Arabs -- Folklore; Fairy tales; Fairy tales -- Arab countries; Folklore -- Arab countries; Tales -- Arab countries
"After this, they came upon us all together, and we contended with him
in a wide tract for a period of two days; and calamity befell us on the
third day, and the decree of God was executed among us. The first who
charged upon Solomon were I and my troops; and I said to my companions:
'Keep in your places in the battle-field while I go forth to them and
challenge Ed-Dimiryat.' And, lo, he came forth, like a great mountain,
his fires flaming, and his smoke ascending; and he approached, and
smote me with a flaming fire; and his arrow prevailed over my fire. He
cried out at me with a prodigious cry, so that I imagined the heaven had
fallen, and the mountains shook at his voice. Then he commanded his
companions, and they charged upon us all together: we also charged upon
them: the fires rose and the smoke ascended, the hearts of the
combatants were almost cleft asunder, and the battle raged. The birds
fought in the air; and the wild beasts in the dust; and I contended with
Ed-Dimiryat until he wearied me and I wearied him; after which my
companions and troops were enervated, and my tribes were routed. I flew
from before Ed-Dimiryat; but he followed me a journey of three months,
until he overtook me. I had fallen down through fatigue, and he rushed
upon me, and made me a prisoner. So I said to him: 'By Him who hath
exalted thee and abased me, pity me, and take me before Solomon.' But
when I came before Solomon, he met me in a most evil manner: he caused
this pillar to be brought, and hollowed it, and put me in it, and sealed
me with his signet; after which, he chained me, and Ed-Dimiryat conveyed
me to this place, where he set me down as thou seest me; and this pillar
is my prison until the day of resurrection."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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