1877.] 
65 
life of the poet as given in the Kitab-el-Aghd.ni. 
We are the best of ‘Amir son of Sa‘sa‘ah— 
• • 
Cleavers of skulls in the midst of the battle-din: 
We give to eat to all men from our brimming bowls 
— Stay ! God keep thee from cursing ! eat not with him ! 
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13 
En-No‘man withdrew bis hand from the food that was before him, and 
said, “ By God ! boy—thou bast disgusted me with my meat: I never felt 
for it the loathing that I feel to-day !” Then er-Babi‘ started forward, 
and said, “ He lies, by God ! the son of an unchaste woman ! verily I did 
with bis mother thus and thus !” And Lebid said to him—“ Such an one 
as thou did as thou sayest with a nurseling of bis bouse, bis own near kins¬ 
woman ! Nay, my mother was of those women who do not the things thou 
sayest.” And en-No‘man satisfied the requests of the Ja‘faris at once and 
dismissed them. And er-Rabi‘ son of Ziyad immediately went to bis bouse. 
And en-No‘man sent to him double of what it was bis custom to give him, 
and bade him depart to bis people. And er-Babi‘ wrote 34 to him saying— 
“ I know that what Lebid said has made a deep impression on thy heart ; 
and I will not cease entreating thee until thou send one to strip me and 
proclaim to those about thee that I am not as be said.” But the king 
replied to him—“ Nay, thou canst do nothing now to shield thyself from 
what was said of Lebid, nor canst thou recall again that with which men’s 
tongues are busy. Go and join thyself to th}^ people.” And er-Babi‘ de¬ 
parted to his people, and sent from among them the following verses to 
en-No‘man— 
“ If I have driven away my camels, verily I have a spacious place of plenty 
—there is no place of plenty like it in breadth and length : 
A place where, if all Lakhm were to come down thereon, 
they would not match with their wealth one feather of Semwil. 
The she-camels with their young ones graze on the juicy herbage there, 
though it be not like your pastures of salt and honey. 
Stay thou in thy land alone, and recline now that I am gone 
now with en-Nitasi and now with Naufil’s son .” 14 
And en-No‘man answered him in these words—• 
“ Hasten with thy camel-saddle whithersoever thou wilt, so that it be away 
• from me, 
but lengthen not speech upon me, and leave thy vain discourse. 
I have been told a thing that I shall never forget, 
while Egypt lies by the side of Syria and the Nile. 
And what boots thy defence of thee against it, now that it has been borne 
I abroad 
