418 



The Oriental Gleaner , .No. HI. 



Sikandar^x arrival in the Desert of Kep- 



chak. 

 Sikandar marches to attack the Russians, 



icho collect their army. 

 Battles icith the Jlussians, and Sikandar''s 



victory over them. 

 Sikandar enjoys himself with the slave girl 



presented to him by the Emperor of 



China. 

 Sikandar receives an account of the tcater 



of immortality ; proceeds in search of 



it ; returns nnsHccessful. 

 Sikandar''s return to Greece. 



Here ends the first part of the Sikan- 

 dar Namalu wliich was brought to a 

 conchision bv the poet Nisaiai, who 

 floiirislied A.'D. 1200. This second 

 part is inferior to the first. It com- 

 mcuces thus : 



After long and toilsome marches, Si- 

 kandar returned to Greece and gave 

 splendour to his native country. Hav- 

 ing conqa<u-('(l every kingdom, he now 

 sought after wisdom ; and he therefore 

 ordered that all the information which 

 iiaight be contained in (he annals of the 

 Kings of Persia, or in the Latin, Deii, 

 Pehlavi, or other language, should be 

 collected; and lie directed that this 

 collection should be translated by phi- 

 losophers. The poem continues to de- 

 scribe the assembling in Alexander's 

 court of Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Py- 

 tliagoras, Hermes. Tliales. and sages 

 from India, and their disputatious on 

 various topics ; but particularly respec- 

 ting the nature of the Heaven and the 

 Earth. It also briefly relates thesecond 

 expedition made by Alexander overall 

 the habitable parts of the world, and, 

 finally, his death. 



The five poems or Khamsah of Ni- 

 zami were so celebiated that other 

 poets endeavoured to imitate him. and 

 wrote on similar subjects. Thus Amir 

 Khosru wrote a Khamsah, orfive poems, 

 one of which is called the Mirahia Si- 

 kandar, the mirror of Alexander, it 

 begins thus : 



" One day in tlie spring', when all the 

 world a pleasing- picture seemed, the sun at 

 early dawn with happy auspices from sleep 

 arose ; from verual gales, the air a musky 

 fragrance breathed ; the earth was bathed 

 in balmy dew ; the beauties of the garden 

 their charms displayed, the face of each 

 with brilliaucy adorned ; the flowers in 

 freshness bloomed, the lamp of the rose ac- 

 quired lustre from the breeze; the tulip 

 brought a cup from Paradise ; the rose- 

 bower shed the sweets of Eden ; beneath 

 its folds, the musky bud remained like a 

 musky amulet on the arm of beauty ; the 

 violet bent its head; the fold of the bud 

 was closer pressed; the opening rose in 



[June ], 



splendour glowed, and attracted every eye; 

 the lovely flowers oppressed with dew in 

 tremulous motion waved. The air o'er all 

 the garden a silvery radiance threw ; and 

 o'er the flowers, the breezes played ; on, 

 every branch, the birds attuned their notes 

 and every bower with warblings tilled, so 

 sweet they stole the senses. The early 

 nightingale poured forth its song thatg^ves 

 a zest to those who quaff the morning gob- 

 let. From the turtle's soft cooings, love 

 seized each bird that skimmed tlie air. On 

 such a pleasing day, that every joy en- 

 cieased, Sikandar to the garden bent his 

 way ; no courtiers on him waitiug, but a 

 f -w selected slaves : and here he bade be 

 placed beside the stream a rich pavilion, 

 comfits and flowers ; and wine be bade be 

 brought, and there lie spread a royal ban- 

 quet ; but access there to friend and stran- 

 ger was denied ; and from the garden all 

 excluded, save some lovely damsels. Round 

 the rose no thorn remained ; the jessamine 

 and hyacinth alone remained ; with beau- 

 ties was the garden graced, and in the rose 

 bower many a cypress waved. Strait* was 

 each stature, and each cheek with the blood 

 of the rose was stained ; on each ear were 

 pearls and emeralds hung ; and rubies and 

 pearls each mouth displayed, all nioviug' 

 gracefully, and all skilled to please. Their 

 roses concealed by amber [that is, their 

 cheeks concealed by their fragrant tresses-f-] 

 repelled the eye malignant ;J and a thousand 

 angels would each glance have pierced, 

 which beamed from their scft rolling eyes. 

 Sweet were their voices, and with skill they 

 touched the harp and lute. Lovely and 

 graceful they approached the King, as if 

 the Pleiades should on the moon attend. 

 But midst these fairy forms the maid from 

 Chin§ was dearest to the King : her whom 

 he gained in battle with the Emperor, and 

 whose bright eyes had raised disturbance 

 in his breast: for brighter than the mooa 

 they shone, and greater than the sun's 

 their dazzling splendour beamed. She, 

 with a tliousand graces moving, drew near 

 the King, and kissod|| the ground before 

 him ; then, as he commanded, tookherplace 

 beside him ; and every rosy-cheeked damsel 

 also drew^ her feet within the garment of 



•Strait, not literally but figuratively, 9. rf. erect 

 or perfect, not crooked or defective. 



t f^ragranf tresses. The ladies of the East per- 

 fume their hair with piilveiised cloves and other 

 aioniatics, nsin^ h«lf a pound or more at a time. 



I Eye malignant, " drohba de I'ain," an evil eye ; 

 this is an oriental figure applied to one that envie.s 

 another. The Jluhaniedans believe that the evil 

 spirit of a bad man ba.s a malign influence on the 

 person envied, in the same manner that a good 

 spirit in its prayers may influence or confer good 

 on the person prayed for. 



§ Chin is the Persian and Arabic name for China. 



II A custom prevalent from time immemorial in 

 the }5a.«t, and practised before royal persons to this 

 day in Asia and Africa. 



"if Standing erect, .and, with the feet close toge- 

 ther, is in the East the respectful position, and is 

 called within the traiment or vesture of respect. 

 respect. 



