"It was as though the sable dye[FN#120] upon her palms, *
Were raven perching on a swathe of freshest snow;
Thou seest Sun and Moon conjoined in her face, *
While Sun fear-dimmed and Moon fright-pallid show."
After I had eaten and drunk I said to the youth, "Know thou, O Chief of the Arabs, that I have told thee in all truth who and what I am, and now I would fain have thee do the like by me and tell me the truth of thy case." Replied the young man, "As for this damsel she is my sister." Quoth I, "It is my desire that thou give me her to wife of thy free will: else will I slay thee and take her by force." Upon this, he bowed his head groundwards awhile, then he raised his eyes to me and answered, "Thou sayest sooth in avouching thyself a renowned knight and famed in fight and verily thou art the lion of the desert; but if ye all attack me treacherously and slay me in your wrath and take my sister by force, it will be a stain upon your honour. An you be, as ye aver, cavaliers who are counted among the Champions and reck not the shock of foray and fray, give me a little time to don my armour and sling on my sword and set lance in rest and mount war steed. Then will we go forth into the field of fight, I and you; and, if I conquer you, I will kill you to the last man; but if you overcome me and slay me, this damsel, my sister, is yours." Hearing such words I replied, "This is only just, and we oppose it not." Then I turned back my horse's head (for my love for the damsel waxed hotter and hotter) and returned to my companions, to whom I set forth her beauty and loveliness as also the comeliness of the young man who was with her, together with his velour and strength of soul and how he had avouched himself a match for a thousand horse. Moreover, I described to my company the tent and all the riches and rarities therein and said to them, "Know ye that this youth would not have cut himself off from society and have taken up his abode alone in this place, were he not a man of great prowess: so I propose that whoso slayeth the younker shall take his sister." And they said, "This contenteth us." Then my company armed themselves and mounting, rode to the tent, where we found that the young man had donned his gear and backed his steed; but his sister ran up to him (her veil being drenched with tears), and took hold of his stirrup and cried out, saying, "Alas!" and, "Woe worth the day!" in her fear for her brother, and recited these couplets,
"To Allah will I make my moan of travail and of woe, *
Maybe Iláh of Arsh[FN#121] will smite their faces with
affright:
Fain would they slay thee, brother mine, with purpose
felon-fell; * Albe no cause of vengeance was, nor fault
forewent the fight.
Yet for a rider art thou known to those who back the steed, *
And twixt the East and West of knights thou art the prowess
knight:
Thy sister's honour thou shalt guard though little might be
hers, * For thou'rt her brother and for thee she sueth
Allah's might:
Then let not enemy possess my soul nor 'thrall my frame, *
And work on me their will and treat thy sister with
despight.
I'll ne'er abide, by Allah's truth, in any land or home *
Where thou art not, though dight it be with joyance and
delight
For love and yearning after thee myself I fain will slay, *
And in the gloomy darksome tomb spread bed upon the clay."
But when her brother heard her verse he wept with sore weeping and turned his horse's head towards his sister and made this answer to her poetry,
"Stand by and see the derring-do which I to-day will show, *
When meet we and I deal them blows that rend and cleave and
split;
E'en though rush out to seek a bout the lion of the war, *
The stoutest hearted brave of all and eke the best in wit;
To him I'll deal without delay a Sa'alabiyan blow,[FN#122] *
And dye my cane-spear's joint in blood by wound of foe
bespit:
If all I beat not off from thee, O sister, may this frame *
Be slain, and cast my corpse to birds, for so it would
befit:
Yes, for thy dearest sake I'll strike my blows with might and
main, * And when we're gone shall this event in many a book
be writ."
And when he had ended his verse, he said, "O my sister, give ear to what I shall enjoin on thee"; whereto she replied, "Hearkening and obedience." Quoth he, "If I fall, let none possess thy person;" and thereupon she buffeted her face and said, "Allah forbid, O my brother, that I should see thee laid low and yield myself to thy foe!" With this the youth put out his hand to her and withdrew her veil from her face, whereupon it shone forth as the sun shineth out from the white clouds. Then he kissed her between the eyes and bade her farewell; after which he turned to us and said, "Holla, Knights! Come ye as guests or crave ye cuts and thrusts? If ye come to us as your hosts, rejoice ye in the guest rite; and, if ye covet the shining moon, come ye out against me, knight by knight, into this plain and place of fight." There upon rushed out to him a doughty rider and the young man said to him, "Tell me thy name and thy father's name, for I am under an oath not to slay any whose name tallies with mine and whose father's name is that of my father; and if this be the case with thee, I will give thee up the maid." Quoth the horseman, "My name is Bilál;"[FN#123] and the young man answered him, saying,
"Thou liest when speaking of 'benefits,' while *
Thou comest to front with shine evillest will
An of prowess thou'rt prow, to my words give ear, *
I'm he who make' champions in battle-field reel
With keen blade, like the horn of the cusped moon, *
So 'ware thrust the, shall drill through the duress hill!"
Then they charged down, each at each, and the youth thrust his adversary in the breast so that the lance head issued from his back. With tints, another came out, and the youth cried,
"Ho thou hound, who art rotten with foulness in grain,[FN#124] *
What high meed is there easy for warrior to gain?
'Tis none save the lion of strain purest pure *
Who uncareth for life in the battle plain!"
Nor was it long before the youth left him drowned in his blood and cried out, "Who will come forth to me?" So a third horse man rushed out upon the youth and began saying,