Philology

Aygun Aliyeva

Ganja State University, Ganja city (Azerbaijan)

The problem of stories in Victor Hugo’s work

In the literary creativity of Victor Hugo, one of the most outstanding representatives of the XIX-century French literature poetry holds a significant place. He created a number of works on Oriental theme and devoted a range of poems to Prophet Muhammad. In this article we would like to express our opinion about the problem of stories, some moments toning to Prophet Muhammed’s life in Hugo’s work “The Nine Years of Hijri” consisting of 176 lines.

1. It is stated in Hugo’s work that when Prophet Muhammad came to the mosque and appealed the congregation, one of the sheikhs said to him, “When you were born, a star appeared and three towers in Khosru’s palace fell”:

Le jour ou tu naquis une etoile apparut

Et trois tours du palais de Chosroes tomberent.

The book “Khatami-Anbiya Hazrat Muhammad and His Life” reads that on Monday morning beginning the twelfth day of the Rabi’ul Awwal month, the year of the Elephant when dawn was just breaking, the world became quite another world. Light was spread all over the world. The pride of the world circulating in love of the skies which the Universe had been longing for since the beginning, Muhammad Mustafa was born. There is not any other night similar to that night.

The Prophet’s poet Hassan Ibni Thabit related, “I was eight. I well remember that one day early in the morning in Madina a Jew called out another Jew saying, ‘Ahmad’s star shined tonight’. Later on I calculated and found out that it coincided with the night of Mauludi Mohammad.

Thus, it was not by a mere chance that Hugo used the words “A star shined the day you were born”. In a single line he presented that expression, story benefitting from the sources he had obtained, and Hugo’s line ‘and three towers of Khosru’s palace cracked and rolled down’ was the indication of the end of Khosru’s power.

Great French writer Voltaire wrote in great amazement that within nine years with the help of arms and words he (Prophet Muhammad) conquered the entire Arabia and Great Persia that the Romans had failed to invade. Everyone was jealous at the ardency of this man standing at the head of the army of 4 thousand men. (Voltaire, p. 79; A.Z. p.41). Voltaire pointed out also the fact that following the victory over Mecca, the number of his warriors, naturally, was increased. Trust in Muhammad was enhanced. And he wanted to carry out his wishes, thoughts and ideas without shedding blood. Thus, he offered four neighbouring rulers subordination without any battles. The Persian shah Khosru II tore off Muhammad’s letter in disgust.

Muhammad attacked Syria subordinate to Heraclius then and occupied some of its cities.

A part of the territory belonging to Heraclius switched to Khosru’s subordination and another part to Muhammad.

No doubt, in Hugo’s work the fall of three towers in Khosru’s palace when Mohammad was born was the hint at it, anticipating Mohammad’s occupation of Khosru’s territory in future.

2. Another story related to Prophet Muhammad’s life as given in Hugo’s work is also very widely spread.

When speaking about the Islamic customs A.Marzuka wrote that according to the Islamic customs everyone should pay his debts and hand out some of his wealth to the poor before his death. In his book “The Sacred Book of the East” Guiyyam Pottier emphasized that this legendary offering had been ascribed to the Prophet. Victor Hugo was describing the scene of death as follows,

La foule s’ecartait muette a son passage

Il se lova la barbe an puits d’Aboulfeia.

Un homme reclama trois drachmes qu’il paya,

Disant : - Mieux vaut payer ici que dans la tombe.

In his funeral the crowd grew dumb,

A man performed an ablution in Abulfeya’s pool.

He reminded that he (the Prophet) was supposed to give him three dirhams some time.

He said, ‘It is better to help in life than within the tomb’.

As it is stated, Hugo had cited this story from Pottier. However, this story exists in several variants, and it should be emphasized that a century prior to Pottier the French were already familiar with that story.

We would like, first of all, to consider the difference between the variants.

We read about a variant of that story in the book “Khatami-Anbiya Hazrat Muhammad and His Life”, “It was before he left the world. In a motionless state he was brought to the mosque by Fadl the son of Abbas and Ali each supporting him by one side. A wave of smile beyond any description was wandering on his face. Slowly he went up to the pulpit and turned his face to the crowd, ‘…Let those whom I owe something come and get his due. Here is my possession’.

One of the people said that he was to get three dirhams. For he had given the 3 dirhams to a poor man as alms by the Prophet’s order. That money was immediately repaid” (P.566).

One point should be focused here. Both Hugo’s work and this story state that when Prophet Muhammad came to the mosque at the last moment of his life, Ali was beside him. More precisely, the prophet exhausted of sickness last came to the mosque assisted by Ali.

Another story in A.Bilgiz’ book relates that Prophet Muhammad who had protected his life from all kinds of taints with his diligence asked, ‘Do I have any debts to anyone?’ turning to his followers once. ‘If I have any debts, tell me, for I can’t leave the world without having repaid them. A man, who leaves debts behind him, has to answer for his debts and repay them in the other world. For everything is accounted for’.

A man got up and said,

‘Oh, Prophet, you owe me a dirham. If you remember, I cut wood for you. In return you were to give me a dirham’.

The Prophet called A’ishah and instructed her to repay the man’s debt right away. A’ishah fulfilled the Prophet’s request (P.89).

The debt of one dirham in Hugo’s work was presented as three dirhams in this variant.

Speaking about the last moments of Prophet Muhammad’s life, Voltaire pointed out that at last Muhammad the owner of Arabia, having suspected all his neighbours, attacked Madina at the age 63 in a very sick state and said loudly at his last moments, ‘I am ready to correct all that I have done but seemed violent and merciless’. A man got up and asked him for some money. Muhammad had the money given to him and breathed his last.

This story about Prophet Muhammad reminds of the fate of the Azerbaijani bayatis (a form of folk poetry).

Whimsical flower I called,

Nightingale would show whims to flower.

Today I have been to a place where

Many were crying, but few laughed.

This bayati has acquired several variants through the time:

This is such kind of time

When there are many crying, and few laughing.

In other variants of this bayati “The world is the house of sorrow where there are many crying, and few laughing”, “Oh merciless Fate, because of you there are many crying, and few laughing” people seem to reconcile with the destiny.
However, in another variant people raise their voice to change time and say, “Oh, perish such kind of time, There are many crying, and few laughing”, revolting against it, enduring tyranny no more.

As Hugo happened to get that variant of the story about the Prophet, it was that very variant he used in his work.

3. In Hugo’s work “The Nine Years of Hijri” another story related to Prophet Muhammad’s life takes place again at the last minutes, seconds of his life. To prove that, no doubt, one should turn to the work:

Et l’ange de la Mort vers le soir a la porte.

Apparut, demandant qu’on lui permit d’entrer.

« Qu’il entre ». on vit alors son regard s’eclairer

De la meme clarte qu’au jour de sa naissance.

Et l’ange lui dit » :dieu desir ta presence ».

« Bien » - dit-il. Un frisson sur ses tempes courut.

Un souffle ouvrit sa levre et Mahomet mourut.

By the evening the angel of death (Azrail) appeared at the doorstep, asked for permission to enter.

‘Let me in’. Then they saw his bright look.

That was the light of the day he was born.

‘Well’, he said. That moment a shudder went through his legs. He breathed out his last and Muhammad died.

Aladdin Bilgiz presented the story as follows, “Those surrounding him were crying. They realized that the Prophet was about to accomplish his life… And the Prophet would say, ‘Forgive me, my Allah, pardon me. I want to be by You, oh my Ruler’.

Presently the door was knocked at. Fatima went up to the door and asked, ‘Who’s that?’ The person at the door who was covered from top to toe responded, ‘Let me in’.

Fatima assumed that he was the Prophet’s visitor, ‘The Prophet is sick’.

Fatima didn’t want to invite him in. ‘The Prophet sent by Allah is very sick’, she said. The unknown man insisted for the third time, ‘Let me in, I am Holy Archangel’.

Hearing this, the sick Muhammad whispered, ‘Come, oh Archangel”.

Archangel entered the room. Approaching Muhammad he said, ‘I have been sent by Allah. I have come for your soul’.

‘Follow the order’, the Prophet said and repeated addressing Allah, ‘Oh, mighty ruler, I want to be beside You’.

Taking in their breath, all were watching this miracle. Suddenly one of the men noticed that the Prophet fell motionless. Neither sound, no breath was felt in him. Muhammad’s soul had left him. The crowd bent on their knees and wept. The people’s laments rose to the sky.

One resemblance should be focused here. Hugo wrote, “Un soufflé ouvrit sa levre, et Mahommet mourut” literally translated as “A breath opened his lips and Muhammad died”. A. Bilgiz wrote, “Suddenly one of the men noticed that Prophet remained motionless… Muhammad’s soul had left him”.

Obviously, when writing “The Nine Years of Hijri” Hugo made use of both the historical facts and stories.

Hinting at the above-cited lines A.Marzuka wrote that actually in these seven poems Hugo described the Prophet’s last moments so artistically that this scene impresses everyone deeply (Archangel’s appearance, the Prophet’s smiling, his death, his fading away, the tremor in his temples, his breathing heavily). According to the Tunisian researcher who stated his opinion about the last lines in Hugo’s work, this scene is the character’s victory, for the hero receives death as a holiday. The ceremony of the Prophet’s last breath directs the reader towards the philosophical idea of birth and death, start and finish. This is Charles Boduit’s idea. In this work death is not the end of the world, it is just the indication of the start of a new life. Human death and formation of myth, the Prophet’s death, formation of literary work and art enable everyone to realize it at their desire.

The Tunisian researcher’s idea related to the below-stated point rouses interest. She wrote, “The dialog between Archangel and the Prophet proves that though Allah wants the Prophet’s death, he accepts this desire of Allah with delight and asks for no time to carry out his future plans.”

In the work the scene of death is a dramatic element, and the conversation makes it more animated, deeply impressing through its details.

The researcher does not forget about Hugo’s literary methods either. When speaking about them, she emphasizes that Hugo was not actually trying to create a work. Being a philosopher, he directly passes from an episode to the legendary and historical aspect. His poem is a history heard in a legendary realm.

At last the historical reality was seen in this great and mystical, legendary poem creating an unprecedented epic theme for Hugo. He brought Prophet Muhammad’s life to the forefront with small features, mainly depicting the path of the hero.

At last A.Marzuka comes to such a conclusion about Hugo’s “The Nine Years of Hijri”, “Among the real and false facts, among the human being, poet, prophet and emperor Victor Hugo suggests that there are philosophic concepts like progress and fall, life and death.

Victor Hugo, striking his whip against the legend of centuries, created his own legend describing Muhammad’s hijri as his own hijri (emigration). This work appeared as the historical reflection of his own exile.

References:

1. Bilgiz Aladdin. The Story of Prophet Muhammad. Baku, Ganjlik, 1991, 93p. (Translated from English by Rena Pashabeyova)

2. Victor Hugo. La legende des siecles. Paris, Flamarion, 1967, 445p.

3. Hugo connu meconnu, texts reunis par le professour Arifa Marzuki. Tunis, Ceres Edition, 2008, 217p.

4. Zeynalov Asgar. Victor Hugo, Baku, Mutarjim, 2001, 104s.

5. Zeynalov Asgar. The East in Victor’s Literary Works, Baku, “Azerbaijan Milli Ensyklopediyasi” Publishing House, 201, 160p.