Derbend-ndmek: or. the Bistory of Derberd. 471 
harp-strings of Eastern traditions, although the true and guiding theme may be distinguishable 
only to the delicate ears of the real critic. 
:._ The word dü/-gkarnain, we have reason 1o Lotus to be a very ancient Arabic one, 
given, among many other epithets beginning with LE (as for example 53, UJ255 and others) 
to the kings of Emen. By this same epithet is known in the history of the Arabs, the VII 
Tübba’ of Emen, called Shemer whom Hamzeh, the Ispahanian, a writer of the Xt% century 
(350 — 961) supposes 10: res La in the time of Kïshtäsb (or 558 years before Christ) or even 
before that time (see p® | 26 36 ch. VIIL); and to whom historians attribute the foundation of 
the present Samarcand, or properly Shemercand ï. e. the city of Shemer, on the ruims-of the 
ancient capital of the Sughds, named, according to Teberi, Zchin. — Hamzeh, the Ispahanian 
thinkS with others, that the surname was given to Shemer because of his having extended his 
power from ÆEast to est. But many eminent historians give the epithet of us ls to one 2, 
Sab, son of Rdish Li) J, the great grand son of Hemyar. They place Shemer about 136 years 
before the birth of Christ, and do not attribule to him the qualities described by Hamzeh, the Ispa- 
hanïan. The author of the gr Lol Ugkianüs®, a learned commentary on Gkämäs, following 
Katib-Tschelebi,  positively says that Alexander of Macedonia never was called dél-gkernain; 
and that ‘it is a mistake, into which the generality of writers have fallen; but that dul- -gker- 
nain was no other than one Sa’ab, the contemporary of Abraham 4, between whom ‘and Alexander 
there elapsed 1950 years. — I shall here quote some of his arguments, which must be regard- 
ed as very precious relics of the antimuhammedan literature of the Arabs. The first consists of five 
distichs, belonging to the metre of JE. The Ughianüs ascribes these verses to one, of the Zühdas 
called Je) 4s ‘ad, and surnamed #b@-bekr, one of the kings of the.dynasty named the middle 
£ » 
Tübba, bd ei whom the author takes , according to this prince's words, to be à descendant 
of Sa’b, These are the verses : J=k aSil ÉRU  * Le (se DOTE uk ül 
AA 
JS SU) deb eye le ue ll ue oran ee Cole see, AIAULS AIR 
Je 365 4] Jel (Sy? + &b] SL ya < * SL 05686 Us * al; Gore} shaide 
«If my grand father du/-gkernain were alive, all the powers (of the earth) would pros-. 
trate themselves beneath his sway! He went around the world from east to west, and acquired 
knowledge from a generous guide.» (1. e. the Prophet Khidzr, who ïs saïd to have accompanied. 
him in search of the, Water of Life.) «He saw, the paths of the sun in the west, over the black 
spring which he illumined*®. Sa’b verily despised the difficulties of his time, and raised the 
€ The eminent author LS) rt Je) Ja] finished his work in 1295 and it was published in the 
year 1230—33 of the Hijret or 4814—17 A. D. in Constantinople, 
d Some call this « Sa’b the son of Raish», others sthe son of di-meräsid ss: a third calls 
him «A4l-mas'ab the son of Merâsid, » 
t The Koran says: «and he (i. e. duül- -gkernain) followed his en until, he. came: to. the place where 
he sun setteth; and he found him to set in a spring of black muds, which, Al-Baid:dwi says, was the ocean, 
that so appeared to him. 
* 
