Concerning Lafcadio Hearn Part 14

In four parts Hearn tells the history of Bilal, who

was an African black, an Abyssinian,--famed for his fort.i.tude as a confessor, for his zeal in the faith of the Prophet, and for the marvellous melody of his voice, whose echoes have been caught up and prolonged and multiplied by all the muezzins of Islam, through the pa.s.sing of more than twelve hundred years....

And the words chanted by all the muezzins of the Moslem world,--whether from the barbaric brick structures which rise above "The Tunis of the Desert," or from the fairy minarets of the exquisite mosque at Agra,--are the words first sung by the mighty voice of Bilal.

Bilal was the son of an Abyssinian slave-girl, and himself began life as a slave. The first preaching of Mahomet had deep effect upon the slaves of Mecca, and Bilal was perhaps the earliest of these to become a convert. Even under the tortures of the persecutors, he could not be made to apostatize--always he would answer, "_Ahad! Ahad_:" "_One_, one only G.o.d!" Abu Bekr, the bosom friend of the great Prophet, observing Bilal, bought him, and set him free. Then Bilal became the devoted servant of Mahomet; and, in fulfilment of a dream, he was made the First Muezzin to sound the _Adzan_, the Call to Prayer.

G.o.d is Great!

G.o.d is Great!

I bear witness there is no other G.o.d but G.o.d!

I bear witness that Mahomet is the Prophet of G.o.d!

Come unto Prayer!

Come unto Salvation!

G.o.d is Great!

There is no other G.o.d but G.o.d!

After the death of Mahomet, Bilal ceased to sing the _Adzan_:--the voice that had summoned the Prophet of G.o.d to the house of prayer ought not, he piously fancied, to be heard after the departure of his master. Yet, in his Syrian home, how often must he have prayed to chant the words as he first chanted them from the starlit housetop in the Holy City, and how often compelled to deny the pet.i.tions of those who revered him as a saint and would perhaps have sacrificed all their goods to have heard him but once lift up his voice in musical prayer!... But when Omar visited Damascus the chiefs of the people besought him that, as Commander of the Faithful, he should ask Bilal to sing the Call in honour of the event; and the old man consented to do so for the last time....

To hear Bilal must have seemed to many as sacred a privilege as to have heard the voice of the Prophet himself,--the proudest episode of a lifetime,--the one incident of all others to be related in long afteryears to children and to grandchildren. Some there may have been whom the occasion inspired with feelings no loftier than curiosity; but the large majority of those who thronged to listen in silent expectancy for the _Allah-hu-akbar!_ must have experienced emotions too deep to be ever forgotten. The records of the event, at least, fully justify this belief;--for when, after moments of tremulous waiting, the grand voice of the aged African rolled out amid the hush,--with the old beloved words,--the old familiar tones, still deep and clean,--Omar and all those about him wept aloud, and tears streamed down every warrior-face, and the last long notes of the chant were lost in a tempest of sobbing.

STRAY LEAVES FROM STRANGE LITERATURE[21] (I) is the second book. It was written also during the period in New Orleans, many of the stories first appearing in the _Times-Democrat_, and the little volume is dedicated to its editor--Mr. Page M. Baker.

[21] Copyright, 1884, by James R. Osgood and Company.

These tales, as Hearn tells us in his Preface, are "reconstructions of what impressed me as most fantastically beautiful in the most exotic literature which I was able to obtain." In a letter he writes, "The language of 'Stray Leaves' is all my own, with the exception of the Italic texts and a few pages translated from the 'Kalewala.'"

The tapestry he is weaving is of the same crimson threads as that of the earlier tales, but the colours of sunset are softening to the gentler hues of the after-glow, and interwoven sometimes are strands of pure moonlight.

We read of the great Book of Thoth which contains a formula whosoever could recite might never know death, and we learn how the cunning magician Noferkephtah obtained the book, which caused the wrath of the G.o.ds to fall upon him; later, how Satni, of whom "there was not in all Egypt so wise a scribe," yearned for the book, and took it from the tomb of Noferkephtah, and of the magic wrought and the penance done.

There is the exquisite tale of the Fountain Maiden, whom Aki caught in his own fish-net, and whom he grew to love more than his own life.

The story lingers of the sea-bird which fell into the hunter's hand, and when he looked more closely he found it had become transformed into a beautiful girl, "slender ... like a young moon," and pity rose in the hunter's heart, and then love. One day, when their children had become strong and swift, and while they were all hunting together, the Bird-Wife called to the little ones to gather feathers: then she covered their arms and her own shoulders with the feathers, and far away they flew.

Pa.s.sing onward, we read of Tilottama, and that by reason of her beauty "the great G.o.ds once became multiple-faced and myriad-eyed"; and that this beauty brought punishment to the wicked Sounda and Oupasounda.

There is Bakawali, for "whose history of love, human and superhuman, a parallel may not be found." For her great love of the mortal youth Taj-ulmuluk each night she sacrificed herself to the fiercest purification of fire. And then to appease the G.o.ds, she suffered herself to be turned for ten long years into marble from her waist to her feet.

Her lover ministered to her and watched by her side through the terrible years until she was reincarnated for him.

Then we see the statue of Natalika, who avenged the death of her people.

And who shall answer the riddle of the Corpse Demon? And which one may not profit by the wisdom of the youth who knew nothing of science?

Perhaps our hearts stir with a soft regret for the atonement of Pundari.

And so we wander through a maze of colour and of magic, tarrying to listen to the voice of Kalewala, for--

As he sang the fair Sun paused in her course to hear him; the golden Moon stopped in her path to listen; the awful billows of the sea stood still; the icy rivers that devour the pines, that swallow up the firs, ceased to rage; the mighty cataracts hung motionless above their abysses; the waves of Juortana lifted high their heads to hear.

"Slender she was as the tulip upon its stalk, and in walking her feet seemed kisses pressed upon the ground. But hadst thou beheld her face unveiled, and the whiteness of her teeth between her brown lips when she smiled!" Alas, she was a good Christian maiden and he a good Mussulman, and so in this Legend of Love each loyal heart dies p.r.o.nouncing the faith of the other, lest they should not meet at the Day of Judgment.

As we draw near the last figures on the tapestry, we find those two tender pictures of which Hearn himself speaks: "Your preference for Boutimar pleases me: Boutimar was my pet. There is a little Jewish legend in the collection--Esther--somewhat resembling it in pathos."

These stories afford a glimpse into that gentle heart, which was later to respond to the exquisite faiths and loyalties of the j.a.panese.

Now the Creator sent unto Solomon a cup which contained some of the waters of youth and of life without end. And Solomon was asked: "Wilt thou drink hereof and live divinely immortal through ages everlasting, or wilt thou rather remain within the prison of humanity?" And Solomon dreamed upon these words; and he a.s.sembled in council a representative of all those over whom he held dominion. Then Solomon asked Boutimar, the wild dove, most loving of all living creatures, whether he should drink of the magic waters, and thus learn the bliss of earthly immortality. When Boutimar, the wild dove, learned that the cup held only enough water for one person, he made answer in the language of birds:--

"O prophet of G.o.d! how couldst thou desire to be living alone, when each of thy friends and of thy counsellors and of thy children and of thy servants and of all who loved thee were counted with the dead? For all of these must surely drink the bitter waters of death, though thou shouldst drink the Water of Life. Wherefore desire everlasting youth, when the face of the world itself shall be wrinkled with age, and the eyes of the stars shall be closed by the black fingers of Azrael? When the love thou hast sung of shall have pa.s.sed away like a smoke of frankincense, when the dust of the heart that beat against thine own shall have long been scattered by the four winds of heaven, when the eyes that looked for thy coming shall have become a memory, when the voices grateful to thine ear shall have been eternally stilled, when thy life shall be one oasis in a universal waste of death, and thine eternal existence but a recognition of eternal absence,--wilt thou indeed care to live, though the wild dove perish when its mate cometh not?"

And Solomon, without reply, silently put out his arm and gave back the cup.... But upon the prophet-king's rich beard, besprinkled with powder of gold, there appeared another glitter as of clear dew,--the diamond dew of the heart, which is tears.

Esther, whose comeliness surpa.s.sed even that of Sarah, and her rich husband had lived together ten years, but there was no happiness in the soul of the good man, for "the sound of a child's voice had never made sunshine within his heart." So Esther and her husband sorrowed bitterly.

And they brought the burden of their grief to Rabbi Simon ben Yochai, and when they had told him, a silence as of the Shechinah came upon the three, only the eyes of the Rabbi seemed to smile. And it was agreed that the twain should part; thus the Israelite could be known as a father in Israel.

A feast then was laid at the house, and before all the guests her husband spoke lovingly to Esther, and in token of his affection and his grief bade her to take from the house "whatever thou desirest, whether it be gold or jewels beyond price." And the wine was pa.s.sed, and the people made merry, and finally a deep sleep fell upon them all. Then Esther gave command that her husband sleeping should be carried to her father's house. In the morning her husband awakened, and confused he cried out, "Woman, what hast thou done?"

Then, sweeter than the voice of doves among the fig-trees, came the voice of Esther: "Didst thou not bid me, husband, that I should choose and take away from thy house whatsoever I most desired? And I have chosen thee, and have brought thee hither, to my father's home ... loving thee more than all else in the world. Wilt thou drive me from thee now?" And he could not see her face for tears of love; yet he heard her voice speaking on,--speaking the golden words of Ruth, which are so old yet so young to the hearts of all that love: "Whithersoever thou shalt go, I will also go; and whithersoever thou shalt dwell, I also will dwell. And the Angel of Death only may part us; for thou art all in all to me." ...

And in the golden sunlight at the doorway suddenly stood, like a statue of Babylonian silver, the grand grey figure of Rabbi Simon ben Yochai, lifting his hands in benediction.

"_Schmah Israel!_--the Lord our G.o.d, who is One, bless ye with everlasting benediction! May your hearts be welded by love, as gold with gold by the cunning of goldsmiths! May the Lord, who coupleth and setteth thee single in families, watch over ye! The Lord make this valiant woman even as Rachel and as Lia, who built up the house of Israel! And ye shall behold your children and your children's children in the House of the Lord!"

Even so the Lord blessed them; and Esther became as the fruitful vine, and they saw their children's children in Israel.

Forasmuch as it is written: "He will regard the prayer of the dest.i.tute."

GOMBO ZHeBES[22](2) followed in the New Orleans period. It is a compilation of 352 proverbs selected from six dialects. According to the indexes, there are 6 in the Creole of French Guyana; 28 in the Creole of Hayti; 51 in the Creole of New Orleans, Louisiana; 101 in the Creole of Martinique; 110 in the Creole of Mauritius; 52 in the Creole of Trinidad. Most of the proverbs are similar to our own, but are translated into the simple homely language of the Creole, reflecting its mode of thought. The same proverb often appears in the different dialects. Although a proverb is of European origin, "the character of Creole folk-lore is very different from European folk-lore in the matter of superst.i.tion." Many proverbs are direct from the African. Those in the Creole of Hayti are generally rough and coa.r.s.e. The most popular subjects are, pot or kettle, rain, serpent or snake, of which there are six of each; devil, eggs, belly, horse, mothers, tail, of these there are seven of each; chicken, children, ox have eight of each; cat has nine; goat has eleven; talking has sixteen; monkey has seventeen; fine clothes has only four, idleness has five, and marriage has six.

[22] Copyright, 1885, by Will H. Coleman.

Hearn speaks of this book as a Dictionary of Proverbs. He made an extensive study of the subject and in later researches found it most helpful. "I have," he says, "quite a Creole library embracing the Creole dialects of both hemispheres."

Following are a selection of the proverbs chosen from the different dialects:--

No. 23. _Bel tignon pas fait bel negresse. (Le beau tignon ne fait pas la belle negresse.)_ "It isn't the fine head-dress that makes the fine negress." (_Louisiana._)

_Tignon_ or _tiyon_, the true Creole word, "is the famously picturesque handkerchief which in old days all slave-women twisted about their heads."

No. 44. _ca qui boude manze boudin. (Celui qui boude mange du boudin.)_ "He who sulks eats his own belly." That is to say, spites himself. The pun is untranslatable. (_Mauritius_.)

_Boudin_ in French signifies a pudding, in Creole it also signifies the belly. Thus there is a double pun in the patois.

No. 256. _Quand diabe alle lamesse li caciette so laquee. (Quand le diable va a la messe, il cache sa queue.)_ "When the Devil goes to ma.s.s he hides his tail." (_Mauritius._)

No. 352. _Zozo paillenqui crie la-haut, coudevent vini. (Le paille-en-cul crie la-haut, le coup de vent vient.)_ "When the tropic-bird screams overhead, a storm-wind is coming."

(_Mauritius._)

No. 267. _Quand milatt tini yon vie chouvral yo dit negress pas manman yo. (Quand les mulatres ont un vieux cheval ils disent que les negresses ne sont pas leur meres.)_ "As soon as a mulatto is able to own an old horse, he will tell you that his mother wasn't a n.i.g.g.e.r." (_Martinique._)

No. 324. _Toutt milett ni grand zaureilles. (Tout les mulets ont des grandes oreilles.)_ "All mules have big ears." Equivalent to our proverb: "Birds of a feather flock together."

(_Martinique._)