1836.] A brief notice of the Persian poets. 



m 



dwelt, engaged chiefly in rural occupations. We find no 

 mention of his compositions. He lived during the reign of 

 Akber and travelled into Hindustan. 



Daw at. 



* 



The proper name of this poet is Hakim Ain-aUMulh. He 

 came into Hindustan after performing a pilgrimage to Mecca, 

 with Khan Azem. He remained a considerable time in the 

 service of the Emperor Akber and was distinguished by many 

 noble and virtuous qualities.- 



The specimens of poetry that appear in this notice are 

 chiefly those adduced by the Oriental biographers from whose 

 works the materials of it have for the most part been derived : 

 they will therefore perhaps be little consonant to European 

 taste, but may serve to point out the dissimilarity existing 

 between the beau kUal of European, and that of Asiatic 

 poetry. The poetical compositions of the Persians have been 

 cried up too much on the one hand and depreciated corres- 

 pondingly on the- other ; their style, generally speaking, is too 

 elaborate, too diffuse, and too full of repetition. Their si- 

 miles and metaphors, though often beautiful, abound in trite 

 ideas tricked out in a variety of fantastic dresses ; and the 

 Persian student, after an attentive perusal of the Yusufwa- 

 Zuleik/ia, the Leila-iva- Majniin or any other Persian love 

 tale, may perchance discover that the ear can tire of the 

 Nightingale's notes and the senses be nauseated even with 

 the perfume and bloom of the rose. Every allowance how- 

 ever, should be made for national dissimilarity, both in educa- 

 tion artificially and in disposition naturally : this done we 

 shall not too hastily condemn what our relative position pre- 

 eludes us from fully appreciating ; as it is certain we cannot 

 view Asiatic composition through the eyes of an Asiatic. 



(Sadi). 



" To comprehend the beauty of Leila, we must gaze through the 

 window of the eyes of Me j nun (her lover) « ,? 



