Rachel Hajar's Blog: My Life in Doha - Posts Tagged "reality"
The Romance of Antar
Antar was a celebrated sixth century Arab warrior and poet. Antar (ca. 525-615 AD) is not an imaginary hero. Stories of his heroic exploits have been circulating for centuries and were eventually written down in the eighth century. Set in pagan Arabia known as the jahiliya, ”before the time of the prophet”, the events in the stories have their roots in the history of the Arabs.
The slave-son of an Arab prince, Antar fell in love with his high-born cousin Abla. He was born into tribe of Abs, one of the many tribes roaming the great Arabian desert. His mother was an Ethiopian slave and his father was a prince of the tribe. He grew outside the accepted circle of the society and Antar spent his childhood pasturing the tribe's flock of sheep and goats. On the desert plains he learned to ride skillfully, and practiced throwing his spear until he was better accomplished, stronger and more feared than any other slave. His father also did not recognize him as a son but he excelled and distinguished himself in battle. Antar became his tribe's hero and poet – the latter, the highest merit bestowed on a man in the eyes of the Arabs.
The stories recount his heroic struggles to raise himself above the circumstances of his birth to gain his rightful position within his tribe and to become worthy of his beautiful cousin Abla. His poems to her are highly admired and widely quoted in the Arab world. He wrote eloquently in a verse:
"The lovely virgin has struck my heart
With the arrow of a glance,
For which there is no cure."
He continued to express his love for the lovely Abla in beautiful verses:
"From the mouth of this lovely damsel
When you kiss her lips,
Proceeds the fragrance of musk
As from the vase of a perfumer;
Or like the scent of a blooming bower
Whose plants the gentle rains
Have kept in continual verdure."
And on another occasion, he wrote:
"When Abla smiles
Between her teeth
Is a mixture of wine and honey;
She passes the night with musk under her veil.
And its fragrance is increased
By the still fresher essence of her breath."
On the happy occasion of his marriage to Abla, Antar wrote:
"My heart is at rest:
It is recovered from its intoxication.
Sleep has calmed my eyelids and relieved them.
Fortune has aided me.
And my prosperity cleaves the veil night,
And the seven orders of heaven."
The Antar stories – love and valour, chivalry, honour, hospitality, generosity, treachery, revenge, warfare and adventure -- come from the heart of the desert. To this day, his wonderful adventures continue to be read and his exquisite poems have not lost their appeal; the stories continue to be read to this day.
Rachel Hajar, M.D.
My Life in Doha: Between Dream and Reality
http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.c...
www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com
The slave-son of an Arab prince, Antar fell in love with his high-born cousin Abla. He was born into tribe of Abs, one of the many tribes roaming the great Arabian desert. His mother was an Ethiopian slave and his father was a prince of the tribe. He grew outside the accepted circle of the society and Antar spent his childhood pasturing the tribe's flock of sheep and goats. On the desert plains he learned to ride skillfully, and practiced throwing his spear until he was better accomplished, stronger and more feared than any other slave. His father also did not recognize him as a son but he excelled and distinguished himself in battle. Antar became his tribe's hero and poet – the latter, the highest merit bestowed on a man in the eyes of the Arabs.
The stories recount his heroic struggles to raise himself above the circumstances of his birth to gain his rightful position within his tribe and to become worthy of his beautiful cousin Abla. His poems to her are highly admired and widely quoted in the Arab world. He wrote eloquently in a verse:
"The lovely virgin has struck my heart
With the arrow of a glance,
For which there is no cure."
He continued to express his love for the lovely Abla in beautiful verses:
"From the mouth of this lovely damsel
When you kiss her lips,
Proceeds the fragrance of musk
As from the vase of a perfumer;
Or like the scent of a blooming bower
Whose plants the gentle rains
Have kept in continual verdure."
And on another occasion, he wrote:
"When Abla smiles
Between her teeth
Is a mixture of wine and honey;
She passes the night with musk under her veil.
And its fragrance is increased
By the still fresher essence of her breath."
On the happy occasion of his marriage to Abla, Antar wrote:
"My heart is at rest:
It is recovered from its intoxication.
Sleep has calmed my eyelids and relieved them.
Fortune has aided me.
And my prosperity cleaves the veil night,
And the seven orders of heaven."
The Antar stories – love and valour, chivalry, honour, hospitality, generosity, treachery, revenge, warfare and adventure -- come from the heart of the desert. To this day, his wonderful adventures continue to be read and his exquisite poems have not lost their appeal; the stories continue to be read to this day.
Rachel Hajar, M.D.
My Life in Doha: Between Dream and Reality
http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.c...
www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com
