334 Origin and Ceremonies of the Mohurrum. [Ocl'. 



orte m^mpnt relates, in his natural voice, a plain narra- 

 tive of Poosien's adventures, then speaks, in tlie harsh 

 and angry trne of offended authority as His Holiness 

 Hoosien addressed the men of Cufa Vvho hetrayed him, 

 and next excises the sorrow of his he.u'rrs in the most 

 'bitter and heart-rending lamentations hy sounds of fe- 

 m^'nine tenderness as soft as those uttered hy the sister 

 of Hoossien, Vv'hen she consoled her heloved hrother on 

 his going to the f.eld of battle. These indeed require 

 considerable talent and great study, f gj 



To return to the narrR<or in the pulpit. After finish- 

 ing the Reewayet, he suddenly gets up fr<'m the pulpitj 

 and striking into a mournful song, such as 



Grands on of the holy Prophet ; and the son of the 

 saint Alee ; (was slain) 



snd beating his breast, the whole congregation, includ- 

 ing *he chorus then;selves johi him, the more enthusi- 



(gj Speaking of . the Persian story-tellers, *' Derish Suffer, of 

 Shiraz," says Sir John Male Im in bis history of Persia (vol. 11, 

 pay 553 N) "is one of the best narrators of stories, as well as re- 

 citers >f verses, that I have known in Persia. In 1800, when he 

 Wao one day on th point of commencing a tale, two gentlemen 

 rose to go away. On seeing him look disappointed, I observed to 

 hira, that the canse of tineir wishing to c^epart was owing to their 

 inability to enioy his story, from being una'^-quainted with the lan- 

 guage in which it was to be told, ' I beg they will stay' he ex- 

 clahne'l, ' and you shall see my power will reach them, in spite of 

 their want of knowl - Jge of Persian.' They remained, and the 

 chan<?es of his countenance, and the different tones in which he 

 spoke, had the effect expected. They were delighted with the hu- 

 morous part of his narrative, and moved by the pathetic." 



