And the people of the left hand-how wretched And they who were foremost on earth The foremost still. These are they who shall be brought nigh to God, On inwrought couches, reclining face to face. With goblets and ewers and a cup from a fountain; And the people of the right hand-how happy The people of the right hand! Amid thornless love-trees, And bananas clad with flowers, And extended shade, and flowing waters, And abundant fruits, unfailing and unforbidden. But the people of the left hand-how wretched Amid pestilential winds and in scalding water, Not cooling and not pleasant. Then verily ye, O ye the erring, the imputers of falsehood, Shall surely eat of the tree Zakkoum! DHOULKARNAIN. THE [From the Korân.] [Dhoulkarnain is probably Alexander the Great.] HEY will ask thee of Dhoulkarnain [the two-horned]. Say: Verily he established his power upon the earth, and we gave him a means to accomplish every end, as he followed his way, Until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it to set in a miry fount; and hard by he found a people. We said: “O Dhoulkarnain ! whether thou chastise or whether thou treat them generously " "As for him who is impious," said he, "we will chastise him; then shall he be taken back to his lord, and he will chastise him with a grievous chastisement." Then followed he a route, until when he reached the rising of the sun, he found it to rise on a people to whom we had given no shelter from it. Thus it was. were in the sun. And he had full knowledge of the forces that Then followed he a route, until he came between two mountains, beneath which he found a people who scarce understood a language. They said: "O Dhoulkarnain! verily, Gog and Magog waste this land; shall we then pay the tribute, so thou build a rampart between us and thou?" He said: "Better than your tribute is the might wherewith my Lord hath strengthened me; but help me strenuously, and I will set a barrier between you and them. Bring me blocks of iron." Until when it filled the space between the mountain-sides— "Blow," said he, "upon it." Until when he had set it on fire, he said: "Bring me molten brass, that I may pour upon it." And Gog and Magog were not able to scale it, neither were they able to dig through it. "This," said he, "is a mercy from my Lord. But when the threat of my Lord cometh to pass, He will turn it to dust, and the threat of my Lord is a truth." THE LEGEND OF AINO. [From the " Kalevala."] Translated by JOHN A. PORTER. N the plains of Kalevala, ON On the prairies of Wainola, Now the tales of ancient heroes, Far and wide the tidings travelled, There in dim and dusky Northland m They could boast a sweeter singer, There to strive with Wainamoinen. Hot breath steaming from his nostrils, So it chanced that Wainamoinen Rode that evening on the highway, Peacefully for pasture gliding Down the meadows of Wainola, O'er the plains of Kalevala. Forward comes the fiery stripling Urging still his hot blood stallion, Dashing down upon the minstrel, Till they meet in fierce collision. Then the minstrel boldly cries out : Who thou art and whence thou comest." Then the stripling boldly answered: |