The Influence of India and Persia on the Poetry of Germany Part 8

In "Zum neuen Jahr" (p. 260) the last lines:

Trag der Schonheit Koran im offenen Angesicht, Und ihm diene das Lied Hafises zum Kommentar

are a parallel to H_. 10. 6:

"Thy beautiful face by its grace explained to us a verse of the _Quran_; for that reason there is nothing in our commentary but grace and beauty."

The opening lines of "Schmuck der Welt" (p. 260):

Nicht bedarf der Schmink' ein schones Angesicht.

So bedarf die Liebste meiner Liebe nicht

are distinctly reminiscent of H_. 8. 4:

"Of our imperfect love the beauty of the beloved is independent.

What need has a lovely face of l.u.s.tre and dye and mole and line?"

Like H_afi? (H_. 358. 11; 518. 7 et pa.s.sim) Ruckert also boasts of his supremacy as a singer of love and wine ("Vom Lichte des Weines," p.

273). Finally in "Frag und Antwort" (p. 258) he employs the form of the dialogue, the lines beginning alternately _Ich sprach_, _Sie sprach_, just as H_afi? does in Ode 136 or 194. The "Vierzeilen" (p. 361), while they have the _ruba?i_-rhyme, are not versions. Only a few of them have an Oriental character. Completely unoriental are the "Briefe des Brahmanen" (p. 359), dealing with literary matters of contemporary interest.[151]

The Oriental studies which Ruckert continued to pursue with unabated ardor were to him a fruitful source of poetic inspiration. They furnished the material for the great ma.s.s of narrative, descriptive and didactic poems which were collected under the t.i.tles _Erbauliches und Beschauliches aus dem Morgenlande_, and again _Morgenlandische Sagen und Geschichten_, furthermore _Brahmanische Erzahlungen_, and lastly _Weisheit des Brahmanen_. We shall discuss these collections in the order here given.

The first collection _Erbauliches und Beschauliches_ (vol. vi.) consists of poems which were published between the years 1822 and 1837 in different periodicals. They appeared in collected form as a separate work in 1837.[152] The material is drawn from Arabic and Persian sources, only one poem, "Die Schlange im Korbe," p. 80, being from the Sanskrit of Bhart?hari (_Nitis_. 85).[153]

With the Arabic sources, the _Quran_, the chrestomathies of de Sacy and Kosegarten, and others, we are not here concerned. Among the Persian sources the one most frequently used is the _Gulistan_, from which are taken, to give but a few instances, "Sadi an den Furstendiener," p. 57 (_Gul._ i. distich 3), "Mitgefuhl," p. 52 (_Gul._ i. 10, _Ma?navi_), "Kein Mensch zu Haus," p. 52 (_Gul._ vii. 19, dist. 6, Platts, p. 139), "Gewahrter Anstand," p. 55 (_Gul._ iv. _Ma?_. 5, Platts, p. 96), as well as many of the proverbs and maxims, pp. 102-108. The poem "Die Kerze und die Flasche," p. 82, is a result of the poet's studies in connection with his translation of the _Haft Qulzum_, a fragment of Amir ahi[154]

being combined with a pa.s.sage cited from Asadi.[155] "Eine Kriegsregel aus Mirchond," p. 73, is a paraphrase of a _ma?navi_ from Mir?vand's _Rau?at-us_s_afa_.[156] In "Gottesdienst," p. 52, the first two lines are from Amir Xusrau (_Red._ p. 229); the remaining lines were added by Ruckert. The fables given on pp. 87-96 as from Jami are taken from the eighth chapter or "garden" of that poet's _Baharistan_; they keep rather closely to the originals, only in "Die Rettung des Fuchses" the excessive naturalism of the Persian is toned down.[157] One of these fables, however, "Falke und Nachtigall," p. 89, is not from Jami, but from the _Ma?san-ul-asrar_ of Ni?ami (???? ?? ??? ????? ed. Nathan.

Bland, London, 1844, p. 114; translated by Hammer in _Red._ p. 107).

Some of the poems in this collection are actual translations from Persian literature. Thus "Ein Spruch des Hafis," p. 59, is a fine rendering of _qi??ah_ 583 in the form of the original.[158] Then a part of the introduction to Ni?ami's _Iskandar Namah_ is given on p. 65. The translation begins at the fortieth couplet:[159]

"Who has such boldness that from fear of Thee he open his mouth save in submission to Thee?"

This is well rendered:

Wer hat die Kraft, in deiner Furcht Erbebung, Vor dir zu denken andres als Ergebung?

As will be noticed, Ruckert here has not attempted to reproduce the _mutaqarib_, as Platen has done in his version of the first eight couplets (see p. 36).

Some of the translations in this collection were not made directly from the Persian, but from the versions of Hammer. Thus "Naturbetrachtung eines persischen Dichters," p. 62, is a free rendering of Hammer's version of the invocation prefixed to A??ar's _Mantiq-u? ?air_ (_Red._ p. 141 seq.) and Ruckert breaks off at the same point as Hammer.[160] So also the extract from the _Iyar-i-Dani?_ of Abu'l Fa?l (p. 68) is a paraphrase of the version in _Red._ p. 397.

A number of poems deal with legends concerning Rumi, or with sayings attributed to him. Thus the legend which tells how the poet, when a boy, was transported to heaven in a vision, as told by Aflaki in the _Manaqibu'l ?Arifin_,[161] forms the subject of a poem, p. 37. A saying of Rumi concerning music prompted the composition of the poem, p. 54 (on which see Boxberger, op. cit. p. 241), and on p. 62 the great mystic is made to give a short statement of his peculiar S_ufistic doctrine of metempsychosis.[162] In "Alexanders Vermachtnis," p. 61, we have the well-known legend of how the dying hero gives orders to leave one of his hands hanging out of the coffin to show the world that of all his possessions nothing accompanies him to the grave. In Ni?ami's version, however, the hand is not left empty, but is filled with earth.[163]

Finally there are a few poems dealing with Oriental history, of which we may mention "Hormusan," p. 25, the subject being the same as in Platen's more famous ballad. It may be that both poets drew from the same source (see p. 37).

In the same year (1837) as the _Erbauliches und Beschauliches_ there appeared the _Morgenlandische Sagen und Geschichten_ (vol. iv.) in seven books or divisions. In general, the contents of these divisions may be described as versified extracts from Oriental history of prevailingly legendary or anecdotal character. Their arrangement is mainly chronological. Only the fourth, fifth and seventh books call for discussion as having Persian material. The most important source is the great historical work _Rau?at u_s-_safa_ of Mir?vand, portions of which had been edited and translated before 1837 by scholars like de Sacy,[164] Wilken,[165] Vullers[166] and others.[167]

Other sources to be mentioned are d'Herbelot's _Bibliotheque Orientale_,[168] de Sacy's version of the _Tari?-i-Yamini_[169] and Hammer's _Geschichte der schonen Redekunste Persiens_.

The first poem of the fourth book goes back to the legendary period of Iran. Its hero is Gutasp, the patron and protector of Zoroaster.

Ruckert calls him Kischtasp. He does not give the story directly according to Firdausi (tr. Mohl, iv. 224, 278-281) but makes his hero go to Turan, whence he returns at the head of a hostile army. At the boundary he is met, not by his brother Zarir, but simply by messengers who offer him Iran's crown. This he accepts and thus becomes king and protector of the realm he was about to a.s.sail.[170]

Most of the other poems in this book deal with legends of the Sa.s.sanian dynasty. Thus "Schapurs Ball," p. 114 (_Mem._ pp. 282-285); "Die Wolfe und Schakale Nuschirwans," p. 115 (_Mem._ p. 381); "Die abgestellte Hungersnoth," p. 116 (_Mem._ pp. 345, 346); "Die Heerschau," p. 117 (_Mem._ p. 373). The two stories about Bahram Cubin, pp. 119-122, are also in _Mem._ p. 395 and pp. 396, 397 respectively.[171] "Der Mann mit einem Arme," p. 124, is in _Mem._ pp. 348, 349. In the last poem "Yesdegerd," p. 126, Ruckert gives the story of the sad end of the last Sa.s.sanian apparently according to different accounts, and not simply according to Firdausi or Mir?vand.

The sixth book opens with the story of Munta_sir, p. 198, (from d'Herb.

vol. iii. pp. 694, 695) and then we enter the period of the S_affarid dynasty. Its founder Ya?qub is the subject of a poem, p. 207 (d'Herb.

iv. 459). "Zu streng und zu milde" and "Schutz und Undank," both p. 210, tell of the fortunes of Prince Qabus (Wilken, _Sam._ p. 181 and pp.

79-81, 91, 198-200, n. 47). "Die aufgehobene Belagerung," p. 211, brings us to the Buyids (d'Herb. ii. pp. 639, 640). The story of Saidah and Mahmud, p. 212, is from Wilken's _Buj._ c. xii. pp. 87-90, but the order of the events is changed. Then we come to the history of the Ghaznavid dynasty, in connection with which the story of Alp Tagin is told in "Lokman's Wort," p. 214, according to the account of H_aidar in Wilk.

Gasnevid. p. 139, n. 1, preceded by an anecdote told of Luqman (d'Herb.

ii. 488). "Die Schafschur," p. 215, gives a saying of Sabuktagin from the _Tari?-i-Yamini_ (on the authority of ?Utbi, de Sacy, _Notices et Extr._ iv. 365). In the story of Mahmud's famous expedition to Somanatha, p. 215, Ruckert has combined the meagre account of Mir?vand with that of Firita for the story of the Brahman's offer and with that of H_aidar for the sultan's reply (Wilk. _Gasnevid._ pp. 216, 217, n.

109). "Mahmud's Winterfeldzug," p. 216, is also from Wilken's book (pp.

166-168, n. 38); in fact Dil?ak's reply is a rhymed translation of the pa.s.sage in the note referred to. From the same source came also the poem on the two Dabalims, p. 219 (Wilken, _Gasnevid._ pp. 220-225). The familiar anecdote of the vizier interpreting to Mahmud the conversation of the two owls is told in Ni?ami's _Ma?san-ul-asrar_ (ed. Bland, pp.

48-50), where, however, Anuirvan is the sultan. The t.i.tle reads: ??????

???????? ??? ?? ???? ????.[172] "Abu Rihan" (i.e. Albiruni) is taken from d'Herb. I. 45 and iv. 697.

Then follow stories from the period of the Saljuks: "Des Sultan's Schlaf," p. 224 (Vullers, _Gesch. der Seldsch._ pp. 43, 44); "Nitham Elmulks Ehre," p. 228 (ibid. pp. 228-230); "Nitham Elmulks Fall," p. 229 (ib. pp. 123-125 and pp. 128-132); "Die ungluckliche Stunde," p. 232 (ibid. pp. 153, 154). "Die unterthanigen Wurfel," p. 227, is from the _Haft Qulzum_ (_Gram. u. Poet. der Perser_, pp. 366, 367). The stories of Alp Arslan and Roma.n.u.s, p. 225, and of Malakah's prayer, p. 228, are not given by Mir?vand, but occur in the works of Deguignes, Gibbon, Malcolm and d'Herbelot.[173] The story of the death of Sultan Muhammad (in 1159 A.D.), p. 232, is in Deguignes, ii. 260, 261.

Then we get stories from the period of the Mongol invasion. "Die prophezeite Weltzerstorung," p. 237, the legend of Jingis Chan's birth, is in the _Tari?-i-Yamini_ (_Notices et Extr._ iv. pp. 408, 409). The material for the poems concerning Mu?ammad Xvarazm ah, p. 237, and his brave son Jalal ud-din, pp. 240, 241, is found in the work of Deguignes (op. cit. ii. p. 274 and pp. 280-283). Finally we are carried even to India and listen to the story of the unhappy queen Raziyah, p. 255, who was murdered at Delhi by her own generals in 1239 A.D.[174]

A few anecdotes about Persian poets are also given. Thus "Dichterkampf," p 233, gives the amusing story of the literary contest between Anvari and Raid, surnamed Va?va? "the swallow" (Hammer, _Red._ p. 121; David Price, _Chronological Retrospect_, London, 1821, ii. 391, 392), and on p. 243 we are told how Kamal ud-din curses his native city Ispahan and how the curse was fulfilled. (Hammer, _Red._ p. 159.)

The seventh book contains two of Ruckert's best known parables, the famous "Es ging ein Mann im Syrerland," p. 303,[175] and "Der Sultan la.s.st den Mewlana rufen," p. 305 (_Red._ p. 338).

It will be noticed that the Oriental poems which we have thus far discussed were mainly derived from Arabic and Persian sources. We may now turn our attention to a collection in which Ruckert's studies on matters connected with India are also represented.

This collection _Brahmanische Erzahlungen_, published in the year 1839 (vol. iii.), does not, however, as its t.i.tle might lead us to suppose, consist exclusively of Indic material. Some of the poems are not even Oriental; "Annikas Freier," p. 217, for example, is from the Finnic. Of others, again, the subject-matter, whether originally Oriental or not, has long ago become the common property of the world's fable-literature, as, for instance, "Weisheit aus Vogelmund," p. 239, the story of which may be found in the _Gesta Romanorum_, and in French, English and German, as well as in Persian, fable-books.[176] Some are from Arabic sources, as from the Thousand and One Nights, e.g. "Der schw.a.n.ke Ankergrund," p. 357,[177] "Elephant, Nashorn und Greif," p. 367,[178]

"Die Kokosnusse," p. 359.[179] The poem "Rechtsanschauung in Afrika," p.

221, is a Hebrew parable from the Talmud and had been already used by Herder.[180]

A considerable number of the poems contain nothing but Persian material.

Thus "Wettkampf," p. 197, is from the _Gulistan_ (i. 28; K.S. tr. p.

27); and from the same source we have "Rache fur den Steinwurf," p. 219 (_Gul._ i. 22; K.S. 21), "Fluch und Segen," p. 234 (_Gul._ i. 1), and "Busurgimihr," p. 225 (_Gul._ i. 32; K.S. 31). "Die Bibliothek des Konigs," p. 405, is from the _Baharistan_ (K.S., p. 31; _Red._ p. 338).

Three episodes from the _Iskandar Namah_ are narrated on pp. 214-217: the story of the invention of the mirror (_Isk._ tr. Clark, xxiii. p.

247), the battle between the two c.o.c.ks (ibid., xxii. p. 234 seq.), and the message of Dara to Alexander with the latter's reply (ibid. xxiv. p.