»
And the stranger replied:-
·-
"Listen ye who here are dwelling!
And the stranger replied:-
·-
"Listen ye who here are dwelling!
Warner - World's Best Literature - v02 - Aqu to Bag
"
We answered them, "Yea this thing may fall to you after the fight,
when men shall be left on ground, and none shall arise again;
But we know not, if we quail before the assault of Death,
how much may be left of life-the goal is too dim to see. "
We rode to the strait of battle; there cleared us a space, around
the white swords in our right hands which the smiths had fur-
bished fair.
On them fell the edge of my blade, on that day of Sabhal date;
And mine was the share thereof, wherever my fingers closed.
FATALITY
By Katari, ibn al-Fujâ'ah, ibn Maʼzin. From the Hamásah': Translation of
C. J. Lyall
SAID to her, when she fled in amaze and breathless
I
before the array of battle, "Why dost thou tremble?
Yea, if but a day of Life thou shouldst beg with weeping,
beyond what thy Doom appoints, thou wouldst not gain it!
Be still, then; and face the onset of Death, high-hearted,
for none upon earth shall win to abide forever.
No raiment of praise the cloak of old age and weakness;
none such for the coward who bows like a reed in the tem-
pest.
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The pathway of death is set for all men to travel.
the crier of Death proclaims through the earth his empire.
Who dies not when young and sound, dies old and weary —
cut off in his length of days from all love and kindness;
And what for a man is left of delight of living, -
past use-flung away-a worthless and worn-out chattel? »
IMPLACABILITY
By al-Fadl, ibn al-Abbas, ibn Utbah. From the Hamásah': Translation of
C. J. Lyall
ONS of our uncle, peace!
Cousins of ours, be still!
SON
drag not to light from its grave the strife that we buried
there.
Hope not for honor from us, while ye heap upon us shame,
or think that we shall forbear from vexing when ye vex us.
Sons of our uncle, peace! lay not our rancor raw;
walk now gently awhile, as once ye were wont to go.
Ay, God knows that we, we love you not, in sooth!
and that we blame ye not that ye have no love for us.
Each of us has his ground for the loathing his fellow moves:
a grace it is from the Lord that we hate yeye us!
PARENTAL AFFECTION
A poem by Hittân ibn al-Mu'allà of Tayyi. From the Hamásah': Translation
of C. J. Lyall
F
ORTUNE has brought me down-her wonted way -
from stature high and great, to low estate;
Fortune has rent away my plenteous store;
of all my wealth, honor alone is left.
Fortune has turned my joy to tears-how oft
did Fortune make me laugh with what she gave!
But for these girls, the kata's downy brood,
unkindly thrust from door to door as hard-
Far would I roam, and wide, to seek my bread,
in earth, that has no lack of breadth and length.
Nay, but our children in our midst, what else
but our hearts are they, walking on the ground?
If but the breeze blow harsh on one of them,
mine eye says "no" to slumber, all night long!
II-44
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ARABIC LITERATURE
A TRIBESMAN'S VALOR
Poem by Sa'd, son of Malik, of the Kais Tribe: Translation of C. J. Lyall
ow evil a thing is war, that bows men to shameful rest!
H
War burns away in her blaze all glory and boasting of men:
Naught stands but the valiant heart to face pain-the hard-
hoofed steed-
The ring-mail set close and firm, the nail-crowned helms and the spears;
And onset, again after rout, when men shrink from the serried array –
Then, then, fall away all the vile, the hirelings! and shame is strong!
War girds up her skirts before them, and evil unmixed is bare.
For their hearts were for maidens veiled, not for driving the gathered
spoil:
Yea, evil the heirs we leave, sons of Yakshar and al-Laksh!
But let flee her fires who will, no flinching for me, son of Kais!
O children of Kais! stand firm before her! gain peace or give:
Who seeks flight before her fear, his Doom stands and bars the road.
Away! Death allows no quitting of place, and brands are bare!
What is life for us, when the uplands and valleys are ours no more?
Ah, where are the mighty now? the spears and generous hands?
FROM THE QU'RAN
Translation of George Sale
CHAPTER XXXV. : INTITLED "THE CREATOR. "
REVEALED AT MECCA
I
N THE name of the most merciful GOD. Praise be unto GOD,
the creator of heaven and earth; who maketh the angels his
messengers, furnished with two, and three, and four pair of
wings: GOD maketh what addition he pleaseth unto his creatures;
for GOD is almighty. The mercy which GOD shall freely bestow
on mankind, there is none who can withhold; and what he shall
withhold, there is none who can bestow, besides him: and he
is the mighty, the wise. O men, remember the favor of GOD
towards you: is there any creator, besides GOD, who provideth
food for you from heaven and earth? There is no GOD but he:
how therefore are ye turned aside from acknowledging his unity?
If they accuse thee of imposture, apostles before thee have also
been accused of imposture; and unto GOD shall all things return.
O men, verily the promise of GOD is true: let not therefore the
present life deceive you, neither let the deceiver deceive you con-
cerning GOD: for Satan is an enemy unto you; wherefore hold
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691
him for an enemy: he only inviteth his confederates to be the
inhabitants of hell. For those who believe not there is prepared
a severe torment: but for those who shall believe and do that
which is right, is prepared mercy and a great reward. Shall he
therefore for whom his evil work hath been prepared, and who
imagineth it to be good, be as he who is rightly disposed, and
discerneth the truth? Verily GOD will cause to err whom he
pleaseth, and will direct whom he pleaseth. Let not thy soul
therefore be spent in sighs for their sakes, on account of their
obstinacy; for GOD well knoweth that which they do. It is God
who sendeth the winds, and raiseth a cloud: and we drive the
same unto a dead country, and thereby quicken the earth after it
hath been dead; so shall the resurrection be. Whoever desireth
excellence; unto GOD doth all excellence belong: unto him as-
cendeth the good speech; and the righteous work will he exalt.
But as for them who devise wicked plots, they shall suffer a
severe punishment; and the device of those men shall be ren-
dered vain. GOD created you first of the dust, and afterwards
of seed: and he hath made you man and wife. No female
conceiveth, or bringeth forth, but with his knowledge. Nor is
any thing added unto the age of him whose life is prolonged,
neither is any thing diminished from his age, but the same is
written in the book of God's decrees. Verily this is easy with
GOD. The two seas are not to be held in comparison: this is
fresh and sweet, pleasant to drink; but that is salt and bitter:
yet out of each of them ye eat fish, and take ornaments for you
to wear. Thou seest the ships also ploughing the waves thereof,
that ye may seek to enrich yourselves by commerce, of the abund-
ance of God: peradventure ye will be thankful. He causeth the
night to succeed the day, and he causeth the day to succeed the
night; and he obligeth the sun and the moon to perform their
services: each of them runneth an appointed course. This is
GOD, your LORD: his is the kingdom. But the idols which ye
invoke besides him have not the power even over the skin of a
date-stone: if ye invoke them, they will not hear your calling;
and although they should hear, yet they would not answer you.
On the day of resurrection they shall disclaim your having asso-
ciated them with God: and none shall declare unto thee the truth,
like one who is well acquainted therewith. O men, ye have need
of GOD; but GOD is self-sufficient, and to be praised.
pleaseth, he can take you away, and produce a new creature in
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your stead: neither will this be difficult with GOD. A burdened
soul shall not bear the burden of another: and if a heavy-
burdened soul call on another to bear part of its burden, no part
thereof shall be borne by the person who shall be called on,
although he be ever so nearly related. Thou shalt admonish
those who fear their LORD in secret, and are constant at prayer:
and whoever cleanseth himself from the guilt of disobedience,
cleanseth himself to the advantage of his own soul; for all shall
be assembled before GOD at the last day. The blind and the
seeing shall not be held equal; neither darkness and light; nor
the cool shade and the scorching wind: neither shall the living
and the dead be held equal. GOD shall cause him to hear
whom he pleaseth: but thou shalt not make those to hear who
are in their graves. Thou art no other than a preacher; verily
we have sent thee with truth, a bearer of good tidings, and a
denouncer of threats.
There hath been no nation, but a preacher hath in past times
been conversant among them: if they charge thee with imposture,
they who were before them likewise charged their apostles with
imposture. Their apostles came unto them with evident miracles,
and with divine writings, and with the Enlightening Book: after-
wards I chastised those who were unbelievers; and how severe
was my vengeance! Dost thou not see that GOD sendeth down
rain from heaven, and that we thereby produce fruits of various
colors? In the mountains also there are some tracts white and
red, of various colors; and others are of a deep black: and of
men, and beasts, and cattle there are whose colors are in like
manner various. Such only of his servants fear GOD as are
endued with understanding: verily GOD is mighty and ready to
forgive. Verily they who read the book of GOD, and are con-
stant at prayer, and give alms out of what we have bestowed on
them, both in secret and openly, hope for a merchandise which
shall not perish: that God may fully pay them their wages, and
make them a superabundant addition of his liberality; for he is
ready to forgive the faults of his servants, and to requite their
endeavors. That which we have revealed unto thee of the book
of the Korán is the truth, confirming the scriptures which were
revealed before it: for GOD knoweth and regardeth his servants.
And we have given the book of the Korán in heritage unto such
of our servants as we have chosen: of them there is one who
injureth his own soul; and there is another of them who keepeth
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the middle way; and there is another of them who outstrippeth
others in good works, by the permission of GOD. This is the
great excellence. They shall be introduced into gardens of per-
petual abode; they shall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold
and pearls, and their clothing therein shall be of silk: and they
shall say, Praise be unto GOD, who hath taken away sorrow from
us! verily our LORD is ready to forgive the sinners, and to
reward the obedient: who hath caused us to take up our rest in a
dwelling of eternal stability, through his bounty, wherein no labor
shall touch us, neither shall any weariness affect us. But for the
unbelievers is prepared the fire of hell: it shall not be decreed
them to die a second time; neither shall any part of the punish-
ment thereof be made lighter unto them. Thus shall every infi-
del be rewarded. And they shall cry out aloud in hell, saying,
LORD, take us hence, and we will work righteousness, and not
what we have formerly wrought. But it shall be answered
them, Did we not grant you lives of length sufficient, that who-
ever would be warned might be warned therein; and did not
the preacher come unto you? Taste therefore the pains of hell.
And the unjust shall have no protector. Verily GOD knoweth
the secrets both of heaven and earth, for he knoweth the inner-
most parts of the breasts of men.
It is he who hath made you
to succeed in the earth. Whoever shall disbelieve, on him be his
unbelief; and their unbelief shall only gain the unbelievers greater
indignation in the sight of their LORD; and their unbelief shall
only increase the perdition of the unbelievers. Say, what think
ye of your deities which ye invoke besides GOD? Show me
what part of the earth they have created. Or had they any share
in the creation of the heavens? Have we given unto the idola-
ters any book of revelations, so that they may rely on any proof
therefrom to authorize their practice? Nay; but the ungodly
make unto one another only deceitful promises. Verily GOD
sustaineth the heavens and the earth, lest they fail: and if they
should fail,
none could support the same besides him; he is gra-
cious and merciful.
The Koreish swore by GOD, with a most
solemn oath, that if a preacher had come unto them, they would
surely have been more willingly directed than any nation: but
preacher is come unto them, it hath only increased in
them their aversion from the truth, their arrogance in the earth,
and their contriving of evil; but the contrivance of evil shall only
encompass the authors thereof. Do they expect any other than
now a
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ARABIC LITERATURE
the punishment awarded against the unbelievers of former times?
For thou shalt not find any change in the ordinance of GOD;
neither shalt thou find any variation in the ordinance of GOD.
Have they not gone through the earth, and seen what hath been
the end of those who were before them; although they were
more mighty in strength than they? GOD is not to be frustrated
by anything either in heaven or on earth; for he is wise and
powerful. If GOD should punish men according to what they
deserve, he would not leave on the back of the earth so much as
a beast; but he respiteth them to a determined time; and when
their time shall come, verily GOD will regard his servants.
CHAPTER LV. : INTITLED "THE MERCIFUL. "
REVEALED AT MECCA
IN THE name of the most merciful GOD. The Merciful hath
taught his servant the Korân. He created man: he hath taught
him distinct speech. The sun and the moon run their courses
according to a certain rule: and the vegetables which creep on
the ground, and the trees submit to his disposition. He also
raised the heaven; and he appointed the balance, that ye should
not transgress in respect to the balance: wherefore observe a
just weight; and diminish not the balance. And the earth hath
he prepared for living creatures: therein are various fruits, and
palm-trees bearing sheaths of flowers; and grain having chaff,
and leaves. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye
ungratefully deny? He created man of dried clay like an earthen
vessel: but he created the genii of fire clear from smoke. Which,
therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?
He is the LORD of the east, and the LORD of the west. Which,
therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?
He hath let loose the two seas, that they meet each another:
between them is placed a bar which they cannot pass. Which,
therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?
From them are aken forth unions and lesser pearls. Which,
therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?
His also are the ships, carrying their sails aloft in the sea like.
mountains. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye
ungratefully deny? Every creature which liveth on the earth is
subject to decay: but the glorious and honorable countenance of
thy LORD shall remain for ever. Which, therefore, of your
LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? Unto him do all
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creatures which are in heaven and earth make petition; every
day is he employed in some new work. Which, therefore, of your
LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? We will surely
attend to judge you, O men and genii, at the last day. Which,
therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?
O ye collective body of genii and men, if ye be able to pass out
of the confines of heaven and earth, pass forth: ye shall not pass
forth but by absolute power. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S
benefits will ye ungratefully deny? A flame of fire without
smoke, and a smoke without flame shall be sent down upon you;
and ye shall not be able to defend yourselves therefrom. Which,
therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?
And when the heaven shall be rent in sunder, and shall become
red as a rose, and shall melt like ointment: (Which, therefore, of
your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? ) On that day
neither man nor genius shall be asked concerning his sin. Which,
therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?
The wicked shall be known by their marks; and they shall be
taken by the forelocks, and the feet, and shall be cast into hell.
Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully
deny? This is hell which the wicked deny as a falsehood: they
shall pass to and fro between the same and hot boiling water.
Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully
deny? But for him who dreadeth the tribunal of his LORD are
prepared two gardens: (Which, therefore, of your LORD'S bene-
fits will ye ungratefully deny ? ) In each of them shall be two
fountains flowing. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits
will ye ungratefully deny? In each of them shall there be of
every fruit two kinds. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S bene-
fits will ye ungratefully deny? They shall repose on couches,
the linings whereof shall be of thick silk interwoven with gold;
and the fruit of the two gardens shall be near at hand to gather.
Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully
deny? Therein shall receive them beauteous damsels, refraining
their eyes from beholding any besides their spouses: whom no
man shall have deflowered before them, neither any Jinn:
(Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully
deny? ) Having complexions like rubies and pearls. Which, there-
fore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? Shall
the reward of good works be any other good? Which, therefore,
of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? And besides
these there shall be two other gardens: (Which, therefore, of
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your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? ) Of a dark
green. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye
ungratefully deny? In each of them shall be two fountains pour-
ing forth plenty of water. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S
benefits will ye ungratefully deny? In each of them shall be
fruits, and palm-trees, and pomegranates. Which, therefore, of
your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? Therein shall
be agreeable and beauteous damsels: Which, therefore, of your
LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? Whom no man
shall have deflowered before their destined spouses, nor any Jinn.
Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully
deny? Therein shall they delight themselves, lying on green cush-
ions and beautiful carpets. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S
benefits will ye ungratefully deny? Blessed be the name of thy
LORD, possessed of glory and honor!
CHAPTER LXXXIV. : INTITLED "THE RENDING IN SUNDER. " REVEALED
AT MECCA
IN THE
name of the most merciful GOD. When the heaven
shall be rent in sunder, and shall obey its LORD, and shall be
capable thereof; and when the earth shall be stretched out, and
shall cast forth that which is therein, and shall remain empty,
and shall obey its LORD, and shall be capable thereof: O man,
verily laboring thou laborest to meet thy LORD, and thou shalt
meet him. And he who shall have his book given into his right
hand shall be called to an easy account, and shall turn unto his
family with joy: but he who shall have his book given him
behind his back shall invoke destruction to fall upon him, and he
shall be sent into hell to be burned; because he rejoiced inso-
lently amidst his family on earth. Verily he thought he should
never return unto God: yea verily, but his LORD beheld him.
Wherefore I swear by the redness of the sky after sunset, and
by the night, and the animals which it driveth together, and by
the moon when she is in the full; ye shall surely be transferred
successively from state to state. What aileth them, therefore,
that they believe not the resurrection; and that, when the Korân
is read unto them, they worship not? Yea: the unbelievers
accuse the same of imposture: but GOD well knoweth the malice
which they keep hidden in their breasts. Wherefore denounce
unto them a grievous punishment, except those who believe and
do good works: for them is prepared a never-failing reward.
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W*
THE PRAYER OF AL-HARIRI
From the 'Makamat' of al-Hariri of Basra: Translation of Theodore Preston
E PRAISE thee, O God,
For whatever perspicuity of language thou hast taught us,
And whatever eloquence thou hast inspired us with,
As we praise thee
For the bounty which thou hast diffused,
And the mercy which thou hast spread abroad:
And we pray thee to guard us
From extravagant expressions and frivolous superfluities
As we pray Thee to guard us
From the shame of incapacity and the disgrace of hesitation:
And we entreat thee to exempt us from temptation
By the flattery of the admirer or connivance of the indulgent,
As we entreat thee to exempt us from exposure
To the slight of the detractor or aspersion of the defamer:
And we ask thy forgiveness
Should our frailties betray us into ambiguities,
As we ask thy forgiveness
Should our steps advance to the verge of improprieties:
And we beg thee freely to bestow
Propitious succor to lead us aright,
And a heart turning in unison with truth,
And a language adorned with veracity,
And style supported by conclusiveness,
And accuracy that may exclude incorrectness,
And firmness of purpose that may overcome caprice,
And sagacity whereby we may attain discrimination;
That thou wilt aid us by thy guidance unto right conceptions,
And enable us with thy help to express them with clearness,
And thou wilt guard us from error in narration,
And keep us from folly even in pleasantry,
So that we may be safe from the censure of sarcastic tongues,
And secure from the fatal effects of false ornament,
And may not resort to any improper source,
And occupy no position that would entail regret,
Nor be assailed by any ill consequences or blame,
Nor be constrained to apology for inconsideration.
O God, fulfill for us this our desire,
And put us in possession of this our earnest wish,
And exclude us not from thy ample shade,
Nor leave us to become the prey of the devourer:
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For we stretch to thee the hand of entreaty,
And profess entire submission to thee, and contrition of spirit,
And seek with humble supplication and appliances of hope
The descent of thy vast grace and comprehensive bounty.
THE WORDS OF HARETH IBN-HAMMAM
From the Makamat' of al-Hariri of Barra: Translation of Theodore Preston
ON
NA night whose aspect displayed both light and shade,
And whose moon was like a magic circlet of silver,
I was engaged in evening conversation at Koufa
With companions who had been nourished on the milk of eloquence,
So the charms of conversation fascinated us,
While wakefulness still prevailed among us,
Until the moon had at length disappeared in the West.
But when the gloom of night had thus drawn its curtain,
And nothing but slumber remained abroad,
We heard from the door the low call of a benighted traveler,
And then followed the knock of one seeking admission;
And we answered, "Who comes here this darksome night?
»
And the stranger replied:-
·-
"Listen ye who here are dwelling!
May you so be kept from ill!
So may mischief ne'er befall you,
Long as life your breast shall fill!
Gloom of dismal night and dreary
Drives a wretch to seek your door,
Whose disheveled hoary tresses
All with dust are sprinkled o'er;
Who, though destitute and lonely,
Far has roamed on hill and dale,
Till his form became thus crooked,
And his cheek thus deadly pale;
Who, though faint as slender crescent,
Ventures here for aid to sue,
Hospitable meal and shelter
Claiming first of all from you.
Welcome then to food and dwelling
One so worthy both to share,
Sure to prove content and thankful,
Sure to laud your friendly care. "
Fascinated then by the sweetness of his language and delivery,
And readily inferring what this prelude betokened,
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699
·
We hasted to open the door, and received him with welcome,
Saying to the servant, "Hie! Hie! Bring whatever is ready! »
But the stranger said, "By Him who brought me to your abode,
I will not taste of your hospitality, unless you pledge to me
That you will not permit me to be an incumbrance to you,
Nor impose on yourselves necessity of eating on my account. "
Now it was just as if he had been informed of our wishes,
Or had shot from the same bow as our sentiments;
So we gratified him by acceding to the condition,
And highly commended him for his accommodating disposition.
But when the servant had produced what was ready,
And the candle was lighted up in the midst of us,
I regarded him attentively, and lo! it was Abu-Zeid;
Whereupon I addressed my companions in these words: —
"May you have joy of the guest who has repaired to you:
For though the moon of the heavens has set,
The full moon of poetry has arisen;
And though the moon of the eclipse has disappeared,
The full moon of eloquence has shone forth. "
So the wine of joy infused itself into them,
And sleep flew away from the corners of their eyes,
And they rejected the slumber which they had contemplated,
And began to resume the pleasantry which they had laid aside,
While Abu-Zeid remained intent on the business in hand.
―――――
But as soon as he desired the removal of what was before him,
I said to him, "Entertain us with one of thy strange anecdotes,
Or with an account of one of thy wonderful journeys. "
And he said: "The result of long journeys brought me to this land,
Myself being in a state of hunger and distress,
And my wallet light as the heart of the mother of Moses;
So I arose, when dark night had settled on the world,
Though with weary feet, to seek a lodging, or obtain a loaf;
Till, being driven on by the instigation of hunger,
And by fate, so justly called 'the parent of adventures,'
I stood at the door of a house and improvised these words:
-
"Inmates of this abode, all hail! all hail!
Long may you live in plenty's verdant vale.
Oh, grant your aid to one by toil opprest,
Way-worn, benighted, destitute, distrest;
Whose tortured entrails only hunger hold
(For since he tasted food two days are told);
A wretch who finds not where to lay his head,
Though brooding night her weary wing hath spread,
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But roams in anxious hope a friend to meet,
Whose bounty, like a spring of water sweet,
May heal his woes; a friend who straight will say,
"Come in! 'Tis time thy staff aside to lay. ">
"But there came out to me a boy in a short tunic, who said:-
"By Him who hospitable rites ordained,
And first of all, and best, those rites maintained,
I swear that friendly converse and a home
Is all we have for those who nightly roam. '
"And I replied, 'What can I do with an empty house,
And a host who is himself thus utterly destitute?
But what is thy name, boy? for thy intelligence charms me. '
He replied, 'My name is Zeid, and I was reared at Faid;
And my mother Barrah (who is such as her name implies),
Told me she married one of the nobles of Serong and Ghassân,
Who deserted her stealthily, and there was an end of him. '
Now I knew by these distinct signs that he was my child,
But my poverty deterred me from discovering myself to him. "
Then we asked if he wished to take his son to live with him;
And he replied, "If only my purse were heavy enough,
It would be easy for me to undertake the charge of him. "
So we severally undertook to contribute a portion of it,
Whereupon he returned thanks for this our bounty,
And was so profusely lavish in his acknowledgments,
That we thought his expression of gratitude excessive.
And as soon as he had collected the coin into his scrip,
He looked at me as the deceiver looks at the deceived,
And laughed heartily, and then indited these lines:-
"O thou who, deceived
By a tale, hast believed
A mirage to be truly a lake,
―
Though I ne'er had expected
My fraud undetected,
Or doubtful my meaning to make!
I confess that I lied
When I said that my bride
And my first-born were Barrah and Zeid;
But guile is my part,
And deception my art,
And by these are my gains ever made.
## p. 701 (#111) ############################################
ARABIC LITERATURE
701
Such schemes I devise
That the cunning and wise
Never practiced the like or conceived;
Nor Asmai nor Komait
Any wonders relate
Like those that my wiles have achieved.
But if these I disdain,
I abandon my gain,
And by fortune at once am refused:
Then pardon their use,
And accept my excuse,
Nor of guilt let my guile be accused. "
Then he took leave of me, and went away from me,
Leaving in my heart the embers of lasting regret.
THE CALIPH OMAR BIN ABD AL-AZIZ AND THE POETS
A Semi-Poetical Tale: Translation of Sir Richard Burton, in Supplemental
Nights to the Book of The Thousand Nights and A Night
I'
T IS said that when the Caliphate devolved on Omar bin Abd
al-Aziz, (of whom Allah accept! ) the poets resorted to him,
as they had been used to resort to the Caliphs before him,
and abode at his door days and days; but he suffered them
not to enter till there came to him 'Adi bin Artah, who stood
high in esteem with him. Jarir [another poet] accosted him, and
begged him to crave admission for them to the presence; so
'Adi answered, "Tis well," and going in to Omar, said to him,
"The poets are at thy door, and have been there days and days;
yet hast thou not given them leave to enter, albeit their sayings
abide, and their arrows from the mark never fly wide. " Quoth
Omar, "What have I to do with the poets? " And quoth 'Adi,
"0 Commander of the Faithful, the Prophet (Abhak! ) was praised
by a poet, and gave him largesse-and in him is an exemplar to
every Moslem. ” Quoth Omar, "And who praised him? " And
quoth 'Adi, "Abbás bin Mirdás praised him, and he clad him with
a suit and said, 'O Generosity! Cut off from me his tongue! '"
Asked the Caliph, "Dost thou remember what he said? " And
'Adi answered, "Yes. " Rejoined Omar, "Then repeat it;" so
'Adi repeated:-
## p. 702 (#112) ############################################
702
ARABIC LITERATURE
"I saw thee, O thou best of the human race, | Bring out a book
which brought to graceless, grace.
Thou showedst righteous road to men astray | From right, when
darkest wrong had ta'en its place:-
Thou with Islâm didst light the gloomiest way, | Quenching
with proof live coals of frowardness:
I own for Prophet, my Mohammed's self, and men's award
upon his word we base.
Thou madest straight the path that crooked ran | Where in old
days foul growth o'ergrew its face.
Exalt be thou in Joy's empyrean! | And Allah's glory ever grow
apace! "
"And indeed," continued 'Adi, "this Elegy on the Prophet
(Abhak! ) is well known, and to comment on it would be
tedious. "
Quoth Omar, "Who [of the poets] is at the door? " And
quoth 'Adi, "Among them is Omar ibn Rabí'ah, the Korashi;"
whereupon the Caliph cried, "May Allah show him no favor,
neither quicken him! Was it not he who spoke impiously [in
praising his love]? –
'Could I in my clay-bed [the grave] with Ialma repose, | There
to me were better than Heaven or Hell! '
Had he not [continued the Caliph] been the enemy of Allah,
he had wished for her in this world; so that he might, after,
repent and return to righteous dealing. By Allah! he shall not
come in to me! Who is at the door other than he? "
Quoth 'Adi, "Jamil bin Ma'mar al-Uzri is at the door. " And
quoth Omar, "Tis he who saith in one of his love-Elegies:-
'Would Heaven, conjoint we lived! and if I die, | Death only
grant me a grave within her grave!
For I'd no longer deign to live my life | If told, "Upon her head
is laid the pave. ">
Quoth Omar, "Away with him from me! Who is at the door? "
And quoth 'Adi, "Kutthayir 'Azzah": whereupon Omar cried,
"Tis he who saith in one of his [impious] Odes:
'Some talk of faith and creed and nothing else, | And wait for
pains of Hell in prayer-seat;
But did they hear what I from Azzah heard, They'd make
prostration, fearful, at her feet. '
I
## p. 703 (#113) ############################################
ARABIC LITERATURE
703
Leave the mention of him. Who is at the door? " Quoth 'Adi,
"Al-Ahwas al-Ansari. " Cried Omar, "Allah Almighty put him
away, and estrange him from His mercy! Is it not, he who
said, berhyming on a Medinite's slave girl, so that she might
outlive her master:-
-
Allah be judge betwixt me and her lord | Whoever flies with
her and I pursue. '
He
He shall not come in to me! Who is at the door other than
he? " 'Adi replied, "Hammam bin Ghalib al-Farazdak. " And
Omar said, "Tis he who glories in wickedness.
shall not come in to me! Who is at the door other than he? "
'Adi replied, "Al-Akhtal al-Taghlibi. " And Omar said, "He is
the [godless] miscreant who saith in his singing:-
'Ramazan I ne'er fasted in lifetime; nay | I ate flesh in public
at undurn day!
―
Nor chid I the fair, save in word of love, | Nor seek Meccah's
plain in salvation-way:
Nor stand I praying, like rest, who cry, "Hie salvation-
wards! " at the dawn's first ray.
By Allah! he treadeth no carpet of mine. Who is at the door
other than he? " Said 'Adi, "Jarir Ibn al-Khatafah. " And Omar
cried, "Tis he who saith:-
:-
'But for ill-spying glances, had our eyes espied | Eyes of the.
antelope, and ringlets of the Reems!
A Huntress of the eyes, by night-time came; and I cried,
"Turn in peace! No time for visit this, meseems. ">
So 'Adi went
But if it must be, and no help, admit Jarir.
forth and admitted Jarir, who entered saying:-
'Yea, He who sent Mohammed unto men | A just successor of
Islâm assigned.
His ruth and his justice all mankind embrace | To daunt the
bad and stablish well-designed.
Verily now, I look to present good, | for man hath ever tran-
sient weal in mind. '
Quoth Omar, "O Jarir! keep the fear of Allah before thine
eyes, and say naught save the sooth. " And Jarir recited these
Couplets:-
## p. 704 (#114) ############################################
704
DOMINIQUE FRANÇOIS ARAGO
'How many widows loose the hair, in far Yamamah land, |
How many an orphan there abides, feeble of voice and eye,
Since faredst thou, who wast to them instead of father lost |
when they like nestled fledglings were, sans power to creep
or fly.
And now we hope-since broke the clouds their word and
troth with us- -"| Hope from the Caliph's grace to gain a
rain that ne'er shall dry. '
When the Caliph heard this, he said, "By Allah, O Jarir:
Omar possesseth but an hundred dirhams. Ho boy! do thou
give them to him! " Moreover, he gifted Jarir with the orna-
ments of his sword; and Jarir went forth to the other poets,
who asked him, "What is behind thee? " [What is thy news? "]
and he answered, "A man who giveth to the poor, and who
denieth the poets; and with him I am well pleased. "
DOMINIQUE FRANÇOIS ARAGO
(1786-1853)
BY EDWARD S. HOLDEN
D
SOMINIQUE FRANÇOIS ARAGO was born February 26th, 1786, near
Perpignan, in the Eastern Pyrenees, where his father held
the position of Treasurer of the Mint. He entered the École
Polytechnique in Paris after a brilliant examination, and held the first
places throughout the course. In 1806 he was sent to Valencia in
Spain, and to the neighboring island of Iviza, to make the astronom-
ical observations for prolonging the arc of the meridian from Dunkirk
southward, in order to supply the basis for the metric system.
Here begin his extraordinary adventures, which are told with inim-
itable spirit and vigor in his 'Autobiography. ' Arago's work required
him to occupy stations on the summits of the highest peaks in the
mountains of southeastern Spain. The peasants were densely ignor-
ant and hostile to all foreigners, so that an escort of troops was
required in many of his journeys. At some stations he made friends
of the bandits of the neighborhood, and carried on his observations
under their protection, as it were. In 1807 the tribunal of the Inqui-
sition existed in Valencia; and Arago was witness to the trial and
punishment of a pretended sorceress,—and this, as he says, in one
of the principal towns of Spain, the seat of a celebrated university.
Yet the worst criminals lived unmolested in the cathedrals, for the
"right of asylum" was still in force. His geodetic observations were
## p. 705 (#115) ############################################
DOMINIQUE FRANÇOIS ARAGO
705
mysteries to the inhabitants, and his signals on the mountain top.
were believed to be part of the work of a French spy. Just at this
time hostilities broke out between France and Spain, and the astron-
omer was obliged to flee disguised as a Majorcan peasant, carrying
his precious papers with him. His knowledge of the Majorcan lan-
guage saved him, and he reached a Spanish prison with only a slight
wound from a dagger. It is the first recorded instance, he says, of a
fugitive flying to a dungeon for safety. In this prison, under the
care of Spanish officers, Arago found sufficient occupation in calculat-
ing observations which he had made; in reading the accounts in the
Spanish journals of his own execution at Valencia; and in listening.
to rumors that it was proposed (by a Spanish monk) to do away
with the French prisoner by poisoning his food.
The Spanish officer in charge of the prisoners was induced to con-
nive at the escape of Arago and M. Berthémie (an aide-de-camp of
Napoleon); and on the 28th of July, 1808, they stole away from the
coast of Spain in a small boat with three sailors, and arrived at Al-
giers on the 3d of August. Here the French consul procured them
two false passports, which transformed the Frenchmen into strolling
merchants from Schwekat and Leoben. They boarded an Algerian
vessel and set off. Let Arago describe the crew and cargo:-
"The vessel belonged to the Emir of Seca. The commander was a Greek
captain named Spiro Calligero. Among the passengers were five members of
the family superseded by the Bakri as kings of the Jews; two Maroccan
ostrich-feather merchants; Captain Krog from Bergen in Norway; two lions
sent by the Dey of Algiers as presents to the Emperor Napoleon; and a great
number of monkeys. "
As they entered the Golfe du Lion their ship was captured by a
Spanish corsair and taken to Rosas. Worst of all, a former Spanish
servant of Arago's - Pablo - was a sailor in the corsair's crew! At
Rosas the prisoners were brought before an officer for interrogation.
It was now Arago's turn. The officer begins:-
<<<Who are you? '
"A poor traveling merchant. '
«From whence do you come ? >
From a country where you certainly have never been. '
«‹Well — from what country? >
"I feared to answer; for the passports (steeped in vinegar to prevent
infection) were in the officer's hands, and I had entirely forgotten whether I
was from Schwekat or from Leoben. Finally I answered at a chance, 'I am
from Schwekat;' fortunately this answer agreed with the passport.
"You're from Schwekat about as much as I am,' said the officer: 'you're
a Spaniard, and a Spaniard from Valencia to boot, as I can tell by your
accent. >
11-45
## p. 706 (#116) ############################################
706
DOMINIQUE FRANÇOIS ARAGO
«Sir, you are inclined to punish me simply because I have by nature the
gift of languages. I readily learn the dialects of the various countries where
I carry on my trade. For example, I know the dialect of Iviza. '
<<<Well, I will take you at your word. Here is a soldier who comes from
Iviza. Talk to him. '
«Very well; I will even sing the goat-song. '
"The verses of this song (if one may call them verses) are separated by
the imitated bleatings of the goat. I began at once, with an audacity which
even now astonishes me, to intone the song which all the shepherds in Iviza
sing: -
Ah graciada Señora,
Una canzo bouil canta,
Bè bè bè bè.
No sera gaiva pulida,
Nosé si vos agradara,
Bè bè bè bè.
"Upon which my Ivizan avouches, in tears, that I am certainly from
Iviza. The song had affected him as a Switzer is affected by the Ranz des
Vaches. I then said to the officer that if he would bring to me a person
who could speak French, he would find the same embarrassment in this case
also. An emigré of the Bourbon regiment comes forward for the new experi-
ment, and after a few phrases affirms without hesitation that I am surely a
Frenchman. The officer begins to be impatient.
«Have done with these trials: they prove nothing. I require you to tell
me who you are. '
"My foremost desire is to find an answer which will satisfy you.
the son of the innkeeper at Mataro. '
"I know that man: you are not his son. '
«You are right: I told you that I should change my answers till I found
one to suit you. I am a marionette player from Lerida. '
"A huge laugh from the crowd which had listened to the interrogatory
put an end to the questioning. "
I am
Finally it was necessary for Arago to declare outright that he was
French, and to prove it by his old servant Pablo. To supply his
immediate wants he sold his watch; and by a series of misadventures
this watch subsequently fell into the hands of his family, and he was
mourned in France as dead.
After months of captivity the vessel was released, and the prisoner
set out for Marseilles. A fearful tempest drove them to the harbor
of Bougie, an African port a hundred miles east of Algiers. Thence
they made the perilous journey by land to their place of starting,
and finally reached Marseilles eleven months after their voyage
began. Eleven months to make a journey of four days!
The intelligence of the safe arrival, after so many perils, of the
young astronomer, with his packet of precious observations, soon
reached Paris. He was welcomed with effusion. Soon afterward (at
## p. 707 (#117) ############################################
DOMINIQUE FRANÇOIS ARAGO
707
the age of twenty-three years) he was elected a member of the sec-
tion of Astronomy of the Academy of Sciences, and from this time
forth he led the peaceful life of a savant. He was the Director of
the Paris Observatory for many years; the friend of all European
scientists; the ardent patron of young men of talent; a leading physi-
cist; a strong Republican, though the friend of Napoleon; and finally
the Perpetual Secretary of the Academy.
In the latter capacity it was part of his duty to prepare éloges of
deceased Academicians. Of his collected works in fourteen volumes,
'Euvres de François Arago,' published in Paris, 1865, three volumes
are given to these 'Notices Biographiques. ' Here may be found the
biographies of Bailly, Sir William Herschel, Laplace, Joseph Fourier,
Carnot, Malus, Fresnel, Thomas Young, and James Watt; which,
translated rather carelessly into English, have been published under
the title 'Biographies of Distinguished Men,' and can be found in the
larger libraries. The collected works contain biographies also of
Ampère, Condorcet, Volta, Monge, Porson, Gay-Lussac, besides shorter
sketches. They are masterpieces of style and of clear scientific expo-
sition, and full of generous appreciation of others' work. They pre-
sent in a lucid and popular form the achievements of scientific men
whose works have changed the accepted opinion of the world, and
they give general views not found in the original writings them-
selves. Scientific men are usually too much engrossed in advancing
science to spare time for expounding it to popular audiences. The
talent for such exposition is itself a special one. Arago possessed it
to the full, and his own original contributions to astronomy and phys-
ics enabled him to speak as an expert, not merely as an expositor.
The extracts are from his admirable estimate of Laplace, which
he prepared in connection with the proposal, before him and other
members of a State Committee, to publish a new and authoritative
edition of the great astronomer's works. The translation is mainly
that of the 'Biographies of Distinguished Men' cited above, and
much of the felicity of style is necessarily lost in translation; but the
substance of solid and lucid exposition from a master's hand remains.
Arago was a Deputy in 1830, and Minister of War in the Provis-
ional Government of 1848. He died full of honors, October 2d, 1853.
Two of his brothers, Jacques and Étienne, were dramatic authors of
Another, Jean, was a distinguished general in the service of
Mexico. One of his sons, Alfred, is favorably known as a painter;
another, Emmanuel, as a lawyer, deputy, and diplomat.
note.
Edward S. Holden
## p. 708 (#118) ############################################
708
DOMINIQUE FRANÇOIS ARAGO
LAPLACE
THE
HE Marquis de Laplace, peer of France, one of the forty of
the French Academy, member of the Academy of Sciences
and of the Bureau of Longitude, Associate of all the great
Academies or Scientific Societies of Europe, was born at Beau-
mont-en-Auge, of parents belonging to the class of small farmers,
on the 28th of March, 1749; he died on the 5th of March, 1827.
The first and second volumes of the 'Mécanique Céleste' [Mech-
anism of the Heavens] were published in 1799; the third volume
appeared in 1802, the fourth in 1805; part of the fifth volume
was published in 1823, further books in 1824, and the remainder
in 1825. The Théorie des Probabilités was published in 1812.
We answered them, "Yea this thing may fall to you after the fight,
when men shall be left on ground, and none shall arise again;
But we know not, if we quail before the assault of Death,
how much may be left of life-the goal is too dim to see. "
We rode to the strait of battle; there cleared us a space, around
the white swords in our right hands which the smiths had fur-
bished fair.
On them fell the edge of my blade, on that day of Sabhal date;
And mine was the share thereof, wherever my fingers closed.
FATALITY
By Katari, ibn al-Fujâ'ah, ibn Maʼzin. From the Hamásah': Translation of
C. J. Lyall
SAID to her, when she fled in amaze and breathless
I
before the array of battle, "Why dost thou tremble?
Yea, if but a day of Life thou shouldst beg with weeping,
beyond what thy Doom appoints, thou wouldst not gain it!
Be still, then; and face the onset of Death, high-hearted,
for none upon earth shall win to abide forever.
No raiment of praise the cloak of old age and weakness;
none such for the coward who bows like a reed in the tem-
pest.
## p. 689 (#99) #############################################
ARABIC LITERATURE
689
The pathway of death is set for all men to travel.
the crier of Death proclaims through the earth his empire.
Who dies not when young and sound, dies old and weary —
cut off in his length of days from all love and kindness;
And what for a man is left of delight of living, -
past use-flung away-a worthless and worn-out chattel? »
IMPLACABILITY
By al-Fadl, ibn al-Abbas, ibn Utbah. From the Hamásah': Translation of
C. J. Lyall
ONS of our uncle, peace!
Cousins of ours, be still!
SON
drag not to light from its grave the strife that we buried
there.
Hope not for honor from us, while ye heap upon us shame,
or think that we shall forbear from vexing when ye vex us.
Sons of our uncle, peace! lay not our rancor raw;
walk now gently awhile, as once ye were wont to go.
Ay, God knows that we, we love you not, in sooth!
and that we blame ye not that ye have no love for us.
Each of us has his ground for the loathing his fellow moves:
a grace it is from the Lord that we hate yeye us!
PARENTAL AFFECTION
A poem by Hittân ibn al-Mu'allà of Tayyi. From the Hamásah': Translation
of C. J. Lyall
F
ORTUNE has brought me down-her wonted way -
from stature high and great, to low estate;
Fortune has rent away my plenteous store;
of all my wealth, honor alone is left.
Fortune has turned my joy to tears-how oft
did Fortune make me laugh with what she gave!
But for these girls, the kata's downy brood,
unkindly thrust from door to door as hard-
Far would I roam, and wide, to seek my bread,
in earth, that has no lack of breadth and length.
Nay, but our children in our midst, what else
but our hearts are they, walking on the ground?
If but the breeze blow harsh on one of them,
mine eye says "no" to slumber, all night long!
II-44
## p. 690 (#100) ############################################
690
ARABIC LITERATURE
A TRIBESMAN'S VALOR
Poem by Sa'd, son of Malik, of the Kais Tribe: Translation of C. J. Lyall
ow evil a thing is war, that bows men to shameful rest!
H
War burns away in her blaze all glory and boasting of men:
Naught stands but the valiant heart to face pain-the hard-
hoofed steed-
The ring-mail set close and firm, the nail-crowned helms and the spears;
And onset, again after rout, when men shrink from the serried array –
Then, then, fall away all the vile, the hirelings! and shame is strong!
War girds up her skirts before them, and evil unmixed is bare.
For their hearts were for maidens veiled, not for driving the gathered
spoil:
Yea, evil the heirs we leave, sons of Yakshar and al-Laksh!
But let flee her fires who will, no flinching for me, son of Kais!
O children of Kais! stand firm before her! gain peace or give:
Who seeks flight before her fear, his Doom stands and bars the road.
Away! Death allows no quitting of place, and brands are bare!
What is life for us, when the uplands and valleys are ours no more?
Ah, where are the mighty now? the spears and generous hands?
FROM THE QU'RAN
Translation of George Sale
CHAPTER XXXV. : INTITLED "THE CREATOR. "
REVEALED AT MECCA
I
N THE name of the most merciful GOD. Praise be unto GOD,
the creator of heaven and earth; who maketh the angels his
messengers, furnished with two, and three, and four pair of
wings: GOD maketh what addition he pleaseth unto his creatures;
for GOD is almighty. The mercy which GOD shall freely bestow
on mankind, there is none who can withhold; and what he shall
withhold, there is none who can bestow, besides him: and he
is the mighty, the wise. O men, remember the favor of GOD
towards you: is there any creator, besides GOD, who provideth
food for you from heaven and earth? There is no GOD but he:
how therefore are ye turned aside from acknowledging his unity?
If they accuse thee of imposture, apostles before thee have also
been accused of imposture; and unto GOD shall all things return.
O men, verily the promise of GOD is true: let not therefore the
present life deceive you, neither let the deceiver deceive you con-
cerning GOD: for Satan is an enemy unto you; wherefore hold
## p. 691 (#101) ############################################
ARABIC LITERATURE
691
him for an enemy: he only inviteth his confederates to be the
inhabitants of hell. For those who believe not there is prepared
a severe torment: but for those who shall believe and do that
which is right, is prepared mercy and a great reward. Shall he
therefore for whom his evil work hath been prepared, and who
imagineth it to be good, be as he who is rightly disposed, and
discerneth the truth? Verily GOD will cause to err whom he
pleaseth, and will direct whom he pleaseth. Let not thy soul
therefore be spent in sighs for their sakes, on account of their
obstinacy; for GOD well knoweth that which they do. It is God
who sendeth the winds, and raiseth a cloud: and we drive the
same unto a dead country, and thereby quicken the earth after it
hath been dead; so shall the resurrection be. Whoever desireth
excellence; unto GOD doth all excellence belong: unto him as-
cendeth the good speech; and the righteous work will he exalt.
But as for them who devise wicked plots, they shall suffer a
severe punishment; and the device of those men shall be ren-
dered vain. GOD created you first of the dust, and afterwards
of seed: and he hath made you man and wife. No female
conceiveth, or bringeth forth, but with his knowledge. Nor is
any thing added unto the age of him whose life is prolonged,
neither is any thing diminished from his age, but the same is
written in the book of God's decrees. Verily this is easy with
GOD. The two seas are not to be held in comparison: this is
fresh and sweet, pleasant to drink; but that is salt and bitter:
yet out of each of them ye eat fish, and take ornaments for you
to wear. Thou seest the ships also ploughing the waves thereof,
that ye may seek to enrich yourselves by commerce, of the abund-
ance of God: peradventure ye will be thankful. He causeth the
night to succeed the day, and he causeth the day to succeed the
night; and he obligeth the sun and the moon to perform their
services: each of them runneth an appointed course. This is
GOD, your LORD: his is the kingdom. But the idols which ye
invoke besides him have not the power even over the skin of a
date-stone: if ye invoke them, they will not hear your calling;
and although they should hear, yet they would not answer you.
On the day of resurrection they shall disclaim your having asso-
ciated them with God: and none shall declare unto thee the truth,
like one who is well acquainted therewith. O men, ye have need
of GOD; but GOD is self-sufficient, and to be praised.
pleaseth, he can take you away, and produce a new creature in
## p. 692 (#102) ############################################
692
ARABIC LITERATURE
your stead: neither will this be difficult with GOD. A burdened
soul shall not bear the burden of another: and if a heavy-
burdened soul call on another to bear part of its burden, no part
thereof shall be borne by the person who shall be called on,
although he be ever so nearly related. Thou shalt admonish
those who fear their LORD in secret, and are constant at prayer:
and whoever cleanseth himself from the guilt of disobedience,
cleanseth himself to the advantage of his own soul; for all shall
be assembled before GOD at the last day. The blind and the
seeing shall not be held equal; neither darkness and light; nor
the cool shade and the scorching wind: neither shall the living
and the dead be held equal. GOD shall cause him to hear
whom he pleaseth: but thou shalt not make those to hear who
are in their graves. Thou art no other than a preacher; verily
we have sent thee with truth, a bearer of good tidings, and a
denouncer of threats.
There hath been no nation, but a preacher hath in past times
been conversant among them: if they charge thee with imposture,
they who were before them likewise charged their apostles with
imposture. Their apostles came unto them with evident miracles,
and with divine writings, and with the Enlightening Book: after-
wards I chastised those who were unbelievers; and how severe
was my vengeance! Dost thou not see that GOD sendeth down
rain from heaven, and that we thereby produce fruits of various
colors? In the mountains also there are some tracts white and
red, of various colors; and others are of a deep black: and of
men, and beasts, and cattle there are whose colors are in like
manner various. Such only of his servants fear GOD as are
endued with understanding: verily GOD is mighty and ready to
forgive. Verily they who read the book of GOD, and are con-
stant at prayer, and give alms out of what we have bestowed on
them, both in secret and openly, hope for a merchandise which
shall not perish: that God may fully pay them their wages, and
make them a superabundant addition of his liberality; for he is
ready to forgive the faults of his servants, and to requite their
endeavors. That which we have revealed unto thee of the book
of the Korán is the truth, confirming the scriptures which were
revealed before it: for GOD knoweth and regardeth his servants.
And we have given the book of the Korán in heritage unto such
of our servants as we have chosen: of them there is one who
injureth his own soul; and there is another of them who keepeth
## p. 693 (#103) ############################################
ARABIC LITERATURE
693
the middle way; and there is another of them who outstrippeth
others in good works, by the permission of GOD. This is the
great excellence. They shall be introduced into gardens of per-
petual abode; they shall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold
and pearls, and their clothing therein shall be of silk: and they
shall say, Praise be unto GOD, who hath taken away sorrow from
us! verily our LORD is ready to forgive the sinners, and to
reward the obedient: who hath caused us to take up our rest in a
dwelling of eternal stability, through his bounty, wherein no labor
shall touch us, neither shall any weariness affect us. But for the
unbelievers is prepared the fire of hell: it shall not be decreed
them to die a second time; neither shall any part of the punish-
ment thereof be made lighter unto them. Thus shall every infi-
del be rewarded. And they shall cry out aloud in hell, saying,
LORD, take us hence, and we will work righteousness, and not
what we have formerly wrought. But it shall be answered
them, Did we not grant you lives of length sufficient, that who-
ever would be warned might be warned therein; and did not
the preacher come unto you? Taste therefore the pains of hell.
And the unjust shall have no protector. Verily GOD knoweth
the secrets both of heaven and earth, for he knoweth the inner-
most parts of the breasts of men.
It is he who hath made you
to succeed in the earth. Whoever shall disbelieve, on him be his
unbelief; and their unbelief shall only gain the unbelievers greater
indignation in the sight of their LORD; and their unbelief shall
only increase the perdition of the unbelievers. Say, what think
ye of your deities which ye invoke besides GOD? Show me
what part of the earth they have created. Or had they any share
in the creation of the heavens? Have we given unto the idola-
ters any book of revelations, so that they may rely on any proof
therefrom to authorize their practice? Nay; but the ungodly
make unto one another only deceitful promises. Verily GOD
sustaineth the heavens and the earth, lest they fail: and if they
should fail,
none could support the same besides him; he is gra-
cious and merciful.
The Koreish swore by GOD, with a most
solemn oath, that if a preacher had come unto them, they would
surely have been more willingly directed than any nation: but
preacher is come unto them, it hath only increased in
them their aversion from the truth, their arrogance in the earth,
and their contriving of evil; but the contrivance of evil shall only
encompass the authors thereof. Do they expect any other than
now a
## p. 694 (#104) ############################################
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ARABIC LITERATURE
the punishment awarded against the unbelievers of former times?
For thou shalt not find any change in the ordinance of GOD;
neither shalt thou find any variation in the ordinance of GOD.
Have they not gone through the earth, and seen what hath been
the end of those who were before them; although they were
more mighty in strength than they? GOD is not to be frustrated
by anything either in heaven or on earth; for he is wise and
powerful. If GOD should punish men according to what they
deserve, he would not leave on the back of the earth so much as
a beast; but he respiteth them to a determined time; and when
their time shall come, verily GOD will regard his servants.
CHAPTER LV. : INTITLED "THE MERCIFUL. "
REVEALED AT MECCA
IN THE name of the most merciful GOD. The Merciful hath
taught his servant the Korân. He created man: he hath taught
him distinct speech. The sun and the moon run their courses
according to a certain rule: and the vegetables which creep on
the ground, and the trees submit to his disposition. He also
raised the heaven; and he appointed the balance, that ye should
not transgress in respect to the balance: wherefore observe a
just weight; and diminish not the balance. And the earth hath
he prepared for living creatures: therein are various fruits, and
palm-trees bearing sheaths of flowers; and grain having chaff,
and leaves. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye
ungratefully deny? He created man of dried clay like an earthen
vessel: but he created the genii of fire clear from smoke. Which,
therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?
He is the LORD of the east, and the LORD of the west. Which,
therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?
He hath let loose the two seas, that they meet each another:
between them is placed a bar which they cannot pass. Which,
therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?
From them are aken forth unions and lesser pearls. Which,
therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?
His also are the ships, carrying their sails aloft in the sea like.
mountains. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye
ungratefully deny? Every creature which liveth on the earth is
subject to decay: but the glorious and honorable countenance of
thy LORD shall remain for ever. Which, therefore, of your
LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? Unto him do all
## p. 695 (#105) ############################################
ARABIC LITERATURE
695
creatures which are in heaven and earth make petition; every
day is he employed in some new work. Which, therefore, of your
LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? We will surely
attend to judge you, O men and genii, at the last day. Which,
therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?
O ye collective body of genii and men, if ye be able to pass out
of the confines of heaven and earth, pass forth: ye shall not pass
forth but by absolute power. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S
benefits will ye ungratefully deny? A flame of fire without
smoke, and a smoke without flame shall be sent down upon you;
and ye shall not be able to defend yourselves therefrom. Which,
therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?
And when the heaven shall be rent in sunder, and shall become
red as a rose, and shall melt like ointment: (Which, therefore, of
your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? ) On that day
neither man nor genius shall be asked concerning his sin. Which,
therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny?
The wicked shall be known by their marks; and they shall be
taken by the forelocks, and the feet, and shall be cast into hell.
Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully
deny? This is hell which the wicked deny as a falsehood: they
shall pass to and fro between the same and hot boiling water.
Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully
deny? But for him who dreadeth the tribunal of his LORD are
prepared two gardens: (Which, therefore, of your LORD'S bene-
fits will ye ungratefully deny ? ) In each of them shall be two
fountains flowing. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits
will ye ungratefully deny? In each of them shall there be of
every fruit two kinds. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S bene-
fits will ye ungratefully deny? They shall repose on couches,
the linings whereof shall be of thick silk interwoven with gold;
and the fruit of the two gardens shall be near at hand to gather.
Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully
deny? Therein shall receive them beauteous damsels, refraining
their eyes from beholding any besides their spouses: whom no
man shall have deflowered before them, neither any Jinn:
(Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully
deny? ) Having complexions like rubies and pearls. Which, there-
fore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? Shall
the reward of good works be any other good? Which, therefore,
of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? And besides
these there shall be two other gardens: (Which, therefore, of
## p. 696 (#106) ############################################
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ARABIC LITERATURE
your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? ) Of a dark
green. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye
ungratefully deny? In each of them shall be two fountains pour-
ing forth plenty of water. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S
benefits will ye ungratefully deny? In each of them shall be
fruits, and palm-trees, and pomegranates. Which, therefore, of
your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? Therein shall
be agreeable and beauteous damsels: Which, therefore, of your
LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully deny? Whom no man
shall have deflowered before their destined spouses, nor any Jinn.
Which, therefore, of your LORD'S benefits will ye ungratefully
deny? Therein shall they delight themselves, lying on green cush-
ions and beautiful carpets. Which, therefore, of your LORD'S
benefits will ye ungratefully deny? Blessed be the name of thy
LORD, possessed of glory and honor!
CHAPTER LXXXIV. : INTITLED "THE RENDING IN SUNDER. " REVEALED
AT MECCA
IN THE
name of the most merciful GOD. When the heaven
shall be rent in sunder, and shall obey its LORD, and shall be
capable thereof; and when the earth shall be stretched out, and
shall cast forth that which is therein, and shall remain empty,
and shall obey its LORD, and shall be capable thereof: O man,
verily laboring thou laborest to meet thy LORD, and thou shalt
meet him. And he who shall have his book given into his right
hand shall be called to an easy account, and shall turn unto his
family with joy: but he who shall have his book given him
behind his back shall invoke destruction to fall upon him, and he
shall be sent into hell to be burned; because he rejoiced inso-
lently amidst his family on earth. Verily he thought he should
never return unto God: yea verily, but his LORD beheld him.
Wherefore I swear by the redness of the sky after sunset, and
by the night, and the animals which it driveth together, and by
the moon when she is in the full; ye shall surely be transferred
successively from state to state. What aileth them, therefore,
that they believe not the resurrection; and that, when the Korân
is read unto them, they worship not? Yea: the unbelievers
accuse the same of imposture: but GOD well knoweth the malice
which they keep hidden in their breasts. Wherefore denounce
unto them a grievous punishment, except those who believe and
do good works: for them is prepared a never-failing reward.
## p. 697 (#107) ############################################
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697
W*
THE PRAYER OF AL-HARIRI
From the 'Makamat' of al-Hariri of Basra: Translation of Theodore Preston
E PRAISE thee, O God,
For whatever perspicuity of language thou hast taught us,
And whatever eloquence thou hast inspired us with,
As we praise thee
For the bounty which thou hast diffused,
And the mercy which thou hast spread abroad:
And we pray thee to guard us
From extravagant expressions and frivolous superfluities
As we pray Thee to guard us
From the shame of incapacity and the disgrace of hesitation:
And we entreat thee to exempt us from temptation
By the flattery of the admirer or connivance of the indulgent,
As we entreat thee to exempt us from exposure
To the slight of the detractor or aspersion of the defamer:
And we ask thy forgiveness
Should our frailties betray us into ambiguities,
As we ask thy forgiveness
Should our steps advance to the verge of improprieties:
And we beg thee freely to bestow
Propitious succor to lead us aright,
And a heart turning in unison with truth,
And a language adorned with veracity,
And style supported by conclusiveness,
And accuracy that may exclude incorrectness,
And firmness of purpose that may overcome caprice,
And sagacity whereby we may attain discrimination;
That thou wilt aid us by thy guidance unto right conceptions,
And enable us with thy help to express them with clearness,
And thou wilt guard us from error in narration,
And keep us from folly even in pleasantry,
So that we may be safe from the censure of sarcastic tongues,
And secure from the fatal effects of false ornament,
And may not resort to any improper source,
And occupy no position that would entail regret,
Nor be assailed by any ill consequences or blame,
Nor be constrained to apology for inconsideration.
O God, fulfill for us this our desire,
And put us in possession of this our earnest wish,
And exclude us not from thy ample shade,
Nor leave us to become the prey of the devourer:
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ARABIC LITERATURE
For we stretch to thee the hand of entreaty,
And profess entire submission to thee, and contrition of spirit,
And seek with humble supplication and appliances of hope
The descent of thy vast grace and comprehensive bounty.
THE WORDS OF HARETH IBN-HAMMAM
From the Makamat' of al-Hariri of Barra: Translation of Theodore Preston
ON
NA night whose aspect displayed both light and shade,
And whose moon was like a magic circlet of silver,
I was engaged in evening conversation at Koufa
With companions who had been nourished on the milk of eloquence,
So the charms of conversation fascinated us,
While wakefulness still prevailed among us,
Until the moon had at length disappeared in the West.
But when the gloom of night had thus drawn its curtain,
And nothing but slumber remained abroad,
We heard from the door the low call of a benighted traveler,
And then followed the knock of one seeking admission;
And we answered, "Who comes here this darksome night?
»
And the stranger replied:-
·-
"Listen ye who here are dwelling!
May you so be kept from ill!
So may mischief ne'er befall you,
Long as life your breast shall fill!
Gloom of dismal night and dreary
Drives a wretch to seek your door,
Whose disheveled hoary tresses
All with dust are sprinkled o'er;
Who, though destitute and lonely,
Far has roamed on hill and dale,
Till his form became thus crooked,
And his cheek thus deadly pale;
Who, though faint as slender crescent,
Ventures here for aid to sue,
Hospitable meal and shelter
Claiming first of all from you.
Welcome then to food and dwelling
One so worthy both to share,
Sure to prove content and thankful,
Sure to laud your friendly care. "
Fascinated then by the sweetness of his language and delivery,
And readily inferring what this prelude betokened,
## p. 699 (#109) ############################################
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699
·
We hasted to open the door, and received him with welcome,
Saying to the servant, "Hie! Hie! Bring whatever is ready! »
But the stranger said, "By Him who brought me to your abode,
I will not taste of your hospitality, unless you pledge to me
That you will not permit me to be an incumbrance to you,
Nor impose on yourselves necessity of eating on my account. "
Now it was just as if he had been informed of our wishes,
Or had shot from the same bow as our sentiments;
So we gratified him by acceding to the condition,
And highly commended him for his accommodating disposition.
But when the servant had produced what was ready,
And the candle was lighted up in the midst of us,
I regarded him attentively, and lo! it was Abu-Zeid;
Whereupon I addressed my companions in these words: —
"May you have joy of the guest who has repaired to you:
For though the moon of the heavens has set,
The full moon of poetry has arisen;
And though the moon of the eclipse has disappeared,
The full moon of eloquence has shone forth. "
So the wine of joy infused itself into them,
And sleep flew away from the corners of their eyes,
And they rejected the slumber which they had contemplated,
And began to resume the pleasantry which they had laid aside,
While Abu-Zeid remained intent on the business in hand.
―――――
But as soon as he desired the removal of what was before him,
I said to him, "Entertain us with one of thy strange anecdotes,
Or with an account of one of thy wonderful journeys. "
And he said: "The result of long journeys brought me to this land,
Myself being in a state of hunger and distress,
And my wallet light as the heart of the mother of Moses;
So I arose, when dark night had settled on the world,
Though with weary feet, to seek a lodging, or obtain a loaf;
Till, being driven on by the instigation of hunger,
And by fate, so justly called 'the parent of adventures,'
I stood at the door of a house and improvised these words:
-
"Inmates of this abode, all hail! all hail!
Long may you live in plenty's verdant vale.
Oh, grant your aid to one by toil opprest,
Way-worn, benighted, destitute, distrest;
Whose tortured entrails only hunger hold
(For since he tasted food two days are told);
A wretch who finds not where to lay his head,
Though brooding night her weary wing hath spread,
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ARABIC LITERATURE
But roams in anxious hope a friend to meet,
Whose bounty, like a spring of water sweet,
May heal his woes; a friend who straight will say,
"Come in! 'Tis time thy staff aside to lay. ">
"But there came out to me a boy in a short tunic, who said:-
"By Him who hospitable rites ordained,
And first of all, and best, those rites maintained,
I swear that friendly converse and a home
Is all we have for those who nightly roam. '
"And I replied, 'What can I do with an empty house,
And a host who is himself thus utterly destitute?
But what is thy name, boy? for thy intelligence charms me. '
He replied, 'My name is Zeid, and I was reared at Faid;
And my mother Barrah (who is such as her name implies),
Told me she married one of the nobles of Serong and Ghassân,
Who deserted her stealthily, and there was an end of him. '
Now I knew by these distinct signs that he was my child,
But my poverty deterred me from discovering myself to him. "
Then we asked if he wished to take his son to live with him;
And he replied, "If only my purse were heavy enough,
It would be easy for me to undertake the charge of him. "
So we severally undertook to contribute a portion of it,
Whereupon he returned thanks for this our bounty,
And was so profusely lavish in his acknowledgments,
That we thought his expression of gratitude excessive.
And as soon as he had collected the coin into his scrip,
He looked at me as the deceiver looks at the deceived,
And laughed heartily, and then indited these lines:-
"O thou who, deceived
By a tale, hast believed
A mirage to be truly a lake,
―
Though I ne'er had expected
My fraud undetected,
Or doubtful my meaning to make!
I confess that I lied
When I said that my bride
And my first-born were Barrah and Zeid;
But guile is my part,
And deception my art,
And by these are my gains ever made.
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ARABIC LITERATURE
701
Such schemes I devise
That the cunning and wise
Never practiced the like or conceived;
Nor Asmai nor Komait
Any wonders relate
Like those that my wiles have achieved.
But if these I disdain,
I abandon my gain,
And by fortune at once am refused:
Then pardon their use,
And accept my excuse,
Nor of guilt let my guile be accused. "
Then he took leave of me, and went away from me,
Leaving in my heart the embers of lasting regret.
THE CALIPH OMAR BIN ABD AL-AZIZ AND THE POETS
A Semi-Poetical Tale: Translation of Sir Richard Burton, in Supplemental
Nights to the Book of The Thousand Nights and A Night
I'
T IS said that when the Caliphate devolved on Omar bin Abd
al-Aziz, (of whom Allah accept! ) the poets resorted to him,
as they had been used to resort to the Caliphs before him,
and abode at his door days and days; but he suffered them
not to enter till there came to him 'Adi bin Artah, who stood
high in esteem with him. Jarir [another poet] accosted him, and
begged him to crave admission for them to the presence; so
'Adi answered, "Tis well," and going in to Omar, said to him,
"The poets are at thy door, and have been there days and days;
yet hast thou not given them leave to enter, albeit their sayings
abide, and their arrows from the mark never fly wide. " Quoth
Omar, "What have I to do with the poets? " And quoth 'Adi,
"0 Commander of the Faithful, the Prophet (Abhak! ) was praised
by a poet, and gave him largesse-and in him is an exemplar to
every Moslem. ” Quoth Omar, "And who praised him? " And
quoth 'Adi, "Abbás bin Mirdás praised him, and he clad him with
a suit and said, 'O Generosity! Cut off from me his tongue! '"
Asked the Caliph, "Dost thou remember what he said? " And
'Adi answered, "Yes. " Rejoined Omar, "Then repeat it;" so
'Adi repeated:-
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ARABIC LITERATURE
"I saw thee, O thou best of the human race, | Bring out a book
which brought to graceless, grace.
Thou showedst righteous road to men astray | From right, when
darkest wrong had ta'en its place:-
Thou with Islâm didst light the gloomiest way, | Quenching
with proof live coals of frowardness:
I own for Prophet, my Mohammed's self, and men's award
upon his word we base.
Thou madest straight the path that crooked ran | Where in old
days foul growth o'ergrew its face.
Exalt be thou in Joy's empyrean! | And Allah's glory ever grow
apace! "
"And indeed," continued 'Adi, "this Elegy on the Prophet
(Abhak! ) is well known, and to comment on it would be
tedious. "
Quoth Omar, "Who [of the poets] is at the door? " And
quoth 'Adi, "Among them is Omar ibn Rabí'ah, the Korashi;"
whereupon the Caliph cried, "May Allah show him no favor,
neither quicken him! Was it not he who spoke impiously [in
praising his love]? –
'Could I in my clay-bed [the grave] with Ialma repose, | There
to me were better than Heaven or Hell! '
Had he not [continued the Caliph] been the enemy of Allah,
he had wished for her in this world; so that he might, after,
repent and return to righteous dealing. By Allah! he shall not
come in to me! Who is at the door other than he? "
Quoth 'Adi, "Jamil bin Ma'mar al-Uzri is at the door. " And
quoth Omar, "Tis he who saith in one of his love-Elegies:-
'Would Heaven, conjoint we lived! and if I die, | Death only
grant me a grave within her grave!
For I'd no longer deign to live my life | If told, "Upon her head
is laid the pave. ">
Quoth Omar, "Away with him from me! Who is at the door? "
And quoth 'Adi, "Kutthayir 'Azzah": whereupon Omar cried,
"Tis he who saith in one of his [impious] Odes:
'Some talk of faith and creed and nothing else, | And wait for
pains of Hell in prayer-seat;
But did they hear what I from Azzah heard, They'd make
prostration, fearful, at her feet. '
I
## p. 703 (#113) ############################################
ARABIC LITERATURE
703
Leave the mention of him. Who is at the door? " Quoth 'Adi,
"Al-Ahwas al-Ansari. " Cried Omar, "Allah Almighty put him
away, and estrange him from His mercy! Is it not, he who
said, berhyming on a Medinite's slave girl, so that she might
outlive her master:-
-
Allah be judge betwixt me and her lord | Whoever flies with
her and I pursue. '
He
He shall not come in to me! Who is at the door other than
he? " 'Adi replied, "Hammam bin Ghalib al-Farazdak. " And
Omar said, "Tis he who glories in wickedness.
shall not come in to me! Who is at the door other than he? "
'Adi replied, "Al-Akhtal al-Taghlibi. " And Omar said, "He is
the [godless] miscreant who saith in his singing:-
'Ramazan I ne'er fasted in lifetime; nay | I ate flesh in public
at undurn day!
―
Nor chid I the fair, save in word of love, | Nor seek Meccah's
plain in salvation-way:
Nor stand I praying, like rest, who cry, "Hie salvation-
wards! " at the dawn's first ray.
By Allah! he treadeth no carpet of mine. Who is at the door
other than he? " Said 'Adi, "Jarir Ibn al-Khatafah. " And Omar
cried, "Tis he who saith:-
:-
'But for ill-spying glances, had our eyes espied | Eyes of the.
antelope, and ringlets of the Reems!
A Huntress of the eyes, by night-time came; and I cried,
"Turn in peace! No time for visit this, meseems. ">
So 'Adi went
But if it must be, and no help, admit Jarir.
forth and admitted Jarir, who entered saying:-
'Yea, He who sent Mohammed unto men | A just successor of
Islâm assigned.
His ruth and his justice all mankind embrace | To daunt the
bad and stablish well-designed.
Verily now, I look to present good, | for man hath ever tran-
sient weal in mind. '
Quoth Omar, "O Jarir! keep the fear of Allah before thine
eyes, and say naught save the sooth. " And Jarir recited these
Couplets:-
## p. 704 (#114) ############################################
704
DOMINIQUE FRANÇOIS ARAGO
'How many widows loose the hair, in far Yamamah land, |
How many an orphan there abides, feeble of voice and eye,
Since faredst thou, who wast to them instead of father lost |
when they like nestled fledglings were, sans power to creep
or fly.
And now we hope-since broke the clouds their word and
troth with us- -"| Hope from the Caliph's grace to gain a
rain that ne'er shall dry. '
When the Caliph heard this, he said, "By Allah, O Jarir:
Omar possesseth but an hundred dirhams. Ho boy! do thou
give them to him! " Moreover, he gifted Jarir with the orna-
ments of his sword; and Jarir went forth to the other poets,
who asked him, "What is behind thee? " [What is thy news? "]
and he answered, "A man who giveth to the poor, and who
denieth the poets; and with him I am well pleased. "
DOMINIQUE FRANÇOIS ARAGO
(1786-1853)
BY EDWARD S. HOLDEN
D
SOMINIQUE FRANÇOIS ARAGO was born February 26th, 1786, near
Perpignan, in the Eastern Pyrenees, where his father held
the position of Treasurer of the Mint. He entered the École
Polytechnique in Paris after a brilliant examination, and held the first
places throughout the course. In 1806 he was sent to Valencia in
Spain, and to the neighboring island of Iviza, to make the astronom-
ical observations for prolonging the arc of the meridian from Dunkirk
southward, in order to supply the basis for the metric system.
Here begin his extraordinary adventures, which are told with inim-
itable spirit and vigor in his 'Autobiography. ' Arago's work required
him to occupy stations on the summits of the highest peaks in the
mountains of southeastern Spain. The peasants were densely ignor-
ant and hostile to all foreigners, so that an escort of troops was
required in many of his journeys. At some stations he made friends
of the bandits of the neighborhood, and carried on his observations
under their protection, as it were. In 1807 the tribunal of the Inqui-
sition existed in Valencia; and Arago was witness to the trial and
punishment of a pretended sorceress,—and this, as he says, in one
of the principal towns of Spain, the seat of a celebrated university.
Yet the worst criminals lived unmolested in the cathedrals, for the
"right of asylum" was still in force. His geodetic observations were
## p. 705 (#115) ############################################
DOMINIQUE FRANÇOIS ARAGO
705
mysteries to the inhabitants, and his signals on the mountain top.
were believed to be part of the work of a French spy. Just at this
time hostilities broke out between France and Spain, and the astron-
omer was obliged to flee disguised as a Majorcan peasant, carrying
his precious papers with him. His knowledge of the Majorcan lan-
guage saved him, and he reached a Spanish prison with only a slight
wound from a dagger. It is the first recorded instance, he says, of a
fugitive flying to a dungeon for safety. In this prison, under the
care of Spanish officers, Arago found sufficient occupation in calculat-
ing observations which he had made; in reading the accounts in the
Spanish journals of his own execution at Valencia; and in listening.
to rumors that it was proposed (by a Spanish monk) to do away
with the French prisoner by poisoning his food.
The Spanish officer in charge of the prisoners was induced to con-
nive at the escape of Arago and M. Berthémie (an aide-de-camp of
Napoleon); and on the 28th of July, 1808, they stole away from the
coast of Spain in a small boat with three sailors, and arrived at Al-
giers on the 3d of August. Here the French consul procured them
two false passports, which transformed the Frenchmen into strolling
merchants from Schwekat and Leoben. They boarded an Algerian
vessel and set off. Let Arago describe the crew and cargo:-
"The vessel belonged to the Emir of Seca. The commander was a Greek
captain named Spiro Calligero. Among the passengers were five members of
the family superseded by the Bakri as kings of the Jews; two Maroccan
ostrich-feather merchants; Captain Krog from Bergen in Norway; two lions
sent by the Dey of Algiers as presents to the Emperor Napoleon; and a great
number of monkeys. "
As they entered the Golfe du Lion their ship was captured by a
Spanish corsair and taken to Rosas. Worst of all, a former Spanish
servant of Arago's - Pablo - was a sailor in the corsair's crew! At
Rosas the prisoners were brought before an officer for interrogation.
It was now Arago's turn. The officer begins:-
<<<Who are you? '
"A poor traveling merchant. '
«From whence do you come ? >
From a country where you certainly have never been. '
«‹Well — from what country? >
"I feared to answer; for the passports (steeped in vinegar to prevent
infection) were in the officer's hands, and I had entirely forgotten whether I
was from Schwekat or from Leoben. Finally I answered at a chance, 'I am
from Schwekat;' fortunately this answer agreed with the passport.
"You're from Schwekat about as much as I am,' said the officer: 'you're
a Spaniard, and a Spaniard from Valencia to boot, as I can tell by your
accent. >
11-45
## p. 706 (#116) ############################################
706
DOMINIQUE FRANÇOIS ARAGO
«Sir, you are inclined to punish me simply because I have by nature the
gift of languages. I readily learn the dialects of the various countries where
I carry on my trade. For example, I know the dialect of Iviza. '
<<<Well, I will take you at your word. Here is a soldier who comes from
Iviza. Talk to him. '
«Very well; I will even sing the goat-song. '
"The verses of this song (if one may call them verses) are separated by
the imitated bleatings of the goat. I began at once, with an audacity which
even now astonishes me, to intone the song which all the shepherds in Iviza
sing: -
Ah graciada Señora,
Una canzo bouil canta,
Bè bè bè bè.
No sera gaiva pulida,
Nosé si vos agradara,
Bè bè bè bè.
"Upon which my Ivizan avouches, in tears, that I am certainly from
Iviza. The song had affected him as a Switzer is affected by the Ranz des
Vaches. I then said to the officer that if he would bring to me a person
who could speak French, he would find the same embarrassment in this case
also. An emigré of the Bourbon regiment comes forward for the new experi-
ment, and after a few phrases affirms without hesitation that I am surely a
Frenchman. The officer begins to be impatient.
«Have done with these trials: they prove nothing. I require you to tell
me who you are. '
"My foremost desire is to find an answer which will satisfy you.
the son of the innkeeper at Mataro. '
"I know that man: you are not his son. '
«You are right: I told you that I should change my answers till I found
one to suit you. I am a marionette player from Lerida. '
"A huge laugh from the crowd which had listened to the interrogatory
put an end to the questioning. "
I am
Finally it was necessary for Arago to declare outright that he was
French, and to prove it by his old servant Pablo. To supply his
immediate wants he sold his watch; and by a series of misadventures
this watch subsequently fell into the hands of his family, and he was
mourned in France as dead.
After months of captivity the vessel was released, and the prisoner
set out for Marseilles. A fearful tempest drove them to the harbor
of Bougie, an African port a hundred miles east of Algiers. Thence
they made the perilous journey by land to their place of starting,
and finally reached Marseilles eleven months after their voyage
began. Eleven months to make a journey of four days!
The intelligence of the safe arrival, after so many perils, of the
young astronomer, with his packet of precious observations, soon
reached Paris. He was welcomed with effusion. Soon afterward (at
## p. 707 (#117) ############################################
DOMINIQUE FRANÇOIS ARAGO
707
the age of twenty-three years) he was elected a member of the sec-
tion of Astronomy of the Academy of Sciences, and from this time
forth he led the peaceful life of a savant. He was the Director of
the Paris Observatory for many years; the friend of all European
scientists; the ardent patron of young men of talent; a leading physi-
cist; a strong Republican, though the friend of Napoleon; and finally
the Perpetual Secretary of the Academy.
In the latter capacity it was part of his duty to prepare éloges of
deceased Academicians. Of his collected works in fourteen volumes,
'Euvres de François Arago,' published in Paris, 1865, three volumes
are given to these 'Notices Biographiques. ' Here may be found the
biographies of Bailly, Sir William Herschel, Laplace, Joseph Fourier,
Carnot, Malus, Fresnel, Thomas Young, and James Watt; which,
translated rather carelessly into English, have been published under
the title 'Biographies of Distinguished Men,' and can be found in the
larger libraries. The collected works contain biographies also of
Ampère, Condorcet, Volta, Monge, Porson, Gay-Lussac, besides shorter
sketches. They are masterpieces of style and of clear scientific expo-
sition, and full of generous appreciation of others' work. They pre-
sent in a lucid and popular form the achievements of scientific men
whose works have changed the accepted opinion of the world, and
they give general views not found in the original writings them-
selves. Scientific men are usually too much engrossed in advancing
science to spare time for expounding it to popular audiences. The
talent for such exposition is itself a special one. Arago possessed it
to the full, and his own original contributions to astronomy and phys-
ics enabled him to speak as an expert, not merely as an expositor.
The extracts are from his admirable estimate of Laplace, which
he prepared in connection with the proposal, before him and other
members of a State Committee, to publish a new and authoritative
edition of the great astronomer's works. The translation is mainly
that of the 'Biographies of Distinguished Men' cited above, and
much of the felicity of style is necessarily lost in translation; but the
substance of solid and lucid exposition from a master's hand remains.
Arago was a Deputy in 1830, and Minister of War in the Provis-
ional Government of 1848. He died full of honors, October 2d, 1853.
Two of his brothers, Jacques and Étienne, were dramatic authors of
Another, Jean, was a distinguished general in the service of
Mexico. One of his sons, Alfred, is favorably known as a painter;
another, Emmanuel, as a lawyer, deputy, and diplomat.
note.
Edward S. Holden
## p. 708 (#118) ############################################
708
DOMINIQUE FRANÇOIS ARAGO
LAPLACE
THE
HE Marquis de Laplace, peer of France, one of the forty of
the French Academy, member of the Academy of Sciences
and of the Bureau of Longitude, Associate of all the great
Academies or Scientific Societies of Europe, was born at Beau-
mont-en-Auge, of parents belonging to the class of small farmers,
on the 28th of March, 1749; he died on the 5th of March, 1827.
The first and second volumes of the 'Mécanique Céleste' [Mech-
anism of the Heavens] were published in 1799; the third volume
appeared in 1802, the fourth in 1805; part of the fifth volume
was published in 1823, further books in 1824, and the remainder
in 1825. The Théorie des Probabilités was published in 1812.
