Now then, said Amarah to Rebia, when they had retired, now that Antar has
vanquished me, and has taken Ibla by force, I can no longer remain in
this country; I must go and roam about the wilds and deserts. Cheer up,
Amarah, said Rebia, let us still contrive the means to overthrow him, and
to make him drink of the cup of destruction and death. Rebia left Amarah
and went home, and sent for Malik and Amroo, and when they arrived he
said unto Malik, pretend to be good friends with Antar; appear very kind
to him, and do not prevent his entering your tents. Sooth him with gentle
words, and when he comes to you, ask him about the dower for Ibla; then
he will say—what do you wish? tell him you only demand a thousand Asafeer
camels, that your daughter may pride herself in them above the high and
low.
Know then, Malik, that these camels are in the possession of Monzar son
of Massema, the King of the Arabs, and the lieutenant of Nushirvan; and
I know that Antar in the greatness of his courage, will go in search of
them among the tribe of Shiban, and he will expose his life to danger and
death, and you will never see him again. Malik eagerly listened to his
advice; and it happened on that day that Antar was out hunting; and when
he returned in the evening, his uncle gave him the kindest reception,
and ordered a slave to take away what he had brought in; he introduced
him into his house, and gave him meat to eat, and wine to drink, and he
spent part of the night in his company. Antar was much pleased at this
reception and kind treatment, and thought that his wishes with respect to
Ibla would be accomplished, for he knew not the plot conceived against
him. So they continued to shew these civilities to Antar, and he was in
raptures in the enjoyment of Ibla’s conversation for ten whole days.
On the night of the eleventh, Malik was more than usually kind to
him, and when the noble warriors had all separated for the night, and
Shedad had gone home, and also Zakhmetulgiwad and the rest of the tribe
of Carad: and no one remained but Antar, his uncle Malik, Amroo, and
Shereeah, Malik’s wife, and Ibla, their daughter, Malik plied Antar
with wine till he made him drunk, when he addressed him and said; Tell
me, I pray you, what you wish to be done for my daughter Ibla; you have
prohibited all suitors; and do you intend to take her by force without
any marriage gift or dower, and will you bring disgrace upon us in every
part of the world? That can never be, said Antar, were I even to drink
of the cup of death and condemnation. God forbid that this guarded pearl
and this concealed jewel should be thus sold to the highest bidder. I am
only waiting orders—tell me what you demand, ask whatever you choose,
that I may grant her what will give her reason to pride herself above the
chiefs of the earth. Nephew, said Malik, I will not make you engage for
what is beyond your power, and I will not demand of you but what an Arab
would demand; such as he and she camels. I ask of you then a thousand
Asafeer camels, that my daughter may boast of them; for in our tribe
there are none; nor are there any like them in Cahtan. Then will you and
I obtain all our wishes and our desires, and we shall destroy our enemies
and those that envy us,—this is all I ask of you, and then will I make
your marriage feast out of my own property, and will give you whatever
may be required of my own he and she camels; all our possessions shall be
united, and we will live in perpetual felicity. Malik continued talking
with Antar in this manner till he gave way and consented; and he knew not
that the camels were in the kingdom of Monzar, the King of the Princes
of the Arabs, and the lieutenant of Chosroe Nushirvan, whose armies were
innumerable.
Uncle, said he, I will give you these camels loaded with the treasures of
their masters; but give me your hand, and betroth me to your daughter,
and thus shew me the purity of your intentions. So Malik gave him his
hand, and a fire blazed in his heart. Antar’s joy was excessive, his
bosom heaved, and he was all delight—he started on his feet—he took off
his clothes, and put them on his uncle; and Ibla saw Antar’s arms, and
smiled. What art thou smiling at, fair damsel? said Antar. At those
wounds, she replied, for were they on the body of any other person, he
would have died, and drank the cup of death and annihilation: but thou
art unhurt by them. Her words descended to his heart cooler than the
purest water, and he thus addressed her:
“The pretty Ibla laughed when she saw that I was black, and that my ribs
were scratched with the spears. Do not laugh nor be astonished when the
horsemen and armies surround me. The spear barb is like death in my hand,
and on it are various figures traced in blood. I am indeed surprised how
any one can see my form in the day of contests, and survive.”
He then departed to his mother’s tent, for he was restless, and the words
of Ibla were as a blazing fire in his heart. He wakened his brother
Shiboob, and told him to get ready his horse Abjer—he did as he was bid;
Antar clothed himself in armour, and stood like a tower. Where art thou
going? said Shiboob, that I may shew thee the nearest roads. Well, said
Antar, tell me the nearest road to the land of Irak, for there are many
Arabs in that country, and their property and camels very abundant; with
them is my object, and what my uncle has demanded.
Shiboob trembled and was confounded at this intelligence, for he knew the
country. Why not stop till morning, said he, that thou mayst acquaint
King Zoheir and Prince Malik? for they may perhaps be able to assist
thee in this affair. Return my brother, and expose not thy life to
difficulties and dangers. Away! away! cried Antar; not a word; none but
the Creator of mankind can aid me; I must destroy my accursed enemies.
Mine be the dark and nightly course, after the manner of mighty heroes;
for if I travel by day they will lay plots against me. Shiboob was
convinced he was right, and conducted him to the land of Irak. And they
continued their way over the wilds and the deserts till the third hour,
when on a sudden there arose a great dust, and there appeared a troop
of horsemen like eagles. As soon as they saw Antar, they closed their
vizors and waved their lances, and slackened their bridles and fixed
their spears: and when they came near to him they cried out, down, down,
from that steed, thou dastard, strip off those accoutrements of war and
armour, or we annihilate thee! whither art thou going over the plain?
Here we have remained in expectation of thee. As soon as Antar heard
these words, he shook his spear in his hand, rushed on, and roared
like a lion, and darted towards them with a heart fearless of death and
danger,—thus speaking:—
“Fortune insults me as if I were day and night her foe, the enemy seek
me in every peril, and imagine I am unable to fight; but were they to
present to me the form of death itself as an antagonist, I would imbrue
its hands in the blood of its own wounds.”
He attacked them, and his assault was like the assault of the most
furious lion: he rushed upon their chief, when lo! he let fall his vizor
from his face and cried out, check thine arm, O Knight of the age!
sufficient is the mischief and danger, for I am thy friend Harith, son of
King Zoheir. Antar threw down his spear, dismounted, and ran towards him,
and kissed his hand.
Now Harith was an undaunted warrior, in the prime of youth, and eloquent
in speech; he loved Antar, and was much interested about him, like his
brother Malik; and the cause of his meeting Antar in the deserts was,
that he had been invited to a feast by the tribe of Ghiftan, and was
returning. He met Antar, and the above passed. And when he saw that death
was hurrying from the ends of his fingers, and that destruction was
stamped upon his spear, he let down his vizor, and Antar recognized him,
and dismounted and saluted him.
Why, my lord, said he, why hast thou acted thus? Thou hast endangered
thine own life, and those that were with thee. Harith smiled, and was
surprised at his humility, after such proof of his superiority over
him. God prosper thee, O Aboolfawaris, said he, jewel of the multitude!
whither art thou bound, and what great expedition hast thou undertaken?
He who wishes, replied Antar, that his nuptial ceremony should be
performed, must expose his life to danger. Thou knowest what dangers and
what disgraces I have submitted to on account of my cousin Ibla, in order
that her father might give her to me. He has demanded of me a marriage
dower, and a settlement, and I must bring what he requires from Irak.
Terrified at Antar’s words cried Harith, what is it thou sayst,
Aboolfawaris? For God’s sake return with me, trouble not thyself about
such matters, and do not banish thyself from amongst us; our property is
not so small; and verily I am astonished how my father and brother could
let thee depart alone. I told no one of my departure, said Antar; My lord
my uncle demands of me camels that we have not, and are not in our tribe,
and I have engaged to procure them, and I have said yes: and he thus
continued.
“Say not no, after thou hast said yes, for thou wilt be clothed in shame,
and repent. Truly, no, after yes, is foul; and base is the word, no after
yes. When thou wouldst have a friend, associate with a noble person, one
who is chaste, modest, and liberal; and when he says no to a thing, do
thou also say no, and when thou sayest yes, let him also say yes.”
Harith was surprised at his eloquence and virtuous mind, and his
admiration of him increased. If such is thy business, said he, I will
accompany thee and assist thee in all thy difficulties. I cannot possibly
consent to that, replied Antar; return with thy warriors to thine own
country. So Antar bade him farewell and departed over the wilds and
deserts, and Harith and his people returned, praising Antar’s intrepidity
and eloquence. Antar and Shiboob proceeded on their journey, Shiboob ever
shewing the way, till evening coming on, they sought a pool of water
where they might repose from their fatigues, and at length they reached a
tent pitched near a spring; and behold there was an old Shiekh, with his
back bent. They made towards him.
“An old man was walking along the ground, and his face almost touched his
knees. So I said to him, why art thou thus stooping? He said, as he waved
his hands towards me, my youth is lost somewhere on the ground, and I am
stooping in search of it.”
He welcomed them, and brought them a cup of milk, cooled in the wind;
Antar took the milk and drank, and gave some to his brother, and came to
the door of the tent. The old Shiekh laid pillows for them, and presented
viands, receiving them in the most hospitable manner. And when they had
finished eating, the Shiekh made bold to ask Antar his adventures, and
why he was travelling. So he related to him all that had passed with his
uncle Malik, and what he had demanded as a marriage dower.
May God disgrace and overthrow and destroy thy uncle, and not save him!
exclaimed the old man; for his only object in making this demand of
thee, is to annihilate and ruin thee. How is that, said Antar, how so?
Know, Aboolfawaris, replied he, that these Asafeer camels are only to be
found among a tribe called the tribe of Shiban, and their chief is King
Monzar, son of Massema, the lieutenant of King Chosroe, whose armies are
innumerable, whose power is irresistible, and he rules all the Arabs of
the wilds and the deserts; and if thou wert to carry off these camels,
who is able to protect thee from King Monzar, or shelter thee? My advice
is, that thou shouldest return home, and not expose thy life to dangers
and death.
Antar remained that night in the tent, and the next day mounted his
Abjer, bade the Shiekh farewell, and thanked him. Shiboob attended him by
his side, and they sat out in quest of the land of Hirah, and when they
had advanced some distance, Antar thought of Ibla, and his absence from
her, and what he had suffered for her, and thus spoke:
“In the land of Shurebah are defiles and valleys; I have quitted them,
and its inhabitants live in my heart: fixed are they therein, and in my
eyes; and even when they are absent from me, they dwell in the black of
mine eye; and when the lightning flashes from their land, I shed tears
of blood, and pass the night leagued with sleeplessness. The breeze of
the fragrant plants makes me remember the luscious balmy airs of the
Zatool-irsad. O Ibla, let thy visionary phantom appear to me, and infuse
soft slumbers over my distracted heart! O Ibla, were it not for my love
of thee, I would not be with so few friends and so many enemies! I am
departing, and the back of my horse shall be my resting place; and my
sword and mail my pillow, till I trample down the lands of Irak, and
destroy their deserts and their cities. When the market for the sale
of lives is established, and they cry out, and the criers proclaim the
goods, and I behold the troops stirring up the war-dust with the thrusts
of spear and sharp scimitars—then will I disperse their horsemen, and the
foe shall be cut down deprived of their hands. The eyes of the envious
shall watch; but the eyes of the pure and the faithful shall sleep; and I
will return with numerous Asafeer camels that my love shall procure, and
Shiboob be my guide.”
As soon as he had finished, his tears flowed abundantly. They travelled
on till they reached the land of Hirah, where they saw populous towns,
plains abounding in flowing streams, date trees and warbling birds, and
sweetly smelling flowers; and the country appeared like a blessing to
enliven the sorrowing heart; and the camels were grazing, and straying
about the land: and they were of various colours, like the flowers of
a garden; and there were she camels, and young camels, and slaves and
attendants. And as soon as he saw them he was all anxiety, quite out of
breath with eagerness. And he felt that his uncle had sent him on this
commission to insure his death and destruction, unless his intrepidity
should guide him through.
Ebe Reeah, said he to Shiboob, I well know that this is a land great
in power, and in no region is there one to be compared to it. We have
nothing for it but prudence and daring fortitude in danger, and a timely
submission to power, that we may obtain what we are in search of, and
return rejoicing and successful. Hasten then, son of my mother, and look
after these Asafeer camels, and mark them, whilst I let my horse Abjer
rest himself. Shiboob consented to what he directed, and leaving his
bow and quiver, disguised himself in the clothes of a slave and feigned
himself sick. Thus he went towards the pastures, where he saw the camels
like young brides; and when the slaves marked Shiboob, they sprang
towards him, welcomed him, and made him sit down, and took out some of
their provisions, and made him eat, asking him whence he came, and what
had happened to him.
I am a slave of the tribe of Zebeed, said he, and Shedad is my master’s
name; and he is a stubborn cruel man, and had no compassion for his
slaves, male or female. So I have run away and have left him, and my wish
is to meet some one who will protect me from him. Remain with us as long
as thou pleasest then, my cousin, said the slaves pitying him, and be
welcome! and thy time shall pass pleasantly enough.
Very thankful was he, and remained with them the rest of the day, and he
told them all manner of lies and deceitful tales till he had marked out
the Asafeer camels, and he saw they were the miracles of the age; and
when evening came on, the slaves and attendants drove away the camels,
and sought their habitations and homes, and Shiboob went with them. But
when they came nigh to the tents, it being now dark, he separated from
them and gave his feet to the wind, seeking the plain till he was in the
presence of Antar, who sprang up to meet him, exclaiming—Tell me, O Ebe
Reeah, what news hast thou! Nothing, said Shiboob, but that we are in
a dangerous position, and under fate and destiny, unless the Lord of
Heaven is our defender and protector.
O Shiboob, said Antar, is it not well known that when a slave exposes
his life to the abyss of danger, he is exalted to the height of glory?
They then concealed themselves till morning dawned, when Antar clad and
incased himself in armour till he appeared like a tower, or a fragment
rent from a mountain; and he went forward till he reached the pastures,
crouching along as a wolf after a sheep.
And when it was day, the Asafeer camels were driven to graze, and behind
every thousand she camels were ten slaves to attend them, that the males
might not annoy them. The she camels ranged about grazing, and the slaves
began to amuse themselves; for they were slaves of the King of the Arab
chiefs, and knew not what it was to be attacked.
These are the Asafeer camels, said Shiboob, so make thy plan, and act as
it seems best to thee. Run on, said Antar, and occupy the road to Hirah,
so that their cries be not raised against us, ere we be far away out of
this country. As thou pleasest, brother, said Shiboob. And he moved along
on tiptoe over the plain, till he came in the rear of the slaves, when
he seated himself on his knees, and emptying his quiver of arrows before
him, waited their attack. As to Antar, he urged on Abjer, and plunged
amongst the he and she camels, and cut off a thousand of the Asafeer
camels with his spear, crying out to the slaves—Ye base born, drive away
these camels, and on before me! or my sword will be stained with your
blood.
When the slaves heard Antar, they were terrified at his enormous bulk and
gigantic shape, and the rolling of his eyes, and the weight of his arms.
They drove the camels before him, and goaded them on with the points
of their spears, and they fled away before them like eagles. And thus
they proceeded till about the third hour, when behold a great dust arose
and darkened the land; and when it dispersed there appeared a party of
Arabs of the tribe of Zakhim and Juzam, about twelve thousand horsemen;
all hardy warriors armed with sharp swords and long spears, screaming
out—Whither are ye going, ye dastards—hence is there no escape out of
this land!
Now the cause of the arrival of this troop of horsemen was as follows—The
slaves that had escaped from Antar and Shiboob sought their homes and
habitations, and it happened that they encountered the train and equipage
of Monzar on a hunting party, attended by his warriors and his troops;
who, turning towards his son Numan—Speed your horse on a little, my son,
said he, and bring me intelligence of these shepherds. Now Numan was his
eldest son. So Numan directed his horse towards the slaves, and enquired
whither they came. O Prince, said the shepherds, a black Knight, mounted
on a black steed, and whose voice is the roar of a lion, darted down upon
us and seized a thousand of the Asafeer camels, and carried them off.
No sooner had Numan heard this account of the shepherds, than he cried
out to the men and the warriors that accompanied him, and slackening his
horse’s bridle, galloped after Antar, and twelve thousand in number were
the lion heroes that followed him. And they halted not till they overtook
Antar, as we mentioned, and cried out as we described.
When Antar saw them, he smiled, for battle was his joy and delight. O!
thou black born, said he to Shiboob, I want thee to guard the camels,
whilst I shew thee a day of horrors among these miscreants. He then
turned the camels into a mountain cave, and received the warriors as
the parched-up earth receives the first of the rain; and he penetrated
through the thick dust with blows irresistible and never failing.
Whatever he struck, he slew, and wherever he thrust, he hurled down; and
for one hour he overwhelmed them in death and perdition; and the foremost
shrunk back upon the rear, crying out at him from a distance, for no
one dared to approach the spot where he was. As to Shiboob, the slaves
betrayed him, and refused to drive on the camels.
But when Numan saw that his troops and men fell back, and perceived
how Antar was handling them in the combat, his mind and senses were
greatly agitated, and he cried out to them—May God disgrace you among the
Arabs!—are you reduced to this by a single black slave, a mean, paltry
herdsman? The horsemen took courage, and poured down upon Antar from all
sides, but Antar continually slaughtered them, always gaining upon them,
never flinching, though their numbers were immense. Thus was he in the
midst of dangers, when lo! his horse stumbled, and throwing him on the
ground, rushed from out the thick dust and tumult, his saddle unoccupied
by his master Antar. Shiboob thought he was killed and trampled to death!
the tears flowed from his eyes, he gave his feet to the winds, and he
sought the wide desert, whilst the slaves and shepherds cried out to the
horsemen and warriors, who pursued Shiboob from all quarters; and they
were seventy in number, all after Shiboob, who depended on the power
of his muscles. The horses were straining themselves to catch him, but
they could not pass him, or come up with him, from the grey dawn of day
till the sun became tinged with yellow. But when evening came on, woe
and dismay fell upon him, and just as he was convinced of his ruin and
death, he reached a cavern in the hollow of a mountain, and near it stood
a swarthy youth tending sheep; before him was a fire blazing; and he was
sitting down preparing his dinner, and his sheep were grazing in front
of him. As soon as Shiboob saw him, he made towards him, O young man, he
cried, help me—I put myself under thy protection, for I am a stranger,
and I am exposed to peril and danger in this land. I am nearly dead, and
my enemies have already slain my brother. Yes, by thy father, said the
youth (for his heart had compassion on him.) I will indeed protect thee,
and I will not deliver thee up till I am myself slain. Enter the cavern,
and consider thyself secure from the deceits of the wicked.
Shiboob entered the cave, where he had scarcely concealed himself, when
the horsemen also arrived, fleet as eagles, shouting aloud—Boy, son of
a two thousand horned cuckold, bring out to us that devil who has slain
our horsemen, and staggered our senses, that we may tear his body in
pieces with the points of the spear, and hack him with the blades of our
scimitars. God curse him who gave him birth! how strong are his muscles!
O Arabs, said the shepherd, grant him to me, I pray ye, and accept of my
guarantee for him, for I have protected him, knowing nothing about you;
he is under my security and protection. Thine is not and never shall
be any protection, cried they, so bring him out, or we will slay thee
together with him; for his brother has destroyed three thousand of our
famed horsemen; he is indeed a very devil, and we have experienced from
him what we never even saw from the Genii.[4]
When the peasant heard them he was fearfully alarmed, for were he to
oppose them, they would soon destroy him. O Arabs, said he, do but remove
about seventy paces from the cavern door, that I may enter and bring him
out of my protection. Do so, said they; and they retired from the cavern,
and the shepherd entered, and perceived Shiboob trembling for his life.
You have heard, young man, said the shepherd, what has passed between me
and these men. My vows have been overruled, and I have exposed myself to
death and annihilation. I can do nothing towards your escape, but at the
hazard of my own life; yet will I not forfeit my protection. Had I but
ten horsemen of the tribe of Asad, they should not approach you, no not
one of them; but I am alone in this wilderness and desert. So throw off
your clothes, and put on mine; take these provisions and this wallet,
sling it over your shoulder, and with my staff in your hand, hasten out
of the cavern, and drive away the sheep, and when you come up to them,
say—O Arabs, I went into the cave, in order to bring him out, but he will
not stir, so come along, and I will shew him to you—they will dismount
and enter the cavern, and then do you look after yourself.
Shiboob thanked him from his heart for his kind assistance: he slung on
the wallet, and took the staff in his hand, and went out of the cavern,
and the darkness of night concealed him from the eyes of observers; and
when he came up to them he spoke to them as the shepherd had directed
him: they immediately dismounted and went towards the cavern; but Shiboob
gave his feet to the wind, and traversed the rocky crags until he was far
off among the wilds and the deserts: and thus he secured his life from
death and destruction, and sought relief from the contents of the wallet.
In the mean time the Shibanians entered the cave, and dragged out the
shepherd, thinking it was Shiboob; they looked at him by the light of the
fire, and they saw it was the shepherd dressed in Shiboob’s clothes; for
he had preferred to expose his life to death and torture, rather than
discredit his protection. Why hast thou done this deed, cried they, and
given up thy life to death and perdition for the sake of a stranger?
Arabs, replied the shepherd, he sought my protection, and I protected
him. You came in search of him; you would not accept my proposal, and
I was not able to drive you away. But if I have enraged you, kill me
at once, and I shall have rescued him by the sacrifice of my life and
existence, and shall not have forfeited my word, or broken my faith.
Moreover between you and me, there is no blood or revenge. I have indeed
fallen into your power; but if you will have the kindness to release me,
I will thank you in every part of the world, otherwise do as you list,
and decide as you judge best.
The Shibanians were astonished, and they could not find it in their
hearts to kill him. He indeed rejoiced in his friendly act, and the
preservation of his duty; so they let him go, and returned vexed and
dispirited. As to Shiboob, as soon as he was safe, he travelled on till
morning, passing over plains and deserts; but what was most grievous to
him was the thought of returning to the tribe of Abs, and the triumph
of his foes, and the envious; particularly the family of Zeead, and the
ruffian Amarah, and Shas and Rebia; then he wept for his brother Antar,
in these verses.
“O Knight of the Horse, why, alas, has the steed to mourn thee? why,
alas, has the barb of the spear to announce thy death in wailings? O
that the day had never been, that I saw thee felled to the earth, cut
down—stretched out—and the points of the lances aimed at thee! Could
the vicissitudes of fortune accept of any ransom, oh. I would have
redeemed thee from the calamities of fortune! Thine uncle has in his
wiles and frauds made thee drink of the cup. But may thy cup-bearer, O
son of my mother, ne’er taste of the moisture of dew! and thy cousin will
mourn thee, and she belongs to thy foe, whose slave thou wouldst never
consent to be. O Knight of the Horse, I have no strength of mind—I have
not a heart that can ever feel consolation for thee in my sorrows! and
the war-steed amongst the troopers as he neighs will turn towards thee,
mourning for thee, like a childless woman in despair.”
When Shiboob had finished these verses, he went on passing over deserts
and wilds, seeking the tribe of Abs and Adnan, whilst his tears flowed in
streams. But as to Antar, when his horse stumbled beneath him, he started
on his legs, he brandished his sword in his right, and supported his
shield on his left, and he made towards the warriors—he slew them till
he made mounds of dead, he overwhelmed them with his shouts, bellowing
out—“O Ibla, by thine eyes, will I slay this day these horsemen!” and
he rushed upon them like a furious lion, till the blood flowed from all
parts of his body. And in the thickest of the battle he happened to step
on a skull, and his feet slipping from under him, he fell down at his
full length. And they gave him not time to rise ere they bound fast his
shoulders, his arms, and his ribs and his feet, and brought him before
Numan.
He was all astonishment at the horror of his make, at the immensity of
his stature, and the agitation of his eyes. Numan ordered them to tie him
across the back of his horse and convey him to the King; that he might do
what he thought proper with him. They obeyed his orders, and bound him
on the back of Abjer, and they all returned to the land of Hirah. At the
moment of their arrival, King Monzar returned from hunting. When, behold
there appeared against them a lion of the lions of Khifan. Now the wild
beasts of Khifan were proverbial; and he came upon them with a loud roar,
and the fierce warriors attacked him. Numan presented Antar to his father
and when he looked at him, he was terrified and confounded.
What Arab art thou? said he. My lord, replied Antar, I am of the tribe
of the noble Abs. One of its warriors, demanded Monzar, or one of its
slaves?—“Nobility, my lord, said Antar, amongst liberal men, is the
thrust of the spear, the blow of the sword, and patience beneath the
battle dust. I am the physician of the tribe of Abs when they are in
sickness, their protector in disgrace, the defender of their wives when
they are in trouble, and their horseman when they are in glory, and their
sword when they rush to arms.”
Monzar was astonished at his fluency of speech, his magnanimity and his
intrepidity, for he was then in the dishonourable state of a prisoner,
and force had overpowered him. What urged thee to this violence on my
property, added Monzar, and seizure of my camels? My lord, said Antar,
the tyranny of my uncle obliged me to this act: for I was brought up
with his daughter, and I had passed my life in her service. And when
he saw me demand her in marriage, he asked of me as a marriage dower, a
thousand Asafeer camels. I was ignorant, and knew nothing about them; so
I consented to his demand, and set out in quest of them; I have outraged
you, and am consequently reduced to this miserable state.
Hast thou then, said Monzar, with all this fortitude and eloquence,
and propriety of manners, exposed thy life to the sea of death, and
endangered thine existence for the sake of an Arab girl? “Yes, my lord,
said Antar; it is love that emboldens man to encounter dangers and
horrors; and no lover is excusable but he who tastes the bitterness of
absence after the sweetness of enjoyment; and there is no peril to be
apprehended, but from a look from beneath the corner of a veil: and what
misfortune can drive man to his destruction, but a woman who is the root
and branch of it!” Then tears filled his eyes, and sighs burst from his
sorrowing heart, as he thus exclaimed:
“The eye-lashes of the songstress from the corner of the veil, are more
cutting than the edge of the cleaving scimitars; and when they wound the
brave are humbled, and the corners of their eyes are flooded with tears.
May God cause my uncle to drink of the draught of death at my hand! may
his hand be withered, and his fingers palsied! for how could he drive
one like me to destruction by his arts, and make my hopes depend on
the completion of his avaricious projects. Truly Ibla, on the day of
departure, bade me adieu, and said I should never return. O lightnings!
waft my salutation to her, and to all the places and pastures where she
dwells. O ye dwellers in the forests of Tamarisks, if I die, mourn for me
when my eyes are plucked out by the hungry fowls of the air. O ye steeds,
mourn for a Knight who could engage the lions of death in the field of
battle. Alas, I am an outcast, and in sorrow. I am humbled into galling
fetters, fetters that cut to my soul.”
When Antar had finished, Monzar was surprized at his eloquence and
fortitude, and strength of mind and virtue. Now Monzar himself was one of
the most eloquent of Arabs, and he was convinced that Antar was sincere
in his grief; but he knew not the story of his life. Whilst Antar and
Monzar were conversing, behold the people ran away from their presence.
On inquiring what was the matter, O victorious and irresistible monarch,
they exclaimed, a savage lion has appeared among us, is destroying the
horsemen, and dispersing the brave heroes. Spears make no impression
on his carcase, and no one dares to attack him. Assault him, cried
the King, before he takes refuge in the forest, and cuts off the road
of the travellers, and renders the ways unsafe, and we therefore be
dishonoured. As soon as Antar heard this, his afflictions were relieved.
Tell your people to expose me to this lion, said he to the King, and if
he should destroy me, you will be amply revenged, and your dishonour
be cleared up: for I have slaughtered your troops, and destroyed your
warriors; but should I slay the lion, reward me as I deserve, and do not
refuse me justice. The King ordered the cords to be loosened: the guards
came up to him and untied his hands, and were about to untie his feet
also; but he cried out, Loosen only my hands, leave my feet bound as they
are, that there may be no retreat from the lion. He grasped his sword and
his shield, and jumping along in his fetters, he thus exclaimed.
“Come on, thou dog of the forests and the hills! this day at my hand
will I make thee drink of death. Soon wilt thou meet a Knight, a lion
warrior, a chief tried in battle. O then, attack not one like me, for I
am a chosen hero. Attack the horsemen, thou dog of the waste, but whither
wilt thou escape from me this day? Take this from my cleaving sword, that
deals sorrows, deaths and pestilence from the slave of a tribe, that
braves death and woe, and never fails.”
Monzar was much astonished at his address to the lion, and he advanced
with his attendants, to behold what Antar might do. And when they came
near him, they perceived it was an immense lion, of the size of a camel,
with broad nostrils and long claws, his face was wide, and ghastly was
his form; his strength swelling; he grinned with his teeth clenched like
a vice, and the corners of his jaws were like grappling irons. When the
lion beheld Antar in his fetters, he crouched to the ground, and extended
himself out; his mane bristled up; he made a spring at him: and as he
approached, Antar met him with his sword, which entered by his forehead,
and penetrated through him, issuing out at the extremity of his back
bone. O by Abs and Adnan! cried Antar, I will ever be the lover of Ibla.
And the lion fell down, cut in twain, and cleft into two equal portions;
for the spring of the lion, and the force of the arm of the glorious
warrior, just met. Then, wiping his sword on the lion, he thus spoke.
“Wilt thou e’er know, O Ibla, the perils I have encountered in the land
of Irak? My uncle has beguiled me with his hypocrisy and artifice,
and has acted barbarously towards me in demanding the marriage dower.
I plunged myself into a sea of deaths, and repaired to Irak, without
friends. I drove away the camels and the shepherds single handed; and I
was returning home burning with the flame of anxious love. I quitted them
not till there arose behind me the dust of the hoofs of the high mettled
steeds. I encountered on every side the war dust, and illumined it with
my thin bladed faulchion, whilst the horsemen clamoured beneath it, so
that I thought the thunder had let loose its uproars. As I retired, I
found that my uncle had deceived me with his frauds and stratagems. But
I did not fail till my horse was exhausted, and faultered in the charge,
and the crush of combats. Then I dismounted and drove away whole armies
with my sword, as I would have driven away the camels. I rushed upon the
horsemen that fiercely scoured the plain, piercing chests and eye balls;
but at the close of the day I was wearied and made captive; for my elbows
and my legs were deprived of all strength. They dragged me to a noble
prince, high and magnificent—May his glory endure! Then too, I engaged
a lion, fierce in the onset, and harsh of heart, with a face like the
circumference of a shield, whose eye balls flashed fire like hot coals.
I rushed at him with my sword. I met him in my fetters, so that Monzar
might bestow on me what might gratify my uncle, and favor me with the
desired camels.”
Monzar heard him, and beheld his acts. This is verily a miracle of the
time, and the wonder of the age and world, said he to his attendants;
his intrepidity and eloquence and perseverance are enough to confound
the universe; with him I will effect with Chosroe what is the object of
my wishes, and I will establish the superiority of the Arabs over the
Persians.
Now Monzar was an intelligent man, and very regular in the administration
of justice, and prudent in policy. For this reason Chosroe had appointed
him King over the Arabs; and when he was present in the palace of
Chosroe, he enjoyed superior dignities, and he was never stiled but as
King of the Arabs. And Chosroe used to treat him as a friend, and to eat
and drink with him; and when they were busy in conversation, Monzar used
to describe to him the peculiarities of Mecca and the sacred shrine, and
their glory over the Deelimites and the Persians, and used to recite to
him the verses of the eloquent men. And Chosroe, in his impartiality, was
pleased with him, and enjoyed his society, and loved to dignify him with
presents of gold and silver, for the Chosroes of Persia were renowned
for their love of justice and impartiality, and abhorred oppression and
violence, ruling mankind with liberality and generosity. He had over his
head a bell of red gold, and a chain attached to it on the outside of the
palace; and whenever he touched the bell, the attendants went out and
complainants entered his presence; and he decided such matters himself.
Now it happened that Monzar, previous to Antar’s falling into his hands,
had visited Modayin, and presented himself to Chosroe, and staid with
him some days, and he was honored with a rich robe and various presents.
One of the officers envied him, and when he was alone with the King,
he ventured to say, Why do you so honour, O King, this wild Bedoween,
this worshipper of stone, and raise his dignity so high? Whether he is
absent or present, he is a poor despicable wretch; for all the Arabs are
but shepherds, and worshippers of images; there is no religion and no
faith among them, and they are only ennobled by theft and cunning, and
robberies and rogueries.
This officer thus became jealous of the honours enjoyed by Monzar, and
his heart was estranged from him. And he was one of the warriors of
Deelim, and was a leader of twenty thousand Persians, and he was called
Khosrewan, the son of Jorham. He was always talking contemptuously of the
Arabs, repeating falsehoods of them, till at last he effected a change in
the heart of the just King.
If, O King, said he, as he ended the conversation, thou art desirous
of thoroughly understanding this man whom thou hast appointed over the
Arabs, and of having a proof of his ignorance and ill-breeding, ask him
to come and eat meat and dates; order the servants to give him dates
from which the stones are not extracted, and to place before you dates
ready stoned; and let there be instead of stones, almonds, sugar plumbs,
and skinned nuts, and see what he will do. Chosroe complied, and invited
Monzar to eat meat and dates; and he ordered the servants to do as
Khosrewan had recommended. So after dinner, the servants produced the
plates of dates. Chosroe and the Persians ate away and swallowed them,
for there were no stones to throw aside. Monzar looked at them, and
thought within himself—Most certainly to day is a festival with them, for
they are worshippers of fire; so I must eat like them, and must fashion
my manners to theirs. So Monzar ate, and swallowed the stones; but one
sadly puzzled him, so the attendants burst out into a loud laugh; and
Chosroe also laughed. And Monzar was abashed at their pleasantry. May
your glory last for ever, O King of the world, said he. But the wrath
and indignation of Monzar increased. What makes your attendants laugh?
said he; You have eaten dates and swallowed the stones, said Chosroe;
’tis for that we are laughing at you. I, O King, said Monzar, imitated
you and your companions, and I ate as you ate, for I perceived you eating
the dates and swallowing the stones, and I wished to do as you had done.
Our dates, said Chosroe, are without stones; and instead of stones there
are almonds and sugar plums and peeled nuts, so that we eat them without
trouble or annoyance. Why, said Monzar, did you not give me some of what
you eat yourself? Still I am your guest. Yet this is a proof that I am an
object of ridicule to you, and you have only invited me that you and your
companions might expose me. But I am still at all times your slave, and
indebted to your bounty for whatever you have thought proper to do unto
me.
He remained some time longer with Chosroe, and then returned to the
land of Hirah, having asked permission to revisit his family and native
country. And when he reached his capital, he wrote letters to the tribes
of Wayil and Bekir and Jelhema, and he said in the letters—Attack
Modayin, plunder the people and the inhabitants, lay waste the villages,
and put to the sword the merchants of Persia, and plunder the property of
Deelem. Be afraid of no man should any oppose you; but slaughter them and
seize their property, and plunder them.
When these letters, in which the whole circumstance was described reached
the different tribes, they were greatly incensed, and sent Sewid the son
of Amil to plunder the inhabitants. And Handala ransacked the stores and
granaries, and seized the property of the travellers; and Harith the son
of Joshem plundered the lands of Zilah, sparing neither high nor low.
After this, confusion and rebellion rose up in the villages, and the
whole country dreaded the Arabs. Many of the Persians were beheaded, and
the Persian merchants cried out from all quarters against Chosroe. The
day of judgment seemed to have come upon him, and he was overwhelmed with
shame. He desired his minister Mubidan to write to Monzar an account of
all that had passed, and that he should punish the Arab tribes, or he
would disperse them among the plains and the deserts.
So the minister wrote to Monzar a letter, in which he said “To him, whom
we recognise as King of the Arabs! Truly the heart of the just King is
greatly irritated against you, on account of the depredations committed
by the Arabs on his subjects. You must slay the rebels and offenders, and
chastise those that have oppressed the weak, if you are obedient to the
Persian government, and attend to the orders of the imperial monarch; and
peace be with you from the protecting fire!” He folded up the letter and
sealed it and sent it to Monzar, and when it reached him he opened it and
read it, and wrote in answer to it these words:
“To him whom we recognise as the just King! Truly my character is
despised amongst the Arabs, my reputation is on the decline, my authority
amongst them is weakened, and my honour is considerably discredited,
since they heard what you did to me about eating the dates. My power is
at an end, because they think I am an object of ridicule with you; so
they have therefore renounced their allegiance to me, and have separated
themselves from my dominion. Such are the acts they have committed, and
they will not obey my commands. You must look after your own country, and
mind your own administration.”
When Chosroe received this answer, he read it, and understood its
contents. Verily, said he, these vagabond Arabs have a design upon me,
and this dog of dogs would trample upon me. But if I do not degrade and
humble him, I am not the King of the age.
Who, O King of the age, said the satrap Khosrewan, the original cause
of all this trouble, is this Monzar, that you should trouble yourself
about him? By your life, I am able to take him prisoner, I will slay his
horsemen, and will destroy his allies. I will bring him and his children
to you, all bound with cords; and if you order me, I will kill them all,
and will bring you his sons and his daughters, and most costly plunder.
Khosrewan, said Chosroe, you are the only person for this expedition,
for it is all your doing; so prepare, and march with the troops under
your command; and if you conquer the King of the Arabs, kill him not,
but bring him to me a prisoner, that I may disgrace him and punish him,
and let him feel his own situation; and afterwards I will grant him his
life. Khosrewan accordingly made his preparations in three days, and set
out with twenty thousand horsemen, armed with gilded shields and cleaving
swords; and Khosrewan was at their head, like a lion.
But King Monzar, as soon as he observed Antar’s blow at the lion, and
remarked his eloquence and his poetry, felt assured that he was a
distinguished hero and warrior, and he thought it wiser to spare his
life, and not put him to death: but for the ends of justice he determined
to keep him a prisoner. So he detained him in custody; saying, by the
faith of an Arab, I will not proceed to extremities with respect to this
black warrior, for his equal is not to be found in the whole world. Guard
this horseman, said he to his sons, until an answer reach us to our
letter from the Persian King; and we will then persuade him that it is
this wretch who has plundered the cities and killed his subjects, and who
has excited against us the Arab hordes. This will give a strong colour
to our excuses in all points, and thus we shall gain our objects upon
our enemies. So Antar remained with the King imprisoned and chained; and
Monzar entered Hirah and awaited the answer.
It was about the beginning of the day when Monzar mounted his horse and
rode out to inhale the news; when lo! a dust from the direction of Persia
appeared, and the whole country was blackened and darkened, and from
beneath it came forth Persian horsemen, and the armies of Deelem. Take
your implements of war, cried Monzar, ply the blow and the thrust, and
protect the families and the women, or eternal will be your disgrace; for
truly the offences against propriety in conversation, and the blunders of
the tongue are the calamities of man. And he sent for all the clans of
the tribe of Shiban, and all the Arab hordes; and the Persian troops gave
them no rest, but poised their spears, and grasped their swords. The two
parties met, and attacked: blood abundantly flowed, eyes were fixed, and
were scared. Khosrewan advanced: he assailed the tribes of Arabia and his
heart was overjoyed; he dashed towards the standard of Monzar; he overset
them, and he destroyed the horsemen, and annihilated them.
Now Monzar had encountered the Persians with only twelve thousand
men; and the evening did not close before four thousand of them were
slaughtered, and the remainder returned, seeking safety in flight; the
Persians pursuing them until the shades of night surrounded them; when
the Persians dismounting to repose themselves, Khosrewan also halted and
shouted aloud; and when they had pitched their tents and lighted their
fires, he ordered his satraps and generals to surround the whole city of
Hirah, and to guard the roads and highways.
But Monzar, who entered Hirah routed and discomfited, gnawed his hands
from shame, and was quite bewildered and beside himself. He sat down
attended by his three sons, Numan, Aswad, and Amroo; and whilst they were
consulting and debating, in rushed a slave—O my lord, cried he, that
Absian warrior who is in my custody, when he heard the uproar in the
morning, asked me what was the matter? We informed him what had happened;
then, said he, Conduct me to your King, that I may point out to him the
means of destroying his enemies, even were they as numerous as the sand
of the desert. Produce him, said Monzar, let us hear what he has to say,
and let us release him from his fetters. But Antar was that day thinking
of his cousin, and of his expedition to procure her dower, and to seize
the Asafeer camels, and his falling into captivity, and his failure.
Then, as he sighed from his overcharged heart, he thus recited:
“Tell Zoheir and Malik of me, tell Ibla of me in unvarnished language,
that I seized the camels flaunting over the plains, and that I felled
down the armies on the day of terrors; say that I was marching away with
the property and the beauteous camels, when the stern faced horsemen
of Sakim forced them from me. My steed hurled me on the battle field,
and betrayed me, and subjected me to the thrusts of every shield-armed
hero. Then I retired as a hostage, in chains: and I have merited them;
and I moved along in them, like one overwhelmed with confusion. Had it
not been for the assault of the lion among them, and their cry to me—Aid
us, O Antar! when I met him, fettered as I was—they never would have
acknowledged that I was the slayer of armies. When the furious beast flew
at me, I feared not. My sword cleaved the body of the lion, and I forced
it out through his thighs in an instant, and I wiped it on his skin.
They have cast me into a sea of deaths, anxious for my destruction, but I
tumbled him down like one precipitated from a mountain’s height.”
We have told King Monzar, said the attendant as he entered Antar’s
prison; he now demands you, in order to hear your proposal. Antar got up
and went with them into the presence of the King, who ordered the fetters
to be taken off from his feet, and the cords to be cut that bound his
hands. Then he sighed, and thus spoke.
“May God forgive me that my soul is hardened, for my uncle beguiled me
and exposed me to perils, and in his vile artifices has cast me into
an abyss of fire, whose flames encompass me. I am become tortured of
heart, fettered, my fingers and hands bound round my neck. Few are there
like me in the day of the wood-entangled spears, when heroes contend
in the fierce charge: O King of the world, thy sea is expansive as the
glittering sword among men and dæmons. When the warriors charge—then
expose me to them and try my assault—my battle among them. Be thou
victorious, with Antar’s aid, and convert, my lord, thy fears into
security. Protect but my rear with a thousand lion heroes, and thou shalt
view the wonders of my sword and my spear. Thou shalt see a lion driving
away the horsemen with a scimitar that surpasses the lightning’s flash
in brilliancy. Grant me the dower for my beloved Ibla, of the thousand
camels, that have excited me to this enterprize. O Ibla, fear not the foe
on my account, when they crowd about me, and the war horses charge: for
death is but my own form—my own qualities, and there is no prosperity but
what is attached to my bridle. I am the youth that fells the horsemen
in my strength—a youth whose equal exists not on earth. O breezes! I
implore ye by the pillars at Mecca, by Zemzem—by the sacred plains and
Mesdelifa,—when ye pass the land of Sheerebah, waft my salutation to
Zoheir and his royal sons, and say to the sorrowing Shiboob, hast thou
forgotten my faith—renounced my vows? for thou art my foster brother, my
stay, my support when my friends betray me and persecute me—O Shiboob,
haste then, my brother, haste that thou mayst see what I have suffered,
and what has befallen me—that thou mayst see a battle that will make thee
forget the past, and that thou mayst see, O Shiboob, the boundless height
of my glory; For my ambition soars above the Pleiades, and my fortunate
star sparkles with brilliant rays.”
The King was exceedingly surprised at Antar’s bursts of poetry and
strength of mind; and he was convinced of victory with his sword and
spear. O Absian, said he, what is this I have heard of you to day, when
you heard the shouts and the attack of the enemy? Truly, my lord, replied
Antar, my gall was nearly bursting when I heard that you had been
obliged to fly from these cauldrons of dogs; this disgrace can never be
erased from the Arabs. What can men do, said Monzar, when double their
numbers attack them? and they are overwhelmed by those who do not fear
their carnage? Man, said Antar, must patiently resist, and drink of the
cup of death as he drinks the purest water, and not fly or run away. I
am now in your power, and I demand of you the marriage dower of Ibla, my
uncle’s daughter; restore me my sword, my cuirass, my arms, and my horse,
and give me a thousand men to defend my rear; and you shall see what my
courage and force will effect against your foes.
By the virtue of the Kaaba, said Monzar, O Absian, if you perform what
you state, and destroy this army—all my property, my he and she camels
are all at your disposal. Not one of us shall remain behind the tent
wall, but we will exert our utmost energies against the foe, and we
will strike with our swords, and thrust with our spears. And he ordered
his horse and his arms and his cuirass to be restored. And early on the
morrow, a loud shout arose from amongst the Persians, eager to plunder
the property and capture the women and the children; but the Arabs went
forth against them, and at their head was Antar, the hero of conquest;
and he cried out—Your hopes have failed, you cauldron of dogs, you shall
this day see Antar perform what nations shall record. Then he cried, O by
thy eyes, O Ibla, and thus repeated:
“On the day of battle exquisite is the carnage.—Come forth then against
me, ye men of abomination—in me ye shall meet a Knight whose blow strikes
life dead. I am the Antar of horsemen in the contest, that makes armies
and warriors drink of ignominy, a draught from his hand with the polished
sword that glides through the neck, in the battle field. Soon will I
plunge into the war dust till I encounter Khosrewan, and make him drink
of the cup of death; I will make him taste from my sword a draught,
after which he shall never taste of pure water. Ye shall see the horse
scattered o’er the wastes—the Himyarite chiefs shall be bound on their
saddles. I am the lion, foremost in war, and mine arm is the horror of
warriors. Mine is honour and good fortune and glory, and my star is high
above the brilliant Arcturus.”
He then received the attack of the horse as the parched up ground
the first of the rain; and his thrusts were the thrusts that blinded
vision, and equalled fate and destiny. He overthrew heroes and destroyed
warriors, and in an hour blood was flowing and streaming, and bowels
were ripped open. When the Persians observed these dreadful deeds they
advanced from all quarters. The voice, of Antar was like the thunder’s
peal, and his thrusts more rapid than the flash of the lightning; and
the Arab warriors, encouraged at his steadiness, felt convinced of
victory after defeat; but as soon as the Persians saw these descending
misfortunes, their hearts regretted what had passed, and the land and the
region appeared too confined for them. The whole country was blackened in
their eyes, their avidity was frustrated in the capture of the sons and
daughters.
Affairs continued in this position till mid-day, and they toiled in the
battle fiercer than a blaze of fire. And when the heat oppressed the
warriors, the Persians gave way, and sought refuge in their tents, and
gave a loose to their despair. Many were the horses deprived of their
riders. Their chief, Khosrewan, stood under the standards, and the delay
seemed tedious, for he was expecting that his companions would return
with the captives and the spoil; when, lo! they indeed returned, but in
flight. O my lord, they cried in reply to his questions, the Arabs have
vanquished us—we have seen a prodigy among them—and if you do not come
down upon that chosen horseman, not a head or tail of us will survive;
for he fails not where he aims; he succeeds in whatever he undertakes;
and if he attacks a whole troop, he disperses it; if he assaults a
horseman, he overthrows him, and his voice is like a crash of thunder;
the moment a man hears it a universal ague seizes him; and he is like a
lion when he assaults, and he drives away the warriors before him like a
flock of sheep.
As Khosrewan heard this he was greatly enraged, and fire flashed from
his eyes. Whence comes this horseman, he exclaimed, to this country? and
to what Arabs is he related? Then starting from beneath the standards he
sought the place of slaughter, and the scene of attack. In his hand he
bore a long mace with which he assailed the troops; he dived through the
dust, and the heroes trembled at his mace, as the dust rolled over his
horse.
Now Monzar was directing his sons to move beyond the precincts of Hirah,
when the form of victory and triumph appeared to him in the odour of that
black lion. He sat down in his tent, and seated Antar by him, for he was
dearer to him than all his family and relations; he congratulated him,
and gave him to eat, and there was no end to his attentions and kindness;
and as he engaged to him every favour, he said, if I knew your heart
would be gratified by remaining with me, I would send a messenger to your
King, and would offer him my friendship, and I would direct him to take
Ibla from her father and send her to us, whether he will or not. But I
fear you will not allow me to do, what your heart would not sanction.
I cannot possibly remain here, replied Antar; every day appears a
thousand years to me; but I swear by all your munificence towards me,
were even my heart to burst with the fierceness of my love and passion,
I will not quit this country till I have accomplished your wishes in
destroying your foul enemies: to-morrow, by the grace of God, I will
rout their army. To-morrow I will go out to the field of battle; I will
challenge Khosrewan; and I will invite him to terminate the affair,
and if he engages me, I will make him drink of the cup of death; and
afterwards I will put to flight these troops of horse over the plains
and the deserts. When they had finished eating and drinking, and their
conversation about the battle and the contest, they retired to rest and
sleep. As soon as the morning dawned with a smile, the horsemen rushed on
anxious for the fight and the conflict; and as Khosrewan was preparing
to proceed to the field, lo! from the Arab army there came forth a man
between the two ranks, and stood conspicuous amidst the two armies,
and both parties gazed at him. He was like a strong battlement, quite
immersed in steel; in his hand was a sparkling blade, and he had a long
spear slung over him, and under him was a steed of the colour of gold,
indefatigable in labour, as an Arab poet has described.
“Praise a yellow steed of the colour of gold, for he is of the horses
noblest in pedigree; his rider shall outstrip every warrior in the
beauty of his shape and paces. He may be in the evening at Tekmet, and in
the morning at Aleppo.”
And he gallopped over the plain to and fro, and he disclosed a
countenance like that of a Ghoul; the warriors and heroes marked him: and
lo! it was the illustrious chieftain and intrepid warrior, Aboolfawaris,
Antar the son of Shedad; and he came forth to put an end to the Persian
contest and to slay their general; and thus return to his family and
country with wealth and riches. He dashed into the centre of the army;
he disdained the common herd, and would not condescend to challenge
them. He burst on the right, and discomfited it; and slew threescore and
ten—he rushed on to the left, and forced it in confusion on the right;
he returned again to the centre, seeking carnage and bloodshed. He was
mounted on a mare, for his horse Abjer, wounded the day before, was still
unfit for the day of encounter. And when he was in the centre, between
the two armies—he thus spoke.
“Relieve my pains—ease my sorrows. Sally forth, aye, every lion warrior.
Taste a draught at the edge of my sword, more bitter than the cups of
Absynth. When death appears in the crowded ranks, then challenge me to
the meeting of armies. Ye Persians, I heed ye not, I heed ye not. Where
is he who wishes to fight me, and wants to make me drink the liquor of
death. Bring him forth, let him see what he will meet from my spear under
the shades of the war-dust. I swear, O Ibla, he shall eat of death. By
thy teeth, luscious to the kiss, and by thine eyes, and all the pangs of
their enchantment, and their beauty, were thy nightly visionary form not
to appear to me, never should I taste of sleep. O thou my hope! O may the
western breeze tell thee of my ardent wish to return home. May it waft
thee my salutation, when the sparkling dawn bursts the veil of night. May
God moisten thy nights, and bedew thee with his rain-charged clouds. May
peace dwell with thee as long as the western and northern breeze shall
blow.”
When Antar had finished—behold Khosrewan—he appeared on the plain, and
he was mounted on a long tailed steed, marked with the new moon on his
forehead, and on his body was a strong coat of mail well knit together,
the workmanship of David; and armed with an imperial casque and a
glittering sword; and under his thighs were four small darts, each like
a blazing flame. And when he came forth on the field of battle he roared
aloud, and contemptuously of the Arabs. Antar assailed him: high arose
the dust about them, so that they were hid from the sight. They exhibited
most extraordinary prowess; they separated, they clung to each other,
now they sported, now they were in earnest; they gave and took, they
were close, they were apart, until it was mid-day, and both had severely
toiled. But whenever Khosrewan attempted to assail Antar and strike him
with his mace, he ever found him vigilant and on his guard, and aware
of his intent. So he darted away from him in order to gallop over the
field, and would exhibit all his manœuvres and stratagems; but Antar kept
him employed, and wearied him, and prevented his executing his designs,
so that the chieftain’s wrath became intense. He snatched up one of his
darts, and shook it and hurled it at him—it flew from his hand like the
blinding lightning, or descending fate. Antar stood firm, and when it
came near him, he met it, and dexterously turning it off by his shield,
it bounded away, and fell upon the ground far off. Khosrewan snatched out
a second dart and levelled if at him; but Antar sprang out of its way,
and it passed harmless. He aimed a third; but Antar rendered it fruitless
by his dexterity and his persevering activity. He hurled the fourth, but
it shared the same fate as the others.
When Khosrewan saw how Antar had parried the darts, his indignation
was extreme. Again he took up his mace, and he roared even as a lion
roars—then stretching himself out with it, he hurled it, backing it with
a howl that made the plains and the air rebellow. Antar threw away his
spear and met the mace and caught it with his right hand in the air;
then, aiming it at Khosrewan, he cried out, take that, thou son of a
two thousand horned cuckold! I am the lover of Ibla, and am alone—the
Phœnix of the world. Khosrewan saw him grasp the mace in the air, and was
horrified, for his strength and force were exhausted. He retreated, and
attempted to fly from his antagonist, for he was now convinced of his
destruction. He moved round his shield between his shoulders; but he felt
that his fate was nigh at hand, for the mace fell upon his shield more
forcible than the stone of a sling; furiously it rattled on the Persian
chief, and hurled him off his saddle to the distance of twelve cubits,
and broke his ribs and snapped his spine.
Every warrior was intensely agitated at this surprizing deed; and when
the Persians saw it they were bewildered; they rushed upon Antar,
agonized as they were at this calamity, and exposed their lives to
certain death. The Arabs received them with undaunted courage at the
points of their spears; and their spirit was exhilarated by the acts
of Antar. The two armies assailed, and the earth was pounded under the
trampling of the horses. The horsemen and the clans encountered, clouds
of dust thickened over their heads. And their fury increased, till they
were like the waves of the boisterous ocean. Spears penetrated through
hearts and waists, heads were flying off, blood was boiling, cowards
were scared, the courageous full of fire; the King of Death circled round
the cup of mortality; and the commands of the Most High were executed
upon them.[5]
Antar, the ferocious lion, felt his heart assuaged in the midst of
slaughter, and in the concussion of heroes and warriors. He exhibited
terrors amidst the concourse of heroes, and scattered whole armies over
the plains and the mountains. King Monzar cried out aloud to his troops,
and they exposed themselves to the enemy: roused afresh was the flame
of war; it fiercely raged, and its sparks flashed; the dust blackened
the whole land, so that both earth and heaven were veiled. The ground
tottered under the hoofs of the noble steeds, until the sweat even
moistened their entrails. Blood flowed from the throats of the chiefs.
Antar strewed the brave on the earth, and souls complained of their
sufferings to him who knows the secrets of the world. Heads were hewn
from the branches of their bodies; and the Persians saw in the deeds of
Antar that day, what terrified them, and magnified their horror. They
fell back in flight upon the plains in agony at their dispersion and
discomfiture, and complaining of what had befallen their nobles and
their chiefs. The Arabs in their rear drove them on to their fate, and
truly their desires and wishes were accomplished. As they exulted in the
realization of their hopes and expectations, they crowded round Antar
to thank and praise him, and he stood before them like one immersed in a
sea of blood. Then as he recollected the horrors he had suffered, these
verses boiled in his heart, and he thus exclaimed:—
“Ask, O Absian maid, my spear and my sword what they did on the day
of the battle of the Persians. I steeped them, whilst the spear gored
through the horse, in the blood of the foe mixed with bitter Absynth.
I dispersed the army that bellowed out their thunders, and beneath it
flashed the lightning of their swords, mounted as I was on a noble
Arab charger, that flies when the sword blades crash in the fight; he
neighs for joy whilst the spears are directed at him, that vibrate like
speckled serpents. I urged him into the sea of deaths; he snorted,
and plunged into the tempestuously roaring waves. How many horsemen,
O Ibla, at the edge of my faulchion have torn their hands with their
teeth in repentance! but I felled them down on the battle plain, that
the wild beasts and eagles and hovering vultures might drink of their
blood. I must love the tribe of Abs, were they even to shed my blood
unrevenged,—such is my love for thee, thou daughter of noble chiefs! I
will endure the burthen of grievances, and sorrows, and captivity, and
shew that I am a warrior and the son of a warrior May the peace of God
be with thee, O Ibla—soon will I come to thee with my trophies!”
Antar having finished these verses, the chiefs and the warriors were
astonished at his eloquence, and they repaired with the spoil and plunder
to the presence of King Monzar, who started up to meet Antar, kissed him
between the eyes, and could only congratulate him on his safety, for he
was confounded at such instances of his bravery. Horseman of the day,
he cried, protector of Abs and Adnan! all that the Persians have left
this day be thine, O Knight of the time and age! for thou hast earned
it by thy sword and thy spear. Thou hast brought peace and comfort to
the Arabs. Let this plunder be a grant from me to thee, together with
the Asafeer camels; and moreover, out of mine own will I bestow immense
wealth on thee; but I cannot permit thee to wed the daughter of thy uncle
any where but here with me in this land, and I will fulfil all thy wishes
and thy desires; for I am resolved to send letters to the tribes, and to
assemble the hordes from the waters and the springs, and make ready for
war against the just King.
O my lord, expel that thought from your mind, cried Antar, for by the
life of the eyes of Ibla, to me the strongest of oaths, I alone will
stand thee in stead of the whole race of Arabs—never will I cease from
the blows of my Indian sword till I have not left in your presence one of
your enemies alive, not a cuckold of them. Moreover, ’tis my intention
to put you in possession of the throne of Nushirvan. Monzar expressed his
thanks, for he knew he could perform what he promised, from what he had
observed of his intrepidity in the black rolling dust.
Thus they entered Hirah, and rejoiced in their victory and triumph; and
Antar went to the habitation that was prepared for him. Monzar retired
to rest; but he was greatly disquieted, and feared Chosroe and his
stratagems.