As Amar counseled, Mehr-Nigar wrote a letter. At the end of the letter she asked him to allow her to accompany him, in the event that she was unable to prevail upon him to reconsider his decision.
Amar put her letter together with Khvaja Abdul Muttalib’s and carried them secretly to Hamza. Amir first answered his father’s letter and then addressed one to the commanders of his army. In reply to Mehr-Nigar’s letter, Amir wrote:
I am going away for a mere eighteen days. I ask that you accept another eighteen days of separation for my sake, and resign yourself patiently and contentedly to the will of God. It is not the custom of soldiers to take their women on campaigns with them. I shall adhere to this rule. I would have had no qualms, however, in taking you along if I were embarking on an excursion or hunting expedition. Until my return you must act on Amar’s advice, and always consider him a well-wisher and as someone devoted to you with his life.
Amir gave these letters to Amar to deliver to the addressees, and asked him to return with his arms and armor. Amar returned to Mecca and gathered Amir’s arms and armor for him, but he did not deliver any of the letters. Satisfied, Amir Hamza decorated himself with his weapons and made preparations for his departure to Qaf.
OF GUSTHAM DYING AT AMIR’S HANDS AND OF HIS BEING SLAIN ALONG WITH HIS ARMY
Regard how fate displays its machinations and how death calls out to the one whose end is nigh. Now the battle with Gustham and the encounter between jinn and men shall be related.
After Amir left for his homeland, along with his intrepid army and Princess Mehr-Nigar, Naushervan’s summons to Gustham was dispatched. Receiving them, that wretch set out and presented himself in Ctesiphon expeditiously. Naushervan narrated to Gustham Amir’s sack of Ctesiphon and his abduction of Princess Mehr-Nigar.
Gustham then left for Mecca with thirty thousand troops and led his army forward with great speed. As he approached Mecca, Gustham learned that Hamza had received a fatal wound at Zhopin’s hand and that nobody had heard any news of him since. However, a small contingent of followers of the True Faith had arrived in Mecca and were said to be in a sad plight. Gustham was mightily pleased upon receiving this intelligence. He pitched his camp three kos from Mecca and ordered the drums of war to be sounded.
Hamza, who had not yet departed for Qaf, heard the sound of these war drums. But since there was no army within sight, he said to Amar, “Dear friend, go find out who has sounded these drums.” Amar went out, and he beheld an army of several thousand troops. Amar learned upon making inquiries that Naushervan had sent Gustham with thirty thousand troops to kill Amir and take back Mehr-Nigar.
First Amar went to the walls of the city and delegated soldiers to man the towers and the ramparts. In the meanwhile, Gustham attacked the fort with his thirty thousand men. Amar answered their assault with a thunderous hail of Greek fire whose burns caused a great many enemy deaths. Terror seized the rest and they did not dare move a step, and became rooted to their spots. Gustham sounded the drum of retreat for the day and said to his men, “Rest for today and, come tomorrow, we shall settle scores with them!”
Then Amar found his chance and went before Amir to tell him the details. Amir said, “Go and sound the drums of war, and lead your army out into the battlefield. I shall come and settle this menace.”
Amar returned to the city and conveyed the fortuitous news to all and sundry, saying to everyone he met, “Come tomorrow morning, you shall see the Sahibqiran.” Once they heard the auspicious news, the whole camp passed that night in celebrations.
In the morning Amar rode a handsome mule into the battlefield, and arrayed his troops. Gustham also rode his rhinoceros into the field ecstatically and joyously, and was about to bark out his vain war slogans and order his army to charge into battle, when Amar espied the Sahibqiran’s throne in the sky borne aloft by the jinns. Amar called out to the commanders of his army, “There! See the Sahibqiran coming to ennoble you with his magnificent presence!”
When the throne approached, everyone saw Amir Hamza seated on it fully dressed for battle, and observed that his face did not appear the least bit transformed by any sign of illness. Beholding this, his followers hastened to dismount their steeds, and in their joyful eagerness to rush forward to kiss Amir’s feet, some of them even fell over, as their feet were caught in their stirrups.
While Gustham laughed out loud and made jests with the commanders of his army at this sight, Amar called out to him, “Laugh not so hard, O sniveling one, for you shall soon be crying harder when you are dispatched to Hell! Mark that the Angel of Death has come to claim you!” The Sahibqiran’s throne descended from the sky in the meanwhile, and Gustham and his companions marveled greatly when they beheld this sight. They wondered how and from where Hamza descended like some heavenly calamity.
The Sahibqiran alighted from the throne and challenged Gustham forthwith, saying, “O worthless knave! Come now and face me, for which reason you made your long journey!” As Gustham was drunk on the wine of pride and vanity, he made a thrust with his spear at Amir’s immaculate chest. Amir wrested the spear from his hand and brained the rhinoceros with a mighty blow of its shaft. The beast fell dead to the ground. Relieved of his mount, Gustham unsheathed his sword and came charging at Amir on foot. Gustham’s sword broke as Amir parried his blow, and he was left holding the hilt. He ducked his head the first few times Amir dealt him blows, but then his luck ran out. An excellent thrust of the sword from Amir’s hand cut Gustham in two like a raw cucumber and sent him to Hell. Witnessing this scene, Gustham’s army charged the followers of the True Faith.
Then Abdur Rahman said to the jinns, “Do not stand idly thus! Fall upon Amir’s enemy!” Each of the four hundred jinns who had accompanied Abdur Rahman caught two men in his arms, flew heavenward, and then smashed the soldiers against their companions on the ground. In this manner they killed twenty thousand men from Gustham’s army and sent them to keep their master company in Hell. Three thousand had already become Hell fodder on the first day of the battle, when Amar had let loose his fireworks after Gustham’s attack on the city walls. The remaining seven thousand realized that they must not sell their lives cheaply, and headed for Ctesiphon carrying Gustham’s cleft corpse. With Amir’s triumph secured in his battle with Gustham, Abdur Rahman carried him off toward Mount Qaf, leaving his army bivouacked in that place.
OF AMIR’S JOURNEY TO MOUNT QAF AND THE BEGINNING OF HIS EIGHTEEN-YEAR STAY
The dastan6 writer’s pen traverses the vast expanse of the page as a journey to a far-off land is afoot. The circumstances of Gustham’s death and the routing and retreat of his army have all been related. After Hamza departed for Qaf, Amar gathered the booty the enemy had left behind. Then Amar handed out the letters Amir had written earlier to Khvaja Abdul Muttalib, Mehr-Nigar, and the commanders of the army, and announced to everyone the news of Amir’s departure for Qaf.
Khvaja Abdul Muttalib laid the burden of patience on his heart and busied himself in prayers for Amir’s safe return. The commanders of the army said to Amar, “O Khvaja, we always deemed you worthy of the same honor as the Sahibqiran himself. We shall not dither or vacillate in obeying you.”
Amar embraced all of the commanders. He then told them, “All of you are companions of the Sahibqiran. Do not speak of obedience to my person, for I shall be happy only if we share the obligation brothers have toward one another. I declare that I would lay down my life for you. I am afraid that when Naushervan hears of Amir’s departure to the realm of Qaf, he will not leave any stone unturned to have Mehr-Nigar back.”
The commanders replied, “Khvaja! If one of his commanders, nay, even if Naushervan himself, should descend on us with his army, God willing, he will take back nothing but humiliation and defeat as long as a single one of us keeps drawing breath!”
Amar replied, “Indeed I have even greater faith in your courage!” Amar conducted the army inside the fort, ordered them to lift up the drawbridge, and after fitting out the whole city,
flooded the moats around the fortifications.
After giving audience, Amar went before Mehr-Nigar, and spoke to her of Amir’s victory over Gustham. Mehr-Nigar said to him, “O Khvaja, I consider you the same as my father, and therefore obey you in all matters. Amir wrote to admonish me not to act vainly or take any step without first securing your counsel and advice. God forbid I ever take into my head to act in defiance of your wishes.”
Upon hearing that, Amar praised Mehr-Nigar for her probity and noble nature and said to her, “O Princess! You can be sure that if I ever request anything of you it will be in your own best interest. Amir asked you to obey me in his absence because he knows that women are unsophisticated and are not privy to the devious ways of men. Except as it regards your father—who nurses a grievance and is bent upon settling the score—I shall remain your faithful servant at all times!”
Amar bought enough provisions to last for six months and then said to himself, Now even if the armies of the entire world should congregate here in an effort to drive us out of the fort, they are sure to leave empty-handed. We have taken refuge in the House of the Almighty and the favor of the Most High God is with us! He deployed his commanders and champions to guard the ramparts, and cladding himself in a regal robe waited in his pavilion for the Sahibqiran’s promised return.
OF WHAT PASSED WITH AMIR HAMZA ON THE WAY TO MOUNT QAF
Now an account of the Sahibqiran’s journey and the continuation of this singular tale. The jinns carrying the Sahibqiran’s throne soared so high that all the mountains and fortresses on land were lost to view. Around the time of zuhr prayers,7 they descended and set the throne in a pasture. Amir asked Abdur Rahman, “What is the name of this place where we have landed?” He replied, “We are still within the dominion of man. A human reigns over this land and it is the place where the arena of Rustam bin Zal is situated.”
After saying his zuhr prayers, Amir headed toward Rustam’s arena for an excursion accompanied by a few close aides of Abdur Rahman. There they beheld a dome, and upon entering it, found a huge locked iron chest hanging from the roof, which no ordinary mortal could have brought down. Amir retrieved it and put it gently on the ground. When he opened it he discovered lying within a cummerbund, a dagger, a bow, and a stone tablet that read: “These artifacts belong to Rustam, and nobody may lay hands on them. But the Sahibqiran will acquire them and will be made our beneficiary heir.[?]” Overjoyed, the Sahibqiran brought the artifacts and stone tablet to Abdur Rahman, who said, “This is an auspicious augur that has been bestowed on you from the future state.”
They rested in this place that day and in the morning Amir again mounted the throne and resumed the journey. At night they descended to a spot where an iron wall of indeterminate antiquity rose to the high heavens and stretched for miles on end. No doors were marked in the wall, and there were no signs there of bird or beast or human. Upon Amir’s orders the jinns searched, and discovered a door hidden in the wall. Amir opened it and gained entrance to the other side, where he beheld a saintly man saying his prayers inside a dome in a pasture.
When he caught sight of Amir, the man visited blessings on him and said, “O Sahibqiran! I have waited for you for two hundred years!” Amir returned his blessings and asked, “How did you learn my name, and know that I am the Sahibqiran?” The man answered, “I heard from my elders that in this domain of Qaf no human would set foot except for a man called Hamza! Now the time has arrived for me to return to my Lord, and I request that you give me my funeral bath and bury me with your own hands!” The man then recited the Act of Faith and died, and set out for the land of the Future State. Amir was grieved to behold that scene, and carried out the saintly man’s last wishes. After the funeral rites were over, Amir had his meal and again mounted the throne.
Abdur Rahman’s entourage flew continuously for a night and a day and around the time of the zuhr prayers they again descended into a desert. Amir said to him, “Only a quarter of the day has elapsed as yet. Why alight here now?” Abdur Rahman answered, “A little distance from here is the abode of Rahdar the dev, who plies the trades of banditry and murder. Anyone who escapes his notice escapes with his life. I descended here so that we could renew our journey in the middle of the night. Then we will have no fear of attracting his eye, and will be relieved of all dread and anxiety regarding him.”
Amir replied, “I wish you to lead me to his den so that I may kill him to free God’s creatures from his depredations.” Abdur Rahman remarked, “O Sahibqiran! He is a veritable monster. It would be best to wait here for night to fall!”
Amir demanded, “I would like you to tell me if Rahdar Dev is an even greater menace than the dastardly Ifrit!”
Abdur Rahman responded, “Rahdar is of absolutely no significance before the monster Ifrit! Indeed, he stands nowhere in relation to Ifrit, and any comparison between the two would be idle!”
Amir replied: “It begs reason then that while you are conducting me to Qaf to slay the mighty Ifrit, you forbid me an encounter with a smaller menace like Rahdar!”
Abdur Rahman was at last convinced by this argument and said, “There is yet another monster who infests these grounds.” Amir asked, “What is this monster?” Abdur Rahman replied, “This monster is a most feral two-headed lion!”
Amir at once headed for the desert. When the scent of Amir reached the lion he left his desert lair to search for its source. Amir beheld a mighty beast, some sixty cubits in length from head to tail. As the lion charged him with a mighty roar. Amir leapt to one side and brought down his sword on the lion’s back, cutting it in two. Abdur Rahman kissed the hilt of Amir’s sword, and from there they carried Amir’s throne to Rahdar Dev’s den.
The whole night Amir did not sleep a wink from anxiety that the jinns’ concern for his safety and fear that he was not a match for Rahdar would force them to divert him from the encounter. Dawn was breaking as they arrived at the dev’s abode, but the jinns became panic-stricken from fear and, putting the throne down, they rushed away into any nook or corner that offered them refuge. Amir dismounted his throne and set out in search of Rahdar Dev.
Now hear of Rahdar Dev. One day, a dev brought him news that the emperor of Qaf had dispatched his minister, Abdur Rahman, to the dominion of men to bring back a human who would slay the devs of Qaf and reinstate Emperor Shahpal on the throne. Ever since he had caught wind of this news, Rahdar Dev had lain in wait for that human to pass his way so that he could sink his fangs into Hamza’s tasty and luscious flesh.
It so happened that Rahdar was sitting on the summit of the mountain when he espied the Sahibqiran. Seeing him from afar, Rahdar reasoned that the anticipated human must have arrived, and the man he saw was probably one of his companions. Rejoicing in his good luck to have found such a delicious tidbit, Rahdar ordered one of his devs to bring the human being alive into his presence. As the dev approached Amir and extended his arm to take him to Rahdar, Amir caught hold of his hand and wrenched it so mightily that the dev’s knees buckled and he came very near to dying from the violence of the tug. Amir then clouted him so powerfully over the head that his brains were smashed into his neck and he departed forthwith from the Qaf of the present to the Qaf of the Future State. Watching all of this, Rahdar decided that this must be the selfsame champion whom Abdur Rahman had gone to fetch. Feeling certain of this fact, he descended upon Amir’s entourage with a force of three hundred devs. Amir bellowed “God is Great!” so powerfully that the entire expanse of the desert reverberated with the sound and the jinns very nearly died from fright.
Rahdar arranged his three hundred devs opposite Amir and made preparations for combat. Rahdar swung a box-tree branch tied with several millstones and brought it down on Amir with full force, but he foiled the blow. Then stepping to the dev’s side, Amir dealt him such a fierce blow with Rustam’s dagger that it exited clean from Rahdar’s other side. With the link to his senses permanently severed, the dev gave up the ghost from just that one blow. Amir put his dagger i
n its scabbard and, unsheathing the sword, he fell upon the three hundred devs that stood by. Whoever received a blow from his hand that day did not draw another breath.
Abdur Rahman said to the jinns in his entourage, “Go forth and help the Sahibqiran!” At this command, all the jinns fell upon the devs and fought mightily. A great many devs were dispatched to Hell and entered the dominion of the Future State. Amir did not pursue the few who managed to escape with their lives but allowed them to flee. Then Amir went to Rahdar’s abode with Abdur Rahman, where there were heaps upon heaps of countless priceless jewels and valuables. Amir said to Abdur Rahman, “All these goods here are the property of Emperor Shahpal bin Shahrukh, and I am not going to touch these ephemeral riches or be tempted by them.”
All the jinns present there warmly lauded Amir’s gestures of courage and munificence, and commented to each other that they little knew that such noble men were born among the sons of Aadam. From there Amir set out again mounted on his throne. Four jinns brought up the rear carrying Rahdar’s head.
When they reached the castle of Ghaneem, Salasal Perizad, who was one of the companions of Emperor Shahpal, came out with an entourage of forty thousand perizads to welcome Amir. The next day Amir set out again with Salasal Perizad toward Gulistan-e Irum. His throne was flanked by Abdur Rahman on the right and by Salasal Perizad on the left. They were making their way, discoursing together, when scores of perizads of such luminous aspect that they overwhelmed one’s vision materialized before them. They came flying toward them mounted on hundreds of thrones, chanting and playing musical instruments. They were followed by several thousand more carrying bouquets of flowers, incense, and aromatic unguents, which fragranced the whole desert. They all clustered around Shahpal’s throne. Spotting them in the distance, Abdur Rahman and Salasal Perizad said to the Sahibqiran, “What a marvel! The emperor himself has come out to receive you!” When Shahpal’s throne approached, Amir ordered that his own throne be set down on the ground, whereupon Shahpal said to the perizads, “Set down our throne, too, next to Amir’s so that we may derive wholesome bliss from our meeting!”
The Adventures of Amir Hamza Page 28