This Assembly closely resembles the last; the difference between them being that, whereas the feat accomplished in the last consisted in producing sentences or lines of poetry, the letters of which should be the same whether read forward or backward, the peculiarity of the present composition is that the words themselves being reversed produce a perfect sense. The Assembly, in other respects, shows no feature that requires notice.
Al Ḥârith, son of Hammâm, related: In one of the places whither my journeying cast me, to whose fairness my eye was lifted up, I beheld some youths, on whom was the mark of understanding, and the beauty of the stars of the dark.—And they were in a debate that was strong of blast, and a contention that exceeded in its heat.—Then was I roused to make towards them by the love of disputation, and by deeming the fruits of discussion to be sweet.—And when I had joined myself to their company, and strung myself on their thread, they said, “Art thou one who will prove himself in the strife and cast in his bucket among the buckets?”—I said, “Nay, I am but of the lookers on at war, not of the sons of the stab and the stroke.”—Then they broke off from arguing with me, and gave themselves to putting forth riddles.—And there was in the midst of their ring, and in the circlet of their company, an old man whom cares had made lean, whom the hot wind had scorched;—So that he had come to be thinner than a reed, dryer than the shears.—And yet was he uttering wonders whenever he answered, and causing Saḥbân to be forgotten as often as he expounded.—And I admired the judgment he was gifted with, and his surpassing that assemblage.—And he ceased not to make clear every puzzle, and to lay low all he aimed at, until the quivers were empty, and the asking and the answering were exhausted.—Now when he saw that the company had consumed their store, and were forced to fasting, he hinted at a colloquy, and asked leave for an argument.—They said, “Excellent, but who will be our surety for it?”—He said, “Do ye know a composition whose earth is its heaven, and whose morn is its even; which is woven on two beams, and shows with two colours, and prays towards two points, and goes forth with two faces?—If it rises out from its east excellent is its splendour, and if it mounts from its west, then Oh its marvel!”
Said Al Ḥârith: Then it was as though the company were struck with speechlessness, or the word “Silence” were incumbent upon them.—And no man said word, and the tongue of none uttered aught;—But when he saw them dumb as cattle, and speechless as statues, he said to them, “I have now conceded to you the term of grace, and made slack to you the tether of delay:—And here is the camp of gathering, the station of decision.— Now if your minds yield freely I will praise, but if your fire-staves be barren I will rub the spark.”—They said to him, “By Allah, there is no swimming for us in the deep of this sea, no wandering on its shore; so give rest to our thoughts from travail, and make grateful thy gift by readiness.—And take us as brethren who will leap when thou leapest, and will recompense when thou seekest recompensing.”—And he looked down a space; then he said, I hear you and obey.—Take now this dictation from me and hand it down of me:
Man is the creature of kindness; and the perfecting of a benefit is the deed of the liberal; and the disposition of the generous is a treasure of praise; and the gain of thanks is a gathering of happiness; and the index of generosity is the light of cheerfulness; and the practice of courtesy leads of needs to affection; and the bond of friendship demands sincere counsel; and truth of narrative is the ornament of the tongue; and eloquence in speech is witchcraft to hearts; and the net of desire is the bane of souls; and impatience of disposition is a dishonour to mortals; and evil desire consists not with self-restraint; and the clinging to prudence is the leading-cord of safety; and to seek occasions for blaming is the worst of faults; and the dwelling upon failings overthrows friendships; and sincerity of purpose is the cream of a gift; and ungrudgingness in conferring is the price due to asking; and the undertaking of labours lays the way for recompence; and faith in God’s protection makes it easy to bestow; and the excellence of the prince is largeness of breast; and the ornament of rulers is hatred of defamers; and the reward of praiseworthy deeds is a bestowing of gifts; and the dowry of conciliation is the obtaining of requests; and the cause of error is extravagance of aim; and to overstep bounds blunts vigour; and transgression of politeness nullifies services; and the forgetting of rights provokes resistance; and to shun doubtful deeds raises men’s rank; and elevation of dignities is by rushing into dangers; and the exalting of positions is by the favour of Providence; and loftiness in actions is through the limiting of desires; and the lengthening of thought makes precision of judgment; and the crown of princeliness is the refinement of courtliness; and by contentiousness is lost what is sought for; and in perils is shown the difference among men; and in the superiority of plans lies the distinction of men’s values; and by the exaggeration of the envoy policy is weakened; and through laxness of powers do terrors appear; and by the task of patience is the fruit of victory; and the merit to be praiseworthy is in proportion to diligence; and to repay regard is necessary to consideration; and affection in servants is shown in visiting their masters; and the adornment of manliness is the guarding of trusts; and the proving of brethren is in their lightening one’s griefs; and the repulse of enemies is by defence on the part of friends; and the testing of the intelligent is by associating them with the ignorant; and the looking to consequences gives security from fatalities; and the keeping from baseness spreads reputation; and the vice of boorishness consists not with excellence; and the essence of the noble is the guarding of secrets.
Then he said: These are two hundred words comprising culture and admonition.—If one move them in this direction, there is no debate, no contention; but if one desire the reversing of their mould, and the turning of them backwards, let him say, “Secrets are trusted to the noble; and the nature of excellence consists not with boorishness; and foulness of reputation spreads disgrace;”—And so on this track let him trail them and not fear error in them, until there shall come the close of their couplets and the last of their pearls, namely, “and to perfect kindness is a good deed of man.”
Said the narrator: Now when he had uttered his unique address, and his elegancy that was perfect of meaning, we knew how much composition may be diverse in merit, and that excellence is in the hand of God; He gives it to whom he will.—Then clung each of us to his skirt, each cut off for him a portion from what he possessed.—But he declined to receive mine, and said, “I do not take forfeit of my pupils.”—I said, “Be Abû Zayd, even with all this embrowning of thy figure and this failure of the water of thy cheek.”—He said, “I am he, even with all my leanness and withering, and the squalor of my drought.”—Then I took to chiding him for this gadding east and west.—But he declared the Power of God and our return to Him; then he indited with an aching heart:
Time hath drawn his sword upon me to fright me, and hath sharpened his blade;
And hath stolen away from mine eyelid its slumber, like an adversary; and hath made its tear flow down;
And caused me to roam the world; to go about its east, to traverse its west:
And day after day there is for me in each valley but a single rising and setting.
And so the exile’s figure is changed and his destination is afar.
Then he went away trailing his gait and swinging his arms;—And we were divided between turning to gaze on him and hastening after him.—Then we delayed not to loose our loops, and we went asunder like the bands of Saba.
The following is Abû Zayd’s composition read backwards:
Secrets are trusted to the noble; and the
nature of excellence consists not with boorishness; and
foulness of reputation spreads disgrace; and the guarding
against fatalities secures from ill consequences; and
the discerning of the foolish is by associating them with
the intelligent; and the proving of friends is in the
repelling of enemies; and the driving away of sorrows
is by the cheering of brethren; and the proof of religious
beliefs is in the observance of virtue; and the
grace of subjects is the visiting their masters; and
sincerity of regard consists in the repaying of consideration;
and the necessity of exertion is in proportion to
reputation; and the meriting of success is the fruit of
patience; and in the duress of terrors is strength shown;
and by looseness of policy the envoy is weakened; and
through increase of rank do purposes differ; and according
to the eminence of men is the magnitude of their
perils; and in poverty contention is useless; and with
courtliness comes the refinement of rule; and the first
thing in knowledge is clearness of thought; and to
defer men’s hopes is a failure in duties; and loftiness of
authority is by the favour of Providence; and exaltation
in dignities is by rushing into dangers; and the raising
of rank raises distrusts; and the shunning of contumacy
produces regard for rights; and forgetfulness of
services destroys courtesy; and to overstep bounds blunts
vigour; and to go beyond the mark is an excess of error;
and the obtaining of requests is by the interceding of
conciliation; and the dowry of givers is the spreading
of their praiseworthy deeds; and the reward of administrators
is the hatred of rulers; and the ornament of the
prince is largeness of breast; and the virtue of bestowing
brings with it God’s protection; and faith in recompense
makes labours easy; and the hatefulness of begging is
the price paid for conferring; and ungrudgingness in a
gift is the cream of intention; and sincerity in affection
makes nought of failings; and the dwelling upon men’s
vices is the worst of faults; and the seeking after safety
is the leading-cord of prudence; and the clinging to self-