Antar grew in strength, in courage and in mind until the chieftains disputed his possession, for his mother was a slave and Antar must tend the herds.  Zoheir summoned the chieftains and Antar and when he was brought before him he marveled and threw him a piece of meat.  But a dog that chanced to be in the tent was quicker than he and seized it and ran off.  Rage gave Antar the fleetness of the wind.  With mighty leaps he bounded after the dog.  Swifter darted no eagle upon its prey than Antar pursued the rogue.  With a mighty spring he caught it and seizing its jaws tore them asunder down to the beast’s shoulders, and in triumph he held the meat aloft.  But the King grew afraid and let Shedad depart with Antar.  At ten years of age he slew a wolf that harassed his flock and later killed a slave who had beaten an old woman.  Thus did the women find in him a protector and they hung upon his words and recounted his deeds and his acts of justice.

Now Shedad’s brother, Malek, had a daughter named Ibla, who was as fair as the moon.  The ladies were wont to drink camel’s milk morning and evening when Antar had cooled it in the winds.  It chanced one morning that Antar entered Ibla’s tent just as her mother was combing her hair, and the beauty of her form transfixed him.  A thing of loveliness fairer he had never seen, nor ringlets of darker hue grace a human head.  His heart beat wildly at the birth of a great passion and the hot blood burned his dark cheeks.  But Ibla fled and Antar left with a light heart.  For days he sang in measures sweet of Ibla’s beauty and his arm burned to do deeds.  The weeds of the field became the fairest of flowers; the limpid pools mirrored Ibla’s face in images beautiful and pure and the zephyrs whispered of love.  But Antar had dared love a princess and his father became wroth and came to the fields one day with some chiefs to punish him.

When they arrived they found Antar in combat with a lion.  With a roar like thunder the beast lashed its tail and advanced.  But Antar knew not fear.  He stepped forward to the fray.  The snarling creeping beast scratched furrows in the ground and bided the time for the spring.  Then it leaped.  Like a flash Antar hurled his lance and leaped aside.  A gleam of light and iron met flesh as the mighty body hurtled by.  Quickly he seized the shaft and held it firmly while the beast lashed furiously and growled in its death struggles, and then it lay still.  But the heart of Shedad was softened and he invited Antar and the chieftains to sup with him.  Long into the night recounted Shedad Antar’s deeds but the dark eyes of Antar saw only Ibla and his heart yearned for the morrow and the end of the feasting.