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Story Of The City Of BrassThe Inscription on the Tablet of Gold
The Inscription on the Tablet of Gold
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Praise be to God,
the Creator of man; and He is the Lord of lords, and the Cause of causes. In
the name of God, the Everlasting, the Eternal: in the name of God, the
Ordainer of fate and destiny. O son of Adam, how ignorant art thou in the long
indulgence of hope! and how unmindful art thou of the arrival of the
predestined period! Knowest thou not that death hath called for thee, and hath
advanced to seize thy soul? Be ready then for departure, and make provision in
the world; for thou wilt quit it soon. Where is Adam, the father of mankind?
Where are Nuh and his offspring? Where are the sovereign Kisras and Caesars?
Where are the kings of India and El-`Irak? Where are the Kings of the
regions of the earth? Where are the Amalekites? Where are the mighty monarchs?
The mansions are void of their presence, and they have quitted their families
and homes. Where are the Kings of the foreigners and the Arabs? They have all
died, and become rotten bones. Where are the lords of high degree? They have
all died. Where are Karun and Haman?^9 Where is Sheddad the son of `Ad? Where
are Ken`an and the Lord of the Stakes?^10 God hath cut them off, and it is He
who cutteth short the lives of mankind, and He hath made the mansions to be
void of their presence. Did they prepare provision for the day of
resurrection, and make themselves ready to reply to the Lord of men? - O thou,
if thou know me not, I will acquaint thee with my name and my descent. I am
Tedmur, the daughter of the King of the Amalekites, of those who ruled the
countries with equity. I possessed what none of the Kings possessed, and ruled
with justice, and acted impartially towards my subjects; I gave and bestowed,
and I lived a long time in the enjoyment of happiness and an easy life, and
possessing emancipated female and male slaves. Thus I did until the summoner
of death came to my abode, and disasters occurred before me. And the case was
this: - Seven years in succession came upon us, during which no water
descended on us from heaven, nor did any grass grow for us on the face of the
earth. So we ate what food we had in our dwellings, and after that we fell
upon the beasts and ate them, and there remained nothing. Upon this,
therefore, I caused the wealth to be brought, and meted it with a measure, and
sent it by trusty men, who went about with it through all the districts, not
leaving unvisited a single large city, to seek for some food. But they found
it not; and they returned to us with the wealth, after a long absence. So
thereupon we exposed to view our riches and our treasures, locked the gates of
the fortresses in our city, and submitted ourselves to the decree of our Lord,
committing our case to our Master; and thus we all died, as thou beholdest,
and left what we had built and what we had treasured. This is the story: and
after the substance there remaineth not aught save the vestige.
[Footnote 9: Korah; Haman the chief minister of the Pharaoh of the oppression.
See Kur`an xxviii.]
[Footnote 10: Canaan and the Pharaoh of the oppression.]
And they looked at the lower part of the tablet, and saw inscribed upon it
these verses: -
Child of Adam, let not hope make game of thee. From all that thy hands have
reassured thou shalt be removed.
I see thee desirous of the world and its embellishments; and the past
generations have pursued the same course.
They acquired wealth, both lawful and forbidden; but it repelled not fate when
the term expired:
The led troops in multitudes, and collected riches; and they left their wealth
and buildings, and departed
To the narrow graves, and lay down in the dust; and there they have remained,
pledged for their actions;
As if the company of travellers had put down their baggage during night in a
house where was no food for guests.
And its owner had said to them, O people, there is not any lodging for you in
it. So they packed after alighting:
And they all thereupon became fearful and timid: neither halting nor
journeying was pleasant unto them.
Then prepare good provision that will rejoice thee to-morrow; and act not
save agreeably with the fear of thy Lord.
And upon the tablet were also inscribed these words: -
Whoso arriveth at our city, and entereth it, God facilitating his
entrance into it, let him take of the wealth what he can, but not touch any
thing that is on my body; for it is the covering of my person, and the attire
with which I am fitted forth from the world. Therefore let him fear God, and
not seize aught of it; for he would destroy himself. I have caused this to be
an admonition from me unto him, and a charge which I give him in confidence.
And peace be on you! I beg God, moreover, to save you from the evil of trials
and sickness.
The Emir Musa, when he heard these words, again wept so violently that he
became insensible; and after he had recovered, he wrote all that he saw, and
was admonished by what he witnessed. He then said to his companions, Bring the
sacks, and fill them with part of these riches and these vessels and rarities
and jewels. And thereupon, Talib the son of Sahl said to the Emir Musa, O
Emir, shall we leave this damsel with the things that are upon her. They are
things that have no equal, nor is the like of them at any time found, and they
are more than the riches thou hast taken, and will be the best present by
which thou mayest ingratiate thyself with the Prince of the Faithful. - But
the Emir replied, O thou, heardest thou not that which the damsel hath given
as a charge, in the inscription upon this tablet? Moreover, and especially,
she hath given it as a charge offered in confidence, and we are not of the
people of treachery. - The Wezir Talib, however, said, And on account of these
words wilt thou leave these riches and these jewels, when she is dead? What
then should she do with these things, which are the ornaments of the world,
and the decoration of the living? With a garment of cotton might this damsel
be covered, and we are more worthy of the things than she. - Then he drew near
to the steps, and ascended them until he reached the spot between the two men
[the slaves before mentioned], when, lo, one of these two smote him upon his
back, and the other smote him with the sword that was in his hand, and struck
off his head, and he fell down dead. So the Emir Musa said, May God not regard
with mercy thy resting-place! There was, in these riches, a sufficiency; and
covetousness doth doubtlessly dishonour the person in whom it existeth! - He
thereupon gave orders for the entry of the troops, who accordingly entered,
and they loaded the camels with part of those riches and minerals; after which
the Emir Musa commanded them to close the gate as it was before.
They then proceeded along the sea-coast until they came in sight of a
high mountain overlooking the sea. In it were many caves, and, lo, in these
was a people of the blacks, clad in hides, and with burnuses of hides upon
their heads, whose language was not known. And when they saw the troops, they
ran from them, and fled to those caves, while their women and their children
stood at the entrances of the caves. So the Emir Musa said, O sheykh
`Abd-Es-Samad, what are these people? And he answered, These are the objects
of the inquiry of the Prince of the Faithful. They therefore alighted, and the
tents were pitched, and the riches were put down; and they had not rested when
the King of the blacks came down from the mountain, and drew near to the
troops. He was acquainted with the Arabic language; therefore, when he came to
the Emir Musa, he saluted him; and the Emir returned his salutation, and
treated him with honour. Then the King of the blacks said to the Emir, Are ye
of mankind, or the Jinn? The Emir answered, As to us, we are of mankind; and
as to you, there is no doubt but that ye are of the Jinn, because of your
seclusion in this mountain that is separated from the world, and because of
the greatness of your make. But the King of the blacks replied, Nay, we are a
people of the race of Adam, of the sons of Ham the son of Nuh, on whom be
peace! And as to this sea, it is known by the name of El-Karkar. - So the Emir
Musa said to him, And whence obtained ye knowledge, when there hath not come
unto you any prophet divinely inspired in such a country as this? He answered,
Know, O Emir, that there appeareth unto us, from this sea, a person diffusing
a light whereby the surrounding tracts are illuminated; and he proclaimeth,
with a voice which the distant and the near hear, O sons of Ham, be abashed at
Him who seeth and is not seen; and say, There is no deity but God: Mohammad is
the Apostle of God. And I am Abu-l-`Abbas El-Khidr. - Before that, we used to
worship one another; but he called us to the worship of the Lord of mankind. -
Then he said to the Emir Musa, He hath also taught us some words to say. - And
what, asked the Emir, are those words? He answered, They are these: - There is
no deity but God alone: He hath no partner: to Him belongeth dominion, and to
Him belongeth praise: He giveth life and killeth: and He is able to accomplish
every thing. And we seek not access to God (to whom be ascribed might and
glory!) save by these words, nor know we any others. Also, every night of
Friday we see a light upon the face of the earth, and we hear a voice saying,
Perfect! Holy! Lord of the Angels and the Spirit! Whatsoever God willeth
cometh to pass, and what He willeth not cometh not to pass! Every benefit from
God is a gratuitous favour! And there is no strength nor power but in God, the
High, the Great!
The Emir Musa then said to him, We are the associates of the King of
El-Islam, `Abd-el-Melik the son of Marwan; and we have come on account of the
bottles of brass that are here in your sea, and wherein are the devils
imprisoned from the time of Suleyman the son of Da`ud (on both of whom be
peace!). He hath commanded us to bring him some of them, that he may see them,
and divert himself by the view of them. - And the King of the blacks replied,
Most willingly. Then he feasted him with fish, and ordered the divers to bring
up from the sea some of the bottles of Suleyman; and they brought up for them
twelve bottles; wherewith the Emir Musa was delighted, and the sheykh `Abd -
Es-Samad also, and the soldiers, on account of the accomplishment of the
affair of the Prince of the Faithful. The Emir Musa thereupon presented to the
King of the blacks many presents, and gave him large gifts. In like manner too
the King of the blacks gave to the Emir Musa a present consisting of wonders
of the sea, in the form of human beings, and said to him, Your entertainment
for these three days shall be of these fish. And the Emir replied, We must
carry with us some of them, that the Prince of the Faithful may see them; for
thereby will his heart be pleased more than by the bottles of Suleyman.
Then they bade him farewell, and they journeyed back until they came to
the land of Syria, and went in to the Prince of the Faithful; whereupon the
Emir Musa acquainted him with all that he had seen, and all that had occurred
to him with respect to the verses and histories and admonitions, and told him
of the case of Talib the son of Sahl. And the Prince of the Faithful said to
him, Would that I had been with you, that I might have beheld what ye beheld!
He then took the bottles, and proceeded to open one after another, and the
devils came forth from them, saying, Repentance, O Prophet of God! We will not
return to the like conduct ever! - And `Abd-el-Melik the son of Marwan
wondered at this. But as to the damsels of the sea, with the like of which the
King of the blacks feasted them, they made for them troughs of wood, which
they filled with water, and into these they put them. They died, however, in
consequence of the intensity of the heat. After this, the Prince of the
Faithful caused the riches to be brought before him, and divided them among
the Muslims. And he said, God hath not bestowed upon any one the like of what
He bestowed upon Suleyman the son of Da`ud. Then the Emir Musa begged the
Prince of the Faithful that he might appoint his son in his place as Governor
of the province, and that he might himself go to the noble Jerusalem, there to
worship God. So the Prince of the Faithful appointed his son to the
government, and he himself went to the noble Jerusalem, and he died there.
This is the end of that which hath come down to us, of the history of the
City of Brass, entire. And God is all-knowing.
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