A female dev, Sharara Jadu, who was a monument to old age arrived there before long. She said to Amir, “O human child! You have murdered my child who was only three hundred years of age! You never feared that someone in his family may survive him? I am here to avenge his death now.” Sharara Jadu began to call out an incantation whereupon Amir recited the Holy Names for counteracting enchantments, which made Sharara Jadu forget all her magic. Amir stepped forward and struck her with his sword and dispatched that harridan to Hell. He spent the night there and started out again in the morning.
On the thirteenth day of his travels, his feet became blistered and he was forced to stop. Not too much time had passed when a dust cloud rose on the horizon. When it settled Amir saw a black stallion heading toward him. Upon approaching Amir, he came to a standstill. Amir got to his feet and mounted the horse.
He had hardly seated himself in the saddle than the horse reared like Burraq, shot forward, and then flew away like a peri. Amir tried to rein him in, but he did not stop and flew on for three days and three nights. On the fourth day Amir espied the wall of a garden in the distance. His steed entered the garden, where a herd of horses of the same color were grazing. Amir’s horse joined them to forage on the grass, which was of a quality superior even to sweet basil and hyacinth. Amir was amazed by the spectacle. When he looked closely he saw a fourteen-year-old girl, whose beauty was the envy of the sun, riding one of the horses. She herded and guided the horses and laughed and cried in turns.
Amir asked her, “Pray tell me now who you are, and what is this place and its name.” She answered, “This is the Tilism-e Shatranj-e Suleimani. To this day nobody who has entered it has left it alive.”
The girl had disclosed this much when her horse carried her away to the other side of the garden and she was unable to say more. When Amir Hamza looked to his right he noticed that Prophet Khizr had appeared to bring him aid. “O Sahibqiran, there’s an emerald tablet embedded with great skill in the neck of your mount. Remove it and keep it in your possession. I urge you to act wisely and never act without first consulting the tablet.” Having imparted this advice, the holy Khizr disappeared.
Amir took the tablet from the horse’s neck and upon inspecting it found the following written on it:
O Traveler and Voyager to Tilisms! When you see the woman who laughs and cries in turn, recite the Most Great Name, and shoot an arrow at her face. Then you will see what unfolds.
Amir shot an arrow at the girl when her mouth opened in laughter. It shot through her face like lightning and came out of the back of her neck. A ball of fire shot from the hole and began burning the horses’ manes and tails. All the horses there were burned in the conflagration. Only the horse on which Amir was mounted survived the blaze and no harm came to the animal.
Amir saw that along with the horses, the garden also disappeared and there rose a tumult of wailing voices that struck the heart with dread and terror. Amir found himself in a vast and desolate desert. Amir’s horse had traveled just a few paces when Amir saw the boundaries of another garden, even more beautiful and scenic than the first. When Amir entered this garden it was as if he had entered a replica of the garden of Paradise, for verily it was one in spirit with the Garden of Eden. In the middle of the garden stood a great tree, with signs of enchantment written all over it. Each of its branches was as wide as a tree trunk. All manner of different colored animals were perched on its branches singing in their own manners and talking in their many voices. In the middle of those animals sat a woodpecker wearing a pearl necklace. When it beheld Amir, it rose five hundred yards in the air along with all the other birds and wailed in a human voice. Amir cried upon hearing the lamentations of these birds; however—once bitten, twice shy—he said to himself, What if these animals are also made by sorcery?
When Amir consulted the tablet, he found the following written there:
Be warned and beware! Do not stand under this tree or you will be snared by its enchantments and will never find release from it. These animals are a part of the tilism. Recite over your arrow the word inscribed herein and kill the enchanted woodpecker with it!
Amir drew his bow and rose to his feet. The enchanted woodpecker had just perched to rest when Amir shot his arrow, which pierced the woodpecker’s breast. The bird began to flutter and a flame darted out of its breast that engulfed in fire the entire garden with all its birds. When all of them had been burned to death, the heaviness was lifted from Amir’s heart.
Now becoming aware of more noise and commotion, Amir discovered he was in a different garden where a frenzied ghol of outlandish appearance stood before him holding a golden spade. Upon beholding Amir he said, “O human-born, of black head, white teeth, and frail body, how did you manage to find your way in?” Then the ghol attacked Amir with the spade. Amir dealt him a blow of his sword, killing the ghol who fell to the ground in two pieces. Every piece that fell to the ground became another ghol, however, and then Amir was faced with two ghols, each mightier and more prodigious than the first. Both of them attacked Amir and surrounded him. In a matter of hours the garden became full of ghols that kept multiplying in the same manner. They appeared every moment in a new guise to frighten Amir, with their heads embedded in their chests or their arms extended from their torsos like horns. Finally, Amir remembered the tablet he carried and read upon it the following message:
The ghols will not die by sword and your blade will inflict no harm on them. On the forehead of the white ghol is a red mole that shines like a carnelian. This tilism will be conquered when an arrow hits the mole; and only then will you be rid of their menace.
Amir looked around and discovered that indeed there was a white ghol among them with a red mole on his forehead. Amir recited the name of Allah and shot an arrow at the mole. Suddenly, a great clamor arose from all sides. It thundered and hail began to shower from the sky. In a short while, however, all that evil subsided and all the furniture of that tilism disappeared from view.
When Amir looked about he saw another dwelling, most magnificent and imposing, and found a most refreshing and invigorating garden. He saw that in the center of the garden was a well full of water. At the foot of the well a luxurious throne was set, where a dev sat propped up on pillows. A woman lay prostrated in front of him with her hands and feet tied, and a jinn sat atop her wielding a dagger, keeping her pinned down with great force. Upon seeing Amir, the woman cried out, “O Destroyer of the Tilisms, pray release me from his power and secure my freedom from the hands of this tyrant!” The moment she let out this cry, the jinn cut off her head and threw it into the dev’s lap, who threw it into the well. In this manner the woman was dispatched to her fate by the devs. But then the head bounced out of the well and again connected itself to the woman’s body, and again the same sequence of events repeated itself. When Amir looked at the tablet, it read:
When the jinn throws the woman’s severed head into the dev’s lap, recite the Most Great Name and shoot an arrow into his gullet, and destroy all the wizardry in this place.
Amir fired the arrow at the dev’s throat. A great commotion broke out the moment the dev died and a tremor like the tremors of the Day of Judgment shook the ground.
When it subsided, Amir beheld that he was surrounded by a desert and a boundless wasteland. He went forward and before long arrived at a marvelously constructed fortress made of jet stone. He could hear noises coming from within its walls. When Amir entered the fortress he found it indeed fully inhabited. Shops were open with shopkeepers in attendance but all of them were stock-still. Amir addressed them, but none of them offered a single word in reply to him. From the marketplace, Amir turned toward the Hall of Announcements and found it also crowded, but as before the throngs stood motionless. A little farther along, Amir found luxurious residences, and saw heralds, attendants, mace bearers, guards, and servants at their stations—all in a similar state of stillness.
A few steps ahead was the court, which contained a jewel-studded chamber
in which Amir found a king seated in full regalia, surrounded by his courtiers and circled by warriors at their respective stations. Amir approached the king and greeted him, but when he did not receive an answer, he became irate and testily asked, “Is it your custom to disregard a person’s salutations and disdain even a reply by way of common courtesy?” He received no answer to that either, and turned in anger to go back, but discovered that neither the door through which he had entered nor any signs of its presence could be seen anymore. Disappointed, when he returned to relate his woes to the king in the hope that he might get an answer this time, Amir saw a piece of paper in the king’s hands. He took the paper and read the note, which said:
O visitor to the tilisms, this court is a replica of the Court of Suleiman. All the figures that you see in the fortress were people who used to live here in the time of Suleiman. It is useless to seek replies from effigies and figures who do not have the power of speech.
Amir was pondering over the contents of this paper when he saw another throne next to Suleiman’s. He found a fourteen-year-old beautiful coquette sitting there covered in jewels, whose beauty was such that even peris could not hold a candle to her charms. Four hundred perizads stood behind her throne with arms folded in obedience. Amir approached her throne and greeted her, whereupon she returned his salutation and said, “O friend, how did you find your way through these enchantments and gain admission where no human is allowed?” Amir answered, “I know not how to tell my never-ending tale. It would be simpler if you were to tell me first who you are, and how you came to settle in this remarkable place?”
She answered, “I belonged to the harem of Suleiman and my name is Salim Shairan. When Suleiman bid adieu to this transitory world and Shahpal took over command of the jinns, he made me the sovereign of the realm of Zulmat. After Ifrit rebelled and extended his influence to Zulmat he told me to give myself in concubinage to him. I considered, therefore, that I would be putting my honor in jeopardy by continuing to live in Zulmat. Thus I decided to escape and willingly became a prisoner of this tilism. The four hundred perizads that you see here are my attendants, whom I brought with me. Now tell me who you are, and how you happened upon this place.”
The Sahibqiran gave her a complete account of himself and his adventures and told her that now she was free to leave that tilism and return to her land.
Queen Salim Shairan said, “No one who arrives here is allowed to go in freedom from this place.” Hamza answered, “I make you my pledge that I will destroy this tilism as well and release you from here, provided you promise that you will take me to the realm of the humans!” Salim Shairan replied, “I make you this promise with all my heart and soul!” Then Amir took out the tablet to read its instructions, but he could not discern a single letter on the tablet. Amir was gripped by apprehension and put away the tablet and made his ablutions, and then said prayers outside. He was soon overcome by sleep and in that state he saw Prophet Suleiman press Amir’s head to his breast and speak thus:
My son! Do not grieve! One of your sons, Badi-ul-Mulk,14 will conquer this tilism, for the destruction and unraveling of this tilism is written in his name. To escape this tilism, walk toward the door reciting the words that I instruct you, and a path will appear to lead you out of here. As you step outdoors, a stag will appear and then flee from you. You must give him chase while continuing to recite these words. When you cannot see him anymore, know then that you have come out of the boundaries of the tilism.
Upon coming out of this reverie, Amir raised his head and offered another prayer of gratitude for divine help.
Then he related the dream to Queen Salim Shairan and said to her, “When I walk out of here, you should also hurry out behind me and do as I tell you.” Reciting the words taught him by Prophet Suleiman, Amir and Salim Shairan followed the stag along with her companions. Immediately a great hue and cry rose from the palace as if the Day of Judgment had arrived, and loud cries were heard: “Seize them! Detain them!” None of Amir’s party paid any heed to those cries, and running and scampering, all of them exited that prison.
They arrived near two hillocks. The stag disappeared between them, and Amir realized that he had come out of the boundaries of the tilism. For a full seven days Amir and his companions remained occupied with assemblies of music and dance.
On the eighth day, Queen Salim Shairan sought counsel from her companions and said to them, “I have promised Hamza that I will take him back to the world of men. Advise me in this matter and tell me what means will secure an auspicious result.”
They replied, “Beware that if you fulfill your promise to Hamza, Aasman Peri will dishonor and defile you and revoke your sovereignty over the realm of Zulmat. You would do well to leave this man where he lies sleeping and never think of defying Aasman Peri.” Salim Shairan found their advice in her own best interests. Leaving Amir asleep there, she flew away toward Zulmat with her perizads.
When Amir woke up the next morning he saw no signs of Salim Shairan or her entourage and realized that she, too, had succumbed to fear of Aasman Peri. Amir said to himself that he should put his faith in God whose will alone could accomplish his return to his world. Having made up his mind, Amir continued forward. It is said that Amir walked for nine nights and nine days, and when he felt hungry he took a bite from the bread-cake given him by Prophet Khizr. On the tenth day he stopped under a clump of box trees to spend the night and in the morning he headed into the open field. He had not gone far when he espied at the foot of a hill a flame that rose every so often. When Amir approached, he saw it was a most scenic hill. Water spouted from springs and greenery covered the entire expanse. A magnificent palace constructed of bricks of gold ingots stood atop the hill, whose breaches were blocked with jewels. All kinds of fowl and beasts abounded there.
At the foot of the hill on the huge mouth of a cave a dev sat roasting a buffalo, camels, and elephants over a pyre and gobbling them down with abandon. The flame that rose from the spit and traveled to the heavens was the fire of that pyre. It is told that the dev Arnais who was the master of that land had declared himself God and thus brought damnation on himself. He had designated the palace as his heaven and the pyre and the cave as his hell. He had also appointed four hundred devs who kept guard on it as the keepers of that hell. Amir thought of approaching them to ask what were these marvels when one of the devs suddenly caught sight of Amir and said, “My skewers were all bare, but the God of Qaf has sent me a tasty morsel!” The dev rose and gestured to Amir to approach and, speaking softly, said to him, “O human child, come trotting here softly, and let no one hear your footsteps lest another dev nab and gobble you up first.”
Amir began to laugh upon which the dev took offense and wielding the skewer rushed forward to strike Amir and catch and eat him. Amir drew the Aqrab-e Suleimani from his scabbard and dealt him a blow. The dev fell to the ground in two pieces along with his skewer. Witnessing that their companion had been slaughtered, all the devs wielded their weapons and attacked Amir. He stood in the middle of them with the shield of Garshasp in his left hand and the Aqrab-e Suleimani in his right, putting his trust in God, and fighting dexterously and displaying his Rustam-like might and belligerence. Whoever received a blow by his hand fell to the ground in two. Many were killed and the few who survived fled.
When Amir saw that none of the devs remained, he climbed the hill to Arnais’s heavenly garden and saw an emerald throne, where he seated himself and thought of taking a few hours of sleep. Then he abandoned the thought realizing that the devs who had fled would inform their leader, who would certainly return with them to kill him.
As it happened, the devs who had fled went as a group to the castle of Aqiq Nigar to inform their god, Arnais Dev. Arnais demanded to know where Amir had gone and asked them his whereabouts. The devs answered that the human being had trespassed into his heaven.
Arnais flew from the castle of Aqiq Nigar along with several thousand devs and immediately laid siege to the palace occ
upied by Amir. He ordered the devs, “Storm the palace and apprehend that black-headed, white-toothed one!” They answered, “It is not in our power to step inside and challenge and apprehend him. You are our god; you should kill him by some ruse. Then we will witness how mighty you are!” Arnais waxed even more furious upon hearing their reply, and their jeering words rankled in his heart. Wielding a box tree, he barged inside, and said to Amir, “O child of man, why did you attack my angels? Didn’t my fear and terror deter you in your actions?” With these words Arnais brought the box tree down on Amir to show him his power and might. Amir jumped to one side to foil his attack and, catching hold of the dev by his cummerbund, lifted him over his shoulders and slammed him to the ground. Arnais rolled away and attempted to escape, but Amir leapt up and came down on his chest, and drawing his dagger from his cummerbund pressed it against the dev’s neck.
Then tears came to Arnais’s eyes and fearful of losing his life, he pleaded, “O courageous man and the Quake of Qaf, spare my life!” Amir answered, “I will do so on two conditions: First, you must confess to me about your person and your origins, and second, you must convert to the True Faith and pledge allegiance to me!” Arnais Dev sincerely converted to the True Faith.
The Adventures of Amir Hamza Page 34