The Caliph Al-Mu'tazid bi 'llah[FN#347] was a high-spirited
Prince and a noble-minded lord; he had in Baghdad six hundred
Wazirs and of the affairs of the folk naught was hidden from him.
He went forth one day, he and Ibn Hamdún,[FN#348] to divert
himself with observing his lieges and hearing the latest news of
the people; and, being overtaken with the heats of noonday, they
turned aside from the main thoroughfare into a little by-street,
at the upper end whereof they saw a handsome and high-builded
mansion, discoursing of its owner with the tongue of praise. They
sat down at the gate to take rest, and presently out came two
eunuchs as they were moons on their fourteenth night. Quoth one
of them to his fellow, "Would Heaven some guest would seek
admission this day! My master will not eat but with guests and we
are come to this hour and I have not yet seen a soul." The Caliph
marvelled at their speech and said, "This is a proof of the
house-master's liberality: there is no help but that we go in to
him and note his generosity, and this shall be a means of favour
betiding him from us." So he said to the eunuch, "Ask leave of
thy lord for the admission of a company[FN#349] of strangers."
For in those days it was the Caliph's wont, whenas he was minded
to observe his subjects, to disguise himself in merchant's garb.
The eunuch went in and told his master, who rejoiced and rising,
came out to them in person. He was fair of favour and fine of
form and he appeared clad in a tunic of Níshápúr[FN#350] silk and
a gold laced mantle; and he dripped with scented waters and wore
on his hand a signet ring of rubies. When he saw them, he said to
them, "Well come and welcome to the lords who favour us with the
utmost of favour by their coming!" So they entered the house and
found it such as would make a man forget family and fatherland
for it was like a piece of Paradise.--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixtieth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Caliph entered the mansion, he and the man with him, they saw
it to be such as would make one forget family and fatherland, for
it was like a piece of Paradise. Within it was a flower-garden,
full of all kinds of trees, confounding sight and its
dwelling-places were furnished with costly furniture. They sat
down and the Caliph fell to gazing at the house and the household
gear. (Quoth Ibn Hamdún), "I looked at the Caliph and saw his
countenance change, and being wont to know from his face whether
he was amused or anangered, said to myself, 'I wonder what hath
vexed him.' Then they brought a golden basin and we washed our
hands, after which they spread a silken cloth and set thereon a
table of rattan. When the covers were taken off the dishes, we
saw therein meats rare as the blooms of Prime in the season of
their utmost scarcity, twofold and single, and the host said,
'Bismillah, O my lords! By Allah, hunger pricketh me; so favour
me by eating of this food, as is the fashion of the noble.'
Thereupon he began tearing fowls apart and laying them before us,
laughing the while and repeating verses and telling stories and
talking gaily with pleasant sayings such as sorted with the
entertainment. We ate and drank, then removed to another room,
which confounded beholders with its beauty and which reeked with
exquisite perfumes. Here they brought us a tray of fruits
freshly-gathered and sweetmeats the finest flavoured, whereat our
joys increased and our cares ceased. But withal the Caliph"
(continued Ibn Hamdun) "ceased not to wear a frowning face and
smiled not at that which gladdened all souls, albeit it was his
wont to love mirth and merriment and the putting away of cares,
and I knew that he was no envious wight and oppressor. So I said
to myself, 'Would Heaven I knew what is the cause of his
moroseness and why we cannot dissipate his ill-humour!' Presently
they brought the tray of wine which friends doth conjoin and
clarified draughts in flagons of gold and crystal and silver, and
the host smote with a rattan-wand on the door of an inner
chamber, whereupon behold, it opened and out came three damsels,
high-bosomed virginity with faces like the sun at the fourth hour
of the day, one a lutist, another a harpist and the third a
dancer-artiste. Then he set before us dried fruits and
confections and drew between us and the damsels a curtain of
brocade, with tassels of silk and rings of gold. The Caliph paid
no heed to all this, but said to the host, who knew not who was
in his company, 'Art thou noble?'[FN#351] Said he, 'No, my lord;
I am but a man of the sons of the merchants and am known among
the folk as Abú al-Hasan Ali, son of Ahmad of Khorasan.' Quoth
the Caliph, 'Dost thou know me, O man?', and quoth he, 'By Allah,
O my lord, I have no knowledge of either of your honours!' Then
said I to him, 'O man, this is the Commander of the Faithful,
AI-Mu'tazid bi 'llah grandson of Al-Mutawakkil alà
'llah.'[FN#352] Whereupon he rose and kissed the ground before
the Caliph, trembling for fear of him, and said, 'O Prince of
True Believers, I conjure thee, by the virtue of thy pious
forbears, an thou have seen in me any shortcomings or lack of
good manners in thy presence, do thou forgive me!' Replied the
Caliph, 'As for that which thou hast done with us of honouring
and hospitality nothing could have exceeded it; and as for that
wherewith I have to reproach thee here, an thou tell me the truth
respecting it and it commend itself to my sense, thou shalt be
saved from me; but, an thou tell me not the truth, I will take
thee with manifest proof and punish thee with such punishment as
never yet punished any.' Quoth the man, 'Allah forbid that I tell
thee a lie! But what is it that thou reproachest to me, O
Commander of the Faithful?' Quoth the Caliph, 'Since I entered
thy mansion and looked upon its grandeur, I have noted the
furniture and vessels therein, nay, even to thy clothes, and
behold, on all of them is the name of my grandfather
Al-Mutawakkil ala 'llah.'[FN#353] Answered Abu al-Hasan, 'Yes, O
Commander of the Faithful (the Almighty protect thee), truth is
thine inner garb and sincerity is thine outer garment and none
may speak otherwise than truly in thy presence.' The Caliph bade
him be seated and said, 'Tell us.'" So he began, "Know, O
Commander of the Faithful, that my father belonged to the markets
of the money-changers and druggists and linendrapers and had in
each bazar a shop and an agent and all kinds of goods. Moreover,
behind the money-changer's shop he had an apartment, where he
might be private, appointing the shop for buying and selling. His
wealth was beyond count and to his riches there was none amount;
but he had no child other than myself, and he loved me and was
tenderly fain of me. When his last hour was at hand, he called me
to him and commended my mother to my care and charged me to fear
Almighty Allah. Then he died, may Allah have mercy upon him and
continue the Prince of True Believers on life! And I gave myself
up to pleasure and eating and drinking and took to myself
comrades and intimates. My mother used to forbid me from this and
to blame me for it, but I would not hear a word from her, till my
money was all gone, when I sold my lands and houses and naught
was left me save the mansion wherein I now dwell, and it was a
goodly stead, O Commander of the Faithful. So I said to my
mother, 'I wish to sell the house;' but she said, 'O my son, an
thou sell it, thou wilt be dishonoured and wilt have no place
wherein to take shelter.' Quoth I, ''Tis worth five thousand
dinars, and with one thousand of its price I will buy me another
house and trade with the rest.' Quoth she, 'Wilt thou sell it to
me at that price?'; and I replied, 'Yes.' Whereupon she went to a
coffer and opening it, took out a porcelain vessel, wherein were
five thousand dinars. When I saw this meseemed the house was all
of gold and she said to me, 'O my son, think not that this is of
thy father's good. By Allah, O my son, it was of my own father's
money and I have treasured it up against a time of need; for, in
thy father's day I was a wealthy woman and had no need of it.' I
took the money from her, O Prince of True Believers, and fell
again to feasting and carousing and merrymaking with my friends,
unheeding my mother's words and admonitions, till the five
thousand dinars came to an end, when I said to her, 'I wish to
sell the house.' Said she, 'O my son, I forbade thee from selling
it before, of my knowledge that thou hadst need of it; so how
wilt thou sell it a second time?' Quoth I, 'Be not longsome of
speech with me, for I must and will sell it;' and quoth she,
'Then sell it to me for fifteen thousand dinars, on condition
that I take charge of thine affairs.' So I sold her the house at
that price and gave up my affairs into her charge, whereupon she
sought out the agents of my father and gave each of them a
thousand dinars, keeping the rest in her own hands and ordering
the outgo and the income. Moreover she gave me money to trade
withal and said to me, 'Sit thou in thy father's shop.' So I did
her bidding, O Commander of the Faithful, and took up my abode in
the chamber behind the shop in the market of the money-changers,
and my friends came and bought of me and I sold to them; whereby
I made good cheape and my wealth increased. When my mother saw me
in this fair way, she discovered to me that which she had
treasured up of jewels and precious stones, pearls, and gold, and
I bought back my houses and lands that I had squandered and my
wealth became great as before. I abode thus for some time, and
the factors of my father came to me and I gave them
stock-in-trade, and I built me a second chamber behind the shop.
One day, as I sat there, according to my custom, O Prince of True
Believers, there came up to me a damsel, never saw eyes a fairer
than she of favour, and said, 'Is this the private shop of Abu
al-Hasan Ali ibn Ahmad al-Khorasani?' Answered I, 'Yes,' and she
asked, 'Where is he?' 'He am I,' said I, and indeed my wit was
dazed at the excess of her loveliness. She sat down and said to
me, 'Bid thy page weigh me out three hundred dinars.' Accordingly
I bade him give her that sum and he weighed it out to her and she
took it and went away, leaving me stupefied. Quoth my man to me,
'Dost thou know her?', and quoth I, 'No, by Allah!' He asked,
'Then why didst thou bid me give her the money?'; and I answered,
'By Allah, I knew not what I said, of my amazement at her beauty
and loveliness!' Then he rose and followed her, without my
knowledge, but presently returned, weeping and with the mark of a
blow on his face. I enquired of him what ailed him, and he
replied, 'I followed the damsel, to see whither she went; but,
when she was aware of me, she turned and dealt me this blow and
all but knocked out my eye.' After this, a month passed, without
her coming, O Commander of the Faithful, and I abode bewildered
for love of her; but, at the end of this time, she suddenly
appeared again and saluted me, whereat I was like to fly for joy.
She asked me how I did and said to me, 'Haply thou saidst to
thyself, What manner of trickstress is this, who hath taken my
money and made off?' Answered I, 'By Allah, O my lady, my money
and my life are all thy very own!' With this she unveiled herself
and sat down to rest, with the trinkets and ornaments playing
over her face and bosom. Presently, she said to me, 'Weigh me out
three hundred dinars.' 'Hearkening and obedience,' answered I and
weighed out to her the money. She took it and went away and I
said to my servant, 'Follow her.' So he followed her, but
returned dumbstruck, and some time passed without my seeing her.
But, as I was sitting one day, behold, she came up to me and
after talking awhile, said to me, 'Weigh me out five hundred
dinars, for I have need of them.' I would have said to her, 'Why
should I give thee my money?'; but my love immense hindered me
from utterance; for, O Prince of True Believers, whenever I saw
her, I trembled in every joint and my colour paled and I forgot
what I would have said and became even as saith the poet,
''Tis naught but this! When a-sudden I see her * Mumchance I bide
nor a word can say her.'
So I weighed out for her the five hundred ducats, and she took
them and went away; whereupon I arose and followed her myself,
till she came to the jewel-bazar, where she stopped at a man's
shop and took of him a necklace. Then she turned and seeing me,
said, 'Pay him five hundred dinars for me.' When the jeweller saw
me, he rose to me and made much of me, and I said to him, 'Give
her the necklace and set down the price to me.' He replied, 'I
hear and obey,' and she took it and went away;"--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-first Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abu
Hasan the Khorasani thus pursued his tale, "So I said to the
jeweller, 'Give her the necklace and set down the price to me.'
Then she took it and went away; but I followed her, till she came
to the Tigris and boarded a boat there, whereupon I signed with
my hand to the ground, as who should say, 'I kiss it before
thee.' She went off laughing, and I stood watching her, till I
saw her land and enter a palace, which when I considered, I knew
it for the palace of the Caliph Al-Mutawakkil. So I turned back,
O Commander of the Faithful, with all the cares in the world
fallen on my heart, for she had of me three thousand dinars, and
I said to myself, 'She hath taken my wealth and ravished my wit,
and peradventure I shall lose my life for her love.' Then I
returned home and told my mother all that had befallen me, and
she said, 'O my son, beware how thou have to do with her after
this, or thou art lost.' When I went to my shop, my factor in the
drug-market, who was a very old man, came to me and said, 'O my
lord, how is it that I see thee changed in case and showing marks
of chagrin? Tell me what aileth thee.' So I told him all that had
befallen me with her and he said, 'O my son, this is indeed one
of the handmaidens of the palace of the Commander of the Faithful
and haply she is the Caliph's favourite concubine: so do thou
reckon the money as spent for the sake of Almighty Allah[FN#354]
and occupy thyself no more with her. An she come again, beware
lest she have to do with thee and tell me of this, that I may
devise thee some device lest perdition betide thee.' Then he
fared forth and left me with a flame of fire in my heart. At the
end of the month behold, she came again and I rejoiced in her
with exceeding joy. Quoth she, 'What ailed thee to follow me?';
and quoth I, 'Excess of passion that is in my heart urged me to
this,' and I wept before her. She wept for ruth of me and said,
'By Allah, there is not in thy heart aught of love-longing but in
my heart is more! Yet how shall I do? By Allah, I have no
resource save to see thee thus once a month.' Then she gave me a
bill saying, 'Carry this to such an one of such a trade who is my
agent and take of him what is named therein.' But I replied, 'I
have no need of money; be my wealth and my life thy sacrifice!'
Quoth she, 'I will right soon contrive thee a means of access to
me, whatever trouble it cost me.' Then she farewelled me and
fared forth, whilst I repaired to the old druggist and told him
what had passed. He went with me to the palace of Al-Mutawakkil
which I knew for that which the damsel had entered; but the
Shaykh was at a loss for a device. Presently he espied a tailor
sitting with his apprentices at work in his shop, opposite the
lattice giving upon the river bank and said to me, 'Yonder is one
by whom thou shalt win thy wish; but first tear thy pocket and go
to him and bid him sew it up. When he hath done this, give him
ten dinars.' 'I hear and obey,' answered I and taking with me two
pieces[FN#355] of Greek brocade, went to the tailor and bade him
make of them four suits, two with long-sleeved coats and two
without. When he had finished cutting them out and sewing them, I
gave him to his hire much more than of wont, and he put out his
hand to me with the clothes; but I said, 'Take them for thyself
and for those who are with thee.' And I fell to sitting with him
and sitting long: I also bespoke of him other clothes and said to
him, 'Hang them out in front of thy shop, so the folk may see
them and buy them.' He did as I bade him, and whoso came forth of
the Caliph's palace and aught of the clothes pleased him, I made
him a present thereof, even to the doorkeeper. One day of the
days the tailor said to me, 'O my son, I would have thee tell me
the truth of thy case; for thou hast bespoken of me an hundred
costly suits, each worth a mint of money, and hast given the most
of them to the folk. This is no merchant's fashion, for a
merchant calleth an account for every dirham, and what can be the
sum of thy capital that thou givest these gifts and what thy gain
every year? Tell me the truth of thy case, that I may assist thee
to thy desire;' presently adding, 'I conjure thee by Allah, tell
me, art thou not in love?' 'Yes,' replied I; and he said, 'With
whom?' Quoth I, 'With one of the handmaids of the Caliph's
palace;' and quoth he, 'Allah put them to shame! How long shall
they seduce the folk? Knowest thou her name?' Said I, 'No;' and
said he, 'Describe her to me.' So I described her to him and he
cried, 'Out on it! This is the lutanist of the Caliph
Al-Mutawakkil and his pet concubine. But she hath a
Mameluke[FN#356] and do thou make friends with him; it may be he
shall become the means of thy having access to her.' Now as we
were talking, behold, out walked the servant in question from the
palace, as he were a moon on the fourteenth night; and, seeing
that I had before me the clothes which the tailor had made me,
and they were of brocade of all colours, he began to look at them
and examine them. Then he came up to me and I rose and saluted
him. He asked, 'Who art thou?' and I answered, 'I am a man of the
merchants.' Quoth he, 'Wilt thou sell these clothes?'; and quoth
I, 'Yes.' So he chose out five of them and said to me, 'How much
these five?' Said I, 'They are a present to thee from me in
earnest of friendship between me and thee.' At this he rejoiced
and I went home and fetching a suit embroidered with jewels and
jacinths, worth three thousand dinars, returned therewith and
gave it to him. He accepted it and carrying me into a room within
the palace, said to me, 'What is thy name among the merchants?'
Said I, 'I am a man of them.'[FN#357] He continued, 'Verily I
misdoubt me of thine affair.' I asked, 'Why so?' and he answered,
'Because thou hast bestowed on me a costly gift and won my heart
therewith, and I make certain that thou art Abu al-Hasan of
Khorasan the Shroff.' With this I fell aweeping, O Prince of True
Believers; and he said to me, 'Why dost thou weep? By Allah, she
for whom thou weepest is yet more longingly in love with thee
than thou with her! And indeed her case with thee is notorious
among all the palace women. But what wouldst thou have?' Quoth I,
'I would have thee succour me in my calamity.' So he appointed me
for the morrow and I returned home. As soon as I rose next
morning, I betook myself to him and waited in his chamber till he
came in and said to me, 'Know that yesternight when, after having
made an end of her service by the Caliph, she returned to her
apartment, I related to her all that had passed between me and
thee and she is minded to foregather with thee. So stay with me
till the end of the day.' Accordingly I stayed with him till
dark, when the Mameluke brought me a shirt of gold-inwoven stuff
and a suit of the Caliph's apparel and clothing me therein,
incensed me[FN#358] and I became like the Commander of the
Faithful. Then he brought me to a gallery with rows of rooms on
either side and said to me, 'These are the lodgings of the Chief
of the slave-girls; and when thou passest along the gallery, do
thou lay at each door a bean, for 'tis the custom of the Caliph
to do this every night,'"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-second Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Mameluke said to Abu Hasan, "When thou passest along the gallery
set down at each door a bean for 'tis the custom of the Caliph so
to do, till thou come to the second passage on thy right hand,
when thou wilt see a door with a marble threshold .[FN#359] Touch
it with thy hand or, an thou wilt, count the doors which are so
many, and enter the one whose marks are thus and thus. There thy
mistress will see thee and take thee in with her. As for thy
coming forth, verily Allah will make it easy to me, though I
carry thee out in a chest." Then he left me and returned,
whilst I went on, counting the doors and laying at each a bean.
When I had reached the middle of the gallery, I heard a great
clatter and saw the light of flambeaux coming towards me. As the
light drew near me, I looked at it and behold, the Caliph
himself, came surrounded by the slave-girls carrying waxen
lights, and I heard one of the women[FN#360] say to another, 'O
my sister, have we two Caliphs? Verily, the Caliph whose perfumes
and essences I smelt, hath already passed by my room and he hath
laid the bean at my door, as his wont; and now I see the light of
his flambeaux, and here he cometh with them.' Replied the other,
'Indeed this is a wondrous thing, for disguise himself in the
Caliph's habit none would dare.' Then the light drew near me,
whilst I trembled in every limb; and up came an eunuch, crying
out to the concubines and saying, 'Hither!' Whereupon they turned
aside to one of the chambers and entered. Then they came out
again and walked on till they came to the chamber of my mistress
and I heard the Caliph say, 'Whose chamber is this?' They
answered, 'This is the chamber of Shajarat al-Durr.' And he said,
'Call her.' So they called her and she came out and kissed the
feet of the Caliph, who said to her, 'Wilt thou drink to-night?'
Quoth she, 'But for thy presence and the looking on thine
auspicious countenance, I would not drink, for I incline not to
wine this night.' Then quoth the Commander of the Faithful to the
eunuch, 'Bid the treasurer give her such necklace;' and he
commanded to enter her chamber. So the waxen lights entered
before him and he followed them into the apartment. At the same
moment, behold, there came up a damsel, the lustre of whose face
outshone that of the flambeau in her hand, and drawing near she
said, 'Who is this?' Then she laid hold of me and carrying me
into one of the chambers, said to me, 'Who art thou?' I kissed
the ground before her saying, 'I implore thee by Allah, O my
lady, spare my blood and have ruth on me and commend thyself unto
Allah by saving my life!'; and I wept for fear of death. Quoth
she, 'Doubtless, thou art a robber;' and quoth I, 'No, by Allah,
I am no robber. Seest thou on me the signs of thieves?' Said she,
'Tell me the truth of thy case and I will put thee in safety.' So
I said, 'I am a silly lover and an ignorant, whom passion and my
folly have moved to do as thou seest, so that I am fallen into
this slough of despond.' Thereat cried she, 'Abide here till I
come back to thee;' and going forth she presently returned with
some of her handmaid's clothes wherein she clad me and bade me
follow her; so I followed her till she came to her apartment and
commanded me to enter. I went in and she led me to a couch,
whereon was a mighty fine carpet, and said, 'Sit down here: no
harm shall befal thee. Art thou not Abu al-Hasan Ali the
Khorasani, the Shroff?' I answered, 'Yes,' and she rejoined,
'Allah spare thy blood given thou speak truth! An thou be a
robber, thou art lost, more by token that thou art dressed in the
Caliph's habit and incensed with his scents. But, an thou be
indeed Abu al-Hasan, thou art safe and no hurt shall happen to
thee, for that thou art the friend of Shajarat al-Durr, who is my
sister and ceaseth never to name thee and tell us how she took of
thee money, yet wast thou not chagrined, and how thou didst
follow her to the river bank and madest sign as thou wouldst kiss
the earth in her honour; and her heart is yet more aflame for
thee than is thine for her. But how camest thou hither? Was it by
her order or without it? She hath indeed imperilled thy
life[FN#361]. But what seekest thou in this assignation with
her?' I replied, 'By Allah, O my lady, 'tis I who have imperilled
my own life, and my aim in foregathering with her is but to look
on her and hear her pretty speech.' She said, 'Thou hast spoken
well;' and I added, 'O my lady, Allah is my witness when I
declare that my soul prompteth me to no offence against her
honour.' Cried she, 'In this intent may Allah deliver thee!
Indeed compassion for thee hath gotten hold upon my heart.' Then
she called her handmaid and said to her, 'Go to Shajarat al-Durr
and say to her, 'Thy sister saluteth thee and biddeth thee to
her; so favour her by coming to her this night, according to thy
custom, for her breast is straitened.' The slave-girl went out
and presently returning, told her mistress that Shajarat al-Durr
said, 'May Allah bless me with thy long life and make me thy
ransom! By Allah, hadst thou bidden me to other than this, I had
not hesitated; but the Caliph's migraine constraineth me and thou
knowest my rank with him.' But the other said to her damsel,
'Return to her and say, 'Needs must thou come to my mistress upon
a private matter between thee and her!' So the girl went out
again and presently returned with the damsel, whose face shone
like the full moon. Her sister met her and embraced her; then
said she, 'Ho, Abu al-Hasan, come forth to her and kiss her
hands!' Now I was in a closet within the apartment; so I walked
out, O Commander of the Faithful, and when my mistress saw me,
she threw herself upon me and strained me to her bosom saying,
'How camest thou in the Caliph's clothes and his ornaments and
perfumes? Tell me what hath befallen thee.' So I related to her
all that had befallen me and what I had suffered for affright and
so forth; and she said, 'Grievous to me is what thou hast endured
for my sake and praised be Allah who hath caused the issue to be
safety, and the fulfilment of safety is in thy entering my
lodging and that of my sister.' Then she carried me to her own
apartment, saying to her sister, 'I have covenanted with him that
I will not be united to him unlawfully; but, as he hath risked
himself and incurred these perils, I will be earth for his
treading and dust to his sandals!'"--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth the
damsel to her sister, "I have covenanted with him that I will not
be united to him unlawfully; but, as he hath risked himself and
incurred these perils, I will be earth for his treading and dust
to his sandals!" Replied her sister, "In this intent may Allah
deliver him!"; and my mistress rejoined, 'Soon shalt thou see
how I will do, so I may lawfully foregather with him and there is
no help but that I lavish my heart's blood to devise this.' Now
as we were in talk, behold, we heard a great noise and turning,
saw the Caliph making for her chamber, so engrossed was he by the
thought of her; whereupon she took me, O Prince of True Believers
and hid me in a souterrain[FN#362] and shut down the trap-door
upon me. Then she went out to meet the Caliph, who entered and
sat down, whilst she stood between his hands to serve him, and
commanded to bring wine. Now the Caliph loved a damsel by name
Banjah, who was the mother of Al-Mu'tazz bi 'llah[FN#363]; but
they had fallen out and parted; and in the pride of her beauty
and loveliness she would not make peace with him, nor would
Al-Mutawakkil, for the dignity of the Caliphate and the kingship,
make peace with her neither humble himself to her, albeit his
heart was aflame with passion for her, but sought to solace his
mind from her with her mates among the slave-girls and with going
in to them in their chambers. Now he loved Shajarat al-Durr's
singing: so he bade her sing, when she took the lute and tuning
the strings sang these verses,
'The world-tricks I admire betwixt me and her; * How, us parted,
the World would to me incline:
I shunned thee till said they, 'He knows not Love;' * I sought
thee till said they, 'No patience is mine!'
Then, O Love of her, add to my longing each night, * And, O
Solace, thy comforts for Doomsday assign!
Soft as silk is her touch and her low sweet voice * Twixt o'er
much and o'er little aye draweth the line:
And eyne whereof Allah said 'Be ye!' and they * Became to man's
wit like the working of wine.'
When the Caliph heard these verses, he was pleasured with
exceeding pleasure, and I also, O Commander of the Faithful, was
pleasured in my hiding-place, and but for the bounty of Almighty
Allah, I had cried out and we had been disgraced. Then she sang
also these couplets,
'I embrace him, yet after him yearns my soul * For his love, but
can aught than embrace be nigher?
I kiss his lips to assuage my lowe; * But each kiss gars it glow
with more flaming fire;
'Tis as though my vitals aye thirst unquencht * Till I see two
souls mixt in one entire.'
The Caliph was delighted and said, 'O Shajarat al-Durr, ask a
boon of me.' She replied, 'O Commander of the Faithful, I ask of
thee my freedom, for the sake of the reward thou wilt obtain
therein.'[FN#364] Quoth he, 'Thou art free for the love of
Allah;' whereupon she kissed ground before him. He resumed, 'Take
the lute and sing me somewhat on the subject of my slave-girl, of
whom I am enamoured with warmest love: the folk seek my pleasure
and I seek hers.' So she took the lute and sang these two
couplets,
'My charmer who spellest my piety[FN#365] * On all accounts I'll
have thee, have thee,
Or by humble suit which besitteth Love * Or by force more fitting
my sovranty.'
The Caliph admired these verses and said, 'Now, take up thy lute
and sing me a song setting out my case with three damsels who
hold the reins of my heart and make rest depart; and they are
thyself and that wilful one and another I will not name, who hath
not her like.'[FN#366] So she took the lute and playing a lively
measure, sang these couplets,
'Three lovely girls hold my bridle-rein * And in highest stead my
heart overreign.
I have none to obey amid all mankind * But obeying them I but win
disdain:
This is done through the Kingship of Love, whereby * The best of
my kingship they made their gain.'
The Caliph marvelled with exceeding marvel at the aptness of
these verses to his case and his delight inclined him to
reconciliation with the recalcitrant damsel. So he went forth and
made for her chamber whither a slave-girl preceded him and
announced to her the coming of the Caliph. She advanced to meet
him and kissed the ground before him; then she kissed his feet
and he was reconciled to her and she was reconciled to him. Such
was the case with the Caliph; but as regards Shajarat al-Durr,
she came to me rejoicing and said, 'I am become a free woman by
thy blessed coming! Surely Allah will help me in that which I
shall contrive, so I may foregather with thee in lawful way.' And
I said, 'Alhamdolillah!' Now as we were talking, behold her
Mameluke-eunuch entered and we related to him that which had
passed, when he said, 'Praised be Allah who hath made the affair
to end well, and we implore the Almighty to crown His favours
with thy safe faring forth the palace!' Presently appeared my
mistress's sister, whose name was Fátir, and Shajarat al-Durr
said to her, 'O my sister, how shall we do to bring him out of
the palace in safety; for indeed Allah hath vouchsafed me
manumission and, by the blessing of his coming, I am become a
free woman.' Quoth Fatir, 'I see nothing for it but to dress him
in woman's gear.' So she brought me a suit of women's clothes and
clad me therein; and I went out forthwith, O Commander of the
Faithful; but, when I came to the midst of the palace, behold, I
found the Caliph seated there, with the eunuchs in attendance
upon him. When he saw me, he misdoubted of me with exceeding
doubt, and said to his suite, 'Hasten and bring me yonder
handmaiden who is faring forth.' So they brought me back to him
and raised the veil from my face, which when he saw, he knew me
and questioned me of my case. I told him the whole truth, hiding
naught, and when he heard my story, he pondered my case awhile,
without stay or delay, and going into Shajarat al-Durr's chamber,
said to her, 'How couldst thou prefer before me one of the sons
of the merchants?' She kissed ground between his hands and told
him her tale from first to last, in accordance with the truth;
and he hearing it had compassion upon her and his heart relented
to her and he excused her by reason of love and its
circumstances. Then he went away and her eunuch came in to her
and said, 'Be of good cheer; for, when thy lover was set before
the Caliph, he questioned him and he told him that which thou
toldest him, word by word.' Presently the Caliph returned and
calling me before him, said to me, 'What made thee dare to
violate the palace of the Caliphate?' I replied, 'O Commander of
the Faithful, 'twas my ignorance and passion and my confidence in
thy clemency and generosity that drave me to this.' And I wept
and kissed the ground before him. Then said he, 'I pardon you
both,' and bade me be seated. So I sat down and he sent for the
Kazi Ahmad ibn Abi Duwád[FN#367] and married me to her. Then he
commanded to make over all that was hers to me and they displayed
her to me[FN#368] in her lodging. After three days, I went forth
and transported all her goods and gear to my own house; so every
thing thou hast seen, O Commander of the Faithful, in my house
and whereof thou misdoubtest, is of her marriage-equipage. After
this, she said to me one day, 'Know that Al-Mutawakkil is a
generous man and I fear lest he remember us with ill mind, or
that some one of the envious remind him of us; wherefore I
purpose to do somewhat that may ensure us against this.' Quoth I,
'And what is that?;' and quoth she, 'I mean to ask his leave to
go the pilgrimage and repent[FN#369] of singing.' I replied,
'Right is this rede thou redest;' but, as we were talking,
behold, in came a messenger from the Caliph to seek her, for that
Al-Mutawakkil loved her singing. So she went with the officer and
did her service to the Caliph, who said to her, 'Sever not
thyself from us;'[FN#370] and she answered 'I hear and I obey.'
Now it chanced one day, after this, she went to him, he having
sent for her, as was his wont; but, before I knew, she came back,
with her raiment rent and her eyes full of tears. At this I was
alarmed, misdoubting me that he had commanded to seize upon us,
and said, 'Verily we are Allah's and unto Him shall we return! Is
Al-Mutawakkil wroth with us?' She replied, 'Where is
Al-Mutawakkil? Indeed Al-Mutawakkil's rule is ended and his trace
is blotted out!' Cried I, 'Tell me what has happened;' and she,
'He was seated behind the curtain, drinking, with Al-Fath bin
Khákán[FN#371] and Sadakah bin Sadakah, when his son Al-Muntasir
fell upon him, with a company of the Turks,[FN#372] and slew him;
and merriment was turned to misery and joy to weeping and wailing
for annoy. So I fled, I and the slave-girl, and Allah saved us.'
When I heard this, O Commander of the Faithful, I arose
forthright and went down stream to Bassorah, where the news
reached me of the falling out of war between Al-Muntasir and
Al-Musta'ín bi 'llah;[FN#373] wherefore I was affrighted and
transported my wife and all my wealth to Bassorah. This, then, is
my tale, O Prince of True Believers, nor have I added to or taken
from it a single syllable. So all that thou seest in my house,
bearing the name of thy grandfather Al-Mutawakkil, is of his
bounty to us, and the fount of our fortune is from thy noble
sources;[FN#374] for indeed ye are people of munificence and a
mine of beneficence." The Caliph marvelled at his story and
rejoiced therein with joy exceeding: and Abu al-Hasan brought
forth to him the lady and the children she had borne him, and
they kissed ground before the Caliph, who wondered at their
beauty. Then he called for inkcase and paper and wrote Abu
al-Hasan a patent of exemption from taxes on his lands and houses
for twenty years. Moreover, he rejoiced in him and made him his
cup-companion, till the world parted them and they took up their
abode in the tombs, after having dwelt under the palace-domes;
and glory be to Allah, the King Merciful of doom. And they also
tell a tale concerning
KAMAR AL-ZAMAN AND THE JEWELLER'S
WIFE.[FN#375]
There was once, in time of old, a merchant hight Abd al-Rahmán,
whom Allah had blessed with a son and daughter, and for their
much beauty and loveliness, he named the girl Kaubab al-Sabáh and
the boy Kamar al-Zamán.[FN#376] When he saw what Allah had
vouchsafed the twain of beauty and loveliness, brilliancy and
symmetry, he feared for them the evil eyes[FN#377] of the espiers
and the jibing tongues of the jealous and the craft of the crafty
and the wiles of the wicked and shut them up from the folk in a
mansion for the space of fourteen years, during which time none
saw them save their parents and a slave-girl who served them. Now
their father could recite the Koran, even as Allah sent it down,
as also did his wife, wherefore the mother taught her daughter to
read and recite it and the father his son till both had gotten it
by heart. Moreover, the twain learned from their parents writing
and reckoning and all manner of knowledge and polite letters and
needed no master. When Kamar al-Zaman came to years of manhood,
the wife said to her husband, "How long wilt thou keep thy son
Kamar al-Zaman sequestered from the eyes of the folk? Is he a
girl or a boy?" He answered, "A boy." Rejoined she, "An he be a
boy, why dost thou not carry him to the bazar and seat him in thy
shop, that he may know the folk and they know him, to the intent
that it may become notorious among men that he is thy son, and do
thou teach him to sell and to buy. Peradventure somewhat may
befal thee; so shall the folk know him for thy son and he shall
lay his hand on thy leavings. But, an thou die, as the case now
is, and he say to the folk, 'I am the son of the merchant Abd
al-Rahman,' verily they will not believe him, but will cry, 'We
have never seen thee and we knew not that he had a son,'
wherefore the government will seize thy goods and thy son will be
despoiled. In like manner the girl; I mean to make her known
among the folk, so may be some one of her own condition may ask
her in marriage and we will wed her to him and rejoice in her."
Quoth he, "I did thus of my fear for them from the eyes of the
folk,"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-fourth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Merchant's wife spake to him in such wise, he replied, "I did
thus of my fear for them from the eyes of the folk and because I
love them both and love is jealous exceedingly and well saith he
who spoke these verses,
'Of my sight I am jealous for thee, of me, * Of thyself, of thy
stead, of thy destiny:
Though I shrined thee in eyes by the craze of me * In such
nearness irk I should never see:
Though thou wert by my side all the days of me * Till Doomsday I
ne'er had enough of thee.'"
Said his wife, "Put thy trust in Allah, for no harm betideth him
whom He protecteth, and carry him with thee this very day to the
shop." Then she clad the boy in the costliest clothes and he
became a seduction to all who on him cast sight and an affliction
to the heart of each lover wight. His father took him and carried
him to the market, whilst all who saw him were ravished with him
and accosted him, kissing his hand and saluting him with the
salam. Quoth one, "Indeed the sun hath risen in such a place and
blazeth in the bazar," and another, "The rising-place of the full
moon is in such a quarter;" and a third, "The new moon of the
Festival[FN#378] hath appeared to the creatures of Allah." And
they went on to allude to the boy in talk and call down blessings
upon him. But his father scolded the folk for following his son
to gaze upon him, because he was abashed at their talk, but he
could not hinder one of them from talking; so he fell to abusing
the boy's mother and cursing her because she had been the cause
of his bringing him out. And as he gazed about he still saw the
folk crowding upon him behind and before. Then he walked on till
he reached his shop and opening it, sat down and seated his son
before him: after which he again looked out and found the
thoroughfare blocked with people for all the passers-by, going
and coming, stopped before the shop to stare at that beautiful
face and could not leave him; and all the men and women crowded
in knots about him, applying to themselves the words of him who
said,
"Thou madest Beauty to spoil man's sprite * And saidst, 'O my
servants, fear My reprove:'
But lovely Thou lovest all loveliness * How, then, shall thy
servants refrain from Love?"
When the merchant Abd al-Rahman saw the folk thus crowding about
him and standing in rows, both women and men, to fix eyes upon
his son, he was sore ashamed and confounded and knew not what to
do; but presently there came up from the end of the bazar a man
of the wandering Dervishes, clad in haircloth, the garb of the
pious servants of Allah and seeing Kamar al-Zaman sitting there
as he were a branch of Bán springing from a mound of saffron,
poured forth copious tears and recited these two couplets,
"A wand uprising from a sandy knoll, * Like full moon shining
brightest sheen, I saw;
And said, 'What is thy name?' Replied he 'Lúlú' * 'What' (asked
I) 'Lily?' and he answered 'Lá, lá!'"[FN#379]
Then the Dervish fell to walking, now drawing near and now moving
away,[FN#380] and wiping his gray hairs with his right hand,
whilst the heart of the crowd was cloven asunder for awe of him.
When he looked upon the boy, his eyes were dazzled and his wit
confounded, and exemplified in him was the saying of the poet,
"While that fair-faced boy abode in the place, * Moon of
breakfast-fête he lit by his face,[FN#381]
Lo! there came a Shaykh with leisurely pace * A reverend trusting
to Allah's grace,
And ascetic signals his gait display'd.
He had studied Love both by day and night * And had special
knowledge of Wrong and Right;
Both for lad and lass had repined his sprite, * And his form like
toothpick was lean and slight,
And old bones with faded skin were o'erlaid.
In such arts our Shaykh was an Ajamí[FN#382] * With a catamite
ever in company;
In the love of woman, a Platonist he[FN#383] * But in either
versed to the full degree,
And Zaynab to him was the same as Zayd.[FN#384]
Distraught by the Fair he adored the Fair * O'er Spring-camp
wailed, bewept ruins bare.[FN#385]
Dry branch thou hadst deemed him for stress o' care, * Which the
morning breeze swayeth here and there,
For only the stone is all hardness made!
In the lore of Love he was wondrous wise * And wide awake with
all-seeing eyes.
Its rough and its smooth he had tried and tries * And hugged buck
and doe in the self-same guise
And with greybeard and beardless alike he
play'd."[FN#386]
Then he came up to the boy and gave him a root[FN#387] of sweet
basil, whereupon his father put forth his hand to his pouch and
brought out for him some small matter of silver, saying, "Take
thy portion, O Dervish, and wend thy ways." He took the dirhams,
but sat down on the masonry-bench alongside the shop and opposite
the boy and fell to gazing upon him and heaving sigh upon sigh,
whilst his tears flowed like springs founting. The folk began to
look at him and remark upon him, some saying, "All Dervishes are
lewd fellows," and other some, "Verily, this Dervish's heart is
set on fire for love of this lad." Now when Abd al-Rahman saw
this case, he arose and said to the boy, "Come, O my son, let us
lock up the shop and hie us home, for it booteth not to sell and
buy this day; and may Almighty Allah requite thy mother that
which she hath done with us, for she was the cause of all this!"
Then said he, "O Dervish, rise, that I may shut my shop." So the
Dervish rose and the merchant shut his shop and taking his son,
walked away. The Dervish and the folk followed them, till they
reached their place, when the boy went in and his father, turning
to the Dervish, said to him, "What wouldst thou, O Dervish, and
why do I see thee weep?" He replied, "O my lord, I would fain be
thy guest this night, for the guest is the guest of Almighty
Allah." Quoth the merchant, "Welcome to the guest of God: enter,
O Dervish!"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-fifth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
merchant, the father of Kamar al-Zaman, heard the saying of the
Dervish, "I am Allah's guest," he replied, "Welcome to the guest
of God: enter, O Dervish!" But he said to himself, "An the beggar
be enamoured of the boy and sue him for sin, needs must I slay
him this very night and bury him secretly. But, an there be no
lewdness in him, the guest shall eat his portion." Then he
brought him into a saloon, where he left him with Kamar al-Zaman,
after he had said privily to the lad, "O my son, sit thou beside
the Dervish when I am gone out and sport with him and provoke him
to love-liesse and if he seek of thee lewdness, I who will be
watching you from the window overlooking the saloon will come
down to him and kill him." So, as soon as Kamar al-Zaman was
alone in the room with the Dervish, he sat down by his side and
the old man began to look upon him and sigh and weep. Whenever
the lad bespake him, he answered him kindly, trembling the while
and would turn to him groaning and crying, and thus he did till
supper was brought in, when he fell to eating, with his eyes on
the boy but refrained not from shedding tears. When a fourth part
of the night was past and talk was ended and sleep-tide came, Abd
al-Rahman said to the lad, "O my son, apply thyself to the
service of thine uncle the Dervish and gainsay him not:" and
would have gone out; but the Dervish cried to him, "O my lord,
carry thy son with thee or sleep with us." Answered the merchant,
"Nay, my son shall lie with thee: haply thy soul may desire
somewhat, and he will look to thy want and wait upon thee." Then
he went out leaving them both together, and sat down in an
adjoining room which had a window giving upon the saloon. Such
was the case with the merchant; but as to the lad, as soon as his
sire had left them, he came up to the Dervish and began to
provoke him and offer himself to him, whereupon he waxed wroth
and said, "What talk is this, O my son? I take refuge with Allah
from Satan the Stoned! O my Lord, indeed this is a denial of Thee
which pleaseth Thee not! Avaunt from me, O my son!" So saying,
the Dervish arose and sat down at a distance; but the boy
followed him and threw himself upon him, saying, "Why, O Dervish,
wilt thou deny thyself the joys of my possession, and I with a
heart that loveth thee?" Hereupon the Dervish's anger redoubled
and he said, "An thou refrain not from me, I will summon thy sire
and tell him of thy doings." Quoth the lad, "My father knoweth my
turn for this and it may not be that he will hinder me: so heal
thou my heart. Why dost thou hold off from me? Do I not please
thee?" Answered the Dervish, "By Allah, O my son, I will not do
this, though I be hewn in pieces with sharp-edged swords!"; and
he repeated the saying of the poet,
"Indeed my heart loves all the lovely boys * As girls; nor am I
slow to such delight,
But, though I sight them every night and morn, * I'm neither of
Lot's folk[FN#388] nor wencher-wight."
Then he shed tears and said, "Arise, open the door, that I may
wend my way, for I will lie no longer in this lodging." Therewith
he rose to his feet; but the boy caught hold of him, saying,
"Look at the fairness of my face and the cramoisy of my cheeks
and the softness of my sides and the lusciousness of my lips."
Moreover he discovered to him calves that would shame wine and
cupcarrier[FN#389] and gazed on him with fixed glance that would
baffle enchanter and enchantments; for he was passing of
loveliness and full of blandishment, even as saith of him one of
the poets who sang,
"I can't forget him, since he rose and showed with fair design *
Those calves of legs whose pearly shine make light in
nightly gloom:
Wonder not an my flesh uprise as though 'twere Judgment-day *
When every shank shall bared be and that is Day of
Doom."[FN#390]
Then the boy displayed to him his bosom, saying, "Look at my
breasts which be goodlier than the breasts of maidens and my
lip-dews are sweeter than sugar-candy. So quit scruple and
asceticism and cast off devoutness and abstinence and take thy
fill of my possession and enjoy my loveliness. Fear naught, for
thou art safe from hurt, and leave this hebetude for 'tis a bad
habit." And he went on to discover to him his hidden beauties,
striving to turn the reins of his reason with his bendings in
graceful guise, whilst the Dervish turned away his face and said,
"I seek refuge with Allah! Have some shame, O my son![FN#391]
This is a forbidden thing I deem and I will not do it, no, not
even in dream." The boy pressed upon him, but the Dervish got
free from him and turning towards Meccah addressed himself to his
devotions. Now when the boy saw him praying, he left him till he
had prayed a two-bow prayer and saluted,[FN#392] when he would
have accosted him again; but the Dervish again repeated the
intent[FN#393] and prayed a second two-bow prayer, and thus he
did a third and a fourth and a fifth time. Quoth the lad, "What
prayers are these? Art thou minded to take flight upon the
clouds? Thou lettest slip our delight, whilst thou passest the
whole night in the prayer-niche." So saying, he threw himself
upon the Dervish and kissed him between the eyes; but the Shaykh
said, "O my son, put Satan away from thine estate and take upon
thee obedience of the Compassionate." Quoth the other, "An thou
do not with me that which I desire, I will call my sire and say
to him, The Dervish is minded to do lewdness with me. Whereupon
he will come in to thee and beat thee till thy bones be broken
upon thy flesh." All this while Abd al-Rahman was watching with
his eyes and hearkening with his ears, and he was certified that
there was no frowardness in the Dervish and he said to himself,
"Were he a lewd fellow, he had not stood out against all this
importunity." The boy continued to beguile the Dervish and every
time he expressed purpose of prayer, he interrupted him, till at
last he waxed wroth with passing wrath and was rough with him and
beat him. Kamar al-Zaman wept and his father came in and having
wiped away his tears and comforted him said to the Dervish, "O my
brother, since thou art in such case, why didst thou weep and
sigh when thou sawest my son? Say me, is there a reason for
this?" He replied, "There is;" and Abd al-Rahman pursued, "When I
saw thee weep at his sight, I deemed evil of thee and bade the
boy do with thee thus, that I might try thee, purposing in
myself, if I saw thee sue him for sin, to come in upon thee and
kill thee. But, when I saw what thou didst, I knew thee for one
of those who are virtuous to the end. Now Allah upon thee, tell
me the cause of thy weeping!" The Dervish sighed and said, "O my
lord, chafe not a closed[FN#394] wound." But the merchant said,
"There is no help but thou tell me;" and the other began, "Know
thou that I am a Dervish who wander in the lands and the
countries, and take warning by the display[FN#395] of the Creator
of Night and Day. It chanced that one Friday I entered the city
of Bassorah in the undurn."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Dervish said to the merchant, "Know, then, that I a wandering
mendicant chanced one Friday to enter the city of Bassorah in the
undurn and saw the shops open and full of all manner of wares and
meat and drink; but the place was deserted and therein was
neither man nor woman nor girl nor boy: nor in the markets and
the main streets was there dog or cat nor sounded sound nor
friend was found. I marvelled at this end and said to myself, 'I
wonder whither the people of the city be gone with their cats and
dogs and what hath Allah done with them?' Now I was anhungred so
I took hot bread from a baker's oven and going into the shop of
an oilman, spread the bread with clarified butter and honey and
ate. Then I entered the shop of a sherbet-seller and drank what I
would; after which, seeing a coffee-shop open, I went in and
found the pots on the fire, full of coffee;[FN#396] but there was
no one there. So I drank my fill and said, 'Verily, this is a
wondrous thing! It seemeth as though Death had stricken the
people of this city and they had all died this very hour, or as
if they had taken fright at something which befel them and fled,
without having time to shut their shops.' Now whilst pondering
this matter, lo! I heard a sound of a band of drums beating;
whereat I was afraid and hid myself for a while: then, looking
out through a crevice, I saw damsels, like moons, come walking
through the market, two by two, with uncovered heads and faces
displayed. They were in forty pairs, thus numbering fourscore and
in their midst a young lady, riding on a horse that could hardly
move his legs for that which was upon it of silvern trappings and
golden and jewelled housings. Her face was wholly unveiled, and
she was adorned with the costliest ornaments and clad in the
richest of raiment and about her neck she wore a collar of gems
and on her bosom were necklaces of gold; her wrists were clasped
with bracelets which sparkled like stars, and her ankles with
bangles of gold set with precious stones. The slave-girls walked
before her and behind and on her right and left and in front of
her was a damsel bearing in baldric a great sword, with grip of
emerald and tassels of jewel-encrusted gold. When that young lady
came to where I lay hid, she pulled up her horse and said, 'O
damsels, I hear a noise of somewhat within yonder shop: so do ye
search it, lest haply there be one hidden there, with intent to
enjoy a look at us, whilst we have our faces unveiled.' So they
searched the shop opposite the coffee-house[FN#397] wherein I lay
hid, whilst I abode in terror; and presently I saw them come
forth with a man and they said to her, 'O our lady, we found a
man there and here he is before thee.' Quoth she to the damsel
with the sword, 'Smite his neck.' So she went up to him and
struck off his head; then, leaving the dead man lying on the
ground, they passed on. When I saw this, I was affrighted; but my
heart was taken with love of the young lady. After an hour or so,
the people reappeared and every one who had a shop entered it;
whilst the folk began to come and go about the bazars and
gathered around the slain man, staring at him as a curiosity.
Then I crept forth from my hiding place by stealth, and none took
note of me, but love of that lady had gotten possession of my
heart, and I began to enquire of her privily. None, however, gave
me news of her; so I left Bassorah, with vitals yearning for her
love; and when I came upon this thy son, I saw him to be the
likest of all creatures to the young lady; wherefore he reminded
me of her and his sight revived the fire of passion in me and
kindled anew in my heart the flames of love-longing and
distraction. And such is the cause of my shedding tears!" Then he
wept with sore weeping till he could no more and said, "O my
lord, I conjure thee by Allah, open the door to me, so I may gang
my gait!" Accordingly Abd al-Rahman opened the door and he went
forth. Thus fared it with him; but as regards Kamar al-Zaman,
when he heard the Dervish's story, his heart was taken with love
of the lady and passion gat the mastery of him and raged in him
longing and distraction; so, on the morrow, he said to his sire,
"All the sons of the merchants wander about the world to attain
their desire, nor is there one of them but his father provideth
for him a stock-in-trade wherewithal he may travel and traffic
for gain. Why, then, O my father, dost thou not outfit me with
merchandise, so I may fare with it and find my luck?" He replied,
"O my son, such merchants lack money; so they send their sons to
foreign parts for the sake of profit and pecuniary gain and
provision of the goods of the world. But I have monies in plenty
nor do I covet more: why then should I exile thee? Indeed, I
cannot brook to be parted from thee an hour, more especially as
thou art unique in beauty and loveliness and perfect grace and I
fear for thee." But Kamar al-Zaman said, "O my father, nothing
will serve but thou must furnish me with merchandise wherewithal
to travel; else will I fly from thee at unawares though without
money or merchandise. So, an thou wish to solace my heart, make
ready for me a stock-in-trade, that I may travel and amuse myself
by viewing the countries of men." Abd al-Rahman, seeing his son
enamoured of travel, acquainted his wife with this, saying,
"Verily thy son would have me provide him with goods, so he may
fare therewith to far regions, albeit Travel is Travail."[FN#398]
Quoth she, "What is there to displease thee in this? Such is the
wont of the sons of the merchants and they all vie one with other
in glorifying globe-trotting and gain." Quoth he, "Most of the
merchants are poor and seek growth of good; but I have wealth
galore." She replied, "More of a good thing hurteth not; and, if
thou comply not with his wish, I will furnish him with goods of
my own monies." Quoth Abd al-Rahman, "I fear strangerhood for
him, inasmuch as travel is the worst of trouble;" but she said,
"There is no harm in strangerhood for him when it leadeth to
gaining good; and, if we consent not, our son will go away and we
shall seek him and not find him and be dishonoured among the
folk." The merchant accepted his wife's counsel and provided his
son with merchandise to the value of ninety thousand gold pieces,
whilst his mother gave him a purse containing forty bezel-stones,
jewels of price, the least of the value of one of which was five
hundred ducats, saying, "O my son, be careful of this jewellery
for 'twill be of service to thee." Thereupon Kamar al-Zaman took
the jewels and set out for Bassorah,--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Kamar
al-Zaman took the jewels and set out for Bassorah after he had
laid them in a belt, which he buckled about his waist; and he
stayed not till there remained aught but a day's journey between
that city and himself; when the Arabs came out upon him and
stripped him naked and slew his men and servants; but he laid
himself down among the slain and wallowed in their blood, so that
the wildlings took him for dead and left him without even turning
him over and made off with their booty. When the Arabs had gone
their ways, Kamar al-Zaman arose, having naught left but the
jewels in his girdle, and fared on nor ceased faring till he came
to Bassorah. It chanced that his entry was on a Friday and the
town was void of folk, even as the Dervish had informed him. He
found the market-streets deserted and the shops wide open and
full of goods; so he ate and drank and looked about him.
Presently, he heard a band of drums beating and hid himself in a
shop, till the slave-girls came up, when he looked at them; and,
seeing the young lady riding amongst them, love and longing
overcame him and desire and distraction overpowered him, so that
he had no force to stand. After awhile, the people reappeared and
the bazars filled. Whereupon he went to the market and repairing
to a jeweller and pulling out one of his forty gems sold it for a
thousand dinars, wherewith he returned to his place and passed
the night there; and when morning morrowed he changed his clothes
and going to the Hamman came forth as he were the full moon. Then
he sold other four stones for four thousand dinars and sauntered
solacing himself about the main streets of Bassorah, clad in the
costliest of clothes; till he came to a market, where he saw a
barber's shop. So he went in to the barber who shaved his head;
and, clapping up an acquaintance with him, said to him, "O my
father, I am a stranger in these parts and yesterday I entered
this city and found it void of folk, nor was there in it any
living soul, man nor Jinni. Then I saw a troop of slave-girls and
amongst them a young lady riding in state:" and he went on to
tell him all he had seen. Said the barber, "O my son, hast thou
told any but me of this?"; and he said, "No." The other rejoined,
"Then, O my son, beware thou mention this before any but me; for
all folk cannot keep a secret and thou art but a little lad and I
fear lest the talk travel from man to man, till it reach those
whom it concerneth and they slay thee. For know, O my son, that
this thou hast seen, none ever kenned nor knew in other than this
city. As for the people of Bassorah they are dying of this annoy;
for every Friday forenoon they shut up the dogs and cats, to
hinder them from going about the market-streets, and all the
people of the city enter the cathedral-mosques, where they lock
the doors on them[FN#399] and not one of them can pass about the
bazar nor even look out of casement; nor knoweth any the cause of
this calamity. But, O my son, to-night I will question my wife
concerning the reason thereof, for she is a midwife and entereth
the houses of the notables and knoweth all the city news. So
Inshallah, do thou come to me to-morrow and I will tell thee what
she shall have told me." With this Kamar al-Zaman pulled out a
handful of gold and said to him, "O my father, take this gold and
give it to thy wife, for she is become my mother." Then he gave
him a second handful, saying, "Take this for thyself." Whereupon
quoth the barber, "O my son, sit thou in thy place, till I go to
my wife and ask her and bring the news of the true state of the
case." So saying, he left him in the shop and going home,
acquainted his wife with the young man's case, saying, "I would
have thee tell me the truth of this city-business, so I may
report it to this young merchant, for he hath set his heart on
weeting the reason why men and beasts are forbidden the
market-streets every Friday forenoon; and methinks he is a lover,
for he is openhanded and liberal, and if we tell him what he
would trow, we shall get great good of him." Quoth she, "Go back
and say to him, 'Come, speak with thy mother, my wife, who
sendeth her salam to thee and saith to thee, Thy wish is won.'"
Accordingly he returned to the shop, where he found Kamar
al-Zaman sitting awaiting him and repeated him the very words
spoken by his spouse. Then he carried him in to her and she
welcomed him and bade him sit down; whereupon he pulled out an
hundred ducats and gave them to her, saying, "O my mother, tell
me who this young lady may be." Said she, "Know, O my son, that
there came a gem to the Sultan of Bassorah from the King of Hind,
and he was minded to have it pierced. So he summoned all the
jewellers in a body and said to them, 'I wish you to drill me
this jewel. Whoso pierceth it, I will give him whatsoever he
shall ask; but if he break it, I will cut off his head.' At this
they were afraid and said, 'O King of the age, a jewel is soon
spoilt and there are few who can pierce them without injury, for
most of them have a flaw. So do not thou impose upon us a task to
which we are unable; for our hands cannot avail to drill this
jewel. However, our Shaykh[FN#400] is more experienced than we.'
Asked the King, 'And who is your Shaykh?'; and they answered,
'Master Obayd: he is more versed than we in this art and hath
wealth galore and of skill great store. Therefore do thou send
for him to the presence and bid him pierce thee this jewel.'
Accordingly the King sent for Obayd and bade him pierce the
jewel, imposing on him the condition aforesaid. He took it and
pierced it to the liking of the King who said to him, 'Ask a boon
of me, O master'; and said he, 'O King of the age, allow me delay
till to-morrow.' Now the reason of this was that he wished to
take counsel with his wife, who is the young lady thou sawest
riding in procession; for he loveth her with exceeding love, and
of the greatness of his affection for her, he doth naught without
consulting her; wherefore he put off asking till the morrow. When
he went home, he said to her, 'I have pierced the King a jewel
and he hath granted me a boon which I deferred asking till
to-morrow, that I might consult thee. Now what dost thou wish,
that I may ask it?' Quoth she, 'We have riches such as fires may
not consume; but, an thou love me, ask of the King to make
proclamation in the streets of Bassorah that all the townsfolk
shall every Friday enter the mosques, two hours before the hour
of prayer, so none may abide in the town at all great or small
except they be in the mosques or in the houses and the doors be
locked upon them, and that every shop of the town be left open.
Then will I ride with my slave-women through the heart of the
city and none shall look on me from window or lattice; and every
one whom I find abroad I will kill.'[FN#401] So he went in to the
King and begged of him this boon, which he granted him and caused
proclamation to be made amongst the Bassorites,"--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When is was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-eighth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Jeweller begged his boon, the King
bade proclamation be made amongst the Bassorites, but the people
objected that they feared for their goods from the cats and dogs;
wherefore he commanded to shut the animals up till the folk
should come forth from the Friday prayers. So the jeweller's wife
fell to sallying forth every Friday, two hours before the time of
congregational prayer, and riding in state through the city with
her women; during which time none dareth pass through the
market-place nor look out of casement or lattice. This, then, is
what thou wouldest know and I have told thee who she is; but, O
my son, was it thy desire only to have news of her or hast thou a
mind to meet her?" Answered he, "O my mother, 'tis my wish to
foregather with her." Quoth she, "Tell me what valuables thou
hast with thee"; and quoth he, "O my mother, I have with me
precious stones of four sorts, the first worth five hundred
dinars each, the second seven hundred, the third eight hundred
and the fourth a thousand ducats." She asked, "Art thou willing
to spend four of these?"; and he answered, "I am ready to spend
all of them." She rejoined, "Then, arise, O my son, and go
straight to thy lodging and take a bezel-gem of those worth five
hundred sequins, with which do thou repair to the jewel market
and ask for the shop of Master Obayd, the Shaykh of the
Jewellers. Go thither and thou wilt find him seated in his shop,
clad in rich clothes, with workmen under his hand. Salute him and
sit down on the front shelf of his shop;[FN#402] then pull out
the jewel and give it to him, saying, 'O master, take this stone
and fashion it into a seal-ring for me with gold. Make it not
large, a Miskál[FN#403] in weight and no more; but let the
fashion of it be thy fairest.' Then give him twenty dinars and to
each of his prentices a dinar. Sit with him awhile and talk with
him and if a beggar approach thee, show thy generosity by giving
him a dinar, to the intent that he may affect thee, and after
this, leave him and return to thy place. Pass the night there,
and next morning, take an hundred dinars and bring them and give
them to thy father the barber, for he is poor." Quoth Kamar
al-Zaman, "Be it so," and returning to his caravanserai, took a
jewel worth five hundred gold pieces and went with it to the
jewel-bazar. There he enquired for the shop of Master Obayd,
Shaykh of the Jewellers, and they directed him thereto. So he
went thither and saw the Shaykh, a man of austere aspect and
robed in sumptuous raiment with four journeymen under his hand.
He addressed him with "Peace be upon you!" and the jeweller
returned his greeting and welcoming him, made him sit down. Then
he brought out the jewel and said, "O master, I wish thee to make
me this jewel into a seal-ring with gold. Let it be the weight of
a Miskal and no more, but fashion it excellently." Then he pulled
out twenty dinars and gave them to him, saying, "This is the fee
for chasing and the price of the ring shall remain."[FN#404] And
he gave each of the apprentices a gold piece, wherefore they
loved him, and so did Master Obayd. Then he sat talking with the
jeweller and whenever a beggar came up to him, he gave him a gold
piece and they all marvelled at his generosity. Now Master Obayd
had tools at home, like those he had in the shop, and whenever he
was minded to do any unusual piece of work, it was his custom to
carry it home and do it there, that his journeymen might not
learn the secrets of his wonderful workmanship.[FN#405] His wife
used to sit before him, and when she was sitting thus and he
looking upon her,[FN#406] he would fashion all manner of
marvellously wroughten trinkets, such as were fit for none but
kings. So he went home and sat down to mould the ring with
admirable workmanship. When his wife saw him thus engaged, she
asked him, "What wilt thou do with this bezel-gem?"; and he
answered, "I mean to make it into a ring with gold, for 'tis
worth five hundred dinars." She enquired, "For whom?"; and he
answered, "For a young merchant, who is fair of face, with eyes
that wound with desire, and cheeks that strike fire and mouth
like the seal of Sulaymán and cheeks like the bloom of Nu'mán and
lips red as coralline and neck like the antelope's long and fine.
His complexion is white dashed with red and he is well-bred,
pleasant and generous and doth thus and thus." And he went on to
describe to her now his beauty and loveliness and then his
perfection and bounty and ceased not to vaunt his charms and the
generosity of his disposition, till he had made her in love with
him; for there is no sillier cuckold than he who vaunteth to his
wife another man's handsome looks and unusual liberality in money
matters. So, when desire rose high in her, she said to him, "Is
aught of my charms found in him?" Said he, "He hath all thy
beauties; and he is thy counterpart in qualities. Meseemeth his
age is even as thine and but that I fear to hurt thy feelings, I
would say that he is a thousand times handsomer than thou art."
She was silent, yet the fire of fondness was kindled in her
heart. And the jeweller ceased not to talk with her and to set
out Kamar al-Zaman's charms before her till he had made an end of
moulding the ring; when he gave it to her and she put it on her
finger, which it fitted exactly. Quoth she, "O my lord, my heart
loveth this ring and I long for it to be mine and will not take
it from my finger." Quoth he, "Have patience! The owner of it is
generous, and I will seek to buy it of him, and if he will sell
it, I will bring it to thee. Or if he have another such stone, I
will buy it and fashion it for thee into a ring like this."--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-ninth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
jeweller said to his wife, "Have patience! The owner of it is
generous and I will seek to buy it of him; and, if he will sell
it, I will bring it to thee; or, if he have another such stone I
will buy it and fashion it for thee into a ring like this." On
this wise it fared with the jeweller and his wife; but as regards
Kamar al-Zaman, he passed the night in his lodging and on the
morrow he took an hundred dinars and carried them to the old
woman, the barber's wife, saying to her, "Accept these gold
pieces," and she replied, "Give them to thy father." So he gave
them to the barber and she asked, "Hast thou done as I bade
thee?" He answered, "Yes," and she said, "Go now to the Shaykh,
the jeweller, and if he give thee the ring, put it on the tip of
thy finger and pull it off in haste and say to him, 'O master,
thou hast made a mistake; the ring is too tight.' He will say, 'O
merchant, shall I break it and mould it again larger?' And do
thou say, 'It booteth not to break it and fashion it anew. Take
it and give it to one of thy slave-women.' Then pull out another
stone worth seven hundred dinars and say to him, 'Take this stone
and set it for me, for 'tis handsomer than the other.' Give him
thirty dinars and to each of the prentices two, saying, 'These
gold pieces are for the chasing and the price of the ring shall
remain.' Then return to thy lodging for the night and on the
morrow bring me two hundred ducats, and I will complete thee the
rest of the device." So the youth went to the jeweller, who
welcomed him and made him sit down in his shop; and he asked him,
"Hast thou done my need?" "Yes," answered Obayd and brought out
to him the seal-ring; whereupon he set it on his finger-tip and
pulling it off in haste, cried, "Thou hast made a mistake, O
master;" and threw it to him, saying, "'Tis too strait for my
finger." Asked the jeweller, "O merchant, shall I make it
larger?" But he answered, "Not so; take it as a gift and give it
to one of thy slave-girls. Its worth is trifling, some five
hundred dinars; so it booteth not to fashion it over again." Then
he brought out to him another stone worth seven hundred sequins
and said to him, "Set this for me: 'tis a finer gem." Moreover he
gave him thirty dinars and to each of his workmen two. Quoth
Obayd, "O my lord we will take the price of the ring when we have
made it."[FN#407] But Kamar al-Zaman said, "This is for the
chasing, and the price of the ring remains over." So saying, he
went away home, leaving the jeweller and his men amazed at the
excess of his generosity. Presently the jeweller returned to his
wife and said, "O Halímah,[FN#408] never did I set eyes on a more
generous than this young man, and as for thee, thy luck is good,
for he hath given me the ring without price, saying, 'Give it to
one of thy slave-women.'" And he told her what had passed,
adding, "Methinks this youth is none of the sons of the
merchants, but that he is of the sons of the Kings and Sultans."
Now the more he praised him, the more she waxed in love-longing,
passion and distraction for him. So she took the ring and put it
on her finger, whilst the jeweller made another one, a little
larger than the first. When he had finished moulding it, she put
it on her finger, under the first, and said, "Look, O my lord,
how well the two rings show on my finger! I wish they were both
mine." Said he, "Patience! It may be I shall buy thee this second
one." Then he lay that night and on the morrow he took the ring
and went to his shop. As for Kamar al-Zaman, as soon as it was
day, he repaired to the barber's wife and gave her two hundred
dinars. Quoth she, "Go to the jeweller and when he giveth thee
the ring, put it on thy finger and pull it off again in haste,
saying, 'Thou hast made a mistake, O master! This ring is too
large. A master like thee, when the like of me cometh to him with
a piece of work, it behoveth him to take right measure; and if
thou hadst measured my finger, thou hadst not erred.' Then pull
out another stone worth a thousand dinars and say to him, 'Take
this and set it, and give this ring to one of thy slave-women.'
Give him forty ducats and to each of his journeymen three,
saying, "This is for the chasing, and for the cost of the ring,
that shall remain.' And see what he will say. Then bring three
hundred dinars and give them to thy father the barber that he may
mend his fortune withal, for he is a poor man." Answered Kamar
al-Zaman, "I hear and obey," and betook himself to the jeweller,
who welcomed him and making him sit down, gave him the ring. He
took it and put it on his finger; then pulled it off in haste and
said, "It behoveth a master like thee, when the like of me
bringeth him a piece of work, to take his measure. Hadst thou
measured my finger, thou hadst not erred; but take it and give it
to one of thy slave-women." Then he brought out to him a stone
worth a thousand sequins and said to him, "Take this and set it
in a signet-ring for me after the measure of my finger." Quoth
Obayd, "Thou hast spoken sooth and art in the right;" and took
his measure, whereupon he pulled out forty gold pieces and gave
them to him, saying, "Take these for the chasing and the price of
the ring shall remain." Cried the jeweller, "O my lord, how much
hire have we taken of thee! Verily, thy bounty to us is great!"
"No harm," replied Kamar al-Zaman and sat talking with him awhile
and giving a dinar to every beggar who passed by the shop. Then
he left him and went away, whilst the jeweller returned home and
said to his wife, 'How generous is this young merchant! Never did
I set eyes on a more open-handed or a comelier than he, no, nor a
sweeter of speech.' And he went on to recount to her his charms
and generosity and was loud in his praise. Cried she, "O thou
lack-tact,[FN#409] since thou notest these qualities in him, and
indeed he hath given thee two seal rings of price, it behoveth
thee to invite him and make him an entertainment and entreat him
lovingly. When he seeth that thou affectest him and cometh to our
place, we shall surely get great good of him; and if thou grudge
him the banquet do thou bid him and I will entertain him of my
monies." Quoth he, "Dost thou know me to be niggardly, that thou
sayest this Say?; and quoth she, "Thou art no niggard, but thou
lackest tact. Invite him this very night and come not without
him. An he refuse, conjure him by the divorce oath and be
persistent with him." "On my head and eyes," answered he and
moulded the ring till he had finished it, after which he passed
the night and went forth on the morrow to his shop and sat there.
On this wise it was with him; but as for Kamar al-Zaman, he took
three hundred dinars and carrying them to the old wife, gave them
to her for the barber, her husband. Said she, "Most like he will
invite thee to his house this day; and if he do this and thou
pass the night there, tell me in the morning what befalleth thee
and bring with thee four hundred dinars and give them to thy
father." Answered he, "Hearing and obeying;" and as often as he
ran out of money, he would sell some of his stones. So he
repaired to the jeweller, who rose to him and received him with
open arms, greeted him heartily and clapped up companionship with
him. Then he gave him the ring, and he found it after the measure
of his finger and said to the jeweller, "Allah bless thee, O
prince of artists! The setting is conformable but the stone is
not to my liking."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say,
When it was the Nine Hundred and Seventieth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Kamar
al-Zaman said to the jeweller, "The setting is conformable to my
wishes, but the stone is not to my liking. I have a handsomer
than this: so take the seal-ring and give it to one of thy slave
women." Then he gave him a fourth stone and an hundred dinars,
saying, "Take thy hire and excuse the trouble we have given
thee." Obayd replied, "O merchant, all the trouble thou hast
given us thou hast requited us and hast overwhelmed us with thy
great bounties: and indeed my heart is taken with love of thee
and I cannot brook parting from thee. So, Allah upon thee, be
thou my guest this night and heal my heart." He rejoined, "So be
it; but needs must I go to my Khan, that I may give a charge to
my domestics and tell them that I shall sleep abroad to-night, so
they may not expect me." "Where dost thou lodge?" asked the
jeweller; and he answered, "In such a Khan." Quoth Obayd, "I will
come for thee there;" and quoth the other "'Tis well." So the
jeweller repaired to the Khan before sundown, fearing lest his
wife should be anangered with him, if he returned home without
his guest; and, carrying Kamar al-Zaman to his house, seated him
in a saloon that had not its match. Halimah saw him, as he
entered, and was ravished with him. They talked till supper was
served when they ate and drank; after which appeared coffee and
sherbets, and the jeweller ceased not to entertain him with talk
till eventide, when they prayed the obligatory prayers. Then
entered a handmaid with two cups[FN#410] of night drink, which
when they had drunk, drowsiness overcame them and they slept.
Presently in came the jeweller's wife and seeing them asleep,
looked upon Kamar al-Zaman's face and her wit was confounded at
his beauty. Said she, "How can he sleep who loveth the fair?"
and, turning him over on his back, sat astraddle upon his breast.
Then, in the mania of her passion for him, she rained down kisses
on his cheeks, till she left a mark upon them and they became
exceeding red and his cheek bones shone; and, she sucked his
lips, till the blood ran out into her mouth; but with all this,
her fire was not quenched nor her thirst assuaged. She ceased not
to kiss and clip him and twine leg with leg, till the forebrow of
Morn grew white and the dawn broke forth in light; when she put
in his pocket four cockals[FN#411] and went away. Then she sent
her maid with something like snuff, which she applied to their
nostrils and they sneezed and awoke, when the slave-girl said, "O
my lords, prayer is a duty; so rise ye and pray the dawn-prayer."
And she brought them basin and ewer.[FN#412] Quoth Kaman al-Zamar
"O master, 'tis late and we have overslept ourselves;" and quoth
the jeweller, "O my friend verily the air of this room is heavy;
for, whenever I sleep in it, this happens to me." Rejoined Kamar
al-Zaman, "True," and proceeded to make the Wuzu ablution; but,
when he put the water to his face, his cheeks and lips burned
him. Cried he, "Prodigious! If the air of the room be heavy and
we have been drowned in sleep, what aileth my cheeks and lips
that they burn me?" And he said to the jeweller, "O master, my
cheeks and lips burn me." The other replied, "I guess this cometh
of the mosquito-bites." "Strange!" said Kamar al-Zaman. "Hath
this thing happened to thee?" Replied Obayd, "No! But whenever I
have by me a guest like thee, he complaineth in the morning of
the mosquito-bites, and this happeneth only when he is like thee
beardless. If he be bearded the mosquitoes sting him not, and
naught hindereth them from me but my beard. It seems mosquitoes
love not bearded men."[FN#413] Rejoined Kamar al-Zaman, "True."
Then the maid brought them early breakfast and they broke their
fast and went out. Kamar al-Zaman betook himself to the old
woman, who exclaimed, when she saw him, "I see the marks of
joyance on thy face: tell me what thou hast seen." Said he, "I
have seen nothing. Only I supped with the house master in a
saloon and prayed the night prayer, after which we fell asleep
and woke not till morning." She laughed and said, "What be those
marks on thy cheeks and lips?" He answered, "'Twas the mosquitoes
of the saloon that did this with me;" and she rejoined, "'Tis
well. But did the same thing betide the house master?" He
retorted, "Nay; but he told me that the mosquitoes of that saloon
molest not bearded men, but sting those only who have no hair on
face, and that whenever he hath for guest one who is beardless,
the stranger awaketh complaining of the mosquito bites; whereas
an he have a beard, there befalleth him naught of this." Said
she, "Sooth thou speakest: but say me, sawest thou aught save
this?" And he answered, "I found four cockals in my pocket."
Quoth she, "Show them to me." So he gave them to her and she
laughed and said, "Thy mistress laid these in thy pocket." He
asked, "How so?" And she answered, " 'Tis as if she said to thee,
in the language of signs,[FN#414] 'An thou wert in love, thou
wouldst not sleep, for a lover sleepeth not: but thou hast not
ceased to be a child and fit for nothing but to play with these
cockals. So what drave thee to fall in love with the fair?' Now
she came to thee by night and finding thee asleep, scored thy
cheeks with her kisses and left thee this sign. But that will not
suffice her of thee and she will certainly send her husband to
invite thee again to night; so, when thou goest home with him,
hasten not to fall asleep, and on the morrow bring me five
hundred dinars and come and acquaint me with what hath passed,
and I will perfect for thee the device." Answered he, "I hear and
obey," and went back to the Khan. Thus it befel him; but as
regards the jeweller's wife, she said to her husband, "Is the
guest gone?" Answered he, "Yes, but, O Halimah,[FN#415]the
mosquitoes plagued him last night and scarified his cheeks and
lips, and indeed I was abashed before him." She rejoined, "This
is the wont of the mosquitoes of our saloon; for they love none
save the beardless. But do thou invite him again to night." So he
repaired to the Khan where the youth abode, and bidding him,
carried him to his house, where they ate and drank and prayed the
night-prayer in the saloon, after which the slave-girl entered
and gave each of them a cup of night-drink,--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Seventy first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the slave-
girl went in to the twain and gave each of them a cup of night
drink, and they drank and fell asleep. Presently, in came Halimah
and said, "O good-for-nothing, how canst thou sleep and call thyself a lover? A lover sleepeth not!" Then she mounted on his
breast and ceased not to come down upon him with kisses and
caresses, biting and sucking his lips and so forth, till the
morning. when she put in his pocket a knife and sent her handmaid
to arouse them. And when the youth awoke, his cheeks were on
fire, for excess of redness, and his lips like coral, for dint of
sucking and kissing. Quoth the jeweller, "Did the mosquitoes
plague thee last night?"; and quoth the other, "Nay!"; for he now
knew the conceit and left complaining. Then he felt the knife in
his pocket and was silent; but when he had broken his fast and
drunk coffee, he left the jeweller and going to the Khan; took
five hundred dinars of gold and carried them to the old woman, to
whom he related what had passed, saying, "I slept despite myself,
and when I woke at dawn I found nothing but a knife in my
pocket." Exclaimed the old trot, "May Allah protect thee from her
this next night! For she saith to thee by this sign, 'An thou
sleep again, I will cut thy throat.' Thou wilt once more be
bidden to the jeweller's house to-night,[FN#416] and if thou
sleep, she will slay thee." Said he, "What is to be done?"; and
said she, "Tell me what thou atest and drankest before sleeping."
Quoth he, "We supped as was our wont and prayed the night- prayer,
after which there came in to us a maid, who gave each of us a cup
of night-drink, which when I had drunk, I fell asleep and awoke
not till the morning." Quoth the old woman, "The mischief is in
the cup: so, when the maid giveth it to thee, take it from her,
but drink not and wait till the master of the house have drunken
and fallen asleep; then say to her, 'Give me a draught of water,'
and she will go to fetch thee the gugglet. Then do thou empty the
cup behind the pillow and lie down and feign sleep. So when she
cometh back with the gugglet, she will deem that thou hast fallen
asleep, after having drunk off the cup, and will leave thee; and
presently the case will appear to thee; but beware of disobeying
my bidding." Answered he, "I hear and I obey," and returned to
the Khan. Meanwhile the jeweller's wife said to her husband, "A
guest's due honour is three nights' entertainment: so do thou
invite him a third time." Whereupon he betook himself to the
youth and inviting him, carried him home and sat down with him in
the saloon. When they had supped and prayed the night-prayer,
behold, in came the handmaid and gave each of them a cup. Her
master drank and fell asleep; but Kamar al-Zaman forbore to
drink, whereupon quoth the maid, "Wilt thou not drink, O my
lord?" Answered he, "I am athirst, bring me the gugglet."
Accordingly she went to fetch it, and he emptied the cup behind
the pillow and lay down. When the slave-girl returned, she saw
him lying down and going to her mistress said, "He hath drunk off
the cup and fallen asleep;" whereupon quoth Halimah to herself,
"Verily, his death is better than his life." Then, taking a sharp
knife, she went in to him, saying, "Three times, and thou notedst
not the sign, O fool![FN#417] So now I will rip up thy maw." When
he saw her making for him knife in hand, he opened his eyes and
rose, laughing; whereupon said she, "'Twas not of thine own wit,
that thou camest at the meaning of the sign, but by the help of
some wily cheat; so tell me whence thou hadst this knowledge."
"From an old woman," replied he, "between whom and me befel such
and such;" and he told her all that had passed. Quoth she, "To-
morrow go thou forth from us and seek her and say, 'Hast thou any
further device in store?' And if she answer, 'I have,' do thou
rejoin, 'Then do thy best that I may enjoy her publicly.' But, if
she say, 'I have no means of doing that, and this is the last of
my devices,' put her away from thy thought, and to-morrow night
my husband will come to thee and invite thee. Do thou come with
him and tell me and I will consider what remaineth to be done."
Answered he, "There is no harm in that!" Then he spent the rest
of the night with her in embracing and clipping, plying the
particle of copulation in concert[FN#418] and joining the
conjunctive with the conjoined,[FN#419] whilst her husband was as
a cast-out nunnation of construction.[FN#420] And they ceased not
to be thus till morning, when she said to him, "'Tis not a night
of thee that will content me, nor a day; no, nor yet a month nor
a year; but it's my intent to abide with thee the rest of my
life. Wait, however, till I play my husband a trick which would
baffle the keenest-witted and win for us our wishes. I will cause
doubt to enter into him, so that he shall divorce me, whereupon I
will marry thee and go with thee to thine own country; I will
also transport all his monies and hoards to thy lodging and will
contrive thee the ruin of his dwelling place and the blotting out
of his traces. But do thou hearken to my speech and obey me in
that I shall say to thee and gainsay me not." He replied, "I hear
and I obey: in me there is none opposition." Then said she, "Go
to the Khan and, when my husband cometh to thee and inviteth
thee, say to him, 'O my brother, a son of Adam is apt to be
burdensome, and when his visits grow over frequent, both generous
and niggard loathe him.[FN#421] How then shall I go with thee
every night and lie I and thee, on the saloon? An thou wax not
chagrined with me, thy Harim will bear me grudge, for that I
hinder thee from thine. Therefore if thou have a mind to my
company, take me a house beside thine own and we will abide thus,
now I sitting with thee till the time of sleep, and now with me
thou. Then I will go to my place and thou to thy Harim and this
will be a better rede than that I hinder thee from thy Harim
every night.' Then will he come to me and take counsel with me,
and I will advise him to turn out our neighbour, for the house
wherein he liveth is our house and he renteth it of us; and once
thou art in the house, Allah will make easy to us the rest of our
scheme." And presently she added, "Go now and do as I bid thee."
Answered he, "I hear and obey;" whereupon she left him and went
away, whilst he lay down and feigned to be asleep. Presently, the
handmaid came and aroused them; and when the jeweller awoke, he
said to his guest, "O merchant have the mosquitoes worried thee?"
He replied, "No," and Obayd said, "Belike thou art grown used to
them." Then they broke their fast and drank coffee, after which
they fared forth to their affairs, and Kamar al-Zaman betook
himself to the old crone, and related to her what had passed,--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Seventy-second Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Kamar al-Zaman betook himself to the old crone, he related to her
what had passed, saying, "She spake to me this and that, and I
answered her thus and thus. Now say me, hast thou any farther
device for bringing me to enjoy her publicly?" Quoth she, "O my
son, here endeth my contrivance, and now I am at the term of my
devices." Upon this he left her and returned to the Khan where,
as eventide evened, the jeweller came to him and invited him. He
said, "I cannot go with thee." Asked the merchant, "Why so? I
love thee and cannot brook separation from thee. Allah upon thee
come with me!" The other replied, "An it be thy wish to continue
our comradeship and keep up the friendship betwixt thee and me,
take me a house by the side of thine own and when thou wilt, thou
shalt pass the evening with me and I with thee; but, as soon as
the time of sleep cometh, each of us shall hie him to his own
home and lie there." Quoth Obayd, "I have a house adjoining mine,
which is my own property: so go thou with me to night and to-
morrow I will have the house untenanted for thee." Accordingly he
went with him and they supped and prayed the night prayer, after
which the jeweller drank the cup of drugged[FN#422] liquor and
fell asleep: but in Kamar al-Zaman's cup there was no trick; so
he drank it and slept not. Then came the jeweller's wife and sat
chatting with him through the dark hours, whilst her husband lay
like a corpse. When he awoke in the morning as of wont, he sent
for his tenant and said to him, "O man, quit me the house, for I
have need of it." "On my head and eyes," answered the other and
voided the house to him, whereupon Kamar al-Zaman took up his
abode therein and transported thither all his baggage. The
jeweller passed that evening with him, then went to his own
house. On the next day, his wife sent for a cunning builder and
bribed him with money to make her an underground-way[FN#423] from
her chamber to Kamar al-Zaman's house, with a trap-door under the
earth. So, before the youth was ware, she came in to him with two
bags of money and he said to her, "Whence comest thou?" She
showed him the tunnel and said to him, "Take these two bags of
his money." Then she sat with him, the twain toying and tumbling
together till the morning, when she said, "Wait for me, till I go
to him and wake him, so he may go to his shop, and I return to
thee." He sat expecting her, whilst she went away and awoke her
husband, who made the Wuzu-ablution and prayed and went to his
shop. As soon as he was gone, she took four bags and, carrying
them through the Souterrain to Kamar al-Zaman, said to him,
"Store these up;" then she sat with him awhile, after which she
retired to her home and he betook himself to the bazar. When he
returned at sundown, he found in his house ten purses and jewels
and much besides. Presently the jeweller came to him and carried
him to his own house, where they passed the evening in the
saloon, till the handmaid came in according to custom, and
brought them the drink. Her master drank and fell asleep, whilst
naught betided Kamar al-Zaman for that his cup was wholesome and
there was no trick therein. Then came Halimah who sat down
atoying with him, whilst the slave-girl transported the
jeweller's goods to Kamar al-Zaman's house by the secret passage.
Thus they did till morning, when the handmaid awoke her lord and
gave them to drink coffee, after which they went each his own
way. On the third day the wife brought out to him a knife of her
husband's, which he had chased and wrought with his own hand, and
which he priced at five hundred dinars. But there was no knife
like it and because of the eagerness with which folk sought it of
him, he had laid it up in a chest and could not bring himself to
sell it to any one in creation. Quoth she, "Take this knife and
set it in thy waist shawl and go to my husband and sit with him.
Then pull out the knife and say to him, 'O master, look at this
knife I bought to-day and tell me if I have the worst or the best
of the bargain.' He will know it, but will be ashamed to say to
thee, 'This is my knife;' so he will ask thee, 'Whence didst thou
buy it and for how much?'; and do thou make answer, 'I saw two
Levantines[FN#424] disputing and one said to the other, 'Where
hast thou been?' Quoth his companion, 'I have been with my
mistress, and whenever I foregather with her, she giveth me ten
dirhams; but this day she said to me, 'My hand is empty of silver
for thee to day, but take this knife of my husband's.' So I took
it and intend to sell it.' The knife pleased me and hearing his
tale I said to him, 'Wilt thou sell it to me?' when he replied,
'Buy.' So I got it of him for three hundred gold pieces and I
wonder whether it was cheap or dear.' And note what he will say
to thee. Then talk with him awhile and rise and come back to me
in haste. Thou wilt find me awaiting thee at the tunnel mouth,
and do thou give me the knife." Replied Kamar al-Zaman, "I hear
and I obey," and taking the knife set it in his waist-shawl. Then
he went to the shop of the jeweller, who saluted him with the
salam and welcomed him and made him sit down. He spied the knife
in his waist shawl, at which he wondered and said to himself,
"That is my knife: who can have conveyed it to this merchant?"
And he fell a-musing and saying in his mind, "I wonder an it be
my knife or a knife like it!" Presently Kamar al-Zaman pulled it
out and said to him, "Harkye, master; take this knife and look at
it." Obayd took it and knew it right well, but was ashamed to
say, "This is my knife;"-- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Seventy-third Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
jeweller took the knife from Kamar al-Zaman, he knew it, but was
ashamed to say, "This is my knife." So he asked, "Where didst
thou buy it?" Kamar al-Zaman answered as Halimah had charged him,
and the jeweller said, "The knife was cheap at that price, for it
is worth five hundred dinars." But fire flamed in his heart and
his hands were tied from working at his craft. Kamar al-Zaman
continued to talk with him, whilst he was drowned in the sea of
solicitudes, and for fifty words wherewith the youth bespoke him,
he answered him but one; for his heart ached and his frame was
racked and his thoughts were troubled and he was even as saith
the poet,
"I have no words though folk would have me talk * And who bespeak
me find me thought waylaid:
Plunged in the Care-sea's undiscovered depths, * Nor aught of
difference see 'twixt man and maid!"
When Kamar al-Zaman saw his case thus changed, he said to him,
"Belike thou art busy at this present," and leaving him, returned
in hottest haste to his own house, where he found Halimah
standing at the passage door awaiting him. Quoth she "Hast thou
done as I bade thee?"; and quoth he, "Yes." She asked, "What said
he to thee?"; and he answered, "He told me that the knife was
cheap at that price, for that it was worth five hundred dinars:
but I could see that he was troubled; so I left him and know not
what befel him after that." Cried she, "Give me the knife and
reck thou not of him." Then she took the knife and restoring it
to its place, sat down. Now after Kamar al-Zaman's departure fire
flamed in the jeweller's heart and suspicion was sore upon him
and he said to himself, "Needs must I get up and go look for the
knife and cut down doubt with certainty." So he rose and repaired
to his house and went in to his wife, snorting like a
dragon;[FN#425] and she said to him, "What mattereth thee, O my
lord?" He asked, "Where is my knife?" and she answered, "In the
chest," and smote hand upon breast, saying, "O my grief! Belike
thou hast fallen out with some one and art come to fetch the
knife to smite him withal." Said he, "Give me the knife. Let me
see it." But said she, "Not till thou swear to me that thou wilt
not smite any one therewith." So he swore this to her and she
opened the chest and brought out to him the knife and he fell to
turning it over, saying, "Verily, this is a wondrous thing!" Then
quoth he to her, "Take it and lay it back in its place;" and she,
"Tell me the meaning of all this." He answered, "I saw with our
friend a knife like this," and told her all that had passed
between himself and the youth, adding, "But, when I saw it in the
chest, my suspicion ended in certainty." Said she, "Haply thou
misdoubtedst of me and deemedst that I was the Levantine's
mistress and had given him the knife." He replied, "Yes, I had my
doubts of this; but, when I saw the knife, suspicion was lifted
from my heart." Rejoined she, "O man, there is now no good in
thee!" And he fell to excusing himself to her, till he appeased
her; after which he fared forth and returned to his shop. Next
day, she gave Kamar al-Zaman her husband's watch, which he had
made with his own hand and whereof none had the like, saying, "Go
to his shop and sit by his side and say to him, 'I saw again to-
day him whom I saw yesterday. He had a watch in his hand and said
to me, 'Wilt thou buy this watch?' Quoth I, 'Whence hadst thou
it?'; and quoth he, 'I was with my mistress and she gave me this
watch.' So I bought it of him for eight-and-fifty gold pieces.
Look at it: is it cheap at that price or dear?' Note what he
shall say to thee; then return to me in haste and give me the
watch." So Kamar al-Zaman repaired to the jeweller and did with
him as she had charged him. When Obayd saw the watch, he said,
"This is worth seven hundred ducats;" and suspicion entered into
him. Then the youth left him and returning to the wife, gave her
back the watch. Presently, her husband suddenly came in snorting,
and said to her, "Where is my watch?" Said she, "Here it is;" and
he cried, "Give it to me." So she brought it to him and he
exclaimed, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in
Allah, the Glorious, the Great!"; and she too exclaimed, "O man,
there is something the matter with thee. Tell me what it is." He
replied, "What shall I say? Verily, I am bewildered by these
chances!" And he recited these couplets,[FN#426]
"Although the Merciful be doubtless with me,
Yet am I sore bewildered, for new griefs
Have compassed me about, or ere I knew it,
I have endured till Patience self became
Impatient of my patience.--I have endured
Waiting till Heaven fulfil my destiny.--
I have endured till e'en endurance owned
How I bore up with her; (a thing more bitter
Than bitter aloes) yet though a bitterer thing
Is not, than is that drug it were more bitter
To me should Patience leave me unsustained."
Then said he to his wife, "O woman, I saw with the merchant our
friend, first my knife, which I knew, for that its fashion was a
device of my own wit, nor doth its like exist; and he told me of
it a story that troubled the heart: so I came back and found it
at home. Again to day I see him with the watch, whose fashion
also is of my own device, nor is there the fellow of it in
Bassorah, and of this also he told me a story that saddened my
heart. Wherefore I am bewildered in my wit and know not what is
to come to me." Quoth she, "The purport of thy speech is that
thou suspectedst me of being the friend of that merchant and his
leman, and eke of giving him thy good; so thou camest to question
me and make proof of my perfidy; and, had I not shown thee the
knife and the watch, thou hadst been certified of my treason. But
since, O man, thou deemest me this ill deme, henceforth I will
never again break with thee bread nor drain with thee drink, for
I loathe thee with the loathing of prohibition.[FN#427]" So he
gentled her and excused himself till he had appeased her and
returned, repenting him of having bespoken her thus, to his shop,
where he sat, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Seventy-fourth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
jeweller quitted his wife, he repented having bespoken her thus
and, returning to his shop, he sat there in disquiet sore and
anxiety galore, between belief and unbelief. About eventide he
went home alone, not bringing Kamar al-Zaman with him: whereupon
quoth his wife, "Where is the merchant?"; and quoth he, "In his
lodgings." She asked, "Is the friendship between thee and him
grown cold?" and he answered, "By Allah, I have taken a dislike
to him, because of that which hath betided me from him."[FN#428]
Quoth she, "Go fetch him, to please me." So he arose and went in
to Kamar al-Zaman in his house; where he saw his own goods strewn
about and knew them. At this sight, fire was kindled in his heart
and he fell asighing. Quoth the youth, "How is it that I see thee
melancholy?" Obayd was ashamed to say, "Here are my goods in thy
house: who brought them hither?"; so he replied only, "A vexation
hath betided me; but come thou with me to my house, that we may
solace ourselves there." The other rejoined, "Let me be in my
place: I will not go with thee." But the jeweller conjured him to
come and took him to his house, where they supped and passed the
evening together, Kamar al-Zaman talking with the jeweller, who
was drowned in the sea of solicitude and for a hundred words,
wherewith the guest bespoke him, answered him only one word.
Presently, the handmaid brought them two cups of drink, as usual,
and they drank; whereupon the jeweller fell asleep, but the youth
abode on wake, because his cup was not drugged. Then came Halimah
and said to her lover, "How deemest thou of yonder cornuted, who
is drunken in his heedlessness and weeteth not the wiles of
women? There is no help for it but that I cozen him into
divorcing me. To-morrow, I will disguise myself as a slave-girl
and walk after thee to his shop, where do thou say to him, 'O
master, I went to-day into the Khan of Al-Yasirjíyah, where I saw
this damsel and bought her for a thousand dinars. Look at her for
me and tell me whether she was cheap at that price or dear.' Then
uncover to him my face and breasts and show all of me to him;
after which do thou carry me back to thy house, whence I will go
to my chamber by the secret passage, so I may see the issue of
our affair with him." Then the twain passed the night in mirth
and merriment, converse and good cheer, dalliance and delight
till dawn, when she returned to her own place and sent the
handmaid to arouse her lawful lord and her lover. Accordingly
they arose and prayed the dawn-prayer and brake their fast and
drank coffee, after which Obayd repaired to his shop and Kamar
al-Zaman betook himself to his own house. Presently, in came
Halimah to him by the tunnel, in the guise of a slave-girl, and
indeed she was by birth a slave-girl.[FN#429] Then he went out
and she walked behind him, till he came to the jeweller's shop
and saluting him, sat down and said, "O master, I went into the
Khan of Al-Yasirjiyah to-day, to look about me, and saw this
damsel in the broker's hands. She pleased me; so I bought her for
a thousand dinars and I would have thee look upon her and see if
she be cheap at that price or no." So saying, he uncovered her
face and the jeweller saw her to be his own wife, clad in her
costliest clothes, tricked out in her finest trinkets and kohl'd
and henna'd, even as she was wont to adorn herself before him in
the house. He knew with full knowledge her face and dress and
trinkets, for those he had wrought with his own hand, and he saw
on her fingers the seal-rings he had newly made for Kamar al-
Zaman, whereby he was certified with entire assurance that she
was indeed his very wife. So he asked her, "What is thy name, O
slave-girl?"; and she answered, "Halimah," naming to him her own
name; whereat he was amazed and said to the youth, "For how much
didst thou buy her?" He replied, "For a thousand dinars"; and the
jeweller rejoined, "Thou hast gotten her gratis; for her rings
and clothes and trinkets are worth more than that." Said Kamar
al-Zaman, "May Allah rejoice thee with good news! Since she
pleaseth thee, I will carry her to my house;" and Obayd said, "Do
thy will." So he took her off to his house, whence she passed
through the secret passage to her own apartment and sat there.
Meanwhile, fire flamed in the jeweller's heart and he said to
himself, "I will go see my wife. If she be at home, this slave-
girl must be her counterpart, and glory be to Him who alone hath
no counterpart! But, if she be not at home, 'tis she herself
without a doubt." Then he set off running, and coming to his
house, found his wife sitting in the same clothes and ornaments
he had seen upon her in the shop; whereupon he beat hand upon
hand, saying, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in
Allah, the Glorious, the Great!" "O man," asked she, "art thou
mad or what aileth thee? 'Tis not thy wont to do thus, and needs
must it be that something hath befallen thee." Answered he, "If
thou wilt have me tell thee be not vexed." Quoth she, "Say on";
so he said, "Our friend the merchant hath bought a slave-girl,
whose shape is as thy shape and her height as thy height; more-
over, her name is even as thy name and her apparel is the like of
thine apparel. Brief, she resembleth thee in all her attributes,
and on her fingers are seal-rings like thy seal-rings and her
trinkets are as thy trinkets. So, when he displayed her to me,
methought it was thyself and I was perplexed concerning my case.
Would we had never seen this merchant nor companied with him; and
would he had never left his own country and we had not known him,
for he hath troubled my life which before was serene, causing ill-
feeling to succeed good faith and making doubt to enter into my
heart." Said she, "Look in my face, belike I am she who was with
him and he is my lover and I disguised myself as a slave-girl and
agreed with him that he should display me to thee, so he might
lay a snare for thee." He replied, "What words are these? Indeed,
I never suspected that thou wouldst do the like of this deed."
Now this jeweller was unversed in the wiles of women and knew not
how they deal with men, nor had he heard the saying of him who
said,
"A heart bore thee off in chase of the fair, * As fled Youth and
came Age wi' his hoary hair:
Laylà troubles me and love-joys are far; * And rival and risks
brings us cark and care.
An would'st ask me of woman, behold I am * In physic of womankind
wise and ware:
When grizzleth man's head and his monies fail, * His lot in their
love is a poor affair."