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4
930-954

  • She came back towards that righteous child: she did not see Mustafá in his (former) place. 930
  • Bewilderment on bewilderment fell upon her heart: from grief her abode became very dark.
  • She ran to the dwellings (hard by) and raised an outcry, saying, “Who has carried off my single pearl?”
  • The Meccans said, “We have no knowledge: we knew not that a child was there.”
  • She shed so many tears and made (so) much lamentation that those others began to weep because of her (grief).
  • Beating her breast, she wept so well (mightily) that the stars were made to weep by her weeping. 935
  • Story of the old Arab who directed Halíma to seek help from the idols.
  • An old man with a staff approached her, saying, “Why, what hath befallen thee, O Halíma,
  • That thou didst let such a fire (of grief) blaze (forth) from thy heart and consume these bowels (of the bystanders) with mourning?”
  • She replied, “I am Ahmad's (Mohammed's) trusted foster-mother, so I brought him (back) to hand him over to his grandsire.
  • When I arrived in the Hatím, voices were coming (down) and I was hearing (them) from the air.
  • When I heard from the air those melodious strains, because of that sound I laid down the infant there, 940
  • To see whose voice is (the origin of) this cry, for it is a very beautiful cry and very delightful.
  • I saw no sign of any one around me: the cry was not ceasing for one moment.
  • When I returned (to my senses) from the bewilderments of my heart, I did not see the child there (where I had left him): alas for my heart!”
  • He (the old man) said, “O daughter, do not grieve, for I will show unto thee a queen,
  • Who, if she wish, will tell what has happened to the child: she knows the dwelling-place of the child and his setting-out (on the way).” 945
  • Then Halíma said, “Oh, my soul be a ransom for thee, O goodly and fair-spoken Shaykh!
  • Come, show me that queen of clairvoyance who hath knowledge of what has happened to my child.”
  • He brought her to ‘Uzzá, saying, “This idol is greatly prized for information concerning the Unseen.
  • Through her we have found thousands that were lost, when we hastened towards her in devotion.”
  • The old man prostrated himself before her (‘Uzzá) and said at once, “O Sovereign of the Arabs, O sea of munificence!” 950
  • (Then) he said, “O ‘Uzzá, thou hast done many favours (to us), so that we have been delivered from snares.
  • On account of thy favour the duty (of worshipping thee) has become obligatory to the Arabs, so that the Arabs have submitted to thee.
  • In hope of thee this Halíma of (the tribe) Sa‘d has come into the shadow of thy willow-bough,
  • For an infant child of hers is lost: the name of that child is Mohammed.”