Antarah ibn Shaddad

• Region — Al Jiwa, Ancient Arabia, Arab world • Era — Pre-Islamic Arabia • Name — Antarah ibn Shaddad • Native Name — عَنْتَرَة بن شَدَّاد • Born — 525 AD • Birthplace — Qusaiba Al-Qassim Region, Ancient Arabia • Died — 608 525 AD • Place of death — Ha'il, Ancient Arabia • Relatives — Shayboub (Half brother from his mother's side) • Main Interests — Arabic poetry

• Illustration — Antarah and Abla depicted on a 19th-century Egyptian tattooing pattern • Illustration — A recent photo of what is said to be the famous rock where Antarah used to meet Abla. Taken in al Jiwa, Saudi Arabia

Antarah was born in Najd in the Arabian Peninsula. His father was an Arab, Shaddad al-Absi, a respected warrior of the Banu Abs under their chief Zuhayr. His mother was an Ethiopian woman named Zabibah. Described as one of three "Arab crows" (Aghribah al-'Arab)—famous Arabs with a dark complexion, Antarah grew up a slave as well. He fell in love with his cousin Abla, but could not hope to marry her owing to his position. He also gained the enmity of his father's wife Sumayya. He gained attention and respect for himself by his personal qualities and courage in battle, excelling as an accomplished poet and a mighty warrior.

He earned his freedom after the Tayy tribe invaded the lands of the Banu Abs at the start of the Dahis and al-Ghabra war. When his father said to him, "Antarah, fight with the warriors", he replied "the slave doesn't know how to invade or how to defend, but is only good for milking goats and serving his masters". His father answered him: "Defend your tribe, O Antar, and you are free." So he fought with his tribe and they were able to defeat the attackers.

After defeating the invaders, he sought to gain permission to marry Abla, his cousin for whom he wrote many love poems. To secure permission to marry, Antarah had to face challenges including getting a special kind of camel from the Northern Arab Lakhmid Kingdom, then under al-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir.

Antarah's poetry is well-preserved and often talks of chivalrous values, courage, and heroism in battle as well as his love for Abla. It was immortalized when one of his poems was included in the Mu'allaqat, the collection of poems legendarily said to have been suspended in the Kaaba. His poetry's historical and cultural importance stems from its detailed descriptions of battles, armour, weapons, horses, desert, and other themes from his time. Antara's poems are published in Wilhelm Ahlwardt's The Divans of the six ancient Arabic poets (London, 1870); they have also been published separately at Beirut (1888). The Romance of Antar (Sirat Antar ibn Shaddad) is a work which was long handed down by oral tradition only; it has grown to immense proportions and has been published in 32 volumes at Cairo (1889), and in 10 volumes at Beirut, 1871. It was partly translated by Terrick Hamilton under the title Antar, a Bedoueen Romance (4 volumes, London, 1820). In addition, Sirat Antar was translated into Turkish by the order of Sultan Mehmed II in 1477. The translator of the Turkish translation in three volumes is unknown. The manuscript copies of the Turkish translation, known as Qıssa-i Antar, are available in the Topkapı Palace Museum Library.

The time and manner of his death are a matter of dispute. Ibn Duraid has him slain by Wasr ibn Jabir or in battle against the Tayy, while according to Abu Obeida, he died naturally of old age.

Antara's character was depicted many times in TV and movies like the 1961 movie Antar Ben Shaddad starring Farid Shawqi, yet most of these depictions specially older ones face criticism for not hiring Arabs with partially African ancestry or darker Arabs.