The Literature of Arabia | Page 4

soon as she
knew that he had seen her, fled and left him with his eyes fixed
abstractedly on her disappearing form.
It was from this incident that the love of Antar for the daughter of his
uncle took its origin. He saw how Ibla shone in society, and his passion
grew to such an extent that he ventured to sound her praises, and to
express the feeling she excited in him by writing verses which, while
they gained the admiration of the multitude, incurred also the envy of
the chieftains. Moreover his father could not pardon the presumption of
Antar, who, born a slave, had dared to cast eyes on his free-born
cousin.
When therefore he slew a slave who had slandered him, his father
ordered him to be flogged, and sent away to watch over the cattle in the
pastures. He had now before him a fresh opportunity for exhibiting his
prodigious strength and invincible courage. A lion attempted to attack
the herds committed to his care. He killed it at the very moment that his
father Shedad, enraged against him, had come, accompanied by his
brother, to do him ill. But a mingled feeling of admiration and fear held
their hands, and in the evening, when Antar returned from the pastures,
his father and his uncle made him seat himself at dinner with them,
while the rest of the attendants stood behind them.
Meanwhile King Zoheir was called upon a warlike expedition against
the tribe of Temin. All his warriors followed him; the women alone
remained behind. Shedad entrusted them to the protection of Antar,
who pledged his life for their safety. During the absence of the warriors,
Semiah, the lawful wife of Shedad, conceived the idea of giving an
entertainment on the bank of the lake Zatoulizard. Ibla attended it with

her mother, and Antar witnessed all the amusements in which his
beloved took part. His passion for her became intensified. He was once
tempted to violate the modesty of love by the violence of desire, but, at
that moment, he saw a great cloud of dust rise in the distance; the
shouts of war were heard; and suddenly the warriors of the tribe of
Cathan appeared on the scene, and, descending on the pleasure-seekers,
carried off the women, including Ibla. Antar, being unarmed, ran after
one of the horsemen, seized him, strangled and threw him to the ground.
Then he put on the armor of the vanquished foe, attacked and put to
flight the tribe of Cathan, rescued the women, and obtained a booty of
twenty-five horses. From that moment Semiah, the wife of Shedad,
who hitherto had a pronounced aversion to Antar, conceived a sincere
affection for him.
King Zoheir, meantime, had returned victorious from his expedition.
Shedad returned at the same moment, and went to visit his herds.
Seeing Antar surrounded by horses which he did not know, and
mounted upon a fine black courser, he asked, "Where did these animals,
and particularly this superb horse, come from?" Then Antar, not willing
to betray the imprudence of Semiah, declared that, as the Cathanians
had left their horses behind them, he had seized them. Shedad was
indignant, and treated Antar as a robber, reproached him for his
wickedness, and after repeatedly telling him how wrong it was to rouse
discord among the Arabs, struck him with his whip, with such violence
as to draw blood. Then Semiah, distressed by the sight of this unjust
treatment, took off her veil, letting her hair fall over her shoulders, took
Antar into her arms and told all that had happened and how she and all
the other women of her tribe were indebted to this hero for their honor
and liberty. Shedad could not restrain his tenderness on learning the
magnanimity of his son's silence. Soon afterwards King Zoheir, to
whom this incident had been related, summoned Antar into his
presence, and declared that a man who could exhibit such courage and
generosity was bound to become preeminent among his companions.
All the chieftains who surrounded the king congratulated Antar, and
one of his friends, in order to give the court a complete idea of this
young man's remarkable gifts, asked him to recite some of his verses.

In compliance with this request he recited a poem in praise of warriors
and war, and the king and all the court manifested their delight. Zoheir
bade Antar approach, gave him a robe of honor, and thanked him. That
evening Antar departed with his father Shedad, his heart full of joy over
the honors which had been lavished on him, and his love for Ibla still
more heightened.
In spite of the indisputable virtues of Antar, in spite of the great
services he had rendered the Absians, the chieftains of this