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THE TARJUMAN AL-ASHWAQ (X l) 67

10. How often did they voav and swear that they would not
change, but one dyed with henna does not keep oaths.
11. And one of the most wonderful things is a veiled
gazelle, who points with red finger-tip and winks
with eyelids,
12. A gazelle whose pasture is between the breast-bones and
the bowels. O marvel! a gai’den amidst fires !
13. My heart has become capable of every form : it is a
pasture for gazelles and a convent for Christian monks,
14. And a temple for idols [fnd the pilgrim’s Ka'ba and the
tables of the Tora and the book of the Koran.
15. I follow the religion of Love: whatever way Love’s
camels take, that is my religion and my faith.
16. We have a pattern in Bishr, the lover of Hind and her
sister, and in Qays and Lubna and in Mayya and
Ghayldn.

C o m m e n t a r y
1. ‘ O doves,’ i.e. the influences of holiness and purity.
3. ‘ I respond to her,’ i.e. I repeat to her what she says to
me, as God said to the soul when He created her, ‘ Who am
I ? ’ and she answered, ‘ Who am I ? ’ referring to her
qualities, whereupon He caused her to dwell four thousand
years in the sea of despair and indigence and abasement
until she said to Him, ‘ Thou art my Lord.’
4. ‘ Faced one another,’ because love entails the union of
two opposites.
I, through jealousy that the lover should have any existence
‘ In the thicket of ghadd trees,’ i.e. the fires of love.
‘ Branches,’ i.e. flames.
‘ Annihilated me,’ in order that He alone might exist, not

in himself apart from his beloved.
6. ‘ Jam',’ i.e. union with the loved ones in the station of
proximity, which is al-Muzdalifa.
‘Al-Muhassab,’ the place where the thoughts which prevent
lovers from attaining their object of desire are cast out.
‘ Dhiit al-Athl,’ referring to the principle ( f*^r it is