The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 09 (of 10)
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Title: The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 09 (of 10)
Translator: Sir Richard Francis Burton
Release date: September 1, 2002 [eBook #3443]
Most recently updated: January 8, 2021
Language: English
Original publication: The Burton Club, 1885
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THE BOOK OF THE
THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT
A Plain and Literal Translation
of the Arabian Nights Entertainments
Translated and Annotated by
Richard F. Burton
VOLUME NINE
Privately Printed By The Burton Club
To Alexander Baird of Urie.
My Dear Baird,
I avail my self of a privilege of authorship, not yet
utterly obsolete, to place your name at the head of this volume.
Your long residence in Egypt and your extensive acquaintance with
its "politic," private and public, make you a thouroughly
competent judge of the merits and demerits of this volume; and
encourage me to hope that in reading it you will take something
of the pleasure I have had in writing it..
Ever yours sincerely,
Richard F. Burton.
Tangier, December 31, 1885.
Contents of the Ninth Volume
Ali Nur Al-Din and Miriam the Girdle-Girl (continued)
159. The Man of Upper Egypt and His Frankish Wife
160. The Ruined Man of Baghdad and his Slave-Girl
161. King Jali'ad of Hind and His Wazir Shimas: Followed by the
History of King Wird Khan, son of King Jali'ad with His Women
and Wazirs
a. The Mouse and the Cat
b. The Fakir and His Jar of Butter
c. The Fishes and the Crab
d. The Crow and the Serpent
e. The Wild Ass and the Jackal
f. The Unjust King and the Pilgrim Prince
g. The Crows and the Hawk
h. The Serpent-Charmer and His Wife
i. The Spider and the Wind
j. The Two Kings
k. The Blind Man and the Cripple
l. The Foolish Fisherman
m. The Boy and the Thieves
n. The Man and his Wife
o. The Merchant and the Robbers
p. The Jackals and the Wolf
q. The Shepherd and the Rogue
r. The Francolin and the Tortoises
162. Abu Kir the Dyer and Abu Sir the Barber
163. Abdullah the Fisherman and Abdullah the Merman
164. Harun Al-Rashid and Abu Hasan, The Merchant of Oman
165. Ibrahim and Jamilah
166. Abu Al-Hasan of Khorasan
167. Kamar Al-Zaman and the Jeweller's Wife
168. Abdullah Bin Fazil and His Brothers
The Book Of The
THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT
When it was the Eight Hundred and Eighty-ninth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Nur
al-Din heard the voice singing these verses he said in himself,
"Verily this be the Lady Miriam chanting without hesitation or
doubt or suspicion of one from without.[FN#1] Would Heaven I knew
an my thought be true and if it be indeed she herself or other
self!" And regrets redoubled upon him and he bemoaned himself and
recited these couplets,
"When my blamer saw me beside my love * Whom I met in a site that
lay open wide,
I spake not at meeting a word of reproach * Though oft it comfort
sad heart to chide;
Quoth the blamer, 'What means this silence that bars * Thy making
answer that hits his pride?'
And quoth I, 'O thou who as fool dost wake, * To misdoubt of
lovers and Love deride;
The sign of lover whose love is true * When he meets his belovèd
is mum to bide.'"
When he had made an end of these verses, the Lady Miriam fetched
inkcase and paper and wrote therein: "After honour due to the
Basmalah,[FN#2] may the peace of Allah be upon thee and His mercy
and blessings be! I would have thee know that thy slavegirl
Miriam saluteth thee, who longeth sore for thee; and this is her
message to thee. As soon as this letter shall fall into thy
hands, do thou arise without stay and delay and apply thyself to
that we would have of thee with all diligence and beware with all
wariness of transgressing her commandment and of sleeping. When
the first third of the night is past, (for that hour is of the
most favourable of times) apply thee only to saddling the two
stallions and fare forth with them both to the Sultan's
Gate.[FN#3] If any ask thee whither thou wend, answer, 'I am
going to exercise the steeds,' and none will hinder thee; for the
folk of this city trust to the locking of the gates." Then she
folded the letter in a silken kerchief and threw it out of the
latticed window to Nur al-Din, who took it and reading it, knew
it for the handwriting of the Lady Miriam and comprehended all
its contents. So he kissed the letter and laid it between his
eyes; then, calling to mind that which had betided him with her
of the sweets of love-liesse, he poured forth his tears whilst he
recited these couplets,
"Came your writ to me in the dead of the night * And desire for
you stirrèd heart and sprite;
And, remembered joys we in union joyed, * Praised the Lord who
placed us in parting plight."
As soon as it was dark Nur al-Din busied himself with making
ready the stallions and patiented till the first watch of the
night was past; when, without a moment delay, Nur al-Din the
lover full of teen, saddled them with saddles of the goodliest,
and leading them forth of the stable, locked the door after him
and repaired with them to the city-gate, where he sat down to
await the coming of the Princess. Meanwhile, Miriam returned
forthright to her private apartment, where she found the one-eyed
Wazir seated, elbow-propt upon a cushion stuffed with
ostrich-down; but he was ashamed to put forth his hand to her or
to bespeak her. When she saw him, she appealed to her Lord in
heart, saying, "Allahumma-O my God-bring him not to his will of
me nor to me defilement decree after purity!" Then she went up to
him and made a show of fondness for him and sat down by his side
and coaxed him, saying, "O my lord, what is this aversion thou
displayest to me? Is it pride or coquetry on thy part? But the
current byword saith, 'An the salam-salutation be little in
demand, the sitters salute those who stand."[FN#4] So if, O my
lord, thou come not to me neither accost me, I will go to thee
and accost thee." Said he, "To thee belong favour and kindness, O
Queen of the earth in its length and breadth; and what am I but
one of thy slaves and the least of thy servants. Indeed, I was
ashamed to intrude upon thine illustrious presence, O unique
pearl, and my face is on the earth at thy feet." She rejoined,
"Leave this talk and bring us to eat and drink." Accordingly he
shouted to his eunuchs and women an order to serve food, and they
set before them a tray containing birds of every king that walk
and fly and in nests increase and multiply, such as sand-grouse
and quails and pigeon-poults and lambs and fatted geese and fried
poultry and other dishes of all sorts and colours. The Princess
put out her hand to the tray and began to eat and feed the Wazir
with her fair finger-tips and kiss him on the mouth. They ate
till they had enough and washed their hands, after which the
handmaidens removed the table of food and set on the service of
wine. So Princess Miriam filled the cup and drank and gave the
Wazir to drink and served him with assiduous service, so that he
was like to fly for joy and his breast broadened and he was of
the gladdest. When she saw that the wine had gotten the better of
his senses, she thrust her hand into her bosom and brought out a
pastile of virgin Cretan-Bhang, which she had provided against
such an hour, whereof if an elephant smelt a dirham's weight, he
would sleep from year to year. She distracted his attention and
crumbled the drug into the cup: then, filling it up, handed it to
the Wazir, who could hardly credit his senses for delight. So he
took it and kissing her hand, drank it off, but hardly had it
settled in his stomach when he fell head foremost to the ground.
Then she rose and filling two great pairs of saddle-bags with
what was light of weight and weighty of worth of jewels and
jacinths and precious stones, together with somewhat of meat and
drink, donned harness of war and armed herself for fight. She
also took with her for Nur al-Din what should rejoice him of rich
and royal apparel and splendid arms and armour, and shouldering
the bags (for indeed her strength equalled her valiancy),
hastened forth from the new palace to join her lover. On this
wise fared it with the Lady Miriam; but as regards Nur
al-Din,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Ninetieth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Lady Miriam left the new palace, she went straightways to meet
her lover for indeed she was as valiant as she was strong; but
Nur al-Din the distracted, the full of teen, sat at the city-gate
hending the horses' halters in hand, till Allah (to whom belong
Majesty and Might) sent a sleep upon him and he slept-glory be to
Him who sleepeth not! Now at that time the Kings of the Islands
had spent much treasure in bribing folk to steal the two steeds
or one of them; and in those days there was a black slave, who
had been reared in the islands skilled in horse-lifting;
wherefore the Kings of the Franks seduced him with wealth galore
to steal one of the stallions and promised him, if he could
avail to lift the two, that they would give him a whole island
and endue him with a splendid robe of honour. He had long gone
about the city of France in disguise, but succeeded not in taking
the horses, whilst they were with the King; but, when he gave
them in free gift to the Wazir and the monocular one carried them
to his own stable, the blackamoor thief rejoiced with joy
exceeding and made sure of success, saying in himself, "By the
virtue of the Messiah and the Faith which is no liar, I will
certainly steal the twain of them!" Now he had gone out that very
night, intending for the stable, to lift them; but, as he walked
along, behold, he caught sight of Nur al-Din lying asleep, with
the halters in his hands. So he went up to the horses and loosing
the halters from their heads, was about to mount one of them and
drive the other before him, when suddenly up came the Princess
Miriam, carrying on her shoulders the couple of saddle-bags. She
mistook the black for Nur al-Din and handed him one pair of bags,
which he laid on one of the stallions: after which she gave him
the other and he set it on the second steed, without word said to
discover that it was not her lover. Then they mounted and rode
out of the gate[FN#5] in silence till presently she asked, "O my
lord Nur al-Din, what aileth thee to be silent?" Whereupon the
black turned to her and cried angrily, "What sayst thou, O
damsel?" When she heard the slave's barbarous accents, she knew
that the speech was not of Nur al-Din; so raising her eyes she
looked at him and saw that he was a black chattel, snub-nosed and
wide-mouthed, with nostrils like ewers; whereupon the light in
her eyes became night and she asked him, "Who art thou, O Shaykh
of the sons of Ham and what among men is thy name?" He answered,
"O daughter of the base, my name is Mas'úd, the lifter of horses,
when folk slumber and sleep." She made him no reply, but
straightway baring her blade, smote him on the nape and the blade
came out gleaming from his throat-tendons, whereupon he fell
earthwards, weltering in his blood, and Allah hurried his soul to
the Fire and abiding-place dire. Then she took the other horse by
the bridle and retraced her steps in search of Nur al-Din, whom
she found lying, asleep and snoring, in the place where she had
appointed him to meet her, hending the halters in hand, yet
knowing not his fingers from his feet. So she dismounted and gave
him a cuff,[FN#6] whereupon he awoke in affright and said to her,
"O m lady, praised be Allah for thy safe coming!" Said she "Rise
and back this steed and hold thy tongue!" So he rose and mounted
one of the stallions, whilst she bestrode the other, and they
went forth the city and rode on awhile in silence. Then said she
to him, "Did I not bid thee beware of sleeping? Verily, he
prospereth not who sleepeth." He rejoined, "O my lady, I slept
not but because of the cooling of my heart by reason of thy
promise. But what hath happened, O my lady?" So she told him her
adventure with the black, first and last, and he said, "Praised
be Allah for safety!" Then they fared on at full speed,
committing their affair to the Subtle, the All-wise and
conversing as they went, till they came to the place where the
black lay prostrate in the dust, as he were an Ifrit, and Miriam
said to Nur al-Din, "Dismount; strip him of his clothes and take
his arms." He answered, "By Allah, O my lady, I dare not dismount
nor approach him." And indeed he marvelled at the blackamoor's
stature and praised the Princess for her deed, wondering the
while at her valour and stout-heartedness. They fared on lustily
and ceased not so doing all that night and halted not till the
day broke with its shine and sheen and the sun shone bright upon
plain and height when they came to a wide riverino lea wherein
the gazelles were frisking gracefully. Its surface was clothed
with green and on all sides fruit trees of every kind were seen:
its slopes for flowers like serpents' bellies showed, and birds
sang on boughs aloud and its rills in manifold runnels flowed.
And indeed it was as saith the poet and saith well and
accomplisheth the hearer's desire,
"Rosy red Wady hot with summer-glow, * Where twofold tale of
common growth was piled.
In copse we halted wherein bent to us * Branches, as bendeth
nurse o'er weanling-child.
And pure cold water quenching thirst we sipped: * To cup-mate
sweeter than old wine and mild:
From every side it shut out sheen of sun * Screen-like, but wooed
the breeze to cool the wild:
And pebbles, sweet as maidens deckt and dight * And soft as
threaded pearls, the touch beguiled."
And as saith another,
"And when birdies o'er warble its lakelet, it gars *
Longing[FN#7] lover to seek it where morning glows;
For likest to Paradise lie its banks * With shade and fruitage
and fount that flows."
Presently Princess Miriam and Nur al-Din alighted to rest in this
Wady,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Ninety-first Night,
She said, It hat reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Princess Miriam and Nur al-Din alighted in that valley, they ate
of its fruits and drank of its streams, after turning the
stallions loose to pasture: then they sat talking and recalling
their past and all that had befallen them and complaining one to
other of the pangs of parting and of the hardships suffered for
estrangement and love-longing. As they were thus engaged, behold,
there arose in the distance a dust-cloud which spread till it
walled the world, and they heard the neighing of horses and clank
of arms and armour. Now the reason of this was, that after the
Princess had been bestowed in wedlock upon the Wazir who had gone
in to her that night, the King went forth at daybreak, to give
the couple good morrow, taking with him, after the custom of
Kings with their daughters, a gift of silken stuffs and
scattering gold and silver among the eunuchs and tire-women, that
they might snatch at and scramble for it. And he fared on
escorted by one of his pages; but when he came to the new palace,
he found the Wazir prostrate on the carpet, knowing not his head
from his heels; so he searched the place right and left for his
daughter, but found her not; whereat he was troubled sore with
concern galore and his wits forlore. Then he bade bring hot water
and virgin vinegar and frankincense[FN#8] and mingling them
together, blew the mixture into the Wazir's nostrils and shook
him, whereupon he cast the Bhang forth of his stomach, as it were
a bit of cheese. He repeated the process, whereupon the Minister
came to himself and the King questioned him of his case and that
of his daughter. He replied, "O mighty King, I have no knowledge
of her save that she poured me out a cup of wine with her own
hand; and from that tide to this I have no recollection of aught
nor know I what is come of her." When the King heard this, the
light in his eyes became night, and he drew his scymitar and
smote the Wazir on the head, then the steel came out gleaming
from between his grinder teeth. Then, without an instant delay,
he called the groom sand syces and demanded of them the two
stallions: but they said, "O King, the two steeds were lost in
the night and together with them our chief, the Master of Horse;
for, when we awoke in the morning, we found all the doors wide
open." Cried the King, "By the faith of me and by all wherein my
belief is stablished on certainty, none but my daughter hath
taken the steeds, she and the Moslem captive which used to tend
the Church and which took her aforetime! Indeed I knew him right
well and none delivered him from my hand save this one-eyed
Wazir; but now he is requited his deed." Then the King called his
three sons, who were three doughty champions, each of whom could
withstand a thousand horse in the field of strife and the stead
where cut and thrust are rife; and bade them mount. So they took
horse forthwith and the King and the flower of his knights and
nobles and officers mounted with them and followed on the trail
of the fugitives till Miriam saw them, when she mounted her
charger and baldrick'd her blade and took her arms. Then she said
to Nur al-Din, "How is it with thee and how is thy heart for
fight and strife and fray?" Said he, "Verily, my steadfastness in
battle-van is as the steadfastness of the stake in bran."[FN#9]
And he improvised and said,
"O Miriam thy chiding I pray, forego; * Nor drive me to death or
injurious blow:
How e'er can I hope to bear fray and fight * Who quake at the
croak of the corby-crow?
I who shiver for fear when I see the mouse * And for very funk I
bepiss my clo'!
I loveno foin but the poke in bed, * When coynte well knoweth my
prickle's prow;
This is rightful rede, and none other shows * Righteous as this
in my sight, I trow."
Now when Miriam heard his speech and the verse he made, she
laughed and smilingly said, "O my lord Nur al-Din, abide in thy
place and I will keep thee from their ill grace, though they be
as the sea-sands in number. But mount and ride in rear of me, and
if we be defeated and put to flight, beware of falling, for none
can overtake thy steed." So saying, she turned her lance-head
towards foe in plain and gave her horse the rein, whereupon he
darted off under her, like the stormy gale or like waters that
from straitness of pipes outrail. Now Miriam was the doughtiest
of the folk of her time and the unique pearl of her age and tide;
for her father had taught her, whilst she was yet little, on
steeds to ride and dive deep during the darkness of the night in
the battle tide. When the King saw her charging down upon them,
he knew her but too well and turning to his eldest son, said, "O
Bartaut,[FN#10] thou who art surnamed Ras al-Killaut[FN#11] this
is assuredly thy sister Miriam who chargeth upon us, and she
seeketh to wage war and fight fray with us. So go thou out to
give her battle: and I enjoin thee by the Messiah and the Faith
which is no liar, an thou get the better of her, kill her not
till thou have propounded to her the Nazarene faith. An she
return to her old creed, bring her to me prisoner; but an she
refuse, do her die by the foulest death and make of her the
vilest of examples, as well as the accursed which is with her."
Quoth Bartaut, "Hearkening and obedience"; and, rushing out
forthright to meet his sister, said to her, "O Miriam, doth not
what hath already befallen us on thine account suffice thee, but
thou must leave the faith of thy fathers and forefathers and
follow after the faith of the Vagrants in the lands, that is to
say, the faith of Al-Islam? By the virtue of the Messiah and the
Faith which is no liar, except thou return to the creed of the
Kings thy Forebears and walk therein after the goodliest fashion,
I will put thee to an ill death and make of thee the most
shameful of ensamples!" But Miriam laughed at his speech and
replied, "Well-away! Far be it that the past should present stay
or that he who is dead should again see day! I will make thee
drink the sourest of regrets! By Allah, I will not turn back upon
the faith of Mohammed son of Abdullah, who made salvation
general; for his is the True Faith; nor will I leave the right
road though I drain the cup of ruin!"--And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Ninety-second Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Miriam
exclaimed to her brother, "Well-away! Heaven forfend that I turn
back from the faith of Mohammed Abdullah-son who made salvation
general; for his is the Right Road nor will I leave it although I
drain the cup of ruin." When the accursed Bartaut heard this, the
light in his eyes became night, the matter was great and grievous
to him and between them there befel a sore fight. The twain
swayed to and fro battling throughout the length and breadth of
the valley and manfully enduring the stress of combat singular,
whilst all eyes upon them were fixed in admiring surprise: after
which they wheeled about and foined and feinted for a long bout
and as often as Bartaut opened on his sister Miriam a gate of
war,[FN#12] she closed it to and put it to naught, of the
goodliness of her skill and her art in the use of arms and her
cunning of cavalarice. Nor ceased they so doing till the dust
overhung their heads vault-wise and they were hidden from men's
eyes; and she ceased not to baffle Bartaut and stop the way upon
him, till he was weary and his courage wavered and his resolution
was worsted and his strength weakened; whereupon she smote him on
the nape, that the sword came out gleaming from his throat
tendons and Allah hurried his soul to the Fire and the
abiding-place which is dire. Then Miriam wheeled about in the
battleplain and the stead where cut and thrust are fain; and
championed it and offered battle, crying out and saying, "Who is
for fighting? Who is for jousting? Let come forth to me to-day no
weakling or niderling; ay, let none come forth to me but the
champions who the enemies of The Faith represent, that I may give
them to drink the cup of ignominious punishment. O worshippers of
idols, O miscreants, O rebellious folk, this day verily shall the
faces of the people of the True Faith be whitened and theirs who
deny the Compassionate be blackened!" Now when the King saw his
eldest son slain, he smote his face and rent his dress and cried
out to his second son, saying, "O Batrús, thou who art surnamed
Khara al-Sús,[FN#13] go forth, O my son, in haste and do battle
with thy sister Miriam; avenge me the death of thy brother
Bartaut and bring her to me a prisoner, abject and humiliated!"
He answered, "Hearkening and obedience, O my sire, and charging
down drave at his sister, who met him in mid-career, and they
fought, he and she, a sore fight, yet sorer than the first.
Bartus right soon found himself unable to cope with her might and
would have sought safety in flight, but of the greatness of her
prowess could not avail unto this sleight; for, as often as he
turned to flee, she drave after him and still clave to him and
pressed him hard, till presently she smote him with the sword in
his throat, that it issued gleaming from his nape, and sent him
after his brother. Then she wheeled about in the mid-field and
plain where cut and thrust are dealed, crying out and saying,
"Where be the Knights? Where be the Braves? Where is the one-eyed
Wazir, the lameter, of the crooked faith[FN#14] the worthy
believer?" Thereupon the King her father cried out with heart in
bleeding guise and tear-ulcerated eyes, saying, "She hath slain
my second son, by the virtue of the Messiah and the Faith which
is no liar!" And he called aloud to his youngest son, saying, "O
Fasyán, surnamed Salh al-Subyán,[FN#15] go forth, O my son, to do
battle with thy sister and take of her the blood-wreak for thy
brothers and fall on her, come what may; and whether thou gain or
thou lose the day;[FN#16] and if thou conquer her, slay her with
foulest slaughter!" So he drave out to Miriam, who ran at him
with the best of her skill and charged him with the goodliness of
her cleverness and her courage and her cunning in fence and
cavalarice, crying to him, "O accursed, O enemy of Allah and the
Moslems, I will assuredly send thee after thy brothers and woeful
is the abiding-place of the Miscreants!" So saying, she
unsheathed her sword and smote him and cut off his head and arms
and sent him after his brothers and Allah hurried his soul to the
Fire and the abiding-place dire. Now when the Knights and riders
who rode with her sire saw his three sons slain, who were the
doughtiest of the folk of their day, there fell on their hearts
terror of the Princess Miriam, awe of her overpowered them; they
bowed their heads earthwards and they made sure of ruin and
confusion, disgrace and destruction. So with the flames of hate
blazing in heart they turned their backs forthright and addressed
themselves to flight. When the King saw his sons slain and on his
flying troops cast sight, there fell on him bewilderment and
affright, whilst his heart also was a-fire for despight. Then
quoth he to himself, "In very sooth Princess Miriam hath
belittled us; and if I venture myself and go out against her
alone, haply she will gar me succumb and slay me without ruth,
even as she slew her brothers and make of me the foulest of
examples, for she hath no longer any desire for us nor have we of
her return any hope. Wherefore it were the better rede that I
guard mine honour and return to my capital." So he gave reins to
his charger and rode back to his city. But when he found himself
in his palace, fire was loosed in his heart for rage and chagrin
at the death of his three gallant sons and the defeat of his
troops and the disgrace to his honour; nor did he abide half an
hour ere he summoned his Grandees and Officers of state and
complained to them of that his daughter Miriam had done with him
of the slaughter of her brothers and all he suffered therefrom of
passion and chagrin, and sought advice of them. They all
counselled him to write to the Vicar of Allah in His earth, the
Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, and acquaint him with
his circumstance. So he wrote a letter to the Caliph, containing,
after the usual salutations, the following words. "We have a
daughter, Miriam the Girdle-girl hight, who hath been seduced and
debauched from us by a Moslem captive, named Nur al-Din Ali, son
of the merchant Taj al-Din of Cairo, and he hath taken her by
night and went forth with her to his own country; wherefore I beg
of the favour of our lord the Commander of the Faithful that he
write to all the lands of the Moslems to seize her and send her
back to us by a trusty messenger."--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Ninety-third Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the King
of France wrote to the Caliph and Prince of True Believers, Harun
al-Rashid, a writ humbling himself by asking for his daughter
Miriam and begging of his favour that he write to all the
Moslems, enjoining her seizure and sending back to him by a
trusty messenger of the servants of his Highness the Commander of
the Faithful; adding, "And in requital of your help and aidance
in this matter, we will appoint to you half of the city of Rome
the Great, that thou mayst build therein mosques for the Moslems,
and the tribute thereof shall be forwarded to you." And after
writing this writ, by rede of his Grandees and Lords of the land,
he folded the scroll and calling his Wazir, whom he had appointed
in the stead of the monocular Minister, bade him seal it with the
seal of the kingdom, and the Officers of state also set hands and
seals thereto; after which the King bade the Wazir bear the
letter to Baghdad,[FN#17] the Palace of Peace, and hand it into
the Caliph's own hand, saying, "An thou bring her back, thou
shalt have of me the fiefs of two Emirs and I will bestow on thee
a robe of honour with two-fold fringes of gold." The Wazir set
out with the letter and fared on over hill and dale, till he came
to the city of Baghdad, where he abode three days, till he was
rested from the way, when he sought the Palace of the Commander
of the Faithful and when guided thereto he entered it and craved
audience. The Caliph bade admit him; so he went in and kissing
ground before him, handed to him the letter of the King of
France, together with rich gifts and rare presents beseeming the
Commander of the Faithful. When the Caliph read the writ and
apprehended its significance, he commanded his Wazir to write,
without stay or delay, despatches to all the lands of the
Moslems, setting out the name and favour of Princess Miriam and
of Nur al-Din, stating how they had eloped and bidding all who
found them lay hands on them and send them to the Commander of
the Faithful, and warning them on no wise in that matter to use
delay or indifference. So the Wazir wrote the letters and sealing
them, despatched them by couriers to the different Governors, who
hastened to obey the Caliph's commandment and addressed
themselves to make search in all the lands for persons of such
name and favour. On this wise it fared with the Governors and
their subjects; but as regards Nur al-Din and Miriam the
Girdle-girl, they fared on without delay after defeating the King
of France and his force and the Protector protected them, till
they came to the land of Syria and entered Damascus-city. Now the
couriers of the Caliph had foregone them thither by a day and the
Emir of Damascus knew that he was commanded to arrest the twain
as soon as found, that he might send them to the Caliph.
Accordingly, when they entered the city, the secret police[FN#18]
accosted them and asked them their names. They told them the
truth and acquainted them with their adventure and all that had
betided them; whereupon they knew them for those of whom they
were in search and seizing them, carried them before the Governor
of the city. He despatched them to the city of Baghdad under
escort of his officers who, when they came thither, craved
audience of the Caliph which he graciously granted; so they came
into the presence; and, kissing ground before him, said, "O
Commander of the Faithful, this is Miriam the Girdle-girl,
daughter of the King of France, and this is the captive Nur
al-Din, son of the merchant Taj al-Din of Cairo, who debauched
her from her sire and stealing her from his kingdom and country
fled with her to Damascus, where we found the twain as they
entered the city, and questioned them. They told us the truth of
their case: so we laid hands on them and brought them before
thee." The Caliph looked at Miriam and saw that she was slender
and shapely of form and stature, the handsomest of the folk of
her tide and the unique pearl of her age and her time; sweet of
speech[FN#19] and fluent of tongue, stable of soul and hearty of
heart. Thereupon she kissed the ground between his hands and
wished him permanence of glory and prosperity and surcease of
evil and enmity. He admired the beauty of her figure and the
sweetness of her voice and the readiness of her replies and said
to her, "Art thou Miriam the Girdle-girl, daughter of the King of
France?" Answered she, "Yes, O Prince of True Believers and
Priest of those who the Unity of Allah receive and Defender of
the Faith and cousin of the Primate of the Apostles!" Then the
Caliph turned to Nur al-Din Ali and seeing him to be a shapely
youth, as he were the shining full moon on fourteenth night, said
to him, "And thou, art thou Ali Nur al-Din, son of the merchant
Taj al-Din of Cairo?" Said he, "Yes, O Commander of the Faithful
and stay of those who for righteousness are care-full!" The
Caliph asked, "How cometh it that thou hast taken this damsel and
fled forth with her of her father's kingdom?" So Nur al-Din
proceeded to relate to the Commander of the Faithful all his
past, first and last; whereat the Caliph was astonied with
extreme astonishment and diverted and exclaimed, "How manifold
are the sufferings that men suffer!"--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Ninety-fourth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Caliph Harun al-Rashid asked Nur al-Din of his adventure and was
told of all that had passed, first and last, he was astonied with
extreme astonishment and exclaimed, "How manifold are the
sufferings that men suffer!" Then he turned to the Princess and
said to her, "Know, O Miriam, that thy father, the King of
France, hath written to me anent thee. What sayst thou?" She
replied, "O Vicar of Allah on His earth and Executor of the
precepts of His prophet and commands to man's unworth,[FN#20] may
He vouchsafe thee eternal prosperity and ward thee from evil and
enmity! Thou art Viceregent of Allah in His earth and I have
entered thy Faith, for that it is the creed which Truth and
Righteousness inspire; and I have left the religion of the
Miscreants who make the Messiah a liar,[FN#21] and I am become a
True Believer in Allah the Bountiful and in the revelation of His
compassionate Apostle. I worship Allah (extolled and exalted be
He!) and acknowledge Him to be the One God and prostrate myself
humbly before Him and glorify Him; and I say before the Caliph,
'Verily , I testify that there is no god but the God and I
testify that Mohammed is the Messenger of God, whom He sent with
the Guidance and the True Faith, that He might make it victorious
over every other religion, albeit they who assign partners to God
be averse from it.'[FN#22] Is it therefore in thy competence, O
Commander of the Faithful, to comply with the letter of the King
of the heretics and send me back to the land of the schismatics
who deny The Faith and give partners to the All-wise King, who
magnify the Cross and bow down before idols and believe in the
divinity of Jesus, for all he was only a creature? An thou deal
with me thus, O Viceregent of Allah, I will lay hold upon thy
skirts on the Day of Muster before the Lord and make my complaint
of thee to thy cousin the Apostle of Allah (whom God assain and
preserve!) on the Day when wealth availeth not neither children
save one come unto Allah wholehearted!"[FN#23] Answered the
Caliph, "O Miriam, Allah forfend that I should do this ever! How
can I send back a Moslemah believer in the one God and in His
Apostle to that which Allah hath forbidden and eke His Messenger
hath forbidden?" Quoth she, "I testify that there is no god but
the God and that Mohammed is the Apostle of God!" Rejoined the
Caliph, "O Miriam, Allah bless and direct thee in the way of
righteousness! Since thou art a Moslemah and a believer in Allah
the One, I owe thee a duty of obligation and it is that I should
never transgress against thee nor forsake thee, though be
lavished unto me on thine account the world full of gold and
gems. So be of good cheer and eyes clear of tear; and be thy
breast broadened and thy case naught save easy. Art thou willing
that this youth Ali of Cairo be to thee man and thou to him
wife?" Replied Miriam, "O Prince of True Believers, how should I
be other than willing to take him to husband, seeing that he
bought me with his money and hath entreated me with the utmost
kindness and, for crown of his good offices, he hath ventured his
life for my sake many times?" So the Caliph summoned the Kazi and
the witneses and married her to him assigning her a dowry and
causing the Grandees of his realm be present and the marriage day
was a notable. Then he turned to the Wazir of the French King,
who was present, and said to him, "Hast thou heard her words? How
can I her send back to her father the Infidel, seeing that she is
a Moslemah and a believer in the Unity? Belike he will evil
entreat her and deal harshly with her, more by token that she
hath slain his sons, and I shall bear blame for her on
Resurrection-day. And indeed quoth the Almighty 'Allah will by no
means make a way for the Infidels over the True
Believers.'[FN#24] So return to thy King and say to him, 'Turn
from this thing and hope not to come at thy desire thereof.'" Now
this Wazir was a Zany: so he said to the Caliph, "O Commander of
the Faithful, by the virtue of the Messiah and the Faith which is
no liar, were Miriam forty times a Moslemah and forty times
thereto, I may not depart from thee without that same Miriam! And
if thou send her not back with me of free will, I will hie me to
her sire and cause him despatch thee an host, wherewith I will
come upon you from the landward and the seaward; and the van
whereof shall be at your capital city whilst the rear is yet on
the Euphrates[FN#25] and they shall lay waste thy realms." When
the Caliph heard these words from the accursed Wazir of the King
of France, the light in his face became night and he was wroth at
his speech with exceeding wrath and said to him, "O damned one, O
dog of the Nazarenes, art thou come to such power that thou durst
assail me with the King of the Franks?" Then quoth he to his
guards, "Take this accursed and do him die"; and he repeated this
couplet,[FN#26]
"This be his recompense who will * Oppose and thwart his betters'
will."
Then he commanded to cut off the Wazir's head and burn his body;
but Princess Miriam cried, "O Commander of the Faithful, soil not
thy sword with the blood of this accursed." So saying, she bared
her brand and smote him and made his head fly from his corpse,
and he went to the house of ungrace; his abode was Gehenna, and
evil is the abiding-place. The Caliph marvelled at the force of
her fore-arm and the strength of her mind, and they carried the
dead Wazir forth of the pavilion and burnt him. Then the
Commander of the Faithful bestowed upon Nur al-Din a splendid
robe of honour and assigned to him and her a lodging in his
palace. Moreover, he appointed them solde and rations, and
commanded to transport to their quarters all they needed of
raiment and furniture and vessels of price. They sojourned awhile
in Baghdad in all delight of life and solace thereof till Nur
al-Din longed for his mother and father. So he submitted the
matter to the Caliph and sought his leave to revisit his native
land and visit his kinsfolk, and he granted him the permission he
sought and calling Miriam, commended them each to other. He also
loaded them with costly presents and rarities and bade write
letters to the Emirs and Olema and notables of Cairo the
God-guarded, commending Nur al-Din and his wife and parents to
their care and charging them honour them with the highmost
honour. When the news reached Cairo, the merchant Taj al-Din
joyed at the return of his son and Nur al-Din's mother likewise
rejoiced therein with passing joy. The Emirs and the notables of
the city went forth to meet him, in obedience to the Caliph's
injunctions, and indeed it was for them a right note-worthy day,
wherein foregathered the lover and the beloved and the seeker
attained the sought. Moreover, all the Emirs made them
bride-feasts, each on his own day, and joyed in them with joy
exceeding and vied in doing them honour, one the other
succeeding. When Nur al-Din foregathered with his mother and
father, they were gladdened in each other with the utmost
gladness and care and affliction ceased from them, whilst his
parents joyed no less in the Princess Miriam and honoured her
with the highmost honour. Every day, there came to them presents
from all the Emirs and great merchants, and they were in new
delight and gladness exceeding the gladness of festival. Then
they ceased not abiding in solace and pleasance and good cheer
and abounding prosperity, eating and drinking with mirth and
merriment, till there came to them the Destroyer of delights and
Sunderer of societies, Waster of houses and palace-domes and
Peopler of the bellies of the tombs. So they were removed from
worldly stead and became of the number of the dead; and glory be
to the Living One, who dieth not and in whose hand are the keys
of the Seen and the Unseen! And a tale was also told by the Emir
Shujá al-Dín,[FN#27] Prefect of Cairo anent
THE MAN OF UPPER EGYPT AND HIS FRANKISH
WIFE.
We lay one night in the house of a man of the Sa'íd or Upper
Egypt, and he entertained us and entreated us hospitably. Now he
was a very old man swart with exceeding swarthiness, and he had little
children, who were white, of a white dashed with red. So we said
to him, "Harkye, such an one, how cometh it that these thy
children are white, whilst thou thyself art passing swart?" and
he said, "Their mother was a Frankish woman, whom I took prisoner
in the days of Al-Malik al-Násir Saláh al-Dín,[FN#28] after the
battle of Hattín,[FN#29] when I was a young man." We asked, "And
how gottest thou her?" and he answered, "I had a rare adventure
with her." Quoth we, "Favour us with it;" and quoth he, "With all
my heart! You must know that I once sowed a crop of flax in these
parts and pulled it and scutched it and spent on it five hundred
gold pieces; after which I would have sold it, but could get no
more than this therefor, and the folk said to me, 'Carry it to
Acre: for there thou wilt haply make good gain by it.' Now Acre
was then in the hands of the Franks; [FN#30] so I carried my flax
thither and sold part of it at six months' credit. One day, as I
was selling, behold, there came up a Frankish woman (now 'tis the
custom of the women of the Franks to go about the market streets
with unveiled faces), to buy flax of me, and I saw of her beauty
what dazed my wits. So I sold her somewhat of flax and was easy
with her concerning the price; and she took it and went away.
Some days after, she returned and bought somewhat more flax of me
and I was yet easier with her about the price; and she repeated
her visits to me, seeing that I was in love with her. Now she was
used to walk in company of an old woman to whom I said, "I am
sore enamoured of thy mistress. Canst thou contrive for me to
enjoy her?" Quoth she, 'I will contrive this for thee; but the
secret must not go beyond us three, me, thee and her; and there
is no help but that thou be lavish with money, to boot.' And I
answered, saying, 'Though my life were the price of her favours
'twere no great matter.'" -- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Ninety-Fifth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old
woman said to the man, "However the secret must not go beyond us
three, to wit me, thee and her; and there is no help but thou be
lavish of thy money to boot." He replied, "Though my life were
the price of her favours 'twere no great matter." "So it was
agreed" (continued the man of Upper Egypt), "that I should pay
her fifty dinars and that she should come to me; whereupon I
procured the money and gave it to the old woman. She took it and
said, 'Make ready a place for her in thy house, and she will come
to thee this night.' Accordingly I went home and made ready what
I could of meat and drink and wax candles and sweetmeats. Now my
house overlooked the sea and 'twas the season of summer; so I
spread the bed on the terrace roof. Presently, the Frank woman
came and we ate and drank, and the night fell dark. We lay down
under the sky, with the moon shining on us, and fell to watching
the shimmering of the stars in the sea: and I said to myself,
'Art thou not ashamed before Allah (to whom belong Might and Majesty!)
and thou a stranger, under the heavens and in presence of the
deep waters, to disobey Him with a Nazarene woman and merit the
torment of Fire?' Then said I, 'O my God, I call Thee to witness
that I abstain from this Christian woman this night, of
shamefastness before Thee and fear of Thy vengeance!' So I slept
till the morning, and she arose at peep of day full of anger and
went away. I walked to my shop and sat there; and behold,
presently she passed, as she were the moon, accompanied by the
old woman who was also angry; whereat my heart sank within me and
I said to myself, 'Who art thou that thou shouldst refrain from
yonder damsel? Art thou Sarí al-Sakatí or Bishr Barefoot or
Junayd of Baghdad or Fuzayl bin 'Iyáz?'[FN#31] Then I ran after
the old woman and coming up with her said to her, 'Bring her to
me again;' and said she, 'By the virtue of the Messiah, she will
not return to thee but for an hundred ducats!' Quoth I, 'I will
give thee a hundred gold pieces.' So I paid her the money and the
damsel came to me a second time; but no sooner was she with me
than I returned to my whilome way of thinking and abstained from
her and forbore her for the sake of Allah Almighty. Presently she
went away and I walked to my shop, and shortly after the old
woman came up, in a rage. Quoth I to her, 'Bring her to me
again;' and quoth she, 'By the virtue of the Messiah, thou shalt
never again enjoy her presence with thee, except for five hundred
ducats, and thou shalt perish in thy pain!' At this I trembled
and resolved to spend the whole price of my flax and therewith
ransom my life. But, before I could think, I heard the crier
proclaiming and saying, 'Ho, all ye Moslems, the truce which was
between us and you is expired, and we give all of you Mahometans
who are here a week from this time to have done with your
business and depart to your own country.' Thus her visits were
cut off from me and I betook myself to getting in the price of
the flax which men had bought upon credit, and to bartering what
remained in my hands for other goods. Then I took with me fair
merchandise and departed Acre with a soul full of affection and
love-longing for the Frankish woman, who had taken my heart and
my coin. So I journeyed till I made Damascus, where I sold the
stock in trade I had brought from Acre, at the highest price,
because of the cutting off of communication by reason of the term
of truce having expired; and Allah (extolled and exalted be He!)
vouchsafed me good gain. Then I fell to trading in captive slave-
girls, thinking thus to ease my heart of its pining for the
Frankish woman, and in this traffic engaged I abode three years,
till there befel between Al-Malik al-Násir and the Franks what
befel of the action of Hattin and other encounters and Allah gave
him the victory over them, so that he took all their Kings
prisoners and he opened [FN#32] the coast [FN#33] cities by His
leave. Now it fortuned one day after this, that a man came to me
and sought of me a slave-girl for Al-Malik al-Nasir. Having a
handsome handmaid I showed her to him and he bought her of me for
an hundred dinars and gave me ninety thereof, leaving ten still
due to me, for that there was no more found in the royal treasury
that day, because he had expended all his monies in waging war
against the Franks. Accordingly they took counsel with him and he
said, 'Carry him to the treasury[FN#34] where are the captives'
lodging and give him his choice among the damsels of the Franks,
so he may take one of them for the ten dinars,'" -- And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Ninety-sixth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that whenas
Al-Malik al-Nasir said, " ' Give him his choice to take one of the
girls for the ten dinars that are due to him;' they brought me to
the captives' lodging and showed me all who were therein, and I
saw amongst them the Frankish damsel with whom I had fallen in
love at Acre and knew her right well. Now she was the wife of one
of the cavaliers of the Franks. So I said, 'Give me this one,'
and carrying her to my tent, asked her, 'Dost thou know me?' She
answered, 'No;' and I rejoined, 'I am thy friend, the sometime
flax-merchant with whom thou hadst to do at Acre and there befel
between us what befel. Thou tookest money of me and saidest,
'Thou shalt never again see me but for five hundred dinars.' And
now thou art become my property for ten ducats.' Quoth she, 'This
is a mystery. Thy faith is the True Faith and I testify that
there is no god but the God and that Mohammed is the Messenger of
God!' And she made perfect profession of Al-Islam. Then said I to
myself, 'By Allah, I will not go in unto her till I have set her
free and acquainted the Kazi.' So I betook myself to Ibn
Shaddád[FN#35] and told him what had passed and he married me to
her. Then I lay with her that night and she conceived; after
which the troops departed and we returned to Damascus. But within
a few days there came an envoy from the King of the Franks, to
seek the captives and the prisoners, according to the treaty
between the Kings. So Al-Malik al-Nasir restored all the men and
women captive, till there remained but the woman who was with me
and the Franks said, 'The wife of such an one the Knight is not
here.' Then they asked after her and making strict search for
her, found that she was with me; whereupon they demanded her of
me and I went in to her sore concerned and with colour changed;
and she said to me, 'What aileth thee and what evil assaileth
thee?' Quoth I, 'A messenger is come from the King to take all
the captives, and they demand thee of me.' Quoth she, 'Have no
fear, bring me to the King and I know what to say before and to
him.' I carried her into the presence of the Sultan Al-Malik al-
Nasir, who was seated, with the envoy of the King of the Franks
on his right hand, and I said to him, 'This is the woman that is
with me.' Then quoth the King and the envoy to her, 'Wilt thou go
to thy country or to[FN#36] thy husband? For Allah hath loosed
thy bonds and those of thy fellow captives.' Quoth she to the
Sultan, 'I am become a Moslemah and am great with child, as by my
middle ye may see, and the Franks shall have no more profit of
me.' The envoy asked, 'Whether is dearer to thee, this Moslem or
thy first husband and knight such an one?;' and she answered him
even as she had answered the Sultan. Then said the envoy to the
Franks with him, 'Heard ye her words?' They replied, 'Yes.' And
he said to me, 'Take thy wife and depart with her.' So I took her
and went away; but the envoy sent after me in haste and cried,
'Her mother gave me a charge for her, saying, 'My daughter is a
captive and naked; and I would have thee carry her this chest.'
Take it thou and deliver it to her.' Accordingly I carried the
chest home and gave it to her. She opened it and found in it all
her raiment as she had left it and therein I saw the two purses
of fifty and an hundred dinars which I had given her, untouched
and tied up with my own tying, wherefore I praised Almighty
Allah. These are my children by her and she is alive to this day
and 'twas she dressed you this food." We marvelled at his story
and at that which had befallen him of good fortune, and Allah is
All-knowing. But men also tell a tale anent the
RUINED MAN OF BAGHDAD AND HIS SLAVE-GIRL
There was of old time in Baghdad a man of condition, who had
inherited from his father abounding affluence. He fell in love
with a slave-girl; so he bought her and she loved him as he loved
her; and he ceased not to spend upon her, till all his money was
gone and naught remained thereof; whereupon he sought a means of
getting his livelihood, but availed not to find any. Now this
young man had been used, in the days of his affluence, to
frequent the assemblies of those who were versed in the art of
singing and had thus attained to the utmost excellence therein.
Presently he took counsel with one of his intimates, who said to
him, "Meseems thou canst find no better profession than to sing,
thou and thy slave-girl; for on this wise thou wilt get money in
plenty and wilt eat and drink." But he misliked this, he and the
damsel, and she said to him, "I have bethought me of a means of
relief for thee." He asked, "What is it?;" and she answered, "Do
thou sell me; thus shall we be delivered of this strait, thou and
I, and I shall be in affluence; for none will buy the like of me
save a man of fortune, and with this I will contrive for my
return to thee." He carried her to the market and the first who
saw her was a Hashimi[FN#37] of Bassorah, a man of good breeding,
fine taste and generosity, who bought her for fifteen hundred
dinars. (Quoth the young man, the damsel's owner), "When I had
received the price, I repented me and wept, I and the damsel; and
I sought to cancel the sale; but the purchaser would not consent.
So I took the gold in a bag, knowing not whither I should wend,
now my house was desolate of her and buffeted my face and wept
and wailed as I had never done before. Then I entered a mosque
and sat shedding tears, till I was stupefied and losing my senses
fell asleep, with the bag of money under my head by way of
pillow. Presently, ere I could be ware, a man plucked the bag
from under my head and ran off with it at speed: whereupon I
started up in alarm and affright and would have arisen to run
after him; but lo! my feet were bound with a rope and I fell on
my face. Then I took to weeping and buffeting myself, saying,
'Thou hast parted with thy soul[FN#38] and thy wealth is lost!'"-
- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Ninety-seventh Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
young man continued, "So I said to myself, 'Thou hast parted with
thy soul and thy wealth is lost.' Then, of the excess of my
chagrin, I betook myself to the Tigris and wrapping my face in my
gown, cast myself into the stream. The bystanders saw me and
cried, 'For sure, this is because of some great trouble that hath
betided him.' They cast themselves in after me and bringing me
ashore, questioned me of my case. I told them what misadventure
had befallen me and they condoled with me. Then an old man of
them came to me and said, 'Thou hast lost thy money, but why
goest thou about to lose thy life and become of the people of The
Fire?[FN#39] Arise, come with me, that I may see thy lodging.' I
went with him to my house and he sat with me awhile, till I waxed
calmer, and becoming tranquil I thanked him and he went away.
When he was gone, I was like to kill myself, but bethought me of
the Future and the Fire; so I fared forth my house and fled to
one of my friends and told him what had befallen me. He wept for
pity of me and gave me fifty dinars, saying, 'Take my advice and
hie thee from Baghdad forthright and let this provide thee till
thy heart be diverted from the love of her and thou forget her.
Thy forbears were Secretaries and Scribes and thy handwriting is
fine and thy breeding right good: seek out, then, whom thou wilt
of the Intendants[FN#40] and throw thyself on his bounty; thus
haply Allah shall reunite thee with thy slave-girl.' I hearkened
to his words (and indeed my mind was strengthened and I was
somewhat comforted) and resolved to betake myself to
Wasit,[FN#41] where I had kinfolk. So I went down to the river-
side, where I saw a ship moored and the sailors embarking goods
and goodly stuffs. I asked them to take me with them and carry me
to Wásit; but they replied, 'We cannot take thee on such wise,
for the ship belongeth to a Hashimi.' However, I tempted them
with promise of passage-money and they said, 'We cannot embark
thee on this fashion;[FN#42] but, if it must be, doff those fine
clothes of thine and don sailor's gear and sit with us as thou
wert one of us.' I went away and buying somewhat of sailors'
clothes, put them on; after which I bought me also somewhat of
provisions for the voyage; and, returning to the vessel, which
was bound for Bassorah, embarked with the crew. But ere long I
saw my slave-girl herself come on board, attended by two waiting-
women; whereupon what was on me of chagrin subsided and I said in
myself, 'Now shall I see her and hear her singing, till we come
to Bassorah.' Soon after, up rode the Hashimi, with a party of
people, and they embarked aboard the ship, which dropped down the
river with them. Presently the Hashimi brought out food and ate
with the damsel, whilst the rest ate amidships. Then said he to
her, 'How long this abstinence from singing and permanence in
this wailing and weeping? Thou art not the first that hath been
parted from a beloved!' Wherefore I knew what she suffered for
love of me. Then he hung a curtain before her along the gunwale
and calling those who ate apart, sat down with them without the
curtain; and I enquired concerning them and behold they were his
brethren.[FN#43] He set before them what they needed of wine and
dessert, and they ceased not to press the damsel to sing, till
she called for the lute and tuning it, intoned these two
couplets,
'The company left with my love by night, * Nor forbore to fare
with heart's delight:
And raged, since their camels off paced, a fire * As of
Ghazá[FN#44]-wood in the lover's sprite.'
Then weeping overpowered her and she threw down the elute and
ceased singing; whereat the folks were troubled and I slipped
down a-swoon. They thought I was possessed[FN#45] and one of them
began reciting exorcisms in my ear; nor did they cease to comfort
her and beseech her to sing, till she tuned the lute again and
chaunted these couplets twain,
'I stood and bewailed who their loads had bound * And far yode
but still in my heart are found;
I drew near the ruins and asked of them * And the camp was void
and lay waste the ground.'
Then she fell down in a fainting-fit and weeping arose amongst
the folk; and I also cried out and fainted away. The sailors were
startled by me and one of the Hashimi's pages said to them, 'How
came ye to take this madman on board?' So they said one to other,
'As soon as we come to the next village, we will set him ashore
and rid us of him.' When I heard this, I was sore troubled but I
heartened and hardened myself, saying in thought, 'Nothing will
serve me to deliver myself from their hands, except I make shift
to acquaint her with my presence in the ship, so she may prevent
my being set ashore.' Then we sailed when we came hard by a
hamlet[FN#46] and the skipper said, 'Come, let us go ashore.'
Therewith they all landed, save myself; and as evening fell I
rose and going behind the curtain took the lute and changed its
accord, mode[FN#47] by mode, and tuning it after a fashion of my
own,[FN#48] that she had learnt of me, returned to my place in
the ship;" --And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Ninety-eighth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
young man continued, "I returned to my place in the ship; and
presently the whole party came on board again and the moon shone
bright upon river and height. Then said the Hashimi to the
damsel, 'Allah upon thee, trouble not our joyous lives!' So she
took the lute, and touching it with her hand, gave a sob, that
they thought her soul had fled her frame, and said, 'By Allah, my
master and teacher is with us in this ship!' Answered the
Hashimi, 'By Allah, were this so, I would not forbid him our
conversation! Haply he would lighten thy burthen, so we might
enjoy thy singing: but his being on board is far from possible.'
However she said, 'I cannot smite lute-string or sing sundry airs
I was wont to sing whilst my lord is with us.' Quoth the Hashimi,
'Let us ask the sailors;' and quoth she, 'Do so.' He questioned
them, saying, 'Have ye carried anyone with you!'; and they
answered, 'No.' Then I feared lest the enquiry should end there;
so I laughed and said, 'Yes; I am her master and taught her
whenas I was her lord.' Cried she, 'By Allah, that is my lord's
voice!' Thereupon the pages carried me to the Hashimi, who knew
me at first sight and said to me, 'Out on thee! What plight is
this in which I see thee and what hath brought thee to such
condition?' I related to him all that had befallen me of my
affair, weeping the while, and the damsel made loud wail from
behind the curtain. The Hashimi wept with sore weeping, he and
his brethren, for pity of me, and he said, 'By Allah, I have not
drawn near this damsel nor enjoyed her, nor have I even heard her
sing till this day! I am a man to whom Allah hath been ample and
I came to Baghdad but to hear singing and seek my allowances of
the Commander of the Faithful. I accomplished both my needments
and being about to return home, said to myself, 'Let us hear some
what of the singing of Baghdad.' Wherefore I bought this damsel,
knowing not that such was the case with you twain; and I take
Allah to witness that, when I reach Bassorah I will free her and
marry her to thee and assign you what shall suffice you, and
more; but on condition that, whenever I have a mind to hear
music, a curtain shall be hung for her and she shall sing to me
from behind it, and thou shalt be of the number of my brethren
and boon-companions.' Hereat I rejoiced and the Hashimi put his
head within the curtain and said to her, 'Will that content
thee?'; whereupon she fell to blessing and thanking him. Then he
called a servant and said to him, 'Take this young man and do off
his clothes and robe him in costly raiment and incense[FN#49] him
and bring him back to us.' So the servant did with me as his
master bade him and brought me back to him, and served me with
wine, even as the rest of the company. Then the damsel began
singing after the goodliest fashion and chanted these couplets,
'They blamed me for causing my tears to well * When came my
beloved to bid farewell:
They ne'er tasted the bitters of parting nor felt * Fire beneath
my ribs that flames fierce and fell!
None but baffled lover knows aught of Love, * Whose heart is lost
where he wont to dwell.'
The folk rejoiced in her song with exceeding joy and my gladness
redoubled, so that I took the lute from the damsel and preluding
after the most melodious fashion, sang these couplets,
'Ask (if needs thou ask) the Compassionate, * And the generous
donor of high estate.
For asking the noble honours man * And asking the churl entails
bane and bate:
When abasement is not to be 'scaped by wight * Meet it asking
boons of the good and great.
Of Grandee to sue ne'er shall vilify man, * But 'tis vile on the
vile of mankind to 'wait.'
The company rejoiced in me with joy exceeding and the ceased not
from pleasure and delight, whilst anon I sang and anon the
damsel, till we came to one of the landing-places, where the
vessel moored and all on board disembarked and I with them. Now I
was drunken with wine and squatted on my hams to make water; but
drowsiness overcame me and I slept, and the passengers returned
to the ship which ran down stream without any missing me, for
that they also were drunken, and continued their voyage until
they reached Bassorah. As for me I awoke not till the heat of the
sun aroused me, when I rose and looked about me, but saw no one.
Now I had given my spending money to the damsel and had naught
left: I had also forgotten to ask the Hashimi his name and where
his house was at Bassorah and his titles; thus I was confounded
and my joy at meeting the damsel had been but a dream; and I
abode in perplexity till there came up a great vessel wherein I
embarked and she carried me to Bassorah. Now I knew none there
much less the Hashimi's house, so I accosted a grocer and taking
of him inkcase and paper, -- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Ninety-ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Baghdad man who owned the maid entered Bassorah, he was perplexed
for not knowing the Hashimi's house. "So I accosted" (said he) "a
grocer and, taking of him inkcase and paper, sat down to write.
He admired my handwriting and seeing my dress stained and soiled,
questioned me of my case, to which I replied that I was a
stranger and poor. Quoth he, 'Wilt thou abide with me and order
the accounts of my shop and I will give thee thy food and
clothing and half a dirham a day for ordering the accompts of my
shop?'; and quoth I, ''Tis well,' and abode with him and kept his
accounts and ordered his income and expenditure for a month, at
the end of which he found his income increased and his
disbursements diminished; wherefore he thanked me and made my
wage a dirham a day. When the year was out, he proposed to me to
marry his daughter and become his partner in the shop. I agreed
to this and went in to my wife and applied me to the shop. But I
was broken in heart and spirit, and grief was manifest upon me;
and the grocer used to drink and invite me thereto, but I
refrained for melancholy. I abode on this wise two years till,
one day, as I sat in the shop, behold, there passed by a parcel
of people with meat and drink, and I asked the grocer what was
the matter. Quoth he, 'This is the day of the pleasure-makers,
when all the musicians and dancers of the town go forth with the
young men of fortune to the banks of the Ubullah river[FN#50] and
eat and drink among the trees there.' The spirit prompted me to
solace myself with the sight of this thing and I said in my mind,
'Haply among these people I may foregather with her I love.' So I
told the grocer that I had a mind to this and he said, 'Up and go
with them an thou please.' He made me ready meat and drink and I
went till I came to the River of Ubullah, when, behold, the folk
were going away: I also was about to follow, when I espied the
Rais of the bark wherein the Hashimi had been with the damsel and
he was going along the river. I cried out to him and his company
who knew me and took me on board with them and said to me, 'Art
thou yet alive?'; and they embraced me and questioned me of my
case. I told them my tale and they said, 'Indeed, we thought that
drunkenness had gotten the better of thee and that thou hadst
fallen into the water and wast drowned.' Then I asked them of the
damsel, and they answered, 'When she came to know of thy loss,
she rent her raiment and burnt the lute and fell to buffeting
herself and lamenting and when we returned with the Hashimi to
Bassorah we said to her, 'Leave this weeping and wailing.' Quoth
she, 'I will don black and make me a tomb beside the house and
abide there and repent from singing.'[FN#51] We allowed her so to
do and on this wise she abideth to this day. Then they carried me
to the Hashimi's house, where I saw the damsel as they had said.
When she espied me, she cried out a great cry, methought she had
died, and I embraced her with a long embrace. Then said the
Hashimi to me, 'Take her;' and I said, ''Tis well: but do thou
free her and according to thy promise marry her to me.'
Accordingly he did this and gave us costly goods and store of
raiment and furniture and five hundred dinars, saying, 'This is
the amount of that which I purpose to allow you every month, but
on condition that thou be my cup-companion and that I hear the
girl sing when I will.' Furthermore, he assigned us private
quarters and bade transport thither all our need; so, when I went
to the house I found it filled full of furniture and stuffs and
carried the damsel thither. Then I betook myself to the grocer
and told him all that had betided me, begging to hold me
guiltless for divorcing his daughter, without offence on her
part; and I paid her her dowry[FN#52] and what else behoved
me.[FN#53] I abode with the Hashimi in this way two years and
became a man of great wealth and was restored to the former
estate of prosperity wherein I had been at Baghdad, I and the
damsel. And indeed Allah the Bountiful put an end to our troubles
and loaded us with the gifts of good fortune and caused our
patience to result in the attainment of our desire: wherefore to
Him be the praise in this world and the next whereto we are
returning."[FN#54] And among the tales men tell is that of
KING JALI'AD OF HIND AND HIS WAZIR SHIMAS;
FOLLOWED BY THE HISTORY OF KING WIRD KHAN,
SON OF KING JALI'AD, WITH HIS WOMEN AND
WAZIRS.[FN#55]
There was once in days of yore and in ages and times long gone
before, in the land of Hind, a mighty King, tall of presence and
fair of favour and goodly of parts, noble of nature and generous,
beneficent to the poor and loving to his lieges and all the
people of his realm. His name was Jalí'ád and under his hand were
two-and-seventy Kings and in his cities three hundred and fifty
Kazis. He had three score and ten Wazirs and over every ten of
them he set a premier. The chiefest of all his ministers was a
man called Shimás[FN#56] who was then[FN#57] two and twenty years
old, a statesman of pleasant presence and noble nature, sweet of
speech and ready in reply; shrewd in all manner of business,
skilful withal and sagacious for all his tender age, a man of
good counsel and fine manners versed in all arts and sciences and
accomplishments; and the King loved him with exceeding love and
cherished him by reason of his proficiency in eloquence and
rhetoric and the art of government and for that which Allah had
given him of compassion and brooding care[FN#58] with his lieges
for he was a King just in his Kingship and a protector of his
peoples, constant in beneficence to great and small and giving
them that which befitted them of good governance and bounty and
protection and security and a lightener of their loads in taxes
and tithes. And indeed he was loving to them each and every, high
and low, entreating them with kindness and solicitude and
governing them in such goodly guise as none had done before him.
But, with all this, Almighty Allah had not blessed him with a
child, and this was grievous to him and to the people of his
reign. It chanced, one night, as Jali'ad[FN#59] lay in his bed,
occupied with anxious thought of the issue of the affair of his
Kingdom, that sleep overcame him and he dreamt that he poured
water upon the roots of a tree,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundredth Night,
She continued: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
King saw himself in his vision pouring water upon the roots of a
tree, about which were many other trees; and lo and behold! there
came fire out of this tree and burnt up every growth which
encompassed it; whereupon Jali'ad awoke affrighted and trembling,
and calling one of his pages said to him, "Go fetch the Wazir
Shimas in all haste." So he betook himself to Shimas and said to
him, "The King calleth for thee forthright because he hath awoke
from his sleep in affright and hath sent me to bring thee to him in
haste." When Shimas heard this, he arose without stay or delay
and going to the King, found him seated on his bed. He prostrated
himself before him, wishing him permanence of glory and
prosperity, and said, "May Allah not cause thee grieve, O King!
What hath troubled thee this night, and what is the cause of thy
seeking me thus in haste?" The King bade him be seated; and, as
soon as he sat down, began telling his tale and said to him, "I
have dreamt this night a dream which terrified me, and 'twas,
that methought I poured water upon the roots of a tree where
about were many other trees and as I was thus engaged, lo and
behold! fire issued therefrom and burnt up all the growths that
were around it; wherefore I was affrighted and fear took me. Then
I awoke and sent to bid thee to me, because of thy knowledge and
skill in the interpretation of dreams and of that which I know of
the vastness of thy wisdom and the greatness of thine
understanding." At this Shimas the Wazir bowed his head
groundwards awhile and presently raising it, smiled; so the King
said to him, "What deemest thou, O Shimas? Tell me the truth of
the matter and hide naught from me." Answered Shimas, "O King,
verily Allah Almighty granteth thee thy wish and cooleth thine
eyes; for the matter of this dream presageth all good, to wit,
that the Lord will bless thee with a son, who shall inherit the
Kingdom from thee, after thy long life. But there is somewhat
else I desire not to expound at this present, seeing that the
time is not favourable for interpretation." The King rejoiced in
these words with exceeding joy and great was his contentment; his
trouble departed from him, his mind was at rest and he said, "If
the case be thus of the happy presage of my dream, do thou
complete to me its exposition when the fitting time betideth: for
that which it behoveth not to expound to me now, it behoveth that
thou expound to me when its time cometh, so my joy may be
fulfilled, because I seek naught in this save the approof of
Allah extolled and exalted be He!" Now when the Wazir Shimas saw
that the King was urgent to have the rest of the exposition, he
put him off with a pretext; but Jali'ad assembled all the
astrologers and interpreters of dreams of his realm and as soon
as they were in the presence related to them his vision, saying,
"I desire you to tell me the true interpretation of this."
Whereupon one of them came forward and craved the King's
permission to speak, which being granted, he said, "Know, O King,
that thy Wazir Shimas is nowise unable to interpret this thy
dream; but he shrank from troubling thy repose. Wherefore he
disclosed not unto thee the whole thereof; but, an thou suffer me
to speak, I will expose to thee that which he concealed from
thee." The King replied, "Speak without respect for persons, O
interpreter, and be truthful in thy speech." The interpreter
said, "Know then, O King, that there will be born to thee a boy-
child who shall inherit the Kingship from thee, after thy long
life; but he shall not order himself towards the lieges after thy
fashion; nay, he shall transgress thine ordinances and oppress
thy subjects, and there shall befal him what befel the Mouse with
the Cat[FN#60]; and I seek refuge with Almighty Allah[FN#61]!"
The King asked, "But what is the story of the Cat and the
Mouse?"; and the interpreter answered "May Allah prolong the
King's life! They tell the following tale of
The Mouse and the Cat.
A grimalkin, that is to say, a Cat, went out one night to a
certain garden, in search of what she might devour, but found
nothing and became weak for the excess of cold and rain that
prevailed that night. So she sought for some device whereby to
save herself. As she prowled about in search of prey, she espied
a nest at the foot of a tree, and drawing near unto it, sniffed
thereat and purred till she scented a Mouse within and went round
about it, seeking to enter and seize the inmate. When the Mouse
smelt the Cat, he turned his back to her and scraped up the earth
with his forehand, to stop the nest-door against her; whereupon
she assumed a weakly voice and said, "Why dost thou thus, O my
brother? I come to seek refuge with thee, hoping that thou wilt
take pity on me and harbour me in thy nest this night; for I am
weak because of the greatness of my age and the loss of my
strength, and can hardly move. I have ventured into thy garden
tonight, and how many a time have I called upon death, that I might
be at rest from this pain! Behold, here am I at thy door,
prostrate for cold and rain and I beseech thee, by Allah, take of
thy charity my hand and bring me in with thee and give me shelter
in the vestibule of thy nest; for I am a stranger and wretched
and 'tis said, 'Whoso sheltereth a stranger and a wretched one in
his home his shelter shall be Paradise on the Day of Doom.' And
thou, O my brother, it behoveth thee to earn eternal reward by
succouring me and suffering me abide with thee this night till
the morning, when I will wend my way."--And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and First Night,
She pursued: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth
the Cat to the Mouse, "So suffer me to night with thee this
night, after which I will wend my way." Hearing these words the
Mouse replied, "How shall I suffer thee enter my nest seeing that
thou art my natural foe and thy food is of my flesh? Indeed I
fear lest thou false me, for that is of thy nature and there is
no faith in thee, and the byword saith, 'It befitteth not to
entrust a lecher with a fair woman nor a moneyless man with money
nor fire with fuel.' Neither doth it behove me to entrust myself
to thee; and 'tis said, 'Enmity of kind, as the enemy himself
groweth weaker groweth stronger.' " The Cat made answer in the
faintest voice, as she were in most piteous case, saying, "What
thou advancest of admonitory instances is the truth and I deny
not my offences against thee; but I beseech thee to pardon that
which is past of the enmity of kind between me and thee, for 'tis
said, 'Whoso forgiveth a creature like himself, his Creator will
forgive him his sins.' 'Tis true that whilome I was thy foe but
here am I a suitor for thy friendship, and they say, 'An thou
wilt have thy foe become thy friend, do with him good.' O my
brother, I swear to thee by Allah and make a binding covenant
with thee that I will hurt thee nevermore and for the best of
reasons, to wit, that I have no power thereto; wherefore place
thy trust in Allah and do good and accept my oath and covenant."
Quoth the Mouse, "How can I accept the covenant of one between
whom and me there is a rooted enmity, and whose wont it is to
deal treacherously by me? Were the feud between us aught but one
of blood, this were light to me; but it is an enmity of kind
between souls, and it is said, 'Whoso trusteth himself to his foe
is as one who thrusteth hand into a serpent's[FN#62] mouth.'"
Quoth the Cat, full of wrath, "My breast is strait and my soul is
faint: indeed I am in articulo mortis and ere long I shall die at
thy door and my blood will be on thy head, for that thou hadst it
in thy power to save me in mine extremity: and this is my last
word to thee." Herewith the fear of Allah Almighty overcame the
Mouse and ruth gat hold upon his heart and he said in himself,
"Whoso would have the succour of Allah the Most High against his
foe, let him entreat him with compassion and kindness show. I
rely upon the Almighty in this matter and will deliver this Cat
from this her strait and earn the divine reward for her." So he
went forth and dragged into his nest the Cat, where she abode
till she was rested and somewhat strengthened and restored, when
she began to bewail her weakness and wasted strength and want of
gossips. The Mouse entreated her in friendly guise and comforted
her and busied himself with her service; but she crept along till
she got command of the issue of the nest, lest the Mouse should
escape. So when the nest-owner would have gone out after his
wont, he drew near the Cat; whereupon she seized him and taking
him in her claws, began to bite him and shake him and take him in
her mouth and lift him up and cast him down and run after him and
cranch him and torture him.[FN#63] The Mouse cried out for help,
beseeching deliverance of Allah and began to upbraid the Cat,
saying, "Where is the covenant thou madest with me and where are
the oaths thou swarest to me? Is this my reward from thee? I
brought thee into my nest and trusted myself to thee: but sooth
he speaketh that saith, 'Whoso relieth on his enemy's promise
desireth not salvation for himself.' And again, 'Whoso confideth
himself to his foe deserveth his own destruction.' Yet do I put
my trust in my Creator, for He will deliver me from thee." Now as
he was in this condition, with the Cat about to pounce on him and
devour him, behold, up came a huntsman, with hunting dogs trained
to the chase. One of the hounds passed by the mouth of the nest
and hearing a great scuffling, thought that within was a fox
tearing somewhat; so he crept into the hole, to get at him, and
coming upon the Cat, seized on her. When she found herself in the
dog's clutches, she was forced to take thought anent saving
herself and loosed the Mouse alive and whole without wound. Then
the hound brake her neck and dragging her forth of the hole,
threw her down dead: and thus was exemplified the truth of the
saying, "Who hath compassion shall at the last be compassionated.
Whoso oppresseth shall presently be oppressed." "This, then, O
King," added the interpreter, "is what befel the Mouse and the
Cat and teacheth that none should break faith with those who put
trust in him; for who ever doth perfidy and treason, there shall
befal him the like of that which befel the Cat. As a man meteth,
so shall it be meted unto him, and he who betaketh himself to
good shall gain his eternal reward. But grieve thou not, neither
let this trouble thee, O King, for that assuredly thy son, after
his tyranny and oppression, shall return to the goodliness of thy
policy. And I would that yon learned man, thy Wazir Shimas, had
concealed from thee naught in that which he expounded unto thee;
and this had been well advised of him, for 'tis said, 'Those of
the folk who most abound in fear are the amplest of them in
knowledge and the most emulous of good.'" The King received the
interpreter's speech with submission and gifted him and his
fellows with rich gifts; then, dismissing them he arose and
withdrew to his own apartments and fell to pondering the issue of
his affair. When night came, he went in to one of his women, who
was most in favour with him and dearest to him of them all, and
lay with her: and ere some four months had passed over her, the
child stirred in her womb, whereat she rejoiced with joy
exceeding and told the King. Quoth he, "My dream said sooth, by
Allah the Helper!"; and he lodged her in the goodliest of
lodgings and entreated her with all honour, bestowing on her
store of rich gifts and manifold boons. Then he sent one of his
pages to fetch his Wazir Shimas and as soon as he was in the
presence told the Minister what had betided, rejoicing and
saying, "My dream is come true and I have won my wish. It may be
this burthen will be a man-child and inherit the Kingship after
me; what sayest thou of this, O Shimas?" But he was silent and
made no reply, whereupon cried the King, "What aileth thee that
thou rejoicest not in my joy and returnest me no answer? Doth the
thing mislike thee, O Shimas?" Hereat the Wazir prostrated
himself before him and said, "O King, may Allah prolong thy
life! What availeth it to sit under the shade of a tree, if there
issue fire therefrom, and what is the delight of one who drinketh
pure wine, if he be choked thereby, and what doth it profit to
quench one's thirst with sweet cool water, if one be drowned
therein? I am Allah's servant and thine, O King; but there are
three things[FN#64] whereof it besitteth not the understanding to
speak, till they be accomplished; to wit, the wayfarer, till he
return from his way, the man who is in fight, till he have
overcome his foe, and the pregnant woman, till she have cast her
burthen."----And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Second Night,
She resumed: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that after
Shimas had enumerated to the King the three things whereof it
besitteth not the understanding to speak save after they are
done, he continued, "For know, O King, that he, who speaketh of
aught before its accomplishment is like the Fakir who had hung
over his head the jar of clarified butter.[FN#65]" "What is the
story of the Fakir," asked the King, "and what happened to him?"
Answered the Wazir, "O King, they tell this tale anent
The Fakir and his Jar of Butter.[FN#66]
A fakir[FN#67] abode once with one of the nobles of a certain
town, who made him a daily allowance of three scones and a little
clarified butter and honey. Now such butter was dear in those
parts and the Devotee laid all that came to him together in a jar
he had, till he filled it and hung it up over his head for safe
keeping. One night, as he sat on his bed, staff in hand, he fell
a-musing upon the butter and the greatness of its price and said
in himself, "Needs must I sell all this butter I have by me and
buy with the price an ewe and take to partner therein a
Fellah[FN#68] fellow who hath a ram. The first year she will bear
a male lamb and a female and the second a female and a male and
these in their turn will bear other males and other females, nor
will they give over bearing females and males, till they become a
great matter. Then will I take my share and vent thereof what I
will. The males I will sell and buy with them bulls and cows,
which will also increase and multiply and become many; after
which I will purchase such a piece of land and plant a garden
therein and build thereon a mighty fine[FN#69] palace. Moreover,
I will get me robes and raiment and slaves and slave girls and
hold a wedding never was seen the like thereof. I will slaughter
cattle and make rich meats and sweetmeats and confections and
assemble all the musicians and mimes and mountebanks and player-
folk and after providing flowers and perfumes and all manner
sweet herbs, I will bid rich and poor, Fakirs and Olema, captains
and lords of the land, and whoso asketh for aught, I will cause
it to be brought him; and I will make ready all manner of meat
and drink and send out a crier to cry aloud and say, 'Whoso
seeketh aught, let him ask and get it.' Lastly I will go in to my
bride, after her unveiling and enjoy her beauty and loveliness;
and I will eat and drink and make merry and say to myself,
'Verily, hast thou won thy wish,' and will rest from devotion and
divine worship. Then in due time my wife will bear me a boy, and
I shall rejoice in him and make banquets in his honour and rear
him daintily and teach him philosophy and mathematics and polite
letters;[FN#70] so that I shall make his name renowned among men
and glory in him among the assemblies of the learned; and I will
bid him do good and he shall not gainsay me, and I will forbid
him from lewdness and iniquity and exhort him to piety and the
practice of righteousness; and, I will bestow on him rich and
goodly gifts; and, if I see him obsequious in obedience, I will
redouble my bounties towards him: but, an I see him incline to
disobedience, I will come down on him with this staff." So
saying, he raised his hand, to beat his son withal but the staff
hit the jar of butter which overhung his head, and brake it;
whereupon the shards fell upon him and the butter ran down upon
his head, his rags and his beard. So his clothes and bed were
spoiled and he became a caution to whoso will be cautioned.
"Wherefore, O King," added the Wazir, "it behoveth not a man to
speak of aught ere it come to pass." Answered the King, "Thou
sayest sooth! Fair fall thee for a Wazir! Verily the truth thou
speakest and righteousness thou counsellest. Indeed, thy rank
with me is such as thou couldst wish[FN#71] and thou shalt never
cease to be accepted of me." Thereupon the Wazir prostrated
himself before the King and wished him permanence of prosperity,
saying, "Allah prolong thy days and thy rank upraise! Know that I
conceal from thee naught, nor in private nor in public aught; thy
pleasure is my pleasure, and thy displeasure my displeasure.
There is no joy for me save in thy joyance and I cannot sleep o'
nights an thou be angered against me, for that Allah the Most
High hath vouchsafed me all good through thy bounties to me:
wherefore I beseech the Almighty to guard thee with His angels,
and to make fair thy reward whenas thou meetest Him." The King
rejoiced in this, whereupon Shimas arose and went out from before
him. In due time the King's wife bare a male child, and the
messengers hastened to bear the glad tidings and to congratulate
the Sovran, who rejoiced therein with joy exceeding and thanked
all with abundant thanks, saying, "Alhamdolillah--laud to the
Lord--who hath vouchsafed me a son, after I had despaired, for He
is pitiful and ruthful to His servants." Then he wrote to all the
lieges of his land, acquainting them with the good news and
bidding them to his capital; and great were the rejoicings and
festivities in all the realm. Accordingly there came Emirs and
Captains, Grandees and Sages, Olema and literati, scientists and
philosophers from every quarter to the palace and all presenting
themselves before the King, company after company, according to
their different degrees, gave him joy, and he bestowed largesse
upon them. Then he signed to the seven chief Wazirs, whose head
was Shimas, to speak, each after the measure of his wisdom, upon
the matter which concerned him the most. So the Grand Wazir
Shimas began and sought leave of the King to speak, which being
granted, he spake as follows.[FN#72] "Praised be Allah who
brought us into existence from non-existence and who favoureth
His servants with Kings that observe justice and equity in that
wherewith He hath invested them of rule and dominion, and who act
righteously with that which he appointeth at their hands of
provision for their lieges; and most especially our Sovereign by
whom He hath quickened the deadness of our land, with that which
He hath conferred upon us of bounties, and hath blessed us of His
protection with ease of life and tranquillity and fair dealing!
What King did ever with his folk that which this King hath done
with us in fulfilling our needs and giving us our dues and doing
us justice, one of other, and in abundant carefulness over us and
redress of our wrongs? Indeed, it is of the favour of Allah to
the people that their King be assiduous in ordering their affairs
and in defending them from their foes; for the end of the enemy's
intent is to subdue his enemy and hold him in his hand; and many
peoples[FN#73] bring their sons as servants unto Kings, and they
become with them in the stead of slaves, to the intent that they
may repel ill-willers from them.[FN#74] As for us, no enemy hath
trodden our soil in the days of this our King, by reason of this
passing good fortune and exceeding happiness, that no describer
may avail to describe, for indeed it is above and beyond all
description. And verily, O King, thou art worthy of this highest
happiness, and we are under thy safeguard and in the shadow of
thy wings, may Allah make fair thy reward and prolong thy
life![FN#75] Indeed, we have long been diligent in supplication
to Allah Almighty that He would vouchsafe an answer to our
prayers and continue thee to us and grant thee a virtuous son, to
be the coolth of thine eyes: and now Allah (extolled and exalted
be He!) hath accepted of us and replied to our petition,"--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Shimas the
Wazir said to the King, "And now Almighty Allah hath accepted of
us and answered our petition and brought us speedy relief, even
as He did to the Fishes in the pond of water." The King asked,
"And how was that, and what is the tale?"; and Shimas answered
him, "Hear, O King the story of
The Fishes and the Crab.
In a certain place there was a piece of water, wherein dwelt a
number of Fishes, and it befel that the pond dwindled away and
shrank and wasted, till there remained barely enough to suffice
them and they were nigh upon death and said, "What will become of
us? How shall we contrive and of whom shall we seek counsel for
our deliverance?" Thereupon arose one of them, who was the
chiefest in wit and age, and cried, "There is nothing will serve
us save that we seek salvation of Allah; but let us consult the
Crab and ask his advice: so come ye all[FN#76] and hie we
himwards and hear his rede for indeed he is the chiefest and
wisest of us all in coming upon the truth." Each and every
approved of the Fish's advice and betook themselves in a body to
the Crab, whom they found squatted in his hole, without news or
knowledge of their strait. So they saluted him with the salam and
said, "O our lord, doth not our affair concern thee, who art
ruler and the head of us?" The Crab returned their salutation,
replying, "And on you be The Peace! What aileth you and what d'ye
want?" So they told him their case and the strait wherein they
were by reason of the wastage of the water, and that, when it
should be dried up, destruction would betide them, adding,
"Wherefore we come to thee, expecting thy counsel and what may
bring us deliverance, for thou art the chiefest and the most
experienced of us." The Crab bowed his head awhile and said,
"Doubtless ye lack understanding, in that ye despair of the mercy
of Allah Almighty and His care for the provision of His creatures
one and all. Know ye not that Allah (extolled and exalted be He!)
provideth all His creatures without account and that He
fore-ordained their daily meat ere He created aught of creation
and appointed to each of His creatures a fixed term of life and
an allotted provision, of His divine All might? How then shall we
burthen ourselves with concern for a thing which in His secret
purpose is indite? Wherefore it is my rede that ye can do naught
better than to seek aid of Allah Almighty, and it behoveth each
of us to clear his conscience with his Lord, both in public and
private, and pray Him to succour us and deliver us from our
difficulties; for Allah the Most High disappointeth not the
expectation of those who put their trust in Him and rejecteth not
the supplications of those who prefer their suit to Him. When we
have mended our ways, our affairs will be set up and all will be
well with us, and when the winter cometh and our land is deluged,
by means of a just one's prayer, He will not cast down the good
He hath built up. So 'tis my counsel that we take patience and
await what Allah shall do with us. An death come to us, as is
wont, we shall be at rest, and if there befal us aught that
calleth for flight, we will flee and depart our land whither
Allah will."[FN#77] Answered all the fishes with one voice "Thou
sayst sooth, O our lord: Allah requite thee for us with weal!"
Then each returned to his stead, and in a few days the Almighty
vouchsafed unto them a violent rain and the place of the pond was
filled fuller than before. "On like wise, O King," continued
Shimas, "we despaired of a child being born to thee, and now that
God hath blessed us and thee with this well-omened son, we
implore Him to render him blessed indeed and make him the coolth
of thine eyes and a worthy successor to thee and grant us of him
the like of that which He hath granted us of thee; for Almighty
Allah disappointeth not those that seek Him and it behoveth none
to cut off hope of the mercy of his God." Then, rose the second
Wazir and saluting the King with the salam spake, after his
greeting was returned, as follows: "Verily, a King is not called
a King save he give presents and do justice and rule with equity
and show munificence and wisely govern his lieges, maintaining
the obligatory laws and apostolic usages established among them
and justifying them, one against other, and sparing their blood
and warding off hurt from them; and of his qualities should be
that he never abide incurious of the poor and that he succour the
highest and lowest of them and give them each the rights to them
due, so that all bless him and are obedient to his command.
Without doubt, a King who is after this wise of his lieges is
beloved and gaineth of this world eminence and of the next honour
and favour with the Creator thereof. And we, the body politic of
thy subjects, acknowledge in thee, O King, all the attributes of
kingship I have noted, even as it is said, 'The best of things is
that the King of a people be just and equitable, their physician
skilful and their teacher experience-full, acting according to
his knowledge.' Now we enjoy this happiness, after we had
despaired of the birth of a son to thee, to inherit thy kingship;
however, Allah (extolled be His name!) hath not disappointed
thine expectation, but hath granted thy petition, by reason of
the goodliness of thy trust in Him and thy submission of thine
affairs to Him. Then fair fall thy hope! There hath betided thee
that which betided the Crow and the Serpent." Asked the King
"What was that?"; and the Wazir answered, "Hear, O King, the tale
of
The Crow and the Serpent.
A crow once dwelt in a tree, he and his wife, in all delight of
life, till they came to the time of the hatching of their young,
which was the midsummer season, when a Serpent issued from its
hole and crawled up the tree wriggling around the branches till
it came to the Crows' nest, where it coiled itself up and there
abode all the days of the summer, whilst the Crow was driven away
and found no opportunity to clear his home nor any place wherein
to lie. When the days of heat were past, the Serpent went away to
its own place and quoth the Crow to his wife, "Let us thank
Almighty Allah, who hath preserved us and delivered us from this
Serpent, albeit we are forbidden from increase this year. Yet the
Lord will not cut off our hope; so let us express our gratitude
to Him for having vouchsafed us safety and soundness of body:
indeed, we have none other in whom to confide, and if He will and
we live to see the next year, He shall give us other young in the
stead of those we have missed this year." Next summer when the
hatching-season came round, the Serpent again sallied forth from
its place and made for the Crows' nest; but, as it was coiling up
a branch, a kite swooped down on it and struck claws into its
head and tare it, whereupon it fell to the ground a-swoon, and
the ants came out upon it and ate it.[FN#78] So the Crow and his
wife abode in peace and quiet and bred a numerous brood and
thanked Allah for their safety and for the young that were born
to them. "In like manner, O King," continued the Wazir, "it
behoveth us to thank God for that wherewith He hath favoured thee
and us in vouchsafing us this blessed child of good omen, after
despair and the cutting off of hope. May He make fair thy future
reward and the issue of thine affair!"--And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Fourth Night,
She continued: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the second Wazir had ended with the words, "Allah make fair thy
future reward and the issue of thine affair!", the third Wazir
presently rose and said, "Rejoice, O just King, in the assurance
of present prosperity and future felicity; for him, whom the
denizens of Earth love, the denizens of Heaven likewise love; and
indeed Almighty Allah hath made affection to be thy portion and
hath stablished it in the hearts of the people of thy kingdom;
wherefore to Him be thanks and praise from us and from thee, so
He may deign increase His bounty unto thee and unto us in thee!
For know, O King, that man can originate naught but by command of
Allah the Most High and that He is the Giver and all good which
befalleth a creature hath its end and issue in Him. He allotteth
His favours to His creatures, as it liketh Him; to some he giveth
gifts galore while others He doometh barely to win their daily
bread. Some He maketh Lords and Captains, and others Recluses,
who abstain from the world and aspire but to Him, for He it is
who saith, 'I am the Harmer with adversity and the Healer with
prosperity. I make whole and make sick. I enrich and impoverish.
I kill and quicken: in my hand is everything and unto Me all
things do tend.' Wherefore it behoveth all men to praise Him.
Now, especially thou, O King, art of the fortunate, the pious, of
whom it is said, 'The happiest of the just is he for whom Allah
uniteth the weal of this world and of the next world; who is
content with that portion which Allah allotteth to him and who
giveth Him thanks for that which He hath stablished.' And indeed
he that is rebellious and seeketh other than the dole which God
hath decreed unto him and for him, favoureth the wild Ass and the
Jackal.''[FN#79] The King asked, "And what is the story of the
twain?"; the Wazir answered, "Hear, O King, the tale of
The Wild Ass and the Jackal.
A certain Jackal was wont every day to leave his lair and fare
forth questing his daily bread. Now one day, as he was in a
certain mountain, behold, the day was done and he set out to
return when he fell in with another Jackal who saw him on the
tramp, and each began to tell his mate of the quarry he had
gotten. Quoth one of them, "The other day I came upon a wild Ass
and I was an-hungred, for it was three days since I had eaten;
so I rejoiced in this and thanked Almighty Allah for bringing him
into my power. Then I tare out his heart and ate it and was full
and returned to my home. That was three days ago, since which
time I have found nothing to eat, yet am I still full of meat."
When the other Jackal heard his fellow's story, he envied his
fulness and said in himself, "There is no help but that I eat the
heart of a wild Ass." So he left feeding for some days, till he
became emaciated and nigh upon death and bestirred not himself
neither did his endeavour to get food, but lay coiled up in his
earth. And whilst he was thus, behold, one day there came out two
hunters trudging in quest of quarry and started a wild Ass. They
followed on his trail tracking him all day, till at last one of
them shot at him a forked[FN#80] arrow, which pierced his vitals
and reached his heart and killed him in front of the Jackal's
hole. Then the hunters came up and finding him dead, pulled out
the shaft from his heart, but only the wood came away and the
forked head abode in the Ass's belly. So they left him where he
lay, expecting that others of the wild beasts would flock to him;
but, when it was eventide and nothing fell to them, they returned
to their abiding places. The Jackal, hearing the commotion at the
mouth of his home, lay quiet till nightfall, when he came forth
of his lair, groaning for weakness and hunger, and seeing the
dead Ass lying at his door, rejoiced with joy exceeding till he
was like to fly for delight and said, "Praised be Allah who hath
won me my wish without toil! Verily, I had lost hope of coming at
a wild Ass or aught else; and assuredly[FN#81] the Almighty hath
sent him to me and drave him fall to my homestead." Then he
sprang on the body and tearing open its belly, thrust in his head
and with his nose rummaged about its entrails, till he found the
heart and tearing a tid-bit swallowed it: but, as soon as he had
so done, the forked head of the arrow struck deep in his gullet
and he could neither get it down into his belly nor bring it
forth of his throttle. So he made sure of destruction and said,
"Of a truth it beseemeth not the creature to seek for himself
aught over and above that which Allah hath allotted to him. Had I
been content with what He appointed to me, I had not come to
destruction." "Wherefore, O King," added the Wazir, "it becometh
man to be content with whatso Allah hath distributed to him and
thank Him for His bounties to him and cast not off hope of his
Lord. And behold, O King, because of the purity of thy purpose
and the fair intent of thy good works, Allah hath blessed thee
with a son, after despair: wherefore we pray the Almighty to
vouchsafe him length of days and abiding happiness and make him a
blessed successor, faithful in the observance of thy covenant,
after thy long life." Then arose the fourth Wazir and said,
"Verily, an the King be a man of understanding, a frequenter of
the gates of wisdom,"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Fifth Night,
She pursued: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
fourth Wazir, arose and said, "Verily an the King be a man of
understanding, a frequenter of the gates of wisdom, versed in
science, government and policy, and eke upright in purpose and
just to his subjects, honouring those to whom honour is due,
revering those who are digne of reverence, tempering puissance
with using clemency whenas it behoveth, and protecting both
governors and governed, lightening all burthens for them and
bestowing largesse on them, sparing their blood and covering
their shame and keeping his troth with them. Such a King, I say,
is worthy of felicity both present and future worldly and other-
worldly, and this is of that which protecteth him from ill-will
and helpeth him to the stablishing of his Kingdom and the victory
over his enemies and the winning of his wish, together with
increase of Allah's bounty to him and His favouring him for his
praise of Him and the attainment of His protection. But an the
King be the contrary of this, he never ceaseth from misfortunes
and calamities, he and the people of his realm; for that his
oppression embraceth both stranger far and kinsman near and there
cometh to pass with him that which befel the unjust King with the
pilgrim Prince." King Jali'ad asked, "And how was that?" and the
Wazir answered, "Hear, O King, the tale of
The Unjust King and the Pilgrim Prince.
There was once in Mauritania-land[FN#82] a King who exceeded in
his rule, a tyrant, violent and over severe, who had no respect
for the welfare or protection of his lieges nor of those who
entered his realm; and from everyone who came within his Kingdom
his officers took four-fifths of his monies, leaving him one-
fifth and no more. Now Allah Almighty decreed that he should have
a son, who was fortunate and God-favoured and seeing the pomps
and vanities of this world to be transient as they are
unrighteous, renounced them in his youth and rejected the world
and that which is therein and fared forth serving the Most High,
wandering pilgrim-wise over words and wastes and bytimes entering
towns and cities. One day, he came to his father's capital and
the guards laid hands on him and searched him but found naught
upon him save two gowns, one new and the other old.[FN#83] So
they stripped the new one from him and left him the old, after
they had entreated him with contumely and contempt; whereat he
complained and said, "Woe to you, O ye oppressors! I am a poor
man and a pilgrim,[FN#84] and what shall this gown by any means
profit you? Except ye restore it to me, I will go to the King and
make complaint to him of you." They replied, "We act thus by the
King's command: so do what seemeth good to thee." Accordingly he
betook himself to the King's palace and would have entered, but
the chamberlains denied him admittance, and he turned away,
saying in himself, "There is nothing for me except to watch till
he cometh out and complain to him of my case and that which hath
befallen me." And whilst he waited, behold, he heard one of the
guards announce the King's faring forth; whereupon he crept up,
little by little, till he stood before the gate; and presently
when the King came out, he threw himself in his way and after
blessing him and wishing him weal, he made his complaint to him
informing him how scurvily he had been entreated by the
gatekeepers. Lastly he gave him to know that he was a man of the
people of Allah[FN#85] who had rejected the world seeking
acceptance of Allah and who went wandering over earth and
entering every city and hamlet, whilst all the folk he met gave
him alms according to their competence. "I entered this thy city"
(continued he), "hoping that the folk would deal kindly and
graciously with me as with others of my condition,[FN#86] but thy
followers stopped me and stripped me of one of my gowns and
loaded me with blows. Wherefore do thou look into my case and
take me by the hand and get me back my gown and I will not abide
in thy city an hour." Quoth the unjust King, "Who directed thee
to enter this city, unknowing the custom of its King?"; and quoth
the pilgrim, "Give me back my gown and do with me what thou
wilt." Now when the King heard this, his temper changed for the
worse and he said, "O fool,[FN#87] we stripped thee of thy gown,
so thou mightest humble thyself to us, but since thou makest this
clamour I will strip thy soul from thee." Then he commanded to
cast him into gaol, where he began to repent of having answered
the King and reproached himself for not having left him the gown
and saved his life. When it was the middle of the night, he rose
to his feet and prayed long and prayerfully, saying, "O Allah,
Thou art the Righteous Judge. Thou knowest my case and that which
hath befallen me with this tyrannical King, and I, Thine
oppressed servant, beseech Thee, of the abundance of Thy mercy,
to deliver me from the hand of this unjust ruler and send down on
him Thy vengeance; for Thou art not unmindful of the unright of
every oppressor. Wherefore, if Thou know that he hath wronged me,
loose on him Thy vengeance this night and send down on him Thy
punishment; for Thy rule is just and Thou art the Helper of every
mourner, O Thou to whom belong the power and the glory to the end
of time!" When the gaoler heard the prayer of the poor prisoner
he trembled in every limb, and behold, a fire suddenly broke out
in the King's palace and consumed it and all that were therein,
even to the door of the prison,[FN#88] and none was spared but
the gaoler and the pilgrim. Now when the gaoler saw this, he knew
that it had not befallen save because of the pilgrim's prayer; so
he loosed him and fleeing with him forth of the burning, betook
himself, he and the King's son, to another city. So was the
unjust King consumed, he and all his city, by reason of his
injustice, and he lost the goods both of this world and the next
world. "As for us, O auspicious King" continued the Wazir, "we
neither lie down nor rise up without praying for thee and
thanking Allah the Most High for His grace in giving thee to us,
tranquil in reliance on thy justice and the excellence of thy
governance; and sore indeed was our care for thy lack of a son to
inherit thy kingdom, fearing lest after thee there betide us a
King unlike thee. But now the Almighty hath bestowed His favours
upon us and done away our concern and brought us gladness in the
birth of this blessed child; wherefore we beseech the Lord to
make him a worthy successor to thee and endow him with glory and
felicity enduring and good abiding." Then rose the fifth Wazir
and said, "Blessed be the Most High,"--And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
fifth Wazir said, "Blessed be the Most High, Giver of all good
gifts and graces the most precious! But to continue: we are well
assured that Allah favoureth whoso are thankful to Him and
mindful of His faith; and thou, O auspicious King, art far-famed
for these illustrious virtues and for justice and equitable
dealing between subject and subject and in that which is
acceptable to Allah Almighty. By reason of this hath the Lord
exalted thy dignity and prospered thy days and bestowed on thee
the good gift of this august child, after despair, wherefrom
there hath betided us gladness abiding and joys which may not be
cut off; for we before this were in exceeding cark and passing
care, because of thy lack of issue, and full of concern
bethinking us of all thy justice and gentle dealing with us and
fearful lest Allah decree death to thee and there be none to
succeed thee and inherit the kingdom after thee, and so we be
divided in our counsels and dissensions arise between us and
there befal us what befel the Crows." Asked the King, "And what
befel the Crows?"; and the Wazir answered saying, "Hear, O
auspicious King, the tale of
The Crows and the Hawk.
There was once, in a certain desert, a spacious Wady, full of
rills and trees and fruits and birds singing the praises of Allah
the One of All might, Creator of day and night; and among them
was a troop of Crows, which led the happiest of lives. Now they
were under the sway and government of a Crow who ruled them with
mildness and benignity, so that they were with him in peace and
contentment; and by reason of their wisely ordering their
affairs, none of the other birds could avail against them.
Presently it chanced that there befel their chief the doom
irrevocably appointed to all creatures and he departed
life;[FN#89] whereupon the others mourned for him with sore
mourning, and what added to their grief was that there abided not
amongst them like him one who should fill his place. So they all
assembled and took counsel together concerning whom it befitted
for his goodness and piety to set over them; and a party of them
chose one Crow, saying, "It beseemeth that this be King over us,"
whilst others objected to him and would none of him; and thus
there arose division and dissension amidst them and the strife of
excitement waxed hot between them. At last they agreed amongst
themselves and consented to sleep the night upon it and that none
should go forth at dawn next day to seek his living, but that all
must wait till high morning, when they should gather together all
in one place. "Then," said they, "we will all take flight at once
and whichsoever shall soar above the rest in his flying, he shall
be accepted of us as ruler and be made King over us." The fancy
pleased them; so they made covenant together and did as they had
agreed and took flight all, but each of them deemed himself
higher than his fellow; wherefore quoth this one, "I am highest,"
and that, "Nay, that am I." Then said the lowest of them, "Look
up, all of you, and whomsoever ye find the highest of you, let
him be your chief." So they raised their eyes and seeing the Hawk
soaring over them, said each to other, "We agreed that which bird
soever should be the highest of us we will make king over us, and
behold, the Hawk is the highest of us: what say ye to him?" And
they all cried out, "We accept of him." Accordingly they summoned
the Hawk and said to him, "O Father of Good,[FN#90] we have
chosen thee ruler over us, that thou mayst look into our affair."
The Hawk consented, saying, "Inshallah, ye shall win of me
abounding weal." So they rejoiced and made him their King. But
after awhile, he fell to taking a company of them every day and
betaking himself with them afar off to one of the caves, where he
struck them down and eating their eyes and brains, threw their
bodies into the river. And he ceased not doing on this wise, it
being his intent to destroy them all till, seeing their number
daily diminishing, the Crows flocked to him and said, "O our
King, we complain to thee because from the date we made thee
Sovran and ruler over us, we are in the sorriest case and every
day a company of us is missing and we know not the reason of
this, more by token that the most part thereof are the high in
rank and of those in attendance on thee. We must now look after
our own safety." Thereupon the Hawk waxed wroth with them and
said to them, "Verily, ye are the murtherers, and ye forestall me
with accusation!" So saying, he pounced upon them and tearing to
pieces half a score of their chiefs in front of the rest,
threatened them and drave them out, sorely cuffed and beaten,
from before him. Hereat they repented them of that which they had
done and said, "We have known no good since the death of our
first King especially in the deed of this stranger in kind; but
we deserve our sufferings even had he destroyed us one by one to
the last of us, and there is exemplified in us the saying of him
that saith, 'Whoso submitteth him not to the rule of his own
folk, the foe hath dominion over him, of his folly.' And now
there is nothing for it but to flee for our lives, else shall we
perish." So they took flight and dispersed to various places.
"And we also, O King," continued the Wazir, "feared lest the like
of this befal us and there become ruler over us a King other than
thyself; but Allah hath vouchsafed us this boon and hath sent us
this blessed child, and now we are assured of peace and union and
security and prosperity in our Mother-land. So lauded be Almighty
Allah and to Him be praise and thanks and goodly gratitude! And
may He bless the King and us all his subjects and vouchsafe unto
us and him the acme of felicity and make his life-tide happy and
his endeavour constant!" Then arose the sixth Wazir and said,
"Allah favour thee with all felicity, O King, in this world and
in the next world! Verily, the ancients have left us this saying,
'Whoso prayeth and fasteth and giveth parents their due and is
just in his rule meeteth his Lord and He is well pleased with
him.' Thou hast been set over us and hast ruled us justly and
thine every step in this hath been blessed; wherefore we beseech
Allah Almighty to make great thy reward eternal and requite thee
thy beneficence. I have heard what this wise man hath said
respecting our fear for the loss of our prosperity, by reason of
the death of the King or the advent of another who should not be
his parallel, and how after him dissensions would be rife among
us and calamity betide from our division and how it behoved us
therefore to be instant in prayer to Allah the Most High, so
haply He might vouchsafe the King a happy son to inherit the
kingship after him. But, after all, the issue of that which man
desireth of mundane goods and wherefor he lusteth is unknown to
him and consequently it behoveth a mortal to ask not of his Lord
a thing whose end he wotteth not; for that haply the hurt of that
thing is nearer to him than its gain and his destruction may be
in that he seeketh and there may befal him what befel the Serpent
charmer, his wife and children and the folk of his house."--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Seventh Night,
She said: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
sixth Wazir said, "It behoveth not a man to ask of his Lord aught
whereof he ignoreth the issue for that haply the hurt of that
thing may be nearer than its gain, his destruction may be in that
he seeketh and there may befal him what befel the Serpent
charmer, his children, his wife and his household," the King
asked, "What was that?"; and the Wazir answered, "Hear, O King
the tale of
The Serpent-charmer and his Wife.
There was once a man, a Serpent-charmer,[FN#91] who used to train
serpents, and this was his trade; and he had a great
basket,[FN#92] wherein were three snakes but the people of his
house knew this not. Every day he used to go round with this
pannier about the town gaining his living and that of his family
by showing the snakes, and at eventide he returned to his house
and clapped them back into the basket privily. This lasted a long
while, but it chanced one day, when he came home, as was his
wont, his wife asked him, saying, "What is in this pannier?" And
he replied, "What wouldest thou with it? Is not provision
plentiful with you? Be thou content with that which Allah hath
allotted to thee and ask not of aught else." With this the woman
held her peace; but she said in herself, "There is no help but
that I search this basket and know what is there." So she egged
on her children and enjoined them to ask him of the pannier and
importune him with their questions, till he should tell them what
was therein. They presently concluded that it contained something
to eat and sought every day of their father that he should show
them what was therein; and he still put them off with pleasant
pretences and forbade them from asking this. On such wise they
abode awhile, the wife and mother still persisting in her quest
till they agreed with her that they would neither eat meat nor
drain drink with their father, till he granted them their prayer
and opened the basket to them. One night, behold, the Serpent-
charmer came home with great plenty of meat and drink and took
his seat calling them to eat with him: but they refused his
company and showed him anger. Whereupon he began to coax them
with fair words, saying, "Lookye, tell me what you would have,
that I may bring it you, be it meat or drink or raiment."
Answered they, "O our father, we want nothing of thee but that
thou open this pannier that we may see what is therein, else we
will slay ourselves." He rejoined, "O my children, there is
nothing good for you therein and indeed the opening of it will be
harmful to you." Hereat they redoubled in rage for all he could
say, which when he saw, he began to scold them and threaten them
with beating, except they returned from such condition; but they
only increased in anger and persistence in asking, till at last
he waxed wroth and took a staff to beat them, and they fled from
before him within the house. Now the basket was present and the
Serpent-charmer had not hidden it anywhere, so his wife left him
occupied with the children and opened the pannier in haste, that
she might see what was therein. Thereupon behold, the serpents
came out and first struck their fangs into her and killed her;
then they hied round about the house and slew all, great and
small, who were therein; except the Serpent-charmer, who left the
place and went his way. "If then, O auspicious King," continued
the Wazir, "thou consider this, thou wilt be convinced that it is
not for a man to desire aught save that which God the Great
refuseth not to him; nay, he should be content with what He
willeth. And thou, O King, for the overflowing of thy wisdom and
the excellence of thine understanding, Allah hath cooled thine
eyes with the advent of this thy son, after despair, and hath
comforted thy heart; wherefore we pray the Almighty to make him
of the just successors acceptable to Himself and to his
subjects." Then rose the seventh Wazir and said, "O King, I know
and certify all that my brethren, these Ministers wise and
learned, have said in the presence, praising thy justice and the
goodness of thy policy and proving how thou art distinguished in
this from all Kings other than thyself; wherefore they gave thee
the preference over them. Indeed, this be of that which is
incumbent on us, O King, and I say, Praised be Allah in that
He hath guerdoned thee with His gifts and vouchsafed thee of His
mercy, the welfare of the realm; and hath succoured thee and
ourselves, on condition that we increase in gratitude to Him; and
all this no otherwise than by thine existence! What while thou
remainest amongst us, we fear not oppression neither dread
unright, nor can any take long-handed advantage of our weakness!
and indeed it is said, 'The greatest good of a people is a just
King and their greatest ill an unjust King'; and again, 'Better
dwell with rending lions than with a tyrannous Sultan.' So
praised be Almighty Allah with eternal praise for that He hath
blessed us with thy life and vouchsafed thee this blessed child,
whenas thou wast stricken in years and hadst despaired of issue!
For the goodliest of the gifts in this world is a virtuous sire,
and it is said, 'Whoso hath no progeny his life is without result
and he leaveth no memory.' As for thee, because of the
righteousness of thy justice and thy pious reliance on Allah the
Most High, thou hast been vouchsafed this happy son; yea, this
blessed[FN#93] child cometh as a gift from the Most High Lord to
us and to thee, for the excellence of thy governance and the
goodliness of thy long-sufferance; and in this thou hast fared
even as fared the Spider and the Wind." Asked the King, "And what
is the story of the Spider and the Wind?"--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Eighth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the King asked, "And what is the story of the twain?", the Wazir
answered, "Give ear, O King, to the tale of
The Spider and the Wind.
A Spider once attached herself to a high gate[FN#94] and a retired
and span her web there and dwelt therein in peace, giving thanks
to the Almighty, who had made this dwelling-place easy to her and
had set her in safety from noxious reptiles. On this wise she
abode a long while, still giving thanks to Allah for her ease and
regular supply of daily bread, till her Creator bethought Him to
try her and make essay of her gratitude and patience. So he sent
upon her a strong east Wind, which carried her away, web and all,
and cast her into the main. The waves washed her ashore, and she
thanked the Lord for safety and began to upbraid the Wind,
saying, "O Wind, why hast thou dealt thus with me and what good
hast thou gotten by bearing me hither from my abiding-place,
where indeed I was in safety, secure in my home on the top of
that gate?" Replied the Wind, saying, "O Spider, hast thou not
learnt that this world is a house of calamities; and, say me, who
can boast of lasting happiness that such portion shall be thine?
Wottest thou not that Allah tempteth His creatures in order to
learn by trial what may be their powers of patience? How, then,
doth it beset thee to upbraid me, thou who hast been saved by me
from the vasty deep?" "Thy words are true, O Wind," replied the
Spider, "yet not the less do I desire to escape from this
stranger land into which thy violence hath cast me." The Wind
rejoined, "Cease thy blaming, for right soon I will bear thee
back and replace thee in thy place, as thou wast aforetime." So
the Spider waited patiently, till the north-east Wind left
blowing and there arose a south-west Wind, which gently caught
her up and flew with her towards her dwelling-place; and when she
came to her abode, she knew it and clung to it. "And we,"
continued the Wazir, "beseech Allah (who hath rewarded the King
for his singleness of heart and patience and hath taken pity on
his subjects and blessed them with His favour and hath vouchsafed
the King this son in his old age, after he had despaired of issue
and removed him not from the world, till He had blessed him with
coolth of eyes and bestowed on him what He hath bestowed of
Kingship and Empire!) to vouchsafe unto thy son that which He
hath vouchsafed unto thee of dominion and Sultanship and glory!
Amen." Then said the King, "Praised be Allah over all praise and
thanks be to Him over all thanks! There is no god but He, the
Creator of all things, by the light of whose signs we know the
glory of His greatness and who giveth kingship and command over
his own country to whom He willeth of His servants! He chooseth
of them whomso He please to make him His viceroy and viceregent
over His creatures and commandeth him to just and equitable
dealing with them and the maintenance of religious laws and
practices and right conduct and constancy in ordering their
affairs to that which is most acceptable to Him and most grateful
to them. Whoso doth thus and obeyeth the commandment of his
Lord, his desire attaineth and the orders of his God maintaineth;
so Providence preserveth him from the perils of the present world
and maketh ample his recompense in the future world; for indeed
He neglecteth not the reward of the righteous. And whoso doth
otherwise than as Allah biddeth him sinneth mortal sin and
disobeyeth his Lord, preferring his mundane to his supra-mundane
weal. He hath no trace in this world and in the next no portion:
for Allah spareth not the unjust and the mischievous, nor doth
He neglect any of His servants. These our Wazirs have set forth
how, by reason of our just dealing with them and our wise
governance of affairs, Allah hath vouchsafed us and them His
grace, for which it behoveth us to thank Him, because of the
great abundance of His mercies; each of them hath also spoken
that wherewith the Almighty inspired Him concerning this matter,
and they have vied one with another in rendering thanks to the
Most High Lord and praising Him for His favours and bounties. I
also render thanks to Allah for that I am but a slave commanded;
my heart is in His hand and my tongue in His subjection,
accepting that which He adjudgeth to me and to them, come what
may thereof. Each one of them hath said what passed through his
mind on the subject of this boy and hath set forth that which was
of the renewal of divine favour to us, after my years had reached
the term when confidence faileth and despair assaileth. So
praised be Allah who hath saved us from disappointment and from
the alternation of rulers, like to the alternation of night and
day! For verily, this was a great boon both to them and to us;
wherefore we praise Almighty Allah who hath given a ready answer
to our prayer and hath blessed us with this boy and set him in
high place, as the inheritor of the kingship. And we entreat him,
of His bounty and clemency, to make him happy in his actions,
prone to pious works, so he may become a King and a Sultan
governing his people with justice and equity, guarding them from
perilous error and frowardness, of His grace, goodness and
generosity!" When the King had made an end of his speech, the
sages and Olema rose and prostrated themselves before Allah and
thanked the King; after which they kissed his hands and departed,
each to his own house, whilst Jali'ad withdrew into his palace, where, he looked upon the new-born and offered up
prayers
for him and named him Wird Khán.[FN#95] The boy grew up till he
attained the age of twelve,[FN#96] when the King being minded to
have him taught the arts and sciences, bade build him a palace
amiddlemost the city, wherein were three hundred and threescore
rooms,[FN#97] and lodged him therein. Then he assigned him three
wise men of the Olema and bade them not be lax in teaching him
day and night and look that there was no kind of learning but
they instruct him hterin, so he might become versed in all
knowledge. He also commanded them to sit with him one day in each
of the rooms by turn and write on the door thereof that which
they had taught him therein of various kinds of lore and report
to himself, every seven days, whatso instructions they had
imparted to him. So they went in to the Prince and stinted not
from educating him day nor night, nor withheld from him aught of
that they knew; and presently there appeared in him readiness to
receive instruction such as none had shown before him. Every
seventh day his governors reported to the King what his son had
learnt and mastered, whereby Jali'ad became proficient in goodly
learning and fair culture, and the Olema said to him, "Never saw
we one so richly gifted with understanding as is this boy: Allah
bless thee in him and give thee joy of his life!" When the Prince
had completed his twelfth year, he knew the better part of every
science and excelled all the Olema and sages of his day:
wherefore his governors brought him to his sire and said to him,
"Allah gladden thine eyes, O King, with this auspicious youth! We
bring him to thee, after he hath learnt all manner knowledge, and
there is not one of the learned men of the time nor a scientist
who hath attained to that whereto he hath attained of science."
The King rejoiced in this with joy exceeding and thanking the
Almighty prostrated himself in gratitude before Allah (to whom
belong Majesty and Might!), saying, "Laud be to the Lord for His
mercies incalculable!" Then he called his Chief Wazir and said to
him, "Know, O Shimas, that the governors of my son are come to
tell me that he hath mastered every kind of knowledge and there
is nothing but they have instructed him therein, so that he
surpasseth in this all who forewent him. What sayst thou, O
Shimas?" Hereat the Minister prostrated himself before Allah (to
whom belong Might and Majesty!) and kissed the King's hand,
saying, "Loath is the ruby stone, albe it be bedded in the hardest
rock on hill, to do aught but shine as a lamp, and this thy son
is such a gem. His tender age hath not hindered him from becoming
a sage and Alhamdolillah--praised be Allah--for that which He
deigned bestow on him! But to-morrow I will call an assembly of
the flower of the Emirs and men of learning and examine the
Prince and cause him speak forth that which is with him in their
presence, Inshallah!" ---And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Ninth Night,
She pursued: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
King Jali'ad heard the words of his Wazir Shimas, he commanded
the attendance of the keenest-witted[FN#98] of the Olema and most
accomplished of the learned and sages of his dominions, and they
all presented themselves on the morrow at the door of the palace,
whereupon the King bade admit them. Then entered Shimas and
kissed the hands of the Prince, who rose and prostrated himself
to the Minister: but Shimas said, "It behoveth not the lion-whelp
to prostrate himself to any of the wild beasts, nor besitteth it
that Light prostrate itself to shade." Quoth the Prince, "Whenas
the lion-whelp seeth the leopard,[FN#99] he riseth up to him and
prostrateth himself before him, because of his wisdom, and Light
prostrateth itself to shade for the purpose of disclosing that
which is therewithin." Quoth Shimas, "True, O my lord; but I
would have thee answer me anent whatso I shall ask thee, by leave
of His Highness and his lieges." And the youth said, "And I, with
permission of my sire, will answer thee." So Shimas began and
said, "Tell me what is the Eternal, the Absolute, and what are
the two manifestations[FN#100] thereof and whether of the two is the
abiding one?" Answered the Prince, "Allah (to whom belong Might
and Majesty!) is the Eternal, the Absolute; for that He is Alpha,
without beginning, and Omega, without end. Now his two
manifestations are this world and the next, and the
abiding one of the two is the world to come." Q "Thou sayst truly
and I approve thy reply; but I would have thee tell me, how
knowest thou that one of Allah's manifestations is this world and
the other the world to come?"--"I know this because this world
was created from nothingness and had not its being from any
existing thing; wherefore its affair is referable to the first
essence. Moreover, it is a commodity swift of ceasing, the works
whereof call for requital of action and this postulateth the
reproduction[FN#101] of whatso passeth away; so the next world is
the second manifestation." Q "Now inform me how knowest thou that
the world to come is the abiding one of the two existences?"--
"Because it is the house of requital for deeds done in this world
prepared by the Eternal sans surcease." Q "Who are the people of
this world most to be praised for their practice?"--"Those who
prefer their weal in the world to come before their weal in this
world." Q "And who is he that preferreth his future to his
present welfare?"--"He who knoweth that he dwelleth in a
perishing house, that he was created but to vade away and that,
after vading away, he will be called to account; and indeed, were
there in this world one living and abiding for ever, he would not
prefer it to the next world." Q "Can the future life subsist
permanently without the present?"--"He who hath no present life
hath no future life: and indeed I liken this world and its folk
and the goal to which they fare with certain workmen, for whom an
Emir buildeth a narrow house and lodgeth them therein, commanding
each of them to do a certain task and assigning to him a set term
and appointing one to act as steward over them. Whoso doeth the
work appointed unto him, the steward bringeth him forth of that
straitness; but whoso doeth it not within the stablished term is
punished. After awhile, behold, they find honey exuding from the
chinks of the house,[FN#102] and when they have eaten thereof and
tasted its sweetness of savour, they slacken in their ordered
task and cast it behind their backs. So they patiently suffer the
straitness and distress wherein they are, with what they know of
the future punishment whereto they are fast wending, and are
content with this worthless and easily won sweetness; and the
Steward leaveth not to fetch every one of them forth of the
house, for ill or good, when his appointed period shall have
come. Now we know the world to be a dwelling wherein all eyes are
dazed, and that each of its folk hath his set term; and he who
findeth the little sweetness that is in the world and busieth
himself therewith is of the number of the lost, since he
preferreth the things of this world to the things of the next
world; but whoso payeth no heed to this poor sweetness and
preferreth the things of the coming world to those of this world,
is of those who are saved." Q "I have heard what thou sayest of
this world and the next and I accept thine answer; but I see they
are as two placed in authority over man; needs must he content
them both, and they are contrary one to other. So, if the
creature set himself to seek his livelihood, it is harmful to his
soul in the future: and if he devote himself to the next world,
it is hurtful to his body, and there is no way for him of
pleasing these two contraries at once."--"Indeed, the quest of
one's worldly livelihood with pious intent and on lawful wise is
a viaticum for the quest of the goods of the world to come; if a
man spend a part of his days in seeking his livelihood in this
world, for the sustenance of his body, and devote the rest of his
day to seeking the goods of the next world, for the repose of his
soul and the warding off of hurt therefrom; and indeed I see this
world and the other world as they were two Kings, a just and an
unjust." Asked Shimas, "How so?" and the youth began the tale of
The Two Kings.
There were once two Kings, a just and an unjust; and this one had
a land abounding in trees and fruits and herbs; but he let no
merchant pass without robbing him of his monies and his
merchandise, and the traders endured this with patience, by
reason of their profit from the fatness of the earth in the means
of life and its pleasantness, more by token that it was renowned
for its richness in precious stones and gems. Now the just King,
who loved jewels, heard of this land and sent one of his subjects
thither, giving him much specie and bidding him pass with it into
the other's realm and buy jewels therefrom. So he went thither;
and, it being told to the unjust King that a merchant was come to
his kingdom with much money to buy jewels withal, he sent for him
to the presence and said to him, "Who art thou and whence comest
thou and who brought thee thither and what is thy errand?" Quoth
the merchant, "I am of such and such a region, and the King of
that land gave me money and bade me buy therewith jewels from
this country; so I obeyed his bidding and came." Cried the unjust
King, "Out on thee! Knowest thou not my fashion of dealing with
the people of my realm and how each day I take their monies? How
then comest thou to my country? And behold, thou hast been a
sojourner here since such a time!" Answered the trader, "The
money is not mine, not a mite of it; nay, 'tis a trust in my
hands till I bring its equivalent to its owner." But the King
said, "I will not let thee take thy livelihood of my land or go
out therefrom, except thou ransom thyself with this money all of
it."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Tenth Night,
She resumed: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
unjust Ruler said to the trader who came to buy jewels from his
country, "'Tis not possible for thee to take thy livelihood of my
land except thou ransom thy life with this money, all of it; else
shalt thou die." So the man said in himself, "I am fallen between
two Kings, and I know that the oppression of this ruler embraceth
all who abide in his dominions: and if I satisfy him not, I shall
lose both life and money (whereof is no doubt) and shall fail of
my errand; whilst, on the other hand, if I give him all the gold,
it will most assuredly prove my ruin with its owner, the other
King: wherefore no device will serve me but that I give this one
a trifling part thereof and content him therewith and avert from
myself and from the money perdition. Thus shall I get my
livelihood of the fatness of this land, till I buy that which I
desire of jewels; and, after satisfying the tyrant with gifts, I
will take my portion of the profit and return to the owner of the
money with his need, trusting in his justice and indulgence, and
unfearing that he will punish me for that which this unjust King
taketh of the treasure, especially if it be but a little." Then
the trader called down blessings on the tyrant and said to him,
"O King, I will ransom myself and this specie with a small
portion thereof, from the time of my entering thy country to that
of my going forth therefrom." The King agreed to this and left
him at peace for a year, till he bought all manner jewels with
the rest of the money and returned therewith to his master, to
whom he made his excuses, confessing to having saved himself from
the unjust King as before related. The just King accepted his
excuse and praised him for his wise device and set him on his
right hand in his divan and appointed him in his kingdom an
abiding inheritance and a happy life-tide.[FN#103] "Now the just
King is the similitude of the future world and the unjust King
that of the present world ; the jewels that be in the tyrant's
dominions are good deeds and pious works. The merchant is man and
the money he hath with him is the provision appointed him of
Allah. When I consider this, I know that it behoveth him who
seeketh his livelihood in this world to leave not a day without
seeking the goods of the world to come, so shall he content this
world with that which he gaineth of the fatness of the earth and
satisfy the other world with that which he spendeth of his life
in seeking after it." Q "Are the spirit[FN#104] and the body
alike in reward and retribution, or is the body, as the luster of
lusts and doer of sinful deeds, and especially affected with
punishment?"--"The inclination to lusts and sins may be the cause
of earning reward by the withholding of the soul therefrom and
the repenting thereof; but the command[FN#105] is in the hand of
Him who doth what He will, and things by their contraries are
distinguished. Thus subsistence is necessary to the body, but
there is no body without soul; and the purification of the spirit
is in making clean the intention in this world and taking thought
to that which shall profit in the world to come. Indeed, soul and
body are like two horses racing for a wager or two foster-
brothers or two partners in business. By the intent are good
deeds distinguished and thus the body and soul are partners in
actions and in reward and retribution, and in this they are like
the Blind man and the Cripple with the Overseer of the garden."
Asked Shimas, "How so?" and the Prince said, "Hear, O Wazir, the
tale of
The Blind Man and the Cripple.
A blind man and a Cripple were travelling-companions and used to
beg alms in company. One day they sought admission into the
garden of some one of the benevolent, and a kind-hearted wight,
hearing their talk, took compassion on them and carried them into
his garden, where he left them after plucking for them some of
its produce and went away, bidding them do no waste nor damage
therein. When the fruits became ripe, the Cripple said to the
Blind man, "Harkye, I see ripe fruits and long for them, but I
cannot rise to eat thereof; so go thou arise, for thou art sound
of either leg, and fetch us somewhat that we may eat." Replied
the Blind, "Fie upon thee! I had no thought of them, but now that
thou callest them to my mind, I long to eat of them and I am
impotent unto this, being unable to see them; so how shall we do
to get at them?" At this moment, behold, up came the Overseer of
the garden, who was a man of understanding, and the Cripple said
to him, "Harkye, O Overseer! I long for somewhat of those fruits;
but we are as thou seest; I am a cripple and my mate here is
stone-blind: so what shall we do?" Replied the Overseer, "Woe to
you! Have ye forgotten that the master of the garden stipulated
with you that ye should do nothing whereby waste or damage befal
it: so take warning and abstain from this." But they answered,
"Needs must we get our portion of these fruits that we may eat
thereof: so tell us some device whereby we shall contrive this."
When the Overseer saw that they were not to be turned from their
purpose, he said, "This, then, is my device, O Cripple, let the
Blind bear thee on his back and take thee under the tree whose
fruit pleaseth thee, so thou mayst pluck what thou canst reach
thereof." Accordingly the Blind man took on his back the Cripple
who guided him till he brought him under a tree, and he fell to
plucking from it what he would and tearing at its boughs till he
had despoiled it: after which they went roundabout and throughout
the garden and wasted it with their hands and feet, nor did they
cease from this fashion, till they had stripped all the trees of
the garth. Then they returned to their place and presently up
came the master of the garden, who, seeing it in this plight, was
wroth with sore wrath and coming up to them said, "Woe to you!
What fashion is this? Did I not stipulate with you that ye should
do no damage in the garden?" Quoth they, "Thou knowest that we
are powerless to come at any of the fruit, for that one of us is
a cripple and cannot rise and the other is blind and cannot see
that which is before him: so what is our offence?" But the master
answered, "Think ye I know not how ye wrought and how ye have
gone about to do waste in my garden? I know, as if I had been
with thee, O Blind, that thou tookest the Cripple pick-a-back,
and he showed thee the way till thou borest him to the trees."
Then he punished them with grievous punishment and thrust them
out of the garden. "Now the Blind is the similitude of the body
which seeth not save by the spirit, and the Cripple that of the
soul, for that it hath no power of motion but by the body; the
garden is the works, for which the creature is rewarded or
punished, and the Overseer is the reason which biddeth to good
and forbiddeth from evil. Thus the body and the soul are partners
in reward and retribution." Q "Which of the learned men is most
worthy of praise, according to thee?"--"He who is learned in the
knowledge of Allah and whose knowledge profiteth him." Q "And who
is this?"--"Whoso is intent upon seeking to please his Lord and
avoid His wrath." Q "And which of them is the most excellent?"--
"He who is most learned in the knowledge of Allah." Q "And which
is the most experienced of them?"--"Whoso in doing according to
his knowledge is most constant." Q " And which is the purest
hearted of them?"-- "He who is most assiduous in preparing for
death and praising the Lord and least of them in hope, and indeed
he who penetrateth his soul with the awful ways of death is as
one who looketh into a clear mirror, for that he knoweth the
truth, and the mirror still increaseth in clearness and
brilliance." Q "What are the goodliest of treasures?"--"The
treasures of heaven." Q "Which is the goodliest of the treasures
of Heaven?"--"The praise of Allah and His magnification." Q
"Which is the most excellent of the treasures of earth?"--"The
practice of kindness."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Eleventh Night,
She said: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Wazir Shimas asked the King's son, saying, "Which is the most
excellent of the treasures of earth?" he answered, "The practice
of kindness." So the Minister pursued, "Tell me of three several
and different things, knowledge and judgment and wit, and of that
which uniteth them."--"Knowledge cometh of learning, judgment of
experience and wit of reflection, and they are all stablished and
united in reason. Whoso combineth these three qualities attaineth
perfection, and he who addeth thereto the piety and fear of the
Lord is in the right course." Q "Take the case of a man of
learning and wisdom, endowed with right judgment, luminous
intelligence and a keen wit and excelling, and tell me can desire
and lust change these his qualities?"--"Yes; for these two
passions, when they enter into a man, alter his wisdom and
understanding and judgment and wit, and he is like the
Ossifrage[FN#106] which, for precaution against the hunters,
abode in the upper air, of the excess of his subtlety; but, as he
was thus, he saw a fowler set up his nets and when the toils were
firmly staked down bait them with a bit of meat; which when he
beheld, desire and lust thereof overcame him and he forgot that
which he had seen of springes and of the sorry plight of all
birds that fell into them. So he swooped down from the welkin and
pouncing upon the piece of meat, was meshed in the same snare and
could not win free. When the fowler came up and saw the Ossifrage
taken in his toils he marvelled with exceeding marvel and said,
'I set up my nets, thinking to take therein pigeons and the like
of small fowl; how came this Ossifrage to fall into it?' It is
said that when desire and lust incite a man of understanding to
aught, he considereth the end thereof and refraineth from that
which they make fair and represseth with his reason his lust and
his concupiscence; for, when these passions urge him to aught, it
behoveth him to make his reason like unto a horseman skilled in
horsemanship who mounting a skittish horse, curbeth him with a
sharp bit,[FN#107] so that he go aright with him and bear him
whither he will. As for the ignorant man, who hath neither
knowledge nor judgment, while all things are obscure to him and
desire and lust lord it over him, verily he doeth according to
his desire and his lust and is of the number of those that
perish; nor is there among men one in worse case than he." Q
"When is knowledge profitable and when availeth reason to ward
off the ill effects of desire and lust?"--"When their possessor
useth them in quest of the goods of the next world, for reason
and knowledge are altogether profitable; but it befitteth not
their owner to expend them in the quest of the goods of this
world, save in such measure as may be needful for gaining his
livelihood and defending himself from its mischief; but to lay
them out with a view to futurity." Q "What is most worthy that a
man should apply himself thereto and occupy his heart withal?"--
"Good works and pious." Q "If a man do this it diverteth him from
gaining his living; how then shall he do for his daily bread
wherewith he may not dispense?"--"A man's day is four-and-twenty
hours, and it behoveth him to employ one third thereof in seeking
his living, another in prayer and repose and the other in the
pursuits of knowledge;[FN#108] for a reasonable man without
knowledge is a barren land, which hath no place for tillage,
tree-planting or grass-growing. Except it be prepared for tilth
and plantation no fruit will profit therein; but, if it be
tilled and planted, it bringeth forth goodly fruits. So with the
man lacking education; there is no profit in him till knowledge
be planted in him; then doth he bear fruit." Q "What sayst thou
of knowledge without understanding?"--"It is as the knowledge of
a brute[FN#109] beast, which hath learnt the hours of its
foddering and waking, but hath no reason." Q "Thou hast been
brief in thine answer here anent; but I accept thy reply. Tell
me, how shall I guard myself against the Sultan?"--"By giving him
no way to thee." Q "And how can I but give him way to me, seeing
that he is set in dominion over me and that the reins of my
affair be in his hand?"--"His dominion over thee lieth in the
duties thou owest him; wherefore, an thou give him his due, he
hath no farther dominion over thee." Q "What are a Wazir's duties
to his King?"--"Good counsel and zealous service both in public
and private, right judgment, the keeping of his secrets and that
he conceal from his lord naught of that whereof he hath a right
to be informed, lack of neglect of aught of his need with the
gratifying of which he chargeth him, the seeking his approval in
every guise, and the avoidance of his anger." Q "How should the
Wazir do with the King?"--"An thou be Wazir to the King and
wouldst fain become safe from him, let thy hearing and thy
speaking to him surpass his expectation of thee, and be thy
seeking of thy want from him after the measure of thy rank in his
esteem, and beware lest thou advance thyself to a dignity whereof
he deemeth thee unworthy, for this would be like presuming against
him. So, if thou take advantage of his mildness and raise thee to
a rank beyond that which he deemeth thy due, thou wilt be like
the hunter, whose wont it was to trap wild beasts for their pelts
and cast away the flesh. Now a lion used to come to that place
and eat of the carrion; and in course of time, he made friendship
with the hunter, who would throw meat to him and wipe his hands on
his back, whilst the lion wagged his tail.[FN#110] But when the
hunter saw his tameness and gentleness and submissiveness to him,
he said to himself, 'Verily this lion humbleth himself to me and
I am master of him, and I see not why I should not mount him and
strip off his hide, as with the other wild beasts.' So he took
courage and sprang on the lion's back, presuming on his mildness
and deeming himself sure of him; which when the lion saw, he
raged with exceeding rage and raising his fore paw, smote the
hunter, that he drove his claws into his vitals; after which he
cast him under foot and tare him in pieces and devoured him. By
this we may know that it behoveth the Wazir to bear himself
towards the King according to that which he seeth of his
condition and not presume upon the superiority of his own
judgment, lest the King become jealous of him."--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Twelfth Night,
She continued: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
youth, the son of King Jali'ad, said to Shimas the Wazir, "It
behoveth the Minister to bear himself towards the Monarch
according to that which he seeth of his condition, and not to
presume upon the superiority of his own judgment lest the King
wax jealous of him." Quoth Shimas, "How shall the Wazir grace
himself in the King's sight."--"By the performance of the trust
committed to him and of loyal counsel and sound judgment and the
execution of his commands." Q "As for what thou sayest of the
Wazir's duty to avoid the King's anger and perform his wishes and
apply himself diligently to the doing of that wherewith he
chargeth him, such duty is always incumbent on him; but how, an
the King's whole pleasure be tyranny and the practice of
oppression and exorbitant extortion; and what shall the Wazir do,
if he be afflicted by intercourse with this unjust lord? An he
strive to turn him from his lust and his desire, he cannot do
this, and if he follow him in his lusts and flatter him with
false counsel, he assumeth the weight of responsibility herein
and becometh an enemy to the people. What sayst thou of this?"--
"What thou speakest, O Wazir, of his responsibility and
sinfulness ariseth only in the case of his abetting the King in
his wrong-doing; but it behoveth the Wazir, when the King taketh
counsel with him of the like of this, to show forth to him the
way of justice and equity and warn him against tyranny and
oppression and expound to him the principles of righteously
governing the lieges; alluring him with the future reward that
pertaineth to this and restraining him with warning of the
punishment he otherwise will incur. If the King incline to him
and hearken unto his words, his end is gained, and if not, there
is nothing for it but that he depart from him after courteous
fashion, because in parting for each of them is ease." Q "What
are the duties of the King to his subjects and what are the
obligations of the lieges to their lord?"--"They shall do whatso
he ordereth them with pure intent and obey him in that which
pleaseth him and pleaseth Allah and the Apostle of Allah. And the
lieges can claim of the lord that he protect their possessions
and guard their women,[FN#111] even as it is their duty to
hearken unto him and obey him and expend their lives freely in
his defence and give him his lawful due and praise him fairly for
that which he bestoweth upon them of his justice and bounty." Q
"Have his subjects any claim upon the King other than that which
thou hast said?"--"Yes: the rights of the subjects from their
Sovran are more binding than the liege lord's claim upon his
lieges; for that the breach of his duty towards them is more
harmful than that of their duty towards him; because the ruin of
the King and the loss of his kingdom and fortune befal not save
by the breach of his devoir to his subjects; wherefore it
behoveth him who is invested with the kingship to be assiduous in
furthering three things, to wit, the fostering of the faith, the
fostering of his subjects and the fostering of government; for by
the ensuing of these three things, his kingdom shall endure." Q
"How doth it behove him to do for his subjects' weal?"--"By
giving them their due and maintaining their laws and
customs[FN#112] and employing Olema and learned men to teach them
and justifying them, one of other, and sparing their blood and
defending their goods and lightening their loads and
strengthening their hosts." Q "What is the Minister's claim upon
the Monarch?"--"None hath a more imperative claim on the King
than hath the Wazir, for three reasons: firstly, because of that
which shall befal him from his liege lord in case of error in
judgment, and because of the general advantage to King and
commons in case of sound judgment; secondly, that folk may know
the goodliness of the degree which the Wazir holdeth in the
King's esteem and therefore look on him with eyes of veneration
and respect and submission[FN#113]; and thirdly, that the Wazir,
seeing this from King and subjects, may ward off from them that
which they hate and fulfil to them that which they love." Q "I
have heard all thou hast said of the attributes of King and Wazir
and liege and approve thereof: but now tell me what is incumbent
in keeping the tongue from lying and folly and slandering good
names and excess in speech."--"It behoveth a man to speak naught
but good and kindness and to talk not of that which toucheth him
not; to leave detraction nor carry tale he hath heard from one
man to his enemy, neither seek to harm his friend nor his foe
with his Sultan and reck not of any (neither of him from whom he
hopeth for good nor of him whom he feareth for mischief) save of
Allah Almighty; for He indeed is the only one who harmeth or
profiteth. Let him not impute default unto any nor talk
ignorantly, lest he incur the weight and the sin thereof before
Allah and earn hate among men; for know thou that speech is like
an arrow which once shot none can avail to recall. Let him also
beware of disclosing his secret to one who shall discover it,
lest he fall into mischief by reason of its disclosure, after
confidence on its concealment; and let him be more careful to
keep his secret from his friend than from his foe; for the
keeping a secret with all folk is of the performance of faithful
trust." Q "Tell me how a man should bear himself with his family
and friends."--"There is no rest for a son of Adam save in
righteous conduct: he should render to his family that which they
deserve and to his brethren whatso is their due." Q "What should
one render to one's kinsfolk?"--"To parents, submission and soft
speech and affability and honour and reverence. To brethren good
counsel and readiness to expend money for them and assistance in
their undertakings and joyance in their joy and grieving for
their grief and closing of the eyes toward the errors that they
may commit; for, when they experience this from a man, they
requite him with the best of counsel they can command and expend
their lives in his defence; wherefore, an thou know thy brother
to be trusty, lavish upon him thy love and help him in all his
affairs."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Thirteenth Night,
She pursued: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
youth, the son and heir of King Jali'ad, when questioned by the
Wazir upon the subjects aforesaid, returned him satisfactory
replies; when Shimas resumed, "I see that brethren are of two
kinds, brethren of trust and brethren of society.[FN#114] As for
the first who be friends, there is due to them that which thou
hast set forth; but now tell me of the others who be
acquaintances."--As for brethren of society, thou gettest of them
pleasance and goodly usance and fair speech and enjoyable
company; so be thou not sparing to them of thy delights, but be
lavish to them thereof, like as they are lavish to thee, and
render to them that which they render to thee of affable
countenance and an open favour and sweet speech, so shall thy
life be pleasant and thy words be accepted of them." Q "Tell me
now of the provision decreed by the Creator to all creatures.
Hath He alloted to men and beasts each his several provision to
the completion of his appointed life-term; and if this allotment
be thus, what maketh him who seeketh his livelihood to incur
hardships and travail in the quest of that which he knoweth must
come to him, if it be decreed to him, albeit he incur not the
misery of endeavour; and which, if it be not decreed to him, he
shall not win, though he strive after it with his uttermost
striving? Shall he therefore stint endeavour and in his Lord put
trust and to his body and his soul give rest?"-- "Indeed, we see
clearly that to each and every there is a provision distributed
and a term prescribed; but to all livelihood are a way and means,
and he who seeketh would get ease of his seeking by ceasing to
seek; withal there is no help but that he seek his fortune. The
seeker is, however, in two cases: either he gaineth his fortune
or he faileth thereof. In the first case, his pleasure consisteth
in two conditions: first, in the having gained his fortune, and
secondly, in the laudable[FN#115] issue of his quest; and in the
other case, his pleasure consisteth, first, in his readiness to
seek his daily bread; secondly, in his abstaining from being a
burthen to the folk, and thirdly, in his freedom from liability
to blame." Q "What sayst thou of the means of seeking one's
fortune?"--"A man shall hold lawful that which Allah (to whom
belong Might and Majesty!) alloweth, and unlawful whatso He
forbiddeth." Reaching this pass the discourse between them came
to an end, and Shimas and all the Olema present rose and
prostrating themselves before the young Prince, magnified and
extolled him, whilst his father pressed him to his bosom and
seating him on the throne of kingship, said, "Praised be Allah
who hath blessed me with a son to be the coolth of mine eyes in
my lifetime!" Then said the King's son to Shimas in presence of
all the Olema, "O sage that art versed in spiritual questions,
albeit Allah have vouchsafed to me but scanty knowledge, yet do I
comprehend thine intent in accepting from me what I proffered in
answer concerning that whereof thou hast asked me, whether I hit
or missed the mark therein, and belike thou forgavest my errors;
but now I am minded to question thee anent a thing, whereof my
judgment faileth and whereto my capacity is insufficient and
which my tongue availeth not to set forth, for that it is obscure
to me, with the obscurity of clear water in a black vessel.
Wherefore I would have thee expound it to me so no iota thereof may
remain doubtful to the like of me, to whom its obscurity may
present itself in the future, even as it hath presented itself to
me in the past; since Allah, even as He hath made life to be in
lymph[FN#116] and strength in food and the cure of the sick in
the skill of the leach, so hath He appointed the healing of the
fool to be in the learning of the wise. Give ear, therefore, to
my speech." Replied the Wazir, "O luminous of intelligence and
master of casuistical questions, thou whose excellence all the
Olema attest, by reason of the goodliness of thy discretion of
things and thy distribution[FN#117] thereof and the justness of
thine answers to the questions I have asked thee, thou knowest
that thou canst enquire of me naught but thou art better able
than I to form a just judgment thereon and expound it truly, for
that Allah hath vouchsafed unto thee such wisdom as He hath
bestowed on none other of men. But inform me of what thou wouldst
question me." Quoth the Prince, "Tell me from what did the
Creator (magnified be His all-might!) create the world, albeit
there was before it naught and there is naught seen in this world
but it is created from something; and the Divine Creator
(extolled and exalted be He!) is able to create things from
nothing,[FN#118] yet hath His will decreed, for all the
perfection of His power and grandeur, that He shall create naught
but from something." The Wazir replied, "As for those, who
fashion vessels of potter's clay,[FN#119] and other
handicraftsmen, who cannot originate one thing save from another
thing, they are themselves only created entities; but, as for the
Creator, who hath wrought the world after this wondrous fashion,
an thou wouldst know His power (extolled and exalted be He!) of
calling things into existence, extend thy thought and consider
the various kinds of created things, and thou wilt find signs and
instances, proving the perfection of His puissance and that He is
able to create the ens from the non-ens; nay, He called things
into being, after absolute non-existence, for the elements which
be the matter of created things were sheer nothingness. I will
expound this to thee, so thou mayst be in no scepticism thereof,
and the marvel-signs of the alternation of Night and Day shall
make this clear to thee. When the light goeth and the night
cometh, the day is hidden from us and we know not the place where
it abideth; and when the night passeth away with its darkness and
its terror, the day cometh and we know not the abiding-place of
the night.[FN#120] In like manner, when the sun riseth upon us,
we know not where it hath laid up its light, and when it setteth,
we ignore the abiding-place of its setting; and the examples of
this among the works of the Creator (magnified be His name and
glorified be His might!) abound in what confoundeth the thought
of the keenest-witted of human beings." Rejoined the Prince, "O
sage, thou hast set before me of the power of the Creator what is
incapable of denial; but tell me how He called His creatures into
existence." Answered Shimas, "He created them by the sole power
of His one Word,[FN#121] which existed before time, and wherewith
he created all things." Quoth the Prince, "Then Allah (be His
name magnified and His might glorified!) only willed the
existence of created things, before they came into being?"
Replied Shimas, "And of His will, He created them with His one
Word and but for His speech and that one Word, the creation had
not come into existence."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Fourteenth Night,
She resumed: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that after
the King's son had asked his sire's Wazir the casuistical
questions aforesaid, and had received a sufficient answer, Shimas
said to him, "O dear my son,[FN#122] there is no man can tell
thee other but this I have said, except he twist the words
handed down to us of the Holy Law and turn the truths thereof
from their evident meaning. And such a perversion is their saying
that the Word hath inherent and positive power and I take refuge
with Allah from such a mis-belief! Nay, the meaning of our saying
that Allah (to whom belong Might and Majesty!) created the world
with His Word is that He (exalted be His name!) is One in His
essence and His attributes and not that His Word hath independent
power. On the contrary, power is one of the attributes of Allah,
even as speech and other attributes of perfection are attributes
of Allah (exalted be His dignity and extolled be His empery!);
wherefore He may not be conceived without His Word, nor may His
Word be conceived without Him; for, with His Word, Allah
(extolled be His praise!) created all His creatures, and without
His Word, the Lord created naught. Indeed, He created all things
but by His Word of Truth, and by Truth are we created." Quoth the
Prince, "I comprehend that which thou hast said on the subject of
the Creator and from thee I accept this with understanding; but I
hear thee say that He created the world by His Word of Truth. Now
Truth is the opposite of Falsehood; whence then arose Falsehood
with its opposition unto Truth, and how cometh it to be possible
that it should be confounded therewith and become doubtful to
human beings, so that they need to distinguish between the twain?
And doth the Creator (to whom belong Might and Majesty!) love
Falsehood or hate it? An thou say He loveth Truth and by it
created all things and abhorreth Falsehood, how came the False,
which the Creator hateth, to invade the True which He loveth?"
Quoth Shimas, "Verily Allah the Most High created man all
Truth[FN#123], loving His name and obeying His word, and on this
wise man had no need of repentance till Falsehood invaded the
Truth whereby he was created by means of the capability[FN#124]
which Allah had placed in him, being the will and the inclination
called lust of lucre.[FN#125] When the False invaded the True on
this wise, right became confounded with wrong, by reason of the
will of man and his capability and greed of gain, which is the
voluntary side of him together with the weakness of human nature:
wherefore Allah created penitence for man, to turn away from him
Untruth and stablish him in Truth, and He created for him also
punishment, if he should abide in the obscurity of Falsehood."
Quoth the Prince, "Tell me how came Untruth to invade Truth, so
as to be confounded therewith and how became man liable to
punishment and so stood in need of repentance." Replied Shimas,
"When Allah created man with Truth, He made him loving to Himself
and there was for him neither repentance nor punishment; but he
abode thus till Allah put in him the soul, which is of the
perfection of humanity, albeit naturally inclined to lust which
is inherent therein. From this sprang the growth of Untruth and
its confusion with Truth, wherewith man was created and with the
love whereof his nature had been made; and when man came to this
pass, he declined from the Truth with disobedience and whoso
declineth from the Truth falleth into Falsehood." Said the
Prince, "Then Falsehood invaded Truth only by reason of
disobedience and transgression?" Shimas replied, "Yes: and it is
thus because Allah loveth mankind, and of the abundance of His
love to man He created him having need of Himself, that is to
say, of the very Truth. But oftentimes man lapseth from this by
cause of the inclination of the soul to lusts and turneth to
frowardness, wherefore he falleth into Falsehood by the act of
disobeying his Lord and thus deserveth punishment; and by
putting away from himself Falsehood with repentance and by the
returning to the love of the Truth, he meriteth future reward."
Quoth the Prince, "Tell me the origin of sin, whilst all mankind
trace their being to Adam, and how cometh it that he, being
created of Allah with truth, drew disobedience on himself; then
was his disobedience coupled with repentance, after the soul had
been set in him, that his issue might be reward or retribution?
Indeed, we see some men constant in sinfulness, inclining to that
which He loveth not and transgressing in this the original intent
and purpose of their creation, which is the love of the Truth,
and drawing on themselves the wrath of their Lord, whilst we see
others constant in seeking the satisfaction of their Creator and
obeying Him and meriting mercy and future recompense. What
causeth this difference prevailing between them?" Replied Shimas,
"The origin of disobedience descending upon mankind is
attributable to Iblis, who was the noblest of all that Allah
(magnified be His name!) created of angels[FN#126] and men and
Jinn, and the love of the Truth was inherent in him, for he knew
naught but this; but whenas he saw himself unique in such
dignity, there entered into him pride and conceit, vainglory and
arrogance which revolted from loyalty and obedience to the
commandment of His Creator; wherefore Allah made him inferior to
all creatures and cast him out from love, making his abiding-
place to be in disobedience. So when he knew that Allah
(glorified be His name!) loved not disobedience and saw Adam and
the case wherein he was of truth and love and obedience to his
Creator, envy entered into him and he devised some device to
pervert Adam from the truth, that he might be a partaker with
himself in Falsehood; and by this, Adam incurred chastisement for
his inclining to disobedience, which his foe made fair to him,
and his subjection to his lusts, whenas he transgressed the
charge of his Lord, by reason of the appearance of Falsehood.
When the Creator (magnified be the praises of Him and hallowed be
the names of Him!) saw the weakness of man and the swiftness of
his inclining to his enemy and leaving the truth, He appointed to
him, of His mercy, repentance, that therewith he might arise from
the slough[FN#127] of inclination to disobedience and taking the
arms and armour of repentance, overcome therewith his foe Iblis
and his hosts and return to the Truth, wherein he was created.
When Iblis saw that Allah (magnified be His praise!) had
appointed him a protracted term,[FN#128] he hastened to wage war
upon man and to beset him with wiles, to the intent that he might
oust him from the favour of his Lord and make him a partaker with
himself in the wrath which he and his hosts had incurred;
wherefore Allah (extolled be His praises!) appointed unto man the
capability of penitence and commanded him to apply himself to the
Truth and persevere therein; and forbade him from disobedience
and frowardness and revealed to him that he had on the earth an
enemy warring against him and relaxing not from him night nor
day. Thus hath man a right to future reward, if he adhere to the
Truth, in the love of which his nature was created; but he
becometh liable to punishment, if the flesh master him and
incline him to lusts."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Fifteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
young Prince had questioned Shimas touching disputed points of
olden time and had been duly answered, he presently said, "Now
tell me by what power is the creature able to transgress against
his Creator, seeing that His omnipotence is without bounds, even
as thou hast set forth, and that naught can overcome Him or
depart from His will? Deemest thou not that He is able to turn
His creatures from this disobedience and compel them eternally to
hold the Truth?" Answered Shimas, "In very sooth Almighty Allah
(honoured be His name!) is just and equitable and loving-kind to
the people of His affection.[FN#129] He created His creatures
with justice and equity and of the inspiration of His justice and
the overflowing of His mercy, He gave them kingship over
themselves, that they should do whatever they might design. He
showeth them the way of righteousness and bestoweth on them the
power and ability of doing what they will of good: and if they do
the opposite thereof, they fall into destruction and
disobedience." Q "If the Creator, as thou sayest, have granted
to mankind power and ability[FN#130] and they by reason thereof
are empowered to do whatso they will, why then doth He not come
between them and that which they desire of wrong and turn them to
the right?"--"This is of the greatness of His mercy and the
goodliness of His wisdom; for, even as aforetime he showed wrath
to Iblis and had no mercy on him, even so he showed Adam mercy,
by means[FN#131] of repentance, and accepted of him, after He had
been wroth with him." Q "He is indeed mere Truth, for He it is
who requiteth every one according to his works, and there is no
Creator save Allah who hath power over all things. But tell me,
hath He created that which He loveth and that which He loveth not
or only that which He loveth?"--"He created all things, but
favoureth only that which he loveth." Q "What reckest thou of two
things, one whereof is pleasing to God and earneth future reward
for him who practiseth it and the other offendeth Allah and
entaileth lawful punishment upon the doer?"--"Expound to me these
two things and make me to apprehend them, that I may speak
concerning them." Q "They are good and evil, the two things
inherent in the body and in the soul."--"O wise youth, I see that
thou knowest good and evil to be of the works which the soul and
the body combine to do. Good is named good, because it is in
favour with God, and evil is termed ill, for that in it is His
ill-will. Indeed, it behoveth thee to know Allah and to please
Him by the practice of good, for that He hath bidden us to this
and forbidden us to do evil." Q "I see these two things, to wit,
good and evil, to be wrought only by the five senses familiarly
known in the body of man, which be the sensorium[FN#132] whence
proceed speech, hearing, sight, smell and touch. Now I would
have thee tell me whether these five senses were created
altogether for good or for evil."--"Apprehend, O man, the
exposition of that whereof thou askest and it is a manifest
proof; so lay it up in thine innermost thought and take it to thy
heart. And this it is that the Creator (extolled and exalted be
He!) created man with Truth and impressed him with the love
thereof and there proceedeth from it no created thing save by the
puissance of the Most High, whose trace is in every phenomenon.
He[FN#133] (extol we Him and exalt we Him!) is not apt but to the
ordering of justice and equity and beneficence, and He created
man for the love of Him and set in him a soul, wherein the
inclination to lusts was innate and assigned him capability and
ableness and appointed the Five Senses aforesaid to be to him a
means of winning Heaven or Hell." Q "How so?"--"In that He
created the Tongue for speech, the Hands for action, the Feet for
walking and the Eyes for seeing and the Ears for hearing, and
upon each bestowed especial power and incited them to exercise
and motion, bidding each of them do naught save that which
pleaseth Him. Now what pleaseth Him in Speech is truthfulness and
abstaining from its opposite, which is falsehood; and what
pleaseth Him in Sight is turning it unto that which He loveth and
leaving the contrary, which is turning it unto that which He
hateth, such as looking unto lusts; and what pleaseth Him in
Hearing is hearkening to naught but the True, such as admonition
and that which is in Allah's writ and leaving the contrary, which
is listening to that which incurreth the anger of Allah; and what
pleaseth Him in the Hands is not hoarding up that which He
entrusteth to them, but expending it in such way as shall please
Him and leaving the contrary, which is avarice or spending in
sinfulness that which He hath committed to them; and what
pleaseth Him in the Feet is that they be constant in the pursuit
of good, such as the quest of instruction, and leave its
contrary, which is the walking in other than the way of Allah.
Now respecting the rest of the lusts which man practiseth, they
proceed from the body by command of the soul. But the lusts which
proceed from the body are of two kinds, the lust of reproduction
and the lust of the belly. As for the former, that which pleaseth
Allah thereof is that it be not other than lawful[FN#134] and He
is displeased with it if contrary to His law. As for the lust of
the belly, eating and drinking, what pleaseth Allah thereof is
that each take naught save that which the Almighty hath appointed
him be it little or mickle, and praise the Lord and thank Him;
and what angereth Him thereof is that a man take that which is
not his by right. All precepts other than these are false, and
thou knowest that Allah created every thing and delighteth only in
Good and commandeth each member of the body to do that which He
hath made on it incumbent, for that He is the All-wise, the All-
knowing." Q "Was it foreknown unto Allah Almighty (exalted be His
power!) that Adam, by eating of the tree from which He forbade
him and whence befel what befel, would leave obedience for
disobedience?"--"Yes, O sage youth. This was foreknown unto Allah
Almighty ere He created Adam, and the proof and manifestation
attached thereto is the warning He gave him against eating of the
tree and His informing him that, if he ate of the fruit he would
be disobedient. And this was in the way of justice and equity,
lest Adam should have an argument wherewith he might excuse
himself against his Lord. When therefore, he fell into error and
calamity and when disgrace waxed sore upon him and reproach, this
passed to his posterity after him; wherefore Allah sent Prophets
and Apostles and gave to them Books and they taught us the divine
commandments and expounded to us what was therein of admonitions
and precepts and made clear to us and manifest the way of
righteousness and explained to us what it behoved us to do and
what to leave undone. Now we are endowed with Freewill and he who
acteth within these lawful limits winneth his wish and
prospereth, while whoso transgresseth these legal bounds and
doeth other than that which these precepts enjoin, resisteth the
Lord and is ruined in both Abodes. This then is the road of Good
and Evil. Thou knowest that Allah over all things is Omnipotent
and created not lusts for us but of His pleasure and volunty, and
He bade us use them in the way of lawfulness, so they might be to
us a good; but, when we use them in the way of sinfulness they
are to us an evil. Therefore what of righteous we compass is from
Allah Almighty, and what of wrongous from ourselves[FN#135] His
creatures, not from the Creator, exalted be He herefor with
highmost exaltation!"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixteenth Night,
She continued: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the youth, King Jali'ad's son had questioned Shimas concerning
these subtleties and had been duly answered, he pursued, "That
which thou hast expounded to me concerning Allah and His
creatures I understand; but tell me of one matter, concerning
which my mind is perplexed with extreme wonderment, and that is
that I marvel at the sons of Adam, how careless they are of the
life to come and at their lack of taking thought thereof and
their love to this world, albeit they know that they must needs
leave it and depart from it, whilst they are yet young in
years."--"Yes, verily; and that which thou seest of its
changefulness and traitorousness with its children is a sign that
Fortune to the fortunate will not endure nor to the afflicted
affliction; for none of its people is secure from its
changefulness and even if one have power over it and be content
therewith, yet there is no help but that his estate change and
removal hasten unto him. Wherefore man can put no trust therein
nor profit by that which he enjoyeth of its gilding and
glitter[FN#136]; and we knowing this will know that the sorriest
of men in condition are those who are deluded by this world and
are unmindful of the other world; for that whatso of present ease
they enjoy will not even the fear and misery and horrors which
will befal them after their removal therefrom. Thus are we
certified that, if the creature knew that which will betide him
with the coming of death[FN#137] and his severance from that
which he enjoyeth of pleasure and delight, he would cast away the
world and that which is therein; for we are certified that the
next life is better for us and more profitable." Said the Prince,
"O sage, thou hast dispelled the darkness that was upon my heart
by the light of thy shining lamp and hast directed me into the
right road I must tread on the track of Truth and hast given me a
lantern whereby I may see." Then rose one of the learned men who
were in the presence and said, "When cometh the season of Prime,
needs must the hare seek the pasture as well as the elephant; and
indeed I have heard from you twain such questions and solutions
as I never before heard; but now leave that and let me ask you of
somewhat. Tell me, what is the best of the goods of the world?"
Replied the Prince, "Health of body, lawful livelihood and a
virtuous son." Q "What is the greater and what is the less?"--
"The greater is that to which a lesser than itself submitteth and
the less that which submitteth to a greater than itself." Q "What
are the four things wherein concur all creatures?"--"Men concur
in meat and drink, the sweet of sleep, the lust of women and the
agonies of death." Q "What are the three things whose foulness
none can do away?"--"Folly, meanness of nature, and lying." Q
"What is the best kind of lie,[FN#138] though all kinds are
foul?"--"That which averteth harm from its utterer and bringeth
gain." Q "What kind of truthfulness is foul, though all kinds are
fair?"--"That of a man glorying in that which he hath and
vaunting himself thereof." Q "What is the foulest of
foulnesses?"--"When a man boasteth himself of that which he hath
not." Q "Who is the most foolish of men?"--"He who hath no
thought but of what he shall put in his belly." Then said Shimas,
"O King, verily thou art our King, but we desire that thou assign
the kingdom to thy son after thee, and we will be thy servants
and lieges." So the King exhorted the Olema and others who were
in the presence to remember that which they had heard and do
according thereto and enjoined them to obey his son's
commandment, for that he made him his heir-apparent,[FN#139] so
he should be the successor of the King his sire; and he took an
oath of all the people of his empire, literates and braves and
old men and boys, to mention none other, that they would not
oppose him in the succession nor transgress against his
commandment. Now when the Prince was seventeen years old, the
King sickened of a sore sickness and came nigh to die; so, being
certified that his decease was at hand, he said to the people of
his household, "This is disease of Death which is upon me;
wherefore do ye summon my son and kith and kin and gather
together the Grandees and Notables of my empire, so not one of
them may remain except he be present." Accordingly they fared
forth and made proclamation to those who were near and published
the summons to those who were afar off, and they all assembled
and went in to the King. Then said they to him, "How is it with
thee, O King, and how deemest thou for thyself of these thy
dolours?" Quoth Jali'ad, "Verily, this my malady is mortal and
the shaft of death hath executed that which Allah Almighty
decreed against me: this is the last of my days in the world here
and the first of my days in the world hereafter." Then said he to
his son, "Draw near unto me." So the youth drew near, weeping
with weeping so sore, that he well nigh drenched the bed, whilst
the King's eyes welled tears and all who were present wept. Quoth
Jali'ad, "Weep not, O my son; I am not the first whom this
Inevitable betideth; nay, it is common to all that Allah hath
created. But fear thou the Almighty and do good deeds which shall
precede thee to the place whither all creatures tend and wend.
Obey not thy lusts, but occupy thy soul with lauding the Lord in
thy standing up and thy sitting down, in thy waking and in thy
sleeping. Make the Truth the aim of thine eyes; this is the last
of my speech with thee and--The Peace."--And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Seventeenth Night,
She pursued: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
King Jali'ad charged his son with such injunctions and made him
his heir to succeed him in his reign, the Prince said, "O dear
father mine,[FN#140] thou knowest that I have ever been to thee
obedient and thy commandment carrying out, mindful of thine
injunctions and thine approof seeking, for thou hast been to me
the best of fathers; how, then, after thy death, shall I depart
from that which contenteth thee? And now, having fairly ordered
my nurture thou art about to depart from me and I have no power
to bring thee back to me; but, an I be mindful of thy charge, I
shall be blessed therein and great good fortune shall betide me."
Quoth the King, and indeed he was in the last agony of departing
life, "Dear my son, cleave fast unto ten precepts, which if thou
hold, Allah shall profit thee herewith in this world and the next
world, and they are as follows. Whenas thou art wroth, curb thy
wrath; when thou art afflicted, be patient; when thou speakest be
soothfast; when thou promisest, perform; when thou judgest, do
justice; when thou hast power, be merciful; deal generously by
thy governors and lieutenants; forgive thy foes; be lavish of
good offices to thine adversary, and stay thy mischief from him.
Observe also other ten precepts,[FN#141] wherewith Allah shall
profit thee among the people of thy realm, to wit, when thou
dividest, be just; when thou punishest, oppress not; when thou
engagest thyself, fulfil thine engagement; hearken to those that
give thee loyal counsel; when offence is offered to thee, neglect
it; abstain from contention; enjoin thy subjects to the
observance of the divine laws and of praiseworthy practices;
abate ignorance with a sharp sword; withhold thy regard from
treachery and its untruth; and, lastly, do equal justice between
the folk, so they may love thee, great and small, and the wicked
and corrupt of them may fear thee." Then he addressed himself to
the Emirs and Olema which were present when he appointed his son
to be his successor, saying, "Beware ye of transgressing the
commandment of your King and neglecting to hearken to your chief,
for therein lieth ruin for your realm and sundering for your
society and bane for your bodies and perdition for your
possessions; and your foe would exult over you. Well ye wot the
covenant ye made with me, and even thus shall be your covenant
with this youth and the troth which plighted between you and me
shall be also between you and him; wherefore it behoveth you to
give ear unto and obey his commandment, for that in this is the
well-being of your conditions. So be ye constant with him anent
that wherein ye were with me and your estate shall prosper and
your affairs be fair; for behold, he hath the Kingship over you
and is the lord of your fortune, and--The Peace." Then the death-
agony[FN#142] seized him and his tongue was bridled; so he
pressed his son to him and kissed him and gave thanks unto Allah;
after which his hour came and his soul fared forth. All his
subjects and the people of his court mourned and keened over him
and they shrouded him and buried him with pomp and honour and
reverence; after which they returned with the Prince and clad him
in the royal robes and crowned him with his father's crown and
put the seal-ring on his finger, after seating him on the Throne
of Sovranship. The young King ordered himself towards them, after
his father's fashion of mildness and justice and benevolence, for
a little while till the world waylaid him and entangled him in
its lusts, whereupon, its pleasures made him their prey and he
turned to its gilding and gewgaws, forsaking the engagements
which his father had imposed upon him and casting off his
obedience to him, neglecting the affairs of his reign and
treading a road wherein was his own destruction. The love of
women waxed stark in him and came to such a pass that, whenever
he heard tell of a beauty, he would send for her and take her to
wife; and after this wise, he collected women more in number than
ever had Solomon, David-son, King of the children of Israel. Also
he would shut himself up with a company of them for a month at a
time, during which he went not forth neither enquired of his
realm or its rule nor looked into the grievances of such of his
subjects as complained to him; and if they wrote to him, he
returned them no reply. Now when they saw this and witnessed his
neglect of their affairs and lack of care for their interests and
those of the state, they were assured that ere long some calamity
would betide them and this was grievous to them. So they met
privily one with other and took counsel together blaming their
King, and one of them said to the rest, "Come, let us go to
Shimas, Chief of the Wazirs, and set forth to him our case and
acquaint him with that wherein we are by reason of this King, so
he may admonish him; else, in a little, calamity will dawn upon
us, for the world hath dazzled the Sovran with its delights and
seduced him with its snares." Accordingly, they repaired to
Shimas and said to him, "O wise man and prudent, the world hath
dazed the King with its delights and taken him in its toils, so
that he turneth unto vanity and worketh for the undoing of the
state. Now with the disordering of the state the commons will be
corrupted and our affairs will run to ruin. We see him not for
days and months nor cometh there forth from him any commandment
to us or to the Wazir or any else. We cannot refer aught of our
need to him and he looketh not to the administration of justice
nor taketh thought to the condition of any of his subjects, in
his disregard of them.[FN#143] And behold we are come to acquaint
thee with the truth of things, for that thou art the chiefest and
most accomplished of us and it behoveth not that calamity befal a
land wherein thou dwellest, seeing that thou art most able of any
to amend this King. Wherefore go thou and speak with him: haply
he will hearken to thy word and return unto the way of
Allah."[FN#144] So Shimas arose forthright and repairing to the
palace, foregathered with the first page he could find and said
to him, "Fair my son, I beseech thee ask leave for me to go in to
the King, for I have an affair, concerning which I would fain see
his face and acquaint him therewith and hear what he shall answer
me there anent." Answered the page, "O my lord, by Allah, this
month past hath he given none leave to come in to him, nor have I
all this time looked upon his face; but I will direct thee to one
who shall crave admission for thee. Do thou lay hold of such a
blackamoor slave who standeth at his head and bringeth him food
from the kitchen. When he cometh forth to go to the kitchen, ask
him what seemeth good to thee; for he will do for thee that which
thou desirest." So the Wazir repaired to the door of the kitchen
and sat there a little while, till up came the black and would
have entered the kitchen; but Shimas caught hold of him and said
to him, "Dear my son, I would fain stand in presence of the King
and speak with him of somewhat especially concerneth him; so
prithee, of thy kindness, when he hath ended his undurn-meal and
his temper is at its best, speak for me and get me leave to
approach him, so I may bespeak him of that which shall suit him."
"I hear and obey," answered the black and taking the food carried
it to the King, who ate thereof and his temper was soothed
thereby. Then said the black to him, "Shimas standeth at the door
and craveth admission, so he may acquaint thee with matters that
specially concern thee." At this the King was alarmed and
disquieted and commanded to admit the Minister.--And Shahrazed
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Eighteenth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
King bade the blackamoor admit Shimas, the slave went forth to
him and bade him enter; whereupon he went in and falling prone
before Allah, kissed the King's hands and blessed him. Then said
the King, "What hath betided thee, O Shimas, that thou seekest
admission unto me?" He answered, "This long while have I not
looked upon the face of my lord the King and indeed I longed sore
for thee; and now, behold, I have seen thy countenance and come
to thee with a word which I would lief say to thee, O King
stablished in all prosperity!" Quoth the King, "Say what seemeth
good to thee;" and quoth Shimas, "I would have thee bear in mind
O King, that Allah Almighty hath endowed thee with learning and
wisdom, for all the tenderness of thy years, such as He never
vouchsafed unto any of the Kings before thee, and hath fulfilled
the measure of his bounties to thee with the Kingship; and He
loveth not that thou depart from that wherewith He hath endowed
thee unto other than it, by means of thy disobedience to Him;
wherefore it behoveth thee not to levy war against[FN#145] Him
with thy hoards but of His injunctions to be mindful and unto His
commandments obedient. Indeed, I have seen thee, this while past,
forget thy sire and his charges and reject his covenant and
neglect his counsel and words of wisdom and renounce his justice
and good governance, remembering not the bounty of Allah to thee
neither requiting it with gratitude and thanks to Him." The King
asked, "How so? And what is the manner of this?"; and Shimas
answered, "The manner of it is that thou neglectest to administer
the affairs of the state and that which Allah hath committed unto
thee of the interests of thy lieges and surrenderest thyself to
thy
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