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4
932-981

  • 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.”
  • When he said “Mohammed,” all those idols immediately fell headlong and prostrate, 955
  • Saying, “Begone, O old man! What is this search after that Mohammed by whom we are deposed?
  • By him we are overthrown and reduced to a collection of (broken) stones; by him we are made unsaleable and valueless.
  • Those phantoms which the followers of vain opinion used to see from us at times during the Fatra
  • Will disappear now that his royal court has arrived: the water is come and has torn up (annulled) the ablution with sand.
  • Get thee far off, O old man! Do not kindle mischief! Hark, do not burn us with (the fire of) Ahmad's (Mohammed's) jealousy! 960
  • Get thee far off, for God's sake, O old man, lest thou (too) be burnt by the fire of Fore-ordainment.
  • What squeezing of the dragon's tail is this? Dost thou know at all what the announcement (of Mohammed's advent) is (in its effects)?
  • At this news the heart of sea and mine will surge; at this news the seven heavens will tremble.”
  • When the old man heard these words from the stones (idols), the ancient old man let his staff drop (from his hand);
  • Then, from tremor and fear and dread caused by that proclamation (of the idols), the old man was striking his teeth together. 965
  • Even as a naked man in winter, he was shuddering and saying, “O destruction!”
  • When she (Halíma) saw the old man in such a state (of terror), in consequence of that marvel the woman lost (the power of) deliberation.
  • She said, “O old man, though I am in affliction (on account of the loss of Mohammed), I am in manifold bewilderment (not knowing whether I should grieve or rejoice).
  • At one moment the wind is making a speech to me, at another moment the stones are schooling me.
  • The wind addresses me with articulate words, the stones and mountains give me intelligence of (the real nature of) things. 970
  • Once (before) they of the Invisible carried off my child—they of the Invisible, the green-winged ones of Heaven.
  • Of whom shall I complain? To whom shall I tell this plaint? I am become crazy and in a hundred minds.
  • His (God's) jealousy has closed my lips (so that I am unable) to unfold (the tale of) the mystery: I say (only) this much, that my child is lost.
  • If I should say anything else now, the people would bind me in chains as though I were mad.”
  • The old man said to her, “O Halíma, rejoice; bow down in thanksgiving and do not rend thy face. 975
  • Do not grieve: he will not become lost to thee; nay, but the (whole) world will become lost in him.
  • Before and behind (him) there are always hundreds of thousands of keepers and guardians (watching over him) in jealous emulation.
  • Didst not thou see how those idols with all their arts fell headlong at the name of thy child?
  • This is a marvellous epoch on the face of the earth: I have grown old, and I have not seen aught of this kind.”
  • Since (even) the stones (idols) bewailed this (prophetic) mission, think what (tribulation) it will set over (bring down upon) sinners! 980
  • The stone is guiltless in respect of being an object of worship, (but) you are not under compulsion in worshipping it.