60 
The Reproaches of God. 
 
 
 
X. 
 
The Black Stone 
 
 
I have kissed the black stone of the Ka’abah,1 O 
Habib !  but a thousand times the black mole upon 
thy buttocks.  I have seen a thousand men kiss the 
black stone of the Ka’abah ;  but I hear that the 
pilgrims to thy house are even more numerous 
than the Hujjaj.2 
Omar3 was an ass ;  but he is buried—Allah 
curse him !  — at El Medinah ;  only those with 
members like an ass find any permanent resting 
place in thy mosque. 
His4 member is firmer than a rock, sayest thou ?  
But I will bottle and drown him.5 
It is disgraceful, Habib, that thou lettest that 
lousy little tailor into thy secret beauties ;  but I 
suppose thou needest his needle and thread to re-
pair the rents made by thy boasted Qazi. 
Often have I sung thy podex as the sun, and of a 
surety he shineth upon all. 
Thy gait is the gait of a gravid sow ;  thou admit-
test every hog in Iran to thy sty ;  beware, sayeth El 
Qahar, lest thou bring forth a litter of pigs !6 
 
 
 
 
1.  Ka’abah — the “ Holy Place ” at Mecca.  See 
Burton’s Pilgrimage for a long description of this 
and of the black stone. 
2.  Hujjaj — plural of Haji, a pilgrim to Mecca. 
3.  Omar — See Burton’s Pilgrimage for facts 
about this caliph, highly honoured by the orthodox