The Stealing of the Mare

By Abu Obeyd

"The Stealing of the Mare" by Abu Obeyd (translated by Anne Blunt). Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Good Press
• Release date: Apr 10, 2021
• ISBN: 4064066467579

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Abu Obeyd

The Stealing of the Mare

Published by Good Press, 2022

[e-mail]

EAN 4064066467579

Table of Contents

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Titlepage

Text

PREFACE.

Table of Contents

THE Stealing of the Mare is one of a cycle of tales forming the celebrated Mediaeval < I needs/' said he, " must see to her affairs and quiet her mind/' So Abul Komsan returned to her, and he built for her a tent, and did all that was needed. And Abu Zeyd bade him attend upon her and bring her dresses of honour and all things meet for her service.

Then began the narrator to sing:

Saith the hero Abu Zeyd the Helali Salame: (Woe is me, my heart is a fire, a fire that burneth!), On a Friday morning once, I sat with three companions, I in my tent, the fourth of four, with the sons of Amer. Sudden I raised my eyes and gazed at the breadth of the

desert, Searching the void afar, the empty hills and the

valleys; Lo in the midmost waste a form, where the rainways

sundered, Wandering uncertain round in doubt, with steps of a

stranger. Turned I to Abul Komsan, my slave, and straightway 1

bade him, " Ho, thou master of signs, expound to us this new

comer."

Abul Komsan arose and went, and anon returning,

3

u Fortune fair/' said he, I bring and a noble token. O my Lord Abu Zeyd," he cried, and his lips were

smiling,

" Here is a guest of renown for thee, a stranger, a lady, One for the wounding of hearts, a dame of illustrious

lineage,

One whose heart is on fire with grief, and sorely afflicted." The dark one threw off his cloak to Abul Komsan in

guerdon,

Even I, Abu Zeyd Salame, the while my companions Rose with me all as I rose in my place, we four rejoicing, Hassan and Abu Kheyl Diab, and the Kadi Paid. And first of them Hassan spake and said, " Is my name

not Hassan?

Sultan and chief and lord am I of the lords of the Bedu. Shall not my tent stand free to all, to each guest that

cometh?

So God send her to me, be they hers, two thousand camels. And Abu Kheyl uprose, and with him the Kadi Faid. And I, said he, no less will give to this dame two

thousand. Nor was the Kadi slow to speak: Though this pen

and paper All my poor fortune be," said he, cc I will name her

thirty."

But I, Salame, said, By my faith, these gifts were little; Mine be a larger vow. And I swore an oath and I

promised

All that she would to bring, nay, all her soul demanded,

4

Even a service of fear, a thing from the land of danger. And thus they sat in discourse till the hour of noon was

upon them, And the caller called to prayer, and the great ones

prayed assembled; And these too in their place, and they stood in prayer

together.

And when they had made an end of praises and prostra- tions,

Back to the tent came they, and still behold the lady Wandering in doubt uncertain there with steps of a

stranger. Then to the desert went I forth, and I called and I

shouted, <( Marhaba, welcome to thee, I cried, thou illustrious

lady, Welcomes as many be to thee as the leagues thou hast

wandered."

And she, < Myself am he, the Helali Salame, Welcome to thee, and welcome as wide as thou hast

wandered." And she prayed, cc O Abu Zeyd, behold me here thy

stranger.

A boon I ask, O dark one, a mighty deed of daring. Thy suppliant am I, thou son of