Penny Dreadfuls, 1900 · page 92 of 142
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, and the Salaman and Absal of Jami — page 92: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis This is a page of running poetic text (page 66) from a work titled "Salaman and Absál." The verse describes the birth and nurturing of a royal child named Salaman, whose names (combining "Salamat"—Security from Evil—and "Asmán"—Heaven) are explained in a footnote. The poem details how a young nurse named Absál is chosen to feed and care for the infant prince, becoming so devoted to him that she closes herself off from the world, existing only to tend to "her Royal jewel" in his golden cradle. The text is ornate and allegorical in style, employing elaborate metaphors of jewels, perfume, and beauty typical of Victorian literary translations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
: 66 SALAMAN AND ABSAL. A Perfume from the realm of Wisdom wafted ; A Rosebud blowing on the Royal stem ; The crowning Jewel of the Crown; a Star Under whose augury triumph’d the Throne. For whom dividing, and again in one Whole perfect Jewel re-uniting, those Twin Jewel-words, Sandmat and AsmAvy,! They hail’d him by the title of SaLamAn. And whereas from no Mother milk he drew, They chose for him a Nurse—her name ABsAL— So young, the opening roses of her breast But just had budded to an infant’s lip; So beautiful, as from the silver line Dividing the musk-harvest of her hair Down to her foot that trampled crowns of Kings, A Moon of beauty full; who thus elect Should in the garment of her bounty fold SALAMAN of auspicious augury, Should feed him with the flowing of her breast. And, once her eyes had open’d upon Him, They closed to all the world beside, and fed For ever doating on her Royal jewel Close in his golden cradle casketed : Opening and closing which her day’s delight, 1 SaLAmat, Security from Evil; AsmAn, Heaven. CORnnICLOo KS oO! (