After a complete ablution and assuming the ihram, we performed two prayer-flections, and recited the meritorious7 sentences beginning with the words “Labbaik Allah huma labbaik!” “Here I am, O God, here I am! Here I am, O Unassociated One, here I am, for unto Thee belong praise, grace, and empire, O Unassociated One!”
This prayer was repeated so often, people not unfrequently rushing up to their friends and shrieking8 the sacred sentence into their ears, that at last it became a signal for merriment rather than an indication of piety9.
On the 26th we reached Jeddah, where the utter sterility10 of Arabia, with its dunes11 and rocky hills, becomes apparent. The town, however, viewed from the sea, is not unpicturesque. Many European vessels12 were at anchor off the coast: and as we entered the port, innumerable small fishing-boats darting13 in all directions, their sails no longer white, but emerald green from the intense lustre14 of the water, crowded around us on all sides, and reminded one by their dazzling colours and rapidity of motion of the shoals of porpoises15 so often seen on a voyage round the Cape16.
On disembarking we were accosted17 by several “mut?awwafs,” or circuit-men, so termed in Arabic, because, besides serving as religious guides in general, their special duty is to lead the pilgrim in his seven obligatory18 circuits around the Kabah. We encamped outside the town, and, having visited the tomb of “our Mother Eve,” mounted our camels for Meccah.
After a journey of twenty hours across the Desert, we passed the barriers which mark the outermost19 limits of the sacred city, and, ascending20 some giant steps, pitched our tents on a plain, or rather plateau, surrounded by barren rock, some of which, distant but a few yards, mask from view the birthplace of the Prophet. It was midnight; a few drops of rain were falling, and lightning played around us. Day after day we had watched its brightness from the sea, and many a faithful haji had pointed21 out to his companions those fires which were Heaven’s witness to the sanctity of the spot. “Al hamdu Lillah!” Thanks be to God! we were now at length to gaze upon the “Kiblah,” to which every Mussulman has turned in prayer since the days of Muhammad, and which for long ages before the birth of Christianity was reverenced22 by the Patriarchs of the East. Soon after dawn arose from our midst the shout of “Labbaik! Labbaik!” and passing between the rocks, we found ourselves in the main street of Meccah, and approached the “Gateway of Salvation,” one of the thirty-nine portals of the Temple of Al-Haram.
On crossing the threshold we entered a vast unroofed quadrangle, a mighty23 amplification24 of the Palais Royal, having on each of its four sides a broad colonnade25, divided into three aisles26 by a multitude of slender columns, and rising to the height of about thirty feet. Surmounting27 each arch of the colonnade is a small dome28: in all there are a hundred and twenty, and at different points arise seven minarets29, dating from various epochs, and of somewhat varying altitudes and architecture. The numerous pigeons which have their home within the temple have been believed never to alight upon any portion of its roof, thus miraculously30 testifying to the holiness of the building. This marvel31 having, however, of late years been suspended, many discern another omen32 of the approach of the long-predicted period when unbelievers shall desecrate33 the hallowed soil.
In the centre of the square area rises the far-famed Kabah, the funereal34 shade of which contrasts vividly35 with the sunlit walls and precipices36 of the town. It is a cubical structure of massive stone, the upper two-thirds of which are mantled37 by a black cloth embroidered38 with silver, and the lower portion hung with white linen39. At a distance of several yards it is surrounded by a balustrade provided with lamps, which are lighted in the evening, and the space thus enclosed is the circuit-ground along which, day and night, crowds of pilgrims, performing the circular ceremony of Tawaf, realize the idea of perpetual motion. We at once advanced to the black stone imbedded in an angle of the Kabah, kissed it, and exclaimed, “Bismillah wa Allahu Akbar,”—“In God’s name, and God is greatest.” Then we commenced the usual seven rounds, three at a walking pace, and four at a brisk trot40. Next followed two prayer-flections at the tomb of Abraham, after which we drank of the water of Zamzam, said to be the same which quenched41 the thirst of Hagar’s exhausted42 son.
Besides the Kabah, eight minor43 structures adorn44 the quadrangle, the well of Zamzam, the library, the clock-room, the triangular45 staircase, and four ornamental46 resting-places for the orthodox sects47 of Hanafi, Shafi, Maliki, and Hanbali.
We terminated our morning duties by walking and running seven times along the streets of Safa and Marwa, so named from the flight of seven steps at each of its extremities48.
After a few days spent in visiting various places of interest, such as the slave-market and forts, and the houses of the Prophet and the Caliphs ’Ali and Abubakr, we started on our six hours’ journey to the mountain of ’Arifat, an hour’s sojourn49 at which, even in a state of insensibility, confers the rank of haji. It is a mountain spur of about a hundred and fifty feet in height, presenting an artificial appearance from the wall encircling it and the terrace on its slope, from which the iman delivers a sermon before the departure of his congregation for Meccah. His auditors50 were, indeed, numerous, their tents being scattered51 over two or three miles of the country. A great number of their inmates52 were fellow-subjects of ours from India. I surprised some of my Meccah friends by informing them that Queen Victoria numbers nearly twenty millions of Mohammedans among her subjects.
On the 5th of June, at sunset, commencing our return, we slept at the village of Muzdalifah, and there gathered and washed seven pebbles53 of the size of peas, to be flung at three piles of whitewashed54 masonry55 known as the Shaitans (Satans) of Mun?. We acquitted56 ourselves satisfactorily of this duty on the festival of the 6th of June, the 10th day of the Arabian month Zu’lhijah. Each of us then sacrificed a sheep, had his hair and nails cut, exchanged the ihram for his best apparel, and, embracing his friends, paid them the compliments of the season. The two following days the Great, the Middle, and the Little Satan were again pelted57, and, bequeathing to the unfortunate inhabitants of Muna the unburied and odorous remains58 of nearly a hundred thousand animals, we returned, eighty thousand strong, to Meccah. A week later, having helped to insult the tumulus of stones which marks, according to popular belief, the burial-place of Abulah?ab, the unbeliever, who, we learn from the Koran, has descended59 into hell with his wife, gatherer of sticks, I was not sorry to relinquish60 a shade temperature of 120°, and wend my way to Jeddah en route for England, after delegating to my brethren the recital61 of a prayer in my behalf at the Tomb of the Prophet at Medina.
In penning these lines I am anxious to encourage other Englishmen, especially those from India, to perform the pilgrimage, without being deterred62 by exaggerated reports concerning the perils63 of the enterprise. It must, however, be understood that it is absolutely indispensable to be a Mussulman (at least externally) and to have an Arabic name. Neither the Koran nor the Sultan enjoins64 the killing65 of intrusive66 Jews or Christians67; nevertheless, two years ago, an incognito68 Jew, who refused to repeat the creed69, was crucified by the Meccah populace, and in the event of a pilgrim again declaring himself to be an unbeliever the authorities would be almost powerless to protect his life.
An Englishman who is sufficiently70 conversant71 with the prayers, formulas, and customs of the Mussulmans, and possess a sufficient guarantee of orthodoxy, need, however, apprehend72 no danger if he applies through the British Consulate73 at Cairo for an introduction to the Amirul Haj, the Prince of the Caravan74.
Finally, I am most anxious to recommend as Mutawwaf at Meccah Shaikh Muhammed ’Umr Fanair-jizadah. He is extremely courteous75 and obliging, and has promised me to show to other Englishmen the same politeness which I experienced from him myself. 1862 A.D. 1278 A.H. [Arabic] (EL HAJ ABD EL WAHID.)
The End
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1 embarked | |
乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 ); 装载; 从事 | |
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2 vows | |
誓言( vow的名词复数 ); 郑重宣布,许愿 | |
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3 tints | |
色彩( tint的名词复数 ); 带白的颜色; (淡色)染发剂; 痕迹 | |
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4 transgression | |
n.违背;犯规;罪过 | |
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5 enactments | |
n.演出( enactment的名词复数 );展现;规定;通过 | |
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6 expiated | |
v.为(所犯罪过)接受惩罚,赎(罪)( expiate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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7 meritorious | |
adj.值得赞赏的 | |
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8 shrieking | |
v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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9 piety | |
n.虔诚,虔敬 | |
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10 sterility | |
n.不生育,不结果,贫瘠,消毒,无菌 | |
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11 dunes | |
沙丘( dune的名词复数 ) | |
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12 vessels | |
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人 | |
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13 darting | |
v.投掷,投射( dart的现在分词 );向前冲,飞奔 | |
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14 lustre | |
n.光亮,光泽;荣誉 | |
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15 porpoises | |
n.鼠海豚( porpoise的名词复数 ) | |
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16 cape | |
n.海角,岬;披肩,短披风 | |
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17 accosted | |
v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 );跟…搭讪;(乞丐等)上前向…乞讨;(妓女等)勾搭 | |
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18 obligatory | |
adj.强制性的,义务的,必须的 | |
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19 outermost | |
adj.最外面的,远离中心的 | |
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20 ascending | |
adj.上升的,向上的 | |
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21 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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22 reverenced | |
v.尊敬,崇敬( reverence的过去式和过去分词 );敬礼 | |
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23 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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24 amplification | |
n.扩大,发挥 | |
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25 colonnade | |
n.柱廊 | |
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26 aisles | |
n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊 | |
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27 surmounting | |
战胜( surmount的现在分词 ); 克服(困难); 居于…之上; 在…顶上 | |
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28 dome | |
n.圆屋顶,拱顶 | |
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29 minarets | |
n.(清真寺旁由报告祈祷时刻的人使用的)光塔( minaret的名词复数 ) | |
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30 miraculously | |
ad.奇迹般地 | |
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31 marvel | |
vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异;n.令人惊异的事 | |
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32 omen | |
n.征兆,预兆;vt.预示 | |
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33 desecrate | |
v.供俗用,亵渎,污辱 | |
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34 funereal | |
adj.悲哀的;送葬的 | |
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35 vividly | |
adv.清楚地,鲜明地,生动地 | |
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36 precipices | |
n.悬崖,峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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37 mantled | |
披着斗篷的,覆盖着的 | |
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38 embroidered | |
adj.绣花的 | |
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39 linen | |
n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的 | |
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40 trot | |
n.疾走,慢跑;n.老太婆;现成译本;(复数)trots:腹泻(与the 连用);v.小跑,快步走,赶紧 | |
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41 quenched | |
解(渴)( quench的过去式和过去分词 ); 终止(某事物); (用水)扑灭(火焰等); 将(热物体)放入水中急速冷却 | |
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42 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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43 minor | |
adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修 | |
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44 adorn | |
vt.使美化,装饰 | |
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45 triangular | |
adj.三角(形)的,三者间的 | |
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46 ornamental | |
adj.装饰的;作装饰用的;n.装饰品;观赏植物 | |
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47 sects | |
n.宗派,教派( sect的名词复数 ) | |
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48 extremities | |
n.端点( extremity的名词复数 );尽头;手和足;极窘迫的境地 | |
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49 sojourn | |
v./n.旅居,寄居;逗留 | |
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50 auditors | |
n.审计员,稽核员( auditor的名词复数 );(大学课程的)旁听生 | |
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51 scattered | |
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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52 inmates | |
n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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53 pebbles | |
[复数]鹅卵石; 沙砾; 卵石,小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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54 whitewashed | |
粉饰,美化,掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55 masonry | |
n.砖土建筑;砖石 | |
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56 acquitted | |
宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 ); 使(自己)作出某种表现 | |
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57 pelted | |
(连续地)投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 ); 连续抨击; 攻击; 剥去…的皮 | |
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58 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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59 descended | |
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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60 relinquish | |
v.放弃,撤回,让与,放手 | |
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61 recital | |
n.朗诵,独奏会,独唱会 | |
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62 deterred | |
v.阻止,制止( deter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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63 perils | |
极大危险( peril的名词复数 ); 危险的事(或环境) | |
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64 enjoins | |
v.命令( enjoin的第三人称单数 ) | |
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65 killing | |
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财 | |
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66 intrusive | |
adj.打搅的;侵扰的 | |
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67 Christians | |
n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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68 incognito | |
adv.匿名地;n.隐姓埋名;adj.化装的,用假名的,隐匿姓名身份的 | |
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69 creed | |
n.信条;信念,纲领 | |
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70 sufficiently | |
adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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71 conversant | |
adj.亲近的,有交情的,熟悉的 | |
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72 apprehend | |
vt.理解,领悟,逮捕,拘捕,忧虑 | |
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73 consulate | |
n.领事馆 | |
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74 caravan | |
n.大蓬车;活动房屋 | |
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75 courteous | |
adj.彬彬有礼的,客气的 | |
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