poetry?” whereto answered the youth——And Shahrazad was surprised by the
dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then
quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister
mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this
compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the
Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Five Hundred and Eighteenth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching
of this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It
hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding,
lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and
worthy celebrating, that the youth replied, “He was driven to poetry by
Iblis (whom Allah accurse!) when he spake in this verse:—
“Thou bewailest the land and all thereon ✿ And scant was the breadth of
Eden didst own,
Where thou wast girded by every good ✿ O’ life and in rest ever won’t to
wone:
But ne’er ceased my wiles and my guile until ✿ The wind o’erthrew thee
by folly blown.”[99]
Whereupon quoth Al-Hajjaj, “O young man, inform me concerning the first
couplet of verse spoken by the Arab in praise of munificence;” and quoth
the youth, “O Hajjaj, the first Arabic distich known to me was spoken by
Hátim of Tayy, and ’twas as follows:—
“And the guest I greet ere from me he go ✿ Before wife and weans in my
weal and woe.”
Then cried Al-Hajjaj, “Thou hast said well and hast spoken fair, O young
man; and thy due is incumbent upon us for that thou hast drowned us in
the deeps of thy wisdom.” Presently the Lieutenant of Kufah turning
towards one of his eunuchs said, “Bring me at this very moment a purse
containing ten thousand dirhams[100] upon a charger of red gold and a
suit of the rarest of my raiment and a blood mare the noblest steed of
my steeds with a saddle of gold and a haubergeon;[101] and a lance of
full length and a handmaid the handsomest of my slave-girls.” The
attendant disappeared for a while, and presently brought all this
between the hands of Al-Hajjaj, who said, “O young man, this damsel is
the fairest of my chattels, and this be the purse on a charger of gold,
and this mare is the purest in blood of my steeds together with her
housings, so do thou take whatever thou desirest thereof, either the
mare with all upon her or the purse of gold or the concubine,” presently
saying to himself, “If the young man prefer the purse, ’twill prove that
he loveth the world and I will slay him, also if he choose the girl, he
lusteth after womankind, and I will do him die: but if he take the mare
and her furniture, he will show himself the brave of braves, and he
meriteth not destruction at my hands.” Then the youth came forward and
took the mare and her appointments. Now the damsel was standing by the
young Sayyid, and she winked at him with her eye as one saying, “Do thou
choose me and leave all the rest;” whereupon he began to improvise the
following couplets:—
“The jingling bridle on Bayard’s neck. ✿ Is dearer to me than what sign
thou deign:
I fear when I fall into straits and fare ✿ Abroad, no comrade in thee to
gain:
I fear when lain on my couch and long ✿ My sickness, thou prove thee nor
fond nor fain:
I fear me that time groweth scant my good ✿ And my hand be strait thou
shalt work me bane:
A helpmate I want shall do what do I ✿ And bear patient the pasture of
barren plain.”[102]
Presently the handmaid answered his verse with the following couplets:—
“Forfend me, Allah, from all thou say’st ✿ Though my left with my right
thou shalt hew in twain
A husband’s honour my works shall keep ✿ And I’ll wone content with his
smallest gain:
Didst know me well and my nature weet ✿ Thou hadst found me mate of the
meekest strain.
Nor all of women are like to sight ✿ Nor all of men are of similar
grain.
The charge of a mate to the good belongs ✿ Let this oath by Allah belief
obtain.”
Hearing these words Al-Hajjaj exclaimed, “Woe to thee, O damsel, dost
thou answer him in his verse? and do thou O young man, take the whole,
and may Allah give thee no blessing therein.”[103] Answered the young
Sayyid, “Here with them, O Hajjaj, inasmuch as thou hast given them to
me, I will not oppose the order of Allah through thee, but another time
there is no union between us twain, me and thee, as there hath been this
day.” Now the city of Al-Hajjaj had two gates—the door of Destruction
and the door of Salvation; and when the youth asked him, “O Hajjaj,
shall I go forth from this or from that?” the Lieutenant of Kufah cried,
“Issue by this outlet,” and showed him the Gate of Safety. Then the
youth took all the presents and fared forth by the passage which had
been shown to him, and went his ways and was seen no more. Hereupon the
Grandees of the kingdom said to Al-Hajjaj, “O our lord, how hast thou
given to him these gifts and he hath on nowise thanked thee, nor wished
thee well[104] for thy favours, and yet hast thou pointed out to him the
Gate of Salvation?” Hereupon he replied, “Verily, the youth asked
direction of me, and it becometh the director to be trustworthy and no
traitor (Allah’s curse be upon him who betrayeth!), and this youth
meriteth naught save mercy by reason of his learning.”[105]
NIGHT ADVENTURE OF HARUN AL-RASHID AND THE YOUTH MANJAB.[106]
It is told in various relations of the folk (but Allah is All-knowing of
His secret purpose and All-powerful and All-beneficent and All-merciful
in whatso of bygone years transpired and amid peoples of old took place)
that the Caliph Hárún al-Rashíd being straitened of breast one day
summoned his Chief of the Eunuchs and said to him, “O Masrúr!” Quoth he,
“Adsum, O my lord;” and quoth the other, “This day my breast is
straitened and I would have thee bring me somewhat to hearten my heart
and consume my care.” Replied Masrur, “O my lord, do thou go forth to
thy garden and look upon the trees and the blooms and the rills and
listen to the warblings of the fowls.” Harun replied, “O Masrur, thou
hast mentioned a matter which palleth on my palate[107] nor may my
breast be broadened by aught thou hast commended.” Rejoined the Eunuch,
“Then do thou enter thy palace and having gathered thy handmaids before
thee, let each and every say her say whilst all are robed in the
choicest of raiment and ornaments; so shalt thou look upon them and thy
spirits shall be cheered.” The Caliph retorted, “O Masrur, we want other
than this;” whereupon quoth the slave, “O Prince of True Believers, send
after the Wazirs and thy brotherhood of learned men and let them
improvise for thee poetry and set before thee stories whereby shall thy
care be solaced.” Quoth he, “O Masrur, naught of this shall profit me.”
Hereat cried the Eunuch, “Then, O my lord, I see naught for thee save to
take thy sabre and smite the neck of thy slave: haply and peradventure
this may comfort thee and do away with thy disgust.”[108] When the King
Harun al-Rashid heard these words, he laughed aloud and said to him, “O
Masrur, go forth to the gate where haply thou shalt find some one of my
cup-companions.” Accordingly he went to the porte in haste and there
came upon one of the courtiers which was Ali ibn Mansúr Al-Dimishkí and
brought him in. The Commander of the Faithful seeing him bade him be
seated and said, “O Ibn Mansur, I would have thee tell me a tale
somewhat rare and strange; so perchance my breast may be broadened and
my doleful dumps from me depart.” Said he, “O Prince of True Believers,
dost thou desire that I relate to thee of the things which are past and
gone or I recount a matter I espied with my own eyes?” Al-Rashid
replied, “An thou have sighted somewhat worthy seeing relate it to us
for hearing is not like beholding.” He rejoined, “O Emir al-Muuminín,
whilst I tell thee this tale needs must thou lend me ear and mind;” and
the Caliph[109] retorted, “Out with thy story, for here am I hearkening
to thee with ears and eyes wide awake, so that my soul may understand
the whole of this say.” Hereupon Ibn Mansur related to him
_THE LOVES OF THE LOVERS OF BASSORAH._[110]
Now when Al-Rashid heard the tale of Ibn Mansur there fell from him
somewhat of his cark and care but he was not wholly comforted. He spent
the night in this case and when it was morning he summoned the Wazir
Ja’afar ibn Yahyá the Barmaki, and cried to him, “O Ja’afar!” He
replied, “Here am I! Allah lengthen thy life, and make permanent thy
prosperity.” The Caliph resumed, “Verily my breast is straitened and it
hath passed through my thought that we fare forth, I and thou (and
Eunuch Masrur shall make a third), and we will promenade the main
streets of Baghdad and solace ourselves with seeing its several places
and peradventure I may espy somewhat to hearten my heart and clear off
my care and relieve me of what is with me of straitness of breast.”
Ja’afar made answer, “O Commander of the Faithful, know that thou art
Caliph and Regent and Cousin to the Apostle of Allah and haply some of
the sons of the city may speak words that suit thee not and from that
matter may result other matter with discomfort to thy heart and
annoyance to thy mind, the offender unknowing the while that thou art
walking the streets by night. Then thou wilt command his head to be cut
off and what was meant for pleasure may end in displeasure and wrath and
wrong-doing.” Al-Rashid replied, “I swear by the rights of my forbears
and ancestors even if aught mishap to us from the meanest of folk as is
wont to happen or he speak words which should not be spoken, that I will
neither regard them nor reply thereto, neither will I punish the
aggressor, nor shall aught linger in my heart against the addresser; but
need must I pass through the Bazar this very night.” Hereupon quoth
Ja’afar to the Caliph, “O Viceregent of Allah upon earth, do thou be
steadfast of purpose and rely upon Allah!”[111] Then they arose and
arousing Masrur doffed what was upon them of outer dress and
bag-trousers and habited themselves each one of them in garments
differing from those of the city folks. Presently they sallied forth by
the private postern and walked from place to place till they came to one
of the highways of the capital and after threading its length they
arrived at a narrow street whose like was never seen about all the
horizons.[112] This they found swept and sprinkled with the sweet
northern breeze playing through it and at the head thereof rose a
mansion towering from the dust and hanging from the necks of the clouds.
Its whole length was of sixty cubits whereas its breadth was of twenty
ells; its gate was of ebony inlaid with ivory and plated with plates of
yellow brass while athwart the doorway hung a curtain of sendal and over
it was a chandelier of gold fed with oil of ’Irákí violets which
brightened all that quarter with its light. The King Harun al-Rashid and
the Wazir and the Eunuch stood marvelling at what they saw of these
signs and at what they smelt of the scents breathing from the
clarity[113] of this palace as though they were the waftings of the
perfumed gardens of Paradise and they cast curious glances at the abode
so lofty and of base so goodly and of corners so sturdy, whose like was
never builded in those days. Presently they noted that its entrance was
poikilate with carvings manifold and arabesques of glittering gold and
over it was a line writ in letters of lapis lazuli. So Al-Rashid took
seat under the candelabrum with Ja’afar standing on his right and Masrur
afoot to his left and he exclaimed, “O Wazir, this mansion is naught
save in the utmost perfection of beauty and degree; and verily its lord
must have expended upon it wealth galore and of gold a store; and, as
its exterior is magnificent exceedingly, so would to Heaven I knew what
be its interior.” Then the Caliph cast a glance at the upper lintel of
the door whereupon he saw inscribed in letters of golden water which
glittered in the rays of the chandelier,
“WHOSO SPEAKETH OF WHAT CONCERNETH HIM NOT SHALL HEAR WHAT PLEASETH HIM
NOT.”
Hereupon quoth Al-Rashid, “O Ja’afar, the house-master never wrote
yonder lines save for a reason and I desire to discover what may be his
object, so let us forgather with him and ask him the cause of this
legend being inscribed in this place.” Quoth Ja’afar, “O Prince of True
Believers, yonder lines were never written save in fear of the curtain
of concealment being withdrawn.”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the
dawn of day, and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then
quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and
how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared
with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer
me to survive?” Now when it was the next night, and that was
The Six Hundred and Thirty-fourth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of
this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It hath
reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of
the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy
celebrating, that Ja’afar the Barmecide said to the King, “Verily the
master of this house never wrote yonder lines save in fear lest the
curtain of concealment be withdrawn.” Hearing this the Caliph held his
peace for a while and fell to pondering this matter then said he, “O
Ja’afar, knock at the door and ask for us a gugglet of water;” and when
the Wazir did his bidding one of the slaves called out from within the
entrance, “Who is it rappeth at our gate?” Hereupon said Masrur to him,
“O son of my uncle, open to us the door and give us a gugglet of water
for that our lord thirsteth.” The chattel went in to his master, the
young man, Manjáb hight, who owned the mansion, and said, “O my lord,
verily there be at our door three persons who have rapped for us and who
ask for a drink of water.” The master asked, “What manner of men may
they be?” and the slave answered, “One of them sitteth under the
chandelier and another of them standeth by his side and the third is a
black slave between their hands; and all three show signs of staidness
and dignity than which naught can be more.” “Go forth to them,”
exclaimed the master, “and say to them:—My lord inviteth you to become
of his guests.” So the servile went out and delivered the message,
whereat they entered and found five lines of inscription in different
parts of the hall with a candelabrum overhanging each and every and the
whole five contained the sentence we have before mentioned; furthermore
all the lights were hung up over the legend that the writing might be
made manifest unto whoso would read it. Accordingly Harun al-Rashid
entered and found a mansion of kingly degree[114] and of marvellous
ordinance in the utmost that could be of beauty and ornament and five
black slaves and as many Eunuchs were standing in the saloon to offer
their services. Seeing this the Caliph marvelled with extreme marvel at
the house and the house-master who greeted them in friendly guise; after
which he to whom the palace belonged sat down upon a divan and bade
Al-Rashid sit over against him and signed to Ja’afar and Masrur to take
their places in due degree,[115] whilst the negroes and the eunuchs
stood expecting their commands for suit and service. Presently was
brought to them a huge waxen taper which lighted up the whole of the
hall and the young house-master accosted the King and said to him, “Well
come and welcome and fair welcome to our guests who to us are the most
esteemed of folk and may Allah honour their places!” Hereupon he began
to repeat the following couplets:[116]—
“If the house knew who visits it, it would indeed rejoice And stoop to
kiss the happy place whereon her feet have stood;
And in the voice with which the case, though mute, yet speaks, Exclaim,
’Wellcome and many a welcome to the generous, and the good.’”
Presently Manjab the master of the house bade bring for his guests meats
and viands meet for the great, of all kinds and of every colour, so they
obeyed his orders and when they had eaten their sufficiency they were
served with confections perfumed with rosewater wondrous fine. Hereupon
quoth the youth to Al-Rashid and those with him, “Almighty Allah make it
pleasant to you[117] and blame us not and accept our excuses for what
Allah hath made easy to us at such time of night, and there is no doubt
but that this be a fortunate day when ye made act of presence before
us.” They thanked him and Al-Rashid’s breast was broadened and his heart
was heartened and there fell from him all that whilom irked him. Then
the youth shifted them from that place to another room which was the
women’s apartment; and here he seated them upon the highest Divan and
bade serve to them a platter containing fruits of all descriptions and
ordered his servants to bring roast meats and fried meats and when this
was done they set before them the service of wine. Anon appeared four
troops of singers with their instruments of music and each was composed
of five handmaids, so the whole numbered a score and these when they
appeared before the master kissed ground between his hands and sat down
each one in her own degree. Then amongst them the cups went about and
all sorrow was put to rout and the birds of joyance flapped their wings.
This continued for an hour of time whilst the guests sat listening to
the performers on the lute and other instruments and after there came
forward five damsels other than the first twenty and formed a second and
separate set and they showed their art of singing in wondrous mode even
as was done by the first troop. Presently on like guise came set after
set till the whole twenty had performed and as Al-Rashid heard their
strains he shook with pleasure——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn
of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth
her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine,
and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this
compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the
Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Six Hundred and Thirty-fifth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of
this our latter night!” She replied:——With love and good will! It hath
reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of
the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy
celebrating that when Al-Rashid heard their strains, he shook with
pleasure and wonder and joyance and enjoyment until he rent his
robes[118] and the house-master beholding this said to him, “O our lord,
be the heart of thine enemies thus rended asunder!” Now there was
amongst the handmaids a songstress who began to sing and to improvise
these couplets:—
“My world goes strait when thou art a-gone ✿ And when fled from my ken
in my heart dost wone[119]
And I love my love with a love as fond ✿ As Jacob him who in pit was
thrown.”
Hereupon Ja’afar was delighted with exceeding delight and rent his
raiment even as the Caliph had done, but when the house-master saw this
from him he ordered for the twain a suit of clothes that befitted them
and bade strip them of the rended garments and clothed them in the new.
Presently the young man said, “O my lords, your time is gleesome and
Allah make it to you gladsome and broaden your hearts and from you fend
everything loathsome and lasting to you be honour and all that is
blithesome.” Hereupon he ordered another damsel to chaunt that was with
her and when Masrur the Eunuch heard it he tare his garment as had been
done by Al-Rashid and the Wazir, when the house-master bade bring for
him a suit that besitted him and they donned it after doffing the torn
clothes. Then the youth ordered a handmaid of the fourth set who sang a
tune and spake these couplets:—
“Thou hast a lover of looks lune-bright ✿ And lighter than crescent[120]
he shows to sight;
For the sheen of the crescent shall ever wane ✿ But he shall grow to a
perfect light.”[121]
Hearing this Manjab the master of the house shrieked out a mighty loud
shriek and tare his upper dress and fell aswoon to the ground, and as
Al-Rashid looked upon him (and he bestrown in his fainting fit) he
beheld upon his sides the stripes of scourging with rods and
palm-sticks. At this sight he was surprised and said, “O Ja’afar, verily
I marvel at this youth and his generosity and munificence and fine
manners, especially when I look upon that which hath befallen him of
beating and bastinadoing, and in good sooth this is a wondrous matter.”
Quoth the other, “O our lord, haply someone hath harmed him in much
money and his enemy took flight and the owner of the property
administered to him this beating[122] or peradventure someone lied
concerning him, and he fell into the hands of the rulers and the Sultan
bade bastinado him, or again perchance his tongue tripped and his fate
was fulfilled to him.” Quoth Al-Rashid, “O Ja’afar, this youth be not in
the conditions thou hast mentioned to me,” and, replied the other,
“Sooth thou hast said, O our lord; by cause that indeed this young man,
when we asked him for a gugglet of water invited us into his place and
honoured us with all this honour and heartened our hearts and this was
of the stress of his generosity and his abundant goodness.” Al-Rashid
continued to converse with his Wazir while the young man did not recover
from his swoon for a while of time, when another maiden of the maidens
spoke out reciting these couplets:—
“He adorns the branch of his tribal-tree, ✿ Loves the fawn his song as
his sight she see;
And beauty shines in his every limb ✿ While in every heart he must
stablished be.”
Hereat the young man came to himself and shrieked a mighty loud shriek
more violent than the first and put forth his hand to his garment and
rent it in rags and fell swooning a second time, when his sides were
bared more fully than before until the whole of his back appeared and
Al-Rashid was straitened thereby as to his breast and his patience made
protest, and he cried, “O Ja’afar, there is no help but that I ask
concerning the wheals of this bastinadoing.” And as they talked over the
matter of the youth behold, he came to his senses and his slaves brought
him a fresh suit and caused him don it, whereupon Al-Rashid came forward
and said, “O young man, thou hast honoured us and favoured us and
entreated us with such kindness as other than thyself could never do nor
can any requite us with the like; withal there remaineth a somewhat in
my heart”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would
relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?” Now
when it was the next night and that was
The Six Hundred and Thirty-sixth Night,