When it was the sixth day, the wrath of the Wazirs redoubled, because
they had not won their will of the youth and they feared for their lives
from the liege lord; so three of them went in to him and prostrating
themselves between his hands, said to him, “O king, indeed we are loyal
counsellors to thy dignity and fondly solicitous for thy weal. Verily,
thou persistest long in leaving this youth alive and we know not what is
thine advantage therein. Every day findeth him yet on life and the talk
of folk redoubleth suspicion on thee; so do thou do him dead, that the
talk may be made an end of.” When the king heard this speech, he said,
“By Allah, verily ye say sooth and speak rightly!” Then he bade them
bring the young treasurer and when he came into the presence said to
him, “How long shall I look into thy case, and find no helper for thee
and see them athirst for thy blood?” The youth answered, “O king, I hope
for succour only from Allah, not from created beings: an He aid me, none
shall have power to harm me, and if He be with me and on my side,
because of the truth, from whom shall I fear, because of untruth?
Indeed, I have made my intent with Allah a pure intent and a sincere,
and I have severed my expectation from the help of the creature; and
whoso seeketh aid of Allah findeth of his desire that which Bakhtzamán
found.” Quoth the king, “Who was Bakhtzaman and what is his story?” and
quoth the youth, “Hear, O king,
_THE STORY OF KING BAKHTZAMAN_.”[201]
There was once a king of the kings, whose name was Bakhtzaman, and he
was a great eater and drinker and carouser. Now enemies of his made
their appearance in certain parts of his realm, which they coveted; and
one of his friends said to him, “O king, the foe intendeth for thee: be
on thy guard against him.” Quoth Bakhtzaman, “I reck not of him, for
that I have weapons and wealth and warmen and am not afraid of aught.”
Then said his friends to him, “Ask aid of Allah, O king, for He will
help thee more than thy wealth and thy weapons and thy warriors.” But he
turned a deaf ear to the speech of his loyal counsellors, and presently
the enemy came upon him and waged war upon him and got the victory over
him and profited him naught his trust in other than Allah the Most High.
So he fled from him and seeking one of the sovrans, said to him, “I come
to thee and lay hold upon thy skirts and take refuge with thee, so thou
mayst help me against my foe.” The king gave him money and men and a
mighty many and Bakhtzaman said in himself, “Now am I fortified with
this force and needs must I conquer my foe with such combatants and
overcome him;” but he said not, “With the aid of Allah Almighty.” So his
enemy met him and overcame him again and he was defeated and put to the
rout and fled at random: his troops were dispersed from him and his
money lost and the enemy pursued him. Thereupon he sought the sea and
passing over to the other side, saw a great city and therein a mighty
citadel. He asked its name and that of its owner, and they said to him,
“It belongeth to Khadídán[202] the king.” So he fared on till he came to
the royal palace and concealing his condition, passed himself off for a
horseman[203] and sought service with King Khadidan, who attached him to
his attendance and entreated him with honour; but his heart still clung
to his mother-land and his home. Presently, it chanced that an enemy
came out against King Khadidan; so he sent his troops to meet him and
made Bakhtzaman head of the host. Then they went forth to the field and
Khadidan also came forth and ranged his troops and levelled lance and
sallied out in person and fought a sore fight and overcame his foe, who
with his troops ignominiously fled. When the king and his army returned
in triumph, Bakhtzaman said to him, “Harkye, O king! This be a strange
thing I see in thee that thou art compassed about with this mighty great
army, yet dost thou apply thyself in person to battle and adventurest
thy life.” Quoth the king, “Dost thou call thyself a knight and a
learned wight and deemest that victory is in the many of men?” Quoth
Bakhtzaman, “Such is indeed my belief.” And Khadidan the king cried, “By
Allah, then, thou errest in this thy belief!” presently adding, “Woe and
again woe to him whose trust is in other than Allah! Indeed, this army
is appointed only for phantasy and majesty, and victory is from Allah
alone. I too, O Bakhtzaman, whilome believed that victory was in the
number of men,[204] and an enemy came out against me with eight hundred
head, whilst I had eight hundred thousand. I trusted in the tale of my
troops, whilst my foe trusted in Allah, so he defeated me and routed me
and I was put to a shameful flight and hid myself in one of the
mountains, where I met with a Religious who had withdrawn himself from
the world. So I joined myself to him and complained to him of my case
and acquainted him with all that had befallen me. Quoth the Recluse,
Wottest thou why this befel thee and thou wast defeated? Quoth I, I know
not; and he said, Because thou didst put thy trust in the multitude of
thy warmen and reliedst not upon Allah the Most High. Hadst thou put thy
trust in the Almighty and believed of Him that it is He alone who
advantageth and endamageth thee, never had thy foe availed to cope with
thee. Return unto Allah. So I returned to my right senses, and repented
at the hands of that Religious, who said to me:—Turn back with what
remaineth to thee of troops and confront thy foes, for, if their intents
be changed and turned away from Allah, thou wilt overcome them, e’en
wert thou alone. When I heard the Solitary’s words, I put my trust in
Allah of All-Might; and, gathering together those who remained with me,
fell upon mine enemies at unawares in the night. They deemed us many and
fled with the shamefullest flight, whereupon I entered my city and
repossessed myself of my place by the might of Almighty Allah, and now I
fight not but trusting in His aid.” When Bakhtzaman heard these words he
awoke from his heedlessness and cried, “Extolled be the perfection of
God the Great! O king, this is my case and my story, nothing added and
naught subtracted, for I am King Bakhtzaman and all this happened to me:
wherefore I will seek the gate of Allah’s mercy and repent unto Him.” So
he went forth to one of the mountains and worshipped Allah there awhile,
till one night, as he slept, a personage appeared to him in a dream and
said to him, “O Bakhtzaman, Allah accepteth thy repentance and openeth
on thee the door of succour and will aid thee against thy foe.” When he
was assured of this in the dream, he arose and turned back, intending
for his own city; and when he drew near thereunto, he saw a company of
the king’s retainers, who said to him, “Whence art thou? We see that
thou art a foreigner and fear for thee from this king, for that every
stranger who entereth this city, he destroyeth him, of his dread of King
Bakhtzaman.” Said Bakhtzaman, “None shall prejudice him nor profit him
save Allah the Most High.” And they replied, “Indeed, he hath a vast
army and his heart is fortified in the multitude of his many.” When King
Bakhtzaman heard this, his mind was comforted and he said to himself, “I
place my trust in Allah. An He will, I shall overcome mine enemy by the
might of the Lord of Omnipotence.” So he said to the folk, “Wot ye not
who I am?” and they said, “No, by Allah.” Cried he, “I am King
Bakhtzaman.” When they heard this and knew that it was indeed he, they
dismounted from their horses and kissed his stirrup, to do him honour,
and said to him, “O king, why thus risk thy life?” Quoth he, “Indeed, my
life is a light matter to me and I set my trust in Almighty Allah,
looking to Him for protection.” And quoth they, “May that suffice thee!”
presently adding, “We will do with thee that which is in our power and
whereof thou art worthy: hearten thy heart, for we will succour thee
with our substance and our existence, and we are his chief officers and
the most in favour with him of all folk. So we will take thee with us
and cause the lieges follow after thee, because the inclination of the
people, all of them, is thee-wards.” Said he, “Do whatso Allah Almighty
enableth you to do.” So they carried him into the city and hid him with
them. Then they agreed with a company of the king’s chief officers, who
had aforetime been those of Bakhtzaman, and acquainted them with this;
whereat they rejoiced with joy exceeding. Then they assembled together
to Bakhtzaman, and made a covenant and handfast of fealty with him and
fell upon the foe and slew him and seated King Bakhtzaman again on the
throne of his kingship. And his affairs prospered and Allah amended his
estate and restored to him His bounty, and he ruled his subjects justly
and abode in the obedience of the Almighty. “On this wise, O king,”
(continued the young treasurer), “he with whom Allah is and whose intent
is pure, meeteth naught save good. As for me, I have no helper other
than the Almighty, and I am content to submit myself to His ordinance,
for that He knoweth the purity of my intent.” With this the king’s wrath
subsided and he said, “Return him to the prison till the morrow, so we
may look into his case.”
The Seventh Day.