboob, thinking it was his slave, and struck him
with his stick on the back of the head, saying, Get
up, son of an accursed mother, come, strip off the
clothes before morning overtakes us.

So Shiboob turned about, and began rubbing his
eyes, like one roused out of his sleep, and appeared
as if about to take off his clothes, whilst Amarah,
having stripped off his clothes, stood naked. At the
instant, Antar sprung upon him, and grasped him
by the small of his belly, and raising him in his
arm, he dashed him against the ground, and then
turned to upon him with a whip, till he made the
blood start from every part of his body. In short,
the agony of this chastisement was so acute, that
Amarah fainted. Shiboob came up to him and
bound his shoulders, and tied down his arms and
sides, and hoisting him on the back of his horse,
carried him away. O Arabs, cried Amarah, cover
my shame, and if ye are from a distant land, and in
quest of property and gain, congratulate yourselves
on your success: for I am no paltry fellow; I am
the Chief Amarah, son of Zeead, and my party is
near at hand; and if you do not sell my life for
cattle, you will heartily repent; for my friends will

rescue me without ransom or goods at all. But
Antar stood before him, and turned to again with
his whip on his body, till his very liver was on fire.
Ay, said he, I will redeem the coat of mail with thee,
which thy brother took away. Yes! thou saidst
to King Cais, Hie thee away! send us thy champion
Antar, son of Shedad; let him come and redeem
the coat of mail from us here. Then indeed
Amarah recognised the dreadful Antar, and he cried
out, Pardon, my cousin, pardon! for that is true
virtue; don't, now don't punish me, O my cousin,
for the flippancies of the tongue; and be sure of
every favour you can desire. No more talk! cried
Antar, till we reach the tents, where I will contrive
every variety of torture for thee; and they drove him
on before them to the tents, whilst Amarah endured
such a night, as he never experienced before, and
when they arrived, every one being asleep, Antar
confined Amarah at his mother's: and he appeared
in the morning as if nothing had happened.

In the course of the day, Rebia learnt that his
brother was missing. He wept, and so did his
brothers, and also his mother, and his relations, and
there was not one but said Antar had killed him. I
rather think, said Rebia, that Cais has set spies and
scouts over us on account of the coat of mail of Ajijah,
and has seized an Arab in order to redeem it
with him. But, by the faith of an Arab, that's
what I'll never do. I will, however, plant spies
over them, and every one that falls into my power

I will slay: I will carry on for ever a rooted enmity
against Cais, and I will aid the Aamirites against
him, that he may feel my power; and if Antar has
slain Amarah, no one will I put to death as an
equivalent but Cais himself, that he may know that
one like me will not sacrifice his retaliation for him.

Soon the account of the disappearance of Amarah
became public; it was also reported to King
Cais, that Rebia accused him of the deed, and that
he had stationed spies and scouts over them, that
should he be able to seize any one, he might kill
him. By the faith of an Arab, said Cais, Rebia lies
in what he says; and as to Amarah, he has no
enemy but Antar; and Antar has never been absent
from the tents. Moreover, I cannot believe he would
put him to death, for his mercy is ever superior to
his wrath. He has overcome him a thousand times,
and has never attempted to murder him; there need
be no alarm on that score, he will certainly re-appear:
never let it be said, that my cousins are become
my enemies, though I am of opinion, we should
be on our guard against them.

Thus he recommended the business to his brothers.
Go out by turns, said he to them, and protect the
pastures, otherwise Rebia may suddenly surprise us.
So Malik every day went out on horseback with the
cattle, taking with him a body of men, and when
Antar understood this, said he to Shiboob, Eh! son
of my mother, it appears King Cais then is afraid of
Rebia, and he thinks he will join the tribe of Aamir

against him. But as he will not permit me to act
against him, what I wish of you is, to go out every
day to the pastures, and if you see Rebia, or any
one of his family, advance, hasten to me with the
news, that I may show you what I will do. Shiboob
acquiesced, and went every day to the pastures,
concealing himself where no one could see him.

After this, Antar visited Prince Malik, and imparted
to him all about Amarah; that he was suffering
torments with him, and was almost dead, and
he wants to ransom himself for the coat of mail, but
don't believe him; and I have not yet punished him
enough. O Aboolfawaris, said Prince Malik, overjoyed,
kill him whilst the business is a secret. O
my lord, said Antar, I have never killed one of the
tribe, and should the circumstance reach your brother
Cais, that I have exercised my power against
his cousin, as long as he lives, he will never be reconciled
to me.

Thus passed three or four days, when lo! shouts
arose from the pastures. Antar was sitting in his
tent, when behold Shiboob entered; Arise, my
brother, he cried; come to your friend Prince Malik,
or Rebia will slay him; he has surprised him
in the pastures, with seventy horsemen of his family.
The moment Antar heard this, the light became
darkness in his eyes; he roared and bellowed, and
sprung off the ground on the back of Abjer, and
set out for the pastures, Shiboob going on before.
He stared about for his friend Malik, and seeing

him hemmed in with the horse of the family of
Zeead, and almost overpowered, he shouted—the
earth and the barren waste trembled, and the horsemen
shrunk back from the contest. How came this
dæmon here? cried Rebia, and he precipitated himself
from the sand-mound, and penetrating the dust,
wished to attack the dreadful Antar, when lo! his
brother Anis appeared, bent double over his saddle,
whimpering out, This shepherd-slave has broken my
ribs, (for Antar had, indeed, with the butt end of his
spear, broken his ribs, and had yelled at him, so he
wheeled off in flight, fearful of death).

Rebia slackened his bridle and shouted out to his
friends; when lo! some rushed, disordered in flight,
from beneath the dust: alarmed at death and destruction,
they fell back on their rear, and the fugitives
were followed by their comrades. Rebia also retreated.
But Antar cast his eyes at him, and beheld
the coat of mail of Ajijah. Whither wouldst thou,
O Rebia? cried he, and immediately he was up
with him, and shouted at him; every limb of him
quaked; he pierced his horse through a tender
part, and the animal stumbled and threw him off;
he endeavoured to rise up, but he tottered and fell
with the weight of the Ajijah coat of mail. Antar
drew forth Dhami from the scabbard, and was in the
act of extending his arm. Hold! O my cousin, cried
Rebia, pardon! for that is the true generosity of
nature; you are our cousin, and the reliever of our
sorrows. May God, said Antar, make thee die and

let thee not live, for never dost thou name me cousin,
but when thou art under the scimitar's edge. In
the feasts and entertainments I am still the slave,
the carrion born! Strip off that coat of mail, or I'll
strike off thy head with this sword, by the life of
the eyes of Ibla, to me the most binding of oaths.
Rebia instantly obeyed; he pulled off the coat of
mail, and delivered it to him, and then fled in haste
away, scarcely crediting his escape from death. Thus
Antar accomplished his hopes and wishes, and taking
the coat of mail with him, he returned to Prince
Malik; and, as they were retiring, King Cais came
forward with a numerous body of Absians; for,
having heard the circumstance from some shepherds,
he instantly mounted, alarmed for Malik. Seeing
him safe and well, he inquired what had happened;
he told him what Antar had done to the family of
Zeead; how he had redeemed the coat of mail and
the cattle. After which, Antar presented him the
coat of mail, for which Cais thanked him, and they
returned to the tents, rejoicing in their success. As
to Rebia, he retreated, routed and discomfited on
all sides, and sought his tets and habitations; and
when he considered himself secure, he collected his
companions and rebuked them, saying, My cousins,
you indeed failed to aid me at the very moment I
needed you most. O Rebia, said they, what dost
thou desire of us? Dost wish us to fight against
our cousins, and raise hostilities against our king?
Many of them are the husbands of our daughters
and our sisters. Has it not satisfied thee, that we
have followed thee to this place, but thou must urge
us to contend in battle against those who are the
dearest of human beings to us? In this point never
will we obey thee. If such is your resolution, said
Rebia, return to your families, for I can do very
well without you; and he called out to his brothers,
and ordered them to depart for the tribe of Fazarah.
As soon as Hadifah heard of his arrival, he went
forth to meet him, and received him honourably,
saluting him, and congratulating him, and accommodating
him with a portion of ground, wide and
extensive, and inquired his reason for quitting the
tribe of Abs. Rebia told him what had passed, and
what he had suffered at the loss of Amarah. Your
settlement, said Hadifah, in the valley of Yaamoor,
was not judicious; had you come to us, we would
have exerted our utmost in league with you. But
as to your brother Amarah, it must be all owing to
Antar, son of Shedad. O chief, said Rebia, our
misfortunes always proceed from that despicable
slave, and we have no other enemy but him. I must
indeed contrive his death, were my life to be annihilated,
and all my brothers to be slain. That night
came back Amarah, and he was in a most deplorable
wretched plight, tiled over with filth and ordure.
And when he told his brothers all the horrors he had
endured, they were in utter dismay, and greatly
augmented was their rage and indignation against
Antar, the lion warrior. O my son, said his mother,
will you never relinquish your stubborn violence on
account of Ibla and Antar? Are you not satisfied
with the calamities and misfortunes that have already
befallen you? O my mother, by your dear life, said
he, death itself would be more tolerable to me, than
what I have endured these days. I have experienced
tortures from Antar, in my life, I never
felt such from all the Arabs. Wait patiently for
us, my fine fellow, said Rebia, that we may open a
door for the destruction of Antar. Thus Rebia
remained, consulting some plan, till the news of
Khalid's departure on his expedition reached him,
and that he had thrown himself on Direed, son of
Samah, who had sent with him his brother Abdallah,
with twenty thousand horsemen, and that the whole
of the army of the Aamirites, when complete, would
amount to forty thousand men, twenty thousand of
which would march against the tribe of Abs, and
twenty thousand, under the command of Abdallah,
would march to attack the tribe of Fazarah. Hadifah
was confounded and bewildered, and sent for
Rebia, to consult with him; but they told him he
was absent, and that, a short time ago, he had taken
away his brothers, with forty slaves, and had proceeded
to destroy Antar. Oh! what will become of
us? he exclaimed; What will become of Rebia and his
brothers? And he sent to request assistance of Harith,
son of Zalim, and the horsemen of the tribe of
Marah. The news also reached King Cais and the
Absians. He was astounded and stupefied, and
assembling the chiefs, told them of Khalid, and the
Aamirites, and Abdallah, Direed's brother, and
asking for Antar, they told him he was absent.
King Cais sent to procure intelligence of his mother,
who said to the messenger, a crier cried out to him
in the night, and with him he departed. On hearing
this, King Cais was unable to distinguish light from
darkness. Truly, Antar, he cried, has disappeared
at the moment he was most required; and he consulted
with the Absians about what he should do.
Comfort your heart and brighten your eye, O king,
said they, for by the faith of an Arab, we must fight
for you, till by our acts we have settled your affairs
to your satisfaction, and we will not die but in the
presence of our families and our wives. My wish,
cousins, said King Cais, is to send to the tribe of
Fazarah, and to ask them to come to us, that we
may be a united force against our foes. My opinion,
said his brother Malik, is, that you be not cajoled
by them any more; ask no aid of them, for Rebia
is with them. So, my brother, stand staunch for
your dignity, and let not your honour and reputation
be sacrificed. However, they agreed to send a
messenger to Hadifah; he departed for the tribe of
Fazarah, where Hadifah was anxiously expecting
the return of Rebia, much terrified at the treacheries
of fortune. In a short time came Rebia, and his
brother Amarah, and some more of his brothers;
but as to his slaves, not one of them, black or white,
accompanied them. He had entered the tents by
night, and the next day he went to Hadifah and
saluted him. Hadifah inquired about his absence.
O chief, said he, I have slain Antar, but with him
were forty of my slaves killed. O Rebia, cried
Hadifah, much rejoiced at Antar's death, a man,
when he is engaged in the destruction of his foe,
must expend his property, great as it may be. The
reason of this was, that when Rebia repaired to
Hadifah, and was joined by Amarah, who told him
what he had suffered, he consoled his brother's
heart, and remained quiet till the next day, when
he took away his brothers, and forty slaves, and
repaired with them to the land of the Absians, where
he halted in a valley, and concealing himself, he sent
a horseman to Antar to supplicate his assistance, and
to conduct him to the valley. The horseman proceeded
till he came nigh to the tents of Antar, when
he cried out, O Chief Antar, I am a suppliant for
thy assistance. Antar instantly ordered Shiboob to
prepare Abjer; he brought him out bitted and
bridled. Antar sprung from the ground, on his back,
and took Shiboob before him, and followed the
horseman, who had begged his protection; and he
did not discontinue following him, till he was far
from the tents. As to the noble Arabs in those days,
when any one demanded their protection, no one
ever inquired what was the matter; for if he asked
any questions, it would be said of him that he was
afraid. The poets of those days have thus described
them in verse:

"They rise, when any one in fear calls out to
them, and they haste before asking any questions;
they aid him against his enemies that seek his life,
and they return honoured to their families."

Poets have also thus mentioned those who do
make inquiries of him who asks their protection:

"They dispute about the protection on frivolous
pretences, and they lengthen out the conversation
in questions, and when a suppliant calls out to
them in the desert, they snore, or else make themselves
acquainted with the business."

When Antar was at some distance from the tents,
O young Arab, he cried, console thy heart, and
brighten thine eye, but tell me now what is the
matter, for were thine enemy Chosroe, I would make
his balcony totter; if it be the Roman Emperor, I
will slay his warriors. O Aboolfawaris, replied the
man, stopping, I am of the tribe of Shiban, and with
me were my wife and my daughter; I was on a visit to
one of my brothers, and when my visit was concluded,
I was on my way home; and on reaching your
waters, twenty horsemen rushed out upon me; they
wounded me, and took captives my wife and daughter.
I fled, as you see; and when I heard of your
name, and that you were noble and generous, I
came to you, and I begged your protection. March
on forwards, said Antar, pitying him from his heart;
console thy mind, dispel thy fear and alarm. The
horseman continued to gallop on ahead of Antar,
till he conducted him to the valley, where Rebia had

drawn ropes among the trees for Antar's horse; and
when Antar was in the middle of the valley, Rebia's
slaves rushed upon him, crying out, Where art thou
now? Vile slave, how wilt thou escape hence? The
light became dark in Antar's eyes, but he galloped
towards the fellow who had begged his protection,
and pierced him through the chest with his spear,
and drove it quivering out through his back; he
shouted at his foe; he attacked, and bounded away
on his horse. But his horse being entangled among
the cords that Rebia had fastened, Antar dismounting
from Abjer, and grasping Dhami in his right,
and his shield in his left hand, fought on foot. As
soon as Shiboob saw this dreadful disaster, and his
brother's awkward situation, he felt assured some
stratagem had been contrived against him, so he
drew forth his dagger and killed four of the slaves,
and Antar slew ten. But they multiplied upon him,
shouting and throwing stones at him, and bellowing
at him, till they nearly destroyed him; his limbs
were unnerved, and he felt his calamity, when lo!
another stone fell between his shoulders, and threw
him at his full length on the ground. Rebia's slaves
pounced upon him, and bound him with cords, and
tied down his arms and sides; they seized hold
of Shiboob, and bound his arms also with ropes.
Bring him to us at the division of the road, cried
Rebia, that we may play with our swords through
their bodies. Antar recognized Rebia, and the
despicable Amarah. Verily, O Rebia, said Antar,
thou hast contrived well; this is a masterly plot
indeed. But whilst they were in this state, lo! a
dust arose, and there appeared five hundred horsemen
in armour. Go thou to Antar, cried Rebia, to
Amarah, as the dust approached, whilst I kill Shiboob;
then let us be off, or death will come upon us.
Amarah assented, and galloping up to Antar, drew
his sword with his left hand. Antar was tied on the
back of Abjer; Amarah lifted up his hand to strike
him; but just as he heaved up his arm with his
sword, Abjer started under Antar, and sprung forth
like a flash of lightning, and made towards the horses
that were advancing towards them, for he had been
trained by his master, whenever he saw a troop of
horse, to seek it, before they could seek him. Fly,
O noble fellow, fly, roared out Rebia, or death and
perdition will overtake us. Shiboob was dragged
along by a slave, but as soon as he saw his brother,
and how Abjer had started away beneath him, he
disengaged himself from the hands of the slave who
led him, and followed his brother Antar, that he
might know all the evil he had suffered. As to
Rebia, he fled, followed by his brothers. The troop
of horse assaulted the remainder of the slaves, and
tossing them upon their spears, stretched them dead
upon the ground. They afterwards surrounded
Antar in the barren desert. Now these horsemen
were Arabs of the tribe of Khoolan, and their chief
was a warrior, named Moshajaa, son of Hosan, and
he was one of the famed haughty tyrants, and celebrated
knights of the age. As soon as he saw
Antar, he recognized him, and cried out to his
comrade warriors, O my cousins, slay not this devouring
hero; for this hero is called Antar, son of
Shedad. I know that our King Safwan has a retaliation
against him, for he killed two of his sons;
and it is my opinion that we should take him away,
and go with him to our dwellings: there casting
him into fetters and chains, let us proceed to our
King Safwan, and receive from him an immense
reward in cattle, in exchange for this lion Antar.
As they assented to his advice, they took Antar
and Shiboob, and set out on their way home.

Now Rebia and Amarah, as they fled, turned
behind to look at the tribe of Khoolan; and perceiving
that they had surrounded Antar and Shiboob,
and had drawn their swords upon them,
they imagined they had slain them; so they eagerly
pursued their way till they reached the land of
Fazarah and joined Hadifah, to whose inquiries
about their absence they related what we have
already stated. Hadifah was in ecstasies of joy,
and thought Antar must be slain, and his limbs cut
in pieces.

In the mean time, the tribe of Khoolan travelled
with speed till they reached their own country,
where they cast Antar and Shiboob into chains,
and stationed a guard of slaves over them. But

Moshajaa, with a party of his tribe, repaired to
King Safwan, to give him the good tidings of the
fall of Antar, the conquering warrior.

The very day that Rebia arrived, and felicitated
Hadifah on the death of Antar, came also King
Cais's messenger to order Hadifah to march to the
land of Shoorebah and Mount Saadi, that they
might all form an united force. But when he consulted
with Rebia upon this subject, No, Chief
Hadifah, said he, let Cais and the tribe of Abs
settle with their foes as they like; for this once we
are stronger than they. Cais has now lost Antar:
let the enemy kill him, and make him drink of the
cup of death and misery. Hadifah accordingly
sent back the messenger disappointed, saying, Tell
Cais to arrange his own matters as he can, he and
the champion of his country, Antar, son of Shedad;
for never shall there be any hostile dispute between
us and the tribe of Aamir. The messenger returned
to Cais, and told him what Hadifah had said; on
which Cais, feeling the truth of his brother Malik's
advice, assembled the tribe of Abs, and ordered
them to prepare for battle, for he had heard that
Khalid was in the neighbourhood. They obeyed,
and prepared that very day. King Cais then sent
for the tribe of Ghitfan, who came the next day,
with Hatal, son of Antar's sister, and four thousand
horsemen, all spear-armed heroes.

In three days the Absians and Ghiftanians were
equipped, to the number of eight thousand horsemen,

all in coats of mail and in armour. My
cousins, said King Cais, I am of opinion we should
march and meet the Aamirites in the road, before
they reach our lands. They assented, and set out
to meet the tribe of Aamir; and when their whole
army was complete, it amounted to seven thousand
men, as one thousand were left to protect the cattle
and families. Thus they continued their journey
till evening, when King Cais alighted: Now, said
he to his cousins, I think we ought not to separate
beyond this distance from our wives; otherwise we
may have cause to fear for them on account of the
enemy. There they remained till morning, when
behold! the horses' fronts burst upon them. This
was a troop of the tribe of Aamir; the bickering
scimitars and Semherian spears glittered. Shouts
arose, and the horsemen were eager for the fight
and contest. The Absians called out in their patronymics;
the spears were interwoven one within
the other; the crowds pressed on violently; the
rush of the combatants was terrific, and the behests
of fate and destiny descended upon them. Rise to
arms! to arms! cried Khalid. The Brandisher of
Swords exhibited his activity beneath the dust; the
cleaving sabres were at work; and the cleft skulls
were hewn off. It was a day of dreadful portent,
and the Absians felt not secure till the light fled,
and the night came on in darkness, when they
retired from the army that had thus surprised
them; and they saw tribes, the like of which they
had never seen in all their lives. Now, said King
Cais to his people, let us return to our wives; it
will be the most expedient measure, for I fear some
of these tribes may invade our homes, and devastate
our dwellings. We have nothing to do but
to march before the darkness passes away; for this
is indeed an event of fate, and our affairs are in a
dreadful condition.

They arose accordingly by night, and set out for
their own tents. The enemy was soon aware of it.
Khalid gave a shout, and they were all in movement
by dawn. The Absians reached their dwellings,
and the women shrieked in excess of fear and
terror; and when they saw the Absian army return,
their screams of woe and distress increased, and
became still louder, alarmed as they were at dishonour
and infamy. In an hour the action commenced;
heads were scattered about; the party
was panic-struck, and their rapacious designs were
frustrated. The women screamed out to the lion-warriors,
and Ibla beat her sides and wept. All
the maidens of the tribe assembled like full moons;
they uncovered their faces, and let their hair flow
dishevelled; they cried out, and exciting them to
the contest, they exclaimed, O cousins, where is the
valiant warrior? where is he who would protect the
women on such a day as this? Then Gheshm, son
of Malik, attacked and performed dreadful deeds.
They continued in this state till evening came on,
and the two armies were separated from each other.

The Absians were discomfited that day, for two
hundred of their most renowned warriors were
slain. On that night the wailings of the children,
and the screams of the women and men, increased;
and shrill above the rest rose the shrieks of Ibla,
for the loss of Antar, the undaunted hero. Cais
himself remained in the greatest affliction. As to
the tribe of Fazarah, their condition was similar to
that of the Absians; for Abdallah, the brother of
Direed, assaulted them with twenty thousand horsemen,
and rushed upon them from all sides. The
Fazareans engaged them till they were near death
and extinction; and had not Harith, the son of
Zalim, been with them, they would have been cut
up and destroyed; for one noble Knight, when he
was with a weak party, could defend it, and steadied
it against the enemy. Rebia, too, fought with his
brothers firmly and resolutely, though he was also
anxious that Cais's inability should be proved; for
he knew well Antar was not present in the engagement.

But the tribe of Abs continued to fight with the
Aamirites for three days; on the fourth day the foe
routed them in the tents, and possessed themselves
of their fountains and waters, having completely
overpowered them with superior numbers. Good
fortune and fear prevailed alternately; heroes exposed
their lives to death, for they saw no rescue
from destruction; the armies of Aamir thronged
upon them like the foaming billows of the ocean,

driving them out of their dwellings. The Absians
fortified themselves on the sandhills and Mount
Saadi. O my cousins, said King Cais, let us
lengthen out the battle with the foe; perhaps one
of the heroes of Hijaz may still come to our aid:
so they acted in conformity with his commands.
But the one who that day was the chief victor over
the Absians was the Brandisher of Spears; he had
taken fifty brave horsemen prisoners, besides those
he had wounded and slain. The army was protected
by his intrepidity, and Khalid gloried in his
exploits. The last that challenged the Brandisher
of Spears was the Chief Shedad; and as he was on
the mountain side he remembered his son Antar,
and thus he mourned his death:

"Was it seen what arrow of all the arrows
of calamity pierced thee, thou son of the noble
and generous? Who was the warrior whose arm
could strike thee, and thy arm so irresistible in
its blows among the horsemen? Art thou to be
seen dead, laid low on the ground? Shall the
wild beasts of the desert prowl about thee on all
sides? In truth, the tribe has lost in thee a
Knight equal to a host of foot or of horse. Thou
couldst repulse the troopers, and, eager as they
were, they were deprived of their warriors on
the day of trial. O my son, since thy absence
from us, the hostile troops have invaded us, like
giant sea-monsters. Oceans have encompassed
us, rolling in furious waves of the bitterness of

spears and two-edged scimitars. Our heroes have
fallen into the power of the enemy, and our women
mourn in fear of death. We are enthralled
by horrors, and our maidens are in despair, fearful
of captivity. O son of the noble and generous!
Ibla calls on thee from her ulcered heart, and
weeps in torments of tears. Here I am come
forth this day; I will expose my life, and, aware
of the catastrophe, I encounter the heroes; for
perhaps thou mayst still join us, and we still survive
by thy perseverance, thou protector of the
wives of thy friends!"

When Shedad had finished, the Absian women
shouted to encourage him to the fight and combat.
Shedad descended, and his back was bent double
with his great age, for he was like an ancient eagle.
Who art thou, O Sheikh, cried the Brandisher of
Spears, thus eagerly moving towards death, and
drawing along the bridle of annihilation? O Gheshm,
replied he, dost thou not know me, that I am one of
the illustrious warriors? I am Shedad, son of Carad.
I am a knight, the soul of the day of battle and combat!
I am the father of Antar, the destroyer of the
stoutest tyrants! Thou art a pusillanimous wretch,
continued the other; and immediately assailed him.
Shedad encountered him, and there ensued so fierce
a contest and combat that the noblest warriors were
astonished at its fury. Their long spears were shattered
in their hands; they both disappeared from
the sight, and were veiled from the eyes of the spectators;

again they exhibited in the contest the most
skilful manœuvres, and the bravest were aghast at
their deeds. They continued in this state till fatigue
fell on the fingers of Shedad, for he was no match
for Gheshm in feats of arms; and when the Brandisher
of Spears saw this he assaulted him like a
lion, and clung to the rings of his coat of mail and
corslet, and dragged him off his horse's back, dashing
him on the ground: his cousins tied down his
shoulders, and bound him by the arms and sides.
Now rose their shouts still louder at the captivity of
Shedad, and their exertions failed, feeling certain of
death and perdition. The Brandisher of Spears
again returned to the skirts of Mount Saadi; Hola!
tribe of Abs, he exclaimed, come forth, if there be
any more of ye remaining; if not, surrender; for a
surrender is your only resource. At hearing this,
the Absians were more furiously enraged. O my
cousins, cried Cais, there is no means of escaping
death in the presence of these Arabs; and he resolved
on the attack, but Nazih prevented him, and
wished himself to challenge the Brandisher of Spears.
Oorwah anticipated him, and as he recollected his
friend Antar, his tears flowed; he hasted on, exclaiming,
O champion of Abs, may God not divide
from us thy stirrup! and may thy friends be never
abandoned by thee! And he thus mourned the death
of his friend Antar in these verses:

"The foul wretches have prevailed, O Aboolfawaris,
now thou art absent from the land of the

tame fawn. The Arabs have surrounded our
country, and they charge our heroes like fiends.
The tribe has lost in thee a knight, who used to
encounter our foes, smiling and unruffled. Thou
wert our guardian, O champion of Abs! when
every defender and protector failed us. Now thou
art gone, we are ruined and lost; our supports
have given way, and every one that sat down has
risen up to oppose us. How many women bewail
thee with eyeballs swimming in tears; and from
eyelids that never slumber! How many of our
warriors have been captured! and how many lie
dead among the devastated habitations! There is
no champion for the daughter of Malik, now
thou art gone, thou disgracer of horsemen! Who
now can encounter calamities, now thou art gone,
or wear off the rust in the day of terrors? May
God moisten the tomb where thou liest with
the dew of the clouds, charged with never-failing
showers!"

When Oorwah had finished, he rushed upon the
Brandisher of Spears, and galloped beneath the
thickening dust: there ensued a combat between
them that made heroes shudder, and confounded
the most resolute warriors. They continued in that
state till their spears were shivered in their hands,
and their souls were near expiring. Oorwah was a
brave knight, and an undaunted man of arms, but
in prowess he was no match for the Brandisher of
Spears; so fatigue fell on the hands of Oorwah,

which his antagonist perceiving, rushed at him, and
hemmed him in, and grasping him by the rings of
his coat of mail, he clung to him, and took him prisoner,
and dragging him along, miserable and abject,
he delivered him over to his people, who
pinioned and secured him. Oorwah being taken,
the Absians gave up all for lost. King Cais threw
his casque off his head, and cried out to his tribe
and his comrades, O my cousins, after this there is
no hope, no resource! their word against us is
blood. They have vanquished us, and I well know they will not suffer one of us to live, not a black or
a white. Let those who feel as I do, do as I do;
and those that fear death retire to the rear; for our
women are dishonoured, and the blood of our men
is shed. Our horsemen are overcome, and our
champion is lost: there is nothing left to protect us,
or defend our wives, but the blades of our swords
and the barbs of our spears. Thus saying, he galloped
down from the sand-hills and Mount Saadi,
surrounded by his brothers and warriors, and those
who stood by him on all important occasions; and
when they came to the spot they bent their heads
over their saddle-bows, and in one universal shout
exclaimed, O by Abs! O by Adnan! and they
poured down on the Aamirites like a torrent of rain.
Now, my cousins, come on! exclaimed Khalid, as
he marked them. See these fellows! they scorn
life. Tear out their souls; rejoice in the capture
of their women, and beautiful maidens, and the
plunder of their abundant cattle. Then the armies
and the troops assaulted, and made at the Absians
in all directions, and assailed them with swords, and
spears, and pointed lances. The plain was choked
up; the associated heroes rushed on; horsemen
were exhausted; the two forces were mixed promiscuously;
the steeds danced to the sound of the
lutes; blood streamed from the bodies; they persisted
in these dangers and perils till midday, when
the Absians were nearly destroyed, and extinguished,
and extirpated; the women cried out to the Lord
of Heaven; blood flowed; protectors and defenders
were diminished; existence was annihilated;
the Absians were lost amongst those armies and
troops, and dust-clouds like an extended canopy.
There was not one but exposed himself to every
disaster, and courted death in the midst of the
tumults; the plains appeared before them like
mountains; the black dust ascended over them in
columns, and they were clothed in garments of
blood. Such was their perilous situation, they were
nearly destroyed, and had resolved on flight, when
lo! a dust arose, and closed up every passage of the
country. It was not long ere the dust opened:
there was seen the glitter of corslets, and the waving
brilliancy of helms, and innumerable horsemen,
headed by a black knight, on a black steed, who
bellowed out, Ignoble dastards! I am Antar, son
of Shedad; quit these women and children: and he
instantly attacked the Aamirites, like a devouring
lion, accompanied by his warrior-friends. In an instant
the enemy was repulsed, and the twenty thousand
were routed right and left. The cause of the
release of Antar from captivity, and his arrival with
the horsemen, was as follows.