Antarah ibn Shaddat

(full name, Antarah ibn Shad-dat ibn Amr ibn Mu awiyah al-Absi). Dates of birth and death unknown. Arab poet of the second half of the sixth century. In his poems he glorified his beloved and described the many battles in which he fought. Antarah’s poems were highly esteemed by the Arabs for their martial spirit. Only one qasida has come down to us intact. A cycle of legends grew up around the personality of Antarah. The romance Deeds of Antarah, ascribed to the eighth-century philologist al-Asmai, was dedicated to him. However, the first version goes back to the time of the Crusades (end of the 12th century). The romance preserved many Persian legends. The Deeds of Antarah, written in rhythmic prose, includes more than 10,000 verses. In the oriental editions (starting in 1869), the romance fills 32 volumes.