to the conquest of Thrgya Hajoute.  To him are attributed verses which do not lack regularity, nor a certain rhythm, and also a facility of expression, but which abound in interpolations and faults of grammar.  The city people could not bear to hear them nor to read them.  In our days, for their taste has changed—­at least in that which touches the masses—­the recital of the deeds of the Helals is much liked in the Arab cafes in Algeria and also in Tunis.  Still more, these recitals have penetrated to the Berbers, and if they have not preserved the indigenous songs of the second Arab invasion, they have borrowed the traditions of their conquerors, as we can see in the episode of Ali el Hilalien and of Er-Redah.

The names of the invading chiefs have been preserved in the declamatory songs:  Abou Zeid, Hassan ben Serhan, and, above all, Dyab ben Ghanum, in the mouth of whom the poet puts at the end of the epic the recital of the exploits of his race: 

  “Since the day when we quitted the soil and territory of the Medjid, I
                have not opened my heart to joy;
  We came to the homes of Chokir and Cherif ben Hachem who pours upon thee
                (Djazzah) a rain of tears;
  We have marched against Ed-Dabis ben Monime and we have overrun his
                cities and plains. 
  We went to Koufat and have bought merchandise from the tradesmen who come
                to us by caravan. 
  We arrived at Ras el Ain in all our brave attire and we mastered all the
                villages and their inhabitants. 
  We came to Haleb, whose territory we had overrun, borne by our swift,
                magnificent steeds. 
  We entered the country of the Khazi Mohammed who wore a coat of mail,
                with long, floating ends,
  We traversed Syria, going toward Ghaza, and reached Egypt, belonging to
                the son of Yakoub, Yousof, and found the Turks with their
                swift steeds. 
  We reached the land of Raqin al Hoonara, and drowned him in a deluge of
                blood. 
  We came to the country of the Mahdi, whom we rolled on the earth and as
                to his nobles their blood flowed in streams. 
  We came to the iron house of Boraih, and found that the Jewish was the
                established religion. 
  We arrived at the home of the warrior, El Hashais: 
  The night was dark, he fell upon us while we slept without anxiety,
  He took from us our delicate and honored young girls, beauties whose eyes
                were darkened with kohol. 
  Abou Zeid marched against him with his sharp sword and left him lying on
                the ground. 
  Abou So’dah Khalifah the Zemati, made an expedition against us, and
                pursued us with the sword from all sides. 
  I killed Abou So’dah Khalifah the Zemati, and I have put you in
                possession