Antarah ibn Shaddad

ʿAntarah ibn Shaddad was a pre-Islamic Arab poet and knight, born around 525 and died in 608 according to the sources. He belonged to the Banu Abs tribe in Najd, in central Arabia. His reputation rests on both his verse and an adventurous life that tradition turned into legend, and he matters because one of his poems was included in the Mu'allaqat and his figure gave rise to a long popular romance.

The son of a respected warrior of the tribe and an Ethiopian woman named Zabibah, he was nicknamed the "Arab crow" for his dark complexion and grew up as a slave. According to the story, he fell in love with his cousin Abla, but his status made marriage seem out of reach. He won his freedom by defending his tribe against an invasion, which earned him respect and, later, permission to marry. Before that he faced further trials, such as obtaining a special camel from the Lakhmid court. He then took part in the long war between the Abs and the Dhubyan.

His poetry has survived well. It deals with chivalrous values, courage in battle and his love for Abla. Its detailed descriptions of combat, armour, weapons, horses and the desert are valued as a record of his era. His death is disputed: some accounts place it in battle, while another tradition describes a natural death in old age.

His legacy lived on mainly through oral storytelling. The story of Antar and Abla was shaped into a poetic saga traditionally credited to al-Asma'i, and it is still recited in Arab coffeehouses. His figure has been compared with the Arthurian cycles of English literature, and it inspired works in music, painting and opera, including Rimsky-Korsakov's symphony and the first Palestinian opera bearing his name.