OUR RETURN TO CORDOVA.
CORDOVA AT DAY-BREAK.--THE MOHAMMEDAN SABBATH.--THE YOUTH OF
CORDOVA DISPORTS ITSELF UPON THE WATER.--SONG.--CHALLENGE
BETWEEN OARSMAN.--THE MUEZZIN'S CALL.--THE GREAT MOSQUE.--A
SERMON.--CHASDAI IBN SHAPRUT, THE JEWISH MINISTER TO THE
CALIPH.--DUNASH IBN LABRAT.--ON THE WAY TO ABDALLAH IBN XAMRI, THE
MOORISH POET.
Again our light-winged boat glides upon the broad and silvery bosom of
the majestic Guadalquiver, along parks filled with flowering shrubs,
along glittering palaces and song-resounding woods, along palmy islets,
and sweet scented and crimson-tinted hills.
It is an early spring morning, nearly 1,000 years back in the world's
history. Our boat makes a sudden turn, and Cordova, all glistening
in the morning dew, raises her head as if from a bath in the crystal
stream. Aurora, goddess of the dawn, blushes in the sky, and with
her rosy fingers she sports playfully with the golden tresses of
Andalusia's fairest daughter. It is morn,
"When the magic of daylight awakes
A new wonder each moment, as slowly it breaks;
Hills, cupolas, fountains, called forth everyone
Out of darkness, as if but just born of the sun."
It is with difficulty that our agile oarsman, the raven-locked and
graceful featured Jewish youth, whose services as guide we have again
secured, makes his way among the countless pleasure boats that ply to
and fro. We marvel at this, for distinctly we remember how the broad
stream was furrowed during our first visit by boats of traffic only.
"It is Friday, the Mohammedan Sabbath," our guide informs us, and we no
longer wonder. The boats, some gilded, some festooned, some decked with
the richest tapestry, are peopled with gay and happy pleasure seekers.
The whole youth of Cordova seems to disport itself upon the water. The
air re-echoes their merry laughters and their music:
"From psaltery, pipe and lutes of heavenly thrill,
Or there own youthful voices, heavenlier still."
The winged chorister of the woods and parks take up the refrain, and
warble their sweetest, as if in contest with voices human for supremacy
in song. But what is most strange and most charming is the continual
challenge between the oarsmen for repartee songs, which are either
extemporized at the moment, or quotations from their numerous poets. A
boat crosses our path, stays our course, and its oarsman to test our
guide's readiness to sing Cordova's praise, thus begins in the sweet
tones of the poetic Arabic tongue:
"Do not talk of the court of Bagdad and its glittering magnificence.
Do not praise Persia and China, and their manifold advantages,
For there is no spot on earth like Cordova,
Nor in the whole world beauties like its beauties."
To which our guide instantly replies, with a sweet and pure tenor voice:
"O, my beloved Cordova!
Where shall I behold thine equal.
Thou art like an enchanted spot,
Thy fields are luxuriant gardens,
Thy earth of various colors
Resembles a flock of rose colored amber."
The challenging oarsman had met his peer. He is pleased with the reply
and clears the path. Now our oarsman impedes the path of a boat, and
taking for his theme, "The Ladies," challenges its oarsman thus:
"Bright is the gold and fair the pearl,
But brighter, fairer, thou, sweet girl.
Jacinths and emeralds of the mine,
Radiant as sun and moon may shine,
But what are all their charms to thine?"
To which the challenged replies:
"The Maker's stores have beauties rare,
But none that can with thee compare,
O pearl, that God's own hand hath made;
Earth, sky and sea,
Compare with thee,
See all their splendors sink in shade."
We have reached the landing place. Again we tread in the streets of
Cordova, that had surprised and delighted us so much during our first
visit. We have not advanced far, when suddenly there breaks on our
ear a voice, loud and mighty, as never heard before. We look in the
direction whence the voice comes, and on the graceful balcony around
the "minaret"--the "muezzin," who calleth, with a solemn power in his
living voice, which neither flag, trumpet, bell nor fire could simulate
or rival, the Faithful thus to prayer:
"Come to prayer! Come to prayer! Come to the Temple of Salvation! Great
God! Great God! There is no God except God!"
At the sound of the _muezzin's_ call, the throngs that crowd the
streets hasten their steps, while some few stop, and turning towards
the Kiblah--(point of the heaven in the direction of Mecca, which is
indicated by the position of the minarets,) either prostrate themselves
upon the ground, or, folding their arms across their bosom, bow their
turbaned head to the ground, and raise their heart and voice to Allah.
Five times, every day, our guide informs us, the _muezzin_ calls the
faithful to prayer. Those who are thus worshiping publicly upon the
streets, are for some reasons prevented from attending the mosque,
and the Koran allows them to pray in any clean place, and the streets
of Cordova are clean indeed. Prayer is great with the Moors, our
guide continues. Mohammed has laid great stress upon its efficacy and
importance. "It is the pillar of religion and the key to paradise,"
said he. "Angels come among you both by night and day, when they ascend
to heaven God asks them how they left his creatures. We found them, say
they, at their prayers, and we left them at their prayers." Even the
postures to be observed in prayer he had prescribed. Females in prayer
are not to stretch forth their arms, but to hold them on their bosoms.
They are not to make as deep inflexions as the men. They are to pray in
a low and gentle tone of voice. They are not permitted to accompany the
men to the mosque, lest the mind of the worshipers should be drawn from
their devotions. Neither are they allowed to worship together with the
men. They have their gallery in the mosque fenced in with latticework.
No one is permitted to go to prayer decked with costly ornaments or
clothed in sumptuous apparel.
While listening to our guide, our feet unconsciously followed the
hastening throngs, and before we were aware of it we stood before
the "mezquita," the great mosque, the famous edifice which, with its
buildings and courts, covers more space than any place of worship in
existence, the rival of the _Caaba_ at Mecca, and of the _Alaksa_ of
Jerusalem. Like all Moorish architecture, its exterior is very plain.
Our guide gives us its dimensions; it is 642 feet long and 440 wide.
The height of the Alminar tower is 250 feet.
This is Friday, the "_Yawn al Yoma_" the great day of assembly for
worship, the Mohammedan Sabbath, sacred because on that day man was
created, because that day had already been consecrated by the early
Arabians to "Astarte," Venus, the most beautiful of the planets and the
brightest of the stars; and, also because from that day, Friday (July
16, 622,) the day of the _Hegira_, begins the Mohammedan calendar. Our
guide assures us that there are special services on Friday, that on
this day the _Mufti_ expounds some chapters from the Koran, and the
"_Imaum_" (preacher,) delivers a "_Khotbeh_" (sermon).
We enter through one of the nineteen lofty and massive bronze gates,
and the beauties we now behold baffle description.
The "_Kiblah_" is reached by nineteen aisles, marked by columns of
jasper, beryl, verd-antique, porphyry, finely carved, supporting in
two directions double horseshoe arches, one above the other. These are
crossed by thirty-eight aisles, also composed of columns of different
marbles, making thus literally a forest of columns. The ceiling is
filled with ovals inscribed with appropriate inscriptions from the
Koran, to call the mind of the faithful to contemplation and devotion.
From it are suspended 280 chandeliers, which light the vast space with
upwards of 10,000 lights.
The "_Al Mihrab_" at the "_Kiblah_" end of the mosque is an octagonal
niche, the ceiling of which is formed like a shell out of a single
block of white marble. Within it is the Shrine of Shrines, containing
one of the original copies of the Koran, the one which lay upon the
lap of _Othman_, the third Caliph, our guide tells us, when he was
assassinated; it is stained with his life blood. It lies upon a lecturn
of aloe wood, put together with golden nails. The doors of the shrine
are pure gold, the floor solid silver, inlaid with gold and _lapis
lazuli_. In front of it is the pulpit made of costly woods, inlaid with
ivory and enriched with jewels; the nails joining its parts are also of
gold and silver. It is the gilt of the Caliph, and the cost exceeds
$1,000,000. The Caliph himself drew the plan of the entire edifice, and
assisted daily with his own hands in its erection.
Within the mosque there is a court 220 feet long, containing promenades
which invite to devout meditations, and reservoirs and fountains for
their ablution, for, as our guide informs us, ablution is enjoined by
the Koran, with great precision as preparative to prayer; purity of
body being considered emblematical of purity of soul.
There is not a seat in the entire edifice; the worshipers are either
prostrated upon the floor, which is artistically paved with marble
mosaics, or they stand profoundly bent in reverence.[4]
[4] For detailed description of the "Great Mezquita," see
Conde's "History of the Arabs in Spain," Vol. I, Chapter
XXXIV, and Coppee's "Conquest in Spain," Book X, Chapter V;
for "Belief and Worship," see Conde, and Irving's "Mahomet,"
appendix to volume I.
As the Mufti, his careful ablutions being completed, approaches the
"_Al Mihrab_," to take from its sacred Shrine the copy of the Koran,
all prostrate themselves on the ground. He opens the book, and with a
loud voice he reads the first "_sura_," chapter:
"_Bismillah_"--in the name of the most merciful God. Praise be to God,
the Lord of all creatures, the Most Merciful, the King of the Day
of Judgment. Thee do we worship, and of Thee do we beg assistance.
Direct us in the right way, in the way of those to whom Thou hast been
gracious; not of those against whom thou art incensed, not of those who
go astray.
To which the whole congregation responds:
"God, there is no God but He, the Living, the Ever Living; He sleepeth
not, neither doth He slumber. To Him belongeth the Heavens and the
earth, and all that they contain. He knoweth the Past and the Future,
but no one can comprehend anything of this knowledge but that which
He revealeth. His sway extendeth over the Heavens and the Earth, and
to sustain them both is no burden to Him. He is the high, the mighty.
There is no God besides Him, and "_Mohammed Resul Allah_" Mohammed is
the prophet of God."[5] The _Mufti_ now expounds a chapter from the
Koran, and at the end of each of its lessons the whole congregation
responds, "Amin!" "So be it."
[5] Koran, part of Sura II.
The "_Imaum_" ascends the pulpit to preach his sermon. He bases his
theme upon the chapter just expounded. He speaks of faith and practice,
of faith in God, in his angels, in his Koran, in his prophets, in the
resurrection and final judgement, in predestination. "Angels," he says,
keep continual watch upon each mortal, one on the right hand, the other
on the left, taking note of every word or action. At the close of each
day they fly up to heaven to write up their report. Every good action
is recorded ten times by the good angel on the right, and if the mortal
commit a sin the same benevolent spirit says to the angel on the left:
"Forbear for seven hours to record it; peradventure he may repent and
pray and obtain forgiveness."
He enjoins a reverence for the _Al Koran_, and a scrupulous obedience
to its precepts. In it are written all the decrees of God, and all
events past, present or to come. It had existed from all eternity and
was treasured up in the seventh heaven, and its contents were finally
revealed to Mohammed by the Angel Gabriel.
He speaks of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, as prophets subordinate
to Mohammed, whose life and preceipts are worthy of following.
He speaks of predestination, and says that every event is predetermined
by God, that the destiny of every individual and the hour of his death
are irrevocably fixed, and can neither be varied nor evaded, by any
effort of human sagacity or foresight.
He reconciles fate and free-will by saying: "The outline is given us we
color the picture of life as we will."
He speakes of Charity, and says that every one must dispense, in one
way or the other, a tenth of his revenue in the relief of the indigent
or distressed. He speakes of the great virtue of fasting and says:
"Prayer leads us half way to God, fastening conveys us to His threshold
and alms conducts us into His presence." He enjoins the doing of good
and the shunning of evil, and above all an observance of the golden
rule.
"If these precepts ye obey," he concludes, "the pleasures of Paradise
will be your reward. There you will be clothed in raiments sparkling
with jewels. You will wear crowns of gold enriched with pearls and
diamonds, and dwell in sumptuous palaces or silken pavilions,
reclining in voluptuous couches. Hundreds of attendants, bearing dishes
and goblets of gold, will serve you with every variety of exquisite
viands and beverage, whenever and in whatever quantity you shall want
them. There the air, fragrant with the sweetest perfume, resounds with
the melodious voices of the Daughters of Paradise. There, besides your
wives you had on earth, who will rejoin you in all their pristine
charms, black-eyed _Hooreeyahs_ (Houris) having complexions like
rubies and pearls, resplendent beings, free from every human defect or
frailty, perpetually retaining their youth and beauty, will constantly
attend you, and cheerfully obey your wishes."
"But woe unto you if ye harken not to the words of _Allah_ and Mohammed
his prophet! When ye shall pass the bridge, _Al Sirat_, which is finer
than a hair and sharper than a sword, it will break beneath the burden
of your sins, and precipitate you into the shadow and smoke and fire of
hell."
With a prayer for the welfare of the Caliph and the entire government,
the "khotbeh" is ended and the congregation dismissed.
We know that the Moors and Jews are Oriental people, and, therefore,
not indigenous to the Occidental soil they now inhabit. Whence came
they? Why came they? We are eager for a correct answer to these
questions, and knowing none of Cordova's learned men, we think of
our distinguished co-religionist. _Abu Jussuf Chasdai ben Isaac Ibn
Shaprut_, the Jewish Physician, Philologist, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, of Commerce and Finance to the learned _Abder Rahman_, and
_Nasi_, or secular chief, of all European Jews. We take the heart to
visit him, and with the aid of our guide, we soon are admitted into the
house. There we learn that _Chasdai Ibn Shaprut_ had just been summoned
to a secret consultation with the Caliph concerning an important
embassy that had come from _Otto I_, Emperor of Germany. We are asked
to await his return in his library. There, we are introduced to _Moses
ben Chanoch_, the distinguished Talmudist, to his pupil, _Joseph ben
Abitur_, the translator of the _Mishnah_ into Arabic for the Caliph's
library, to _Menachem ben Saruk_, the grammarian and compiler of the
first Hebrew lexicon, and to _Dunash ben Labrat_, the distinguished
poet, who were pursuing their respective studies in the magnificent
library of Chasdai, the Jewish favorite Minister to the Caliph.
* * * * *
We state our wish, and Dunash ben Labrat thus replies:
"We know not when our distinguished _Nasi_ will return. If, indeed,
it be agreeable to you, I will ask you to accompany me to my
friend _Abdallah Ibn Xamri_, the famous Moorish poet and erudite
historian, with whom I have arranged a game of chess for this
afternoon's siesta. He will, I know, give you such information
concerning the history of the Arab-Moors as you may desire. When
this shall have been done, we shall make our way back again,
Chasdai will have returned, and he will gladly give you an account
of the Entrance of the Jews into Spain."
We cheerfully accept his kind proposal. We are on our way now, and in
the following chapter we shall faithfully report all that we shall see
and hear.
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