Had you informed me of your situation before, said Malik, greatly distressed, and pitying him, I would have sacrificed my person and property to remedy it. But what was easy, has now become difficult; Ibla will be concealed from you from this day forward. I fear also that your father will contrive to kill you, and that no one will be able to relieve you. But stay here whilst I tell all this to my father. O my lord, said Antar, the only place of rest for me is on the highways; and I must roam about the whole day and the live long night; for men have conspired to destroy me, such as Rebia and your brother Shas. He passed the whole night with Malik, and at the dawn of day Antar mounted his horse, and put on his armour and his cuirass. He travelled on till he was far from the tents, and he knew not whither he was going: sometimes he took the left and sometimes the right, and again he struck into the wilds and deserts, till it became broad day. There he wandered about the rocks and mountains, and accusing fate, he thus expressed himself.
“I rail against fortune that relents to no upbraider, and I demand security from the cruelties of fortune. She one day promises fair and excites my pride, but truly I know all her promises are false. I have served man, and I have taken my relations as protectors against fortune; but they have acted like scorpions. Amongst themselves they call me the son of Zebeebah, but in the tumultuous rush of horsemen, I am the son of nobles. Were it not for my love, one like me would not humble himself to such as they; and the lion of the waste would not fear the foxes. Quickly my tribe will remember me, when the horsemen come charging amongst the warriors with their sword-blows. O that thy phantom would visit me, O Ibla, it would see the torrents of tears that stream from my eyelids. But I will forbear, that my railers may have pity on me; and that my patience may soften their hearts. Thy station is a post in the centre of heaven, but my hand fails in attaining the stars.”
Thus he roamed from the high road without friend or companion. The next day the tribe heard all that had passed between Antar and his father. And early in the morning Prince Malik sent for Antar; but he was not to be found: he supposed he would return by the evening: still he came not. Now Prince Malik was sincerely attached to Antar; he was greatly distressed, and he did all he could to find him. He then acquainted his father with what had passed. As soon as the King heard the account from his son, he was much vexed, and reproached him. O my son, said he, why did you not immediately tell me of this, that I might have arranged the business? I concealed it, said he, in order not to occasion any disturbance, and for fear of exciting your indignation, for I have long seen my brother Shas hates him as the vilest of men; and Rebia will not raise his head towards him; and I see also that many of their friends detest him. But you love him and are interested about him; and I could not possibly tell you an affair you would not have approved. In the mean time Antar continued to wander over the plains of the desert, until the day shone, when behold! there arose, a great cloud of dust, that darkened the country. Antar contemplated it for some time, and then perceived forty horsemen, each bearing a quivering spear, and a dazzling scimitar. He directed his horse towards them, and they proved to be of the noble tribe of Abs, and Ghegadh the son of Nasshib was their leader. When Antar saw them he saluted them, and they returned the salutation; O thou son of Zebeebah, said they, why art thou straying here? I was hunting game, he replied, and when I saw you, I made towards you in order to bear you company. And we, said Ghegadh, have always distinguished you from the other slaves, and have always considered you in the light of a valiant knight: and if you will join us, we will agree to your sharing with us as a noble warrior. But how can that be? said Antar. Know that a slave, said Ghegadh, enjoys a half share with his masters. But, said one of them, Antar truly deserves more than two-thirds, and happen what will, he is a knight; and indeed not every one that is called a knight is a knight. They at length agreed that they would surrender to the slave a fourth of whatever plunder they might take.
In this manner they proceeded till they approached the land of the tribe of Cahtan, where they saw a great quantity of cattle, with some high-raised tents and lofty pavilions; many horses running about and camels grazing, and the people unsuspicious of a reverse of fortune. Here, my cousins, said Ghegadh, is a rich tribe, and the people few in number; let us attack and despoil them whilst it is dark, and we will quit their country in safety; before morning we shall be far away among the wastes. They instantly shook their lances in their hands, and drew their brilliant faulchions; and as they drove the camels and the horses from the tents and the habitations, the men mounted to keep them off from the women and families. But the sons of Abs forced them back towards the tents and trampled them down upon the ground, seizing their property and spoil. Antar rushed down upon them, and obliged them to fly. Do you, said Ghegadh to Antar, drive away the cattle, and we will repulse all that dare pursue them.
Antar drove away the cattle, and had proceeded some way, when lo! a knight rushed out from the ravines in the rocks, mounted on a dark coloured colt, beautiful and compact, and it was of a race much prized among the Arabs; his hoofs were as flat as the beaten coin; when he neighed, he seemed as if about to speak, and his ears like quills; his sire was Wasil, and his dam Hemama. When Antar cast his eyes upon the horse, and observed his speed and his paces, and his uncommon beauty, he felt that no horse could surpass them, so his whole heart and soul longed for it. The Absians, indeed, had plundered the horde and the country, but Antar’s mind was occupied with the horse, so he galloped on till he approached the horseman; and when the knight perceived that Antar was making towards him, he spurred his horse, and it fled beneath him; for this was a renowned horseman called Harith, the son of Obad, and he was a valiant hero.
Antar galloped after him till sunset, and he found himself far separated from his party. Harith then turned about to him; and when he was quite close, said Antar to him, O young man, by the faith you profess and believe, will you not wait for me awhile and grant me a favour? for I see you are a noble horseman. Hear what I have to say, and give me an answer; I will be answerable for thy security.
O young man, said Harith, trusting to his promise, what do you want? I see you also are a valiant knight. Will you sell me this horse you are riding, asked Antar, or will you give it me if you are the owner of it? By heavens, young man, said Harith smiling, had you accosted me thus at first, I would have given him to you, with some camels also, and you need not have acted thus; but, Arab, did you ever see any one surrender his horse and his armour in a plain like this, alone and a stranger? and particularly a horse like this, whose lineage is as well known as that of the noblest warriors; for should his master be in difficulties, he will liberate him; he moves and flies without wings; and if you have not heard of his fame, I will tell you—he is called Abjer, whom Chosroe and the Grecian Emperors and the princes of the tribe of Asfar have anxiously wished to possess. I was angry with my own people, and repaired to this noble tribe. I ate with them, and remained with them a long time. It costs me much to part with this horse, but my heart is attached to this tribe, and is greatly distressed about them. I am no coward in the assault of heroes; but I was afraid lest this horse might receive a blow that should injure him, and I therefore only followed you, in order to draw off your attention till the men of the tribe might overtake you and pursue you over the hills and the wilds, and that I might point out to them your course; for you have invaded a tribe where there are only women, and but a few men, unable to encounter so fierce a foe; and I do not perceive there is a single feeling heart among you all.
Harith having ceased speaking, I much wish you would sell me this horse, said Antar; demand what you please from me, for I must be the purchaser of it. O young man, said Harith, if you are indeed desirous of a horse, that is in this age quite invaluable, I will not sell it but in restitution of all this booty; and then do not imagine you will lose by your bargain. I swear by the God who knows all secrets, I do not avoid fighting you from the fear of death, for I am a warrior, and can defend myself; but I feared this horse would be injured. If you, young man, wish to strike a bargain, and act like a man of honour, as I am a guest of this tribe, and have eaten with them, my wish is to ransom their property with this horse; and had it not been for this misfortune, I never would have parted with such an animal.
When Antar heard these words, he felt certain that Harith was a liberal minded man, and therefore, wishing to be on a par with him in respect to his honourable and generous conduct: Well! said he, I will purchase of you this horse for this booty; and I shall be moreover exceedingly obliged: here is my hand in faith and sincerity.
Harith dismounted from the back of his noble steed, and gave him to Antar, who mounted him like a king of the land far and wide; and he told the slaves to conduct the cattle and women and servants to their own country. Harith took them, and went his way.