Penny Dreadfuls, 1900 · page 123 of 142
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, and the Salaman and Absal of Jami — page 123: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a page of running prose poetry from page 97 of a work titled "Salámán and Absál." The text describes a Sage narrating to the character Salámán a story of celestial love involving the figures Zuhrah and Absál. The verse recounts how the Sage's words about a divine beloved named Zuhrah gradually work upon Salámán's soul, causing him to abandon his earthly attachment to Absál and instead experience a vision of celestial beauty. Two footnotes define "Zuhrah" as Venus and "Maany" as a Sufi mystical term for spiritual rebirth.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SALAMAN AND ABSAL. Set it awhile before SaLAmAn’s eyes, Till, having sow’d the seed of comfort there, It went again down to Annihilation. But ever, as the Fantom past away, Tue Sace would tell of a Celestial Love ; ‘* ZuHRAH,! he said, “ ZuHRAH, compared with whom “ That brightest star that bears her name in Heav'n “ Was but a winking taper; and Absal, ‘** Queen-star of Beauties in this world below, “ But her distorted image in the stream ‘‘ Of fleeting Matter; and all Eloquence, ‘And Soul-enchaining harmonies of Song, ‘A far-off echo of that Harp in Heav’n “ Which Dervish-dances to her harmony.” SaLAMAN listen’d, and inclin’d—again Entreated, inclination ever grew ; Until Tue Sage beholding in his Soul The Spirit’ quicken, so effectually With ZunRaAw wrought, that she reveal’d herself In her pure lustre to SaLAmAn’s Soul, And blotting AssAt’s Image from his breast, There reign’d instead. Celestial Beauty seen, ' “ ZunHRAu.” The Planetary and Celestial Venus. 2 “ Maany”’ The Mystical pass-word of the Siafis, to express the transcendental New Birth of the Soul. 8 COMICMOOKS.G