Page:The Indian Antiquary, Vol. 4-1875.djvu/317

 298 THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY, [Octobeb, 1875. It may be seen that in these verses the 'great Chief and the * dome of Islam' is Jellal-al- d i n Euini, whilst the ragged mendicant and heretic robber is Shams-al-din. Jellal-al-din Rumi's successor, Chelebi Hisam. al-din, whose full name is Sheikh Hisam- al-din Hasan Ben Muhammad Ben Alhasan Ben Akhi Turk. Becoming the successor of a Pir or Sheikh, i.e. spiritual guide, implies also the acceptance of all his duties and the allegiance of his pupils ; and if the Pir was a man of great authority, learning, ike. his successor is also expected to be one. It appears that HisAm-al-din got tired of the many Ohur/tU composed by bis teacher Jell ill -al-din, and requested liim t<» write a connected and large poem ; hereupon the latter pulled out a piece of paper from his turban containing the first twin I y- eight distichs of his Mesndvi, beginning with
 * he wovda —

< *A>.we jC; J J " Hear how yon reed in sadly pleasing tales Departed bliss and present woe bewails !" and ending with the words — i: Here pause my song, and thon rain world, fa r«: well."* Jellal-al-din said, " Before you ever thought of it, the idea of composing a work of this kind had been instilled into my heart from on high." The last piece in the Memdvi itself contains :ml aceourifc of the manner in which this celebrated work was commenced, and brought to an end by Hisam-al-din, who wrote down rvary word of it as it fell from the lips of his master. Sometimes Jelbtl-al-din was so full of his subject that from the beginning of the till the next morning dawned ha dictated to Hisam-al-din, who was in the habit of again reading in a loud voice to the Mulla all he had written. When the first volume was completed the wife of Chelebi Hisam-al-din died, and the work was interrupted, as alluded to in the first distich of the second volume: — " Tliia piece «M t ran -hi ted Ivy SlT Wi Jc9U8; lint his tame nothinK further t Though fully aware of my numerous imperfections both " Delayed was this Mesndri for a time. Respite was needed blood to milk to change." After that no interruption of any length appears to have taken place, till the whole work was brought to a termination. That Hisam-al- din must have been an enthusiastic admirer of this book appears from the following words he uttered : — u When the Mesndvi is being read aloud, all who are present get drowned in its light, and I behold a company of spirits from the invisible world who cut off with their swords the roots and branches of the faith of all those who do not listen with complete sincerity, and gra- dually drag them into hell-tire." But Jellal-al- din replied : — " Of verses mine the foes you see Headlong dragged to flames of fire. Hisam-al-din, saw you their state ? Their acts has God revealed to you?" The above words of Hisam-al-din imply that us apparently many sentiments contrary to ili<: strict laws of Islam are uttered, — unh:- p with great and sincere attention, the hearing of the Mesndr't will lead to infidelity, and conse- quently to eternal perdition ; whilst the answer of his master is conceived in that toleran< spirit which permeates the whole Mesndvi, and which ventures to condemn no one rashly, No doubt the Mesndvi contains also many strictly orthodox and even bigoted pieces ; it must, however, be allowed that there are many which can never meet with the approval of strict Musalmans of any sect. Such a piece is " Muses and the Herdsman" (Ind. Ant, vol. III. p. DO, March 1874), at the end of whid author even disclaims to lie a religious guide, and openly avows that the religion of love is the only true one : — ^ tSJ3 & u 1 *-* j+) y c— i|ia. l^ijj 4.* j| ( jtm % zZo i-— «|.>i. ti-Lc j i_».Ack* i J l£i Is "You must not guidance seek from the inebriate; Who rend their clothes, can they be asked to mend? From all religions differs love's belief; The lovi and rites are God alone. f I havo during the list in thu CTifit. poet, irhi met muong EarojjK'uus * itli tin? attention tod