forth from the entrance which stood at the head of the Great Hall and
proceeded to a square of large space abounding in trees and enjoyable
for rills; and they surrounded it with a fencing-wall built of rough
stone which they stuccoed over and figured with various paintings. Then
they planted this garden with all manner fruit-bearing trees and
fragrant herbs and flowers and firstlings of every kind and hue and they
trained the branches after a wonderful fashion, leading under their
shade leats and runnels of cool water; and the boughs were cunningly
dispread so as to veil the ground which was planted with grains of
divers sorts and greens and all of vegetation that serveth for the food
of man. Also they provided it with a watering wheel whose well was
revetted with alabaster[190]——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 Sixty-seventh 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 Architects set up in that palace-garden a
water-wheel whose well was revetted with alabaster and whose wood-work
and wheel were of chaunders-wood, whilst its pitchers were of fine
porcelain and its cordage[191] was of raw silk. And when they were free
of this work they edified amongst the scented shrubs and blossoms a
towering dome based upon four-square walls of variegated marbles and
alabasters studded with carbuncles[192] and its ceiling was supported
upon columns of the finest stone with joinery of lign-aloes and sandal,
and they dubbed its cupola with jewels and precious stones and
arabesque’d[193] it with gold and silver. Then they made therein four
saloons more, each fronting other, and at the head of one and all was a
latticed window impending over the bloomy shrubs and fragrant herbs; the
colonnettes of those casements were silvern whilst the shutters were of
sandal-wood plated and studded with precious metals; and over the
lintels thereof was an ornamental frieze of gold inscribed with lines of
verse which shall be described in its due place. And they inlaid that
frieze with rubies and jacinths until it made the cupola resemble the
domes of Paradise. Moreover they trained the flowering shrubs and the
perfumed herbs to overrun with their tendrils the casements in the drum
of the dome, and when they had completed the work and had embellished it
with all adornments they pierced for it an entrance and ranged around it
three ramparts which, built up with large stones, were in breadth seven
cubits. Then they edified for the Palace an impregnable gateway of
Chinese steel whereunto led flights of alabastrine steps which were
continued to the highmost parts, and lastly they derived the river
Al-Kawa’ib till it surrounded the edifice on every side and encircled it
as signet-ring girdeth finger or wristlet wrist. Now when the Architects
and Master-masons had made an end of building the Palace and its domes
and had finished laying out and planting the parterres, they went in to
King Al-Mihrjan and kissing ground between his hands informed him
thereof; and he, receiving this report, at once took his daughter,
Al-Hayfa, and mounting horse, he and the Lords of his land rode forth
till they reached the river Al-Kawa’ib which ran at three days’ distance
from his capital. When he arrived there and looked upon the Palace and
its elevation in fortalice-form he was pleased therewith and so were all
of his suite and retinue; whereupon he went up to it and beholding the
ordinance and the ornamentation and the cupolas and the gardens and the
edification and embellishment of the whole, he sent for the Architects
and Master-masons and the artificers whom he thanked for their work, and
he bestowed upon them robes of honour and gifted and largessed them and
assigned to them rations and pay and allowances. So they kissed ground
before him and went their ways. Then King Al-Mihrjan and his host
withdrew within the Palace, and he bade serve up the trays of viands and
sumptuous food for a banquet, after which he and his abode three days in
eating and drinking and diversion and disport; and he gave robes of
honour to his Wazirs and Emirs and the Grandees of his kingdom, and in
fine issued orders for their departure. When they went forth from him,
he commanded to summon Al-Hayfa and her women with all their belongings;
and she, having made act of presence and having ascended to the Palace
and considered it with its beauty and artifice and ornamentation, was
pleased and rejoiced therein. The father abode with her three days, and
then farewelling her returned to his capital; and she on his departure
bade her slave-girls distribute the couches about the saloons placing in
each one a seat of ebony plated with glittering gold, whose legs were of
elephant’s ivory, and over one and all they reared canopies of silk and
brocade adorned with jewels and precious metals and bespread them with
mattresses and cushions and pillows, and over the floor of the palaces
they laid down carpets whereupon was orfrayed this couplet:—
“O Friend hereon seated be blythe and gay ✿ Unless hereto bound and
debarred of way.”[194]
Then they set upon them settees for seats whereupon were inscribed these
couplets:—
“O Seat, be thy beauty increased evermore; ✿ Fair fall thee with
happiness choice and meet;
An I fail in life through my slip and sin, ✿ To-morrow in Heav’n I’ll
give thee seat.”
Then[195] the attendants decorated the whole Palace until it became like
unto one of the Mansions of Heaven, and when the women had done her
bidding Al-Hayfa was much pleased, so she took one of the slave-girls by
the hand and walked with the rest of them around the Palace considering
its artifice and its embellishment, especially the paintings which
covered the walls; and they rejoiced thereat, marvelling at the cunning
decorations and they were grateful to the Architects who had builded and
presented all these representations. And when Al-Hayfa reached the
terrace-roof of the Palace she descended by its long flight of steps
which led to the river-side, and bidding the door be thrown open she
gazed upon the water which encircled it like ring around finger or
armlet round arm, and admired its breadth and its swiftness of
streaming; and she magnified the work and admired the gateway of steel
for its strength and power of defence and sued for pardon of Almighty
Allah.[196]——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 Seventieth 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 Al-Hayfa sued pardon of Allah the Great and took
refuge with the Almighty from Satan the Stoned, after which said she,
“There is no diverter to whatso is doomed by the Lord nor availeth aught
of solicitude against that commanded by the Omnipotent, the
All-puissant; and His power is upon me with His destiny and needs must
it come to pass.” Then she called for a pencase of gold and she wrote
for placing over the gateway of the Palace the following couplets:[197]—
Behold here’s a mansion like “Home of Delight” ✿ Whose sight heals the
sick and abates all blight:
Here are roe-like maidens with breasts high raised ✿ And with charms of
the straightest stature bedight:
Their eyes prey on the lion, the Desert’s lord, ✿ And sicken the
prostrate love-felled plight:
Whomso their glances shall thrust and pierce ✿ Naught e’er availeth
mediciner’s might:
Here Al-Hayfá scion of noble sire ✿ E’en craven and sinner doth fain
invite;
And here for the drunken wight there abide ✿ Five pardons[198] and
bittocks of bread to bite.
My desire is the maiden who joys in verse, ✿ All such I welcome with me
to alight,
And drain red wine in the garth a-morn ✿ Where beasts and birds all in
pairs unite;
Where rose and lily and eglantine ✿ And myrtle with scent morning-breeze
delight,
Orange bloom, gillyflower and chamomile ✿ With Jasmine and palm-bud, a
joyful site.
Whoso drinketh not may no luck be his ✿ Nor may folk declare him of
reason right!
Wine and song are ever the will of me ✿ But my morning wine lacks a
comrade-wight.
O who brightenest the Five[199] do thou rise and fetch ✿ By night for my
use olden wine and bright:
O thou reading this writ, prithee comprehend: ✿ Cross the stream I swear
thee by God’s All-might!
This is House of Honour may none gainsay: ✿ Cup-comrade shall be who
shall self invite;
For within these gates only women wone, ✿ So of men-folk here thou hast
naught to affright.”
When Al-Hayfa had finished her writing and what she had improvised of
verse and couplets, she bade close the entrance of the Palace and went
up, she and her women, to the higher apartments; and the while she was
drowned in thought and fell to saying, “Would Heaven I knew an this
mighty guard and ward will defend Al-Mihrjan and would I wot if this
fortalice will fend off Fate and what fain must be.” Then she enjoined
her women to high diet and the drinking of wine and listening to
intimate converse and the hearing of songs and musical instruments and
gladness and gaiety for a while of time; and she felt herself safe from
the shifts of chance and change. Such was her case but now we will
recount (Inshallah!) what further befel her.[200] In the land of Sind
was a King hight Sahl[201] and he was of the Monarchs of might, endowed
with puissance and prepotency and exalted degree, abounding in troops
and guards and overruling all that fair region. Now Allah (be He
extolled and exalted!) had vouchsafed him a son than whom was none in
his age fairer of semblance: beautiful exceedingly was he, with a face
brighter far than the full moon; and he was of tongue eloquent and of
pluck puissant, valorous, formidable. Also he was mighty fond of wine
mere and rare and of drinks in the morning air and of converse with the
fair and he delighted in mirth and merriment and he was assiduous in his
carousing which he would never forego during the watches of the night or
the wards of the day. Now for the abundance of his comeliness and the
brilliancy of his countenance, whenever he walked abroad in the capital
he would swathe his face with the Lithám,[202] lest wax madly enamoured
of him the woman-kind and all creation, wherefore he was named the
Veiled Yúsuf of Beauty. It chanced one night as he sat carousing with
his boon companions that the wine prevailed over him and he became
sprightly and frolicsome; so he went forth from the door of his cabinet
in a state of drink, understanding naught and knowing nothing of that he
did. He wandered about the rooms belonging to his father and there he
saw a damsel of the paternal concubines standing at the door of her
bower and his wine so mastered him that he went up to her and clasped
her to his bosom and threw her backwards upon the floor. She cried aloud
to the royal Eunuchs who stood there looking on at him, not one of them,
however, dared arrest him or even draw near him to free the girl, so he
had his will of her and abated her maidenhead after which he rose up
from off her and left her all bleeding[203] from his assault. Now this
slave-girl had been gifted to his sire and Yusuf left her to recover her
condition when he would have visited her again, but as soon as he had
returned to his apartment (and he not knowing what he had done) the
Eunuchs took the damsel (she bleeding as before) and carried her to King
Sahl who seeing her in such case exclaimed, “What man hath done this to
her?” Said they, “’Tis thy son Yusuf;” and he, when he heard the words
of his slaves, felt that this matter was hard upon him and sent to fetch
the Prince. They hastened to bring him, but amongst the Mamelukes was
one lovingly inclined to the youth who told him the whole tale and how
his father had bade the body-guards summon him to the presence. And when
Yusuf had heard the words of the Mameluke he arose in haste and
baldrick’d his blade and hending his spear in hand he went down to the
stables and saddled him a steed of the noblest blood and likeliest
strain; then he mounted and, taking with him a score of Mamelukes his
pages, he sallied forth with them through the city gate and rode on
unknowing what was concealed from him in the Secret Purpose.——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 Seventy-second 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 Prince Yusuf, son of King Sahl, went forth the
city all unknowing whither he should wend and to what part he should
turn, and he ceased not faring with his merry men for ten full-told
days, cutting across the wold and wild and the valley and the stone-clad
hill, and he was perplext as to his affair. But whilst he was still
journeying he came upon the river Al-Kawa’ib and he drew in sight of the
castle of Al-Hayfa, which stood amiddlemost that mighty stream with its
height and bulk and defensive strength. Hereupon quoth Yusuf to himself,
“By Allah, none founded this puissant fortalice in such power and
prepotency and forcefulness save for a mighty matter and a cause of much
consequence. Would Heaven I wot to whom this belongeth and who dwelleth
therein!” Then he applied his mind and had recourse to the knowledge of
his companions the Mamelukes and he commanded all his white slaves
alight upon the marge of the river for the purpose of rest, and when
they had reposed he asked them, “Who amongst you will go down to this
stream and will over-swim it and will visit the lord of the Castle and
bring us news of it and tidings of its ownership and discover for us the
man to whom it belongeth?” But as no one would return him a reply he
repeated his words without any answer and he, when he saw that, arose
forthright and doffed what he had upon him of dress, all save his shirt
only. Then he took his bow and quiver and placing his clothes with his
weapon and arrow-case upon his head he went down to the river and swam
it until he came forth it on the further side. Here he walked up to the
gateway and found an impregnable entrance all of steel which none might
avail to open, but when he saw the verses thereon inscribed and
understood their significance he gave himself joy and was certified of
entering. Then he took from his quiver a pen case and paper whereupon he
inscribed these couplets:—
“At your door, O Fountains of weal, I stand ✿ A stranger from home and
a-morning bann’d.
Your grace shall haply forfend my foe ✿ And the hateful band of
unfriends disband:
I have none resort save your gates, the which ✿ With verse like carcanet
see I spann’d:
Ibn Sahl hath ’spied with you safe repair, ✿ So for lonesome stranger
approach command!”
And when Yusuf had ended his writing, he folded the paper and made it
fast to a shaft; then he took his bow and arming it drew the string and
aimed the arrow at the upper terrace, where it dropped within the
parapet. Now, by the decree of The Decreer Al-Hayfa was walking there
with her women when the shaft fell between her feet and the paper became
manifest, so she caught sight of it and took it up and opened it, and
having read it understood its significance. Hereat she rejoiced and
congratulated herself and her cheeks flushed rosy-red, and presently she
went hastily in the direction of the entrance, whilst her women still
looked down from the terrace upon the doorway and saw Yusuf a-foot
before it. They cried out to their lady, “Verily there standeth below a
youth lovely in his youthfulness, with his face gladdening as the
crescent moon of Sha’abán.”[204] But when Al-Hayfa heard the words of
the women she was glad and gave herself joy and sensed an oppression of
pleasure, whilst her vitals palpitated and she perspired in her
petticoat trowsers.[205] Then she went down to the gateway which she
bade be thrown open, and seeing Prince Yusuf she smiled in his face and
welcomed him and greeted him. He returned her salam with sweetness of
phrase and softness of words, when said she to him, “Well come and
welcome and good cheer to thee, O thou who dost visit us and takest
refuge in our demesne[206] and in our presence, for that here thou hast
immunity and impunity and civility;” presently adding, “Enter into this
guarded stead and feel thou no fear from any foe, for thou has wrought
thy wish and hast attained thine aim and hast won thy will, O fair of
face and O perfect of form, O thou whose countenance excelleth the new
moon: here thou hast preserved thy life and art saved from foeman’s
strife.” Thereupon she mounted the staircase and he behind her, while
the slave-girls surrounded the twain, and she conversed with him and
cheered him with fair words and welcomed him once more till they had
entered the Castle saloon, when she took his hand and seated him at the
head of the hall. But as Yusuf looked upon the portalice and the beauty
of its building and the excellence of its ordinance and the high degree
of its decorations which made it like unto the Palaces of Paradise, and
as he beheld that furniture and those couches, with what was over them
of hangings, and the gems and jewels and precious metals which abounded
there, he magnified the matter in his mind and said to himself, “This
place belongeth to none save to a mighty monarch!” Then Al-Hayfa bade
her women bring a bundle of clothing, and when they had set it between
her hands, she opened it and drew forth a suit of Daylakian[207]
garments and a caftan of Coptick stuff (fine linen of Misraim purfled
with gold), and bestowed them upon him, and she bound around his head an
or-fringed Shásh[208] with either end gem-adorned. And when he donned
the dress his countenance became brilliant and its light shone afar, and
his cheeks waxed red as rose, and she seeing this felt her wits
bewildered and was like to faint. However, she soon recovered herself
and said, “This is no mortal: verily he is naught but of the Húrs of
Heaven.” Then she bade her women bring food——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 Seventy-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 Al-Hayfa bade her women bring the food trays,
and when they obeyed her bidding and placed them between the hands of
Yusuf, he considered them and saw that one was made of Yamání onyx and
another of red carnelian and a third of rock chrystal, and they bore
platters of gold and silver and porcelain and jasper. Upon them were
ranged dishes furnished with the daintiest food which perplexed the
wits, and sweetmeats and sumptuous meats, such as gazelle’s haunch and
venison and fatted mutton and flesh of birds, all the big and the small,
such as pigeon and rock-pigeon, and greens marinated and viands roasted
and fried of every kind and colour and cheeses and sugared dishes. Then
she seated Yusuf beside her and served him with all manner cates and
confections and conjured him to fall-to and morselled him until he had
eaten his sufficiency; after which they twain sat together in laughter
and enjoyment each conjoined to other and both cast in the mould of
beauty and loveliness and brilliancy and stature and symmetric grace as
though in the likeness of a rattan-palm. All this and Al-Hayfa rejoiced
in Yusuf, but ever and anon she took thought anent her sire King
Al-Mihrjan and his works and she kept saying in her mind, “Would Heaven
I wot will he wed me to this youth so charming of inner grace; and, if
my father be not satisfied therewith, I will marry my lover in despite
of him.” And the while Yusuf quoth to himself, “Would Heaven I wot how
my sire will act in the business of the concubine whose pucelage I did
away, and would Heaven I knew if he have ridden forth in search of me,
or he have lost sight of me and never asked of me.” On this wise either
of the twain spoke to themselves, and neither of them believed in
safety, all unknowing what was predestined to them by Him who saith to a
thing, “Be” and it becometh. So Al-Hayfa and Yusuf sat drowned in the
depths of thought, withal their joyance and enjoyment made them clean
forget that writ for them by Fate; and the Prince gazing upon the
greater tray saw graven upon its edge these couplets:—
“For the gathering of friends and familiars design’d ✿ Between hands of
Kings and Wazirs I’m shrin’d:
Upon me is whatever taste loves and joys ✿ Of flesh and viands all kinds
combin’d:
From me fill thee full of these cates and praise ✿ Thy Lord, the Maker
of all mankind.”
Then the attendants placed bread upon the trays, and the Prince found
writ in moulded letters upon the loaves the couplets that follow:—
“And a loaf new-born from the flour of wheat, ✿ White and piping hot
from the oven-heat:
Quoth to me my chider, Be wise and say ✿ Soothe my heart and blame not,
O friend I greet.”
Presently the handmaidens piled upon the trays platters of silver and
porcelain (whereof mention hath been made) containing all that lip and
tongue gratify of the meat of muttons in fry and Katá-grouse and
pigeon-poults and quails and things that fly of every kind and dye which
hungry men can long to espy, and Yusuf saw inscribed upon the china
dishes the following couplets:—
“Platters of china fair ✿ That all men’s eyne ensnare,
None seeth in this our town ✿ China of mould so rare.”
Then he looked upon the silver plate and found it graven with these
lines:—
“Plate worked in silver of the brightest white ✿ In height of beauty, O
thou joy to sight,
When fully finisht and when perfect made ✿ Becometh chargers peerless in
delight.”
And portrayed upon the porcelain were all that grow and fly of geese and
poultry. Anon a handmaid brought in hand a knife wherewith to carve the
meats, and Yusuf looking at the blade saw upon it letters gold-inlaid
and forming these verses:—
“I am blade of finest grain ✿ Wherefrom comes naught of bane:
Fro’ my friends all harm I ward ✿ And thy foes by me be slain!”