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En la noche 496 del Libro de las Mil y una
Noches, se refiere que a Isa (Jesús) le fue
concedido ver a Bahamut y que, lograda esa
merced, rodó por el suelo y tardó tres días en
recobrar el conocimiento. Se añade que bajo el
desaforado pez hay un mar, y bajo el mar un
abismo de aire, y bajo el aire, fuego, y bajo el
fuego, una serpiente que se llama Falak, en cuya
boca están los infiernos. 635
No que diz respeito ao tema do duplo em “El espejo de tinta”, o
aparecimento e a revelação do duplo de Yakub são explorados mediante
o aceno da morte como consequência de sua visão no espelho de tinta.
Parece que na morte do cruel governador africano Borges
plasmou o desenlace de duas obras de escritores de língua inglesa que
ele admirava: o conto “William Wilson”, de Edgar Allan Poe, e o
romance “The picture of Dorian Gray”, de Oscar Wilde. Tanto em um
como em outro texto, há a morte do protagonista após a tentativa de
confrontar o seu duplo. Em Poe, o protagonista morre ao duelar com o
635 BORGES; GUERRERO. Ibid., p. 44. A passagem é a seguinte na tradução de Burton: “And
know, also, O Bulukiya, that the earths were made in seven stages, one upon another, and that
Allah hath created one of His Angels, whose stature and attributes none knoweth but Himself
and who beareth the seven stages upon his shoulders. Under this Angel Almighty Allah hath
created a great rock, and under the rock a bull, and under the bull a huge fish, and under the
fish a mighty ocean. God once told Isa (with whom be peace!) of this fish, and lie said, ‘O Lord
show me the fish, that I may look upon it.’ So the Almighty commanded an angel to take Isa
and show him the fish. Accordingly, he took him up and carried him (with whom be peace!) to
the sea, wherein the fish dwelt, and said, ‘Look, O Isa, upon the fish.’ He looked but at first
saw nothing, when, suddenly, the fish darted past like lightning. At this sight Isa fell down
aswoon, and when he came to himself, Allah spake to him by inspiration, saying, ‘O Isa, hast
thou seen the fish and comprehended its length and its breadth?’ He replied, ‘By Thy honour
and glory, O Lord, I saw no fish; but there passed me by a great bull, whose length was three
days' journey, and I know not what manner of thing this bull is.’ Quoth Allah, ‘O Isa, this that
thou sawest and which was three days in passing by thee, was but the head of the fish; and
know that every day I create forty fishes like unto this.’ And Isa hearing this marvelled at the
power of Allah the Almighty.” THE BOOK of thousand nights and a night. v. 5, p. 324-325.
(Omitiram-se as notas do autor na transcrição.)