The dastan’s narrator tells that the Sahibqiran passed through a desolated stretch for ten days straight with great hardships. On the eleventh day, he reached the shores of a turbulent sea, but saw no sign of any ship or boat there. Amir sat down upon a rock and, recalling Mehr-Nigar and his companions, began crying. In the course of his wailings, Amir was overtaken by sleep.
Sufaid Dev, who had lain in wait for just such an chance, saw his opportunity. He flew away with the rock on which Amir lay sleeping. After the dev rose some two hundred kos into the sky, the blasts of wind finally awoke Amir. He saw Sufaid Dev flying away with him. Amir called out to him, “O Sufaid Dev! The kindness I have done, you return with wickedness. Have you no fear of God?” Sufaid Dev replied, “I already told you that it is the custom of devs to reward good with evil. Now, tell me what is your pleasure—shall I throw you into the sea to drown or smash you against the mountains below?” Amir reasoned that since the devs have twisted minds, Sufaid Dev would do the very opposite of whatever he told him. Therefore, Amir said to him, “Throw me into the mountains to avenge yourself!” Sufaid Dev said, “O human child! I will throw you into the sea instead.”
Having said this, the dev threw him and the stone into the sea and flew away. At God’s orders, the holy Khizr and Prophet Ilyas caught Amir in their arms in midair and carried him to safety to the shore. Amir greeted and thanked both prophets and said to them after much weeping and wailing, “Sires! Aasman Peri persecutes me severely. She prohibits my returning to my world and does not allow me to seek a remedy for my distress.”
The holy Khizr said, “O Amir! A few more days of hardship remain and, God willing, they, too, will pass.”
Now hear an account of Emperor Shahpal and Aasman Peri: One day Emperor Shahpal was giving audience in his court when Aasman Peri arrived dressed in the color of Mars3 and looked full of fury.
At that moment, Abdur Rahman arrived. Addressing him, Aasman Peri said, “Khvaja, pray tell us of Amir’s whereabouts at this moment, and whether he is alive or dead, happy or miserable!” Upon studying the horoscope, Khvaja Abdur Rahman beat his head and shed many tears, and at last said to Shahpal, “What evil did Hamza do you that you take your revenge in this manner?” Shahpal was greatly alarmed and replied, “I hope all is well, Khvaja! How does Amir fare?” Khvaja Abdur Rahman answered, “Where evil thrives, no good ever takes root. You are oblivious to his fate and not in the least concerned about his welfare. Sufaid Dev has thrown Amir into the Caspian Sea. It remains to be seen whether Hamza will live or die.”
When Emperor Shahpal heard this inauspicious news, he dashed his crown on the ground. Aasman Peri, too, began pulling out her hair by fistfuls and uttering many plaintive cries. That very moment the emperor departed for the Caspian Sea. The devs of Qaf bore his throne heavenward, and in the flash of an eye they arrived over the waters of the Caspian.
The Sahibqiran had just finished saying his prayers with the prophets Khizr and Ilyas when Emperor Shahpal arrived with Aasman Peri. Amir showed not the least favor to either of them. Both Emperor Shahpal and Aasman Peri threw themselves at Prophet Khizr’s feet and said, “O holy Khizr! We swear and pledge that six months from this day we will send Amir Hamza back to the world of humans. Pray intercede on our behalf with the Sahibqiran just this once.”
Holy Khizr then advised and convinced Amir to trust their word. Amir took leave of Khizr and Ilyas, and sitting on the throne alongside Shahpal and Aasman Peri, returned to Gulistan-e Irum.
OF THE KHUSRAU OF INDIA, LANDHOOR BIN SAADAN, ARRIVING AT THE FORTRESS OF CEYLON AND ROUTING MUHLIL SAGSAR AND MALIK AJROOK; AND OF THE DEPARTURE OF BAHRAM GURD, THE EMPEROR OF CHINA, TOWARD THE CLIME OF CHINA, AND HIS GIVING AUDIENCE AT THE SEAT OF HIS KINGDOM
The narrator now tells that many days had passed since Muhlil Sagsar and Malik Ajrook Khwarzami laid siege to the fortress of Ceylon, and they had had many skirmishes with those within the fortress walls. One day they sounded the battle drums, charged the fortress, and assailed the followers of the True Faith yet again.
Suddenly a dust cloud rose from the direction of the forest. When those in the fortress gazed upon the horde with spyglasses, they saw Landhoor bin Saadan, riding his she-elephant Maimoona with great pomp and glory.
Those inside the fortress sounded notes of jubilation. As Malik Ajrook and Muhlil Sagsar looked around with surprise upon hearing these jubilant notes, Landhoor bin Saadan fell upon the Sagsar army with his warriors. When Jaipur saw Landhoor leading the charge, he flung open the gates of the fortress and led his army out to join the battle.
Malik Ajrook led his elephant next to Maimoona and dealt a blow of his mace to Landhoor. While Landhoor successfully foiled the blow, it landed on the head of Maimoona, and the she-elephant’s brains immediately gushed out her trunk, her life extinguished with great pain. The Khusrau jumped off his mount, and as Malik Ajrook landed a second blow on him, he foiled it and caught hold of the trunk of his enemy’s elephant. He pulled it mightily, sending Malik Ajrook’s elephant tumbling on its face, with a river of blood issuing from his trunk. The Khusrau caught Malik Ajrook by his cummerbund and slammed him to the ground.
Malik Ajrook tried to rise to his feet and escape, but Landhoor pressed one leg of his adversary under foot and, securing the other in his hand, tore him apart like an old rag. Landhoor then turned his attention toward the Sagsar army. But just at that moment a cloud suddenly appeared in the sky, and it thundered so loudly that it seemed the heavens would come crashing down to Earth. Everyone was blinded by the lightning and traumatized by terror.
Then a claw came down from the heavens and carried Landhoor away, just as a squall carries away a twig. Upon witnessing this the Sagsars fell like ferocious lions upon the armies of India. The armies of India again sequestered themselves in the fortress. The Sagsars encircled them and laid siege on the fortress as before.
Before I give their full account, let me say a few words about King Landhoor.
The claw that carried Landhoor from the battlefield was Rashida Peri, daughter of Rashid Jinn, the distinguished and celebrated king of the lands of Abyez Min Muzafat, one of the realms of Qaf. When Rashida Peri witnessed Landhoor’s demonstration of power and might, she resolved in her heart to carry him away to slay Sufaid Dev. That blackguard dev had become enamored of Rashida Peri, and demanded of Rashid Jinn his daughter’s hand in marriage. When Rashid Jinn did not accept his suit, the dev captured Rashid Jinn and imprisoned him in a cave. He then pursued Rashida Peri so that he could capture her, too, and ravish her.
Upon getting wind of the dev’s plans, Rashida Peri had escaped to Gulistan-e Irum so that she might find succor and a protector in Aasman Peri. But upon arriving in Gulistan-e Irum, she discovered that Aasman Peri was visiting another land, so then Rashida Peri traveled to the world of humans to divert her mind. She witnessed the display of Landhoor’s power in Ceylon, and carried him away, enamored of his appearance and comely aspect. She placed Landhoor in her garden, and then bedecked with the seven adornments, she presented herself before him. When Landhoor beheld Rashida Peri he fell head over heels in love, and asked her, “Who has brought me to this garden, and what land is it where I find myself?” Rashida Peri narrated her circumstances and said, “Our emperor avenged himself on his enemies with a human’s assistance, and gave him the hand of his daughter in marriage. I have brought you here likewise to avail myself of your aid and succor. If you kill this dev, I will give myself to you in slavery for the rest of my borrowed existence.”
Landhoor asked, “Where is that wretched dev?” Then Rashida Peri conducted him to the domicile of Sufaid Dev. The devs who stood guard at Sufaid Dev’s dwelling ran to their chief Saqra-e Barahman with news that a human had appeared. When Saqra-e Barahman saw Landhoor, he thought of capturing and making a present of him to Sufaid Dev. As he approached and extended his hand to grab Landhoor, the Khusrau caught it and tore it from Saqra-e Barahman’s shoulder with one mighty tug. Saqra-e Barahman was knocked out by the pai
n, and all his pomp and might were made dust. The devs fell upon Landhoor, who slaughtered many with his sword. The rest of them escaped with their lives.
Landhoor then brought Rashid Jinn with him to Qasr-e Abyez. The latter arranged a royal feast for him. In the midst of the revelries, the Khusrau turned to Khvaja Abdur Raheem, who was one of Rashid Jinn’s ministers, and said, “Pray inform your king that I have fallen in love with Rashida Peri, and I desire that the king give me his daughter’s hand in marriage.” Khvaja Abdur Raheem conveyed his message to the king whereupon Rashid Jinn replied, “I would be honored to give him my daughter’s hand in marriage. My only conditions are that he first kill my mortal enemy Sufaid Dev, and then clear the Qasr-e Marmar of the scourge of the devs.” Landhoor accepted these conditions. It being night, he then went to sleep, after making ready to leave the next morning to kill Sufaid Dev.
Now hear of Sufaid Dev. The dev named Palang-Sar informed him of Landhoor’s arrival and Rashid Jinn’s release. Sufaid Dev flew into a passion and shouted, “I drowned the Quake of Qaf in the Caspian Sea and put an end to his existence! Whence has this second human come?” When Sufaid Dev went to look, he saw a gigantic youth cavorting with Rashida Peri. She sat in his lap, and he was kissing and fondling her and having a merry time of it. Upon seeing this marvel, Sufaid Dev rushed at Landhoor wielding a box tree and brought it down upon him. Landhoor foiled his attack and, snatching the box tree from his hands, smote the dev so powerfully on his head that Sufaid Dev was laid out flat on the ground. The Khusrau pinioned him and flushed out all the devs from the palace. He produced Sufaid Dev before Rashid Jinn, who incarcerated Sufaid Dev in a cave and appointed several thousand devs to guard him.
Rashid Jinn now again ordered festivities in Landhoor’s honor and married off his daughter to Landhoor with great fanfare.
After the marriage Landhoor skirmished with the devs occupying Qasr-e Marmar, drove them out, and took over control of that palace as well.
One hot day, Landhoor was enjoying a deep sleep on a marble platform under the shade of trees, when Palang-Sar Dev released Sufaid Dev from his prison, and informed him of the place where Landhoor lay sleeping and told him to take him unawares.
Thus, Sufaid Dev carried Landhoor away and imprisoned him in a cave. Then he left to capture Rashida Peri so that he might avenge himself on her.
From fear of her enemy Rashida Peri cast herself into the Tilism-e Anjabal, which was a creation of the Seh-Chashmi Dev, and hid herself there from his wrath. Upon learning this news, Sufaid Dev resolved to enter that tilism and secure control over it. His companions, however, prevailed on him to banish such thoughts and told him that anyone who entered that tilism never left alive but brought on an end to his life. Sufaid Dev’s heart became full of dread upon hearing the details of that tilism. He laid siege around it instead, and settled down to bide his time.
Now let me narrate a few words about Jaipur who was forced to ask Muhlil Sagsar to grant him thirty days’ reprieve so that he might make a decision about surrendering the castle. Jaipur wrote a missive to the emperor of China, Bahram Gurd, soliciting help.
Upon receiving this missive, the emperor of China headed for Ceylon with his army.
Now hear of the Sagsars. When thirty days had passed, the duration of the reprieve requested by Jaipur, they again attacked the fortress and were about to breach it when the armies of the emperor of China arrived on the scene, and routed them.
Bahram entered the fortress of Ceylon amidst great jubilation. Bahram was concerned about Landhoor’s fate. He sent his ayyars out in all directions to bring him back some intelligence of Landhoor.
Now hear of Rashida Peri. At the time she cast herself into the Tilism-e Anjabal, she was with Landhoor’s child. After nine months a son was born to her. Rashida named him Arshivan Perizad. She inscribed his name and the complete account of his birth on a piece of paper, and after attaching it to the point of an arrow, shot it out of the tilism in an attempt to convey her news to her father.
It so happened that a perizad found this arrow and carried it to Rashid Jinn, who instructed the perizad to carry it to Ceylon and deliver it to an elder of Arshivan Perizad. Upon arriving in Ceylon, the perizad put the letter in the lap of Bahram Gurd who made every attempt to learn the contents of the letter, but because it was written in Jinni, the language of the jinns, no one could read it. Bahram could do aught else but safely put away the letter, in the hope that one day he would find someone who knew the language and it would prove of use.
Now hear of Arshivan Perizad. When he turned eight, he noticed his mother’s sorrow and dejection, and said to her, “Why do you remain so grief-stricken? And why do you not confide to me the cause of your melancholy.” Rashida Peri told him her whole story. Arshivan said, “Someone must have the tablet of this tilism in his custody. I must find him and take possession of it!” Upon that Rashida Peri wrote a letter to her father asking him to search for the tablet, and dispatched that letter out of the tilism with an arrow as before.
After an unsuccessful search, Rashid Jinn sent a message that the tablet was probably inside the tilism itself.
Arshivan now cried copious tears at the helplessness of his mother and himself. During his lamentations he was suddenly overtaken by sleep. He saw an old holy man in his dream, who said to him, “My son! Open the gate of the dome that is opposite your abode and there you will find a dev from whose neck hangs a tablet made of carnelian inscribed with bold letters. You must act according to the dictates of that tablet. The dev will depart after handing you the table and you will conquer the tilism through the assistance of God.”
Arshivan did as he was told and afterward carried out all the instructions on the tablet, and then he went forth to discover the secret of the tilism. He came across a great empty desert. In the middle of the desert was a cedar tree covered in delicately patterned foliage. He saw a giant crane,4 which was the size of a mastodon, sitting atop the tree. Its mandible was like a beam, and its pouch was the depth of Amar Ayyar’s zambil. Arshivan consulted the tablet and then recited the Most Great Name over the point of the arrow, aimed it at the bird’s pouch, and let fly. No sooner had the arrow hit the bird than it fell to the ground and there arose a dark storm, which made the bright day darker than the Shab-e Yalda. A hue and cry arose of: “Catch him! Do not let him escape! Don’t let him get away! The Destroyer of Tilisms is escaping after killing the dev of the cedar tree! Let us see who puts him to the sword!”
Arshivan began reciting the words on the tablet loudly, and when the commotion ended, he saw a black hill before him. Arshivan headed toward it and saw a marble staircase there that led to a huge pond. Standing there were twelve- and thirteen-year-old damsels who were the envy of the sun and the moon in beauty, carrying goblets of roseate wine in their hands. The moment they beheld Arshivan Perizad, they said with one voice, “O Destroyer of Tilisms! Indeed you have made us wait too long for you! We have stood here for an eternity, suffering the pangs of expectancy!”
Arshivan found himself in a quandary as he could not possibly drink up all the wine they offered him. Wondering whom he should favor, Arshivan looked at the tablet. Acting on the tablet’s instructions, Arshivan took the goblet from the hand of the woman in the red dress, and after reciting the Most Great Name over it, threw it in her face. The moment the wine touched the face of the sorceress, it caught fire. The fire raged so potently that all the women standing around the pond began to burn like a candelabra and they wrung their hands with grief at their destruction. Within an hour they had completely burned away.
Arshivan offered his thanks to God and looked to the tablet again, and acted as he had been commanded and destroyed the tilism.
Rashida Peri embraced Arshivan and exited the tilism. Rashid Jinn forthwith arrived on his throne and embraced Arshivan fondly. Then seating both Rashida Peri and Arshivan on his throne, he returned to Qasr-e Abyez scattering gold and jewels as their sacrifice.
Arshivan then asked his gran
dfather, “Where has Sufaid Dev imprisoned my father?” Rashid Jinn took Arshivan with him to the domicile of Sufaid Dev.
Now hear of the Rustam of His Age, King Landhoor bin Saadan. One day he was bemoaning his helplessness when he heard someone say the words, “Peace be with you!” He answered the greeting and saw that his interlocutor was Prophet Khizr. The prophet removed the fetters from Landhoor’s arms and legs, and then disappeared.
When Landhoor left the cave, he beheld Rashid Jinn and Rashida Peri sitting on a throne outside, looking in his direction. Rashida Peri held a boy in her lap. After kissing Rashid Jinn’s feet and embracing Rashida Peri, Landhoor asked, “Who is this boy? Give me all the details and tell me the truth about the whole matter!”
Rashida Peri told Landhoor all about his son and then made Arshivan kiss Landhoor’s feet. Landhoor embraced Arshivan and they returned to Qasr-e Abyez in the company of Rashid Jinn.
OF KHVAJA AMAR AYYAR’S MOVING TO THE CASTLE OF DEVDAD FROM THE FORT OF SALASAL HISAR ALONG WITH MEHR-NIGAR AND THE FOLLOWERS OF THE TRUE FAITH
After a year had passed, the fort of Salasal Hisar ran out of provisions. Mehtar Sayyad advised Amar that they move to the castle of Devdad which was constructed by Jamshed and was stronger than any fort in the world. Amar set out to find some way of capturing the castle.
After his attempts to find a way into the castle were unsuccessful, Amar saw a water carrier in a turret of the castle who was drawing water from the lake. Amar climbed into the bucket and when the water carrier had pulled him up, he drowned him and took his place. Pretending to be sick Amar had other water carriers lead him to his house. In the night, Haam Devdadi, the commander of the king’s ayyars knocked on the house and confessed to Amar that he was a follower of the True Faith, and offered Amar full support in his mission. Together they entered the palace of King Antar Devdadi but before Amar could drug and overpower the king, Devdadi called out to Amar that Prophet Ibrahim had converted him to the True Faith in the realm of dreams and ordered him to help Amar.
The Adventures of Amir Hamza Page 36