University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Now it happened soon after, that Talib, Rebia's brother,
went out to the pastures with the camels, and
was sitting under an Erak-tree, drinking and singing;
and whilst he was thus occupied, lo! a horseman of
the tribe of Fazarah passed by, called Hasein, son
of Dhemdhem-ul-Meree (this warrior was the son
of Hadifah's sister). Observing Talib sitting down
in a state of intoxication, he went up to him; Son
of Zeead, said he, you are singing here very jolly
and merry, under no apprehension of the Arab
warriors. Eh! O Hasein, said Talib, is there any
security but in our land? Victory is on our banners,
every good is in our merriment, and evil dwells in
the country of our foes; for our swords are sharp,
our spears long, and our arms strong and vigorous.
Talib had not finished his reply, when Hasein
rushed upon him, and shaking his spear in his face
pierced him through the chest, driving the barb out
through his back, and threw him down dead, weltering
in his blood. He fled instantly to the tribe of
Fazarah, and presenting himself to his maternal
uncle, Hadifah, he told him what had happened.
At which being much pleased, he, with a smile, told
the warriors of Fazarah to repose under arms that
night. But Talib's slaves and shepherds, when they

saw the fate of their master, placed him on his horse,
and returned to the dwellings of the tribe of Abs,
where they proclaimed the murder of Talib, and
that Hasein was his murdered. At this, the family
of Zeead knocked down their tents, and cut off the
tails of their horses. May God destroy the tribe of
Fazarah! cried Cais, much distressed; how infamous
are their frauds! And they all began to weep and
wail in grief, men and women.

King Cais summoned the family of Zeead and
the noble Absians, and sent to order Hadifah to
give up Hasein; but when the messenger arrived,
and communicated his orders, Hadifah ordered him
away: Tell Cais, said he, my nephew was intoxicated;
and, besides, I am not a man to give up my
sister's son to any king of the earth: but if you wish
for the compensation, I will give you ten times the
price of blood, so that the engagements between us
may not be broken. The messenger returned, and
reported Hadifah's answer. Rage and resentment
took possession of King Cais; he shouted to the
Absians, and ordered them to mount, and instantly
the warriors and the heroes were ready; and no one
remained behind but Antar and the family of Carad,
it being only an affair of retaliation for the family of
Zeead.

King Cais had just cleared the tents, and the
eagle banners were just fixed over his head, and all
were eager to march to the fight against the Fazareans,
when lo! a special messenger appeared, advancing
over the desert. King Cais halted, and the

Chieftains stared; the messenger dismounted from
his camel, and hastening towards King Cais, he
kissed his feet in the stirrup: and behold it was
one of Mootegeredah's slaves. What's the matter,
worthy slave? said Cais. O my lord, replied he,
there are advancing in my rear armies like the swoln
ocean, and with them a giant-knight and an intrepid
lion, called Mocri-ul-wahsh, the knight of the
tribe of Ghasan, the destroyer of the brave; be on
your guard against death and destruction, for the
armies in less than three days will be in this country:
prepare, therefore, your implements of war against
slaughter and ruin. At hearing this, the light became
dark in the eyes of Cais. And why did not
your mistress, said he, inform us before the enemy
marched against us, that we might have written to
our allies, and those in whom we trust in our
troubles and our relaxations? My mistress, added
the slave, could not do so till the armies had departed;
no one was permitted to stir out, for Numan
had stationed guards over all the horse-roads till
the moment the troops marched; then my mistress
ordered me to set out with the news; so make your
preparations, ere death overtake you. Cais's heart
was greatly perplexed at these occurrences. He
instantly sent for Antar, and told him what was
planning, and that Numan was on his way with
armies and Mocri-ul-wahsh, the knight of Syria.
This is all owing to your temporizing conduct, said
Antar; had you permitted me to strike off Aswad's
head, and slay his companions, many of these
troubles would have been avoided. My opinion is,
we should march first against the tribe of Fazarah,
and put them all to the sword, and leave them not
a tent standing; then we will meet the armies of
King Numan, were there even with him man and
genii, and the fiends that rebelled against our Lord
Soliman. O Aboolfawaris, said Cais, the foe is nigh
at hand; and if we go against the Fazareans, we
cannot reach them till evening; we must there repose
till the morning; and certainly in two or three days
we shall not be relieved of them; and I fear these
foreign Arabs may reach our country whilst our
property is unprotected, and thus succeed in their
projects against us, and our troubles be prolonged.
It will be more expedient for us to remain here and
prepare to encounter the foe. My lord, said the
slave who brought the news, the carnage amongst
you will be trifling, but the prisoners numerous;
for Numan has prohibited them from slaying, and
has recommended them only to make prisoners, and
for that purpose he has sent a number of his satraps,
with Mocri-ul-wahsh, who, however, has engaged to
slay Antar, the subtle hero, and has demanded as a
reward a thousand Asafeer camels. Evil be his fate!
false are all his hopes, said Antar, for by the faith of
an Arab, I will have no knight of camels in our
country, but hung to a gibbet. Do not consider us,
cousin, said Cais to Rebia, as he retired, as neglectful
of your retaliation; but when we have defeated
Numan's armies, we will return upon the tribe of
Fazarah, and will destroy their land, otherwise we
shall never be quiet. Thus the heart of Rebia was
consoled; and the Absians alighted at their tents,
preparing for the slaughter and the battle.

As to Hadifah, he was expecting the attack of the
Absians, in retaliation for the son of Zeead, that
he might raise a war against them, and appease
his heart. The news reached him that Cais had
mounted, and that his march was only interrupted
by the arrival of a messenger, bringing news of
Numan's approach with his armies. Hadifah was
overjoyed, for he now anticipated the total destruction
of the Absians, and he ordered the tribe to
prepare for battle. As soon as day dawned Hadifah
mounted Ghabra, and the horsemen followed him.
As to Cais and Antar, they reposed that night,
when lo! the next day the desert was filled with
armies, and horsemen, and troops, like the swoln
ocean, till the whole region was crowded, and the
waste and wild appeared too confined for the multitude
of banners and standards. Antar shouted to
the warriors, and they mounted their chargers, whilst
the weeping was loud among the women, alarmed
at captivity and dispersion. Well, my cousin, said
Ibla to Antar, this day the foe will take us captive.
At this word the light became dark in Antar's eyes.
Daughter of my uncle, he exclaimed, at thy captivity
there will be the violent death, and the blow that is
irresistible and unfailing. Antar uncovered his head
and attacked, and his assault made the valleys and
the mountains tremble. Now Antar had a shout of
wrath, that made the mountains shake and the

hollows resound; it drove back the horses in affright,
and they hurled off their riders in the excess of their
agitation, and trampled down each other. Antar
shouted to the attack in the presence of Ibla, and
assaulted the armies with a heart resolute in dangers.
The Absian warriors attacked in his rear, all lighthearted
in the intrepidity of Antar and his nephew
Hatal: they met the armies of Numan with cleaving
sword-blows that even Davidian corslets could not
repel. Antar poured forth roars like crashes of
thunder, whilst the Absian women encouraged the
men to the carnage, crying out, Where is he who
protects the women and the maidens? Thus the
Absians were engaged in the war of life and death,
till they drove back the enemy from their tents by
main force.

As to the Fazareans, Hadifah ordered them to
the fight; they assailed the Absians on all sides.
Calamities thickened upon them, and misfortunes
and catastrophes multiplied upon them; and had
not Antar been a dreadnought hero, the Absian
tribe could not have survived that day, for the
armies that attacked them consisted of fifty thousand
bold horsemen; and the tribes of Abs and Ghiftan
amounted even to less than six thousand, and this
proportion is wide of any proportion by which any
calculation can be made. But in less than three
hours horror of Antar pervaded the hearts of Numan's
army, and the foremost shrunk back upon the
rear, shouting at Antar from a distance, but not
daring to approach the spot, where stood Antar, the

violent death. Mocri-ul-wahsh was highly incensed
at the armies having commenced the attack without
his permission, and at the assault of the Fazareans.
Had I wished to destroy them, said he to his comrades,
I would not have left them a spot to stand
on: but Prince Aswad sent with me these foreign
Arabs, that they might settle in their country, and
be neighbours to the tribe of Fazarah. At last he
resolved to attack Antar, the object of his amazement,
saying, By the truth of the Messiah, this slave
is a brave knight and a sturdy warrior. Should I
vanquish him in the combat, I may boast over all
the dwellers on earth. In the meantime Antar was
in the fiercest of the fight, and the hottest of the
thrusts and blows, raving like a camel, when lo!
Hasein, son of Dhemdhem, treacherously came behind,
and raising his spear in his hand aimed a
dreadful thrust at him, crying out, Take this, thou
ordure-born, at the hand of Hasein, son of Dhemdhem-ul-meree,
the vanquisher of heroes. Antar
turned round to see what was the matter, and the
barb of the spear fell on the circle of the eye, and
wounded him. Born of filth, thy blow has failed,
he cried; a warrior is proof against the blows of
such a poltroon. And he aimed his spear at him;
but when Hasein saw this, he gave the reins to his
horse and fled, and sought the tribe of Fazarah,
where he related to his uncle Hadifah how he had
deceived Antar and wounded him. Hadifah rejoiced:
God prosper thee, O Hasein, said he, for
what thou hast done to this son of a coward; hadst
thou slain him, thou wouldst have been exalted
above all mankind. After this wound Antar kept
a wary eye on the tribe of Fazarah, slaying an innumerable,
incalculable number of them, till evening.

Numan's army retired and halted, in the greatest
astonishment at the prowess of Antar, and the generous
Absians. As to Antar, he retired at the
head of his comrades, like a Judas tree, so great
was the quantity of blood that streamed over him.
King Cais met him, and saluting him kissed him
between the eyes, and inquired about his wound.
My wound, O King, said Antar, is quite well.
To-morrow I will challenge Mocri-ul-wahsh to the
combat; if he accepts it, all further trouble will be
prevented. We will not permit you, O uncle, said
Hatal, to engage in the contest whilst you are in
this condition: depute me on this affair. O Hatal,
said Antar, thou art indeed a noble fellow in the
battle, but thy name is not Antar, son of Shedad.
I know also, O Hatal, that the Absians besides Antar
have no strong support, and to-morrow were I
not to be present in the field, their women would
be made captives, and their children orphans. O
cousin, said Cais, may God never deprive me of thy
exalted courage! Thus they separated, having first
stationed the night-patroles; and when the men had
quitted Antar, his uncle's women and Ibla came to
him, and congratulated him on his safety. Ibla advanced,
and bound up his wound and wept. Check
thy tears, said Antar to her; he lives not who can
harm thee.

Early next day they mounted, with Antar at their
head like a devouring lion and a ferocious tiger.
He had tied bandages round his head in order to
excite Hasein against him, that perhaps he might
challenge him. Numan's troops also mounted with
Mocri-ul-wahsh, the knight of Syria, as did also the
tribe of Fazarah; but the satraps of Numan ordered
them back. Hasein ran up to Hadifah;
Uncle, said he, what means this? no one can comply
with such orders. Can I too, I, who wounded Antar,
son of Shedad, and left him nearly dead? Shall
I leave to-day another to enjoy his death in the
battle and contest? That shall never be, were I to
drink of the cup of perdition. And he rushed into
the field, and galloped and charged, challenging to
the contest; and as he directed himself against the
family of Carad, he thus addressed them:

"O my mother, sleep, be satisfied, and rejoice;
this day will I relieve my thirst with Antar.
When thou seest the birds mangle his carcass
under the dust, then extol me and thank me.
The slave—I left him with a spear-thrust over
the face, the mark of which will ever endure as a
frightful eye-sore. The top of my spear-barb
tore out his eye, and I left him like a blind
camel. This day I will leave him on the face of
the earth, where he shall lie dead on the barren
waste. I will make him taste thrusts from my spearhead,
and I will smite him with my never-failing
highly-polished scimitar. I will leave the beasts
of the desert to run at him, and prowl round him

on the wings of the turbid night. I will wipe out
my shame with my sword and spear, and I will
wreak my vengeance on the swarthy slave. I will
destroy the Antar of Abs in the day of battle with
my sabre, my lance, and my spear. When he is
no more, the land of the Absians will soon remain
an abandoned waste, like the barren desert; and
all the slender maidens, like the sun whose glory
is opposed to Jupiter, shall tremble."

When Hasein had finished, Hatal longed to engage
him, but his uncle would not permit him: he
returned his feet into the stirrups, and snatching up
his spear off the ground, he rushed upon Hasein
like a lion darting from the forest, and as he assaulted
him in a tremendous manner, he thus
answered:

"O Ibla, grieve not for my wound. Rejoice in
the victory of the scimitar of the swarthy youth.
O Ibla, fear not for me the foe, but fill thy eyes with
sleep, and watch not. O Ibla, round thy dwelling
in the blackness of the night I am a man
fiercer than the ravenous lion. Check thy plaints,
for thy tears pierce sharper through my entrails
than the barb of the Semherian spear. Wouldst
thou ask the horse of me? O daughter of Malik
(if thou art watching, why dost thou not see me?)
he would tell thee of him who plunges into the
dust, and that I have dispersed the whole army
on my Abjer. I have scattered afar the tribe of
Fazarah over the wastes, trembling through fear
of Antar. As to the heroes of the age, I will annihilate

them with the sword, and the lance, and
the spear. Pride not thyself, thou coward-born,
on my wound; thou wouldst say, thou hadst
riven a rock-bound veil. Verily the wound of a
hero is in the face, but thy wound in the day of
battle is in thy back. I am the son of Shedad,
whose fame is on high, mounting till it approaches
the sphere of Jupiter."

Antar shouted at Hasein, and rushed onward.
Hasein was filled with exultation when he saw the
bandages on Antar's head; so he thought that he
would soon fall within his grasp. But as Antar
made that assault he was aghast and stupefied, and
repented of having ventured against him; yet no
longer able to fly, he began to engage Antar, an
charged him. Mocri-ul-wahsh could not view this
event with indifference. This tribe of Fazarah is a
treacherous tribe, said he, as he resolved to attack
Antar; but he saw him a mountain, mountains
could not overpower, and a sea visited by no calm,
and a measure for which there was no standard.
Antar continued to engage Hasein till he had fatigued
and tired him; he closed on him, and hemmed
him in, and stopping every means of escape, he
stood up on his stirrups, and stretching out on his
saddle, he struck at Hasein with Dhami between
the eyes. Hasein received the blow on his shield,
but Antar's sword split it in two, even dividing his
helmet in twain, and continuing its course down between
the thighs even through the belly of the horse
down into the ground, and Hasein and his horse

fell cleft in four parts, and Antar cried out, O by
Abs! I will not be controlled. I am the lover
of Ibla, I will not be restrained! Numan's armies
were startled; the Fazareans were eager to assault
him, but Numan's satraps ordering them back, out
started Mocri-ul-wahsh between the ranks, and he
appeared in front of the two armies, till standing in
the presence of Antar: Eh! O Antar, he cried, by
the truth of the Messiah, my compassion for thee
and thy tribe induces me to save you from death
and total extirpation, for ye are indeed the horsemen
of death; but ye have destroyed yourselves by
incurring the hostility of King Numan, which you
cannot possibly resist. It is my opinion you should
surrender yourself to me immediately, and I will
swear to you by the cross to engage Numan's protection:
I will receive you as my friend and companion
for ever and ever. Trouble not yourself to fight with
me now you are in such a condition. Return in order
to bring about an amicable arrangement, so that
you may not be talked of, and your glory defaced
amongst men, and let not your foes and enemies
exult over you. Eh! thou son of a cuckold, cried
Antar, away with thy nonsense. What! shall I
surrender myself to thee without fighting? I, whom
the lions of the forest dread? Come on; on to the
plain, that I may tear out such absurdities from thy
brain. As he spoke, he shouted at Mocri-ul-wahsh,
and rushed upon him; but he also received him as the
parched earth the first of the rain. Now these two
giants met like two ferocious lions, and sent forth
hideous yells that seared their horses' ears; the
limbs of their warriors quaked with horror, and
those present imagined the very heavens were rent
asunder, and that the day of judgment was at hand;
the mountains were convulsed, and the earth trembled.
After these shouts, they dashed against each
other like butting rams; and as they rebounded
they wielded their spears, and kept up a fierce contest
till the eyeballs of the spectators sickened, and
the whole country shook. They exhibited a combat
replete with terrors, and every horror was redoubled:
they retired; they advanced, ready with
the draught of instant death. The two armies were
amazed, and widened the scene of battle for their
efforts, whilst the heroes charged. They continued
in this state, calamitous and terrifying, till the evening
came on, when they both separated in security,
neither having been able to vanquish his antagonist
either in blows or manœuvres. Mocri-ul-wahsh
sought his own horsemen, almost at his last gasp at
what he had endured in the combat with Antar.
Antar also retired, and the bandages of his wound
were loosened; the blood trickled down his face,
and he returned in a condition not to give pleasure
to his friends. The tribe of Abs and Adnan met
him with King Cais; they saluted him, and inquired
about his adversary. My cousins, said he, he is
indeed a valiant knight, and a stout warrior in the
contest; but to-morrow, God willing, I will make
it a decided business. And as he dismounted from
Abjer, Ibla met him, and stanching the blood,
bound up his wound.

As to Mocri-ul-wahsh, he went back to his
people, where Hadifah met him. O knight of Syria,
said he, grieve not thy heart, for know, wert thou
not the paragon of the age, thou wouldst not have
returned in safety from the presence of Antar; for,
in his life, he never engaged a knight and quitted
him without deciding the combat, or accomplishing
his hopes. O Hadifah, said Mocri-ul-wahsh, never
in my life did I behold a more valiant fellow than
that Antar; but to-morrow I will make it a business
of certainty. He passed that night vexed and uneasy
that he had not succeeded against Antar. It was
scarcely morning when he mounted his horse, and
the armies of Numan were also ready. Thus too
the tribe of Abs and Adnan sought the theatre of
war. Antar remained behind, for feeling somewhat
tired in the morning, he said to his brother Shiboob,
As soon as you see Mocri-ul-wahsh start forth into
the plain inform me, that I may sally out to fight
him. When the troops were drawn up, Mocri-ul-wahsh
appeared on the plain; and as he galloped
and charged, challenging to the engagement, he
called to mind his beloved Maseeka, and his separation
from her, and thus he spoke:

"Sweet to me is the zephyr, O land of Syria; it
is sweet when my disorder afflicts me. Blow, then;
perhaps the breath of Maseeka may meet thee,
and her breath convert thee into perfume. The

maiden! musk dwells under her veil, and when
impregnated with the moisture of her mouth becomes
most fragrant. When she moves, the elegance
of her shape waves like the reed agitated
by the northern breeze. Wert thou to see her
thou wouldst behold the eye of the fawn, whose
heart is fluttering at the wolf in the evening. O
Mocri-ul-wahsh, said she (and I was preparing
for departure, whilst my tears streamed down my
cheeks like a river of blood), wilt thou not return?
My return is at hand, said I: she bade me adieu.
My heart pants for her society for ever; and
when she calls on her lover he will answer her. I
went to King Numan—where is the cloud that
has not descended on him? I engaged the horsemen
that were dear to him; I returned, and my
spear was dyed in blood. He gave me property,
and camels, and presents: the gift was noble—
noble was the donor. He sent me with his armies
against a knight whom all knights acknowledge;
and he is generous. I have engaged him with
the spear-thrust; then I knew him. I had
wronged him, but excellence is in him. I struggled
with him in the contest and in the plain; I
saw in him most wonderful deeds: but if this day
I destroy not their support with my sword, my
heart will not be glad in the enjoyment of my
beloved."

Mocri-ul-wahsh had not finished his verses when
Hatal stood before him, for Antar had staid behind,
and his heart was wearied with passion. Youth,

cried Mocri-ul-wahsh, where is Antar the great?
If his wounds prevent him from mounting, he is not
to be blamed. I gave him a lesson yesterday, and
have rendered him unequal to the fight. Let him
not be brow-beaten by me, but let him mount with
me the road of ignominy. Eh! shall he acknowledge
himself disqualified from fighting thee? said
Hatal. Thy death is at hand; and as to what thou
sayest about his not coming forth against thee, that
is out of contempt for thee and thy like. I adjured
him by the most serious of oaths to permit me to
sally forth to the contest; so come on, fight! and
he shouted at Mocri-ul-wahsh, thus reciting:

"The breeze, O land of Hijaz, is fragrant to me;
blow then in the face of my amorous adversary.
Tell Mocri-ul-wahsh to return in safety home, or
he will return spoiled. If Maseeka be thy final
object and desire, how has fortune cast thee afflicted
amongst us? Thou speakest and repeatest
her beauties and charms, and on that point thou
art in distress. O my friend, sing to me of the
fame of chieftains; talk not to me of every rosebud
and perfume. The sighs of love are a disgrace
among men, particularly when wars are accumulated
upon thee. If thou art indeed sick
with love, the sword of my maternal uncle is a
doctor and a physician. How many noble horsemen
like thee has he sought, and they have remained
dyed in the gore of wounds! Let not his
wound over the face inspirit thee; it was fate,
whose changes are ever predestined. He is the

lion of every sand-hill and battle; he is the
greatest of heroes and princes. Antar, my uncle,
is the bravest of men, the most valiant of all the
dwellers on earth without contradiction."

The knight of Syria was highly incensed: Thou
art, then, said he, the son of the sister of that Antar,
that black cuckold! and he rushed at him, and addressed
him:

"Thou hast abused me for my weakness, thou
foulest Arab; thou art a coward, not akin to war.
The Absian Antar is linked to Ibla, and through
love of her a flame blazes in his heart. A man indeed
weeps for the loss of his life, and mourns and
laments at the loss of his love. Who am I, that
thou shouldst censure me, son of a dastard! and
my heart is cauterised with absence, and opposition,
and anguish. By the truth of the Messiah,
the purest of every living thing, who created a
bird out of clay with his miraculous breath, and
recalled life into the corpse when it was shrouded
and delivered to the bowels of the grave deprived
of life, I will stretch ye both on the centre of your
land, and I will lead your weeping damsels captive,
and I will cry out with a loud voice in the
plain of war, Come forth towards me, behold
wonders in me. If Antar indeed is exhausted
with the wounds, I must not then annihilate him.
Let the Arabs laugh him to scorn. I will leave
the land a desert; and as to its inhabitants, their
blood shall stream over the country. I will fight
Antar; then will I dash him to the earth. I will

make him drink the cup of death, and bring down
perdition upon him."

Mocri-ul-wahsh having finished, he shouted at
Hatal, and resolved to overwhelm him in death,
on account of the foul expressions he had addressed
to him. Hatal met him, and there ensued between
them the contest of spears and swords, that amazed
the warriors, and startled the sturdy heroes for two
hours. At last exhaustion fell on the shoulders of
Hatal, for he was no match for him, nor accounted
among his equals. Mocri-ul-wahsh perceiving his
situation, determined to destroy him, as he knew
Antar was his uncle; again he assailed him, and
was about to put an end to him, when lo! a roar
that made the mountains shake, and the hollows reecho,
and some one exclaimed, Away, thou knight
of Syria, pride not thyself in the slaughter of striplings.
Turn on one who will speedily give thee
thy death and extinction. The warriors awhile considered
who could have sent forth that tremendous
shout, when lo! it was the noble warrior—the destroyer
of stout heroes, Aboolfawaris—the chief
Antar, son of Shedad. He delivered Hatal from
Mocri-ul-wahsh, and then attacked him. The
cause of Antar's coming was Shiboob, who, on seeing
Hatal nearly overcome, quitted the field, and
informed his brother. Come to thy nephew, Hatal,
said he, or Mocri-ul-wahsh will slay him. Bring
me Abjer, said Antar, and he sprang from the
ground on his back, like an eagle, without putting
his foot into the stirrup, and equipped himself in his

armour and his shining corslet. He attacked, and
dismissed his nephew from the scene of contention,
thus addressing Mocri-ul-wahsh. Eh! thou bastard,
wouldst pride thyself in slaying children? As
to me, by the faith of a noble Arab, had I enemies
as numerous as the sands, like this youth, I'd heed
them not. I am he, who will give thee enough of
spear-thrusts and sword-blows; for the slaughter of
this youth could have been no advantage to thee,
neither could the extinction of his name have been
any glory to thee. Thou art only come to seek me:
come on, then; fight: perhaps thou mayest succeed.
Shouldst thou take me a captive or slay me, the
tribe of Abs will be unprotected, and from thy
sword every calamity may overwhelm them; for
when I am no more, there will not be a horseman
to contend with thee in all this country. Now
be just, and give up all outrage and foul play;
and Antar rushed at Mocri-ul-wahsh, thus reciting:

"Hola! O Ibla, arise and behold me; see in me
truth without guile. Arise, and behold my blow
and thrust, like a flame, that burns in flashes.
Mourn not for my wound, it is only like the rent
in a man's garment. The thrust of man wounds
not, it is only like the bore in the ear of a woman.
But if my spear and my sword have sway, the
skull and heaviest leathern mail are cleft. This
day thou shalt see the descents of my sword, and
the thrusts of my spear. Hey! O Mocri-ul-wahsh,
return thee home, before thou remainest

emboweled, I will soon relieve the Arabs from thee,
and truly Maseeka shall remain my wife. I will
plunder her property and slay her father, and I
will leave her abode a desert, with my sword.
My name is well known, east and west, and every
horseman dreads a contest with me."

At hearing these verses, Mocri-ul-wahsh was
enraged and indignant. Eh! thou coward-born,
said he, is it consistent with thy greatness to address
me in such language, and I the knight of Syria?
and as he rushed upon Antar, he thus spoke:

"Hola! man of wily words, forth to the combat,
and establish my fortune. Hola! race of Abs,
ye shall acknowledge me. I am Mocri-ul-wahsh
over the mountains. Soon will I slay Antar with
the sword of conquest, and I will leave him dead
on the sand. I will seize Ibla, and return home,
and she shall serve my wife as her mistress. I
will take Numan's camels, and will, in happy
mood, return towards Maseeka. I am ever the
knight of knights, and this day will I consummate
my glory. This day Numan's armies shall
route these troops, bewildered and powerless.
The Arabs shall be left ague-struck at my prowess,
and truly the warriors have already witnessed it.
I am the hero of Syria, and of every land, and
this day my exploits shall be renowned."

He had no sooner finished, than Antar shouted
and rushed upon him; and they began a contest of
swords and spears, at which the warriors were confounded,
and the valiant heroes cried out, Heaven

protect us! The blow and the thrust, the struggle
and assault, and the draughts of sudden death continued;
their blows anticipated the messengers of
death, and their shouts were like the thunder-crash
in a cloud. Both combatants were nearly dead.
Mocri-ul-wahsh was stupefied at Antar's prowess,
and repented. Still he exhibited all his steadiness,
and concealed the anguish and regret he felt. They
persisted in these perils and horrors till the day
departed: they were tired and exhausted; but debility
had fallen on the shoulders of Mocri-ul-wahsh,
for Antar had wounded him in two places.
He desisted from the fight, and requested Antar to
stop. No, said Antar, by the truth of Him who
firmly rooted the mountains, there is no termination
for thee but in success and the approach of death.
He was aghast, and shuddered. O Aboolfawaris,
he added, no one can resist my thrusts but you;
but you have wronged me in breaking my spear:
all I ask of you is to wait for me, whilst I repair to
my party and take another spear; then will I return
to you, and will not separate from you, till the affair
be decided. I'll not let thee stir, continued Antar,
and he assailed him, and recommenced the contest.
But the troops crowded upon them, and drew their
swords round them, each party forming conjectures
of its lord. They continued in this state till midnight.
Mocri-ul-wahsh felt assured of destruction, and
knowing that Antar would not quit him but in
death, he slackened his mare's bridle and fled,
lanching into the waste and desert. Eh! O Ebe
Reeah, cried out Antar to Shiboob, overtake him
before he roams wide over the waste: and Shiboob
let out his feet. Antar followed him, and they were
cut off from the army. In the meantime, Hadifah
(that man of deceit and guile), as soon as the sound
of Antar and Mocri-ul-wahsh was far distant from
the scene of contention, cried out to his tribe and the
surrounding horsemen, Come on, come on, now relieve
the mind of the lord of empire, King Numan.
Now cut off that black wittol, Antar. Thus the
tribe of Fazarah outraged the tribe of Abs and
Adnan, and attacked them on all quarters. The
Absians shouted at the Fazareans, and descended
upon them like a fall of rain under the night. Men
met men, and heroes heroes—blood flowed and
streamed—limbs were hacked off—men were knocked
down on the plain—the armies of Numan also
attacked—the mountains and the deserts were
agitated, till brother knew not brother, and son
recognised not his father. They continued plundering
each others lives from the beginning of the night
till the white streak of the dawn brightened, when
every friend knew his comrade, and the foe was
distinguished from the ally. King Cais looked round,
north and south, but saw nothing of Antar. He
was amazed and alarmed. The armies had occupied
every road against them, and raised shouts at them
in every direction. Apprehensive that the Absians
would be dispersed over the barren waste, he had
no other measure to adopt, but to cry out to them,
O cousins, follow me to the sand-hills, and Mount
Saadi; it is impossible any longer to resist the shock
of these armies. At hearing this, they followed
him, abandoning their property and their families;
and they assembled on the top of the sand-hill and
Mount Saadi. The troops assaulted their tents, and
plundered their property, and captured their wives
and families; even captivity fell on the families of
King Cais, and Modelilah, and Jemanah, and Ibla,
and Shereehah, and Semiah were taken prisoners.
Above all the women, most poignant was the grief
and anguish of Ibla, Malik's daughter. The
Arabs of Yemen threw down the dwellings of the
Absians to their very foundations, and did not leave
them the value of a halter, for some of them loaded
their horses, and each person, too, carried away a
horse-load besides; and in less than an hour they
left the country a waste, and set out for the deserts
and sand-hills; whilst the Absians remained looking
at their wives driven away in bondage. No good
can ever visit us now, said they to Cais, not a head
will be raised up towards us, now that our wives and
families are enslaved. O cousins, replied Cais, I
had only recourse to this act, as I knew you were
unable to continue the combat. Behold our property
and our families driven away by the foe; come on
now with me. And King Cais bared his head and
made the attack; the Absians did the same; they
precipitated themselves from the mountain-top,
crying out, O by Abs! O by Adnan! and rushed
down upon the armies of Numan. This was the
calamitous and desperate state of the Absians, when
said Amarah to Rebia, Let us make our attack in
the direction where Ibla is; perhaps we may rescue
her from captivity and infamy, and love for Amarah,
to the exclusion of other horsemen, infuse itself into
her heart. Thou poltroon, thou driveller, said
Rebia, dost not see thy mother and thy sister and
thy brothers' wives are all prisoners, and that our
property is pillaged, and that we are degraded before
the world? By the faith of a generous Arab, were
Antar but present in the contest, not one of all these
disasters would have befallen us. It happened that
Haml, son of Beder, had taken King Cais's mother,
Temadhur, prisoner, and conducted her to a valley.
Eh! son of Beder, cried Temadhur, for what purpose
hast thou brought me down to this valley?
That the Arabs may indulge foul suspicions of me?
And that our hearts be pained and never at rest?
My purpose, said Haml, is to ravish thee, and
murder thy children on thy bosom. At this, death
became easy to Temadhur. Alas! alas! she cried,
woe to the small number of horsemen! On thee, O
Cais, and thy brothers, be thy mother's blessing!
At the word, she threw herself off the camel on the
ground; she fell on her head, and her neck was
broken; she instantly expired, whilst her maidens
wept around her. During all this, the Absians were
in the fiercest of the carnage, and the hottest of the
combat of spears and swords: nearly destroyed and
annihilated, they had resolved either to fly and seek
the desert, or demand quarter and surrender themselves
to King Numan, when lo! shouts arose in
front of the armies, and yells that convulsed the
neighbouring wilds. King Cais and his warriors
stopped awhile in suspense, conjecturing whence
could issue these tremendous sounds. At that instant,
the chief Antar, the generous hero, started
forth in front of King Numan's army, and repulsed
them over the wilderness; and with him was Mocri-ul-wahsh,
the knight of Syria, fighting by Antar's
side, and dealing blows like descending thunderbolts.
The souls of the Absians revived, and their
spirits recovered. Hey! cousins, said King Cais,
here is our champion, Antar, and Mocri-ul-wahsh
is our friend. Now, then, take courage for retaliation,
and remove away your disgrace, and he who
takes not kindly to the fight is no legitimate-born.
Upon this, all the fire of the Absians was roused,
and they returned to the combat of the foe, like tall
sea-monsters. When Numan's armies beheld Antar
return safe, and Mocri-ul-wahsh in his company,
dealing blows Davidian corslets could not repel, and
Shiboob occupying the way before them, they saw no
expedient but in flight and escape; so they threw
away all their booty, and lanched into the wilds and
the wastes.

As soon as Mocri-ul-wahsh fled, under the night,
Shiboob shot forth in pursuit of him, followed by Antar,
and they continued to drive him over the desert,
till morning dawned, when Mocri-ul-wahsh perceiving
his life was in imminent danger, and that he could
not escape, halted at once, saying, O Arab, thou wilt
kill me, and thou hast destroyed thyself with fatigue.

I have no property to plunder, neither hast thou any
retaliation to demand of me; neither can thy heart
harbour any resentment against me. I never insulted
thy cousin Ibla. I have nothing with me but my horse
and my arms, that are dearer to me than life. Take
them and forgive me, Aboolfawaris. I covet not
thy mare, said Antar, my only object is to take thy
life; for thou appearest a brave fellow and a valiant
knight. Then will I return to these troops, and will
not permit the first of them to join the last. O
Aboolfawaris, continued Mocri-ul-wahsh, now I
am aware that I was a fool among horsemen; never
henceforward will I mount a stallion; never again
will I be present in a battle, but I will seek the
church of Bekhran, there to settle among the hermits,
and I will renounce my projects on my bride
Maseeka, daughter of the King of Hooran. O
Mocri-ul-wahsh, said Antar, if such be thy story,
I will wipe away that trouble from thy heart; I
will go with thee to the land of Syria, and will seize
thy bride for thee, were she even on the back of the
clouds. O Aboolfawaris, said Mocri-ul-wahsh, all
my hopes are centered in thee, that thou wouldst
accept me as thy horseman, and receive me as thy
slave. I will be thy ally in all thy calamities; and
he dismounted from the back of his mare and
hastened towards Antar, and kissed his feet in the
stirrup. Antar also jumped off his Abjer; he
embraced Mocri-ul-wahsh, and kissed him between
the eyes, and having both vowed to preserve a
mutual affection, and to plunder and spoil the
generous Arabs together, they mounted and returned,
as we described, and attacked the armies as
we mentioned. This therefore was the cause of
the friendship of Antar and Mocri-ul-wahsh, and
now let us return to our original story.

After the flight of Numan's forces, King Cais went
up to Antar, and kissed him between the eyes. The
Absians also being collected, they searched for their
property and families, and they found Temadhur
dead, and her damsels round her. On King Cais's
demanding, who did this deed? they told him
Haml, son of Beder. The light became dark in the
eyes of the sons of Zoheir, and they swore they
would not leave the Fazareans a tent to shelter them;
not even a man to blow a fire. King Cais ordered
the Absians to collect the property and return to
the dwellings, whilst he mounted with half his warriors,
and took to the right hand road, saying to
Antar, Cousin, take thou the other half, and go the
left, for I know the Fazarean horse must be somewhere
here, and I should say they have not quitted
the well of Hebat, and have not yet entered the
wilds and the wastes. Antar acquiesced in King
Cais's orders, and departed in company with Mocri-ul-wahsh,
and the family of Carad. King Cais also
departed, and as he wept for his mother, he thus
recited:

"Alas! O eyes, weep torrents this day, over my
cheeks copiously, and abundantly. Alas! O eyes,
weep with me for Zoheir, and his son Malik; now
their glory is past. Alas! O eyes, announce

their death in agonies of grief; the heart cannot
longer bear it. Alas! O eyes, weep the loss of
Shas, but yesterday reduced to dust after all his
greatness. Calamities beguiled them; misfortune
overwhelmed them; violence destroyed them.
Ah! O race of Beder, ye have done a deed of
universally acknowledged outrage in the murder
of my mother; ye imagined ye would this day
escape, and would be excited with glory and
happiness; but the revolutions of death shall
requite ye; we will come upon ye openly with
our swords. Antar will come upon ye; he lusts
to meet ye, were ye even far distant from him over
the waste; were even the Emperor of Rome and
Greece with ye, or the inhabitants of Syria and of
verdant Europe. Were ye to come with all the
dwellers on earth; were even Chosroe, King of
Persia, to come with ye, we will meet ye with our
sharp-edged scimitars, on our well-trained roan
steeds. Sons of Beder! verily ye have outraged
us, but we would have abandoned the contest.
Cousins, this was not my intention; it was not
in my heart, that this war should take place. It
was ye that commenced; this calamity and oppression
ever originated in ye. Alas! alas! my
grief for thee, O Temadhur! that accursed Haml,
son of Beder, murdered thee. Soon will I extirpate
them all with my avenging sword; I will
make their blood flow like a sea; I will retaliate
on them, and they shall remain a tale for ages, as
long as the world endures."

Having finished his verses, he went on till being
at some distance from that land, he beheld the impression
of Ghabra's hoof, Hadifah's mare; for
when he fled with the tribe of Fazarah, the girths of
his horse being loose, he dismounted, and tightened
them; and the impression of Hadifah's feet remained
also by the side of his mare's. King Cais recognised
the impression.

Now Hadifah in his flight galloped on till he came
to the well of Hebat. He had a son named Husn,
who was at that time along with him, and he was a
rare child. Hadifah pressed him to his bosom, and
kissed him between the eyes, saying, O Husn, this
is the kiss of farewell. My sole request of you, my
son, is this; if you die after me, and have power
over the Absians, murder their infants, enslave their
women and families; let not a vestige remain of them;
and know, O my son, that I am quitting this world,
and have no other regret in my heart, but that fortune
gave me not the means to exterminate their warriors,
to enslave their wives and families, and to destroy
their land and country. Thus saying, he threw
himself down by the side of the well, with his warrior
companions; and they were insensible to every thing
till King Cais and his companions encompassed them.

Hadifah started up with the Fazareans; they attempted
to mount their horses and fly, when lo!
Antar and the Carad horsemen rushed between
them and their steeds, then seized them all, and
pinioned them. Antar and his companions retired
to a different quarter, whilst King Cais advancing

with his brothers, cried out, Ah! ye sons of Beder,
how oft have I had mercy on you, but you have
ever betrayed me! How oft have I believed you,
but you have falsified yourselves! I should like to
see who will this day rescue you from death. Who
will avert from you our cleaving sabres, and our
sparkling spears? As to thee, Hadifah, remember
what thy hands have done: may God curse thy
father and thy mother! Remember the murder of
the infants with thy arrows. As to thee, Haml, remember
thy words to my mother—"My purpose
is to ravish thee, and assassinate thy children on
thy bosom."

On hearing this, Hadifah turned towards Cais,
saying, Eh! son of Zoheir, why dost thou upbraid
me with thy words? Cease these reproaches and
reproofs, for I, by the faith of an Arab, had I sworn
to thee a thousand times a day, I would have betrayed
thee; and had I been able to murder thee,
and murder thy brothers, never would I have pardoned.
Now then do as thou listeth, act as thou
wilt; leave not one of us to root out thy every vestige.
As to me, before thou camest, I had proposed
that we should slay each other; for we covet not
life, whilst thou art on the face of the earth. But
O my cousins, by the consanguinity of wombs that
exists between us, do not bring us face to face—to
confront each other is hard indeed: to catch each
other's eye at such an hour is the severest of pangs.
And Hadifah hung his head towards the ground,

and wept. Retaliation for children! cried Cais:
come on, cousins, retaliate!

At the word, his brother Harith dismounted from
his horse, and pierced Hadifah with his spear through
the back, and the barb issued glittering through his
bosom. He cut off his head, and remounted his
horse, exclaiming, O retaliation for Malik! and thus
he spoke:

"Dig up the grave of our brother; let him see
our exploits, when we grieve no more. O that
the earth were riven over him, that Malik might
see the deeds of men. We have left the chiefs
of Beder at Hebat, spouting out death at our
spear points. Hadifah and Haml, sons of Beder
and Jabir, with Yezid and Betal, them have we
left dead round the well, slain by our sharp Indian
blades. We have slaughtered them, but it
was a cruel day to us, when death sped from
their arrows. They were the chieftains of men
wherever they went, and the lions of war in every
combat. They wronged us, and perfidy leaves
every land a desert, deprived of its inhabitants."

When Rebia saw what Harith, son of Zoheir, had
done, he also dismounted, and crying out, O for retaliation
for my brother Talib! he pierced Haml
with his spear between the shoulders, and drove it
out through his paps: then he pounced upon him,
and cut off his head, and thus spoke:

"We have made the chiefs of Beder drink of the
cups of death with sword and spear at Hebat.

We have encircled them with calamities, and they
staggered over the plain, but not intoxicated with
wine. In power they were the most puissant of
the two tribes, and in every undertaking their
resolution was abundant. When they mounted
their generous steeds, their horses stirred up the
dusty cloud in every desert. When they even gave
away a little in their bounty, the country was filled
with the land and sea of their liberality. Had
they no heirs, I should ever weep at what has
befallen them for their iniquity. But the youth
Haml, son of Beder, betrayed us, and treachery
roots out every recollection. How oft I warned
them, but they sinned again, and they have died
against my will. Fortune beguiled them; they
deceived us; but the revolutions of fortune deceive
every one. We are the losers by what we
have done. Alas! alas! to the sons of Beder!
By destroying their horsemen, we have cut off our
support, but I have eased the anguish of my heart
among them."

When Rebia had finished his verses, the retaliators
followed him, and cut off the heads of the
tribe of Fazarah, and left them convulsed in death
on the banks of the well. King Cais observed the
catastrophe, and his heart was appeased, till he repented
of having slaughtered them, for they were
his cousins. He wept bitterly over them, and at
their miseries in the wild and waste, and thus he
mourned their death:

"Truly the day of Hebat has brought evil upon

us, and the oppressor has become the oppressed.
This is the day of my losing the chiefs of the sons
of Beder, and they were stars in the eyes of all
beholders. I slew them because they wronged
me, and for their former perfidy. They smote
Dahis, and he was a generous steed: they murdered
Malik, and he was a noble youth. I have
slain them all, and I have assuaged the fire of my
heart; but still the poisonous blast will increase it.
O that before I had slain them, I had been slain,
or had lost all my sense of joy. By their perfidy,
they injured us: we have oppressed the whole
body, but their day was fixed by fate. My anguish
increased when I heard their cries, and
when we are no more, who will defend our
women[8] ?"

When King Cais had finished his verses, the
Absians shed torrents of tears. Just then, Husn,
son of Hadifah, presented himself to the King, and
kissed the ground. Then drawing his sword, he
surrendered it to Cais, and wept as he stood before
him, saying, If it will appease thy heart, slaughter
me thyself. But King Cais burst into tears, and
said, O Husn, hadst thou done this before, I should
have stretched out my hand against thee, but the
business has been pushed too far already. Thou
shalt lord over these people in the place of thy father;
I will protect thee, and respect thee.

And King Cais remained there that night till the
morning lustre shone, when he set out for the land
of Abs. But they had scarcely left that spot, when
lo! a dust arose. See, what means this dust? cried
Cais. The horsemen moved on, and returning, informed
him that it was the dust of the women of
Fazarah, with their daughters and infants, who were
coming to take retaliation for their husbands. They
are right, said Cais, for we have tortured them in
their husbands. But turning towards Husn, he
added, O my son, keep them off; let them bury their
dead, and let them demand the aid of God in their
distresses. Upon this Husn returned, and sent away
the women, whilst King Cais continued his journey
home, full of woe and anguish, and thus he gave
vent to his sorrows:

"I am returning, but the sleep of my eyes will
torment me. My resolution is diminished; my
courage is languid, at what the sons of Beder, son
of Amroo, have suffered of infamy at the well of
Hebat. We have tainted the water with the
blood of the tribe, and its colour has appeared
like the Judas tree. I have appeased my spirit
on Haml, son of Beder, and my sword has assuaged
me on Hadifah. They were of our family,
but they acted perfidiously to us, and the
perfidy of relatives can never be forgiven. They
excited the war of enmity and aggression in the
horse-race; on the day of the match they were
obstinate in their hostility to us. So they have
suffered as the family of Abdul Modan suffered.

Had they asked for mercy, I should have forgiven
them; but they persisted, and their death was at
hand. Though I have relieved my anguish with
them, still I have cut off my own support, and
my own strength."

As King Cais spoke, tears streamed from the eyes
of all the warriors. They continued their journey
till they reached the dwellings, and alighted at the
tents; and when they were quietly established, the
warriors came to King Cais to condole with him
about the tribe of Fazarah, and to congratulate him
on his victory and triumph for seven days.