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92 THE TARJUMAN AL-ASHWAQ ( X X ll )

4. Who murder with tlieir black eyes and bend tlieir supple
necks.
5. Ainonjr them is she who loves and assails with glances
like a iT o w s and Indian s w o r d s e v e r y f r e n z ie d h e a r t
t h a t l o v e s t h e fa ir .
6. She takes with a hand soft and delicate, like pure silk,
a n o in t e d w i t h m idd a n d s h r e d d e d m u s k .
7. When she looks, she gazes with the deep e^’C of a j'oung
gazelle; to her eye belongs the blackness of antimony.
8. Her eyes are adorned with' languishment And killing
m a g ic , h e r s id e s a r e g i r t Avith a m a z e m e n t a n d i n c o m ­
p a r a b le b e a u t y .
9. A s le n d e r o n e , s h e l o v e s n o t t h a t A vhich I lo v e a n d s h e
does not fulfil her threats Avith sinceritA'.^
10. She let doAvn her plaited lock as a black .serpent, that slie
m i g h t f r i g h t e n Avith i t t h o s e Avho Avere folloAving h e r.
11. By God, I fear not death ; my only fear is that I shall
die and shall not see her to-morioAv.
COJIMEXTARV
1. ‘ The camels,’ i.e. the cloud.s.
2. ‘ The lightnings.’ Tlie author of these poems ahvays
u.ses the term ‘ lightning ’ to denote a centre of manifestation
for the Divine Essence.
3. ‘ The bright-faced dam.sels,’ i.e. intelligence.s derived from
Idris Avhich have descended from the fourth lieaven.
‘ L ia .s o m e ,’ i.e . i n c lin i n g to A v a rd s t h e p h e n o m e n a l A vorld, to
t h e p h e n o m e n a l AA'orld, e .g . th e D i v i n e N ain e.s.
r e p le n is h it.
He m e a n s a ll r e a lit ie s t h a t a r e c o n n e c t e d Avith
4. ‘ Who murder Avith their black ej'es,’ referring to the
sciences of contemplation.
5. ‘ Indian,’ because India is the place where Adam fell,
and there the fountains of Avisdom Avhich Averc in Adam first
gushed forth.

’ Tlie author expressly snj's in his commentary that (to jiromise)
has here tlie meaning of (to threaten). This i.s a defiance of the

established usage, just as l o'! U(for H) is a violation of grammar.