Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1850-07-06
The Arab king and the Poet.

The Arab Hing and the Poet.
There was once an Arab king endowed with
a most extraordinary memory. 1t was sufficient
for him to hear an ode, however long, recited
but once for him to repeat it as well as the au-
thor himself. He had in his service two.per-
sons who also professed this faculty in de-
gree almost as remarkable as himself One
of his mamelukes could repeat poem he had
heard twice; and one of his slaves could re-
peat, with the same facility, verses he had heard
three times.
When poet presented himself at the palace
and solicited to offer homage to the throne, and
to give proof of his talents, the king was in
the habit of promising that if he found their
verses new, and the composition wholly origin
al, he would reward the author by giving the
weight of the manuscript in gold. The poet,
well assured of the originality of his poem, de-
claimed with confidence; but scarcely had he
concluded, when the king exclaimed, "those
verses are not new to me, have heard them
some years ago; even know them by heart. ="
He then repeated them word for word, to the
great surprise of the poet He added, "this
mameluke knows them also, and shall repeat
heard the poem recited by the poet and the
kluSS llOW ICpEdtCQ lt Will E4udl dCC0I6Cys
have also a slave" pursued the king, "who
ought to remember these verses as we'll as my
self; let him be brought to me-" And the
slave, who had all the while been concealed be-
hind the hangings, was made to appear. He
had heard the poet, the king, and the name
luke, by turns recite the poem, and he repeated
it as if it had been known to him since his
childhood. The poet remained confounded,
unable to comprehend how others knew his
verses as we'll as himself; he believed himself
to be the victim of some evil genius; but he
had no power of proving his authorship, and
was obliged to withdraw, discounted and empty
handed. - 5a- ...4. -- es
A famous poet, named El-Asmaee, struck by
the disappointment Of all his brother poets, sus-
pected the kings artifce, and resolved to sub
NIT to the same trial, promising to come out
victor. He composed an ode wherein he in
troduced, with great patience and erudition,
poetic words the most difficult to pronounce
and retain in the Arabic language. He then
dressed himself in strange costume, and CO.
yered his face, except the eyes, with litham,
(piece Of cloth), like the Arabs of the desert
Thus disguised, he arrived at the court of the
king and was conducted to his presence.
"Oh! brother of the Arabs" said the king to
him, "whence comest thou: and what desirest
thou Of meg"
The poet replied, "May Allah increase the
power of the king! l am poor poet Of the
tribe of -, and have composed an ode in
honor of our sovereign, the sultan
"Oh! brother Of the Arabs" replied the king,
8 knowest thou on what conditions thou wilt
obtain recompense?"
Il am indeed ignorant of them," said the
poet. aWhat are these conditions, oh !! most
powerful .king?" a-
"lf the ode which thou art about to recite
has not been composed by thyself, thou wilt
obtain from me no recompense. But If it be
new, and thou art really the author, will give
thee the weight Of thy manuscript in gold"
How should dare, cried El-Asmaee, "pre-
tend to be the author Of verses written by an.
other? Does not every subject know that to
utter falsehood before q king is one Of the
vilest actions that can be committed! The
verses are my own, and submit without fear
to the conditions which you have pleased to
impose, oh august sultan"
He recited his ode. The king, confused, was
unable to retain single word. He made
sign to his mameluke, but the mameluke con-
fessed the like inability. He caused the slave
to appear; he was still less prepared to perform
his part.
"oh! brother of the Arabs" said the king,
athou hast spoken the truth. The ode is doubt
less thine; this is the first time have heard it.
Show us thy manuscript, that may give thee
the promised recompense."
"Deign," replied the poet, ato order two Of
your seryitors to bring to the foot Of your
throne that which you ask Of me-" sa
aWhat must they,bring!" cried the king
Is not the manuscript Of papyrus, and dost
thou not carry it about thy personF' .@
.No, gracious sultan-I am poor; when
the verses had no papyrus, and was
obliged TO engrave them on the fragment Of
column, left me in heritage by my father. This
block of marble is on the back Of my camel, at
your palace gate" N .sg.. u
The king was caught in his own snare. The
camel was sinking under the weight Of the bro
ken column. TO fulfil his promise, the king
was forced to drain his treasury. But this les
son was not lost upoon him; from this time
be had no longer recourse to trick 50 un-
worthy Of him. He henceforth rewarded the
poets according to their merit, with the gene
rosity which became a sovereign.
MAHoMEDD's PREAcHnes- His definitions Of