Antarah Ibn Shaddād al-'Absī is a pre-Islamic Arabian hero and poet, he was born 525 in Najd (the central part of the Arabian Peninsula) , He was the son of Shaddād, a well-respected member of the Arabian tribe of Banu Abs, his mother was named Zabaibah, of whom it has been claimed was an Ethiopian woman, whom Shaddad had enslaved after a tribal war. The tribe neglected Antara at first, and he grew up in servitude. Although it was fairly obvious that Shaddad was his father. Antara gained attention and respect for himself by his remarkable personal qualities and courage in battle, excelling as an accomplished poet and a mighty warrior. When the tribe needed his assistance to fend off another tribe in battle, Shaddād acknowledged Antara as his son, and granted him freedom.
Antarah fell in love with his cousin Abla, and sought to marry her despite his status as a slave. But his uncle didn’t want antarah to marry abla so he asked antarah for a 1000 special kind of king alnoman camels as a dowry, and after the challenges he faced to get these 1000 camels his uncle refused to let him marry abla because he is not pure Arabian
Antara's poetry is well preserved, and often talks of chivalry 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 Hanged Poems. The poetry's historical and cultural importance stems from its detailed descriptions of battles, armour, weapons, horses, desert and other themes from his time.
In 1898 the French painter Étienne Dinet published his translation of a 13th century epic Arab poem Antar which brought Antar bin Shaddad to European notice

It has been followed by a number of derivative works such as Diana Richmond's Antar and Abla which furthered western exposure to the Antar bin Shaddad legends.