War Songs. 'Antarah ibn Shaddad

       1: Did poetry die?

       2: Damn the ruins!

       3: The Battle of ʿUrāʿir

       4: Your sorry ass

       5: Raqāshi is gone

       6: I know Death

       7: Blade-thin, war-spent

       8: The crow croaked

       9: Traced like tattoos

       10: The eyes of an ʿUsfān gazelle

       11: Shut up about my horse

       12: A cavalry charge

       13: Between Qaww and Qārah

       14: The hostage you offered up

       15: I planted my cold arrow

       16: Primed for battle

       17: Your last gasp is near!

       18: Jostled by horses

       19: I didn’t start this war

       20: That dung beetle, Jaʿd

       21: Who’ll side with you?

       22: Grasping at spears

       23: A panicked leader

       24: The antelopes sprinted right and left

       25: An enemy squadron attacked

       26: Jirwah is mine

       27: War ripped out Ghaṭafān’s spine

       TWO QASIDAS FROM IBN MAYMŪN’S ANTHOLOGY

       28: The East Wind blew

       29: Between shock and grief

       POEMS FROM AL-BAṬALYAWSĪ’S RECENSION

       30: Why are you fat as camels’ humps?

       31: Spears adrip with gore

       32: The crow croaked

       33: Pay for my blood

       34: My horse Blaze

       35: My steeds live for War

       36: Death and Revenge

       37: Escape if you can

       38: At the Pass of Woe

       39: Man up, Ḥuṣayn!

       40: Death always finds a way

       41: In the forest of spears

       42: The Fates claim their due

       43: The Half-Blood

       POEMS FROM THE EPIC OF ʿANTAR

       44: Did ʿAblah’s brightness ignite your heart?

       45: The murky binge of battle

       46: The fire for you burns in my belly

       47: A sin ʿAblah can’t forgive

       48: I was betrayed

       49: ʿAblah’s wraith

       50: The birds are jittery

       51: That coward, Death

       Appendix 1

       Appendix 2

       Appendix 3

       Notes

       Glossary