The Mesnevi

1 For the incidents and dates mentioned in this preface, see the various chapters of the Anecdotes.

2 He must have been born in about A.D. 1204 or 1205, to have been five years old when the family left Balkh. In 1226 he would, therefore, be twenty-one or twenty-two years of age. But see Anecdotes, Chap, i., No. 2, &c.

3 The “‘Ulemā of Islām” are the Learned Doctors of Law and Divinity; their chief is the Lord Chancellor. They are ignorantly spoken of as “priests” and “clergy” by Europeans. There are no “priests” in Islām. The ‘Ulemā may be likened to the Jewish Rabbis. They often have followed, and do follow, all kinds of trades.

4 There is an allusion in the word ‘Arifīn (Adepts) to the name of Eflākī’s patron, the Chelebi Emīr ‘Arif (well-knowing).

5 Eastern Persia.

6 The ancient Bactra, sometimes called Zariaspa, the capital of Bactria.

7 Incorrectly written Mecca by Europeans.

8 Of Termīz (Tirmez), on the north bank of the Oxus, near to Balkh.

9 The two letters Yā and Sīn heading the thirty-sixth chapter of the Qur’ān are said to stand for the words, Yā insān, O man! as Muhammed is there addressed.

10 The truly eminent author of the Mesnevī.

11 From the city of Sarakhs in Khurāsān.

12 Had Dr. Tanner, the forty days’ faster at New York, heard of these performances?

13 As related of certain Sabbath-breaking Jews, in Qur’ān ii. 61.

14 Qur’ān xviii. 8, &c.

15 The mount where the victims are slaughtered by the pilgrims.

16 The great Persian poet Khāqānī, born at Shirwān, died and was buried at Tebrīz A.H. 582 (A.D. 1186).

17 Sanā’ī, of Gazna in Afgānistān, surnamed “the Wise,” or “the Philosopher,” died and was buried at the place of his birth, A.H. 576 (A.D. 1180).

18 “Satan, the Lapidated One,” is the chief title of the accursed one. Muslims believe that the “shooting stars” are missiles cast by angels at demons who attempt to approach heaven for eavesdropping purposes.

19 I have not met with an explanation of this word in any Persian dictionary. Literally it signifies sugar-hanging. In the Bahāri-‘Ajem alone is it mentioned, with a distich from Hāfiz; but it is left unexplained.

20 Apparently a “merman” is intended.

21 This is a much more poetical account of the origin of the reed-flute than the pagan Greek myths of Orpheus and his lyre, Pan and his pipe, for which no reasons are assigned.

22 Mansūr, son of ‘Ammār, thus mentioned by D’Herbelot: “Scheikh des plus considérés parmi les Musulmans. On le cite au sujet d’un passage du chapitre Enfathar de l’Alcoran (lxxxii.), où Dieu est introduit faisant ce reproche aux hommes: Qu’est-ce qui vous rend si orgueilleux contre votre maître qui vous fait tant de biens? (v. 6). Ce Scheikh disait: Quand Dieu me fera ce reproche, je lui repondrai: Le sont ces biens et ces graces mêmes que vous me faites, qui me rendent si superbe.” As Sheykh ‘Attār lived about A.H. 600, Mansūr must have died about A.H. 400 (A.D. 1020). He is mentioned in No. 51, p. 68, of the Nafahātu-’l-Uns.

23 Khayru ’n nāsi, men yenfa’u ’n nāsa.—Arabic Proverb.

24 Khayru ’l kelāmi, qasīruhu ’l mufīdu.—Arabic Proverb.

25Thevr is the name of a tribe of Arabians, and of two hills, one at Mekka, the other at Medīna; but the explanation of the term “a Thevr or Sevr veil” I have not met with.

26 Saladin of European writings. The words mean: the Fitness of the Religion (of Islām).

27 The Muslim world knows but one Qaysar (Cæsar), the Emperor of Rome (Old or New), which title is now borne by the Emperor of Austria.

28 I have not met with any notice of Akhī-Turk.

29The Honoured Elder; by which Abū-Bekr is probably intended; but see a note to the Preface of the Mesnevī.

30 Juneyd and Bāyezīd of Bestām were two great doctors of mysticism; the latter died in A.H. 234 or 261 (A.D. 848 or 874), and the former in A.H. 297-8 (A.D. 909-10).

31 These are two of the four orthodox schools of Islām; they differ in certain details. There are reputed to be seventy-two schismatic or heretical sects.

32 This anecdote directly contradicts the foolish idea, so common in Europe, that, in the religious system of Islām, women are held to have no souls, and no hope of paradise.

33 The Beauty of the Truth and of the Religion (of Islām).

34 Europeanised Armenians have made this into Zohrab, as their own family name.

35 A genealogy is given in the Turkish preface to my copy of the Mesnevī, which traces the descent of Jelālu-’d-Dīn Muhammed from Abū-Bekr in ten degrees, as follows:—“Jelālu-’d-Dīn, son of Bahā’u-’d-Dīn, son of Huseyn, son of Ahmed, son of Mevdūd, son of Sābit (Thābit), son of Museyyeb, son of Mutahhar, son of Hammād, son of ‘Abdu-’r-Rahmān, son of ‘Abū-Bekr.” Now, Abdu-’r-Rahmān, the eldest of all the sons of Abū-Bekr, died and was buried at Mekka in A.H. 53 (A.D. 672), and Jelālu-’d-Dīn was born at Balkh in A.H. 604 (A.D. 1207). Between these two there are nine degrees of descent given, for a period of 535 years, or 66 years for each life after the birth of the next link. This alone suffices to show that the genealogy is not to be depended on. Supposing the names given to be true, many other links must be missing; as many, probably, as those given.

36 Habīb the Persian, a wealthy man, converted to Islām by one word from Hasan of Basra, whose devoted disciple he became. He died A.H. 106 (A.D. 724).

37 Qur’ān xxiv. 35.

38 Qur’ān lxxvi. 18.

39 Qur’ān xix. 74.

40 Qur’ān xxv. 26.