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Story Of The City Of BrassStory Of The City Of Brass
Story Of The City Of Brass
There was, in olden time, and in an ancient age and period, in Damascus
of Syria, a King, one of the Khalifehs, named `Abd-el-Melik the son of
Marwan; and he was sitting, one day, having with him the great men of his
empire, consisting of Kings and Sultans, when a discussion took place among
them, respecting the traditions of former nations. They called to mind the
stories of our lord Suleyman the son of Da`ud (on both of whom be peace!), and
the dominion and authority which God (whose name be exalted!) had bestowed
upon him over mankind and the Jinn and the birds and the wild beasts and other
things; and they said, We have heard from those who were before us that God
(whose perfection be extolled, and whose name be exalted!) bestowed not upon
any one the like of that which He bestowed upon our lord Suleyman, and that he
attained to that to which none other attained, so that he used to imprison the
Jinn and the Marids and the Devils in bottles of brass, and pour molten lead
over them, and seal this cover over them with a signet.
Then Talib [the son of Sahl] related, that a man embarked in a ship with
a company of others, and they voyaged to the island of Sicily, and ceased not
in their course until there arose against them a wind which bore them away to
one of the lands of God, whose name be exalted! This happened during the black
darkness of night, and when the day shone forth, there came out to them, from
caves in that land, people of black complexion and with naked bodies, like
wild beasts, not understanding speech. They had a King of their own race, and
none of them knew Arabic save their King. So when they saw the ship and those
who were in her, he came forth to them attended by a party of his companions,
and saluted them and welcomed them, and inquired of them respecting their
religion. They therefore acquainted him with their state; and he said to them,
No harm shall befall you. And when he asked them respecting their religion,
each of them was of some one of the religions prevailing before the
manifestation of El-Islam, and before the mission of Mohammad, may God bless
and save him! - wherefore the people of the ship said, We know not what thou
sayest. Then the King said to them, There hath not come to us any one of the
sons of Adam before you. And he entertained them with a banquet of the flesh
of birds and of wild beasts and of fish, beside which they had no food. And
after this, the people of the ship went down to divert themselves in the city,
and they found one of the fishermen who had cast his net in the sea to catch
fish, and he drew it up, and lo, in it was a bottle of brass, stopped with
lead, which was sealed with the signet of Suleyman the son of Da`ud, on both
of whom be peace! And the fisherman came forth and broke it; whereupon there
proceeded from it a blue smoke, which united with the clouds of heaven; and
they heard a horrible voice, saying, Repentance! repentance! O Prophet of God!
- Then, of that smoke there was formed a person of terrible aspect, of
terrific make, whose head would reach [as high as] a mountain; and he
disappeared from before their eyes. As to the people of the ship, their hearts
were almost eradicated; but the blacks thought nothing of the event. And a man
returned to the King, and asked him respecting this; and the King answered
him, Know that this is one of the Jinn whom Suleyman the son of Da`ud, when he
was incensed against them, imprisoned in these bottles, and he poured lead
over them, and threw them into the sea. When the fishermen casteth his net, it
generally bringeth up these bottles; and when they are broken, there cometh
forth from them a Jinni, who imagineth that Suleyman is still living;
wherefore he repenteth, and saith, Repentance! O Prophet of God!
And the Prince of the Faithful, `Abd-el-Melik the son of Marwan,
wondered at these words, and said, Extolled be the perfection of God! Suleyman
was endowed with a mighty dominion! - And among those who were present in that
assembly was En-Nabighah Edh-Dhubyani;^1 and he said, Talib hath spoken
truth in that which he hath related, and the proof of his veracity is the
saying of the Wise, the First, [thus versified] -
[Footnote 1: An Arab poet, who, however, died before Islam.]
And [consider] Suleyman, when the Deity said to him, Perform the office of
Khalifeh, and govern with diligence;
And whoso obeyeth thee, honour him for doing so; and whoso disobeyeth thee,
imprison him forever.
He used to put them into bottles of brass, and to cast them into the sea. -
And the Prince of the Faithful approved of these words, and said, By Allah, I
desire to see some of these bottles! So Talib the son of Sahl replied, O
Prince of the Faithful, thou art able to do so, and yet remain in thy country.
Send to thy brother `Abd-el-`Aziz, the son of Marwan, desiring him to
bring them to thee from the Western country,^2 that he may write orders to
Musa^3 to journey from the Western Country to this mountain which we have
mentioned, and to bring thee what thou desirest of these bottles; for the
furthest tract of his province is adjacent to this mountain. - And the Prince
of the Faithful approved of his advice, and said, O Talib, thou hast spoken
truth in that which thou hast said, and I desire that thou be my messenger to
Musa the son of Nuseyr for this purpose, and thou shalt have a white ensign,
together with what thou shalt desire of wealth or dignity or other things, and
I will be thy substitute to take care of thy family. To this, Talib replied,
Most willingly, O Prince of the Faithful. And the Khalifeh said to him, Go in
dependence on the blessing of God, and his aid. Then he gave orders that they
should write for him a letter to his brother `Abd-el-`Aziz, his viceroy in
Egypt, and another letter to Musa, his viceroy in the Western Country,
commanding him to journey, himself, in search of the bottles of Suleyman, to
leave his son to govern the country in his stead, and to take with him guides,
to expand wealth, and to collect a large number of men, and not to be remiss
in accomplishing that object, nor to use any pretext to excuse himself. He
sealed the two letters, and delivered them to Talib the son of Sahl,
commanding him to hasten, and to elevate the ensigns over his head; and he
gave him riches and riders and footmen to aid him in his way: he gave orders
also to supply his house with every thing requisite.
[Footnote 2: El-Maghrib, North Africa.]
[Footnote 3: The Arab general who conquered North Africa and Spain.]
So Talib went forth on his way to Egypt. He proceeded with his
companions, traversing the districts from Syria, until they entered Misr;^4
when the Governor of Egypt met him, and lodged him with him; and he treated
him with the utmost honour during the period of his stay with him. Then he
sent with him a guide who accompanied him to Upper Egypt until they came to
the Emir Musa the son of Nuseyr; and when he knew of his approach, he went
forth to him and met him, and rejoiced at his arrival; and Talib handed to him
the letter. So he took it and read it and understood its meaning; and he put
it upon his head saying, I hear and obey the command of the Prince of the
Faithful. He determined to summon the great men; and they presented
themselves; and he inquired of them respecting that which had been made known
to him by the letter; whereupon they said, O Emir, if thou desire him who will
guide thee to that place, have recourse to the sheykh `Abd-Es-Samad the son of
`Abd-el-Kuddus El-Masmudi; for he is a knowing man, and hath travelled much,
and he is acquainted with the deserts and wastes and the seas, and their
inhabitants and their wonders, and the countries and their districts. Have
recourse therefore to him, and he will direct thee to the object of thy
desire. Accordingly he gave orders to bring him, and he came before him; and,
lo, he was a very old man, whom the vicissitudes of years and times had
rendered decrepit. The Emir Musa saluted him, and said to him, O sheykh
`Abd-Es-Samad, our lord the Prince of the Faithful, `Abd-El-Melik the son of
Marwan, hath commanded us thus and thus, and I possess little knowledge of
that land, and it hath been told me that thou art acquainted with that country
and the routes. Hast thou then a wish to accomplish the affair of the Prince
of the Faithful? - The sheykh replied, Know, O Emir, that this route is
difficult, far extending, with few tracks. The Emir said to him, How long a
period doth it require? He answered, It is a journey of two years and some
months going, and the like returning; and on the way are difficulties and
horrors, and extraordinary and wonderful things. Moreover, thou art a warrior
for the defence of the faith, and our country is near unto the enemy; so
perhaps the Christians may come forth during our absence: it is expedient
therefore that thou leave in thy province one to govern it. - He replied,
Well. And he left his son Harun as his substitute in his province, exacted an
oath of fidelity to him, and commanded the troops that they should not oppose
him, but obey him in all that he should order them to do. And they heard his
words, and obeyed him. His son Harun was of great courage, an illustrious
hero, and a bold champion; and the sheykh `Abd-Es-Samad pretended to him that
the place in which were the things that the Prince of the Faithful desired was
four months` journey distant, on the shore of the sea, and that throughout the
whole route were halting-places adjacent one to another, and grass and
springs. And he said, God will assuredly make this affair easy to us through
the blessing attendant upon thee, O Viceroy of the Prince of the Faithful.
Then the Emir Musa said, Knowest thou if any one of the Kings have trodden
this land before us? He answered him, Yes, O Emir; this land belonged to the
King of Alexandria, Darius the Greek.
[Footnote 4: I.e., El-Fustat, "Old Cairo."]
After this they departed, and they continued their journey until they
arrived at a palace; whereupon the sheykh said, Advance with us to this
palace, which presenteth a lesson to him who will be admonished. So the Emir
Musa advanced thither, together with the sheykh `Abd-Es-Samad and his
chief companions, till they came to its entrance. And they found it open, and
having lofty angles, and steps, among which were two wide steps of coloured
marbles, the like of which hath not been seen; the ceilings and walls were
decorated with gold and silver and minerals, and over the entrance was a slab,
whereon was an inscription in ancient Greek; and the sheykh `Abd-Es-Samad
said, Shall I read it, O Emir? The Emir answered, Advance and read. May God
bless thee! for nought hath happened to us during this journey but what hath
been the result of the blessing attendant upon thee. - So he read it; and, lo,
it was poetry; and it was this: -
Here was a people whom, after their works, thou shalt see wept over for their
lost dominion;
And in this palace is the last information respecting lords collected in the
dust.
Death hath destroyed them and disunited them, and in the dust they have lost
what they amassed;
As though they had only put down their loads to rest a while; quickly have
they departed!
And the Emir Musa wept until he became insensible, and he said, There is no
deity but God, the Living, the Enduring without failure! He then entered the
palace, and was confounded by its beauty and its construction; and he looked
at the figures and images that it contained. And, lo, over the second door
were inscribed some verses. So the Emir Musa said, Advance, O sheykh, and
read. Accordingly he advanced and read; and the verses were these: -
How many companies have alighted in the tabernacles since times of old, and
taken their departure!
Consider thou then what the accidents of fortune have done with others when
they have befallen them.
They have shared together what they collected, and they have left the
pleasure thereof, and departed.
What enjoyments they had! and what food did they eat! and then in the dust
they themselves were eaten!
And again the Emir Musa wept violently: the world became yellow before his
face; and he said, We have been created for a great object!
Then they attentively viewed the palace; and, lo, it was devoid of
inhabitants, destitute of household and occupants: its courts were desolate,
and its apartments were deserted; and in the midst of it was a chamber covered
with a lofty dome, rising high into the air, around which were four hundred
tombs. To these tombs the Emir Musa drew near, and, behold, among them was a
tomb constructed of marble, whereupon were engraved these verses: -
How often have I stood [in fight]! and how often slain! and to how many things
have I been a witness!
And how often have I eaten! and how often drunk! and how often have I heard
the songs of beauteous damsels!
And how often have I ordered! and how often forbidden! and how many strong
fortresses are seen,
Which I have besieged and searched, and from which I have taken the lovely
females` ornaments!
But in my ignorance I transgressed to obtain things wished for, which proved
at last to be frail.
Then consider attentively thy case, O man, before thou shalt drink the cup of
death;
For after a little while shall the dust be poured upon thee, and thou wilt be
lifeless.
And the Emir Musa, and those who were with him, wept. Then he drew near to the
dome-crowned chamber, and, lo, it had eight doors of sandal-wood, with
nails of gold, ornamented with stars of silver set with various jewels. And
over the first door were inscribed these verses: -
What I have left, I left not from generosity; but through the sentence and
decree operating upon man.
Long time I lived, happy and enraged, defending my asylum like a fierce lion.
I was never quiet, nor would I bestow a mustard-seed, by reason of my
avarice, though I were cast into the fire.
Thus did I until I was smitten by the decree of the glorious Deity, the
Creator, the Maker.
When my death was appointed soon to take place, I could not prevent it by my
numerous stratagems;
My troops that I had collected availed not, and none of my friends aided me,
nor my neighbour.
Throughout my whole life was I wearied in my journey to the grave, now in
ease, and now in difficulty.
So, when the purses have become laden, shouldst thou accumulate dinar upon
dinar,
It will all pass before the morning to another, and they will have brought
thee a camel-driver and a grave-digger;
And on the day of thy judgment, lone shalt thou meet God, laden with sin and
crimes and heavy burdens.
Then let not the world deceive thee with its beauty; but see what it hath done
to thy family and neighbour.
And when the Emir Musa heard these verses, he wept again so violently that he
became insensible; and after he had recovered, he entered the chamber covered
with the dome, and beheld in it a long tomb, of terrible appearance, whereon
was a tablet of iron of China; and the sheykh `Abd-Es-Samad drew near to
it, and read its inscription; and, lo, on it was written, -
In the name of God, the Eternal, the Everlasting throughout all ages; in
the name of God, who begetteth not, and who is not begotten, and unto whom
there is none like: in the name of God, the Mighty and Powerful: in the name
of the Living who dieth not. - To proceed: - O thou who arrivest at this
place, be admonished by the misfortunes and calamities that thou beholdest,
and be not deceived by the world and its beauty, and its falsity and calumny,
and its fallacy and finery; for it is a flatterer, a cheat, a traitor. Its
things are borrowed, and it will take the loan from the borrower: and it is
like the confused visions of the sleeper, and the dream of the dreamer, as
though it were the sarab^5 of the plain, which the thirsty imagineth to be
water: the Devil adorneth it for man until death. These are the
characteristics of the world: confide not therefore in it, nor incline to it;
for it will betray him who dependeth upon it, and who in his affairs relieth
upon it. Fall not in its snares, nor cling to its skirts. For I possessed four
thousand bay horses in a stable; and I married a thousand damsels, of the
daughters of Kings, high-bosomed virgins, like moons; and I was blessed with
a thousand children, like stern lions; and I lived a thousand years, happy in
mind and heart; and I amassed riches such as the Kings of the regions of the
earth were unable to procure, and I imagined that my enjoyments would continue
without failure. But I was not aware when there alighted among us the
terminator of delights and the separator of companions, the desolator of
abodes and the ravager of inhabited mansions, the destroyer of the great and
the small and the infants and the children and the mothers. We had resided in
this palace in security until the event decreed by the Lord of all creatures,
the Lord of the heavens and the Lord of the earths, befell us, and the thunder
of the Manifest Truth assailed us, and there died of us every day two, till a
great company of us had perished. So when I saw that destruction had entered
our dwellings, and had alighted among us, and drowned us in the sea of deaths,
I summoned a writer, and ordered him to write these verses and admonitions and
lessons, and caused them to be engraved upon these doors and tablets and
tombs. I had an army comprising a thousand thousand bridles, composed of hardy
men, with spears, and coats of mail, and sharp swords, and strong arms; and I
ordered them to clothe themselves with the long coats of mail, and to hang on
the keen swords, and to place in rest the terrible lances, and mount the high
- blooded horses. Then, when the event appointed by the Lord of all creatures,
the Lord of the earth and the heavens, befell us, I said, O companies of
troops and soldiers, can ye prevent that which hath befallen me from the
Mighty King? But the soldiers and troops were unable to do so, and they said,
How shall we contend against Him from whom none hath secluded, the Lord of the
door that hath no door-keeper? So I said, Bring to me the wealth. (And it
was contained in a thousand pits, in each of which were a thousand hundred -
weights of red gold, and in them were varieties of pearls and jewels, and
there was the like quantity of white silver, with treasures such as the Kings
of the earth were unable to procure.) And they did so; and when they had
brought the wealth before me, I said to them, Can ye deliver me by means of
all these riches, and purchase for me therewith one day during which I may
remain alive? But they could not do so. They resigned themselves to fate and
destiny, and I submitted to God with patient endurance of fate and affliction
until He took my soul, and made me to dwell in my grave. And if thou ask
concerning my name, I am Kush the son of Sheddad the son of `Ad the Greater.
[Footnote 5: Mirage.]
And upon the same tablet were also inscribed these verses: -
Shouldst thou think upon me after the length of my age, and the vicissitudes
of days and circumstances,
I am the son of Sheddad, who held dominion over mankind and each tract of the
whole earth.
All the stubborn troops became abject unto me, and Esh-Sham from Misr unto
`Adnan.
In glory I reigned, abasing their Kings, the people of the earth fearing my
dominion;
And I beheld the tribes and armies in my power, and saw the countries and
their inhabitants dread me.
When I mounted, I beheld my army comprising a million bridles upon neighing
steeds;
And I possesed wealth that could not be calculated, which I treasured up
against misfortunes,
Determining to devote the whole of my property for the purpose of extending
the term of my life.
But the Deity would nought save the execution of his purpose; and thus I
became separated from my brethren.
Death, the disuniter of mankind, came to me, and I was removed from grandeur
to the mansion of contempt;
And I found [the recompense of] all my past actions, for which I am pledged:
for I was sinful!
Then raise thyself, lest thou be upon a brink; and beware of calamities!
Mayest thou be led aright!
And again the Emir Musa wept until he became insensible, in considering the
fates of the people; after which, as they were going about through the
different apartments of the palace, and viewing attentively its chambers and
its places of diversion, they came to a table upon four legs of alabaster,
whereon was inscribed, -
Upon this table have eaten a thousand one-eyed Kings, and a thousand
Kings each sound in both eyes. All of them have quitted the world, and taken
up their abode in the burial-grounds and the graves. And the Emir Musa wrote
all this. Then he went forth, and took not with him from the palace aught save
the table.
The soldiers proceeded, with the sheykh Abd-Es-Samad before them
shewing them the way, until all the first day had passed, and the second, and
the third. They then came to a high hill, at which they looked, and, lo, upon
it was a horseman of brass, on the top of whose spear was a wide and
glistening head that almost deprived the beholder of sight, and on it was
inscribed, O thou who comest up to me, if thou know not the way that leadeth
to the City of Brass, rub the hand of the horseman, and he will turn, and then
will stop, and in whatsoever direction he stoppeth, thither proceed, without
fear and without difficulty; for it will lead thee to the City of Brass. - And
when the Emir Musa had rubbed the hand of the horseman, it turned like the
blinding lightning, and faced a different direction from that in which they
were travelling.
The party therefore turned thither and journeyed on, and it was the right
way. They took that route, and continued their course the same day and the
next night until they had traversed a wide tract of country. And as they were
proceeding, one day, they came to a pillar of black stone, wherein was a
person sunk to his arm-pits, and he had two huge wings, and four arms; two of
them like those of the sons of Adam, and two like the fore-legs of lions, with
claws. He had hair upon his head like the tails of horses, and two eyes like
two burning coals, and he had a third eye, in his forehead, like the eye of
the lynx, from which there appeared sparks of fire. He was black and tall; and
he was crying out, Extolled be the perfection of my Lord, who hath appointed
me this severe affliction and painful torture until the day of resurrection!
When the party beheld him, their reason fled from them, and they were
stupefied at the sight of his form, and retreated in flight; and the Emir Musa
said to the sheykh `Abd-Es-Samad, What is this? He answered, I know not what
he is. And the Emir said, Draw near to him and investigate his case: perhaps
he will discover it, and perhaps thou wilt learn his history. The sheykh
`Abd-Es-Samad replied, May God amend the state of the Emir! Verily we fear
him. - Fear ye not, rejoined the Emir; for he is withheld from injuring you
and others by the state in which he is. So the sheykh `Abd-Es-Samad drew near
to him, and said to him, O thou person, what is thy name, and what is thy
nature, and what hath placed thee here in this manner? And he answered him, As
to me, I am an `Efrit of the Jinn, and my name is Dahish the son of El-A`mash,
and I am restrained here by the majesty, confined by the power, [of God,]
tormented as long as God (to whom be ascribed might and glory!) willeth. Then
the Emir Musa said, O sheykh `Abd-Es-Samad, ask him what is the cause of his
confinement in this pillar. He therefore asked respecting that, and the `Efrit
answered him, Verily my story is wonderful; and it is this: -
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