The Scented Garden

62 The Falsity of the Frank. XI. Aziz1 Of what have I sung, Habib ? Of thy love. Of what do I sing now ? Of thy faithlessness. Thy presence or absence makes no difference, therefore, to me. In the same way, whether Allah be or be not is little odds so long as His devotees enjoy the mystic rapture.2 Yet as the podex of Aziz is inferior to thy podex,3 both because it has two fistulae, and because it lacks thy heat, dryness, and tightness, so also is the god of the Christians inferior to Allah, both be- cause he has two cogods, and because he hath nei- ther the power, the wisdom, not the compassion of Him who is alone and without equal, son or com- panion.4 Whether He exist or no, whether He love him or no, El Qahar will love Him and sing His praises.5 1. Aziz is a generic term — darling, sweetheart etc. almost the French mignon, with a sub-current of meaning — pathic. Joseph (ibn Yakub) says Palmer, is called “ aziz i mist ” implying that he was Pharoah’s catamite ; and his behaviour toward Po- tiphar’s wife is applauded in Persia not as virtue but as policy. But Platt attributes the title to Poti- phar himself. (Q’uran XII “ Joseph ”). I think he is wrong. 2. Affirms the subjective value of Devotion. Cf. Fuller, “ The Star in the West ”, who speaks of