VIII-VIII

To that rare beauty my heart seeks again,
To speaker¹ whose pulpit was ‘cross’ and slain.
To the King² often with lancers and force,
To wealth who never touched at any course.

1.         Viz. Mansoor Hallaj (cotton carder), fhough Mansoor Hallaj was never a cotton carder by profession. See notes on him under quatrain No. 185.
2.         Viz. Sultan Noor-ud-Din Zangi. In this quatrain Iqbal has used a most laconic language as he had explained tales of two great heroes. The brief explanation is given below (in translator’s own words)
A lover was mad to see the Lord’s Face,
At last he saw His Face, as was His Grace.
To show that beauty to friends he was mad,
It took him to pulpit to show what he had,

The unware Qazi (court) hanged the poor ‘lad’. Sultan N.D. Zangi raised his banner for Jehad and fought vigorously for 28 years during his reign, from 541 A.H. to 569 A.H. He was victorious in every battle he fought. He ammassed no wealth except the dust of his face during fighting which he had collected in a hand-kerchief. He left a will that when he will be lowered in grave that dust should be rubbed at his face. His will was fulfilled in like manner.