The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-10-27
RABYAH'S LAST RIDE
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

This is the relation Of the death of Rab-
yah, son of Mokaddem, ofthe Beni-Firaz,
according to the legend transmitted from
generation to generation by the rawis, or
reciters of poems and of great deeds.
And 1t is written down in the oommen-
tary which Abou Zakarlyah Yabayh-al-
Tibrliz made upon those mighty poems
chanted before Islam which are called
Hamasah-a word signifying all that is
stalwaIt and noble in man-and in the
Hamasah the place of the legend of Rab-
yah is in the second books which5is the
Book OF Dirges." But the tale hath
also been told by Abundant, and Abou
Riyash, and it is likewise preserved in
the great Kltab-al-A ghani, or BOOK of
Song collected and writtsn down by
A bou Fsra AL Ispahanli, who de-
voted fifty years alone TO the study Of
the poems and legends of the desc ri
Arabs of old.
Rabyah, son of Mokaddem, of the BENZ
Firaz, was famed as the bravest ana the
strongest and the most generous of is
tribe what time he lived and he was cele.
brated as an escort. For from the day
that he had, single handed. as very
young man, successfully defended his
bride, Raytah. against the horsemen of
the BENZ Djoucham on a foray, the
women deemed il no little honor to have
Rabyah as their escort. And nc
woman ever intrusted hereslf to the pro-
lection of Rabyah for the journey with
whom any mIshap befen while he re-
manned with her
Now on the day of his death Rabyah
was escorting caravan of women through
the country of the Beni-Sulaim, and he
was the only horseman with them. For
though there had been blood between the
Beni-Fira and the Beni-Sulaim, the price
of blood had been paid and it was
thought peace had beens drought about.
And the mother and sister OF Rabyah
were with the caravan.
And all that land was yellow and dry as
lOng-dea bone; ana 1t was strewn with
great stones that seemed to have been
rained down from heaven zwith fire, so
scared and blacKened they were. And
the pass leading to their own county,
the PASS OF Ghazal-was still far off when
Kabyah, looking back, saw distant
rising OF dnst, like the smoke of a fire
newly kindled. Now Rabyah rode n pom
his favorite gray mare, Ghezas, whom no
desert steed might.ever overtake, but rode
slowly for the sake OF the women, win 0
were mounted upon camels.
So he drew rein and gazed at the dust
cloud and perceived 8 gleam break
through it, and another, ana another and
many glimmerings-a lightning OF lances.
And looking little while longer he
could discern a company of men in he'll
NETS of iron and shirts of mail riding
upon lean, black horses; and as they sped
swiftly he knew the helm of the horse
man who led them-Nubaishah, of whom
it was said that death, the mother OF
vultures, ever rode with him.
Then Rabyah spurred in haste after the
women, and urged on faster the toiling
camels, and said unto his mother
''There is treachery, o mother! Lot
Nubashan, the son of Habib pursueth
US with the wild men of Sulaim. And
even as he spoke. the far off drum roll of
galloping hoofs broke heavily upon their
ears through the hot and dusty air.
And turning his mare round Rabyah
added Haste we toward the pass while
/ strive to hold them back; and l shall
meet we all at the pass, to hold it so that
re can reach our tents and arouse the
hessem en-" And be rode to meet the