Moorish Literature Part 27

Three times they knock, three times they cry, and wide the doors they throw; Dejectedly they enter, and mournfully they go; In gloomy lines they mustering stand beneath the hollow porch, Each horseman grasping in his hand a black and flaming torch; Wet is each eye as they go by, and all around is wailing, For all have heard the misery. "Alas! alas for Celin!"--

Him yesterday a Moor did slay, of Bencerraje's blood, 'Twas at the solemn jousting, around the n.o.bles stood; The n.o.bles of the land were by, and ladies bright and fair Looked from their latticed windows, the haughty sight to share; But now the n.o.bles all lament, the ladies are bewailing, For he was Granada's darling knight. "Alas! alas for Celin!"

Before him ride his va.s.sals, in order two by two, With ashes on their turbans spread, most pitiful to view; Behind him his four sisters, each wrapped in sable veil, Between the tambour's dismal strokes take up their doleful tale; When stops the m.u.f.fled drum, ye hear their brotherless bewailing, And all the people, far and near, cry--"Alas! alas for Celin!"

Oh! lovely lies he on the bier, above the purple pall, The flower of all Granada's youth, the loveliest of them all; His dark, dark eyes are closed, his rosy lip is pale, The crust of blood lies black and dim upon his burnished mail, And evermore the hoa.r.s.e tambour breaks in upon their wailing, Its sound is like no earthly sound--"Alas! alas for Celin!"

The Moorish maid at the lattice stands, the Moor stands at his door, One maid is wringing of her hands, and one is weeping sore-- Down to the dust men bow their heads, and ashes black they strew Upon their broidered garments of crimson, green, and blue-- Before each gate the bier stands still, then bursts the loud bewailing, From door and lattice, high and low--"Alas! alas for Celin!"

An old, old woman cometh forth, when she hears the people cry; Her hair is white as silver, like horn her glazed eye.

Twas she that nursed him at her breast, that nursed him long ago; She knows not whom they all lament, but soon she well shall know.

With one deep shriek she thro' doth break, when her ears receive their wailing-- "Let me kiss my Celin ere I die--Alas! alas for Celin!"

THE STORY OF SIDI BRAHIM OF Ma.s.sAT

[_Translated by Rene Ba.s.set and Chauncey C. Starkweather_]

THE STORY OF SIDI BRAHIM OF Ma.s.sAT

I

The Taleb Sidi Brahim, son of Amhammed of Ma.s.sat, in the province of Sous, tells the following story about himself: When he was still a child at his father's house he went to the mosque to read with a taleb. He studied with him for twelve and a half years. His father gave him bread and kouskous, and he ate eight deniers' worth a day. I will make known the country of Ma.s.sat. It contains seventeen towns. In the middle of these is a market.

The Jews have a refuge in the village of the chief named Mobarek-ben-Mahomet. He lives with a sheik called Brahim-Mahomet-Abon-Djemaa. These two chiefs levy a tax on the Jews. They receive from them four ounces per family at the beginning of each month. If the festival of the Mussulmans coincides with the Sabbath of the Jews, the latter pay to each of the chiefs one ounce for a Jew or a Jewess, boy or girl, little or big. The following are the details of the population of Ma.s.sat. It includes 1,700 men. As to the women, little boys or girls, only the Lord knows their number. There are 1,250 houses. The horses amount to 180. They ride them and make them work like oxen and mules. They also fight on horseback. The country has trees, vines, figs, cacti, dates, oranges, lemons, apples, apricots, melons, and olives. There is a river which flows from there to the sea. The commerce is considerable. There are Jews and Mussulmans. The number of books in the mosque is unknown, unless it be by G.o.d. The teachers are numerous as well as the pilgrims, the descendants of Mahomet, and the saints. May G.o.d aid us with his blessing!

We will now speak of the tribute which the people of Ma.s.sat pay yearly to Prince Mouley-Abd-Er-Rahman. Up to our days they had, for fifty-one years, given him 5,000 livres of silver. The prince said to them, "You must pay 1,000 livres more." They answered, "By the Lord, we will only give you as before, 5,000 livres, a slave, a servant, and a horse." The kaid Abd-el-Cadik, who was caliph of the King of Taroundant, hastened to send against them forty-five hors.e.m.e.n, and said to them: "You must give me six thousand livres of silver, and a slave, a servant, and a horse in addition." They refused and drove away the cavalry, saying, "Return to the kaid who sent you against us, and say to him that we will not increase our tribute as he demands." The hors.e.m.e.n returned and arrived at Taroundant.

The kaid asked him, "Tell me what happened to you with the people of Ma.s.sat." They answered him, "They read in their a.s.sembly the letter that you sent them, and told us to go back, and that they would pay no larger sum." The kaid called a council and asked what had better be done with the people of Ma.s.sat. The sheiks of the Achtouks answered, "Make complaints to the Sultan at Morocco." He wrote to the Sultan, asking him to send an army to destroy the rebels of Ma.s.sat. The Sultan sent a force of 3,500 hors.e.m.e.n, to whom he gave for chief, Ettaib Eddin, who rejoined them near the khalifah of the King at Taroundant. When the royal troops arrived, the fourth night, he started and led them to the taleb Mahomet of the Aggars, in the midst of the country of the Achtouks. The taleb said to him: "Return to Taroundant. Let your lieutenant go with them and we will talk about it."

The kaid answered, "Very well." The chiefs of the Achtouks mounted their horses and led the army toward the country of Hama, in the mountain which is between the Achtouks and Ida-Oult.i.t. The troops hastened toward the foot of the mountain, near the river Alras, in the country of Takourt. The mountaineers marched against them and fought for three days until the holy men and the sherifs arrived and quieted them. The mountaineers came down toward the army. The kaid betrayed them. He seized fourteen of their leaders and sent them to the kaid at Taroundant. He cut off their heads and hung them up at the gate. As to the army that was above the river Alras, it attacked the people of Ma.s.sat on account of the tribute demanded by the kaid. It made the onset with cavalry, and destroyed the country. The natives received them with powder, and they fought half a day. The natives gained the advantage in the fight. The enemy abandoned their cannons. The natives slew them until the Sultan's troops retreated. They captured 700 horses. The troops of the Sultan abandoned their baggage except six chests of silver. Many guns were broken on that day, until the flying invaders reached, the country of the Achtouks. The people of Ma.s.sat had for allies the tribes of Aglou and Tizpit, who equalled them in number. As for the cannons abandoned the day of the battle, the conquerors took two of them to their country. They kept them until they were repaid the 6,500 livres of silver, which had been taken from them. Then they gave back the cannons.

Such is the complete story of that which happened between the tribe of Ma.s.sat, the Khalifah of the King, and the neighboring tribes.

II

Information about the country of Tazroualt. The Taleb Sidi Brahim, son of Mahomet, of Ma.s.sat in Sous, tells the following: He started for the zaouiah of Tazroualt, to study there during seven months with the taleb Sidi Mahomet Adjeli, one of the greatest lights. The number of students was seventy-four. Forty-two of these studied the law. The others read the Koran. None of the students paid for his living. It was furnished by the chief of the country, Hecham. He gave to the zaouiah mentioned, six servants and six slaves to cook the food of the students. The number of the villages of this country is nine. The Kashlah of Hecham is situated in the middle of the country. The Jewish quarter is at the left. The market is held every day at the entrance to the fort. This latter is built of stone, lime, and pine planks and beams. Riches abound. Caravans go from there to Timbuctoo, the Soudan, Sahara, and Agadir-Ndouma. They go to these countries to buy ivory, ostrich feathers, slaves, gold and silver. If it hurries, a caravan consumes a whole year in visiting these places. The people of the different countries buy from them and give in exchange other merchandise, such as linen, cotton, silks, iron, steel, incense, corals, cloves, spikenard, haberdashery, pottery, gla.s.s, and everything that comes, as they say, from the country of Christians. When these goods enumerated above have arrived, the merchants, both Jews and Mussulmans, come forward and buy them according to the needs of their business. I will add here, with more details, some words about Hecham. He has twelve sons, all hors.e.m.e.n, who have thirty-six horses. As for oxen, sheep, and camels, G.o.d alone could tell the figure. The number of the wives that Hecham has married is four white and six slaves--the latter black. His only son has as many white wives as his father, but more black ones. The men of Tizeroualt are of the number of 1,400. But for the women, boys, and girls, G.o.d alone knows the figure. They possess 200 horses, beside those of Hecham. There are 750 houses; the number of books in the mosque is 130--in the Chelha language.

III

The sheik Sidi Hammad, son of Mahomet Mouley Ben-Nacer, has written his book in Amazir. It is ent.i.tled the "Kitab-amazir." This work treats of obligations and traditions of things permitted and forbidden.

IV

There are 3,500 men in the Aglou country. They have 2,200 houses and 960 horses. This district is on the sea-coast and possesses a stone-harbor.

There are barks which are used in fis.h.i.+ng. The inhabitants were living in tranquillity when one day, as they were starting out to fish, a s.h.i.+p arrived off sh.o.r.e. They fled in fear and left it in the sea. The s.h.i.+p waited till midnight. Then it entered the port and ran up a red flag. It remained at anchor for fifteen days. The people of Aglou a.s.sembled day and night, big and little, even the hors.e.m.e.n before it. No one was missing. The chiefs of the town wrote letters which they sent to all the villages. They sent one to Sidi Hecham couched in these words: "Come at once. The Christians have made an expedition against us, and have taken this port."

Sidi Hecham sent messengers to all the provinces over which he ruled and said in his letters: "You must accompany me to the country of Aglou, for the Christians have made an expedition against us." All the neighboring tribes a.s.sembled to march against the Christians. When Sidi Hecham had joined them he said, "You must raise a red flag like theirs."

They raised it. When it was seen by those on the s.h.i.+p, a sailor came ash.o.r.e in a small boat and approached the Mussulmans there a.s.sembled.

"Let no one insult the Christian," said Sidi Hecham, "until we learn his purpose in landing here."

They asked him, "What do you want?"

The Christian replied, "We wish to receive, in the name of G.o.d, pledges of security."

All who were present said, "G.o.d grants to you security with us."

The Christian then continued, "My object is to trade with you."

"That is quite agreeable to us," answered Hecham. Then Hecham asked the Christian what he wanted to purchase."

"Oil, b.u.t.ter, wheat, oxen, sheep, and chickens," said he.

When the Mussulmans heard this they gathered together wheat, oil, oxen, and everything he had mentioned. He made his purchases, and was well supplied.

The master of the s.h.i.+p then said:

"Our business is finished. We must go back home. But we shall return to you." Hecham answered:

"That which I have done for you is not pleasing to the people of Aglou. It is only on account of the pledge of security that I have been able to restrain them. I have given you all you asked. Next time you come, bring us fifty cannons and ten howitzers."

"Very well," answered the Christian, "I shall return this time next year."

"Do as you promise," replied Hecham, "and I will give you whatever you want in the country of the Mussulmans."

V

A STORY ABOUT THE COUNTRY OF AIT-BAMOURAN

There arrived in this country at the beginning of the year another s.h.i.+p which stopped at a place called Ifni, in the tribe of Ait-Bamouran, and stayed there three days. Then one of the sailors got into a small boat, came ash.o.r.e, and said to the inhabitants, "I will buy bread, meat, and water from you."

The Mussulmans brought him bread, figs, and water, saying: "You must send two of your men ash.o.r.e while we go on board the s.h.i.+p with you."

"It is well," replied the Christian. Then he went to get two of his men whom he brought ash.o.r.e and said to the Mussulmans: "You must give me one of your men."

They gave him a hostage to remain on board the Christian s.h.i.+p. Then they filled a boat, and boarded the s.h.i.+p themselves to deliver what they had sold. They ran all over the s.h.i.+p looking at everything. Then they said, "Come with us to the spring and we will draw water." The Christians accompanied them to the fountain to fill their water-casks. The other natives, to the number of fifteen, got into a boat and went to the s.h.i.+p.

With the water-party and the hostages ash.o.r.e there were only four Christians on the s.h.i.+p when the Mussulmans boarded it.

"Don't come aboard till our men have come back," said the Christians.

"We will come aboard by force," he was answered, and the attack began. One of the Christians killed a native with a gun. Then they fought until the Christians were overcome. Two Christians were killed and the rest captured and taken ash.o.r.e and imprisoned with the others of the water-party. The s.h.i.+p was sold for 180 mithkals. The Christians were all sold and dispersed among the tribes. The news of this spread to Taccourt. The merchants there sent to Ait-Bamouran and bought all the Christians at any price. They secured seven. Three were missing, of whom two were in the country of Ait-bou-Bekr with the chief of that tribe named Abd-Allah, son of Bou-Bekr.

The third, who was a boy, was with the sheik of Aglou, who said:

"I will not sell this one, for he has become as dear to me as a son." Then addressing the young boy he said, "I wish to convert you; be a Mussulman."

The boy acquiesced and embraced Islamism. The day of his abjuration the sheik killed in his honor an ox for a festival, and gave to the convert the name of Mahomet. Then he sent to say to all his tribe: