University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XXI.

After the retreat of the army, Numan summoned
to his presence Amroo, son of Nefeela, and consulted
with him about making peace with the Absians.
My advice, replied he, is, that to-morrow morning
you repeat the attack; perhaps they will be discomfited,
and will demand peace, and that would be
more suitable to your dignity. Numan approved
of his vizier's counsel. The next day both armies
started up, eager for the combat. King Numan
mounted and arranged the standards over his head.
Thus also did the Absians, headed by Antar, the
lord of battles. The ranks being drawn up, Antar
was anxious to exhibit himself in the field of
battle, when lo! a dust arose, and veiling the land,
seemed suspended over every quarter of the atmosphere;
and there came forth a renowned warrior of
immense bulk, like an elephant or a towering palm-tree.
The combatants gazed at him in amazement,
for he was a victorious warrior, one of the haughty
tyrants of Arabia; his name was Ghasik, son of Ashab;
and he was followed by twenty thousand
horsemen. King Numan had long been accustomed
to make him presents, and previous to his expedition
against the Absians he had sent to Ghasik to request

his assistance. Now Ghasik was one of the thousand
proud tyrants in that age of ignorance, and
his form was one of the wonders of that period. He
fought with various weapons as a horseman and on
foot, and when he ran on foot he would outstrip the
snorting steeds. His countries were Tahl and Zal,
and he and his tribe worshipped the great dogstar.
When Numan's letter reached him he read it, and
having understood it, he called out to his people,
and instantly set out for the land of Hirah. On his
arrival he was told that Numan had already marched,
so he proceeded after him till he came up, as we
have described; and when Numan knew of his arrival,
he went out to meet him, and told him all
that had happened: how the tribe of Abs had defeated
his armies and horsemen. O king of the
age, said Ghasik, this day will I make the Absians
mark the horrors I will perform. He dismounted
from his horse, and threw off his armour and his
coat of mail, till he remained only in his common
clothes, his head uncovered and his feet bare. He
snatched up two darts that were like sparks of fire;
he stood forth between the two ranks on foot and
unarmed; and as he approached the hostile armies,
O tribe of Abs, he cried, stand forth knight to
knight, or ten to a knight, or a hundred to a knight,
or a thousand to a knight; and if you still desire
less odds, attack me with your whole force that I
may encounter ye all alone, and may repulse ye
with the force of my single arm and my single
elbow. And here I am, without armour or polished
mail, for I know that where death is protracted,
armour avails not. When he had thus spoken; he
swaggered over the plain of heroes till the senses of
the wisest and the oldest, as well as of the youngest,
were confounded, and thus spoke:

"Armour repels not the javelin of death; so
stand forth, O noble heroes; stand forth, and behold
the battle of a youthful hero, firm and resolute
in the scene of contention."

King Zoheir was stupefied and amazed at Ghasik's
deeds and heroism; but Antar, perceiving the
state of King Zoheir's mind, exclaimed, O king,
what means this apprehension and alarm? Calm
your mind; brighten your eye; for by the protection
of an Arab, I will put to the rout the whole of
this army, were they even as numerous as the scattered
locusts; and were I conscious that my single
arm would not suffice, I would take ten warriors,
with whom I would dash into the midst of King
Numan's forces, and I would drag him away either
alive or dead, prisoner or a carcass. These words
comforted the heart of King Zoheir, and he recovered
from his fears and his consternation; and
just as Antar was about to dart forward against
Ghasik, a horseman anticipated him, and attacked
him. He was a celebrated one among the bravest
Absians, and one of their most illustrious knights.
He rushed upon Ghasik and attempted to charge
him, but Ghasik gave him not time to wheel round;

he shouted at him, and smote him with one of his
javelins; it fell between the paps and issued out
between the shoulders. The two armies were
astounded at the blow, for the weapon passed through
the horseman and the steel armour he wore. A
second stood forth against Ghasik, but he overthrew
him; a third, he deprived him of life; a fourth, he
united him to his comrades; and a fifth, he left him
despairing of existence: and thus he continued till
he had slain twenty horsemen. But Antar was
afraid that were he now to oppose him the Arabs
would say, Antar stood forth against a knight without
armour or polished mail; or Ghasik might
even say, he attacked me when I was fatigued.
Whilst Antar was reflecting on this dreadful affair,
lo! his father Shedad stood forth. Ghasik permitted
him not to charge, but took him prisoner instantly.
No sooner saw Antar the fate of his father
than a fire blazed in his heart, and he resolved on
the attack, but Oorwah anticipated him. Ghasik
had now called for his armour, in which having clad
himself, he met Oorwah and assaulted him; he
soon wearied him, and thwarted all his efforts, and
stretching out his arm like the neck of a black
camel, he seized him by the rings of his armour,
and grasping him in his hand as if he were a sparrow,
he threw him to his slaves to secure with cords,
and they placed him by the side of Shedad. Fired
by this double calamity, Antar rushed upon Ghasik
like a devouring lion. Ghasik received him as the
parched up land the first of the rain. These sturdy
warriors fought like ravenous wild beasts; they
began the blow and the clash, the retreat and the
advance, till the senses and the minds of all present
were bewildered. They continued till mid-day,
when Ghasik repented of his rash expedition, and
of his combat with Antar.

I have no other resource, said he to himself, but
to practise a stratagem on him; so, desisting from
the conflict: Holà! O Antar, he cried, I have
heard that you are one of those knights that love
fair play, but this day I perceive you act not impartially
towards me. Eh! what justice do you
want? demanded Antar. You have engaged me,
said Ghasik, when I was fatigued, and I now wish
to return and change my horse, then will I come
back to attack you, and I will not quit you till this
affair be decided. You shall not escape, said Antar,
if you wish it: surrender yourself, that you may be
a ransom for the warriors you have already taken;
or by the faith of an Arab, and by the life of Ibla's
two eyes, with me the most sacred of oaths, I will
make you a proverb among men! What! cried
Ghasik, shall I surrender myself to you without
fighting? Will not the Arabs say, May God curse
the father and mother of Ghasik—what did he see
in Antar that he surrendered himself without a
blow? But if you are one of the horsemen that
love justice, draw the spike out of your spear,
and I will take off the spike out of mine; then let us

engage in the field of battle, and he who touches his
antagonist three times, let him do what he pleases
with him. Antar thought him sincere. Just as
you please, said he. Ghasik took off the spike
from his spear, and Antar did so likewise, believing
he should thus be on a par with him. Thus was
Ghasik strengthened in his courage, and he again
had recourse to his stratagems; he snatched from
under his thigh a javelin, and shook it till it coiled
round his hand; he aimed it at Antar, saying, Take
that, thou slave! thou wretch! As soon as Antar
perceived Ghasik had deceived him, he tried to
avoid the javelin, but he could not; it struck him
on the shoulder between the armour and clothes.
Antar was severely wounded; he roared out at
Ghasik in a voice that made the mountains totter:
Thy blow has failed; now prepare, coward, for the
blow of the voracious lion. He assailed him, and
pierced him with the spikeless spear he held in his
hand, and he drove it right through his back quivering;
and Ghasik fell dead.

When Numan saw what Antar had done, and
how he had pierced Ghasik with a mere staff through
the chest, driving it out at his back, rending the
steel and the corslet, he said to his attendants:
Verily, such a thrust no one could drive—no,
neither man nor demon, not even the fiends who
rebelled against our lord Soliman. Our character
is blasted by this knight, whose equal the age cannot
produce: Now is the time to order a general

assault, cried they all, now that Antar is wounded.
King Numan did so, and the twenty thousand made
the attack as if in one body. But when Antar
reached the mountains, King Zoheir came up to
him and kissed him between the eyes, thanking and
extolling him. He entered the valley, having first
recommended King Zoheir and the Absians to stand
firm at the entrance of the defile till his wound was
dressed; then will I return to the contest, he added;
and he entered the tents, and extracting the javelin,
cauterised the wound. In the mean time Ghasik's
army had assailed the Absians with a force amounting
to twenty thousand bridles. The Absians received
them with undaunted hearts and Arabian
courage. Men met men, and heroes heroes—blood
streamed and flowed—joints were hewn asunder.
Numan, perceiving the steadiness of the Absians,
commanded his left, to the number of twenty thousand,
to join him. They made an attack like the
attack of a single individual. Soon the numbers
increased upon the Absians, and their cries for assistance
became louder; but as they were in the
thickest of the fight, the chief Antar appeared,
shouting in a voice that made the mountains tremble,
and the hollows resound: Worthless dastards!
Antar, the son of Shedad, is coming. For when
his wound was dressing, Ibla came to him; she
bound it up, and wept over him. Weep not, said
he, for by the life of thine eyes, and the black of
thine eyebrows, I care not for those wounds; to me
they are sweeter than the draught of wine: but, for
thy sake, I will put to confusion the armies of King
Numan, had he even with him all mankind, and the
fiends to boot. He and Ibla were thus conversing,
when lo! Shiboob appeared like a male ostrich:
Hola! son of my mother, he cried, join the Absians,
for King Numan has ordered all his armies
to attack them on every side and direction. Antar
bellowed and roared; he started from the ground
on to the back of his Abjer, and sprang forth seeking
the engagement, till he reached the scene of
horrors, and joined the Absians, who were worsted
in the presence of that immense concourse of warriors.
So he shouted as we have mentioned; and
he assaulted the enemy with a heart that bounded
at encountering dangers: at his attack, sorrows were
erased from the heart of the Absians; and as they
heard his roar, their souls revived; their courage
was renovated, and they fought in a manner to
startle the boldest. As to Antar, where he struck
he cleft asunder; and where he thrust, he destroyed;
and when the heroes resisted him, he
yelled at them, and made them shrink back in
horror. He wrested a horseman from the back of
his horse; he raised him in his hand like a pole, and
whirling him round as a sling, he struck a second
with him down; he precipitated the two, and made
them drink of the cups of death. The warriors fled
in dismay before him, and every one was horror-struck
at his strength.

When Numan saw how Antar and the Absians
had routed his army, he ordered his right to attack,
and they also amounted to twenty thousand. This
mighty host, calculated at sixty thousand, assailed
the Absians, King Zoheir always assisting them
with a hundred after hundred, till not a single one
remained. But their hearts were encouraged by
Antar, for they knew he was a resistless hero and a
dreadnought lion. At that period the tribe of Abs
was the most renowned among the Arabs for courage;
and at that moment they were fighting the
battle of life and death, and they encountered the
forces of King Numan with hearts to which death
was sweet and easy. The two armies were mingled
together; the sword and spear laboured among
heads and carcasses; blood flowed like lakes; God
glorified that awful, dreadful day! where the steel
armour alone defended bodies, and God prospered
what Antar performed in his intrepidity; he overwhelmed
them in disgrace and ruin, and executed
deeds that will be commemorated for ages, for
deaths were at hand, predestined by the will of the
God of good and evil. The battle continued to
rage between the two armies till the day fled with
the light, and night came on in obscurity, and the
warriors were separated, after they had filled the
earth with the dead.

Numan descended to his pavilions, as he said to
himself, Were I related to the Absians, every one on
whom the sun shines would stand in awe of me; and

Numan had scarcely alighted when the Arab chiefs,
and Prince Aswad at their head, came unto him:
O King of the world, said they, our opinion is, that
you put to death these two fellows we have in our
power (they were Shedad and Oorwah); I will
slay them to-morrow, said he, and Prince Aswad
rushed from Numan's presence in a great passion;
but when they were gone, he sent for his vizier
Amroo, son of Nefilah, and imparted to him all the
love he felt in his heart for Mootegeredeh, King
Zoheir's daughter. What do you wish? said the
vizier. To marry Mootegeredeh, and make peace
with the Absians; he replied, for were I assisted by
such a tribe as this, or a hero like Antar, I should
by their means strengthen myself against the deserts
and the cities. O King, said the vizier, with respect
to the marriage rely on me; but on condition, that
you order into your presence Shedad and Oorwah,
robe them in garments of honour, and treat them
kindly. I will then lead them to King Zoheir, and
will demand his daughter for you, and I will not
return till all matters are arranged. Numan approved
of his vizier's advice, and he reposed that
night in tranquillity, for his heart was at ease.

As to the tribe of Abs, when they returned to
the mountain; Console your heart and brighten
your eye, O King, said Antar, by the life of your
head, to-morrow I will decide their fate: I will
disperse this army were it as numerous as the sands;
and King Zoheir was comforted.

Thus they entered the mountains, and slept that
night till morning, when the chiefs of the Absians
mounted, brandishing their sharp-edged swords
and slinging on their lances. King Zoheir and his
sons also mounted, and over his head floated the
eagle standard: they were drawn up in front of the
mountains like lions of the cavern, and before them
stood Antar like a rock. He seated his body on
the back of his horse, and drawing his feet out of
the stirrups, he folded them over the neck of Abjer.
King Numan, as soon as it was day, prohibited any
further hostilities; he sent for Shedad and Oorwah,
and investing them with robes of honour, he presented
them some fine steeds with housings of gold;
and as he imparted to them his love for Mootegeredeh,
he required them to assist his vizier Amroo;
and when they had promised to do so, he directed
his vizier to accompany them. The vizier accordingly
set out with Shedad and Oorwah, and repaired
to the tribe of Abs.

When Prince Aswad saw what King Numan had
done, how he had released Shedad and Oorwah, and
had sent his vizier to the tribe of Abs to negotiate
a peace, he was highly enraged and indignant, and
he said to the Arab chiefs, Be calm, till I see what
more passes between them. If he makes peace with
them, I will write to King Chosroe, and communicate
what my brother Numan has done, that
he has made peace with the tribe of Abs, and connected
himself with them by marriage, though their

slave was wounded, and they had retired to the
mountains, and there was nothing more to be done
but to take them prisoners. My brother has acted
most shamefully, and he has betrayed the imperial
government on account of his worldly lusts. I am
now convinced it was Numan himself who ordered
the Absians to lie concealed in the valley of Torrents;
and it was he who plotted the death of Wirdishan:
never will I rest till I have contrived his
death, and I myself rule over the Arabs, and then
will I search out the Absians under every stone and
every clod of earth. But the vizier Amroo continued
his way with Shedad and Oorwah, till they
approached the tribe of Abs, who, on seeing them,
advanced towards the vizier and saluted him: he
presented them the robes of honour, and the noble
horses for King Zoheir, saying, King Numan salutes
you, and demands your daughter Mootegeredeh in
marriage, so that the two tribes may be only as one
tribe: he desires you to demand as much as you
please of cattle and he and she camels, &c. King
Zoheir made no reply, but turned towards Antar;
What is your opinion? said he. O King, he replied,
the man has released my father and my
friend, and has subdued my pride by his liberality.
As to your daughter, she must marry some one,
and she cannot find a nobler match than King
Numan, for he is the Vicegerent of King Chosroe
Nushirvan.

In conformity with Antar's opinion, King Zoheir

gave his daughter in marriage to King Numan,
saying to the vizier, I accede to King Numan's
wishes out of respect to Antar the victorious lion.
The vizier, much delighted that Mootegeredeh's
marriage was settled (and from that day love for
Antar entered into his heart), returned to King
Numan, and told him the whole affair was arranged
to his satisfaction.

When the prisoners on both sides were restored,
Antar sent for the chief, Hidjar, and having cut his
hair off, released him. But when the tribes of
Lakhm and Juzam and the Arab chiefs saw what
Numan had done, they first complained of it to his
brother Aswad, and then returned home. After
this the tribe of Abs quitted the mountains with
King Zoheir and Antar, and the chiefs, and all repaired
to King Numan, who sprang up on his feet,
and received them in the most distinguished manner,
investing them with beautiful robes. Prince
Aswad marked all this, And I, said he, I will connect
myself to the tribe of Fazarah. So he demanded
Hadifah's sister, for he was much attached
to that tribe, and he acted towards them as his
brother had acted towards the Absians; he clothed
them in robes of honour, made them presents, and
distributed gold and silver. They remained seven
days in that spot, feasting and carousing; when
Numan having made a hollow peace between the
tribes of Abs and Fazarah, he ordered the march,
recommending the speedy conclusion of the affair

with Zoheir's daughter; and Prince Aswad having
also enjoined the same to Hadifah. The tribes of
Abs and Fazarah set out for their respective homes
and deserts; and King Numan also departed, and
when he had reached the throne of his glory, he
thought no more of the calamities of fortune. But
the Persian troops that Antar had routed in the
valley of Torrents, and whose chief, Wirdishan, he
had slain, did not stop in their flight till they came
to Chosroe, and related to him all that Antar had
done to them; how he had slain their chief, Wirdishan.
We fled and sought protection, they added,
in the tents of Numan, but he ordered us to be
driven out, and we have heard that it was he who
sent to Antar, and recommended him to lie in ambush
for us in the valley of Torrents, and not a
creature has ever given us any advice but Prince
Aswad.

This account excited Chosroe's rage and indignation,
and he swore he would absolutely put
Antar to death and all the tribe of Abs, and that
he would not leave a head or a tail of them. They
were thus conversing, when despatches were brought
in by Mubidan from Prince Aswad. Chosroe ordered
them to be read; and as soon as he had
heard their contents, the light became dark in his
eyes. He turned to the eldest of his sons, whose
name was Khodawend, and ordered him to mount
with a hundred and fifty thousand horsemen, Persians,
Turkomans, and Dilemites: March, cried he,

to the land of Hirah; seize Numan and all the
grandees of his government, and appoint his brother
Aswad to the viceregency over the Arabs; and
after that, he continued, march against the tribe of
Abs and Adnan. Bring me all their men—all their
property—all their women—that I may hang every
one of them on the tower of the palace, and in front
of them all shall be the slave called Antar. Khodawend
expressed his submission, and immediately
rose up and gave orders to the resolute knight, the
undaunted warrior, named Zerkemal, the brother
of Wirdishan, whom Antar had slain: but he,
when the news of his brother's death arrived, cut off
his hair and took refuge in the mansions of fire;
and on this day Khodawend ordered him to select
the horsemen for him, and in less than three days
he chose out one hundred and fifty thousand horsemen,
Persians and Dilemites, every one like a lion
when he springs; and on the fourth day the
standards of Khorasan and the imperial eagles
waved over his head. Chosroe came out to bid him
farewell: and having given instructions for his conduct,
sent with him his chief minister Buzurjmihr.
They continued their march till they came nigh
unto Hirah. Numan went out to meet them; but
at the sight of the troops he was confounded, and
he was certain it was the army of resentment. He
had no other resource but to dismount in the presence
of Khodawend; and as he kissed the ground
and did homage, Khodawend ordered him to be
seized, and also a number of warriors his relations.
He appointed his brother in his place, and having
encircled his brows with one of the imperial tiaras,
he made him King over the Arabs, saying, Know
that the just King has heard that you are a faithful
adviser of the imperial government, so he has made
you ruler over all the Arabs of the desert. Therefore,
instantly address in writing all the tribes, both
distant and near, and observe who obeys you, and
who rebels against you. Those that submit I will
favour; but as to those who rebel, I will march
against them, and will tear their lives out of their
bodies, and then we will proceed against the tribe
of Abs and Adnan, and will not leave a man alive
among them.

Aswad was overjoyed, and exulted at the good
news. He wrote letters to the Arab tribes, ordering
them to appear at Hirah for the purpose of joining
in the warlike expedition against the tribe of Abs
and Adnan. Among those to whom he sent was
Maadi Kereb, the Zebeedian; and he said to him
in his letter, If you wish to be revenged on the lion
Antar—to arms! to arms! He moreover informed
him of all that had happened to his brother Numan
at the hands of Khodawend, the son of Chosroe.
This letter he sent by one of his carriers, and then
he applied himself to the execution of his duties
towards Khodawend.

During all this time Maadi Kereb in his heart
had endured what no man ever suffered before. All

the Arabs derided him, and praised Antar, and he
made a secret vow in his own mind never to mount
a horse, and never to appear in battle, till he should
take vengeance of Antar, son of Shedad. Amongst
the many others who came to him and reproached
him, was one called Direed, son of Samah, and his
relation Sebeea, son of Harith, surnamed Zoolkhimar.
Direed had lived four hundred years, and he
survived even to the coming of our Lord Mohammed,
shaded in clouds, on whom be the greatest of
blessings and most perfect happiness! Old as Direed
was, he was strong-limbed—fierce in battle—patient
in difficulties, and on this account the Arabs called
him Rihat-ool Harb (millstone of war). When he
presented himself to Maadi Kereb with Zoolkhimar
(lover of the veil tied round his sword-hilt), he assigned
him a dwelling; he slaughtered camels for
him and his comrades, and he ate and drank with
him.

On the third day Direed being in high spirits with
wine, and singing, he began to banter Maadi Kereb,
jeering and taunting him in the grossest terms for
having been taken prisoner by Antar, and he thus
expressed himself in verses:

"Those, whose protector you were, O Maadi,
are now disgraced; their hopes are disappointed;
their wives are covered with shame: for should
he not blush who has aimed at glory, and has
fought with a slave who has captured him?
Abandon the scimitar, you cannot wield it; talk

no more of the honours you once recorded: it is
not for every one who brandishes a sword in his
hand to enjoy a high reputation, or to inspire fear
in his attacks. There is not death in the barb of
the spear, but its employers must instruct it in
the plunder of souls. Die then of grief, or live in
disgrace and despair! Watch no more the nights
you have watched. If you are still noble-minded
and high-spirited, march against the demon of
Hidjaz, and assault him. Fear not the warriors
when they come. Besides him, there is no one
against whom any precautions are necessary. If
you fear, demand succour of Sebeea, and you
will see a lion in war with blood-dyed talons, who,
when he draws his sword, its edge rends the
earth; with it he bears down souls, and it defends
those that seek its aid."

On hearing these verses, the heart of Maadi
Kereb melted like lead, and he began excusing himself
to Direed; he told him what Antar had done
to Hidjar, and spoke of the armies and the warriors
he had destroyed; how he had slain Ghasik and
Wirdishan, and had surprised by night the troops
of Numan. Zoolkhimar smiled; O Maadi Kereb,
said he, all this proceeds from your inability and
your fears, and is the consequence of your alarms
and your terrors. You console yourself with the fate
of others. May God curse him who cannot reduce
Antar to disgrace, or scatter his limbs over the
barren waste! By all that will succeed, or have

preceded him, O Maadi, you must unavoidably
wash off this garment of disgrace and ignominy,
otherwise your affairs cannot be retrieved, and you
will be exposed to most galling difficulties; but if
you wish, I will go with you, and you shall see
how I will treat him, and how I will scatter his
limbs over the hills and the plains.

Having remained five days with him, they returned
to their own country; and soon after Maadi
Kereb wrote to the chief Hidjar an account of all
these circumstances, and they all swore they would
root out the tribe of Abs and annihilate them.

About that time arrived letters from Prince
Aswad; so they departed, revenge their sole object;
and being greatly pleased at the captivity of
King Numan, and the expedition of the Persians
under Khodawend, they quitted their native land,
and set out for the tribe of Abs and Adnan. But
the first that commenced his journey was Hidjar,
for he was resolved to be beforehand with the troops
of Chosroe, so that he might acquire high glory to
the exclusion of others. In the mean time the
Absians, having thus connected themselves by marriage
with King Numan, returned home; and as
they consulted about the state of their affairs, they
augmented their stock of he and she camels, and
lived in security with their property and families.
Now Antar had recovered from his wound; one day
Oorwah came to him with some other noble horsemen,
and said, O Aboolfawaris, arise and demand

Ibla in marriage, and let this trouble be removed
from our hearts, for now there can be no opposition
to your wedding. I will not do that, said Antar,
and I will not wed my cousin till Numan weds
Mootegeredeh, and when King Numan's happiness
is complete, then consult about me as you please, so
that the freeborn and the slaves may all rejoice. They
were thus conversing and deliberating about such
matters, unsuspicious of the circumstances that had
happened to King Numan, when in a few days arrived
a messenger from Amroo, Numan's minister,
with a letter acquainting them with the circumstances,
how the dominion of the Arabs had been
conferred on Prince Aswad; how he had written
to Chosroe, and had given him information unknown
to his brother Numan; and how Khodawend
had marched, and had seized Numan.

This news excited great consternation among the
Absians, and as a confirmation of this intelligence,
letters to the same effect reached the tribe of Fazarah,
who were in transports of joy, and passed
their time in feasting, and drinking evening and
morning. Now that Aswad is our relation by marriage,
observed Hadifah, he will certainly avenge
us: now shall we extirpate every trace of the tribe
of Abs and Adnan; now will we plunder and ravage
their lands, and now will we slay them young
and old. Rebia happened to be with them; O my
cousins, said he, all are preparing for war; and
whatever tribe comes first, do you join them. Occupy

every road against the Absians; surprise them
before the Persians can come up with you; and
seize upon their lands and their pastures.

King Zoheir sent for his son Cais, and having
assembled the whole tribe, Know, said he, that the
Vizier Amroo has informed us that the son of Chosroe
is marching against us with the forces of the
world. Our departure from the mountains, said
Antar, was not a wise measure. Our only resource
is to retire to a spot where we may protect our
women and families. Then will I encounter the
Arab, the Persian, and the Turk, and the Dilemite,
till I have exterminated them; and I will show you
what I will do with this new upstart king; and soon
will I commute the purity of his enjoyments into
affliction. My advice, said Shiboob, is, that you
depart for the mountains of Adja and Selma, for
they are even more inaccessible and stronger than
the mountains of Radm: and when you are there,
no evil can affect you.

The Absians approved of Shiboob's advice, and
as they were all unanimous for a removal—Tomorrow
night we will depart, said King Zoheir.
The next day the Absians struck their tents, and
having raised the howdahs on the camels, they drove
away the cattle; and they departed traversing the
wastes and the sand-hills. But Antar ordered two
of his slaves to proceed to the land of the tribe of
Fazarah, and directed them not to quit their country
till they perceived what new plans they were adopting.

The slaves set out accordingly, and the Absians
sought the mountains, where they pitched
their tents, and soon familiarised themselves to that
country.

The slaves soon reached the land of Fazarah, and
they found the whole tribe shouting with joy, for
on that day a letter had arrived by a messenger
from Prince Aswad, informing them of the march
of Khodawend, and the armies of Persia; and now
you may gratify your revenge against the Absians,
he added.

As soon as they heard this intelligence, they sent
to inquire news of the Absians; but finding they
had already removed to the mountains of Adja and
Selma, My idea, said Rebia (that mine of treachery,
fraud, and deceit), to Hadifah, is that you should
acquaint your relation Aswad with their flight; and
let us join the very first that arrives here, and
march against them.

They were thus deliberating, when lo! a dust
arose and darkened the whole land, and there appeared
the Chief Hidjar, and with him ten thousand
of the tribe of Kendeh. The tribes of Fazarah and
Zeead went out to meet them, and accommodated
them with habitations, and treated them in the
most distinguished manner. Hidjar questioned
them about the Absians, and when they informed
him of their flight to the mountains of Adja and
Selma, he expressed his regrets at not meeting them
in their own country. Be not afflicted, O Chief

Hidjar, said Rebia; we will march with you, and
we will assist you in taking vengeance; for the Arab
and the Persian are coming against them in every direction,
and they cannot possibly escape death and destruction.
We must now exert ourselves to extirpate
every vestige of them, and to ravage their lands;
and every tribe that comes to us we will join. O
Rebia, said Hidjar, we want not the assistance of
the tribes, for we have a party sufficiently strong;
and soon will arrive Maadi Kereb, the Zebeedian,
and with him Direed, son of Samah, the Djeshmean;
and Zoolkhimar, the Himyarite, accompanied with
intrepid armies.

Rebia and the tribe of Fazarah were rejoiced at
this news, and the Chief Amarah rubbed his hands
in the excess of his joy. O my brother, said he,
now indeed this black bastard cannot escape; and I
shall now obtain Ibla, and shall be made happy;
for really she cannot suit any one but me; and her
charms are only to be compared with mine. Rebia
laughed at him; O Amarah, said he, my heart tells
me Antar will put to the rout all these armies, and
he will not even let the first fall back upon the last;
for I know of Antar what no one but myself knows.

Now the slaves whom Antar had sent to the land
of Fazarah, when they saw the Chief Hidjar and
his companions, and heard all their discourse about
the Absians, set out for the mountains to join
Antar, to whom they communicated what had happened,
and all the plans of the enemy.

Antar on hearing this intelligence instantly arose,
his courage all on fire, and repaired to King Zoheir,
and informed him of all he had heard of Hidjar and
the tribe of Fazarah. O Aboolfawaris, said he, we
must now indeed make peace with them: but what
is your opinion? O King, said Antar, we will leave
here one thousand horsemen, with your son Cais, to
defend the women and families; we will march with
the remainder, and will surprise the tribe of Fazarah
and Hidjar, and will soon overthrow all their
iniquitous projects. That would be well, said King
Zoheir; and they immediately put themselves in
readiness, and marched with three thousand men,
leaving Cais, with one thousand, enjoining them to
be on the alert, and on their guard.

Antar rode by the side of King Zoheir with
Oorwah and his people, and his uncle Zakhmet Uljewad;
and when they were at some distance from
the mountains, Antar reflected on what had occurred
to him, and thus expressed himself:

"Our country is laid waste, and our lands despoiled:
our homes are ravaged, and our plains are
devastated. Let us halt, let us mourn for them;
for there is no friend in that quarter, and the
country is ruined. Fate has fallen upon our companions,
and they are dispersed as if they had
never alighted at their tents. In sportive merriment
they tucked up the garments of joy, and
their spears were spread along their tents. The
wand of happiness was waving over us, as if fortune

had been favourable, and our enemies thought
not of us. O Ibla, my heart is rent with anguish
on thy account: my patience is fled to the wastes.
Oh Hidjar! Hey, I will teach thee my station;
thou shalt not dare to fight me—disgraced as thou
art. Hast thou forgotten in the vale of Torrents
the deeds of my valour, and how I overthrew the
armies, undaunted as they were? I precipitated
them with the thrust, and I abandoned them and
their carcasses to be trampled on by the wild
beasts? Shall I not behold thee in anguish tomorrow?—Ay;
thou shalt not escape from me
to the arms of thy beloved. I will leave the brutes
of the desert to stamp over thee, and the eagles
and the ghouls shall mangle thee. I am Antar,
the most valiant of knights—ay, of them all; and
every warrior can prove my words. If you have
a milch-camel, milk her; for thou knowest not to
whom its young may belong."

When Antar had finished, they continued their
march till they came within two parasangs of Fazarah,
when Shiboob directed them to dismount, whilst
he himself set out for the land of Fazarah. Returning
at midnight, he told his brother Antar and
King Zoheir that the enemy had quitted their tents,
and were assembled to the number of twenty-five
thousand horsemen, under Hidjar, their guide and
counsellor: and their plan, he continued, is to extirpate
you, and ravage your country; and by morning
they will meet you.

Antar selected one thousand Absian horsemen.
Go, said he to his uncles and his father Shedad;
go by night with King Zoheir, by this road to the
right, and surprise the enemy. He also gave Shas
a thousand men, and sent him by the left, he himself
proceeding with the remainder by the direct
road, till they all approached the hostile army, and
perceived their multitudes that filled the whole desert.
They were in perfect ease and security,
and never calculated on the possibility of an attack
from the Absians, till the shouts came upon them
from all directions, and the herald of calamities cried
out over the whole land. They started from
their tents, and sprang on their horses' backs, many
of them without arms. They scarcely knew with
whom they were fighting, with whom they were
engaging, or with whom they were talking. But
in their fears of Antar, they all drew their swords,
and fell upon one another, and soon also laboured
the swords of the Absians upon their shoulders.

When the Chief Hidjar heard the voice of Antar,
he knew him, and cried out to the Kendehans, O
my cousins, stand firm against this bold black slave,
for he has only a small body of men with him; and
he thinks he will serve us in the same manner he
did in the valley of Torrents. But I am aware,
that the battle turns one day for you, and one day
against you: you have only to resist steadily this
black slave, that we may put him to death, and our
name be for ever renowned. The dust in the mean

time increased, and the horses trampled over the
bodies. It was a night to them abounding in sorrows
and tumults.

The three parties of Absians cried out, O by
Abs! O by Adnan! they drove frightful thrusts till
the horses were unable to charge from fatigue, and
dawn was nearly rising on the tribes. But Antar
did not discontinue the contest, assisted by the Absians,
till morning dawned. Great part of the Fazarah
army fled and retired, horror-struck at the
blows of the lion-warrior Antar. Still Hadifah and
Rebia remained with a few Kendehans, who stood
firm, encouraged by their Chief Hidjar. Above
three thousand of the tribes of Fazarah and Kendeh
were already slain, and only thirty horsemen
of the tribe of Abs.

By daybreak the two armies having separated
from each other, and the troops having alighted,
Hidjar advanced in front of his people, and exclaimed,
I must defy Antar to the contest, or shame,
disgrace, and infamy will overwhelm me. He waited
till the meridian heat was abated, when he mounted
his horse, and stood forth between the two armies,
and every eye was directed towards him as he thus
expressed himself:

"It is only the thrust with the spear that can
relieve my affliction, and the blow of the scimitar
on the chest, and the skull. When the mind can
submit to infamy, words are only words without
deeds. Fortune consists of two days; this is the

coloquintida of sorrow; the next its food is sweeter
than honey. You dastard, you have clothed me
in shame; but had you done me justice, you
would have trembled before me, and have prostrated
yourself in disgrace. To-day your chiefs
shall bear witness to my superiority, when I make
you drink of the cups of extinction. You made
me captive in the dark confusion of night, in the
valley of Torrents, by fraud and deceit. Come
forth—let alone nocturnal stratagems—give me
fair play. Now I am on the alert, I will be a lion
without his equal—ay! a lion, a deluge, a sea,
to whose shore there are no bounds; and mine is
a youthful heart hewn out of a mountain."

When the Chief Hidjar had finished, he sought
the combat. O King, said Antar, as he stood by
the side of King Zoheir, verily I must settle this
affair with Hidjar; for without his death, his army
will never be routed. And he started out against
Hidjar, his head uncovered, and on his body only
his ordinary garments. He had thrown aside his
armour, and his polished corslet, in contempt of
Hidjar. He called out, Eh! thou hast abused me
for treachery and stratagem; truly such is the natural
disposition of thyself, and thine own tribe; for
thou didst come against us with the Arab and the
Persian. It was only the judgment-sword of heaven
that overtook thee in that plain and waste; and
now thou art come against me with the tribe of Fazarah,
and hast assembled against me a countless

host; but I have surprised thee, that I may extirpate
thee root and branch; then will I return to
engage the rest, numerous as is the host that seeks
us, and though our party is but small. Thou art
clothed in armour, and I am in these simple clothes;
my head uncovered, and bare my feet. And thus
he continued—

"Verily, thou hast falsely accused me of deceit
and of treachery in word and deed. Thou art
now on the alert; meet me; thou shalt see a warrior
firm and resolute, fearless of peril. I am he
before whom the lion of the den humbles himself,
in fear of whom Chosroe himself trembles. I showed
thee in the valley of Torrents what my sword
could execute on the chests and the skulls. Wirdishan
was there; and the sons of horsemen followed
him like a deluging rain. The horses
quaked under their saddles, and they drank of
death from the velocity of my spear. And thou
shalt be driven into disgrace and calamity without
a friend to aid either in word or deed."