cradling the dying Darius from Firdusi’s Book of Kings… the account of the
teacher who falls in love with his handsome student from Sadi’s Rosegarden
…the contest of doctors from Nizami’s Treasury of Secrets…” The other
miniaturists; vexed by their elderly and blind colleague; said; “We could’ve
told you that as well。 These are the best…known scenes from the most famous
stories。” In turn; the aged and blind miniaturist placed the most difficult
illustrations before the child and again listened intently。 “Hürmüz poisoning
the calligraphers one by one from Firdusi’s Book of Kings;” he said; again facing
the sky。 “A cheap rendition of the terrible account of the cuckold who catches
his wife and her lover in a pear tree; from Rumi’s Masnawi;” he said。 In this
fashion; relying on the boy’s descriptions; he identified all of the pictures;
none of which he could see; and thereby succeeded in having the books
properly bound together again。 When Ulu? Bey entered Herat with his army;
he asked the old miniaturist by what secret he; a blind man; could identify
those stories that other master illustrators couldn’t determine even by looking
at them。 “It isn’t; as one might assume; that my memory pensates for my
blindness;” replied the old illustrator。 “I have never forgotten that stories are
recollected not only through images; but through words as well。” Ulu? Bey
responded that his own miniaturists knew those words and stories; but still
couldn’t order the pictures。 “Because;” said the old miniaturist; “they think
quite well when it es to painting; which is their skill or their art; but they
don’t prehend that the old masters made these pictures out of the
88
memories of Allah Himself。” Ulu? Bey asked how a child could know such
things。 “The child doesn’t know;” said the old miniaturist。 “But I; an elderly
and blind miniaturist; know that Allah created this worldly realm the way an
intelligent seven…year…old boy would want to see it; what’s more; Allah created
this earthly realm so that; above all; it might be seen。 Afterward; He provided
us with words so we might share and discuss with one another what we’ve
seen。 We mistakenly assumed that these stories arose out of words and that
illustrations were painted in service of these stories。 Quite to the contrary;
painting is the act of seeking out Allah’s memories and seeing the world as He
sees the world。”
DJIM
Two hundred fifty years ago; Arab miniaturists were in the custom of staring
at the western horizon at daybreak to alleviate the understandable and eternal
anxieties about going blind shared by all miniaturists; likewise; a century later
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