brought him his horse and he mounted and rode down the bank of
the stream, till he came to the bridge, and crossing it, entered
the forest. As soon as he was clear of the trees and came to the
open country, he was aware of three horsemen pricking towards
him. So he drew his sword and rode on cautiously: but as they
drew near he recognized them and behold, it was the Vizier Dendan
and two of his officers. When they saw him and knew him, they
dismounted and saluting him, asked the reason of his absence,
whereupon he told them all that had passed between him and the
princess Abrizeh from first to last. The Vizier returned thanks
to God the Most High for his safety and said, "Let us at once
depart hence, for the ambassadors that were with us are gone to
inform their king of our arrival, and belike he will hasten to
fall on us and seize us." So they rode on in haste, till they
came to the camp, when Sherkan commanded to depart forthright,
and the army set out and journeyed by forced marches for five
days, at the end of which time they alighted in a thickly wooded
valley, where they rested awhile. Then they set out again and
fared on till they came to the frontiers of their own country.
Here they felt themselves in safety and halted to rest; and the
country people came out to them with guest-gifts and victual and
fodder for the cattle. They lay there and rested two days; after
which Sherkan bade the Vizier Dendan fare forward to Baghdad with
his troops, and he did so. But Sherkan himself abode behind with
a hundred horse, till the rest of the army had been gone a day,
when he mounted, he and his men, and fared on two parasangs'
space, till they came to a narrow pass between two mountains and
behold, there arose a great cloud of dust in their front. So they
halted their horses awhile, till the dust lifted and discovered a
hundred cavaliers, as they were fierce lions, cased in complete
steel As soon as they came within earshot of Sherkan and his men,
they cried out to them, saying, "By John and Mary, we have gotten
what we hoped! We have been following you by forced marches,
night and day, till we forewent you in this place. So alight and
lay down your arms and yield yourselves, that we may grant you
your lives." When Sherkan heard this, his eyes rolled and his
cheeks flushed and he said, "O dogs of Nazarenes, how dare ye
enter our country and set foot on our earth? And doth not this
suffice you, but ye must adventure yourselves and give us such
words as these? Do ye think to escape out of our hands and return
to your country?" Then he cried out to his hundred horse, saying,
"Up and at these dogs, for they are even as you in number!" So
saying, he drew his sword and drove at them, without further
parley, he and his hundred men. The Franks received them with
hearts stouter than stone, and they met, man to man. Then fell
champion upon champion and there befell a sore strife and great
was the terror and the roar of the battle; nor did they leave
jousting and foining and smiting with swords, till the day
departed and the night came with the darkness; when they drew
apart, and Sherkan mustered his men and found them all unhurt,
save four who were slightly wounded. Then said he to them, "By
Allah, all my life I have waded in the surging sea of war and
battle, but never saw I any so firm and stout in sword-play and
shock of men as these warriors!" "Know, O King," replied they,
"that there is among them a Frank cavalier, who is their leader,
and indeed he is a man of valour and his strokes are terrible:
but, by Allah, he spares us, great and small; for whoso falls
into his hands, he lets him go and forbears to slay him. By
Allah, an he would, he could kill us all!" When Sherkan heard
this, he was confounded and said, "To-morrow, we will draw out
and defy them to single combat, for we are a hundred to their
hundred; and we will seek help against them from the Lord of the
heavens." Meanwhile, the Franks came to their leader and said to
him, "Of a truth, we have not come by our desire of these this
day." "To-morrow," quoth he, "we will draw out and joust against
them, one by one." So they passed the night in this mind, and
both camps kept watch till the morning. As soon as God the Most
High brought on the day, King Sherkan mounted, with his hundred
horse, and they betook themselves to the field, where they found
the Franks ranged in battle array, and Sherkan said to his men,
"Verily, our enemies are of the same mind as we; so up and at
them briskly." Then came forth a herald of the Franks and cried
out, saying, "Let there be no fighting betwixt us to-day, except
by way of single combat, a champion of yours against one of
ours!" Thereupon one of Sherkan's men came out from the ranks and
spurring between the two parties, cried out, "Who is for
jousting? Who is for fighting? Let no laggard nor weakling come
out against me to-day!" Hardly had he made an end of speaking,
when there sallied forth to him a Frankish horseman, armed
cap-a-pie and clad in cloth of gold, riding on a gray horse, and
he had no hair on his cheeks. He drove his horse into the midst
of the field and the two champions fell to cutting and thrusting,
nor was it long before the Frank smote the Muslim with his lance
and unhorsing him, took him prisoner and bore him off in triumph.
At this, his comrades rejoiced and forbidding him to go out
again, sent forth another to the field, to whom sallied out a
second Muslim, the brother of the first. The two drove at each
other and fought for a little, till the Frank ran at the Muslim
and throwing him off his guard by a feint, smote him with the
butt-end of his spear and unhorsed him and took him prisoner.
After this fashion, the Muslims ceased not to come forth and the
Franks to unhorse them and take them prisoner, till the day
departed and the night came with the darkness. Now they had
captured twenty cavaliers of the Muslims, and when Sherkan saw
this, it was grievous to him, and he mustered his men and said to
them, "What is this thing that hath befallen us? To-morrow
morning, I myself will go out into the field and seek to joust
with their chief and learn his reason for entering our country
and warn him against fighting. If he persist, we will do battle
with him, and if he proffer peace, we will make peace with him."
They passed the night thus, and when God brought on the day, both
parties mounted and drew out in battle array. Then Sherkan was
about to sally forth, when behold, more than half of the Franks
dismounted and marched on foot, before one of them, who was
mounted, to the midst of the field. Sherkan looked at this
cavalier and behold, he was their chief. He was clad in a tunic
of blue satin and a close-ringed shirt of mail; his face was as
the full moon at its rising and he had no hair on his cheeks. In
his hand he held a sword of Indian steel, and he was mounted on a
black horse with a white star, like a dirhem, on his forehead. He
spurred into the midst of the field and signing to the Muslims,
cried out with fluent speech in the Arabic tongue, saying, "Ho,
Sherkan! Ho, son of Omar ben Ennuman, thou that stormest the
citadels and layest waste the lands, up and out to joust and
battle with him who halves the field with thee! Thou art prince
of thy people and I am prince of mine; and whoso hath the upper
hand, the other's men shall come under his sway." Hardly had he
made an end of speaking, when out came Sherkan, with a heart full
of wrath, and spurring his horse into the midst of the field,
drove like an angry lion at the Frank, who awaited him with calm
and steadfastness and met him as a champion should. Then they
fell to cutting and thrusting, nor did they cease to wheel and
turn and give and take, as they were two mountains clashing
together or two seas breaking one against the other, till the day
departed and the night brought on the darkness, when they drew
apart and returned, each to his people. As soon as Sherkan
reached his comrades, he said to them, "Never in my life saw I
the like of this cavalier; and he has one fashion I never yet
beheld in any. It is that, when he has a chance of dealing his
adversary a deadly blow, he reverses his lance and smites him
with the butt. Of a truth, I know not what will be the issue
between him and me; but I would we had in our army his like and
the like of his men." Then he passed the night in sleep, and when
it was morning, the Frank spurred out to the mid-field, where
Sherkan met him, and they fell to fighting and circling one about
the other, whilst all necks were stretched out to look at them;
nor did they cease from battle and swordplay and thrusting with
spears, till the day departed and the night came with the
darkness, when they drew asunder and returned each to his own
camp. Then each related to his comrades what had befallen him
with his adversary, and the Frank said to his men, "To-morrow
shall decide the matter." So they both passed the night in sleep,
and as soon as it was day, they mounted and drove at each other
and ceased not to fight till the middle of the day. Then the
Frank made a shift, first spurring his horse and then checking
him with the bridle, so that he stumbled and threw him; whereupon
Sherkan fell on him and was about to smite him with his sword and
make an end of the long strife, when the Frank cried out, "O
Sherkan, this is not the fashion of champions! It is only the
beaten[FN#18] who deal thus with women." When Sherkan heard this,
he raised his eyes to the Frank's face and looking straitly at
him, knew him for none other than the princess Abrizeh, whereupon
he threw the sword from his hand and kissing the earth before
her, said to her, "What moved thee to do this thing?" Quoth she,
"I was minded to prove thee in the field and try thy stoutness in
battle. These that are with me are all of them my women, and they
are all maids; yet have they overcome thy horsemen in fair fight;
and had not my horse stumbled with me, thou shouldst have seen my
strength and prowess." Sherkan smiled at her speech and said,
"Praised be God for safety and for my reunion with thee, O queen
of the age!" Then she cried out to her damsels to loose the
prisoners and dismount. They did as she bade and came and kissed
the earth before her and Sherkan, who said to them, "It is the
like of you that kings treasure up against the hour of need."
Then he signed to his comrades to salute the princess; so they
dismounted all and kissed the earth before her, for they knew the
story. After this, the whole two hundred mounted and rode day and
night for six days' space, till they drew near to Baghdad when
they halted and Sherkan made Abrizeh and her companions put off
their male attire and don the dress of the women of the Greeks.
Then he despatched a company of his men to Baghdad to acquaint
his father with his arrival in company with the princess Abrizeh,
daughter of King Herdoub, to the intent that he might send some
one to meet her. They passed the night in that place, and when
God the Most High brought on the day, Sherkan and his company
took horse and fared on towards the city. On the way, they met
the Vizier Dendan, who had come out with a thousand horse, by
commandment of King Omar, to do honour to the princess Abrizeh
and to Sherkan. When they drew near, the Vizier and his company
dismounted and kissed the earth before the prince and princess,
then mounted again and escorted them, till they reached the city
and came to the palace. Sherkan went in to his father, who rose
and embraced him and questioned him of what had happened. So he
told him all that had befallen him, including what the princess
Abrizeh had told him and what had passed between them and how she
had left her father and her kingdom and had chosen to depart and
take up her abode with them. And he said to his father, "Indeed,
the King of Constantinople had plotted to do us a mischief,
because of his daughter Sufiyeh, for that the King of Caesarea
had made known to him her history and the manner of her being
made a gift to thee, he not knowing her to be King Afridoun's
daughter; else would he have restored her to her father. And of a
verity, we were only saved from these perils by the lady Abrizeh,
and never saw I a more valiant than she!" And he went on to tell
his father of the wrestling and the jousting from beginning to
end. When King Omar heard his son's story, Abrizeh was exalted in
his eyes, and he longed to see her and sent Sherkan to fetch her.
So Sherkan went out to her and said, "The king calls for thee."
She replied, "I hear and obey;" and he took her and brought her
in to his father, who was seated on his throne, attended only by
the eunuchs, having dismissed his courtiers and officers. The
princess entered and kissing the ground before him, saluted him
in choice terms. He was amazed at her fluent speech and thanked
her for her dealing with his son Sherkan and bade her be seated.
So she sat down and uncovered her face, which when the king saw,
his reason fled and he made her draw near and showed her especial
favour, appointing her a palace for herself and her damsels and
assigning them due allowances. Then he asked her of the three
jewels aforesaid, and she replied, "O King of the age, they are
with me." So saying, she rose and going to her lodging, opened
her baggage and brought out a box, from which she took a casket
of gold. She opened the casket and taking out the three jewels,
kissed them and gave them to the King and went away, taking his
heart with her. Then the king sent for his son Sherkan and gave
him one of the three jewels. Sherkan enquired of the other two,
and the King replied, "O my son, I mean to give one to thy
brother Zoulmekan and the other to thy sister Nuzhet ez Zeman."
When Sherkan heard that he had a brother (for up to that time he
had only known of his sister) he turned to his father and said to
him, "O King, hast thou a son other than myself?" "Yes," answered
Omar, "and he is now six years old." And he told him that his
name was Zoulmekan and that he and Nuzhet ez Zeman were twins,
born at a birth. This news was grievous to Sherkan, but he hid
his chagrin and said, "The blessing of God the Most High be upon
them!" And he threw the jewel from his hand and shook the dust
off his clothes. Quoth his father, "What made thee change colour,
when I told thee of this, seeing that the kingdom is assured to
thee after me? For, verily, the troops have sworn to thee and the
Amirs and grandees have taken the oath of succession to thee; and
this one of the three jewels is thine." At this, Sherkan bowed
his head and was ashamed to bandy words with his father: so he
accepted the jewel and went away, knowing not what to do for
excess of anger, and stayed not till he reached the princess
Abrizeh's palace. When she saw him, she rose to meet him and
thanked him for what he had done and called down blessings on him
and his father. Then she sat down and made him sit by her side.
After awhile, she saw anger in his face and questioned him,
whereupon he told her that God had vouchsafed his father two
children, a boy and a girl, by Sufiyeh, and that he had named the
boy Zoulmekan and the girl Nuzhet ez Zeman. "He has given me one
of the jewels," continued he, "and kept the other two for them. I
knew not of Zoulmekan's birth till this day, and he is now six
years old. So when I learnt this, wrath possessed me and I threw
down the jewel: and I tell thee the reason of my anger and hide
nothing from thee. But I fear lest the King take thee to wife,
for he loves thee and I saw in him signs of desire for thee: so
what wilt thou say, if he wish this?" "Know, O Sherkan," replied
the princess, "that thy father has no dominion over me, nor can
he take me without my consent; and if he take me by force, I will
kill myself. As for the three jewels, it was not my intent that
he should give them to either of his children and I had no
thought but that he would lay them up with his things of price in
his treasury; but now I desire of thy favour that thou make me a
present of the jewel that he gave thee, if thou hast accepted
it." "I hear and obey," replied Sherkan and gave her the jewel.
Then said she, "Fear nothing," and talked with him awhile.
Presently she said, "I fear lest my father hear that I am with
you and sit not down with my loss, but do his endeavour to come
at me; and to that end he may ally himself with King Afridoun and
both come on thee with armies and so there befall a great
turmoil." "O my lady," replied Sherkan, "if it please thee to
sojourn with us, take no thought of them, though all that be in
the earth and in the ocean gather themselves together against
us!" "It is well," rejoined she; "if ye entreat me well, I will
tarry with you, and if ye deal evilly by me, I will depart from
you." Then she bade her maidens bring food; so they set the
tables, and Sherkan ate a little and went away to his own house,
anxious and troubled.
Meanwhile, King Omar betook himself to the lodging of the lady
Sufiyeh, who rose to her feet, when she saw him, and stood till
he was seated. Presently, his two children, Zoulmekan and Nuzbet
ez Zeman, came to him, and he kissed them and hung a jewel round
each one's neck, at which they rejoiced and kissed his hands.
Then they went to their mother, who rejoiced in them and wished
the King long life; and he said to her, "Why hast thou not told
me, all this time, that thou art King Afridoun's daughter, that I
might have advanced thee and enlarged thee in dignity and used
thee with increase of honour and consideration?" "O King,"
replied Sufiyeh, "what could I desire greater or more exalted
than this my standing with thee, overwhelmed as I am with thy
favours and thy goodness? And God to boot hath blessed me by thee
with two children, a son and a daughter." Her answer pleased the
King and he set apart for her and her children a splendid palace.
Moreover, he appointed for their service eunuchs and attendants
and doctors and sages and astrologers and physicians and surgeons
and in every way redoubled in favour and munificence towards
them. Nevertheless, he was greatly occupied with love of the
princess Abrizeh and burnt with desire of her night and day; and
every night, he would go in to her, and talk with her and pay his
court to her, but she gave him no answer, saying only, "O King of
the age, I have no desire for men at this present." When he saw
that she repelled him, his passion and longing increased till, at
last, when he was weary of this, he called his Vizier Dendan and
opening his heart to him, told him how love for the princess
Abrizeh was killing him and how she refused to yield to his
wishes and he could get nothing of her. Quoth the Vizier, "As
soon as it is dark night, do thou take a piece of henbane, the
bigness of a diner, and go in to her and drink wine with her.
When the hour of leave-taking draws near, fill a last cup and
dropping the henbane in it, give it to her to drink, and she will
not reach her sleeping chamber, ere the drug take effect on her.
Then do thou go in to her and take thy will of her." "Thy counsel
is good," said the King, and going to his treasury, took thence a
piece of concentrated henbane, which if an elephant smelt, he
would sleep from year to year. He put it in his bosom and waited
till some little of the night was past, when he betook himself to
the palace of the princess, who rose to receive him; but he bade
her sit down. So she sat down, and he by her, and he began to
talk with her of drinking, whereupon she brought the table of
wine and set it before him. Then she set on the drinking-vessels,
and lighted the candles and called for fruits and confections and
sweetmeats and all that pertains to drinking. So they fell to
drinking and ceased not to carouse, till drunkenness crept into
the princess's head. When the King saw this, he took out the
piece of henbane and holding it between his fingers, filled a cup
and drank it off; then filled another cup, into which he dropped
the henbane, unseen of Abrizeh, and saying, "Thy health!"
presented it to her. She took it and drank it off; then rose and
went to her sleeping-chamber. He waited awhile, till he was
assured that the drug had taken effect on her and gotten the
mastery of her senses, when he went in to her and found her lying
on her back, with a lighted candle at her head and another at her
feet. She had put off her trousers, and the air raised the skirt
of her shift and discovered what was between her thighs. When the
King saw this, he took leave of his senses for desire and Satan
tempted him and he could not master himself, but put off his
trousers and fell upon her and did away her maidenhead. Then he
went out and said to one of her women, by name Merjaneh, "Go in
to thy mistress, for she calls for thee." So she went in to the
princess and found her lying on her back, with the blood running
down her thighs; whereupon she took a handkerchief and wiped away
the blood and tended her mistress and lay by her that night. As
soon as it was day, she washed the princess's hands and feet and
bathed her face and mouth with rose-water, whereupon she sneezed
and yawned and cast up the henbane. Then she revived and washed
her hands and mouth and said to Merjaneh, "Tell me what has
befallen me." So she told her what had passed and how she had
found her, lying on her back, with the blood running down her
thighs, wherefore she knew that the King had played the traitor
with her and had undone her and taken his will of her. At this
she was afflicted and shut herself up, saying to her damsels,
"Let no one come in to me and say to all that I am ill, till I
see what God will do with me." The news of her illness came to
the King, and he sent her cordials and sherbet of sugar and
confections. Some months passed thus, during which time the
King's flame subsided and his desire for her cooled, so that he
abstained from her. Now she had conceived by him, and in due
time, her pregnancy appeared and her belly swelled, wherefore the
world was straitened upon her and she said to her maid Merjaneh,
"Know that it is not the folk who have wronged me, but I who
sinned against myself in that I left my father and mother and
country. Indeed, I abhor life, for my heart is broken and I have
neither courage nor strength left. I used, when I mounted my
horse, to have the mastery of him, but now I have no strength
to ride. If I be brought to bed in this place, I shall be
dishonoured among my women, and every one in the palace will know
that he has taken my maidenhead in the way of shame; and if I
return to my father, with what face shall I meet him or have
recourse to him? How well says the poet:
Wherewith shall I be comforted, that am of all bereft, To whom
nor folk nor home nor friend nor dwelling-place is left?"
Quoth Merjaneh, "It is for thee to command; I will obey." And
Abrizeh said, "I would fain leave this place privily, so that
none shall know of me but thou, and return to my father and
mother; for when flesh stinketh, there is nought for it but its
own folk, and God shall do with me as He will." "It is well, O
princess," replied Merjaneh. So she made ready in secret and
waited awhile, till the King went out to hunt and Sherkan betook
himself to certain of the fortresses to sojourn there awhile.
Then she said to Merjaneh, "I wish to set out to-night, but how
shall I do? For already I feel the pangs of labour, and if I
abide other four or five days, I shall be brought to bed here,
and how then can I go to my country? But this is what was written
on my forehead." Then she considered awhile and said, "Look us
out a man who will go with us and serve us by the way, for I have
no strength to bear arms." "By Allah, O my lady," replied
Merjaneh, "I know none but a black slave called Ghezban, who is
one of the slaves of King Omar ben Ennuman; he is a stout fellow
and keeps guard at the gate of our palace. The King appointed him
to attend us, and indeed we have overwhelmed him with favours. I
will go out and speak with him of the matter and promise him
money and tell him that, if he have a mind to tarry with us, we
will marry him to whom he will. He told me before to-day that he
had been a highwayman; so if he consent, we shall have our desire
and come to our own country." "Call him, that I may talk with
him," said the princess. So Merjaneh went out and said to the
slave, "O Ghezban, God prosper thee, do thou fall in with what my
lady says to thee." Then she took him by the hand and brought him
to Abrizeh. He kissed the princess's hands and when she saw him,
her heart took fright at him, but she said to herself, "Necessity
is imperious," and to him, "O Ghezban, wilt thou help us against
the perfidies of fortune and keep my secret, if I discover it to
thee?" When the slave saw her, his heart was taken by storm and
he fell in love with her forthright, and could not choose but
answer, "O my mistress, whatsoever thou biddest me do, I will not
depart from it." Quoth she, "I would have thee take me and this
my maid and saddle us two camels and two of the king's horses and
set on each horse a saddle-bag of stuff and somewhat of victual,
and go with us to our own country; where, if thou desire to abide
with us, I will marry thee to her thou shalt choose of my
damsels; or if thou prefer to return to thine own country, we
will send thee thither, with as much money as will content thee."
When Ghezban heard this, he rejoiced greatly and replied, "O my
lady, I will serve thee faithfully and will go at once and saddle
the horses." Then he went away, rejoicing and saying in himself,
"I shall get my will of them; and if they will not yield to me, I
will kill them and take their riches." But this his intent he
kept to himself and presently returned, mounted on one horse and
leading other two and two camels. He brought the horses to the
princess, who mounted one and made Merjaneh mount the other,
albeit she was suffering from the pains of labour and could
scarce possess herself for anguish. Then they set out and
journeyed night and day through the passes of the mountains, till
there remained but a day's journey between them and their own
country, when the pangs of travail came upon Abrizeh and she
could no longer sit her horse. So she said to Ghezban, "Set me
down, for the pains of labour are upon me," and cried to
Merjaneh, saying, "Do thou alight and sit down by me and deliver
me." They both drew rein and dismounting from their horses,
helped the princess to alight, and she aswoon for stress of pain.
When Ghezban saw her on the ground, Satan entered into him and he
drew his sabre and brandishing it in her face, said, "O my lady,
vouchsafe me thy favours." With this, she turned to him and said,
"It were a fine thing that I should yield to black slaves, after
having I refused kings and princes!" And she was wroth with him
and said, "What words are these? Out on thee! Do not talk thus in
my presence and know that I will never consent to what thou
sayst, though I drink the cup of death. Wait till I have cast my
burden and am delivered of the after-birth, and after, if thou be
able thereto, do with me as thou wilt; but, an thou leave not
lewd talk at this time, I will slay myself and leave the world
and be at peace from all this." And she recited the following
verses:
O Ghezban, unhand me and let me go freer Sure, fortune is heavy
enough upon me.
My Lord hath forbidden me whoredom. "The fire Shall be the
transgressor's last dwelling," quoth He:
So look not on me with the eye of desire, For surely to lewdness
I may not agree;
And if thou respect not mine honour and God Nor put away filthy
behaviour from thee,
I will call with my might on the men of my tribe And draw them
ail hither from upland and lea.
Were I hewn, limb from limb, with the Yemani sword, Yet never a
lecher my visage should see
Of the freeborn and mighty; so how then should I Let a whoreson
black slave have possession of me?
When Ghezban heard this, he was exceeding angry; his eyes grew
bloodshot and his face became of the colour of dust; his nostrils
swelled, his lips protruded and the terrors of his aspect
redoubled. And he repeated the following verses:
Abrizeh, have mercy nor leave me to sigh, Who am slain by the
glance of thy Yemani eye![FN#19]
My body is wasted, my patience at end, And my heart for thy
cruelty racked like to die.
Thy glances with sorcery ravish all hearts; My reason is distant
and passion is nigh.
Though thou drewst to thy succour the world full of troops, I'd
not stir till my purpose accomplished had I.