Shas called out to the warriors, and assembled the men. Come on, my cousins, cried he, behold the enemy, let us fight for our women and our tents, and let us infuse fear and terror into their hearts, or they will cut in among ye, and nothing will secure us against the cup of death, but the blows with the sword. They all mounted, the men were encouraged, and rushed on to the combat; man opposed man, and hero encountered heroes; blood flowed and streamed, limbs were hewn off, and horrors were spread among them for an hour; when at length the noble Absians were so hard pressed, that the Teyans overwhelmed them, for there were twelve thousand of these, and the Absians only three hundred. Shas and Rebia and Amarah were wounded, and nearly dead. The Absians abandoned their property and families, and sought the wilds and the deserts, and the enemy took possession of their country and lands.
Alas! said Ibla’s father to Shedad, O my brother, where is thy son? Let him come to us in such a dreadful day as this, and liberate us from death and misery. We cannot raise our heads towards Antar, said Shedad; but were he present, our condition would indeed be the reverse of this. Shedad raised his eyes towards the hill, and he saw Shiboob and Jereer and Antar seated on the ground and contemplating the tribe of Abs, and their defeat. So he ran towards them, and his brother Malik followed him—Canst thou, in an hour like this, said Shedad, employ thyself in tending the cattle and the camels? Behold! the enemy have succeeded in their attempts, and have plundered our property and slain our horsemen, and have threatened to capture our women and our families.
What dost wish me to do? said Antar; I am indeed grieved at thy distress. O that I could rescue thee from destruction and defeat; but I am a slave, and am not capable of doing any thing, and am not worthy your consideration; I am indeed a poor slave, and one who conducts cattle and camels to the pastures, and one employed in milking, and picking up wood, and tending cattle and sheep—am I not for this contemptible and despised? And he quitted his father and his uncle Malik where they stood, and went away from them.
Shedad was vexed at his conduct. What means this indifference about us, said he? What do you want of me? Said Antar—Hast ever heard of any one asking protection and countenance from a slave? And abandoning noble princes? Mount, descend, and destroy the enemy, Antar! cried Shedad, and I will grant thee all thy wishes and hopes, and I will raise thee to the rank and honour of an Arab. But what will be this rank and honour? said Antar. I will, said Shedad, recognize you as my son, and as a part of my heart. O my nephew, descend and drive away the enemy from us! exclaimed Malik, and I will acknowledge thee of our family.
Whilst all this was going on between Antar, Shedad, and Malik, the Teyans attacked the tents, and plundered the property and goods, and captured the women and families, even the females of King Zoheir’s family; and his daughter Mootejeredah and his wife Temadhur were both taken prisoners; and they seized Ibla, and Shereeah and Semeeah; and dreadful was the wailing of Ibla when they threw down their dwellings to their very foundations, and they left nothing worth a halter; for they were Arabs, and greedy of plunder, and only conquered for spoil; and there were men among them who loaded their horses, and loaded themselves with a good horse load besides; and in a short time they left the whole country a barren waste, driving away with them the females and the families, as they departed over the hills and the deserts.
Malik, Ibla’s father, looked towards the women, and seeing Ibla was a captive among the warriors, O my nephew, cried he to Antar, dost thou not see thy beloved Ibla, and wilt thou not defend and protect her? If I mount this instant, Malik, said Antar, and destroy this party, and release Ibla from her affliction, wilt thou give her to me in marriage? Yes, said Malik, by the God that created her and beautified her. And he extended his hand towards Antar, and swore by the God of mankind, and said, If thou dost liberate Ibla, she shall be thy wife for ever: and Shedad admitted his pretentions to honour and rank, and swore he would not deny him again, were the foe to tear his body to pieces.
Shedad and Malik having finished speaking, and Antar having made them confirm their oaths, Shiboob brought him his horse Abjer. Now mount, O my brother, said he, for thou hast no more to say to thy father and thy uncle—Put to the rout these hateful foes. Antar clad himself in armour, and encased himself in arms ’till he was like a tower, or a mass rent from the mountain’s side. He rushed impetuously down from the height like a tremendous lion, his heart harder than stone, and his soul more buoyant than the waves of the sea when it roars. He shouted with a voice so loud that the whole country and vallies trembled at the shock—Ye ignoble dastards, I am Antar the son of Shedad! and he thus spoke:
“Soon shall ye behold my deeds this day with the foe in the field of spear-thrusts, and the battle fire; and my furious courage amongst the tribes; so that in my sublimity, I will mount above the Pisces. I plunge into the flames of war with the cleaving scimitar, and I extirpate them with the goring lance. I drive back the horses on their haunches from the lofty seat of my thin-flanked Abjer, and with the blade of my sword Dhami, at whose edge flow the waves of death over the enemy. This day will I exhibit my ardent soul with my Indian sword, and I will meet the chests of the horse with my thrusts. I will establish the market of war in its field on the top of my steed, in the protection of my country. My sword is my father, and the spear in my hand is my father’s brother; and I am the son of my day in the heights of the deserts.”
He bent his head over the saddle-bow, and made his attack. First, he sought the horseman who had captured Ibla; he was in the rear, and his assault was the assault of fate and destiny. He wished to pierce him through the chest, but he feared the point might touch Ibla, and she be slain with him: so he wheeled his horse on one side, and came upon his right like a ferocious lion, and shouted out in a voice like thunder when it bellows, and pierced with his spear his right side; the point issued out on his left, and he hurled him down dead, weltering in his blood. Ibla was terrified at the thrust of the spear, but she was unhurt. Antar dismounted and came to Ibla. “Fear not, thou light of my eyes, said he, thou shalt behold thy Antar perform to day, deeds that shall be narrated and recorded.”