“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.