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crown of the Chosroës and made him King of the Persians and Turcomans and Medes. Moreover, he made his uncle, King Damigh, King over Irak, and all peoples and lands submitted themselves to Gherib. Then he abode in his kingship, doing justice among his subjects, wherefore all the people loved him, and he and his wives and comrades ceased not from all delight and solace of life, till there came to them the Destroyer of Delights and Sunderer of Companies, and extolled be the perfection of Him whose glory endureth for ever and whose benefits embrace all His creatures! This is all that hath come down to us of the history of Gherib and Agib.
OTBEH AND REYYA.
(Quoth Abdallah ben Maamer el Caisi), I went one year on the pilgrimage to the Holy House of God, and when I had accomplished my pilgrimage, I turned back to visit the tomb of the Prophet, whom God bless and preserve! One night, as I sat in the Garden,[1] between the tomb and the pulpit, I heard a low moaning in a soft voice; so I listened and heard one repeat the following verses:
Is it the lamentation of the doves of the lotus-tree That stirs the springs of sadness up in the heart of thee?
Or doth remembrance irk thee of maiden fair and sweet, That hath thy soul afflicted with care and misery?
O night, thou lingerest sadly on one who’s sick for love! Of love and lack of patience full sore complaineth he.
Thou makest him still wakeful, who’s all with passion’s heat Consumed, as on live embers he burns unquenchably.
The full moon is my witness that I am passion’s slave, Love-maddened for a maiden who’s like the moon to see.
I deemed not I should ever enamoured be, until This wise I was afflicted and knew it not, ah me!
- ↑ A decorated part of the southern portico of the Prophet’s Mosque, situate between his tomb and his pulpit and so called from his saying, “Between my tomb and my pulpit is a garden of the gardens of Paradise.”
