RECORD OF NIMRUD’S ATTEMPTED ASCENTS TO HEAVEN, AND OF HIS FOLLY BECOMING NOTORIOUS TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD.

What follows is mostly based upon the narrative of Muhammad Bin Jarir Tabari, which Hâfez Abru has abridged (may the mercy of Allah be on both of them). The gist of the history is, that when Nimrud had witnessed the extinction of the pile of fire, and had beheld the roses produced therein by the benign Creator, he aspired to ascend to heaven, that the Mighty Avenger might cause him to participate in some of the evidences of that power which he had seen displayed in favour of the friend of the Merciful One. He consulted intelligent men on this point, but they informed him that ascension to the contignations of heaven would be impossible without the aid of Borâq.* Nimrud was, however, obstinate in his purpose, and spent many years in erecting a tower, which was so high that the bird of imagination could not reach its summit. When it was completed he ascended to the pinnacle of the spire, but the aspect of the heavens remained precisely the same as from the surface of the earth. This astonished and perplexed him. The next day the tower fell, and such a fearful noise struck the ears of the inhabitants of Babel that most of them fainted from the effects thereof; and when they had recovered their senses they forgot their own language, so that every tribe spoke a different idiom, and seventy-two tongues became current among them. The confusion of languages having taken place in that city, it was surnamed Babel.

When the tower had crumbled to pieces, Nimrud desisted not from his intention, but swore an oath that he would not abandon it before he had seen the God of heaven. He accordingly fed four eaglets for two years on meat, and gave them wine to drink, so that they attained a degree of strength and development beyond which it was impos­sible to rear them. Then he ordered a cage to be made sufficiently large to contain two persons; he got it also provided with two doors, the one above and the other below. On the four corners of this box four sticks were fixed, on each of which a piece of meat was suspended by a rope, and the eagles were kept fasting until they became extremely hungry, whereon he took a seat in the cage with one of his friends. When the eagles perceived the meat above their heads they desired to get hold thereof, and consequently bore the cage aloft, flying towards the upper regions. When they had thus progressed during one day and one night, Nimrud opened the door above and contem­plated the sky, which appeared to him the same as when he had beheld it from our terrestrial domicile. He then opened the nether door and perceived that the whole earth resembled a sea of water, and the mountains appeared to his eyes like ants. They continued one day and one night more in the upper regions, and then, opening the door above, they saw the heavens in the same state as before; but on looking through the lower door they perceived nothing but darkness, which so frightened Nimrud that he ordered his companion to turn the pieces of meat in the contrary direction and downward; whereon the eagles soared to the lower regions, but their flying was accom­panied by such dreadful sounds that they imagined some great calamity was descending upon them from heaven; even the earth itself began to quake from the dreadful noise, and the mountains were nearly collapsing. When Nimrud had again reached the earth he became weary, and ashamed of his adventure. According to the opinion of Tabari, the King of kings—whose magnificence be glorified —sent an angel in the shape of a man for the purpose of advising Nimrud, after four hundred years of his reign had elapsed, saying: ‘O impotent servant, give up these deeds, for they are much disliked; confess the unity of the Creator, and attempt no further temerity like this. Repent of the evil acts thou hast committed; for thou hast thrown Ebrahim, the prophet of God, into the fire, and hast exiled him from his native country. Other wicked acts have likewise originated from thee, after which thou hast attempted to ascend to heaven.

Distich:Hadst thou dealt well on earth
Thou hadst gained heaven also.

Notwithstanding thy unrighteous deeds, the Almighty— w. n. b. e.—had granted thee four hundred years of dominion. Therefore fear the Lord, whose power and army are immense; whereas all the countries and troops which thou possessest thou enjoyest only from Him. If He chooseth, He will this moment annihilate thee by means of the smallest of His creatures.’ To all this Nimrud replied: ‘I do not think there is any king besides me. If the King of Heaven has any troops, tell him to send them, that I may fight them.’ The angel rejoined: ‘Bring forth thy army, for the hosts of God expect a reply.’ Thereupon Nimrud asked for a respite of three days to get his army ready. This was granted, and after the expiration thereof he had collected his troops, marched out of the city at the head of an innumerable army, and, having arranged it in battle array, was intent upon war. Ebrahim then made his appearance opposite to the army of Nimrud, who asked: ‘Where is thy army?’ Ebrahim replied: ‘The God of the universe will send it this moment.’ During this conversation such a number of dreadful gnats settled upon the army of Nimrud that the light of the sun was hidden from the eyes of the beholders. These insects commenced to bite the heads and faces of the soldiers; every one of them was engaged with his own person; all of them, never­theless, united in their flight. Nimrud returned home confused and astounded, when the Lord of Grandeur— whose magnificence be glorified—again despatched the same angel in the shape of a man to Nimrud, to admonish him, saying: ‘O impotent slave! thou hast seen how the Almighty—w. n. b. e.—has by means of the smallest of His creatures put thy army to flight. Fear at least, and believe in the glorious and exalted Lord; because, if thou refusest, He will annihilate thee.’ Nimrud, however, would not be warned by these words, and therefore the Eternal Sovereign ordered one of the smallest and most despicable of gnats to settle on his lower lip and to bite it. A pustule arose on the spot; the insect, however, returned and bit him on the upper lip also, which likewise began to swell and to give him pain. Then the insect ascended into the chamber of his brains, and commenced to eat them. Thus he became afflicted with a tremendous headache in consequence of his rebellious disposition; neither would the insect relent in its labour of voracity until the head was struck with some­thing, whereon the pain abated a little; by degrees, how­ever, it increased to such an extent that iron hammers were kept ready and placed before Nimrud on the ground, and everyone who entered the assembly was, before he kissed the earth [to salute the king], obliged to take up one of these iron hammers and strike him on the head as long as he could bear it; and whoever performed this service the most satisfactorily was honoured by the king and obtained great favours, until he was at last, after forty years of suffering, delivered of this transitory life, and was grasped by the chastisement of futurity.