The Scented Garden

152 The fame of Ecstasy the redemption of the World. Light springs and liberty is fair— o break the intoxicating jar ! It is enough that thou art Near, the shamer of the foolish Far, To glut thy jasmine podex on the member of thine El Qahar ; To glut thine almond member in the podex of thine El Qahar. 1. Riddle. In the Persian are perhaps concealed some details of the Poet’s life and amours. 2. Azrael — angel of death ; Israfel — of the last Judgement, bear respectively a sword and a trum- pet. We have taken Azrael though modern Per- sians usually (Not the text here. Ed.) call him Abu Yahya [Persian text] “ Father John.” Some ignorant Persians confuse him with Ezekiel ! Result : “ to sup with Father John ” means either to eat dirt, i.e. (apologize) or “ to die.” Hence an offended Persian in a tavern brawl, may “ You must sup with Father John to-night ” meaning “ Retract, or I knife you.” 3. Venus-throw — the double six. The highest throw at dice. 4. Ghoul — a corpse-devouring devil. 5. Hur al Ayn. pl. of Ahwar al Ayn, our Western “ Houri.” Literally, one whose eye is intensely white, i.e. the conjunctiva ; while the cornea is perfectly black. 6. ‘ Attar ’ [Persian text] a druggist. “ Attar of roses ” (corrupted to “ Otto of Roses ”) is all non- sense. The word meant in Atr [Persian text] per- fume.