I’m the gem of herbs, and in seasons twain ✿ My tryst I keep with my
lovers-train:
I stint not union for length of time ✿ Nor visits, though some be of
severance fain;
The true one am I and my troth I keep, ✿ And, easy of plucking, no hand
disdain.
Then, changing measure and the mode, she played so that she bewildered
the wits of those who were present, and Queen Al-Shahba, moved to mirth
and merriment, cried, “Brava, O queen of delight!” Presently she
returned to the first mode and improvised these couplets on Nenuphar:—
I fear me lest freke espy me, ✿ In air when I fain deny me;
So I root me beneath the wave, ✿ And my stalks to bow down apply me.
Hereat Queen Al-Shahba rejoiced with exceeding joy, and cried, “Brava, O
Tohfah! Let me hear more of thy chant.” Accordingly, she smote the lute
and changing the mode, recited on the Moss-rose these couplets:
Look on Nasrín[232] those branchy shoots surround; ✿ With greenest
leafery ’tis deckt and crowned:
Its graceful bending stem draws every gaze ✿ While beauteous bearing
makes their love abound.
Then she changed measure and mode and sang these couplets on the
Water-lily:—
O thou who askest Súsan[233] of her scent, ✿ Hear thou my words and
beauty of my lay.
“Emir am I whom all mankind desire” ✿ (Quoth she) “or present or when
ta’en away.”
When Tohfah had made an end of her song, Queen Al-Shahba rose and said,
“I never heard from any the like of this;” and she drew the Songstress
to her and fell to kissing her. Then she took leave of her and flew
away; and on like wise all the birds took flight with her, so that they
walled the horizon; whilst the rest of the kings tarried behind. Now as
soon as it was the fourth night, there came the boy who was to be
circumcised, adorned with jewels such as never saw eye nor heard ear of,
and amongst the rest a crown of gold crusted with pearls and gems, the
worth whereof was an hundred thousand sequins. He sat down upon the
couch and Tohfah sang to him, till the chirurgeon[234] came and they
snipped his foreskin in the presence of all the kings, who showered on
him a mighty great store of jewels and jacinths and gold. Queen
Kamariyah bade her Eunuchs gather up all this and lay it in Tohfah’s
closet, and it was as much in value as all that had fallen to her, from
the first of the festivities to the last thereof. Moreover, the Shaykh
Iblis (whom Allah curse!) bestowed upon the Songstress the crown worn by
the boy and gave the circumcisee another, whereat Tohfah’s reason took
flight. Then the Jinn departed, in order of rank, whilst Iblis
farewelled them, band after band. Seeing the Shaykh thus occupied with
taking leave of the kings, Maymun seized his opportunity, the place
being empty, and taking up Tohfah on his shoulders, soared aloft with
her to the confines of the lift, and flew away with her. Presently,
Iblis came to look for the Songstress and see what she purposed, but
found her not and sighted the slave-girls slapping their faces: so he
said to them, “Fie on you! What may be the matter?” They replied, “O our
lord, Maymun hath snatched up Tohfah and flown away with her.” When
Iblis heard this, he gave a cry whereto earth trembled and said, “What
is to be done?” Then he buffetted his face and head, exclaiming, “Woe to
you! This be none other than exceeding insolence. Shall he carry off
Tohfah from my very palace and attaint mine honour? Doubtless, this
Maymun hath lost his wits.” Then he cried out a second time, so that the
earth quaked, and rose on his wings high in air. The news came to the
rest of the kings; so they flew after him and overtaking him, found him
full of anxiety and affright, with fire issuing from his nostrils, and
said to him, “O Shaykh al-Tawaif,[235] what is to do?” He replied, “Know
ye that Maymun hath carried off Tohfah from my palace and attainted mine
honour.” When they heard this, they cried, “There is no Majesty and
there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great. By God he hath
ventured upon a grave matter and verily he destroyeth self and folk!”
Then Shaykh Iblis ceased not flying till he fell in with the tribes of
the Jann, and they gathered together a world of people, none may tell
the tale of them save the Lord of All-might. So they came to the
Fortress of Copper and the Citadel of Lead,[236] and the people of the
sconces saw the tribes of the Jann issuing from every deep
mountain-pass[237] and said, “What be the news?” Then Iblis went in to
King Al-Shisban and acquainted him with that which had befallen;
whereupon quoth he, “Verily, Allah hath destroyed Maymun and his many!
He pretendeth to possess Tohfah, and she is become queen of the Jann!
But have patience till we devise that which befitteth in the matter of
Tohfah.” Iblis asked, “And what befitteth it to do?” And Al-Shisban
answered, “We will fall upon him and kill him and his host with cut of
brand.” Then quoth Shaykh Iblis, “’Twere better to acquaint Queen
Kamariyah and Queen Zalzalah and Queen Shararah and Queen Wakhimah; and
when they are assembled, Allah shall ordain whatso He deemeth good in
the matter of her release.” Quoth Al-Shisban, “Right is thy rede” and
they despatched to Queen Kamariyah an Ifrit hight Salhab who came to her
palace and found her sleeping; so he roused her and she said, “What is
to do, O Salhab?” Cried he, “O my lady, come to the succour of thy
sister the Songstress, for Maymun hath carried her off and attainted
thine honour and that of Shaykh Iblis.” Quoth she, “What sayst thou?”
and she sat up straight and cried out with a great cry. And indeed she
feared for Tohfah and said, “By Allah, in very sooth she used to say
that he gazed at her and prolonged the gaze; but ill is that whereto his
soul hath prompted him.” Then she rose in haste and mounting a Sataness
of her Satans, said to her, “Fly.” So she flew off with her and alighted
in the palace of her sister Shararah, whereupon she sent for her sisters
Zalzalah and Wakhimah and acquainted them with the tidings, saying,
“Know that Maymun hath snatched up Tohfah and flown off with her
swiftlier than the blinding leven.” Then they all flew off in haste and
lighting down in the place where were their father Al-Shisban and their
grandfather the Shaykh Abu al-Tawáif, found the folk on the sorriest of
situations. When their grandfather Iblis saw them, he rose to them and
wept, and they all wept for the Songstress. Then said Iblis to them,
“Yonder hound hath attainted mine honour and taken Tohfah. and I think
not otherwise[238] but that she is like to die of distress for herself
and her lord Al-Rashid and saying:—The whole that they said and did was
false.[239]” Quoth Kamariyah, “O grandfather mine, nothing is left for
it but stratagem and device for her deliverance, for that she is dearer
to me than everything; and know that yonder accursed when he waxeth ware
of your coming upon him, will ken that he hath no power to cope with
you, he who is the least and meanest of the Jann; but we dread that he,
when assured of defeat, will slay Tohfah; wherefore nothing will serve
but that we contrive a sleight for saving her; else will she perish.” He
asked, “And what hast thou in mind of device?” and she answered, “Let us
take him with fair means, and if he obey, all will be well;[240] else
will we practise stratagem against him; and expect not her deliverance
from other than myself.” Quoth Iblis, “The affair is thine; contrive
what thou wilt, for that Tohfah is thy sister and thy solicitude for her
is more effectual than that of any other.” So Kamariyah cried out to an
Ifrit of the Ifrits and a calamity of the calamities,[241] by name
Al-Asad al-Tayyár, the Flying Lion, and said to him, “Hie with my
message to the Crescent Mountain,[242] the wone of Maymun the Sworder,
and enter and say to him, My lady saluteth thee with the salam and
asketh thee:—How canst thou be assured for thyself of safety, after what
thou hast done, O Maymun? Couldst thou find none to maltreat in thy
drunken humour save Tohfah, she too being a queen? But thou art excused,
because thou didst not this deed, but ’twas thy drink, and the Shaykh
Abu al-Tawáif pardoneth thee, because thou wast drunken. Indeed, thou
hast attainted his honour; but now restore her to her palace, for that
she hath done well and favoured us and rendered us service, and thou
wottest that she is this day our queen. Belike she may bespeak Queen
Al-Shahba, whereupon the matter will become grievous and that wherein
there is no good shall betide thee; and thou wilt get no tittle of gain.
Verily, I give thee good counsel, and so the Peace!” Al-Asad answered
“Hearing and obeying,” and flew till he came to the Crescent Mountain,
when he sought audience of Maymun, who bade admit him. So he entered and
kissing ground before him, gave him Queen Kamariyah’s message, which
when he heard, he cried to the Ifrit, “Return whence thou comest and say
to thy mistress:—Be silent and thou wilt show thy good sense. Else will
I come and seize upon her and make her serve Tohfah; and if the kings of
the Jinn assemble together against me and I be overcome by them, I will
not leave her to scent the wind of this world and she shall be neither
mine nor theirs, for that she is presently my sprite[243] from between
my ribs; and how shall any part with his sprite?” When the Ifrit heard
Maymun’s words, he said to him, “By Allah, O Maymun, art thou a
changeling in thy wits, that thou speakest these words of my lady, and
thou one of her page-boys?” Whereupon Maymun cried out and said to him,
“Woe to thee, O dog of the Jinns! Wilt thou bespeak the like of me with
these words?” Then he bade those who were about him bastinado Al-Asad,
but he took flight and soaring high in air, betook himself to his
mistress and told her the tidings: when she said, “Thou hast done well,
O good knight!” Then she turned to her sire and said to him, “Hear that
which I shall say to thee.” Quoth he, “Say on;” and quoth she, “I rede
thee take thy troops and go to him, for when he heareth this, he will in
turn levy his many and come forth to thee; whereupon do thou offer him
battle and prolong the fight with him and make a show to him of weakness
and giving way. Meantime, I will devise me a device for getting at
Tohfah and delivering her, what while he is busied with you in battle;
and when my messenger cometh to thee and informeth thee that I have
gotten possession of Tohfah and that she is with me, return thou upon
Maymun forthwith and overthrow him and his hosts, and take him prisoner.
But, an my device succeed not with him and we fail to deliver Tohfah, he
will assuredly practice to slay her, without recourse, and regret for
her will remain in our hearts.” Quoth Iblis, “This is the right rede”
and bade call a march among the troops, whereupon an hundred thousand
knights, doughty wights of war, joined themselves to him and set out for
the country of Maymun. As for Queen Kamariyah, she flew off to the
palace of her sister Wakhimah, and told her what deed Maymun had done
and how he declared that, whenas he saw defeat nearhand, he would slay
Tohfah; adding, “And indeed, he is resolved upon this; otherwise had he
not dared to work such sleight. So do thou contrive the affair as thou
see fit, for in rede thou hast no superior.” Then they sent for Queen
Zalzalah and Queen Shararah and sat down to take counsel, one with
other, concerning what they had best do in the matter. Presently said
Wakhimah, “’Twere advisable we fit out a ship in this our island-home
and embark therein, disguised as Adam’s sons, and fare on till we come
to anchor under a little island that lieth over against Maymun’s palace.
There will we sit drinking and smiting the lute and singing; for Tohfah
will assuredly be seated there overlooking the sea, and needs must she
see us and come down to us, whereupon we will take her by force and she
will be under our hands, so that none shall be able to molest her any
more. Or, an Maymun be gone forth to do battle with the Jinns, we will
storm his stronghold and take Tohfah and raze his palace and slay all
therein. When he hears of this, his heart will be broken and we will
send to let our father know, whereat he will return upon him with his
troops and he will be destroyed and we shall have rest of him.” They
answered her, saying, “This is a good counsel.” Then they bade fit out a
ship from behind the mountain,[244] and it was fitted out in less than
the twinkling of an eye; so they launched it on the sea and embarking
therein, together with four thousand Ifrits, set out, intending for
Maymun’s palace. They also bade other five thousand Ifrits betake
themselves to the island under the Crescent Mountain and there lie in
wait for them ambushed well. Thus fared it with the kings of the Jann;
but as regards Shaykh Abu al-Tawáif Iblis and his son Al-Shisban the
twain set out, as we have said, with their troops, who were of the
doughtiest of the Jinn and the prowest of them in wing-flying and
horsemanship, and fared on till they drew near the Crescent Mountain.
When the news of their approach reached Maymun, he cried out with a
mighty great cry to the troops, who were twenty thousand riders, and
bade them make ready for departure. Then he went in to Tohfah and
kissing her, said, “Know that thou art this day my life of the world,
and indeed the Jinns are gathered together to wage war on me for thy
sake. An I win the day from them and am preserved alive, I will set all
the kings of the Jann under thy feet and thou shalt become queen of the
world.” But she shook her head and shed tears; and he said, “Weep not,
for I swear by the virtue of the mighty inscription borne on the
seal-ring of Solomon, thou shalt never again see the land of men; no,
never! Say me, can any one part with his life? Give ear, then, to my
words; else will I slay thee.” So she was silent. And forthright he sent
for his daughter, whose name was Jamrah,[245] and when she came, he said
to her, “Harkye, Jamrah! Know that I am going to fight the clans of
Al-Shisban and Queen Kamariyah and the Kings of the Jann. An I be
vouchsafed the victory over them, to Allah be the laud and thou shalt
have of me largesse;[246] but, an thou see or hear that I am worsted and
any come to thee with ill news of me, hasten to kill Tohfah, so she may
fall neither to me nor to them.” Then he farewelled her and mounted,
saying, “When this cometh about, pass over to the Crescent Mountain and
take up thine abode there, and await what shall befal me and what I
shall say to thee.” And Jamrah answered “Hearkening and obedience.” Now
when the Songstress heard these words, she fell to weeping and wailing
and said, “By Allah, naught irketh me but severance from my lord
Al-Rashid; however, when I am dead, let the world be ruined after
me?”[247] And she was certified in herself that she was assuredly lost.
Then Maymun set forth with his army and departed in quest of the hosts
of the Jinn, leaving none in the palace save his daughter Jamrah and
Tohfah and an Ifrit which was dear to him. They fared on till they met
with the army of Al-Shisban; and when the two hosts came face to face,
they fell each upon other and fought a fight, a passing sore than which
naught could be more. After a while, Al-Shisban’s troops began to give
way, and when Maymun saw them do thus, he despised them and made sure of
victory over them. On this wise it befel them; but as regards Queen
Kamariyah and her company they sailed on without ceasing, till they came
under the palace wherein was Tohfah, to wit, that of Maymun the Sworder;
and by the decree of the Lord of destiny, the Songstress herself was at
that very time sitting on the belvedere of the palace, pondering the
affair of Harun al-Rashid and her own and that which had befallen her
and weeping for that she was doomed to death. She saw the vessel and
what was therein of those we have named, and they in mortal guise, and
said, “Alas, my sorrow for this ship and for the men that be therein!”
As for Kamariyah and her many, when they drew near the palace, they
strained their eyes and seeing the Songstress sitting, cried, “Yonder
sitteth Tohfah. May Allah not bereave us of her!” Then they moored their
craft and, making for the island which lay over against the palace,
spread carpets and sat eating and drinking; whereupon quoth Tohfah,
“Well come and welcome to yonder faces! These be my kinswomen and I
conjure thee by Allah, O Jamrah, that thou let me down to them, so I may
sit with them awhile and enjoy kindly converse with them and return.”
Quoth Jamrah, “I may on no wise do that;” and Tohfah wept. Then the folk
brought out wine and drank, while Kamariyah took the lute and sang these
couplets:—
By Allah, had I never hoped to greet you ✿ Your guide had failed on
camel to seat you!
Far bore you parting from friend would greet you ✿ Till meseems mine
eyes for your wone entreat you.
When Tohfah heard this, she cried out so great a cry, that the folk
heard her and Kamariyah said, “Relief is nearhand.” Then the Songstress
looked out to them and called to them, saying, “O daughters of mine
uncle, I am a lonely maid, an exile from kin and country: so for the
love of Allah Almighty, repeat that song!” Accordingly Kamariyah
repeated it and Tohfah swooned away. When she came to herself, she said
to Jamrah, “By the rights of the Apostle of Allah (whom may He save and
assain!) unless thou suffer me go down to them and look on them and sit
with them for a full hour, I will hurl myself headlong from this palace,
for that I am aweary of my life and know that I am slain to all
certainty; wherefore will I kill myself, ere you pass sentence upon me.”
And she was instant with her in asking. When Jamrah heard her words, she
knew that, an she let her not down, she would assuredly destroy herself.
So she said to her, “O Tohfah, between thee and them are a thousand
cubits; but I will bring the women up to thee.” The Songstress replied,
“Nay, there is no help but that I go down to them and solace me in the
island and look upon the sea anear; then will we return, I and thou; for
that, an thou bring them up to us, they will be affrighted and there
will betide them neither joy nor gladness. As for me, I wish but to be
with them, that they may cheer me with their company neither give over
their merry-making, so peradventure I may broaden my breast with them,
and indeed I swear that needs must I go down to them; else I will cast
myself upon them.” And she cajoled Jamrah and kissed her hands, till she
said, “Arise and I will set thee down beside them.” Then she took Tohfah
under her armpit and flying up swiftlier than the blinding leven, set
her down with Kamariyah and her company; whereupon she went up to them
and accosted them, saying, “Fear ye not: no harm shall befal you; for I
am a mortal, like unto you, and I would fain look on you and talk with
you and hear your singing.” So they welcomed her and kept their places,
whilst Jamrah sat down beside them and fell a snuffing their odours and
saying, “I smell the scent of the Jinn![248] Would I wot whence it
cometh!” Then said Wakhimah to her sister Kamariyah, “Yonder foul slut
smelleth us and presently she will take to flight; so what be this
inaction concerning her?”[249] Thereupon Kamariyah put out an arm long
as a camel’s neck, and dealt Jamrah a buffet on the head, that made it
fly from her body and cast it into the sea. Then cried she, “Allah is
All-great!”[250] And they uncovered their faces, whereupon Tohfah knew
them and said to them, “Protection!” Queen Kamariyah embraced her, as
also did Queen Zalzalah and Queen Wakhimah and Queen Shararah, and the
first-named said to her, “Receive the good tidings of assured safety,
for there abideth no harm for thee; but this is no time for talk.” Then
they cried out, whereupon up came the Ifrits ambushed in that island,
hending swords and maces in hand, and taking up Tohfah, flew with her to
the palace and made themselves masters of it, whilst the Ifrit
aforesaid, who was dear to Maymun and whose name was Dukhán,[251] fled
like an arrow and stinted not flying till he came to Maymun and found
him fighting a sore fight with the Jinn. When his lord saw him, he cried
out at him, saying, “Fie upon thee! Whom hast thou left in the palace?”
Dukhan answered, saying, “And who abideth in the palace? Thy beloved
Tohfah they have captured and Jamrah is slain and they have taken the
palace, all of it.” At these ill tidings Maymun buffeted his face and
head and said, “Oh! Out on it for a calamity!” Then he cried aloud. Now
Kamariyah had sent to her sire and reported to him the news, whereat the
raven of the wold[252] croaked for the foe. So, when Maymun saw that
which had betided him, (and indeed the Jinn smote upon him and the wings
of eternal severance overspread his host,) he planted the heel of his
lance in the earth and turning its head to his heart, urged his charger
thereat and pressed upon it with his breast, till the point came forth
gleaming from his back. Meanwhile the messenger had made the friendly
host with the news of Tohfah’s deliverance, whereat the Shaykh Abu
al-Tawáif rejoiced and bestowed on the bringer of lief tidings a
sumptuous robe of honour and made him commander over a company of the
Jann. Then they charged home upon Maymun’s host and wiped them out to
the last man; and when they came to Maymun, they found that he had slain
himself and was even as we have said. Presently Kamariyah and her sister
Wakhimah came up to their grandfather and told him what they had done;
whereupon he came to Tohfah and saluted her with the salam and
congratulated her on deliverance. Then he made over Maymun’s palace to
Salhab; and, taking all the rebel’s wealth gave it to the Songstress,
while the troops encamped upon the Crescent Mountain. Furthermore, the
Shaykh Abu al-Tawáif said to Tohfah, “Blame me not,” and she kissed his
hands, when behold, there appeared to them the tribes of the Jinn, as
they were clouds, and Queen Al-Shahba flying in their van, drawn sword
in grip. As she came in sight of the folk, they kissed ground between
her hands and she said to them, “Tell me what hath betided Queen Tohfah
from yonder dog Maymun and why did ye not send to me and report to me?”
Quoth they, “And who was this dog that we should send to thee on his
account? Indeed he was the least and lowest of the Jinn.” Then they told
her what Kamariyah and her sisters had done and how they had practised
upon Maymun and delivered the Songstress from his hand, fearing lest he
should slay her when he found himself defeated; and she said, “By Allah,
the accursed was wont to lengthen his looking upon her!” And Tohfah fell
to kissing Al-Shahba’s hand, whilst the queen strained her to her bosom
and kissed her, saying, “Trouble is past; so rejoice in assurance of
deliverance.” Then they rose and went up to the palace, whereupon the
trays of food were brought and they ate and drank; after which quoth
Queen Al-Shahba, “O Tohfah, sing to us, by way of sweetmeat[253] for
thine escape, and favour us with that which shall solace our minds, for
that indeed my thoughts have been occupied with thee.” And quoth Tohfah,
“Hearkening and obedience, O my lady.” So she improvised and sang these
couplets:—
Breeze of East[254]an thou breathe o’er the dear ones’ land ✿ Speed, I
pray thee, my special salute and salam:
And say them I’m pledged to love them and ✿ In pine that passeth all
pine I am.
Thereat Queen Al-Shahba rejoiced and with her all who were present; and
they admired her speech and fell to kissing her; and when she had made
an end of her song, Queen Kamariyah said to her, “O my sister, ere thou
go to thy palace, I would fain bring thee to look upon Al-’Anká,[255]
daughter of Bahram Júr, whom Al-’Anka, daughter of the wind, carried
off, and her beauty; for that there is not her fellow on earth’s face.”
And Queen Al-Shahba said, “O Kamariyah, I also think it were well an I
beheld her.” Quoth Kamariyah, “I saw her three years ago; but my sister
Wakhimah seeth her at all times, for she is near to her people, and she
saith that there is not in the world fairer than she. Indeed, this Queen
Al-Anka is become a byword for beauty and comeliness.” And Wakhimah
said, “By the mighty inscription on the seal-ring of Solomon, there is
not her like for loveliness here below.” Then said Queen Al-Shahba, “An
it needs must be and the affair is as ye say, I will take Tohfah and go
with her to Al-Anka, so she may look upon her”! So they all arose and
repaired to Al-Anka, who abode in the Mountain Kaf. When she saw them,
she drew near to them and saluted them, saying, “O my ladies, may I not
be bereaved of you!” Quoth Wakhimah to her, “Who is like unto thee, O
Anka? Behold, Queen Al-Shahba is come to thee.” So Al-Anka kissed the
queen’s feet and lodged them in her palace; whereupon Tohfah came up to
her and fell to kissing her and saying, “Never saw I a seemlier than
this semblance.” Then she set before them somewhat of food and they ate
and washed their hands; after which the Songstress took the lute and
smote it well; and Al-Anka also played, and they fell to improvising
verses in turns, whilst Tohfah embraced Al-Anka every moment. Al-Shahba
cried, “O my sister, each kiss is worth a thousand dinars;” and Tohfah
replied, “And a thousand dinars were little therefor;” whereat Al-Anka
laughed and after nighting in her pavilion on the morrow they took leave
of her and went away to Maymun’s palace. Here Queen Al-Shahba farewelled
them and taking her troops, returned to her capital, whilst the kings
also went away to their abodes and the Shaykh Abu al-Tawaif applied
himself to diverting Tohfah till nightfall, when he mounted her on the
back of one of the Ifrits and bade other thirty gather together all that
she had gotten of treasure and raiment, jewels and robes of honour. Then
they flew off, whilst Iblis went with her, and in less than the
twinkling of an eye he set her down in her sleeping room, where he and
those who were with him bade adieu to her and went away. When Tohfah
found herself in her own chamber[256] and on her couch, her reason fled
for joy and it seemed to her as if she had never stirred thence: then
she took the lute and tuned it and touched it in wondrous fashion and
improvised verses and sang. The Eunuch heard the smiting of the lute
within the chamber and cried, “By Allah, that is the touch of my lady
Tohfah!” So he arose and went, as he were a madman, falling down and
rising up, till he came to the Castrato on guard at the gate of the
Commander of the Faithful and found him sitting. When his fellow neutral
saw him, and he like a madman, slipping down and stumbling up, he asked
him, “What aileth thee and what bringeth thee hither at this hour?” The
other answered, “Wilt thou not make haste and awaken the Prince of True
Believers?” And he fell to crying out at him; whereupon the Caliph awoke
and heard them bandying words together and Tohfah’s slave crying to the
other, “Woe to thee! Awaken the Commander of the Faithful in haste.” So
quoth he, “O Sawab, what hast thou to say?” and quoth the Chief Eunuch,
“O our lord, the Eunuch of Tohfah’s lodging hath lost his wits and
crieth:—Awaken the Commander of the Faithful in haste!” Then said
Al-Rashid to one of the slave-girls, “See what may be the matter.”
Accordingly she hastened to admit the Castrato, who entered at her
order; and when he saw the Commander of the Faithful, he salamed not
neither kissed ground, but cried in his hurry, “Quick: up with thee! My
lady Tohfah sitteth in her chamber, singing a goodly ditty. Come to her
in haste and see all that I say to thee! Hasten! She sitteth awaiting
thee.” The Caliph was amazed at his speech and asked him, “What sayst
thou?” He answered, “Didst thou not hear the first of the speech? Tohfah
sitteth in the sleeping-chamber, singing and lute-playing. Come thy
quickest! Hasten!” Accordingly Al-Rashid sprang up and donned his dress;
but he believed not the Eunuch’s words and said to him, “Fie upon thee!
What is this thou sayst? Hast thou not seen this in a dream?” Quoth the
Eunuch, “By Allah, I wot not what thou sayest, and I was not asleep;”
and quoth Al-Rashid, “An thy speech be soothfast, it shall be for thy
good luck, for I will free thee and give thee a thousand gold pieces;
but, an it be untrue and thou have seen this in dream-land, I will
crucify thee.” The Eunuch said within himself, “O Protector, let me not
have seen this in vision!” then he left the Caliph and running to the
chamber-door, heard the sound of singing and lute-playing; whereupon he
returned to Al-Rashid and said to him, “Go and hearken and see who is
asleep.” When the Prince of True Believers drew near the door of the
sleeping-chamber, he heard the sound of the lute and Tohfah’s voice
singing; whereat he could not restrain his reason and was like to faint
for excess of delight. Then he pulled out the key, but his hand refused
to draw the bolt: however, after a while, he took heart and applying
himself, opened the door and entered, saying, “Methinks this is none
other than a vision or an imbroglio of dreams.” When Tohfah saw him, she
rose and coming to meet him, pressed him to her breast; and he cried out
a cry wherein his sprite was like to depart and fell down in a fit. She
again strained him to her bosom and sprinkled on him rose-water mingled
with musk, and washed his face, till he came to himself, as he were a
drunken man, and shed tears for the stress of his joy in Tohfah’s return
to him, after he had despaired of her returning. Then she took the lute
and smote thereon, after the fashion she had learnt from Shaykh Iblis,
so that Al-Rashid’s wit was bewildered for excess of joy and his
understanding was confounded for exultation; after which she improvised
and sang these couplets:—
That I left thee my heart to believe is unlief; ✿ For the life that’s in
it ne’er leaveth; brief,
An thou say “I went,” saith my heart “What a fib!” ✿ And I bide ’twixt
believing and unbelief.
When she had made an end of her verses, Al-Rashid said to her, “O
Tohfah, thine absence was wondrous, yet is thy presence still more
marvellous.” She replied, “By Allah, O my lord, thou sayst sooth;” then,
taking his hand, she said to him, “O Commander of the Faithful, see what
I have brought with me.” So he looked and spied treasures such as
neither words could describe nor registers could document, pearls and
jewels and jacinths and precious stones and unions and gorgeous robes of
honour, adorned with margarites and jewels and purfled with red gold.
There he beheld what he never had beheld all his life long, not even in
idea; and she showed him that which Queen Al-Shahba had bestowed on her
of those carpets, which she had brought with her, and that throne, the
like whereof neither Kisrà possessed nor Cæsar, and those tables inlaid
with pearls and jewels and those vessels which amazed all who looked on
them, and that crown which was on the head of the circumcised boy, and
those robes of honour, which Queen Al-Shahba and Shaykh Abu al-Tawaif
had doffed and donned upon her, and the trays wherein were those
treasures; brief, she showed him wealth whose like he had never in his
life espied and which the tongue availeth not to describe and whereat
all who looked thereon were bewildered. Al-Rashid was like to lose his
wits for amazement at this spectacle and was confounded at that he
sighted and witnessed. Then said he to Tohfah, “Come, tell me thy tale
from beginning to end, and let me know all that hath betided thee, as if
I had been present.” She answered, “Hearkening and obedience,” and
acquainting him with all that had betided her first and last, from the
time when she first saw the Shaykh Abu al-Tawaif, how he took her and
descended with her through the side of the Chapel of Ease; and she told
him of the horse she had ridden, till she came to the meadow aforesaid
and described it to him, together with the palace and that was therein
of furniture, and related to him how the Jinn rejoiced in her, and
whatso she had seen of their kings, masculine and feminine, and of Queen
Kamariyah and her sisters and Queen Shu’a’ah, Regent of the Fourth Sea,
and Queen Al-Shahba, Queen of Queens, and King Al-Shisban, and that
which each one of them had bestowed upon her. Moreover, she recited to
him the story of Maymun the Sworder and described to him his fulsome
favour, which he had not deigned to change, and related to him that
which befel her from the kings of the Jinn, male and female, and the
coming of the Queen of Queens, Al-Shahba, and how she had loved her and
appointed her her vice-reine and how she was thus become ruler over all
the kings of the Jann; and she showed him the writ of investiture which
Queen Al-Shahba had written her and told him what had betided her with
the Ghulish Head, when it appeared to her in the garden, and how she had
despatched it to her palace, beseeching it to bring her news of the
Commander of the Faithful and of what had betided him after her. Then
she described to him the flower-gardens, wherein she had taken her
pleasure, and the Hammam-baths inlaid with pearls and jewels and told
him that which had befallen Maymun the Sworder, when he bore her off,
and how he had slain himself; in fine, she related to him everything she
had seen of wonders and marvels and that which she had beheld of all
kinds and colours among the Jinn. Then she told him the story of
Al-Anka, daughter of Bahram Jur, with Al-Anka, daughter of the wind, and
described to him her dwelling-place and her island, whereupon quoth
Al-Rashid, “O Tohfat al-Sadr,[257] tell me of Al-Anka, daughter of
Bahram Jur; is she of the Jinn-kind or of mankind or of the bird-kind?
For this long time have I desired to find one who should tell me of
her.” Tohfah replied, “’Tis well, O Commander of the Faithful. I asked
the queen of this and she acquainted me with her case and told me who
built her the palace.” Quoth Al-Rashid, “Allah upon thee, tell it me;”
and quoth Tohfah, “I will well,” and proceeded to tell him. And he was
amazed at that which he heard from her and what she reported to him and
at that which she had brought back of jewels and jacinths of various
hues and precious stones of many sorts, such as amazed the beholder and
confounded thought and mind. As for this, Tohfah was the means of the
enrichment of the Barmecides and the Abbasides, and they had endurance
in their delight. Then the Caliph went forth and bade decorate the city:
so they decorated it and the drums of glad tidings were beaten; and they
made banquets to the people for whom the tables were spread seven days.
And Tohfah and the Commander of the Faithful ceased not to enjoy the
most delightsome of life and the most prosperous till there came to them
the Destroyer of delights and the Severer of societies; and this is all
that hath come down to us of their story.