Dirges by the wife of Be-emnat, the son of Gahad, for her husband. (1)

Be-emnat, the son of Gahad, fled with his cattle from'Obe, and he came to a camping-place called Garawit. (2) And there the army of Obe overtook him. When the companion of Be'emnat saw the army of D Obe, he said to Be-emnat: "Run away, Be'emnat ! Obe has come." But Be'emnat answered :
"Thou, run away, and announce good news!" Now the man fled and went away. Be-emnat, however, shouted the war cry and plunged into the army: he killed two footmen and one horseman. But then the army killed him. And his wife sang of him in this way.

Foolhardy is Ab-Kayma (3): he attacks Obe !
He rose against the Karsim,(4) having no news of them.
horsemen instead ; and fought against the rifles, by the famous heroes forever!
He scorns the footmen, and chooses the horsemen instead.
He spurns the horses, and fights against the rifles.
Erstwhile they said of thee: "He disdains the doors of others."
Foolhardy is Ab-Kayma:
He scorned the footmen,
He spurned the horses,
This thy deed may be done he attacked 3 Obe! and chose the

(1) were written down by Naffe wad utman after the dictation of the singers themselves.
(2) North of Galab, near the Ad-Temaryam.
(3) Ab-Kayma is, of course, Be-emnat.

(4)Karsim is the same as Karnessim in Tigriiia, i. e. a district in Hamasen, north of D Asmara.