aligned in line and their thousands fixed their eyne and the troops stood looking one at other. Then sallied forth Al-Háris ibn Sa’ad between the two lines and played with his lance and cried out and improvised these couplets:— You in every way are this day our prey; ✿ And ever we prayèd your sight to see: The Ruthful drave you Hodhayfah-wards ✿ To the Brave, the Lion who sways the free: Say, amid you’s a man who would heal his ills, ✿ With whose lust of battle shrewd blows agree? Then by Allah meet me who come to you ✿ And whoso is wronged shall the wronger be.[358] Thereupon there sallied forth to him Zuhayr bin Habíb, and they wheeled about and wiled a while, then they exchanged strokes. Al-Haris forewent his foe in smiting and stretched him weltering in his gore; whereupon Hodhayfah cried out to him, “Gifted of Allah[359] art thou, O Haris! Call out another of them.” So he cried aloud, “I say, who be a champion?” But they of Baghdah held back from him; and when it appeared to Al-Haris that consternation was amongst them, he charged down upon them and overrolled the first of them upon the last of them and slew of them twelve men. Then the evening caught him and the Baghdadis began addressing themselves to flight. No sooner had the morning morrowed than they found themselves reduced to a fourth part of their number and there was not one of them had dismounted from his horse. Wherefore they made sure of destruction and Hodhayfah rushed out between the two lines (now he was reckoned good for a thousand knights) and cried out, “Harkye, my masters of Baghdad! Let none come forth to me but your Emir, so I may talk with him and he with me; and he shall meet me in combat singular and I will meet him, and may he who is clear of offence come off safe.” Then he repeated his words and said, “How is it I see your Emir refuse me a reply?” But Sa’ad, the Emir of the army of Baghdad, answered him not, and indeed his teeth chattered in his mouth, when he heard him summon him to the duello. Now when Al-Abbas heard Hodhayfah’s challenge and saw Sa’ad in this case, he came up to the Emir and asked him, “Wilt thou suffer me to answer him and I will be thy substitute in replying him and in monomachy with him and will make my life thy sacrifice?” Sa’ad looked at him and seeing knighthood shining from between his eyes, said to him, “O youth, by the virtue of Mustafà the Chosen Prophet (whom Allah save and assain), tell me who thou art and whence thou comest to bring us victory.”[360] Quoth the Prince, “This is no place for questioning;” and quoth Sa’ad to him, “O Knight, up and at Hodhayfah! Yet, if his Satan prove too strong for thee, afflict not thyself in thy youth.”[361] Al-Abbas cried, “Allah is He of whom help is to be sought;”[362] and, taking his arms, fortified his purpose and went down into the field, as he were a fort of the forts or a mountain’s contrefort. Thereupon Hodhayfah cried out to him, saying, “Haste thee