221
Solomon, son of David, on whom be peace. He brought the vessel to land and broke it open, when there came forth a blue smoke, which rose to the zenith, and we heard a terrible voice, saying, ‘I repent! I repent! Pardon, O prophet of God! I will never return to that which I did aforetime.’ Then the smoke became a terrible great giant, frightful to look upon, whose head was level with the mountain tops, and he vanished from our sights, whilst our hearts were like to burst for terror; but the blacks thought nothing of it. Then we returned to the King and questioned him of the matter; whereupon quoth he, ‘Know that this was one of the Jinn whom Solomon, son of David, being wroth with them, shut up in these vessels and cast into the sea, after stopping the mouths with melted lead. Our fishermen ofttimes, in casting their nets, bring up the vessels, which being broken open, there come forth of them genies, who, deeming that Solomon is still alive and pardoneth them, make their submission to him and say, “I repent, O prophet of God!”’
The Khalif marvelled at Talib’s story and said, ‘Glory be to God! Verily, Solomon was given a mighty dominion.’ Now En Nabigheh edh Dhubyani[1] was present, and he said, ‘Talib hath spoken sooth, as is proven by the saying of the All-wise, the Primæval One:
And Solomon, when God the Lord of old to him did say, “Take thou the Khalifate and rule with firm and strenuous sway.
Whoso obeyeth thee reward for his obedience, And who gainsayeth thy command, imprison him for aye.”
Wherefore he used to put them in vessels of copper and cast them into the sea.’
The poet’s words seemed good to the Khalif, and he said, ‘By Allah, I long to look upon some of these vessels.’
- ↑ A famous pre-Islamitic poet. His introduction here is, of course, an anachronism.
