When the true dawn struck forth its tongue from the
wolf's tail (the false dawn)
Dog and watchman went to sleep:
The sleeping cock beat down (flapped) his wings (awoke);
The drum-striker struck the leather strap (the drum-stick)
on the drum (of slender waist):
I arose, rested from sleep;
I prepared my soul for jewel-drawing forth (of verse).
The jewel-seeker who digs the precious mine (of verse)
Digs out his precious life (severely toils) in the fancy of
hope.
Who, with a torrent of blood (strenuous effort), brings a
ruby to his grasp,
Makes contest with the heart of the hard stone (the
mountain-mine).
“Dum-i-gurg” signifies—zanabu-s-sarhán, the wolf's tail. But here it means—the false dawn, during which the spreading of light resembles (in whiteness and blackness, and in the upward extending of rays) a wolf's tail. The true dawn appears broad and low on the horizon of the earth. See the “Journal” of the Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, New Series, vol. x. part 3, July 1878, page 344.
In Ouseley's Oriental Collections, 1797, vol. ii. No. 3, p. 302, it is said:—
“Zang is bordered on the north by Yaman; on the south, by deserts; on the east, by Nubia; on the west, by Habsh.
“The inhabitants are never sorrowful, the cause being that Suhayl
(Canopus) rises over them. The men of Zang are descended from
Zangí, son of Kush, son of Kana'an, son of Ham; and are called man-
“They are supposed to be the Troglodytes of the ancients.”
2When the cock crows he lowers and shakes his wings.
5Otherwise:—
For a red ruby,—that he may bring (it) to his grasp,
He contends with the heart of the hard stone (the mine).
O man, idle listener! What thinkest thou?—
That it is easy to fill the ear with pearls (of eloquence)?
If the fig-eating birds had been many
There would not have remained a single fig on any branch.
The representer (historian) of the form (accusation of
tyranny) of this silk (Sikandar)
Made representation to the picture-painter (Nizámí) thus,
Saying:—When in the morning the lamp of heaven
Illumined the face of the beauty of the world,
The sun brought forth his hand in splendour,
(And) sate bride-like on the chair of gold (crepuscule of
dawn).
Sikandar, according to the regulations of former kings,
Prepared a banquet in his own hall;
Slaves, rose-faced and heart-ravishing,
On foot, girdle on the waist, before the Khusrau.
Sometimes he drank wine in memory of Kay (former
kings);
Sometimes he scattered treasure on music (the minstrel)
and wine (the cup-bearer).
Thus seated like the fountain of light (the sun),
When a cry for justice came from the far road.
O man! art thou careless of the torrents of blood which they devour who bring the ruby (of delight) to thy hand.
“Aśán niyosh” signifies—one who has no power of hearing and understanding subtle speech; or one who has not perfect understanding in verse.
??This couplet, probably inserted by the copyist without connection with the other couplets, will be found in canto ix. couplet 10.
??The sun is both masculine and feminine.
??“Kamar bar kamar” may signify—crowded together; or belt (fúa) on the waist (kamar).
Since Sikandar was tribute-payer to Dárá (of the lineage of Kay) the word Kay is here mentioned.
15The news-master took the news to the king,
Saying:—“A handful of men, tyranny-experienced, justice-
“Are tyranny-complainers to the King of Rúm,
“Saying:—Land and clime have become narrow for (void
of ease to) the Egyptians:
“The black men of Zang have arrived to such a degree,
“That the thoroughfare in the (Egyptian) desert has
become strait:
“They have rolled up the environs of the world (Egypt)
in such a way
“That blackness (from their numbers) has come on that
mountain and plain:
“Desert-ones, like black pitch,
“More in number than the (blades of) grass in the desert.
“Like one with little beard, all old and childish;
“Though they are ugly, they go in joyousness.
About the cities of Egypt, of which the air is agreeable, were gardens and villas. Hence they call Egypt—sawád-i-jahán; just as they call Samarḳand—bihisht-i-jahán, the Paradise of the world.
According to Sir H. Rawlinson, Eden was the region of Ganduni (Kardunias), in Babylonia. In the inscriptions of Tiglath Pileser II. (B.C. 745-727) it is stated that four rivers—the Euphrates, the Tigris, the Ukni, and the Surappi—watered this land. See the Bible, Genesis ii. 8, 17.
Eden ('Adn) signifies—a settled abode, delight, tranquillity.
“Saudá” may signify—a brain disease. Anyone afflicted with it was put in a dark place, in the belief that darkness was pleasing to him.
Otherwise:—
By reason of the black army of Zang, the outskirts of Egypt became so strait and dark that you might say—an affection of the brain has befallen Egypt, so that it is in the midst of the darkness (of the men of Zang, black in colour).
19“Ḳaran” (katrán, katírán) signifies—pitch; or a gum (very hot, black, and readily taking fire) of the mountain cypress (ubhul; 'ar'ar); they rub the sore back of the camel with it.
20A man of scanty beard is considered ugly.
The first line may read:—
Like one of little beard, all old of childish nature;
Like one of little beard, all old but joyous;
See couplet 59.
“Among them,—not a face that displays shame;
“Among them,—not love nor reverence towards any.
“All—man-devouring and man-injuring;
“Egypt, in this matter, has no foot (of resistance).
“If the monarch come with assistance,—(well);
“But, if not, that country (Egypt) will pass away in
rapine.
“Nor Egypt, nor Afranja, nor Rúm remains;
“They melt like wax by reason of that stove of fire (the
army of black men).
“From such a multitude (of the people of Zang) we are
heart-distressed;
“The rest,—Command is the king's; we are slaves.”
The king, administrator of justice, just ruler, religion-
When he knew that the people of Zang had brought an
army,
Became affrighted at the countless array,
—It is not proper that a wise man should be fearless.—
He summoned Aristo, vigilant of heart,
And urged much speech with him on this matter.
The wise minister of victorious (true) judgment
Became a guide to the king's victory.
Saying:—Arise and once display fortune-essaying;
“Make destruction of such a great dragon (Zang).
A commentator observes:—“Afranja is the name of a city, made prosperous by Naushíraván, on the banks of the river of Egypt (the Nile); of the country of Zang; and of the land in the West (Europe).” See canto xxi. couplet 20.
27His fearfulness was better than fearlessness, for it was from knowledge.
“Perhaps from the king's hand may issue a deed,
“That may make the king's power more powerful.
“Egypt and that territory (of Zang) may become subject
to thee;
“Thy name may come forth (renowned) for manliness.
“And if thou bring the enemy (men of Zang) to the dust,
“The friend becomes victorious, and the enemy (the rest
of the world) infamous (ruined).”
Sikandar, by the counselling of the guide,
Carried the standard out of Makedonia.
He raised an army—that with helmet and sword
Its flashing lightning ascended to the cloud.
Sikandar exercised judgment from the river (Nile) to the
dry land;
His guide (Aristo) became the path-displayer to Egypt.
All the Egyptians—citizens and soldiers,—
Went to meet him ceremoniously on account of his good
fortune.
The king ordered that—from the bank of the River Nile
His army should march towards the desert.
For contest the men of Zang went hastening;
Two horses apiece, they went towards the desert.
The army resembled the thunder-cloud by the black helmets; and the lightning by the sword-sheen.
37“Pazíra” signifies—paziranda; istiḳbál kunanda.
See canto xxii. couplet 11.
39The Turkomans, divided into many tribes (the chief being the Yamuts, the Goklans, and the Tekès), inhabit the county between Khíva, the Oxus, and the north Persian frontier.
The Yamuts (forty thousand tents) occupy the shores of the Caspian; the Goklans (twelve thousand tents) the Upper Gourgan, the Attrek, and Simbur; the Akhal Tekès (thirty thousand tents) at Tajand, and on the northern slopes of the Keven Dágh mountains; and the Marv Tekès (thirty thousand tents) the oasis of Marv and the banks of the Murgháb river.
The Turkomans are of the Sunní sect of the faith of Islám; live in a Republican manner, tribal feeling being the leading sentiment; have rarely more than one wife; subsist on milk and millet; are rough, but brave and hospitable; and understand not suffering, however terrible, being merciless to the last degree.
The Turkoman horse is probably descended from the Arab, which (as well as the English thoroughbred) he now excels in height, speed, and endurance.
He is fed in spring time on green food, and at other times on barley, chopped straw, and clover hay. He is carefully clothed with hoods and rugs of thick felt, enveloping the whole of the body; the clothing is carried by a baggage-horse.
Every horse is carefully tested by being raced over long distances of forty or fifty miles, and over shorter distances of five or six miles.
A good horse may be purchased for £20, and one of high class for £500. A horse that will not gallop 50 miles without stopping the Turkomans consider not worth having.
At Sháh-rúd Valentine Baker saw a horse that had (they said) been ridden from Meshed to Tahran (five hundred and fifty miles) in four days.
When a chief is intent on a foray, he plants his lance in front of his tent, while a crier invites the people to range themselves under his banner and join in the raid against the Persians (Shiahs).
Those who have confidence in the chief strike their lances into the ground near his. When the chief thinks he has a sufficient following, he names that day month as the day of departure.
During this month the daily forage consists of six pounds of hay, three pounds of barley or a pound and a half of corn. This diet decreases the flesh of the horse, but increases his speed. The horse is then daily put to full speed for half an hour, and is not fed for some time after he comes in; very little water is given.
Thirty days having elapsed, the Turkomans take the field, each with two horses; one the charger, the other the sumpter, that follows without saddle and bridle, and that never strays from the party.
The marches are—first day, 3 parasangs=13.5 miles; second day, 4 parasangs=18.0 miles; third day, 5 parasangs=22.5 miles; fourth day, 6 parasangs=27.0 miles.
The daily forage, given in balls, then consists of—four pounds and a quarter of barley-flour, two pounds of maize, and two pounds of raw fat of a sheep's tail chopped fine, all well mixed.
The horses thrive on this diet, on which, after four days, they can endure the longest forced march. Then their masters mount them to pillage.
After assaulting a village they fly with their booty thirty or forty parasangs (a hundred and eighty miles) without drawing bit; and in an incredibly short space of time reach their encampment. Thus trained, their horses are not knocked up. “Clouds in the East,” by V. Baker.
In his “Ride to Khíva,” page 150, Burnaby says:—“A Kirghiz chief galloped with a Cossack escort (two horses per man) two hundred miles in twenty-four hours.
Plutarch says that, after the battle of Arbela (B.C. 329), Alexander marched three thousand three hundred furlongs in eleven days, or forty miles per day. This is nothing compared with Hannibal's march along the African coast.
40The warriors dragged their chattels to (halted in) the
desert.
For fighting the men of Zang, waist-belt made tight.
When the men of Zang obtained intelligence that the army
(of Sikandar) had come,
The world became black to the eye of the men of Zang.
The two armies became arranged opposite (to each other);
All compassionate feelings, risen to go, departed.
From the steel-nail hoof of the war-steeds;
From the agitation,—earth's foundations fell.
From much shouting, which came forth from the ambush,
The (glass of the) sky (cracked and) fell upon the earth.
From the mace, heavy of weight, of the warriors,—
The head of the fish and of the ox became heavy.
The tumult of the cry of the soldiers is likened to the crashing of the (glass of the) sky, (unable to endure loud reports) upon the earth.
45By Muslims it is supposed that God first created water and supported the eternal throne upon it. From the water there arose vapour, out of which He formed the sky and the earth, which He divided into seven parts.
God then created a fish. Then there was supported—the earth by the fish; the fish by blocks of stone; the stone by an angel; the angel by a rock; and the rock by the wind. The movements of the fish causing the earth to be violently agitated, God fixed mountains as pegs to keep it steady.
The heavens are seven in number. That nearest to the earth, or the first, is formed of emerald; the second of silver; the third of ruby; the fourth of pearl; the fifth of gold; the sixth of topaz; and the seventh of fire, where the angels chaunt:—“There is no God but God, the Lord of the glorious throne!”
Around the earth is the circumambient ocean; around the ocean the mountains of Káf, formed of green chrysolite, inhabited by Jinns. Before the creation of Ádam the Jinns dwelt on earth; but for quarrelling with each other and shedding the blood of animals, God sent troops of angels against them, who killed some and confined others in the mountains of Káf. See canto xix. couplet 15; and Sale's Ḳurán, art. “Earth.”
From the clamouring of noise, like the Resurrection
Day,
Flight came upon the beasts of the desert.
When their weapons were prepared for battle,
The demon, on account of their uproar became a flee-er.
They accepted the battle-place in such a place
That the heat brought forth dust from (distressed) the
men.
A land,—more waterless than red sulphur;
An atmosphere,—more liver-scorching than hell.
Neither in it cold water,—save pure poison (hot water,
bitter and deadly);
Nor in it warm affection,—save the sun.
By reason of large serpents (swords) the caves (wounds)
came into commotion;
In them (the caves) the day (of splendour) of markets as
regards tumult (of bloodshed).
“Zuhr-i-náb” here signifies—áb-i-talkh; ábhá,e shor.
“Mihr” signifies—love short of muhabbat.
51“Tanín” signifies—a large serpent; a constellation, one extremity of which they call rás, and the other zanab; a white serpent in the sky, whose body is in the sixth mansion and tail in the seventh.
The journeying of Sikandar was like that of a wandering star.
In that land the caves, by the coming and going of serpents (dragons) came into commotion; and in those caves there was the splendour of commotion and tumult by reason of bloodshed and slaughter.
In that place of ghúls (the battle-field, void of water) they
(the men of Rúm) made their abode (for embassy-
They (the champions on both sides) galloped like ghúls in
every direction (for man-slaying, camp-guarding, and
supply-bringing).
When the ox of the earth swallowed his own hump (half
of the sun),
The black lion (night) leaped forth from ambush (appeared).
The Bull of the celestial sphere (Taurus) went boldly to
(appeared on) the horizon;
The stars, like lions' teeth, came forth (fearful).
Night displayed from its own navel something like musk
(darkness);
The world laid aside the jewel of light.
The officer of the advanced guard (of the army), enemy-
The watchman bound his loins on the guard-place (about
Sikandar's tent).
A ghúl is said to be a monster (male and female), half flesh, half spirit, tangible yet ever changing form, endowed with speech and reason for evil only; hating man and ever seeking his harm; mortal, but, when killed, disappears or appears only as a piece of burned leather.
In Arab records the ghul disappears and is replaced by the Jinn and the 'Ifrí. The ghúl appears fearful to man, whom, leading astray at night, he destroys. See Sale's Ḳurán under the head of Devils and Genii.
53When the sun reaches the horizon it assumes the form of the hump of the ox.
The ox, earth-supporting, swallowed the hump (half of the sun at the time of the sun's setting).
“Koha” signifies—earthly shade.
When the ox of the earth swallowed its own hump (earth-shade from the eastern horizon).
The ha in “koha” is by way of affinity, as án in “kohán.”
55“Sá” signifies—mánind, like.
They rub (sáyand) musk in a shell that its perfume may be increased.
56The first line may mean:—
The enemy-recogniser (Sikandar) advanced guard-holding,—went forth.
The stars began shining (in the pure air);
The men rested from moving.
(Separately) in one place (the men) both of Rúm and also
of Zang;
The men of Rúm and of Zang listless as to action (of
battle).
Come, cup-bearer! that wine (of senselessness) that is like
the men of Rúm (red and white)
Give me; for my temperament is happy like the (temperament
of the) men of Zang.
Perhaps with (opposed to) me this fearless panther (the
traitor, Time)
May not be of two colours (deceitful) like the men of Rúm
and of Zang.
The meaning may be:—
Wonderful it is that the armies of Rúm and Zang are in one place and that they do not fight!
The two armies are not in one place. Nay, they are encamped far from each other. That is, Rúm had encamped in one place and Zang in another.
59When the orders of Muhammad the prophet, regarding the accepting of the Islám faith, reached the seven climes, the men of Zang listened with the ear of acceptance. On hearing this Muhammad prayed that the Zang nation might always be joyous. For this reason it is that the people are of laughing face.