1S5G.] Notes on the oldest work on Stifism. 147 



The title page of the work runs: 



c^l ij^\ v* l^^I J^ 3 f^M **^ t^^l u"0^ 1^^ *^3jr*^l 

 Cp^l tr-*^ LJ;J ^^^ t^l ^ u* J^o ^«is t^jjAAJ ^yJ\ 



This book contains the Admirable Book, and the revelation called 

 Mercy and the revealed book called Gold, of the prophet Idrys, 

 freely translated from the Greek into Arabic. It has been tran- 

 scribed from a copy which is in the hand-writing of Abu Bakr 

 Mohammad b. al Hasan the Grammarian. 



These four books contain exhortations to a pious life. The first 

 fills five pages and begins *fikJj *S$L> <JU aU| Ui* <yj&Jfl 'cj^/U 



Aj| Uaj| .jl^2J.J| ^^./o^j yJk.^J| cjJbo b o^ta <U«~*XJ| L..P kA*fl£i &Liyt.Lo| 

 J lX&I^ ^aj <^f ^P j±*e J*i J.S' Ol j ifJjAiJ J^3J j iJ'fj j s^Jb^o $ 

 ^bJiU i^x^j uMiKJ <xJLi.rtj.4i iSkxsy ^yc (jjLm Xj&s^j lJJ jjo^I &*&*•?> 

 ^aj oJLaw &X*h.s:'\ is^J Lj cJojlc <>+I*+J| uJoJ| ^-Hsrl JUa~J| ^j-P <Jt>Jt/C j 



My thoughts were wandering in the greatness of God — may his 

 glory be exalted and his mercy towards his creation increase — they 

 proceeded on their road in perturbation, and were agitated by great 

 objects. Then they returned panting, for their observation convinced 

 them of the inability of obtaining what they went in search of, and 

 they exclaimed: O Lord of the thrones, O guide of our intellect, we 

 are now convinced that there is no way beyond thee, and no one pos- 

 sesses power besides thee. We are convinced that no work which 

 man performs behind thee is accompanied by sincere devotion to- 

 wards thee, a power turns it so that it misses thy aid : it is 

 a stumbling block for the intellect, causes confusion to the hearts 

 and turns men away from the road which leads to thee and rests, 

 upon thee. illicit pleasures, you step in between sinners and 

 the guidance of God, you pledge man to the wrath of God then you 

 exile him from God and leave him suffering under the consequences 

 and a slave to lust. His love towards thee, O pleasure, leads man 

 aw ay from the object of his life and makes him forget retribution. 



The second book fills only three pages and begins : 



u 2 



