Penny Dreadfuls, 1900 · page 99 of 142
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, and the Salaman and Absal of Jami — page 99: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 73: Running Prose from "Salaman and Absal" This is a page of poetic text from a work titled "Salaman and Absal" (page 73). The passage describes a woman using seductive "sorcery" and physical allure—darkening her eyes with surma (kohl), curling her hair, rouging her cheeks, and strategically displaying her silver-veined arms and golden anklets—to ensnare a beloved man's heart "by innumerable witcheries." The poem employs elaborate, sensual language typical of Victorian literature, with footnotes referencing cosmetic practices and a French phrase. The text appears to be poetry rather than penny dreadful prose, suggesting this may be from a more literary work despite appearing in a cheap serialized format.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
re me em ee ee SALAMAN AND ABSAL. But, for that flower upon the lofty stem Of Glory grew to which her hand fell short, She now with woman’s sorcery began To conjure as she might within her reach. The darkness of her eyes she darken’d round With surma, to benight him in mid day, And over them adorn’d and arch’d the bows! To wound him there when lost: her musky locks Into so many snaky ringlets culr’d In which Temptation nestled o’er the cheek Whose rose she kindled with vermilion dew, And then one subtle grain of musk laid there,’ The bird of that belovéd heart to snare. Sometimes in passing with a laugh would break The pearl-enclosing ruby of her lips ; Or, busied in the room, as by mischance Would let the lifted sleeve disclose awhile The vein of silver running up within : Or, rising as in haste, her golden anclets Clash, at whose sudden summons to bring down Under her silver feet the golden Crown. Thus, by innumerable witcheries, 1 With dark Indigo-Paint, as the Archery Bow with a thin Papyrus-like Bark. ? A Patch, sc.— Noir comme le Muse.” De Sacy. } {e-—__________________»9»% COMmiICcooOoks.conn