1877 .] 
life of the poet as given in the Kitdh-el-Aghdni. 
73 
I see the day come upon me and the night, 
and each of them after its passing returns again.” ’ 
And he was glad and congratulated himself, and said ‘ I do not think 
there is any fear for me : already I feel much relieved.’ And he bade them 
give me four thousand dirhems ; and I received them and was going out, 
but had not reached the door when I heard the cry of the wailing woman 
who proclaimed that he was dead.” 
El-Hasan ibn ‘Ali informed me that he had been told by Mohammed 
ibn el-Qasim ibn Mahraweyh, who heard it from Harun ibn Muslim, who 
was told by el-‘Omari, who learned it from el-Heythem ibn ‘Adi, who had 
it from Hammad er-Rawiyeh, that en-Xabighah e$-£)ubyani 36 looked upon 
Lebid son of Eabl‘ah when he was a boy with his uncles at the gate of the 
palace of en-Xo‘man son of el-MunSir, and asked who he was ; and 
his genealogy was repeated to him. Then en-Xabighah said to him—“ Bov, 
thine eyes are assuredly the eyes of a poet! Dost thou ever compose 
verses ?” “ Yes, O my uncle,” answered Lebid. “ Eecite then to me 
something of thy composition,” said en-Xabighah. And he recited to him 
his poem beginning— 
“ Abode she not in Spring in this desolate camping-ground ?” 
And en-Xabighah said—“Boy, thou art the best poet of the Benu ‘Amir ! 
More, 0 my son !” Then Lebid recited— 
“ There are traces of Khauleh in er-Rasis, but of long ago.” 
And en-Xabighah smote his sides with his hands and cried—“ Go ! thou 
art the best poet of all Qeys!” (others say he said “ of all Hawazin”). 
This story was however told me differently by my uncle, who heard it from 
el-‘Omari, who had it from Laqit, who heard it from his father and from 
Hammad er-Eawiyeh, who learned it from ‘Abdallah ibn Qatadeh el-Mo- 
haribi, who said that he was himself standing with en-Xabighah at the 
gate of en-Xo‘man son of el-Mun<5ir. “ En-Xabighah said to me” (says 
‘Abdallah) “ * Hast thou seen Lebid son of Rabrah among those here pre¬ 
sent ?’ * Yes’, said I. ‘ Who is the best poet of them ?’ said he. ‘ The 
young man whom thou hast seen do thus and thus,’ said I, describing him. 
Then he said—‘ Sit by me until he comes forth to us’ ; so we sat down, and 
when Lebid came out to us, en-Xabighah called to him—‘ Come hither, son 
of my brother !’ and he came up: and en-Xabighah bade him recite some of 
his verses, and he recited— 
‘ Hast thou not drawn nigh to the desolate camping-ground 
of Selma in el-Me$a’ib and el-Qafal ?’ 
And en-Xabighah said to him—‘ Thou art the best poet of the Benu 
‘ Am ir! More!’ and he went on— 
‘ There are traces of Khauleh in er-Resis, but of long ago, 
—in Ma‘aqil, and el-An‘aman, and Shum.’ 
K 
