from black to white:
Sol beameth from thy hands, and from thy lips ✿ Pleiads, and full Moon
through thy collar's night,[184]
Good sooth the cups, which made our heads fly round, ✿ Are those thine
eyes pass round to daze the sight:
No wonder lovers hail thee as full moon ✿ Waning to them, for self e'er
waxing bright:
Art thou a deity to kill and quicken, ✿ Bidding this fere, forbidding
other wight?
Allah from model of thy form made Beau- ✿ ty and the Zephyr scented with
thy sprite.
Thou art not of this order of human- ✿ ity but angel lent by Heaven to
man.
When Ali bin Bakkar and Abu al-Hasan and those present heard Shams
al-Nahar's song, they were like to fly for joy, and sported and laughed;
but while they were thus enjoying themselves lo! up came a damsel,
trembling for fear and said, "O my lady, the Commander of the Faithful's
eunuchs are at the door, Afíf and Masrúr and Marján[185] and others whom
wot I not." When they heard this they were like to die with fright, but
Shams al-Nahar laughed and said, "Have no fear!" Then quoth she to the
damsel, "Keep answering them whilst we remove hence." And she caused the
doors of the alcove to be closed upon Ali and Abu al-Hasan, and let down
the curtains over the entrance (they being still within); after which
she shut the door of the saloon and went out by the privy wicket into
the flower-garden, where she seated herself on a couch she had there and
made one of the damsels knead her feet.[186] Then she dismissed the rest
of her women to their rooms and bade the portress admit those who were
at the door; whereupon Masrur entered, he and his company of twenty with
drawn swords. And when they saluted her, she asked, "Wherefore come
ye?"; whereto they answered, "The Commander of the Faithful saluteth
thee. Indeed he is desolated for want of thy sight; he letteth thee know
that this be to him a day of joy and great gladness and he wisheth to
seal his day and complete his pleasure with thy company at this very
hour. So say, wilt go to him or shall he come to thee?" Upon this she
rose and, kissing the earth, replied, "I hear and I obey the commandment
of the Prince of True Believers!" Then she summoned the women guards of
her household and other slave-damsels, who lost no time in attending
upon her and made a show of obeying the Caliph's orders. And albeit
everything about the place was in readiness, she said to the eunuchs,
"Go to the Commander of the Faithful and tell him that I await him after
a little space, that I may make ready for him a place with carpets and
other matters." So they returned in haste to the Caliph, whilst Shams
al-Nahar, doffing her outer gear, repaired to her lover, Ali bin Bakkar,
and drew him to her bosom and bade him farewell, whereat he wept sore
and said, "O my lady, this leave-taking will cause the ruin of my very
self and the loss of my very soul; but I pray Allah grant me patience to
support the passion wherewith he hath afflicted me!" Replied she, "By
Allah, none shall suffer perdition save I; for thou wilt fare forth to
the bazar and consort with those that shall divert thee, and thy life
will be sound and thy love hidden forsure; but I shall fall into trouble
and tristesse nor find any to console me, more by token that I have
given the Caliph a tryst, wherein haply great peril shall betide me by
reason of my love for thee and my longing for thee and my grief at being
parted from thee. For with what tongue shall I sing and with what heart
shall I present myself before the Caliph? and with what speech shall I
company the Commander of the Faithful in his cups? and with what eyes
shall I look upon a place where thou art absent? and with what taste
shall I drink wine of which thou drinkest not?" Quoth Abu al-Hasan, "Be
not troubled but take patience and be not remiss in entertaining the
Commander of the Faithful this night, neither show him any neglect, but
be of good heart." Now at this juncture, behold, up came a damsel, who
said to Shams al-Nahar, "O my lady, the Caliph's pages are come." So she
hastily rose to her feet and said to the maid, "Take Abu al-Hasan and
his friend and carry them to the upper balcony[187] giving upon the
garden and there leave them till darkness came on; when do thou contrive
to carry them forth." Accordingly the girl led them up to the balcony
and, locking the door upon them both, went her way. As they sat looking
on the garden lo! the Caliph appeared escorted by near an hundred
eunuchs, with drawn swords in hand and girt about with a score of
damsels, as they were moons, all clad in the richest of raiment and on
each one's head was a crown set with jewels and rubies; while each
carried a lighted flambeau. The Caliph walked in their midst, they
encompassing him about on all sides, and Masrur and Afíf and Wasíf[188]
went before him and he bore himself with a graceful gait. So Shams
al-Nahar and her maidens rose to receive him and, meeting him at the
garden-door, kissed ground between his hands; nor did they cease to go
before him till they brought him to the couch whereon he sat down,
whilst all the waiting-women who were in the garden and the eunuchs
stood before him and there came fair handmaids and concubines holding in
hand lighted candles and perfumes and incense and instruments of mirth
and music. Then the Sovereign bade the singers sit down, each in her
place, and Shams al-Nahar came up and, seating herself on a stool by the
side of the Caliph's couch, began to converse with him; all this
happening whilst Abu al-Hasan and Ali bin Bakkar looked on and listened,
unseen of the King. Presently the Caliph fell to jesting and toying with
Shams al-Nahar and both were in the highest spirits, glad and gay, when
he bade them throw open the garden pavilion. So they opened the doors
and windows and lighted the tapers till the place shone in the season of
darkness even as the day. Then the eunuchs removed thither the
wine-service and (quoth Abu al-Hasan) "I saw drinking-vessels and
rarities whose like mine eyes never beheld, vases of gold and silver and
all manner of noble metals and precious stones, such as no power of
description can describe, till indeed it seemed to me I was dreaming,
for excess of amazement at what I saw!" But as for Ali bin Bakkar, from
the moment Shams al-Nahar left him, he lay strown on the ground for
stress of love and desire; and, when he revived, he fell to gazing upon
these things that had not their like and saying to Abu al-Hasan, "O my
brother, I fear lest the Caliph see us or come to know of our case; but
the most of my fear is for thee. For myself, of a truth I know that I am
about to be lost past recourse, and the cause of my destruction is
naught but love and longing and excess of desire and distraction, and
disunion from my beloved after union with her; but I beseech Allah to
deliver us from this perilous predicament." And they ceased not to look
out of the balcony on the Caliph who was taking his pleasure, till the
banquet was spread before him, when he turned to one of the damsels and
said to her, "O Gharám,[189] let us hear some of thine enchanting
songs." So she took the lute and tuning it, began singing:—
The longing of a Bedouin maid, whose folks are far away, ✿ Who yearns
after the willow of the Hejaz and the bay,[190]—
Whose tears, when she on travellers lights, might for their water serve
✿ And eke her her passion, with its heat, their bivouc-fire purvey,—
Is not more fierce nor ardent than my longing for my love, ✿ Who deems
that I commit a crime in loving him alway.[191]
Now when Shams al-Nahar heard these verses she slipped off the stool
whereon she sat and fell to the earth fainting and became insensible to
the world around her; upon which the damsels came and lifted her up. And
when Ali Bin Bakkar saw this from the balcony he also slipped down
senseless, and Abu al-Hasan said, "Verily Fate hath divided love-desire
equally upon you twain!"[192] As he spoke lo! in came the damsel who had
led them up to the balcony and said to him, "O Abu al-Hasan, arise thou
and thy friend and come down, for of a truth the world hath waxed strait
upon us and I fear lest our case be discovered or the Caliph become
aware of you; unless you descend at once we are dead ones." Quoth he,
"And how shall this youth descend with me seeing that he hath no
strength to rise?" Thereupon the damsel began sprinkling rose-water on
Ali bin Bakkar till he came to his senses, when Abu al-Hasan lifted him
up and the damsel made him lean upon her. So they went down from the
balcony and walked on awhile till the damsel opened a little iron door,
and made the two friends pass through it, and they came upon a bench by
the Tigris' bank. Thereupon the slave-girl clapped her hands[193] and
there came up a man with a little boat to whom said she, "Take up these
two young men and land them on the opposite side." So both entered the
boat and, as the man rowed off with them and they left the garden behind
them, Ali bin Bakkar looked back towards the Caliph's palace and the
pavilion and the grounds; and bade them farewell with these two
couplets:—
I offered _this_ weak hand as last farewell, ✿ While to heart-burning
fire _that_ hand is guided:
O let not this end union! Let not this ✿ Be last provision for long road
provided!
Thereupon the damsel said to the boatman, "Make haste with them both."
So he plied his oars deftly (the slave-girl being still with them);——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawning day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Hundred and Fifty-fifth Night
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the boatman rowed
them towards the other bank till they reached it and landed, whereupon
she took leave of them, saying, "It were my wish not to abandon you, but
I can go no farther than this." Then she turned back, whilst Ali bin
Bakkar lay prostrate on the ground before Abu al-Hasan and by no manner
of means could he rise, till his friend said to him, "Indeed this place
is not sure and I fear lest we lose our lives in this very spot, by
reason of the lewd fellows who infest it and highwaymen and men of
lawlessness." Upon this Ali bin Bakkar arose and walked a little but
could not continue walking. Now Abu al-Hasan had friends in that
quarter; so he made search for one of them, in whom he trusted, and who
was of his intimates, and knocked at the door. The man came out quickly
and seeing them, bade them welcome and brought them into his house,
where he seated them and talked with them and asked them whence they
came. Quoth Abu al-Hasan, "We came out but now, being obliged thereto by
a person with whom I had dealings and who hath in his hands dirhams of
mine. And it reached me that he designed to flee into foreign parts with
my monies; so I fared forth to-night in quest of him, taking with me for
company this youth, Ali bin Bakkar; but, when we came hoping to see the
debtor, he hid from us and we could get no sight of him. Accordingly we
turned back, empty-handed without a doit, but it was irksome to us to
return home at this hour of the night; so weeting not whither to go, we
came to thee, well knowing thy kindness and wonted courtesy." "Ye are
welcome and well come!" answered the host, and studied to do them
honour; so the twain abode with him the rest of their night and as soon
as the daylight dawned, they left him and made their way back without
aught of delay to the city. When they came to the house of Abu al-Hasan,
he conjured his comrade to enter; so they went in and lying down on the
bed, slept awhile. As soon as they awoke, Abu al-Hasan bade his servants
spread the house with rich carpets, saying in his mind, "Needs must I
divert this youth and distract him from thinking of his affliction, for
I know his case better than another." Then he called for water for Ali
bin Bakkar who, when it was brought, rose up from his bed and making his
ablutions, prayed the obligatory prayers which he had omitted for the
past day and night[194]; after which he sat down and began to solace
himself by talking with his friend. When Abu al-Hasan saw this, he
turned to him and said, "O my lord, it were fitter for thy case that
thou abide with me this night, so thy breast may be broadened and the
distress of love-longing that is upon thee be dispelled and thou make
merry with us, so haply the fire of thy heart may thus be quenched." Ali
replied, "O my brother, do what seemeth good to thee; for I may not on
any wise escape from what calamity hath befallen me; so act as thou
wilt." Accordingly, Abu al-Hasan arose and bade his servants summon some
of the choicest of his friends and sent for singers and musicians who
came; and meanwhile he made ready meat and drink for them; so they sat
eating and drinking and making merry through the rest of the day till
nightfall. Then they lit the candles, and the cups of friendship and
good fellowship went round amongst them and the time passed pleasantly
with them. Presently, a singing-woman took the lute and began singing:—
I've been shot by Fortune, and shaft of eye ✿ Down struck me and parted
from fondest friend:
Time has proved him foe and my patience failed, ✿ Yet I ever expected it
thus would end.
When Ali bin Bakkar heard her words, he fell to the earth in a swoon and
ceased not lying in his fainting fit till daybreak; and Abu al-Hasan
despaired of him. But, with the dawning, he came to himself and sought
to go home; nor could his friend hinder him, for fear of the issue of
his affair. So he made his servants bring a she-mule and, mounting Ali
thereon, carried him to his lodgings, he and one of his men. When he was
safe at home; Abu al-Hasan thanked Allah for his deliverance from that
sore peril and sat awhile with him, comforting him; but Ali could not
contain himself, for the violence of his love and longing. So Abu
al-Hasan rose to take leave of him and return to his own place.——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Hundred and Fifty-sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Abu al-Hasan
rose to take leave of him, Ali son of Bakkar exclaimed, "O my brother,
leave me not without news." "I hear and obey," replied the other; and
forthwith went away and, repairing to his shop, opened it and sat there
all day, expecting news of Shams al-Nahar. But none came. He passed the
night in his own house and, when dawned the day, he walked to Ali bin
Bakkar's lodging and went in and found him thrown on his bed, with his
friends about him and physicians around him prescribing something or
other, and the doctors feeling his pulse. When he saw Abu al-Hasan enter
he smiled, and the visitor, after saluting him, enquired how he did and
sat with him till the folk withdrew, when he said to him, "What plight
is this?" Quoth Ali bin Bakkar, "It was bruited abroad that I was ill
and my comrades heard the report; and I have no strength to rise and
walk so as to give him the lie who noised abroad my sickness, but
continue lying strown here as thou seest. So my friends came to visit
me; say, however, O my brother, hast thou seen the slave-girl or heard
any news of her?" He replied, "I have not seen her, since the day we
parted from her on Tigris' bank;" and he presently added, "O my brother,
beware thou of scandal and leave this weeping." Rejoined Ali, "O my
brother, indeed, I have no control over myself;" and he sighed and began
reciting:—
She gives her woman's hand a force that fails the hand of me, ✿ And with
red dye on wrist she gars my patience fail and flee:
And for her hand she fears so sore what shafts her eyes discharge, ✿
She's fain to clothe and guard her hand with mail-ring panoply:[195]
The leach in ignorance felt my pulse the while to him I cried, ✿ "Sick
is my heart, so quit my hand which hath no malady:"
Quoth she to that fair nightly vision favoured me and fled, ✿ "By Allah
picture him nor add nor 'bate in least degree!"
Replied the Dream, "I leave him though he die of thirst," I cry, ✿
"Stand off from water-pit and say why this persistency."
Rained tear-pearls her Narcissus-eyes, and rose on cheek belit ✿ She
made my sherbet, and the lote with bits of hail she bit.[196]
And when his recital was ended he said, "O Abu al-Hasan, I am smitten
with an affliction from which I deemed myself in perfect surety, and
there is no greater ease for me than death." Replied he, "Be patient,
haply Allah will heal thee!" Then he went out from him and repairing to
his shop opened it, nor had he sat long, when suddenly up came the
handmaid who saluted him. He returned her salam and looking at her, saw
that her heart was palpitating and that she was in sore trouble and
showed signs of great affliction: so he said to her, "Thou art welcome
and well come! How is it with Shams al-Nahar?" She answered, "I will
presently tell thee, but first let me know how doth Ali bin Bakkar." So
he told her all that had passed and how his case stood, whereat she
grieved and sighed and lamented and marvelled at his condition. Then
said she, "My lady's case is still stranger than this; for when you went
away and fared homewards, I turned back, my heart beating hard on your
account and hardly crediting your escape. On entering I found her lying
prostrate in the pavilion, speaking not nor answering any, whilst the
Commander of the Faithful sat by her head not knowing what ailed her and
finding none who could make known to him aught of her ailment. She
ceased not from her swoon till midnight, when she recovered and the
Prince of the Faithful said to her, What harm hath happened to thee, O
Shams al-Nahar, and what hath befallen thee this night? Now when she
heard the Caliph's words she kissed his feet and said, Allah make me thy
ransom, O Prince of True Believers! Verily a sourness of stomach lighted
a fire in my body, so that I lost my senses for excess of pain, and I
know no more of my condition. Asked the Caliph, What hast thou eaten
to-day?; and she answered, I broke my fast on something I had never
tasted before. Then she feigned to be recovered and calling for a
something of wine, drank it, and begged the Sovereign to resume his
diversion. So he sat down again on his couch in the pavilion and the
sitting was resumed; but when she saw me, she asked me how you fared. I
told her what I had done with you both and repeated to her the verses
which Ali bin Bakkar had composed at parting-tide, whereat she wept
secretly, but presently held her peace. After awhile, the Commander of
the Faithful ordered a damsel to sing, and she began reciting:—
Life has no sweet for me since forth ye fared; ✿ Would Heaven I wot how
fare ye who forsake:
'Twere only fit my tears were tears of blood, ✿ Since you are weeping
for mine absence sake.
But when my lady heard this verse she fell back on the sofa in a
swoon,"——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Hundred and Fifty-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the slave-girl
continued to Abu al-Hasan, "But when my lady heard this verse, she fell
back on the sofa in a swoon, and I seized her hand and sprinkled
rose-water on her face, till she revived, when I said to her:—O my lady,
expose not thyself and all thy palace containeth. By the life of thy
beloved, be thou patient! She replied:—Can aught befal me worse than
death which indeed I seek, for by Allah, my ease is therein?" Whilst we
were thus talking, another damsel sang these words of the poet:—
Quoth they, "Maybe that Patience lend thee ease!" ✿ Quoth I, "Since
fared he where is Patience' place?"
Covenant he made 'twixt me and him, to cut ✿ The cords of Patience at
our last embrace![197]
And as soon as she had finished her verse Shams al-Nahar swooned away
once more, which when the Caliph saw, he came to her in haste and
commanded the wine to be removed and each damsel to return to her
chamber. He abode with her the rest of the night, and when dawned the
day, he sent for chirurgeons and leaches and bade them medicine her,
knowing not that her sickness arose from love and longing. "I tarried
with her till I deemed her in a way of recovery, and this is what kept
me from thee. I have now left her with a number of her body-women, who
were greatly concerned for her, when she bade me go to you two and bring
her news of Ali bin Bakkar and return to her with the tidings." When Abu
al-Hasan heard her story, he marvelled and said, "By Allah, I have
acquainted thee with his whole case; so now return to thy mistress; and
salute her for me and diligently exhort her to have patience and say to
her:—Keep thy secret!; and tell her that I know all her case which is
indeed hard and one which calleth for nice conduct." She thanked him and
taking leave of him, returned to her mistress. So far concerning her;
but as regards Abu al-Hasan, he ceased not to abide in his shop till the
end of the day, when he arose and shut it and locked it and betaking
himself to Ali bin Bakkar's house knocked at the door. One of the
servants came out and admitted him; and when Ali saw him, he smiled and
congratulated himself on his coming, saying, "O Abu al-Hasan, thou hast
desolated me by thine absence this day; for indeed my soul is pledged to
thee during the rest of my time." Answered the other, "Leave this talk!
Were thy healing at the price of my hand, I would cut it off ere thou
couldst ask me; and, could I ransom thee with my life, I had already
laid it down for thee. Now this very day, Shams al-Nahar's handmaid hath
been with me and told me that what hindered her coming ere this was the
Caliph's sojourn with her mistress; and she acquainted me with
everything which had betided her." And he went on to repeat to him all
that the girl had told him of Shams al-Nahar; at which Ali bin Bakkar
lamented sore and wept and said to him, "Allah upon thee, O my brother,
help me in this affliction and teach me what course I shall take.
Moreover, I beg thee of thy grace to abide with me this night, that I
may have the solace of thy society." Abu al-Hasan agreed to this
request, replying that he would readily night there; so they talked
together till eventide darkened, when Ali bin Bakkar groaned aloud and
lamented and wept copious tears, reciting these couplets:—
Thine image in these eyne, a-lip thy name, ✿ My heart thy home; how
couldst thou disappear?
How sore I grieve for life which comes to end, ✿ Nor see I boon of union
far or near.
And these the words of another:—
She split my casque of courage with eye-swords that sorely smite; ✿ She
pierced my patience' ring-mail with her shape like cane-spear light:
Patched by the musky mole on cheek was to our sight displayed ✿ Camphor
set round with ambergris, light dawning through the night.[198]
Her soul was sorrowed and she bit carnelion stone with pearls ✿ Whose
unions in a sugred tank ever to lurk unite:[199]
Restless she sighed and smote with palm the snows that clothe her
breast, ✿ And left a mark whereon I looked and ne'er beheld such
sight.
Pens, fashioned of her coral nails with ambergris for ink, ✿ Five lines
on crystal page of breast did cruelly indite:
O swordsmen armed with trusty steel! I bid you all beware ✿ When she on
you bends deadly glance which fascinates the sprite:
And guard thyself, O thou of spear! whenas she draweth near ✿ To tilt
with slender quivering shape, likest the nut-brown spear.
And when Ali bin Bakkar ended his verse, he cried out with a great cry
and fell down in a fit. Abu al-Hasan thought that his soul had fled his
body and he ceased not from his swoon till daybreak, when he came to
himself and talked with his friend, who continued to sit with him till
the forenoon. Then he left him and repaired to his shop; and hardly had
he opened it, when lo! the damsel came and stood by his side. As soon as
he saw her, she made him a sign of salutation which he returned; and she
delivered to him the greeting message of her mistress and asked, "How
doth Ali bin Bakkar?" Answered he, "O handmaid of good, ask me not of
his case nor what he suffereth for excess of love-longing; he sleepeth
not by night neither resteth he by day; wakefulness wasteth him and care
hath conquered him and his condition is a consternation to his friend."
Quoth she, "My lady saluteth thee and him, and she hath written him a
letter, for indeed she is in worse case than he; and she entrusted the
same to me, saying:—Do not return save with the answer; and do thou obey
my bidding. Here now is the letter, so say, wilt thou wend with me to
him that we may get his reply?" "I hear and obey," answered Abu
al-Hasan, and locking his shop and taking with him the girl he went, by
a way different from that whereby he came, to Ali bin Bakkar's house,
where he left her standing at the door and walked in——And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Hundred and Fifty-eighth Night,