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 THE

LAMENT OF BABA TAHIK

THE LAMENT OF BABA TAHIK
BEING THE

EUBA'IYAT OF BABA TAHIR, HAMADANI" CURYAN) \

THE PERSIAN TEXT EDITED, ANNOTATED AND TRANSLATED BT

EDWARD HERON-ALLEN
AND RENDERED INTO ENGLISH VERSE BY

ELIZABETH CURTIS BRENTON

t * ' »

LONDON
BERNARD QUARITCH
15, PICCADILLY, W. ^

1902
 LONDON :

PRINTED BY GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, LTD.

ST. John's house, clerkenwell.

Ill 'I
 ^

?
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
03

PAGE

Introduction vii

The Lament of Baba Tahir,

in
CO
^
• '

by Elizabeth Curtis Brenton .....

rendered into Eudisli
& verse

^ The Ruba'iyat of Bciba Tahir Hamadani ('Uryan). The

'->

and notes ........

original dialectal text, with the Persian equivalents,
17

Prose Translation of the foregoing text . . .65

>-

u-

e:
ki
S
 'i—'-Ti-^xSt^

To writean introduction to the poems, and to en-

deavour to give information about the life of an author
of whom the only thing that can be said with perfect

accuracy is that practically nothing is known of him,

suggests the brick-making industry as practised by the
Jews in Egypt. ruba'iyat of Baba Tahir
Though the
are chaunted and recited to the present day all over

Persia, to the accompaniment of the three-stringed viol

or lute, known as the Sih-tfir (" Three-strings "), and

few collections of poems have been published in that
country (or indeed in the Persian language), since the
introduction of the lithographic press, that do not
contain some specimens of his quatrains, concerning
the poet himself few precise details, biographical or
come to light.
otherwise, have yet
The only published attempt to lift the veil of

mystery that shrouds the personality of Biibii Tahir is

to be found in the Majma'u'l-fusahii of Rizu-Qull Khiln
viii INTRODUCTION

(Tihran a.h. 1295, vol. i., p. 326), where, by way of

introduction to ten rubii'iyat of Baba Tiihir, the

compiler expresses himself as follows :

—
"Tahir, 'Uryan, Hamadanl. His name was Baba
Tahir. He wasone of the most eminent mystics of his
era. The opinion expressed by some writers that he
was contemporary with the Seljuq Sultans is erroneous.
He was one of the earliest of the Shaikhs, and lived under
the Daylemite dynasty. He flourished about a.h. 410
(sj^ &lL'x^ ,d), and died before *Unsuri, Firdawsi,
or

any of their contemporaries. He is the author of ruba-

'iyat of great excellence in the ancient language {J-^J-j

*j>jJ»),
which are still extant. It is also said that there

are extant treatises by him, and that scholars have

composed commentaries upon them."
The same author in a later work, the Riyazu' l-'Arif In
(Tihran a.h. 1305, p. 102), states that Baba Tahir died
in the year a.h. 410 (i.e. a.d. 1019-20 : sj j '^^^W j"^^*
and that consequently he cannot have been a

contemporary of 'Aynu T-Quzat-i- Hamadanl (who

died A.H. 525 or 526, according to Hajl Khalifa, iii.,

p. 459, 536 [cf. also Jami's Nafahat, pp. 475-77]), or

of Nasiru 'd-din TfisI (who died a.h. 672), as stated by
some writers.* Unfortunately Riza-Qull Khan does not

* Vide E. G. "
Browne, Some Notes on the Poetry of the Persian
Dialects," in the Journal of the Boyal Asiatic Society, October, 1895.
 INTRODUCTION ix

state from whence he gathered this information, though

in the later work he cites twenty-four of the ruba'iyat
of Baba Tahir. This date (a.h. 410), if it could be
relied upon (which, as would appear from the succeed-

ing note, seems to be the case), would make our poet a

contemporary of Firdawsi and an immediate precursor
of 'Omar Khayyam.
Mr. E. G. Browne, to whom I am indebted for most
valuable assistance in the preparation of this volume,
adds the following very important and hitherto un-
published information to the above :
—
"
I have come across mention of Baba Tahir in a
unique history of the Seljuqs, of which the one known
MS. is in the Schefer Collection in Paris (vide note,

p. xii.). This history is called

'
Rahatu 's-Sudiir wa
'

Ayatu 's-Suriir 0^^-51 ^J ^ ^.^1 h^\j

'The Comfort of
Breasts and Signal of Gladness'), and is by Najmu'd-
Din Abu Bakr Muhammad bin 'All bin Sulayman bin
Muhammad bin Ahmad bin al-Husayn bin Hamat
ar-Rawandi, who wrote it for the Seljuq ruler Abu '1-
Fath Kay-Khusraw bin 'Ala'u 'd-Dawla 'Izzu 'd-Din
Qilij Arslan bin Mas'ud bin Qilij Arslan bin Sulayman.
The book was written in a.h. 599 or 600 (a.d. 1202-

1203), and the MS. itself is dated a.h. 635 (a.d.

1237-8), so its evidence is old and valuable. It is

there stated that Avhen Tughril Beg the Seljuq (who

reigned a.d. 1037-1063) visited Hamadan, he saw Baba

X INTRODUCTION

Tahir, who gave him good advice, his blessing, and the

ring-like broken-off top of his jj^l (or jug for perform-

ing ablutions), which the Sultan highly prized as the
memento of a holy man, and used to wear as a ring on
his finger on occasions of battle, &c. I regard this old
and authentic evidence proving conclusively that
as
Baba Tahir flourished about the middle of the eleventh
century of our era, and that he was a man of some
notoriety as a l—>j j^s-*, a crazy saint. It is satisfactory
to find the early date given by Riza-Quli Khan con-
firmed in this way."
This passage remains therefore, for the present, the
most precise authority at our service for the chronology
of the author under consideration.
Neither of the collections of poems lithographed at

Bombay in a.h. 1297 (a.d. 1879-80) and a.h. 1308

(a.d. 1890-91), and at Tihran in a.h. 1274 (a.d. 1857-8),
nor the Munajat of the Khwaja 'Abdu 'llah Ansfirl,
lithographed at Bombay in a.h. 1301 (a.d. 1882-3),
prefix any introduction to the specimens they give of
Baba Tahir's quatrains ;
but in the Atash Kadah of
Lutf 'All Beg Azar [Bombaya.h. 1277 (a.d. 1860-61),

p. 247] twenty-five ruba'iyat of Baba

Tahir are intro-
duced by the following note, under the rubric Jj/:
" Persian
'Irak," i.e. Media:
— ^:s^

"
'Uryan, whose name is Baba Tahir, is a mad-man
from Hamadan (^j^^-^) he is a learned man, knowing
;
 INTRODUCTION xi

all things {J^.^ iAjo hama dan). His history is recorded

in some few writings, and his character is well known
among adepts. He a
lover (in the Sufi or
is mad
spiritual sense), the ardour of whose soul is evident
from his poems, and he has written many quatrains in
the Rajl* dialect (^^^j ij^j), in a particular metre, most
of which have a particular merit of their own. We
have selected some of these and preserved them here."
The particular two-beyt metre referred to is not the
common ruba'I metre, though the Persians themselves

always refer to the quatrains of Baba Tahir as ruba'iyat.

The metre in which these quatrains are written might
properly be described as a simple variety of hazaj
1-JjJ.ssr* ^j^Ik^ -,jjti
"the curtailed hexameter Hazaj."
The metre is as follows :
—
The earliest MS. that have seen of these quatrains
I

is one in my o"\vn collection, dating only from the end

* I have retained in this

place the term Rajx for the reason that
it transliterates the Pei'sian, but I am indebted to Mi\ B. G. Browne
for the following note "If the reading i^\ (j^)i is right it
: must
mean 'in the language of one who prays' (a petition, from Wj a
'

hope '), or if you can find the reading ^J^^J (rdzi) it

'

prayer,' or
'

might be in the dialect of Rey,' but there is no Rjiji dialect that I

' '

ever heard of." M. Huart adopts the reading " en dialecte de Re'i."
It will be seen on reference to the text that the 5 (j)
and tlie
j (z) are

interchangeable in this dialect.

 xii INTRODUCTION

of the 18th century and containing 27 quatrains, and

the only other to which I have had access is one in the

Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris (which bears the stamp

"Acquisition Schefer No. 9655 "),* which is a collec-
tion of 174 ruba^iyat written in ordinary modem

Persian, in an ordinary modern lum-shikasta hand-

writing, by one 'All ibn Abl Talib Bakhsh 'All
Qarabaghi, in the year a.h. 1260 (a.d. 1844). This
contains a prose preface of three and a half pages, but
this preface is entirely devoted to praise of the poem
itself, which is, to the writer, '' such a book that it is
the very pupil of the eyes of the clear-sighted, and a
fair copy of it is the salt on the table of delicacy of

meanings
" —
and so on ad infinitum, together with
fulsome and exaggerated compliments to the reigning
Shah of the Kajar dynasty. The MS. ends abruptly
and is apparently unfinished, but it would appear that
this was intentional, as the compiler ends his preface
with a statement that he has collected aU the ruba'iyat
of Baba Tahir that have come to light down to a.h. 1260

{^js?^ (j>-^ ^ c:^w*jjti ^ j\jjb

iS Jlrv
^.'o),
and that he
proposes to add any others that he may find, expressing
at the same time a hope that the supervising reader
" show favour, in the
will also event of discovering

* These Schefer MSS. are included iu the "Supplement Persan,'

nos. 1303—1578.
 INTRODUCTION xiii

omissions, with the pen of completion." There is not

in this preface a -^s^ord of historical or
biographical
information about the author. Mr. Browne tells me
that there are six leaves of Baba
Tahir's rubfi'iyat in a
MS. at Berlin (Pertsch's Catalogue, p. 727, no. 697).
I have not been able to consult this MS. but Herr ;

Stern of the Konigliche Bibliothek informs me that it

contains fifty-six ruba'iyat, without any preface or

introduction, and though undated, appears to have been

wi4tten about 1820. It is therefore of no greater
importance than the texts at our disposal.
M. Clement Huart, in his introductory essay to
"
Les Quatrains de Baba Tahir 'Uryan en Pehlevi
Musulman,"* states that he infers from a passage in
the Nuzhatu 'l-QulCib of Hamdu 'llah Mustawfi, who
died in a.h. 750 (a.d. 1349), that this author flourished
before that date. The passage referred to is to the
eiFect that the tomb of Baba Tahir was, ten years prior
to that date (i.e. 1329), highly honoured at
in a.d.
Hamadan. He on the authority of Comte
also tells us,
" "
de Gobineau's Trois ans en Asie (p. 344), that Baba
Tahir is now regarded in Persia as one of the saints of
the Ahl-i-Haqq or Nusayri sect, and that his sister, Bibi

Fatimah, is
equally venerated by this community.

*Journal Aslatique November

(Paris), ser. xHii., vol. vi., no. 3,
December, 1885.
liv INTRODUCTION
"
All that we can safely state is that he was a
crazy
saint," a dervish, or religiously inspired beggar,
from
"
hispopular name 'Uryan ( Jo_^), The Naked," in which
condition he doubtless roamed the streets of Hamadan,
the especially protected of God and the Prophet, the

prefix Baba indicating the dervish, or kalandar

condition, rather than prominence among the Sufi

sect. M. Blochet calls my attention to an Arabic MS.
in the Bibliotheque Nationale (No. 1903), by an anony-
mous author, dated a.h. 890 (a.d. 1485), containing at
pp. 74-100 a treatise upon the sentences of Baba Tahir
Hamadani. According to the opening lines of this
treatise (after the invocation), it was written at the

request of a Sufi named Abu '1-Baqa al-Ahmadi ; the

aphorisms are typically Sufistic of a mild type, and are
" treatises "
quite possibly the referred to in his intro-
duction by Riza-Quli Khan {vide supra).
To the above information may usefully be added the
following, which is a translation of an account gathered
for me from a native scholar by Captain Charles
Kemball, His Majesty's Resident at Bushire. It is
" Account
headed, concerning Tahir, kno^vn under the
name of 'Uryan, as handed down by tradition," and is

as follows :
—
" It is stated that
Tahir-i-'Uryan was an illiterate
person and was a wood- cutter. During the day he
was wont to go to the Madrasa (academy) and listen
 INTRODUCTION xv

whilst the students would read their lessons, but the

students used to make fun of him. One day he
'
remarked to one of the inmates of the institution, I
wonder what these students do in order that they may
understand the instructions of the Professors.' The
student replied jokingly,
'
At midnight they get into
this pond and plunge their heads under the water forty
times ;
after undergoing this process, they understand
the instructions.' Tahir believed
«
this account and did
the same himself, though the weather was intensely
cold. Just then a flash of light appeared and entered
his mouth (?). Next day he came to the Madrasa and
commenced a philosophical discussion with the students
to which they were unable to respond. When they
asked him the reason of this sudden change, he related
'
his story to them, saying, passed the night as a
I

Kurd and opened with the morning as an Arab.'

This immensely astonished his hearers. It is stated
that there seemed to be extraordinary heat in his body,
so much so that no one could sit near him. He used
to pass his time continually in the jungles and
mountains." Such is the modern tradition concerning
our poet-philosopher.
This is the sum total of what we have been able to
discover concerning the author of these ruba'iyat, and
in the absence of any early text that might throw
further light on the subject it seems all that we are
xvi INTEODUCTION

ever likely to obtain. M. Blochet in Paris, Dr. Ross

in London, Mr. Browne in Cambridge, and Mr. Ellis at
the British Museum, have, with the utmost kindness
and patience, ransacked the stores of biographical lore
of which they have command in the endeavour to
obtain for me some more explicit information concern-
ing this mysterious personage, and with their combined
failure to elicit any details other than those recorded
above, I must reluctantly abandon the search for the
present.

The other point to be considered is the dialect

in which the ruba'iyat of Baba Tuhir are written.
He is often called " Luri," and Steingass gives "Luri
"
Tahir TatI as the name of one of the tribes of the
Lurs. Accordingly, Cte. de Gobineau states that he
wrote in the Luri dialect, whilst Chodzko, in his

"Popular Poetry of Persia" (London 1842, p. 434),

says that he wrote in Mazandariinl dialect. We

may, however, I think, adopt view expressed
the
in the introduction to the quatrains in the Atash
Kadah, that they are written in the
Rajl (or Rey)
dialect.* This dialect is one of the north Persian
group which M. Huart {loc. cit.) proposed to class
under the generic term " Pehlevi Musulman"; for a

* See tlie note on page xi.

 INTRODUCTION xvii

fuller explanation of the term the reader is referred

to the article ofM. Huart already quoted, in which
his contentions in favour of this somewhat dubious

expression are ingeniously set forth and its use

justified.
A learned Sheikh of Kirman, writing to Mr. E. G.
Browne under date July 30, 1891, concerning these
"
dialects, says The dialect about which you wrote for
:

information is the Lur! patois of Shiraz and Isfahan,

which is the Pahlavl dialect. Many poets, such as

Sa'di, Abii Is-haq, Hiifiz, and Khwaju (of Kirman),

have composed verses in it."*

It is not expedient, in the introduction of a book

primarily intended to present to the occidental reader
the sentiment and beauty of a comparatively unknown
collection of oriental quatrains, to go into the features
of the dialect itself. The student who is interested in

thisbranch of the subject is referred to the text which

forms part of this volume. In the notes elucidating
that text the dialectal forms are picked out and
restored to ordinary Persian it may be said, however,
;

in this place, that these quatrains having been trans-

mitted through perhaps nine hundred years by
recitation and oral tradition, have suffered the usual

* E. G.
Browne, "Notes on the Poetiy of the Persian Dialects,"
773.
loc. cit., p.

b
 '
xviii INTEODUCTION

vicissitudes which aiFect such folk-songs when reduced

to writing. Successive scribes, ignorant perhaps of the
dialect they were transcribing, and careless perhaps of
the historic value of a scrupulous exactitude, have

produced a number of extremely variant texts, the

variations, however, being fortunately confined within

The MS. of Mirza Habib
certain limits. Isfahan!, from
which M. Huart largely took his text, is
apparently
for the most part in pure dialect, whilst that of
'All ibn Abl Tfdib, appears to be frankly
in l^aris,
translated into pure Persian. It is for this reason
that have, wherever possible, given the text of
I

M. Huart " in chief," noting the variants to be found

in the other texts that I have used in compiling that
which appears in this volume, and in arriving at its
meaning.
When we come to the discussion of our translation,
which purports to place before our readers the senti-
ments of Baba Tahir, we get on to exceedingly delicate
ground. I must say at once that I alone am

responsible for the actual translation of the quatrains,

and that Mrs. Brenton has rhymed my literal inter-
pretations with a fidelity and exactitude which is often
but little short of amazing. Whatever errors of inter-
pretation are to be found in this volume (and I am
exceedingly conscious that they are many), are entirely
due to my lack of a just comprehension of the original.
 INTRODUCTION xix

It is for this reason that, after very serious considera-

tion, I have at last, and somewhat rehictantly, decided,

on the advice, and at the request, of several students
of the language, to append after the text my own
measured prose rendering of the quatrains.
The initial difticulty Avith which one is confronted
when attempting to translate a Persian dialect is the
absence of any text-book dealing with the subject in
"
anything like a complete form. An invaluable Table
of Phonetic Equivalents" forms part of Mr. Browne's
article above referred to, and M. Huart's already

quoted some length.

article discusses these variants at

Besides these sources of information, we have the

"
important work of Beresine, Recherches sur les

Dialectes Persans," printed at Kazan (Casan) in 1853,

which gives us elaborate vocabularies of the dialects of
GUak and Mazandaran, Gabri, Kurdish, Talish, and Tati.
Some observations of Mr. Browne upon these difficulties
will not be out of place. They are as follows :
— '"
Not
only does the Arabic character, especially when
unpointed, afford a very imperfect means of repre-

senting graphically the hner shades of pronunciation,

but every scribe, when he has to do with dialects not
used for literary purposes, where he has no fixed rule
to guide him, employs his own system, and is usually
not consistent even in that. bad enough when
It is

the scribe is
thoroughl}' lamiliar with the dialect which
XX INTRODUCTION

he wishes to express in writing, and far worse when

(as is generally the case) we have to deal with copies
more or less remote from the original draft, made by
persons ignorant of the dialect before them, into which
all sorts of clerical errors are almost sure to have
" "
crept {loc. cif,, p. 782). I have learned by expe-

rience that the publication of even a very faulty and

imperfect account of a matter which is interesting in

itself, often suffices to elicit from other workers in the
same field valuable communications and criticisms
which might otherwise never be made . . . The
English rendering which I give must, in some cases,
be regarded as rather of a tentative character, though
I believe that they fairly represent the general sense of
"
the poems {loc. cit., p. 783).

With preliminary observations by way of

these
" Lament of Baba
introduction, we must leave our
"
Tahir in the hands of the amateur of verse, and the
student of the Persian language. My own interpre-
tations of the quatrains have been versified with

conspicuous success speak of course from the philo-

(I

logical point of view, and not in any way j^resuming to

encroach upon the domain of the literary critic), by
Mrs. Elizabeth Brenton, whose paraphrase of
Curtis
the accepted renderings of the " Ruba'iyat of 'Omar
" "
Khayyam (by Elizabeth Alden Curtis ") attracted
 INTRODUCTION xxi

"
SO much attention when issued by The Brothers of
"
the Book Gouverneur (New Yorii, U.S.A.) in 1899.
at

My own translation has been added at the last moment

under circumstances already alluded to. I had not
intended that it should form part of this volume, but
having been commanded to make a draft of it for the
pleasure of a friend, it fell into the kind of measured
prose in which it now stands. The result having been
(as a fulfihnent) a failure, it was cast aside, but was

rescued from destruction, and, in a revised form,

included herein for the assistance of students who may
care to have a guide through the intricacies of the text.
The quatrains being in the nature of independent
aphorisms have no proper order of their own. Mrs.
Brenton has arranged them as they fell into place
during the process of constructing her poem my prose ;

version follows the order of the text, which I have

arranged to some extent so as to bring together such

sets of quatrains as appear to deal with certain

attitudes of mind, e.g. Addresses to God, to himself, to

his Beloved, and so on.
It be observed, in conclusion, that it is often
may
very difficult to determine whether
an earthly or a

heavenly object of adoration is the oljject addressed

in

ruba'i, but this is a difficulty which is

any particular
incidental to all oriental poetry in whicli a mystic or
Suiistic tendency is observable.
xxn INTBODUCTION

It only remains for me to record in this place my

great indebtedness and sincere gratitude to Mr. B. G.
Browne for his invaluable assistance in the compilation
of this work.

EDWAED HERON-ALLEN.
Venice,

April, 1901.
 \

THE

LAMENT OF BABA TAHIE

RENDERED INTO ENGLISH VERSE

BT

ELIZABETH CURTIS BRENTON

 nt»»
W'
MP^
the
SM^*
LAMENT OF BABA TAHIR.

I am a Nomad, a Fanatic Tramp,

Life has no ties for such an idle scamp ;

Aimless by day I wander, and at night

A Stone's my pillow, and the Moon my lamp.

2.

By day and night the Desert is my home,

My Tent the friendly Heavens' spreading Dome,
Nor pain nor fever rack me, but I know
That night and day I sorrow as I roam.

3.

The Roses bloom upon the breast of Spring,

From every bough a thousand Bulbuls sing.
*
But Earth contains no Pleasure-ground for me,
A Burning Heart to every joy I bring.
B
 THE LAMENT OF

4.

Thy pictured Beauty, Love, ne'er leaves my Heart,

Thy dowuy cheek becomes of me a part,
Tightly I'll close mine eyes, Love, that so
My Life, before thine Image, shall depart.

5.

Out bunting, when a Falcon, once I went ;

Sudden an Arrow through my wing was sent.

Be warned, heedless Wanderer !
by me.
Against the Height the strongest Bows are bent.

6.

Without Thee in the Garden, Lord, I know

The sweetly-perfumed Roses cannot grow,
Nor Tears of Grief, although the Lips should smile,
Be washed away in Joy's bright overflow.

7.

I am beset by cruel Tyranny,

My heart remembers allmine Eyes must see,

r
I'll fashion, straight, a pointed sword of steel.
C0:^U
y
Tut out mine Eyes, and set my poor Heart free.

r.r
 BABA TAHIR

8.

thou who dost possess no less, no more,

Of Heavenly Knowledge than of Tavern-lore,
And that is — Nothing Oh, canst thou expect
!

Aught from a World thou never wouldst explore ?

9.

A Lion or a Tiger thou mightst be,

Ever, Heart, Heart, at War with me ;

Fall but into my hands, I'll

spill thy Blood,
That I may then know what to make of thee.

10.

Love, since my Day, by reason of thy Flight

Is all so dark, come, illume my Night ;

By those fair Curves that are thy Brows, I swear

Grief only shares my bed in my despite.

11.

Prince !
through my Heart I am Affliction's prey.
It is the same all night and all the day,
I oftengrieve that I should grieve so much ;
—
Someone take my graceless Heart away !

B 2
4 THE LAMENT OF

12.

Love, in purple thou dost Jbid me go,

Grief, like an extra garment, weights me low,
Yet will I boast thee as Dawn boasts the Sun,
Till Israfil the Final Trump shall bloAv.

13.

I am the Phoenix, of such great Renown

The beating of my Wings inflames the toAvn:
If one should paint me on
a house- wall, why.
That luckless house would straightway be burned down.

14.

That phrase, " Yes, He is God," it troubles me,

My Sins are like the Leaves upon a Tree ;

Oh, when the Readers read the Book of Doom,

What must my shame, with such a Record, be !

15.

Alas, how long, then, must I sorrow so ?

Bereft of all, Tears unceasing flow

my ;

Turned from each Threshold I will turn to Thee,

And if Thou fail'st me, whither shall I go ?
 BABA TAHlR

16.

Strung with thy Hair, Love, my Rebab gleams ;

How far from thee my Degradation seems !

Thou lov'st me not, and wouldst not be my Love,

Then wherefore comest thou to me in Dreams ?

17.

Com'st thou ? My Welcome thou shalt not contemn ;

Come not, and who my bitter Grief shall stem ?

Give them to me, and of thy Woes I'll die
Or be consumed, or I'll put up with them.

18.

A Moment's space to seek my Love — I ran,

Hurry not God's sake.

so, for Camel-man — !

She holds my Heart a Prisoner, and through Love,

I'm but a Laggard in Life's Caravan.

19.

Though we be drunk, our Faith is all in Thee,

Weak and Unstable, still our Faith's in Thee,
Guebres, or Nazarenes, or Musulmans,
Whate'er our Creed, our Faith is Thine, and Thee.
 THE LAMENT OF

20.

Happy is he who nigh to Thee in heart,

's

Who from Thy Teachings never need depart ;

Too feeble to approach Thee, I can still

Consort with Those who know Thee as Thou art.

21.

Come ye Initiates, let no one fail ;

Form we a Circle and our Woes bewail,

Bring Scales and our Fanaticism Aveigh,
The most Ecstatic most shall tip the Scale.

22.

—
The Sea within a Cup this is my Gauge,
The Dotted Letter that completes the page,
One in a Million 's such a Man as I,
I am the bright Exemplar of my age.

23.

Sweeter than Hyacinths to me is borne

The Breeze that, sighing, from thy Curls is torn ;

All night when I have pressed thy Picture close

The scent of Roses fills
my Couch at Dawn.
 BABA TAHIR

24.

Ah, when will Health to my Sick Heart return !

The Good Advice I give it does but spurn.

Flung to the Winds, 'twill not be borne away,

Cast in the Flames alas, it will not burn.

25.

What Flame-singed Moth 's as blundering as I ?

On such a Madman who would waste a Sigh ?
Even the Ants and Serpents have their nests.

But I have not a Ruin where to lie.

26.

For Love of Thee my Heart is filled with Woe,

My Couch the Earth, my Pillow is as low.

My only Sin is loving thee too well.

Surely not all thy Lovers suffer so ?

27.

Spare methe sight of thy Dishevelled Hair,

The sight of Tears in those thine Eyes most fair,
Thou would'st deprive me of the Sun, thy Love,
Oh, plunge me not too soon in Night's Despair.
8 THE LAMENT OF

28.

When thou art absent Sorrow dims my sight,

My Tree of Hope is barren of Delight,
And I, when thou art al^sent, all alone
Sit, and shall sit until my Soul takes flight.

29.

AVithout thee is
my Heart in Mourning clad,
Show but thy Face, and straightway I am glad ;

If all men had a share in my Heart's Grief,

No Heart in all the World but would be sad.

30.

Nought can the Meadows of my Fancy show

Save only Grief's sad-coloured Rose in bloAv,
From my poor such an Arid waste.
Heart, 'tis

Even Despair's pale Herbage will not grow.

31.

The Lover and the Loved are so much One,

Each endeth where the Other is
begun ;

My Heart with my Beloved's little Heart

Is interwove like Fabric closest spun.
 BABA TAHIR

32.

I'm a green Log fresh cut from off the Tree,

Heart of Stone, thou burnest not for me, —

Though who, indeed, expects a Stone to burn ?

But I must smoukler till I kindle thee.

33.

My Heart nigh distraught with Love's Emprise,

is

Tears gush in Torrents from my throbbing Eyes.

A Lover's Heart is like a fresh-hewn Log,
One end sheds SajD, Flames from the other rise.

34.

By him who knoweth Grief, may Grief be told,

Just as the Expert can divine Pure Gold,
And who but an Liitiate shall gain

The Knowledge his Initiations hold ?

35.

The Heart of Man, you say, is prone to Sin,

Oh yesbut did not first the Eyes begin ?
!

Ifon the tempting Face they did not look,

The Heart, unknowing, would be Pure within.
10 THE LAMENT OF

36.

thou whose eyes are shadowy with kohl,

thou whose slender figure works my Dole,
Whose locks with musk are laden, art thou dumb,
That thus with Silence thou shouldst rend my Soul ?

37.

thou hast caused a Thousand Hearts deep pain,

More than a Thousand siq-h for thee in vain,
I've counted far more than a thousand Scars

Of thine inflicting, and yet More remain.

38.

The Mountain Tulip lasts but seven days,

The River Violet lives but seven days,
And I will cry the news from town to town
That Rosy Cheeks keep faith but seven days.

39.

When Trees to grow beyond their boundaries dare.

They cause the Gardeners much anxious care ;

DoAvn very Roots they must be pruned,

to their

Though Pearls and Rubies be the Fruits they bear.

 BABA TAHIR 11

40.

Blessed are the Friends of God, Oh, blessed are they

Whose Task is ever " He is God " to say ;

Happy are they who always are at Prayers,

For Heaven rewards them at the Final Day.

41.

Whom fearest Thou, of Man who makest light ?

Whom fearest Thou, Who puttest him to flight ?
Half-hearted as I am, yet I fear none ;

Whom fearest Thou, Double- Heart of might ?

42.

What though my Jar of Life be filled with Tears ?

When I am dead, released from all my Fears,
Thy passing o'er my Grave will bring me back
To claim again the Bounty of my years.

43.

Thy Curly Locks in tangled Masses fall

About thy Rosy Cheeks that hold me thrall,
On every separate Strand of thy soft Hair
—
There hangs a Heart, a Heart upon them all.
12 THE LAMENT OF

U.
Like a sad-sounding Flute, Oh plaintively
My Heart laments. The Fear of losing thee
Will haunt my Soul
Resurrection Day,
till

And God alone knows when that Day will be

45.

Love, to be sweetest, Love-Returned must be,

For Heart grows sick, you see
else the Lover's

Take Majnfm, he was desperately in love,

But Leila even more in love than he.

46.

Such Storms descend upon me from the Skies,

That salt Tears ever sparkle in mine Eyes ;

The Smoke of my Lament goes up to Heaven,

For ever fall my Tears, my Groans arise.

47.

Only, from Grief, that Prevalent Disease,

An Alchemist could free us, should he please.
Yet comes at last a Remedy for all,

The Heart returns to Nothing, and finds Ease.

 BABA TAHTR 13

48.

Beset with Thorns and Thistles is

thy Road,
Yet up to Heaven's Gate such Seed is sowed.
If thou canst leave thy Flesh upon these Thorns,
it, and travel with
Leave a Lighter Load.

49.

I am
but a Taper weeping from the Flame :

Are not the Tears of Burning Hearts the same ?

All night 1 burn, and all day long I

weep,
For Days and Nights like this thou art to blame !

50.

Oh, evil Fate that I should have to die !

But what is Fate when Destiny 's awry ?

ABriar in Love's Path, then let my Thorns
Tear out Heart, that I may cease to sigh.
my

51.

What would it matter if but one small Grief

Were mine ? but Oh, my Wounds are past belief !

A Doctor or my Love to share my Couch —

Relief.
Ah, only one of these could bring
14 THE LAMENT OF

52.

My Heart is fragile, like my Glass, and I

Fear lest Ibreak it when I heave a Sigh,

A Tree whose Tears are Blood — is this so Strange,

When in a Pool of Blood my Roots must lie ?

53.

I pray thy Sun-like face may never lack

The Shafts that split my Heart in swift Attack :

Why is the mole upon thy cheek so dark ?

Objects so near the sun become burnt black.

54.

I go
— I leave the AYorld — I journey far

Bevond where even China's limits are,

And going, ask of Pilgrims whom I meet,
" Is this the End ? "
Is this the Outmost Star ?

55.

Thou Who didst create the Earth, the Sky,

How have we served Thee save to curse, deny ?
Now by the Faith of Thy Beloved Twelve,
Preserve us Lord —we are not fit to die.
 BABA TAHJR

56.

My Heart and Soul are Lovely One,

thine,

My Secrets are thy Treasure, Lovely One.

I know not, truly, whence my Sorrow comes,
But know that thou canst heal it. Lovely One,

57.

Where art thou. Love ? Where isthe Burning Spell

Of those kohl-shaded Eyes ? Love, I dwell
On Earth but little longer
— Tahir dies —
Where art thou at this Moment of Farewell I

ELIZABETH CURTIS BRENTON.

New Milford, Conn., U.S.A.

April, 1901.
 I
j^ ^
iij^,^ ^LL bU ,^_^lj^£iUj

THE EUBA'IYAT
OP

BABA TAUIK HAMAD ANI UKYAN

THE OBIGINAL DIALECTAL TEXT, WITH THE

PERSIAN EQUIVALENTS AND NOTES
It has been seen that anything in the nature of a

codex, or early and authoritative text of the Quatrains

of Baba Tahir is yet to be found, but I have noted
such as are worthy of remark in the Introduction to
this volume.

For the text which follows, therefore, I have been

reduced to the following materials :
—
(i.)
The well-known Bombay lithograph, containing
the Ruba'iyat of 'Omar Khayyam, Baba Tahir,
Abu Sa'kl ibn Abu '1-Khayr, &c. [Referred to as
B or B i.,
and B ii.] ^l^'-is ^.^ J^jAsz ci^Uclj,
^^' yl ^Bombay, 1297 a.m., and (second
^J<^^^

edition) Bombay, 1308 a.h. Both of these con-

tain 57 ruba'iyat. It was this collection which

first called my attention to the author.

(ii.)
The Jta.sh Kadah of Lutf 'All Beg Azar.
[Referred to as AK.] Bombay, 1277 a.h. ^^T
.jl C*l.>j
^Jx.
v_iy iSi This contains 25 ruba'iyat
at p. 247.
c 2
20 NOTE UPON THE TEXT

(iii.)
The Majmahi 'l-Fiisahd of Riza-Quli Khan.
[Referred to as M.] Tihran, 1295 a.h. s/iJ
l£s*a^' %>t^' i^y^yo This contains 10 ruba'iyat at

p. 326 of vol. i.

(iv.) The collection lithographed at Tihran (1274

Ruba'iyat of 'Omar Khayyam,
A. II.), containing

Baba Tahir (27 ruba'iyat), 'Attar, Malik Irij,

and poems of Tabriz!, &c. [Referred to as T.]

(v.) The Mundjdi Khwaja 'Abdullah al-

of the
Ansarl. [Referred to as MA.] Bombay, 1301 a.h.

jd]l sxt This contains 32

^^UJ^l ^^ly^ c:^L^ll«
ruba'iyat at p. 87.

(vi.) The text constructed by M. Clement Huart

in the Journal Asiatique (8th ser., vol. vi., no. 3,

Paris, 1885, p. 502), purporting to be derived

from nos. (i.), (ii.),
and (iii.), and a modern MS.
belonging to a contemporary collector, Mirza
Hablb Tsfahani, which I understand is now in
Constantinople. [Referred to as H.]

(vii.) A MS. in my collection, which is undated,

but appears to be of the end of the 18th or
beginning of the 19th century, which contains
27 ruba'iyat, three of which are not in any of
the above sources. [Referred to as MS.]
 .bjx.
\]S^?t> .35 li? bU v^»L^u 1

CT^ ^lO ^-tlt-' "^s

1.

B 5, AK 5, H 24, MS 5.

1. 1. Persian, cUJuo 1 J
^'v*; y&.
The other texts for
^jUh
read ^jUL, which is unsatisfactory.

1. 2. Persian, tiJUuJLJ
^ 'o . The other texts begin with

the more ordinary form

^jk^.
MS begins the line j_^
:1, iCi .

'

^j.^
who confide their secrets to thee/

1. 3. = ^- = ^«
= J;^ For
^^ \j^^\ ; i^j j^i^ 1^- ;

^ &j ^b B has ^jo tXiLjj, AK has ^jo lii^^-vl), and MS. has
all of which convey a similar meaning.
^ju ,;*, Ll^^J«*»t),

1. 4. Persian, AJJuj iJ ^xi" Jujo ^^'Jl (v^- The other texts

restore the Persian ^.'.j

1 .
22 THE LAMENT OF

2.

«o'v^ L-^ SJ^issr i}j ji &'^i

B 49, T 4, H 2.

The dialectal forms to note iu tins quatrain are in

11. 1 and 3, (XLo for J ,^j, and in 1. 3 iA^ for Si^JJ.

B has the ordinary Persian form.

3.

'^^
U- c;^*** ;^ y^ J^j '^'^

b26, t 12, h46.

The terminals ^j ^j^:.

= ti^ ^JJi^.
T and B restore

1. 3. T and B restore the Persian

jJjUJ .J .
 BABA TAHIR 23

4.

B 25, H 13.

The terminal in 1, 2 and 4 —* .Ij.

>_^t>
1. 1.
^-o
= ^j-<.
The line translates 'I am troubled on ac-

count of (the phrase) "They said Yes; (Thou art our Lord.)"^
1. 2. H has a somewhat pedantic note deriving y^^i'j

from .Ij {' a gallows ') with a dialectal plural. It seems

unnecessary to seek beyond ^J}^*^

= the common elm-tree,

though B reads ^J^^<i.

1. 3. In Persian, liJul^i^
<uU ^jlil^i-
JC^li
Ij^i ^^^, lit.

'
When to-morrow the Readers of the book {i.e. the Recording

Angels) read the Book.' B reads ^J^i^ and jJuji- .

1. 4. The same dialectal forms for ^^ _ JuU _

^ilj.
B reads <u'J.

5.

B 30, H 16.
24 THE LAMENT OF

It will be observed that this quatrain is identical in

sentiment, and almost textually as regards 11. 3 and 4, with

B 2, AK 2, H 20, MS 2 {infrd, No. 6).

The terminals ^^i are the dialectal form of J^^ii'

1. 1. B has b for b, and in 1. 2 1^

for U, giving the
' ' ' '

interjectional Oh ! and Alas ! for the more satisfactory

' ' '
with and how long.^ It is probably a liberty or care-
lessness of the scribe.

1. 3. I have followed H in taking <jcj

j-«j
as two words
for J t_f y- ( towards thee ') rather than as one for jui-^

('burnt/ or 'in ecstasy')- ^^]/^

= Sx'i^i.
B restores the

Persian form.

1.4. J= \j^
iS ;
Ij
= U . B has ^^ {' towards ') for

I) or \» .

6.

;u; ,j , ji

B 2, AK 2, H 20, MS 2.

Vide note to No. 5 suijrd.

 BABA TAHIE 25

1. 1. is the dialectal contraction of of ^)

f^^i^-:^ J^j^^ (pi.

and *^*i
.

1. 2, B and AK give the more ordinary Persian phrase

1. 3. The other texts give ^a^sh

as in No. 5 supra.

1. 4. The other texts, as in No. 5, give ^^ (= L< <x^)

a preferable variant.
for^i,

7.

Jj J'^ ^J
^^y ^i'jl ^^Ij rfi'

B 19, AK 20, H 41, T 2G, M 10, MS 20.

1. 1. The other texts begin the line J-^*J^ , M and MS

substituting i for .1; it is thfe dialectal form for
^^ l^U^l .

1. 2. M and T have^ for

^1 ; B, AK and MS have^^
for .r B has
^i^^,
for
t^^^^. ('with contempt').

1. 3. 1.
5^
= b U ; the other texts, excepting M, have
the yc at the end before and begin ^^1
L .
^Jij ,

1. 4. ^ = ji ;
M for J'x ^J reads
^y'^ys^ (syn,).
26 THE LAMENT OF

8.

B 4, AK 4, MS \, T 15, H 23.

The other texts restore the Persian ^^*^\ allthrough {vide

note on p. 69), and in the first two lines have the singular

1. 1. B and the others have »i" for j;I here and in 1. 2.

1. 3. B and AK have .a> (' Guebres for

i^ ^
and .j

C and if ') for

y AK and MS has jia (' Hindu ') for
Uy ;

T reads the line ^Jj^»*^

j\ j)i J,\ ^
t^Ju& il. Every scribe

seems to have chosen his own forms of unorthodoxy for

insertion,

1. 4. B and T ^i"
for ai'.

9.

B 56, AK 6, T 16, H 27.

 BABA TAHIR 27

The termiuals y^j = the Persian jJIJ; MS has y^y

throughout, AK has it in 11. 2 and 4. Note the elimina-

tion of the ^ in <JbjJol
-
s^%>^
-
£>y**
.

1. 1. This line in AK reads y sJj

jG
j J^l ^
J;3U
^1 y .

1. 2. T has giving the meaning 'paucity

;
ci^li' for
jj ,

or pureness/ probably an error for (^.^-Ji alloy '; MS has

'

'
» c«Jj in this place, giving alloyed or pure.' It might be
taken as an emphatic of ^^1=^, but this would be far-fetched.

1. 3. = Lj ;
^fd
= e;^^-
T restores the Persian
»yy
forms; MS and AK restore ^^iJ only.

4. The other texts for JU : 'The value (or

1.
read^^"
measure) of their initiation only the Initiates know.'

10.

B 23, AK 24, T 27, H 45, ms 24.

all the texts are unanimous as to

Excepting for J\ in 1. 1

this quatrain, the intention of which completely baffles me.

28 THE LAMENT OF

11.

B 20, AK 21, H 42, MS 21.

The meaning of this quatrain is exceedingly obscure,

^-j
as before = dji
1. 1. B and AK restore the Persian
y; B lias j {'upon')

for^ ('full of').

1. 2. B and MS have y.
1. 3. MS reads
^J ^J
for
y>} ji ;
B and AK omit :l

and begin^^l, and restore the Persian JoT. I think there

is a lost idiom here.

1. 4. Note the diminutive comparative lL) J^ '

a^little
less.

12.

n 46, H 19.
 BABA TAHIR 29

1. 1. B has the Persian 'uj and ^jilj. (iS^-**

= juU-^-^.

1. 2. B for
^5)1^
has *a)l>, giving us
'
let us talk together
'

B also has ^.iX-^^ (Met us suffer or undergo') for ^.^jLiJ,

but the rhyme is impossible. *j J" = »

fh-J^'i

13.

U ^J^
I^jJUj yjJt> jG^-4 ^y

B 3, AK 3, MS 3, H 15.

1. 1. In Persian, *ASlij li'

^jla> ^j^J
Lo. All the
<)uUv.^»«

other texts read J^l'Jo Ij'

j$,^ t^W^^ aj'j-j.
M. Huart has
confused 11. 1 and 2 in his note, with a result which is, as
"
he says, unsatisfactory.''

The other
1. 2. texts give
j^ (Move') for ^s* ('de-
parture.')

1. O. ^^M/J
^ 1^ KAmJ .

1. 4. allij = liJUJ. The other texts restore the Persian

form.
30 THE LAMENT OF

14.

B 35, H 5.

1. 2. B has JUgJ for

^^aJL»-, giving the meaning 'covet-
' ' '
ous rather than ill-omened or black-ejed/ and also ^^
the Persian for the dialectal ^-e
(= U).
1. 3. Note the dialectal^ for 1 in
^J^J[>*^.ibJ
. B substitutes

the word ^j!.lA3»aw ^ giving us S-iver-bauk' instead of moun-

tain-top/ The 1308 edition of B (but not the 1297 edition)
»K-* 'seek' for jsr* graze' or 'wander/
Dialectal forms for
^»- for t3^
1. 4. ; ;
^j^l ^^1 ^^»-
for 45
.y»-.
B restores the Persian form in each instance.

^
15.

vji^Awl tJLJ.Lc ^^s>- »ta::,.v**^j t.?'^ t^)

j^liw-
MS 27.
 BABA TAHTR 31

This quatrain, which is in pure Persian, is only to be

found in the MS. no. vii. It is more than probably an
interpolation {vide note on p. 72), and the metre is far
from satisfactory.

16.

B 38, H 49.

1. 4. <JJ.A^ is the mythological Fish that supports the

whole world in the Muhammadan cosmogony.

17.

B 29, H 9.

1. The lithographer of
2. B has the slip
(•^Tjl^i),
which

is confusing for a moment.

I. 3. Mr. Browne suggests
me with
,^ for
^ '
I have grieved

so much : kill grief.'

32 THE LAMENT OF

1. 4.
^«
=U ;
(jf^ is the dialectal imperative of ^jtiJUu,

and B reads jjIamo

18.

B 43, H 7.

Note the recurring dialectal form for L-^^i, (and in

y^t
3. J for L^%S), and the pleonastic
1. . in
^ Jy'u^^ _ aJU^ -
^yU- - ^^1 of which appear in restored Persian form
(y/-'^
in B, sc. Jb'iJwj _ JI.'j _ _ Jlllj.
^j'^
1. 1. Dialectal form »^ for
^xi.

1. 3. for ,lti _ .^Xo for *iiju - »I for

^j>i2 ^

1. 4.
JjJ for Jb ;
B has the Persian form

19.

Jiih Jfc>
iJL Jt) doL

B 17, AK 18, h37, t25, ms 18.

 BABA TAHIR 33

In all the other texts the final 8 8 are omitted. They

give here the value of (.^i^nmjI .

1. 1. T and MS substitute Uijo^ for the second ^_^h .

1.2. Pers. ^UJ^^j which is restored by the other texts.

For ^^^ T has tiJ, whilst the other texts have the par-

ticiple ^jS ; l5sA^ would be a better emendation.

1. 3.
^J^lJ'i
= AJUJ-AJ, but B and AK read ^^i^J.Jo ;
^J^J^
and [xij
in AK are errors of the scribe. T and MS read
'
the line sjoJ ^^j^'^ {J'^*>'^ r^'; ^^ the eyes did not play
^i{>
the sentinel.'

1. 4. For y^J (in B and AK ^J^j

to balance ^^li) read

Pers. Job; = ^Jb^s~ . T and MS read the line

^J^y^
'

|J'^^ ^J->f!^
J^ i^X-^ib di»-, How wouldst thou know, my
'
heart, where the Beautiful Ones are ?

20.

B 36, H 3.

B has the ordinary Persian J instead of J at the end of

each line.

D
34 THE LAMENT OF

1. 2. Note the dialectal forms <)uuj

for tJJyo, and Jti/ for

cXi>. B restores the Persian forms.

1.
(j'^ is Persian, where one would have expected
3.

the dialectal form

^»>^*mj.
B for JKj has J^y, which is
synonymous.
1. 4. B has iidj^ ,
for the dialectal form »t)^f.

21.

B 6, AK 7, H 26, T 17, M 2.

In the other texts the undotted J invariably takes the

place of the i ;
^^SM^
— '^r^f^ •
«

1. 1. The other texts (except M) restore the Persian * ilvi.

1. 3. M has
»^JU^
for ti^JUU,
AK has iji0[j.>
and j'a,

evidently an error of the scribe. jJii compounded of

<b and ^1 = 1.^1

«icj .

1. 4. M has .jl for ipoT, a synonym.

 BABA TAHIR 35

22.

B 44, H 6.

1. 1. Dialectal
^-«
for
^^ _
^ for J»j.

1, 2.
^j^ -
^Jyc
for jjU- _
^jU 'possessions' or 'domestic
belongings.' B has the variant line
^^^^
:
^yJ ^^ci-
ai

_^ j:j
; is the dialectal form of
f*jiO Jtjid ^t'^i.

1.3. a:jT for ^^ .

1. 4.
^^ is dialectal for L»^*i» . B restores the Persian

^dj^ for 8(3^.

23.

B 8, ak9, h 28, T 18, MS 9.

D 2
36 THE LAMENT OF

The terminals <XJ stand for the Persian ci^^^^aj ;

^ in

11. 1 and 2 = U.
1. 1 . The other texts read this line <d
<o1^^j Jii ^y>^^, ^^-< y^-
The word Jcjl.o is especially applied to the moths that fly

about a candle. We have here a reference to the Sufi

parable^ in which the total annihilation of a moth by being

burnt in a candle typifies the self-annihilation of the Initiate
and his absorption into God. The line as it reads in the

other texts carries out the idea even more fully.

1. 2. The other texts begin ^^ ^'*^ f^'-*?>

<^c.

1. 3. The other texts restore the Persian and ^jKl*,

^||;^
and MS restores jJ.lj for the dialectal ,j»j.*5.

1. 4. The other texts for !J,l:s^j return to the <)J1»jJ of 1. 2.

24.

B 47; T 1, H 35.

The terminals are the Persian ^V.^y*

-^ ^^^ ^ have
J» ^ throughout.
 BABA TAHIR 37

1. 2. For js: B has

J:»-_,
which gives correct scansion.

1. 3. The other texts restore the Persian for

^^ yo.
4. The other texts eliminate the dot of J in
^^J^^l

25.

^ Ai A»*»J^
(j^-***^ ^"V"' lJ^

c:^v*waj ^.*^s:^
u;-"'^ ^^v^^ fS^jM

M 8, H 55.

]. 3. = M for t»:i.^MkJJ has the dialectal form

iy) fi^i. ^i.
1. 4.
^— j^' M restores the Persian *.'*>.

26.

^^yi ^ ^^^ o^*^' r^^^-5

B 42, H 52.

The texts are identical and pure Persian.

38 THE LAMENT OF

27.

l^ ui^
^

B 21, AK 22, H 43, M 6, MS 22.

1. 1. B and AK begin the line J J sX^ sh ,

and MS
^.i, JJu t\ju (= ;
as iaefore = Jy .
j,^^) ^ji

1. 3. B, AK and MS read cl;:!^^

1. 4. M has d:jb (= AJ'j) for ji^

J j B, AK and MS read

the line j
^G Ij' L:l^^^'ai U ^ j liX=^, AK having y for U.

28.

u^ (^ c;!;> c>'"^ ^^

t^^ (js'^
jj <icJ
^^-^^-V ^-*y
>x> k^ 1
1 ij \y.-c

B 50, T 6, H 54.

1. 1.
yj
= d^} . B and T have ^i\
. B reads the line

1. 2. The other texts begin s^'tj^i.

1. 4.
j^
= yj-o ;
*j^ — <)U£>-'ftAM
 BABA TAHIR 39

29.

B 24, AK 25, H 22.

1. 1. B and AK have ^ for ^^ liere and in 1. 2.

1. 3. B and AK have Jol^ for n^i} ji

the dialectal form.

30.

b52, t 10, H 11,

1. 1.
yo
=
Huart says that (^ )3l is an emendation
^^-^i-

suggested by Mirza Habib Isfahan!, whose MS. had the

word ^
jjs-'x 'impotent'
or 'hopeless/ which makes nonsense

in this place. B and T have identically jX< for *1 ^,<j

,

^J>.>-^
for
^J>..)''^ ,
and JW' i ('in a moment') for J'j>.
.J.

1. 2. *^*«jJ
= /*jj'^-
T omits 4.4, which is unimportant
for the sense but not for the metre.
40 THE LAMENT OF

1. 3. aiA^ = S^SJ , and B and T have the latter (Persian)

form.

1. 4. Persian, <Dli-
(>jy^.'
^ ^^^ "^ ^^^^
(^'-^
('the

universe for i6\=^. B has

j^^'J
for
^'U in both editions,

which would seem to preclude a mistake of the copyist, but

is incomprehensible.

31.

B 13, AK 14, MS 14, T 21, H 32.

1. 1. (here and in 1. 2) = \jl^>^] JJ . T reads this

i^^i
the other texts ending the
line
<Jl-«-.^U^^ij j^J Ji)^^
line
^-<cLv^.

1. 2. d!>d = ci^/^l Jl>. T reads i^ \jAd ^ Jt^ _^jJ4) ^^ ^

<Z^»*i^J>, the other texts having LI J for :1

J J and ending
JJ <jc>. ; they also have ^d for jjj, as is frequent.

1. 3. juu^l = i6.s^\ . The otlier texts for j^yd have

1. 4.
JjiXi
= JUi; ^x^i*
= c:^N"l ^"i ; ^^S — e:^***^!iXi or

^^Ia/, which forms are retained by T, B, AK and MS./

 BABA TAHIR 41

T has J &.^ for ^^ ; B, AK and MS begin the line f^^j^ •

AK has^Ai.-
i6 'what news ^
for jc^^.

The meaning of the whole quatrain is very mystic and

purposely involved.

32.

^XwJj )-^r <»^-^ ivT'^

<U*wJ£)l
jj^.j.^ ^f,y^ yAi-
JInu jdili' .1
sjJUl^ •« ^
B 51, t9, h21.

The terminations Jl**<

represent the auxiliary ^-^^ .

1. 2. The ^
in
^.jti-c
is the accusative after ^S^-

1. 3. B and T restore the Persian forms ^jIj

.'w*. and

1. 4. B restores j^« for ^, and has Jl^liU for ^ jdili'.

The imagery in this quatrain is obscure, but I take it

'
to mean, 1 lag behind in the race for life, making love,

and meanwhile life passes/ Cf. Omar Khayyilm, ^x*^ ililj

' ^
the Caravan of Life ;
and also Mr. E. G. Browne's

quotation from Qutbu M-Din 'Atiqi, at p. 51 of his recent

* '

Biographies of Persian Poets (Journ. Roy. Asiatic Soc,

'
Jan. 1901) :

Every moment I fall back from this caravan ;

42 THE LAMENT OP

again and again I turn my face towards the abode of that

swaying cypress/

33.

^J^ j^, ^>^i^ i^j^ aJ^ ^y<

,'o . ^AJ .J ClJUi^ Ti'^j ^^s>~

nS
H 4, M 1 .

II. 1, 2 and 4. Note the dialectal form ^iJ for t)»Ai.

I. 3. M has AiiS for

aJ^, which is synonymous.
1. 4. 5V ,
is the dialectal form of JV ,
. M begins the
line &^ , a dialectal form of the equivalent jj!
^\i^ -oj^-

34.

\J^m\ if^^f^ . <W'j JC*iti A.D

MS 26.

This quatrain is in pure Persian, and only found in the

MS. no. vii.
 BABA TAHIR 43

35.

B 11, AK 12, M 5, T 20, H 39, MS 12.

The terminals ^i^ = ci^wjI (.-^Jo The terminals • of M

and T are ij^,}, fi'Hcl of B, AK and MS ^c-^^ •

1. 1. M
and T for idy have the dialectal £ji ;
B and
AK have ^j^; MS between this and T has Zj^ ^ xi.y
M. Huart has misread the termination in AK, which is

very badly wi'itten.

1. 2. The same observations apply here.

1. 3. In T the final C-> is omitted. The various scribes

have taken considerable liberties with this line, probably

not understanding it ;
thus M has *>i-< for f^^i^ ,
B and AK
have *>'*' jl
U*^-J
^^^'
f^-i J^ lJ*^-3'

1. 4. M for
^ia (dialectal form oi j^Xib) has the prefix

AJb. The form <)G,-«J:1,

which is to be found also in M, T,
B and AK, does not rhyme. MS is the only text before

me which has sJ..««il, which would rhyme correctly in this

quatrain as it stands here.

U THE LAMENT OF

36.
Hi

J(>w« *-A«mI t'>^j)t ^^.Jj

B 7, AK 8, H 31, MS 8.

aiCo is the dialectal imperative of ^^i^S •

1. 1. The other texts read »— >lj' for .U.

^
1. 2. The others for read L-;l^i^^j f uU of sleep/
.li^i^

^^Ljjk^
in H is a misprint.

1. 3.
i^.j^
— is^tr^i
which is the dialectal form of
'

jJLwJb 1^} y^
thou art bent on/ in distinction from ^^J^ at
the end of the line, which is derivable from ^^JsJ^j 'to sever/

MS for ^" has

d^ Cself^.
1. 4. iLKiy
— L>Jo ,j ;
jllil
= L-;lXil.

37.

B 33, T 7, H 34.
 BABA TAHIR 45

The terminals i.s^y^

= The terminals in T read
JjyjJ.

^^j»~^^ ,
and in B ^^^^'^ (from ^JLi-^Mj)
.

1. 2.
5yj
= 4i»xi. The Persian form is restored in B,
which ends ^J^y^i
•

1. 3. = ~ • S 3'^d T have
ff^-y'**^ (j^'^^ '
^y^)'*^. f^ljy^
the compromise .
JUv^«*j
1. 4. For ^T B has^j", and T has^jj.

38.

8^j^ s.)}3ys>- (Ow- V-J*" '-^;**'

B 15, AK 16, T 23, MS 16, H 29.

AK and MS end 1. 1
^jf^^^,
1-
^J^}^ ,
2 1. 4
(^'^v
*

The whole quatrain with its variations gives us a good idea

of the elasticity of the dialect in which it is written.

1. 1.
Mjid
= A f'tJ ;
^V.)3
~ ^j^^. • ^ reads the line

<xrsr , JL^
U'^J*" LH-^wjJ
;1 JJ (j^„^
= '^.;)^
^^® poet's heart

being broken by the power of Beauties in general. B, AK

and MS are the same, but soften c:.^*"J into
^J^ .

1. 2. T reads this line <xsr,j ^ ^J^\ ^^ jls-^wj -^ 'At one

time burns upon the fire, at another crumbles away.'' (^y**
46 . THE LAMENT OF

1. 3.
igi
~ '^f.
•
^} -A.K and MS have ,^1***^
for JIjU,
a synonym.

1. 4. T has
As^jui
and ^fcsTj,
and the 1297 edition of B
has (like AK), a phonetic error of the scribe,
^^s'-yu iis-y^
and ^>;-y^
— *> from .
;^*w ^Jx^^^j

B 45 is a
slightly variant repetition of this quatrain :
—

&c.
iyij ^U^i. Jj ^ ji i'-yo

39.

B 18, AK 19, MS 19, H 36.

The terminals ^•^.j = the Persian ajUo ; the other texts

terminate in
^^:l/«J.
The occurrence in the quatrain of
both forms <b and J is noteworthy.
1. 2.
*ij^
= Juj .

1. 3. ,.,J*y»J is the dialectal form of AJbl>«J, which is

restored by the other texts.

 BABA TAHIR , 47

40.

B 22, AK 23, H 44, MS 23.

The terminals ^j>d = ,_j }ii

• Note also the dialectal

forms of <us:.^T
_ jtikuT _ <iwsr, .

1. 3. B and AK have ^^Tf

for
^j
»»- ,
and restore (also

MS) ^! for ^^1.

41.

^0' r^^

^[j.u.
J^d e^iv^ J'^ '^^ ;

M 7, H 57.

In this quatrain we have the dialectal forms of als-^^] _

1. 3. ~ (i^'*^ • "^he terminal » =c:.^»*.l. M restores

ij-'j'^

jlj, and has ^fc'.>«w

the plural form.
48 THE LAMENT OF

42.

B 14, AK 15, H 25, M 3, T 22, MS.

The terminals yj — ti-^J,

which is restored in M and AK.
B, T and MS have ^i\ all through.

1. 1. MS for
^^T ^_ yi reads ^JJ .t3
ji", giving the sense
from among those curls.^

1. 3. M, B, AK, T and MS begin the line yi- ^ • H

notes yLjSi
from the Isfahan! MS. yi is the dialectal form

of <*y^^ . The other texts read l^'-xi..

43.

B 41, H 18, T 5.
 BABA TAHIR 49

1. 1. B and T preserve the Persian ci-^lftS; . B has ywj

for JlS , which is unsatisfactory. The Rebab is a two- or

three-stringed bow instrument, played like a violoncello,

much in use in Persia, which I have described elsewhere

C Violin Making,' London, 1885, p. 27).

1. 3. T has ^j^ \j
J\ for
^ i.^
y,
and B has U L) for
^,
correcting the metre, which is wrong, as above. Mr. Browne

suggests yoKi ^ ^. These are clearly allowable emendations.

'

1. 4.
^ i,*J^ (Pers. v.,^), midnight.'

44.

B 10, AK 11, H 38, MS 11.

In 11. 1, 2 and 3 e:^^ ^' = \Ji

<o
y. The other texts

omit the final » 8.

1. 1. The other texts restore the Persian J.a^. I am

not quite satisfied whether <XjU should be rendered
s.^^^
' '

shadowed with surraeh,' or iwe rubbed with surmeh,'

giving to the terminal t the power of o>«-l. B has the

E
50 THE LAMENT OF

reading iJ '•'*', the 2nd person singular^ which is probably

the proper reading.

1. 2. In this line the terminal s = ij:^«^l.

1. 3.
^lAi"
in B 1297 and
^^llii
in B 1308 are errors
of the scribes.
1. 4. M. Huart appends the following note
"
This :
—
line is nearly incomprehensible. ist^'j
must approximate
the Talish
^1^ ('word/ Beresine, p. 52) .... ,c^'^ ^ sig-
^
nifies 'evil word (Beresine, p. 30) . . . But ^}j»- seems to
be a 3rd pers. sing, of the aorist ;
we connect it with
'

^^^^,J»-
to wander,' which we have already met bearing
this meaning. Get hemistiche est rehelle a I'
analyse ct

notre traduction tres conjecturale." I would rather cling-

to the primary meaning and suggest as a transla-

of \r»-,
' '

tion, Refuser of Speech, wherefore is thy head averted ?

'
Mr. Browne suggests the rendering, Why dost thou ask
"Wherefore art thou dizzy?"' making ^i]/^
= lJI/^ '

45.

B 9, AK 10, T 19, H 48, MS 10.

 BABA TAHIR 61

All the texts are identical and, save for the contracted

dialectal terminal are in pure Persian.

^,
I. 1. Compare the Turkish proverb .sl^Jib Cj\ c:^-?^
Love must be on both sides/ Mr. Browne tells me that
in Persia tbo word :! is substituted for^. It is certainly

better. B ii.
begins the line <x^ for ^ .

II. 3 and 4. Leila and Majniin represent in Persian

poetry the archetype of profoundest love.

46.

B 37, H 12.

The variations between H and B are very considerable

in this verse, B as a rule substituting the Persian for the

dialectal forms.

1. 1. = Uj , the imperative of ;
= ^ ^.
^j^i ^J^s^\ yi^
Ws, line reads —

1. 2. J.^ neg. imp. of or ^j

J.jJjb . B's line reads
,^^jLiJti

1. 3. B's line merely transposes thus: — c:^^ Jf'-^

E 2
62 THE LAMENT OF

Note the word-play upon ci^ar^- and ^jlL ;

^IL also mean-
ing 'single' as opposed to i*:^as^ 'a pair/
1. 4.
yo
—
u^ >
y
~ C»^J. B's line reads —

retaining the Persian value of y .

47.

(Jjol (Jiio^ Li^- i J"^ J^

JjoJ J^J ^^j -X:*-^

(^Jj;

D 1, H 8^ AK 1, MS 1.

1. 2. Dialectal form jaj for Uj.

1. 3. is the dialectal form of the Persian ^jUil ;

^iis

*V.i^
= Persian <»JJ;^,
MS has the form *^„j>-

1. 4.
JiJ^^
is the Persian *ji>ju . B gives the com-

promise Joy.

48.

M 0, H 56.
 BABA TAHIR 53

In the terminals 4^Jfc>

<t»'
= ^,by.
1. 2. M for Jl^ has the synonym Jlfij, which is re-

quired by the metre, which halts here.

1. 3. M for yo J^ Jo has the strong Persian

form JUj-aJ.

I. 4.
J^3
= Jli) .

49.

flj I.

b34, T2, n 17.

F. Ruckert cites this verse with certain variants in his

' '
Grammatik unci Rhetorik tier Perser (Gotha, 1874, p. 22) ;

but he does not cite his authority, and the Grand- Ducal
librarian at Gotha tells me there is no MS. or lithograph

of Baba Tahir in the library there.

T and B restore the Persian

j
for
j-
all through.

1. 1. Riickert has -^r^'y

•

1. 2. T and Riickert have

c:^i'^«^,
Riickert following

grammatically with *r>-l«*^ ('I will put up with it^, the

dialectal form of ^jt^ •
54 THE LAMENT OF

1. 3. B and Riickert have the Persian y^T,a

for
^^}\^,
'
whilst T substitutes Ijo come !
'

1. The forms are much interchanged.

4. T has *Jy**^'
B has *^^i (which does not rhyme) and so has Riickert, ;

who also has U for the first U^ and translates 'sterben will

ich, mir mag weh oder wohl sein/ which, if supported by

authority, is good. Cf. the philosophical axiom —

50.

B 16, AK 17, T 24, H 40, MS 17.

In 11. 1, 2, 4 we have the dialectal plural in

^^^
instead

of jjl ; the other texts have the Persian ^J\ ; j = d^.

1. 1. aloJb 'of one week's duration' (Pers. iX^ i^j).
Cf. . ^XSIa*. (^i
'
one year old.' The hamza in kJ^' iu H
injures the metre. So also <x^y; in 1. 2.

1. 2. T and MS restore the Persian form <)ULaJij.

1. 3. B and AK have ^^^ for

^S ^-« ; MS restores the
Persian ^j^U^ ijji^ • ^ ^^^ ^ t^*»J ^j^ probably an omission
 BABA TAHIE 66

of the scribe. Connected with the Arabic might be

'
^^ it

read in every waking moment/ sed qumre.

51.

B 53, M 4, H 30, T n .

The terminals 8 represent the Persian cL^awI.

1. 1. J is probably an emendation of the scribe. iH is

in 1. 3, and in T here also. M for ^b y has ci^Jj^s:*

for for metre.
('thine absence'), j^ Wsj
1. 2. M reads this line
<tij,^ j^xA^ j ci.i^*^'^ #>j ^j a

paraphrase.
1. 3. Compare *y_t>
in this line with the purer but
still dialectal form s.liS in 1. 4. M begins the line with
the paraphrase ^^ aiObl
^[jS
&c. ;
B restores the Persian
Cf. Othello/ Think on thy sins.' D. 'They are loves
^j]j.
1 bear to you.'

1. 4. c:^ = L5 Jc^. M for ijlJ ^ has \.s^ij^ jS) ,

and

T and B restore s.lj to J)l*>.

56 THE LAMENT OF

52.

B 48, T 3, H 53.

1. 1.
^= ^^ ; T and B for
^^.^jl
read
,^j^J J^ , which
is unsatisfactory. Cf. the ruba^i of Hafiz, beginning : —
J^ '^When thou art absent I
^S iii^y^ T^ J (J** y^ J*^ weep
more than a taper.'

1. 2.
i^j>*t ^= xxi-^^j] aT;
T has ^ for
^, and both
the other texts have ^JiX»- for ^j>}
dii
, robbing the line of

its interrogative form.

1.3. ^»~y*i yi,

= ^jy^L.;^^ . The othcr texts Testore ^^^.

1. 4. The other texts have ^i^»- for

^J^^'

53.

yi} ji iJ. /•'V^' U^ ''^

AC JC^ Ij" *JU>t.J

B 32, T 8, H 33.
 BABA TAHIR 67

T and B end in
^^1
the other dialectal form of jjI

1. 1. B I'eads
^J^y*-i.

1. 2. For A'i'Jk'^1 T reads >jIas^ (' niy tree of life '\

1. 3.
yt
= ^.^ . For j^j ^
L-^/i. T reads
^ac <UJfe

'
all my life/

1. 4. For AfAc ^ T has the synonym ^j'-j**-, as in 1. 2.

54.

B 28, H 10.

This quatrain may have suffered severe emendation, but,

as it is, it is free from dialectal forms. Note the pun on^^

('love' and 'sun') in 1. 3. Compare 1. 1 with the lines intro-

duced (from Faridu 'd-Diu 'Attar) by FitzGerald into his

'Omar Khayyam, 'The seas tliat mourn in flowing purple, of

thoir Lord forlorn.'

58 THE LAMENT OF

55.

L5->r^ CJ^^ J^ji. (^:^^ (^

b31, h 47.

The two texts are identical save for .:! (B in 1. 1,

Compare Omar Khayyam, who inverts tins sentiment (Cal-

cutta MS. IG, FitzGerald's translation 92):

56.

MS 25.

It will be observed that this quatrain, wbich has a

ring of 'Omar Khayyam rather than of Babfi TJihir, is

 BABA TAHIR r,9

in pure Persian, and I have only found it in the MS.

no. vii.

11. 3 and 4. Note the play upon the word ^J>^S, which
means in 1. 3 the town o£ Kirman, and in 1. 4 is the plural

of
^jb
'
a worm.^ A precisely similar distich occurs in the
first chapter of the Biistan of Sa'di :

(;^=" iJ^J^
^ ^'^Si ^'^j^ C:^

I had a desire to
conquer Kirman,
When suddenly the worms devour me.

And Firdawsi also makes use of the same word-play in

his account of the Great Worm of Haftawad, from which,

according to him, Kirman derived its name.

57.

B 40, H 51.

1. 2. s J = sUJ ;
'';^,
— j^^j •
.B for uy reads <)cj./-j as in 1. 1
60 THE LAMENT OF

58.

T 14, B 55, n 58.

1. 2. T for (_^J^«3 ^ Lc ;1 has ,_5JoJ>j ^JJ^.

1. 3. Literally, 'by the faith of tby Eight and Four,'

i.e. the Twelve Imams of the Faith.

1. 4. T restores L*. The ^ in this line is the only

sign of the dialect, and is probably an emendation of

the scribe. The whole quatrain is

probably spurious.
M. Huart appends a note :
— '
A proverbial expression.
Oriental wisdom teaches that it is sometimes dangerous to
'
have seen an escaped camel ; and cites the apologue of

Zadig and the horse of the King of Babylon. He evidently

was unacquainted with the Turkish proverb (which has

equivalents all over Asia), .^»r»-

»J^"^a ^i
jii s^O iji ^J^l
'
Death is a black camel which kneels at everybody's door.'

The quatrain is merely an address to God pleading for

a longer life.
 BABA TAHIR 61

59.

B 39, H 50.

Identical save that B restores s^j in 1. 3, and ^J^*J^i

in

11. 3 and 4 ;
^ as before.

60.

^ jSJ ^\[c ^>J^ ^\j ^*

B 27, H 14.

The texts agree in this quatrain, and the only dialectal

of the in
peculiarities are the elimination
all through,
^ *^^
and the form «U*j in 1. 4, in which » = \JL^^ (Pers.

(,i^««*.l .
m>j), and J J for .^t).
62 THE LAMENT OF

61.

B 57, H 59.

B restores the Persian U all tlirougli^ aucl in 1. 2

^j[aJL»-.
In 1. 3 we find the comtnon idiom for the point of death.
Cf.'Omar Khayyam (Whinfield^s text, no. 134) J^ ^^ss.
S^\ v*-^Ju, and Sa'di (Gulistan, chap. i. 16) ^[s^ ^w*>

62.

B 54, T 13, H 1.

1. 2. T has ij
for
^^_j, giving the equivalent 'made thy
^ ^
way for 'set thy foot (in the tavern).
 BABA TAHIR 68

1. 3. iJ*'^
— the Persian ^J^>^,
i" which amended
form we find it in B and T.

1. 4.
ij;*^T^
— (Pers.) J\djA.). B and T begin the line
^

^^!,Uj, giving us the more mystic ^friends (of God) for

the vaguer mankind.'

The poet wishes convey that if a man has neither the

to

self-denial of asceticism nor the courage of his contrary

convictions, he is not fit to be admitted among men of

decided character.
 THE

LAMENT OF BABA TAHIE

PROSE TRANSLATION

F
 ;^ote. — In the following translationI have endeavoured to offer a
certain measure of ordinary English expression. Where the precisely-
has suffered eclipse, it has been restored in the
literal signification
notes. The notes appended to the foregoing text must also be referi'ed
to when characteristic Oriental images occur in this translation.

Happy are they who live in the sight of

Thee/
Who hang upon Thy words,^ and dwell with Thee,
Too frail to approach, I see Thee from afar,
And seek the sight of those that see Thee ever.^

Without Thee in the Garden, Lord, may no rose bloom,

Or, blooming, may none taste its sweet perfume,
So, should my heart expand when Thou art not nigh,
'Twere vain my heart's grief naught could turn to joy
! .^

^
Lit. who see Thee always. 2 ]Jt. who talk with Thee.
^ Lit. Though I have not strength (a foot) to come and see
Thee, I will go and see those who see Thee.
If, without Thee, the heart smiles and opens
4 Lit. its lips (in

it never wash its cheek from heart's blood.

laughter), may
p 2
68 THE LAMENT OF

3.

Happy are they indeed whose Friend is God,

"
Who, giving thanks, say ever, "i?e is God ;^ /

Happy are they who always are at prayer.

Eternal Heaven is their just reward." ,^

4.
"
That phrase, "They said 'Yes!' fills me with alarm,
I bear more sins than does a tree bear leaves ;

" "
When, on the last day, They- that-read- the- Book
shall read,

I, bearing such a record, will hang my head.

5.

Lord ! who am I, and of what company?

How long shall tears of blood thus blind mine eyes ?

When other refuge turn to Thee,

fails I'll

And Thou me, whither shall I go

"
if failest
— 7.
?

^
1
Whose
(constant) occupation the reciting of the Hamd
is

and the Ikhlas," i.e. the Siirata '1-Fatiha, the first chapter of the
" Thanks be to
Qur'an, beginning &U Ju.«J\ God," and the Suratu'l-
Ikhlas, the 112th chapter of the Qnr'an, beginning Ji^^ i-\i\
yfc Jj>

"Say: He isone God."

2 Their market, the market in which their wares find
lAt. i.e.

acceptance.
 BABA TAHIR 69

6.

Homeless as I am, to whom shall I apply ?

A houseless wanderer, whither shall I go ?

Turned from all doors, I come at last to Thee,

If thy door is denied, where shall I turn ?

7.

If Thou killest me miserably

— whom fearest Thou ?

And ifThou driv'st me forth abject — whom fearest

Thou ?
Though a half-hearted thing, I fear none,
Thy heart is the two worlds whom fearest Thou ?
—

8.

Drunkards and drunk though we be, Thou art our

Faith,^
Unstable,weak though we be. Thou art our Faith,
Though we be Muslims, Guebres, Nazarenes,
Whate'er the OutAvard Form,- Thou art our Faith.
* * « *

"
^
Perhaps we
should read instead of (:;Ui\ faith," (jW
" "
"quarter" or mercy," iu which case the Hues would end, (we
ask) quarter from Thee."
2
Lit. In whatsoever faith (or sect) we be, &c.
70 THE LAMENT OF

9.

He who has suffered grief knows well its cry,

As knows the Assayer^ when gold is pure ;

Come then ye Burnt-in- Heart, chaunt we laments,^

For well we know what 'tis to Burn-in-Heart.^

10.

When o'er the Garden wall the branches hang,

The garden's keeper suffers ever bitter grief,
They must be cut back, even to the roots,
Even though pearls and rubies be their fruit.

11.

Briar and thorn beset thy way, Heart,

Beyond the Dome of Heaven is
thy road ;
'* -

If thou art able, then thy

very skin
Cast off from thee, and lighten thus thy load.'

1
Lit. the Crucible.
2 Lit. let us lament together.
3 Lit. For he whose heart is burnt knows the condition of the
Burnt-in-Heart.
* Lit.
Thy passage must be over the Zenith of Heaven.
'
Lit. If it comes from thy hand (i.e.
if thou canst), cast off thy
skin, so that thy load may thus be a little less.
 BABA TAHIR 71

12.

Come, ye Burnt-in-Heart, let us gather round,

Let us converse, setting forth our woes.
Bring scales, make trial of our weight of woe,
The more we burn, the heavier weighs our grief/

13.

Burnt-in-Heart, come ye and mourn with me,

Mourn we the flight of that most lovely Rose ;

Hie we with the ecstatic Nightingale to the Rose-

Garden,
And when she ceases mourning,^ we will mourn.

14.

A falcon I !
and, as I chased my prey,
An ^
evil-eyed-one's arrow pierced my wing ;

Take heed ye Heedless wander not the heights,*

!

For, him who heedless roams,^ Fate's arrow strikes.

* * * *

1
Lit. the heaviei' will Ave weigh (i.e.
the greater will be our

honour).
2 Lit. And though she mourn not.
3
This might also mean " A black-eyed beauty's arrow," which is

probably correct.
^
Lit. feed (pasture), not on the heights.
"
Lit. feeds (grazes).
72 THE LAMENT OF

15.

My horse said yesterday to me " There is no doubt :

''
But that your stable is a coign of Heaven ;

"
Here is not grass nor water, straw nor grain,
" "^
'Tis fit for Angels, not for beasts like me !

* * * *

16.

'Tis Heaven's whim to vex me, and distress,"

My wounded eyes hold ever briny tears,

Each moment soars the smoke of my despair to heaven,

My tears and groans fill all the Universe.^

17.

Lord ! this heart of mine afiiicts me sore,^

^
1 weep this heart of mine both day and night ;

Often I grieve but for my grief; Some-one

Rid me of this heart that I may be free.^

1
This is ascribed to Baba Taliir in my MS., but I think it is an
importation. It
neither in his style or language.
is
2
Lit. 'Tis through the mischief- working of Heaven's Wheel that...
^
Lit. My groaning body and my tears reach even unto Samak
(i.e. the Fish that in the Muhammadan cosmogony supports the
whole world, here meant to symbolize the deepest depths of ocean).
* Lit.
Lord so afflicted am I by this heart.
!

^
Lit. I am
in torment through this heart of mine, &c.
^
Lit. for I am weary of it. Vide also the note on p. 32.
 BAB A TAHIR 78

18.

By day and night the desert is my home,

By day and night mine eyes shed bitter tears,
No fever rocks me, I am not in pain.
All 1 know is that day and night I grieve.

19.

wicked, wanton, wastrel heart of man,^

When the eyes sin the heart must bear the douP :

If the eyes never saw a lovely face,

How would the heart e'er know where beauties are ?

20.

Beneath the tyranny of eyes and heart I cry.

For, all that the eyes see, the heart stores up:
I'll fashion me a pointed sword of steel,
Put out mine eyes, and so set free my heart.

'
—'1 .

Mine is a heart that has no health in it,

Howe'er I profits not

counsel it, it ;

1 fling it to the winds, the winds will none of it,

I cast it on the flames, it does not burn."^ —

^
Lit. A plague is tlie heart, a plague, a plague.
- " The and the heart is afflicted
0/-, eyes see, (with love).
^
lAt. it does not smoke.
74 THE LAMENT OP

22.

I am that wastrel called a Kalandar,

I have no home, no country, and no lair/
By day I wander aimless o'er the earth,
And when night falls, my pillow is a stone.

23.

What blundering Moth in all the World like me ?

What madman like me in the Universe ?

The very Serpents and the Ants have nests.

— —
But I poor wretch no ruin shelters me.

24
The Meadow of my Thought grows naught save grief.

My Garden bears no flower save that of woe ;

So arid is the desert of my heart,

Not even the herbage of despair grows there.

25.

My heart is
dainty as a drinking cup,
I fear for it whene'er I heave a sii^h ;

It is not strange my tears are as blood,

I am a tree whose roots are set in blood.

^
Lit. anchor (i.e.
settled abode).
 BABA TAHIR 75

26.

If single were my grief, what should I care ?^

If small my sorrow were, what should I care ?

Call to my couch my lover or my leech,

If either one were nigh what should I care ?

27.

With wailing plaint my heart is like a flute.

The grief of losing thee is ever at my heels ;

Till the Last Day am I consumed with grief,

And w^hen that Day shall be, God only knows.

8.

'Tis Spring ! in every garden roses bloom.

On every bough a thousand nightingales ;

There is no mead where I can set my foot.

Pray there be none more Burnt-in- Heart than I.

^
Lit. what (harm) would it be ?
76 THE LAMENT OF

29.

I am the ocean poured into a jug/

I am the point essential to the letter ;

In every tliousand one greater man stands out,"

I am the greater man of this mine Age !

30.

A Phoenix I, whose attributes are such

That when I beat my wings, the World takes fire ;

And should a Painter limn me on a wall,

Mine Image being there would burn the house.

31.

Ifmy Sweetheart is my heart, how shall I name her ?

And if my heart is my Sweetheart, whence is she named ?

The two are so intimately interwoven that

I can no longer distinguish one from the other.

1
I.e. an infinite soul in a finite body. Cf. the passage in the
" If
Prologue to Book I. of the Mathnawi of Jalalu 'd-din Runii :

thou poui-est the ocean into a jug, how much will go into it ? But
one day'8 portion
" —

- Lit. in stature (upright) like an A\if (i.e. the Persian letter

1
"a").
 BABA TAHTR 77

32.

If the mood takes me to seek my Loved One's face,

Restrain me not, my heart is thrall to her ;^

Ah, Camel-man, for God's sake haste not so 1

For I am a laggard behind the Caravan.

* * *

33.

The picture of thy Beauty, Love, quits not my heart,

The down, the mole. Love, on thy cheek I see alway ;
~

I'll knit my lashes close, o'er wrinkled eyes.

That, weeping, thine image ne'er can leave me, Love.'^

34.

To-night I can do nought but weep and wail.

To-night I am
impatient, conscienceless ;*
Last night one hour seemed passing sweet to me.

To-night 'twould seem, I pay for last night's joy.

^
Lit. I am the thrall of my heart,
~
Lit. The image of thy down, thy mole, Love, will not depart.
^
Lit, That (though) blood (i.e. bitter tears) pour forth, thine
image may not go forth.
*
Lit. beside myself.
78 THE LAMENT OF

35.

More than a thousand hearts hast thou laid waste,

More than a thousand suffer grief for thee,
More than a thousand wounds of thine I've counted,
Yet the uncounted still are more than these.

36.

Subdue the glories of thine hyacinthine hair,

Wipe the tears of blood from thy narcissus-eyes ;

Why robb'st thou me of the Sun —

which is thy love ?

Day passes quick, bring not the night too soon !^

37.

heart of Stone, thou burnest not for me/

That stone burns not, is not, indeed, so strange ;

But I will burn till I inflame thy heart,

For fresh-cut logs are diflicult to burn alone.

1 Tlie oriental hard to render.

Lit. imagery of this verse ia It

might be translated :

Do not disorder {or make curly) thine hyacinthine hair,

Do not dim with blood-stained tears thy drunken narcissus- eyes.
Thou art bent on cutting off thy love from me;
Time will cut it off — do not hasten on.

2 " me
Lit. stony-hearted one, thou pitiest not."
 BABA TAHia 79

38.

My heart is
giddy and distraught for love of thee,
And tears in torrents flood my beating eyes ;
^

How Hke a new-cut log are lovers' hearts,

Whilst one end burns, the other bleeds its sap.

39.

Without thee heart has no moment's peace,

my
And if I see thy face my grief has fled ;

If all men had a share in my heart's grief,

No heart in all the world but would be sad.

40.

Thy tangled curls are scattered o'er thy face.

Mingling the Roses with the Hyacinths ;

But part asunder those entangled strands,

On every hair thou' It find there hangs a heart.

41.

may thy sunny face grow brighter yet.

May thy love's arrow split my heart in twain ;

Knowest thou why thy cheek's mole is so black ?

All things become burnt black close to the sun !

Lit. If I so mucli as strike my eyelashes together a torrent ai"ises.

80 THE LAMENT OF

42.

The breeze that played aniicP thy curling locks

Is sweeter far than hyacinths to me ;

All night I pressed thy picture on my breast,^

At dawn my bed gave forth a scent of roses.

43.

With two strands of thy hair will I string my

rebab,
In my wretched state what canst thou ask of me ?

Seeing that thou hast no wish to be my Love,

Why comest thou each midnight, in my sleep ?

44.

thou whose sweet soft eyes the siivmeh shades,

thou whose slender figure rends my heart,

thou Avhose musky ringlets cluster on thy neck,
Why passest thou unheeding ? — art thou dumb ?

1
Lit. comes from the roots (or
'
side ')
of thy, &c.

2 " All I thine to

Or, night clasped image (phantom) my
breast."
 BABA TAHIR 81

45.

Love must be reciprocal,

to be sweet
Love unrequited maketh sick the heart;
If Majnim's heart was desperate for love,
The heart of Leila was more desperate still.

46.

Come and illume my chamber for one night,

Keep me not wretched by thine absence from me;^
By the two arcs that are thine eyebrows' curves, I swear
Since thou 'st forgotten, Grief only shares my bed.

47.

Art thou a lion or leopard, Heart, Heart,

That thou warrest ever with me, Heart, Heart ?

Fall thou into my hands I'll spill

thy blood.
;

To see what colour it is, Heart, Heart !

48.

My Beautiful ! thou hast my heart and soul,

Thou hast mine inner and mine outer self ;

I know not why I am so very sad,

I only know that thou hold'st the remedy.

*
Lit. Do not leave me in the affliction of the day of separation.
G
82 THE LAMENT OF

49.

Comest thou thyself?^ I will cover thee with caresses,

Comest thou not ?^ for thine absence will I sorely
grieve.^
Be thy sorrows* what they may, lay them upon my
heart,
And T will either die of them, or be consumed by tiiem,
or bear them bravely.

50.

Seven days the anemones last upon the heights,

On river- brink the violets last seven days ;

From town to town will I proclaim this truth,

" But seven can
"
days rosy cheeks keep faith !

51.

Grieving for thee my heart isever sad,

A brick my pillow, and my couch the earth ;

My only sin is loving thee too well :

Surely not all thy lovers suffer so ?

^
Lit. If thou comest, by thy life I will, &c.
2 Lit. And if thou comest not.
2 will I melt.
lAt.
* I.e. the pains thou canst inflict.
 BABA TAHIB,

52.

A taper whose flame sheds waxen tears/

I,

Are not the tears from burning hearts the same ?

All night I burn, throughout the day I weep,
Such days and nights are all on thine account.

53.

When away mine eyes o'erflow with tears,

thou'rt
Barren the Tree of Hope when thou'rt away ;

Without thee, night and day, in a solitary corner,

I sit, till life itself come to an end.

54.

Heart I I mourn in purple for thy flight,

1 bear my grief as the train-bearer bears the train ;

As the dawn boasts the rising Sun, boast I thy love.

Henceforth till Israfil shall sound his trump.

^
Lit. wliose tears are of fire. Cf. the verse of Jamal'ud-din
"
Salman quoted by Sir Gore Ouseley ( Biogi-aphical Notices of
Persian Poets," London, 1846) beginning :

" Last
night the taper consumed itseK weeping sorrow" (at onr
separation).
84 THE LAMENT OF

55.

Full is
my heart with hre and mine eyes with tears,
Brim full the vessel of my life with grief ;
^

But dead, should revive with thy perfume,

I

If haply thou shouldst wander o'er my grave.

t|c vj? ^ 'F

56.

Fate is an ill that no one can avert,

It wields its sway alike o'erKings and Viziers ;

Tlie King who yesterday, by his rule, devoured Kerman,

Becomes to-day himself the meat of worms.-^

57.

Black is my lot, my fortune overturned,'^ 's

^
Ruined are my fortunes, for my luck is brought low :

A thorn, a thistle on the Mountain of Love,

I,

For my heart's sake.'' Drown it in blood, Lord !

1 with
Lit. my heaii-'s blood.
2 Observe the note to the text on page 59.
•"
Lit. topsy-turvy,
*
Lit. overturned.
^
Lit. By my heart's doing.
 BABA TAHIE 85

58.

Since that First Day when Thou createdst us,

AVhat hast Thou seen in us save froAvardness ?

Lord !
by the Faith of Thy blest Twelve Imams
Forget Thuu seest for us the Camel of Death.

59.

The Age's grief is our Soul's portion here,

To free our Souls from care needs magic art ^

To all, at last, comes remedy for grief,

Annihilation cures all hearts at last.'^

60.

world of ours,
I go, I depart, I leave this
I journey beyond the furthest bounds of Chin,^

And, journeying, ask Pilgrims about the Road,

" Is this the "
End ?* or must I journey on ?

^
Lit. alchemy.
3 Lit. It is (only) our heart whose (sole) remedy is anniliilation.
3 mean " China and Manchuria."
(;j-^U j (^j^ is supposed to
^
Lit. Is this distance enough ?
86 THE LAMENT OF BABA TAHIR

61.

My new-born Vision of Beauty, where art thou ?

AVhere art thou with thy surmeh-shaded eyes ?

The Soul of Tahir struggles to be free,

And, at this Supreme Moment, where art thou ?^

62.

man who ne'er hast studied Heavenly Lore,

Nor set thy foot within the Tavern- doors,
Thou knowest not what thou hast escaped or gained ;

How shalt thou come among the Elect ? Alas !

1
Lit. Breath (of Life) has come to Tahir's bosom.
Just as it time to depart
is (die) : Where art thou,

my dear one P
1 i^9'
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