the open part of the island. Thus I continued for the space of two
months; and I perceived that, on the western side of the island, the
water of the sea every day retired, until, after three months, the land
that had been beneath it became dry. Rejoicing at this, and feeling
confident now in my escape, I traversed this dry tract, and arrived at
an expanse of sand; whereupon I emboldened myself, and crossed it. I
then saw in the distance an appearance of fire, and, advancing toward
it, found it to be a palace, overlaid with plates of red copper, which,
reflecting the rays of the sun, seemed from a distance to be fire: and
when I drew near to it, reflecting upon this sight, there approached me
an old sheikh, accompanied by ten young men who were all blind of one
eye, at which I was extremely surprised. As soon as they saw me, they
saluted me, and asked me my story, which I related to them from first to
last; and they were filled with wonder. They then conducted me into the
palace, where I saw ten benches, upon each of which was a mattress
covered with a blue stuff; and each of the young men seated himself upon
one of these benches, while the sheikh took his place upon a smaller
one; after which they said to me: "Sit down, O young man, and ask no
question respecting our condition, nor respecting our being blind of one
eye." Then the sheikh arose, and brought to each of them some food, and
the same to me also; and next he brought to each of us some wine: and
after we had eaten, we sat drinking together until the time for sleep,
when the young men said to the sheikh: "Bring to us our accustomed
supply"--upon which the sheikh arose, and entered a closet, from which
he brought, upon his head, ten covered trays. Placing these upon the
floor, he lighted ten candles, and stuck one of them upon each tray;
and, having done this, he removed the covers, and there appeared beneath
them ashes mixed with pounded charcoal. The young men then tucked up
their sleeves above the elbow, and blackened their faces, and slapped
their cheeks, exclaiming: "We were reposing at our ease, and our
impertinent curiosity suffered us not to remain so!" Thus they did until
the morning, when the sheikh brought them some hot water, and they
washed their faces, and put on other clothes.
On witnessing this conduct, my reason was confounded, my heart was so
troubled that I forgot my own misfortunes, and I asked them the cause of
their strange behaviour; upon which they looked toward me, and said: "O
young man, ask not respecting that which doth not concern thee; but be
silent; for in silence is security from error." I remained with them a
whole month, during which, every night they did the same, and at length
I said to them: "I conjure you by Allah to remove this disquiet from my
mind, and to inform me of the cause of your acting in this manner, and
of your exclaiming; 'We were reposing at our ease, and our impertinent
curiosity suffered us not to remain so!' if ye inform me not, I will
leave you, and go my way." On hearing these words, they replied: "We
have not concealed this affair from thee but in our concern for thy
welfare, lest thou shouldst become like us, and the same affliction that
hath befallen us happen also to thee." I said, however: "Ye must
positively inform me of this matter." "We give thee good advice," said
they, "and do thou receive it, and ask us not respecting our case;
otherwise thou wilt become blind of one eye, like us"--but I still
persisted in my request; whereupon they said: "O young man, if this
befall thee, know that thou wilt be banished from our company." They
then all arose, and, taking a ram, slaughtered and skinned it, and said
to me: "Take this knife with thee, and introduce thyself into the skin
of the ram, and we will sew thee up in it, and go away; whereupon a bird
called the roc will come to thee, and, taking thee up by its talons,
will fly away with thee, and set thee down upon a mountain: then cut
open the skin with this knife, and get out, and the bird will fly away.
Thou must arise, as soon as it hath gone, and journey for half a day,
and thou wilt see before thee a lofty palace, encased with red gold, set
with various precious stones such as emeralds and rubies; and if thou
enter it thy case will be as ours; for our entrance into that palace was
the cause of our being blind of one eye; and if one of us would relate
to thee all that hath befallen him, his story would be too long for thee
to hear."
They then sewed me up in the skin, and entered their palace; and soon
after, there came an enormous white bird, which seized me, and flew away
with me, and set me down upon the mountain; whereupon I cut open the
skin, and got out; and the bird, as soon as it saw me, flew away. I rose
up quickly, and proceeded toward the palace, which I found to be as they
had described it to me; and when I had entered it, I beheld, at the
upper end of a saloon, forty young damsels, beautiful as so many moons,
and magnificently attired, who, as soon as they saw me, exclaimed:
"Welcome! Welcome! O our master and our lord! We have been for a month
expecting thee. Praise be to God who hath blessed us with one who is
worthy of us, and one of whom we are worthy!" After having thus greeted
me, they seated me upon a mattress, and said; "Thou art from this day
our master and prince, and we are thy handmaids, and entirely under thy
authority." They then brought to me some refreshments, and, when I had
eaten and drunk, they sat and conversed with me, full of joy and
happiness. So lovely were these ladies, that even a devotee, if he saw
them, would gladly consent to be their servant, and to comply with all
that they would desire. At the approach of night they all assembled
around me, and placed before me a table of fresh and dried fruits, with
other delicacies that the tongue cannot describe, and wine; and one
began to sing, while another played upon the lute. The wine-cups
circulated among us, and joy overcame me to such a degree as to
obliterate from my mind every earthly care, and make me exclaim: "This
is indeed a delightful life!" I passed a night of such enjoyment as I
had never before experienced; and on the morrow I entered the bath; and,
after I had washed myself, they brought me a suit of the richest
clothing, and we again sat down to a repast.
In this manner I lived with them a whole year; but on the first day of
the new year, they seated themselves around me, and began to weep, and
bade me farewell, clinging to my skirts. "What calamity hath befallen
you?" said I. "Ye are breaking my heart." They answered: "Would that we
had never known thee; for we have associated with many men, but have
seen none like thee. May God, therefore, not deprive us of thy company."
And they wept afresh. I said to them: "I wish that you would acquaint me
with the cause of this weeping." "Thou," they replied, "art the cause;
yet now, if thou wilt attend to what we tell thee, we shall never be
parted; but if thou act contrary to it, we are separated from this time;
and our hearts whisper to us that thou wilt not regard our warning."
"Inform me," said I, "and I will attend to your directions." And they
replied: "If then thou wouldst inquire respecting our history, know that
we are the daughters of kings: for many years it hath been our custom to
assemble here, and every year we absent ourselves during a period of
forty days; then returning, we indulge ourselves for a year in feasting
and drinking. This is our usual practice; and now we fear that thou wilt
disregard our directions when we are absent from thee. We deliver to
thee the keys of the palace, which are a hundred in number, belonging to
a hundred closets. Open each of these, and amuse thyself, and eat and
drink, and refresh thyself, excepting the closet that hath a door of red
gold; for if thou open this, the consequence will be a separation
between us and thee. We conjure thee, therefore, to observe our
direction, and to be patient during this period." Upon hearing this, I
swore to them that I would never open the closet to which they alluded;
and they departed, urging me to be faithful to my promise.
I remained alone in the palace, and at the approach of evening I opened
the first closet, and, entering it, found a mansion like paradise, with
a garden containing green trees loaded with ripe fruits, abounding with
singing birds, and watered by copious streams. My heart was soothed by
the sight, and I wandered among the trees, scenting the fragrance of the
flowers, and listening to the warbling of the birds as they sang the
praises of the One, the Almighty. After admiring the mingled colours of
the apple resembling the hue upon the cheek of the beloved maid and the
sallow countenance of the perplexed and timid lover, the sweet-smelling
quince diffusing an odour like musk and ambergris, and the plum shining
as the ruby, I retired from this place, and, having locked the door,
opened that of the next closet, within which I beheld a spacious tract
planted with numerous palm-trees, and watered by a river flowing among
rose-trees, and jasmine, and marjoram, and eglantine, and narcissus, and
gilliflower, the odours of which, diffused in every direction by the
wind, inspired me with the utmost delight. I locked again the door of
the second closet, and opened that of the third. Within this I found a
large saloon, paved with marbles of various colours, and with costly
minerals and precious gems, and containing cages constructed of sandal
and aloes-wood with singing birds within them, and others upon the
branches of trees which were planted there. My heart was charmed, my
trouble was dissipated, and I slept there until the morning. I then
opened the door of the fourth closet, and within this door I found a
great building in which were forty closets with open doors; and entering
these, I beheld pearls, and rubies, and chrysolites, and emeralds, and
other precious jewels such as the tongue cannot describe. I was
astonished at the sight, and said: "Such things as these, I imagine, are
not found in the treasury of any king. I am now the King of my age, and
all these treasures, through the goodness of God, are mine."
[Illustration]
_At the approach of evening I opened the first closet and, entering it,
found a mansion like paradise._
Thus I continued to amuse myself, passing from one place to another,
until thirty-nine days had elapsed, and I had opened the doors of all
the closets excepting that which they had forbidden me to open. My heart
was then disturbed by curiosity respecting this hundredth closet, and
the Devil, in order to plunge me into misery, induced me to open it. I
had not patience to abstain, though there remained of the appointed
period only one day: so I approached the closet, and opened the door;
and when I had entered, I perceived a fragrant odour, such as I had
never before smelt, which intoxicated me so that I fell down insensible,
and remained some time in this state: but at length recovering, I
fortified my heart, and proceeded. I found the floor overspread with
saffron, and the place illuminated by golden lamps and by candles, which
diffused the odours of musk and ambergris. I saw also a black horse, of
the hue of the darkest night, before which was a manger of white crystal
filled with cleansed sesame, and another, similar to it, containing
rose-water infused with musk: he was saddled and bridled, and his saddle
was of red gold. Wondering at the sight of him, I said within myself:
"This must be an animal of extraordinary qualities;" and, seduced by the
Devil, I led him out, and mounted him; but he moved not from his place.
I kicked him with my heel; but still he moved not: so I took a switch
and struck him with it; and as soon as he felt the blow he uttered a
sound like thunder, and, expanding a pair of wings, soared with me to an
immense height through the air, and then alighted upon the roof of
another palace, where he threw me from his back, and, by a violent blow
with his tail upon my face, struck out my eye, and left me.
Thus it was I became blind of one eye. I then recollected the
predictions of the ten young men. The horse again took wing, and soon
disappeared. I got up much vexed at the misfortune I had brought upon
myself. I walked upon the terrace, covering my eye with one of my hands,
for it pained me exceedingly, and then descended, and entered into a
hall. I soon discovered by the ten benches in a circle, and the eleventh
in the middle, smaller than the rest, that I was in the castle whence I
had been carried by the roc.
The ten young men were not in the hall when I entered; but came in soon
after, attended by the sheikh. They seemed not at all surprised to see
me, nor at the loss of my eye; but said: "We are sorry that we cannot
congratulate you on your return, as we could wish; but we are not the
cause of your misfortune." "I should do you wrong," I replied, "to lay
it to your charge; I have only myself to accuse." "If," said they, "it
be a subject of consolation to the afflicted to know that others share
their sufferings, you have in us this alleviation of your misfortune.
All that has happened to you we have also endured; we each of us tasted
the same pleasures during a year; and we had still continued to enjoy
them, had we not opened the golden door, when the princesses were
absent. You have been no wiser than we, and have incurred the same
punishment. We would gladly receive you into our company, to join with
us in the penance to which we are bound, and the duration of which we
know not. But we have already stated to you the reasons that render this
impossible: depart, therefore, and proceed to the court of Bagdad, where
you will meet with the person who is to decide your destiny." After they
had explained to me the road I was to travel, I departed from them, with
mournful heart and weeping eye, and, God having decreed me a safe
journey hither, I arrived at Bagdad, after I had shaved my beard, and
become a mendicant. Praise be to God, whose name be exalted, and whose
purposes concerning me are as yet hid in darkness.
THE STORY OF THE CITY OF BRASS
There was, in olden time, in Damascus of Syria, a king, named
Abd-El-Melik the son of Marwan; and he was sitting, one day, having with
him the great men of his empire, consisting of kings and sultans, when a
discussion took place among them, respecting the traditions of former
nations. They called to mind the stories of Solomon, son of David, and
the dominion which God had bestowed upon him over mankind, and the
genies, and the birds, and the wild beasts, and they said: "We have
heard from those who were before us, that God bestowed not upon any one
the power which He bestowed upon Solomon, so that he used to imprison
the genies and the devils in bottles of brass, and pour molten lead over
them, and seal a cover over them with his signet."
Then Talib, one of the sultans, related, that a man once embarked in a
ship with a company of others, and they voyaged to the island of Sicily
and ceased not in their course until there arose against them a wind
which bore them away to an unknown land. This happened during the black
darkness of night, and when the day shone forth, there came out to them,
from caves in that land, people of black complexion and with naked
bodies, like wild beasts, not understanding speech. They had a king of
their own race, and none of them knew Arabic save their king. So when
they saw the ship and those who were in her, he came forth to them
attended by a party of his companions, and saluted them and welcomed
them: They acquainted him with their state; and he said to them, "No
harm shall befall you; there hath not come to us any one of the sons of
Adam before you." And he entertained them with a banquet of the flesh of
birds and of wild beasts and of fish. And after this, the people of the
ship went down to divert themselves in the city, and they found one of
the fishermen who had cast his net in the sea to catch fish, and he drew
it up, and, lo, in it was a bottle of brass stopped with lead, which was
sealed with the signet of Solomon the son of David. And the fisherman
came forth and broke it; whereupon there proceeded from it a blue smoke,
which united with the clouds of heaven; and they heard a horrible voice,
saying: "Repentance! repentance! O Prophet of God!" Then, of that smoke
there was formed a person of terrible aspect, of terrific make, whose
head would reach as high as a mountain; and he disappeared from before
their eyes. As to the people of the ship, their hearts were almost
eradicated; but the blacks thought nothing of the event. And a man
returned to the king, and asked him respecting this; and the king
answered him: "Know that this is one of the genies whom Solomon, the son
of David, when he was incensed against them, imprisoned in these
bottles, and he poured lead over them, and threw them into the sea. When
the fisherman casteth his net, it generally bringeth up these bottles;
and when they are broken, there cometh forth from them a genie, who
imagineth that Solomon is still living; wherefore he repenteth, and
saith: 'Repentance! O Prophet of God!'"
And the Prince of the Faithful, Abd-El-Melik, wondered at these words,
and said: "By Allah, I desire to see some of these bottles!" So Talib
replied: "O Prince of the Faithful, thou art able to do so, and yet
remain in thy country. Send to thy brother Abd-El-Azeez, that he may
write orders to the Emeer Moosa to journey from the Western Country to
this mountain which we have mentioned, and to bring thee what thou
desirest of these bottles; for the furthest tract of his province is
adjacent to this mountain." And the Prince of the Faithful approved of
his advice, and said: "O Talib, thou hast spoken truth and I desire that
thou be my messenger to Moosa for this purpose." To this, Talib replied:
"Most willingly, O Prince of the Faithful." And the king said to him:
"Go in dependence on the blessing of God, and his aid." Then he gave
orders that they should write for him a letter to his brother
Abd-El-Azeez, his viceroy in Egypt, and another letter to Moosa, his
viceroy in the Western Country, commanding him to journey, himself, in
search of the bottles of Solomon. He sealed the two letters, and
delivered them to Talib, commanding him to hasten, and he gave him
riches and riders and footmen to aid him in his way.
So Talib went forth on his way to Egypt, and when the Emeer Moosa knew
of his approach, he went forth to him and met him, and rejoiced at his
arrival; and Talib handed to him the letter. So he took it and read it,
and understood its meaning; and he put it upon his head, saying: "I hear
and obey the command of the Prince of the Faithful." He determined to
summon his great men; and they presented themselves; and he inquired of
them respecting that which had been made known to him by the letter;
whereupon they said: "O Emeer, if thou desire him who will guide thee to
that place, have recourse to the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad; for he is a
knowing man, and hath travelled much, and he is acquainted with the
deserts and wastes and the seas, and their inhabitants and their
wonders, and the countries and their districts. Have recourse therefore
to him, and he will direct thee to the object of thy desire."
Accordingly he gave orders to bring him, and he came before him; and,
lo, he was a very old man, whom the vicissitudes of years and times had
rendered decrepit. The Emeer Moosa saluted him, and said to him: "O
Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad, our lord, the Prince of the Faithful, hath
commanded us thus and thus, and I possess little knowledge of that land,
and it hath been told me that thou art acquainted with that country and
the routes. Hast thou then a wish to accomplish the affair of the Prince
of the Faithful?" The sheikh replied: "Know, O Emeer, that this route is
difficult, far extending, with few tracks." The emeer said to him: "How
long a period doth it require?" He answered: "It is a journey of two
years and some months going, and the like returning; and on the way are
difficulties and horrors, and extraordinary and wonderful things. But,"
he said, "God will assuredly make this affair easy to us through the
blessing attendant upon thee, O Viceroy of the Prince of the Faithful."
After this they departed, and they continued their journey until they
arrived at a palace; whereupon the sheikh said: "Advance with us to this
palace, which presenteth a lesson to him who will be admonished." So the
Emeer Moosa advanced thither, together with the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad and
his chief companions, till they came to its entrance. And they found it
open, and having lofty angles, and steps, among which were two wide
steps of coloured marbles, the like of which hath not been seen: the
ceilings and walls were decorated with gold and silver and minerals, and
over the entrance was a slab, whereon was an inscription in ancient
Greek; and the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad said: "Shall I read it, O Emeer?" The
emeer answered; "Advance and read." So he read it; and, lo, it was
poetry; and it was this:
Here was a people whom, after their works, thou shalt see wept over for
their lost dominion;
And in this palace is the last information respecting lords collected in
the dust.
Death hath destroyed them and disunited them, and in the dust they have
lost what they amassed;
As though they had only put down their loads to rest a while: quickly
have they departed!
And the Emeer Moosa wept and said: "There is no deity but God, the
Living, the Enduring without failure!"
Then they attentively viewed the palace; and, lo, it was devoid of
inhabitants, destitute of household and occupants: its courts were
desolate, and its apartments were deserted; and in the midst of it was a
chamber covered with a lofty dome, rising high into the air, around
which were four hundred tombs.
And the Emeer Moosa drew near to the dome-crowned chamber, and, lo, it
had eight doors of sandalwood, with nails of gold, ornamented with stars
of silver set with various jewels, and he beheld in it a long tomb, of
terrible appearance, whereon was a tablet of iron of China; and the
Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad drew near to it, and read its inscription; and, lo,
on it was written:
Shouldst thou think upon me after the length of my age, and the
vicissitudes of days and circumstances,
I am the son of Sheddad, who held dominion over mankind and each tract of
the whole earth.
All the stubborn troops became abject unto me, and Esh-Sham from Misr
unto Adnan.
In glory I reigned, abasing their kings, the people of the earth fearing
my dominion;
And I beheld the tribes and armies in my power, and saw the countries and
their inhabitants dread me.
When I mounted, I beheld my army comprising a million bridles upon
neighing steeds;
And I possessed wealth that could not be calculated, which I treasured up
against misfortunes,
Determining to devote the whole of my property for the purpose of
extending the term of my life.
But the Deity would nought save the execution of his purpose; and thus I
became separated from my brethren.
Death, the disuniter of mankind, came to me, and I was removed from
grandeur to the mansion of contempt;
And I found the recompense of all my past actions, for which I am
pledged: for I was sinful!
Then raise thyself, lest thou be upon a brink; and beware of calamities!
Mayest thou be led aright!
And again the Emeer Moosa wept, in considering the fates of the people;
after which, as they were going about through the different apartments
of the palace, and viewing attentively its chambers and its places of
diversion, they came to a table upon four legs of alabaster, whereon was
inscribed:
Upon this table have eaten a thousand one-eyed kings, and a thousand
kings each sound in both eyes. All of them have quitted the world, and
taken up their abode in the burial-grounds and the graves.
And the Emeer Moosa wrote down all this. Then he went forth, and took
not with him from the palace aught save the table.
The soldiers proceeded, with the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad before them shewing
them the way, until all the first day had passed, and the second, and
the third. They then came to a high hill, at which they looked, and, lo,
upon it was a horseman of brass, on the top of whose spear was a wide
and glistening head that almost deprived the beholder of sight, and on
it was inscribed:
O thou who comest unto me, if thou know not the way that leadeth to
the City of Brass, rub the hand of the horseman, and he will turn, and
then will stop, and in whatsoever direction he stoppeth, thither
proceed, without fear and without difficulty; for it will lead thee to
the City of Brass.
And when the Emeer Moosa had rubbed the hand of the horseman, it turned
like the blinding lightning, and faced a different direction from that
in which they were travelling.