Then he related this story to Amir: “O Amir! I was employed among the mace bearers in the time of Suleiman! When Suleiman passed away, anarchy took root and everyone laid their hands on whatever they could secure. I occupied this place and declared myself the god of devs. Now you have arrived to show me the righteous path and the wealth of the True Faith. I shall do what you order and through it receive grace in this world and the next.”
Arnais next stepped out of his palace and said to all his devs, “I have converted to the True Faith and those among you who wish to convert to my new faith may stay; and the rest may go their own way.” Some of them converted, but most of them refused and turned away to follow their own path. Upon hearing his account, Amir said to him, “You acquitted yourself well in this matter, but it would be a greater service to me if you conduct me back to my world.”
Arnais replied, “Nobody undertakes the task for fear of Aasman Peri, as everyone is scared of her tyranny. Indeed she is a despot, but I agree to bear the brunt of her cruelty, and defy her will for your pleasure, provided you help your faithful servant fulfill his desire and obtain what he covets.” Amir asked, “What is it that you so ardently desire?” Arnais replied, “Close by is the castle of Zamarrud Hisar, whose sovereign, Lahoot Shah, is a mighty and majestic king. He has a daughter called Laneesa, whom I love. Without her I find no pleasure in this world. If you could help me get her, and make efforts on my behalf, I will undertake to take you to your world and put myself in opposition to Aasman Peri’s wishes.”
Amir answered, “I will do my best to join you with your beloved and take up this task to please you!” Arnais said, “Come then, climb on my neck and get ready to embark!” Amir adjusted his mail and armor and clambered upon Arnais, who sprang into action and headed toward Zamarrud Hisar, the city and land of his beloved Laneesa.
The second book of the tale of Amir Hamza, Lord of the Auspicious Planetary Conjunction and Conqueror of the World, is ended. The rest of the story will be told in Book Three, if it be the pleasure of Allah, whose aid and succor we seek.
BOOK THREE
The Third Book of the Dastan of the Sahibqiran, Abul-Ala Amir Hamza,
the Conqueror of the World, the Quake of Qaf, the Latter-day Suleiman, and Uncle of the Last Prophet of the Times
Be it known that Arnais Dev carried Amir Hamza toward Zamarrud Hisar and descended around sunset to a resting place. Amir asked Arnais about his plans. He replied, “Zamarrud Hisar is not too far from here, but you see that the night is pitch dark. It would be best for you to spend the night here.” Amir answered, “The holy Khizr has given me instructions never to trust the word of the devs of Qaf. Therefore, I will sleep only after I have tied you to a tree.” Arnais Dev answered, “O Amir, if you do not have faith in my word, do what puts your mind at ease.” Amir tied Arnais to a giant tree. Then he spread the wolves’ skins and settled down for a good night’s rest.
Arnais said to himself, In Qaf I claimed the station of a god, but the one at whose persuasion I abandoned my claim considers me so unreliable that he tied me to this tree. He cares not a whit about my suffering. It would be a folly to remain in the company of such a man whose selfish needs are his only concern. Thus resolved, Arnais flew away along with the tree.
When Amir woke up the next morning, he saw no trace of the dev or the tree. Amir reconciled himself to the event, and headed onward. When the sun climbed the skies, a blistering hot wind picked up. Amir saw a clump of trees and longed for their shade.
He sat down under the trees. Hardly a moment had passed before a dev arrived wielding a millstone and said to him, “O child of man, before making this place your resting post, were you not at all troubled with fear of me?” Amir answered, “The devs of Qaf do not frighten me.” Upon hearing that, the dev brought the millstone down on Amir’s head. Amir foiled this attack with the Aqrab-e Suleimani, and cut the dev in two. When the heat had subsided, Amir went forth. He heard sounds of weeping and wailing from the direction of the forest, and beheld Arnais Dev being prodded forward by some four hundred jinns who kept severely lashing and tormenting him. Upon spotting Amir, Arnais cried for help. Amir took pity on him and released him from the clutches of the jinns. Then he asked Arnais, “What passed with you that you ended up in this plight?”
Arnais answered, “I was seen by Lahoot Shah, who put me in the power of these jinns. He ordered them to take me into the forest and kill me. I must have a few more days remaining to my life, for I saw you.” Amir asked, “Why did you flee from my service?” Arnais responded, “I was duly rewarded for my deeds. I shall never again betray you!”
Amir again clambered onto his back and the two went forth toward Zamarrud Hisar. In the evening, they rested at another station. Amir again fastened Arnais to a tree, and again Arnais escaped. In the morning when Amir did not find him, he journeyed on alone. After seven days he espied a fortress and saw some four hundred mighty and stalwart jinns guarding the ramparts. A force of four hundred armed devs surrounded the fortress, as if they were assembled there for battle. Amir also observed a dev about to break down the fortress gate.
When Amir challenged him, the dev answered “What makes you think I harbor any fear or dread of you?”
The Sahibqiran countered, “Do you not know me? I am the Quake of Qaf, the Slayer of Ifrit, the Killer of Ahriman!” The dev replied, “It appears that you were sent to me so that I could exact revenge on you for the blood of all the devs of Qaf.”
At this, the dev landed a blow of his zangala on Amir, which he foiled and cut down the dev with a single blow of the Aqrab-e Suleimani. At once, all the devs attacked Amir. Amir killed a great many devs and the remainder escaped with their tails between their legs.
Lahoot Shah now came out of the fort and conducted Amir back inside with great honor. Amir said to him, “I have a favor to ask of you.” Lahoot Shah replied, “Pray express your wishes so that I may carry them out!” Amir said, “You have a daughter, Laneesa of name. I ask that you marry her off to Arnais. I have given him my word to champion his suit.”
Amir’s words rankled Lahoot Shah’s heart. Keeping up appearances, however, he said to Amir, “Arnais is after all a king. If you wished, I would give her in marriage even to a slave!” He led Amir by the hand to a chamber and insisted that he sit on a throne there that was suspended in the air above a well. The moment Amir sat down, he sank into the well, along with the throne, and fell into the hole. Then Lahoot Shah placed a stone on top of the well and ordered two hundred jinns to stand guard around the prison chamber.
When news of this reached his daughter, Laneesa, she went to her father trembling with rage and exclaimed, “Indeed you have no fear of God! You have returned the favor to the Sahibqiran—through whose exertions your life and honor were saved—by scheming to kill him.” Lahoot Shah replied, “He wished me to marry you off to Arnais. That was why I have punished him thus!” Laneesa did not respond to her father.
When it was night, she went to the well and exerted herself in releasing Amir. She descended into the well. Amir saw before him a fourteen-year-old damsel whose beauty was the envy of the moon. He asked who she was, to which she answered, “My name is Laneesa, and I have come to release you from this prison.” Amir then climbed out of the well with the help of the rope. When the guards tried to thwart Amir’s escape, Laneesa unsheathed her sword and many a jinn was killed in the skirmish.
As Amir bid farewell to Laneesa, she said to him, “Now I cannot think of an existence except in your service. I will remain beside you wherever you go.” She thus came to accompany Amir.
After several days’ journey they saw a crystal mountain bright as a flash of lightning. Fields of saffron spread for hundreds of miles around it, and in the middle of those fields there flowed a lake. As Amir sat by the lakeside to regard the scenery, a wild bull materialized and came straight toward him. When Amir tried to catch the bull, he ran off toward the forest. Amir chased the bull and caught him. He then said to Laneesa, “It se
ems that God sent this animal to be your mount.” Amir put Laneesa on the bull’s back. After they had traveled some distance, the bull suddenly bolted toward the forest, and flying like the wind he disappeared with Laneesa without a trace. Lamenting the loss of Laneesa, Amir headed in the direction where he had seen the wild bull disappear, but he could not track them farther.
Toward the end of afternoon Amir arrived near a hill where he saw a captivating and enchanting garden in which there was a jewel-studded golden dome. When Amir arrived at the door of the dome, he found it locked from within, and heard two people talking within. One of them made pleas and exclaimed, “Accept my love and do not break my heart by spurning me!” The other person replied, “I would sooner eat manure than have you for my life partner! I’ll never have it!” Amir called out, “Who is inside?” When nobody answered, Amir kicked in the door, and his eyes met a marvelous sight: Laneesa was sitting on a throne and Arnais stood before her, heaving cold sighs from his ardor.
When Arnais Dev saw Amir, he threw himself at his feet, and said, “Pray witness how I beseech Laneesa endlessly but she does not accept my suit. If you were to have me betrothed to her with your persuasion, I shall remain loyal to you and conduct you anywhere you desire.” The Sahibqiran said to him, “You have deceived me twice!” Arnais countered, “You tethered me and went to sleep, and I ran away as it made me suffer. But pardon my misdemeanor now and never again shall I repeat what I did.”
Taking pity on the dev the Sahibqiran said to Laneesa, “O Laneesa, Arnais promises to conduct me to my world, and he also languishes in his love for you. I wish that you would accept his suit for my sake.” Laneesa replied with folded arms, “He is, after all, a dev! If you had wished to marry me off even to an ass, I would have accepted it. But I, too, will now set a condition that he must transport you to your world and not again deceive you like a cad!”
Arnais Dev accepted her condition, whereupon Amir wedded them together. After making his salutations to Amir, Arnais said, “Pray give me leave to take her with me to my castle Aqiq Nigar, to satisfy the desires of my heart. Aasman Peri will certainly come to hear that I transported you to your world against her wishes, and she will undoubtedly put me to death. Thus I wish to satisfy all my desires during the life that I have left. I will present myself in your service three days from today and will do as you command!”
Amir said to him, “I shall wait for you for three days.” Arnais placed Laneesa atop his neck and together they set out for the castle of Aqiq Nigar.
Midway in the journey they came upon a scenic grassland. Arnais set Laneesa down under a pear tree by the side of a pond and said to her, “Laneesa, my soul! Take rest here a while. I go to arrange a conveyance so that I may conduct you to the castle of Aqiq Nigar with fanfare and honor.” At once, he left for Aqiq Nigar.
When Laneesa grew oppressed by the heat of that place, she cast off her clothes and stepped into the pond to bathe. Hardly a moment had passed when a horse resembling a wild bull appeared from the fields and came to stand at the side of the pond. Because its aspect was most strange and frightful, Laneesa was scared by its sight and rushed out of the pond to retrieve her clothes. The horse gave her chase and the terrified Laneesa fell flat on her back. The horse then took his pleasure of her and satisfied his carnal desire. As God had willed, Laneesa became impregnated in that act.
Now, that horse was none other than Arnais, and after he had relieved himself and satisfied his letch, he rolled around on the ground and returned to his original form. Be it known that Laneesa would bear a colt, and a wonder of the Progenitor’s work would thus become manifest. He would be named Ashqar Devzad and was to become Amir’s favored mount.
Laneesa said to her husband, “O Arnais, what pleasure did you derive from this exercise?” Arnais replied, “God alone knows what tomorrow holds. For that reason I satisfied myself today. He lifted Laneesa onto his shoulders as before, and carried her to Aqiq Nigar and held celebrations.
Let me now say a few words about Aasman Peri. One morning, dressed in a red costume and with a frown playing on her forehead, she sat on her throne to give audience. She sent out summonses to all the nobles of the state, ordering them to present themselves. Then Aasman Peri turned toward Abdur Rahman and said, “Khvaja! I had Amir cast into the Bayaban-e Sargardan. Pray see what passes with the Sahibqiran these days and whether he is alive or dead.”
Abdur Rahman made his calculations by geomancy and gave all the particulars of Amir’s arrangement with Arnais.
Aasman Peri raged like a flame from the fury of her anger at this news. She said, “How dare Arnais have the gall to separate me from my husband! Watch how I shall punish him now!”
She immediately flew toward the castle of Aqiq Nigar in the retinue of thousands of jinns, devs, and perizads, and she had both Arnais and Laneesa arrested and taken to Gulistan-e Irum as prisoners. She had them severely thrashed and then imprisoned them in Zandan-e Suleimani.1
Now hear of Amir. After three days passed and Arnais did not return, Hamza cursed Arnais and, remembering Mehr-Nigar again, cried bitter tears.
Suddenly he heard someone say, “Peace be with you!” Amir looked up and saw Prophet Khizr before him. He said, “O Prophet of God, am I fated to languish in Qaf and remain forever lost in this wilderness? Nobody who makes me a promise ever fulfills it.” The holy Khizr told Amir what passed between Arnais and Aasman Peri. Then he asked Amir to exercise patience and left.
Amir went forth, and after completing a journey of seventeen days arrived under a hill that held a crystal dome at its peak. Hamza surmounted the hill after great struggle and came to the dome’s boundary wall but found the door locked and saw nobody around. Amir broke open the lock and stepped into a beautiful garden. When he studied the cupola again he found it surmounted with an inestimably precious shabchiragh ruby. Using the miracle granted him by Prophet Aadam, Amir reached up and took the jewel from the cupola. Upon comparing it with the one in his headpiece, he found not the least disparity between the two.
When Amir went inside the dome, his eyes caught upon a jewel-studded throne, and rarities and marvels of astonishing quality. He thought of resting there for a few moments but then thought the better of it, realizing that it was entirely likely that the custodian of the place was some dev who would become enraged to find him there. He stepped out of the dome and sat down on a promenade. Hardly a moment had passed when a mighty blast of wind issued from the forest and Amir saw Sufaid Dev, who was some five hundred yards in height, enter the garden shouting and making the heavens and Earth alike ring with his clamor.
Sufaid Dev called out, “Where is the thief who has taken the shabchiragh jewel from the cupola of the dome that was the relic of Prophet Suleiman, and thus extinguished the light of life in Gumbad-e Suleimani?” Amir said, “You towering fool of hideous form and amorphous shape, your search has now ended! I wonder if you know me, and recognize the Slayer of Devs and Destroyer of Tilisms! If not, then approach and learn that I am the Quake of Qaf, the Latter-day Suleiman, the Killer of Ifrit, and the Destroyer of Ahriman.”
Sufaid Dev’s eyes filled up with tears, and he said, “O Quake of Qaf! Do not kill me, for I will prove of much help to you!”
Amir said to him, “No harm will come to you if you convert to the True Faith. Otherwise this very dagger will take your life.”
The dev replied, “I have some enemies who dwell on the slope of this hill. If you were to kill them, I would convert to the True Faith.” The Sahibqiran said, “Tell me where I would find them.”
Sufaid Dev answered, “At the bottom of this hill in the scenic fields of saffron, dwell the seven Nasnaases of Suleiman who are considered by all devs to be of unsurpassing might. If you were to kill them, it would be an extraordinary favor to me.” Amir said to him, “I wish you to take me to their dwelling!”
Sufaid Dev accompanied Amir to the bottom of the hill and showed him the home of the Nasnaases. When Amir called out to the Nasnaases, all seven Nasn
aases came out en masse and stood in a row at Amir’s side. He regarded their singular form and bodies: They resembled humans, but they had sharp front teeth, keen as the point of a spear. Amir drew the Aqrab-e Suleimani and jumped into their midst. He killed all seven of them with his gleaming sword. Then Amir said to Sufaid Dev, “Now all your enemies have been killed and your wishes fulfilled.” Sufaid Dev was so pleased that he placed one hand on his head and another on his ass, and began dancing with joy. Then he said, “O child of man, although you killed all my enemies, I remain sworn to your enmity! It is a rule with our race that we do evil to those who do good unto us without fear of God’s retribution.”
Sufaid Dev then lifted a heavy slab of stone and threw it at Amir’s head. Amir dodged it, and then drawing his sword, attacked Sufaid Dev, who turned tail and said, “I will come after you whenever I find you unawares.” At this, he flew away. The Sahibqiran reasoned that it would not bode well for him to stay there longer and he immediately departed from that place.
For seven nights and seven days, fear of Sufaid Dev drove Amir onward. On the eighth day Amir came upon a city whose denizens each possessed only half a body. When two of them stood together, they formed one person. It was on this account that those people were called nim-tans. Their king was Futuh Nim-Tan. When he heard of Amir Hamza’s arrival, he came to welcome him and conducted Amir with honor into his city. He kissed Amir’s feet and said, “I was told by Prophet Suleiman that a child of man would arrive in Qaf to lay low the devs. I was told that he would be called the Latter-day Suleiman and would carry the signet of Suleiman.2
Amir asked him, “Is it possible for you to conduct me to my world?” The king answered, “We nim-tans cannot set foot beyond the boundaries of our city.” Then Amir took his leave and traveled onward.
The Adventures of Amir Hamza Page 35