University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER XVIII.

It was on the fourth morning after Aswad's departure,
they roamed far into the desert, when lo!
a dust arose, rolling from the direction of Shiban.
In an hour the dust was divided and split, and its
blackness was converted to a piebald hue, and under
it appeared a troop of horse in full retreat, and horsemen
scattered about in great disorder. At this, King
Numan's alarms gave way to security; for they
were shouting out, Save us! save us! King of the
age: protect us from this calamity of day and night.

Mooferridj advanced to ascertain who they were,
and lo! they were his own horsemen—his own
cousins, and his own tribe. What has befallen you?
said he; and what mortal has thrown you into this
confusion? Antar, cried they all, came down upon
us; last night he surprised us in the tents; he made
our wives widows, and our children orphans; he
seized what he pleased, and left what he pleased.

Mooferridj dashed his fists against his forehead;
all patience, and even his senses, vanished. Well!
at last he cried, with how many horsemen did he
come against you, that he has treated you in this
manner? O Chief, they replied, we only saw him
with a few attendants.

Then said King Numan, whilst the world seemed
obscure in his eyes, Tell us by what road he is gone.
By God, said they, O King, we were like drunken
men, and had not the senses of women. We should
say he was actually in our rear, and that he was
pursuing our very footsteps; but should not assistance
reach us by the close of the day, indeed it
will be evident, that Antar has captured all our
families, and has taken the road of the mountains of
Radm, and the valley of Raml. By the faith of an
Arab, cried Numan, I will seek him out, were he
even to mount up to the skies; and I will abandon
all the free-born women of Abs to be purchased as
slaves. But, to soothe the heart of Mooferridj, he
continued, do not be uneasy at what has happened.
Set out to-morrow for the mountains with the Shibanians,
and take as many Arabs as you please;
but if you vanquish this accursed slave, do not put
him to death, bring him to me, him and his uncles,
that I may hang them all at the gate of the city.
Sinan was present: O King, by thy munificence,
he cried, were I and Mooferridj not afraid of your
reproaches, we had not brought this event upon
ourselves.

They returned to Hirah, and having consulted
about this important crisis till morning dawned,
Mooferridj assembled the fugitives and his companions,
amounting in all to a thousand horsemen,
with whom he set out for their own country, whilst
a flame was raging in his heart against Antar. Numan

also was desirous of going with them, with the
horsemen of Lakhm and Juzam. No, no! said
Mooferridj, it is not an affair to require your interference;
and when he reached his own home, he
saw the whole country ruined and plundered, and
some few tents on the summits of the hills, and the
women weeping and wailing. At this catastrophe
his anguish increased: he inquired for his own wife
and family, but could find no one to give him any
information about them. Thus was his calamity
heightened, and his misfortune increased, and so
great was his affliction, he could not remain there
above an hour, but set out with his brave army for
the mountains of Radm, following Antar's track.

But Antar, having quitted the mountains as we
described, continued his journey over the wilds and
wastes, till he came near to the tribe of Shiban. He
arrived early in the morning, and alighting at some
retired spot, he sent Shiboob to gain intelligence.

Shiboob darted forth as a bird on the wing, and
returned about mid-day, saying, O son of my mother,
there are not in the dwellings more than a thousand
horsemen. How is that? said Antar. Mooferridj,
replied Shiboob, returned from the King of Persia
full of joy and delight; but when he heard that Basharah
had seized his property (for his cousin Malik,
son of Hosan, had given him every information in
consequence of Rebia having acquainted him by a
message, that you had regained Ibla, and that all
his property was in your hands); he suffered what

never happened to any one before. He instantly
returned to King Numan to report this intelligence,
and to consult about an expedition against the tribe
of Abs, and to take vengeance on them. In the
excess of his resentment occasioned by this catastrophe,
he said to his cousin, Never will I drink of
wine, till I can assuage my heart on that base-born
Antar; and truly that tribe since his departure are
all quite at a loss what to do, they seem careless of
misfortunes, and are asleep, and feel secure from
every calamity. The most advisable plan is, that
you should rush upon the Shibanians under the
cover of the night; and when you are near the tents,
divide into three bodies, and trample down the whole
tribe under the hoofs of your steeds. Thus will
you attain your ends; thus will you succeed in all
your projects.

By the faith of an Arab, exclaimed Antar, you
have advised well. So he immediately mounted,
followed by his men, and Shiboob preceded them
like the northern blast till the day was spent, and
night came on with impenetrable obscurity. The
lights of the tribe shone upon them; but the night
was utter darkness as it vaulted over the two horizons.
They formed into three divisions, and shouted
out in every direction: they poured down among the
tents and dwellings, and plied their spears and their
swords among the Shibanians. The east and the
west were in commotion. The whole region was in
convulsion; the country trembled beneath them;

the warriors started from their pillows; the hearts
of the maidens palpitated; the virgins were made
captives, and the horsemen expected to become
prisoners. The darkness and obscurity stupefied
their senses; all their movements and attempts were
thwarted. The coward found no hole to creep out
at: the horsemen sought relief from the pressure of
the field of battle: the King of Death was firm in
grasping souls. The sword continued its execution till
the night became illumined, and the morning dawned
in its brilliancy: the Absians were still engaged;
their garments were as if painted with blood.

It had been indeed a most dreadful night: but
Antar acquired all the glory and the honour; and
he arose lord of the land of Shiban, master of their
property and their women. He repaired to the
habitations of their chiefs, such as Mooferridj, and
Sinan, and Malik, and all the head men of the tribe;
where he captured their wives, and drove away their
daughters and children, slaying their cuckolded husbands.
He took three of Mooferridj's wives prisoners,
and four of his cousin's daughters, all of whom
were most accomplished females. Oorwah and his
people, and the family of Carad, obtained all the
noble steeds and camels, and they departed for the
mountains of Radm, leaving their enemy's country
ruined, and all its vicinity destroyed; and they continued
their march till between them and their friends
there was only one day's journey.

So in the morning they came near the country

whose mountain sides had been burnt; when Antar
spied out ahead a tremendous dust increasing upon
them, and a lofty cloud of sand rising over them.
Do you see that dust? said Antar to Oorwah, what
can there be beneath it? Oorwah extended his ken
towards it, and he perceived a dust approaching,
rising to an immense height; it augmented, and the
black column was advancing upon them. O Champion
of the Absians! said Oorwah, I do indeed perceive
a towering dust coming towards you. I think
it must be some booty that God has sent to you.
Let the horses be rested, said Antar, after their hot
march. So they rested them, whilst the men prepared
their warlike weapons, and fixed their spears.
Antar stationed forty to take charge of the property,
and the remainder advanced like stern lions, in
number one hundred and ten horsemen. They
marched on till the dust came near to them, when
they heard issuing from it loud screams and tumultuous
shrieks, every thing proving some dreadful
disaster and calamity; and the general cry was, O
by Abs! O by Adnan! who will protect the Absian
women? who will release their captive females?

As soon as Antar heard these clamorous voices,
he shuddered. We are ruined, O Ebe ool Ebyez!
he cried; good God! what Arabs can have overpowered
us, and brought this misfortune upon us?
Who can have dared to insult us, lions of the dens as
we are?

Now the cause of all this was Rebia, who as soon

as he returned to the tribe of Fazarah, and heard
that Antar had plundered his property, and had
driven away his horses and camels, went to Hadifah,
gnawing his hands from very passion. O Ebe
Hidjar! said he, how careless you have been of us
this time! and how you have failed in protecting
us! and we are your neighbours. O Rebia, said
Hadifah, had I not been much debilitated by the
effects of the fall, I would not have failed in protecting
your property in this emergency. I did not
know it was Antar that had made this predatory
assault, or I would not have been kept away from
him, even had my life tasted of horrors; but I
imagined they were some rapacious Arabs; so my
brother and yours went out, and with them a body
of horsemen, whom I enjoined to make every exertion
in settling the business, and to bring back the
horses and property; but they returned routed and
disgraced, and when I learnt this circumstance, I
became as if drunk without wine: but if I do not
overtake that Antar, and gratify my hatred in his
death, I shall die without the affliction of any disease.
O my cousin, said Rebia, I cannot possibly
remain here after this degradation.

So they all made preparations from that day,
amounting in all to seven hundred horsemen, all
well-trained warriors, and they set out in pursuit of
Antar, in despite of the prohibitions of the Sheikh
Beder, for they would not listen to him, but traversed
the barren wastes and wilds. Know that we

are proceeding against the consent of our father,
said Haml to Hadifah, and we have rebelled against
the Sheikhs of our tribe. I fear this expedition will
terminate ill, so that we shall incur the reproaches
of our countrymen, and not one of us will be able
to reside among them. My advice is, that we should
pass in our way to the tribe of Marah, our ally, in
which we confide in our difficulties and our relaxations,
and take with us their champion Zalim, son of
Harith, with a party from their clan and noble warriors.
Then indeed we shall succeed in our projects
and attempts, and shall take our vengeance on that
Antar, even had he with him the tribes of Themood
and Aad. This would be a great disgrace
said Hadifah, that we, who boast of our descent and
rank—that we, exalted among the Arab chieftains,
should not be able to redeem our rights from a
wretch of a slave, but must incite against him the
horsemen of other tribes.

Haml had been induced to address his brother on
this subject on account of the dread he felt in his
heart of Antar. Rebia joined him, for he knew that
this knight whom Haml had mentioned would accomplish
all their desires. Now this Zalim was a
knight of the tribes of Marah and Dibyan, and he
was a great object of astonishment in those days;
and in addition to the superiority he assumed over
the other Arab chiefs, on account of his extreme intrepidity,
he boasted of a sword he had inherited
from his father and ancestors. It was called Zoolhyyat

(endued with life), for when it was unsheathed,
it was impossible for any one to fix his eyes on it, on
account of the extraordinary effect and imaginary
sensations it produced. It was said that it had
been the sword of the great Jobaa, son of King
Himyar, who was formerly monarch of the universe:
and when it fell upon a rock, it would cleave it in
two; and did it encounter steel, it shattered it; and
when it moved, it glittered and sparkled, and over
its sides there crept the wavy forms of biting snakes.
Zalim was so delighted with it, that when he went
to bed, he had it within his arms, and by day he was
never apart from it. It is thus described in this
distich:

"In no trouble, in no adversity do I fear death,
when it confronts me; for how can I dread the assaults
of death, and Zoolhyyat is glittering in my
right hand?"

So when Haml mentioned Zalim, Rebia immemediately
coincided with him. At last they brought
over Hadifah to their views, and travelled on till
they reached the tribe of Marah. There they
alighted, and were hospitably received. Rebia informed
Zalim of the circumstance of Antar, and
the troubles they had endured. In the excess of
his pride, Zalim smiled; By the faith of an Arab,
said he, the tribe of Abs deserves to be degraded on
account of their conduct towards this despicable, insignificant
slave, and all the disgraceful events that
have befallen you are owing to your Chief Zoheir.

It was he who admitted him to the rank and consideration
of an Arab. I am not unwilling to attend
you on this expedition, neither does the danger
or trouble annoy me. I am only distressed on account
of my sword Zoolhyyat, that it should be
contaminated with the blood of slaves, the offspring
of carcasses.

Then having entertained them for three days, he
set out with them, accompanied by five hundred
noble horsemen on celebrated steeds, eagerly pursuing
Antar, and continually demanding intelligence
of him in the deserts and the cities, till they heard
that he was in the mountains of Radm, and the
valley of Raml. May God curse the father of his
beard, and may he be afflicted with unspeakable
calamities! Does he think thus, exclaimed Zalim,
that mountains can protect him from me, or that
the defile can defend him? By the faith of an Arab,
verily will I make him taste of the wine of misfortunes.
They proceeded in the right direction, having
obtained a trusty guide. But as to Amarah,
the world could not contain him, for now he felt secure
that Antar would at any rate be slain, and
that Ibla would console him for all his sorrows; and
when they came near to the valley and the two
mountains (there being only two days between
them), a slave belonging to Rebia met them as he
was seeking the land of Hidjaz. My masters, said
the slave, in answer to their inquiries, know that
Antar is gone against the Shibanians, with one

hundred and fifty brave fellows: and there only
remain one hundred more to protect the wives and
women; and had not he and Shiboob been absent,
I could not have escaped.

When they heard this, they were much delighted:
Truly, said Hadifah, the business has turned out as
you wished, and every difficulty has been rendered
easy. Arabs, cried Zalim, how have we gained our
point, if Antar does not fall, and is not vanquished?
By the faith of an Arab, our trouble is misspent, and
our pains are only increased. O Chief, said Hadifah,
we will content ourselves with capturing their wives,
and we will return home: Antar indeed will be safe,
but if we do not kill him, we shall kill many of his
party. O Hadifah, said Rebia, let us first carry off
the goods and families we shall find in the mountains,
and then continue the pursuit of Antar, where-ever
he may be, and when we have extirpated him,
we will go to King Numan, and will represent to
him the necessity of his sending his brother Aswad
to King Zoheir, to drive him into his presence,
and force him to give his daughter to him. I
will give Ibla in marriage to my brother Amarah,
and will make a marriage-feast, the equal of
which no chiefs ever prepared: then we will return
home, and be quiet and comfortable. Truly,
said Amarah, I am of your opinion on this point,
O Rebia; for I am quite sure Ibla was only created
for me, and her charms will only coalesce with
mine.

They continued their journey without delay till
they reached the mountain, and the dust they occasioned
appeared like the black shades of night.
The Absians that were reconnoitring soon discovered
them, and immediately gave notice of the circumstance
to the horsemen, and shouted through
the mountains. Shedad and his brothers mounted
with the hundred horsemen, and the whole land
was in confusion with the screams of the women
and maidens, whilst the men hurried out to the
defile and pass, having first enveloped themselves in
steel.

The horsemen of Fazarah soon came in sight, the
troops divided, and they all made one universal
shout, making the whole country tremble. They
attacked the Absians like tall furious sea-monsters,
headed by Zalim, as he poured forth the bellow of
devouring lions, and drew out his Zoolhyyat. In a
moment the parties encountered, and they exhibited
their fury, shouting in the name of their fathers and
ancestors, and struggling in the battle and the contest;
the sharp-edged scimitars and long spears
laboured among them, and foes and enemies exulted
over them; but numbers multiplied upon
the Caradians after they had engaged at the entrance
of the strait, like brave men, who fear disgrace;
and though difficulties increased upon this
small party, they preserved the head of the defile,
and plied the thrust and the blow. But when
Zalim perceived that their courage still protected

them in that spot, he dismounted with a party of
horsemen, and penetrated through the defile. There
the battle began to rage—blood was spilt, and the
fire of contention blazed till Zalim had slain seven
of the Absians, and had driven the remainder into
the valley.

Rebia and Hadifah, seeing what Zalim had
done, also dismounted, followed by their party, and
thus occupied the defile. But when the women
perceived this calamity, they uncovered their heads
and let fall their hair, and there was not one but
was convinced of captivity and misfortune; and
about mid-day the tribe of Fazarah effected their
entrance; they bound the Absians as prisoners,
and took possession of their women and property.
They drove away the camels, and they all issued
forth from the mountains. Basharah fell into the
hands of Rebia, who gave him a cruel beating.
Amarah reproached Malik, Ibla's father. You
abandoned your family and your clan, said he, and
you have followed the advice of this black slave,
and these are some of his blessings that have now
happened to you, and he will most certainly drown
you in a sea of calamities.

Shedad heard this speech. O son of Zeead, he
cried, let it suffice that you can abuse my son in his
absence, for he would have brought down on you
his severest punishments, and know that nothing
will last, and he will assuredly come in this direction.
Every one of ye will feel his frown—and

every one of ye will repent of this deed. This
passed; they pursued the tract of Antar, the women
and children going before them, but Zalim staid
behind with the chieftains of the tribes of Marah,
and boasting of his arts, he thus exclaimed:

"Is it thy teeth, O lovely girl, that smile, or is
it the lightning that draws its sword before me?
Is it thy form, or the branch of the palm, that
waves to the zephyr, as it resembles the date-tree?
O daughter of Aamir, do not disdain the
dust whose brightness gives brilliancy in the dead
of the night. If thou art ignorant of me, ask the
tribe of Abs, when I brandished my scimitar;
I surprised their horsemen in the defile, my sword
cleft their flesh and their bones—I drove away
their women when I had reduced their virgins
to consternation and mourning. How should a
worthless slave protect the wives of the noble, or
be able to preserve his engagements? He shall
soon see, if he comes alive, that my sword can
act when death even is still: it is the destiny of
the world when crowds rush round our dwellings.
But what glory is there in this contest, that my
sword should descend upon a dastard slave!
Where in the combat is there one like me when
my scimitar flashes its fires? All mankind lie
beneath my sword, and with me right and wrong
are confounded."

When Zalim had finished his verses, the horsemen
were delighted at his poetry and prose, and

extravagantly was he flattered by Rebia and the
wretched Amarah. They continued their journey
till the next day, about three hours after sunrise,
when they met the hero Antar. Amarah happened
to be in the van, looking at the women, and surrounded
by a body of the tribe of Fazarah and
Marah, and talking to Malik, son of Carad, till
eyes fell upon eyes, and Antar's slaves shouted out
on his arrival; he heard the screams of the women,
and his indignation became most violent: he attacked
the family of Zeead, and pierced the first
through his chest, and the barb started out between
his shoulders; he urged on, and struck the second,
and he rolled him over in the sand. As soon as
the horsemen saw this accident, their reason deserted
them, and they felt assured this must be
Antar. So they shrunk to the rear, the despairing
Amarah at their head, crying out, Fly, my cousins!
The slaves of the family of Carad crowded together
upon them, and plied their sharp swords among
them, shouting out, Hey! Antar is come against
ye, and to-day will he requite you for your deeds towards
the women and children. In a short time
the men were all released from captivity. Antar
advanced towards Ibla, and saluted her; he also
ordered Shiboob to release his father's women and
his uncle's, whilst he and Oorwah went forwards
with one hundred horsemen to meet the foe, leaving
the remainder to protect the females.

Amarah came up to his brother Rebia and Hadifah,

and meeting the troops, exclaimed as above,
and the whole desert was in confusion. What is the
matter with thee? asked Rebia. What has happened
to thee? What has appeared unto thee under the black
of the dust? Antar has appeared against us, they
cried out, he is slaying our brothers and our cousins,
and has come up with the women and the children,
and taken the property, the camels, and the infants,
and had he not been occupied with Ibla, he would
not have left one of us alive, not a white or a black.
Prepare your warlike weapons, cried Rebia, and be
ready for the conflict. Zalim rejoiced in the news,
and he was much delighted at Antar's arrival; he
gave the reins to his horse, and he galloped after
the horsemen, the heroes and warriors following
him. When lo! Antar appeared before them like
a lion in armour, and as his companions followed
him, he cried, Ye sons of ordure, you have pursued
us from your homes, and have gained over to
fight against me the tribes of Marah and Dibyan,
and you conceive yourselves secure from the calamities
of day and night. He instantly unsheathed
his sword and assaulted—the desert was in tumult—
all promiscuously crowded—attack and defence was
the word—swords made hot work—the coward
sought to fly, but found no way to escape. The irresistible
brave stood firm, and the scimitars neither
spared friend nor foe. The blows of Antar fell
more powerful than the stones of an engine; he dispersed
whole troops, and mangled them dreadfully;
he encountered Zalim and Hadifah in the middle
of the field of carnage, and they were also eager in
quest of him; but Hadifah being the nearest to
Antar, thrust at him with his spear, saying with
a loud voice, Take that, thou son of a slave,
I am Hadifah, the son of a free-born woman.
When Antar perceived the thrust directed towards
him, he parried it off very skilfully; he roared at
Hadifah, and turning round the barb of his spear,
he struck him with the butt end, and sent him
rolling over on his head. He then sought Zalim,
and wanted to treat him as he had done Hadifah,
but Zalim smote Antar's spear and broke it, and
just as he attempted to close with him, Antar
howled, and he was horror-struck; he smote him
with the remnant of the spear on his chest, and it
palsied him, the end of the spear grazed on Zalim's
elbow-bone; it paralysed every nerve, and forced
him to let go his sword; Antar rushed upon him,
he grappled him, and seized him by the rings of his
corslet, clung to him, and took him prisoner, and
gave him over to his comrades, wretched and degraded!
That is right, cried Shiboob, seize these
cuckolds, that I may bind them fast; come on!
now to the others. Antar commenced the conflict,
and he pierced the chests of the combatants; he
exhibited all his powers, and he extended the heroes
right and left. Shiboob in the mean time had secured
Zalim and Hadifah. Oorwah and his people,
with his uncles who had been released, accompanied
Antar. Rebia being alarmed, lest he should be
disgraced and overwhelmed, had nothing for it but
to scamper off and escape. Antar made hot work
in their rear, and the brave were irresistible in their
assaults. Only one hundred escaped out of the
thousand, and they were mounted on swift steeds.
The tribe of Abs returned, and darkness obscured
the land, whilst Antar stood before them, as if
bathed in a sea of blood. Having collected the
booty, they passed on, and early in the night they
came near to the mountains, and by day-break they
entered with the prisoners of Fazarah, and those
of Marah and Dibyan, all bound fast with cords.
The slave-women preceded them with the cymbals
and dulcimers, and joy was universal among them.
Early in the day they entered, and it was a most
glorious morning for them; they pitched the tents
and pavilions, and stretched the tent-ropes; but the
happiest of the party was Basharah, whom Antar
had released from the power of Rebia. But they
had only been established one day in that valley,
when the next morning the dust of the tribe of
Shiban, with Mooferridj, arose upon them. The
troops were extended right and left, and the warriors
and heroes came forth. The Absians, as soon
as they saw them, prepared for the engagement; the
polished steel glittered in their hands, and the burnished
armour flashed with the brilliancy of lightning.
They rushed out of the defiles and pressed
forward for the battle and the contest. When the
Shibanians saw them advancing, Do you see that
black slave? exclaimed Mooferridj; how his presumption
has overpowered his reason? he has even
quitted the mountain, and intends to attack the
tribe of Shiban and its five thousand warriors, and
he has scarcely two hundred and fifty vagabond
horsemen. The fault is not his, but the fault is
with him who has obliged us to fight him, and that
is Rebia, who was the cause of all this disturbance.
Be not surprised at what Antar is doing, said Sinan,
for truly he is anxious for the carnage of death. It
happened that Rebia had decided on escaping at
the first onset, so he fled till he reached the
tribe of Shiban, and as soon as they recognised
him, they asked what was the matter; he informed
them of all that happened, and wept at
the severity of his misfortunes. Comfort your
mind and brighten up your eye, cried Mooferridj,
for we are marching in quest of Antar, and we
shall certainly overwhelm him, and reduce him to
distress in his property and family. Mooferridj related
to him the affair of Prince Aswad and his expedition
against the tribe of Abs and Adnan, and
all the arrangements of his brother King Numan.
So Rebia was consoled with this intelligence, and
he returned with them that he might enjoy the
spectacle of Antar's destruction, and release his
brother Amarah from misery. For he saw their
number amounted to five thousand, all warriors,
brave and intrepid, and with them was their celebrated
knight Sinan, and they were marching under
the orders of King Numan. By the faith of an
Arab, said he to himself, Antar cannot escape this
time. Thus they eagerly pressed their march till
they approached the mountains of Radm, as we
have mentioned, and Antar went out to meet them,
as we have described. And Sinan said to Mooferridj,
that Antar would certainly seek the contest.
O Sinan, said Rebia, Antar is never fatigued, never
harassed, and in his heart he is only anxious to meet
you, and succeed in his attempts against you, and
were you even to fill the plains and the mountains,
he would still come out against you, and be only
the more eager to encounter you, for he would be
saying in his soul, that he would annihilate ye all,
high and low, and that he would carry off your
property and your plunder. When Sinan heard
this, he roared and started forth in quest of Antar,
thus exclaiming:

"Hast thou captured my women and seized my
property, bastard slave, thou camel-driver! Shall
I remain dispirited and in disgrace, and my sword
sparkle, brilliant and polished? My spear, when
I brandish it in the palm of my hand, will dive
through the strong-ribbed mountain. Shame, O
Fortune! that a slave should conquer, and the
chiefs and lords be discomfited! Were she impartial,
this scum of men would not stride the

noble steeds. But, O daughter of my uncle,
grieve no more, though the nocturnal vicissitudes
have separated us! As to fortune, it is two days
sweet and one bitter; and among men there are
two sorts, the base and the noble. How many
exalted tribes have I overwhelmed! I have returned,
and their warriors in captivity; and how
many flames of fire have I kindled with the edge
of my sword on the chests of the noble combatants!"

When the Shibanians heard Sinan's harangue, and
perceived that he was preparing for the slaughter,
his men galloped forward, most desirous to release
their wives and families, directing their spear
points towards Antar, and one thousand were the
number that followed him. Antar, being aware
of their intent, took with him his father Shedad
and his uncles Malik and Zakhmetuljewad, and
Amroo, Ibla's brother, and altogether thirty of the
family of Carad. Stay here, said he to Oorwah,
with these hundred horsemen and occupy Sinan,
whilst I repulse the troop that accompanies him,
and I will soon return to you. Antar made the
attack against the thousand horsemen, and rushed
down upon them, impetuous as a torrent; he
charged among them east and west, and overwhelmed
them with thrusts and blows; and he never dashed
into a division, but he dispersed it, nor a troop but
he crushed it; and thus also acted his brother
Shiboob, the dust-coloured dragon. He never separated

from his horse Abjer, but protected him
from the blows of the warriors; whilst his father
Shedad and the horsemen kept up a fierce conflict,
and in less than an hour the troop retreated from
the dust and the darkness, a hundred of them being
slain, and more wounded. By the faith of an
Arab, said Mooferridj, we have fallen into a most
dreadful misfortune, we did not lay our account
to this; in fact, thirty horsemen have been able
to effect all this destruction, and the party, though
only consisting of two hundred and fifty, will at this
rate be equal to ten thousand, and we consist of
only five thousand, and the remainder, how shall we
answer them? My advice, cried Rebia, is, that
you should attack with the tribe of Shiban, and
overpower them with the horsemen, otherwise we
cannot succeed; overtake your cousin Sinan, that
Antar may not kill him in the field of battle.
Mooferridj shouted out to his men, and they instantly
unsheathed their swords, and brandished
their spears, and the universe was in convulsion at
their shouts. Above three thousand joined them
in the assault, and in a formidable charge sought
the defile and the mountain. At that time Antar
had returned to his companions, and he found
Sinan coming back with the tribe of Shiban, and
with them Oorwah as his prisoner: a numerous
host surrounded them. Now Sinan, when Antar
left him, attacked the hundred horsemen, and assailed
them with his sword; he routed them, and
made them retreat into the mountains, having slain
thirty. He also resolved on penetrating into the
defile, and releasing the women of Shiban; but
Oorwah again assailed him, and prevented him;
they fought for an hour, but Sinan saw his companions
were cut up, and that only five hundred
stood firm with him, the remainder having taken to
flight, whilst others checked him from coming up
with Antar. Aware of this disaster, and seeing
how the shouts arose over him, his passion and fury
increased; so he closed with Oorwah and grappled
him, stopping all means of escape, and extending
towards him his mighty arm, he seized him by the
rings of his armour, and held him fast. Thus
having taken him prisoner, and delivered him over
to some of his men, he turned about to attack
Antar, who was also in quest of him. He dispersed
his horsemen and his troops, and as Sinan
stretched out his spear at him, and cried out at
him, and thrust at him, Antar smote the spear and
shivered it: thus parrying him off till he came
close to him, he pressed on him, and struck him
with the flat of his sword, and tumbled him off his
horse. Shiboob pounced on him and bound him
fast, and tied his arms and his sides. As soon as
the Shibanians saw this terrible event, they abandoned
Oorwah cast upon the sand, and escaped by
flight towards Mooferridj; the troops were all
scattered and discomfited. Shouts arose on all
sides, and the dust thickened to the east and to the
west. Antar cried out to the noble Absians; they
were on the alert, and brandished their spears and
their swords; the thrusts were incessant and overpowering,
and the voice of the speaker was silenced:
they seized each other by the chin and the throats,
and every path and road was choked up with the
warriors. But God prospered Antar and the wonders
he did that day, as also his horsemen and
tribe, and his father Shedad and his uncles.

Oorwah soon sprung again on the back of his
horse, and allayed his heart upon the tribe of Shiban.
The scimitar continued to cleave, and blood
to flow, and men to rave and fall, till the day
closed and was obscured, and night coming on,
each division retired and separated. The tribe of
Abs alighted at the entrance of the defile to guard
it against invasion or surprise; but Antar ordered
Shiboob to take Sinan to the valley, and tie him up
with the other prisoners. The tribe of Shiban also
alighted, and their ruin and rout was evident.
Mooferridj endured more than ever went to the
heart of man, on account of the capture of his
cousin Sinan, and the destruction of so many of his
horsemen. Thou mine of fraud and deceit, roared
he at Rebia, by the faith of an Arab, had I thrust
at Sinan my cousin for a whole day, I should never
have gained my point against him, and never should
I have been able to touch him, ere fatigue had enervated
my arm; but this infernal slave has taken
him prisoner in an instant, and truly I shall pass

this night in a state of stupefaction; for if I go out
against him, I shall become a scandal among the
Arabs; and if I do not attack him, we shall not
succeed in our expectations. Take my advice, said
Rebia, clothe yourself in brilliant steel to-morrow
morning, and march your troops against him, and
let not one of your companions remain behind;
smite their horsemen and warriors with the sword,
till you drive them to the defile, and then enter
after them; thus will you succeed in your hopes;
and should every one of them slay ten of yours,
and even more, you will then even have the advantage
with the remainder. This, Rebia, is advice
becoming you! he replied, this is your sagacity!
your wit! how! shall we hasten the men upon
Antar, and leave him to charge upon our flanks,
and play upon us with his sword and his spear?
By the faith of an Arab, had not the day closed
upon us, not a spot of ground would have been
left for any one, but had turned his face to the
desert and the waste. Thus they continued wrangling
till the armies of obscurity departed. And as
soon as it was day, the Shibanians started up ready
for the fight and the contest; they fixed their spears
and prepared to exterminate lives. But the first
who shone on the plain and the scene of blows and
thrusts was Antar. He galloped and charged, and
urged his Abjer to the theatre of contention, and
thus expressed himself:

"The morning of thrusts in the field of battle

(where wine is not put round in glasses), is dearer
to me than the varied amusements with the cup,
and the ewer, and the flowers. My wine is indeed
that which gushes about the spear's point,
when the war-steeds trample. I am the slave, of
whom it shall be reported that I encountered a
thousand free-born heroes: my heart was created
harder than steel, how then can I fear sword or
spear? I have met the chargers, and I cared
not: I am raised above Arcturus, and the Lyre
or the Eagle: when the warrior beholds me, he
avoids me, his courage fails, and he flies. Ye
have indulged, ye people of Shiban, a thought,
but my horse and my perseverance have thwarted
your imagination. Ask Rebia of me when he
came against me with the chiefs of Beder. I
took their chiefs prisoners, and only quitted them
when I had dispersed them over every desert.
Here now I again come forth, and in you will I
appease my heart and allay my bosom; I will
seize the property of Ibla with my sword, and
the lord of the balcony shall acknowledge my
power."

As soon as Antar had terminated this address, he
sought the contest, and the flame was kindled afresh
in his bosom. Mooferridj sprang on his horse's
back, and being cased in his armour, he thundered
down to the field of battle, and charging to and
fro, exclaimed: Thou vile slave, it is disgraceful,
infamous, and ignominious, to fight with thee!

But Antar sent forth a shout at him that would
have split a stone. Mooferridj received him as the
parched earth the first of the rain. They gave two
yells, that excoriated the ears of their horses, and
made every limb of the horsemen tremble. They
commenced the engagement. Rebia was much
alarmed for Mooferridj, that Antar should overpower
him. It was not judicious in Mooferridj to
go out against this devil, said he, and I fear some
accident will happen to him. To which Malik, son
of Hosan, replied, By the faith of an Arab, this
calamity was all owing to you. Son of Zeead, had
it not been for you, we should never have known
this Antar, neither would our wives and children
have been made captives; and as he was preparing
to make an assault, lo! a yell arose from under the
dust, and some one cried out, O by Abs! O by
Adnan! I am the lover of Ibla, and I stand alone
in the world! They all eagerly gazed at the dust,
and behold Antar, who had taken Mooferridj prisoner,
driving him as he would a camel. He gave
him over to Shiboob, who bound him fast by the
shoulders, and took him away to the other prisoners.
Antar perceived that the Shibanians had
dismounted, and were waving their spears and unsheathing
their swords; but he was not to be intimidated
at this. By the faith of an Arab, he exclaimed,
I will put them all to the rout, and will
not leave one to know whither he is going. Then
shouting out to Oorwah and his father Shedad, he
selected fifty brave horsemen. Guard the entrance
of the pass and defile, he cried, and he roared out
to the troop that was with him, and they split the
enemies troops into two parts, and made them drink
of death. The horror and distress were excessive,
and the day became like the night. They continued
to plunge through the Shibanians till they came into
their rear, where Antar, perceiving the horses running
loose without their riders, said to his comrades,
Collect them from right and left, and turn their
faces towards their owners, then goad them on with
the points of the spears, and they will trample down
their own masters. So they separated towards the
horses, and collected them all into one body, and
sending forth a tremendous shout at them, goaded
them with the points of their spears. A black cloud
of dust arose; they plunged among the men on
foot, and trod them down with the stamp of a
camel, whilst the Absians roared at them from
the interior of the valley. None escaped but those
whose lives God had lengthened. Lucky was he
whose horse speeded away with him and rushed
over the waste and plains.

Malik, son of Hosan, was one of those who
escaped, and also Rebia secured himself with a party
of his people, and he was gnawing his hands through
mortification and shame. O my cousins, all this
has happened to us on account of this dog-devil,
cried Malik to the Shibanians, pointing at Rebia;
had it not been for him we had never known Antar

nor Ibla, nor one of the race of Abs. So come on
and have at him. Thus saying, he made towards
him, as Rebia also advanced to congratulate him on
his safety, but Malik struck him with his spear
through the shoulder, and it came out under his
armpit, and hurled him off his horse on the
ground, weltering in his blood, and he thought he
had slain him. Thou son of a foul mother, cried
he, all our misfortunes originate in your hatred
towards that bastard slave. Moreover, the Shibanians
put twenty of Rebia's party to death, and the
remainder fled over the country. But as to Antar,
he ordered them to open a way for the horse to the
mountains, whilst he pursued the race of Shiban till
he came up with Rebia. O Ebeool Ebyez, said he
to Oorwah, dismount, go to him and bind him:
truly his treachery has reverted on himself. Oorwah
alighted and tied his arms, and as he was going to
raise him on a horse, he opened his eyes, and recovering
his senses, he saw Antar standing over his
head. O my noble cousin, exclaimed the wretch,
have some consideration for the relationship between
you and me. Bind up my wounds, but tie not up
my arms. I am almost dead, and indeed I sorely
repent of all I have done to you. By the faith of
an Arab, said Antar, you shall never be in a
situation to repent the foul deeds you have already
done towards me. You only call me cousin when
you have tumbled into some intolerable calamity.
So they all returned to the mountains, and all the
party was relieved from sorrow, for their evening
was more propitious than the morning. He placed
Shiboob, and Jareer, and Basharah, as guards over
the prisoners; and those that were most grievously
afflicted and distressed were Mooferridj and Sinan,
for Basharah was stationed to torment them.

Antar reposed that night in the most perfect delight
with his friends and troops, till the obscurity
being nearly dissolved, he assembled the chiefs,
and as they were consulting, said Shedad to Antar,
O my son, what have you resolved on doing with
your prisoners? As to Zalim, and Mooferridj, and
Sinan, I shall hang them; but as to Rebia, and the
wretch Amarah, I shall detain them in bondage
till they restore the property they took from Ibla.
He arose instantly, intoxicated as he was; his head
rested on Oorwah's shoulder, and he came to the
door of the cavern where the prisoners were confined,
and said to Shiboob, Raise up this cuckold,
that I may hang him up on the summit of the
mountains, and range these other fellows by his side.
When the party heard this they felt certain of death.
As to Amarah, he was almost dead already, and he
remained fixed in stupefaction, for when he looked
at Antar he saw his eyes red as coals. O Aboolfawaris,
said Mooferridj, delay your work, for the
end of violence is never praiseworthy. As to us,
you first took our property, captured our families,
slew our men, and devastated our country; what,
therefore, is our crime that we have merited death

and hanging? And what crime, said Antar, can be
more enormous than this? you seized my property,
you captured the daughter of my uncle, you even
attempted to slay her, so I must absolutely extirpate
the tribe of Shiban. It was your cousin Rebia,
said Mooferridj, who told me to do so, and am I to
be adjudged deserving of extermination, root and
branch? But know that the property that I took
from your uncle's daughter is now with King
Numan: truly the affair is well known, and the
secret now quite public, for Rebia sold the tiara and
turban for he and she camels, and I placed my slave
in deposit in the land of Irak. It will be well for
you not to be too hasty with me, that I may contrive
some means to liberate it, and restore it all to
you; and thus I may rescue my person and my
wife out of your hands. Do what you please with
your cousin Rebia, and if you have any doubts as
to what I have said, and think I am deceiving you,
I can tell you still further particulars. On what
subject can you give me any intelligence? demanded
Antar. Know, O Aboolfawaris, said Mooferridj,
that King Numan has sent his brother Prince Aswad
against King Zoheir with ten thousand horsemen,
and he has engaged to drag before him King
Zoheir in his grasp on account of us, and on account
of his daughter Mootegerede. I am convinced
King Zoheir must fall, and will abandon his
country to destruction. But if you proceed to
violent measures with us, King Numan wiil hear of
it; he will march against you with troops and
armies, and will make you food for the birds and
beasts. As soon as Antar heard this he changed
his resolution; And when did Aswad set out on his
expedition? asked he. About five days before our
departure, said Mooferridj, and doubtless now he
is in your country. At hearing this the light became
dark in his eyes. Alas! then the tribe of Abs is
disgraced among the Arabs, he cried: I must and
will root out every vestige of that King Numan. I
have not forgotten King Zoheir's kindnesses, said
he to Oorwah, and I must expose my existence for
his sake, for I bear him no grudge. O Champion
of the Absians, said Basharah, by the faith of an
Arab, with respect to Prince Cais and his brothers,
and their father King Zoheir, you are considered as
much as his eldest son Shas; but no one estranged
his heart against you but Amarah, and that ordureborn
Rebia. May God curse your father and mother,
said Amarah, how often do you talk to him of
us, and make him think of us? Let him alone; let
his intoxication pass off, and may his person and the
sight of him ever be absent from us! Hey! O
Amarah, said Antar, he who wishes to be Ibla's
husband should not be a coward like you, and one
that fears death and affliction. Who is he, exclaimed
Amarah, that wishes for Ibla, or to hear her
mentioned? and he who has heard of her would
stop his hearing for ever. Now, said Antar, that
would not be right; but when I have returned with
that Aswad a prisoner, and have released King Zoheir
and his sons from infamy and ignominy, I will requite
ye all according to your deserts, and I will slay you
all, high and low: and thus saying he quitted them.
O comrades, cried Sinan, this black slave must be
perfectly frantic, his senses must be disordered, to
march from hence and meet with one hundred
horsemen Prince Aswad with ten thousand warriors,
all armed with spears! I never in my life, said
Mooferridj, saw a more fortunate fellow than this
black slave, nor a more expert spearsman. By the
faith of an Arab, said Amarah, should Antar meet
Prince Aswad he will ride him the ride of a lion.
Were his armies as numerous as the sands and the
locusts, he will most assuredly bring him here
pinioned.

But Antar, when he returned home, assembled
the chiefs, and informed them of Aswad's expedition;
and I am resolved to go to King Zoheir's assistance,
he added. O my son, said his father, we are here
but two hundred and fifty men, and shall one like
King Numan be our foe and antagonist! How can
we proceed against ten thousand horsemen, and
abandon our wives and families? As to our women,
said Antar, there is no alarm about them; no one
will venture to approach this spot before the fugitives
of the Shibanians reach King Numan, and inform
him of what has happened to them; he must then
address the Arabs by letter, and we shall return
hither before all that can have taken place. But I

have not come to this place, or rebelled against King
Numan, but on having formed a proper estimate of
mankind. I do not fear even the monarch of Persia,
the lord of the balcony; therefore, how shall I
fear ten thousand horse, or even a hundred thousand
of the bravest? And he sent for Shiboob
and said, Son of my mother, how many roads are
there hence to our country? There are three, replied
Shiboob. Where do they meet? said Antar.
By the waters of the tribe of Akhrem and the great
lake. Upon that he selected a hundred and fifty of
the noblest Absians, and left one hundred to protect
the property and the families, and recommending
his uncle Malik and his son Amroo to take care of
the prisoners, and to be on the alert night and day,
he set out over the plains and deserts, Shiboob preceding
him showing the way. Antar had his heart
full of King Zoheir and the Absians, and as the
journey lengthened, he thus expressed himself:

"He who is ambitious of honour bears no malice,
and no exalted sentiments can exist in the mind
of the passionate. He who is a slave of a tribe
must not contradict them; he must endeavour to
soothe them and conciliate them when they are
angry. Formerly indeed I tended their camels,
but now I protect them when they are in affliction.
God has ennobled the tribe of Abs, and has endowed
them with virtues the Arabs possess not in
their nature. Their slave has left the warriors
overthrown in the dust, all in consternation and

in disgrace. Were I not to rescue them in
their adversities, I myself should not be safe, and
misfortune would not always fail me. If you
think, O Numan, my arm cannot reach you, fortune
then has changed. There are serpents, and
their touch is soft in moving them round, but in
their fangs is death. To-day, O Numan, you
shall know what a youth will trample down thy
brother whom falsehood has encouraged. A youth
that plunges into the dust of battle with smiles,
and when he retires his spear's point is dyed with
blood. If he draws the sword to enforce his
blows, the atmosphere is illumined, and the clouds
are rent asunder. The steeds are witness for me
how I dive among them, and that my thrusts are
like the sparks of a blazing fire. May God never
remove from my eyes the noble youths; warriors
when they alight, ennobled when they mount!
Lions of the den, but no fangs have they but their
barbs and the edge of their swords. Their fiery
steeds rise with them, and round their necks are
circles of buds like the basilflower. Ever will I
encounter the chests of the chargers, fierce in look,
with the spear, till their very saddles and housings
cry out. He is blind within whose ken appears my
form; he is deaf at whose mouth I raise my shout.
The troops shall witness for me in the day of battle,
the sword, and the spear, and the pens, and the
records. My star shines far raised on high, above
Arcturus, above the sun, above the clouds. I am
the son of Shedad, through the sublimity of his
virtues, in glory, in honour, in liberality, and in
courtesy!"

When Antar had finished his verses the men and
the chiefs were delighted. For four days they traversed
the deserts and the sands, and their anxiety
was excessive; and when they reached the great
lake, O my brother, said Shiboob, lay in a provision
of this water, for there is no more ahead of you.
Now was I well assured that you were sufficiently
strong to prevent Aswad from coming to this water,
I would secrete you in this spot, for when he and
his army come here they will be almost dead with
thirst. O Ebe-reah, said Antar, by the faith of an
Arab, if every human being on the face of the
earth, long and wide as it is, were to come here, I
will not let one of them wet his fingers in this water
till the sword has cleaved my heart, and my sight
be blinded. If so, said Shiboob, stay here, possess
yourself of this spot, whilst I go and obtain some intelligence
of this Aswad. And he set out traversing
the barren waste; but Antar and his brave associates
alighted at the head of the water, and concealed
themselves in the mountains. The next day
early, behold Shiboob appeared. Glorious morning!
cried Antar, come, tell me what is your news.
O Ebe-reah! My brother, said Shiboob, I have
seen Prince Aswad and his armies, like the rolling
sea, and King Zoheir, and his sons, and the Absians
all in captivity, for Aswad surprised them in

the morning. They fought for three days, and on
the fourth day came the tribe of Fazarah, and with
them the tribe of Marah, and the armies attacked
them in all directions; so they plundered the dwellings
and property, and made the women and families
captives. Aswad is now returning on his way to his
brother King Numan, overjoyed at what has happened.
I heard all this from your friend Prince
Malik, for when I separated from you I did not
stop in my journey over the wastes till I met the
armies, and mingled with them in the dead of
the night, when I heard Prince Malik thus complaining:

"We have drunk of fears after our security; we
have been thoughtless of the adversities of fortune;
we have tasted of ignominy now that the raiser of
the dust of the tumultuous contest has disappeared
from us. In his absence we have been
destroyed by the oppressor, and the horses of the
rebellious with slackened reins have trampled
over us. Our families were protected by his long
spear, but its point is now broken. O hero of the
tribe of Carad, assist us with the edge of thy
sword from the rage of the Yemenites. Let not
the accursed tribe exult over us. Our wives have
been taken captives like harlots. Thou art our
refuge at all times when the horses of death trouble
us. Thou hast familiarized us to glory and
honour, do not break us down, for thou wert the
builder. Our wives and our virgins are driven

away, and they beckon to thy noble person with
their fingers. Tears flow from every brilliant eye
over the cheeks, blushing like the judas tree.
They cry out in their sorrows, O by Abs, O assist
us, (sufficient are the pains we now suffer,)
against our foes that have driven us into the
desert, and let the birds of Yemen mourn over
them."

Shiboob repeated these verses in the language of
Prince Malik, and whilst Antar shed tears at the
recital, Shiboob continued, O my brother, as soon as
I had heard these verses, I advanced towards the
Prince, and saluted him. He related to me all that
had happened. I consoled his heart, and soon after
I drew out my dagger, and I cut in pieces all the
water-bags belonging to Prince Aswad, and now
they will find no water before them but in this place,
and in three days they will reach you.

At hearing the words of Shiboob, Antar's cares
and sorrows dissolved. Thou hast done admirably
well, O Ebe-reah, said he, and Antar felt assured
of the discomfiture of the Prince's army. He then
commanded his warriors to conceal themselves among
the mountains and the sand-hills, and Shiboob stationed
himself as their scout, gazing over the desert
to the right and left. But as to Aswad, he marched
on, the remainder of the night, till early next day,
when he demanded of one of his slaves some water
after he had eaten his meal. The slaves stared
at each other; they turned pale, and looked towards

the ground. What is the matter with ye?
said the Prince; and what has happened to you? O
Prince, they replied, as soon as morning dawned,
we saw all our water-bags and sacks were rent open.
On hearing this, the light became darkness in the
eyes of the Prince. And who has done this deed?
cried he. We know not, most dreaded sire, said
they. He immediately ordered his messengers to proceed
to the great lake and bring water. They obeyed
his directions, and the messengers set out with the
water-bags and sacks, forming one hundred brave
fellows; and the army continued their march that
day and night, and the next day, but as there was
no news of the messengers, the Prince and his chiefs
marched forward in quest of them, and to procure
some water.

As we before mentioned, Antar had stationed
Shiboob to look out; so when the messengers advanced,
he informed Antar of it. They attempted
to fill their bags, and turned towards the water. In
an instant sixty were made prisoners, and forty were
slain. The messengers and their bags were seized,
and to Antar's question about the Prince and his
army, they said, They will be with you this day; we
quitted them in the most dreadful suspense, and if
they wait for us to return with water for them, the
whole army must expire of thirst.

O my brother, said Shiboob, give me fifty horsemen
of Oorwah's, and I will fill these bags and return
to the army, and will supply with drink all the

Absians, and will release them from captivity and
bondage; for know that Aswad's troops will not be
in a state even to look at one another. Do as you
please, son of my mother, said Antar: and immediately
Shiboob took away the water-bags and sacks,
and selecting fifty horsemen, he departed, passing
over roads the accursed devil himself would never
have discovered, till mixing with them, he perceived
brother knew not his brother, neither a son his
father.

The Prince in the mean time had set out in quest
of water, and a large portion of his troops had followed
him, all most anxiously seized with the desire
of drinking. They advanced towards the vicinity
of the lake, where they saw their messengers all
slain. He was confounded, and whilst they were
in this state of horror, Antar assaulted him, and
shouted, and terrified him. He smote him with
Dhami a blow on the joints of his neck, and he
hurled him at his full length on the ground. He
dismounted to pinion him, and having bound him
fast by the arms, he made towards his army that was
dotted about the desert in tens and twenties. Antar
and his party appeared against them: all that surrendered
he made prisoners, but those that defended
themselves he left dead, whilst they cried out to him,
O son of Shedad, only give us some water, and take
us prisoners.

Antar listened to none of their speeches, neither
did he make any answer, even till the remainder of

the army arrived—the whole twenty thousand hustling
in crowds towards the water. Antar raved even
like a furious camel; he dashed down the warriors;
when lo! a troop of horse appeared, amounting
to three thousand, all crying out, O by Abs! O
by Adnan! and at their head was King Zoheir and
his brave sons. Shiboob had effected their escape;
for when he departed with the water-bags, filled
with water, he continued his journey till he reached
the Absian prisoners. Seeing the army each interested
in his personal wants, he penetrated through them,
and supplied the Absians with water, and ordered
Oorwah's people to release them. In an hour all were
at liberty, and took their horses as they were by
their sides. They carried off armour and accoutrements,
and corslets, and in less than an hour
they were mounted, and became illustrious horsemen.
Join my brother Antar at the great lake, cried
Shiboob.

Upon this King Zoheir cried out to his people,
Come on, my cousins, to the assistance of the man
who has raised us from the dead, and has protected
our wives and our daughters. He galloped on, and
the Absian warriors followed him till they came up
with Antar, and they all in one voice shouted O
by Abs! O by Adnan! and they made a general
attack on the army.

Antar was rejoiced at seeing the Absians at liberty,
and he rushed amongst the enemy. King Zoheir

and his associates performed deeds that would have
amazed the bravest of warriors. Thus they continued
till the day fled, and the army of the Prince
was entirely routed, and dispersed over the desert
and waste, Antar and the Absians pursuing
them till they drove them out of that country, and
then returning to the scattered horses and dispersed
plunder, they took possession of the tents, and
baggage, and cattle. Aswad was their prisoner,
with seven thousand of the tribes of Lakhm and
Juzam; more than four thousand were slain, the
remainder escaped by flight. But Antar turned
towards King Zoheir, and he appeared as if plunged
in a sea of blood. The King dismounted, and ran
towards him, and folding him to his bosom, kissed
him between the eyes, thanking him, and extolling
him. The same did all King Zoheir's sons; they
advanced and saluted Antar, and thanked him for
what he had done; whilst the Absians prayed for
him, and lauded his deeds. They reposed that night;
but the next day they set out for the mountains of
Radm, and the valley of Raml.

They continued their march night and day till
they reached the mountain, and they found it
totally unoccupied. Antar shuddered, and was
amazed. Shiboob gazed, and he saw Basharah hung
upon the top of the mountain. Shiboob wept bitterly;
Antar grieved for Ibla, and his tears streamed
in torrents.