74. Its dark mole the dark mark on the heart: this is probably an allusion to the legend that the dark mark on the heart represents Aadam’s (Adam’s) first act of disobedience against God. Here the mole on the ear refers to the inviting beauty of her ear that creates mischievous desire in a lover’s heart.
75. The Angel Jibrail (Gabriel) had declared Amar Ayyar his protégé. He had fed Amar Ayyar three grapes. The first grape gifted him with a melodious voice. The second gave him the power to change into seventy two different forms, and acquire the shape of anyone he chose. The third grape gave him the ability to converse with all creatures and understand their language.
76. ghazal: a genre traditionally used for composing love sonnets
77. Dancing Girl of the Heavens: an allusion to the sky.
78. King of the Stars: an allusion to the moon.
79. Bright-Faced Turk of the Sky: an allusion to the moon.
80. Beloved of the Sky: an allusion to the sun.
81. Beloved of the Sky…the World-Illuminating Lamp: these are both allusions to the sun.
82. Wise like Mercury: an allusion to the ancient belief that the planet Mercury presides over knowledge and intelligence.
83. The inauspicious Saturn: astrologers traditionally attributed death, destruction and other evils to the planet Saturn.
84. Every sword became a mirror…reflected the face of death’s bride: an allusion to the South Asian Muslim ritual of aarsi mushaf in which a mirror is put between the newly-weds and the bridegroom sees the bride’s face for the first time in the mirror’s reflection.
85. The sorcerers who submitted allegiance…thoughts of God to solicit His aid.: the sorcerers and sorceresses fighting on the side of the True Believers have not yet converted to the True Faith because once a sorcerer or sorceress converts they can no longer exercise magic as it is proscribed in the True Faith. Stripped of their magical powers they would be unable to help the cause of the True Believers. The sorcerers and sorceresses have pledged allegiance to it and, by the same token, also to God.
86. Beautifier of the World: an allusion to God.
87. Held up the mirror of sun…the beloved morn: an allusion to the South Asian Muslim ritual of aarsi mushaf in which a mirror is put between the newly-weds and the bridegroom sees the bride’s face for the first time in her mirror reflection.
88. Red bird: the red bird described here is lal, the male of the species Frangilla amandava.
89. under-cap (araq chin): a cap worn under a turban to absorb sweat.
90. Daughters of the Corpse: the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor which consist of seven stars, four of which are thought in Muslim folk tradition to resemble a corpse and the other three to be the daughters walking in front of it.
91. The Afrasiyab mentioned in this instance is an ancient King of Persia. Not to be confused with Afrasiyab the Emperor of Hoshruba.
92. Night’s Watchman: an allusion to the moon.
93. Emperor of the Fourth Heaven: an allusion to the sun.
94. Darling of the Night: an allusion to the sun.
95. gilauri: a large preparation of the areca nut seasoned with spices and chunam and enveloped in leaves of the betel palm.
96. Turk of the Heavens: an allusion to the sun.
97. Luminous Bird: an allusion to the sun.
98. Ninth Heaven: the Ninth Heaven is deemed the seat of God.
99. You see spears and lances even in a carafe of urine: a metaphor for finding improbable things where they cannot possibly exist. Refers to the old medical practice of visually inspecting urine samples to diagnose illness.
100. Prince of Darkness: an allusion to the sky.
101. Sultan of the Golden-Headgear: an allusion to the sun.
102. World Conquering Emperor: an allusion to the sun.
103. Badakhshan is a region in north Afghanistan that was famed for its rubies.
104. Emperor of Afternoon: an allusion to the sun.
105. Lord of the Day: an allusion to the sun.
106. World’s Hall of Audience: an allusion to the sky.
107. lalit, bherveen, and bhibhas: names of three Indian classical ragas.
108. tulip or the calamus draco: the tulip is the symbol of the slain or martyred. The berries of calamus draco yields resina draconis or Dragon’s Blood—a red resinous substance used in medicines and varnishes.
109. World-Illuminating Wanderer: an allusion to the sun.
110. Lord of Darkness: an allusion to the night.
111. Great star: an allusion to the sun.
112. The lesser star: an allusion to the moon.
113. The dinar coin was minted in many denominations but they were usually silver, hence the association with the moon. A gold dinar was called a surkh (red) dinar.
114. Pheni-eating: pheni is an Indian vermicular sweetmeat that is served soaked in milk. Here the term is used in a derogatory sense. By calling Landhoor a pheni-eater Prince Alam Shah is suggesting Landhoor is less powerful than the meat-eating prince.
115. Tutor of Angels: according to Islamic folk belief, Azazil (Satan) was a jinn who lived on earth and on account of his piety he was invited to teach the angels and received the title of Muallim al-Malakoot (Tutor of Angels) until he was driven away from the Heavens for refusing to prostrate himself before Adam.
116. Lord! Lord: the original words are sat! sat! which can be interpreted variously. It could also mean “Right is Right!” but since Princess Hilal plans to burn herself and become one with her Lord the above interpretation was chosen by the translator.
117. Sati: a Hindu woman who burns herself alive in her husband’s funeral pyre. However, Princess Hilal Magic-Wringer is not Hindu because her gods are Sameri and Jamshed.
118. the bright and luminous star…of the Night Sky’s Beauty: an allusion to the unrequited love between the sun and the moon who must forever remain separated in day and night.
119. Nowruz: the first day of the Persian New Year. Laqa and his religion are an amalgam of many faiths of which Hinduism and Zoroastrianism are only two. Here he describes Nowruz as his day for granting requests and prayers.
120. Aghori fakir: a caste of Hindu fakirs who worship the god Shiva (Aghor is a title of the god Shiva). The Aghori fakirs are known for their unclean habits and a reputation for eating human carcasses.
121. Tappa: a style of Indian classical singing developed and refined by the musician Mian Shora associated with the court of Asaf-ul Dawla in Avadh, India.
122. gatkari: the throatal, resonating sound produced by Indian classical singers
123. Trekker of the Desert of Heavens: an allusion to the sun.
124. Night’s Beloved: an allusion to the moon.
125. Eastern lover…his beloved: an allusion to the sun searching for the moon.
126. Tooba tree: the name of a tree in heaven.
127. apex of the moon on the fourteenth day: a full moon usually falls on the fourteenth day of the lunar month.
128. Making seven revolutions around someone is a sacrificial ritual by which a sacrifice is pledged.
129. …infidelity’s rust fell away from the mirror of sorceress Taus’s heart: in the poetic and mystical traditions, the heart is described as a steel mirror that may become clouded with impurities or rust and, once they are removed, returns to its pristine clarity.
130. Court of Jamshed: not to be confused with the sorcerer god Jamshed of Hoshruba. The Jamshed referred to here is an ancient king of Persia. This name is often attributed in legend to Prophet Suleiman and Sikander. It is invoked in this book in connection with Queen Mahrukh’s court to convey the grandeur of her court.
131. Traveler on the path of sky: an allusion to the sun.
132. The act of issuing a coin meant that the person (entity in this case) was now the ruler or king because the coins carried a ruler’s image on one side.
133. Shamama: the sorcerer Shakl Kush is addressing the magic effigy by this name.
134. Looked
at her heel: a common superstition among Indian women who glance at their heel after looking at their children’s beauty to ward off the evil eye.
135. Kohl from the Mount Tur: the kohl (black eye liner) made from the burned stone of Mount Tur. See also note 21.
136. Take all her calamities on their head: a ritual by which someone pledges to sacrifice himself or herself to keep a loved one from coming to harm.
137. Golden-Robed Emperor: an allusion to the sun.
138. King of the Stars: an allusion to the moon.
139. the Hindu of the Skies performed its worship and left the dome of heavens and the Idol Worshipper of the East carrying its golden disk: an allusion to the planet Saturn and the sun.
140. Kashan: the name of a city in the province of Isfahan, Iran, famed for its velvet.
141. According to a folk belief, the crow eats the ringdove’s eggs and replaces them with its own for the ringdove to hatch them.
AMIR HAMZA’S POWERS, HOLY GIFTS, WEAPONS AND OCCULT CONTRAPTIONS
Amir Hamza, the Lord of the Auspicious Planetary Conjunction was taught archery, wrestling, and the language of all creatures, including the Jinni language of the jinns, by the angel Jibrail (Gabriel). During his adventures he also received the following powers, holy gifts, weapons and occult contraptions.
THE MOST GREAT NAME: According to Muslim tradition God has ninety-nine known names. Besides these God has a name which is revealed only to prophets and saints. It is the Most Great Name of God. A holy guide named Khizr taught God’s Most Great Name to Amir Hamza. With its power Amir Hamza can counter and revoke magic but he cannot conquer a tilism with it, nor use it to free someone imprisoned within a tilism.
WAR CRY: A gift of Aadam. It is heard up to a distance of one hundred and twenty-eight miles.
AADAM’S ARMLET: An armlet whose power helps Hamza triumph against his enemies and his arm is never lowered by his foe in battle. It also helps Hamza’s sword surmount his foe, even if he should be a thousand-yard-tall.
DRAGON-SHAPED STANDARD: Buzurjmehr had made this standard for Amir Hamza with dragon-skin. It is shaped like a dragon’s head and has thirty-six holes. When the wind fills them, they exude the fragrance of musk and ambergris, and resound with the rumble of “O Sahibqiran!” that strike fear in the hearts of Amir Hamza’s enemies, and raises the spirits of his men.
MUSIC BAND OF SULEIMAN: A gift from Prophet Khizr. It plays when Amir Hamza’s armies are on the march.
TIMBAL OF SIKANDER: A gift from holy Khizr. When struck, its sound reaches for one hundred and twenty-eight miles. It is beaten when Amir Hamza’s camp issues the call for war. Amar Ayyar has the exclusive privilege to strike the Timbal of Sikander in Amir Hamza’s camp. In his absence either his sons or the masters of the kettle-drums strike the timbal.
TIMBAL OF HASHSHAM: The timbal of the the warrior Hashsham.
ROVING PRAYER TENT: A portable mosque made of cotton stuff belonging to Hamza. It is moveable and can be easily set up.
PAVILION OF DANIYAL: A gift from Buzurjmehr. Constructed of paper it can miraculously shrink or expand according to the number of its occupants. (Not to be confused with DANIYAL’S TENT which was a gift given by Prophet Daniyal to Amar Ayyar).
PAVILION OF SULEIMAN: A wedding gift that Aasman Peri gave to Amir Hamza. It exists simultaneously in two realms – Earth and Mount Qaf. If a sorcerer were to set foot in it he would be combusted. No weapon can cut through its walls and no trickster can dig his way underneath it: The pavilion’s walls keep sinking into the ground no matter how deep one digs underneath. No one can leap over its walls because the wall rises higher than anyone can jump, by itself.
PAVILION OF HASHSHAM: Amir Hamza took it after killing the raider Hashsham. Amir Hamza confronts and punishes sorcerers in this pavilion because Pavilion of Suleiman burns them and they cannot set foot inside it.
AMIR HAMZA’S HORSES
ASHQAR DEMON-BORN: A horse from Mount Qaf whose father Arnais was a demon and whose mother Laneesa was a peri.
SIYAH QITAS THE BLACK: A horse. A gift from the Angel Jibrail (Gabriel).
AMIR HAMZA’S ARMS AND ARMOR
SAMSAM: A sword. A gift from Angel Jibrail (Gabriel).
QUMQAM: A sword. A gift from Angel Jibrail (Gabriel).
AQRAB-E SULEIMANI: A sword acquired by Amir Hamza in Mount Qaf.
It becomes a scorpion when anyone else picks it up.
VEST OF ISMAIL: A gift from Angel Jibrail (Gabriel).
HELMET OF HUD: A gift from Angel Jibrail (Gabriel).
CHAIN MAIL OF DAUD: A gift from Angel Jibrail (Gabriel).
ARM GUARD OF YUSUF: A gift from Angel Jibrail (Gabriel).
ANKLE Guards of Saleh: A gift from Angel Jibrail (Gabriel).
CUMMERBUND OF RUSTAM: A gift from Angel Jibrail (Gabriel).
DAGGER OF RUSTAM: A gift from Angel Jibrail (Gabriel).
SHIELD OF GARSHASP: A gift from Angel Jibrail (Gabriel).
MACE OF SAM BIN NARIMAN: A gift from Angel Jibrail (Gabriel).
SCIMITAR OF SOHRAB: A gift from Angel Jibrail (Gabriel).
LANCE OF NUH: A gift from Angel Jibrail (Gabriel).
THIGH GUARDS OF YUNUS: A holy gift.
BOW OF ISHAQ: A holy gift.
BOW OF DAUD: A gift from the shrine of Prophet Saleh.
AMAR AYYAR’S POWERS, HOLY GIFTS AND OCCULT CONTRAPTIONS
Amar Ayyar is Amir Hamza’s childhood companion. The Angel Jibrail (Gabriel) had declared Amar Ayyar his protégé. Angel Jibrail had fed Amar Ayyar three grapes. The first grape gifted him with a melodious voice. The second gave him the power to change into seventy-two different forms, and acquire the shape of anyone he chose. The third grape gave him the ability to converse with all creatures and understand their language. Amar Ayyar also received the following powers and gifts. Amir Hamza had forbidden Amar Ayyar from using his holy gifts to kill anyone, including his enemies.
NET OF ILYAS: A net that makes large and heavy objects light to carry in it.
DANIYAL’S TENT: A gift from Prophet Daniyal. Magic has no effect on it and no sorcerer can enter it. It can increase in size at Amar’s command. (Not to be confused with the PAVILION OF DANIYAL that was a gift given to Amir Hamza by Buzurjmehr).
DO-TARA: A stringed instrument that was a gift from Prophet Daud. The audience were enraptured whenever Amar Ayyar played this instrument.
SINGING: A gift from Prophet Daud (David). When Amar Ayyar sang he captivated his audience and they became enamored of his singing.
SPEED: A gift from Prophet Saleh which made Amar Ayyar run faster than the wind without becoming tired.
POWER TO WARD OFF DEATH: A gift from Prophet Muhammad to Amar Ayyar that he would not die until he asked for his death three times himself.
THE MOST GREAT NAME: A gift from Prophet Ishaq.
DEV-JAMA: A lionskin which kept Amar Ayyar safe from demons and malignant jinns.
ZAMBIL: A bag that could contain the entire world in it. Nothing that entered the zambil or was consigned to it came out without Amar’s consent. Amar Ayyar could place his hand on the zambil and acquire any shape he desired. The zambil disappeared whenever he was arrested or searched.
CAPE OF INVISIBILITY: A cape which allowed Amar Ayyar to become invisible upon wearing it.
SNARE-ROPE: A gift from Mount Qaf. It was sent for Amar Ayyar by the mother of holy guide Khizr, Asifa Ba-Safa.
BREAD-CAKE: An everlasting breadcake that was a gift from the holy Khizr.
WATER FLASK: A flask which never ran out of water. A gift from the holy Khizr.
CONCH SHELL: A gift from angel Gabriel. When blown its sound reached to far away places.
GOBLET OF ISHAQ: A goblet which always remains filled with water from heaven.
EGG OF OBLIVION: Oval balls filled with an intoxicating drug liquid that explode upon impact. The victim falls unconscious as he inhaled the drug. Amar Ayyar and his band of tricksters also used other means for administering intoxicating drugs to their enemies. They
burnt drugs in fire to fumigate the air, mixed drugs in food or drinks, and blew the drug powder directly into the nostrils of their enemies with the help of pipes.
LIST OF CHARACTERS, HISTORIC FIGURES, DEITIES AND MYTHICAL BEINGS
AADAM: Adam. In the dastan tradition, Aadam is mentioned as a prophet
AADI: The master of Amir Hamza’s camp. An extremely fat man and a voracious eater.
AAFAT: Sorcerer in Afrasiyab’s service. Husband of Princess Hilal Magic-Destroyer.
AALA GURD: Warrior in Amir Hamza’s service
AAMIR RODBARI: Warrior in Amir Hamza’s service
AASMAN PERI: Amir Hamza’s peri wife and the queen of Mount Qaf
ABUL ADAN THE WARRIOR: Warrior in Amir Hamza’s service
ABYSSINIAN: Native of Ethiopia
ABRIQ MOUNT-SPLITTER: Afrasiyab’s fourth-ranking minister
ABU TAHIR THE BLOOD-SPILLER: Messenger and spy in Amir Hamza’s service
ABUL FATAH: Trickster in Amir Hamza’s service
AFRASIYAB (Emperor of Hoshruba): Sorcerer. Master of the Tilism. Husband of Heyrat.
AFRASIYAB (Historic figure): Ancient King of Persia. Not to be confused with the Emperor of Hoshruba Afrasiyab.
AGHORI: A caste of fakirs
ALAM SHAH: Amir Hamza’s son
ALI: Fourth Caliph of Islam who was known for his strength and valor. Husband of Prophet Muhammad’s daughter Fatima. He was titled “Lion of God”.
ALLAMA THE WISE: Sorcerer in Afrasiyab’s service
ALMAS FAIRY-FACE: Daughter of Musavvir the Magic-Painter and Surat- Nigar the Face-Maker
AMAR AYYAR: Also Amar. Amir Hamza’s chief trickster
AMIR HAMZA: Also Hamza. The Lord of the Auspicious Planetary Conjunction. The commander-in-chief and figurative head of the True Believers.
ARZHANG OF THE STONE FIGURINE: Sorcerer in Afrasiyab’s service
ASAD BIN KARIB: Amir Hamza’s maternal grandson. The designated Conqueror of the Tilism.
Hoshruba Page 57