The Maqamat — al-Hamadhani · Tianmu Anglican Church

by Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadhani, Translated by W.J. Prendergast

The Maqamat ("Assemblies" or "Sessions") of Badi' al-Zaman al-Hamadhani (969—1008 CE) is one of the foundational works of Arabic literary prose. Al-Hamadhani, whose title means "the Wonder of the Age," invented the maqama genre: episodic tales narrated by a fictional narrator who repeatedly encounters a charismatic, eloquent rogue. In al-Hamadhani's version, the narrator Isa ibn Hisham recounts his encounters with Abu'l-Fath al-Iskandari, a brilliant vagabond who uses his rhetorical gifts to deceive, charm, and swindle his way through the cities of the Islamic world.

Each maqama is a self-contained tale showcasing virtuosic Arabic prose — rhymed, rhythmic, and dense with wordplay, allusion, and parody. The genre profoundly influenced Arabic and Hebrew literature (inspiring al-Hariri's more famous Maqamat and the Hebrew maqamot of Judah al-Harizi) and is sometimes considered a distant ancestor of the European picaresque novel.

This translation by W.J. Prendergast was published in 1915 and includes extensive annotations illuminating the linguistic brilliance and cultural context of the original Arabic.

THE MAQÁMÁT OF BADÍ‘ AL-ZAMÁN AL-HAMADHÁNÍ

THE MAQÁMÁT OF BADÍ‘ AL-ZAMÁN AL-HAMADHÁNÍ p. iii TRANSLATED FROM THE ARABIC AND HISTORICAL AND GRAMMATICAL BY DEGREE OF HONOUR ARABIC AND PERSIAN; MṚ.AṢ.; FELLOW OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS; DIRECTOR OF ORIENTAL LANGUAGES, NIZAM COLLEGE, HYDERABAD, DECCAN LONDON: LUZAC & Co. MADRAS: S. P. C. K. DEPOSITORY [1915]
Title Page Verso

PRINTED AT THE

S.P.C.K. PRESS, VEPERY, MADRAS

1915

HIS HIGHNESS

ASAF JAH MUZAFFAR-UL-MÚLK WAL MUMÁLIK,

NIZÁM-ÚL-MÚLK, NIZÁM-ÚD-DAULA NAWAB MIR

SIR OSMAN ALI KHAN, BAHADUR, FATEḤ JUNG, G.C.S.I.,

NIZAM OF HYDERABAD

THE TRANSLATOR DEDICATES WITH PROFOUND

RESPECT AND DEEP GRATITUDE THIS WORK

WHICH OWES ITS INCEPTION AND COMPLETION

TO THE GENEROUS ENCOURAGEMENT

AND GRACIOUS APPRECIATION OF

ORIENTAL STUDIES ALWAYS

SHOWN BY HIS HIGHNESS

AND HIS HIGHNESS’

GOVERNMENT

XXX. THE MAQAMA OF RUSAFA

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: I sallied forth from Ruṣáfa to go to the capital when the fervent summer sultriness boiled in the breast of irritation. Now when I had traversed half the road, the heat became intense, patience failed me and so I turned towards a masjid which had appropriated to itself the secret of all beauty. And in it there were people contemplating its ceilings and discussing its pillars. Finally the discussion led them to the mentioning of thieves and their artifices, and cut-purses and their practices.

They mentioned among thieves, forgers of seals, the light-fingered, and palmers, him who gives short weight, him who robs in the ranks, him who throttles by the sudden attack, him who hides in the locker till lifting is possible, him who substitutes by cajoling, him who steals in jest, him who steals by the confidence trick, him who invites to compromise, him who sweeps off the change, him who induces sleep, him who confounds with backgammon, him who deceives with the monkey, him who gets the better by means of the mantle and a needle and thread, him who brings thee a lock, him who makes a subterranean passage, him who renders men unconscious with hemp, or cheats by juggling, him who changes his shoes, him who ties his two ropes, him who overpowers with the sword, him who ascends from the well, him who accompanies the caravan, the gentry of the cloth, him who enters the assemblies, him who flees from the night patrol, him who seeks refuge from danger, him who flies the bird, him who plays with the strap and says 'Sit down, there is no harm!' him who steals by playing upon people's modesty, him who takes advantage of a panic, him who gets a meal in the street by blowing his trumpet, him who brings a pitcher, the master gardeners, those who rob through the windows, him who scales lofty houses, him who climbs upon the roof, him who creeps stealthily with the knife along the mud wall, him who comes to thee suddenly with a sweet-smelling nosegay, the men of the axe like official attendants, him who comes by stealth and moans after the manner of madmen, the possessors of keys, the men of cotton and wind, him who. enters the door in the guise of a guest, him who goes into the house like a visitor, him who passes in humbly in the garb of the destitute, him who steals at the cistern when the plunge makes it possible, him who robs with two sticks, him who swears to a debt, him who cheats with the pledge, him who gives a bill of exchange, him who changes the purse, him who palms off in fraud, him who gives to bankrupts, him who clips his sleeve and then says, 'Observe and decide', him who stitches the breast, him who says 'Dost thou not know? him who bites, and him who ties, him who substitutes when he counts, him who enters with his accomplices and says, 'He is not asleep', him who deceives thee with a thousand, him who passes behind, him who steals in fetters, him who shams pain to defraud, him who beats with the shoe, him who questions the truth, him who steals with a cleft stick, him who enters by the underground passage, him who takes advantage of mining, the masters of the grapnels and the rope of coconut fibre; and the conversation turned on to him who got the better of them.

Here follows a story of Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskanderí, which, on grounds of decency, has been omitted. The only thing in it that may be mentioned is 'the moonlight night', regarding which he says, 'in other than his own garb'.
'And a phantom paid a nocturnal visit when night was in a garb not his own And the full moon met him and brightened the parting of his hair.'

122:5 Ruṣáfa: A famous quarter to the east of Baghdad. In the time of al-Manṣúr (A.D. 754-75) it was the cantonment of the city. It was built by the Khalífa's son al-Mahdí, in A.H. 159, and in time grew to the size of the capital itself. It was also the necropolis of the ‘Abbásid Khalífas. (Yaqút, ii, 783. See also Le Strange, Baghdad.)

122:6 … Fervent summer sultriness: Another reading … The live coals of the intense summer heat.

122:7 Which had appropriated to itself the secret of all beauty: The cathedral masjid of Ruṣáfa was larger and more magnificent than that of Baghdad itself.

123:1 Finally the discussion led them: … 'the end of the discussion led them' … means the hinder part of anything, particularly the buttock or rump. In poetry it signifies the second half of a verse or couplet, the first half being called ṣadr (…)

123:2 Him who throttles by the sudden attack: From … he went lightly or stealthily, and … he despatched him. (Lane's Lexicon, article p. 887.)

123:3 Him who substitutes by cajoling: For this use of the word … than that adopted by the commentator, see Letters of the author, p 329, line 8.

123:4 Him who invites to compromise: In a case where he has no legal claim.

123:5 Who sweeps off the change: The explanation of this trick is as follows: the thief goes to a money changer on the pretext of changing a dinar then snatches what the man has before him and decamps.

123:6 Him who induces sleep: The thief being in company with some one who has money pretends to be drowsy and thus induces his victim to go to sleep, he then robs him of his property. But, literally, 'him who puts to sleep with the eye.' More probably, therefore, hypnotic suggestion.

123:7 Him who confounds with backgammon: The thief takes with him into the house he intends to rob a backgammon or chess-board, usually made of cloth, and spreads it out. In case he is discovered by the master of the house he raises a cry that he has been cheated at the game and his opponent refuses to pay his losses.

123:8 By means of the mantle: The thief observes a man wearing a mantle, goes quickly behind him, raises the skirt of the garment, in order to get at the purse usually carried underneath, and begins sewing it to the collar. If he is discovered, and the man turns round, he says, 'Do not be afraid, I was only mending thy cloak; dost thou not want it done?' In this way he manages to escape with or without the purse.

123:9 Him who brings thee a lock: The thief contrives to sell the shopkeeper a defective lock. If the latter uses it to lock up his shop, the thief takes advantage of the first opportunity to effect an entrance and to help himself to the merchant's goods.
124:1 Hemp (…): Arabicized from the Persian … (Sanskrit bhangā), Baron Hammer Purgstall is wrong in identifying it with the Coptic bendj, plural nebendj, which he says is the same plant as the νηπενθης which so much perplexed the commentators of Homer (Odyssey, 4. 221 sq.), for two reasons: (a) There is no such word as bendj or nebendj in Coptic. (b) It is a good Sanskrit word and is found in the Athara-Veda Samhita (xi. 6. 15). Also see Monier Williams' Sanskrit and English Dictionary, article Bhangā.

124:2 … By juggling: Arabicized from the Persian … literally anything new; also magic and enchantment.

124:3 Him who changes his shoes: A very easy thing to do at the masjid or the bath where shoes and sandals have to be left outside.

124:4 Him who ties his two ropes: the modus operandi is this: The thief climbs upon the terrace or roof of a house, ties to the end of a rope what he wishes to steal, descends quickly and pulls his booty down.

124:5 Him who ascends from the well: Which he has been using as a place of concealment.

124:6 Him who accompanies the caravan: As if he were one of the travellers.

124:7 The gentry of the cloth: That is, the wearers of the ascetic garb. This is still a very popular form of disguise in the East.

124:8 Him who enters the assemblies: By virtue of being well-dressed and of respectable appearance. This is the fourth time the author uses the word Maqáma. Here it means companies of respectable people.

124:9 From the night patrol: The thief enters a house to rob it. If he is surprised, he declares he has run away from the night patrol and is the victim of an injustice. If he is believed he waits for an opportunity to help himself and then disappears.

124:10 Him who flies the bird: The thief causes his pigeon to fly into a house and then follows it. If he is discovered he pretends he has come for his bird. This is like the excuse of the poacher who, when found trespassing, asserts he is looking for his sheep!

124:11 Him who plays with the strap: The explanation of this trick is as follows: The thief starts a game which consists of one hiding something and asking another to say where it is. If he fails he is beaten on his hand or leg with a strap. Such a game is bound to end in a quarrel which the sharper takes advantage of to appropriate whatever he can.

125:1 Him who gets a meal: Literally, to blow the trumpet, which means to indulge in vain and empty talk. (See Taj al-‘Arús, vi, 301.) In order to obtain this rendering, requiring the reflexive use of the verb, a slight emendation of the text is necessary, for … read … (p. 161, line 1).

125:2 Him who brings a pitcher: As though he had come to fetch water. If he can lay his hands on anything, he steals it. … Bastúq: Arabicized from the Persian … or … a small glazed earthenware vessel.

125:3 The master gardeners: The thief represents himself to be an expert gardener. If you employ him he soon begins to help himself to the produce of the garden and this he does without arousing suspicion, because he is thought to have your authority to do so … Gardens: Arabicized from the well-known Persian word … Bústán.

125:4 Those who rob through the windows: … plural of … arabicized from the Persian … a hole.

125:5 Him who climbs: By means of a rope.

125:6 Him who comes with a sweet-smelling nosegay: As if he were bringing it as a present to the master. Should he get an opportunity he steals something. The practice of presenting flowers in this way is still common in the East.

125:7 The men of the axe: That is, the policemen. … and … arabicized from the Persian … an axe and … imperative form of … to strike; literally something struck with an axe, or the striker with an axe or a hatchet and then the tool itself.

125:8 The possessors of keys: Those who carry about a number of keys with which they endeavour to open doors, boxes, etc.—pickers of locks.

125:9 The men of cotton and wind: The plan is as follows: the thief scatters some cotton so that the wind may blow it into certain houses and then, on the pretext of collecting his cotton, he goes in and robs them. The word … is probably of foreign origin.

126:1 When the plunge or dip makes it possible: I think … 'to go deep' would make better sense than … 'to make possible', i.e. when the bathers plunge into the water.

126:2 Him who robs with two sticks: The thief stands upon the roof of his house and lies in wait for the caravan. When it comes opposite the house, he lowers a long stick on the end of which is a hook like a grapnel and pulls up what he can of cloth, etc.

126:3 Him who swears to a debt: This is a species of black-mailing. The swindler swears that a certain person of importance owes him money. The latter rather than run the risk of being haled before the Qáḍí pays the amount.

126:4 Him who cheats with the pledge: The rogue buys goods from a merchant and leaves in pledge with him a sealed casket supposed to contain valuable jewels which, of course, it does not.

126:5 Him who gives a bill of exchange: The fraud is perpetrated as follows: The thief sees a traveller with a large sum of money in cash and offers to relieve him of the trouble of carrying it by giving him a bill of exchange on some one in the town to which he is journeying. The bill is, of course, worthless. (…) Arabicized from the Persian … literally, pierced; a consignment made by a person of one country to a person of another.

126:6 Him who changes the purse: The swindler bargains for some goods, produces a purse and counts out in gold or silver a sum which the shopkeeper declines to take, he then puts the purse back into his pocket. The haggling continues, and eventually he persuades the shopkeeper to accept the amount first counted. He then pulls out a purse exactly like the first, but which contains only coppers. If the merchant accepts the purse without counting the contents, the thief makes off with the goods.

126:7 Him who gives to bankrupts: The swindler contrives to secure the confidence of some merchants, takes a quantity of goods and sells them on credit to impecunious traders, at double the prime cost, and leads the public to believe he is doing a flourishing business. Then, when he has sold them articles of the value equal to what he owes his creditors, he announces he has gone bankrupt and that his outstandings represent exactly the amount of his liabilities. In this way he benefits by precisely half the amount of goods he has taken from his creditors.

126:8 Him who clips his sleeve: When the sharper sees a man placing some money before a shopkeeper, or a money changer, he seizes him and accuses him of having robbed him and exhibits his cut sleeve as evidence.

126:9 Him who stitches the breast: This is similar to the mantle trick.

126:10 Him who says 'Dost thou not know?' The swindler goes up to his dupe and says, 'Art thou not aware of what happened to so and so to-day? A thief seized his clothes thus'—suiting the action to the word—pulls him and, in the pulling, contrives to rob him of his money.

127:1 Him who bites: The sharper picks a quarrel with some one and, when they come to blows and seize each other he contrives, in the struggle, to tear with his teeth his antagonist's clothes where he thinks the money is put away.

127:2 Him who ties: The thief being seated near some one he wishes to rob, attaches to a piece of string, which he retains hold of, whatever he finds it possible to relieve the individual of. When the man gets up and goes away, the article is left behind.

127:3 'He is not asleep': The robber and his accomplices find a man asleep and make a noise until they wake him by saying, 'He is asleep' or 'He is not asleep', and in their conversation they lead him to believe that they have buried a treasure there, and so now he pretends to be asleep. Then to prove whether or no he is asleep they begin to feel him and, during the process, rob him. After they have gone he gets up only to find that he has been both robbed and hoaxed and the buried treasure consists of worthless shells.

127:4 Him who deceives thee with a thousand: The sharper deposits for safe custody with a merchant a bag supposed to contain a thousand dinars. On the top he has put a layer or two of dinars while the remainder consists of coppers. He returns later and takes out a few pieces. This is repeated until the silver is exhausted. Then he buys largely from the merchant who unhesitatingly gives him credit in the belief that he has a large sum in deposit. He then bolts. After some time has elapsed the merchant gets suspicious, opens the bag and discovers that he has been duped.

127:5 Him who passes behind: The thief goes with an accomplice to a shop and asks íor something which he cleverly passes unobserved to his fellow who immediately runs away with it. He then pretends to be very much upset and exclaims: 'What am Ito do? The fellow has gone off with it!'

127:6 Him who steals in fetters: The robber appears as an escaped prisoner in fetters and tells a pitiful tale how he has been unjustly dealt with. You pity him, loose his bonds, and treat him kindly. He repays your kindness by robbing you the first opportunity he gets.

127:7 Him who beats with the shoe: The sharper takes off his old shoes to beat some one who has a good pair. The latter takes his off to retaliate and in the struggle that ensues the former makes off with the good shoes of the latter!

127:8 Him who questions the truth: The thief knows you have a certain sum of money with you. He approaches you and says he has goods to sell of greater value than the money you possess, but he is willing to take what you actually have. He then asks if you have the amount with you and you say 'Yes'. He will retort 'Never'. Then you produce it and count it. If he can contrive to get hold of it he will swear it does not belong to you. Then he either bolts with all or makes a compromise with you.

128:1 Him who got the better of then: That is, the thieves. This story has been suppressed on grounds of decency.

128:2 And a phantom: Metre, tawíl.

128:3 In a garb not his own: The usual garb of night is darkness, so that 'not his own' would mean brightness, i.e. moonlight. Night personified is here regarded as masculine.

This maqáma may be compared to Harírí, xxx, 372, in which we have examples of the cant of beggars, mountebanks, prestigiators and the like. Here Hamadhání gives illustrations of the methods pursued by the fraternity of burglars, thieves, sharpers, swindlers, pickpockets and the like. Cf. Gaubari, Endickte Geheimnisse (von de Goéje Z.D.M.G.), xx, 504.

Notes:

[122:5] Ruṣáfa: A famous quarter to the east of Baghdad. In the time of al-Manṣúr (A.D. 754-75) it was the cantonment of the city. It was built by the Khalífa's son al-Mahdí, in A.H. 159, and in time grew to the size of the capital itself. It was also the necropolis of the ‘Abbásid Khalífas. (Yaqút, ii, 783. See also Le Strange, Baghdad.)

[122:6] … Fervent summer sultriness: Another reading … The live coals of the intense summer heat.

[122:7] Which had appropriated to itself the secret of all beauty: The cathedral masjid of Ruṣáfa was larger and more magnificent than that of Baghdad itself.

[123:1] Finally the discussion led them: … 'the end of the discussion led them' … means the hinder part of anything, particularly the buttock or rump. In poetry it signifies the second half of a verse or couplet, the first half being called ṣadr (…)

[123:2] Him who throttles by the sudden attack: From … he went lightly or stealthily, and … he despatched him. (Lane's Lexicon, article p. 887.)

[123:3] Him who substitutes by cajoling: For this use of the word … than that adopted by the commentator, see Letters of the author, p 329, line 8.

[123:4] Him who invites to compromise: In a case where he has no legal claim.

[123:5] Who sweeps off the change: The explanation of this trick is as follows: the thief goes to a money changer on the pretext of changing a dinar then snatches what the man has before him and decamps.

[123:6] Him who induces sleep: The thief being in company with some one who has money pretends to be drowsy and thus induces his victim to go to sleep, he then robs him of his property. But, literally, 'him who puts to sleep with the eye.' More probably, therefore, hypnotic suggestion.

[123:7] Him who confounds with backgammon: The thief takes with him into the house he intends to rob a backgammon or chess-board, usually made of cloth, and spreads it out. In case he is discovered by the master of the house he raises a cry that he has been cheated at the game and his opponent refuses to pay his losses.

[123:8] By means of the mantle: The thief observes a man wearing a mantle, goes quickly behind him, raises the skirt of the garment, in order to get at the purse usually carried underneath, and begins sewing it to the collar. If he is discovered, and the man turns round, he says, 'Do not be afraid, I was only mending thy cloak; dost thou not want it done?' In this way he manages to escape with or without the purse.

[123:9] Him who brings thee a lock: The thief contrives to sell the shopkeeper a defective lock. If the latter uses it to lock up his shop, the thief takes advantage of the first opportunity to effect an entrance and to help himself to the merchant's goods.

[124:1] Hemp (…): Arabicized from the Persian … (Sanskrit bhangā), Baron Hammer Purgstall is wrong in identifying it with the Coptic bendj, plural nebendj, which he says is the same plant as the νηπενθης which so much perplexed the commentators of Homer (Odyssey, 4. 221 sq.), for two reasons: (a) There is no such word as bendj or nebendj in Coptic. (b) It is a good Sanskrit word and is found in the Athara-Veda Samhita (xi. 6. 15). Also see Monier Williams' Sanskrit and English Dictionary, article Bhangā.

[124:2] … By juggling: Arabicized from the Persian … literally anything new; also magic and enchantment.

[124:3] Him who changes his shoes: A very easy thing to do at the masjid or the bath where shoes and sandals have to be left outside.

[124:4] Him who ties his two ropes: the modus operandi is this: The thief climbs upon the terrace or roof of a house, ties to the end of a rope what he wishes to steal, descends quickly and pulls his booty down.

[124:5] Him who ascends from the well: Which he has been using as a place of concealment.

[124:6] Him who accompanies the caravan: As if he were one of the travellers.

[124:7] The gentry of the cloth: That is, the wearers of the ascetic garb. This is still a very popular form of disguise in the East.

[124:8] Him who enters the assemblies: By virtue of being well-dressed and of respectable appearance. This is the fourth time the author uses the word Maqáma. Here it means companies of respectable people.

[124:9] From the night patrol: The thief enters a house to rob it. If he is surprised, he declares he has run away from the night patrol and is the victim of an injustice. If he is believed he waits for an opportunity to help himself and then disappears.

[124:10] Him who flies the bird: The thief causes his pigeon to fly into a house and then follows it. If he is discovered he pretends he has come for his bird. This is like the excuse of the poacher who, when found trespassing, asserts he is looking for his sheep!

[124:11] Him who plays with the strap: The explanation of this trick is as follows: The thief starts a game which consists of one hiding something and asking another to say where it is. If he fails he is beaten on his hand or leg with a strap. Such a game is bound to end in a quarrel which the sharper takes advantage of to appropriate whatever he can.

[125:1] Him who gets a meal: Literally, to blow the trumpet, which means to indulge in vain and empty talk. (See Taj al-‘Arús, vi, 301.) In order to obtain this rendering, requiring the reflexive use of the verb, a slight emendation of the text is necessary, for … read … (p. 161, line 1).

[125:2] Him who brings a pitcher: As though he had come to fetch water. If he can lay his hands on anything, he steals it. … Bastúq: Arabicized from the Persian … or … a small glazed earthenware vessel.

[125:3] The master gardeners: The thief represents himself to be an expert gardener. If you employ him he soon begins to help himself to the produce of the garden and this he does without arousing suspicion, because he is thought to have your authority to do so … Gardens: Arabicized from the well-known Persian word … Bústán.

[125:4] Those who rob through the windows: … plural of … arabicized from the Persian … a hole.

[125:5] Him who climbs: By means of a rope.

[125:6] Him who comes with a sweet-smelling nosegay: As if he were bringing it as a present to the master. Should he get an opportunity he steals something. The practice of presenting flowers in this way is still common in the East.

[125:7] The men of the axe: That is, the policemen. … and … arabicized from the Persian … an axe and … imperative form of … to strike; literally something struck with an axe, or the striker with an axe or a hatchet and then the tool itself.

[125:8] The possessors of keys: Those who carry about a number of keys with which they endeavour to open doors, boxes, etc.—pickers of locks.

[125:9] The men of cotton and wind: The plan is as follows: the thief scatters some cotton so that the wind may blow it into certain houses and then, on the pretext of collecting his cotton, he goes in and robs them. The word … is probably of foreign origin.

[126:1] When the plunge or dip makes it possible: I think … 'to go deep' would make better sense than … 'to make possible', i.e. when the bathers plunge into the water.

[126:2] Him who robs with two sticks: The thief stands upon the roof of his house and lies in wait for the caravan. When it comes opposite the house, he lowers a long stick on the end of which is a hook like a grapnel and pulls up what he can of cloth, etc.

[126:3] Him who swears to a debt: This is a species of black-mailing. The swindler swears that a certain person of importance owes him money. The latter rather than run the risk of being haled before the Qáḍí pays the amount.

[126:4] Him who cheats with the pledge: The rogue buys goods from a merchant and leaves in pledge with him a sealed casket supposed to contain valuable jewels which, of course, it does not.

[126:5] Him who gives a bill of exchange: The fraud is perpetrated as follows: The thief sees a traveller with a large sum of money in cash and offers to relieve him of the trouble of carrying it by giving him a bill of exchange on some one in the town to which he is journeying. The bill is, of course, worthless. (…) Arabicized from the Persian … literally, pierced; a consignment made by a person of one country to a person of another.

[126:6] Him who changes the purse: The swindler bargains for some goods, produces a purse and counts out in gold or silver a sum which the shopkeeper declines to take, he then puts the purse back into his pocket. The haggling continues, and eventually he persuades the shopkeeper to accept the amount first counted. He then pulls out a purse exactly like the first, but which contains only coppers. If the merchant accepts the purse without counting the contents, the thief makes off with the goods.

[126:7] Him who gives to bankrupts: The swindler contrives to secure the confidence of some merchants, takes a quantity of goods and sells them on credit to impecunious traders, at double the prime cost, and leads the public to believe he is doing a flourishing business. Then, when he has sold them articles of the value equal to what he owes his creditors, he announces he has gone bankrupt and that his outstandings represent exactly the amount of his liabilities. In this way he benefits by precisely half the amount of goods he has taken from his creditors.

[126:8] Him who clips his sleeve: When the sharper sees a man placing some money before a shopkeeper, or a money changer, he seizes him and accuses him of having robbed him and exhibits his cut sleeve as evidence.

[126:9] Him who stitches the breast: This is similar to the mantle trick.

[126:10] Him who says 'Dost thou not know?' The swindler goes up to his dupe and says, 'Art thou not aware of what happened to so and so to-day? A thief seized his clothes thus'—suiting the action to the word—pulls him and, in the pulling, contrives to rob him of his money.

[127:1] Him who bites: The sharper picks a quarrel with some one and, when they come to blows and seize each other he contrives, in the struggle, to tear with his teeth his antagonist's clothes where he thinks the money is put away.

[127:2] Him who ties: The thief being seated near some one he wishes to rob, attaches to a piece of string, which he retains hold of, whatever he finds it possible to relieve the individual of. When the man gets up and goes away, the article is left behind.

[127:3] 'He is not asleep': The robber and his accomplices find a man asleep and make a noise until they wake him by saying, 'He is asleep' or 'He is not asleep', and in their conversation they lead him to believe that they have buried a treasure there, and so now he pretends to be asleep. Then to prove whether or no he is asleep they begin to feel him and, during the process, rob him. After they have gone he gets up only to find that he has been both robbed and hoaxed and the buried treasure consists of worthless shells.

[127:4] Him who deceives thee with a thousand: The sharper deposits for safe custody with a merchant a bag supposed to contain a thousand dinars. On the top he has put a layer or two of dinars while the remainder consists of coppers. He returns later and takes out a few pieces. This is repeated until the silver is exhausted. Then he buys largely from the merchant who unhesitatingly gives him credit in the belief that he has a large sum in deposit. He then bolts. After some time has elapsed the merchant gets suspicious, opens the bag and discovers that he has been duped.

[127:5] Him who passes behind: The thief goes with an accomplice to a shop and asks íor something which he cleverly passes unobserved to his fellow who immediately runs away with it. He then pretends to be very much upset and exclaims: 'What am Ito do? The fellow has gone off with it!'

[127:6] Him who steals in fetters: The robber appears as an escaped prisoner in fetters and tells a pitiful tale how he has been unjustly dealt with. You pity him, loose his bonds, and treat him kindly. He repays your kindness by robbing you the first opportunity he gets.

[127:7] Him who beats with the shoe: The sharper takes off his old shoes to beat some one who has a good pair. The latter takes his off to retaliate and in the struggle that ensues the former makes off with the good shoes of the latter!

[127:8] Him who questions the truth: The thief knows you have a certain sum of money with you. He approaches you and says he has goods to sell of greater value than the money you possess, but he is willing to take what you actually have. He then asks if you have the amount with you and you say 'Yes'. He will retort 'Never'. Then you produce it and count it. If he can contrive to get hold of it he will swear it does not belong to you. Then he either bolts with all or makes a compromise with you.

[128:1] Him who got the better of then: That is, the thieves. This story has been suppressed on grounds of decency.

[128:2] And a phantom: Metre, tawíl.

[128:3] In a garb not his own: The usual garb of night is darkness, so that 'not his own' would mean brightness, i.e. moonlight. Night personified is here regarded as masculine.

THE MAQÁMÁT OF BADÍ‘ AL-ZAMÁN AL-HAMADHÁNÍ

PRINTED AT THE

S.P.C.K. PRESS, VEPERY, MADRAS

1915

HIS HIGHNESS

ASAF JAH MUZAFFAR-UL-MÚLK WAL MUMÁLIK,

NIZÁM-ÚL-MÚLK, NIZÁM-ÚD-DAULA NAWAB MIR

SIR OSMAN ALI KHAN, BAHADUR, FATEḤ JUNG, G.C.S.I.,

NIZAM OF HYDERABAD

THE TRANSLATOR DEDICATES WITH PROFOUND

RESPECT AND DEEP GRATITUDE THIS WORK

WHICH OWES ITS INCEPTION AND COMPLETION

TO THE GENEROUS ENCOURAGEMENT

AND GRACIOUS APPRECIATION OF

ORIENTAL STUDIES ALWAYS

SHOWN BY HIS HIGHNESS

AND HIS HIGHNESS’

GOVERNMENT

PREFACE

THIS Translation of the Maqámát of Badí ‘al-Zamán al-Hamadhání from the original Arabic with an Introduction and Notes was prepared as my thesis for the Research Degree of Bachelor of Letters, Oxford University, during the years 1913-14, and I now publish it as it was then written.

The original being largely in rhymed prose to which sense is sometimes subordinated to sound, there will necessarily be much in the rendering that will appear insipid and uninteresting to the English reader unacquainted with Arabic; but, as the Maqámát gave the first impulse to a species of composition which has for centuries been regarded as an important branch of belles lettres, it is hoped that this first translation of the work into English will be favourably received by Arabic scholars and that students will find it an aid to the understanding of this famous classic.

In the Notes I refer to the following by the names of their respective authors:—

Ibn Khallikan's Biographical Dictionary (London, 1841).

Ibn Khaldún's Prolegomena (Paris, 1878). Translated by M. G. de Slane.

Nicholson's Literary History of the Arabs (London, 1907). For typographical reasons 'q' instead of 'ḳ' has been used throughout to represent the Arabic ﻕ in transliteration.

My respectful thanks are due to His Highness the Nizam, G.C.S.I., for graciously permitting me to dedicate the book to him. My acknowledgements are also due to His Highness’ Government and the Madras School Book and Literary Society for generous grants towards the cost of publication. I also desire to acknowledge my indebtedness to the Rev. Canon E. Sell, D.D., for much valuable advice and help in regard to the arrangement of the Notes and to the Rev. J. Passmore for kindly assisting me in seeing the work through the press.

W. J. P.

September, 1915

ERRATA

Page 13, note ,

for

Lyden

read
Leyden. "
14, line 15 "
… "
…. "
26, note " ḥamúthá. " hánúthá. "
30 "
5 " illusion " allusion. "
33 "
4 "
… "
…. "
47 "
2 " reported " retorted. " " "
3 " satire " satirize. "
48, line 9 " of " off. "
51 "
19 "
… "
…. "
52, note " illusion " allusion. "
82, line 7 " course " coarse. "
90, note "
… "
…. "
131, line 14 " chose " choose. "
137, note " dates " figs.

INTRODUCTION

PAGE

LIFE OF THE AUTHOR

II.

RHYMED PROSE

III.

THE WORD MAQAMA

IV.

ORIGIN AND CHARACTER OF THE MAQAMAT

HAMADHANI AND HARIRI COMPARED

THE MAQAMAT

THE

MAQAMA

POESIE

II.

DO.

THE DATE

III.

DO.

BALER

IV.

DO.

SIJISTAN

DO.

KÚFA

VI.

DO.

THE LION

VII.

DO.

GHAILAN

VIII.

DO.

ADHARBAYJÁN

IX.

DO.

JURJAN

DO.

ISFAHAN

XI.

DO.

AHWAZ

XII.

DO.

BAGHDAD

XIII.

DO.

BASRA

XIV.

DO.

AL-FAZARA

XV.

DO.

JÁHIZ

XVI.

DO.

THE BLIND

XVII.

DO.

BUKHARA

XVIII.

DO.

QAZWÍN

XIX.

DO.

SASAN

XX.

DO.

THE APE

XXI.

DO.

MOSUL

XXII.

DO.

THE MADIRAH

XXIII.

DO.

THE AMULET

XXIV.

THE

MAQAMA

THE ASYLUM

100

XXV.

DO.

THE FAMINE

103

XXVI.

DO.

THE EXHORTATION

104

XXVII.

DO.

AL-ASWAD

110

XXVIII.

DO.

‘IRAQ

113

XXIX.

DO.

HAMDAN

119

XXX.

DO.

RUSAFA

122

XXXI.

DO.

THE SPINDLE

128

XXXII.

DO.

SHIRAZ

129

XXXIII.

DO.

HULWAN

131

XXXIV.

DO.

FRESH BUTTER

135

XXXV.

DO.

IBLIS

138

XXXVI.

DO.

ARMENIA

142

XXXVII.

DO.

THE NAJIM

144

XXXVIII.

DO.

KHALAF

148

XXXIX.

DO.

NISHAPUR

150

XL.

DO.

KNOWLEDGE

152

XLI.

DO.

ADVICE

153

XLII.

DO.

SAIMARA

156

XLIII.

DO.

THE DINAR

164

XLIV.

DO.

POETRY

167

XLV.

DO.

KINGS

172

XLVI.

DO.

THE YELLOW

174

XLVII.

DO.

SARIAH

175

XLVIII.

DO.

TAMIN

176

XLIX.

DO.

WINE

178

DO.

THE QUEST

182

LI.

DO.

BISHR

185

THE MAQÁMÁT OF BADÍ‘ AL-ZAMÁN AL-HAMADHÁNÍ

I. LIFE OF THE AUTHOR

THE Ḥáfiz Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusain ibn Yaḥya ibn Ṣa‘íd ibn Bashar Abú’l-Faḍl al-Hamadhání, surnamed Badí ‘al-Zamán (the Wonder of the Age), was born at Hamadhán on the 13th of Jumádí al-Ákhir A.H. 358 (A.D. 967) and, therefore, like many other eminent Arabic writers, lived far from Arabia and may have even been of Persian origin. He himself claimed to be descended from the tribes of Taghlib and Muḍar.

Unlike Ḥarírí, his great imitator, he had not the advantage of being born and bred in the atmosphere and amid the inspiring associations of a great seat of learning, and he himself appears to have shared the popular opinion as to the stupidity and churlishness of the people of Hamadhán.

He is said to have satirized his native place in the well-known lines:—

…

Hamadhán is my native town, I must allow it that honour, but it is the vilest of cities.
In ugliness its children are like its old men, and, in reason, its old men are like its children. .

On page 419 of the Letters he quotes the verse of another poet:—

…
Thou wilt not blame me for the weakness of my intellect, If thou art assured I am a man of Hamadhán.

Ibn Fáris, Hamadhání's instructor, ironically hints that the ignorance of the people of Hamadhán was contagious. 'Why should I not ', says he, 'offer a sincere prayer for that city where I had the good fortune of forgetting all I ever learned?' In spite of the uninspiring character of his immediate surroundings, ‘Aufí tells us he gave, at a very early age, evidence of those great gifts which eventually made him famous.

That great patron of letters, the Ṣáḥib ibn ‘Abbád, the famous Buwayhid minister, tested his skill in ex tempore translation at the age of twelve by giving the young scholar Persian verse to render into metrical Arabic, a feat which he accomplished on the spot, the Ṣáḥib himself, at the instance of the youthful poet, suggesting the metre and the rhyme.

It must, however, be borne in mind that he had the good fortune of sitting at the feet of learned men like Abú’l-Ḥusain ibn Fáris (ob. A.H. 390), the philologist and author of the Mujmil fí’l-Lughát, or Collection of Philological Observations and ‘Īsá ibn Hishám the traditionalist. It is not improbable that in the latter we have the original of the name of the Ráwí or narrator of the Maqámát. The relater of tradition might by an easy transition become the narrator of the story or adventure.

Each maqáma begins with …, which, being literally rendered, signifies 'he related news, or traditions to us'. It should also be remembered that, notwithstanding internal dissensions, internecine strife and the frequent wars with the Greeks, he lived in an age of great intellectual activity. The literary renaissance, which began in the reign of Saif al-Daula, was still making itself felt.
Mutanabbí, considered by his countrymen to be the greatest of Islámic poets, had just completed his great work. Two years before Hamadhání was born Abú ‘Alí al-Qálí had finished in Cordova his excellent work on philology, the Book of Dictations, and Abú’l-Faraj al-Isfahání had completed one of the most important and useful works in the Arabic language, that rich mine of poetry, history, antiquities and legend, the Kitáb al-Aghání, on which he had spent fifty years of his life. In A.H. 360, or two years after the birth of the author, the Brethren of Purity were endeavouring by means of their teachings, set forth in fifty treatises, to reconcile science and religion and to harmonize the law of Islám with the philosophy of the Greeks.

Among other prominent men of his day were Abú Firás, the famous poet prince, regarding whom the Ṣáḥib used to say, 'Poetry began with a prince—Imr al-Qais—and ended with one—Abú’l-Firás.' There were also Abú’l-Alá al-Ma‘arí, the poet, philosopher and free-thinker; al-Babbghá, the poet and Ibn Nubáta, the fiery preacher. To be called the Wonder of such an age was indeed a proud distinction. And here one is led to enquire as to what were the system of education and the method of study that could produce such a prodigy.

In Hamadhání's time, education, in addition to the study of the Qur’án and the commentaries thereon, consisted of the study of Traditions of the Prophet, jurisprudence, legendary lore concerning the pagan times of the Arabs, their days or battles, ex tempore recitations, philosophy, philology, poetics, grammar, the art of writing ornate prose, and travel.

In his reflections on knowledge, the course to be pursued in the acquisition thereof and the essential qualifications of the seeker after knowledge, the author gives us an insight into his own methods of study. These comprised self-denial, dogged perseverance, much reading, patient investigation and deep meditation joined to extensive travel. He makes it clear that he knew of no royal road to learning and that he had learned 'to scorn delights and live laborious days'. In the Maqámát he shows how thorough had been his education and how deeply he was imbued with the culture of his age.
In the year A.H. 380 at the age of twenty-two he left his little-loved native place and proceeded to the court of the Ṣáḥib. There is no evidence as to the precise duration of his stay there, but, in the society of the litterati that had gathered round the great Wazír and with, doubtless, free access to a library so vast that the Ṣáḥib is reported to have said that it would require 400 camels to transport it, it must have been for the young aspirant to literary fame a period rich in opportunity and experience. A breach of good manners on his part in the presence of the Wazír is said to have brought his sojourn at Arraján to an abrupt termination. Thence he journeyed to Jurján where, according to Tha‘álibí (A.H. 350-429) he frequented the society of the Ismá‘ílí heretics, from whom he acquired a great deal of knowledge and received much enlightenment. In A.H. 382 (A.D. 992-3) at the age of twenty-four he reached Nishapur where he composed the work upon which his fame rests, the Maqámát. On his way to this city he appears to have fallen among thieves who robbed him and stripped him of everything he possessed.

If we accept the dates given by Tha‘álibí in the Yatíma, of Hamadhání's arrival at Nishapur (A.H. 382) and of al-Khwárazmí's death (A.H. 383), the Maqámát were the work of a very young man, completed within the short space of two years. If such was the case there must have been a great deal of scholarly preparation during the author's stay at the court of the Ṣáḥib and his sojourn among the Ismá‘ílí heretics at Jurján. The evidence in favour of this view is supplied by Hamadhání himself. In replying to al-Khwárazmí's criticism of his work he tauntingly remarks that, while he had dictated four hundred maqámát, his detractor was unable to compose a tenth part of one.

There is, however, reason to suppose that the, work was begun before the author left his native city. For example, the scene of the maqáma of Maḍirah is laid in Baṣra while the concluding appeal is made to an audience in Hamadhán. The inference is, therefore, that the Maqámát were begun in Hamadhán and completed in Nishapur, probably some time after the death of al-Khwárazmí in A.H. 383.
While in this city a great literary duel took place between Hamadhání and Abú Bakr al-Khwárazmí (A.H. 323-83), a nephew of Ṭabarí, the well-known historian. Al-Khwárazmí was a poet of the first rank, a master of the art of official writing, a renowned authority on philology and genealogy and noted for his sententious sayings. In addition to all this he was endowed with a marvellous memory.

It is related of him that having gone to see the Ṣáḥib ibn ‘Abbád, who was then holding court at Arraján, he requested a chamberlain to announce to him that a literary man desired permission to see him, and his master replied: 'Tell him I have bound myself not to receive any literary man, unless he know by heart twenty thousand verses composed by Arabs of the desert'. The chamberlain returned with the answer, and Abú Bakr said: 'Go back and ask him if he means twenty thousand composed by men or twenty thousand composed by women?' This question was repeated and the Ṣáḥib exclaimed: 'That must be Abú Bakr al-Khwárazmí: let him come in!' Such was the intellectual giant, now about sixty years of age, whom the youthful scholar of twenty-five essayed to challenge to literary combat.

Hamadhání opened the discussion. Addressing al-Khwárazmí he said: 'We have cited thee in order that thou mayest fill this assembly with benefits and quote unfamiliar verses and rare proverbs. We will discuss with thee and profit by that which thou hast, and do thou question us that thou mayest benefit by what we have. Now we will begin with the arts of which thou art master and which have made thee famous. They are memory, if thou wilt, poetry, if thou desirest, prose, if thou choosest, or improvisation, if thou please, for these are the subjects of the boast with which thou dost fill thy mouth.' Al-Khwárazmí chose improvisation and the result was his complete discomfiture.

We are afraid the decision in favour of the author was not altogether free from bias. Al-Khwárazmí was supported by his students while the leading men of Nishapur, who had a grudge against him, sided with Hamadhání. The verdict must have been a foregone conclusion.
Hamadhání does not appear, however, to have cherished any ill will against his vanquished rival. In his reply to some one, who subsequently was uncharitable enough to write and felicitate him upon al-Khwárazmí's illness, he administered a sharp rebuke to the writer and told him that in the time of trouble all resentment disappears, that he entertained the deepest affection for the great scholar and sincerely prayed for his recovery.

As no one had imagined there was a scholar who, under any circumstances, had the temerity to enter the lists with al-Khwárazmí, Hamadhání's success in vanquishing the great man caused his fame to spread far and wide and secured him the patronage of the great and the powerful. In the course of his subsequent travels there was not a prince, governor or chief whose bounty he did not enjoy, and whose largess he did not receive.

On the death of al-Khwárazmí in A.H. 383 (according to Ibn al-Athír in A.H. 393) Hamadhání found himself without a rival. How long he remained at Nishapur is not known, but writing to Shaikh Abd ‘Alí for a letter to the Amír he complains that his sojourn there had been long, that he was suffering from insomnia and, if there should be any delay in sending the letter, he would be obliged to leave without it. After leaving this city he visited every important town in Khurásán, Sijistán (Seistan) and the kingdom of Ghazna, probably reciting his maqámát to admiring audiences wherever he went. He finally settled in Herat where he greatly improved his position and circumstances by marrying the daughter of a rich man named Abú ‘Alí Ḥusain al-Khushnámí. By this marriage he had an only daughter to whom he refers in the most affectionate terms. He writes: 'I am as devoted to her as a father to an only son and I would not exchange her for ten sons.'
He appears to have carried on an extensive correspondence with a large number of distinguished personages, the chief among whom were: Shaikh Abd ‘Abbás, first minister of Sulṭán Maḥmúd of Ghazna, Adnán ibn Muḥammad, the governor of [paragraph continues] Herat, Abú Ja‘far al-Míkálí, Muḥammad ibn Zuheir, the governor of Balkh, the Wazír of Rayy and others.

Proficiency in the epistolary art, such as Hamadhání could boast of, was a sure passport to preferment in the author's time, but he does not appear to have held any official position and the allusions to his being appointed governor of Baṣra and administrator of a province in Syria are, in all probability, a fiction. He died at Herat on Friday, the 11th Jumádí’l ‘Ula. A.H. 398 (February, 1008) at the comparatively early age of forty lunar years, or eight years younger than Ḥarírí was when he began to compose his Maqámát.

According to Abú Ṣa‘íd ‘Abd al-Raḥmán ibn Muḥammad, 'He fell into a lethargy and was buried with precipitation. He recovered when shut up in the tomb, and his cries having been heard in the night his grave was opened and he was found dead grasping his beard'. It is also said he was poisoned.

Judged by his Letters he was a man to whom family ties strongly appealed. His advice to his sister's son manifests a commendable concern for the boy's education. He writes: 'Thou art my son as long as learning is thy business, the school thy place, the ink-flask thy ally, and a book thy friend, but, if thou come short, but methinks thou wilt not do so, then let another be thy uncle.'

Tha‘álibí, his acquaintance and biographer, sums up his ability and character as follows: 'He was remarkable for his choice and correct Arabic, the elegance of his epistles and the beauty of his poetry. He was of pleasing appearance, cheerful, sociable, modest, large-hearted, high-souled, a man of his word, sincere in his social relations, a true friend, but a bitter enemy.
His death, according to the same authority; was a great blow to learning, and he was universally lamented and regretted; 'but', adds Tha‘álibí, 'he is not dead whose fame liveth'. These words were written a short time after the death of Hamadhání; and the succeeding nine centuries, during which his influence has penetrated the vast realm of Islámic literature, have proved that they were not inappropriately applied to the author of the Maqámát.

1:1 See Letters of the author, p. 47, line 1.

1:2 Ibid., pp. 8 and 9.

1:3 Abú’l-‘Ala Muḥammad ibn Ḥusul, a native of Hamadhán, is the reputed author of these lines.

2:1 Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's Translation, i, 101.

2:2 Lubáb al-Albáb, p. 17.

2:3 Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's Translation, i, 101.

2:4 See Yatíma, i, 9.

3:1 Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's Translation, i, 366.
3:2 See De Slane's Introduction to Ibn Khallikan, pp. xxxi and xxxii, 3:3 Text, pp. 202-4 and Letters, pp. 165-8.

4:1 Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's Translation, i, 215.

4:2 Yatíma, iv, 168.

4:3 Letters, pp. 104-5.

4:4 Yatíma, iv, 168.

4:5 Letters, pp. 104-5.

4:6 Ibid., p. 390.

4:7 Text, pp. 110-15.

5:1 Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's Translation, iii, 108. Yatíma, iv, 114.

5:2 The author uses the word Majlis (…), Letters, p. 41, line 5.

5:3 Ibid., pp, 41-2.

5:4 Letters, pp, 80 and 83 and Yakút's Dictionary of Learned Men, i, 101.

5:5 Yatíma, iv, 137.

6:1 Letters, p. 187.

6:2 Yatíma, iv, 169. The only one deemed worthy of praise in the Maqámát was Khalaf ibn Aḥmad, the Amír of Sijistán.

6:3 Letters, p. 189.

6:4 See Letters, p. 337 for the motives which prompted him to settle there.

6:5 Letters, p. 398.

7:1 Text, p. 196.

7:2 Ibid., p. 233.

7:3 See Letters, pp. 266-7.

7:4 Letters, p. 295.

7:5 De Sacy's Introduction to Ḥarírí, p. 50.

7:6 Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's Translation, i, 114.

7:7 Letters, pp. 245-9.

7:8 Ibid., p, 523.

7:9 Yatíma, iv, 168; also Letters, pp. 253-5.

7:10 Yatíma, iv, 109.

Notes:

[1:1] See Letters of the author, p. 47, line 1.

[1:2] Ibid., pp. 8 and 9.

[1:3] Abú’l-‘Ala Muḥammad ibn Ḥusul, a native of Hamadhán, is the reputed author of these lines.

[2:1] Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's Translation, i, 101.

[2:2] Lubáb al-Albáb, p. 17.

[2:3] Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's Translation, i, 101.

[2:4] See Yatíma, i, 9.

[3:1] Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's Translation, i, 366.
[3:2] See De Slane's Introduction to Ibn Khallikan, pp. xxxi and xxxii, [3:3] Text, pp. 202-4 and Letters, pp. 165-8.

[4:1] Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's Translation, i, 215.

[4:2] Yatíma, iv, 168.

[4:3] Letters, pp. 104-5.

[4:4] Yatíma, iv, 168.

[4:5] Letters, pp. 104-5.

[4:6] Ibid., p. 390.

[4:7] Text, pp. 110-15.

[5:1] Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's Translation, iii, 108. Yatíma, iv, 114.

[5:2] The author uses the word Majlis (…), Letters, p. 41, line 5.

[5:3] Ibid., pp, 41-2.

[5:4] Letters, pp, 80 and 83 and Yakút's Dictionary of Learned Men, i, 101.

[5:5] Yatíma, iv, 137.

[6:1] Letters, p. 187.

[6:2] Yatíma, iv, 169. The only one deemed worthy of praise in the Maqámát was Khalaf ibn Aḥmad, the Amír of Sijistán.

[6:3] Letters, p. 189.

[6:4] See Letters, p. 337 for the motives which prompted him to settle there.

[6:5] Letters, p. 398.

[7:1] Text, p. 196.

[7:2] Ibid., p. 233.

[7:3] See Letters, pp. 266-7.

[7:4] Letters, p. 295.

[7:5] De Sacy's Introduction to Ḥarírí, p. 50.

[7:6] Ibn Khallikan, De Slane's Translation, i, 114.

[7:7] Letters, pp. 245-9.

[7:8] Ibid., p, 523.

[7:9] Yatíma, iv, 168; also Letters, pp. 253-5.

[7:10] Yatíma, iv, 109.

II. RHYMED PROSE

RHYMED prose called saj‘ (…) because of its evenness or monotony, or from a fancied resemblance between its rhythm and the cooing of a dove, is a highly artificial style of prose, characterized by a kind of rhythm as well as rhyme. It is a species of diction to which the Arabic language, because of its structure, the mathematical precision of its manifold formations and the essential assonance of numerous derivatives from the same root supplying the connexion between the sound and signification of words, peculiarly lends itself.

According to Jáḥiz (ob. A.H. 255) the advantages of rhymed prose are twofold; it is pleasing to the ear and easy to remember. He says the Arabs have uttered a far greater quantity of simple than of rhymed prose, and yet not a tenth of the former has been retained while not a tenth of the latter has been lost.

In pagan times it is supposed to have been the mode of expression in dignified discourses, challenges, harangues and orations. It was also the form in which the oracular sayings and decisions of the kahana, the soothsayers or diviners, each of whom was supposed to have a familiar spirit, were expressed.

Because of its association with these pagan practices its use 'in commands and prohibitions' in the early days of Islám is said to have been forbidden. The Prophet is reported to have said: … 'Avoid ye the rhyming prose of the soothsayers or diviners.'
On the high authority of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (ob. A.H. 258), the founder of one of the four Schools of Law, we have it that the Prophet had a rooted repugnance to this kind of composition. In an incident related by him the Prophet is reported to have indignantly exclaimed, 'What! rhymed prose after the manner of the Arabs of the Days of the Ignorance?'

There is, therefore, naturally, no trace of it in the sermon of the Prophet after the capture of Mecca, nor is it to be found in his farewell address and final charge on the occasion of the last pilgrimage. Nor is it used by the Khalífa Mu‘áwíya in his last khutba.

In spite of the ban, however, it appears there were orators who spoke in rhymed prose, and one of the earliest specimens of a khutba in rhymed prose is by the celebrated preacher and orator, contemporary with Muḥammad, Saḥbán Wá’il (ob. A.H. 54). On the other hand he did not use it in his reply to Ṭalḥa al-Ṭalḥáṭ the governor of Sijistán.

With the spread of Islám the reason for the prohibition disappears and rhymed prose reasserts itself in some of the speeches made by Muslim orators in the presence of the first Khalífas and no objection appears to have been raised.

In early Islámic times it seems to belong to repartee, sententious sayings, the epigram, solemn utterances such as paternal advice, religious formulae, prayers, elogia addressed to princes and governors. Jáḥiz cites several specimens of these and the author of the Aghání quotes a eulogy in rhymed prose by al-Nabigha al-Ja‘adí, one of the most celebrated of the poets contemporary with Muḥammad.

During the first century of the Hijra it appears to have been regarded as the symbol of an elevated style peculiar to the orator.
In the earlier specimens of female eloquence compiled by Abú’l-Faḍl Aḥmad ibn Ṭaḥir (A.H. 204-80) there is, however, very little trace of this species of composition. In fact it was regarded as a rare accomplishment if not a lost art. But a few sentences of this form of composition by the wife of Abú’l-Aswad al-Du‘lí sufficed to draw from the Khalífa Mu‘awiya the exclamation, 'Good gracious! What rhymed prose the woman speaks!'

The institution of the weekly address (khuṭba) by the Khalífa, led no doubt to careful preparation and thus paved the way for pulpit oratory which found its loftiest expression in rhymed prose. It is not, however, until the beginning of the third century of the Hijra that it reappears in the khutba and becomes the conventional style of the professional preacher. An excellent specimen of a khutba in rhymed prose on death, resurrection and judgement is that by Ibn Nubata (A.H. 335-74) entitled 'the sermon of the vision.' The language is dignified and solemn, but perfectly plain and intelligible. A vast empire with its numerous provincial governments and political and commercial relations with neighbouring states required that its edicts, foreign despatches, and official correspondence should be expressed in language at once dignified and forceful.

Out of the necessity of this situation arose the study of the epistolary art and towards the beginning of the second century of the Hijra official letter writers had developed that florid style which has ever since been the distinguishing feature of such compositions. Nevertheless there were writers who eschewed this ornateness and wrote in language easy to be understood.

A notable example of this natural and simple style is Jáḥiz whose diction Hamadhání, writing a century later, condemns as wanting in artifice, adornment, and ornateness.

With such assiduity was the art of official writing cultivated, so great was the importance attached to it and so highly did it come to be appreciated, that the Kátib, or secretary, not infrequently rose to the highest position in the state, that of Wazír, or chief minister. Tha‘álibí throws considerable light upon the rise and development of this official correspondence. He says that epistolary writing began with ‘Abd al-Ḥamíd (ob. A.H. 133), Kátib, or secretary, to Marwán the last of the Omayyad Khalífas, and ended with Ibn al-Amíd (ob. A.H. 359 or 360), the Wazír of Rukn al-Daula, the Buwayhid prince.

In this striving after an ornate and elevated style the adoption of a species of composition, that had raised pulpit oratory above the language of every-day life, seems to be a natural result, and thus rhymed prose became the essential feature not only of official writing, but also of the private correspondence of the learned and the cultured.

It will be sufficient to mention three collections of such Epistles: those of Abú’l ‘Alá al-Mu‘arrí (A.H. 363-449), edited and translated into English by Professor D. S. Margoliouth; extracts from those of Abú Bakr al-Khwárazmí cited by Tha‘álibí; and those of al-Hamadhání himself, edited and published with notes by Ibráhím Ibn ‘Alí al-Aḥdab (Beyrút).

It was Hamadhání, however, a master of the epistolary art himself, who conceived the idea of demonstrating in a series of dramatic discourses, known to us as the Maqámát, how the use of this mode of composition might be extended to literature so as to include the entire range of the life and language of the Arabian people. He was, therefore, the popularizer of rhymed prose, in a class of compositions with which his name was first associated, and which have not only penetrated all Islámic literature as well as that of the Syrian Christians, and the Spanish Jews, but have served as models of style for more than nine hundred years.

8:1 See Chenery's Introduction to Ḥarírí, pp. 50-51.

8:2 Kitáb al-Bayán wa’l-Tabyín, i, 112.

8:3 Ibid., p. 119 (oration of Koss ibn Sa‘ida).

8:4 Ibid., p. 113; Qur’án lii, 29.

8:5 Life of Muḥammad, Wüsṭenfeld, Band I, pp. 171, 191.

8:6 Kitáb al-Bayán wa’l-Tabyín, p. 113.

9:1 Musnad of Ibn Ḥanbal, iv, 245.

9:2 Kitáb al-Bayán wa’l-Tabyín, ii, 163-4 and Life of Muḥammad (Wüstenfeld) Band iv, 968.

9:3 Kitáb al-Amálí, ii, 313.

9:4 Chenery's Translation of Ḥarírí, p. 309.

9:5 Ḥarírí, p. 49.
9:6 Kitáb al-Bayán wa’l-Tabyín, i, 113. s 9:7 Aghání, iii, 6.

9:8 Kitáb al-Bayán wa’l-Tabyín, i, 111.
9:9 Aghání, xiv, 3, 9:10 Ibn Khallikan, i, 456.

9:11 Kitáb al-Amálí, ü, 73.

9:12 See Balághat al-Nisá, pp. 15 and 16.

10:1 See Balághat al-Nisá, p. 54.

10:2 Journal Asiatique, January, 1840.

10:3 Text, p. 72.

10:4 Yatíma, iii, 3.

11:1 Yatíma, iv, 114-23.

Notes:

[8:1] See Chenery's Introduction to Ḥarírí, pp. 50-51.

[8:2] Kitáb al-Bayán wa’l-Tabyín, i, 112.

[8:3] Ibid., p. 119 (oration of Koss ibn Sa‘ida).

[8:4] Ibid., p. 113; Qur’án lii, 29.

[8:5] Life of Muḥammad, Wüsṭenfeld, Band I, pp. 171, 191.

[8:6] Kitáb al-Bayán wa’l-Tabyín, p. 113.

[9:1] Musnad of Ibn Ḥanbal, iv, 245.

[9:2] Kitáb al-Bayán wa’l-Tabyín, ii, 163-4 and Life of Muḥammad (Wüstenfeld) Band iv, 968.

[9:3] Kitáb al-Amálí, ii, 313.

[9:4] Chenery's Translation of Ḥarírí, p. 309.

[9:5] Ḥarírí, p. 49.
[9:6] Kitáb al-Bayán wa’l-Tabyín, i, 113. s [9:7] Aghání, iii, 6.

[9:8] Kitáb al-Bayán wa’l-Tabyín, i, 111.
[9:9] Aghání, xiv, 3, [9:10] Ibn Khallikan, i, 456.

[9:11] Kitáb al-Amálí, ü, 73.

[9:12] See Balághat al-Nisá, pp. 15 and 16.

[10:1] See Balághat al-Nisá, p. 54.

[10:2] Journal Asiatique, January, 1840.

[10:3] Text, p. 72.

[10:4] Yatíma, iii, 3.

[11:1] Yatíma, iv, 114-23.

III. THE WORD MAQAMA (…)

MAQAMA, plural Maqámát, from … he stood, primarily signifies an occasion of standing, or a place where one stands upright. Standing appear to have been not only the natural, but the conventional position of the speaker, e.g.

(1) …

The people stood up to speak.

(2) I have heard that ‘Alí ibn al-Ḥusain was standing admonishing the people.

(3) Come near and eat, or, if thou wilt, stand and speak.

The practice of standing to speak goes back to Homeric times:—

O Damaan, friends and heroes, men of Arie's company, seemly it is to listen to him who standeth to speak.

According to Ibn Qutaiba (A. H. 276) reports of the literary discussions held in the assemblies of men of learning and culture received, early in the ‘Abbásid period (A. H. 132-656), the name Maqáma.

These literary reunions appear to have been a recognized institution. Saif al-Daula used to hold an assembly every night to which men of learning came and conversed in his presence; and Tha‘álibí, in referring to the literary splendour of Bukhára in Hamadhání's time, mentions a remarkable gathering of the chief scholars of the day at the Court of that State.

Maqáma probably acquired the more restricted meaning of a discourse, exhortation or oration, between the time of Jáḥiz (ob. A.H. 255) and that of Hamadhání (ob. A.H. 398).

The extracts given below illustrate the various uses of the word from the time of the pre-Islámic poet Zuheir (end of the sixth century A.D.) to that of the author (end of the eleventh century A.D.) It is thus used by early writers:—

(1) By Zuheir and quoted by Hamadhání:—

…
And among them are maqámát—champions and the like—whose faces are fair, And councils where words are followed by deeds.

(2) By Abú Tammám (ob. A.H. 190):—

…
Concerning every battlefield and in every maqáma (situation); Which obtain from poetry covenants and contracts.

…
Of many a maqáma—speech—whose weapons have rendered other people's talk weak, wherein there are waves of language which cannot be cleared away, Hast thou dispelled the: darkness with a decisive speech like unto a determining blow in the time of peril.

…
And if he is present in the maqáma—assembly or council—on the day of final decision, Thou wilt see the equal of Luqmán the sage.

(3) By al-Qattál:—

…
In the presence of the maqáma—a company of people—I adjured Zíád to desist, And I reminded him of the ties of relationship of Sa‘r and Haitham that bound us together.

(4) By Jáḥiz (ob. A. H. 255):—

…

And he sat down and the company were Arabs who were discussing tradition and citing proof passages and proverbs, and from history, battles and maqámát—speeches or orations.

…

Solitary ones who have not heard the barking of the dogs of maqáma—a company of Bedawín.

(5) By Abú ‘Alí al-Qálí (ob. 356):—

…

Maqáma = Majlis, a company of people.

(6) By Hamadhání:—

…

There used to reach me of the maqámát—discourses and the like—and sayings of al-Iskanderí.

…

So wait for the end of his maqáma—a discourse. The word here refers to a stirring sermon which ‘Ísá ibn Hishám had been listening to.

…

And him who enters the maqámát—companies or assemblies of respectable people.

…

And of their distinguishing marks is the vileness of their maqámát—assemblies of chief men, or speeches.

…

Verily he who has dictated four hundred maqámát on mendicity.

Although the maqámát were composed chiefly for assemblies of the learned and for the entertainment of the great, the word maqáma is applied by Hamadhání himself to the species of composition first associated with his name, and not to the people who assembled to listen to his discourses. It is in this restricted sense that it has come down to us.

As the extracts from different authors do, however, show that the word has the triple signification of an oratorical address or harangue, a collection of champions, or a company of people, I have preferred a transliteration to the rendering by the familiar, but unsatisfactory, term assembly.

11:2 Kitáb al-Amálí, ii, 73.

11:3 Maqámát of al-Hamadhání, p. 130.

11:4 Maqámát of al-Ḥarírí, p. 21.

12:1 Iliad, Book xix, line 79.

12:2 Brockelman, Gesch. der Arab Litteratur, i, 94.

12:3 Ibn Khallikan, i, 105.

12:4 Yatíma, iv, 33.

12:5 Shu‘ará al-Nasrániah, p. 573.

12:6 Abú Tammám (Beyrút edition), p. 82, last line.

13:1 Abú Tammám (Beyrút edition), p. 211, line 4.

13:2 Ibid., p. 256, line 4 from the end.

13:3 Hamasa, p. 95.

13:4 Book of Misers (Lyden edition), p. 218, line 23.
13:5 Haywán, part iv, 154, 13:6 Kitáb al-Amálí, i, 95.

14:1 Text, p. 25.

14:2 Ibid., p. 135.

14:3 Ibid., p. 160.

14:4 Letters, p. 106.

14:5 Ibid., p, 390.

Notes:

[11:2] Kitáb al-Amálí, ii, 73.

[11:3] Maqámát of al-Hamadhání, p. 130.

[11:4] Maqámát of al-Ḥarírí, p. 21.

[12:1] Iliad, Book xix, line 79.

[12:2] Brockelman, Gesch. der Arab Litteratur, i, 94.

[12:3] Ibn Khallikan, i, 105.

[12:4] Yatíma, iv, 33.

[12:5] Shu‘ará al-Nasrániah, p. 573.

[12:6] Abú Tammám (Beyrút edition), p. 82, last line.

[13:1] Abú Tammám (Beyrút edition), p. 211, line 4.

[13:2] Ibid., p. 256, line 4 from the end.

[13:3] Hamasa, p. 95.

[13:4] Book of Misers (Lyden edition), p. 218, line 23.
[13:5] Haywán, part iv, 154, [13:6] Kitáb al-Amálí, i, 95.

[14:1] Text, p. 25.

[14:2] Ibid., p. 135.

[14:3] Ibid., p. 160.

[14:4] Letters, p. 106.

[14:5] Ibid., p, 390.

IV. ORIGIN AND CHARACTER OF THE MAQAMAT

IN the first century of Islám there were scarcely any books and knowledge was handed down orally. In fact there was, till well within the second century of the Hijra, a decided antipathy towards the written word and those who desired to learn the traditions of the Prophet were obliged to travel. Indeed the only way knowledge could be had was by travelling.

Those who wished to study Arabic philosophy, poetry, legend and the idiom of the desert were obliged to pursue their researches and investigations among the Bedawín tribes.

Travel in search of knowledge thus rendered necessary at first by circumstance became the fashion not only for the acquisition of knowledge, but also for the dissemination and display thereof. It thus led to the evolution of the vagabond scholar, a kind of knight-errant of literature and the prototype of the medieval wandering man of learning.

Inspired by such examples of peripatetic scholars as well as by his own wanderings and varied experience, Hamadhání imagined a profoundly clever and witty but unscrupulous improvisor wandering from place to place, appearing in a variety of disguises unexpectedly, but always opportunely, in the gatherings of the great and the literary assemblies of the learned and living on the rich presents, the display of his erudition rarely failed to produce from the generous and the cultured, and a ráwí, or narrator, a man of means of mature age, of a grave and generous disposition with a penchant for learning who should continually meet him and relate his learned compositions.

Abú’l-Fatḥ, therefore, represents the vagabond scholar of Hamadhání's own day, and, one is inclined to believe, occasionally the author himself relating his own experiences or personal adventures.

The conception was an advance to the dramatic style which, on account of the religious objection to the portrayal or realistic representation of life or the human form, had hitherto been wanting in Arabic literature.

According to the Zahr al-Adáb the occasion of the composing of the Maqámát was as follows: Abú Isḥáq, surnamed al-Ḥuṣrí, or the maker or seller of mats (ob. at Qairawán A.H. 413). contemporary with Hamadhání, after referring in the most flattering terms to the unique appropriateness of the author's name and appellation, Abú’l Faḍl and Badí ‘al-Zamán, the 'Father of Excellence' and the 'Wonder of the Age' respectively., writes: 'When al-Hamadhání observed that Abú Bakr ibn Duraid the Azdite (A.H. 223-321) had composed forty rare stories on a variety of subjects expressed in strange sounding speech and obsolete and incongruous words, such as men's natures would shrink from and their ears be closed against, which he said he had produced from the springs of his breast, extracted from the mines of his thought and exposed to public view and perception, Hamadhání met him with four hundred Maqámát on mendicity.' These are instinct with interest and beauty and between no two of them is there the slightest resemblance, either as regards words or ideas. He attributes the composition and narration of them to two persons. One of them he called ‘Ísá ibn Hishám and the other he named Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskanderí. These two he made to exchange pearls of thought and to give expression to bewitching language such as would cause the sorrowful to laugh and the staid to become excited. 'In these compositions he, acquaints us with every kind of pleasantry and informs us of every species of subtlety. Generally, one of the characters is made the author of the story and the other the narrator of it.'

Ibn Khallikan makes no mention of these stories in the list of works ascribed to Ibn Duraid nor is there any reference to them in that cited by Yaqút. The nearest approach to a work of this kind by that author is the Kitáb al-Lughát on the dialects or idiomatic expressions of the Arabs.

If, therefore, the stories were what they were represented to be by al-Ḥuṣrí they were probably written in a dialect which had become obsolescent.

It is interesting to observe that Hamadhání's compositions had reached and were known in Qairawán, the sacred city of Islám in Tunisia, at this early date, and that we have from the pen of another contemporary a criticism, which probably expressed the opinion of the learned world as to the literary merits of the Maqámát.

The triple aim of Hamadhání appears to have been to amuse, to interest and to instruct; and this explains why, in spite of the inherent difficulty of a work of this kind composed primarily with a view to rhetorical effect upon the learned and the great, there is scarcely a dull chapter in the fifty-one maqámát. There is little evidence that the story or the adventure is subordinated to the style.

When the author essayed, in the course of these dramatic discourses, to illustrate the life and language both of the denizens of the desert and of the dwellers in towns, to give examples of the jargon and slang of thieves and robbers as well as of the lucubrations of the learned and the conversations of the cultured, and to show the use of strange and obsolete words and phrases, such as are found in the proverbs—probably the oldest forms of the Arabic language and the earliest utterances of the Arabian people—difficult and obscure passages were inevitable. On page 10 of the text the author asserts that one of his objects was to capture these rare words and strange sayings. In fact the collection of nawádir, or recondite expressions, was a favourite pursuit.

In electing to do this in rhymed prose he imposed upon himself all the limitations of a style which, in any but the hand of a master, tends to become oppressively monotonous and depressingly dull.
In pleasing contrast, however, to the numerous obscurities, intentional and otherwise, the hypocritical and dishonest Qádí, the Bedawín robber, the simple rustic, the eloquent and fearless preacher, the garrulous trader, the miserly merchant, and the loquacious barber with his amazing malapropisms containing cleverly concealed allusions, are portrayed with all the graphic skill of a master of the art of description.

The commentator in referring to the author's descriptive power says: 'He combines the accuracy of the idiom of the dwellers of the desert with the refinement and taste of the people of the towns, so that the reader imagines himself to be now among the hair tents of a Bedawín encampment and anon amidst the stately buildings of a city.'

The second point of importance in this extract from the Zahr al-Adáb is the reference to the number of the compositions. Al-Huṣrí must have had the Maqámát and the Letters before him, because he gives copious extracts from both in the work above mentioned, and if there had not been four hundred he would, in all probability, have alluded to the fact when mentioning their number. We have, therefore, in the printed text about one-eighth of the original work.

The question, as to whether the maqámát are impromptu compositions, as they were represented to be, may be disposed of by a consideration of the maqámát themselves. They bear evident trace of scholarly preparation and literary finish, and I think the author himself, unconsciously, furnishes the explanation. In the fortieth maqáma he says: 'I wrote elegantly by virtue of much reading. I passed on from reading to investigation and from investigation to composition.'

Again, on page 389 of the Letters, in replying to certain strictures passed on the maqámát and to the taunt by his great rival, Abú Bakr al-Khwárazmí, that he was unable to produce any more, he writes: 'Now if that savant were just he would have endeavoured to produce five maqámát, or ten original compositions, and submitted them to the judgement of the cultured and then, if they approved and did not reject them, he might have adversely criticized us. Now let him understand that, while I have dictated four hundred maqámát on mendicity, between no two of which is there any resemblance, either as regards words or ideas, he is unable to produce a tenth of a maqáma, and, therefore, he deserves to have his faults exposed.'

It seems reasonable to suppose that his modus operandi was the plan which he suggested that al-Khwárazmí should have adopted, namely, to first submit a few maqámát to the learned for their opinion.

The author's boast that 'between no two maqámát is there any similarity, either as regards words or ideas,' is not consistent with fact, and if the entire work had been known to al-Khwárazmí in A. H. 383, it is very doubtful if such a statement would have been made. Al-Ḥuṣrí reproduces the assertion without comment.

There are several cases of resemblance and not a few of repetition, both in regard to words and ideas.

For example, the line on page 13, 'In the evening they are Arabs, in the morning Nabateans ', reappears, with a very slight variation, on page 88 of the text. The themes of the twenty-fifth and the thirty-fourth maqámát are identical. The fourth and the thirty-seventh have much in common.

The fifteenth and the fortieth have similar concluding verses. The forty-fourth is a variation and largely a reproduction of the twenty-eighth. Other instances of resemblance are recorded in the notes.

Each maqáma is complete in itself and generally consists of a mélange of prose and verse. It usually concludes with some clever verses in which the improvisor administers a sharp rebuke, or explains, or justifies his conduct to the narrator.

The maqámát vary in length. Some of them extending over several pages while others are limited to a few lines. In some both persons of the drama are not introduced, and the narrator, who is, of course, the author himself, speaks in his own character. In others one is left to conjecture as to the identity of the improvisor.
As regards the style of the work, its distinctive feature is parallelism, which consists in making the second part of a sentence balance with the first, either by way of antithesis, or by expressing the same idea in different words, thus producing, as it were, a rhyme of the sense as well as of the sound.

The Maqámát did much to fix a style of composition in which Persian and Greek ideas could make little inroads. Still there is more of the foreign element than the purist would approve. More than sixty such words have been collected and traced, as far as possible, to original sources.

The copious notes and numerous references essential to the elucidation of the text afford in themselves abundant evidence of the difficult nature and comprehensive character of the Maqámát. The sources the author has drawn upon for his materials are, as might be expected, exclusively Muslim. They consist of the comparison of the poets, an important branch of belles-lettres (…), the relative merits of Jarír and Farazdaq, a question the Arabs never seemed able to decide; incidents from the lives of Dhúr’l-Rumma and Farazdaq; tests of acquaintance with the principal poets and their poetry; polemical questions such as the Mu‘tazilite heresy, the doctrine of free will and the dogmas of predestination and the uncreate Qur’án.

There are examples of the proverbial generosity of the Ḥamdánid prince Saif al-Daula and the Arab's knowledge of the points of the horse, popular superstitions such as the belief in charms, pulpit oratory, the dangers of the desert, apt quotations from the Qur’án, popular sayings and customs illustrative of Bedawín life, insolence of the servants of the great, flattering and faithless friends and their treatment, eulogy of the patron, satirizing of the Qáḍí and the convivial assembly. Others might be mentioned, but these are sufficient to show the subjects Hamadhání laid under contribution, and the versatile character of the Maqámát.

The question as to whether Hamadhání owed anything, directly or indirectly, to Greek scholarship or Byzantine models is an extremely difficult one upon which to venture an opinion.
In the matter of the lavish display of erudition, intentional obscurities, and the use of words of doubtful meaning, the [paragraph continues] Maqámát may be compared with the Cassandra, or Alexandra of Lycophron (285-247 B.C.).

It is highly improbable, however, that the author derived any inspiration from this product of antiquity. But the similarity suggests that the same demons of difficulty, obscurity, and pedantry, entered the orators and poets of both nations at different periods.

For instance, Hamadhání boasts of his ability to employ no less than four hundred artifices in writing and composition, such as the writing of a letter which, if read backwards, furnishes the required reply, or an epistle containing no dotted letters, or without using the letters (ﺍ) or (ﻝ), or a letter which if read one way constitutes a eulogy, and, if taken in another, is a satire; feats which, when they were proposed to Abú Bakr al-Khwárazmí as literary tests, he denounced as the tricks of a juggler.

He shows little disposition, however, to make use of such artifices in the Maqámát, but the suggestion was not lost upon Ḥarírí, who frequently employed them for the display of his superior skill and learning.

In point of literary style and in regard to the manner of describing in an amusing way the occurrences of everyday life there is a closer resemblance between the Maqámát and the Satires of Horace (65-8 B.C.). Here again the resemblance is accidental rather than essential.

There is, however, a far closer resemblance between the Maqámát and the Greek Mimes. The similarity is indeed so striking that one is almost forced into the belief, either that they must have had a common origin or that the same informing spirit speaks to the nations irrespective of race, time, or place.

So far as we know the Mime commences seriously with Sophron (about 430 B.C.), whose Mimes, unlike those of Herondas, which we have, were in prose. 'These dialogues contained both male and female characters. Some were serious and some were humorous in style. They portrayed the daily life of the Sicilian Greeks, and were written in pithy, popular language full of proverbs and colloquialisms.'

Almost every word of this description of the Mimes might, mutatis mutandis, be applied to the Maqámát. According to Reich the Mime influenced the thought of early ecclesiastical writers, and was a subject of considerable concern and controversy with the Christian Fathers. 1 It found its way to India and flourished in Syria, Palestine, Alexandria, Antioch and Constantinople. 2 It would be strange indeed if the Arabs alone remained ignorant of its existence. That the term Mime was known to them appears from the word … and it is conceivable that the practice of composing humorous or entertaining dialogues passed from Greek to Syriac and from Syrian to Arabic.

Once having received the impulse or inspiration the Arabs would, in accordance with their national genius, develop the idea on their own lines, as they did in the case of law and grammar. This is, of course, mere conjecture, but the outstanding fact of the striking resemblance remains a problem upon which investigation and research may some day shed new light.

Finally, the practice of making one person the hero of a series of adventures has been tried by some modern writers. In Grant Allen's An African Millionaire Colonel Clay has much in common with Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskanderí, the hero of the Maqamát.

15:1 De Slane's Introduction to Ibn Kallikan, p. xxiii.

15:2 Ibid., p. xxxi.

15:3 See Ibn Khallikan i, 102.

15:4 See Letters, pp. 101-2.

15:5 Numerous examples of these rich rewards, out of all proportion to the performance, might be quoted, e.g. Abú’l-‘Anbas, the hero of the forty-second maqáma, received from the Khalífa Mutúwakkil 10,000 dirhems for a few verses. (See Yaqút, Dictionary of Learned Men, vi. 406). Several instances are mentioned by Ibn Khallikan in his life of Saif al-Daula, ii, 334-7.

15:6 See Letters, pp. 104-5 and Text, pp. 187-8.

15:7 See Qur’án, v. 92 and Hermann Reich, Der Mimus, p. 80.

16:1 Ibn Khallikan, i, 34.

16:2 On p. 49 of the Letters, Hamadhání taunts Abú Bakr al-Khwárazmí with having persistently practised mendicity and condemns the practice as a degrading one!

16:3 Ḥarírí says: 'Both these are obscure persons not known.' Ḥarírí, p. 6.

16:4 Zahr al-Adáb, i, pp. 254-5.

16:5 Men of learning said of Ibn Duraid that he was the most learned among the poets and ablest poet among the learned. Ibn Khallikan, iii, 38.

16:6 Dictionary of Learned Men, vi, 489.

16:7 Ibn Khallikan, iii, 38.

17:1 See collection of nawádir in Mabadi al-Lughat by Shaikh ‘Abdulláh (ob. A. H. 421) pub. A. H. 1325.

17:2 See Ibn ‘Arabsháh, Life of Timúr.

18:1 Introduction to the Text, p. 1.

18:2 Text, pp. 203-4.

19:1 There are more than a hundred pieces of poetry distributed throughout the Text.

19:2 The Maqámát of Maḍirah, pp. 101-15 and Ṣaimara, pp. 207-16.

19:3 The Maqámát of Knowledge, p. 202 and Advice, p. 204 and the Yellow, 13.229.

19:4 The Maqámát of Baghdad, Ṣaimara and Bishr.

19:5 The Maqáma of the Nájim.

20:1 See Chenery's Introduction to Ḥarírí, p. 45.

20:2 The Kitáb al-Aghání, which the author was able to consult, contains numerous references to these four themes.

20:3 Taken from Abú‘l-‘Anbas.

21:1 Letters, p. 74.
21:2 Ibid., p. 76, 21:3 See Ḥarírí, vi, xv, xvi, xviii, xxix, xliv, etc.

21:4 Encyclopædia Britannica, xxv, 429.

Notes:

[15:1] De Slane's Introduction to Ibn Kallikan, p. xxiii.

[15:2] Ibid., p. xxxi.

[15:3] See Ibn Khallikan i, 102.

[15:4] See Letters, pp. 101-2.

[15:5] Numerous examples of these rich rewards, out of all proportion to the performance, might be quoted, e.g. Abú’l-‘Anbas, the hero of the forty-second maqáma, received from the Khalífa Mutúwakkil 10,000 dirhems for a few verses. (See Yaqút, Dictionary of Learned Men, vi. 406). Several instances are mentioned by Ibn Khallikan in his life of Saif al-Daula, ii, 334-7.

[15:6] See Letters, pp. 104-5 and Text, pp. 187-8.

[15:7] See Qur’án, v. 92 and Hermann Reich, Der Mimus, p. 80.

[16:1] Ibn Khallikan, i, 34.

[16:2] On p. 49 of the Letters, Hamadhání taunts Abú Bakr al-Khwárazmí with having persistently practised mendicity and condemns the practice as a degrading one!

[16:3] Ḥarírí says: 'Both these are obscure persons not known.' Ḥarírí, p. 6.

[16:4] Zahr al-Adáb, i, pp. 254-5.

[16:5] Men of learning said of Ibn Duraid that he was the most learned among the poets and ablest poet among the learned. Ibn Khallikan, iii, 38.

[16:6] Dictionary of Learned Men, vi, 489.

[16:7] Ibn Khallikan, iii, 38.

[17:1] See collection of nawádir in Mabadi al-Lughat by Shaikh ‘Abdulláh (ob. A. H. 421) pub. A. H. 1325.

[17:2] See Ibn ‘Arabsháh, Life of Timúr.

[18:1] Introduction to the Text, p. 1.

[18:2] Text, pp. 203-4.

[19:1] There are more than a hundred pieces of poetry distributed throughout the Text.

[19:2] The Maqámát of Maḍirah, pp. 101-15 and Ṣaimara, pp. 207-16.

[19:3] The Maqámát of Knowledge, p. 202 and Advice, p. 204 and the Yellow, 13.229.

[19:4] The Maqámát of Baghdad, Ṣaimara and Bishr.

[19:5] The Maqáma of the Nájim.

[20:1] See Chenery's Introduction to Ḥarírí, p. 45.

[20:2] The Kitáb al-Aghání, which the author was able to consult, contains numerous references to these four themes.

[20:3] Taken from Abú‘l-‘Anbas.

[21:1] Letters, p. 74.
[21:2] Ibid., p. 76, [21:3] See Ḥarírí, vi, xv, xvi, xviii, xxix, xliv, etc.

[21:4] Encyclopædia Britannica, xxv, 429.

V. HAMADHANI AND HARIRI COMPARED

WHEN Ḥarírí undertook to compose his Maqámát 'following the method of Badí‘' a close imitation was inevitable. A comparison of the two works reveals how closely he followed his model and how largely he drew upon the original source, not only for ideas but also frequently for themes and, occasionally, for the language in which to express them.

For example, in maqáma xiii, 147 Ḥarírí, in imitation of Hamadhání, p. 61, introduces the names of colours in an artificial manner. Ḥarírí's poem, p. 159 closely resembles Hamadhání's verses on p. 90. Ḥarírí v, 49 and Hamadhání v, 20 are identical in title and theme. Ḥarírí xviii, 199 is a very close imitation and, in parts, a literal copy of Hamadhání xxii, 101.
The themes of Ḥarírí xii and xxxix and Hamadhání xxiii are the same. Ḥarírí xxx is a variation of Hamadhání xxx. In the former we have the cant of beggars, mountebanks, and the like, and in the latter an enumeration of the methods pursued by the fraternity of burglars, cutpurses, thieves, and the like. The themes of Ḥarírí viii and Hamadhání xxxi are similar. Ḥarírí iii and xlvii have much in common with Hamadhání xvi and xliii.

In Ḥarírí xlix and Hamadhání xli the improvisors are each made to give his son advice as to his future career. In the former Abú Zeid advises his son to follow what he had found to be the freest and most lucrative of all pursuits, that of mendicancy. In the latter Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskanderí, influenced perhaps by the consideration that he had derived little personal advantage from the life of the vagabond scholar, takes a different view and lays down the rules his son should observe in pursuing a commercial career. Other points of resemblance will be found mentioned in the notes.

Allusions to popular sayings and customs, history and legend, theology and jurisprudence, specimens of eloquence and pulpit oratory, apt quotations from the Qur’án and the citing of proverbs, the use of the rare and the recondite, constitute the groundwork common to both books. The maqámát of Hamadhání are, therefore, an excellent introduction to the ampler, more elaborate and comprehensive work of his great imitator.

In a comparison of the works of these two masters of the art of maqámát writing regard should be had to the fact that the maqámát of Hamadhání are the work of a young man, completed in all probability before he had attained his thirtieth year, whereas those of Ḥarírí were begun when the author had reached the mature age of forty-eight, and occupied the last twenty years of his life.

As regards their relative merits Hamadhání is much more natural than Ḥarírí. He has more of art and less of artificiality than his imitator. There is less disposition on his part to indulge in grammatical riddles and linguistic puzzles, or to ransack the rich resources of the Arabic language for rare words. The subject is less subordinated to the style, or the sense to the sound than is the case with Ḥarírí.
And yet the work of Hamadhání, which in his own day made him famous, from Herat to Northern Africa and earned for him the proud appellation, 'The wonder of the Age ', is little known, while that of Ḥarírí has been for centuries one of the best-studied books in Arabic literature and, next to the Qur’án, has engaged the attention of the largest number of scholarly commentators.

In spite of one's disposition to accord the palm to originality and art rather than to imitation and artificiality, an author's countrymen are the best judges of the merits of his literary productions, and therefore the verdict of posterity in favour of Ḥarírí must be accepted. 'The lame horse' has indeed 'outrun the sturdy steed'. Ḥarírí, writing nearly a century later, about A.H. 496, deplores the decadence of learning. 'Whose breeze has stilled and whose lights have well-nigh gone out.' Here then is probably the first cause of the neglect of Hamadhání. As far as we know no carefully collated and vocalized text of the Maqámát was in circulation before that edited and annotated by the late Shaikh Muḥammad ‘Abdú in A.H. 1306, or more than nine hundred years after the author's death. On the other hand, the work of teaching and explaining the Maqámát of Ḥarírí was continued by his sons and the first commentary was written within fifty years of the demise of the author.

Muṭarrízí, the earliest scholiast, was born in A.H. 458, or only twenty-two years after the death of Ḥarírí, and even then he asserts that he found it necessary to consult practically the entire range of Arabic literature, and to refer to the principal Shaikhs of the time before he commenced his commentary on the Maqámát.

In the case of the Maqámát of Hamadhání there was probably no vocalized text in circulation, and there certainly was no commentary for more than nine centuries. Without such aids a literary work of this kind, covering so wide a field and written in an original and ornate style, would present considerable difficulty even to the ripe scholar, while to the struggling student it was doomed to be what it actually became, virtually a sealed book. These circumstances and facts account, to some extent at least, for the long neglect of this classic in Arabic literature.

If this translation of the text and the efforts to elucidate it but result in making the author known, as he certainly deserves to be, to a wider circle of readers, the labours of the translator will not have been in vain.

22:1 Der Mimus, pp. 154-5.

22:2 Ibid., pp. 699-700.

23:1 Letters, p. 161.

23:2 De Sacy's Introduction to Ḥarírí, p. 50.

24:1 Ḥarírí, p. 6.

24:2 Ibid., p. 6.

24:3 For a character sketch of the commentator, see Blunt, Secret History of the British Occupation of Egypt, p. 105.

24:4 Ibn Khallikan, ii, 493 and 496.

24:5 De Sacy's Introduction to Ḥarírí, p. 58.

Notes:

[22:1] Der Mimus, pp. 154-5.

[22:2] Ibid., pp. 699-700.

[23:1] Letters, p. 161.

[23:2] De Sacy's Introduction to Ḥarírí, p. 50.

[24:1] Ḥarírí, p. 6.

[24:2] Ibid., p. 6.

[24:3] For a character sketch of the commentator, see Blunt, Secret History of the British Occupation of Egypt, p. 105.

[24:4] Ibn Khallikan, ii, 493 and 496.

[24:5] De Sacy's Introduction to Ḥarírí, p. 58.

THE MAQÁMÁT

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: Separation once hurled me hither and thither until I reached the utmost confines of Jurján.' Here, to fortify myself against the days, I took some arable land which I proceeded to cultivate. I invested in some goods as my stock-in-trade, settled upon a shop as my place of business, and selected some friends whom I made my companions.

I stayed at home in the morning and in the evening, and, between these times, I was at the shop.

Now one day, when we were seated together discussing poetry and poets, there was sitting, but a short distance off, a youth listening as if he understood, and remaining silent as though he did not know, until we were carried away by our discussion and lengthy disputation, when he said: 'Ye have found the little palm tree loaded with fruit, and got the little rubbing-post. If I so desired, I could talk and that eloquently, and, were I to speak, I should quench their thirst for knowledge. Yea, I would make the truth clear in the arena of eloquence so as to cause the deaf to hear and draw down the white-footed goats from their mountain haunts.' So I said: 'O learned one! Come near, for thou hast inspired us with the feeling that we shall derive much benefit from thee. Speak, for thou hast cut thy wisdom tooth.' He then approached and said: 'Question me, and I will answer you. Listen, and I will delight you.' So we asked him: 'What dost thou say regarding Imr al-Qais?' He said: 'He was the first to stand lamenting over the encampments and their areas, who set out early while the birds were still in their nests, and described the points of the horse. He did not compose poetry for gain, nor speak eloquently from covetousness and, therefore, he was superior to him whose tongue was loosened designingly and whose fingers were foraging for a prize.' We next asked: 'What dost thou say to Nabigah?' He answered: 'He is as ready to revile, when he is angry, as he is to eulogize when he is pleased; he makes excuses when he is frightened and he shoots not but he hits.' We asked: 'What sayest thou to Zuheir?' He answered: 'Zuheir melts poetry and poetry melts him. He summons words and enchantment answers him.'

[paragraph continues] We said: 'What dost thou say to Ṭarafa?' He replied: 'He is the very water and clay of poetry, the treasure-house and metropolis of its rhymes. He died before his secret treasures came to light, or the locks of his store-houses were opened.' We said: 'What sayest thou to Jarír and Farazdaq, and which of them is superior?' He answered: 'Jarír's poetry is sweeter and more copious, but Farazdaq's is more vigorous and more brilliant. Again Jarír is a more caustic satirist and can tell of more celebrated battles, whereas al-Farazdaq is more ambitious and belongs to the nobler clan. Jarír, when he sings the praises of the fair, draws tears. When he vituperates, he destroys, but, when he eulogizes, he exalts. And al-Farazdaq in glorying is all-sufficient. When he scorns he degrades, but, when he praises, he renders the full weed.' We said: 'What is thy opinion of the modern and the ancient poets?' He answered: 'The language of the ancients is nobler and their themes more delightful, whereas the conceits of the moderns are more refined and their style more elegant.' We then said: 'If thou wouldst only exhibit some of thy poetry and tell us something about thyself.' He replied: 'Here are answers to both questions in one essay:—

'Do you not see I am wearing a thread-bare cloak, Borne along in misfortune, by a bitter lot, Cherishing hatred for the nights, From which I meet with red ruin, My utmost hope is for the rising of Sirius, But long have we been tormented by vain hopes.

Now this noble personage was of higher degree And his honour was of greater price, For my enjoyment, I pitched my green tents In the mansion of Dara, and in the Hall of Kisra, But fortune reversed my circumstances, And pleasure, my familiar friend, became a stranger to me.

Of my wealth nought remained but a memory, And so on until to-day.

But for the old dame at Surra-Manra And the babes on this side of the hills of Baṣra, Upon whom fate has brought affliction, I would, O masters, destroy myself deliberately.'

‘Ísá ibn Hishám said: I gave him what I had to hand and then he turned away from us and departed. Now I began to deny and then to assert him, I failed to recognize him, and yet I seemed to know him, when his front teeth directed me to him. Then I said: 'Al-Iskanderí by Heavens', for he had left us young and had now returned full grown. So I followed in his track, seized him by the waist and said: 'Art thou not Abú’l-Fatḥ? Did we not rear thee as a child and didst thou not pass years of thy life with us? What old dame hast thou then at Surra-Manra?'

He laughed and recited:—
'Sirrah the times are false, Let not deception beguile thee.
Cleave not to one character, but, As the nights change, do thou change too.'

26:1 … Jurján: A well-known town between Tabaristán and Khurásán, said to have been founded by Yazíd ibn Muhalleb. It was once noted for its silk fabrics which were sent to all parts of the world. Yaqút (Wüstenfeld), ii, 48.

26:2 … The shop: arabicized from the Syriac ḥamúthá, a room or cell. It has frequently in Arabic the more restricted meaning of 'wineshop'. For words of this type, see Fleischer, Kleinere Schriften, i, 172.

26:3 … Poetry: probably connected with … to praise. See Aḍ-ḍád (Houtsma), p. 252 and the well-known proverb: … 'Choking stops the way of the verse' Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 340.

26:4 Ye have found the little palm tree loaded with fruit, etc. Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 47. The meaning is 'I am one of those by means of whose counsel people seek relief.'

26:5 I should quench their thirst for knowledge: Literally, I would bring camels up from the watering quenched and take others down.

27:1 Imr al-Qais: Prince of the Banú Kindeh, the well-known author of the most celebrated of the Mu‘allaqát, flourished about the middle of the sixth century A.D. Aghání, vii, 60.

27:2 He was the first to stand lamenting: i.e. he was the first to introduce the prelude in the form of a lament or erotic prologue over the deserted encampment with which almost every subsequent qaṣída begins. But, according to Ibn Qutaiba (Kitáb al-Sh‘ir wa’l-Shu‘ará, p. 52), the first to make this prelude fashionable was a certain Ibn al-Humam or Ibn Khedhám. See also Aghání, iv, 114 and 149.

27:3 Set out early while the birds were still in their nests: Qaṣída of Imr al-Kais, v. 53. (Lyall.)

27:4 Described the points of the horse: ibid., vv. 53-70.

27:5 Were foraging for a prize: i.e. were writing for gain.

27:6 Al-Nabigah al-Dhubyani: Proper name Ziád ibn Mu‘awiya, a well-known poet, who lived at the courts of Ghassan and al-Ḥíra during the latter half of the century before Islám. He is classed with the authors of the Mu‘allaqát (see ed. by Lyall, p. 152) and is said to have had a close acquaintance with Christianity. For a fuller notice of this poet, see Nicholson, p. 121 and Aghání, ix, 154.

27:7 Zuheir ibn Abi Sulma of the tribe of Muzaina, the author of the third Mu‘allaqa, flourished about the end of the eighth century A.D. He is remarkable for his wise sayings and moral reflections. It is said of him he only praised a man for what was in him. Hamadhání's opinion of him—Zuheir melts poetry and poetry melts him—is no exaggerated estimate of his poetic genius. He was one of the triad of pre-Islámic poets, the other two being Imr al-Qais and Nabigah. Shu‘ará al-Naṣraniah, p. 510.

28:1 Ṭarafa ibn al-‘Abd was a member of the tribe of Bakr. He flourished about the middle of the eighth century A.D. and was the author of a Mu‘allaqa, No. 2 in Lyall's edition. He early developed a talent for satire which cost him his life at the early age of twenty, so that he is generally called the 'youth of twenty'. Nicholson, p. 107 and Ibn Qutayba, Sh‘ir wa’l-Shu‘ará, p. 88.

28:2 He died: a reference to Ṭarafa's untimely end.

28:3 Jarír ibn ‘Atiyyah (ob. A.H. 110—A.D. 728-9), of the tribe of Kulayb was court poet of Ḥajjáj ibn Yúsuf, the governor of ‘Iráq. He was famous for his satire, He survived al-Farazdaq, his lifelong rival, but a short time—either thirty or forty days. Nicholson, p. 244 and Aghání, vii, 35.

28:4 Al-Farazdaq: Hammám ibn Ghálib, generally known as al-Farazdaq, belonged to the tribe of Tamím and was born at Baṣra towards the end of ‘Umar's Khalífate. He was one of the triad of early Islámic poets, the other two being Akhtal and Jarír. He died in 110 A.H.—A.D. 728-9), at the great age of a hundred. Aghání, viii, 180.

28:5 … more celebrated battles: The Days, i.e. the great battles of the Arabs. For a list of the Days of the Arabs see the Majma al-Baḥrein, p. 150.

28:6 Nobler clan: Al-Farazdaq belonged to the tribe of Tamím and Jarír to the Kulayb, a branch of the Tamím.

28:7 When he vituperates he destroys: For an example of this, see Kitáb al-Aghání, vii, 46 and Nicholson, p. 245.

28:8 Farazdaq and Jarír are connected by a strange rivalry. For years they were engaged in a public scolding competition in which they roundly abused each other, and exhibited their marvellous skill in manipulating the vast resources of vituperation of the Arabic language. See The Naka’iḍ or Flytings of Jarír and Farazdaq in three volumes edited by Professor A. A. Bevan (Leyden, 1905-12). The relative merits of Jarír and Farazdaq were a favourite subject for discussion. See Aghání, vii, 37 and Nicholson, p 239.

It is difficult to gather from Hamadhání's comparison of these two poets as to which of them he accords the palm. Probably he intended the question to remain undecided. Yúnas says: 'I have never been in an assembly where the company was unanimous as to which of the two was the better poet.' The Arabs, while they considered Jarír, al-Farazdaq and al-Akhtal to be the three greatest Islámic poets, differed in the matter of assigning precedence to them. Kitáb al-Aghání. vii, 36. Comparison of poets formed a branch of belles lettres (…). See Aghání, iii, 101 and viii, 75.

29:1 What is thy opinion of the modern and the ancient poets?: This was another favourite topic for discussion. The opinion of scholars in the time of the author was that the pre-Islámic poets had been excelled by their successors and both had been surpassed by the poets of the day of whom the famous Mutanabbí was chief.

29:2 Do you not see I am wearing a thread-bare cloak?: The metre of these verses is rejez. … a thread-bare cloak. This word, which is met with so frequently in the Maqámát, is used to denominate an exceedingly old and shabby dress.

29:3 Red ruin: Literally, red vicissitudes.

29:4 The rising of Sirius: The greater dog-star. This star rises (aurorally) in the time of intense heat, and this he ardently desires because of the insufficiency of his clothing to protect him from the cold. Certain of the Arab tribes worshipped this star. See Qur’án, liii, 50.

29:5 His honour: Literally, the water of this face. The ingenuous blush of an honest man is called by the Arabs 'water of the face ', hence modesty, self-respect. It also means lustre.

29:6 The mansion of Dara: Built by Darius I, or the Great, son of Hystaspes, in 521 B.C.

29:7 The Hall (…) or Palace of Kisra: The Aiwan, or the immense hall of the palace built by al-Núshirwan, in the sixth century A.D., twenty-five miles from Baghdad. Ibn al-Ḥájib writing on the Aiwan says: 'O thou who didst build it a lofty structure and, through the Aiwan relegated the skill of time to oblivion, these palaces, pleasure houses, buildings, and castles of our Kisra al-Núshirwan. See Yaqút, i, 425.

30:1 Reversed my circumstances: Literally turned the back of the shield to me: figuratively, for became hostile.

30:2 Surra-man ra‘a (Sámarrá): The Khalífa Mu‘taṣim (A.D. 833-42) removed his court from Baghdad, sixty miles further up the Tigris to Sámarrá the official spelling of which was Surra-man ra‘a, a contraction of Surur-man ra‘a, 'the beholder's joy, which suddenly grew into a superb city of palaces and barracks. For an account of recent excavations at Sámarrá, revealing examples of art and architecture of the ‘Abbásid period, see Lughat El-Arab No. XI, May, 1913, pp. 515-20.

30:3 I would deliberately destroy myself: … means he was confined alive and then shot at or cast at until he was killed, or he was slain deliberately, not in the field of battle, nor by mistake.

30:4 … young: Literally, a fawn.
30:5 Did we not rear thee?: An illusion to Qur’án, xxvi, 17, 30:6 Sirrah! the times are false: The metre of these lines is basít. The author appears to have drawn his inspiration for this maqáma from Aghání, vii, 56.

Notes:

[26:1] … Jurján: A well-known town between Tabaristán and Khurásán, said to have been founded by Yazíd ibn Muhalleb. It was once noted for its silk fabrics which were sent to all parts of the world. Yaqút (Wüstenfeld), ii, 48.

[26:2] … The shop: arabicized from the Syriac ḥamúthá, a room or cell. It has frequently in Arabic the more restricted meaning of 'wineshop'. For words of this type, see Fleischer, Kleinere Schriften, i, 172.

[26:3] … Poetry: probably connected with … to praise. See Aḍ-ḍád (Houtsma), p. 252 and the well-known proverb: … 'Choking stops the way of the verse' Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 340.

[26:4] Ye have found the little palm tree loaded with fruit, etc. Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 47. The meaning is 'I am one of those by means of whose counsel people seek relief.'

[26:5] I should quench their thirst for knowledge: Literally, I would bring camels up from the watering quenched and take others down.

[27:1] Imr al-Qais: Prince of the Banú Kindeh, the well-known author of the most celebrated of the Mu‘allaqát, flourished about the middle of the sixth century A.D. Aghání, vii, 60.

[27:2] He was the first to stand lamenting: i.e. he was the first to introduce the prelude in the form of a lament or erotic prologue over the deserted encampment with which almost every subsequent qaṣída begins. But, according to Ibn Qutaiba (Kitáb al-Sh‘ir wa’l-Shu‘ará, p. 52), the first to make this prelude fashionable was a certain Ibn al-Humam or Ibn Khedhám. See also Aghání, iv, 114 and 149.

[27:3] Set out early while the birds were still in their nests: Qaṣída of Imr al-Kais, v. 53. (Lyall.)

[27:4] Described the points of the horse: ibid., vv. 53-70.

[27:5] Were foraging for a prize: i.e. were writing for gain.

[27:6] Al-Nabigah al-Dhubyani: Proper name Ziád ibn Mu‘awiya, a well-known poet, who lived at the courts of Ghassan and al-Ḥíra during the latter half of the century before Islám. He is classed with the authors of the Mu‘allaqát (see ed. by Lyall, p. 152) and is said to have had a close acquaintance with Christianity. For a fuller notice of this poet, see Nicholson, p. 121 and Aghání, ix, 154.

[27:7] Zuheir ibn Abi Sulma of the tribe of Muzaina, the author of the third Mu‘allaqa, flourished about the end of the eighth century A.D. He is remarkable for his wise sayings and moral reflections. It is said of him he only praised a man for what was in him. Hamadhání's opinion of him—Zuheir melts poetry and poetry melts him—is no exaggerated estimate of his poetic genius. He was one of the triad of pre-Islámic poets, the other two being Imr al-Qais and Nabigah. Shu‘ará al-Naṣraniah, p. 510.

[28:1] Ṭarafa ibn al-‘Abd was a member of the tribe of Bakr. He flourished about the middle of the eighth century A.D. and was the author of a Mu‘allaqa, No. 2 in Lyall's edition. He early developed a talent for satire which cost him his life at the early age of twenty, so that he is generally called the 'youth of twenty'. Nicholson, p. 107 and Ibn Qutayba, Sh‘ir wa’l-Shu‘ará, p. 88.

[28:2] He died: a reference to Ṭarafa's untimely end.

[28:3] Jarír ibn ‘Atiyyah (ob. A.H. 110—A.D. 728-9), of the tribe of Kulayb was court poet of Ḥajjáj ibn Yúsuf, the governor of ‘Iráq. He was famous for his satire, He survived al-Farazdaq, his lifelong rival, but a short time—either thirty or forty days. Nicholson, p. 244 and Aghání, vii, 35.

[28:4] Al-Farazdaq: Hammám ibn Ghálib, generally known as al-Farazdaq, belonged to the tribe of Tamím and was born at Baṣra towards the end of ‘Umar's Khalífate. He was one of the triad of early Islámic poets, the other two being Akhtal and Jarír. He died in 110 A.H.—A.D. 728-9), at the great age of a hundred. Aghání, viii, 180.

[28:5] … more celebrated battles: The Days, i.e. the great battles of the Arabs. For a list of the Days of the Arabs see the Majma al-Baḥrein, p. 150.

[28:6] Nobler clan: Al-Farazdaq belonged to the tribe of Tamím and Jarír to the Kulayb, a branch of the Tamím.

[28:7] When he vituperates he destroys: For an example of this, see Kitáb al-Aghání, vii, 46 and Nicholson, p. 245.

[28:8] Farazdaq and Jarír are connected by a strange rivalry. For years they were engaged in a public scolding competition in which they roundly abused each other, and exhibited their marvellous skill in manipulating the vast resources of vituperation of the Arabic language. See The Naka’iḍ or Flytings of Jarír and Farazdaq in three volumes edited by Professor A. A. Bevan (Leyden, 1905-12). The relative merits of Jarír and Farazdaq were a favourite subject for discussion. See Aghání, vii, 37 and Nicholson, p 239.

[29:1] What is thy opinion of the modern and the ancient poets?: This was another favourite topic for discussion. The opinion of scholars in the time of the author was that the pre-Islámic poets had been excelled by their successors and both had been surpassed by the poets of the day of whom the famous Mutanabbí was chief.

[29:2] Do you not see I am wearing a thread-bare cloak?: The metre of these verses is rejez. … a thread-bare cloak. This word, which is met with so frequently in the Maqámát, is used to denominate an exceedingly old and shabby dress.

[29:3] Red ruin: Literally, red vicissitudes.

[29:4] The rising of Sirius: The greater dog-star. This star rises (aurorally) in the time of intense heat, and this he ardently desires because of the insufficiency of his clothing to protect him from the cold. Certain of the Arab tribes worshipped this star. See Qur’án, liii, 50.

[29:5] His honour: Literally, the water of this face. The ingenuous blush of an honest man is called by the Arabs 'water of the face ', hence modesty, self-respect. It also means lustre.

[29:6] The mansion of Dara: Built by Darius I, or the Great, son of Hystaspes, in 521 B.C.

[29:7] The Hall (…) or Palace of Kisra: The Aiwan, or the immense hall of the palace built by al-Núshirwan, in the sixth century A.D., twenty-five miles from Baghdad. Ibn al-Ḥájib writing on the Aiwan says: 'O thou who didst build it a lofty structure and, through the Aiwan relegated the skill of time to oblivion, these palaces, pleasure houses, buildings, and castles of our Kisra al-Núshirwan. See Yaqút, i, 425.

[30:1] Reversed my circumstances: Literally turned the back of the shield to me: figuratively, for became hostile.

[30:2] Surra-man ra‘a (Sámarrá): The Khalífa Mu‘taṣim (A.D. 833-42) removed his court from Baghdad, sixty miles further up the Tigris to Sámarrá the official spelling of which was Surra-man ra‘a, a contraction of Surur-man ra‘a, 'the beholder's joy, which suddenly grew into a superb city of palaces and barracks. For an account of recent excavations at Sámarrá, revealing examples of art and architecture of the ‘Abbásid period, see Lughat El-Arab No. XI, May, 1913, pp. 515-20.

[30:3] I would deliberately destroy myself: … means he was confined alive and then shot at or cast at until he was killed, or he was slain deliberately, not in the field of battle, nor by mistake.

[30:4] … young: Literally, a fawn.
[30:5] Did we not rear thee?: An illusion to Qur’án, xxvi, 17, [30:6] Sirrah! the times are false: The metre of these lines is basít. The author appears to have drawn his inspiration for this maqáma from Aghání, vii, 56.

II. THE MAQAMA OF THE DATE

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: I was in Baghdad at the time of the azaz date harvest, so I went out to select and buy some of the different kinds of it. I proceeded a short distance to a man who had got a stock of various sorts of fruit which he had arranged in order. He had collected and placed in rows a variety of fresh dates and I took some of the best of everything and picked some of the finest of every species. Now just as I had gathered up my skirts and placed my load in them, my eyes fell upon a man who had modestly covered his face with a veil and was standing still with outstretched hand. He had his little ones by his side and bore his babes on his hip, while he recited in a voice so loud that it weakened his chest and produced feebleness in his spine:—
'Alas! I have neither two handfuls of Sawíq, Nor melted fat mixed with flour, Nor spacious bowl filled with Khirdíq, To soothe our palate, And to remove us from the path of beggary.

O Giver of plenty after poverty!
Make it easy for some brave and liberal man Of pedigree and hereditary glory, To guide to us the feet of fortune And release my life from the grip of trouble.'

‘Ísá ibn Hishám said: I took from my purse a handful and gave it to him. Then he said:—

O the one who hath bestowed upon me his excellent kindness!
To God do I communicate his glorious secret, And I pray God to keep him well-guarded, If I have not the ability to thank him, Then God, my Lord, will surely recompense him.'

‘Ísá ibn Hishám said: So I said to him, 'There is something left in the purse, therefore disclose thy hidden condition and I will give thee all.' Then he removed his veil, and to by Heavens! it was our Shaikh, Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskánderí! So I exclaimed: 'Mercy on thee, how astute thou art!' Then he recited:—
'Spend thy life in deceiving Men and throwing dust in their eyes.
I observe the days continue not In one state and therefore I imitate them.
One day I feel their mischief, And another they feel mine.'

31:1 … I picked: Literally, I bit, or gnawed.

31:2 … a veil: a thing with which a woman veils her face, having in it two holes for the eyes, but here used as synonymous with lithám (…)

31:3 Alas! I have neither two handfuls: Sawíq is a kind of gruel made mostly of parched barley. Metre, rejez.

31:4 Khirdíq: a kind of broth in which bread is crumbled.

31:5 To soothe our palate: Literally, to check the onslaughts of saliva.

31:6 O the one who hath bestowed: Metre, rejez.

32:1 Then God my Lord will surely recompense: Literally, God my Lord is behind his reward.

32:2 Lithám (…) a veil: a kind of muffler for covering the lower part of the face. Cf. the term mulaththamun applied to the Berber tribes of the Ṣaḥará.

32:3 Spend thy life in deceiving: … in deceiving: Literally, gilding copper or silver to palm it off for gold. The Constantinople edition has these additional lines:—
'O thou who art greedy for gain, lying in ambush for it, Thou wilt not remain for ever in this world of thine:

Therefore let a little of it suffice thee, or thou wilt be a toiler for a sitter.'

From the saying attributed to al-Nabigah:—

'There is many a toiler for a sitter ', Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 544.

Metre, hezej.

Notes:

[31:1] … I picked: Literally, I bit, or gnawed.

[31:2] … a veil: a thing with which a woman veils her face, having in it two holes for the eyes, but here used as synonymous with lithám (…)

[31:3] Alas! I have neither two handfuls: Sawíq is a kind of gruel made mostly of parched barley. Metre, rejez.

[31:4] Khirdíq: a kind of broth in which bread is crumbled.

[31:5] To soothe our palate: Literally, to check the onslaughts of saliva.

[31:6] O the one who hath bestowed: Metre, rejez.

[32:1] Then God my Lord will surely recompense: Literally, God my Lord is behind his reward.

[32:2] Lithám (…) a veil: a kind of muffler for covering the lower part of the face. Cf. the term mulaththamun applied to the Berber tribes of the Ṣaḥará.

[32:3] Spend thy life in deceiving: … in deceiving: Literally, gilding copper or silver to palm it off for gold. The Constantinople edition has these additional lines:— 'O thou who art greedy for gain, lying in ambush for it, Thou wilt not remain for ever in this world of thine: Therefore let a little of it suffice thee, or thou wilt be a toiler for a sitter.' From the saying attributed to al-Nabigah:— 'There is many a toiler for a sitter ', Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 544. Metre, hezej.

III. THE MAQAMA OF BALKH

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: Trade in cotton stuffs took me to Balkh and I arrived there when I was in the first flush of youth, with a mind free from care and a body decked with the ornaments of affluence. My only aim was to subdue to my use the unbroken colt of the mind, or to capture a few stray sayings . But, during my entire stay, nought more eloquent than my own words sought admission to my ear. Now when separation bent, or was about to bend, its bow at us, there came into my presence a youth in an attractive dress with a beard that extended so far as to pierce the two arteries attached to the jugular vein, and with eyes which had absorbed the waters of the two rivers . He met me with such benefaction that I proportionately increased my praise of it. Then he asked me: 'Dost thou intend to go on a journey?' I replied: 'Yes, indeed.' He said, 'May thy scout find good pasture and thy guide not lose his way! When dost thou intend to start?' I answered, 'Early to-morrow morning.' Then he indited the following:—
'May it be a morn divine and not a morn of departure, The bird auguring union, 'And not the bird of separation.'
Whither art thou going? I replied: 'To my own country.' He said, 'Mayest thou reach thy native land and accomplish thy business; but when dost thou return? I answered, 'Next year.' He then said: 'Mayest thou fold the robes and roll up the thread? Where art thou in regard to generosity?' I answered, 'Where thou desirest.' He said, 'If God bring thee back in safety from this road, bring with thee for me an enemy in the guise of a friend, in golden vein that invites to infidelity, spins on the finger, round as the disc of the sun, that lightens the burden of debt and plays the rôle of the two-faced.' Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: 'Then I knew it was a dinar that he demanded. So I said to him, Thou canst have one down and the promise of another one like it.' He then recited and said:—
'Thy plan is better than what I asked for, Mayest thou continue to be the worthy doer of generous deeds, Thy branches overspreading and thy root be healthy.
I cannot endure the burden of gifts, Nor bear the weight of mendicity.
My imagination fell short of the extent of thy generosity And thy doing has exceeded my fancy.
O prop of fortune and greatness May time never be bereft of thee!'

Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: Then I gave him the dinar and said to him: Where is the native soil of this excellence? He answered: I was reared by the Quraish, and in its oases nobility was prepared for me. One of those present asked: Art thou not Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskanderí and did I not see thee in ‘Iráq going about the streets begging with letters? Then he recited, saying:—
'Verily, God has servants Who have adopted a manifold existence, In the evening they are Arabs, In the morning Nabateans.'

32:4 Balkh: The ancient Bactria or Zariaspa, and formerly called Alexandria, was once a great city, but is now, for the most part, a mass of ruins which occupy a space of about twenty miles in circuit. It was at one time—the granary of Khurásán. Captured by the Arabs in the Khalífate of ‘Uthmán (A.D. 644-56). Yaqút, i, 713.

32:5 … First flush: Literally, virginity.

33:1 … Stray sayings: from … applied to a runaway and refractory camel, hence strange and unfamiliar words.

33:2 … Attractive: Literally, full of eye.

33:3 Had absorbed the waters: They were so liquid and limpid.

33:4 … The two rivers: an appellation applied to the Euphrates and the Tigris. From … a giver or tributary, e.g. … a river that has two other rivers flowing into it.

33:5 The bird of union: The hoopoo … being suggestive of … he guided him. See Meidání, i, (Bulak-edition) and also Professor Margoliouth's 'Letters of Abú’l ‘Alá al-Ma‘arrí,' p. 42.

33:6 The bird of separation: The raven which is called … the raven of separation and whose appearance or croak is ominous of separation . See Meidání, i, 337 (Bulak edition.) Metre, wafir.

33:7 Next year: Literally, the coming (year).

33:8 Mayest thou fold the robes and roll up the thread. A figure used by the author to express the idea of traversing safely the intervening stages to one's destination. Cf. p. 230 of the Text.

34:1 The two-faced: Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 36.

34:2 Thy plan is better than what I asked for: Metre, basít.

34:3 Mayest thou continue to be: Literally, May thy wood be sound and thy generosity enduring: figure for strength of character.

34:4 … Begging: from … to beg. De Sacy says the word is arabicized from the Persian … a beggar and … beggary. (Chrestomathie Arabe, iii, 250.) The fact that both Badí‘ al-Zamán and Ḥarírí regarded the profession of begging as one of Persian origin—see note on the Sons of Sásán, (Text p. 89)—supports this derivation. For an earlier use of the word … beggary, see Dieterici's edition of Philosophie der Araber, Thier and Mensch, p. 32, lines 10 seq.

34:5 With letters: Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, p. 76.

34:6 Verily God has servants: Metre, ramal.
34:7 … Manifold: Literally, mixed or mingled, e.g. … sweet milk mixed with sour, 35:1 Nabateans: A well-known Arabian people. In the time of Josephus their settlements gave the name Nabatene to the borderland between Syria and Arabia from the Euphrates to the Red Sea. Before their appearance in history, about 312 B.C., they had already some tinge of civilization. Though true Arabs they came under the influence of Aramean culture, and Syriac was the language of their coins and inscriptions when the tribe grew into a kingdom and profited by the decay of the Selucids to extend itself over the country east of the Jordan. As allies of the Romans they continued to flourish throughout the first Christian century. About A.D. 105, Trajan most unwisely broke up the Nabatean nationality. Encl. Bib., iii, 3254-5.

Notes:

[32:4] Balkh: The ancient Bactria or Zariaspa, and formerly called Alexandria, was once a great city, but is now, for the most part, a mass of ruins which occupy a space of about twenty miles in circuit. It was at one time—the granary of Khurásán. Captured by the Arabs in the Khalífate of ‘Uthmán (A.D. 644-56). Yaqút, i, 713.

[32:5] … First flush: Literally, virginity.

[33:1] … Stray sayings: from … applied to a runaway and refractory camel, hence strange and unfamiliar words.

[33:2] … Attractive: Literally, full of eye.

[33:3] Had absorbed the waters: They were so liquid and limpid.

[33:4] … The two rivers: an appellation applied to the Euphrates and the Tigris. From … a giver or tributary, e.g. … a river that has two other rivers flowing into it.

[33:5] The bird of union: The hoopoo … being suggestive of … he guided him. See Meidání, i, (Bulak-edition) and also Professor Margoliouth's 'Letters of Abú’l ‘Alá al-Ma‘arrí,' p. 42.

[33:6] The bird of separation: The raven which is called … the raven of separation and whose appearance or croak is ominous of separation . See Meidání, i, 337 (Bulak edition.) Metre, wafir.

[33:7] Next year: Literally, the coming (year).

[33:8] Mayest thou fold the robes and roll up the thread. A figure used by the author to express the idea of traversing safely the intervening stages to one's destination. Cf. p. 230 of the Text.

[34:1] The two-faced: Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 36.

[34:2] Thy plan is better than what I asked for: Metre, basít.

[34:3] Mayest thou continue to be: Literally, May thy wood be sound and thy generosity enduring: figure for strength of character.

[34:4] … Begging: from … to beg. De Sacy says the word is arabicized from the Persian … a beggar and … beggary. (Chrestomathie Arabe, iii, 250.) The fact that both Badí‘ al-Zamán and Ḥarírí regarded the profession of begging as one of Persian origin—see note on the Sons of Sásán, (Text p. 89)—supports this derivation. For an earlier use of the word … beggary, see Dieterici's edition of Philosophie der Araber, Thier and Mensch, p. 32, lines 10 seq.

[34:5] With letters: Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, p. 76.

[34:6] Verily God has servants: Metre, ramal.
[34:7] … Manifold: Literally, mixed or mingled, e.g. … sweet milk mixed with sour, [35:1] Nabateans: A well-known Arabian people. In the time of Josephus their settlements gave the name Nabatene to the borderland between Syria and Arabia from the Euphrates to the Red Sea. Before their appearance in history, about 312 B.C., they had already some tinge of civilization. Though true Arabs they came under the influence of Aramean culture, and Syriac was the language of their coins and inscriptions when the tribe grew into a kingdom and profited by the decay of the Selucids to extend itself over the country east of the Jordan. As allies of the Romans they continued to flourish throughout the first Christian century. About A.D. 105, Trajan most unwisely broke up the Nabatean nationality. Encl. Bib., iii, 3254-5.

IV. THE MAQAMA OF SIJISTAN

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: A pressing need impelled me to go to Sijistán. So I put my resolution into effect and mounted the necessary camel. I sought God's blessing upon my determination which I set before me, while I made prudence my guide until it directed me thither. Now I arrived at the gates of the city after sunset and was, therefore, obliged to pass the night on the spot.

Now, when the blade of dawn was drawn, and the host of the sun sallied forth, I went to the business quarter to select a lodging. And when I had gone from the circumference of the city to its centre, and walked along the circle of shops till I reached the chief one, a loud-toned voice penetrated my ear. I went towards the speaker until I stood near him, and behold it was a man mounted on his horse and panting for breath. He had turned the back of his head towards me and was saying: He . who knows me, knows me well, and he, who does not know me, I will make myself known to him. I am the first-fruits of Yemen, the much-talked-of of the age, the enigma of men and the puzzle of the ladies of the harem. Ask of me concerning countries and their fortresses, mountains and their heights, valleys and their watercourses, seas and their springs, horses and their backs.

Who has captured their walls, discovered the mysteries of their heights, explored their paths and penetrated into their lava hills? Ask of kings and their treasures, precious stones and their mines, affairs and their inwardness, sciences and their centres, weighty matters and their obscurities, wars and their difficult situations. Who has seized their hoards without paying the price? Who has got possessions of their keys and known the way to victory? By Heavens! it is I who have achieved all that. I have made peace between powerful kings and disclosed the mysteries of dark difficulties. By Heavens! I have been even in the place where lovers are overthrown. I have even been afflicted with sickness, even the sickness caused by the languishing eye. I have embraced supple forms, and plucked the rose from the crimson cheeks.

Yet, with all this, I have fled from the world as a generous nature flees from the faces of the base. I have recoiled from despicable things as a noble ear recoils from obscene language. But, now that the morn of hoariness has dawned, and the dignity of old age has come upon me, I have resolved to make wise provision for my journey to the next world and I have not perceived any way better to right guidance, than that which I am treading. One of you will observe me riding a horse and speaking at random and say, 'this is the Father of Wonder', nay, but I am indeed the Father of Wonders, which I have both seen and experienced, and the Mother of Enormities which I have estimated and endured. I have with difficulty obtained the keys of treasures and then have lightly cast them aside. I have bought dear and sold cheap.

I have, by Heavens! joined their pageants and jostled against shoulders. I have watched the stars and ridden the flesh off my mounts, I have been obliged to engage in dangerous enterprises vowing not to withhold from the Muslims the benefits accruing therefrom. Now I must transfer the cord of this trust from my neck to yours and offer for sale in your streets this medicine of mine. Let him buy from me who shrinks not from the place where God's servants stand, nor from the formula of unity. And let him who is of proud pedigree and good breeding preserve the remedy. Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: I went round in front of him that I might learn who he was, and by Heavens! it was our Shaikh Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskanderí. So I waited for the crowd to disperse from before him, and then addressing him I asked: 'How big an opening will this nostrum of thine want?' He answered, 'Thy purse will open as much as thou desirest.' I then left him and departed.

35:2 Sijistán: originally Sagistan, the land of the Sakas, Arabicized to Sijistan, the ancient Sacastane and the modern Seistan, the name of a district of Persia and of its chief town. The capital was formerly called Zaranj. It formed a part of the empire of the Khalífa and was a great Khárijite centre. About A.D. 860, when it had undergone many changes of Government under lieutenants of the Baghdad Khalífa, or bold adventurers acting on their own account, Yaqút ibn Laith al-Saffar, made it the seat of his power. In A.D. 901, it fell under the power of the Sámanids and towards the end of the century into that of the Ghaznavids. In Hamadhání's time Khalaf ibn Aḥmad was the Amír of Sijistán (A.H. 354-93). Yaqút says that when the inhabitants submitted to their Arab conquerors they stipulated that no hedgehog was to be killed. The reason assigned for this being that the country was infested with snakes and that the hedgehogs kept the number down. Every house had its hedgehog! Yaqút, iii, 41. Encyclopædia Britannica, xxiv, 592.

35:3 I put my resolution into effect: Literally, I mounted the intention thereof. Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 14.

35:4 I was obliged to pass the night on the spot: Literally, the passing of the night chanced where I reached.

35:5 … circumference: Literally, a necklace.

36:1 … The chief one: Literally, the jewel in the middle of a necklace and which is the best thereof.

36:2 … Loud-toned: Literally, with something from every root, and therefore well nourished and strong.

36:3 Panting for breath: Literally, choking himself.

36:4 The first fruits of Yemen: Here Abú’l-Fatḥ begins to enigmatically refer to his name. The fruit of the tree … nab‘a resembling that of the pistachia terebinthus, except that it is red, sweet and round, is called … Fatḥ. It is also an allusion to the early conversion to Islám of the people of Yemen. The name of the first envoy that came from Yemen to visit the Prophet is said to have been Abú’l-Fatḥ. Al-Fatḥ means the opening, beginning, victory.

36:5 … Ladies of the harem: … pl, of … a kind of curtained canopy, or tent, or chamber for a bride.

For courteous phrases for ladies, see Jáḥiz, Ḥaywán, v. 103-110.

36:6 Precious stones and their mines: I have read … instead of … as the former gives the required sense.

36:7 … Inwardness: From … the abdomen. Hence the interior of anything. e. g., … To every verse thereof is an apparent … (lit. back) sense and a sense requiring development. (…).

36:8 Their keys: i.e. the keys of the positions.

37:1 … Powerful kings: … pl. of … a man unable to look aside by reason of disease, probably a crick in the neck, and hence a king, who by reason of pride, does not turn his head to the right or left. But more probably … = greatest hunter = lion = strong. Cf. Arab Proverbs, i, 748. See also Buḥturí, i. 224.

37:2 … Eyes: pl. of … Literally, the black of the eye and then the eye absolutely.

37:3 Supple forms: Literally, pliant branches; a very common figure for a flexible form.

37:4 … Speaking at random … opposed to … in all senses.

37:5 The Father of Wonder: Cf. H. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, ii, 571.

37:6 For … again read … precious things, or treasures.

37:7 I have watched the stars: waited for their disappearance at dawn.

38:1 Of proud pedigree: Literally, whose grandfathers are noble.

38:2 … Good breeding: Literally, whose wood has been irrigated with pure water.

38:3 … The crowd to disperse: Literally, until the ostrich fled. The Paris MS. has &ale which yields a better sense. Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, ii, … 'He finished his work.'

38:4 This maqáma lacks the usual concluding lines of poetry and ends very abruptly.

Notes:

[35:2] Sijistán: originally Sagistan, the land of the Sakas, Arabicized to Sijistan, the ancient Sacastane and the modern Seistan, the name of a district of Persia and of its chief town. The capital was formerly called Zaranj. It formed a part of the empire of the Khalífa and was a great Khárijite centre. About A.D. 860, when it had undergone many changes of Government under lieutenants of the Baghdad Khalífa, or bold adventurers acting on their own account, Yaqút ibn Laith al-Saffar, made it the seat of his power. In A.D. 901, it fell under the power of the Sámanids and towards the end of the century into that of the Ghaznavids. In Hamadhání's time Khalaf ibn Aḥmad was the Amír of Sijistán (A.H. 354-93). Yaqút says that when the inhabitants submitted to their Arab conquerors they stipulated that no hedgehog was to be killed. The reason assigned for this being that the country was infested with snakes and that the hedgehogs kept the number down. Every house had its hedgehog! Yaqút, iii, 41. Encyclopædia Britannica, xxiv, 592.

[35:3] I put my resolution into effect: Literally, I mounted the intention thereof. Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 14.

[35:4] I was obliged to pass the night on the spot: Literally, the passing of the night chanced where I reached.

[35:5] … circumference: Literally, a necklace.

[36:1] … The chief one: Literally, the jewel in the middle of a necklace and which is the best thereof.

[36:2] … Loud-toned: Literally, with something from every root, and therefore well nourished and strong.

[36:3] Panting for breath: Literally, choking himself.

[36:4] The first fruits of Yemen: Here Abú’l-Fatḥ begins to enigmatically refer to his name. The fruit of the tree … nab‘a resembling that of the pistachia terebinthus, except that it is red, sweet and round, is called … Fatḥ. It is also an allusion to the early conversion to Islám of the people of Yemen. The name of the first envoy that came from Yemen to visit the Prophet is said to have been Abú’l-Fatḥ. Al-Fatḥ means the opening, beginning, victory.

[36:5] … Ladies of the harem: … pl, of … a kind of curtained canopy, or tent, or chamber for a bride.
For courteous phrases for ladies, see Jáḥiz, Ḥaywán, v. 103-110.

[36:6] Precious stones and their mines: I have read … instead of … as the former gives the required sense.

[36:7] … Inwardness: From … the abdomen. Hence the interior of anything. e. g., … To every verse thereof is an apparent … (lit. back) sense and a sense requiring development. (…).

[36:8] Their keys: i.e. the keys of the positions.

[37:1] … Powerful kings: … pl. of … a man unable to look aside by reason of disease, probably a crick in the neck, and hence a king, who by reason of pride, does not turn his head to the right or left. But more probably … = greatest hunter = lion = strong. Cf. Arab Proverbs, i, 748. See also Buḥturí, i. 224.

[37:2] … Eyes: pl. of … Literally, the black of the eye and then the eye absolutely.

[37:3] Supple forms: Literally, pliant branches; a very common figure for a flexible form.

[37:4] … Speaking at random … opposed to … in all senses.

[37:5] The Father of Wonder: Cf. H. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, ii, 571.

[37:6] For … again read … precious things, or treasures.

[37:7] I have watched the stars: waited for their disappearance at dawn.

[38:1] Of proud pedigree: Literally, whose grandfathers are noble.

[38:2] … Good breeding: Literally, whose wood has been irrigated with pure water.

[38:3] … The crowd to disperse: Literally, until the ostrich fled. The Paris MS. has &ale which yields a better sense. Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, ii, … 'He finished his work.'

[38:4] This maqáma lacks the usual concluding lines of poetry and ends very abruptly.

V. THE MAQAMA OF KÚFA

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: When I was in my young days, I rode my mount into every species of blind folly and urged my courser into every kind of error until I had drunk of life a delicious draft and had donned the flowing robes of fortune. But when the day brightened my night and I gathered up my skirts and prepared for the final judgement, I mounted a tame steed in order to discharge a bounden duty. There accompanied me on the road a friend in whom I saw nothing wrong to make me repudiate him. Now, when we had exchanged confessions and confidences, the story revealed that he was a Kúfan by principle and a Ṣúfí by persuasion, and so we travelled on.
Now, when we alighted at Kúfa, we went to his house and entered it, when the face of day had become sombre and its cheeks darkened. Then, when the eye of the night had drooped, and the dawn on its lip had sprouted, there was a knock at the door. We asked, 'What wanderer is knocking?' He answered: 'The envoy of night and its messenger, the defeated and hunted of hunger, a well-bred personage in the leash of misfortune and bad times; a guest, whose tread is light and whose stray is a loaf; a neighbour who asks aid against hunger and a patched smock; an exile after whose departure the fire of banishment was kindled, in whose wake the howling dogs have barked, after whom pebbles were cast and the areas swept. His jaded camel is fatigue; his pleasure is affliction, and between him and his two chicks is a vast desert.' Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám; I took from my purse the lion's share, passed it to him and said, 'Increase thy demands and we will increase our gifts to thee.' He replied, 'No fire so hot to cause aloeswood to diffuse its fragrance as that of generosity, and the envoy of benevolence is met by no one better than the messenger of gratitude. Therefore, whoever possesses plenty, let him do good, for generosity will not pass unrewarded by God and man. But as for thee, may God cause thee to realise thy hopes and give thee the supreme hand. Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: Then we opened the door for him and said 'Enter' and lo! by Heavens, it was our Shaikh Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskanderí! So I said:' 'Distressing is the extreme poverty which thou hast reached and this aspect especially.' Then he smiled, and indited, saying:—
'Let not my demanding deceive thee, I am in a state of affluence so great that the pocket of joy would tear, I could, if I wished, have ceilings of gold.'

38:5 Day brightened: Fig. for had turned grey.

38:6 I gathered up my skirts: Fig. for preparing to do something. Cf. Eng. to take off one's coat, or to tuck up one's sleeves.

38:7 A tame steed: Literally, broken in.

38:8 A bounden duty: i.e. the Pilgrimage. See Qur’án, iii, 91.

38:9 A Ṣúfí by persuasion: A Ṣúfí is naturally known by his dress.

38:10 Kúfa: Founded by the Arabs in A.H. 17 or 18 in the Khalífate of ‘Umar. It was one of the chief seats of Arabian learning and was long the rival of the great grammatical school of Baṣra.

Kúfa and Baṣra were the resort of the pious and of the adventurer, the centres of religious and political movements.

‘Alí is said to have called the former, the treasure-house of the Faith and the proof of Islám.

39:1 The face of day had become sombre: Literally, the face of day was covered with vegetation. ….

39:2 Darkened: Literally became green, both of these and the succeeding expressions are figures for the growing of a beard and here, metaphorically, signify it became dark.

39:3 There was a knock at the door: Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i. 50.

39:4 Whose tread is light: i.e. one who will cause little inconvenience.

39:5 … whose stray: Literally, a stray camel.

39:6 The fire of banishment: (…) (Cf. Hamadhání's Letters, No. 128, p. 352), or the fire of departure was a solemn cursing of a man by his enemy when he set out on a journey, The fire was lighted, and the ill-wisher exclaimed 'Away! begone!' For the names of the various fires of the Arabs, see Jáḥiz, Haywán Part v.

39:7 And the areas were swept: As is done after a death has occurred.

39:8 The lion's share: Literally, the grasp of the lion.

39:9 Generosity will not pass unrewarded, etc. This is a quotation from the lines of Ḥuṭai‘ah who was a contemporary of the Prophet:

…

'Whosoever doeth good will not lose his reward. For generosity will not go unrewarded by God and man.' That is to say, if man does not reward, God will. The Arabs believed this to be a quotation from the Taurát. Aghání, ii, 48 and Goldziher's edition of Ḥutai‘ah's poems.

40:1 … The supreme hand: Here used in the sense of the upper, or giving hand, as opposed to the lower, or receiving hand.

Cf. the rabbinical maxim:

‏כל מי שׁה כסף בידי ידו על העליונה‎

'Whoever has money (silver) in his hand, his hand is supreme. See note on … in the maqáma of the Yellow', Text p. 230.

40:2 I am in a state of affluence: Metre, khafif.

40:3 Ceilings of gold: A boast rather inconsistent with his actual condition. The Constantinople edition has this additional line. 'Sometimes I am a Nabatean at other times an Arab.'

This maqámá is identical in name and theme with Hariri v, 49.

Notes:

[38:5] Day brightened: Fig. for had turned grey.

[38:6] I gathered up my skirts: Fig. for preparing to do something. Cf. Eng. to take off one's coat, or to tuck up one's sleeves.

[38:7] A tame steed: Literally, broken in.

[38:8] A bounden duty: i.e. the Pilgrimage. See Qur’án, iii, 91.

[38:9] A Ṣúfí by persuasion: A Ṣúfí is naturally known by his dress.

[38:10] Kúfa: Founded by the Arabs in A.H. 17 or 18 in the Khalífate of ‘Umar. It was one of the chief seats of Arabian learning and was long the rival of the great grammatical school of Baṣra.

Kúfa and Baṣra were the resort of the pious and of the adventurer, the centres of religious and political movements.
‘Alí is said to have called the former, the treasure-house of the Faith and the proof of Islám.

[39:1] The face of day had become sombre: Literally, the face of day was covered with vegetation. ….

[39:2] Darkened: Literally became green, both of these and the succeeding expressions are figures for the growing of a beard and here, metaphorically, signify it became dark.

[39:3] There was a knock at the door: Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i. 50.

[39:4] Whose tread is light: i.e. one who will cause little inconvenience.

[39:5] … whose stray: Literally, a stray camel.

[39:6] The fire of banishment: (…) (Cf. Hamadhání's Letters, No. 128, p. 352), or the fire of departure was a solemn cursing of a man by his enemy when he set out on a journey, The fire was lighted, and the ill-wisher exclaimed 'Away! begone!' For the names of the various fires of the Arabs, see Jáḥiz, Haywán Part v.

[39:7] And the areas were swept: As is done after a death has occurred.

[39:8] The lion's share: Literally, the grasp of the lion.

[39:9] Generosity will not pass unrewarded, etc. This is a quotation from the lines of Ḥuṭai‘ah who was a contemporary of the Prophet: … 'Whosoever doeth good will not lose his reward. For generosity will not go unrewarded by God and man.' That is to say, if man does not reward, God will. The Arabs believed this to be a quotation from the Taurát. Aghání, ii, 48 and Goldziher's edition of Ḥutai‘ah's poems.

[40:1] … The supreme hand: Here used in the sense of the upper, or giving hand, as opposed to the lower, or receiving hand. Cf. the rabbinical maxim: ‏כל מי שׁה כסף בידי ידו על העליונה‎ 'Whoever has money (silver) in his hand, his hand is supreme. See note on … in the maqáma of the Yellow', Text p. 230.

[40:2] I am in a state of affluence: Metre, khafif.

[40:3] Ceilings of gold: A boast rather inconsistent with his actual condition. The Constantinople edition has this additional line. 'Sometimes I am a Nabatean at other times an Arab.'
This maqámá is identical in name and theme with Hariri v, 49.

VI. THE MAQAMA OF THE LION

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: There used to reach me of the maqámát and sayings of al-Iskanderí such as would arrest the fugitive and agitate the sparrow. Poems of his have been recited to us whose refinement pervades the soul in all its parts, and whose subtlety is hidden from the imaginations of the wizards. And I pray God to spare him so that I may meet him and marvel at his indifference to his condition in spite of his art and fortune. Fortune had made her benefits remote by placing barriers between him and them and continued so to do till I happened to have some business in Ḥimṣ. So I sharpened my greediness of desire to go thither in the company of some individuals, brilliant as the stars of night, and like saddle-cloths cleaving to the backs of the horses.

We started on the road eliminating its distance and annihilating its space, and we continued to traverse the humps of the uplands, mounted upon those noble steeds, until they became as lean as walking-sticks and were bent like bows. Now we were fated to pass a valley along the base of a mountain covered with ala and tamarisk thickets which looked like maidens with their flowing tresses and suspended locks. The fierce noonday heat turned us thither to seek a sheltered spot and a midday nap. We had tethered our horses and had addressed ourselves to sleep with the sleepers, when suddenly the neighing of the horses startled us. And I looked towards my steed and behold he had cocked his ears, he was glaring with his eyes, gnawing the strands of the rope with his lips, and scoring the surface of the ground with his hoofs.

Then the horses stampeded, staled, broke the ropes and made for the mountains. Every one of us flew to his weapons when lo! there appeared a lion, in the garb of doom, ascending from his lair, with inflated skin, showing his teeth, with an eye full of arrogance, a nose distended with pride, and a breast from which courage never departed and wherein terror never dwelt. We said: 'This is a serious matter and an anxious business.' There advanced to meet him from among the impetuous of the party a youth, 'Tawny of skin of the family that comprises the nobility of the Arabs, Who fills his bucket full to the knot of the rope that ties the middle of the cross-bars,' with a heart urged on by doom, and an all-effective sword, but the fierceness of the lion took possession of him and the ground cheated his feet so that he fell on his hands and face.

The lion then crossed over the place of his falling in the direction of those who were with him. Then death summoned the fallen one's fellow in the same manner. He advanced, but terror tied his hands, he fell to the earth and the lion crouched on his chest. But I threw my turban at him and diverted his mouth and thus prevented the shedding of the youth's blood. Then the young man arose and slashed at his stomach until he collapsed with fright and the lion died of the wounds in his stomach. We then went after the horses, found such as had halted, abandoned such as had bolted, and returned to the dead friend to perform the last rites! 'When we had poured the earth upon our late fellow-traveller we were grieved, aye and what an hour of grief it was.'

Then we turned again towards the desert and entered it. We journeyed on till the provision bag contracted and supplies were well nigh exhausted. We could neither advance nor retreat, and we dreaded the two slayers, thirst and hunger, when a horseman came in sight. We went towards him and moved in his direction. When we reached him, he alighted from his noble steed, kissed the ground and prostrated himself. He then came towards me, to the exclusion of the company, kissed my stirrup and sought shelter at my side. I beheld and lo! a face that shone like the sheen of the rain-cloud, and a goodly stature, 'When the beholder's eye ascends to, his head and descends to his feet, It is unable to take in all his beauties,' a cheek upon which the down had appeared and a moustache that had just sprouted; a plump forearm, a supple and slim body. His origin was Turkish and his dress royal. We said: 'Perish thy father!' What has happened to thee?

He replied: 'I am the servant of a king who made a determined attempt to kill me, and so I ran away, I knew not whither, as you see me now.' Now his appearance bore witness to the truth of his statement. Then he said: 'To-day I am thy servant and what is mine is thine!' I said, 'Good tidings for both of us. Thy journey has brought thee to a spacious court and fresh delight.' The company congratulated me, and he began to look and his glances smote us; he commenced to speak and his words fascinated us. He said: 'O masters! at the base of this mountain there is a spring and ye have entered a waterless desert, so take some water from there.' So we turned rein in the direction he indicated and we arrived there. The noonday heat had melted our bodies and the locusts had mounted the trees.

He said: 'Will you not take the noonday nap beneath this spacious shade, and near this fresh water?' We said: 'As thou wilt.' He then dismounted from his horse, undid his belt, removed his tunic so that nothing concealed him from us, except a thin undergarment which did but reveal his body. We doubted not but that he had quarrelled with the ministering angels, evaded the heavenly guards, and fled from the guardian of Paradise. He betook himself to the saddles and removed them, to the horses and fed them, and to the resting-places and sprinkled them with water. Men's perception was bewildered at him, and their eyes were fixed upon him. So I said: 'O young man, how courteous thou art in service and how generally useful! Therefore woe to him whom thou hast forsaken, and blessed is he with whom thou hast become friendly!

How is it possible to thank God for His favour through thee?' He said: 'That which you will soon see from me will be even greater. Do my activity in service and my general comeliness please you? What if ye were to see me in company, showing some portion of my skill? It would increase your admiration for me.' We said: 'Go on!' Then he took one of our bows, strung it, braced the bow-string, put it into the notch, and shot it up towards the sky and then followed it up with another and split it in the air. Then he said: 'I will show you another trick.' He then made for my quiver and seized it, went towards my horse and mounted it, and shot one of our number with an arrow which he fixed in his chest, and then a second one which he shot through his back. I cried out 'Sirrah! what art thou doing?' He retorted 'Silence, scoundrel!

By heavens, every one of you shall bind his fellow's hands, or I will make his spittle to choke him.' Nov with our horses tied up, our saddles off, our arms beyond our reach, he mounted and we on foot, his bow in his hand ready to shoot us in the back, or to pierce our abdomens and chests, we were at a loss what to do. But, when we saw his seriousness, we seized the thong and bound one another. I alone remained with no one to tie my hands. So he said to me: 'Strip!' and I stripped. Then he got down from the horse and began to slap each of us, one after the other, and to take off his clothes, and finally he came to me.

Now I had on a pair of new boots and so he said to me: 'Perish thy mother! take them off' I replied: 'I put these boots on when the hide was raw and, therefore, I cannot remove them.' He said: 'I will take them off.' Then he drew near to me to remove them, and I stretched my hand to seize a knife which I had concealed in one boot while he was engaged removing the other. I plunged the knife into his abdomen with such force, that I caused it to appear behind his back, and he uttered but one cry and then bit the dust. Then I arose, went to my companions and untied their hands. And we then divided the spoils obtained from the two dead men. We found our friend had given up the ghost and so we buried him. Then we continued our journey and arrived at Ḥimṣ after five nights' travelling. Now when we reached an open space in the market, we saw a man with a wallet and a small walking-stick in his hand, standing in front of his son and little daughter, and he was saying:—

'God bless him who fills my wallet with his generous gifts, God bless him who is moved to pity for Sa’íd and Fatimah, Verily he will be your male-servant and she your maid-servant.'

Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: This man is surely al-Iskanderí of whom I have heard, and regarding whom I have been asking; and behold it was he! So I gently approached him and said: 'Command what is thine.' He replied: 'A dirhem.' I said:—
'Thou canst have a dirhem multiplied by its like As long as I live.
So make up thy account and ask In order that I may give what is demanded.'

[paragraph continues] And I said to him: 'A dinar into two, into three, into four, into five, until I reached twenty.' Then I said: 'How much dost thou make it?' He answered: 'twenty loaves.' So I commanded that amount to be given him and said: 'Nought avails without God's help and there is no device against ill-fatedness.'

40:4 The Maqámát of al-Iskanderí. The first example of the use of the word Maqámát by the author.

40:5 … Wizards: pl. of … Heb. ‏כּהֵן‎ a priest in a degraded sense. In the time of the Prophet it meant a fortune-teller, an interpreter of dreams, etc. See Qur’án, lii, 29 and lxix, 42. This is a word whose origin is not known.

40:6 His indifference, etc.: Literally, the sitting down of his resolution with his state.

41:1 Her benefits: Literally, her affairs, or business.

41:2 Ḥiṃs (Emessa): A well-known city situated half-way between Damascus and Aleppo. The inhabitants of this city were ‘Alí's stoutest opponents in Mu‘awiya's army in the battle of Siffín (AḌ. 657). Yaqút, ii, 334.

41:3 Eliminating its distance: Literally plundering its distance.

41:4 … Locks and tresses: … are said to pertain to women and … to men.

41:5 Stampeded: Literally, became agitated.

41:6 … garb: applied to a garment when it is furred, a well-known kind of garment for preservation from the cold.

41:7 With inflated skin: Literally, inflated in his skin.

41:8 … courage: Literally, the heart.

42:1 Tawny of skin, etc.: Metre, ramal.

…

'And I am the tawny: and who knows me?

The tawny of skin (of pure race) of the family that comprises the nobility of the Arabs.'

…

'He who contends for superiority (literally vies with me in filling buckets) with me, contends with one possessing glory.

Who fills the bucket up to the tying of the rope attached to the middle of its crossbars.'

These verses are by al-Faḍl Ibn ‘Abbás al-Lahabí, Aghání, xiv, 171. This poet was a contemporary of Farazdaq (d. 170), Aghání, xv, 2-11.

42:2 Crouched, etc.: Literally, made his chest a bed.

42:3 Aye and what an hour of grief it was! Metre, ṭawíl. Cf. the line of Ka’ah, Ḥamasah (Freytag), p. 95, line 3.

43:1 … His noble steed: The adjective is placed before instead of after the noun.

43:2 Kissed the ground: Literally, he engraved the ground with his lips.

43:3 Prostrated himself: Literally, he met the ground with both his hands.

43:4 … When the eye ascends: A quotation from Imral—Qais, p. 25, line 69. Lyall's edition of the Mu‘allaqát. The text is wrongly vocalized: for … read ….

43:5 … A supple and slim body: Literally, a well-irrigated branch a branch cut off and hence a rod.

43:6 His origin was Turkish: Probably an allusion to the line.

…

'Verily Yemák hath (by his death) left in my entrails an affection.

For every immigrant of Turkish origin,' Mutanabbí, p. 467.

43:7 … angelic, should be vocalized … royal.

43:8 Perish thy father: Literally, thou hast no father. A playful term of imprecation expressive of surprise or admiration. Al-Hamadhání did not think this phrase unworthy of elucidation. He explains, 'the Arabs say thou hast no father concerning anything that is perfect, but it depends upon who says it.' (Letters, p. 249.) For the explanation of the use of the accusative in this and similar expressions, see Wright's Arabic Grammar, ii, 94-5.

44:1 Waterless desert: Literally, a blind desert, with no … eye, or spring.

44:2 The locusts had mounted the trees: They were rendered active by the intense heat.

44:3 … a tunic, waistcoat or jacket, arabicized from the Persian …

44:4 … ministering angels: Probably … a species of angels who were the guardians of the earth, and of the gardens of Paradise (See Lane, art: … p. 462).

44:5 … Fed them: Literally, foddered them.

44:6 … admiration: from … the pericardium and then love which is supposed to tear the pericardium.

45:1 Strip: Literally, come out with thy skin from thy clothes.

45:2 He uttered but one cry: Literally, he only opened his mouth.

45:3 He bit the dust: Literally, put the stone in his mouth. Another reading … I silenced him. Cf. Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 120.

45:4 We divided the spoils: A rather unworthy manner of disposing of their dead friend's property.

45:5 We buried him: Literally, he went to his tomb.

46:1 God bless him who fills my wallets, etc. Metre, khafif.

46:2 … 'And behold it was he!' There was a controversy between the schools of Baṣra and Kúfa as to whether this phrase or … And behold it was him—was right. The Baṣrians held that the former, the one used by al-Hamadhání, was correct. This phrase would call to mind the dispute originated by Sibawayh, the greatest of grammarians, in the time of the Khalífa Hárún al-Rashid (Yaqút, Dictionary of Learned Men, vi, 83). Cf. English, It is me, and the French, c’est moi.

46:3 Thou canst have a dirhem. Metre, kámil.

46:4 Twenty loaves: very defective arithmetic which evokes a well-merited rebuke from 'Ísá ibn Hishám in the concluding sentences of the Maqáma.

46:5 … Without God's help: See Qur’án, iii, 154.

Notes:

[40:4] The Maqámát of al-Iskanderí. The first example of the use of the word Maqámát by the author.

[40:5] … Wizards: pl. of … Heb. ‏כּהֵן‎ a priest in a degraded sense. In the time of the Prophet it meant a fortune-teller, an interpreter of dreams, etc. See Qur’án, lii, 29 and lxix, 42. This is a word whose origin is not known.

[40:6] His indifference, etc.: Literally, the sitting down of his resolution with his state.

[41:1] Her benefits: Literally, her affairs, or business.

[41:2] Ḥiṃs (Emessa): A well-known city situated half-way between Damascus and Aleppo. The inhabitants of this city were ‘Alí's stoutest opponents in Mu‘awiya's army in the battle of Siffín (AḌ. 657). Yaqút, ii, 334.

[41:3] Eliminating its distance: Literally plundering its distance.

[41:4] … Locks and tresses: … are said to pertain to women and … to men.

[41:5] Stampeded: Literally, became agitated.

[41:6] … garb: applied to a garment when it is furred, a well-known kind of garment for preservation from the cold.

[41:7] With inflated skin: Literally, inflated in his skin.

[41:8] … courage: Literally, the heart.

[42:1] Tawny of skin, etc.: Metre, ramal.
…
'And I am the tawny: and who knows me?
The tawny of skin (of pure race) of the family that comprises the nobility of the Arabs.'
…
'He who contends for superiority (literally vies with me in filling buckets) with me, contends with one possessing glory.
Who fills the bucket up to the tying of the rope attached to the middle of its crossbars.'
These verses are by al-Faḍl Ibn ‘Abbás al-Lahabí, Aghání, xiv, 171. This poet was a contemporary of Farazdaq (d. 170), Aghání, xv, 2-11.

[42:2] Crouched, etc.: Literally, made his chest a bed.

[42:3] Aye and what an hour of grief it was! Metre, ṭawíl. Cf. the line of Ka’ah, Ḥamasah (Freytag), p. 95, line 3.

[43:1] … His noble steed: The adjective is placed before instead of after the noun.

[43:2] Kissed the ground: Literally, he engraved the ground with his lips.

[43:3] Prostrated himself: Literally, he met the ground with both his hands.

[43:4] … When the eye ascends: A quotation from Imral—Qais, p. 25, line 69. Lyall's edition of the Mu‘allaqát. The text is wrongly vocalized: for … read ….

[43:5] … A supple and slim body: Literally, a well-irrigated branch a branch cut off and hence a rod.

[43:6] His origin was Turkish: Probably an allusion to the line.
…
'Verily Yemák hath (by his death) left in my entrails an affection.
For every immigrant of Turkish origin,' Mutanabbí, p. 467.

[43:7] … angelic, should be vocalized … royal.

[43:8] Perish thy father: Literally, thou hast no father. A playful term of imprecation expressive of surprise or admiration. Al-Hamadhání did not think this phrase unworthy of elucidation. He explains, 'the Arabs say thou hast no father concerning anything that is perfect, but it depends upon who says it.' (Letters, p. 249.) For the explanation of the use of the accusative in this and similar expressions, see Wright's Arabic Grammar, ii, 94-5.

[44:1] Waterless desert: Literally, a blind desert, with no … eye, or spring.

[44:2] The locusts had mounted the trees: They were rendered active by the intense heat.

[44:3] … a tunic, waistcoat or jacket, arabicized from the Persian …

[44:4] … ministering angels: Probably … a species of angels who were the guardians of the earth, and of the gardens of Paradise (See Lane, art: … p. 462).

[44:5] … Fed them: Literally, foddered them.

[44:6] … admiration: from … the pericardium and then love which is supposed to tear the pericardium.

[45:1] Strip: Literally, come out with thy skin from thy clothes.

[45:2] He uttered but one cry: Literally, he only opened his mouth.

[45:3] He bit the dust: Literally, put the stone in his mouth. Another reading … I silenced him. Cf. Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 120.

[45:4] We divided the spoils: A rather unworthy manner of disposing of their dead friend's property.

[45:5] We buried him: Literally, he went to his tomb.

[46:1] God bless him who fills my wallets, etc. Metre, khafif.

[46:2] … 'And behold it was he!' There was a controversy between the schools of Baṣra and Kúfa as to whether this phrase or … And behold it was him—was right. The Baṣrians held that the former, the one used by al-Hamadhání, was correct. This phrase would call to mind the dispute originated by Sibawayh, the greatest of grammarians, in the time of the Khalífa Hárún al-Rashid (Yaqút, Dictionary of Learned Men, vi, 83). Cf. English, It is me, and the French, c’est moi.

[46:3] Thou canst have a dirhem. Metre, kámil.

[46:4] Twenty loaves: very defective arithmetic which evokes a well-merited rebuke from 'Ísá ibn Hishám in the concluding sentences of the Maqáma.

[46:5] … Without God's help: See Qur’án, iii, 154.

VII. THE MAQAMA OF GHAILAN

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to me and said: 'While we were at Jurján in a meeting-place of ours discussing, there was with us that chief scholar and narrator of the Arabs, ‘Ismat ibn Badr, the Fazárite'. The conversation finally led us to discuss those who pardon their enemies out of gentleness and those who forgive them out of contempt, till we mentioned As-Ṣalatan, al-‘Abdí, and al-Ba‘ith, and the contempt of Jarír and al-Farazdaq for them.
Said ‘Ismat: 'I will relate to you what mine eyes have seen and not what I have got from another. When I was journeying in the country of Tamím, mounted on a noble camel and leading a spare mount, there appeared before me a rider on a dusky camel, frothing thickly at the mouth. He continued to advance towards me till our bodies collided, when he shouted: "Peace be unto you!" I said, "And upon thee peace and the mercy and blessing of God! Who is the loud-voiced rider who salutes with the salutation of Islám?" He answered: "I am Ghailan, ibn ‘Uqba." So I said: Welcome to him of fair renown and famous lineage whose diction is well-known." He replied: "Broad be thy valley and powerful thy associates! but who art thou? I answered, "I am ‘Ismat ibn Badr, the Fazárite." He said, "May God prolong thy life! What an excellent friend, associate and companion!" Then we travelled together. When we had journeyed on till noon, he said: "Ísmat, shall we not take a nap, for the sun has melted our brain? I said: "As thou wilt." Se we moved in the direction of some āla trees as though they were maidens with their hair down, displaying their charms, and to a collection of tamarisk trees opposite to them. Then we unsaddled and partook of some food. Now Dhú'l-Rumma was a small eater. After that we prayed. Then each of us betook himself to the shade of a tamarisk tree, intending to take the noonday nap. Dhú’l-Rumma lay down and I desired to do as he did. So I lay on my back, but no sleep took possession of my eyes. I looked and saw a short distance of a large-humped camel, jaded by the sun, with her saddle thrown off, and behold a man like a hireling, or slave was standing guarding her. But I turned away from them, for what had I to do with enquiring about that which did not concern me? Dhú’l-Rumma slept for a little while and then awoke. Now this was in the days of his satirizing the tribe of Murrí, so he raised his voice, and recited saying:— "Are the traces of Maiya to be found on the obliterated surface of the sand dune Which the gale has persistently covered up?
Nought remains but a battered tent-peg, And a fireplace without a fire-taker, A cistern with both sides broken, And an assembly whose traces have been removed and effaced.
But I remember it with its inhabitants, Maiya and the sociable friend.
My relations with Maiya were like those of one who scares, Gazelles when they appear to him at the dawn; When I would come to her, there turned me away a sulky-faced watcher, her guardian and keeper.
There will soon reach Imr al-Qais a widely circulated poem Which traveller and stay-at-home will sing.
Dost thou not see that to Imr al-Qais Clings his chronic complaint?
They are a people insensible to satire, But can the dry stone feel pain?

In eminence no knight have they, in war no horseman.
Besmeared and saturated are they in the cisterns of reproach, As the hide is saturated by the tanner.
When men look to them for the performance of generous deeds, Downcast and heavy are their eyes.
The noble abhor marrying their women, And therefore all their spinsters "remain old maids."
When he got as far as this verse, the sleeper awoke, began to rub his eyes and to say: "Does little Dhú al-Rumma deprive me of sleep with an incorrect and unpopular poem?" I said: "O Ghailan, who is this?" He replied: "al-Farazdaq?" Then Dhú al-Rumma waxed hot and said:— "As for the base men of Majásh‘a Never has the thunder-cloud watered their pastures.
Soon they will be fettered and restrained from noble enterprises, And the restrainer shall restrain them!"

Then I said: "Now he will choke and fret and thoroughly lampoon him and his tribe."

But by Heavens! al-Farazdaq only said: "Fie on thee little Dhú al-Rumma dost thou oppose one like me with stolen verses?" Then he went to sleep again, as though he had not heard anything. Dhú al-Rumma went away and I went with him, and verily I perceived in him humiliation until we parted.'

46:6 Abú’l-Ḥaríth Ghailan Ibn ‘Uqba Ibn Buhaish, generally known by the surname of Dhú’l-Rumma (the old-rope man) is regarded as the last of the Bedawín poets. He died in A.H. 117 (A.D. 735-6) and was therefore a contemporary of Jarír and Farazdaq, see Ibn Khallikan, ii, 447, and Ibn Qutaiba, Kitáb al-Sh‘ir wa’l-Shu‘ará (De Geoje), p. 333. (The University Press of Cambridge is publishing for the first time an edition of this poet's work. The editor is Mr. C. H. H. Macartney of Clare College, Cambridge.)

47:1 ‘Ismat ibn Badr the Fazárite: I think this character may be identified with Abú ‘Abdu’lláh Marwán ibn Mu‘awiyah ibn Badr al-Fazárí (d. 193 or A.H. 194). Among those who learned traditions from him was Ibn Ḥanbal (A.H. 164-241) Ansab of al-Sam‘áni, p. 427, Gibb Memorial Series.

47:2 As-Ṣalatan, al-‘Abdí was a contemporary of al-Farazdaq and Jarír as the following incident shows: 'When as-Salatan, al-‘Abdí pronounced al-Farazdaq superior to Jarír in point of lineage, and Jarír superior to al-Farazdaq as poet, Jarír reported with this proverb:

…

'When was God's wisdom in husbandmen and possessors of palm trees?' (Freytag, Arab Proverb, ii, 628; Lane, p. 2602 art …) The point of this lies in the fact that the region of as-Ṣalatan's tribe abounded in palm trees.

47:3 Al-Ba’ith: a contemporary of Jarír. He was one of those who had the temerity to satire the great poet's tribe, the Kulayb. Aghání, vii, 41.

47:4 Bodies collided: Literally, form with form.

47:5 … We journeyed on till morn: From … noon when the heat is fiercest.

48:1 As though they were maidens: Cf. Text, p. 26.

48:2 … A little: Literally, paucity of milk of a camel and then applied to paucity of sleep in which latter sense it is used by al-Farazdaq, … Their sleep is little (Lane, p. 2239, art …) Cf. Arab Proverbs, i, 613: … His abundant milk flow preceded his paucity thereof.

48:3 … He raised his voice: Perhaps originally connected with Heb. ‏קרר‎. For similar examples of transposition Cf. Arabic … = Heb. ‏רקע‎; Arabic … = Heb. ‏קרע‎.

48:4 In the days of his satirizing the tribe of Murrí: The occasion of this bitter satire was the inhospitable treatment of Dhú’l-Rumma by Hishám al-Murr‘í at the village at Mar’at. See Aghání, vii, 57.

Are the traces of Maiya to be found. Metre, mutaqárib. Maiya—The beloved of Dhú’l-Rumma whose beauty he often extolled in his poems, see Ibn Qutaibas Sh‘ir wa Shu‘ará, p. 334. Mr. Macartney, the editor of Dhú’l-Rumma's Diwán, to whose courtesy I am indebted for much useful information regarding this poet, says, 'although these verses put into the mouth of Dhú’l-Rumma do not exist in the MSS. of the Diwán, still they have a genuine ring and the ideas have their correspondences in the Diwán.'

49:1 … dawn: Literally, the sneezer; also a gazelle coming before one.

49:2 Soon there will reach Imr al-Qais: This refers to the tribe of Imr al-Qais, a branch of the Tamím descended from Imr al-Qais ibn Sa‘ad ibn Manát ibn Tamím, and not to the poet of the tribe of Kindeh.

This Qaṣída begins with the conventional erotic prologue over the deserted encampment of the beloved, a prelude which was condemned in the poet's own day. It is related that, as Dhú al-Rumma was reciting his verses in the camel market, he said to al-Farazdaq who stopped to hear him: 'Well, Abú Firás! what dost thou think of that which thou hast heard?' Al-Farazdaq replied: 'What thou hast uttered is really admirable.' 'Why then ', said the other, 'is my name not mentioned with those of the first-rate poets?' 'Thou hast been prevented from attaining their eminence' answered al-Farazdaq 'by thy lamentations over dunghills, and thy descriptions of the excrements of cattle and their pinfolds.' Ibn Khallikan, ii, 447.

49:3 Can the dry stone feel pain: A rather poor pun on … a stone and … the name of the tribal ancestor.

49:4 … Spinsters: pl. of … a spinster or a widow. Another reading … their women.

50:1 Little Dhú al-Rumma: The diminutive is used to express contempt.

50:2 … incorrect: Literally crooked, from … lit., a spear straightened or made even.

50:3 And the base men of Majásh'a: Metre mutaqárib; Majásh’a: The name of one of al-Farazdaq's ancestors.

50:4 Stolen verses. This was no libel: Dhú al-Rumma was notorious for appropriating the verses of others, See Ibn Qutaiba, Sh‘ir wa’l Shu‘ará, p. 338.

This was not the only rebuke administered to Dhúal-Rumma by al-Farazdaq. See note on the condemnation of the conventional prelude, p. 49, supra.

Notes:

[46:6] Abú’l-Ḥaríth Ghailan Ibn ‘Uqba Ibn Buhaish, generally known by the surname of Dhú’l-Rumma (the old-rope man) is regarded as the last of the Bedawín poets. He died in A.H. 117 (A.D. 735-6) and was therefore a contemporary of Jarír and Farazdaq, see Ibn Khallikan, ii, 447, and Ibn Qutaiba, Kitáb al-Sh‘ir wa’l-Shu‘ará (De Geoje), p. 333. (The University Press of Cambridge is publishing for the first time an edition of this poet's work. The editor is Mr. C. H. H. Macartney of Clare College, Cambridge.)

[47:1] ‘Ismat ibn Badr the Fazárite: I think this character may be identified with Abú ‘Abdu’lláh Marwán ibn Mu‘awiyah ibn Badr al-Fazárí (d. 193 or A.H. 194). Among those who learned traditions from him was Ibn Ḥanbal (A.H. 164-241) Ansab of al-Sam‘áni, p. 427, Gibb Memorial Series.

[47:2] As-Ṣalatan, al-‘Abdí was a contemporary of al-Farazdaq and Jarír as the following incident shows: 'When as-Salatan, al-‘Abdí pronounced al-Farazdaq superior to Jarír in point of lineage, and Jarír superior to al-Farazdaq as poet, Jarír reported with this proverb: … 'When was God's wisdom in husbandmen and possessors of palm trees?' (Freytag, Arab Proverb, ii, 628; Lane, p. 2602 art …) The point of this lies in the fact that the region of as-Ṣalatan's tribe abounded in palm trees.

[47:3] Al-Ba’ith: a contemporary of Jarír. He was one of those who had the temerity to satire the great poet's tribe, the Kulayb. Aghání, vii, 41.

[47:4] Bodies collided: Literally, form with form.

[47:5] … We journeyed on till morn: From … noon when the heat is fiercest.

[48:1] As though they were maidens: Cf. Text, p. 26.

[48:2] … A little: Literally, paucity of milk of a camel and then applied to paucity of sleep in which latter sense it is used by al-Farazdaq, … Their sleep is little (Lane, p. 2239, art …) Cf. Arab Proverbs, i, 613: … His abundant milk flow preceded his paucity thereof.

[48:3] … He raised his voice: Perhaps originally connected with Heb. ‏קרר‎. For similar examples of transposition Cf. Arabic … = Heb. ‏רקע‎; Arabic … = Heb. ‏קרע‎.

[48:4] In the days of his satirizing the tribe of Murrí: The occasion of this bitter satire was the inhospitable treatment of Dhú’l-Rumma by Hishám al-Murr‘í at the village at Mar’at. See Aghání, vii, 57.
Are the traces of Maiya to be found. Metre, mutaqárib. Maiya—The beloved of Dhú’l-Rumma whose beauty he often extolled in his poems, see Ibn Qutaibas Sh‘ir wa Shu‘ará, p. 334. Mr. Macartney, the editor of Dhú’l-Rumma's Diwán, to whose courtesy I am indebted for much useful information regarding this poet, says, 'although these verses put into the mouth of Dhú’l-Rumma do not exist in the MSS. of the Diwán, still they have a genuine ring and the ideas have their correspondences in the Diwán.'

[49:1] … dawn: Literally, the sneezer; also a gazelle coming before one.

[49:2] Soon there will reach Imr al-Qais: This refers to the tribe of Imr al-Qais, a branch of the Tamím descended from Imr al-Qais ibn Sa‘ad ibn Manát ibn Tamím, and not to the poet of the tribe of Kindeh.

[49:3] Can the dry stone feel pain: A rather poor pun on … a stone and … the name of the tribal ancestor.

[49:4] … Spinsters: pl. of … a spinster or a widow. Another reading … their women.

[50:1] Little Dhú al-Rumma: The diminutive is used to express contempt.

[50:2] … incorrect: Literally crooked, from … lit., a spear straightened or made even.

[50:3] And the base men of Majásh'a: Metre mutaqárib; Majásh’a: The name of one of al-Farazdaq's ancestors.

[50:4] Stolen verses. This was no libel: Dhú al-Rumma was notorious for appropriating the verses of others, See Ibn Qutaiba, Sh‘ir wa’l Shu‘ará, p. 338.

This was not the only rebuke administered to Dhúal-Rumma by al-Farazdaq. See note on the condemnation of the conventional prelude, p. 49, supra.

VIII. THE MAQAMA OF ADHARBAYJÁN

SAID ‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM: When wealth girded me with its flowing robe, I was suspected of being possessed of property that I had stolen, or of a treasure that I had found, so the darkness of the night urged me to flee, and the horse carried me away. In my flight I traversed paths that had never been trodden before, and where a bird could not find its way, until I passed through the land of terror, crossed its frontiers, entered the protected domain of safety, and there found tranquility. I arrived at Adharbayján and verily the camel's feet were abraded and the stages travelled had consumed their flesh. And when I reached it, 'We alighted intending the stay to be three days, But it was so pleasant to us that we stopped there a month.'
Now one day while I was in one of its streets, there suddenly appeared a man with a small drinking-vessel which he had placed under his arm, with a walking-stick with which he supported himself, with a tall round cap which he had donned, and a waist-wrapper which he had put on. He raised his voice and said: 'O God who createth things and causeth them to return again, the quickener of bones and the destroyer of them, the Creator of the sun and who causeth it to revolve; the Maker of the dawn to appear and its Illuminator, who sendeth us bounteous benefits and upholdeth the heavens that they fall not upon us; the Creator of souls, male and female; who hath made the sun for a light, the firmament for a roof and the earth as a carpet; who hath ordained the night for rest and the day for labour; who formeth the pregnant clouds, and sendeth in vengeance the thunderbolts; who knoweth what is above the stars and what is beneath the uttermost parts of the earth, I beseech Thee to send Thy blessings upon Muḥammad, the chief of the prophets, and upon his holy family, and that Thou wilt aid me against exile, that I may rein her round homeward; and against hardship that I may be delivered from its depressing shade, and that Thou wilt make it easy for me to obtain at the hands of one of pious nature and pure origin, blessed with true religion, who is not blind to manifest truth, a camel to traverse this road, provision to suffice me and a travelling companion.' Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám, I whispered to myself, 'This man is more eloquent than our al-Iskanderí, Abú’l-Fatḥ!' Then I turned a glance upon him and lo, by Heavens! it was Abú’l-Fatḥ! So I said: 'O Abú’l-Fatḥ! has thy mischief reached this land and thy hunting for game extended to this tribe?' Then he indited saying:—
'I am a mighty wanderer over the countries, And a great traverser of the horizons.
I am the toy of time, And am continually on the road.

Blame me not—mayest thou receive right guidance!

For my mendicity, but taste it.'

50:5 … a treasure—property buried in the earth.

50:6 Adharbayján: The Atropatene of the ancients the north-western and most important province of Persia. It was conquered by the Arabs under al-Mughíra in A.H. 20.

51:1 We alighted intending the stay to be three days: This is an allusion to the Tradition: … Hospitality is for three days, see De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 177. Metre táwil.

51:2 … Tall round cap: The kind of head-dress called Qalansuwah of a Qáḍí said to be like a … a wine-jar, because high and round.

51:3 … donned, the … a kind of head-dress which, according to Dozy, was worn by the ‘Abbásid Khalífas, their ministers, and the Qáḍís, and is still used in Syria.

51:4 … a waist-wrapper, a kind of striped Indian cloth unsewn. The commentator says it is arabicized from a Sindhí word.

Cf. the mediaeval Latin Calantica, tegumentum capitis ad usum mulierum. A covering for the head of women, a kind of veil.

51:5 … He had put on: Literally, he attired himself with a Tailisan, a cloak or mantle. Cf. Hebrew ‏פלית‎ a cover or cloak similar to the Roman pallium, especially the Talith the cloak of honour, the scholar or officer's distinction, adorned with fringes. Also the cloak of the leader in prayer (Jastrow, Dictionary of the Targum, p. 537). It is still worn by many of the professional and learned men in Muslim countries.

51:6 The Maker of the dawn to appear: Qur’án, vi, 96.
51:7 Bounteous benefits: An allusion to Qur’án, xxxi, 19, 51:8 Who upholdeth the heavens: Qur’án, xxii, 64.

51:9 Male and female: Literally, in pairs.

51:10 The sun: … Literally, a lamp or its lighted wick. The latter is the proper, though not the more usual meaning, and is the one intended in Qur’án, xxiv, 35.

51:11 Who hath made the sun for a light: An allusion to Qur’án, lxxi, 15.

… Light, a lamp, apparently arabicized from the Syriac Shirágá, Persian chiragh.

51:12 The firmament for a roof: An allusion to Qur’án, xxi, 33.

52:1 The earth as a carpet: an illusion to Qur’án, ii, 20.

52:2 The night for rest: an allusion to Qur’án, vi, 96.

52:3 The day for labour: an allusion to Qur’án, lxxviii. 11.

52:4 Who formeth the pregnant clouds: an allusion to Qur’án, xiii, 13.

52:5 And sendeth in vengeance the thunderbolts: an allusion to Qur’án, xiii, 14. This prayer is composed in the style of Qur’án, lxxi, 13-19.

52:6 I may rein her round: Literally, I may turn her rope.

52:7 … Of pure origin: Literally, purity hath raised him.

52:8 I am a mighty wanderer: Metre, Khafif.

52:9 … Toy: A kind of whirling plaything which a boy turns round by means of a thread causing it to make a sound such as is termed … a small piece of wood in the middle of which is cut a notch and which is then tied with a string which, being pulled, turns round and is heard to make a sound such as is termed Imr al-Qais likens it to a swift horse. See Lyall's edition of the Mu‘allaqát, p. 23, verse 59.

52:10 … Continually on the road. Cf. … The Jinn that inhabit houses.

This maqáma has been translated by De Sacy. See his Chrestomathie Arabe, iii, 253.

Notes:

[50:5] … a treasure—property buried in the earth.

[50:6] Adharbayján: The Atropatene of the ancients the north-western and most important province of Persia. It was conquered by the Arabs under al-Mughíra in A.H. 20.

[51:1] We alighted intending the stay to be three days: This is an allusion to the Tradition: … Hospitality is for three days, see De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 177. Metre táwil.

[51:2] … Tall round cap: The kind of head-dress called Qalansuwah of a Qáḍí said to be like a … a wine-jar, because high and round.

[51:3] … donned, the … a kind of head-dress which, according to Dozy, was worn by the ‘Abbásid Khalífas, their ministers, and the Qáḍís, and is still used in Syria.

[51:4] … a waist-wrapper, a kind of striped Indian cloth unsewn. The commentator says it is arabicized from a Sindhí word.

Cf. the mediaeval Latin Calantica, tegumentum capitis ad usum mulierum. A covering for the head of women, a kind of veil.

[51:5] … He had put on: Literally, he attired himself with a Tailisan, a cloak or mantle. Cf. Hebrew ‏פלית‎ a cover or cloak similar to the Roman pallium, especially the Talith the cloak of honour, the scholar or officer's distinction, adorned with fringes. Also the cloak of the leader in prayer (Jastrow, Dictionary of the Targum, p. 537). It is still worn by many of the professional and learned men in Muslim countries.

[51:6] The Maker of the dawn to appear: Qur’án, vi, 96.
[51:7] Bounteous benefits: An allusion to Qur’án, xxxi, 19, [51:8] Who upholdeth the heavens: Qur’án, xxii, 64.

[51:9] Male and female: Literally, in pairs.

[51:10] The sun: … Literally, a lamp or its lighted wick. The latter is the proper, though not the more usual meaning, and is the one intended in Qur’án, xxiv, 35.

[51:11] Who hath made the sun for a light: An allusion to Qur’án, lxxi, 15.
… Light, a lamp, apparently arabicized from the Syriac Shirágá, Persian chiragh.

[51:12] The firmament for a roof: An allusion to Qur’án, xxi, 33.

[52:1] The earth as a carpet: an illusion to Qur’án, ii, 20.

[52:2] The night for rest: an allusion to Qur’án, vi, 96.

[52:3] The day for labour: an allusion to Qur’án, lxxviii. 11.

[52:4] Who formeth the pregnant clouds: an allusion to Qur’án, xiii, 13.

[52:5] And sendeth in vengeance the thunderbolts: an allusion to Qur’án, xiii, 14. This prayer is composed in the style of Qur’án, lxxi, 13-19.

[52:6] I may rein her round: Literally, I may turn her rope.

[52:7] … Of pure origin: Literally, purity hath raised him.

[52:8] I am a mighty wanderer: Metre, Khafif.

[52:9] … Toy: A kind of whirling plaything which a boy turns round by means of a thread causing it to make a sound such as is termed … a small piece of wood in the middle of which is cut a notch and which is then tied with a string which, being pulled, turns round and is heard to make a sound such as is termed Imr al-Qais likens it to a swift horse. See Lyall's edition of the Mu‘allaqát, p. 23, verse 59.

[52:10] … Continually on the road. Cf. … The Jinn that inhabit houses.
This maqáma has been translated by De Sacy. See his Chrestomathie Arabe, iii, 253.

IX. THE MAQAMA OF JURJAN

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: While we were at Jurján discussing in an assembly of ours, and there was none among us who was not of us, there stood before us a thick-bearded man, neither tall and lankey, nor short and stunted, and little children in worn-out clothes followed him. He began his speech with a greeting and the salutation of Islám. He approached us graciously and we treated him generously. He said: 'O people, I am a man, a citizen of Alexandria of the Umayyad frontiers; the Sulaim gave me birth and the tribe of ‘Abs welcomed me. I have traversed horizons and travelled through the remotest parts of ‘Iráq. I have been among the dwellers of the desert and the people of the towns and in the two Houses of Rab‘iah and Muḍar. Wherever I have been I have not been slighted. Let not what you see of tattered garments, and threadbare clothes make me appear despicable, for by Heavens! we once were of those that help and reform, giving a camel in the morning and a sheep in the evening.
'And among us there are maqámát whose faces are fair, And councils where words are followed by deeds.
Those of them who have much undertake the support of them who seek their aid, And those who have little are generous and liberal.'

Then, O people, fate singled me out from among them and turned the back of the shield towards me. Therefore, I exchanged sleep for wakefulness and rest for journeying. The hurlings have thrown me hither and thither, desert has passed me on to desert and the haps of time have stripped me as gum is stripped from the tree, so that at morn and eve I am barer than the palm of the hand and cleaner than the face of a new-born babe. My courtyard is void and my vessels are empty. There is nought for me but the hardship of travel and the constant gripping of the camel's nose-string. I suffer poverty and I conciliate the deserts. The hard ground is my bed, my pillow a stone.
Now at Ámid and then at Ras-u-‘Ainin And sometimes at Mayyafáriqín One night in Syria and then at Ahwaz Is my camel, and another night in ‘Iráq.'

Separation ceased not to hurl me to every hurling-place, till I traversed the stony hill-tract and then it set me down at Hamadhán. Its people received me and its friends craned their necks to look at me. But I inclined to one of them whose dish was most capacious and who was most stinting of roughness.
'His fire is lit upon the hill tops, At a time of scarcity, when fires are covered up.'

He prepared me a couch and made ready a bed for me. If I felt any languor a son, like a keen Yemen blade, or as the new moon appearing in a clear atmosphere, hastened to attend to me.

He bestowed favours upon me which made me straitened as to desert and expansive as to joy. The first of them was house furniture and the last a thousand dinars. But the only thing that made me flee from Hamadhán was the stream of gifts which was continuous, and the rain of generosity which was constant. So I fled from Hamadhán as flees the fugitive, and bolted as bolts the wild animal, traversing the roads, pursuing dangers and suffering hardships in the countries. But I have left behind the mother of my abode and my little one as though he were a precious armlet of silver, broken and thrown down on the playground of the maidens of the tribe. And the wind of need and the breeze of penury have blown me to you. Therefore observe, may God have mercy upon you! one rendered lean and emaciated by travel, directed by need and tormented by want.
'A traveller, a mighty traverser of the earth, cast hither and thither, By deserts; his hair is matted and he is dust-stained.'

May God grant you a guide to goodness and may He make no way for evil to reach you.

Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: By Heavens! then did hearts feel compassion for him and eyes streamed with tears at the beauty of his speech. And we gave him what was then ready to hand, and he turned away from us praising us. I followed him and lo! by Heavens, it was our Sheikh Abú’l Fatḥ al-Iskanderí.

53:1 Lankey*:* Literally, stretched.

53:2 Stunted: Literally, prevented.

53:3 Alexandria of the Umayyad frontiers. A reference to the importance attached to Egypt by Mu‘awíyah.

53:4 Sulaim: the name of a tribe.

53:5 ‘Abs, the name of a large tribe, the descendants of Sulaim.

53:6 Rab’iah and Muḍar: the names of tribes.

53:7 … Those that help and reform: A popular saying, i.e. we were the persons to put it into proper order, literally, the repairers and menders.

53:8 … giving a camel and a sheep: Another popular expression, … from … a kind of gurgling growl made by the camel when it is being laden; then applied to the camel itself. See Arab Proverbs, ii, 327.

53:9 And giving a sheep: from … the bleating or cry of the sheep goat or the like, and then applied to the sheep, absolutely. Cf. the expression … He has neither a sheep nor a camel.

53:10 And there are maqámát: Metre táwil. These lines are taken from the Qaṣída of Zuheir, Shu‘ará an-Naṣrániain, pp. 573-4. In the original the first line begins with … and not …. It is correctly quoted on p. 32 of the Letters. The sense of the word maqámát here is not known, but the context indicates that it signifies champions and the like.

54:1 Turned the back of the shield: said of a friend who has become inimical. See Arab Proverbs, ii, 258.

54:2 … Hurlings: from … the place of the butt where arrows are shot.

54:3 Sometimes at Ámid: Metre, Wáfir.

Ámid: the name of a fortress in Diyar Bakr.

54:4 Ras al-‘Ain: a large town in Diyar Bakr between Nasibín and Harran, fifteen parasangs from the former place. It is noted for its numerous springs. The scene of a famous battle between the Tamím and Bakr ibn Wá‘il.

54:5 Mayyafáriqín: Is a town of Diyar Bakr thirty parasangs from Nasibín.

54:6 His fire is lit upon the hill tops: An allusion to the practice of lighting a fire in a prominent position at night (…) to indicate to the belated traveller where he might find food and shelter. Metre, Wáfir.

54:7 Like a keen Yemen blade: In sharpness and effectiveness.

55:1 The stream of gifts which was constant: A very strange reason to assign for leaving Hamadhán. Cf. The Odes of al-Buḥturí, ii, 220. (Constantinople edition A.H. 1300) where the same idea is expressed.

55:2 … A wild animal: From … shy or unsociable. Cf. Qaṣída of Imr al-Qais, line 35 (Lyall's edition) where the fleet horse is said to prevent the wild animals from escaping. Also the Tradition … 'Benefits are fugitives, or wild animals, therefore detain them by gratitude.'

55:3 The mother of my abode: The mistress of the house, or a man's wife. See Ibn al-Athír, Kunya Lexicon, p. 199.

55:4 Broken and thrown on the playground: And therefore in a condition to excite pity.

55:5 A traveller, a mighty traverser of the earth. Metre, tawíl.

Notes:

[53:1] Lankey*:* Literally, stretched.

[53:2] Stunted: Literally, prevented.

[53:3] Alexandria of the Umayyad frontiers. A reference to the importance attached to Egypt by Mu‘awíyah.

[53:4] Sulaim: the name of a tribe.

[53:5] ‘Abs, the name of a large tribe, the descendants of Sulaim.

[53:6] Rab’iah and Muḍar: the names of tribes.

[53:7] … Those that help and reform: A popular saying, i.e. we were the persons to put it into proper order, literally, the repairers and menders.

[53:8] … giving a camel and a sheep: Another popular expression, … from … a kind of gurgling growl made by the camel when it is being laden; then applied to the camel itself. See Arab Proverbs, ii, 327.

[53:9] And giving a sheep: from … the bleating or cry of the sheep goat or the like, and then applied to the sheep, absolutely. Cf. the expression … He has neither a sheep nor a camel.

[53:10] And there are maqámát: Metre táwil. These lines are taken from the Qaṣída of Zuheir, Shu‘ará an-Naṣrániain, pp. 573-4. In the original the first line begins with … and not …. It is correctly quoted on p. 32 of the Letters. The sense of the word maqámát here is not known, but the context indicates that it signifies champions and the like.

[54:1] Turned the back of the shield: said of a friend who has become inimical. See Arab Proverbs, ii, 258.

[54:2] … Hurlings: from … the place of the butt where arrows are shot.

[54:3] Sometimes at Ámid: Metre, Wáfir.
Ámid: the name of a fortress in Diyar Bakr.

[54:4] Ras al-‘Ain: a large town in Diyar Bakr between Nasibín and Harran, fifteen parasangs from the former place. It is noted for its numerous springs. The scene of a famous battle between the Tamím and Bakr ibn Wá‘il.

[54:5] Mayyafáriqín: Is a town of Diyar Bakr thirty parasangs from Nasibín.

[54:6] His fire is lit upon the hill tops: An allusion to the practice of lighting a fire in a prominent position at night (…) to indicate to the belated traveller where he might find food and shelter. Metre, Wáfir.

[54:7] Like a keen Yemen blade: In sharpness and effectiveness.

[55:1] The stream of gifts which was constant: A very strange reason to assign for leaving Hamadhán. Cf. The Odes of al-Buḥturí, ii, 220. (Constantinople edition A.H. 1300) where the same idea is expressed.

[55:2] … A wild animal: From … shy or unsociable. Cf. Qaṣída of Imr al-Qais, line 35 (Lyall's edition) where the fleet horse is said to prevent the wild animals from escaping. Also the Tradition … 'Benefits are fugitives, or wild animals, therefore detain them by gratitude.'

[55:3] The mother of my abode: The mistress of the house, or a man's wife. See Ibn al-Athír, Kunya Lexicon, p. 199.

[55:4] Broken and thrown on the playground: And therefore in a condition to excite pity.

[55:5] A traveller, a mighty traverser of the earth. Metre, tawíl.

X. THE MAQAMA OF ISFAHAN

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: I was at Isfahan intending to go to Rayy and so I alighted in the city as alights the fleeting shade. I was expecting to see the caravan at every glance and looking out for the mount to appear at every sunrise. Now, when that which I expected, was about to happen, I heard the call to prayer and to respond to it was obligatory. So I slipped away from my companions, taking advantage of the opportunity of joining in public prayers, and dreading, at the same time, the loss of the caravan I was leaving. But I sought aid against the difficulty of the desert through the blessing of prayer, and, therefore, I went to the front row and stood up.

The Imam went up to the niche and recited the opening chapter of the Qur’án according to the intonation of Ḥamza, in regard to using 'madda' and 'ḥamza,' while I experienced disquieting grief at the thought of missing the caravan, and of separation from the mount. Then he followed up the Súratal-Fátiḥa with Súrat al-Wáqi‘a while I suffered the fire of patience and tasked myself severely. I was roasting and grilling on the live coal of rage. But, from what I knew of the savage fanaticism of the people of that place, if prayers were cut short of the final salutation, there was no alternative but silence and endurance, or speech and the grave. So I remained standing thus on the foot of necessity till the end of the chapter. I had now despaired of the caravan and given up all hope of the supplies and the mount.

He next bent his back for the two prostrations with such humility and emotion, the like of which I had never seen before. Then he raised his hands and his head and said: 'May God accept the praise of him who praises Him,' and remained standing till I doubted not but that he had fallen asleep. Then he placed his right hand on the ground, put his forehead on the earth and pressed his face thereto. I raised my head to look for an opportunity to slip away, but I perceived no opening in the rows, so I re-addressed myself to prayer until he repeated the Takbír for the sitting posture. Then he stood up for the second prostration and recited the Súras of al-Fatíḥa and al-Qári‘a with an intonation which occupied the duration of the Last Day and well-nigh exhausted the spirits of the congregation.

Now, when he had finished his two prostrations and proceeded to wag his jaws to pronounce the testimony to God's unity, and to turn his face to the right and to the left for the final salutation, I said: 'Now God has made escape easy, and deliverance is nigh'; but a man stood up and said: 'Whosoever of you loves the Companions and the Muslim community let him lend me his ears for a moment.' Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: I clave to my place in order to save my dignity. Then he said: 'It is incumbent upon me that I should speak nothing but verity and testify to nought but the truth. I have brought you good tidings from your Prophet, but I will not communicate it until God hath purged this musjid of every vile person who denies his prophetic office.' Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: Now he had bound me with cords and fettered me with bands of iron.

Then he said: 'I saw the Prophet in a dream!—May God send His blessings upon him—like the sun beneath the clouds, and the moon at the full. He was walking, the stars following him; he was trailing his skirts and the angels held them up. Then he taught me a prayer and admonished me to teach it to his people. So I wrote it down on these slips of paper with the perfumes of Khalúq, musk, saffron and socc, and whoever asks for a copy as a gift, I will present it to him, but whosoever hands me back the cost of the paper I will accept it.' Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: Dirhems poured upon him to such an extent that he was bewildered. Then he went out and I followed him wondering at the cleverness of his imposture and his artifice to gain his living.

And I determined to question him concerning his condition, but I restrained myself, and to converse with him, but I remained silent, and I pondered over his eloquence with his shamelessness, his pleasantness with his mendicity, his catching men by his artifice and his drawing gold from men by his ingenuity. Then I looked and lo! it was Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskanderí. So I asked: 'What set thee on this stratagem?' He smiled and recited, saying:—

'Men are asses, so lead them one after the other, Compete with, and excel them, Till thou hast obtained from them What thou desirest, then quit.'

55:6 Isfahan: A well-known city and a former capital of Persia. Captured during the Khalífate of ‘Umar in A.H. 23 or 24.

56:1 Rayy: A town in Persia, 160 parasangs from Qazwín, and the seat of the government of the province known under the Khalífate as the Daylam. Conquered in the Khalífate of ‘Umar. During the Arab ascendancy, and under the Seljúks, it was a place of considerable importance. Ibn Fáris, the poet and grammarian and instructor of al-Hamadhání, was born here. The derivative adjective from Rayy is Rází.

56:2 … The caravan: The commentator considers it to mean a company of persons returning together from a journey, so called as auguring their safe return but more likely from καπηλος through Talmud ‏י־קפיָלה‎ a trader.

56:3 Taking advantage of the opportunity: Because of the greater merit in Islám of public over private prayers. See al-Madhírí, Kitáb al-Targḥíb wa Tarhíb (d. A.H. 656) i, 74.

56:4 According to the intonation of Ḥamza in regard to using madda and ḥamza. Al-Madda (…) is the orthographical sign of prolongation = Hamzah (…) and written … as in …. For the rules as to its use, in intoning the Qur’án, see Suyúṭí, Itqán, pp. 227-31. (Calcutta, edition, 1852). Ḥamza ibn al-Habíb (80-156 A.H.) buried at Húlwán, was one of the seven recognized readers of the Qur’án. He is charged with exaggerating the use of madda and hamza. The objection is repudiated, however, by Ḥamza's admirers, see Manduat al-‘Ulumín Turkish, i, 483 (Constantinople edition, A H. 1313). Al-Hamadhání evidently believed the charge to be well grounded and hence the appropriateness of the allusion.

56:5 Disquieting grief: Literally causing to stand up and sit down, hence occasioning restlessness.

56:6 Al-Waqi‘a: The Inevitable. Qur’án lvi. It contains ninety-six verses. According to Sháfi‘i, Umm 88, the choice of the Súra rests entirely with the reader or reciter. See Margoliouth, Early Development of Muḥammadanism, p. 21.

57:1 From what I knew of the savage fanaticism of the people. Cf. Yaqút, i, 296.

57:2 … should be vocalized … See Wright, Grammar, ii, 348 (b).

57:3 His back: Literally his bow.

57:4 Takbír: The repetition of the well-known formula—God is great, God is great, there is no god but God.

57:5 Al-Fátíḥa: The opening chapter of the Qur’án.

Al-Qári‘a: The 'striking'. Qur’án ci. It contains eight verses.

57:6 The duration of the Last Day: Literally 'the hour'. According to Qur’án, lxx, 4, fifty thousand years, and Qur’án, xxxii, 4, a thousand years.

57:7 …, His jaws: Literally, the two branches … of the occipital artery which are distributed upon the occiput branches from the … carotid artery.

57:8 Turn his face to the right and left: To salute the guardian angels.

58:1 Bands of iron: Literally, with black ropes.

58:2 … Paper: Arabicized from the Greek χαρτης.

58:3 Khalúq: A certain species of perfume also termed Khiláq. It is composed of saffron and other things, and redness and yellowness are the predominant colours.

58:4 Socc: A sort of perfume prepared from ramik which is a kind of black substance like pitch that is mixed with musk.

58:5 … Fraud or imposture: Seems to be a foreign word, probably borrowed from Persian.

58:6 Men are asses: … Then quit: Literally, then die. Metre, mujtath.

This maqáma has been translated by De Sacy, see Chrestomathie Arabe, iii 255.

Notes:

[55:6] Isfahan: A well-known city and a former capital of Persia. Captured during the Khalífate of ‘Umar in A.H. 23 or 24.

[56:1] Rayy: A town in Persia, 160 parasangs from Qazwín, and the seat of the government of the province known under the Khalífate as the Daylam. Conquered in the Khalífate of ‘Umar. During the Arab ascendancy, and under the Seljúks, it was a place of considerable importance. Ibn Fáris, the poet and grammarian and instructor of al-Hamadhání, was born here. The derivative adjective from Rayy is Rází.

[56:2] … The caravan: The commentator considers it to mean a company of persons returning together from a journey, so called as auguring their safe return but more likely from καπηλος through Talmud ‏י־קפיָלה‎ a trader.

[56:3] Taking advantage of the opportunity: Because of the greater merit in Islám of public over private prayers. See al-Madhírí, Kitáb al-Targḥíb wa Tarhíb (d. A.H. 656) i, 74.

[56:4] According to the intonation of Ḥamza in regard to using madda and ḥamza. Al-Madda (…) is the orthographical sign of prolongation = Hamzah (…) and written … as in …. For the rules as to its use, in intoning the Qur’án, see Suyúṭí, Itqán, pp. 227-31. (Calcutta, edition, 1852). Ḥamza ibn al-Habíb (80-156 A.H.) buried at Húlwán, was one of the seven recognized readers of the Qur’án. He is charged with exaggerating the use of madda and hamza. The objection is repudiated, however, by Ḥamza's admirers, see Manduat al-‘Ulumín Turkish, i, 483 (Constantinople edition, A H. 1313). Al-Hamadhání evidently believed the charge to be well grounded and hence the appropriateness of the allusion.

[56:5] Disquieting grief: Literally causing to stand up and sit down, hence occasioning restlessness.

[56:6] Al-Waqi‘a: The Inevitable. Qur’án lvi. It contains ninety-six verses. According to Sháfi‘i, Umm 88, the choice of the Súra rests entirely with the reader or reciter. See Margoliouth, Early Development of Muḥammadanism, p. 21.

[57:1] From what I knew of the savage fanaticism of the people. Cf. Yaqút, i, 296.

[57:2] … should be vocalized … See Wright, Grammar, ii, 348 (b).

[57:3] His back: Literally his bow.

[57:4] Takbír: The repetition of the well-known formula—God is great, God is great, there is no god but God.

[57:5] Al-Fátíḥa: The opening chapter of the Qur’án.
Al-Qári‘a: The 'striking'. Qur’án ci. It contains eight verses.

[57:6] The duration of the Last Day: Literally 'the hour'. According to Qur’án, lxx, 4, fifty thousand years, and Qur’án, xxxii, 4, a thousand years.

[57:7] …, His jaws: Literally, the two branches … of the occipital artery which are distributed upon the occiput branches from the … carotid artery.

[57:8] Turn his face to the right and left: To salute the guardian angels.

[58:1] Bands of iron: Literally, with black ropes.

[58:2] … Paper: Arabicized from the Greek χαρτης.

[58:3] Khalúq: A certain species of perfume also termed Khiláq. It is composed of saffron and other things, and redness and yellowness are the predominant colours.

[58:4] Socc: A sort of perfume prepared from ramik which is a kind of black substance like pitch that is mixed with musk.

[58:5] … Fraud or imposture: Seems to be a foreign word, probably borrowed from Persian.

[58:6] Men are asses: … Then quit: Literally, then die. Metre, mujtath.
This maqáma has been translated by De Sacy, see Chrestomathie Arabe, iii 255.

XI. THE MAQAMA OF AHWAZ

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: I was at Ahwaz with some friends—'When the beholder's eye ascends to their heads and then descends to their feet, it is unable at once to take in all their beauties'—among us were none but beardless boys with virgin aspirations, or downy-lipped ones with refined manners, the hope of the days and the nights. We discussed fellowship and the rules we should lay down for it, fraternity and how we should strengthen its bonds, happiness and when we should seek it, drinking and when we should vie with one another therein, sociability and how we should mutually contribute towards it, lost chances and how to recover them, liquor and where we should procure it, and the assembly and how we should arrange it. Then said one of our company: 'I will be responsible for the house and entertainment.' Another said: 'I will undertake to supply the wine and the dessert.' Now, when we had determined to proceed, there met us a man wearing two worn-out garments. In his right hand was a staff and on his shoulder a bier. When we saw the bier we augured ill from it, turned our faces away and avoided it. So he shouted at us with a shout at which the earth was almost cloven in sunder and the stars were about to fall, and he said: 'In abasement ye shall surely see it, and perforce and against your will ye shall mount it. What aileth ye that ye augur ill from a mount which your ancestors have ridden and your posterity will soon ride? Wherefore do ye shun as unclean a couch, that your fathers have used and your progeny will use? Yet, by Heavens! upon these timbers ye shall surely be carried to those worms, and ye shall be transported by these fleet coursers to those pits. A plague upon ye! Ye augur ill as if ye were free agents, and ye evince loathing as if ye were sanctified. Vile wretches what profiteth this prognostication?'

Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: Now he had dissolved what we had compacted, and rendered futile what we had determined, so we inclined to him and said: 'How much are we in need of thy admonition and how greatly are we in love with thy words. Now if thou wished thou wouldst say something more?' He continued: 'Verily there are behind you watering-places which ye, have been travelling towards for twenty years.'—
'And verily a man, who has been journeying to a watering place for twenty years, Is near his drinking time.'
'And there is one above you who knows your secrets and could, if He would, expose you. In this world He treats you with kindness, and in the next, He will judge you according to knowledge. Therefore call death to mind lest evil come upon you, for if ye make this thought cleave unto you as an innermost garment, ye will not be refractory; and if ye remember it, ye will not be frivolous. But if ye do forget it, it will make you remember, and if he be slothful about it, it will wake you up, and though ye dislike it, it will visit you.' We said: 'But what is thy need?' He replied: 'Too far-reaching to set bounds to, and too manifold to be reckoned up.' We said: 'But for the present time?' He said: 'The bringing back of the past and protection against the accidents of the future.' We said: 'That is not in our power, but thou mayest have what thou desirest of the goods of this world and its vanities.' He said: 'I have no need of them, but my need henceforth is rather that ye should bolt than ye should remember what I say.'

59:1 Ahwaz: The plural of … originally … the chief town of Khuzistan, famous for its fair and formerly noted for its sugar. Captured by Abú Músá al-Ash‘arí in A.H. 17.

59:2 When the eye ascends: Adapted from line 69 of the Kaṣída of Imr al-Qais. Already quoted on p. 29 of the text.

59:3 Virgin aspirations: Another reading … Virgin actions.

59:4 … entertainment: Literally food prepared for a guest.

59:5 … Dessert: Dried and other fruits, such as nuts, almonds, raisins, dried figs, dried dates, etc., taken as an accompaniment with wine. … is more common than …

59:6 … We avoided it: Literally, folded up our flank from it. … is the flank or the part between the false ribs and the hip. Figure for to turn away from, to avoid contact with, or to withdraw the countenance.

59:7 The earth was almost cloven: An allusion to Qur’án, lxxxii. 1.

59:8 The stars were about to fall: An allusion to Qur’án, lxxxi. 2.

59:9 Augur ill: Cf. Qur’án, xxvii. 48.

60:1 … Used it: Literally, trodden it.

60:2 And verily a man: Metre, basít. The commentator attributes these lines to Ibn Aḥmad the Taymite. The original has fifty and not twenty years. This is an example of … or perversion, to make the sense accord with the youth of the company he is addressing.

60:3 … If ye make it cleave to you: Literally, if ye make it your … inner garment, opposed to … outer garment. … also means to lay to heart. See Ḥarírí, i, 135. Cf. The tradition relating to the Anṣár … Ye are the special and close friends and the people in general are less near in friendship.

60:4 … Ye will not be refractory: From … (a horse) overcame his rider, bolted.

60:5 … It will wake you up: As one who seeks blood revenge (…) or retaliation of the slayer of his kinsman.

61:1 … Its vanities: From … gold … signifies the adorning or embellishing of a thing primarily with gold.

61:2 … That ye should bolt: From … he went quickly like a camel throwing his legs out like an ostrich. This is an extraordinary use of the verb … and the text is probably corrupt, in fact the sentence is omitted from the Constantinople edition which concludes with the words 'I have no need of them'. Besides the remark is neither witty nor clever.

61:3 … To ponder: Another reading … to promise, which yields a better sense. Another edition has these additional words: 'Then I approached him and lo! it was our Shaikh al-Iskanderí.'

61:4 Baghdad: Was the capital of the Khalífate from 762-1258. It was originally a little Persian village on the west bank of the Tigris. Yaqút calls it 'the mother of the world and the queen of cities'. It was founded by the Khalífa Manṣúr who laid the first brick with his own hands and recited on the occasion the following passage from the Qur’án: 'The earth is God's. He giveth it for an inheritance unto such of his servants as he pleaseth, and the prosperous end shall be unto those who fear Him' (Qur’án, vii, 125) adding, 'Build under the blessing of God'. The cost of building the city is said to have been 18,000,000 dinars. Yaqút, i, 677 See also Le Strange, Baghdad.

Notes:

[59:1] Ahwaz: The plural of … originally … the chief town of Khuzistan, famous for its fair and formerly noted for its sugar. Captured by Abú Músá al-Ash‘arí in A.H. 17.

[59:2] When the eye ascends: Adapted from line 69 of the Kaṣída of Imr al-Qais. Already quoted on p. 29 of the text.

[59:3] Virgin aspirations: Another reading … Virgin actions.

[59:4] … entertainment: Literally food prepared for a guest.

[59:5] … Dessert: Dried and other fruits, such as nuts, almonds, raisins, dried figs, dried dates, etc., taken as an accompaniment with wine. … is more common than …

[59:6] … We avoided it: Literally, folded up our flank from it. … is the flank or the part between the false ribs and the hip. Figure for to turn away from, to avoid contact with, or to withdraw the countenance.

[59:7] The earth was almost cloven: An allusion to Qur’án, lxxxii. 1.

[59:8] The stars were about to fall: An allusion to Qur’án, lxxxi. 2.

[59:9] Augur ill: Cf. Qur’án, xxvii. 48.

[60:1] … Used it: Literally, trodden it.

[60:2] And verily a man: Metre, basít. The commentator attributes these lines to Ibn Aḥmad the Taymite. The original has fifty and not twenty years. This is an example of … or perversion, to make the sense accord with the youth of the company he is addressing.

[60:3] … If ye make it cleave to you: Literally, if ye make it your … inner garment, opposed to … outer garment. … also means to lay to heart. See Ḥarírí, i, 135. Cf. The tradition relating to the Anṣár … Ye are the special and close friends and the people in general are less near in friendship.

[60:4] … Ye will not be refractory: From … (a horse) overcame his rider, bolted.

[60:5] … It will wake you up: As one who seeks blood revenge (…) or retaliation of the slayer of his kinsman.

[61:1] … Its vanities: From … gold … signifies the adorning or embellishing of a thing primarily with gold.

[61:2] … That ye should bolt: From … he went quickly like a camel throwing his legs out like an ostrich. This is an extraordinary use of the verb … and the text is probably corrupt, in fact the sentence is omitted from the Constantinople edition which concludes with the words 'I have no need of them'. Besides the remark is neither witty nor clever.

[61:3] … To ponder: Another reading … to promise, which yields a better sense. Another edition has these additional words: 'Then I approached him and lo! it was our Shaikh al-Iskanderí.'

[61:4] Baghdad: Was the capital of the Khalífate from 762-1258. It was originally a little Persian village on the west bank of the Tigris. Yaqút calls it 'the mother of the world and the queen of cities'. It was founded by the Khalífa Manṣúr who laid the first brick with his own hands and recited on the occasion the following passage from the Qur’án: 'The earth is God's. He giveth it for an inheritance unto such of his servants as he pleaseth, and the prosperous end shall be unto those who fear Him' (Qur’án, vii, 125) adding, 'Build under the blessing of God'. The cost of building the city is said to have been 18,000,000 dinars. Yaqút, i, 677 See also Le Strange, Baghdad.

XII. THE MAQAMA OF BAGHDAD

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: When I was in Baghdad, 4 I longed for some of the Azaz date, but I had no cash knotted up. So I went out to the shops seeking an opportunity until my desire put me down at Karkh, when lo!

[paragraph continues] I chanced upon a rustic urging his ass along his waist-wrapper, tapering on one side with the weight of the money tied up in it. Then I said: 'By Heavens, we have secured a quarry!' and I addressed him with, 'Greeting on thee, Abú Zaid! whence art thou come, and where art thou staying, and when didst thou arrive? Come, let us go to the house.' The rustic said: 'I am not Abú Zaid, but Abú ‘Ubaid.' I exclaimed, 'Of course; God curse the devil and put away forgetfulness; length of time and distance made me forget thee; and how is thy father? Is he as young as he was when I knew him, or has he aged since I left?' He answered: 'The spring pasture has grown over and obliterated the traces of his grave and I hope God may receive him to His paradise.' I exclaimed: 'Verily we are God's and to him do we return! There is neither strength, nor power except in God, the High, the Great'; and my hand flew to my undershirt as if I wished to rend it. But the rustic clasped my waist with his hands and said: 'I adjure thee by God not to rend it.' Then I said: 'Let us go to the house and get some food, or to the market and buy some roast meat, for the market is nearer and the food there nicer.' Thus did I excite in him a fierce craving for meat, and incline him with the inclination of gobbling and greed, and he became greedy. But he did not know he had fallen into the trap.

Then we came to a fried-meat seller's whose roasted meats were dripping with fat, and whose cakes were streaming with gravy. I said: 'Put aside for Abú Zaid a portion from this fried meat and then weigh him some of that sweetmeat. Take some of those plates and place upon them some of these wafer-cakes and sprinkle upon them some juice of the Summak berry, in order that Abú Zaid may eat and relish it.' So the fried-meat seller, with his long knife, bent over the choicest productions of his oven, chopped them as small as collyrium grains and pounded them as fine as flour. The rustic sat down and I did likewise. He spoke not neither did I speak till we had eaten all. Then I said to the halwa-seller: Weigh for Abú Zaid two pounds of confection of almonds, for it is the easiest to swallow and the quickest to penetrate through the veins. It should have been made overnight, spread out in the day, crisp, well stuffed, of pearl-like lustre and starry hue, and should dissolve in the mouth like gum, before it is chewed, in order that Abú Zaid may eat and enjoy it. He said: 'And he weighed it.' So we got to work and ate till we finished it. Then I said: 'Abú Zaid, how badly we need some iced water to quench this thirst and to allay the heat generated by this meal. Sit down, Abú Zaid, till we fetch thee a water-carrier to bring thee a drink of water.' Then I went out and sat where I could see him but he could not observe me, in order to see what he would do. When the rustic perceived that I delayed, he arose and went towards his ass, but the fried-meat seller clung to his waist-wrapper and said: 'Where is the cost of what thou hast eaten?' Said Abú Zaid: 'I ate it as a guest.' Then the fried-meat seller struck him a blow with his fist and followed it up with a cuff, saying: 'Take that, base-born fellow! When did we invite thee? Pay down twenty dirhems.' The rustic began to weep .and to untie the knots with his teeth saying, 'How often did I tell that contemptible ape, "I am Abú ‘Ubaid"', and he would say:—

'Nay but thou art Abú Zaid'.

Then I indited:—
'To obtain thy livelihood make use of every means; Do not be satisfied with any condition, But be equal to any enormity; For man becomes incapable, there is no doubt about it.'

61:5 Al-Karkh: The business quarter of Baghdad on a site outside the city to which Manṣúr transferred the trades people. Two reasons are assigned for this: (1) A patrician came to Baghdad as an ambassador from the Byzantine court. After he had been taken over the city, Manṣúr asked him what he thought of it. He replied, 'It is a beautiful and well-fortified town, but for the fact that your enemies are within its walls.' Manṣúr asked who they were. The ambassador answered: The merchants who come from all parts as spies, find out all they want to know and go away again and you are none the wiser?' After the departure of the Ambassador, Manṣúr had all the trades-people removed outside the city to Karkh. (2) The Khalífa found that the smoke from the shops was spoiling the walls of the gates, and to get rid of this smoke nuisance he had them transferred to Karkh. Yaqút, i, 677.

62:1 … a rustic: From the … the district of towns or villages and cultivated lands of al-‘Iráq, or the district between Baṣra and Kúfa so-called because of …, which means both greenness and a colour, approaching to blackness, of its trees and seed produce. The Arabs call that which is … green, … black because it appears to be thus at a distance. The meaning here is evidently 'a greenhorn'.

62:2 God curse the devil and put away forgetfulness: An allusion to Qur’án, xviii. 62.

62:3 … The spring pasture: Literally, the spring. Another reading, … the pasture.

62:4 … traces: Cf. Hebrew ‏דמן‎

62:5 … There is no strength: A formula used to express consternation or surprise.

62:6 … My hand flew: Literally, I stretched the hasty hand.

62:7 … undershirt: Literally, a certain garment with which the head and breast are covered, worn by a woman mourning for her husband, or a small shirt worn next to the body. A proverb says, … Every female having a ṣidár is a maternal aunt, whom one is under an obligation to respect, and protect. Arab Proverbs, ii, 310.

63:1 … Whose roasted meats: pl. of … and … the latter formed by transposition, from the Persian … a dish of meat, rice, vetches and walnuts in which a condiment of syrup vinegar is poured food dressed under roast meat. It is also called … The mother of Joyfulness, because it removes one's anxiety for seasoning or condiment. See De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 227, and Mas‘údí, viii, 405.

63:2 … Summak: The rhus coriaria of Linnaeus or its berry, a well-known fruit; a certain acid with which one cooks.

63:3 … He despaired not, neither did I despair. Another reading to which I have given preference … He spoke not, neither did I speak.

63:4 … or … Confection of almonds: Lozenge and … from the Arabic … an almond. I think the presumption in favour of the English lozenge being derived from this word is strong. Originally …, Spanish losanja in which form it went back to the east. This would explain the termination … See Mas‘údí, viii, 240 for a poem by Ibn al-Rúmí (b. A.H. 221-84) in praise of this sweetmeat. The word lauz occurs in Spanish as alloza and in Portuguese as arzolla. See Dozy, Loan words from Arabic, and Letters, p. 307.

63:5 … Overnight: Literally, a night old.

64:1 … We got to work: Literally, he sat down and I sat down; he bared his arm and so did I.

64:2 … Pay: Literally, weigh.

64:3 … Contemptible ape. Diminutive of …. Another reading is … diminutive of … an ass. See Cambridge MS.

64:4 To obtain thy livelihood: Metre, kámil.

64:5 Man is incapable there is no doubt about it. Meidání, Arab Proverbs, ii, 221 (Bulak edition. A.H. 1287).

Notes:

[61:5] Al-Karkh: The business quarter of Baghdad on a site outside the city to which Manṣúr transferred the trades people. Two reasons are assigned for this: (1) A patrician came to Baghdad as an ambassador from the Byzantine court. After he had been taken over the city, Manṣúr asked him what he thought of it. He replied, 'It is a beautiful and well-fortified town, but for the fact that your enemies are within its walls.' Manṣúr asked who they were. The ambassador answered: The merchants who come from all parts as spies, find out all they want to know and go away again and you are none the wiser?' After the departure of the Ambassador, Manṣúr had all the trades-people removed outside the city to Karkh. (2) The Khalífa found that the smoke from the shops was spoiling the walls of the gates, and to get rid of this smoke nuisance he had them transferred to Karkh. Yaqút, i, 677.

[62:1] … a rustic: From the … the district of towns or villages and cultivated lands of al-‘Iráq, or the district between Baṣra and Kúfa so-called because of …, which means both greenness and a colour, approaching to blackness, of its trees and seed produce. The Arabs call that which is … green, … black because it appears to be thus at a distance. The meaning here is evidently 'a greenhorn'.

[62:2] God curse the devil and put away forgetfulness: An allusion to Qur’án, xviii. 62.

[62:3] … The spring pasture: Literally, the spring. Another reading, … the pasture.

[62:4] … traces: Cf. Hebrew ‏דמן‎

[62:5] … There is no strength: A formula used to express consternation or surprise.

[62:6] … My hand flew: Literally, I stretched the hasty hand.

[62:7] … undershirt: Literally, a certain garment with which the head and breast are covered, worn by a woman mourning for her husband, or a small shirt worn next to the body. A proverb says, … Every female having a ṣidár is a maternal aunt, whom one is under an obligation to respect, and protect. Arab Proverbs, ii, 310.

[63:1] … Whose roasted meats: pl. of … and … the latter formed by transposition, from the Persian … a dish of meat, rice, vetches and walnuts in which a condiment of syrup vinegar is poured food dressed under roast meat. It is also called … The mother of Joyfulness, because it removes one's anxiety for seasoning or condiment. See De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 227, and Mas‘údí, viii, 405.

[63:2] … Summak: The rhus coriaria of Linnaeus or its berry, a well-known fruit; a certain acid with which one cooks.

[63:3] … He despaired not, neither did I despair. Another reading to which I have given preference … He spoke not, neither did I speak.

[63:4] … or … Confection of almonds: Lozenge and … from the Arabic … an almond. I think the presumption in favour of the English lozenge being derived from this word is strong. Originally …, Spanish losanja in which form it went back to the east. This would explain the termination … See Mas‘údí, viii, 240 for a poem by Ibn al-Rúmí (b. A.H. 221-84) in praise of this sweetmeat. The word lauz occurs in Spanish as alloza and in Portuguese as arzolla. See Dozy, Loan words from Arabic, and Letters, p. 307.

[63:5] … Overnight: Literally, a night old.

[64:1] … We got to work: Literally, he sat down and I sat down; he bared his arm and so did I.

[64:2] … Pay: Literally, weigh.

[64:3] … Contemptible ape. Diminutive of …. Another reading is … diminutive of … an ass. See Cambridge MS.

[64:4] To obtain thy livelihood: Metre, kámil.

[64:5] Man is incapable there is no doubt about it. Meidání, Arab Proverbs, ii, 221 (Bulak edition. A.H. 1287).

XIII. THE MAQAMA OF BASRA

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM: related to us and said: I entered Baṣra when, as regards age, I was in the prime of youth; as to attire, I was clad in the variegated striped stuffs of Yemen, and, in the matter of wealth, I had cattle and sheep. And I came to Mirbad with some friends upon whom eyes fastened. We proceeded a short distance to the recreation grounds among the green plains wherein a certain spot arrested us and so we alighted there. We made for the gaming arrows of pleasure and whirled them, throwing off bashfulness, as there was not one among us who was not of us. But in less than the twinkling of an eye, there came in our view the figure of a man which the hollows lowered from, and the ridges exposed to sight. We perceived he was coming towards us and so we craned our necks to see him, till his journeying brought him to us. He greeted us with the salutation of Islám and we returned him the due greeting.

Then he ran his eye over us and said: 'O people, there is not one of you but looks askance at me with excessive caution. Now none can acquaint you concerning me more truthfully than I can myself. I am a man from among the citizens of Alexandria on the Umayyad frontiers. Excellence was generous to me, pleasure hailed me, and a distinguished house bred me.
Then did fortune deny me both her meaner and better gifts, and caused little ones with inflamed crops to follow me, As if they were serpents in an arid land, Whose venom would be fatal were they to bite.
When we tarry they send me out to earn, And when we travel they ride on me.'
The white hath deserted us, the yellow hath become refractory to us; the black hath consumed us, the red hath crushed us. Abú Málik hath come to us. Abú Jábir only visits us when we are barren of strength, and the waters of this Baṣra promote digestion while her poor are oppressed. Man is occupied in getting something for his teeth and is in anxiety concerning himself. What then is the case of him, 'Who roams and roams and then returns, To stay with chicks whose sight is made keen, Whose covering is old, whose hair is matted and dusty so that they are ever Ravenous and lank-bellied.'

Verily to-day they arose in the morning and looked upon a living person who is like one dead, and at a home which was like no home. They wrung their hands longingly, put their ribs out of joint, shed tears and addressed one another by the name of Hunger:
'And poverty in the day of the mean, Is every generous man's badge.
The generous incline towards the mean, And this is one of the signs of the last day.'

My lords, ye have been chosen by me and I have sworn, verily in them is advantage.

'Now is there a youth who will give them a supper, or cover them? And is there a generous man who will grant them a morning meal, or clothe them?'

Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: By Heavens! there had never sought the seclusion of my ear a speech more winning, estimable, loftier or more original than that which I heard from him. Perforce we had recourse to our belts, rejecting our sleeves, and eschewing our pockets. And I gave him my ornamented robe and the company followed my example, and we said to him: 'Go and join thy children.' So he turned away from us after thanksgiving, to which he rendered the full meed, and eulogy with which he filled his mouth.

64:6 Baṣra was founded by the Arabs in A.H. 17 or 18 in the Khalífate or ‘Umar. It was remarkable during the Khalífate for its population, for the great number of its mosques and for its famous school of grammar which rivalled that of Kúfa. Arab scholars were divided into two schools of the Baṣrians and the Kúfians.

65:1 Mirbad: Once a famous camel mart and flourishing suburb three miles from Baṣra in the direction of the desert. Here poets and orators contested for superiority as they were wont to do at the fair of ‘Ukaz, a practice which gave rise to so much literary emulation that the city became famous for its learning.

65:2 Upon whose eyes fastened: Because of their attractiveness.

65:3 There was not one among us who was not of us: Cf. Text, p. 43, supra.

65:4 … The figure: Literally, a blackness.

65:5 For … line 3 read …

65:6 The due greeting: While it is not incumbent upon a Muslim to greet another, to return the salutation is obligatory. See Qur’án, iv, 88.

65:7 I am a man from among the citizens of Alexandria: Cf. Text, p. 44, supra.

65:8 The Umayyad frontiers: Alexandria was the western limit of the eastern Khalífate and the eastern boundary of the western Khalífate.

65:9 Excellence was generous to me: Literally, excellence made its region smooth for me.

65:10 As if they were serpents: Metre, rejez.

66:1 The white: Silver.

66:2 … The white has resisted: Cf. … the woman exalted herself against her husband, or deserted him.

66:3 The yellow: Gold.

66:4 The black: Nights.

66:5 The red: Years of severe drought.

Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 147, where the names of colours are introduced in a like artificial manner.

For fanciful names of this type see Ibn al-Athír, Kunya Lexicon (edition by Seybold).

66:6 Abú Málik (…) Hunger, Abú Jabir (…) Bread: Cf. Ḥarírí, i, 223-4.

66:7 … Barren of strength: i.e. when there is no strength left to eat it.

66:8 Who roams and roams: Metre, wafír.

66:9 … Made keen: By expectancy.

66:10 … Ravenous: Literally, a hungry canine tooth.

66:11 They put their ribs out of joint: By sobbing violently.

66:12 And poverty in the day of the mean: Metre, kámil.

67:1 … advantage: Literally, grease of gravy. Cf. Heb. ‏דשן‎

67:2 … the belts: in which travellers place the major portion of their money.

67:3 … sleeves and dockets: in which smaller sums are placed.

67:4 … ornamented robe: a garment of the kind of cloth called … woven of silk and wool, or entirely of wool, having ornamental borders.

67:5 … my example: From … a way or manner of life.

Notes:

[64:6] Baṣra was founded by the Arabs in A.H. 17 or 18 in the Khalífate or ‘Umar. It was remarkable during the Khalífate for its population, for the great number of its mosques and for its famous school of grammar which rivalled that of Kúfa. Arab scholars were divided into two schools of the Baṣrians and the Kúfians.

[65:1] Mirbad: Once a famous camel mart and flourishing suburb three miles from Baṣra in the direction of the desert. Here poets and orators contested for superiority as they were wont to do at the fair of ‘Ukaz, a practice which gave rise to so much literary emulation that the city became famous for its learning.

[65:2] Upon whose eyes fastened: Because of their attractiveness.

[65:3] There was not one among us who was not of us: Cf. Text, p. 43, supra.

[65:4] … The figure: Literally, a blackness.

[65:5] For … line 3 read …

[65:6] The due greeting: While it is not incumbent upon a Muslim to greet another, to return the salutation is obligatory. See Qur’án, iv, 88.

[65:7] I am a man from among the citizens of Alexandria: Cf. Text, p. 44, supra.

[65:8] The Umayyad frontiers: Alexandria was the western limit of the eastern Khalífate and the eastern boundary of the western Khalífate.

[65:9] Excellence was generous to me: Literally, excellence made its region smooth for me.

[65:10] As if they were serpents: Metre, rejez.

[66:1] The white: Silver.

[66:2] … The white has resisted: Cf. … the woman exalted herself against her husband, or deserted him.

[66:3] The yellow: Gold.

[66:4] The black: Nights.

[66:5] The red: Years of severe drought.
Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 147, where the names of colours are introduced in a like artificial manner.
For fanciful names of this type see Ibn al-Athír, Kunya Lexicon (edition by Seybold).

[66:6] Abú Málik (…) Hunger, Abú Jabir (…) Bread: Cf. Ḥarírí, i, 223-4.

[66:7] … Barren of strength: i.e. when there is no strength left to eat it.

[66:8] Who roams and roams: Metre, wafír.

[66:9] … Made keen: By expectancy.

[66:10] … Ravenous: Literally, a hungry canine tooth.

[66:11] They put their ribs out of joint: By sobbing violently.

[66:12] And poverty in the day of the mean: Metre, kámil.

[67:1] … advantage: Literally, grease of gravy. Cf. Heb. ‏דשן‎

[67:2] … the belts: in which travellers place the major portion of their money.

[67:3] … sleeves and dockets: in which smaller sums are placed.

[67:4] … ornamented robe: a garment of the kind of cloth called … woven of silk and wool, or entirely of wool, having ornamental borders.

[67:5] … my example: From … a way or manner of life.

XIV. THE MAQAMA OF AL-FAZARA

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: I was in one of the regions of the Fazára tribe riding one noble mount and leading another which in turn coursed along with me. And I was making for my native land so that the night with its terrors did not divert me, nor did distance with its deserts turn me from my purpose.
I struck off the leaves of day with the staff of travel, and with the horse's hoofs I penetrated into the maw of night. Meanwhile, in a night so dark that the Qaṭáṭ would lose its way, and the bat could not see in it, I was going swiftly and smoothly along, nothing passing from the right but a lion and nought from the left save a hyena, when suddenly there appeared to my view a rider fully armed; he was making for some tamarisk trees and traversing towards me the intervening stretches of desert. So there seized me because of him what seizes the unarmed in the presence of one bristling with weapons. But I put on a bold front and said: 'Perish thy father, stand! Before thou canst attain thy object thou wilt have to endure wounds of steel, strip the tragacanth of its leaves, and face a stout foeman with the pride of an Azdite. I am for peace, if thou wilt, or for war, if thou desirest. Tell me, who art thou?' He replied: 'Peace hast thou found.' I said: 'Thou hast answered well, but who art thou?' He answered: 'A counsellor, if thou seekest counsel, an orator if thou desirest converse, but before my name is a veil which the mentioning of no proper name can remove.' I then said: 'What is thy trade?' He replied: 'I roam about the interiors of the countries, in order that I may light upon the dish of a generous man. I have a mind served by a tongue, and rhetoric which my own fingers record. My utmost desire is a generous person who will lower me one of his saddlebags and give me his wallet, like the free-born youth that met me yesterday as the rising sun and vanished from my sight with the going down of the same. But although he has disappeared, the memory of him remaineth, and, though he has taken leave of me, the marks of his favour accompany me still.' Pointing to what he had on, he continued: 'None can acquaint you of them better than they themselves.' I exclaimed to myself, 'by the Lord of the Ka‘ba an importunate, grasping beggar, experienced in the craft, nay but a past master of the art: Thou wilt have to give him something and pay liberally,' so I said: 'Young man, thou hast manifested thy diction; how does thy poetry compare with thy prose?' He replied: 'There is no comparison between my prose and my verse.' Then he summoned aid from his natural ability, raised his voice to such a pitch that it filled the valley, and recited saying:—
'A pure-minded one presented to me by the night, and by the desert, And by the five so swift that they barely touched the ground.

I applied to his timber the test of the fire of generous deeds.

And he proved to be, both on the paternal and the maternal sides, of high degree.

I sought to cajole him into parting with his property and I succeeded in cajoling him.

I endeavoured to facilitate his giving, and it was made easy to him.
And when we had revealed ourselves to each other, and he found my prose praiseworthy, He tested me in my versification with what he was disposed to test me.
But, when he shook me, he shook none other than a keen blade, And he found me not but the first in the race, While I discovered him to be ever bright and beaming, And there was beneath him none other than a showy steed, blazed on forehead and feet.'

Then I said to him: 'Gently, O youth, and thou canst command what I have with me.'

He said: 'The provision bag with its contents.' I replied: 'Aye and its bearer too.' Then I clasped him with my hands and said: 'By Him who hath endowed them with the sense of touch, and from one split them into five, thou shalt not leave me, unless I learn thy state.' Then he lowered his veil from his face and lo! by heavens! it was our Sheikh, al-Iskanderí! Without further waiting I said:
'Abú’l-Fatḥ, in pride hast thou girt on this blade, But what doest thou with the sword when thou art no warrior?

So melt down into an anklet the gold with which thou hast bedecked this sword of thine.'

67:6 Fazára: The name of an Arab tribe.

67:7 The leaves of day: Figure for the hours of the day.

67:8 The Qaṭáṭ would lose its way: Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 260, … The bird called (…) Qaṭá, is a species of sandgrouse. It is related of this bird that it will leave its young at dawn and go to drink at a place a night's journey off and will return in the morning bringing water to its chicks, that again in the early afternoon it will fly to the place once more returning to bring water a second time without losing its way.
67:9 In which the bat could not see: See Arab Proverbs, i, 194, 68:1 I was going swiftly and smoothly along: Literally, I flowed with the flowing of water.

68:2 The wounds of steel: The scarifying of sharp edges or points. Cf. the expression sharp tongues. …

68:3 Strip the tragacanth: Meidání, Arab Proverbs, i, 233. (Bulak edition A.H. 1284). Before one can attain it one has to strip the tragacanth, a species of tree with short curved thorns, by grasping each branch and drawing one's hand down it i.e. one has to perform what will be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Literally, less difficult than that would be the stripping of the tragacanth.

68:4 Of them: i.e. the marks of favour.

68:5 … Master: Arabicised from the Persian … a master, or teacher.

69:1 … Pay him liberally: Literally, pour upon him.

69:2 The five (toes) that barely touched the ground: Literally, while one says 'No, No.'

69:3 His timber: figurative for disposition.

69:4 … Bright and beaming: … is primarily applied to a horse with a white forehead and … to a horse with white feet, both figuratively mean, bright and cheerful or distinct and clearly marked.

Cf. The lines by Samau’al, Ḥamasa (Freytag). p. 53. … 'And our days of victory over our enemies are as conspicuous and remarkable as the blaze on the forehead and feet of a horse.'

… is from … an anklet as the white on the foot is where the anklet is worn. Another reading … most honourable and dignified. Metre, tawíl.

70:1 Abú’l-Fatḥ: in pride hast thou girt on this blade: Metre, hezej. The MS. in the Bibliotheque Nationale has the first two lines only. The thought introduced here is taken from the following lines of another poet (See footnote on Text, p. 69).

'Thou hast heard what he said but thou carest not for his speech.

Leave the sword for him who oppresses therewith, the valiant in war.
And melt down into an anklet the sword with which thou hast bedecked thyself, For what doest thou with a sword when thou art not a fighter?'

Cf. Scott, Bridal of Triermain, xxvii.

Notes:

[67:6] Fazára: The name of an Arab tribe.

[67:7] The leaves of day: Figure for the hours of the day.

[67:8] The Qaṭáṭ would lose its way: Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 260, … The bird called (…) Qaṭá, is a species of sandgrouse. It is related of this bird that it will leave its young at dawn and go to drink at a place a night's journey off and will return in the morning bringing water to its chicks, that again in the early afternoon it will fly to the place once more returning to bring water a second time without losing its way.
[67:9] In which the bat could not see: See Arab Proverbs, i, 194, [68:1] I was going swiftly and smoothly along: Literally, I flowed with the flowing of water.

[68:2] The wounds of steel: The scarifying of sharp edges or points. Cf. the expression sharp tongues. …

[68:3] Strip the tragacanth: Meidání, Arab Proverbs, i, 233. (Bulak edition A.H. 1284). Before one can attain it one has to strip the tragacanth, a species of tree with short curved thorns, by grasping each branch and drawing one's hand down it i.e. one has to perform what will be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Literally, less difficult than that would be the stripping of the tragacanth.

[68:4] Of them: i.e. the marks of favour.

[68:5] … Master: Arabicised from the Persian … a master, or teacher.

[69:1] … Pay him liberally: Literally, pour upon him.

[69:2] The five (toes) that barely touched the ground: Literally, while one says 'No, No.'

[69:3] His timber: figurative for disposition.

[69:4] … Bright and beaming: … is primarily applied to a horse with a white forehead and … to a horse with white feet, both figuratively mean, bright and cheerful or distinct and clearly marked.

Cf. The lines by Samau’al, Ḥamasa (Freytag). p. 53. … 'And our days of victory over our enemies are as conspicuous and remarkable as the blaze on the forehead and feet of a horse.'
… is from … an anklet as the white on the foot is where the anklet is worn. Another reading … most honourable and dignified. Metre, tawíl.

[70:1] Abú’l-Fatḥ: in pride hast thou girt on this blade: Metre, hezej. The MS. in the Bibliotheque Nationale has the first two lines only. The thought introduced here is taken from the following lines of another poet (See footnote on Text, p. 69). 'Thou hast heard what he said but thou carest not for his speech. Leave the sword for him who oppresses therewith, the valiant in war. And melt down into an anklet the sword with which thou hast bedecked thyself, For what doest thou with a sword when thou art not a fighter?' Cf. Scott, Bridal of Triermain, xxvii.

XV. THE MAQAMA OF JAHIZ

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: I and a few friends were excited at receiving an invitation to a banquet. I accepted it in accordance with the well-known Tradition of the [paragraph continues] Apostle of God, upon whom be the blessings of God and peace—'If I were asked to share the shin-bone of a sheep, I would not refuse, and were I presented with a leg of beef I would accept it.' So we proceeded and reached a house, 'Completed and left alone with beauty from which it selected and chose what it would.

And it had chosen from it its choicest charms, and requested more to give away.' whose carpets were spread and whose coverings were unfolded and whose table was laid, and we found ourselves among a company who were passing their time amid bunches of myrtle twigs, and bouquets of roses, broached wine vats and the sound of the flute and the lute. We approached them and they advanced to receive us. Then we clave to a table whose vessels were filled, whose gardens were in flower, and whose dishes were arranged in rows with viands of various hues, opposite a dish of something intensely black was something exceedingly white, and against something very red was arranged something very yellow.

Now with us at the feast was a man whose hand wandered over the table playing the rôle of an ambassador between the viands of various hues, seizing the choicest of the cakes and plucking out the centres of the dishes, pasturing on his neighbour's territory, traversing the bowls, as the castle traverses the chessboard, stuffing his mouth with morsel after morsel and chasing mouthful with mouthful. And withal he was silent and spoke not a word. We were conversing the while, until we got as far as the subject of Jáḥiz and his oratory and a description of [paragraph continues] Ibn al-Maqaffa’ and his eloquence. Now the commencement of this discussion coincided with the termination of the meal. We then adjourned from that room and the man said to us: 'Where are ye in the discussion which ye were engaged in?' So we began to praise what we knew of Jáḥiz and his language, of the elegance of his style and quality of his rhetoric. Then he said: 'O people, every work hath its men, every situation its saying, every house its occupants and every age its Jáḥiz. If ye were to examine critically, your belief would be falsified.' At this every one curled his lip in disapproval and turned up his nose in contempt. But I smiled encouragingly upon him in order that I might draw him out, and said: 'Inform us and tell us more.' He said: 'Verily Jáḥiz limps in one department of rhetoric and halts in the other. Now the eloquent man is he whose poetry does not detract from his prose and whose prose is not ashamed of his verse: Tell me, do you know of a single fine poem of Jáḥiz?' We said: 'No!' He said: 'Come, let us consider his prose. It consists of far-fetched allusions, a paucity of metaphors and simple expressions. He is tied down to the simple language he uses, and avoids and shirks difficult words. Have you ever heard of a rhetorical expression of his or of any recondite words?' We answered: 'No!' He then said to me: 'Wouldst thou like a sample of speech which would lighten thy shoulders and disclose what thou hast in thy hands?' I answered: 'By Heavens! Yes.' He said: 'Then open thy little finger for me by means of that which will help in procuring thee thanks.' So I gave him my mantle and he indited:—

'By the life of him who hath thrown over me his garment By him was that garment filled with glory.

A worthy youth cheated out of his mantle by generosity, And it threw not a gaming arrow nor cast a gambling dice.

O thou who hast given me thy raiment, look again, And let not the days bring ruin upon me.

And tell them who, if they appear, appear as the morning sun, And, if they rise in the darkness, rise as the auspicious star, Observe the ties of your relationship to nobility and moisten her palate, For the best of generosity is that whose downpour is prompt.' Cf. …—the first is most generous.

Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: Then the company became expansive towards him and gifts poured upon him. When we became mutually friendly, I enquired, 'Where is the orient of this full moon?' He answered:—
'Alexandria is my home, If but there my resting-place were fixed, But my night I pass in Nejd, In Ḥijaz my day.'

70:2 Abú ‘Uthmán ibn Bahr ibn Maḥbáb al-Kinání al-Laithí, generally known by the surname of al-Jáḥiz, a native of Baṣra, was celebrated for his learning. He was the author of numerous works, the three principal ones being Kitáb al-Haiwán (the book of animals) Kitáb al-Baian wa’l-Tabyín (description and exposition) and Kitáb al-Bukhalá (the book of misers), and he also composed a discourse on the fundamentals of religion. An offset of the Mu'tazilite sect was called al-Jáḥizíyya. It is said of the works of Jáḥiz 'that they teach us to reason first, and instruct us in literature next.' He was deformed in person, and the prominence of his eyes, which seemed to be starting out of his head, produced the surnames of al-Jáḥiz (the starer) and al-Ḥadaqí (the goggle-eyed). He died at Baṣra A.H. 255 (A.D. 868-9), at the extreme age of ninety years. Ibn Khallikan, ii, 405, Also Yaqút, Dictionary of Learned Men (ed. by Professor Margoliouth), vi, p. 56.

70:3 Were excited at receiving an invitation to a banquet: Literally, a banquet excited me and a few friends. … a banquet, generally a marriage feast. For the names of the various feasts. See Khizanat al-Adáb, iii, 212-13.

71:1 According to the Tradition of the Prophet: This Tradition is cited by Jáḥiz himself. See Kitáb al-Bayán wa’l-Tabyín, i, 163.

71:2 Completed and left: Metre, kámil.

71:3 … We clave to a table: For the meaning of this verb, see Qur’án, vii, 134.

71:4 … A table: Arabicized from the Persian … pronounced … a thing upon which one eats, said not to be so called except when food is upon it, but see Arabic Text, p. 143.

71:5 Vessels: Literally, cisterns, because of their size.

71:6 Pasturing on his neighbour's territory: Contrary to …—A Tradition of the Prophet: 'Eat from what is near thee,'

72:1 Ibn al-Maqaffa’: A Persian convert to Islám renowned for the elegance of his style and penmanship. He made several translations from the Pahlawi into Arabic. The best specimen of his elegant and chaste Arabic is the Book of Kalila and Dimna ultimately derived from the Sanskrit Fables of Bidpai, brought over to Persia in the reign of al-Nushirwan. By command of the Khalífa Al-Manṣúr, he was put to a horrible death on a charge of heresy in A.H. 142 (A.D. 759-60) by Sufyán the governor of Baṣra. Ibn Kallikan, i, 431.

72:2 Every situation hath its saying: Arab Proverbs, ii, 456.

72:3 … curled his lip in disapproval: Literally, showed him the tooth of denial.

72:4 … Recondite: Literally, unheard of; rare; another reading … rhymed speech. Jáḥiz's merits were a subject of controversy. Abú Hayyan Tanḥídí wrote an encomium on him whereas the orthodox attacked him as a Mu'tazilite [See al-Farq bain al-Firaq, (A.H. 429), pp. 160 sqq]. Hamadhání evidently shared the orthodox opinion regarding this writer. In this Maqáma we have an indication of Hamadhání's idea as to what constituted a good style. It is evident he preferred rhetorical conceits and the recondite to simple and straight-forward language. Of this the Maqámát affords many illustrations.

73:1 Lighten thy shoulders: i.e. relieve thee of the responsibility thou hast assumed in thy defence of Jáḥiz.

73:2 Open thy little finger: i.e. open thy hand and give something. The closing of the little finger indicates avarice, e.g. in counting up to ten, the little finger is the first to be closed and the last to be opened.

73:3 By the life of hire: Metre, tawíl.

73:4 Alexandria is my home: Metre, mujtath.

73:5 Nejd: is ten days journey from, or about two hundred miles east of Yemáma.

Notes:

[70:2] Abú ‘Uthmán ibn Bahr ibn Maḥbáb al-Kinání al-Laithí, generally known by the surname of al-Jáḥiz, a native of Baṣra, was celebrated for his learning. He was the author of numerous works, the three principal ones being Kitáb al-Haiwán (the book of animals) Kitáb al-Baian wa’l-Tabyín (description and exposition) and Kitáb al-Bukhalá (the book of misers), and he also composed a discourse on the fundamentals of religion. An offset of the Mu'tazilite sect was called al-Jáḥizíyya. It is said of the works of Jáḥiz 'that they teach us to reason first, and instruct us in literature next.' He was deformed in person, and the prominence of his eyes, which seemed to be starting out of his head, produced the surnames of al-Jáḥiz (the starer) and al-Ḥadaqí (the goggle-eyed). He died at Baṣra A.H. 255 (A.D. 868-9), at the extreme age of ninety years. Ibn Khallikan, ii, 405, Also Yaqút, Dictionary of Learned Men (ed. by Professor Margoliouth), vi, p. 56.

[70:3] Were excited at receiving an invitation to a banquet: Literally, a banquet excited me and a few friends. … a banquet, generally a marriage feast. For the names of the various feasts. See Khizanat al-Adáb, iii, 212-13.

[71:1] According to the Tradition of the Prophet: This Tradition is cited by Jáḥiz himself. See Kitáb al-Bayán wa’l-Tabyín, i, 163.

[71:2] Completed and left: Metre, kámil.

[71:3] … We clave to a table: For the meaning of this verb, see Qur’án, vii, 134.

[71:4] … A table: Arabicized from the Persian … pronounced … a thing upon which one eats, said not to be so called except when food is upon it, but see Arabic Text, p. 143.

[71:5] Vessels: Literally, cisterns, because of their size.

[71:6] Pasturing on his neighbour's territory: Contrary to …—A Tradition of the Prophet: 'Eat from what is near thee,'

[72:1] Ibn al-Maqaffa’: A Persian convert to Islám renowned for the elegance of his style and penmanship. He made several translations from the Pahlawi into Arabic. The best specimen of his elegant and chaste Arabic is the Book of Kalila and Dimna ultimately derived from the Sanskrit Fables of Bidpai, brought over to Persia in the reign of al-Nushirwan. By command of the Khalífa Al-Manṣúr, he was put to a horrible death on a charge of heresy in A.H. 142 (A.D. 759-60) by Sufyán the governor of Baṣra. Ibn Kallikan, i, 431.

[72:2] Every situation hath its saying: Arab Proverbs, ii, 456.

[72:3] … curled his lip in disapproval: Literally, showed him the tooth of denial.

[72:4] … Recondite: Literally, unheard of; rare; another reading … rhymed speech. Jáḥiz's merits were a subject of controversy. Abú Hayyan Tanḥídí wrote an encomium on him whereas the orthodox attacked him as a Mu'tazilite [See al-Farq bain al-Firaq, (A.H. 429), pp. 160 sqq]. Hamadhání evidently shared the orthodox opinion regarding this writer. In this Maqáma we have an indication of Hamadhání's idea as to what constituted a good style. It is evident he preferred rhetorical conceits and the recondite to simple and straight-forward language. Of this the Maqámát affords many illustrations.

[73:1] Lighten thy shoulders: i.e. relieve thee of the responsibility thou hast assumed in thy defence of Jáḥiz.

[73:2] Open thy little finger: i.e. open thy hand and give something. The closing of the little finger indicates avarice, e.g. in counting up to ten, the little finger is the first to be closed and the last to be opened.

[73:3] By the life of hire: Metre, tawíl.

[73:4] Alexandria is my home: Metre, mujtath.

[73:5] Nejd: is ten days journey from, or about two hundred miles east of Yemáma.

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: I was passing through one of the towns of Ahwaz when my supreme object was to capture a stray word, or add to my store an eloquent expression. My journeying led me to a vast open space of the town where lo! there was a company of people gathered around and listening to a man who was tapping the ground with beats which varied not, I knew there must be a tune with those beats. So I withdrew not, in order that I might enjoy the song or hear a chaste expression, but remained among the spectators, shouldering this one and pushing that one, until I reached the man. I passed my eye over him and I found him to be a person short and portly like a beetle, blind, and wrapped up in a woollen blanket, whirling round like a top, wearing a burnous too long for him, and supporting himself with a staff to which were attached a number of tiny bells. With this he was beating the ground with a rythmical sound, while with plaintive air and pathetic voice proceeding from a straightened breast, he sang:—
'O people my debt weighs down my back, And my wife demands her dowry, After abundance and plenty, I have become A dweller in a barren land and an ally of penury.
O people, is there a generous man among ye, Who will aid me against the vicissitudes of time?
O people, because of my poverty my patience is exhausted, While now no flowing robes my state conceal, Time with its destroying hand hath scattered What I had of silver and gold; In the evening I repair to a house the size of a span, My lot is obscure and my pot is small.
If God but seal my affair with good, He will send me ease after difficulty.
Is there among ye a worthy youth of noble origin, Who will acquire through me a great reward?

Even though he value not thankfulness?'

Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: By Heavens! my heart became tender towards him and my eyes were filled with tears for him.

[paragraph continues] So I gave him a dinar I had with me. And he delayed not but said:—

'What beauty is hers and how intensely yellow.
Light, stamped and round, Water almost drops from her lustre, A noble mind hath produced her, Yea, a soul of a youth possessed by generosity, Which makes him do what it will.
O thou for whom this praise is meant, Exaggeration cannot describe the extent of thy worth.

I therefore refer thee to God with whom is thy reward.
May God have mercy upon him who will bind her to her pair And associate her with her sister.'
The people then gave him what they were disposed to give. Then he left them. But I followed him, for I knew by the quickness with which he recognized the dinar that he was feigning blindness. As soon as we were alone I stretched forth my right hand, seized his left arm and said: 'By Heavens! thou shalt disclose to me thy secret, or else I will assuredly expose thee.' Then he opened his pair of almonds. I drew his veil from his face and behold—by Heavens! it was our Sheikh Abú’l-Fatḥ, al-Iskanderí. Said I: 'Art thou Abú’l-Fatḥ?' He answered: 'Nay; I am Abú Qalamún, In every hue do I appear, Choose a base calling, For base is thy age, Repel time with folly, For verily time is a kicking camel.

Never be deceived by reason, Madness is the only reason.'

73:6 To capture a stray word: The collecting of (…) rare words was a favourite pursuit.

74:1 I passed my eye over him: Literally, from him to.

74:2 … Like a beetle: The Qarambá is an insect resembling the beetle called … Khanfasá. It is said 'the Qarambá in the eye of its mother is beautiful.' Arab Proverbs, ii, 253.

74:3 Burnous: Worn by devotees in the first age of Islám; any garment of which the head forms a part. Some say it is from … meaning cotton and the … augmentive. It appears to be a foreign word.

74:4 O people my debt weighs down: Metre, rejez.

75:1 What beauty is hers! Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 34. Metre, rejez.

75:2 I refer thee to God: Literally, go to God.

75:3 … We were alone: Literally, seclusion strung us together.

75:4 Pair of almonds: Figurative for both eyes.

75:5 I am Abú Qalamún: Metre, mujtath.

Abú Qalamún: a kind of variegated Greek fabric. The expression is used to describe a very fickle person. (Ibn al-Athír, Kunya Lexicon (Kitab al-Muraṣṣ’a, Edited by Seybold, p. 175.)

This maqáma has been translated by De Sacy, Chrestomathie Arabe, iii, 251.
75:6 … Repel time: Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 304, 75:7 Cf. This maqáma with De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 75, where the impostor also feigns blindness.

Notes:

[73:6] To capture a stray word: The collecting of (…) rare words was a favourite pursuit.

[74:1] I passed my eye over him: Literally, from him to.

[74:2] … Like a beetle: The Qarambá is an insect resembling the beetle called … Khanfasá. It is said 'the Qarambá in the eye of its mother is beautiful.' Arab Proverbs, ii, 253.

[74:3] Burnous: Worn by devotees in the first age of Islám; any garment of which the head forms a part. Some say it is from … meaning cotton and the … augmentive. It appears to be a foreign word.

[74:4] O people my debt weighs down: Metre, rejez.

[75:1] What beauty is hers! Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 34. Metre, rejez.

[75:2] I refer thee to God: Literally, go to God.

[75:3] … We were alone: Literally, seclusion strung us together.

[75:4] Pair of almonds: Figurative for both eyes.

[75:5] I am Abú Qalamún: Metre, mujtath.
Abú Qalamún: a kind of variegated Greek fabric. The expression is used to describe a very fickle person. (Ibn al-Athír, Kunya Lexicon (Kitab al-Muraṣṣ’a, Edited by Seybold, p. 175.)
This maqáma has been translated by De Sacy, Chrestomathie Arabe, iii, 251.
[75:6] … Repel time: Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 304, [75:7] Cf. This maqáma with De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 75, where the impostor also feigns blindness.

XVII. THE MAQAMA OF BUKHARA

SAID ‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM: One day, joined to a small company of friends bound together in friendship, like the Pleiades, I alighted in the cathedral mosque of Bukhára. Now, when the mosque was filled with its congregation, there appeared before us one clad in a pair of worn-out garments. He had slung his empty wallet over his shoulder, and was bringing behind him a naked boy whose endurance was straitened by calamity, while the cold anon gripped him and let 'him go. He possessed no covering but his own skin and had nought that sufficed to protect him from a single shivering. The man stood and said: 'None will regard this child except him to whom God has been gracious, and none will be moved to pity by this misfortune but him who is not secure from the like. O possessors of famous fortunes, embroidered robes, lofty houses, and strongly built castles, ye will not be secure from accident, nor will heirs fail you. Hasten then to do good, while ye can and be bounteous unto the world as long as it is bounteous unto you. For, by Heavens! we have eaten "sikbáj", ridden the fleet-footed camel, donned brocaded silk and slept on stuffed couches in the evenings.

Then, before we knew it, came fortune's treacherous blast and the turning of the back of the shield. Then the fleet camel was changed for the slow short-paced steed, the brocade for wool, and so on until I am reduced to the state and garb in which ye see me. Behold we seek sustenance from barren fortune's breast and ride poverty's sombre steed. We gaze not but with the orphan's eye and stretch forth only the debtor's hands. Now is there any generous one who will dispel the blackness of this want and blunt the edge of this misfortune?' Then he sat down leaning upon his elbows, and he said to the boy: 'Attend to thy business.' The boy said: 'What can I say when this thy speech, did it but come in contact with hair, would clip it, or with a rock would cleave it. Verily a heart not rendered tender by what thou hast said is tough indeed. Ye have heard, O people, what ye have never heard before to-day. Let each one of you engage his hand with charity. Let him think of his own future and shield, through me, his own child. Remember me, and I will remember you and give unto me and I will thank you.' Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám, 'In my loneliness I had nought that solaced me but a ring which I placed upon his little finger. As soon as he got it he recited praising, the ring upon the finger, saying:—
O the encircled with itself, With a necklace like unto the Gemini in beauty!
Like a lover meeting his friend, And then lovingly and pathetically embraces him.
Selecting one not of his own tribe, As an ally against fate.
A precious thing whose worth is exalted, Yet, verily, more exalted is he who gave it.
I swear, if in glory men were words, Thou wouldst be their meaning.'

Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: So we gave him what was easy of attainment at once, and then he turned away from us praising us.

[paragraph continues] I followed him, until privacy revealed his face and lo! it was our Shaikh Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskanderí, and behold the fawn was his child. I said; 'Abú’l-Fatḥ, thou hast grown old and the boy grown up; 'What of the word of greeting and of converse?'

He answered:—
'A stranger am I when the road doth contain us, A friend when the tents do enclose us.'

By this I knew he was averse to conversing with me, so I left him and went away.

76:1 Bukhára: The old Sámanid capital and now the chief city of the State of Bukhára. For ages it has been a great centre of learning and religious life. For a description of the literary splendour of this city at the time of the author, see Yatima al-Bahr, iv, 33, and Browne, Literary History of Persia, i, 365. It is still the principal book market of Central Asia. Yaqút, i, 517.

76:2 Like the Pleiades: Literally, on the string of the Pleiades, a frequently used simile for being inseparably bound together. Cf. Job, xxxviii, 31.

76:3 … I alighted: Literally a day caused me to alight.

76:4 … In a pair of worn-out garments: Literally, the possessor of two worn-out garments.

76:5 Gripped him and let him go: As a cat plays with a mouse.

76:6 … Sikbáj: Arabicized from the Persian … vinegar and … arabicized into … food. Fleshmeat cooked with vinegar. It is said that Khusru Perwíz, who is one of the exemplars of magnificence and luxury among the Arabs, was the first for whom Sikbáj was cooked and that none fed on it without his permission. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 224, and Chenery, Translation of Ḥarírí, p. 451.

76:7 … Brocaded silk: Probably from the Persian, … or … The change of the final ﮦ into ﺝ in arabicized words from the Persian is common. A certain kind of cloth or garment made of … (i.e. silk or raw silk) particularly a name for that which is variegated or embellished. (Lane, Lexicon, article … p. 843).

77:1 … Blackness: Plural of … darkness, or night: it also means a horse entirely black.

77:2 Remember me: Qur’án, ii, 147.

77:3 His little finger: i.e. the boy's little finger.

77:4 O the encircled with itself: Metre, kámil.
77:5 Thou wouldst be their meaning: Cf. Mutanabbí, (Dierterici), p. 460, 78:1 Abú’l-Fatḥ thou hast grown old: Metre, mutaqárib.

78:2 A stranger am I: Metre, mutaqárib. A pleasing effect is produced here by the Improvisor replying in the same metre and rhyme.

Notes:

[76:1] Bukhára: The old Sámanid capital and now the chief city of the State of Bukhára. For ages it has been a great centre of learning and religious life. For a description of the literary splendour of this city at the time of the author, see Yatima al-Bahr, iv, 33, and Browne, Literary History of Persia, i, 365. It is still the principal book market of Central Asia. Yaqút, i, 517.

[76:2] Like the Pleiades: Literally, on the string of the Pleiades, a frequently used simile for being inseparably bound together. Cf. Job, xxxviii, 31.

[76:3] … I alighted: Literally a day caused me to alight.

[76:4] … In a pair of worn-out garments: Literally, the possessor of two worn-out garments.

[76:5] Gripped him and let him go: As a cat plays with a mouse.

[76:6] … Sikbáj: Arabicized from the Persian … vinegar and … arabicized into … food. Fleshmeat cooked with vinegar. It is said that Khusru Perwíz, who is one of the exemplars of magnificence and luxury among the Arabs, was the first for whom Sikbáj was cooked and that none fed on it without his permission. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, i, 224, and Chenery, Translation of Ḥarírí, p. 451.

[76:7] … Brocaded silk: Probably from the Persian, … or … The change of the final ﮦ into ﺝ in arabicized words from the Persian is common. A certain kind of cloth or garment made of … (i.e. silk or raw silk) particularly a name for that which is variegated or embellished. (Lane, Lexicon, article … p. 843).

[77:1] … Blackness: Plural of … darkness, or night: it also means a horse entirely black.

[77:2] Remember me: Qur’án, ii, 147.

[77:3] His little finger: i.e. the boy's little finger.

[77:4] O the encircled with itself: Metre, kámil.
[77:5] Thou wouldst be their meaning: Cf. Mutanabbí, (Dierterici), p. 460, [78:1] Abú’l-Fatḥ thou hast grown old: Metre, mutaqárib.

[78:2] A stranger am I: Metre, mutaqárib. A pleasing effect is produced here by the Improvisor replying in the same metre and rhyme.

XVIII. THE MAQAMA OF QAZWIN

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: In the year A.H. 75 I took part in a raid, on the frontier of Qazwín, with those that raided it. We crossed not a rugged upland, but we also descended into a valley, until our march brought us to one of the villages. The scorching noon-day heat impelled us to seek the shade of some tamarisk trees in the centre of which was a spring, like unto the flame of a torch, more limped than a tear, gliding over the stony ground as glides the restless serpent. We took what food we were inclined to take, then we sought the shade and addressed ourselves to the noon-day nap. But sleep had not yet overcome us when we heard a voice more disagreeable than the braying of an ass and a footfall lighter than that of a camel's colt; accompanying these two was the sound of a drum which seemed to proceed from the jaws of a lion and which drove away the scout of sleep from the people. I opened both my eyes and looked towards him, but the trees intervened between us. So I listened and lo! he was reciting to the beat of the drum:—

'I invite to God, is there an answerer?

To a spacious shelter and luxuriant pasture.

To a lofty garden the fruits whereof cease not to be near to gather and never vanish from sight.
O people, verily I am a man returning From the land of infidelity, and wondrous is my story.
If now I have believed, how many nights Have I denied my Lord and committed the questionable thing?
Ah! many the swine the ends of whose soft bones I have chewed, And the intoxicant of which I have obtained a share!
Then did God guide me and zealous and effectual endeavour raised me from the baseness of unbelief, But I continued to conceal my religion from my people, And to worship God with a penitent heart.
I adored the goddess al-Lát, for fear of the enemy, And in dread of the Watcher, I looked not towards the Ka‘ba.
I besought God when night enveloped me and dreadful day wasted me, Lord, as Thou hast saved me, Now deliver me, for I am a stranger among them.
Then did I take the night as my steed, And I had before me no spare mount, except resolution.
Suffice thee to know of my journey, that it was in a night, In which the head of a child would almost turn grey, Until I passed from the enemy's territory Into the guarded domain of the Faith, and then I shook off fear.

When the signs of the Faith came in sight, I said:

Assistance from God and a speedy victory.'
Now, when he reached this verse, he said: 'O people! I have entered your dwelling with a resolution which love hath not excited, nor poverty impelled. I have left behind my back gardens planted with trees, and vineyards, damsels of equal age with swelling breasts, and excellent horses, heaped up wealth, equipments, a numerous tribe, mounts and slaves: But I came forth as the serpent issues from its hole, and the bird goes forth from its nest, preferring my religion to my worldly possessions, bringing my right to my left, and joining my day march to my night journey. Now I pray ye will ye combat the fire with its own sparks, and stone the Byzantine empire with its own missiles, and with assistance and aid, with support and succour, and help me in invading them, but not exceeding bounds, every one according to his several ability and in proportion to his wealth? I will not regard a bag of ten thousand dirhems too much; I will accept a mite and not decline a date. For each one from me there will be two arrows, one of which I will sharpen for future recompense, and the other I will notch with prayer and with it from the bow of darkness shoot at the gates of Heaven.' Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám 'His admirable diction excited me, so I cast off the robe of sleep and ran to the company and lo! it was our Shaikh, Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskanderí, with a sword which he had drawn, and in a garb which he had adopted as a disguise. Now when he saw me he winked his eye at me and said: 'May God be merciful to him who from his abundance will help us and apportion to us a share of his favours.' Then he took what he got, then I led him aside and said: 'Art thou of the sons of the Nabateans? He answered:—

'As is my state with fate, such is my state with pedigree.

'My genealogy is in the hands of Time, if it is hard upon it, it will change.

In the evening a Nabatean am I, in the morning an Arab.'

78:3 The year A.H. 75: If we accept this date the author goes back to the raid made by al-Bara ibn ‘Azíb appointed governor of Rai in A.H. 24. If we take it to be A.H. 375 which is the more probable date, that would place the episode five years before Hamadhání is said to have left his native city. De Sacy has adopted the latter view (Chrestomathie Arabe, iii, 243.) The year 375 was an eventful one, but there is no allusion to a raid on the frontier of Qazwín. See Ibn al-Athír, ix, 29-33.

78:4 Qazwín: A well-known city and the capital of the province of the same name situated ninety-two miles by road from Teheran.

78:5 The centre: Literally, the enclosure.

78:6 The flame of a torch: Literally, the tongue of a torch, in its purity and sheen.

78:7 More disagreeable than the braying of an ass: An allusion to Qur’án, xxxi, 18.

79:1 Eyes: Literally, twins.

79:2 I invite to God: Metre, sari‘.

79:3 To a lofty garden: An allusion to Qur’án lxix, 22.

79:4 The fruits whereof: An allusion to Qur’án lxix, 23.

79:5 … Returning: In the sense of repenting. Another reading … bred which is more agreeable to the context.

79:6 And committed the questionable thing: Another reading, I have adored the Cross.

79:7 Al-Lát: One of the three goddesses worshipped by the ancient Arabians. The other two were al-‘Uzza and Manáh.

79:8 … Before me does not yield a good sense: … by my side, would be better.

80:1 Assistance from God and a speedy victory: Qur’án lxi, 13. This text was the battle cry of the early Muslims. Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, p. 231, line 4.

80:2 I have entered: Literally, I have trodden.

80:3 Damsels: Qur’án lxxviii, 32-3.

80:4 Excellent horses: Qur’án iii, 12.

80:5 … Heaped up wealth: Qur’án iii, 12.

… a large quantity or aggregate of property, or much property heaped up. Its weight in the present day is one hundred pounds. … aggregated, the latter word is corroborative. … (centenarius) in the author's time was equal to 120 ratls (Mafatiḥ al‘Ulúm p. 179, edited by Vloten).

80:6 As the serpent issues from its hole: i.e. with nothing.

80:7 Bringing my right to my left: Either (1) bringing the feet together as a preliminary to a determination to step forward, opposite of, I advanced one foot and drew back the other, as a sign of indecision, or (2) bringing the hands together as a sign of resolution, or (3) clenching the hands as a sign of determination.

80:8 Combat the fire with its own sparks: This appears to be a proverbial expression.

80:9 … A mite: the weight of an ant. See Qur’án xxxiv, 3.

81:1 … Two arrows: The primitive meaning of … is missile with which one draws lots in the game called al-maisar, then applied to the thing won by him whose arrow is successful in the game above mentioned.

81:2 … With prayer: for present need.

81:3 … From the bow of darkness: A reference to the belief that prayer at night is more effectual; another reading is … thirst.

81:4 His abundance: Literally, his superfluous skirts.

81:5 … Art thou of the sons of the Nabateans? Another, and more appropriate reading in the Constantinople edition, and in the Cambridge MS is 'Art thou of the children of the daughters of the Greeks'?

81:6 As is my state with fate: Cf. p. 13 of the Text. Metre, Khafif.

This maqáma is a strange medley of references to paganism, Christianity and Islám based upon the imaginary conversion of a Greek to Muḥammadanism.

Notes:

[78:3] The year A.H. 75: If we accept this date the author goes back to the raid made by al-Bara ibn ‘Azíb appointed governor of Rai in A.H. 24. If we take it to be A.H. 375 which is the more probable date, that would place the episode five years before Hamadhání is said to have left his native city. De Sacy has adopted the latter view (Chrestomathie Arabe, iii, 243.) The year 375 was an eventful one, but there is no allusion to a raid on the frontier of Qazwín. See Ibn al-Athír, ix, 29-33.

[78:4] Qazwín: A well-known city and the capital of the province of the same name situated ninety-two miles by road from Teheran.

[78:5] The centre: Literally, the enclosure.

[78:6] The flame of a torch: Literally, the tongue of a torch, in its purity and sheen.

[78:7] More disagreeable than the braying of an ass: An allusion to Qur’án, xxxi, 18.

[79:1] Eyes: Literally, twins.

[79:2] I invite to God: Metre, sari‘.

[79:3] To a lofty garden: An allusion to Qur’án lxix, 22.

[79:4] The fruits whereof: An allusion to Qur’án lxix, 23.

[79:5] … Returning: In the sense of repenting. Another reading … bred which is more agreeable to the context.

[79:6] And committed the questionable thing: Another reading, I have adored the Cross.

[79:7] Al-Lát: One of the three goddesses worshipped by the ancient Arabians. The other two were al-‘Uzza and Manáh.

[79:8] … Before me does not yield a good sense: … by my side, would be better.

[80:1] Assistance from God and a speedy victory: Qur’án lxi, 13. This text was the battle cry of the early Muslims. Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, p. 231, line 4.

[80:2] I have entered: Literally, I have trodden.

[80:3] Damsels: Qur’án lxxviii, 32-3.

[80:4] Excellent horses: Qur’án iii, 12.

[80:5] … Heaped up wealth: Qur’án iii, 12.
… a large quantity or aggregate of property, or much property heaped up. Its weight in the present day is one hundred pounds. … aggregated, the latter word is corroborative. … (centenarius) in the author's time was equal to 120 ratls (Mafatiḥ al‘Ulúm p. 179, edited by Vloten).

[80:6] As the serpent issues from its hole: i.e. with nothing.

[80:7] Bringing my right to my left: Either (1) bringing the feet together as a preliminary to a determination to step forward, opposite of, I advanced one foot and drew back the other, as a sign of indecision, or (2) bringing the hands together as a sign of resolution, or (3) clenching the hands as a sign of determination.

[80:8] Combat the fire with its own sparks: This appears to be a proverbial expression.

[80:9] … A mite: the weight of an ant. See Qur’án xxxiv, 3.

[81:1] … Two arrows: The primitive meaning of … is missile with which one draws lots in the game called al-maisar, then applied to the thing won by him whose arrow is successful in the game above mentioned.

[81:2] … With prayer: for present need.

[81:3] … From the bow of darkness: A reference to the belief that prayer at night is more effectual; another reading is … thirst.

[81:4] His abundance: Literally, his superfluous skirts.

[81:5] … Art thou of the sons of the Nabateans? Another, and more appropriate reading in the Constantinople edition, and in the Cambridge MS is 'Art thou of the children of the daughters of the Greeks'?

[81:6] As is my state with fate: Cf. p. 13 of the Text. Metre, Khafif.
This maqáma is a strange medley of references to paganism, Christianity and Islám based upon the imaginary conversion of a Greek to Muḥammadanism.

XIX. THE MAQAMA OF SASAN

SAID ‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM: One of my journeys set me down at Damascus. Now one day when I was at the door of my house there suddenly appeared before me a troop of the sons of Sásán.

They had muffled up their faces, and besmeared their clothes with red ochre while each of them had tucked under his armpit a stone with which he beat his breast. Among them was their chief, who was reciting, they alternating with him; he intoning and they answering him. And, when he saw me, he said:—

'I desire from thee a white cake upon a clean table.

I desire course salt, I want plucked greens.

I desire fresh meat, I want some sour vinegar.

I desire a sucking kid, I want a young ram.

I desire water with ice, filled in a rare vessel.
I desire a vat of wine from which I may get up drunk, And a cheerful cup-bearer, congenial to the minds.

I desire from thee a shirt, a coat and a turban.

I desire thick sandals, with which I may visit the privy.
I desire a comb and a razor, I want a vessel and a bath glove, O what an excellent guest am I! and what a charming host art thou!

I will be content with this from thee, and I do not wish to impose.'
Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám, I gave him a dirhem and said to him, 'I announce to thee the invitation, and we will soon prepare and make ready to receive thee. We will do our best endeavour and thou hast our promise for the future. And this dirhem will be a reminder for thee, so take the ready money and expect the promised.' He seized it and went to another man, and I thought he would address him with the same with which he had addressed me, but he recited:—
'O excellent one! who hath appeared, As if in stature he were a branch.
My tooth desires meat, Therefore coat it with bread.
And bestow something upon me and give it now down, Drop thy hand from thy waist and undo the purse's knot, And put both thy hands under both thy arms for me designedly.'
Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: When this speech of his had penetrated my ear I knew there was excellence behind it, so I followed him until he reached the mother of his house, and I stood away from him so that he could not see me, but I could see him. The princes lowered their veils and behold their chief was Abú’l-Fatḥ, al-Iskanderí! So I looked at him and said: 'Sirrah, what meaneth this fraud?' Then he indited, saying, 'This age is ill-starred, And, as thou seest, oppressive; In it stupidity is estimable And intelligence a defect and a reproach, And wealth is a nocturnal visitant but It hovers only over the ignoble.'

81:7 Sásán: Sásán al-Akbar, son of Bahman, son of Isfandiyar, son of Gushtasp a prince of Western Persia, is the reputed chief and patron of all beggars and mountebanks. The legend mentioned by Ibn al-Múkaffá is that Báhman being near his death sent for his daughter Ḥomaya, who was pregnant, and settled the succession on her and her child, if the child proved a boy, to the exclusion of his own son Sásán. Sásán indignant at this left the court and lived the life of a shepherd among the Kurds so that his name became a proverb for one who leads a vagabond life. Hence 'the people of Sásán, the Kurd', is a phrase signifying beggars, prestigiators, people that feign blindness, go about with dogs, monkeys and the like. These people had a cant of their own which was not thought unworthy of study by the learned.

Sheríshí gives another account of the origin of this term. He says that after the Persians had been subdued in the time of the Khalífa ‘Umar, they submitted peaceably to the conquerors adopting their manners and their religion, and that, being a clever and artful people, they betook themselves to various ways of making a living, one of which was mendicancy. Their way of exciting commiseration was to give out that they belonged to the royal house of Sásán, or, as we call them, the Sásánians, and to describe the cruel change of fortune and their deplorable condition. So that at last people came to call a beggar a Sásání. This may be the true derivation, but it is evident from the forty-ninth maqáma that Ḥarírí adopted the legend which makes Sásán a real person. (Chenery, translation of Ḥarírí, p. 287-8, and Ḥarírí i. 23.)

82:1 I desire from thee: Metre, mujtath. Cf. De Sacy Ḥarírí i. 159.

82:2 … A turban: also a woman's veil or muffler. syn. … See Aghání ix. 158. Heb. ‏עניף‎ See lexicon. Isaiah iii. 23 and lxii. 3. Probably from … it became halved, alluding probably to the length of the veil.

82:3 … A vessel: Probably situla, a bucket for drawing water, indirectly borrowed from the Latin. See Dozy Supplement aux Dictionaires, i. 653.

83:1 … Would address him: Literally, meet him.

83:2 O excellent one! Metre, mujtath.

83:3 Coat it with bread: According to the context this seems to be the meaning rather than the explanation given by the commentator, viz., that meat was something forbidden and therefore to desire it was to render him worthy of stripes.

83:4 Drop thy hand: Lower it to the pocket to undo the knotted money.

83:5 Put both thy hands: An allusion to Qur’án xx. 23. He uses both hands here designedly so as to be sure of getting out some money, not knowing which side ‘Ísá ibn Hishám carried his cash.

83:6 Penetrated my ear: Literally, split my ear.

83:7 This age is ill-starred: Metre, mujtath.

83:8 … Nocturnal visitant: The Ṭaif al-Khayál or Khayál Ṭaif frequently occurs in Arabic poetry. It is supposed to be the image of the person beloved which appears to the lover in his dream. For an excellent account of the Ṭaif al-Khayál, illustrated by several quotations from the poets, see Journal Asiatique, pp. 376-85, April 1838 (M.G. Slane).

Notes:

[81:7] Sásán: Sásán al-Akbar, son of Bahman, son of Isfandiyar, son of Gushtasp a prince of Western Persia, is the reputed chief and patron of all beggars and mountebanks. The legend mentioned by Ibn al-Múkaffá is that Báhman being near his death sent for his daughter Ḥomaya, who was pregnant, and settled the succession on her and her child, if the child proved a boy, to the exclusion of his own son Sásán. Sásán indignant at this left the court and lived the life of a shepherd among the Kurds so that his name became a proverb for one who leads a vagabond life. Hence 'the people of Sásán, the Kurd', is a phrase signifying beggars, prestigiators, people that feign blindness, go about with dogs, monkeys and the like. These people had a cant of their own which was not thought unworthy of study by the learned.

[82:1] I desire from thee: Metre, mujtath. Cf. De Sacy Ḥarírí i. 159.

[82:2] … A turban: also a woman's veil or muffler. syn. … See Aghání ix. 158. Heb. ‏עניף‎ See lexicon. Isaiah iii. 23 and lxii. 3. Probably from … it became halved, alluding probably to the length of the veil.

[82:3] … A vessel: Probably situla, a bucket for drawing water, indirectly borrowed from the Latin. See Dozy Supplement aux Dictionaires, i. 653.

[83:1] … Would address him: Literally, meet him.

[83:2] O excellent one! Metre, mujtath.

[83:3] Coat it with bread: According to the context this seems to be the meaning rather than the explanation given by the commentator, viz., that meat was something forbidden and therefore to desire it was to render him worthy of stripes.

[83:4] Drop thy hand: Lower it to the pocket to undo the knotted money.

[83:5] Put both thy hands: An allusion to Qur’án xx. 23. He uses both hands here designedly so as to be sure of getting out some money, not knowing which side ‘Ísá ibn Hishám carried his cash.

[83:6] Penetrated my ear: Literally, split my ear.

[83:7] This age is ill-starred: Metre, mujtath.

[83:8] … Nocturnal visitant: The Ṭaif al-Khayál or Khayál Ṭaif frequently occurs in Arabic poetry. It is supposed to be the image of the person beloved which appears to the lover in his dream. For an excellent account of the Ṭaif al-Khayál, illustrated by several quotations from the poets, see Journal Asiatique, pp. 376-85, April 1838 (M.G. Slane).

XX. THE MAQAMA OF THE APE

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: While I was in the city of Peace, returning from the Sacred Territory, I was swaggering along, with the swaggering of pedestrians, on the bank of the Tigris, observing those rare sights and closely examining those embellishments until, suddenly, I reached a ring of men crowding together, excitement agitating their heads and laughter exploding their cheeks. Curiosity impelled me to do what it had driven them to do, till I stood within earshot of the voice of a man without being able to see his face, because of the intensity of the thronging and the excessiveness of the crowding, and behold! it was a monkey-trainer causing his monkey to dance and making those near him to laugh. So I bounded as bounds the well-trained hound, and went forward, after the manner of one lame, over the necks of the people. This one's shoulder throwing me in that one's stomach, until I made the beards of two men my carpet and sat down after much fatigue. And verily shame choked me with its spittle and the straitness of the place distressed me. When the monkey-trainer had finished his performance and the place of assembly divested itself of its people, I arose, and verily terror had clothed me in its garb, and I stood up that I might see his face, and lo! by Heavens! it was Abú’l-Fatḥ, al-Iskanderí. So I said: 'Sirrah, what meaneth this baseness?' Then he indited saying:—
'The sin is the days’ not mine, So censure the vicissitudes of the nights.
By means of folly I obtained my desire And proudly trailed my embellished skirts.'

84:1 The city of Peace: i.e., the city of God. Al-Manṣúr is said to have called Baghdad the city of Peace—Madína al-Salám—because the Tigris had been previously called the valley and river of Peace. It is said ‘Abd al-‘Azíz ibn ‘Alí Ruwwid called it the city of Peace, because in Persian bagh is an idol and dad a gift which made an impious or ill-omened name. Yaqút, i, 678. See also Le Strange, Baghdad during the ‘Abbásid Khalífate, p. 10.

84:2 The sacred territory: Mecca.

84:3 … Their heads: Literally, their necks.

84:4 Exploded (literally, split) their cheeks: Cf. English, split their sides.

84:5 … Well-trained hound: Literally, having a collar of white shells such as are worn on the neck to avert the evil eye. It seems that only trained hounds were given this collar.

84:6 … Stomach: Literally, the navel.

84:7 … great fatigue: Another reading is … between two.

85:1 The sin is the days: Metre, kámil.

This maqáma has been translated by De Sacy. See his Chrestomathie Arabe, iii. p. 246.

Notes:

[84:1] The city of Peace: i.e., the city of God. Al-Manṣúr is said to have called Baghdad the city of Peace—Madína al-Salám—because the Tigris had been previously called the valley and river of Peace. It is said ‘Abd al-‘Azíz ibn ‘Alí Ruwwid called it the city of Peace, because in Persian bagh is an idol and dad a gift which made an impious or ill-omened name. Yaqút, i, 678. See also Le Strange, Baghdad during the ‘Abbásid Khalífate, p. 10.

[84:2] The sacred territory: Mecca.

[84:3] … Their heads: Literally, their necks.

[84:4] Exploded (literally, split) their cheeks: Cf. English, split their sides.

[84:5] … Well-trained hound: Literally, having a collar of white shells such as are worn on the neck to avert the evil eye. It seems that only trained hounds were given this collar.

[84:6] … Stomach: Literally, the navel.

[84:7] … great fatigue: Another reading is … between two.

[85:1] The sin is the days: Metre, kámil.
This maqáma has been translated by De Sacy. See his Chrestomathie Arabe, iii. p. 246.

XXI. THE MAQAMA OF MOSUL

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: 'When we were returning from Moṣul intending to go home, the caravan was captured and our baggage and mount were stolen from us The little life I had left carried me to one of its villages and with me was Abú’-Fatḥ al-Iskanderí. I asked him: 'What shall we devise?' He answered: 'God will suffice. Now we were impelled to go to a house whose master had just died and the female mourners had already stood up. It was filled with men, whose hearts grief had cauterized, and whose shirts terror had rent, and with women who had unloosed their hair, and were beating their breasts, cutting their necklaces and slapping their cheeks.

Said al-Iskanderí: 'In this mass there is a palm tree for us and in this flock a lamb.' So he entered the house to look at the dead man whose chin was tied up ready to be carried out. The water had been heated to wash him, the bier had been got ready to bear him away, his garments had been sewn that he might be enshrouded and his grave had been dug that he might be buried. Now when al-Iskanderí had observed him, he seized his throat, felt his carotid artery, and said: 'O people, Fear God! Do not bury him for he is alive, he is unconscious and a fit has come upon him. I will hand him over with both eyes open in two days.' They said 'Whence knowest thou know that?' He replied: 'Verily, when a man dies his armpit becomes cold.

Now I felt this man and I know he is alive.' Then they put their hands into his armpit and said, 'The fact is as he asserts, so do what he commands.' Then al-Iskanderí arose and went to the dead man, stripped him of his clothes, tied on his turban, hung amulets upon him, introduced some olive oil into his mouth, cleared the house for him, and said: 'Leave him alone, and do not interfere with him. If you hear a moan from him, do not answer him.' Then he went out from the presence of the dead. Meanwhile the news had spread and circulated that the dead was raised. Pious gifts came to us from every house, and presents poured upon us from every neighbour, till our purse was swollen with silver and gold and our saddle bags were filled with cheese and dates.

We tried hard to seize an opportunity to bolt, but found none, till the appointed time arrived and they demanded the fulfilment of the lying promise. Al-Iskanderí enquired: 'Have ye heard a whisper from the patient or observed from him a sign?' They answered: 'No.' Then he said: 'If he has made no sound since I left him, his hour is not yet come. Let him alone till to-morrow and, verily, if ye hear his voice, ye may be assured he is not dead.

Then inform me that I may prescribe for his recovery and rectify what is wrong with his constitution.' They said: 'Do not put it off longer than to-morrow.' He replied: 'No.' Now when the morning beamed and the wing of light spread over the horizon of the atmosphere, the men came in troops and the women in pairs, and they said: 'We desire that thou cure the sick man and cease prating.' Said al-Iskanderí: 'Let us arise and go to him.' Then he took the amulets from his hands, removed the turban from his body and said: 'Lay him on his face,' and he was laid upon his face. Then he said: 'Stand him on his feet.' So he was made to stand. He then said 'Let go his hands,' but he fell a lifeless heap.

'Phew!' ejaculated al-Iskanderí: 'He is dead, how can I bring him to life?' Then shoes clave unto him, and palms took possession of him, and it was so, when one hand was raised, another banged down upon him. Then the people busied themselves with the funeral obsequies of the dead man and we slipped away fleeing till we came to a village situated on the edge of a valley whose torrent was eroding it, and whose waters were destroying it. Its people were distressed and had not slept a wink in the night for fear of the flood. Said al-Iskanderí: 'I will deliver you from this flood and its mischief, and will turn away its devastation from this village.

So obey me and attempt nothing without me.' They said: What is thy command?' He answered: 'Sacrifice in the course of this water a red heifer, fetch me a young virgin, and pray behind me two genuflexions, so that God may divert the direction of this flood to this desert, and, if the waters are not turned away, my blood will be lawful to you.' They said: 'We will do that.' So they immolated the heifer, and married the damsel to him. Then he stood up to pray the two genuflexions and said: 'O people, be careful with yourselves that, when standing, there happen no stumbling, in kneeling no fall, in prostration no slip, in sitting no irregularity, for the moment we blunder our hopes will be disappointed and our action will go for nothing.

Be patient over these two genuflexions for their way is long.' Then he arose for the first genuflexion and he stood as rigid as the trunk of a palm tree till they complained of sideache. Then he prostrated himself so long that they thought he had gone to sleep, but they dared not to raise their heads until he repeated the takbír for sitting. Then he returned to the second genuflexion, signed to me, and we made for the valley and left the people worshipping and we know not what fate did with them. Then Abú’l-Fatḥ indited, saying:—

'May God not put far from Him the likes of me, But where is the likes of me, aye where?

How marvellous was the stupidity of the people, Which I took advantage of with ease!

I received from them the full measure of good, While I weighed out to them nought but fraud and falsehood.'

85:2 Moṣul: A town in Mesopotamia on the right bank of the Tigris. This city reached its greatest prosperity towards the beginning of the decline of the Khalífate when it was for a time an independent capital. The dynasty of the Hamdánids reigned in Moṣul from A.D., 934 but the town was conquered by the Syrian Okailids in 990. Yaqút says the three great cities of the world are 'Nishapur, because it is the gate of the East, Damascus, because it is the gate of the West, Moṣul, because it is on the road between the two.' It appears the city had a notorious reputation for vice in its most degraded form. Yaqút, iv, 682 and Encyclopaedia Britannica, xviii, 904.

85:3 One of its villages: Moṣul had a large number of dependent villages.

85:4 God will suffice: Cf. English, The Lord will provide.

85:5 The female mourners had already stood up: To bewail and eulogize the deceased. … wailing woman.

85:6 Mass: Literally, blackness.

86:1 … Introduced: Literally, made him lick, from … he licked his fingers, or he gave him as a (…) linctus.

86:2 … and … cheese: A preparation of dry curd. See De Sacy, Haréri, ii. 587.

86:3 … whisper: An allusion to Qur’án, xix. 98.

86:4 … The morning beamed: Literally, the morning smiled so as to show its front teeth.

86:5 In troops: An allusion to Qur’án, cx. 2.

87:1 … A lifeless heap: Literally, stationary, fixed. Another, but less satisfactory reading, … on his head.

87:2 … a boot, or … a concourse of people. I prefer the former reading. Cf. text p. 115. … I was attacked with sandals.

87:3 The torrent was eroding it: In A.H. 376 the town was visited by an earthquake which caused great loss of life and property. Ibn al-Athír, ix. 35.

87:4 I will deliver you: Literally, I will suffice you.

87:5 Red heifer: Literally, an intensely yellow; an allusion to Qur’án, ii, 64.

87:6 My blood will be lawful to you: i.e., you may kill me.

88:1 May God not put far from Him: Metre, mujtath.

It is interesting to observe that the author is said to have been buried in the very state in which he falsely asserted the dead man was in order to defraud the too credulous people of Moṣul. See Ibn Khallikan, i. 114.

This maqáma has been translated by De Sacy. Chrestomathie Arabe, iii. 247.

Notes:

[85:2] Moṣul: A town in Mesopotamia on the right bank of the Tigris. This city reached its greatest prosperity towards the beginning of the decline of the Khalífate when it was for a time an independent capital. The dynasty of the Hamdánids reigned in Moṣul from A.D., 934 but the town was conquered by the Syrian Okailids in 990. Yaqút says the three great cities of the world are 'Nishapur, because it is the gate of the East, Damascus, because it is the gate of the West, Moṣul, because it is on the road between the two.' It appears the city had a notorious reputation for vice in its most degraded form. Yaqút, iv, 682 and Encyclopaedia Britannica, xviii, 904.

[85:3] One of its villages: Moṣul had a large number of dependent villages.

[85:4] God will suffice: Cf. English, The Lord will provide.

[85:5] The female mourners had already stood up: To bewail and eulogize the deceased. … wailing woman.

[85:6] Mass: Literally, blackness.

[86:1] … Introduced: Literally, made him lick, from … he licked his fingers, or he gave him as a (…) linctus.

[86:2] … and … cheese: A preparation of dry curd. See De Sacy, Haréri, ii. 587.

[86:3] … whisper: An allusion to Qur’án, xix. 98.

[86:4] … The morning beamed: Literally, the morning smiled so as to show its front teeth.

[86:5] In troops: An allusion to Qur’án, cx. 2.

[87:1] … A lifeless heap: Literally, stationary, fixed. Another, but less satisfactory reading, … on his head.

[87:2] … a boot, or … a concourse of people. I prefer the former reading. Cf. text p. 115. … I was attacked with sandals.

[87:3] The torrent was eroding it: In A.H. 376 the town was visited by an earthquake which caused great loss of life and property. Ibn al-Athír, ix. 35.

[87:4] I will deliver you: Literally, I will suffice you.

[87:5] Red heifer: Literally, an intensely yellow; an allusion to Qur’án, ii, 64.

[87:6] My blood will be lawful to you: i.e., you may kill me.

[88:1] May God not put far from Him: Metre, mujtath.
It is interesting to observe that the author is said to have been buried in the very state in which he falsely asserted the dead man was in order to defraud the too credulous people of Moṣul. See Ibn Khallikan, i. 114.
This maqáma has been translated by De Sacy. Chrestomathie Arabe, iii. 247.

XXII. THE MAQAMA OF THE MADIRAH

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: I was in Baṣra and with me was Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskanderí, the man of eloquence who summons it and it responds to him, the man of rhetoric who commands it and it obeys him. We were present with him at a merchant's entertainment and there was placed before us maḍirah which did credit to the townsfolk, oscillated in a large dish, announced health and testified to the Khalífate of [paragraph continues] Mu‘awiya, (may God have mercy upon him!) in a dish which dazzled the eye and wherein beauty was bestirring itself. When it took its place upon the table and its home in the hearts, Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskanderí arose cursing it and its owner, manifesting repugnance to it and its eater and reviling it and its cook. We thought he was joking, but behold! the reverse was the fact, and jest was the essence of earnestness.

He withdrew from the table and abandoned co-operation with his brethren. So we ordered it to be removed and it was taken away, and with it the hearts; eyes travelled behind it, mouths watered for it, lips were licked for it, livers were inflamed after it and hearts followed in its trail. But we associated ourselves with him in separation from it and we enquired of him the fact concerning it. He answered: 'My story regarding it is more extensive than my misfortune in it and, if I were to relate it to you, I should not be secure from hate and from wasting time.' We said: 'Produce it.' He said: 'While I was in Baghdad a merchant invited me to partake of maḍirah and he clung to me with the clinging of a pressing creditor, and of the dog to the companions of al-Raqím, till I accepted his invitation to it, so we started.

Now the whole way he was praising his wife and ready to sacrifice his heart's blood for her, eulogising her cleverness in her art, and her excellent taste in cooking, saying, 'Sir, if thou wert to see her with the apron tied round her waist, going about the rooms, from the oven to the cooking-pots, and from the cooking pots to the oven, blowing the fire with her mouth, pounding the spices with her hands; and if thou wert to see the smoke discolouring that beautiful face and affecting that smooth cheek, thou wouldst behold a spectacle at which eyes would be dazed. I love her because she loves me, and it is a mark of a man's good fortune that he should be given a lawful helpmeet and that he should be aided by his spouse, and especially when she is of his own clay.

In near relationship she is my paternal uncle's daughter, her clay is my clay, her town is my town, her paternal uncles are my paternal uncles and her origin is my origin. But in disposition she is more generous than I am, and in form more beautiful. He bored me with his wife's virtues till we reached his quarter, whereupon he said: 'Sir, seest thou this quarter? It is the best quarter in Baghdad. Worthy men vie with one another for settling in it, and the great ones jealously compete with one another for finding quarters in it; but none but merchants live in it. Verily a man is known by his neighbour. My house is in the middle of its belt of buildings and is the point in the centre of its circle. How much dost thou think, Sir, was spent upon each house in it?

Say approximately, if thou dost not know for certain.' I replied: 'Much.' Said he: 'Good gracious, what a terrible mistake!' thou sayest 'much' only! and he heaved a deep sigh and ejaculated: 'Praise Him who knoweth all things!' And we reached the door of his house and he said: 'This is my house, how much dost thou reckon I spent on this window? By heavens! I spent upon it beyond my means and what exceeded the limits of poverty. How dost thou find its workmanship and shape? I adjure thee by God, hast thou ever seen its like? Observe the fine finish of it. Ponder its curves which seem to have been drawn with a compass. Regard the skill of the carpenter in the make of this door. Of how many planks did he make it? Say, How do I know? It is made of teakwood: from one piece which was neither worm-eaten nor rotten.

When it is moved it creaks, and, when it is struck with the finger, it rings. Who made it, Sir? Abi Isḥáq ibn Muḥammad the Baṣarían made it, and he is, by Heavens! a man of clean reputation, well acquainted with the art of making doors, deft of hand in the work. What a splendid man that is! By my life I shall employ none but him for such work as this. Now this knocker; dost thou observe it? I bought it in the fancy bazaar from ‘Imrán, the curiosity dealer, for three Mu’izzí dinars. How much brass does it contain, Sir? There are in it six pounds. It revolves on a pin in the door. I adjure thee by God, turn it, then sound it and observe it. By the preciousness of my life to thee, do not buy knockers except from him, for he sells only the best.' Then he knocked at the door, we entered the vestibule and he said: 'May God prosper thee, O house! and not destroy thee, O wall!

How strong are thy walls, substantial thy superstructure, and how firm thy foundations! By heavens! observe its staircase, the entrance and the exit, and ask me 'How didst thou get it?

[paragraph continues] How many devices didst devise before thou didst appropriate it?' I had a neighbour surnamed Abú Suleyman, who lived in this quarter. He had of live stock more than enclosure could contain, and of dead stock more than could be weighed. He died—may God have mercy upon him!—and left a son who squandered it on wine and music and scattered it between backgammon and dice. I was afraid lest excessive need should compel him to dispose of the house and he should sell it while in a state of vexation, or expose it to ruin, in which case I should see the chance of buying it lost, and wear myself out with vain regrets to my dying day. So I took some stuff not in demand, carried it to him and offered it to him, and I bargained with him to buy it on credit; and the unfortunate one counts credit a gift, and the promise breaker considers it a present.

And I asked him for a bond for the goods, so he granted it, and signed it in my favour. Then I pretended to be indifferent in demanding payment till the extremities of the garment of his state became frayed, and then I came to him and asked him to pay the debt. He begged for time and I respited him. He next asked for some stuff besides that; so I brought it and asked him to mortgage his house to me as a security in my hands, and he did so. Then I gradually involved him in bargains till it came to selling the house and it was acquired by me through rising fortune, and helping fate, and the strength of my arm. 'There is many a toiler for an idle sitter, And, praise God, I am exceedingly lucky, and in such matters worthy of commendation, and this will suffice thee, Sir.

For many nights I had been sleeping in my house with those therein when lo! there was a knock at the door, I said, 'who is the wandering nocturnal visitor?' And behold it was a woman with a pearl necklace with a surface as clear as water, and in fineness like unto the mirage, which she offered for sale! So I snatched it from her with a plundering snatch and bought it for a low, price and soon there will be derived from it a manifest gain and plentiful profit, by the help of God, the most High, and thy good fortune. I have only related this story to thee that thou mightest know the propitiousness of my fortune in commerce. 'Luck brings forth water from stones.' Great God! None can inform thee more truly than thyself and naught is nearer to thee than thy yesterday. I bought this mat in an auction.

It was taken from the house of the Furát family at the time of sequestration and plundering. For a long time I had been seeking one like it, but had found none. But time is pregnant and it is not known what it will bring forth. Then it so happened I was at the Táq gate and this was being offered for sale in the streets. So I weighed out for it such and such a sum of dinars I adjure thee by God observe its fineness, softness, workmanship, and colour, for it is of great worth. Its like is found but rarely. If thou hast heard of Abú ‘Imrán, the mat-weaver, it is his handiwork. And he has a son who will succeed him and who is now in his shop. Fine mats can only be had of him. By my life! do not buy mats except at his shop. Now the righteous man is his brethren's counsellor, especially of him whose person is rendered inviolable by eating at his table.

Let us return to the story of the Maḍirah for noontide has approached. 'Boy! the basin and the water!' I said 'Great God! perhaps deliverance is nigh, and escape has become easy.' The slave came forward. He asked: 'Dost thou see this slave, he is of Greek origin, brought up in ‘Iráq. Step forward boy, uncover thy head, bare thy calf, tuck up thy sleeves, expose thy teeth, advance, retire!' The slave did so. Said the merchant: who bought him? 'By Heavens! Abú’l-‘Abbás bought him from the slave dealer. Put down the basin and bring the ewer.' The slave put it down and the merchant picked it up, turned it round, looked it over, sounded it and said: 'Look at this brass, it seems like a burning brand, or a piece of gold. Its brass is Syrian and it is of ‘Iráq workmanship. It is not a worn-out curio.

It has known and made the round of the palaces of kings; consider its beauty and ask me 'When didst thou buy it?' 'I bought it, by Heavens! in the famine year and I have preserved it for this hour. Boy, the ewer!' And he brought it. And the merchant took it up, turned it over and said: 'The spout is of one piece with it. This ewer is fit only for this basin, and this basin is only suitable for this company and this company suits only this house and this house is not adorned except by this guest. Boy! pour the water, for food time is nigh. I adjure thee by God, dost thou see this water? How pure it is! Blue as the eye of the cat, clear as a crystal wand, drawn from the Euphrates, and it is used after standing for the night when it has become like the flame of a torch and translucent as a tear. And the importance is not in the water carrier, but in the vessel.

Nothing proves to thee the purity of the vessel more correctly than the purity of the liquid. Now this napkin, ask of me its story. It is a fabric of Jurján and a production of Arraján. It fell to my lot and I bought it. My wife took a portion of it for drawers and I made some of it into a napkin. Her drawers took twenty cubits and I forcibly wrested this much from her hand, gave it to the embroiderer to make and embroider it as thou seest it. Then I brought it back from the market and stored it away in a box and preserved it for refined guests. The common Arabs have not defiled it with their hands, nor women with the corners of their eyes, for every precious thing has its day and every instrument its people. Boy! the table! for the delay is great, and the bowls! for the discussion has been long, and the food! for words have been multiplied.' The slave brought the table.

The merchant then turned it over sounded it with his fingers, and bit it with his teeth and said: 'May God prosper Baghdad, how excellent are her goods and skilful her artisans! By Heavens! observe this table, look at the breadth of its surface, the lightness of its weight, the soundness of its timber and the beauty of its make.' Said I: 'This is the make but when is the meal?' He answered: 'Immediately. Boy! quick, the food!

But the table, its legs are a part of it.' Said Abú’l-Fatḥ, 'My spirit boiled, and I said: 'There remaineth the baking and its implements, the bread and its properties, the wheat and whence the grain was first bought, and how the transport was hired for it, in which mill it was ground and the vessel in which it was kneaded, which oven was heated and which baker was hired; and there remaineth the wood, whence it was gathered, when it was brought in, how it was stacked till it was seasoned and how it was stored until it dried. Then there are left the baker and his description, the apprentice and his qualification, the flour and its praise, the leaven and its tale, the salt and its savour; and then there remain, the dishes and who had them, how he procured them, who used them and who made them.

Then the vinegar, how its grapes were picked, or how its ripe dates were bought, how its press was plastered, how the essence was extracted, how its jar was besmeared with pitch and how much its vat is worth. Then there remain the vegetables and the devices whereby they were picked, in which vegetable garden they were arranged, and the skill displayed to produce them free from impurities. Then there remaineth the Maḍirah and how its meat was bought and its extra fat was got, how its cooking pot was set up, how its fire was kindled, how its spices were pounded, till, finally, it was well-cooked and its gravy became consistent. But this is a mighty matter and a never-ending affair?' So I arose.

He asked: 'Whither dost thou intend to go?' I replied, 'I intend to go to discharge a need.' He enquired: 'Sir, dost thou want a privy that makes the spring quarters of the prince, and the autumn residence of the wazír appear contemptible? Its top has been plastered with gypsum and its bottom with mortar, its roof has been made flat and its floor paved with marble. The ant slips down from its wall and cannot cling, and the fly tries to walk upon its floor but slides. It has a door whose venetians are made alternately of teak and ivory and joined together with an excellent joining so that the guest desires to eat in it.' Said I: 'Eat thou from this bag, the privy was not in the reckoning.' And I went out towards the door, quickened my pace and began to run, while he was following me and shouting: 'Abú’l-Fatḥ! the Maḍirah!

'And the boys thought Maḍirah was a title of mine, and took up his cry. So out of excessive vexation I threw a stone at one of them, but a man received it on his turban and it sank into his skull. Therefore I was attacked with sandals, old and new, and with cuffs good and bad; and then I was placed in prison and remained in that unfortunate plight for two years. So I vowed not to eat Maḍirah as long as I lived. Now ye men of Hamadhán am I unjust in this?' Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám 'So we accepted his excuse, we vowed the same vow and said: "Long since did Maḍirah sin against the noble and prefer the base to the good."'

88:2 Maḍirah: From … it (milk) became sour or acid biting the tongue, or, as made by the Arabs, fleshmeat cooked with pure milk that bites the tongue, until the fleshmeat is thoroughly done, and the milk has become thick, and sometimes they mix fresh milk with milk that has been collected in a skin, and in this case it is the best that can be. (Lane, Lexicon art. … p. 2720). It is said to have been the favourite dish of Abú Hurayrah, the Traditionalist, and contemporary of the Prophet. For a eulogy on Maḍirah see Mas’údí, viii. 403. For a list of the chief dishes of the Arabs, see the Maqámát of Náṣíf al-Yázajì, p. 98. (…)

88:3 Did credit to the town people: Whose taste was more refined than that of the Bedawín.

88:4 Announced health: Being easily digested.

89:1 Mu‘awiya ibn Abi Sufyán, the first Khalífa of the House of Umayya. (A.H. 41-60) (A.D. 661-680). An allusion to the reputed gluttony of Mu‘awiya (al-Fakhri's History, edition of Ahlwardt, p. 131) and the voluptuousness which is said to have characterized his court. See also Arab Proverbs, i, 135.
89:2 … which dazzled the eyes: Literally, the eye slipped from it, 89:3 … Wherein beauty was bestirring itself: Another reading is … The hand moved briskly to it.

89:4 Abú’l-Fatḥ arose: Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, xviii, 199, which is a very close imitation and, in parts, almost a literal copy of this maqáma.

89:5 Livers were inflamed: Arabic writers suppose the liver to be the seat of affection and the heart to be that of reason. Cf. Merx's article on the Foie in the volume dedicated to de Vogue.

89:6 The dog to the companions of al-Raqím: See Qur’án, xviii, 8-18. What is meant by this word the commentators cannot agree. Some will have it to be the name of the mountain, or the valley, wherein the cave was; some say it was the name of their dog and others, who seem to come nearest the true signification, that it was a brass plate, or stone tablet placed near the mouth of the cave in which the young men, the companions of the cave, were. Baiḍáwí's Commentary (edited by Fleischer), p. 555. Sale, Translation of the Qur’án, xviii, 217. Hamadhání certainly did not think that al-Raqím was the name of their dog.

90:1 … Heart's blood: Also the soul or spirit, e.g. … His spirit went forth. Cf. … He sucked the breast of his mother.

90:2 … Apron: Literally, a piece of cloth torn off.

90:3 … An oven: Old Persian tanura. Assyrian tenura. Hebrew ‏תנוּר‎ (Genesis, xv. 17). In Arabic a loan word from Aramaic.

90:4 … He bored me: Literally, he split me. Cf. … a splitting headache.

90:5 A man is known by his neighbour: Cf. Arab Proverbs, i, 303.

90:6 Its belt: Literally, its necklace.

91:1 … A compass: Arabicized from the Persian … or …

91:2 … Of how many planks?: Literally, of how many?

91:3 … Teakwood: Arabicized from the Sanskrit saka. Hindustani …

91:4 Clean reputation: Literally, of clean clothes.

91:5 … What a splendid man that is!: A well-known expression of admiration. See Wright's Grammar, ii, 150.

91:6 Mu’izzi dinars: The coin of Mu’izz al-Daula (A.H. 303-56). The Buwayhid prince who ruled at Baghdad from A.H. 334-56. The life of this sovereign is given by Ibn Khallikan, i, 555.

91:7 … Brass: read …

91:8 … the best: plural of … a precious thing.

91:9 … vestibule: Arabicized from the Persian … and … an entrance or passage of a house, between the outer door or gate.

92:1 … Live stock: Wealth, gold or silver, primarily camels or cattle, or sheep or goats, because most of the wealth of the Arabs of the desert consisted of these. It is here used in the primitive sense as appears from the context … the dumb, as opposed to … having the faculty of producing sound.

92:2 … Squandered it: He scattered it, or tore it to pieces. Cf. Qur’án, xxxiv, 18.

92:3 Music: Literally, playing upon the reed or pipe.

92:4 … Backgammon: or trick track: A Persian word also called …, because invented, as some say, by Ardeshir, son of Bábak, a Persian King.

92:5 … He signed it: That is, he drew up and signed the bond in my favour. For this meaning of this verb, see Qur’án, iv, 37.

92:6 I respited him: An allusion to Qur’án, vii, 13 and 14.

92:7 There is many a toiler for an idle sitter: Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 544, used for a person whose wealth passes to some one who has done nothing for it. 'Unearned increment'. See Constantinople edition, p. 5.

93:1 Luck brings water from stones: Apparently a proverbial expression. It occurs again in a slightly modified form on p. 205 of the Text.

93:2 … The Furát family: A highly distinguished family in the service of Khalífate during the fourth century, remarkable for their official and administrative ability for several generations. There were four brothers who rose to eminence during the reign of Muqtadir b’illáh (A.H. 295-320) namely, Aḥmad Abú’l-‘Abbás, ‘Abdulláh Ja‘far, Abú ‘Ísá Ibráhím, Abú’l-Ḥasan ‘Alí. Their father was Muḥammad Ibn Músá, an agent to the Khalífa Muntaṣir (A.H. 247).

Abú’l-Ḥasan ‘Alí, the most celebrated of the four, was three times wazír to al-Muqtadir. He was a man of great natural gifts, an excellent administrator, and liberal to extravagance. In A.H. 299 the Khalífa dismissed him and seized all his vast wealth. This is the incident Hamadhání refers to. From the time of his dismissal to his reinstatement in 304 the income from his estates to the public treasury amounted to no less than seven million dinars. On his reappointment in 304 the Khalífa showed him the highest favours, sending him seven cloaks of honour and 300,000 dirhems. Two years later he was again arrested and thrown into prison. In 311 he was restored to his post for the third time and marked his resumption of office by acts which have left a stain on his memory. He exacted large sums from many people and allowed his son, Abú’l-Muḥássin, to put to death Ḥamid ibn al-‘Abbás, the late wazír. The following year he fell for the third time, when it was found that he possessed upwards of a million dinars, and that his landed property produced an annual income of a million dinars. A few days later he and his son Muḥássin were put to death by Nazuk the chief of the police. (See Ahmedroz, Wazírs of Hilál. Chenery's translation of Ḥarírí, p. 469 and al-Fakhrí (edition, Ahlwardt), p. 311.

93:3 It is not known what it (Time) will bring forth: Cf. English, we know not what a day may bring forth.

94:1 … The basin: Arabicized from the Persian … or … Zend tasta, a basin, a ewer-stand.

94:2 … The ewer: Arabicized from the Persian … a water-pot with a spout The word occurs in the plural … in Qur’án, lvi, 18.

94:3 … Copper: read …

94:4 … Company: Arabicized from the Persian the upper end of a chamber, hence a place or seat of honour, and then the company itself. It also means a game. Cf. the remark of Imr al Qais, 'I did not wish to spoil thy game.' (Aghání, viii, 65.) For other uses of this word see Ḥarírí, i, 276.

95:1 … pl. of … Drawers or trowsers: Arabicized from the Persian … probably from the stem … a thigh and the suffix … an inner breeches or drawers reaching to the feet. Cf. Greek σαραβαρα. Suidas regards it as a Persian garment. Cf. Hebrew ‏ברבליהון‎ Daniel, iii, 27. A tradition of the Prophet enjoins the wearing of the … by both sexes. (Ḥarírí, i, 78.), Ḥarírí, i, 78, uses the word … with … in the phrase … 'With a shirt and trowsers'. Although, conceivably, … may be a corruption of … the words appear to have connoted different articles of dress. See Text, p. 240; … 'and they coated it with pitch'.

95:2 … a napkin, kerchief or towel: Arabicized from the Latin mantele (mantile). Spanish mantilla. Cf. The mindil or kerchief of St. Veronica delivered up in A.H. 331 by the Khalífa Muttaqí (.A.H. 322-29) to the Byzantine emperor, Romanos I, at the request of the latter, in exchange for a large number of Muslim prisoners of war. Annals of Abú’l-Fida, p. 424.

95:3 … Cubits: The space from the extremity of the elbow to the extremity of the little finger. It is divided into six … (fists). the measure called a cubit, about eighteen inches.

95:4 … Embroidery: Arabicized from the Persian … from … to embroider, to embellish.

95:5 Every precious thing has its day: Apparently a proverbial expression.

96:1 … Bit it: Tested its soundness.

96:2 … My spirit boiled: Another possible rendering, my soul (stomach) heaved.

96:3 … An apprentice: Borrowed from Hebrew or Aramaic ‏תַלִמְּיד‎; Aramaic talmadá a pupil or attendant. (Ḥarírí, i, 20.)

96:4 … The dishes: Said to be arabicized from the Persian … and … a saucer, a short of small bowl-shaped vessel out of which one eats (Lane, p. 1392). Cf. Armenian, skavarák.

96:5 There remaineth the Maḍirah: Hamadhání here gives the recipe for this dish, and, following in the strain of the bore, he cleverly holds up to ridicule the incoherent garrulousness of his tormentor.

97:1 … Plastered: Arabicized from the Persian … plaster, or quicklime.

97:2 … I was attacked with sandals: Cf. The maqáma of Moṣul, Text, p. 98.

97:3 … Ye men of Hamadhán: The scene of the incident is Baṣra and that of the narration Hamadhán. On page 340 of the Letters there is an allusion to one who swore he would not partake of Maḍirah and then ate a dog's tail with monkey's milk!

97:4 … The base: Another reading … the vile.

This maqáma is all in prose and is remarkable for the large number of foreign words. It contains no less than thirteen.

Notes:

[88:2] Maḍirah: From … it (milk) became sour or acid biting the tongue, or, as made by the Arabs, fleshmeat cooked with pure milk that bites the tongue, until the fleshmeat is thoroughly done, and the milk has become thick, and sometimes they mix fresh milk with milk that has been collected in a skin, and in this case it is the best that can be. (Lane, Lexicon art. … p. 2720). It is said to have been the favourite dish of Abú Hurayrah, the Traditionalist, and contemporary of the Prophet. For a eulogy on Maḍirah see Mas’údí, viii. 403. For a list of the chief dishes of the Arabs, see the Maqámát of Náṣíf al-Yázajì, p. 98. (…)

[88:3] Did credit to the town people: Whose taste was more refined than that of the Bedawín.

[88:4] Announced health: Being easily digested.

[89:1] Mu‘awiya ibn Abi Sufyán, the first Khalífa of the House of Umayya. (A.H. 41-60) (A.D. 661-680). An allusion to the reputed gluttony of Mu‘awiya (al-Fakhri's History, edition of Ahlwardt, p. 131) and the voluptuousness which is said to have characterized his court. See also Arab Proverbs, i, 135.
[89:2] … which dazzled the eyes: Literally, the eye slipped from it, [89:3] … Wherein beauty was bestirring itself: Another reading is … The hand moved briskly to it.

[89:4] Abú’l-Fatḥ arose: Cf. De Sacy, Ḥarírí, xviii, 199, which is a very close imitation and, in parts, almost a literal copy of this maqáma.

[89:5] Livers were inflamed: Arabic writers suppose the liver to be the seat of affection and the heart to be that of reason. Cf. Merx's article on the Foie in the volume dedicated to de Vogue.

[89:6] The dog to the companions of al-Raqím: See Qur’án, xviii, 8-18. What is meant by this word the commentators cannot agree. Some will have it to be the name of the mountain, or the valley, wherein the cave was; some say it was the name of their dog and others, who seem to come nearest the true signification, that it was a brass plate, or stone tablet placed near the mouth of the cave in which the young men, the companions of the cave, were. Baiḍáwí's Commentary (edited by Fleischer), p. 555. Sale, Translation of the Qur’án, xviii, 217. Hamadhání certainly did not think that al-Raqím was the name of their dog.

[90:1] … Heart's blood: Also the soul or spirit, e.g. … His spirit went forth. Cf. … He sucked the breast of his mother.

[90:2] … Apron: Literally, a piece of cloth torn off.

[90:3] … An oven: Old Persian tanura. Assyrian tenura. Hebrew ‏תנוּר‎ (Genesis, xv. 17). In Arabic a loan word from Aramaic.

[90:4] … He bored me: Literally, he split me. Cf. … a splitting headache.

[90:5] A man is known by his neighbour: Cf. Arab Proverbs, i, 303.

[90:6] Its belt: Literally, its necklace.

[91:1] … A compass: Arabicized from the Persian … or …

[91:2] … Of how many planks?: Literally, of how many?

[91:3] … Teakwood: Arabicized from the Sanskrit saka. Hindustani …

[91:4] Clean reputation: Literally, of clean clothes.

[91:5] … What a splendid man that is!: A well-known expression of admiration. See Wright's Grammar, ii, 150.

[91:6] Mu’izzi dinars: The coin of Mu’izz al-Daula (A.H. 303-56). The Buwayhid prince who ruled at Baghdad from A.H. 334-56. The life of this sovereign is given by Ibn Khallikan, i, 555.

[91:7] … Brass: read …

[91:8] … the best: plural of … a precious thing.

[91:9] … vestibule: Arabicized from the Persian … and … an entrance or passage of a house, between the outer door or gate.

[92:1] … Live stock: Wealth, gold or silver, primarily camels or cattle, or sheep or goats, because most of the wealth of the Arabs of the desert consisted of these. It is here used in the primitive sense as appears from the context … the dumb, as opposed to … having the faculty of producing sound.

[92:2] … Squandered it: He scattered it, or tore it to pieces. Cf. Qur’án, xxxiv, 18.

[92:3] Music: Literally, playing upon the reed or pipe.

[92:4] … Backgammon: or trick track: A Persian word also called …, because invented, as some say, by Ardeshir, son of Bábak, a Persian King.

[92:5] … He signed it: That is, he drew up and signed the bond in my favour. For this meaning of this verb, see Qur’án, iv, 37.

[92:6] I respited him: An allusion to Qur’án, vii, 13 and 14.

[92:7] There is many a toiler for an idle sitter: Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 544, used for a person whose wealth passes to some one who has done nothing for it. 'Unearned increment'. See Constantinople edition, p. 5.

[93:1] Luck brings water from stones: Apparently a proverbial expression. It occurs again in a slightly modified form on p. 205 of the Text.

[93:2] … The Furát family: A highly distinguished family in the service of Khalífate during the fourth century, remarkable for their official and administrative ability for several generations. There were four brothers who rose to eminence during the reign of Muqtadir b’illáh (A.H. 295-320) namely, Aḥmad Abú’l-‘Abbás, ‘Abdulláh Ja‘far, Abú ‘Ísá Ibráhím, Abú’l-Ḥasan ‘Alí. Their father was Muḥammad Ibn Músá, an agent to the Khalífa Muntaṣir (A.H. 247).

[93:3] It is not known what it (Time) will bring forth: Cf. English, we know not what a day may bring forth.

[94:1] … The basin: Arabicized from the Persian … or … Zend tasta, a basin, a ewer-stand.

[94:2] … The ewer: Arabicized from the Persian … a water-pot with a spout The word occurs in the plural … in Qur’án, lvi, 18.

[94:3] … Copper: read …

[94:4] … Company: Arabicized from the Persian the upper end of a chamber, hence a place or seat of honour, and then the company itself. It also means a game. Cf. the remark of Imr al Qais, 'I did not wish to spoil thy game.' (Aghání, viii, 65.) For other uses of this word see Ḥarírí, i, 276.

[95:1] … pl. of … Drawers or trowsers: Arabicized from the Persian … probably from the stem … a thigh and the suffix … an inner breeches or drawers reaching to the feet. Cf. Greek σαραβαρα. Suidas regards it as a Persian garment. Cf. Hebrew ‏ברבליהון‎ Daniel, iii, 27. A tradition of the Prophet enjoins the wearing of the … by both sexes. (Ḥarírí, i, 78.), Ḥarírí, i, 78, uses the word … with … in the phrase … 'With a shirt and trowsers'. Although, conceivably, … may be a corruption of … the words appear to have connoted different articles of dress. See Text, p. 240; … 'and they coated it with pitch'.

[95:2] … a napkin, kerchief or towel: Arabicized from the Latin mantele (mantile). Spanish mantilla. Cf. The mindil or kerchief of St. Veronica delivered up in A.H. 331 by the Khalífa Muttaqí (.A.H. 322-29) to the Byzantine emperor, Romanos I, at the request of the latter, in exchange for a large number of Muslim prisoners of war. Annals of Abú’l-Fida, p. 424.

[95:3] … Cubits: The space from the extremity of the elbow to the extremity of the little finger. It is divided into six … (fists). the measure called a cubit, about eighteen inches.

[95:4] … Embroidery: Arabicized from the Persian … from … to embroider, to embellish.

[95:5] Every precious thing has its day: Apparently a proverbial expression.

[96:1] … Bit it: Tested its soundness.

[96:2] … My spirit boiled: Another possible rendering, my soul (stomach) heaved.

[96:3] … An apprentice: Borrowed from Hebrew or Aramaic ‏תַלִמְּיד‎; Aramaic talmadá a pupil or attendant. (Ḥarírí, i, 20.)

[96:4] … The dishes: Said to be arabicized from the Persian … and … a saucer, a short of small bowl-shaped vessel out of which one eats (Lane, p. 1392). Cf. Armenian, skavarák.

[96:5] There remaineth the Maḍirah: Hamadhání here gives the recipe for this dish, and, following in the strain of the bore, he cleverly holds up to ridicule the incoherent garrulousness of his tormentor.

[97:1] … Plastered: Arabicized from the Persian … plaster, or quicklime.

[97:2] … I was attacked with sandals: Cf. The maqáma of Moṣul, Text, p. 98.

[97:3] … Ye men of Hamadhán: The scene of the incident is Baṣra and that of the narration Hamadhán. On page 340 of the Letters there is an allusion to one who swore he would not partake of Maḍirah and then ate a dog's tail with monkey's milk!

[97:4] … The base: Another reading … the vile.
This maqáma is all in prose and is remarkable for the large number of foreign words. It contains no less than thirteen.

XXIII. THE MAQAMA OF THE AMULET

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: When exile had taken me as far as Báb al-Abwáb I was content with return as a booty, but there intervened between it the bounding main with its lofty waves, and the ships going out of their courses with their passengers. But I sought a good omen from God concerning returning, and I sat in a most dangerous place in the ship. Now when the sea had got the ascendency over us, and the night enveloped us, there overwhelmed us a cloud raining in torrents and marshalling mountains of mist with a wind which sent the waves along in pairs and the rain in hosts. Thus we were left in the hand of death between two seas, while we possessed no equipment but prayer, no device except weeping, and no protection save hope, and we spent a night of Nabigah! and in the morning we cried and complained to one another. Now there was among us a man whose eyelid was not wetted and whose eye was not moistened; he was expanded and dilated of bosom, light-hearted and glad. Now by Heavens! we were perfectly astonished, and so we said to him! 'What hath given thee security from destruction?' And he said: 'An amulet whose possessor will not drown, and, if I wished to give each of you a charm, I could do so.' So all inclined towards him and were persistent in demanding from him. But he said: 'I will not do so till every one of you gives me a dinar now, and promises me another when he is saved.' Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: 'We paid him down what he demanded and promised him what he stipulated. Then his hand returned to his pocket and he drew forth a piece of silk in which there was an ivory box whose interior enclosed some billets, and he threw each of us one of them.

When the ship got safe to shore and we landed in the city, he demanded of the people what they had promised him, so they paid him. It finally came to my turn, but he said: 'Leave him.' Then I said to him, 'That is thine after thou acquaintest me with the secret of thy condition.' He said, 'I am from the city of Alexandria.' I asked, 'How was it that patience helped thee but forsook us?' He said:—
'Woe, to thee! were it not for patience I had not Filled my purse with gold.
He will not obtain glory who is impatient At what befalls him.

Again, what was given me has not now resulted in harm to me.
Rather with it do I strengthen my loins And bind up the broken.
And if I were to-day among the drowned, I should not have been troubled for an explanation.'

98:1 The Gate of Gates: or Darband, a town in the province of Daghistán on the western shore of the Caspian Sea. To the south lies the seaward extremity of the Caucasian wall (fifty miles long) otherwise known as Alexander's wall, blocking the narrow pass of the Iron Gate, or Caspian Gates. This, when entire, had a height of twenty-nine feet and a thickness of about ten feet and with its iron gates and numerous watch towers formed a valuable defence of the Persian frontier. The walls and the citadel are believed to belong to the time of Anushirwán (A.D. 531-579). Yaqút says the breadth of the wall was 300 cubits or about 150 yards. It was captured in A.H. 19 by the Arabs under Suraqa ibn ‘Amr, also called Dhú’l-Nún. In A.D. 728 the Arabs entered into possession and established a principality in the city which they called Bab al-Abwáb, or the Chief Gate. Harlan al-Rashid lived here at different times and made it famous as a seat of arts and commerce. It was noted for its linen manufacture. (Yaqút, i, 437. Encyclopaedia Britannica, viii, 64.)

98:2 I was content with return as a booty: That is, I was content with return as my only return. Arab Proverbs, i, 537.

98:3 The bounding main: The sea referred to was the Caspian and this is no exaggerated description of its stormy character. The winds from the north and the north-west sometimes blow for days together with great violence, rendering navigation extremely dangerous.

98:4 Raining in torrents: Literally extending ropes of rain.

98:5 In hosts, or troops: An allusion to Qur’án, cx, 2.

98:6 Between two seas: i.e., the torrents above and the sea beneath.

98:7 A night of Nabigah: An allusion to the oft-quoted lines of Nabigah.

…

And I passed a night as I should have passed had one of the spotted snakes attacked me, the poison of whose fangs is deadly.

99:1 … Expanded of bosom: That is, easy in mind.

99:2 A charm: The commentator says (Text, p. 117) that Islám forbids the use of charms, but the statement is unsupported by authority.

99:3 … Whose interior: Literally, whose breast.

99:4 We landed in the city: Literally, the city caused us to alight. A very common construction where the adverb is made the subject of the sentence.

99:5 Woe to thee!: Metre, ramal.

99:6 Compare this maqáma with Ḥarírí, pp. 130 and 494.

Notes:

[98:1] The Gate of Gates: or Darband, a town in the province of Daghistán on the western shore of the Caspian Sea. To the south lies the seaward extremity of the Caucasian wall (fifty miles long) otherwise known as Alexander's wall, blocking the narrow pass of the Iron Gate, or Caspian Gates. This, when entire, had a height of twenty-nine feet and a thickness of about ten feet and with its iron gates and numerous watch towers formed a valuable defence of the Persian frontier. The walls and the citadel are believed to belong to the time of Anushirwán (A.D. 531-579). Yaqút says the breadth of the wall was 300 cubits or about 150 yards. It was captured in A.H. 19 by the Arabs under Suraqa ibn ‘Amr, also called Dhú’l-Nún. In A.D. 728 the Arabs entered into possession and established a principality in the city which they called Bab al-Abwáb, or the Chief Gate. Harlan al-Rashid lived here at different times and made it famous as a seat of arts and commerce. It was noted for its linen manufacture. (Yaqút, i, 437. Encyclopaedia Britannica, viii, 64.)

[98:2] I was content with return as a booty: That is, I was content with return as my only return. Arab Proverbs, i, 537.

[98:3] The bounding main: The sea referred to was the Caspian and this is no exaggerated description of its stormy character. The winds from the north and the north-west sometimes blow for days together with great violence, rendering navigation extremely dangerous.

[98:4] Raining in torrents: Literally extending ropes of rain.

[98:5] In hosts, or troops: An allusion to Qur’án, cx, 2.

[98:6] Between two seas: i.e., the torrents above and the sea beneath.

[98:7] A night of Nabigah: An allusion to the oft-quoted lines of Nabigah.
…
And I passed a night as I should have passed had one of the spotted snakes attacked me, the poison of whose fangs is deadly.

[99:1] … Expanded of bosom: That is, easy in mind.

[99:2] A charm: The commentator says (Text, p. 117) that Islám forbids the use of charms, but the statement is unsupported by authority.

[99:3] … Whose interior: Literally, whose breast.

[99:4] We landed in the city: Literally, the city caused us to alight. A very common construction where the adverb is made the subject of the sentence.

[99:5] Woe to thee!: Metre, ramal.

[99:6] Compare this maqáma with Ḥarírí, pp. 130 and 494.

XXIV. THE MAQAMA OF THE ASYLUM

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: I entered the asylum of Baṣra and there was with me Abú Dá’úd the scholastic divine. And I beheld a madman who was glancing at me. Said he: 'If the augury bird is right ye are strangers.' And we answered: 'It is so.' He said: 'Who are the people? How excellent are their fathers!' I replied: 'I am 'Ibn Hishám and this is Abú Dá’úd the theologian.' He enquired: 'Al-’Askarí?' I said: 'Yes.' Then he exclaimed: 'May the faces be disfigured and the possessors thereof! Verily free-will belongs to God and not to his slave, and affairs are in the hands of God and not in his. Ye Magians of this community ye live predestined lives, and die victims of a merciless fate. Ye are forcibly driven doomwards.

'And, if ye had been in your houses, verily they would have gone forth to fight, whose slaughter was decreed, to the places where they died.' If the fact be as ye describe it, why are ye not just? Ye assert, the creator of oppression is an oppressor, then why do ye not say, the creator of death is mortal? Do ye not surely know that, as to religion, ye are viler than the Devil, who said, 'Lord because thou hast seduced me,' for he confessed, but ye have denied; he believed but ye have disbelieved. Ye say man has been given free choice and so he chooses. Never! for the free agent would not rip open his stomach, nor pluck out his eye, nor hurl his son from a crag. Is, therefore, compulsion aught but what ye perceive it? Now compulsion is sometimes enforced by reason and sometimes by the scourge. Let it be to your shame that the Qur’án rouses hatred in you and the Tradition angers you.

When ye hear, 'he whom God causeth to err shall have no guide, ye pervert it.' And when ye hear, 'The earth contracted for me and I was shown its east and its west', ye disbelieve it. When ye hear, 'Paradise was so manifested to me that I attempted to pluck its fruits, and Hell fire was so exhibited to me that I shielded myself from the heat thereof with my hand,' ye wag your heads and turn your necks awry. If it be said 'The torture of the tomb,' ye presage evil, or if it be said, 'The bridge,' ye wink at one another. If the 'balances' are mentioned, ye say: 'Its two scales consist of emptiness'. If the 'Book' be spoken of, ye say: 'The two sides of it are of leather.' Ye enemies of the Book and the Tradition! of what do ye presage evil? Do ye mock God and his signs and his Apostle? A faction seceded and they were the dross of the Tradition.

Then ye separated yourselves from it, therefore ye are the dross of the corrupt. Hermaphrodites of the Khárijites! Ye are of their opinion except as to fighting, and thou, Ibn Hishám, thou believest in part and rejectest in part. I have heard thou hast selected for thy bed a fiend from among them. Hath God not forbidden thee to take an intimate associate from among them? Woe to thee! makest thou not a good selection for thy seed? And dost thou pay no regard to thy posterity?' Then he prayed: 'O God! Give me in exchange for them better than they and place me with thy heavenly messengers.' Said ‘Ísá. ibn Hishám: 'I could not, nor could Abú Dá’úd return a reply and we went away from him in disgrace and verily I was conscious of humiliation in Abú Dá’úd until we desired to separate. He said: '‘Ísá, by thy father!

This is the fact, but what did he mean by a female fiend?' I answered, 'By Heavens! I know not, except that I had resolved to ask one of them in marriage, but I had not mentioned what I intended to any one. By God! I will never do it.' Then he said: 'By Heavens! this is none other than a devil in bonds.' So we returned and stood before him. And we hastened to speak and we began questioning. He said: 'Perhaps you both wish to know of my affair that which you denied.' We said: 'Thou wert previously acquainted with our affairs and now thou art not mistaken as to what is in our minds. So explain thy affair to us and reveal thy secret to us. He recited:

'I am the fountain of wonders.

In my devising I am the possessor of high degrees.

In truth, I am the camel's hump.

In vanity, I am its withers.
Alexandria is my home, an aimless Wanderer am I on God's earth.
In the monastery I am an abbot, In the masjid an ascetic.'

100:1 … The asylum: Arabicized from the Persian … a hospital.

100:2 Abú Dá’úd the scholastic divine: The person referred to is evidently Abú Bakr Muḥammad ibn Abdullah al-’Askarí the chief Qáḍí of the Khalífa Al-Mahdí (A.D. 775-84) at Ruṣáfa. He was one of the most famous of the Mu’tazilás (al-Ansáb of al-Sam’aní, p. 392).

100:3 … a madman: Literally, possessed by a jinn, demon, or demoniac.

100:4 … Free-will: The doctrine of free-will was no new idea, for we are told that al-’Aasha, a contemporary of the Prophet, was a believer in it and that he had been instructed therein by the ‘Ibádites, or Christians, of al-Híra from whom he used to buy wine. Aghání, viii, 76. The orthodox belief is expressed in Arab Proverbs, ii, 405. 'Had I been given free choice, I should have chosen'. … [Cf. Life of Muḥammad (Wüstenfeld) Band, iv, 1011]. The Mu‘tazilís were the partisans of free-will (…) as opposed to orthodox fatalism or predestination (…). For an excellent account of the origin and development of this sect, see Professor Browne, Literary History of Persia, i, 281-92; Hibbert Lectures, v, 214; Shahrastání, al-Milal wa’l-Nihal (Cunton's ed.), pp. 29-30 and Sell, The Faith of Islám (3rd ed.), pp. 194-206.

100:5 Magians of this community: An allusion to the spurious tradition … 'The partisans of free-will are the Magians of the Church', quoted by Abú’l-Ḥasan al-‘Ash’arí (A, H. 270-330), in the Ibána, p. 73, as a genuine tradition.

100:6 If ye had been in your houses: Qur’án, iii, 148.

100:7 The places where they died: Literally, sleeping-places.

101:1 Because thou hast seduced me: Qur’án, xv, 39.

101:2 Whom God causeth to err: Qur’án, vii, 185.

101:3 … Ye pervert it: Literally ye turn away from the apparent meaning and twist it. This is an allusion to the Báṭinites who assert that the Qur’án has an outward sense and an inward meaning differing from the former and known to them, i.e. the literal and the allegorical.

101:4 … The earth contracted for me: Íbn al-Athír, Niháyah, ii, 82.

101:5 … Paradise was manifested to me: ibid.

101:6 The balances: Of Justice and equity in mutual dealings. Qur’án, iv, 6.

101:7 … Of leather: i.e., something created and not uncreate. An allusion to the dogma that the Qur’án is uncreate and the belief of the heterodox that it is something created.

101:8 God and His signs and His Apostle: Qur’án, ix, 66.

101:9 … A faction seceded: An allusion to the withdrawal of Wáṣit ibn ‘Aṭá, the founder of the Mu‘tazila sect.

102:1 … The Khárijites: 'The Seceders, or Theocratic Separatists'. The pious fanatics in ‘Alí's army who forced him to submit to arbitration at the battle of Siffin (A.D. 657) and afterwards blamed him for doing so, and, because he would not publicly confess, what they denounced as his disloyalty to God for having submitted the question of the succession to the Khalífate, for which he and Mu‘áwíya, the Governor of Syria, were contending, to arbitration, they seceded from him, No less than twelve thousand of these fanatical malcontents separated themselves from him and adopted as their war-cry, … 'Arbitration belongs to God alone'. Browne, Literary of History of Persia, i, 220. Al-Fakhrí (Ahlwardt), p. 114.

102:2 Thou believest in part: An allusion to Qur’án, ii, 79.

102:3 … an intimate associate: Literally the lining of a garment; metaphorically an intimate and familiar friend. In the text it means a wife. See Qur’án, iii, 114.

102:4 Minds: Literally, breasts.

102:5 I am the fountain of wonders: Metre, ramal.

103:1 … The camel's hump: Figure for height or prominence.

103:2 Withers: Figure for less high, or less prominent.

103:3 In this maqáma the author introduces an extremely polemical subject, the doctrines of free-will and predestination. Abú’1-Fatḥ in the character of a madman in bonds champions the orthodox opinion, and Abú Dá’úd and ‘Ísá ibn Hishám, the partisans of free-will, are silenced and discomfited. Hamadhání's own opinion was clearly against the doctrine of free-will. See his Letters, pp. 27-8.

Notes:

[100:1] … The asylum: Arabicized from the Persian … a hospital.

[100:2] Abú Dá’úd the scholastic divine: The person referred to is evidently Abú Bakr Muḥammad ibn Abdullah al-’Askarí the chief Qáḍí of the Khalífa Al-Mahdí (A.D. 775-84) at Ruṣáfa. He was one of the most famous of the Mu’tazilás (al-Ansáb of al-Sam’aní, p. 392).

[100:3] … a madman: Literally, possessed by a jinn, demon, or demoniac.

[100:4] … Free-will: The doctrine of free-will was no new idea, for we are told that al-’Aasha, a contemporary of the Prophet, was a believer in it and that he had been instructed therein by the ‘Ibádites, or Christians, of al-Híra from whom he used to buy wine. Aghání, viii, 76. The orthodox belief is expressed in Arab Proverbs, ii, 405. 'Had I been given free choice, I should have chosen'. … [Cf. Life of Muḥammad (Wüstenfeld) Band, iv, 1011]. The Mu‘tazilís were the partisans of free-will (…) as opposed to orthodox fatalism or predestination (…). For an excellent account of the origin and development of this sect, see Professor Browne, Literary History of Persia, i, 281-92; Hibbert Lectures, v, 214; Shahrastání, al-Milal wa’l-Nihal (Cunton's ed.), pp. 29-30 and Sell, The Faith of Islám (3rd ed.), pp. 194-206.

[100:5] Magians of this community: An allusion to the spurious tradition … 'The partisans of free-will are the Magians of the Church', quoted by Abú’l-Ḥasan al-‘Ash’arí (A, H. 270-330), in the Ibána, p. 73, as a genuine tradition.

[100:6] If ye had been in your houses: Qur’án, iii, 148.

[100:7] The places where they died: Literally, sleeping-places.

[101:1] Because thou hast seduced me: Qur’án, xv, 39.

[101:2] Whom God causeth to err: Qur’án, vii, 185.

[101:3] … Ye pervert it: Literally ye turn away from the apparent meaning and twist it. This is an allusion to the Báṭinites who assert that the Qur’án has an outward sense and an inward meaning differing from the former and known to them, i.e. the literal and the allegorical.

[101:4] … The earth contracted for me: Íbn al-Athír, Niháyah, ii, 82.

[101:5] … Paradise was manifested to me: ibid.

[101:6] The balances: Of Justice and equity in mutual dealings. Qur’án, iv, 6.

[101:7] … Of leather: i.e., something created and not uncreate. An allusion to the dogma that the Qur’án is uncreate and the belief of the heterodox that it is something created.

[101:8] God and His signs and His Apostle: Qur’án, ix, 66.

[101:9] … A faction seceded: An allusion to the withdrawal of Wáṣit ibn ‘Aṭá, the founder of the Mu‘tazila sect.

[102:1] … The Khárijites: 'The Seceders, or Theocratic Separatists'. The pious fanatics in ‘Alí's army who forced him to submit to arbitration at the battle of Siffin (A.D. 657) and afterwards blamed him for doing so, and, because he would not publicly confess, what they denounced as his disloyalty to God for having submitted the question of the succession to the Khalífate, for which he and Mu‘áwíya, the Governor of Syria, were contending, to arbitration, they seceded from him, No less than twelve thousand of these fanatical malcontents separated themselves from him and adopted as their war-cry, … 'Arbitration belongs to God alone'. Browne, Literary of History of Persia, i, 220. Al-Fakhrí (Ahlwardt), p. 114.

[102:2] Thou believest in part: An allusion to Qur’án, ii, 79.

[102:3] … an intimate associate: Literally the lining of a garment; metaphorically an intimate and familiar friend. In the text it means a wife. See Qur’án, iii, 114.

[102:4] Minds: Literally, breasts.

[102:5] I am the fountain of wonders: Metre, ramal.

[103:1] … The camel's hump: Figure for height or prominence.

[103:2] Withers: Figure for less high, or less prominent.

[103:3] In this maqáma the author introduces an extremely polemical subject, the doctrines of free-will and predestination. Abú’1-Fatḥ in the character of a madman in bonds champions the orthodox opinion, and Abú Dá’úd and ‘Ísá ibn Hishám, the partisans of free-will, are silenced and discomfited. Hamadhání's own opinion was clearly against the doctrine of free-will. See his Letters, pp. 27-8.

XXV. THE MAQAMA OF THE FAMINE

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: I was in Baghdad in a famine year, and so I approached a company, united like the Pleiades, in order to ask something of them. Now there was among them a youth with a lisp in his tongue and a space between his front teeth. He asked: 'What is thy affair?' I replied: 'Two conditions in which a man prospers not: that of a beggar harassed by hunger, and that of an exile to whom return is impossible.' The boy then said: 'Which of the two breaches dost thou wish stopped first?' I answered: 'Hunger, for it has become extreme with me.' He said: 'What sayest thou to a white cake on a clean table, picked herbs with very sour vinegar, fine date-wine with pungent mustard, roast meat ranged on a skewer with a little salt, placed now before thee by one who will not put thee off with a promise nor torture thee with delay, and who will afterwards follow it up with golden goblets of the juice of the grape? Is that preferable to thee, or a large company, full cups, variety of dessert, spread carpets, brilliant lights, and a skilful minstrel with the eye and neck of a gazelle?

[paragraph continues] 'If thou desirest neither this nor that, what is thy verdict regarding fresh meat, river fish, fried brinjal, the wine of Quṭrubbul picked apples, a soft bed on a lofty place, opposite a rapid river, a gushing fountain, and a garden with streams in it?' ‘Ísá ibn Hishám related: So I said: 'I am the slave of all three.' The boy said: 'And so am I their servant, if they were only present.' I then said: 'May God not bless thee! Thou hast revived desires which despair had destroyed, and now thou hast gripped their palate. From which ruins dost thou hail?' He said:—
'I am of the citizens of Alexandria, Of sound and pure stock among them.
The age and the people thereof are stupid, Therefore I made my stupidity my steed!'

103:4 A famine year: Probably A.H. 382 when famine prices prevailed in Baghdad and bread was 40 dirhems a pound (Ibn Al-Athír, ix, 66). A.H. 373, 376 and 377 were also years of severe drought in ‘Iráq, Ibn Al-Athír, ix.

103:5 United: Literally, bound together with the string of the Pleiades.

103:6 What is thy affair? Cf. Qur’án, xx, 96.
103:7 … Follow up with: Literally, give thee to drink a second time, 104:1 … Brinjal: Arabicized from the Persian Sanskrit Banganah, English Brinjal; the Solanum melongena, mad-apple; or egg-plant.

104:2 Qutrubbul: A village situated between Baghdad and ‘Okbara noted for the excellence of its wine. It was much frequented by the people of the former city in their parties of pleasure and debauch.

104:3 Pickled apples: Cf. Qur’án, xx, 25.

104:4 … Thou hast gripped their palate: Deprived them of realization.

104:5 I am of the citizens of Alexandria: Metre, kámil.

Notes:

[103:4] A famine year: Probably A.H. 382 when famine prices prevailed in Baghdad and bread was 40 dirhems a pound (Ibn Al-Athír, ix, 66). A.H. 373, 376 and 377 were also years of severe drought in ‘Iráq, Ibn Al-Athír, ix.

[103:5] United: Literally, bound together with the string of the Pleiades.

[103:6] What is thy affair? Cf. Qur’án, xx, 96.
[103:7] … Follow up with: Literally, give thee to drink a second time, [104:1] … Brinjal: Arabicized from the Persian Sanskrit Banganah, English Brinjal; the Solanum melongena, mad-apple; or egg-plant.

[104:2] Qutrubbul: A village situated between Baghdad and ‘Okbara noted for the excellence of its wine. It was much frequented by the people of the former city in their parties of pleasure and debauch.

[104:3] Pickled apples: Cf. Qur’án, xx, 25.

[104:4] … Thou hast gripped their palate: Deprived them of realization.

[104:5] I am of the citizens of Alexandria: Metre, kámil.

XXVI. THE MAQAMA OF THE EXHORTATION

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: when I was in Baṣra I was going proudly along until my walk led me to an open space in which many people were assembled before a man who was standing, admonishing them and saying: 'O people, ye have not been left without control.' Verily joined to to-day is to-morrow. Ye are descending into a deep place, therefore prepare against it what force ye are able. And verily after this life is the judgement, therefore get provisions ready for it. Behold there is no excuse, for the highway has been made clear unto you. God's case against you is clear, by revelation from Heaven and by examples on earth. Lo! Verily He, who with knowledge created the race, maketh the dry bones live.

[paragraph continues] Is not the world indeed a house of probation and a bridge to cross? He who traverses it is saved, but he who hoards up the world repenteth. Behold it has laid the snare and spread the grain for you. Therefore whoever pastures there will be entrapped, and whoever picks up the grain will be ensnared. Lo! poverty was the garb of your Prophet, therefore wear it; but wealth is the robe of rebellion against God, therefore put it not on. False are the imaginations of the perverters of the truth who have denied the Faith and made the Qur’án discordant. Verily after life is the grave, 'and ye were not created in sport.' Therefore beware of the heat of Hell-fire and hasten to the eternal home. Verily knowledge, whatever its failings, is good, and ignorance is bad under all conditions. Ye are surely the most wretched overshadowed by the heavens if, through you, the learned are in distress, for men are judged by their leaders, and, if the people are led by their influence, they are saved by their responsibility.
Men are divided into two classes, the observant scholar and the striving student, as for the rest, they are abandoned ostriches and beasts pasturing at pleasure. Woe to him of high degree commanded by one beneath him, and woe to the knower of something who is ruled by one ignorant of it! I have heard that ‘Alí ibn al-Ḥusain was standing admonishing the people and saying: 'O soul, how long wilt thou rely upon life, and depend upon the world and its building up? Hast thou not taken warning from those of thy ancestors who have passed away, from those of thy friends whom the earth has covered up, from those of thy brethren who have been smitten, and from those of thy fellows who have been transported to the house of decay?

In the bowels of the earth are they after having been upon its back.

Their virtues decaying and forgotten therein.
Their houses are emptied of them and their enclosures are void, And the Fates have driven them deathwards.
They have left the world and what they had collected therein, And under the earth the pits have embraced them.'

How many ages, one after the other, have Death's hands snatched away, and what changes have they produced by their calamities and how many great men have they concealed beneath the dust!
'And thou art intent upon the world, vying With its suitors for her, covetous and boasting of thy superior substance.

Thou goest into danger and art unmindful.

Didst thou but understand, wouldst thou not know to what danger thou exposest thyself?
And verily the man, who endeavours and strives after this world, And neglects the next, is without doubt a loser.'

Mark the dead nations and defunct kings, how the days overthrew them, and death destroyed them, so that their traces have been obliterated and but a tale of them remaineth.
'They are decayed in the dust and devoid Of them are the assemblies, and the spacious apartments have become desolate.
They have left the world and what they had collected therein, And none of them succeeded but the perseveringly patient.
And they have alighted in an abode where there is no exchange of visits; For how can there be intercourse between the tenants of the tomb?
Thou seest nought but the level grave, in which they abide, And over which the whirlwind carries the dust.'

Many a man hast thou seen possessed of might and power, armies and allies who has gained the world and obtained from it his desire. He built fortresses and castles and collected precious things and forces.

'But the treasures diverted not death's hand when it appeared suddenly desiring him.

Nor did the fortresses surrounded by moats and the castles, which he had built, protect him!

No device overcame death for him, nor were his armies eager to defend him.'

O people beware! beware! and hasten, O hasten away from the world and her mischiefs, and from the traps she has laid for you, from her appearing in her adornment before you and in her loveliness raising her eyes towards you.

'But less affliction than thou seest sufficeth to summon thee to abandon it and to exhort thee to piety.

So strive and be not negligent, for thy life is fleeting, and thou art returning to the abode of death.

And seek not the world, for the pursuit of it, even if thou obtainest thy desire from it, injures thee.'

How can a wise man covet, or a sagacious person be pleased with it, when he is sure of its perishing? Do ye not wonder at him who sleeps, while he fears death, and hopeth not for escape?

'Nay, nay, but we delude our own souls and worldly delights preoccupy them to the exclusion of what they apprehended.

And how can he enjoy pleasure who is certain of the standing-place of justice where all secret thoughts and actions shall be examined into?

It is as though we thought there is no resurrection and that we are left at liberty and that, after dissolution, there is no future state for us.'

How many of those, who have inclined towards it, hath the world deceived, and many a one of those intent upon it has fallen, and it raised him not from his stumbling, nor excused him for his falling. It healed him not of his sickness, nor relieved him of his pain.
'Rather has it brought him down, after his possessing might and rank, To evil watering-places from which there is no climbing out.
So when he saw there was no escape, and that It was death, from which the helpers could not save him, He sought repentance, if length of repentance could avail him, And his heinous crimes caused him to weep.'

He wept over his past sins, and felt regret for what he was leaving of the world, when weeping profited him not, and excuse delivered him not.
'His sorrows and cares encompassed him, And, when excuses baffled him, he despaired.
Therefore he hath no saviour from the pains of death, Nor helper from that which is avoided.
His throat rattled before death, While the uvula and the larynx re-echoed it.'

How long wilt thou mend thy present condition at the expense of thy future state, and, in so doing, ride upon thy desire? Verily I perceive thee to be weak in assurance, O patcher of thy present condition with thy religion. Has the merciful God commanded thee to do this, or the Qur’án guided thee so?
'Thou destroyest that which remaineth, and buildest that which perisheth, But neither is this complete nor that abiding.
If then thy end come suddenly upon thee, When thou hast acquired no good, hast thou an excuser with God?
Art thou content that life should pass and end, While thy religion is deficient and thy wealth complete?'
Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: I asked one of those present: 'Who is this?' He replied: 'A stranger who arrived by night? I know him not personally, so wait for the end of his discourse, perhaps he will tell his name.' So I waited. Then he said: 'Adorn knowledge with practice and show gratitude for power by practising forgiveness. Take the clear and leave the muddy. May God forgive you and me!' Then he started off. So I followed in his track and said to him: 'O Shaikh, who art thou?' He replied: 'Good Gracious! art thou not satisfied with pondering over externals, that thou madest for the truth and then failed to recognize it? I am Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskánderí.'

I said: 'May God preserve thee, but what is this hoariness?' He answered:—
'A warner, but a silent one, And a guest, but a gloating one, The messenger of death, but Verily he will stay on till I accompany him.'

104:6 Left without control: An allusion to Qur’án, lxxv, 36.

104:7 Verily joined to to-day is to-morrow: Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 45.

104:8 … Judgement: Literally, return.

104:9 God's case against you is clear: Cf. Qur’án, iv, 163.

105:1 Poverty was the garb of your Prophet: An allusion to the tradition (…) 'Poverty is my glory'. For poverty of the Prophets, see Tha‘álibí, Thamar al-Kutub, p. 49.

105:2 … The imaginations of the perverters of the truth: … from … he disputed or wrangled, is applied to one who swerves from the truth and introduces into it that which does not belong to it. … is especially applied to the Esoterics (Báṭinites) who assert that the Qur’án has an outward and inward sense, the latter differing from the former and known to them. According to al-Farq bain al-Fir‘aq, they denied the resurrection. Hibbert Lectures, p. 218.

105:3 Who have made the Qur’án discordant: Qur’án, xv, 91.

105:4 Ye were not created in sport: Qur’án, xxiii, 117.

105:5 Led by their influence: Literally, by their reins.

105:6 ‘Alí ibn al-Ḥusain: (A.H. 38-941, generally known by the appellation Zain al-‘Abidín, was the grandson of ‘Alí. Ibn Khallikan, ii, 209-11.

106:1 In the bowels of the earth: Metre, tawíl.

106:2 And thou art intent upon the world: Metre, tawíl.

106:3 … Their traces have been obliterated: Contrast this statement with the lines:

…

'These are our works (literally remains, or traces) which prove what we have done, look, therefore, at our works when we are gone.'

106:4 They are decayed in the dust: Metre, tawíl.

107:1 … Castles: Plural of …Arabicized from Talmud. ‏דימקרהא‎ name of various villages, probably originally from Διοσκουριας or the like, from Διοσκοῦροι (Stephanus Byzanthinos). A country seat. See Bukhárí (edited by Krehl) i, 9. Also a wine hall or saloon (Ḥarírí, i, 140). The word also occurs in the lines of Ibn al-Ḥájib on the Aiwán (…) quoted by Yaqút, i, 426.

…

These pavilions, pleasure houses, buildings and castles of our Kisra Anushirwán. It is probable Hamadhání had the Aiwán in mind when he composed or quoted these lines.

107:2 But the treasures diverted not death's hand: Metre, tawíl.

107:3 But less affliction than thou seest: Metre, tawíl.

108:1 Nay, nay, but we delude our own souls: Metre, tawíl.

108:2 Secret thoughts and actions shall be examined into: An allusion to Qur’án, lxxxvi, 9.

108:3 … Future state: Plural of … literally, a place or state to which a person or thing eventually comes.

108:4 It raised him not from his stumbling: Another and better reading: …. It excused him not his stumbling, nor raised him from his falling.

108:5 Rather has it brought him down: Metre, tawíl.

108:6 From which there is no climbing out: Cf. Kitáb al-Bayan wa’l-Tabyin, i, 119.

109:1 His sorrows encompassed him: Metre, tawíl.

109:2 … He despaired: The Muslim name for the Devil is said to be derived from this verb because he despairs of God's mercy. Iblís is probably a corruption of diabolos.

109:3 His throat rattled: From …; literally, he drove away a dog. The explanation of this sentence seems to be, his soul fled before death while the uvula and the larynx turned it back. Figurative for death throes.

109:4 Thou destroyest that which remaineth: Metre, tawíl.

110:1 … So wait for the end of his discourse: Here Hamadhání uses the word maqáma for a religious discourse or sermon.

110:2 Take the clear and leave the muddy: Take what is free from trouble and leave what is attended therewith.

110:3 … Failed to recognize: Literally, thou didst change it, that is thy mind. Abú’l-Fat'? chides ‘Ísá ibn Hishám for thinking him to be some one else when he knew who he was.

110:4 A warner, but a silent one: Metre, mutaqárib.

110:5 … will stay on: Unlike any ordinary messenger who delivers his message and departs.

110:6 An excellent example of a sermon in rhymed prose and verse on the vanity of human life and the certainty of death and judgement, of which the eleventh maqáma of Ḥarírí is a close imitation. There is little reference to future reward or punishment. Cf. Ḥarírí, i, 14 and 121.

Notes:

[104:6] Left without control: An allusion to Qur’án, lxxv, 36.

[104:7] Verily joined to to-day is to-morrow: Freytag, Arab Proverbs, i, 45.

[104:8] … Judgement: Literally, return.

[104:9] God's case against you is clear: Cf. Qur’án, iv, 163.

[105:1] Poverty was the garb of your Prophet: An allusion to the tradition (…) 'Poverty is my glory'. For poverty of the Prophets, see Tha‘álibí, Thamar al-Kutub, p. 49.

[105:2] … The imaginations of the perverters of the truth: … from … he disputed or wrangled, is applied to one who swerves from the truth and introduces into it that which does not belong to it. … is especially applied to the Esoterics (Báṭinites) who assert that the Qur’án has an outward and inward sense, the latter differing from the former and known to them. According to al-Farq bain al-Fir‘aq, they denied the resurrection. Hibbert Lectures, p. 218.

[105:3] Who have made the Qur’án discordant: Qur’án, xv, 91.

[105:4] Ye were not created in sport: Qur’án, xxiii, 117.

[105:5] Led by their influence: Literally, by their reins.

[105:6] ‘Alí ibn al-Ḥusain: (A.H. 38-941, generally known by the appellation Zain al-‘Abidín, was the grandson of ‘Alí. Ibn Khallikan, ii, 209-11.

[106:1] In the bowels of the earth: Metre, tawíl.

[106:2] And thou art intent upon the world: Metre, tawíl.

[106:3] … Their traces have been obliterated: Contrast this statement with the lines: … 'These are our works (literally remains, or traces) which prove what we have done, look, therefore, at our works when we are gone.'

[106:4] They are decayed in the dust: Metre, tawíl.

[107:1] … Castles: Plural of …Arabicized from Talmud. ‏דימקרהא‎ name of various villages, probably originally from Διοσκουριας or the like, from Διοσκοῦροι (Stephanus Byzanthinos). A country seat. See Bukhárí (edited by Krehl) i, 9. Also a wine hall or saloon (Ḥarírí, i, 140). The word also occurs in the lines of Ibn al-Ḥájib on the Aiwán (…) quoted by Yaqút, i, 426.
…
These pavilions, pleasure houses, buildings and castles of our Kisra Anushirwán. It is probable Hamadhání had the Aiwán in mind when he composed or quoted these lines.

[107:2] But the treasures diverted not death's hand: Metre, tawíl.

[107:3] But less affliction than thou seest: Metre, tawíl.

[108:1] Nay, nay, but we delude our own souls: Metre, tawíl.

[108:2] Secret thoughts and actions shall be examined into: An allusion to Qur’án, lxxxvi, 9.

[108:3] … Future state: Plural of … literally, a place or state to which a person or thing eventually comes.

[108:4] It raised him not from his stumbling: Another and better reading: …. It excused him not his stumbling, nor raised him from his falling.

[108:5] Rather has it brought him down: Metre, tawíl.

[108:6] From which there is no climbing out: Cf. Kitáb al-Bayan wa’l-Tabyin, i, 119.

[109:1] His sorrows encompassed him: Metre, tawíl.

[109:2] … He despaired: The Muslim name for the Devil is said to be derived from this verb because he despairs of God's mercy. Iblís is probably a corruption of diabolos.

[109:3] His throat rattled: From …; literally, he drove away a dog. The explanation of this sentence seems to be, his soul fled before death while the uvula and the larynx turned it back. Figurative for death throes.

[109:4] Thou destroyest that which remaineth: Metre, tawíl.

[110:1] … So wait for the end of his discourse: Here Hamadhání uses the word maqáma for a religious discourse or sermon.

[110:2] Take the clear and leave the muddy: Take what is free from trouble and leave what is attended therewith.

[110:3] … Failed to recognize: Literally, thou didst change it, that is thy mind. Abú’l-Fat'? chides ‘Ísá ibn Hishám for thinking him to be some one else when he knew who he was.

[110:4] A warner, but a silent one: Metre, mutaqárib.

[110:5] … will stay on: Unlike any ordinary messenger who delivers his message and departs.

[110:6] An excellent example of a sermon in rhymed prose and verse on the vanity of human life and the certainty of death and judgement, of which the eleventh maqáma of Ḥarírí is a close imitation. There is little reference to future reward or punishment. Cf. Ḥarírí, i, 14 and 121.

XXVII. THE MAQAMA OF AL-ASWAD

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: I was suspected on account of some property I had gotten and so I fled, I knew not whither, until I came to a desert, and my wandering led me to the shade of a tent. I found near the pegs thereof a youth playing in the sand with those of his own age, and reciting a poem which was in keeping with his condition but did not accord with his powers of improvisation.

And I felt it to be far from him to be able to weave its fabric, so I said: 'Young Arab, dost thou recite or compose this poem?' He said: 'Nay, but I compose it.' Then he recited saying:—
'And verily though I be young And the eye disdain me, My demon is the chief of the Jinn
And he takes me through all the range of the poetic art, Until he drives away what occurs of doubt.

Therefore go at thine ease and depart from me.'

I said: 'O young Arab, terror has brought me to thee. Is there, therefore, safety or hospitality with thee?' He replied: 'Thou hast descended in the very house of safety and alighted on the land of hospitality.' He said: 'Then he arose and seized me by the sleeve and I went with him to a tent whose curtains were lowered.' Then he shouted: 'O damsel of the tribe, here is a neighbour whose country has rejected him, and whose ruler has oppressed him. Fame, which he has heard, or a report, which has reached him, has driven him to us, so give him shelter.' The damsel said: 'Stay, O townsman.'
'O townsman, stay and fear no ill, For thou art in the house of al-Aswad ibn Qinání The mightiest son of woman from Maa‘d and Ya‘rub, And the most promise-keeping of them in every place.
The best striker with the sword among them in defence of his neighbour, And the greatest smiter with the spear in protecting him.
It is as though death and bounty were in his hand Two clouds connected and combined.
Fair of countenance of noble forehead. And, when he mentions his pedigree, It goes back to illustrious Yemeni origin.
So go to the house of refuge in which seven have alighted And thou wilt make them the even number eight.'

Then the young man took me by the hand to the house which she had indicated. I beheld and lo! there were seven persons in it. But my eye fastened upon none among them except Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskanderí. So I said to him: 'Sirrah! in what land art thou?' He recited:—

'I have alighted in the house of al-Aswad.

I choose the choicest of its fruits.
And I said I am a terrified man, Fear hath pursued me for her blood-wit—
The device of the likes of me against The likes of him in this and like conditions—
Until he clothed me, repairing my need, And removing its manifest signs.
So take from Time and get what is pure, Before thou art transported from its abode.
Beware that thou keep back no desire, Nor permit any milk to remain in the udders of the camels.'

Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: I exclaimed: 'Good gracious! What way of mendicity hast thou not trodden?'

Then we lived together in that abode for a season until we were safe from danger, and then he fared eastwards and I westwards.

110:7 Al-Aswad ibn Qinán: A famous Bedawín Shaikh. He belonged to the family … of whom an account is given by Ibn Duraid in his Kitáb al-Ishtíqáq, p. 240.

111:1 Did not accord with his powers of improvisation: That is, his powers of improvisation were greater than could be expected of a youth of his age.

111:2 And verily though I be young: Metre, rejez. This poem is quoted by Jáḥiz. See Jáḥiz, Ḥaywán, i, 146, and Letters of Abú’l ‘Ala al-Ma‘arrí, p. 66, line 22.

111:3 My demon: (my muse). The ancient Arabs believed that the poet was in league with spirits (Jinn), or satans and that he derived his inspiration and supernatural powers from them. Cf. Qur’án, xxvi, 224-6 on the poets; also, Letters of Abú’l ‘Alá al-Ma‘arrí, pp. 66, 73-4.

111:4 O townsman, stay: Metre, tawíl.

112:1 … Thou wilt make them the even number eight:—

(1) from … he made it an even number or pair.

(2) … he made it an odd number.

Example: …

'The people were an odd number and I made them an even number; and they were an even number and I made them an odd number.' Cf. Qur’án, lxxxix, 2. (…) 'By that which is double and that which is single', and Aghání, iv, 176, line 20.

112:2 I have alighted in the house: Metre, sari.

112:3 … So take what is pure: Cf. Text p. 135.

112:4 Nor permit any milk to remain in the udders: … A small quantity of milk in the udder. … plural of … milk remaining in the udder. … throwing cold water upon a camel's udder to make her return or increase her milk. Therefore the literal meaning is to wet the camel's udder with what should remain therein. A figure for improvidence, or indifference to the needs of the future. There is a tradition of the Prophet: … 'Leave in the udder what will induce the milk flow.'

113:1 Mendicity: I have read … mendicity being more consistent with the context and the word other editions give preference to, instead of … disagreeable.

Notes:

[110:7] Al-Aswad ibn Qinán: A famous Bedawín Shaikh. He belonged to the family … of whom an account is given by Ibn Duraid in his Kitáb al-Ishtíqáq, p. 240.

[111:1] Did not accord with his powers of improvisation: That is, his powers of improvisation were greater than could be expected of a youth of his age.

[111:2] And verily though I be young: Metre, rejez. This poem is quoted by Jáḥiz. See Jáḥiz, Ḥaywán, i, 146, and Letters of Abú’l ‘Ala al-Ma‘arrí, p. 66, line 22.

[111:3] My demon: (my muse). The ancient Arabs believed that the poet was in league with spirits (Jinn), or satans and that he derived his inspiration and supernatural powers from them. Cf. Qur’án, xxvi, 224-6 on the poets; also, Letters of Abú’l ‘Alá al-Ma‘arrí, pp. 66, 73-4.

[111:4] O townsman, stay: Metre, tawíl.

[112:1] … Thou wilt make them the even number eight:— (1) from … he made it an even number or pair. (2) … he made it an odd number. Example: … 'The people were an odd number and I made them an even number; and they were an even number and I made them an odd number.' Cf. Qur’án, lxxxix, 2. (…) 'By that which is double and that which is single', and Aghání, iv, 176, line 20.

[112:2] I have alighted in the house: Metre, sari.

[112:3] … So take what is pure: Cf. Text p. 135.

[112:4] Nor permit any milk to remain in the udders: … A small quantity of milk in the udder. … plural of … milk remaining in the udder. … throwing cold water upon a camel's udder to make her return or increase her milk. Therefore the literal meaning is to wet the camel's udder with what should remain therein. A figure for improvidence, or indifference to the needs of the future. There is a tradition of the Prophet: … 'Leave in the udder what will induce the milk flow.'

[113:1] Mendicity: I have read … mendicity being more consistent with the context and the word other editions give preference to, instead of … disagreeable.

XXVIII. THE MAQAMA OF ‘IRAQ

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: I travelled about the world till I reached ‘Iráq. I had turned over the pages of the díwáns of the poets until I thought to myself I had not left in my quiver a victorious shaft. And I alighted at Baghdad. Now, while I was on the river bank, there suddenly appeared before me a youth in worn-out garments begging from the people who disappointed him. Now his eloquence astonished me, so I arose, went to him and asked him of his origin and home. So he said: 'I am of ‘Abs origin, and Alexandria is my home.' I said: 'What is this language and whence this eloquence?' He replied: 'From knowledge whose refractoriness I have subdued and into whose seas I have plunged.' I asked: 'With which of the sciences art thou adorned?' He said: 'I have an arrow in every quiver. Which of them dost thou like best?' I replied: 'Poetry.' He said: 'Have the Arabs uttered a verse which cannot be paraphrased? Have they composed a eulogy whose subject is unknown? Have they a verse unseemly in original intent but is made proper by punctuation? What verse is it whose tears cease not to flow? What verse is it whose fall is heavy? What verse is it the last foot of whose first half verse wounds, and the final foot of whose second half heals? What verse is it whose intimidation is formidable and whose subject is insignificant? What verse is more sandy than the desert? What verse is like the mouth of the person with pearly teeth and a serrated saw? What verse is it whose beginning pleases and whose end displeases thee? What verse is it whose interior slaps thee and whose exterior deceives thee? What verse is it whose hearer is not sure until the whole of it is mentioned? What verse is it that cannot be touched? What verse is it whose transposition is easy? What verse is longer than its fellow, as though it were not of its kind? What verse is rendered contemptible by a letter and established by the omission thereof?' Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: 'By Heavens! I did not venture to reply to him and I was not guided to a right answer other than 'I know not.'

He said: 'And what thou knowest not is yet more.' So I said: 'How is it that with this excellence thou consentest to this base livelihood?' He recited:—
'A plague on this age for an age, Marvellous are the courses of its affairs.
It is inimical to every man of culture, As though culture were guilty of an impropriety with its mother.'
Then I caused my eye to move over him and I looked again at his face and lo! it was Abú’l-Fatḥ al-Iskanderí. I said: God prosper thee! and raise thee up when thou fallest! If thou dost think fit to oblige me with a commentary on what thou hast sent down, and with a full explanation of what thou hast epitomized, thou wilt do so.' He said: 'This is the explanation: As for the verse that cannot be paraphrased there are many. An example of it is the verse of al-A‘ashá :—
'All our dirhems are good, Delay us not therefore by testing them.'

As for the eulogy, whose subject is unknown, there are many. An example of it is the saying of Al-Hudhallí:—
'I knew not who threw his cloak over him Except that he was verily of illustrious and pure stock.'

But as for the verse which is unseemly in its original intent , but is made proper by punctuation, it is the verse of Abú Núwás :—
'And we passed the night, God regarding us as the vilest company, Trailing the skirts of wickedness, and no boast.'
But as for the verse whose tears cease not to flow, it is the verse of Dhú al-Rumma 'What aileth thine eye that water poureth therefrom As if it were kidneys split and running?'

For it comprehendeth either water, or an eye, or pouring, or urine, or a cloud, or the bottom of a provision bag, or a split, or a torrent.

But as for the verse whose fall is heavy. It is like the verse of Ibn al-Rúmí :—
'When he gives he makes not his gift an obligation, And he says to my soul, O soul respite me:'

But as for the verse the last foot of whose first half verse wounds, and the final foot of IN hose second half heals. It is like the verse of the poet:—
'I advanced with a glittering mashrafí sword; As one who shakes hands and approaches to greet.'

But as for the verse whose intimidation is formidable, but whose subject is insignificant. An example of it is the verse of ‘Amr ibn Kulthúm :—
'As though our swords, ours and theirs, Were wooden blades in the hands of the players.'
But as for the verse which is more sandy than the desert. It is like the verse of Dhu al-Rumma 'Venturing upon the vehement heat of the pebbles, striking them with his foot.

When the noonday sun revolves as though perplexed in its course.'

But as for the verse which is like the mouth of the person with pearly teeth or a serrated saw. It is like the verse of al-A‘ashá:—
'I went betimes to the wine-shop while there followed me, A man, brisk, active, quickish, agile, rapid.'

But as for the verse whose beginning pleases but whose end displeases thee. It is like the verse of Imr al-Qais:—
'Attacking, fleeing, advancing, retiring, simultaneously, Like a mass of rock hurled from a height by the torrent.'
As for the verse whose interior slaps thee, and whose exterior deceives thee. It is like the verse of the poet 'I reproached her, she cried and said, O youth, May the Lord of the empyrean deliver thee from my reproach.'
But as for the verse whose hearer is not sure until the whole of it is mentioned. It is like the verse of Ṭarafa 'My companions, stopping their camels near me, Saying, do not die of grief, but endure patiently.'

For the hearer imagines thou art reciting the verse of Imr al-Qais.

But as for the verse that cannot be touched. It is like the verse of Al-Khubzuruzzí :—
'The cloud of separation has cleared away from the moon of love, And the light of peace has risen from the darkness of reproach.'

And also like the verse of Abd Núwás:—
'The saffron-scented breeze in a watery garment, A stature of light upon etherial parchment.'

But as for the verse whose transposition is easy. It is like the verse of Ḥassán :—
'Of fair countenances, their pedigrees are noble, Haughty, of the most noble extraction.'

But as for the verse which is longer than its fellow as though it were not of its kind. It is like the folly of Al-Mutanabbí :—

'Enjoy, live on, be exalted, be a chief, be generous, be a leader, command, forbid, be manly, speak, be asked, be angry, shoot, hit, protect, raid, take captive, terrify, stop, give the blood-wit, govern, divert, obtain.'

But as for the verse which is rendered contemptible by a letter and established by the omission thereof. It is like the verse of Abú Núwás:—
'My verse is lost upon your door As pearls are lost on Khaliṣa.

Or, like the verse of another:
'Verily the sentence which thou perceivest to be praise, Was a sentence that That is to say when "lost" is read it is satire, but when "shone" is recited, it is praise.'

Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: 'By Heavens! I was astonished at his discourse and I gave him what would assist him against his changed condition. Then we separated.'

113:2 ‘Iráq: the name applied since the Arab conquest in the seventh century to designate that portion of the valley of the Tigris and the Euphrates known in older literature as Babylonia. With the advent of the Arabs ‘Iráq entered on a new period of prosperity, several important new cities were founded Kúfa, Baṣra and Baghdad which became under the ‘Abbásid Khalífas not only the capital of ‘Iráq, but, for a time, the metropolis of the world. Encyclopaedia Britannica, xiv, 740; Yaqút, iii, 628.

113:3 I alighted at Baghdad: Literally, Baghdad caused me to alight.

113:4 ‘Abs: ‘Abs the name of the tribe to which the poet ‘Antara belonged. This is the first time the improvisor mentions his tribe.

114:1 I did not venture to rely to him: Literally, I shuffled not a gaming arrow. An allusion to the well-known game of meisar (…) forbidden by Islám. See Qur’án, v. 92.

114:2 A plague on this for an age: Metre, munsereḥ.

114:3 When thou fallest: Literally, thy falling.

114:4 What thou hast sent down: That is what thou hast revealed like, as it were, the Qur’án which is also called Tanzíl (…), the downsending.

115:1 The verse that cannot be paraphrased: The point is that there is no way wherein the first three words can be twisted so as to alter the metre e.g.:

…

See p. 225 of the text.

115:2 Al-A‘ashá: The 'sweet singer of the Arabs' (…) was a contemporary of Muḥammad (ob. A.H. 6 or 7). A life of this poet will be found in De Sacy, Chrestomathie Arabe, ii, 471. See also Aghání, viii, pp. 74-84.

115:3 All our dirhems are good: Metre, mutaqárib.

115:4 I know not who threw his cloak over him: Metre, tawíl.

Abú Khirásh al-Hudhallí, the author of the elegy from which this line is quoted, flourished during the Khalífate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭáb. Ḥamása, (edited by Freytag) pp. 365-6.

115:5 The verse which is unseemly in its original intent: That is, if we take the verse to the end of the sentence, as far as 'wickedness' it is unseemly, but it is rendered seemly by the additional words, 'and no boast'.

115:6 Abú Núwás: born at Ahwaz A.H. 145 and died at Baghdad A.H. 195, the well-known witty and talented but profligate court poet of Harún al-Rashíd. Ibn Khallikan, i, p. 391.

115:7 And we passed tine night: Metre, tawíl.

115:8 What aileth thine eye: Metre, basít.

116:1 Abú’l Ḥasan ‘Ali ibis al-Rúmí was born at Baghdad A.H. 221. This celebrated poet's verses are admirable for their beauty of expression and originality of thought. He was poisoned in A.H. 283, or 284 at Baghdad at the instance of al-Qasim ibn ‘Ubeidalláh The Wazír of al-M‘utaḍid (A.H. 279-89). Ibn Khallikan, ii, 297.

116:2 … When he gives: The point as to weight is the repetition of the word mann (…) which means 'he bestowed', and a certain weight which is generally considered as equal to two pounds troy. Metre, tawíl.

116:3 I advanced with a glittering mashrafi sword: Metre, wáfir.

116:4 Mashrafi: Belonging to Mushárif the name of a collection of Arab villages near the cultivated part of ‘Iráq. It is said that … was a blacksmith who made swords (Lane). I think the word should be vocalized … See Yaqút, iv, 538.

116:5 ‘Amr ibn Kúlthúm: The author of one of the Mu‘allaqát (No. 6 in Lyall's edition).

116:6 As though our swords, ours and theirs: Metre, wáfir.

116:7 More sandy than the desert: The point here is the play on the word … literally sand, and technically 'poetry lacking beauty and containing words which arc not pleasing to the ear.' (Freytag's Arabische Verskunst, p. 530.) Note the collection of ḍáḍs (ﺽ), the most difficult letter to pronounce in the whole alphabet, in the first half verse.

116:8 … venturing upon: Metre, basít. Literally, riding barebacked. In this verse the poet refers to the insect called Jundak, a species of locust.

117:1 Revolves: The sun does not seem to be inclining towards the horizon.

117:2 Like the mouth of the person with pearly teeth: I have given preference to the meaning derived from …, It glistened, e.g. … the front teeth glistened, to that adopted by 'the commentator, namely, 'the teeth of the oppressed', which does not yield a satisfactory sense. The point lies in the repetition of the letter six times with its implied primary meaning, a tooth.

117:3 I went betimes to the wine-shop: Metre, basit. Ibn Qutaiba criticises the poet for introducing in this verse four synonyms for the word active. Sh‘ir wa Shu‘ará, p. 12.

117:4 … Like a mass of rock hurled from a height: The criticism is that the second half of the verse does not suggest a horse under control ready 'to attack, retreat, advance, or retire.'

117:5 I reproached her: Metre, kámil.

117:6 My companions stopping their camels near me: Metre, tawíl.

117:7 Naṣr al-Khubzuruzzi (d. A.H. 317) the rice-bread baker was a native of Baṣra. This poet could neither read nor write. He baked rice-bread in a shop situated at the Mirbad of Baṣra and he used to recite there to crowds of enthusiastic admirers, verses of his own, all of them amatory. Ibn Khallikan, iii, 530; Yatíma, ii, 132.

118:1 The cloud of separation: Metre, tawíl.

118:2 The saffron scented breeze: Metre, tawíl.

118:3 Ḥassán: (ibn Thábit) d. A.H. 54 was one of the poets that espoused the cause of Muḥammad. He belonged to a family of poets and is said to have lived to the great age of 120 years. His Diwán has been published by the Trustees of the Gibb Memorial. Ibn Khallikan, iv, 259.

118:4 Of fair countenances: Metre, kámil.

118:5 Like the folly of Mutanabbí: Twenty-three imperatives in two lines! See diwan of Mutanabbí, ed. by Dieterici, p. 495, and for an example of another collection of fourteen imperatives, p. 493.

Mutanabbi: (A.H. 303-354). The well-known court poet of Saif Al Daula is generally admitted to be the greatest of all Islámic poets. As the poets of the Mu‘allaqát illustrated the spirit of the sons of the desert, so does Mutanabbí represent the sentiments of the Muslim Arabs. See Yatíma, i, 78; Browne, Lit. Hist. of Persia, i, 369; Nicholson, Lit. Hist. of the Arabs, p. 304; Ibn Khallikan, i,102.

118:6 Enjoy, live on, etc.: Metre, ṭawíl.

119:1 My verse is lost upon your door: Metre,. mutaqárib.
119:2 Khaliṣa: An extremely ill-favoured damsel of whom Harlan al-Rashid was passionately fond. To compensate for her natural defects the Khalífa furnished her with rich apparel and costly jewels. Abú Núwás became aware of this and wrote these lines over her door. The damsel complained to Harún and Abú Núwás was summoned to the presence of the Khalífa to explain his presumptuous conduct. On his way to the audience-chamber he passed the door over which the offending lines were written and erased the lower curve of the ‘ain so that only the upper one (ﺀ) the sign for hamza, remained, so that the word read shone, instead was lost. (Núfḥat al-Yemen. Story 13.)

119:3 Verily the sentence: Metre, basít. The letter ‘ain is manipulated in a similar manner in this line. See note 2 on Kháliṣá.

Notes:

[113:2] ‘Iráq: the name applied since the Arab conquest in the seventh century to designate that portion of the valley of the Tigris and the Euphrates known in older literature as Babylonia. With the advent of the Arabs ‘Iráq entered on a new period of prosperity, several important new cities were founded Kúfa, Baṣra and Baghdad which became under the ‘Abbásid Khalífas not only the capital of ‘Iráq, but, for a time, the metropolis of the world. Encyclopaedia Britannica, xiv, 740; Yaqút, iii, 628.

[113:3] I alighted at Baghdad: Literally, Baghdad caused me to alight.

[113:4] ‘Abs: ‘Abs the name of the tribe to which the poet ‘Antara belonged. This is the first time the improvisor mentions his tribe.

[114:1] I did not venture to rely to him: Literally, I shuffled not a gaming arrow. An allusion to the well-known game of meisar (…) forbidden by Islám. See Qur’án, v. 92.

[114:2] A plague on this for an age: Metre, munsereḥ.

[114:3] When thou fallest: Literally, thy falling.

[114:4] What thou hast sent down: That is what thou hast revealed like, as it were, the Qur’án which is also called Tanzíl (…), the downsending.

[115:1] The verse that cannot be paraphrased: The point is that there is no way wherein the first three words can be twisted so as to alter the metre e.g.: … See p. 225 of the text.

[115:2] Al-A‘ashá: The 'sweet singer of the Arabs' (…) was a contemporary of Muḥammad (ob. A.H. 6 or 7). A life of this poet will be found in De Sacy, Chrestomathie Arabe, ii, 471. See also Aghání, viii, pp. 74-84.

[115:3] All our dirhems are good: Metre, mutaqárib.

[115:4] I know not who threw his cloak over him: Metre, tawíl.
Abú Khirásh al-Hudhallí, the author of the elegy from which this line is quoted, flourished during the Khalífate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭáb. Ḥamása, (edited by Freytag) pp. 365-6.

[115:5] The verse which is unseemly in its original intent: That is, if we take the verse to the end of the sentence, as far as 'wickedness' it is unseemly, but it is rendered seemly by the additional words, 'and no boast'.

[115:6] Abú Núwás: born at Ahwaz A.H. 145 and died at Baghdad A.H. 195, the well-known witty and talented but profligate court poet of Harún al-Rashíd. Ibn Khallikan, i, p. 391.

[115:7] And we passed tine night: Metre, tawíl.

[115:8] What aileth thine eye: Metre, basít.

[116:1] Abú’l Ḥasan ‘Ali ibis al-Rúmí was born at Baghdad A.H. 221. This celebrated poet's verses are admirable for their beauty of expression and originality of thought. He was poisoned in A.H. 283, or 284 at Baghdad at the instance of al-Qasim ibn ‘Ubeidalláh The Wazír of al-M‘utaḍid (A.H. 279-89). Ibn Khallikan, ii, 297.

[116:2] … When he gives: The point as to weight is the repetition of the word mann (…) which means 'he bestowed', and a certain weight which is generally considered as equal to two pounds troy. Metre, tawíl.

[116:3] I advanced with a glittering mashrafi sword: Metre, wáfir.

[116:4] Mashrafi: Belonging to Mushárif the name of a collection of Arab villages near the cultivated part of ‘Iráq. It is said that … was a blacksmith who made swords (Lane). I think the word should be vocalized … See Yaqút, iv, 538.

[116:5] ‘Amr ibn Kúlthúm: The author of one of the Mu‘allaqát (No. 6 in Lyall's edition).

[116:6] As though our swords, ours and theirs: Metre, wáfir.

[116:7] More sandy than the desert: The point here is the play on the word … literally sand, and technically 'poetry lacking beauty and containing words which arc not pleasing to the ear.' (Freytag's Arabische Verskunst, p. 530.) Note the collection of ḍáḍs (ﺽ), the most difficult letter to pronounce in the whole alphabet, in the first half verse.

[116:8] … venturing upon: Metre, basít. Literally, riding barebacked. In this verse the poet refers to the insect called Jundak, a species of locust.

[117:1] Revolves: The sun does not seem to be inclining towards the horizon.

[117:2] Like the mouth of the person with pearly teeth: I have given preference to the meaning derived from …, It glistened, e.g. … the front teeth glistened, to that adopted by 'the commentator, namely, 'the teeth of the oppressed', which does not yield a satisfactory sense. The point lies in the repetition of the letter six times with its implied primary meaning, a tooth.

[117:3] I went betimes to the wine-shop: Metre, basit. Ibn Qutaiba criticises the poet for introducing in this verse four synonyms for the word active. Sh‘ir wa Shu‘ará, p. 12.

[117:4] … Like a mass of rock hurled from a height: The criticism is that the second half of the verse does not suggest a horse under control ready 'to attack, retreat, advance, or retire.'

[117:5] I reproached her: Metre, kámil.

[117:6] My companions stopping their camels near me: Metre, tawíl.

[117:7] Naṣr al-Khubzuruzzi (d. A.H. 317) the rice-bread baker was a native of Baṣra. This poet could neither read nor write. He baked rice-bread in a shop situated at the Mirbad of Baṣra and he used to recite there to crowds of enthusiastic admirers, verses of his own, all of them amatory. Ibn Khallikan, iii, 530; Yatíma, ii, 132.

[118:1] The cloud of separation: Metre, tawíl.

[118:2] The saffron scented breeze: Metre, tawíl.

[118:3] Ḥassán: (ibn Thábit) d. A.H. 54 was one of the poets that espoused the cause of Muḥammad. He belonged to a family of poets and is said to have lived to the great age of 120 years. His Diwán has been published by the Trustees of the Gibb Memorial. Ibn Khallikan, iv, 259.

[118:4] Of fair countenances: Metre, kámil.

[118:5] Like the folly of Mutanabbí: Twenty-three imperatives in two lines! See diwan of Mutanabbí, ed. by Dieterici, p. 495, and for an example of another collection of fourteen imperatives, p. 493.
Mutanabbi: (A.H. 303-354). The well-known court poet of Saif Al Daula is generally admitted to be the greatest of all Islámic poets. As the poets of the Mu‘allaqát illustrated the spirit of the sons of the desert, so does Mutanabbí represent the sentiments of the Muslim Arabs. See Yatíma, i, 78; Browne, Lit. Hist. of Persia, i, 369; Nicholson, Lit. Hist. of the Arabs, p. 304; Ibn Khallikan, i,102.

[118:6] Enjoy, live on, etc.: Metre, ṭawíl.

[119:1] My verse is lost upon your door: Metre,. mutaqárib.

[119:2] Khaliṣa: An extremely ill-favoured damsel of whom Harlan al-Rashid was passionately fond. To compensate for her natural defects the Khalífa furnished her with rich apparel and costly jewels. Abú Núwás became aware of this and wrote these lines over her door. The damsel complained to Harún and Abú Núwás was summoned to the presence of the Khalífa to explain his presumptuous conduct. On his way to the audience-chamber he passed the door over which the offending lines were written and erased the lower curve of the ‘ain so that only the upper one (ﺀ) the sign for hamza, remained, so that the word read shone, instead was lost. (Núfḥat al-Yemen. Story 13.)

[119:3] Verily the sentence: Metre, basít. The letter ‘ain is manipulated in a similar manner in this line. See note 2 on Kháliṣá.

XXIX. THE MAQAMA OF HAMDAN

‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM related to us and said: We were present one day at the court of Saif al-Daula ibn Ḥamdán, and they brought before him a horse—'when the eye looks up at him it wants to look down again in order to take in all his beauty.' The company looked at it and Saif al-Daula said: 'Whoever of you describes it best, I will make him a present of it.' So every one tried his best endeavour and expended what ability he possessed. One of his attendants said: 'May God prosper the Amír! Yesterday I saw a man who put eloquence under his feet and upon whom men's eyes rested. He was soliciting the people and getting nothing. Now, if the Amír would summon him, he would excel them in his repartee.' Said Saif al-Daula: 'Bring him to me as he is.' Then the attendants flew in search of him and they forthwith brought him, but they did not tell him with what object he had been summoned.

Then he was taken near and was brought close up. He was wearing a pair of worn-out garments upon which time had long eaten and drunken. When he reached the front rank he kissed the carpet and stood still. Saif al-Daula said: 'The report of thy eloquence has reached us so exhibit it on this horse and its description.' He said: 'May God prosper the Amír! How can it be done before riding him and seeing his jumping, and disclosing his defects and his latent qualities?' He said: 'Mount it.' So he mounted it, made it go and then he said, 'God prosper the Amír! He is long in both ears, scanty of two, spacious in the rectum, soft of three, thick in the shank, depressed of four, strong-winded, fine of five, narrow in the gullet, thin of six, sharp of hearing, thick of seven, fine of tongue, broad of eight, long in the ribs, short of nine, wide of jaw, remote of ten.

He grips with his forefeet, kicks out with his hind ones, appears with a bright face and laughs exposing his permanent corner nipper.

He cracks the face of the earth with hoofs of iron, he rises like the ocean when it is rough, or the torrent when it rages.' Saif al-Daula said: 'Thou art welcome to the horse.' He said: 'Mayest thou cease not to get precious things and to give away horses!' Then he turned away and I followed him and said: 'I will undertake to supply thee with the equipment necessary for this horse, if thou explain what thou hast described.' He answered, 'Ask what thou desirest.' I said: 'What is the meaning of thy saying, Remote of ten?' He replied: 'Remote of sight, of pace, of space between the two eye sockets, and between the two hind quarters, and remote of space between the two extremities of the haunches, between the nostrils, wide in the space between the two hind legs, and between the navel and the operating point. Remote of goal in the race.' I said: 'May thy teeth not be broken!

And what is the meaning of thy saying, Short of nine?' He replied: 'Short of hair, short of hair on the pastern, short of tail bone, short in the arms, short in the pasterns, short in the sciatic artery, short in the back, short of shank.' I said: 'How excellent! And what is the meaning of thy saying, Broad of eight?' He answered: 'Broad of brow, broad of haunch, broad of back, broad of scapula, broad of flank, broad of sinew, broad of breast, broad of neck.' I said: 'Well done! And what is the meaning of thy saying, Thick of seven?' He answered: 'Thick in the foreleg, stout of girth, thick in the tail root, thick of skin in the head, thick in the pastern, thick in the thighs, thick in the back.' I said: 'How wonderful!

And what is the meaning of thy saying, Thin of six?' He answered: 'Thin of eyelid, thin in the fore-part of the neck, thin in the lip, thin-skinned, thin in the tips of the ears, thin in the sides of the neck.' I said: 'Well done! And what is the meaning of thy saying, Fine of five?' He replied: 'Fine in the uppermost part of the neck, fine in the frog, fine in the forehead, fine in the knee, fine in the foreleg sinew.' I said: 'May God prolong thy life! And what is the meaning of thy saying, Depressed of four?' He answered:

[paragraph continues] 'Depressed in the top of the shoulders, depressed in the knee joints, depressed in the eyebrows, depressed in the arm-bone.' I said: 'And what is the meaning of thy saying, Soft of three?' He said: 'Soft in the upper parts of the shoulder blades, soft of mane, soft in the mouth.' Then I said: 'And what is the meaning of thy saying, Scanty of two?' He answered: 'Scanty in the flesh of the face, scanty in flesh on both sides of the back.' I asked: 'Whence the origin of this excellence?' He replied: 'From the frontiers of the Umayyads and the city of Alexandria.' Then I said: 'Dost thou with this excellence expose thy self-respect to this extravagance?' Then he recited saying 'Befool thy time well, for time is a fool, Consign honour to oblivion and live in comfort and plenty, And tell this thy slave to bring us a cake.'

119:4 Abdallah ibn Ḥamdán: The name of Saif al-Dan father.

119:5 Saif al-Daula the Hamdánid: A.H. 333-66 (A.D. 916-67), made himself master of Aleppo in 944 and founded an independent kingdom in northern Syria.

He was an accomplished scholar and poet himself, a lover of fine poetry and a renowned patrols of letters. For notices of his life, see Ibn Khallikan, ii, 334 and Tha‘alibí, Yatíma, i, 88.

119:6 When the eye looks up: An allusion to the Qaṣída of Imr al-Qais, p. 25, verse 69, Lyall's edition of the Mu‘allaqát. The text is incorrectly vocalized the ﻕ and ﻫ should be doubled.

I have varied the translation of these lines in accordance with the different meanings suggested by Tabrízí. Hamadhání has already twice quoted this line, but this is the first occasion he has done so appositely.

120:1 Put eloquence under his feet: Literally, tramples upon it, figuratively for having eloquence in subjection.
120:2 Getting nothing: Literally, he made them to drink despair; this is capable of two explanations:— (a) If we take the verb … to mean he was asking the people for something, … would signify he made them despair of giving him sufficient. (b) … means he was questioning the people, then … signifies he made them despair of answering him. I think the second explanation is more in consonance with the context.

120:3 Eaten and drunken: Arab Proverbs, i, 61. Figure for old and much used.

120:4 … He cracks: Another reading … he scores.

120:5 Hoofs of iron: Literally, an iron pounder.

121:1 Wide in the space between the two hind legs: Such a horse is called …

121:2 … Navel: The point on the navel where the farrier operates to extract a yellow fluid.

121:3 … The operating point: That is, the thin skin next to the navel which the farrier perforates in order that a yellow fluid may issue forth.

121:4 Short of nine: Only eight are mentioned, one having been omitted on grounds of decency.

122:1 Soft in the mouth: Literally, soft of, i.e. obedient to, the rein.

122:2 Expose thy self-respect: Literally, expose thy face, a common figure for risk of self-respect.

122:3 Befool thy time: Metre, mujtath. Cf. p. 128 of the Text.

122:4 Saif al-Daula died about two years before Hamadhání was born. This maqáma is, therefore, based on an imaginary incident or a popular story. See Ibn Khallikan, ii, 139, where there is a description of a horse presented by this prince. Also cf. p. 124 of the same volume. For an example of riddling with numbers, see Ecclesiastes, xi. 2.

Notes:

[119:4] Abdallah ibn Ḥamdán: The name of Saif al-Dan father.

[119:5] Saif al-Daula the Hamdánid: A.H. 333-66 (A.D. 916-67), made himself master of Aleppo in 944 and founded an independent kingdom in northern Syria.

He was an accomplished scholar and poet himself, a lover of fine poetry and a renowned patrols of letters. For notices of his life, see Ibn Khallikan, ii, 334 and Tha‘alibí, Yatíma, i, 88.

[119:6] When the eye looks up: An allusion to the Qaṣída of Imr al-Qais, p. 25, verse 69, Lyall's edition of the Mu‘allaqát. The text is incorrectly vocalized the ﻕ and ﻫ should be doubled.

[120:1] Put eloquence under his feet: Literally, tramples upon it, figuratively for having eloquence in subjection.

[120:2] Getting nothing: Literally, he made them to drink despair; this is capable of two explanations:— (a) If we take the verb … to mean he was asking the people for something, … would signify he made them despair of giving him sufficient. (b) … means he was questioning the people, then … signifies he made them despair of answering him. I think the second explanation is more in consonance with the context.

[120:3] Eaten and drunken: Arab Proverbs, i, 61. Figure for old and much used.

[120:4] … He cracks: Another reading … he scores.

[120:5] Hoofs of iron: Literally, an iron pounder.

[121:1] Wide in the space between the two hind legs: Such a horse is called …

[121:2] … Navel: The point on the navel where the farrier operates to extract a yellow fluid.

[121:3] … The operating point: That is, the thin skin next to the navel which the farrier perforates in order that a yellow fluid may issue forth.

[121:4] Short of nine: Only eight are mentioned, one having been omitted on grounds of decency.

[122:1] Soft in the mouth: Literally, soft of, i.e. obedient to, the rein.

[122:2] Expose thy self-respect: Literally, expose thy face, a common figure for risk of self-respect.

[122:3] Befool thy time: Metre, mujtath. Cf. p. 128 of the Text.

[122:4] Saif al-Daula died about two years before Hamadhání was born. This maqáma is, therefore, based on an imaginary incident or a popular story. See Ibn Khallikan, ii, 139, where there is a description of a horse presented by this prince. Also cf. p. 124 of the same volume. For an example of riddling with numbers, see Ecclesiastes, xi. 2.