the ninth vibration-第40章

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eceived　his　instructions　in　these　words：…

〃I　will　that　all　the　world　shall　remember　the　Flower　of　the　World；　that　all　hearts　shall　give　thanks　for　her　beauty；　which　was　indeed　the　perfect　Mirror　of　the　Creator。　And　since　it　is　abhorrent　of　Islam　that　any　image　be　made　in　the　likeness　of　anything　that　has　life；　make　for　me　a　palace…tomb；　gracious　as　she　was　gracious；　lovely　as　she　was　lovely。　Not　such　as　the　tombs　of　the　Kings　and　the　Conquerors；　but　of　a　divine　sweetness。　Make　me　a　garden　on　the　banks　of　Jumna；　and　build　it　there；　where；　sitting　in　my　Pavilion　of　Marble；　I　may　see　it　rise。〃

And　Ustad　Isa；　having　heard；　said；　〃Upon　my　head　and　eyes！〃　and　went　out　from　the　Presence。

So；　musing　upon　the　words　of　the　Padishah；　he　went　to　his　house　in　Agra；　and　there　pondered　the　matter　long　and　deeply；　and　for　a　whole　day　and　night　he　refused　all　food　and　secluded　himself　from　the　society　of　all　men；　for　he　said：…

〃This　is　a　weighty　thing；　for　this　Lady　（upon　whom　be　peace）　must　visibly　dwell　in　her　tomb…　palace　on　the　shore　of　the　river；　and　how　shall　I；　who　have　never　seen　her；　imagine　the　grace　that　was　in　her；　and　restore　it　to　the　world？　Oh；　had　I　but　the　memory　of　her　face！　Could　I　but　see　it　as　the　Shah…in…Shah　sees　it；　remembering　the　past！　Prophet　of　God；　intercede　for　me；　that　I　may　look　through　his　eyes；　if　but　for　a　moment！〃

That　night　he　slept；　wearied　and　weakened　with　fasting；　and　whether　it　were　that　the　body　guarded　no　longer　the　gates　of　the　soul；　I　cannot　say；　for；　when　the　body　ails；　the　soul　soars　free　above　its　weakness。　But　a　strange　marvel　happened。

For；　as　it　seemed　to　him；　he　awoke　at　the　mid…noon　of　the　night；　and　he　was　sitting；　not　in　his　own　house；　but　upon　the　roof　of　the　royal　palace；　looking　down　on　the　gliding　Jumna；　where　the　low　moon　slept　in　silver；　and　the　light　was　alone　upon　the　water；　and　there　were　no　boats；　but　sleep　and　dream；　hovering　hand…in…hand；　moved　upon　the　air；　and　his　heart　was　dilated　in　the　great　silence。

Yet　he　knew　well　that　he　waked　in　some　supernatural　sphere：　for　his　eyes　could　see　across　the　river　as　if　the　opposite　shore　lay　at　his　feet；　and　he　could　distinguish　every　leaf　on　every　tree；　and　the　flowers　moon…blanched　and　ghost…like。　And　there；　in　the　blackest　shade　of　the　pippala　boughs；　he　beheld　a　faint　light　like　a　pearl；　and　looking　with　unspeakable　anxiety；　he　saw　within　the　light；　slowly　growing；　the　figure　of　a　lady　exceedingly　glorious　in　majesty　and　crowned　with　a　rayed　crown　of　mighty　jewels　of　white　and　golden　splendour。　Her　gold　robe　fell　to　her　feet；　and　…　very　strange　to　tell　…　her　feet　touched　not　the　ground；　but　hung　a　span's　length　above　it；　so　that　she　floated　in　the　air。

But　the　marvel　of　marvels　was　her　face　…　not；　indeed；　for　its　beauty；　though　that　transcended　all；　but　for　its　singular　and　compassionate　sweetness；　wherewith　she　looked　toward　the　Palace　beyond　the　river　as　if　it　held　the　heart　of　her　heart；　while　death　and　its　river　lay　between。

And　Ustad　Isa　said：…　〃0　dream；　if　this　sweetness　be　but　a　dream；　let　me　never　wake！　Let　me　see　forever　this　exquisite　work　of　Allah　the　Maker；　before　whom　all　the　craftsmen　are　as　children！　For　my　knowledge　is　as　nothing；　and　I　am　ashamed　in　its　presence。〃

And　as　he　spoke；　she　turned　those　brimming　eyes　on　him；　and　he　saw　her　slowly　absorbed　into　the　glory　of　the　moonlight；　but　as　she　faded　into　dream；　he　beheld；　slowly　rising；　where　her　feet　had　hung　in　the　blessed　air；　a　palace　of　whiteness；　warm　as　ivory；　cold　as　chastity；　domes　and　cupolas；　slender　minars；　arches　of　marble　fretted　into　sea…foam；　screen　within　screen　of　purest　marble；　to　hide　the　sleeping　beauty　of　a　great　Queen　…　silence　in　the　heart　of　it；　and　in　every　line　a　harmony　beyond　all　music。　Grace　was　about　it　…　the　grace　of　a　Queen　who　prays　and　does　not　command；　who；　seated　in　her　royalty　yet　inclines　all　hearts　to　love。　Arid　he　saw　that　its　grace　was　her　grace；　and　its　soul　her　soul；　and　that　she　gave　it　for　the　consolation　of　the　Emperor。

And　he　fell　on　his　face　and　worshipped　the　Master…Builder　of　the　Universe；　saying；…　〃Praise　cannot　express　thy　Perfection。　Thine　Essence　confounds　thought。　Surely　I　am　but　the　tool　in　the　hand　of　the　Builder。〃

And　when　he　awoke；　he　was　lying　in　his　own　secret　chamber；　but　beside　him　was　a　drawing　such　as　the　craftsmen　make　of　the　work　they　have　imagined　in　their　hearts。　And　it　was　the　Palace　of　the　Tomb。

Henceforward；　how　should　he　waver？　He　was　as　a　slave　who　obeys　his　master；　and　with　haste　he　summoned　to　Agra　his　Army　of　Beauty。

Then　were　assembled　all　the　master　craftsmen　of　India　and　of　the　outer　world。　From　Delhi；　from　Shiraz；　even　from　Baghdad　and　Syria；　they　came。　Muhammad　Hanif；　the　wise　mason；　came　from　Kandahar；　Muhammad　Sayyid　from　Mooltan。　Amanat　Khan；　and　other　great　writers　of　the　holy　Koran；　who　should　make　the　scripts　of　the　Book　upon　fine　marble。　Inlayers　from　Kanauj；　with　fingers　like　those　of　the　Spirits　that　bowed　before　Solomon　the　King；　who　should　make　beautiful　the　pure　stone　with　inlay　of　jewels；　as　did　their　forefathers　for　the　Rajah　of　Mewar；　mighty　dealers　with　agate；　cornelian；　and　lapis　lazuli。　Came　also；　from　Bokhara；　Ata　Muhammad　and　Shakri　Muhammad；　that　they　might　carve　the　lilies　of　the　field；　very　glorious；　about　that　Flower　of　the　World。　Men　of　India；　men　of　Persia；　men　of　the　outer　lands；　they　came　at　the　bidding　of　Ustad　Isa；　that　the　spirit　of　his　vision　might　be　made　manifest。

And　a　great　council　was　held　among　these　servants　of　beauty。　so　they　made　a　model　in　little　of　the　glory　that　was　to　be；　and　laid　it　at　the　feet　of　the　Shah…in…Shah；　and　he　allowed　it；　though　not　as　yet　fully　discerning　their　intent。　And　when　it　was　approved；　Ustad　Isa　called　to　him　a　man　of　Kashmir；　and　the　very　hand　of　the　Creator　was　upon　this　man；　for　he　could　make　gardens　second　only　to　the　Gardens　of　Paradise；　having　been　born　by　that　Dal　Lake　where　are　those　roses　of　the　earth；　the　Shalimar　and　the　Nishat　Bagh；　and　to　him　said　Ustad　Isa；…

〃Behold；　Rain　Lal　Kashmiri；　consider　this　design！　Thus　and　thus　shall　a　white　palace；　exquisite　in　perfection；　arise　on　the　banks　of　Jumna。　Here；　in　little；　in　this　model　of　sandalwood；　see　what　shall　be。　Consider　these　domes；　rounded　as　the　Bosom　of　Beauty；　recalling　the　mystic　fruit　of　the　lotus　flower。　Consider　these　four　minars　that　stand　about　them　like　Spirits　about　the　Throne。　And　remembering　that　all　this　shall　stand　upon　a　great　dais　of　purest　marble；　and　that　the　river　shall　be　its　mirror；　repeating　to　everlasting　its　loveliness；　make　me　a　garden　that　shall　be　the　throne　room　to　this　Queen。〃

And　Ram　Lal　Kashmiri　salaamed　and　said；　〃Obedience！〃　and　went　forth　and　pondered　night　and　day；　journeying　even　over　the　snows　of　the　Pir　Panjal　to　Kashmir；　that　he　might　bathe　his　eyes　in　beauty　where　she　walks；　naked　and　divine；　upon　the　earth。　and　he　it　was　who　imagined　the　black　marble　and　white　that　made　the　way　of　approach。

So　grew　the　palace　that　should　murmur；　like　a　seashell；　in　the　ear　of　the　world　the　secret　of　love。

Veiled　had　that　loveliness　been　in　the　shadow　of　the　palace；　but　now　the　sun　should　rise　upon　it　and　turn　its　ivory　to　gold；　should　set　upon　it　and　flush　its　snow　with　rose。　The　moon　should　lie　upon　it　like　the　pearls　upon　her　bosom；　the　visible　grace　of　her　presence　breathe　about　it；　the　music　of　her　voice　hover　in　the　birds　and　trees　of　the　garden。　Times　there　were　when　Ustad　Isa　despaired　lest　even　these　mighty　servants　of　beauty　should　miss　perfection。　Yet　it　grew　and　grew；　rising　like　the　growth　of　a　flower。

So　on　a　certain　day　it　stood　completed；　and　beneath　the　small　tomb　in　the　sanctuary；　veiled　with　screens　of　wrought　marble　so　fine　that　they　might　lift　in　the　breeze；　…　the　veils　of　a　Queen；　…　slept　the　Lady　Arjemand；　and　above　her　a　narrow　coffer　of　white　marble；　enriched　in　a　great　script　with　the　Ninety…Nine　Wondrous　Names　of　God。　And　the　Shah…in…Shah；　now　grey　and　worn；　entered　and；　standing　by　her；　cried　in　a　loud　voice；　…　〃I　ascribe　to　the　Unity；　the　only　Creator；　the　perfection　of　his　handiwork　made　visible　here　by　the　hand　of　mortal　man。　For　the　beauty　that　was　secret　in　my　Palace　is　here　revealed；　and　the　Crowned　Lady　shall　sit　forever　upon　the　banks　of　the　Jumn