Seven Pillars of Wisdom · Chapter
XXXIX explained
Lawrence and a small party, led by Sherif Nasir, depart from Feisal's camp on a mission to raise the Howeitat and advance into Syria.
What happens
Lawrence and a small party, led by Sherif Nasir, depart from Feisal's camp on a mission to raise the Howeitat and advance into Syria. They travel through the desert to the oasis of Kurr, where they rest and enjoy the hospitality of the old gardener Dhaif-Allah. The chapter reflects on the hardships of the journey, the characters' personal sacrifices, and the contrast between the peace of the oasis and the turmoil of war.
Themes in this chapter
Suffering and Endurance
The physical hardships of the desert march—heat, boils, fever, and meager rations—are endured by Lawrence and his companions as they push northward.
Love and Sacrifice
Nasir's longing for his lost garden-palace in Medina and his sacrifice of comfort for the cause exemplify the personal costs of the revolt.
Culture and Otherness
The contrast between Dhaif-Allah's simple, self-sufficient life and the political ambitions of the Arab leaders highlights differing worldviews.
Characters to notice
- Sherif Nasir
Leads the expedition; weary from months of vanguard service, yet devoted to the cause; shares memories of his lost home in Medina.
- Auda abu Tayi
Travels with the party, regulating the marches and enforcing discipline.
- Nesib el Bekri
Represents Feisal to the villagers of Syria; brings political acumen and patriotic songs to the camp.
- Gasim abu Dumeik
A fanged and yellow-faced outlaw who joins the party after killing a Turkish official.
- Old Dakhil-Allah
The only sedentary inhabitant of Kurr; tends his garden with contentment, indifferent to the political upheaval.
- Maulud el Mukhlus
Present at Kurr with his musicians; contributes to the evening entertainments.
Key passages
“Sherif Nasir led us: his lucent goodness, which provoked answering devotion even from the depraved, made him the only leader (and a benediction) for forlorn hopes.”
Nasir's radiant character inspired loyalty even in the worst of men, making him the perfect leader for desperate missions.
Lawrence praises Nasir's moral authority and suitability for leading hopeless causes.
“He feared his maturity as it grew upon him, with its ripe thought, its skill, its finished art; yet which lacked the poetry of boyhood to make living a full end of life.”
Nasir dreaded the loss of youthful spontaneity as he became more skilled and thoughtful, feeling that adulthood lacked the poetry of youth.
Reflects Nasir's internal conflict between the wisdom of age and the vitality of youth.
“This Garden, Dhaif-Allah, should it not be your very own? However, he would not understand, but stood up to strike himself proudly on the chest, crying, 'I—I am Kurr.'”
When Lawrence suggested the garden should be his own, Dhaif-Allah proudly declared his identity was inseparable from his land.
Highlights the contrast between nationalist ideals and local, personal identity.