The source of the foregoing lineage and geography is the Holy Quran. Kahlil Gibran probably based his play “Iram, the City of Lofty Pillars” on this information, or upon similar Eastern mythology pursuing the general vein of the following brief Arabian fantasy:
“When Shaddad, the son of Ad, became the Great King of the World, he commanded one thousand Emirs to seek for him a vast land abundant with water and pure air, that he might build in it a Golden City afar from the mountains. The rulers roamed throughout the world in quest of such land, and each Emir took with him one thousand men.
“And when it was found, the architects and builders erected within it a square city of forty leagues. They built a huge wall extending five hundred cubits, made of onyx stones, and covered it with sheets of gold that misted the eyes when the sun shone.
“And King Shaddad despatched his people to all parts of the world, and commanded them to dig out gold from the ground, to be used as mortar for the bricks. And he built inside the city walls one hundred thousand palaces for one hundred thousand officials of his kingdom. Each palace was erected upon columns of chrysolite and ruby blended with gold, and each column reached one hundred cubits toward heaven.
“And the rivers were brought through the city, and their tributaries through the palaces. The roadways of the city were gold and precious stones and ruby, and the palaces were adorned richly with gold and silver. Trees were imbedded along the banks of the river, and their branches were of living gold, and their leaves of silver, and their fruits of onyx and pearls. And the walls of the palaces were embellished with musk and ambergris.
“And King Shaddad built for himself a garden whose trees were of emerald and ruby, and upon the branches were singing birds of pure gold.”
THE PLAY
IRAM, CITY OF LOFTY PILLARS
The locale of the play: A small forest of walnut, pomegranate and poplar trees. In this forest, between the Orantes River (Nahr el’Asi) and the village of Hermil, stands an old solitary house in a clearing.
The time of the play: Late afternoon in mid-July, 1883.
The characters of the play:
Zain Abedeen of Nahawand, forty years old, who is a Persian Dervish and a mystic.
Najeeb Rahmé, thirty years old, a Lebanese scholar.
Amena Divine, age unknown, prophetic and mysterious, known in the vicinity as the Houri of the Valley.
As the curtain rises, Zain Abedeen is seen leaning his head on one hand, under the trees, and with his long walking staff is inscribing circular figures upon the ground. Najeeb Rahmé enters the clearing on a horse a few moments thereafter. He dismounts, fastens the rein to the trunk of a tree, dusts his clothes and approaches Zain Abedeen.
NAJEEB: Peace be with you, Sir!
ZAIN: And with you be peace. (He turns his face aside and whispers to himself): Peace we shall accept … but superiority? That is a different matter.
NAJEEB: Is this the abiding place of Amena Divine?
ZAIN: This is but one of her several abodes. She lives in none, yet she exists in all.
NAJEEB: I have inquired of many, vet none knew Amena Divine had numerous dwellings.
ZAIN: This establishes that your informants are people who cannot see except with their eyes, nor hear except through their ears. Amena Divine is everywhere (points to the east with his staff) and she roams the knolls and the valleys.
NAJEEB: Will she return to this place today?
ZAIN: Heaven so willing, she will return here today.
NAJEEB: (Seating himself upon a rock before Zain, and staring at him): Your beard reveals to me that you are a Persian.
ZAIN: Yes, I was born in Nahawand, reared in Sheezar, and educated in Nisabour. I journeyed through the east and west of the world and returned, for I found myself a stranger to all places.
NAJEEB: We are often strangers to ourselves !
ZAIN: (Disregarding Najeeb’s comment): Truly, I have encountered and conversed with thousands of men, and could find none but those who are content with their close environs, confining themselves to their small prisons which are the only ones they know and see in this vast world.
NAJEEB: (Bewildered by Zain’s words): Is not man naturally attached to the place of his birth?
ZAIN: The person who is limited in heart and thought is inclined to love that which is limited in life, and the weak-sighted cannot see more than one cubit ahead upon the path he treads, nor more than one cubit of the wall upon which he rests his shoulder.
NAJEEB: Not all of us are enabled to see with our inner eyes the great depths of life, and it is cruel to demand that the weak-sighted see the dim and the far.
ZAIN: You are correct, but is it not also cruel to press wine from the green grape?
NAJEEB: (After a brief, contemplative silence): For many years I have been hearing tales of Amena Divine. I was fascinated with these stories, and determined to meet her and inquire into her secrets and mysteries.
ZAIN: There is no person in this world who is capable of possessing the secrets of Amena Divine, just as there is no human capable of roaming the bottom of the sea as if walking in a garden.
NAJEEB: I beg your pardon, Sir, for I have not rendered clear my purpose. I know that I am not capable of acquiring for myself the unrevealed mysteries of Amena Divine. My prime hope is that she will relate to me the story of her entry into Iram, the City of Lofty Pillars, and the manner of things she found in this Golden City.
ZAIN: You need merely to stand in sincerity at the door of her dream. If it opens, you will reach your goal, and if it does not open, then your own self must bear blame.
NAJEEB: I fail to comprehend your strange words.
ZAIN: They are simple … simple by comparison to your great reward should you succeed. Amena Divine knows more about the people than they know about themselves, and she can perceive in one glance all of that which is hidden within them. If she finds you worthy, she will be happy to converse with you and place you upon the true pathway to light. If not, she will ignore you with a strength bespeaking your non-existence.
NAJEEB: What shall I do and what shall I say in order to prove myself worthy?
ZAIN: It is vain and wasteful to endeavour an approach to Amena Divine through mere words or deeds, for she neither listens nor sees. But through the soul of her ear she will hear what you do not say, and through the soul of her eye she will see what you do not do.
NAJEEB: How wise and how beautiful are your words!
ZAIN: Were I to talk of Amena Divine for a century, all I would say would be naught but the humming of a mute who struggles to sing a song of beauty.
NAJEEB: Do you know where this strange woman was born?
ZAIN: Her body was born in the vicinity of Damascus, but all else, greater than substance, was born in the bosom of God.
NAJEEB: What of her parents?
ZAIN: Can that be of consequence? Can you study the element properly by examining its surface alone? Can you foretell the taste of the wine by gazing upon the vessel?
NAJEEB You speak the truth. Nevertheless, there must be a bond between the spirit and the body, as there is a bond between the body and its immediate surroundings; and while I place no faith in chance, I believe that a knowledge of the background of Amena Divine will be of value to me in probing the secret of her life.
ZAIN: Well spoken! I know naught concerning her mother, except that she died upon the birth of Amena, her only child. Her father was Sheik Abdul Ghany, the famous blind prophet, who was thought to be divine, and recognized as the Imam of his time in mysticism. May his soul receive God’s mercy! He was fanatically attached to his daughter, and educated her carefully and poured into her heart all of his heart. And as she grew, he sought that she take from him all of his knowledge and wisdom. In truth, his great learning was slight compared to that knowledge which God had already bestowed upon Amena. And of his daughter he said, “From my painful darkness there came a great light that illuminated my pathway through life.” When Amena was twenty-
three years old, her father took her with him on a pilgrimage, and when they crossed the Damascus Desert and made their way into the wasteland, and the lighted city disappeared behind them, the blind father became fevered and died. Amena buried him and watched over his grave for seven days and seven nights, calling to his spirit and inquiring into hidden secrets of his soul. And on the seventh night the spirit of her father dismissed her from her vigil and commanded her to travel to the southeast, whereupon she obeyed (Zain ceases talking, gazes at the distant horizon, and after a few moments continues): She resumed the journey and fought her way until she reached the heart of the desert, which they call Rabh el Khali, and which no caravan in my knowledge has ever crossed. A few wanderers are said to have reached this place in the early days of the Islamic religion. The pilgrims believed Amena to have been lost, and mourned her as having died in hunger, and upon their return, told the populace of Damascus of the tragedy. All those who had known Sheik Abdul Ghany and his strange daughter lamented them, but as the years passed, they were forgotten. Five years thereafter, Amena Divine appeared in Musil, and because of her supernatural wisdom, knowledge, and beauty, her presence enraptured the people like a silver chip of heaven’s night falling from the blue tent.
NAJEEB: (Interrupting, although obviously interested in Zain’s story): Did Amena reveal her identity to the people?
ZAIN: She disclosed nothing concerning herself. She stood with unveiled face before the Imams and scholars, speaking of divine and immortal things, and describing to them the City of Lofty Pillars in a manner so eloquent as to surprise and captivate her listeners, and the number of her followers increased with each day.
The wise men of the city became envious and complained to the Emir, who summoned her to appear before him, and upon her appearance, he placed in her hands a packet of gold and urged her to depart the borders of the city. She refused to accept the gold and, alone, left the city under the cover of night. She journeyed through Constantinople, Damascus, Homs, and Tripoli, and in every city she brought light into the hearts of the people who gathered about her, drawn by her magic power. However, the Imams of each city opposed her, and continual exile was her lot.
Finally, upon deciding to lead a solitary life, she came to this place a few years ago. She denied herself all things except the love of God and her meditations upon His mysteries. This is but a small picture of the history of Amena Divine. But the blessed power given me by God to understand something of her ideal existence is the same power which, in its overwhelming intoxication of heart, renders me unable to describe in earthly words the wonders of Amena Divine. What human is able to gather in one cup the total wisdom that surrounds this world in many cups?
NAJEEB: My gratitude, Sir, for the interesting and vital information you have offered. My anxiety to see her is now greater than ever!
ZAIN: (Staring at Najeeb with piercing eyes): You are a Christian, are you not?
NAJEEB: Yes, I was born a Christian. However, with all regard to my ancestors, who bequeathed to me a religion as well as a name, I must add that if we were to do away with the various religions, we would find ourselves united and enjoying one great faith and religion, abounding in brotherhood.
ZAIN: You speak wisely, and on the matter of a united faith, there is none more abundantly informed than Amena Divine. She is, to the multitudes of all beliefs and ancestries, like the dew of the morn that falls from high and becomes as glittering gems upon the colourful leaves of all of the flowers. Yes … she is like the morning dew.… (Zain stops talking at this point, and looks toward the east, listening carefully. Then he stands up, cautioning Najeeb to be alert, and Zain warns in an excited whisper): Amena Divine approaches! May good fortune be with you!
NAJEEB: (In a faltering whisper): My long months of anxiety may soon find reward! (Najeeb places his hand upon his forehead, as if to calm his leaping nerves, and he senses a change in the character of the atmosphere. Recalling Zain’s words of possible failure, his expression of joyful anticipation changes to one of deep concern, but he now remains as motionless as a statue of marble.)
(Amena Divine enters and stands before the two men. She is draped in long, silken robes, and her features, gestures, and raiment cause her to resemble one of those goddesses worshipped by the past ages, rather than an oriental woman of her actual time. It is impossible to speculate even generally upon her age, for her face, though youthful, is unrevealing, and her deep eyes reflect one thousand years of wisdom and suffering. Najeeb and Zain remain reverently motionless, as if in the presence of one of the prophets of God.)
AMENA: (After staring at Najeeb as if penetrating his heart with her magnificent eyes; in a serene, confident voice): You are here to learn about us, but you shall not know more about us than you know about yourself, and you shall hear from us only that which you hear from yourself.
NAJEEB: (Perplexed, and exhibiting nervous fear): I have already seen, heard, and believed.… I am contented.
AMENA: Be not satisfied with partial contentment, for he who engulfs the spring of life with one empty jar will depart with two full jars. (Amena extends her hand toward him; he takes it in awe with both hands and kisses the ends of her fingers, impelled by a strong, unknown emotion. She then offers her other hand to Zain Abedeen, and he kisses it. Najeeb appears happy to have pursued the apparently correct procedure first. Amena Divine slowly withdraws herself.)
AMENA: (Sits upon a smooth rock and speaks to Najeeb): These are the chairs of God. Be seated. (Najeeb seats himself nearby and Zain does likewise. Amena continues, again to Najeeb): We see in your eyes the true light of God, and he who looks upon the true light of God will see in us our inner reality. You are sincere, and you love the truth, and therefore you desire to know more of truth. If you have words to say, you have but to speak and we will give heed, and if you have in your heart a question, ask and we will respond in truth.
NAJEEB: I come to inquire upon a matter that has been the consuming topic of conversation among the throngs. But when I found myself in your presence, I realized the enormity of the meaning of life, truth, and God, and now all else is unimportant. I am like the fisherman who threw his net into the sea hoping to find it laden with food for a day of his sustenance, but when he drew the net he found in it a heap of everlasting precious stones.
AMENA: I see in your heart that you have heard about our entry into Iram, the City of Lofty Pillars, and that you desire now to hear further of the Golden City.
NAJEEB: (Ashamed, yet intensely interested): Yes, since childhood the name Iram, the City of Lofty Pillars, has been embracing my dreams, preying upon my thoughts, and agitating my heart through its hidden meaning and tremendous significance.
AMENA: (Lifts her head and closes her eyes, and in a voice that, to Najeeb, seems to be emanating from the very heart of space, she speaks solemnly): Yes, we reached and entered the Golden City and sojourned there and filled our souls with its fragrance, and our hearts with its secrets, and our pouches with its pearls and its rubies, and our ears with its music, and our eyes with its beauty. And he who doubts that which we have seen and heard and found there is doubting his very self before God and man.
NAJEEB: (Slowly, and with difficulty and humility): I am naught but an infant, lisping and faltering and unable to express myself. Will you be kind to me and explain further, and forgive my many questions?
AMENA: Ask as you wish, for God has made many doors opening into truth which He opens to all who knock upon them with hands of faith.
NAJEEB: Did you enter Iram, the City of Lofty Pillars, in body or in spirit? Is this Golden City built of the glittering elements of this world and erected in a precise part of this world, or is it an imaginary or spiritual city which only the prophets of God can reach in ecstasy when Providence brings upon their souls a veil of eternity?
AMENA: All on earth, seen and unseen, is spiritual only. I entered the Golden City with my body, which is merely an earthly manifestation of my greater spirit, and which is, in all pe
rsons, a temporary vault for the safe-keeping of the spirit. I entered Iram with my body concealed within my spirit, for both are ever-present while on earth, and he who endeavours to cleave the body from the spirit, or the spirit from the body is directing his heart away from truth. The flower and its fragrance are one, and the blind who deny the colour and the image of the flower, believing that it possesses only a fragrance vibrating the ether, are like those with pinched nostrils who believe that flowers are naught but pictures and colours, possessing no fragrance.
NAJEEB: Then Iram, the City of Lofty Pillars, is a spiritual place only!
AMENA: (Indulgently): Time and place are spiritual states, and all that is seen and heard is spiritual. If you close your eyes you will perceive all things through the depths of your inner self, and you will see the world physical and ethereal, in its intended entirety, and you will acquaint yourself with its necessary laws and precautions, and you will understand the greatness that it possesses beyond its closeness. Yes … if you will close your eyes and open your heart and your inner perception you will discover the beginning and the end of existence … that beginning which in its turn becomes an ending, and that ending which must surely become a beginning.
NAJEEB: Is every human capable of thus closing his eyes and seeing the unclothed truth of life and existence?
AMENA: Man is empowered by God to hope and hope fervently, until that for which he is hoping takes the cloak of oblivion from his eyes, whereupon he will at last view his real self. And he who sees his real self sees the truth of real life for himself, for all humanity, and for all things.