{"id":5336,"date":"2014-01-25T16:21:06","date_gmt":"2014-01-25T21:21:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.philpaine.com\/?p=5336"},"modified":"2018-08-02T03:35:40","modified_gmt":"2018-08-02T07:35:40","slug":"the-romance-of-antar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.philpaine.com\/?p=5336","title":{"rendered":"The Romance of Antar"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"14-01-25<\/a>

A medieval rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtion of Antarah Ibn Shadd\u0101d<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Ear\u00adly Ara\u00adbic lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adture is not well-known in the Eng\u00adlish-speak\u00ading world, and some ele\u00adments of it might sur\u00adprise some\u00adone who is only famil\u00adiar with the stuff from lat\u00ader peri\u00adods. Among the ear\u00adli\u00adest works in Clas\u00adsi\u00adcal Ara\u00adbic are a num\u00adber of tales that can only be called \u201cchival\u00adric romances\u201d, which strong\u00adly resem\u00adble the sort of thing you would expect in Mal\u00ado\u00adry or Chr\u00e9\u00adtien de Troyes. What would most sur\u00adprise a mod\u00adern read\u00ader is the treat\u00adment of female characters. <\/span><\/p>\n

Antarah Ibn Shad\u00add\u0101d al-\u2018Abs\u012b [\u0639\u0646\u062a\u0631\u0629 \u0628\u0646 \u0634\u062f\u0627\u062f \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0628\u0633\u064a], a sixth-cen\u00adtu\u00adry Arab of the Banu Abs tribe in the Hejaz, was of mixed Ethiopi\u00adan and Arab descent, famous in his day as both a sol\u00addier and a poet. The Arab soci\u00adety of the Hejaz, at the time, was much more like that of the Euro\u00adpean ear\u00adly mid\u00addle ages than one would imag\u00adine, with plen\u00adty of knights in armour and chain mail engag\u00ading in jousts and mak\u00ading implau\u00adsi\u00adble vows to fair maid\u00adens. His auto\u00adbi\u00ado\u00adgraph\u00adi\u00adcal poems were includ\u00aded in the Mu\u2018allaq\u0101t<\/em> [\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0639\u0644\u0642\u0627\u062a], a set of poems con\u00adsid\u00adered so fine that they were hung on the side of the Ka\u2019\u00adba at Mec\u00adca [the name means \u201cthose which are hung\u201d]. Cen\u00adturies lat\u00ader, the mate\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal was reworked into the Epic of Antar<\/em>, or Romance of Antar<\/em>. This found it\u2019s way to Europe only when the painter \u00c9ti\u00adenne Dinet trans\u00adlat\u00aded it into French in 1898. This trans\u00adla\u00adtion made enough of an impres\u00adsion to inspire the com\u00adpos\u00ader Niko\u00adlai Rim\u00adsky-Kor\u00adsakov to com\u00adpose his Sym\u00adpho\u00adny #2, sub\u00adti\u00adtled \u201cAntar\u201d. But nowa\u00addays, it is large\u00adly for\u00adgot\u00adten by Europeans. <\/span><\/p>\n

I pos\u00adsess a copy of the romance ren\u00addered into Eng\u00adlish by \u00c9ti\u00adenne Del\u00e9\u00adcluse and Epipha\u00adnius Wil\u00adson, pub\u00adlished in 1900 by Colo\u00adnial Press. Here are some remark\u00adable passages:<\/span><\/p>\n

Zahir con\u00adtin\u00adued his jour\u00adney, until he reached the Saad tribe, when he dis\u00admount\u00aded from his horse. He was cor\u00addial\u00adly received and was pressed to take up his abode with them. His <\/em><\/span>wife was at that time soon to become a moth\u00ader, and he said to her: \u201cIf a son is giv\u00aden to us, he will be right wel\u00adcome ; but if it be a daugh\u00adter, con\u00adceal her sex and let peo\u00adple think we have a male child, so that my broth\u00ader may have no rea\u00adson to crow over us.\u201d When her time came Zahir\u2019s wife brought into the world a daugh\u00adter. They agreed that her name should be <\/span>actu\u00adal\u00adly Djai\u00adda, but that pub\u00adlicly she should be known as Djon\u00adder, that peo\u00adple might take her for a boy. In order to pro\u00admote this belief, they kept up feast\u00ading and enter\u00adtain\u00adment <\/span><\/em>ear\u00adly and late for many days. <\/span><\/em>
\n About the same time Moharib, the oth\u00ader broth\u00ader, had a son <\/span>born to him, whom he named Khaled (The Eter\u00adnal). He chose this name in grat\u00adi\u00adtude to God, because, since his broth\u00ader\u2019s depar\u00adture, his affairs had pros\u00adpered well.<\/span><\/em>
\n The two chil\u00addren even\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly reached full age, and their renown was wide\u00adspread among the Arabs. Zahir had taught his daugh\u00adter to ride on horse\u00adback, and had trained her in all <\/span>the accom\u00adplish\u00adments fit\u00adting to a war\u00adrior bold and dar\u00ading. He accus\u00adtomed her to the sever\u00adest toils, and the most per\u00adilous enter\u00adpris\u00ades. When he went to war, he put her among the oth\u00ader Arabs of the tribe, and in the midst of these horse\u00admen she soon took her rank as one of the most valiant of them. Thus it came to pass that she eclipsed all her com\u00adrades, and would even attack the lions in their dens. At last her name became an object of ter\u00adror; when she had over\u00adcome a cham\u00adpi\u00adon she nev\u00ader failed to cry out : \u201cI am Djon\u00adder, son of Zahir, horse\u00adman of the tribes.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Of course, Djai\u00adda [aka Djon\u00adder] falls in love with Khaled when she sees him \u201cscour the plains on horse\u00adback with his war\u00adriors, and in this way waxed greater in bod\u00adi\u00adly strength and courage<\/em>\u201d. But Khaled is smit\u00adten, not with Djai\u00adda, but with Djonder! :<\/span><\/p>\n

Khaled also vis\u00adit\u00aded his cousin. He salut\u00aded her, pressed her to his bosom, and kissed her fore\u00adhead, think\u00ading she was a young man. He felt the great\u00adest plea\u00adsure in her com\u00adpa\u00adny, and remained ten days with his uncle, reg\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly tak\u00ading part in the jousts and con\u00adtests <\/span>of the horse\u00admen and war\u00adriors. As for his cousin, the moment she had seen how hand\u00adsome and valiant Khaled was, she had fall\u00aden vio\u00adlent\u00adly in love with him. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Djaida\u2019s moth\u00ader arranges to have her pre\u00adsent\u00aded to Khaled\u2019s par\u00adents in her undis\u00adguised female state, and attempts to arrange a mar\u00adriage between the male and female war\u00adriors. But Khaled will have none of it: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>My moth\u00ader, I can\u00adnot remain here any longer. I must return home amid my horse\u00admen and troops. I have no inten\u00adtion of say\u00ading any\u00adthing more to my cousin ; I am con\u00advinced that she is a per\u00adson whose tem\u00adper and ideas of life are uncer\u00adtain; her char\u00adac\u00adter and man\u00adner of speech are utter\u00adly des\u00adti\u00adtute of sta\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty and pro\u00adpri\u00adety. I have always been accus\u00adtomed to live amid war\u00adriors, on whom I spend my wealth, and with whom I win a sol\u00addier\u2019s renown. As for my <\/em><\/span>cous\u00adin\u2019s love for me, it is the weak\u00adness of a woman, of a young girl.\u201d He then donned his armor, mount\u00aded his horse, bade his uncle farewell, and announced his inten\u00adtion of leav\u00ading at once. \u201cWhat means this haste?\u201d cried Zahir. \u201dI can remain here no longer,\u201d answered Khaled, and, putting his horse to a gal\u00adlop, he flung him\u00adself into the depths of the wilderness.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Djai\u00adda is furi\u00adous at this rejec\u00adtion, and responds as only a war\u00adrior would:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I should like, if God gives me the pow\u00ader, to make him taste the fury of death, the bit\u00adter\u00adness of its pang and tor\u00adture.\u201d So say\u00ading, she rose like a lioness, put on her armor, and mount\u00aded her horse, telling her moth\u00ader she was going on a hunt\u00ading expe\u00addi\u00adtion. Swift\u00adly, and with\u00adout stop\u00adping, she tra\u00adversed rocks and moun\u00adtains, her excite\u00adment increas\u00ading as she approached the dwelling-place of her cousin. As she was dis\u00adguised, she entered, unrec\u00adog\u00adnized, into the tent where strangers were received. Her visor was, how\u00adev\u00ader, low\u00adered, like that of a horse\u00adman of Hijaz. Slaves and ser\u00advants received her, offered her hos\u00adpi\u00adtal\u00adi\u00adty, com\u00adport\u00ading them\u00adselves towards her as to one of the guests, and the most noble per\u00adson\u00adages of the land.<\/em><\/span>
\n That night Djai\u00adda took rest ; but the fol\u00adlow\u00ading day she joined the mil\u00adi\u00adtary exer\u00adcis\u00ades, chal\u00adlenged many cav\u00ada\u00adliers, and exhib\u00adit\u00aded so much address and brav\u00adery, that she pro\u00adduced great aston\u00adish\u00adment among the spec\u00adta\u00adtors. Long before noon the horse\u00admen of her cousin were com\u00adpelled to acknowl\u00adedge her supe\u00adri\u00ador\u00adi\u00adty over them\u00adselves. Khaled wished to wit\u00adness her prowess, and, sur\u00adprised at the sight of so much skill, he offered to match him\u00adself with her. Djai\u00adda entered the con\u00adtest with him, and then both of them join\u00ading in com\u00adbat tried, one after anoth\u00ader, all the meth\u00adods of attack and defence, until the shad\u00adows of night came on. When they sep\u00ada\u00adrat\u00aded both were unhurt, and none could say who was the vic\u00adtor. Thus Djai\u00adda, while rous\u00ading the admi\u00adra\u00adtion of the spec\u00adta\u00adtors, saw the annoy\u00adance they felt on find\u00ading their chief equalled in fight by so skil\u00adful an oppo\u00adnent. Khaled ordered his antag\u00ado\u00adnist to be treat\u00aded with all the care and hon\u00ador<\/em> imag\u00adin\u00adable, then retired to his tent, his mind filled with thoughts of his con\u00adflict. Djai\u00adda remained three days at her cous\u00adin\u2019s habi\u00adta\u00adtion. Every morn\u00ading she pre\u00adsent\u00aded her\u00adself on the ground of com\u00adbat, and remained<\/em><\/span> under arms until night. She enjoyed it great\u00adly, still keep\u00ading her incog\u00adni\u00adto, whilst Khaled, on the oth\u00ader hand, made no enquiries, and asked no ques\u00adtions of her, as to who she was and<\/span><\/em> to what tribe she might belong. <\/span><\/em>
\n On the morn\u00ading of the fourth day, while Khaled, accord\u00ading to his cus\u00adtom, rode over the plain, and passed close to the tents reserved for strangers, he saw Djai\u00adda mount\u00ading her horse. He salut\u00aded her, and she returned his salute. \u201dNoble Arab,\u201d said Khaled, \u201cI should like to ask you one ques\u00adtion. Up to this moment I have failed in cour\u00adtesy towards you, but, I now beg of you, in the name of that God who has endowed you with such great dex\u00adter\u00adi\u00adty in arms, tell me, who are you, and to what noble princes are you<\/em> allied? For I have nev\u00ader met your equal among brave cav\u00ada\u00adliers. Answer me, I beseech you, for I am dying to learn.\u201d Djai\u00adda smiled, and rais\u00ading her visor, replied: \u201cKhaled, I am a woman, and not a war\u00adrior. I am your cousin Djai\u00adda, who offered her\u00adself to you, and wished to give her\u00adself to you; but you refused her\u2014from the pride you felt in your pas\u00adsion for arms.\u201d As she spoke she turned <\/em><\/span>her horse sud\u00adden\u00adly, stuck spurs into him, and dashed off at full gal\u00adlop towards her own country.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

At first, Khaled is sore\u00adly con\u00adfused, but:<\/span><\/p>\n

His dis\u00adtaste for women was changed into love. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s his turn to be furi\u00adous, for Djai\u00adda accepts anoth\u00ader suit\u00ador. After defeat\u00ading him, Khaled press\u00ades for mar\u00adriage with her. But she demands of him a daunt\u00ading series of tasks before he can win her. These include win\u00adning sev\u00ader\u00adal wars and amass\u00ading a for\u00adtune. Last of all, he must<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026 go into the wild and marshy places of the land, in order to attack hand <\/em><\/span>to hand in their cav\u00aderns the lions and lioness\u00ades and their cubs, <\/span><\/em>and bear them slain to the tents, in order to pro\u00advide meat for all<\/span><\/em> those who attend\u00aded the festival.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

But Djai\u00adda will not be con\u00adtent with such a wimp. She needs a real\u00adly<\/em> tougher man.<\/span> So.\u2026<\/p>\n

She dis\u00adguised her\u00adself in coat of mail, mount\u00aded her horse, and left the tents; as three days of fes\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adties still remained, she hasti\u00adly fol\u00adlowed Khaled into the desert, and met him face to face in a cav\u00adern. She flung her\u00adself upon him with the impetu\u00ados\u00adi\u00adty of a wild <\/em><\/span>beast, and attacked him furi\u00adous\u00adly, cry\u00ading aloud, \u201cArab ! dis\u00admount from your horse, take off your coat of mail, and your armor; if you hes\u00adi\u00adtate to do so, I will run this lance through <\/span>your heart.\u201d Khaled was resolved at once to resist her in this demand. They engaged in furi\u00adous com\u00adbat. The strug\u00adgle last\u00aded for more than an hour, when the war\u00adrior saw in the eyes <\/span>of his adver\u00adsary an expres\u00adsion which alarmed him. He remount\u00aded his horse, and hav\u00ading wheeled round his steed from the place of com\u00adbat, exclaimed: \u201dBy the faith of an Arab, I <\/span>adjure you to tell me what horse\u00adman of the desert you are; for I feel that your attack and the vio\u00adlence of your blows are irre\u00adsistible. In fact, you have pre\u00advent\u00aded me from accom\u00adplish\u00ading <\/span>that which I had intend\u00aded, and all that I had eager\u00adly desired to do.\u201d At these words Djai\u00adda raised her visor, thus per\u00admit\u00adting him to see her face.<\/span><\/em>
\n \u201cKhaled,\u201d she cried, \u201cis it nec\u00ades\u00adsary for the girl you love to attack wild beasts, in order that the daugh\u00adters of Ara\u00adbia may learn that this is not the exclu\u00adsive priv\u00adi\u00adlege of a war\u00adrior?\u201d <\/span>At this cut\u00adting rebuke Khaled was over\u00adcome with shame. \u201cBy the faith of an Arab,\u201d he replied, no one but you can over\u00adcome me ; but is there any\u00adone in this coun\u00adtry who has chal\u00adlenged you, or are you come hith\u00ader mere\u00adly to prove to me the extent of your valor?\u201d <\/span><\/em>
\n \u201cBy the faith of an Arab,\u201d replied Djai\u00adda, \u201cI came into this desert sole\u00adly for the pur\u00adpose of help\u00ading you to hunt wild beasts, and in order that your war\u00adriors might not reproach you for choos\u00ading me as your wife.\u201d At these words Khaled felt thrilled with sur\u00adprise and admi\u00adra\u00adtion, that such spir\u00adit and res\u00ado\u00adlu\u00adtion should have been exhib\u00adit\u00aded in the con\u00adduct of Djaida.<\/span><\/em>
\n Then both of them dis\u00admount\u00aded from their hors\u00ades and entered into a cav\u00adern. There Khaled seized two fero\u00adcious wild beasts, and Djai\u00adda attacked and car\u00adried off a lion and two lioness\u00ades. After these exploits they exchanged con\u00adgrat\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtions, and Djai\u00adda felt hap\u00adpy to be with Khaled.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

I won\u00adder if any\u00adone in the Mus\u00adlim world today, con\u00adsid\u00ader\u00ading the cur\u00adrent atmos\u00adphere, would dare to make a film ver\u00adsion of this chival\u00adric tale, which once hung upon the very walls of the Ka\u2019ba?<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ear\u00adly Ara\u00adbic lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adture is not well-known in the Eng\u00adlish-speak\u00ading world, and some ele\u00adments of it might sur\u00adprise some\u00adone who is only famil\u00adiar with the stuff from lat\u00ader peri\u00adods. Among the ear\u00adli\u00adest works in Clas\u00adsi\u00adcal Ara\u00adbic are a num\u00adber of tales that \u2026<\/p>\n

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