and he quivered as quivereth the fowl with cut throat,[230] and he
came not to himself save when the sun had arisen arraying the
lowlands with its rays. Then he waxed wood and sat with eyes at the
ground, a-gazing and not accosting anyone nor answering aught, and
lastly he took to his pillow. These tidings presently reached the
King his father, who accompanied by the Lords of his land came to
him and after greeting him said, “O my son, whom I would ransom with
my life, what contagion hath come upon thee of disease, and whereof
dost thou complain?” Quoth he, “O my father, the air hath struck me
and hath cut my joints,”[231] and quoth his father, “O my son,
Almighty Allah vouchsafe ease thee of this thy disease.” Then the
King mounted and went forth from him, and sent a leach which was a
Jew[232] of wits penetrating and sagacious. The man went in to him,
and sitting beside him felt his joints and asked him of his case;
but he held his peace nor would return aught of reply. So the
Israelite knew that he was a lover and in the depths of love
bedrowned; accordingly he left him and told the King that the Prince
had no complaint save that he was a hot amourist and distraught of
vitals. Hereupon his mother came to Yusuf and said, “O my son, fear
Almighty Allah for thy soul, and have some regard for thy wives and
concubines and yield not to thy passions which will mislead thee
from the path of Allah.” But he deigned not answer her. In this
condition he remained until three days sped, taking no taste of meat
or drink, nor finding pleasure in any stead, nor aught of rest
a-bed. Presently he bade summon a Mameluke of the Mamelukes Hilál
hight, and asked him, “O Hilal, say me wilt thou be my companion in
travel?” whereto the other answered, “Yea, verily, O my lord, to
hear is to obey thee in all thou devisest and desirest.” Hereupon
the Prince bade him saddle a steed of the purest blood, whose name
was “_The-Bull-aye-ready-and-for-Battle-day-steady_,”[233] a beast
which was a bye-word amongst the folk. The Prince waited until the
first third of the night had gone by when he mounted the courser and
placed Hilal his Mameluke upon the crupper, and they cut once more
the wilds and the wastes until they sighted hard-by the river
Al-Kawa’ib and the Castle of Al-Hayfa rising from its waters.
Hereupon Yusuf fell to the ground in a swoon, and he when he
recovered said to Hilal, “Do thou ungirth the horse’s saddle and
hide it within the cave amid the rocks;” and the Mameluke did as he
was bidden and returned to him. Herewith Prince Yusuf turband’d
himself with his clothes and those of his man, and backing the horse
bade Hilal hang on by its tail, then the beast breasted the stream
and ceased not swimming with them until it reached the farther side.
There Yusuf dismounted and knocked at the door when a confidential
handmaid established in the good graces of her mistress,[234] came
down and threw it open, after which she embraced him and kissed his
hands and his breast and his brow between the eyes. Then she ran up
and informed thereof her lady who with wits bedazed for excess of
joy hurried down to him and threw her arms round his neck, and he
threw his arms round hers, and she clasped him to her bosom, and he
clasped her to his, and he kissed her and she kissed him, and they
exchanged accolades, after which they both of them fell fainting to
the floor until the women who stood by thought that they had been
reaped by Death, and that their latest hour had been doomed. But
when they recovered from their swoon they complained and wept, each
lamenting to other the pains of parting, and lastly she asked him
concerning Hilal, and he answered, “This is a Mameluke of the number
of my Mamelukes.” So she marvelled how two men had come upon one
horse,[235] and quoth she to him, “O Yusuf, thou hast indeed
tortured me with thine absence;” and quoth he to her, “By Allah (and
beside Him God there is none!) my hand never touched or woman or
aught of feminine kind or of she-Jinn or Jinn kind, but in me desire
for thee ever surged up, and wake and in vitals a fiery ache.” Then
the Princess bade her handmaids wend with Hilal in a body to the
garden, and when they obeyed her bidding she arose and walked forth
with Yusuf.——And Shahrazad was surprised by dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, “How sweet and tasteful 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 Eighty-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 walked forth with Yusuf and led him to
the saloon of session where they passed their day in privacy, he and
she, and right joyous was the joy of them twain. After this the Prince
abode with her thirty full-told days in merriment prime and pleasure and
wine. But when that time had elapsed, she said to him, “O light of my
eyes, do thou arise and go up with me to the highmost post of the Palace
that we may look upon this flow of stream and command a view of these
mounts and mountains and these wilds and valleys wherein wander the
gazelles.” Thereupon the twain fared together and solaced themselves
with the spectacle of the antelopes browsing on the desert growth, when
quoth Al-Hayfa, “Ah, O my lord, would I had for captive one of these
herding roes to keep beside me in the Palace,” and quoth he, “By the
rights of thine eyes, and the night of their pupils, I indeed will fill
the place with them.” Hereupon he went forth from her in haste, albeit
she hung on to him and forbade him from that, and she invoked upon
herself a mighty strong invocation, yet would he not be stayed, but
taking his horse and saddling it he left his Mameluke Hilal in the
Castle and swam the stream upon his steed, and rode through the wold in
quest of the gazelles. He ceased not chasing them till he had taken
three,[236] which he tied fast and slung upon his courser and rode back
until he had reached the river-bank, and Al-Hayfa sat looking at him as
he pounced upon and snatched up the roes from his courser’s back like a
lion and she wondered with extreme wonderment. But when he had made sure
of his place on the water-side and purposed returning to the palace, lo
and behold! he saw a batel[237] manned by sundry men coming towards him
down-stream from the direction of his capital. Now Al-Hayfa, who was in
her bower, expected the craft to be sent, bearing rarities and presents,
by her sire King Al-Mihrjan; and Yusuf, when he looked upon its
approach, was certified that it came from her father. So he delayed
going down to the river till he had seen what action might be taken by
the batel, but when the Princess sighted it she made sure of its coming
from her sire, so she bade bring paper for note and a pen of brass
wrought wherewith she wrote in verse and lastly indited to Yusuf these
couplets:
“O my need, thou hast left me a-field to fare ✿ When come is a craft
which our men doth bear:
I deem she be sent by Al-Mihrján ✿ And it bringeth of provaunt a goodly
share:
So loiter a little, then back to us ✿ And obey my bidding, O Beauty
rare.”[238]
Then she made fast the paper to a shaft and setting it upon a bow-handle
drew the string aiming high in air, and the arrow fell between the feet
of the Prince, who seeing it took it up and read the writ and
comprehended its meaning and full significance. So he hung back and he
turned to wandering amongst the mountains, but anon he said in himself,
“There is no help but that I discover this matter.” Then he dismounted
from his steed and stabled it in a cave hard-by, and having loosed the
antelopes he propped himself against a rock and fell to gazing upon the
batel, which ceased not floating down until it made fast at the Palace
gate. Hereupon there issued from it a youth, singular of comeliness,
whom Al-Hayfa greeted and embraced, and forthright led within her
Palace. Presently came forth from the batel the four pages that were
therein, and amongst them was a man hight Mohammed ibn Ibráhím, one of
the King’s cup-companions, whereas the youth she had embraced was her
cousin, named Sahlúb, the son of her maternal aunt. But when Yusuf
looked upon this lover-like reception, his wits were wildered and the
sparks started from his eyes, and he deprecated and waxed care-full and
indeed he was like one Jinn-mad, and he cried, “Walláhi, I will stay
away from them this night and see whatso they do.” Now Al-Hayfa had left
her trusty handmaid at the Palace gate, saying to her, “Tarry here
alone: haply Yusuf shall return during the dark hours, when do thou open
to him the door.” Then she returned to her guests and bade serve the
table of wine and seated Sahlub and Ibn Ibrahim, and took seat between
them after she had hidden the Mameluke Hilal in a closet and she had
disposed of the pages about the Palace-sides. Then they fell to drinking
wine. Such was the case with these; but as regards Yusuf, he took
patience until the dark hours drew near, when he swam the stream and he
came forth it to the Palace-door, at which he knocked a light knock.
Hereupon the porter-handmaiden opened to him and he accosted her and
questioned her concerning her lady, and was told that she was sitting
with her cousin and the prime favourite and cup-companion of her sire.
So quoth he to the girl, “Say me, canst thou place me in some commanding
place that I may look upon them?” and she did accordingly, choosing a
site whence he might spy them without being espied. He gazed at them as
one distraught, while Al-Hayfa engaged them in converse and improvised
verse to them; and this was so distressful to him that at last he asked
the slave-girl, “Say me, hast thou by thee ink-case and paper?”——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 Eighty-sixth 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 took from the handmaid the pen
case and paper, and waxing void of sense through jealousy, fell to
writing the following couplets:—
“Indeed I deemed you of memory true ✿ And our hearts as one that had
once been two;
But I found to my sorrow you kept no pact: ✿ This much and you fain of
unfaith I view.
Ill eye ne’er looketh on aught but love ✿ Save when the lover is hater
too.
You now to another than us incline ✿ And leave us and homeward path
pursue;
And if such doings you dare gainsay, ✿ I can summon witness convicting
you;
To the Lion, wild dogs from the fount shall drive ✿ And shall drink
themselves, is none honour due.
That I’m not of those who a portion take ✿ In love, O Moslems, I know ye
knew.”
This done, he folded the paper and gave it to the slave-girl crying,
“Say me, dost thou know where be Hilal?” and as she replied “Yes,” he
told her to fetch him. So she went and brought him, and when he came his
lord dismissed the girl on some pretext; then he opened the Castle-door
and turband’d himself with his gear and that of his Mameluke, and the
twain went down to the river and swam the stream until they reached the
other side. When they stood on terra firma, the Prince found his horse
and saddled and mounted him, taking Hilal upon the crupper, and rode
forth to his own country. Such was the case with Yusuf; but as regards
Al-Hayfa, when she awoke a-morn, she asked of her lover and her handmaid
handed to her the letter; so she took it and read it and mastered its
meaning and significance, after which she wept with excessive weeping
until she fainted and the blood issued from her eyes. Presently she came
to herself and dismissed Sahlub and his companions; then she said to Ibn
Ibrahim, “Rise thou and depart our presence; haply some wight may come
to us and swim the stream and pass into the Palace.” But Ibn Ibrahim
remained behind while Sahlub departed with those about him; and when
they had left the company, Al-Hayfa asked, “O Ibn Ibrahim, say me, canst
thou keep my secret and my being fascinate[239] by love?” and he
answered, “Yea, verily, O my lady, how should I not conceal it for thee,
when thou art my mistress and princess and the daughter of my master,
even though I keep it inside mine eyes?” So she continued, “O Ibn
Ibrahim, there came to me a youth named the Veiled Yusuf of Beauty, son
of King Sahl, Sovran of Sind; and I waxed enamoured of him and he waxed
enamoured of me, and he abode with me two score of days. One day of the
days, quoth I to him:—Come up with me to the Palace-roof that we may
gaze upon the view, when we saw from its height a herd of gazelles, and
I cried:—Ah that I had one of these! Hereat said he, By Allah, and by
the life of thine eyes and by the blackness of their pupils, I will in
very deed fill thy Palace therewith; and with such words he went forth
and saddled his steed and swam the river to the further side, where he
rode down three roes within sight of me. Then I looked city-ward up
stream and saw a batel cleaving the waters, whereby I knew that my
father had sent me somewhat therein; so I wrote to the Prince and shot
the paper bound to a shaft and bade him hide away from your faces until
ye should have departed. So he concealed himself within a cave where he
tethered his horse, then he sought tidings of me, and seeing my cousin
Sahlub, he was seized by jealousy. So he lingered till yesternight, when
he again swam the stream and came to the Palace where I had posted
Rádih, the handmaid, bidding her take seat beside the door lest haply he
should enter; and presently she opened to him and he sought a place
commanding a sight of us, and he saw me sitting with you twain, and both
of you were carousing over your wine. Now this was sore to him; so he
wrote to me yonder note, and taking his Mameluke with him, fared forth
to his own folk; and my desire is that you hie to him.”[240]——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 Eighty-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 quoth Al-Hayfa to Ibn Ibrahim, “I devise that
thou hie to Yusuf with this letter;” whereto quoth he, “Hearkening is
obedience: I will, however, take this thy writ and wend with it first to
my own folk, after which I will mount my horse and fare to find him.” So
she largessed him with an hundred gold pieces and entrusted to him the
paper which contained the following purport in these couplets:—
“What state of heart be this no ruth can hoard? ✿ And harm a wretch to
whom none aid accord,
But sobs and singulfs, clouds that rain with tears ✿ And seas aye
flowing and with gore outpour’d;
And flames that rage in vitals sickness-burnt ✿ The while in heart-core
I enfold them stor’d.
Yet will I hearten heart with thee, O aim! ✿ O Ravisher, O Moslems’ bane
ador’d:
Ne’er did I look for parting but ’twas doomed ✿ By God Almighty of all
the lords the Lord.”
Then Mohammed Ibn Ibrahim took the paper and Al-Hayfa said to him, “Ho
thou! Inform none that thou wast sitting beside me on that night.” Then
he went forth until he drew near his folk and there he mounted a
she-dromedary and pushed her pace until he arrived at the capital of
Sind. He asked for the son of the King; and when they had directed him
thereto he entered and found the Prince in privacy; so he kissed hands
and gave him the writ which he took and opened and read. But when he had
comprehended its object and purport, he turned and returned it with
stern regards until he had well nigh torn it to tatters. Then he threw
it to Ibn Ibrahim who said to him, “O lord of the Time and the Tide,
’tis not on this wise that the sons of the Kings cast away an address
without returning aught of reply.” Quoth he, “There is no response from
me,” and quoth Ibn Ibrahim, “O King of the Age, pity that thou mayest be
pitied!”[241] Hereupon the Prince called for pen-case and paper of note
and pen of brass wrought[242] and wrote in reply to her poetry the
following couplets:—
“Al-Hayfá with verses a-tip of tongue ✿ Comes suing mercy for love so
strong:
She hath no mercy fro’ me, but still ✿ She pleadeth a plea that our love
was long:
She falsed, turned face, doubted, recked her naught ✿ And her hard false
heart wrought me traitor’s wrong:
Were my heart now changèd her love to woo ✿ She with quick despisal my
heart had stung:
Were my eyne to eye her, she’d pluck them out ✿ With tip of fingers
before the throng:
Soft and tranquil life for her term she seeks ✿ While with hardness and
harshness our souls are wrung.”
Then Yusuf folded the paper and handed it to Ibn Ibrahim and ordered him
a robe of honour and an hundred dinars. So he took them and rode forth
until he drew near the Palace of Al-Hayfa, when he tethered his
dromedary and hid her in a cave whose mouth he walled with stones. Then
he went down to the river and swam it till he reached the other side;
and entering into the presence of Al-Hayfa he drew forth the paper and
committed it to her. But she, after perusing it, wept with sore weeping
and groaned until she swooned away for excess of tears and for the
stress of what had befallen her. Such was the effect of what she had
read in the letter, and she knew not what might be the issue of all this
affair and she was perplext as one drunken without wine. But when she
recovered she called for pen-case and paper, and she wrote these
improvised couplets:—
“O Lord of folk, in our age alone ✿ And O Raper of hearts from the bonny
and boon:
I have sent to thee ’plaining of Love’s hard works ✿ And my plaint had
softened the hardest stone:
Thou art silent all of my need in love ✿ And with shafts of contempt
left me prone and strown.”
And after she had ended writing she folded her note and gave it to Ibn
Ibrahim who took it, and cried to his slaves, “Saddle my she-dromedary,”
after which he mounted and fared until he had made the city of Sind.
Then he repaired to Yusuf and after greetings handed the letter to him,
but the Prince after perusing it[243] threw it in his face, and
presently rose and would have left him. But Ibn Ibrahim followed him and
heard him say to his pages, “Send him back without beating him,” and
they did accordingly, after forbidding him the place. So he again
bestrode his she-camel and ceased not pushing on till he arrived at the
Palace of Al-Hayfa where he presented himself in her presence.[244] But
when he handed to her the writ she found it was that very same she had
sent to the Prince, so she wept and sorrow was sore upon her and
presently she cried, “O Ibn Ibrahim! what’s to do?” He replied, “When I
delivered thy writ to him, he brake its seal and read it and threw it in
my face: then he rose in wrath from beside me, and as I followed he bade
his slaves and pages drive me away, adding:—I have for her nor answer
nor address; and this was all he did.” When the Princess heard his
words, she felt the matter to be grievous, and she wept unknowing how
she should act, and fainted for awhile, and when she recovered she said,
“O Ibn Ibrahim, what is this affair and on what wise shall I behave? Do
thou advise me in my case; and haply joy shall come to me from thy hand,
for that thou be a Counsellor of the Kings and their boon-companion.” “O
my lady,” he replied, “do thou not cut off thy tidings from him and
haply shall Almighty Allah change his heart from case to case and
peradventure insistance overcometh hindrance.”[245] Quoth she, “Had he
sent me a reply I had been rightly directed as to what I should write,
but now I wot not what to indite, and if this condition long endure I
shall die.” “Address him again,” answered he, “and I will fare back once
more and fain would I ransom thee with my life, nor will I return
without a reply.”——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 Eighty-ninth 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 Ibn Ibrahim said to Al-Hayfa, “Do thou write to
him and there is no help but that I return to thee with a reply, albe
life depart from me.” Then she asked for pen-case and paper and thereon
indited the following couplets:—
“Ah would thou knew what I of parting dree ✿ When all my hiddens show
for man to see;
Passion and longing, pine and lowe o’ love ✿ Descend surchargèd on the
head of me:
God help the days that sped as branches lopt ✿ I spent in Garden of
Eternity.[246]
And I of you make much and of your love ✿ By rights of you, while
dearest dear be ye:[247]
May Allah save you, parted though we be, ✿ While bide I parted all
unwillingly:
Then, O my lord, an come thou not right soon ✿ The tomb shall home me
for the love of thee.”
And when she had written her reply, she largessed Ibn Ibrahim with an
hundred dinars, after which he returned[248] to the capital of Sind,
where he found Yusuf issuing forth to hunt; so he handed to him the
letter, and the Prince returning citywards set apart for him a fair
apartment and spent the livelong night asking anent Al-Hayfa. And when
it was morning he called for pen-case and paper whereupon he wrote these
improvised couplets:—
“You dealt to us a slender dole our love mote satisfy, ✿ Yet nor my
gratitude therefor nor laud of me shalt gain:
I’m none of those console their hearts by couplets or by verse ✿ For
breach of inner faith by one who liefly breaks the chain:
When so it fortunes she I love a partner gives to me ✿ I wone in single
bliss and let my lover love again:
Take, then, what youth your soul desires; with him forgather, for ✿ I
aim not at your inner gifts nor woo your charms I deign:
You set for me a mighty check of parting and ill-will ✿ In public
fashion and a-morn you dealt me bale and bane:
Such deed is yours and ne’er shall it, by Allah satisfy ✿ A boy, a slave
of Allah’s slaves who still to slave is fain.”
Then Prince Yusuf robed Ibn Ibrahim in a robe of green; and giving him
an hundred gold pieces, entrusted him with the letter which he carried
to Al-Hayfa and handed it to her. She brake the seal and read it and
considered its contents, whereupon she wept with sore weeping which
ended in her shrieking aloud; and after she abode perplext as to her
affair and for a time she found no sweetness in meat and drink nor was
sleep pleasant to her for the stress of her love-longing to Yusuf. Also
her nature tempted her to cast herself headlong from the terrace of the
Palace; but Ibn Ibrahim forbade her saying, “Do thou write to him
replies, time after time; haply shall his heart be turned and he will
return unto thee.” So she again called for writing materials and indited
these couplets, which came from the very core of her heart:—
“Thou art homed in a heart nothing else shall invade; ✿ Save thy love
and thyself naught shall stay in such stead;
O thou, whose brilliancy lights his brow, ✿ Shaped like sandhill-tree
with his locks for shade,
Forbid Heaven my like to aught else incline ✿ Save you whose beauties
none like display’d:
Art thou no amongst mortals a starless moon ✿ O beauty the dazzle of day
hath array’d?”
These she committed[249] to Ibn Ibrahim who rode again on his route and
forgathered with Prince Yusuf and gave him the letter, whose contents
were grievous to him; so he took writing materials and returned a reply
in the following verses:—
“Cease then to carry missives others write, ✿ O Son of Ibrahim, shun
silly plight:
I’m healed of longing for your land and I ✿ Those days forget and
daysters lost to sight:
Let then Al-Hayfá learn from me I love ✿ Distance from her and furthest
earthly site.
No good in loving when a rival shows ✿ E’en tho’ ’twere victual shared
by other wight;
These modes and fashions never mind arride ✿ Save him unknowing of his
requisite.”