Enough is yearning every Ill to show:
He weeps for stress of sorrow and of pain, *
And these to thee best evidence his lowe:
Happy![FN#323] of whom Love sickness swore that ne'er *
Should cease his eye lids loving tears to flow:
He mourns the loss of fairest, fullest Moon, *
Shining o'er all his peers in glorious glow:
But death made drink a brimming cup, what day *
He fared from natal country fain to go:
His home left he and went from us to grief; *
Nor to his brethren could he say adieu:
Yea, his loss wounded me with parting pangs, *
And separation cost me many a throe:
He fared farewelling, as he fared, our eyes; *
Whenas his Lord vouch-safed him Paradise."
And when King Shahriman had ended his verses, he returned with the
troops to his capital,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Twelfth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King
Shahriman had ended his verses, he returned with the troops to his
capital, giving up his son for lost, and deeming that wild beasts or
banditti had set upon him and torn him to pieces; and made proclamation
that all in the Khalidan Islands should don black in mourning for him.
Moreover, he built, in his memory, a pavilion, naming it House of
Lamentations; and on Mondays and Thursdays he devoted himself to the
business of the state and ordering the affairs of his levies and
lieges; and the rest of the week he was wont to spend in the House of
Lamentations, mourning for his son and bewailing him with elegiac
verses,[FN#324] of which the following are some:—
"My day of bliss is that when thou appearest; *
My day of bale[FN#325] is that whereon thou farest:
Though through the night I quake in dread of death; *
Union wi' thee is of all bliss the dearest."
And again he said,
"My soul be sacrifice for one, whose going *
Afflicted hearts with sufferings sore and dread:
Let joy her widowed term[FN#326] fulfil, for I *
Divorced joy with the divorce thrice-said."[FN#327]
Such was the case with King Shahriman; but as regards Queen Budur
daughter of King Ghayur, she abode as ruler in the Ebony Islands,
whilst the folk would point to her with their fingers, and say, "Yonder
is the son-in-law of King Armanus." And every night she lay with Hayat
al-Nufus, to whom she lamented her desolate state and longing for her
husband Kamar al-Zaman; weeping and describing to her his beauty and
loveliness, and yearning to enjoy him though but in a dream: And at
times she would repeat,
"Well Allah wots that since my severance from thee, *
I wept till forced to borrow tears at usury:
'Patience!' my blamer cried, 'Heartsease right soon shalt see!' *
Quoth I, 'Say, blamer, where may home of Patience be?'"
This is how it fared with Queen Budur; but as regards Kamar al- Zaman,
he abode with the gardener in the garden for no short time, weeping
night and day and repeating verses bewailing the past time of enjoyment
and delight; whilst the gardener kept comforting him and assuring him
that the ship would set sail for the land of the Moslems at the end of
the year. And in this condition he continued till one day he saw the
folk crowding together and wondered at this; but the gardener came in
to him and said, "O my son, give over work for this day nor lead water
to the trees; for it is a festival day, whereon folk visit one another.
So take thy rest and only keep shine eye on the garden, whilst I go
look after the ship for thee; for yet but a little while and I send
thee to the land of the Moslems." Upon this, he went forth from the
garden leaving to himself Kamar al-Zaman, who fell to musing upon his
case till his heart was like to break and the tears streamed from his
eyes. So he wept with excessive weeping till he swooned away and, when
he recovered, he rose and walked about the garden, pondering what Time
had done with him and bewailing the long endurance of his estrangement
and separation from those he loved. As he was thus absorbed in
melancholy thought, his foot stumbled and he fell on his face, his
forehead striking against the projecting root of a tree; and the blow
cut it open and his blood ran down and mingled with his tears Then he
rose and, wiping away the blood, dried his tears and bound his brow
with a piece of rag; then continued his walk about the garden engrossed
by sad reverie. Presently, he looked up at a tree and saw two birds
quarrelling thereon, and one of them rose up and smote the other with
its beak on the neck and severed from its body its head, wherewith it
flew away, whilst the slain bird fell to the ground before Kamar
al-Zaman. As it lay, behold, two great birds swooped down upon it
alighting, one at the head and the other at the tail, and both drooped
their wings and bowed their bills over it and, extending their necks
towards it, wept. Kamar al-Zaman also wept when seeing the birds thus
bewail their mate, and called to mind his wife and father, And
Shahrazed perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Thirteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Kamar al- Zaman
wept and lamented his separation from spouse and sire, when he beheld
those two birds weeping over their mate. Then he looked at the twain
and saw them dig a grave and therein bury the slain bird; after which
they flew away far into the firmament and disappeared for a while; but
presently they returned with the murtherer-bird and, alighting on the
grave of the murthered, stamped on the slayer till they had done him to
death. Then they rent his belly and tearing out his entrails, poured
the blood on the grave of the slain[FN#328]: moreover, they stripped
off his skin and tare his flesh in pieces and, pulling out the rest of
the bowels, scattered them hither and thither. All this while Kamar
al-Zaman was watching them wonderingly; but presently, chancing to look
at the place where the two birds had slain the third, he saw therein
something gleaming. So he drew near to it and noted that it was the
crop of the dead bird. Whereupon he took it and opened it and found the
talisman which had been the cause of his separation from his wife. But
when he saw it and knew it, he fell to the ground a-fainting for joy;
and, when he revived, he said, "Praised be Allah! This is a foretaste
of good and a presage of reunion with my beloved." Then he examined the
jewel and passed it over his eyes[FN#329]; after which he bound it to
his forearm, rejoicing in coming weal, and walked about till nightfall
awaiting the gardener's return; and when he came not, he lay down and
slept in his wonted place. At daybreak he rose to his work and, girding
his middle with a cord of palm- fibre, took hatchet and basket and
walked down the length of the garden, till he came to a carob-tree and
struck the axe into its roots. The blow rang and resounded; so he
cleared away the soil from the place and discovered a trap-door and
raised it.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
When It was the Two Hundred and Fourteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Kamar
al-Zaman raised the trap-door, he found a winding stair, which he
descended and came to an ancient vault of the time of Ad and
Thamúd,[FN#330] hewn out of the rock. Round the vault stood many brazen
vessels of the bigness of a great oil-jar which he found full of
gleaming red gold: whereupon he said to himself, "Verily sorrow is gone
and solace is come!" Then he mounted from the souterrain to the garden
and, replacing the trap-door as it was before, busied himself in
conducting water to the trees till the last of the day, when the
gardener came back and said to him, "O my son, rejoice at the good
tidings of a speedy return to thy native land: the merchants are ready
equipped for the voyage and the ship in three days' time will set sail
for the City of Ebony, which is the first of the cities of the Moslems,
and after making it, thou must travel by land a six months' march till
thou come to the Islands of Khalidan, the dominions of King Shahriman."
At this Kamar al-Zaman rejoiced and began repeating,
"Part not from one whose wont is not to part from you; *
Nor with your cruel taunts an innocent mortify:
Another so long parted had ta'en heart from you, *
And had his whole condition changed,—but not so I."
Then he kissed the gardener's hand and said, "O my father, even as thou
hast brought me glad tidings, so I also have great good news for thee,'
and told him anent his discovery of the vault; whereat the gardener
rejoiced and said, "O my son, fourscore years have I dwelt in this
garden and have never hit on aught whilst thou, who hast not sojourned
with me a year, hast discovered this thing; wherefore it is Heaven's
gift to thee, which shall end thy crosses and aid thee to rejoin thy
folk and foregather with her thou lovest." Quoth Kamar al-Zaman, "There
is no help but it must be shared between me and thee." Then he carried
him to the underground-chamber and showed him the gold, which was in
twenty jars: he took ten and the gardener ten, and the old man said to
him, "O my son, fill thyself leather bottles[FN#331] with the
sparrow-olives[FN#332] which grow in this garden, for they are not
found except in our land; and the merchants carry them to all parts.
Lay the gold in the bottles and strew it over with olives: then stop
them and cover them and take them with thee in the ship." So Kamar
al-Zaman arose without stay or delay and took fifty leather bottles and
stored in each somewhat of the gold, and closed each one after placing
a layer of olives over the gold; and at the bottom of one of the
bottles he laid the talisman. Then sat he down to talk with the
gardener, confident of speedy reunion with his own people and saying to
himself, "When I come to the Ebony Islands I will journey thence to my
father's country and enquire for my beloved Budur. Would to Heaven I
knew whether she returned to her own land or journeyed on to my
father's country or whether there befel her any accident by the way."
And he began versifying,
"Love in my breast they lit and fared away, *
And far the land wherein my love is pent:
Far lies the camp and those who camp therein; *
Par is her tent-shrine, where I ne'er shall tent.
Patience far deaf me when from me they fled; *
Sleep failed mine eyes, endurance was forspent:
They left and with them left my every joy, *
Wending with them, nor find I peace that went:
They made these eyes roll down love tears in flood, *
And lacking them these eyne with tears are drent.
When my taste spins once again would see them, *
When pine and expectation but augment,
In my heart's core their counterfeits I trace, *
With love and yearning to behold their grace."
Then, while he awaited the end of the term of days, he told the
gardener the tale of the birds and what had passed between them;
whereat the hearer wondered; and they both lay down and slept till the
morning. The gardener awoke sick and abode thus two days; but on the
third day, his sickness increased on him, till they despaired of his
life and Kamar al-Zaman grieved with sore grief for him. Meanwhile
behold, the Master and his crew came and enquired for the gardener;
and, when Kamar al-Zaman told them that he was sick, they asked, "Where
be the youth who is minded to go with us to the Ebony Islands?" "He is
your servent and he standeth before you!" answered the Prince and bade
them carry the bottles of olives to the ship; so they transported them,
saying, "Make haste, thou, for the wind is fair;" and he replied, "I
hear and obey." Then he carried his provaunt on board and, returning to
bid the gardener farewell, found him in the agonies of death; so he sat
down at his head and closed his eyes, and his soul departed his body;
whereupon he laid him out and committed him to the earth unto the mercy
of Allah Almighty. Then he made for the ship but found that she had
already weighed anchor and set sail; nor did she cease to cleave the
seas till she disappeared from his sight. So he went back to whence he
came heavy-hearted with whirling head; and neither would he address a
soul nor return a reply; and reaching the garden and sitting down in
cark and care he threw dust on his head and buffeted his cheeks.—And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Fifteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the ship
sped on her course, Kamar al-Zaman returned to the garden in cark and
care; but- anon he rented the place of its owner and hired a man to
help him in irrigating the trees. Moreover, he repaired the trap-door
and he went to the underground chamber and bringing the rest of the
gold to grass, stowed it in other fifty bottles which he filled up with
a layer of olives. Then he enquired of the ship and they told him that
it sailed but once a year, at which his trouble of mind redoubled and
he cried sore for that which had betided him, above all for the loss of
the Princess Budur's talisman, and spent his nights and days weeping
and repealing verses. Such was his case; but as regards the ship she
sailed with a favouring wind till she reached the Ebony Islands. Now by
decree of destiny, Queen Budur was sitting at a lattice-window
overlooking the sea and saw the galley cast anchor upon the strand. At
this sight, her heart throbbed and she took horse with the Chamberlains
and Nabobs and, riding down to the shore, halted by the ship, whilst
the sailors broke bulk and bore the bales to the storehouses; after
which she called the captain to her presence and asked what he had with
him. He answered "O King, I have with me in this ship aromatic drugs
and cosmetics and healing powders and ointments and plasters and
precious metals and rich stuffs and rugs of Yemen leather, not to be
borne of mule or camel, and all manner of otters and spices and
perfumes, civet and ambergris and camphor and Sumatra aloes-wood, and
tamerinds[FN#333] and sparrow-olives to boot, such as are rare to find
in this country." When she heard talk of sparrow- olives her heart
longed for them and she said to the ship-master, "How much of olives
hast thou?" He replied, "Fifty bottles full, but their owner is not
with us, so the King shall take what he will of them." Quoth she,
"Bring them ashore, that I may see them.'' Thereupon he called to the
sailors, who brought her the fifty bottles; and she opened one and,
looking at the olives, said to the captain, "I will take the whole
fifty and pay you their value, whatso it be." He answered, "By Allah, O
my lord, they have no value in our country; moreover their shipper
tarried behind us, and he is a poor man." Asked she, "And what are they
worth here?" and he answered "A thousand dirhams." "I will take them at
a thousand," she said and bade them carry the fifty bottles to the
palace. When it was night, she called for a bottle of olives and opened
it, there being none in the room but herself and the Princess Hayat
al-Nufus. Then, placing a dish before her she turned into it the
contents of the jar, when there fell out into the dish with the olives
a heap of red gold; and she said to the Lady Hayat al-Nufus, "This is
naught but gold!" So she sent for the rest of the bottles and found
them all full of precious metal and scarce enough olives to fill a
single jar. Moreover, she sought among the gold and found therein the
talisman, which she took and examined and behold, it was that which
Kamar al- Zaman had taken from off the band of her petticoat trousers.
Thereupon she cried out for joy and slipped down in a swoon;—And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Sixteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King Budur
saw the talisman she cried out for joy and slipped down in a swoon; and
when she recovered she said to herself, "Verily, this talisman was the
cause of my separation from my beloved Kamar al-Zaman; but now it is an
omen of good." Then she showed it to Hayat al-Nufus and said to her,
"This was the cause of disunion and now, please Allah, it shall be the
cause of reunion." As soon as day dawned she seated herself on the
royal throne and sent for the ship-master, who came into the presence
and kissed the ground before her. Quoth she, "Where didst thou leave
the owner of these olives?" Quoth he, "O King of the age, we left him
in the land of the Magians and he is a gardener there." She rejoined,
"Except thou bring him to me, thou knowest not the harm which awaiteth
thee and thy ship." Then she bade them seal up the magazines of the
merchants and said to them, "Verily the owner of these olives hath
borrowed of me and I have a claim upon him for debt and, unless ye
bring him to me, I will without fail do you all die and seize your
goods." So they went to the captain and promised him the hire of the
ship, if he would go and return a second time, saying, "Deliver us from
this masterful tyrant." Accordingly the skipper embarked and set sail
and Allah decreed him a prosperous voyage, till he came to the Island
of the Magians and, landing by night, went up to the garden. Now the
night was long upon Kamar al-Zaman, and he sat, bethinking him of his
beloved, and bewailing what had befallen him and versifying,
"A night whose stars refused to run their course, *
A night of those which never seem outworn:
Like Resurrection-day, of longsome length[FN#334] *
To him that watched and waited for the morn."
Now at this moment, the captain knocked at the garden-gate, and Kamar
al-Zaman opened and went out to him, whereupon the crew seized him and
went down with him on board the ship and set sail forthright; and they
ceased not voyaging days and nights, whilst Kamar al-Zaman knew not why
they dealt thus with him; but when he questioned them they replied,
"Thou hast offended against the Lord of the Ebony Islands, the
son-in-law of King Armanus, and thou hast stolen his monies, miserable
that thou art!" Said he, "By Allah! I never entered that country nor do
I know where it is!" However, they fared on with him, till they made
the Ebony Islands and landing, carried him up to the Lady Budur, who
knew him at sight and said, "Leave him with the eunuchs, that they may
take him to the bath." Then she relieved the merchants of the embargo
and gave the captain a robe of honour worth ten thousand pieces of
gold; and, after returning to the palace, she went in that night to the
Princess Hayat al-Nufus and told her what had passed, saying, "Keep
thou my counsel, till I accomplish my purpose, and do a deed which
shall be recorded and shall be read by Kings and commoners after we be
dead and gone." And when she gave orders that they bear Kamar al-Zaman
to the bath, they did so and clad him in a royal habit so that, when he
came forth, he resembled a willow-bough or a star which shamed the
greater and lesser light[FN#335] and its glow, and his life and soul
returned to his frame. Then he repaired to the palace and went in to
the Princess Budur; and when she saw him she schooled her heart to
patience, till she should have accomplished her purpose; and she
bestowed on him Mamelukes and eunuchs, camels and mules. Moreover, she
gave him a treasury of money and she ceased not advancing him from
dignity to dignity, till she made him Lord High Treasurer and committed
to his charge all the treasures of the state; and she admitted him to
familiar favour and acquainted the Emirs with his rank and dignity. And
all loved him, for Queen Budur did not cease day by day to increase his
allowances. As for Kamar al-Zaman, he was at a loss anent the reason of
her thus honouring him; and he gave gifts and largesse out of the
abundance of the wealth; and he devoted himself to the service of King
Armanus; so that the King and all the Emirs and people, great and
small, adored him and were wont to swear by his life. Nevertheless, he
ever marvelled at the honour and favour shown him by Queen Budur and
said to himself, "By Allah, there needs must be a reason for this
affection! Peradventure, this King favoureth me not with these
immoderate favours save for some ill purpose and, therefore, there is
no help but that I crave leave of him to depart his realm." So he went
in to Queen Budur and said to her, "O King, thou hast overwhelmed me
with favours, but it will fulfil the measure of thy bounties if thou
take from me all thou hast been pleased to bestow upon me, and permit
me to depart." She smiled and asked, "What maketh thee seek to depart
and plunge into new perils, whenas thou art in the enjoyment of the
highest favour and greatest prosperity?" Answered Kamar al- Zaman, "O
King, verily this favour, if there be no reason for it, is indeed a
wonder of wonders, more by token that thou hast advanced me to
dignities such as befit men of age and experience, albeit I am as it
were a young child." And Queen Budur rejoined, "The reason is that I
love thee for shine exceeding loveliness and thy surpassing beauty; and
if thou wilt but grant me my desire of thy body, I will advance thee
yet farther in honour and favour and largesse; and I will make thee
Wazir, for all thy tender age even as the folk made me Sultan over them
and I no older than thou; so that nowadays there is nothing strange
when children take the head and by Allah, he was a gifted man who said,
'It seems as though of Lot's tribe were our days, *
And crave with love to advance the young in years.'"[FN#336]
When Kamar al-Zaman heard these words, he was abashed and his cheeks
flushed till they seemed a-flame; and he said, "I need not these
favours which lead to the commission of sin; I will live poor in wealth
but wealthy in virtue and honour." Quoth she, "I am not to be duped by
thy scruples, arising from prudery and coquettish ways; and Allah bless
him who saith,
'To him I spake of coupling, but he said to me, *
How long this noyous long persistency?'
But when gold piece I showed him, he cried, *
'Who from the Almighty Sovereign e'er shall flee?'"
Now when Kamar al-Zaman, heard these words and understood her verses
and their import, he said, "O King, I have not the habit of these
doings, nor have I strength to bear these heavy burthens for which
elder than I have proved unable; then how will it be with my tender
age?" But she smiled at his speech and retorted, "Indeed, it is a
matter right marvellous how error springeth from the disorder of man's
intendiment!! Since thou art a boy, why standest thou in fear of sin or
the doing of things forbidden, seeing that thou art not yet come to
years of canonical responsibility; and the offences of a child incur
neither punishment nor reproof? Verily, thou hast committed thyself to
a quibble for the sake of contention, and it is thy duty to bow before
a proposal of fruition, so henceforward cease from denial and coyness,
for the commandment of Allah is a decree foreordained:[FN#337] indeed,
I have more reason than thou to fear falling and by sin to be misled;
and well inspired was he who said,
'My prickle is big and the little one said, *
'Thrust boldly in vitals with lion-like stroke!
Then I, ' 'Tis a sin!; and he, 'No sin to me! *
So I had him at once with a counterfeit poke."[FN#338]
When Kamar al-Zaman heard these words, the light became darkness in his
sight and he said, "O King, thou hast in thy household fair women and
female slaves, who have not their like in this age: shall not these
suffice thee without me? Do thy will with them and let me go!" She
replied, "Thou sayest sooth, but it is not with them that one who
loveth thee can heal himself of torment and can abate his fever; for,
when tastes and inclinations are corrupted by vice, they hear and obey
other than good advice. So leave arguing and listen to what the poet
saith,
'Seest not the bazar with its fruit in rows? *
These men are for figs and for sycamore[FN#339] those!'
And what another saith,
'Many whose anklet rings are dumb have tinkling belts, *
And this hath all content while that for want must wail:
Thou bidd'st me be a fool and quit thee for her charms; *
Allah forfend I leave The Faith, turn Infidel!
Nay, by thy rights of side-beard mocking all her curls, *
Nor mott nor maid[FN#340] from thee my heart shall spell.'
And yet another,
'O beauty's Union! love for thee's my creed, *
Free choice of Faith and eke my best desire:
Women I have forsworn for thee; so may *
Deem me all men this day a shaveling friar.'[FN#341]
And yet another,
'Even not beardless one with girl, nor heed *
The spy who saith to thee ''Tis an amiss!'
Far different is the girl whose feet one kisses *
And that gazelle whose feet the earth must kiss.'
And yet another,
'A boy of twice ten is fit for a King!'
And yet another,
'The penis smooth and round was made with anus best to match it, * Had
it been made for cunnus' sake it had been formed like hatchet!'
And yet another said,
'My soul thy sacrifice! I chose thee out *
Who art not menstruous nor oviparous:
Did I with woman mell, I should beget *
Brats till the wide wide world grew strait for us.'
And yet another,
'She saith (sore hurt in sense the most acute *
For she had proffered what did not besuit),
'Unless thou stroke as man should swive his wife *
Blame not when horns thy brow shall incornůte!
Thy wand seems waxen, to a limpo grown, *
And more I palm it, softer grows the brute!'
And yet another,
'Quoth she (for I to lie with her forbore), *
'O folly-following fool, O fool to core:
If thou my coynte for Kiblah[FN#342] to thy coigne *
Reject, we'll shall please thee more.'[FN#343]
And yet another,
'She proffered me a tender coynte *
Quoth I 'I will not roger thee!'
She drew back, saying, 'From the Faith *
He turns, who's turned by Heaven's decree![FN#344]
And front wise fluttering, in one day, *
Is obsolete persistency!'
Then swung she round and shining rump *
Like silvern lump she showed me!
I cried: 'Well done, O mistress mine! *
No more am I in pain for thee;
O thou of all that Allah oped[FN#345] *
Showest me fairest victory!'
And yet another,
'Men craving pardon will uplift their hands; *
Women pray pardon with their legs on high:
Out on it for a pious, prayerful work! *
The Lord shall raise it in the depths to lie.'"[FN#346]
When Kamar al-Zaman heard her quote this poetry, and was certified that
there was no escaping compliance with what willed she, he said, "O King
of the age, if thou must needs have it so, make covenant with me that
thou wilt do this thing with me but once, though it avail not to
correct thy depraved appetite, and that thou wilt never again require
this thing of me to the end of time; so perchance shall Allah purge me
of the sin." She replied "I promise thee this thing, hoping that Allah
of His favour will relent towards us and blot out our mortal offence;
for the girdle of heaven's forgiveness is not indeed so strait, but it
may compass us around and absolve us of the excess of our heinous sins
and bring us to the light of salvation out of the darkness of error;
and indeed excellently well saith the poet,
'Of evil thing the folk suspect us twain; *
And to this thought their hearts and souls are bent:
Come, dear! let's justify and free their souls *
That wrong us; one good bout and then—repent!'''[FN#347]
Thereupon she made him an agreement and a covenant and swore a solemn
oath by Him who is Self-existent, that this thing should befal betwixt
them but once and never again for all time, and that the desire of him
was driving her to death and perdition. So he rose up with her, on this
condition, and went with her to her own boudoir, that she might quench
the lowe of her lust, saying, "There is no Majesty, and there is no
Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! This is the fated decree
of the All- powerful, the All-wise!"; and he doffed his bag-trousers,
shamefull and abashed, with the tears running from his eyes for stress
of affright. Thereat she smiled and making him mount upon a couch with
her, said to him, "After this night, thou shalt see naught that will
offend thee." Then she turned to him bussing and bosoming him and
bending calf over calf, and said to him, "Put thy hand between my
thighs to the accustomed place; so haply it may stand up to prayer
after prostration." He wept and cried, "I am not good at aught of
this," but she said, "By my life, an thou do as I bid thee, it shall
profit thee!" So he put out his hand, with vitals a-fire for confusion,
and found her thighs cooler than cream and softer than silk. The
touching of them pleasured him and he moved his hand hither and
thither, till it came to a dome abounding in good gifts and movements
and shifts, and said in himself, "Perhaps this King is a
hermaphrodite,[FN#348] neither man nor woman quite;" so he said to her,
"O King, I cannot find that thou hast a tool like the tools of men;
what then moved thee to do this deed?" Then loudly laughed Queen Budur
till she fell on her back,[FN#349] and said, "O my dearling, how
quickly thou hast forgotten the nights we have lain together!" Then she
made herself known to him, and he knew her for his wife, the Lady
Budur, daughter of King al-Ghayur, Lord of the Isles and the Seas. So
he embraced her and she embraced him, and he kissed her and she kissed
him; then they lay down on the bed of pleasure voluptuous, repeating
the words of the poet,
"When his softly bending shape bid him close to my embrace *
Which clips him all about like the tendrils of the vine
And shed a flood of softness on the hardness of his heart, *
He yielded though at first he was minded to decline;
And dreading lest the railer's eye should light upon his form, *
Came armoured with caution to baffle his design:
His waist makes moan of hinder cheeks that weigh upon his feet *
Like heavy load of merchandise upon young camel li'en;
Girt with his glances scymitar which seemed athirst for blood, *
And clad in mail of dusky curls that show the sheeniest
shine,
His fragrance wafted happy news of footstep coming nigh, *
And to him like a bird uncaged I flew in straightest line:
I spread my cheek upon his path, beneath his sandal-shoon, *
And lo! the stibium[FN#350] of their dust healed all my hurt
of eyne.
With one embrace again I bound the banner of our loves[FN#351] *
And loosed the knot of my delight that bound in bonds
malign:
Then bade I make high festival, and straight came flocking in *
Pure joys that know not grizzled age[FN#352] nor aught of
pain and pine:
The full moon dotted with the stars the lips and pearly teeth *
That dance right joyously upon the bubbling face of wine:
So in the prayer-niche of their joys I yielded me to what *
Would make the humblest penitent of sinner most indign.
I swear by all the signs[FN#353] of those glories in his face *
I'll ne'er forget the Chapter entituled Al-Ikhlas."[FN#354]
Then Queen Budur told Kamar al-Zaman all that had befallen her from
beginning to end and he did likewise; after which he began to upbraid
her, saying, "What moved thee to deal with me as thou hast done this
night?" She replied, "Pardon me! for I did this by way of jest, and
that pleasure and gladness might be increased." And when dawned the
morn and day arose with its sheen and shone, she sent to King Armanus,
sire of the Lady Hayat al-Nufus, and acquainted him with the truth of
the case and that she was wife to Kamar al-Zaman. Moreover, she told
him their tale and the cause of their separation, and how his daughter
was a virgin, pure as when she was born. He marvelled at their story
with exceeding marvel and bade them chronicle it in letters of gold.
Then he turned to Kamar al-Zaman and said, "O King's son, art thou
minded to become my son-in-law by marrying my daughter?" Replied he, "I
must consult the Queen Budur, as she hath a claim upon me for benefits
without stint." And when he took counsel with her, she said, "Right is
thy recking; marry her and I will be her handmaid; for I am her debtor
for kindness and favour and good offices, and obligations manifold,
especially as we are here in her place and as the King her father hath
whelmed us with benefits."[FN#355] Now when he saw that she inclined to
this and was not jealous of Hayat al-Nufus, he agreed with her upon
this matter.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Seventeenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Kamar al- Zaman
agreed with his wife, Queen Budur, upon this matter and told King
Armanus what she had said; whereat he rejoiced with great joy. Then he
went out and, seating himself upon his chair of estate, assembled all
the Wazirs, Emirs, Chamberlains and Grandees, to whom he related the
whole story of Kamar al-Zaman and his wife, Queen Budur, from first to
last; and acquainted them with his desire to marry his daughter Hayat
al-Nufus to the Prince and make him King in the stead of Queen Budur.
Whereupon said they all, "Since he is the husband of Queen Budur, who
hath been our King till now, whilst we deemed her son-in-law to King
Armanus, we are all content to have him to Sultan over us; and we will
be his servants, nor will we swerve from his allegiance." So Armanus
rejoiced hereat and, summoning Kazis and witnesses and the chief
officers of state, bade draw up the contract of marriage between Kamar
al-Zaman and his daughter, the Princess Hayat al-Nufus. Then he held
high festival, giving sumptuous marriage-feasts and bestowing costly
dresses of honour upon all the Emirs and Captains of the host; moreover
he distributed alms to the poor and needy and set free all the
prisoners. The whole world rejoiced in the coming of Kamar al-Zaman to
the throne, blessing him and wishing him endurance of glory and
prosperity, renown and felicity; and, as soon as he became King, he
remitted the customs-dues and released all men who remained in gaol.
Thus he abode a long while, ordering himself worthily towards his
lieges; and he lived with his two wives in peace, happiness, constancy
and content, lying the night with each of them in turn. He ceased not
after this fashion during many years, for indeed all his troubles and
afflictions were blotted out from him and he forgot his father King
Shahriman and his former estate of honour and favour with him. After a
while Almighty Allah blessed him with two boy children, as they were
two shining moons, through his two wives; the elder whose name was
Prince Amjad,[FN#356] by Queen Budur, and the younger whose name was
Prince As'ad by Queen Hayat al-Nufus; and this one was comelier than
his brother. They were reared in splendour and tender affection, in
respectful bearing and in the perfection of training; and they were
instructed in penmanship and science and the arts of government and
horsemanship, till they attained the extreme accomplishments and the
utmost limit of beauty and loveliness; both men and women being
ravished by their charms. They grew up side by side till they reached
the age of seventeen, eating and drinking together and sleeping in one
bed, nor ever parting at any time or tide; wherefore all the people
envied them. Now when they came to man's estate and were endowed with
every perfection, their father was wont, as often as he went on a
journey, to make them sit in his stead by turns in the hall of
judgement; and each did justice among the folk one day at a time. But
it came to pass, by confirmed fate and determined lot, that love for
As'ad (son of Queen Hayat al-Nufus) rose in the heart of Queen Budur,
and that affection for Amjad (son of Queen Budur) rose in the heart of
Queen Hayat al-Nufus.[FN#357] Hence it was that each of the women used
to sport and play with the son of her sister-wife, kissing him and
straining him to her bosom, whilst each mother thought that the other's
behaviour arose but from maternal affection. On this wise passion got
the mastery of the two women's hearts and they became madly in love
with the two youths, so that when the other's son came in to either of
them, she would press him to her breast and long for him never to be
parted from her; till, at last, when waiting grew longsome to them and
they found no path to enjoyment, they refused meat and drink and
banished the solace of sleep. Presently, the King fared forth to course
and chase, bidding his two sons sit to do justice in his stead, each
one day in turn as was their wont.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Eighteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the King fared
forth to sport and hunt, bidding his two sons sit to do justice in his
stead, each one day by turn, as was their wont. Now Prince Amjad sat in
judgement the first day, bidding and forbidding, appointing and
deposing, giving and refusing; and Queen Hayat al-Nufus, mother of
As'ad, wrote to him a letter suing for his favour and discovering to
him her passion and devotion; altogether put tiny off the mask and
giving him to know that she desired to enjoy him. So she took a scroll
and thereon indited these cadences, "From the love deranged * the
sorrowful and estranged * whose torment is prolonged for the longing of
thee! * Were I to recount to thee the extent of my care * and what of
sadness I bear * the passion which my heart cloth tear * and all that I
endure for weeping and unrest * and the rending of my sorrowful breast
* my unremitting grief * and my woe without relief * and all my
suffering for severance of thee * and sadness and love's ardency * no
letter could contain it; nor calculation could compass it * Indeed
earth and heaven upon me are strait; and I have no hope and no trust
but what from thee I await * Upon death I am come nigh * and the
horrors of dissolution I aby * Burning upon me is sore * with parting
pangs and estrangement galore * Were I to set forth the yearnings that
possess me more and more * no scrolls would suffice to hold such store
* and of the excess of my pain and pine, I have made the following
lines:- -
Were I to dwell on heart-consuming heat, *
Unease and transports in my spins meet,
Nothing were left of ink and reeden pen *
Nor aught of paper; no, not e'en a sheet.
Then Queen Hayat al-Nufus wrapped up her letter in a niece of costly
silk scented with musk and ambergris; and folded it up with her silken
hair-strings[FN#358] whose cost swallowed down treasures laid it in a
handkerchief and gave it to a eunuch bidding him bear it to Prince
Amjad.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Nineteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that she gave her
missive to the eunuch in waiting and bade him bear it to Prince Amjad.
And that eunuch went forth ignoring what the future hid for him (for
the Omniscient ordereth events even as He willeth); and, going in to
the Prince, kissed the ground between his hands and handed to him the
letter. On receiving the kerchief he opened it and, reading the epistle
and recognizing its gist he was ware that his father's wife was
essentially an adulteress and a traitress at heart to her husband, King
Kamar al-Zaman. So he waxed wroth with exceeding wrath and railed at
women and their works, saying, "Allah curse women, the traitresses, the
imperfect in reason and religion!"[FN#359] Then he drew his sword and
said to the eunuch, "Out on thee, thou wicked slave! Dost thou carry
messages of disloyalty for thy lord's wife? By Allah, there is no good
in thee, O black of hue and heart, O foul of face and Nature's
forming!" So he smote him on the neck and severed his head from his
body; then, folding the kerchief over its contents he thrust it into
his breast pocket and went in to his own mother and told her what had
passed, reviling and reproaching her, and saying, "Each one of you is
viler than the other; and, by Allah the Great and Glorious, did I not
fear ill-manneredly to transgress against the rights of my father,
Kamar al-Zaman, and my brother, Prince As'ad, I would assuredly go in
to her and cut off her head, even as I cut off that of her eunuch!"
Then he went forth from his mother in a mighty rage; and when the news
reached Queen Hayat al-Nufus of what he had done with her eunuch, she
abused him[FN#360] and cursed him and plotted perfidy against him. He
passed the night, sick with rage, wrath and concern; nor found he
pleasure in meat, drink or sleep. And when the next morning dawned
Prince As'ad fared forth in his turn to rule the folk in his father's
stead, whilst his mother, Hayat al-Nufus, awoke in feeble plight
because of what she had heard from Prince Amjad concerning the
slaughter of her eunuch. So Prince As'ad sat in the audience-chamber
that day, judging and administering justice, appointing and deposing,
bidding and forbidding, giving and bestowing. And he ceased not thus
till near the time of afternoon-prayer, when Queen Budur sent for a
crafty old woman and, discovering to her what was in her heart, wrote a
letter to Prince As'ad, complaining of the excess of her affection and
desire for him in these cadenced lines, "From her who perisheth for
passion and love-forlorn * to him who in nature and culture is
goodliest born * to him who is conceited of his own loveliness * and
glories in his amorous grace * who from those that seek to enjoy him
averteth his face * and refuseth to show favour unto the self abasing
and base * him who is cruel and of disdainful mood * from the lover
despairing of good * to Prince As'ad * with passing beauty endowed *
and of excelling grace proud * of the face moon bright * and the brow
flower-white * and dazzling splendid light * This is my letter to him
whose love melteth my body * and rendeth my skin and bones! * Know that
my patience faileth me quite * and I am perplexed in my plight *
longing and restlessness weary me * and sleep and patience deny
themselves to me * but mourning and watching stick fast to me * and
desire and passion torment me * and the extremes of languor and
sickness have sheet me * Yet may my life be a ransom for thee * albeit
thy pleasure be to slay her who loveth thee * and Allah prolong the
life of thee * and preserve thee from all infirmity!" And after these
cadences she wrote these couplets,
"Fate hath commanded I become thy fere, *
O shining like full moon when clearest clear!
All beauty dost embrace, all eloquence; *
Brighter than aught within our worldly sphere:
Content am I my torturer thou be: *
Haply shalt alms me with one lovely leer!
Happy her death who dieth for thy love! *
No good in her who holdeth thee unclear!"
And also the following couplets,
"Unto thee, As'ad! I of passion-pangs complain; *
Have ruth on slave of love so burnt with flaming pain:
How long, I ask, shall hands of Love disport with me, *
With longings, dolour, sleepliness and bale and bane?
Anon I 'plain of sea in heart, anon of fire *
In vitals, O strange case, dear wish, my fairest fain!
O blamer, cease thy blame, and seek thyself to fly *
From love, which makes these eyne a rill of tears to rain.
How oft I cry for absence and desire, Ah grief! *
But all my crying naught of gain for me shall gain:
Thy rigours dealt me sickness passing power to bear, *
Thou art my only leach, assain me an thou deign!
O chider, chide me not in caution, for I doubt *
That plaguey Love to thee shall also deal a bout."
Then Queen Budur perfumed the letter-paper with a profusion of
odoriferous musk and, winding it in her hairstrings which were of Iraki
silk, with pendants of oblong emeralds, set with pearls and stones of
price, delivered it to the old woman, bidding her carry it to Prince
As'ad.[FN#361] She did so in order to pleasure her, and going in to the
Prince, straightway and without stay, found him in his own rooms and
delivered to him the letter in privacy; after which she stood waiting
an hour or so for the answer. When As'ad had read the paper and knew
its purport, he wrapped it up again in the ribbons and put it in his
bosom-pocket: then (for he was wrath beyond all measure of wrath) he
cursed false women and sprang up and drawing his sword, smote the old
trot on the neck and cut off her pate. Thereupon he went in to his
mother, Queen Hayat al-Nufus, whom he found lying on her bed in feeble
case, for that which had betided her with Prince Amjad, and railed at
her and cursed her; after which he left her and fore-gathered with his
brother, to whom he related all that had befallen him with Queen Budur,
adding, "By Allah, O my brother, but that I was ashamed before thee, I
had gone in to her forthright and had smitten her head off her
shoulders!" Replied Prince Amjad, "By Allah, O my brother, yesterday
when I was sitting upon the seat of judgement, the like of what hath
befallen thee this day befel me also with thy mother who sent me a
letter of similar purport." And he told him all that had passed,
adding, "By Allah, O my brother, naught but respect for thee withheld
me from going in to her and dealing with her even as I dealt with the
eunuch!" They passed the rest of the night conversing and cursing
womankind, and agreed to keep the matter secret, lest their father
should hear of it and kill the two women. Yet they ceased not to suffer
trouble and foresee affliction. And when the morrow dawned, the King
returned with his suite from hunting and sat awhile in his chair of
estate; after which he sent the Emirs about their business and went up
to his palace, where he found his two wives lying a-bed and both
exceeding sick and weak. Now they had made a plot against their two
sons and concerted to do away their lives, for that they had exposed
themselves before them and feared to be at their mercy and dependent
upon their forbearance. When Kamar al-Zaman saw them on this wise, he
said to them, "What aileth you?" Whereupon they rose to him and kissing
his hands answered, perverting the case and saying "Know, O King, that
thy two sons, who have been reared in thy bounty, have played thee
false and have dishonoured thee in the persons of thy wives." Now when
he heard this, the light became darkness in his sight, and he raged
with such wrath that his reason fled: then said he to them, "Explain me
this matter." Replied Queen Budur, "O King of the age, know that these
many days past thy son As'ad hath been in the persistent habit of
sending me letters and messages to solicit me to lewdness and adultery
while I still forbade him from this, but he would not be forbidden;
and, when thou wentest forth to hunt, he rushed in on me, drunk and
with a drawn sword in his hand, and smiting my eunuch, slew him. Then
he mounted on my breast, still holding the sword, and I feared lest he
should slay me, if I gainsaid him, even as he had slain my eunuch; so
he took his wicked will of me by force. And now if thou do me not
justice on him, O King, I will slay myself with my own hand, for I have
no need of life in the world after this foul deed." And Queen Hayat
al-Nufus, choking with tears, told him respecting Prince Amjad a story
like that of her sister-wife.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Twentieth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Queen Hayat
al-Nufus told her husband, King Kamar al-Zaman, a story like that of
her sister in wedlock, Budur, and, quoth she, "The same thing befel me
with thy son Amjad;" after which she took to weeping and wailing and
said, "Except thou do me justice on him I will tell my father, King
Armanus." Then both women wept with sore weeping before King Kamar
al-Zaman who, when he saw their tears and heard their words, concluded
that their story was true and, waxing wroth beyond measure of wrath,
went forth thinking to fall upon his two sons and put them to death. On
his way he met his father- in-law, King Armanus who, hearing of his
return from the chase, had come to salute him at that very hour and,
seeing him with naked brand in hand and blood dripping from his
nostrils, for excess of rage, asked what ailed him. So Kamar al-Zaman
told him all that his sons Amjad and As'ad had done and added, "And
here I am now going in to them to slay them in the foulest way and make
of them the most shameful of examples." Quoth King Armanus (and indeed
he too was wroth with them), "Thou dost well, O my son, and may Allah
not bless them nor any sons that do such deed against their father's
honour. But, O my son, the sayer of the old saw saith, 'Whoso looketh
not to the end hath not Fortune to friend.' In any case, they are thy
sons, and it befitteth not that thou kill them with shine own hand,
lest thou drink of their death-agony,[FN#362] and anon repent of having
slain them whenas repentance availeth thee naught. Rather do thou send
them with one of thy Mamelukes into the desert and let him kill them
there out of thy sight, for, as saith the adage, 'Out of sight of my
friend is better and pleasanter.'[FN#363] And when Kamar al-Zaman heard
his father-in-law's words, he knew them to be just; so he sheathed his
sword and turning back, sat down upon the throne of his realm. There he
summoned his treasurer, a very old man, versed in affairs and in
fortune's vicissitudes, to whom he said, "Go in to my sons, Amjad and
As'ad; bind their hands behind them with strong bonds, lay them in two
chests and load them upon a mule. Then take horse thou and carry them
into mid desert, where do thou kill them both and fill two vials with
their blood and bring the same to me in haste." Replied the treasurer,
"I hear and I obey," and he rose up hurriedly and went out forthright
to seek the Princes; and, on his road, he met them coming out of the
palace-vestibule, for they had donned their best clothes and their
richest; and they were on their way to salute their sire and give him
joy of his safe return from his going forth to hunt. Now when he saw
them, he laid hands on them, saying, "Omy sons, know ye that I am but a
slave commanded, and that your father hath laid a commandment on me;
will ye obey his commandment?" They said, "Yes"; whereupon he went up
to them and, after pinioning their arms, laid them in the chests which
he loaded on the back of a mule he had taken from the city. And he
ceased not carrying them into the open country till near noon, when he
halted in a waste and desolate place and, dismounting from his mare,
let down the two chests from the mule's back. Then he opened them and
took out Amjad and As'ad; and when he looked upon them he wept sore for
their beauty and loveliness; then drawing his sword he said to them,
"By Allah, O my lords, indeed it is hard for me to deal so evilly by
you; but I am to be excused in this matter, being but a slave
commanded, for that your father King Kamar al-Zaman hath bidden me
strike off your heads." They replied, "O Emir, do the King's bidding,
for we bear with patience that which Allah (to Whom be Honour, Might
and Glory!) hath decreed to us; and thou art quit of our blood." Then
they embraced and bade each other farewell, and As'ad said to the
treasurer, "Allah upon thee, O uncle, spare me the sight of my
brother's death-agony and make me not drink of his anguish, but kill me
first, for that were the easier for me." And Amjad said the like and
entreated the treasurer to kill him before As'ad, saying, "My brother
is younger than I; so make me not taste of his anguish. And they both
wept bitter tears whilst the treasurer wept for their weeping;—And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Twenty-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the treasurer
wept for their weeping; then the two brothers embraced and bade
farewell and one said to the other, "All this cometh of the malice of
those traitresses, my mother and thy mother; and this is the reward of
my forbearance towards thy mother and of thy for bearance towards my
mother! But there is no Might and there is no Majesty save in Allah,
the Glorious, the Great! Verily, we are Allah's and unto Him we are
returning."[FN#364] And As'ad em braced his brother, sobbing and
repeating these couplets,
"O Thou to whom sad trembling wights in fear complain! *
O ever ready whatso cometh to sustain!
The sole resource for me is at Thy door to knock, *
At whose door knock an Thou to open wilt not deign?
O Thou whose grace is treasured in the one word, Be![FN#365] *
Favour me, I beseech, in Thee all weals contain."
Now when Amjad heard his brother's weeping he wept also and pressing
him to his bosom repeated these two couplets,
"O Thou whose boons to me are more than one! *
Whose gifts and favours have nor count nor bound!
No stroke of all Fate's strokes e'er fell on me, *
But Thee to take me by the hand I found."
Then said Amjad to the treasurer, "I conjure thee by the One,
Omnipotent, the Lord of Mercy, the Beneficent! slay me before my
brother As'ad, so haply shall the fire be quencht in my heart's core
and in this life burn no more." But As'ad wept and exclaimed, "Not so:
I will die first;" whereupon quoth Amjad, "It were best that I embrace
thee and thou embrace me, so the sword may fall upon us and slay us
both at a single stroke." Thereupon they embraced, face to face and
clung to each other straitly, whilst the treasurer tied up the twain
and bound them fast with cords, weeping the while. Then he drew his
blade and said to them, "By Allah, O my lords, it is indeed hard to me
to slay you! But have ye no last wishes that I may fulfil or charges
which I may carry out, or message which I may deliver?" Replied Amjad,
"We have no wish; and my only charge to thee is that thou set my
brother below and me above him, that the blow may fall on me first, and
when thou hast killed us and returnest to the King and he asketh thee,
'What heardest thou from them before their death?'; do thou answer,
'Verily thy sons salute thee and say to thee, Thou knewest not if we
were innocent or guilty, yet hast thou put us to death and hast not
certified thyself of our sin nor looked into our case.' Then do thou
repeat to him these two couplets,
'Women are Satans made for woe o' men; *
I fly to Allah from their devilish scathe:
Source of whatever bale befel our kind, *
In wordly matters and in things of Faith.'"
Continued Amjad, "We desire of thee naught but that thou repeat to our
sire these two couplets."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was ad the Two Hundred and Twenty-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Amjad added,
speaking to the treasurer, "We desire of thee naught but that thou
repeat to our sire these two couplets which thou hast just now heard;
and I conjure thee by Allah to have patience with us, whilst I cite to
my brother this other pair of couplets." Then he wept with sore weeping
and began,
"The Kings who fared before us showed *
Of instances full many a show:
Of great and small and high and low *
How many this one road have trod!"
Now when the treasurer heard these words from Amjad, he wept till his
beard was wet, whilst As'ad's eyes brimmed with tears and he in turn
repeated these couplets,
"Fate frights us when the thing is past and gone; *
Weeping is not for form or face alone[FN#366]:
What ails the Nights?[FN#367] Allah blot out our sin, *
And be the Nights by other hand undone!
Ere this Zubayr-son[FN#368] felt their spiteful hate, *
Who fled for refuge to the House and Stone:
Would that when Khárijah was for Amru slain[FN#369] *
They had ransomed Ali with all men they own."
Then, with cheeks stained by tears down railing he recited also these
verses,
"In sooth the Nights and Days are charactered *
By traitor falsehood and as knaves they lie;
The Desert-reek[FN#370] recalls their teeth that shine; *
All horrid blackness is their K of eye:
My sin anent the world which I abhor *
Is sin of sword when sworders fighting hie."
Then his sobs waxed louder and he said,
"O thou who woo'st a World[FN#371] unworthy, learn *
'Tis house of evils, 'tis Perdition's net:
A house where whoso laughs this day shall weep *
The next: then perish house of fume and fret!
Endless its frays and forays, and its thralls *
Are ne'er redeemed, while endless risks beset.
How many gloried in its pomps and pride, *
Till proud and pompous did all bounds forget,
Then showing back of shield she made them swill[FN#372] *
Full draught, and claimed all her vengeance debt.
For know her strokes fall swift and sure, altho' *
Long bide she and forslow the course of Fate:
So look thou to thy days lest life go by *
Idly, and meet thou more than thou hast met;
And cut all chains of world-love and desire *
And save thy soul and rise to secrets higher."
Now when As'ad made an end of these verses, he strained his brother
Amjad in his arms, till they twain were one body, and the treasurer,
drawing his sword, was about to strike them, when behold, his steed
took fright at the wind of his upraised hand, and breaking its tether,
fled into the desert. Now the horse had cost a thousand gold pieces and
on its back was a splendid saddle worth much money; so the treasurer
threw down his sword, and ran after his beast.—And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Twenty-third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when his horse
ran away, the treasurer ran after it in huge concern, and ceased not
running to catch the runaway till it entered a thicket. He followed it
whilst it dashed through the wood, smiting the earth with its hoofs
till it raised a dust-cloud which towered high in air; and snorting and
puffing and neighing and waxing fierce and furious. Now there happened
to be in this thicket a lion of terrible might; hideous to sight, with
eyes sparkling light: his look was grim and his aspect struck fright
into man's sprite. Presentry the treasurer turned and saw the lion
making towards him; but found no way of escape nor had he his sword
with him. So he said in himself, "There is no Majesty and there is no
Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! This strait is come upon
me for no other cause but because of Amjad and As'ad; and indeed this
journey was unblest from the first!" Meanwhile the two Princes were
grievously oppressed by the heat and grew sore athirst, so that their
tongues hung out and they cried for succour, but none came to their
relief and they said, "Would to Heaven we had been slain and were at
peace from this pain! But we know not whither the horse hath fled, that
the treasurer is gone and hath left us thus pinioned. If he would but
come back and do us die, it were easier to us than this torture to
aby." Said As'ad, "O my brother, be patient, and the relief of Allah
(extolled and exalted be He!) shall assuredly come to us; for the horse
started not away save of His favour towards us, and naught irketh us
but this thirst." Upon this he stretched and shook himself and strained
right and left, till he burst his pinion-bonds; then he rose and
unbound his brother and catching up the Emir's sword, said, "By Allah,
we will not go hence, till we look after him and learn what is become
of him." Then they took to following on the trail till it led them to
the thicket and they said to each other, "Of a surety, the horse and
the treasurer have not passed out of this wood." Quoth As'ad, "Stay
thou here, whilst I enter the thicket and search it;" and Amjad
replied, "I will not let thee go in alone: nor will we enter it but
together; so if we escape, we shall escape together and if we perish,
we shall perish together." Accordingly both entered and found that the
lion had sprang upon the treasurer, who lay like a sparrow in his grip,
calling upon Allah for aid and signing with his hands to Heaven. Now
when Amjad saw this, he took the sword and, rushing upon the lion,
smote him between the eyes and laid him dead on the ground. The Emir
sprang up, marvelling at this escape and seeing Amjad and As'ad, his
master's sons, standing there, cast himself at their feet and
exclaimed, "By Allah, O my lords, it were intolerable wrong in me to do
you to death. May the man never be who would kill you! Indeed, with my
very life, I will ransom you."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth the
treasurer to Amjad and As'ad, "With my life will I ransom you both!"
Then he hastily rose and, at once embracing them, enquired how they had
loosed their bonds and come thither; whereupon they told him how the
bonds of one of them had fallen loose and he had unbound the other,
whereto they were helped by the purity of their intentions, and how
they had tracked his trail till they came upon him. So he thanked them
for their deed and went with them forth of the thicket; and, when they
were in the open country, they said to him, "O uncle, do our father's
bidding." He replied, "Allah forbid that I should draw near to you with
hurt! But know ye that I mean to take your clothes and clothe you with
mine; then will I fill two vials with the lion's blood and go back to
the King and tell him I have out vou to death. But as for you two, fare
ye forth into the lands, for Allah's earth is wide; and know, O my
lords, that it paineth me to part from you." At this, they all fell
a-weeping; then the two youths put off their clothes and the treasurer
habited them with his own. Moreover he made two parcels of their dress
and, filling two vials with the lion's blood, set the parcels before
him on his horse's back. Presently he took leave of them and, making
his way to the city, ceased not faring till he went in to King Kamar
al-Zaman and kissed the ground between his hands. The King saw him
changed in face and troubled (which arose from his adventure with the
lion) and, deeming this came of the slaughter of his two sons, rejoiced
and said to him, "Hast thou done the work?" "Yes, O our lord," replied
the treasurer and gave him the two parcels of clothes and the two vials
full of blood. Asked the King, "What didst thou observe in them; and
did they give thee any charge?" Answered the treasurer, "I found them
patient and resigned to what came down upon them and they said to me,
'Verily, our father is excusable; bear him our salutation and say to
him, 'Thou art quit of our killing. But we charge thee repeat to him
these couplets,
'Verily women are devils created for us. We seek refuge with God from
the artifice of the devils. They are the source of all the misfortunes
that have appeared among mankind in the affairs of the world and of
religion.'''[FN#373]
When the King heard these words of the treasurer, he bowed his head
earthwards, a long while and knew his sons' words to mean that they had
been wrongfully put to death. Then he bethought himself of the perfidy
of women and the calamities brought about by them; and he took the two
parcels and opened them and fell to turning over his sons' clothes and
weeping,—And Shahrazed perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Twenty-fifth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King Kamar
la-Zaman opened the two bundles and fell to turning over his sons'
clothes and weeping, it so came to pass that he found, in the pocket of
his son As'ad's raiment, a letter in the hand of his wife enclosing her
hair strings; so he opened and read it and understanding the contents
knew that the Prince had been falsely accused and wrongously. Then he
searched Amjad's parcel of dress and found in his pocket a letter in
the handwriting of Queen Hayat al-Nufus enclosing also her
hair-strings; so he opened and read it and knew that Amjad too had been
wronged; whereupon he beat hand upon hand and exclaimed, "There is no
Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! I
have slain my sons unjustly." And he buffeted his face, crying out,
"Alas, my sons! Alas, my long grief!" Then he bade them build two tombs
in one house, which he styled "House of Lamentations," and had graved
thereon his sons' names; and he threw himself on Amjad's tomb, weeping
and groaning and lamenting, and improvised these couplets,
"O moon for ever set this earth below, *
Whose loss bewail the stars which stud the sky!
O wand, which broken, ne'er with bend and wave *
Shall fascinate the ravisht gazer's eye;
These eyne for jealousy I 'reft of thee, *
Nor shall they till next life thy sight descry:
I'm drowned in sea of tears for insomny *
Wherefore, indeed in Sáhirah-stead[FN#374] I lie."
Then he threw himself on As'ad's tomb, groaning and weeping and
lamenting and versifying with these couplets,
"Indeed I longed to share unweal with thee, *
But Allah than my will willed otherwise:
My grief all blackens 'twixt mine eyes and space, *
Yet whitens all the blackness from mine eyes:[FN#375]
Of tears they weep these eyne run never dry, *
And ulcerous flow in vitals never dries:
Right sore it irks me seeing thee in stead[FN#376] *
Where slave with sovran for once levelled lies."
And his weeping and wailing redoubled; and, after he had ended his
lamentations and his verse, he forsook his friends and intimates, and
denying himself to his women and his family, cut himself off from the
world in the House of Lamentations, where he passed his time in weeping
for his sons. Such was his case; but as regards Amjad and As'ad they
fared on into the desert eating of the fruits of the earth and drinking
of the remnants of the rain for a full month, till their travel brought
them to a mountain of black flint[FN#377] whose further end was
unknown; and here the road forked, one line lying along the midway
height and the other leading to its head. They took the way trending to
the top and gave not over following it five days, but saw no end to it
and were overcome with weariness, being unused to walking upon the
mountains or elsewhere.[FN#378] At last, despairing of coming to the
last of the road, they retraced their steps and, taking the other, that
led over the midway heights,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Twenty-sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Princes Amjad and
As'ad returned from the path leading to the Mountain- head and took
that which ran along the midway heights, and walked through all that
day till nightfall, when As'ad, weary with much travel, said to Amjad,
"O my brother, I can walk no farther, for I am exceeding weak." Replied
Amjad, "O my brother, take courage! May be Allah will send us relief."
So they walked on part of the night, till the darkness closed in upon
them, when As'ad became weary beyond measure of weariness and cried
out, "O my brother, I am worn out and spent with walking," and threw
himself upon the ground and wept. Amjad took him in his arms and walked
on with him, bytimes sitting down to rest till break of day, when they
came to the mountain-top and found there a stream of running water and
by it a pomegranate-tree and a prayer-niche.[FN#379] They could hardly
believe their eyes when they saw it; but, sitting down by that spring,
drank of its water and ate of the fruit of that granado-tree; after
which they lay on the ground and slept till sunrise, when they washed
and bathed in the spring and, eating of the pomegranates, slept again
till the time of mid-afternoon prayer. Then they thought to continue
their journey, but As'ad could not walk, for both his feet were
swollen. So they abode there three days till they were rested, after
which they set out again and fared on over the mountain days and
nights, tortured by and like to die of thirst, till they sighted a city
gleaming afar off, at which they rejoiced and made towards it. When
they drew near it, they thanked Allah (be His Name exalted!) and Amjad
said to As'ad, "O my brother, sit here, whilst I go to yonder city and
see what it is and whose it is and where we are in Allah's wide world,
that we may know through what lands we have passed in crossing this
mountain, whose skirts had we followed, we had not reached this city in
a whole year. So praised be Allah for safety!" Replied As'ad, "By
Allah, O my brother, none shall go down into that city save myself, and
may I be thy ransom! If thou leave me alone, be it only for an hour, I
shall imagine a thousand things and be drowned in a torrent of anxiety
on shine account, for I cannot brook shine absence from me." Amjad
rejoined, "Go then and tarry not. So As'ad took some gold pieces, and
leaving his brother to await him, descended the mountain and ceased not
faring on till he entered the city. As he threaded the streets he was
met by an old man age-decrepit, whose beard flowed down upon his breast
and forked in twain;[FN#380] he bore a walking-staff in his hand and
was richly clad, with a great red turband on his head. When As'ad saw
him, he wondered at his dress and his mien; nevertheless, he went up to
him and saluting him said, "Where be the way to the market, O my
master?" Hearing these words the Shaykh smiled in his face and replied,
"O my son, meseemeth thou art a stranger?" As'ad rejoined, "Yes, I am a
stranger."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Twenty-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Shaykh who
met As'ad smiled in his face and said to him, "O my son, meseemeth thou
art a stranger?" and As'ad replied, "Yes, I am a stranger." Then
rejoined the old man, "Verily, thou gladdenest our country with thy
presence, O my son, and thou desolatest shine own land by reason of
shine absence. What wantest thou of the market?" Quoth As'ad, "O uncle,
I have a brother, with whom I have come from a far land and with whom I
have journeyed these three months; and, when we sighted this city, I
left him, who is my elder brother, upon the mountain and came hither,
purposing to buy victual and what else, and return therewith to him,
that we might feed thereon." Said the old man, "Rejoice in all good, O
my son, and know thou that to-day I give a marriage-feast, to which I
have bidden many guests, and I have made ready plenty of meats, the
best and most delicious that heart can desire. So if thou wilt come
with me to my place, I will give thee freely all thou lackest without
asking thee a price or aught else. Moreover I will teach thee the ways
of this city; and, praised be Allah, O my son, that I, and none other
have happened upon thee." "As thou wilt," answered As'ad, "do as thou
art disposed, but make haste, for indeed my brother awaiteth me and his
whole heart is with me." The old man took As'ad by the hand and carried
him to a narrow lane, smiling in his face and saying, "Glory be to Him
who hath delivered thee from the people of this city!" And he ceased
not walking till he entered a spacious house, wherein was a saloon and
behold, in the middle of it were forty old men, well stricken in years,
collected together and forming a single ring as they sat round about a
lighted fire, to which they were doing worship and prostrating
themselves.[FN#381] When As'ad saw this, he was confounded and the hair
of his body stood on end though he knew not what they were; and the
Shaykh said to them, "O Elders of the Fire, how blessed is this day!"
Then he called aloud, saying, "Hello, Ghazbán!" Whereupon there came
out to him a tall black slave of frightful aspect, grim-visaged and
flat nosed as an ape who, when the old man made a sign to him, bent
As'ad's arms behind his back and pinioned them; after which the Shaykh
said to him, "Let him down into the vault under the earth and there
leave him and say to my slave girl Such-an-one, 'Torture him night and
day and give him a cake of bread to eat morning and evening against the
time come of the voyage to the Blue Sea and the Mountain of Fire,
whereon we will slaughter him as a sacrifice.'" So the black carried
him out at another door and, raising a flag in the floor, discovered a
flight of twenty steps leading to a chamber[FN#382] under the earth,
into which he descended with him and, laying his feet in irons, gave
him over to the slave girl and went away. Meanwhile, the old men said
to one another, "When the day of the Festival of the Fire cometh, we
will sacrifice him on the mountain, as a propitiatory offering whereby
we shall pleasure the Fire." Presently the damsel went down to him and
beat him a grievous beating, till streams of blood flowed from his
sides and he fainted; after which she set at his head a scone of bread
and a cruse of brackish water and went away and left him. In the middle
of the night, he revived and found himself bound and beaten and sore
with beating: so he wept bitter tears; and recalling his former
condition of honour and prosperity, lordship and dominion, and his
separation from his sire and his exile from his native land.—And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
say,
When it was the Two Hundred and Twenty-eighth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when As'ad found
himself bound and beaten and sore with beating he recalled his whilome
condition of honour and prosperity and dominion and lordship, and he
wept and groaned aloud and recited these couplets,
"Stand by the ruined stead and ask of us; *
Nor deem we dwell there as was state of us:
The World, that parter, hath departed us; *
Yet soothes not hate-full hearts the fate of us:
With whips a cursed slave girl scourges us, *
And teems her breast with rancorous hate of us:
Allah shall haply deign to unpart our lives, *
Chastise our foes, and end this strait of us."
And when As'ad had spoken his poetry, he put out his hand towards his
head and finding there the crust and the cruse full of brackish water
he ate a bittock, just enough to keep life in him, and drank a little
water, but could get no sleep till morning for the swarms of
bugs[FN#383] and lice. As soon as it was day, the slave girl came down
to him and changed his clothes, which were drenched with blood and
stuck to him, so that his skin came off with the shirt; wherefor he
shrieked aloud and cried, "Alas!" and said, "O my God, if this be Thy
pleasure, increase it upon me! O Lord, verily Thou art not unmindful of
him that oppresseth me; do Thou then avenge me upon him!" And he
groaned and repeated the following verses,
"Patient, O Allah! to Thy destiny *
I bow, suffice me what Thou deign decree:
Patient to bear Thy will, O Lord of me, *
Patient to burn on coals of Ghazá-tree:
They wrong me, visit me with hurt and harm; *
Haply Thy grace from them shall set me free:
Far be's, O Lord, from thee to spare the wronger *
O Lord of Destiny my hope's in Thee!"
And what another saith,
"Bethink thee not of worldly state, *
Leave everything to course of Fate;
For oft a thing that irketh thee *
Shall in content eventuate;
And oft what strait is shall expand, *
And what expanded is wax strait.
Allah will do what wills His will *
So be not thou importunate!
But 'joy the view of coming weal *
Shall make forget past bale and bate."
And when he had ended his verse, the slave-girl came down upon him with
blows till he fainted again; and, throwing him a flap of bread and a
gugglet of saltish water, went away and left him sad and lonely, bound
in chains of iron, with the blood streaming from his sides and far from
those he loved. So he wept and called to mind his brother and the
honours he erst enjoyed.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Twenty-ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that As'ad called to
mind his brother and the honours he erst enjoyed; so he wept and
groaned and complained and poured forth tears in floods and improvised
these couplets,
"Easy, O Fate! how long this wrong, this injury, *
Robbing each morn and eve my brotherhood fro' me?
Is't not time now thou deem this length sufficiency *
Of woes and, O thou Heart of Rock, show clemency?
My friends thou wrongedst when thou madst each enemy *
Mock and exult me for thy wrongs, thy tyranny:
My foeman's heart is solaced by the things he saw *
In me, of strangerhood and lonely misery:
Suffice thee not what came upon my head of dole, *
Friends lost for evermore, eyes wan and pale of blee?
But must in prison cast so narrow there is naught *
Save hand to bite, with bitten hand for company;
And tears that tempest down like goodly gift of cloud, *
And longing thirst whose fires weet no satiety.
Regretful yearnings, singulfs and unceasing sighs, *
Repine, remembrance and pain's very ecstacy:
Desire I suffer sore and melancholy deep, *
And I must bide a prey to endless phrenesy:
I find me ne'er a friend who looks with piteous eye, *
And seeks my presence to allay my misery:
Say, liveth any intimate with trusty love *
Who for mine ills will groan, my sleepless malady?
To whom moan I can make and, peradventure, he *
Shall pity eyes that sight of sleep can never see?
The flea and bug suck up my blood, as wight that drinks *
Wine from the proffering hand of fair virginity:
Amid the lice my body aye remindeth me *
Of orphan's good in Kázi's claw of villainy:
My home's a sepulchre that measures cubits three, *
Where pass I morn and eve in chained agony:
My wines are tears, my clank of chains takes music's stead, *
Cares my dessert of fruit and sorrows are my bed."
And when he had versed his verse and had prosed his prose, he again
groaned and complained and remembered he had been and how he had been
parted from his brother. Thus far concerning him; but as regards his
brother Amjad, he awaited As'ad till mid-day yet he returned not to
him: whereupon Amjad's vitals fluttered, the pangs of parting were sore
upon him and he poured forth abundant tears,—And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Thirtieth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Amjad
awaited his brother As'ad till mid-day and he returned not to him,
Amjad's vitals fluttered; the pangs of parting were sore upon him and
he poured forth abundant tears, exclaiming, "Alas, my brother! Alas, my
friend! Alas my grief! How I feared me we should be separated!" Then he
descended from the mountain-top with the tears running down his cheeks;
and, entering the city, ceased not walking till he made the market. He
asked the folk the name of the place and concerning its people and they
said, "This is called the City of the Magians, and its citizens are
mostly given to Fire-worshipping in lieu of the Omnipotent King." Then
he enquired of the City of Ebony and they answered, "Of a truth it is a
year's journey thither by land and six months by sea: it was governed
erst by a King called Armanus; but he took to son- in-law and made King
in his stead a Prince called Kamar al-Zaman distinguished for justice
and munificence, equity and benevolence." When Amjad heard tell of his
father, he groaned and wept and lamented and knew not whither to go.
However, he bought a something of food and carried it to a retired spot
where he sat down thinking to eat; but, recalling his brother, he fell
a- weeping and swallowed but a morsel to keep breath and body together,
and that against his will. Then he rose and walked about the city,
seeking news of his brother, till he saw a Moslem tailor sitting in his
shop so he sat down by him and told him his story; whereupon quoth the
tailor, "If he have fallen into the hands of the Magians, thou shalt
hardly see him again: yet it may be Allah will reunite you twain. But
thou, O my brother," he continued wilt thou lodge with me?" Amjad
answered, "Yes"; and the tailor rejoiced at this. So he abode with him
many days, what while the tailor comforted him and exhorted him to
patience and taught him tailoring, till he became expert in the craft.
Now one day he went forth to the sea-shore and washed his clothes;
after which he entered the bath and put on clean raiment; then he
walked about the city, to divert himself with its sights and presently
there met him on the way a woman of passing beauty and loveliness,
without peer for grace and comeliness. When she saw him she raised her
face-veil and signed to him by moving her eyebrows and her eyes with
luring glances, and versified these couplets,
"I drooped my glance when seen thee on the way *
As though, O slim-waist! felled by Sol's hot ray:
Thou art the fairest fair that e'er appeared, *
Fairer to-day than fair of yesterday:[FN#384]
Were Beauty parted, a fifth part of it *
With Joseph or a part of fifth would stay;
The rest would fly to thee, shine ownest own; *
Be every soul thy sacrifice, I pray!"
When Amjad heard these her words, they gladdened his heart which
inclined to her and his bowels yearned towards her and the hands of
love sported with him; so he sighed to her in reply and spoke these
couplets,
"Above the rose of cheek is thorn of lance;[FN#385] *
Who dareth pluck it, rashest chevisance?
Stretch not thy hand towards it, for night long *
Those lances marred because we snatched a glance!
Say her, who tyrant is and tempter too *
(Though justice might her tempting power enhance):—
Thy face would add to errors were it veiled; *
Unveiled I see its guard hath best of chance!
Eye cannot look upon Sol's naked face; *
But can, when mist-cloud dims his countenance:
The honey-hive is held by honey-bee;[FN#386] *
Ask the tribe-guards what wants their vigilance?
An they would slay me, let them end their ire *
Rancorous, and grant us freely to advance:
They're not more murderous, an charge the whole *
Than charging glance of her who wears the mole."
And hearing these lines from Amjad she sighed with the deepest sighs
and, signing to him again, repeated these couplets,
"'Tis thou hast trodden coyness path not I: *
Grant me thy favours for the time draws nigh:
O thou who makest morn with light of brow, *
And with loosed brow-locks night in lift to stye!
Thine idol-aspect made of me thy slave, *
Tempting as temptedst me in days gone by:
'Tis just my liver fry with hottest love: *
Who worship fire for God must fire aby:
Thou sellest like of me for worthless price; *
If thou must sell, ask high of those who buy."
When Amjad heard these her words he said to her, "Wilt thou come to my
lodging or shall I go with thee to shine?" So she hung her head in
shame to the ground and repeated the words of Him whose Name be
exalted, "Men shall have the pre-eminence above women, because of those
advantages wherein Allah hath caused the one of them to excel the
other."[FN#387] Upon this, Amjad took the hint.—And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Thirty-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Amjad took the
woman's hint and understood that she wished to go with him whither he
was going; he felt himself bounder to find a place wherein to receive
her, but was ashamed to carry her to the house of his host, the tailor.
So he walked on and she walked after him, and the two ceased not
walking from street to street and place to place, till she was tired
and said to him, "O my lord, where is thy house?" Answered he, "Before
us a little way." Then he turned aside into a handsome by-street,
followed by the young woman, and walked on till he came to the end,
when he found it was no thoroughfare and exclaimed, "There is no
Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!"
Then raising his eyes, he saw, at the upper end of the lane a great
doer with two stone benches; but it was locked. So Amjad sat down on
one of the benches and she on the other; and she said to him, "O my
lord, wherefore waitest thou?" He bowed his head awhile to the ground
then raised it and answered, "I am awaiting my Mameluke who hath the
key; for I bade him make me ready meat and drink and flowers, to deck
the wine-service against my return from the bath." But he said to
himself, "Haply the time will be tedious to her and she will go about
her business, leaving me here, when I will wend my own way." However,
as soon as she was weary of long waiting, she said, "O my lord, thy
Mameluke delayeth; and here are we sitting in the street;" and she
arose and took a stone and went up to the lock. Said Amjad, "Be not in
haste, but have patience till the servant come." However, she hearkened
not to him, but smote the wooden bolt with the stone and broke it in
half, whereupon the door opened. Quoth he, "What possessed thee to do
this deed?" Quoth she, "Pooh, pooh, my lord! what matter it? Is not the
house thy house and thy place?" He said, "There was no need to break
the bolt." Then the damsel entered, to the confusion of Amjad, who knew
not what to do for fear of the people of the house; but she said to
him, "Why dost thou not enter, O light of mine eyes and core of my
heart?" Replied he, "I hear and obey; but my servant tarrieth long and
I know not if he have done aught of what I bade him and specially
enjoined upon him, or not." Hereupon he entered, sore in fear of the
people of the house, and found himself in a handsome saloon with four
dais'd recesses, each facing other, and containing closets and raised
seats, all bespread with stuffs of silk and brocade; and in the midst
was a jetting fountain of costly fashion, on whose margin rested a
covered tray of meats, with a leather tablecloth hanging up and
gem-encrusted dishes, full of fruits and sweet- scented flowers. Hard
by stood drinking vessels and a candlestick with a single wax-candle
therein; and the place was full of precious stuffs and was ranged with
chests and stools, and on each seat lay a parcel of clothes upon which
was a purse full of monies, gold and silver. The floor was paved with
marble and the house bore witness in every part to its owner's fortune.
When Amjad saw all this, he was confounded at his case and said to
himself, "I am a lost man! Verily we are Allah's and to Allah we are
returning!" As for the damsel, when she sighted the place she rejoiced
indeed with a joy nothing could exceed, and said to him, "By Allah, O
my lord, thy servant hath not failed of his duty; for see, he hath
swept the place and cooked the meat and set on the fruit; and indeed I
come at the best of times." But he paid no heed to her, his heart being
taken up with fear of the house- folk; and she said, "Fie, O my lord, O
my heart! What aileth thee to stand thus?" Then she sighed and, giving
him a buss which sounded like the cracking of a walnut, said, "O my
lord, an thou have made an appointment with other than with me, I will
gird my middle and serve her and thee. Amjad laughed from a heart full
of rage and wrath and came forwards and sat down, panting and saying to
himself, "Alack, mine ill death and doom when the owner of the place
shall return!" Then she seated herself by him and fell to toying and
laughing, whilst Amjad sat careful and frowning, thinking a thousand
thoughts and communing with himself, "Assuredly the master of the house
cannot but come, and then what shall I say to him? he needs must kill
me and my life will be lost thus foolishly." Presently she rose and,
tucking up her sleeves, took a tray of food on which she laid the cloth
and then set it before Amjad and began to eat, saying, "Eat, O my
lord." So he came forward and ate; but the food was not pleasant to
him; on the contrary he ceased not to look towards the door, till the
damsel had eaten her fill, when she took away the tray of the meats
and, setting on the dessert, fell to eating of the dried fruits. Then
she brought the wine service and opening the jar, filled a cup and
handed it to Amjad, who took it from her hand saying to him self, ' Ah,
ah! and well away, when the master of the house cometh and seeth me!";
and he kept his eyes fixed on the threshold, even with cup in hand.
While he was in this case, lo! in came the master of the house, who was
a white slave, one of the chief men of the city, being Master of the
Horse[FN#388] to the King. He had fitted up this saloon for his
pleasures, that he might make merry therein and be private with whom he
would, and he had that day bidden a youth whom he loved and had made
this entertainment for him. Now the name of this slave was
Bahádur,[FN#389] and he was open of hand, generous, munificent and fain
of alms-giving and charitable works.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it wad the Two Hundred and Thirty-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Bahadur, the
Master of the Horse and the owner of the house, came to the door of the
saloon and found it open, he entered slowly and softly and looking in,
with head advanced and out stretched neck, saw Amjad and the girl
sitting before the dish of fruit and the wine-jar in front of them. Now
Amjad at that moment had the cup in his hand and his face turned to the
door; and when his glance met Bahadur's eyes his hue turned pale yellow
and his side-muscles quivered, so seeing his trouble Bahadur signed to
him with his finger on his lips, as much as to say, "Be silent and come
hither to me." Whereupon he set down the cup and rose and the damsel
cried, "Whither away?" He shook his head and, signing to her that he
wished to make water, went out into the passage barefoot. Now when he
saw Bahadur he knew him for the master of the house; so he hastened to
him and, kissing his hands, said to him, "Allah upon thee, O my lord,
ere thou do me a hurt, hear what I have to say." Then he told him who
he was from first to last and acquainted him with what caused him to
quit his native land and royal state, and how he had not entered his
house of his free will, but that it was the girl who had broken the
lock-bolt and done all this.[FN#390] When Bahadur heard his story and
knew that he was a King's son, he felt for him and, taking compassion
on him, said, "Hearken to me, O Amjad, and do what I bid thee and I
will guarantee thy safety from that thou fearest; but, if thou cross
me, I will kill thee." Amjad replied, "Command me as thou wilt: I will
not gainsay thee in aught; no, never, for I am the freedman of thy
bounty." Rejoined Bahadur, "Then go back forthwith into the saloon, sit
down in thy place and be at peace and at shine ease; I will presently
come in to thee, and when thou seest me (remember my name is Bahadur)
do thou revile me and rail at me, saying, 'What made thee tarry till so
late?' And accept no excuse from me; nay, so far from it, rise and beat
me; and, if thou spare me, I will do away thy life. Enter now and make
merry and whatsoever thou seekest of me at this time I will bring thee
forthwith; and do thou spend this night as thou wilt and on the morrow
wend thy way. This I do in honour of thy strangerhood, for I love the
stranger and hold myself bounder to do him devoir." So Amjad kissed his
hand, and, returning to the saloon with his face clad in its natural
white and red, at once said to the damsel, "O my mistress, thy presence
hath gladdened this shine own place and ours is indeed a blessed
night." Quoth the girl, "Verily I see a wonderful change in thee, that
thou now welcomest me so cordially!" So Amjad answered, "By Allah, O my
lady, methought my servant Bahadur had robbed me of some necklaces of
jewels, worth ten thousand diners each; however, when I went out but
now in concern for this, I sought for them and found them in their
place. I know not why the slave tarrieth so long and needs must I
punish him for it." She was satisfied with his answer, and they sported
and drank and made merry and ceased not to be so till near sundown,
when Bahadur came in to them, having changed his clothes and girt his
middle and put on shoes, such as are worn of Mamelukes. He saluted and
kissed the ground; then held his hands behind him and stood, with his
head hanging down, as one who confesseth to a fault. So Amjad looked at
him with angry eyes and asked, "Why hast thou tarried till now, O most
pestilent of slaves?" Answered Bahadur, "O my lord, I was busy washing
my clothes and knew not of thy being here; for our appointed time was
nightfall and not day-tide." But Amjad cried out at him, saying, "Thou
liest, O vilest of slaves! By Allah, I must needs beat thee." So he
rose and, throwing Bahadur prone on the ground, took a stick and beat
him gently; but the damsel sprang up and, snatching the stick from his
hand, came down upon Bahadur so lustily, that in extreme pain the tears
ran from his eyes and he ground his teeth together and called out for
succour; whilst Amjad cried out to the girl "Don't"; and she cried out,
"Let me satisfy my anger upon him!" till at last he pulled the stick
out of her hand and pushed her away. So Bahadur rose and, wiping away
his tears from his cheeks, waited upon them the while, after which he
swept the hall and lighted the lamps; but as often as he went in and
out, the lady abused him and cursed him till Amjad was wroth with her
and said, "For Almighty Allah's sake leave my Mameluke; he is not used
to this." Then they sat and ceased not eating and drinking (and Bahadur
waiting upon them) till midnight when, being weary with service and
beating, he fell asleep in the midst of the hall and snored and
snorted; whereupon the damsel, who was drunken with wine, said to
Amjad, "Arise, take the sword hanging yonder and cut me off this
slave's head; and, if thou do it not, I will be the death of thee!"
"What possesseth thee to slay my slave?" asked Amjad; and she answered,
"Our joyaunce will not be complete but by his death. If thou wilt not
kill him, I will do it myself." Quoth Amjad, "By Allah's rights to
thee, do not this thing!" Quoth she, "It must perforce be;" and, taking
down the sword, drew it and made at Bahadur to kill him; but Amjad said
in his mind, "This man hath entreated us courteously and sheltered us
and done us kindness and made himself my slave: shall we requite him by
slaughtering him? This shall never be!" Then he said to the woman, "If
my Mameluke must be killed, better I should kill him than thou." So
saying, he took the sword from her and, raising his hand, smote her on
the neck and made her head fly from her body. It fell upon Bahadur who
awoke and sat up and opened his eyes, when he saw Amjad standing by him
and in his hand the sword dyed with blood, and the damsel lying dead.
He enquired what had passed, and Amjad told him all she had said,
adding, "Nothing would satisfy her but she must slay thee; and this is
her reward." Then Bahadur rose and, kissing the Prince's hand, said to
him, "Would to Heaven thou hadst spared her! but now there is nothing
for it but to rid us of her without stay or delay, before the
day-break." Then he girded his loins and took the body, wrapped it in
an Abá-cloak and, laying it in a large basket of palm-leaves, he
shouldered it saying, "Thou art a stranger here and knowest no one: so
sit thou in this place and await my return till day-break. If I come
back to thee, I will assuredly do thee great good service and use my
endeavours to have news of thy brother; but if by sunrise I return not,
know that all is over with me; and peace be on thee, and the house and
all it containeth of stuffs and money are shine." Then he fared forth
from the saloon bearing the basket; and, threading the streets, he made
for the salt sea, thinking to throw it therein: but as he drew near the
shore, he turned and saw that the Chief of Police and his officers had
ranged themselves around him; and, on recognising him, they wondered
and opened the basket, wherein they found the slain woman. So they
seized him and laid him in bilboes all that night till the morning,
when they carried him and the basket, as it was, to the King and
reported the case. The King was sore enraged when he looked upon the
slain and said to Bahadur, "Woe to thee! Thou art always so doing; thou
killest folk and castest them into the sea and takest their goods. How
many murders hast thou done ere this?" Thereupon Bahadur hung his
head.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Thirty-third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Bahadur hung down
his head groundwards before the King, who cried out at him, saying,
"Woe to thee! Who killed this girl?" He replied, "O my lord! I killed
her, and there is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the
Glorious, the Great!"[FN#391] So the King in his anger, commanded to
hang him; and the hangman went down with him by the King's commandment,
and the Chief of Police accompanied him with a crier who called upon
all the folk to witness the execution of Bahadur, the King's Master of
the Horse; and on this wise they paraded him through the main streets
and the market-streets. This is how it fared with Bahadur; but as
regards Amjad, he awaited his host's return till the day broke and the
sun rose, and when he saw that he came not, he exclaimed, "There is no
Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!
Would I knew what is become of him?" And, as he sat musing behold, he
heard the crier proclaiming Bahadur's sentence and bidding the people
to see the spectacle of his hanging at midday; whereat he wept and
exclaimed, "Verily, we are Allah's and to Him we are returning! He
meaneth to sacrifice himself unjustly for my sake, when I it was who
slew her. By Allah, this shall never be!" Then he went from the saloon
and, shutting the door after him, hurriedly threaded the streets till
he overtook Bahadur, when he stood before the Chief of Police and said
to him, "O my lord, put not Bahadur to death, for he is innocent. By
Allah, none killed her but I." Now when the Captain of Police heard
these words, he took them both and, carrying them before the King,
acquainted him with what Amjad had said; whereupon he looked at the
Prince and asked him, "Didst thou kill the damsel?" He answered, "Yes"
and the King said, "Tell me why thou killedst her, and speak the
truth." Replied Amjad, "O King, it is indeed a marvellous event and a
wondrous matter that hath befallen me: were it graven with needles on
the eye-corners, it would serve as a warner to whoso would be warned!"
Then he told him his whole story and informed him of all that had
befallen him and his brother, first and last; whereat the King was much
startled and surprised and said to him, "Know that now I find thee to
be excusable; but list, O youth! Wilt thou be my Wazír?" "Hearkening
and obedience," answered Amjad whereupon the King bestowed magnificent
dresses of honour on him and Bahadur and gave him a handsome house,
with eunuchs and officers and all things needful, appointing him
stipends and allowances and bidding him make search for his brother
As'ad. So Amjad sat down in the seat of the Wazirate and governed and
did justice and invested and deposed and took and gave. Moreover, he
sent out a crier to cry his brother throughout the city, and for many
days made proclamation in the main streets and market-streets, but
heard no news of As'ad nor happened on any trace of him. Such was his
case; but as regards his brother, the Magi ceased not to torture As'ad
night and day and eve and morn for a whole year's space, till their
festival drew near, when the old man Bahram[FN#392] made ready for the
voyage and fitted out a ship for himself.—And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Thirty-fourth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Bahram, the
Magian, having fitted out a ship for the voyage, took As'ad and put him
in a chest which he locked and had it transported on board. Now it so
came to pass that, at the very time of shipping it, Amjad was standing
to divert himself by looking upon the sea; and when he saw the men
carrying the gear and shipping it, his heart throbbed and he called to
his pages to bring him his beast. Then, mounting with a company of his
officers, he rode down to the sea-side and halted before the Magian's
ship, which he commended his men to board and search. They did his
bidding, and boarded the vessel and rummaged in every part, but found
nothing; so they returned and told Amjad, who mounted again and rode
back. But he felt troubled in mind; and when he reached his place and
entered his palace, he cast his eyes on the wall and saw written
thereon two lines which were these couplets,
"My friends! if ye are banisht from mine eyes, *
From heart and mind ye ne'er go wandering:
But ye have left me in my woe, and rob *
Rest from my eyelids while ye are slumbering."
And seeing them Amjad thought of his brother and wept. Such was his
case; but as for Bahram, the Magian, he embarked and shouted and bawled
to his crew to make sail in all haste. So they shook out the sails and
departed and ceased not to fare on many days and nights; and, every
other day, Bahram took out As'ad and gave him a bit of bread and made
him drink a sup of water, till they drew near the Mountain of Fire.
Then there came out on them a storm-wind and the sea rose against them,
so that the ship was driven out of her course till she took a wrong
line and fell into strange waters; and, at last they came in sight of a
city builded upon the shore, with a castle whose windows overlooked the
main. Now the ruler of this city was a Queen called Marjánah, and the
captain said to Bahram, "O my lord, we have strayed from our course and
come to the island of Queen Marjanah, who is a devout Moslemah; and, if
she know that we are Magians, she will take our ship and slay us to the
last man. Yet needs must we put in here to rest and refit." Quoth
Bahram, "Right is thy recking, and whatso thou seest fit that will I
do!" Said the ship master, "If the Queen summon us and question us, how
shall we answer her?"; and Bahram replied, "Let us clothe this Moslem
we have with us in a Mameluke's habit and carry him ashore with us, so
that when the Queen sees him, she will suppose and say, 'This is a
slave.' As for me I will tell her that I am a slave-dealer[FN#393] who
buys and sells white slaves, and that I had with me many but have sold
all save this one, whom I retained to keep my accounts, for he can read
and write." And the captain said "This device should serve." Presently
they reached the city and slackened sail and cast the anchors; and the
ship lay still, when behold, Queen Marjanah came down to them, attended
by her guards and, halting before the vessel, called out to the
captain, who landed and kissed the ground before her. Quoth she, "What
is the lading of this thy ship and whom hast thou with thee?"" Quoth
he, "O Queen of the Age, I have with me a merchant who dealeth in
slaves." And she said, "Hither with him to me"; whereupon Bahram came
ashore to her, with As'ad walking behind him in a slave's habit, and
kissed the earth before her. She asked, "What is thy condition?"; and
he answered, "I am a dealer in chattels." Then she looked at As'ad and,
taking him for a Mameluke, asked him, "What is thy name, O youth?" He
answered, "Dost thou ask my present or my former name?" "Hast thou then
two names?" enquired she, and he replied (and indeed his voice was
choked with tears), "Yes; my name aforetime was Al-As'ad, the most
happy, but now it is Al- Mu'tarr—Miserrimus." Her heart inclined to him
and she said, "Canst thou write?" "Yes,'' answered he, and she gave him
ink- case and reed-pen and paper and said to him, "Write somewhat that
I may see it." So he wrote these two couplets,
"What can the slave do when pursued by Fate, *
O justest Judge! whatever be his state?[FN#394]
Whom God throws hand bound in the depths and says, *
Beware lest water should thy body wet?"[FN#395]
Now when she read these lines, she had ruth upon him and said to
Bahram, "Sell me this slave." He replied, "O my lady, I cannot sell
him, for I have parted with all the rest and none is left with me but
he." Quoth the Queen, "I must need have him of thee, either by sale or
way of gift." But quoth Bahram, "I will neither sell him nor give him."
Whereat she was wroth and, taking As'ad by the hand, carried him up to
the castle and sent to Bahram, saying, "Except thou set sail and depart
our city this very night, I will seize all thy goods and break up thy
ship." Now when the message reached the Magian, he grieved with sore
grief and cried, "Verily this voyage is on no wise to be commended."
Then he arose and made ready and took all he needed and awaited the
coming of the night to resume his voyage, saying to the sailors,
"Provide yourselves with your things and fill your water-skins, that we
may set sail at the last of the night." So the sailors did their
business and awaited the coming of darkness. Such was their case; but
as regards Queen Marjanah, when she had brought As'ad into the castle,
she opened the casements overlooking the sea and bade her handmaids
bring food. They set food before As'ad and herself and both ate, after
which the Queen called for wine.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Thirty-fifth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Queen
Marjanah bade her handmaids bring wine and they set it before her, she
fell to drinking with As'ad. Now, Allah (be He extolled and exalted!)
filled her heart with love for the Prince and she kept filling his cup
and handing it to him till his reason fled; and presently he rose and
left the hall to satisfy a call of nature. As he passed out of the
saloon he saw an open door through which he went and walked on till his
walk brought him to a vast garden full of all manner fruits and
flowers; and, sitting down under a tree, he did his occasion. Then he
rose and went up to a jetting fountain in the garden and made the
lesser ablution and washed his hands and face, after which he would
have risen to go away; but the air smote him and he fell back, with his
clothes undone and slept, and night overcame him thus. So far
concerning him; but as concerns Bahram, the night being come, he cried
out to his crew, saying, "Set sail and let us away!"; and the'
answered, "We hear and obey, but wait till we fill our water- skins and
then we will set sail." So they landed with their water skins and went
round about the castle, and found nothing but garden-walls: whereupon
they climbed over into the garden and followed the track of feet, which
led them to the fountain; and there they found As'ad lying on his back.
They knew him and were glad to find him; and, after filling their
water-skins, they bore him off and climbed the wall again with him and
carried him back in haste to Bahram to whom they said, "Hear the good
tidings of thy winning thy wish; and gladden thy heart and beat thy
drums and sound thy pipes; for thy prisoner, whom Queen Marjanah took
from thee by force, we have found and brought back to thee"; and they
threw As'ad down before him. When Bahram saw him, his heart leapt for
joy and his breast swelled with gladness. Then he bestowed largesse on
the sailors and bade them set sail in haste. So they sailed forthright,
intending to make the Mountain of Fire and stayed not their course till
the morning. This is how it fared with them; but as regards Queen
Marjanah, she abode awhile, after As'ad went down from her, awaiting
his return in vain for he came not; thereupon she rose and sought him,
yet found no trace of him. Then she bade her women light flambeaux and
look for him, whilst she went forth in person and, seeing the garden-
door open, knew that he had gone thither. So she went out into the
garden and finding his sandals lying by the fountain, searched the
place in every part, but came upon no sign of him; and yet she gave not
over the search till morning. Then she enquired for the ship and they
told her, "The vessel set sail in the first watch of the night";
wherefor she knew that they had taken As'ad with them, and this was
grievous to her and she was sore an-angered. She bade equip ten great
ships forthwith and, making ready for fight, embarked in one of the ten
with her Mamelukes and slave-women and men-at-arms, all splendidly
accoutred and weaponed for war. They spread the sails and she said to
the captains, "If you overtake the Magian's ship, ye shall have of me
dresses of honour and largesse of money; but if you fail so to do, I
will slay you to the last man." Whereat fear and great hope animated
the crews and they sailed all that day and the night and the second day
and the third day till, on the fourth they sighted the ship of Bahram,
the Magian, and before evening fell the Queen's squadron had surrounded
it on all sides, just as Bahram had taken As'ad forth of the chest and
was beating and torturing him, whilst the Prince cried out for help and
deliverance, but found neither helper nor deliverer: and the grievous
bastinado sorely tormented him. Now while so occupied, Bahram chanced
to look up and, seeing himself encompassed by the Queen's ships, as the
white of the eye encompasseth the black, he gave himself up for lost
and groaned and said, "Woe to thee, O As'ad! This is all out of thy
head." Then taking him by the hand he bade his men throw him overboard
and cried, "By Allah I will slay thee before I die myself!" So they
carried him along by the hands and feet and cast him into the sea and
he sank; but Allah (be He extolled and exalted!) willed that his life
be saved and that his doom be deferred; so He caused him to sink and
rise again and he struck out with his hands and feet, till the Almighty
gave him relief, and sent him deliverance; and the waves bore him far
from the Magian's ship and threw him ashore. He landed, scarce
crediting his escape, and once more on land he doffed his clothes and
wrung them and spread them out to dry; whilst he sat naked and weeping
over his condition, and bewailing his calamities and mortal dangers,
and captivity and stranger hood. And presently he repeated these two
couplets,
"Allah, my patience fails: I have no ward; *
My breast is straitened and clean cut my cord;
To whom shall wretched slave of case complain *
Save to his Lord? O thou of lords the Lord!"
Then, having ended his verse, he rose and donned his clothes but he
knew not whither to go or whence to come; so he fed on the herbs of the
earth and the fruits of the trees and he drank of the streams, and
fared on night and day till he came in sight of a city; whereupon he
rejoiced and hastened his pace; but when he reached it,—And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it Was the Two Hundred and Thirty-sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when he reached
the city the shades of evening closed around him and the gates were
shut. Now by the decrees of Pate and man's lot this was the very city
wherein he had been a prisoner and to whose King his brother Amjad was
Minister. When As'ad saw the gate was locked, he turned back and made
for the burial-ground, where finding a tomb without a door, he entered
therein and lay down and fell asleep, with his face covered by his long
sleeve.[FN#396] Meanwhile, Queen Marjanah, coming up with Bahram's
ship, questioned him of As'ad. Now the Magian, when Queen Marjanah
overtook him with her ships, baffled her by his artifice and gramarye;
swearing to her that he was not with him and that he knew nothing of
him. She searched the ship, but found no trace of her friend, so she
took Bahram and, carrying him back to her castle, would have put him to
death, but he ransomed himself from her with all his good and his ship;
and she released him and his men. They went forth from her hardly
believing in their deliverance, and fared on ten days' journey till
they came to their own city and found the gate shut, it being eventide.
So they made for the burial-ground, thinking to lie the night there
and, going round about the tombs, as Fate and Fortune would have it,
saw the building wherein As'ad lay wide open; whereat Bahram marvelled
and said, "I must look into this sepulchre." Then he entered and found
As'ad lying in a corner fast asleep, with his head covered by his
sleeve; so he raised his head, and looking in his face, knew him for
the man on whose account he had lost his good and his ship, and cried,
"What! art thou yet alive?" Then he bound him and gagged him without
further parley, and carried him to his house, where he clapped heavy
shackles on his feet and lowered him into the underground dungeon
aforesaid prepared for the tormenting of Moslems, and he bade his
daughter by name Bostán,[FN#397] torture him night and day, till the
next year, when they would again visit the Mountain of Fire and there
offer him up as a sacrifice. Then he beat him grievously and locking
the dungeon door upon him, gave the keys to his daughter. By and by,
Bostan opened the door and went down to beat him, but finding him a
comely youth and a sweet-faced with arched brows and eyes black with
nature's Kohl,[FN#398] she fell in love with him and asked him, "What
is thy name?" "My name is As'ad," answered he; whereat she cried,
"Mayst thou indeed be happy as thy name,[FN#399] and happy be thy days!
Thou deservest not torture and blows, and I see thou hast been
injuriously entreated." And she comforted him with kind words and
loosed his bonds. Then she questioned him of the religion of Al-Islam
and he told her that it was the true and right Faith and that our lord
Mohammed had approved himself by surpassing miracles[FN#400] and signs
manifest, and that fire-worship is harmful and not profitable; and he
went on to expound to her the tenets of Al-Islam till she was persuaded
and the love of the True Faith entered her heart. Then, as Almighty
Allah had mixed up with her being a fond affection for As'ad, she
pronounced the Two Testimonies[FN#401] of the Faith and became of the
people of felicity. After this, she brought him meat and drink and
talked with him and they prayed together: moreover, she made him
chicken stews and fed him therewith, till he regained strength and his
sickness left him and he was restored to his former health. Such things
befel him with the daughter of Bahram, the Magian; and so it happened
that one day she left him and stood at the house-door when behold, she
heard the crier crying aloud and saying, "Whoso hath with him a
handsome young man, whose favour is thus and thus, and bringeth him
forth, shall have all he seeketh of money; but if any have him and deny
it, he shall be hanged over his own door and his property shall be
plundered and his blood go for naught." Now As'ad had acquainted Bostan
bint Bahram with his whole history: so, when she heard the crier, she
knew that it was he who was sought for and, going down to him, told him
the news. Then he fared forth and made for the mansion of the Wazir,
whom, when As'ad saw, exclaimed, "By Allah, this Minister is my brother
Amjad!" Then he went up (and the damsel walking behind him) to the
Palace, where he again saw his brother, and threw himself upon him;
whereupon Amjad also knew him and fell upon his neck and they embraced
each other, whilst the Wazir's Mamelukes dismounted and stood round
them. They lay awhile insensible and, when they came to themselves,
Amjad took his brother and carried him to the Sultan, to whom he
related the whole story, and the Sultan charged him to plunder Bahram's
house.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Thirty-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Sultan
ordered Amjad to plunder Bahram's house and to hang its owner. So Amjad
despatched thither for that purpose a company of men, who sacked the
house and took Bahram and brought his daughter to the Wazir by whom she
was received with all honour, for As'ad had told his brother the
torments he had suffered and the kindness she had done him. Thereupon
Amjad related in his turn to As'ad all that had passed between himself
and the damsel; and how he had escaped hanging and had become Wazir;
and they made moan, each to other, of the anguish they had suffered for
separation. Then the Sultan summoned Bahram and bade strike off his
head; but he said, "O most mighty King, art thou indeed resolved to put
me to death?" Replied the King, "Yes, except thou save thyself by
becoming a Moslem." Quoth Bahram, "O King, bear with me a little
while!" Then he bowed his head groundwards and presently raising it
again, made pro fession of The Faith and islamised at the hands of the
Sultan. They all rejoiced at his conversion and Amjad and As'ad told
him all that had befallen them, whereat he wondered and said, "O my
lords, make ready for the journey and I will depart with you and carry
you back to your father's court in a ship." At this they rejoiced and
wept with sore weeping but he said, "O my lords, weep not for your
departure, for it shall reunite you with those you love, even as were
Ni'amah and Naomi." "And what befel Ni'amah and Naomi?" asked they.
"They tell," replied Bahram, "(but Allah alone is All knowing) the
following tale of