The Dabistan

305

a dream that the world was deluged by water; there
Ci remained no trace of a living being, and I was-
u myself immersed in the water. In the midst of
tc this state I. saw a kingly rider come, sitting upon
'6 his horse upon the surface of the water. When he
iC came near me, he said to me: ' Come with me
cc " that I may save thee.' I replied: ' Who art
" 4 thou?' He answered : * I am the self-existing
tc c being, and creator of all things/ Then I began
" to follow him rapidly, and run along the surface
" of the water, until I arrived in a garden. There
ci I put my foot on the ground, and, directing my
" sight to the right, I beheld a delightful spot, full
"of all sorts of odoriferous herbs and elevated
" palaces, huris (beautiful virgins), kasurs (bridal
64 chambers), and youths and boys, and all the gifts
" of heaven, as well as the blessed, occupied with
" enjoyments. Besides, at the left, I saw pits,
t4 black, narrow, and tenebrious; and therein, like
"• bats, suspended a crowd of miserable beings
4C whose hands and feet were tied to the neck. The
" horseman, after having invited me to a pleasure-
tc walk in the garden, wanted to. conduct me out of
i£ the delightful place, but I had resolved in myself
44 that, like Idris, I would not go out of it. Then I
"c stuck close to the door, and took fast hold of the
Ci post. When 1 awoke from.sleep, 1 found my
" lips held fast by both my hands; arid thus it was
v. in. 20