allkenning in whatso hath passed and preceded and preterlapsed of
the annals of folk),[91] that the Caliph (by whom I mean Harun
al-Rashid) was sitting on the throne of his kingdom one chance day
of the days which happened to be the fête of ’Arafát.[92] And as he
chanced to glance at Ja’afar the Barmaki, he said to him, “O Wazir,
I desire to disguise myself and go down from my palace into the
streets and wander about the highways of Baghdad that I may give
alms to the mesquin and miserable and solace myself with a sight of
the folk: so do thou hie with me nor let any know of our faring
forth.” “With love and good will,” quoth Ja’afar. So his lord arose
and passed from the audience-room into the inner palace where the
two donned disguise and made small their sleeves and breasts[93] and
issued forth to circle about the thoroughfares of Baghdad and her
market-streets, distributing charity to the poor and the paupers,
until the last of the day. And whilst so doing, the Commander of the
Faithful chanced to espy a woman seated at the head of a highway who
had extended the hand of beggary, showing at the same time her wrist
and crying, “Give me somewhat for the sake of Allah Almighty!”
Hereat he considered her nicely and saw that her palm and her wrist
were like whitest crystal and yet more brilliant in brightness. So
he wondered thereat, and presently pulling a dinar from his
breast-pocket he handed it to Ja’afar and said, “Bestow it upon
yonder woman.” The Minister took the ducat and leaving his lord went
up to her and placed it in her palm; and, when she closed her
fingers thereupon, she felt that the coin was bigger than a copper
or a silverling, so she looked thereat and saw that it was of gold.
Hereupon she called after Ja’afar who had passed onwards, saying,
“Ho, thou fair youth!” and when he came back to her she continued,
“The dinar wherewith thou hast gifted me, is it for Allah’s sake or
for other service?” Said he, “’Tis not from me, nay ’twas given by
yonder Youth who sent it through me.” “Ask him,” she rejoined, “and
tell me what may be his purport.” Ja’afar hied him back to the
Caliph and reported her words, whereat his lord commanded him, “Go
back and say thou to her ’tis for Almighty Allah’s sake.” The
Minister did his master’s bidding when she replied, “His reward be
upon the Almighty.” Then the Wazir returned and reported the woman’s
prayer to the Commander of the Faithful, who cried, “Hie thee to her
and enquire an she be married or virginal; and, if she be unwedded,
do thou ask her an she be willing to wive with me.”[94] So Ja’afar
fared to her and questioned her, whereat she answered, “A spinster.”
Quoth he, “The Youth who sent the dinar to thee desireth to mate
with thee;” and quoth she, “An he can pay me my dower and my money
down,[95] I will become his bride.” Hereat Ja’afar said in his
thought, “Whence can the Prince of True Believers find her dower and
her money down? Doubtless we shall have to ask a loan for him;”[96]
and presently he enquired of her what might be the amount of both.
Replied she, “As for the pin-money, this shall be the annual revenue
of Ispahán, and the income of Khorásán-city shall form the
settlement.” So Ja’afar wagged his head and going back to the
Commander of the Faithful repeated her terms; wherewith Harun was
satisfied and bespake him, “Hie thee to her and say:—He hath
accepted this and thou hast professed thyself contented.” Hearing
his words she rejoined, “What be his worth, yonder man, and how may
he attain unto such sum?” and he retorted, “Of a truth he is the
Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid.” When this reply reached
her ears she veiled her hands and feet crying, “To Allah be laud and
gratitude;” adding to Ja’afar, “An he be the Prince of True
Believers, I am satisfied therewith.” Accordingly the Wazir returned
to the Caliph and reported her consent, whereafter the twain
repaired homewards and the Caliph despatched to her a duenna and a
train of handmaidens who went and bore her to the Hammam within the
palace and bathed her. Then they brought her out and robed her in
sumptuous raiment, such as becometh the women of the Kings, and
ornaments and jewellery and what not: after which they led her to a
fine apartment which was set apart and private for her wherein also
were meat and drink and furniture, arras[97] and curtains and all
necessaries of such sort. In fine they fared to the Caliph and
apprized him of what they had done and he presently gave command to
summon the four Kazis who wrote her marriage-lines. When it was
night he paid her the first visit and taking seat opposite her he
asked, “Daughter of whom mayst thou be amongst the folk that thou
demandedst of me this dower?” “Allah advance in honour the Commander
of the Faithful,” answered she; “verily thy handmaid is of the seed
of Kisrà Anushirwán; but the shifts of time and tide brought me down
and low down.” Replied he, “They relate that thine ancestor, the
Chosroë, wronged his lieges with mighty sore wronging;”[98] and she
rejoined, “Wherefor and because of such tyranny over the folk hath
his seed come to beg their bread at the highway-heads.” Quoth he,
“They also make mention of him that in after-times he did justice to
such degree that he decided causes between birds and beasts;” and
quoth she, “Wherefor hath Allah exalted his posterity from the
highway-head and hath made them Harím to the Prince of True
Believers.” Hearing this the Caliph was wroth with mighty great
wrath[99] and sware that he would not go in unto her for a full told
year, and arising forthright went forth from her. But when the
twelvemonth had passed and the fête-day of Arafat came round again,
the Commander of the Faithful donned disguise and taking with him
Ja’afar and Masrúr the Eunuch, strolled out to wander about the
streets of Baghdad and her highways. And as they walked along, the
Caliph looked about him and beheld a booth wherein a man was turning
out Katífah-cakes[100] and he was pleased to admire his dexterity to
such degree that, returning to the Palace, he sent him one of his
Eunuchs with the message, “The Prince of True Believers requireth of
thee an hundred pancakes, and let each one of them, when filled and
folded, fit into the hollow of a man’s hand.” So the Castrato went
and gave the order as we have related and paid the price and, when
the pastrycook had made his requirement, he carried it away to the
presence. Then the Caliph took seat and bade bring sugar and
pistachios and all other such needs wherewith he fell to stuffing
the pancakes with his own hands and placing in each and every a
golden dinar. When this was done he despatched the same Eunuch to
Kisra’s daughter with the message, “This night the Commander of the
Faithful proposeth to visit thee, the year of his oath having
expired, and he sendeth to thee saying:—What is it thy heart
coveteth that he may forward it to thee?” The Castrato set forth
upon this errand and received for all reply, “Say him my heart
desireth naught, for that all I require is with me, nor is there
aught of deficiency.” Accordingly, he returned and repeated her
words to the Caliph who bade him fare forth again to her and say the
same to her a second time, whenas she, “Let him send me a thousand
dinars and a duenna in whom he confideth, so that I may disguise
myself and go down with her and distribute gold to the mean and the
mesquin.” Presently back came the slave bearing this reply, whereat
the Caliph ordered the moneys be sent to her and the woman required;
and the twain, Princess and duenna, went forth and threaded the
lanes of Baghdad and her great thoroughfares whilst the young lady
distributed her charity to the Fakirs and the paupers. But when all
the gold with her had been expended and naught of it remained, they
turned homewards making for the Palace; and, the day being sultry,
drowthiness befel the young lady. So she said to her companion, “O
mother mine, I am athirst and want a draught of water to drink;” and
said the other, “We will call aloud to the Water-carrier[101] who
shall give thee thy need.” Replied the Princess, “Drinking from the
Waterman’s jar will not be pleasant to my heart; nor will I touch
it, for ’tis like the whore[102] whereinto some man goeth every
hour: let the draught of water be from a private house and suffer
that it be given by way of kindness.” Hereupon the old woman looked
in front of her and saw a grand gateway with a door of sandalwood
over which a lamp hung by a silken cord[103] and a curtain was drawn
across it and it had two benches of marble, the whole under the
charge of a goodly concierge. Then quoth she, “From this house I
will ask a drink for thee.” So the two women went forward and stood
before the door and the duenna advancing rapped a light rap with the
ring, when behold, the entrance was opened and came forth a young
man in youthful favour fair and robed in raiments pure and rare and
said, “’Tis well!” Hereat the governante addressed him, “O my son,
indeed this my daughter is athirst and I crave of thy kindness that
thou give her a draught of water, seeing that she will not drink
from the Water-carrier.” He replied, “With love and goodwill;” and
going within brought out what was required and handed the cup to the
old woman. She took it and passed it on to her mistress and the
young lady turning her face to the wall raised her veil and drank
her sufficiency without showing a single feature.[104] After this
she returned the cup to the old woman who took it and handed it back
to the young man saying, “Allah requite thee with all of weal, O my
son!” whereto he replied, “Health to you and healing!”[105] And the
two went their way and returned to the Palace and entered therein.
On such wise fared it with these twain; but as regards the Caliph,
when he had finished filling the pancakes, he ranged them in a large
charger of porcelain; then, summoning the Eunuch he said to him,
“Take up this and carry it to the daughter of Kisra and say
her:—Here be the sweetmeats of peace, and let her know that I will
night with her this night.” The Castrato did his lord’s bidding; and
carrying the charger to the Princess’s apartment handed it to the
duenna and delivered the message, whereupon she blessed and prayed
for the Commander of the Faithful and the slave departed. Now he was
angry and disappointed for that he could not eat one pancake of them
all because they had become big by stuffing and he feared that if he
touched any thereof its place would show void. Presently it so befel
that the young lady said to the old woman, her governante, “Do thou
take up this charger and carry it to the youth who gave us the
draught of water with the intent that he may not claim an obligation
or have aught to desire of us.” Accordingly, the ancient dame took
the charger and walked off with it. But on her way she longed for a
Katifah and put forth her hand to one and took it up when she saw
that it left in the line of pancakes a gap big as a man’s palm.
Hereat she feared to touch it and replaced it saying, “’Twill be
known that I carried off one of them.” Then after returning the
pancake to its place, she passed on with the charger to the door of
that young man whom she suddenly sighted as he sat at the gateway.
She saluted him with the salam which he returned, and then said she,
“O my son, the young lady who drank the water hath sent thee all
these cates in acknowledgment for the draught thou gavest her to
drain.” Said he, “Set it down on the door-bench;” and, when she did
his bidding, he expressed his thanks to her and she ganged her gait.
Now as the youth still sat there, the Watchman of the Ward suddenly
stood before him blessing him and saying, “O my lord, this be
Arafat-day and to-night will be the Eve of the ’I´d, or Greater
Festival; so I hope from the beneficence of my master the
Chamberlain and Emir Alaeddin (whom Allah Almighty keep and
preserve!) that he will deign order me a largesse befitting the Fête
wherewith I may buy sweetmeats for my wife and children.” The other
replied, “Take this charger and wend thy ways therewith;” so the
Watchman kissed his hand and carrying it off went home and showed it
to his wife. But she cried, “O thou miserable,[106] whence gottest
thou this charger: hast thou wilfully stolen it or suddenly snatched
it?”[107] Replied her mate, “This be the property of the Emir
Alaeddin, the Chamberlain (whom Allah preserve!), and he gave it to
me as an alms-gift; so come hither all of you that we eat, for the
pancakes look toothsome.” Rejoined his wife, “Art thou Jinn-mad? Up
with thee and sell the charger and cates, for the worth must be some
thirty to forty dirhams which we will lay out for the benefit of the
little ones.” He retorted, “O woman, suffer us eat of this food
wherewith the Almighty would feed us;” but she fell to wailing and
crying out, “We will not taste thereof while the children lack caps
and slippers.”[108] And she prevailed over him with her opinion, for
indeed women are mostly the prevailers. So taking up the charger he
fared with it to the market-place and gave it for sale to a broker,
and the man began crying, “Who will buy this charger with whatso is
thereon?” Hereat up came the Shaykh of the Bazar who bid forty
dirhams therefor, and a second merchant raised its price to eighty,
when a third hent it in hand and turning it about espied graven upon
the edge, “Made by commandment of Harun al-Rashid, Commander of the
Faithful.” Hereat the trader’s wits fled him and he cried to the
broker, “Hast thou a will to work for my hanging in this matter of
the charger?” Quoth the other, “What may be the meaning of these
words?” and quoth the merchant, “This charger is the property of the
Prince of True Believers.” The broker, dying of dread, took the
charger and repaired therewith to the Palace of the Caliphate where
he craved leave to enter; and, when this was accorded, he went in
and kissed ground before the presence and blessed the Commander of
the Faithful and lastly showed to him the charger. But when the
Caliph looked at it and considered it carefully, he recognized it
with its contents, and he waxed wroth with exceeding wrath and said
in himself, “When I make aught for the eating of my household, shall
it be sent out and hawked about for sale?” adding to the broker,
“Who gave thee this charger?” “O my lord, ’twas the Watchman of one
of the wards,” replied he; and Harun rejoined, “Bring him to me
hither.” So they fared forth and fetched him bound in cords and
saying in his mind, “The whore would not suffer us eat of that was
in the charger and enjoy its sweetness, so this happened which hath
happened to us; we have eaten naught and have fallen into
misfortune.” But when they set him between the hands of the Caliph
the latter asked him, “Where haddest thou yon charger? say me sooth
or I will smite thy neck!” The Watchman answered, “Allah prolong the
life of our liege lord! verily as regards this charger it was given
to me by the Lord Alaeddin, the junior Chamberlain.” Hereat the
Prince of True Believers redoubled in rage and cried, “Bring me that
Emir with his turband in tatters, and drag him along on his face and
plunder his home.” Accordingly the magnates fared forth with their
pages; and, reaching the house, knocked at the door, when the owner
came out and, seeing the officials, asked, “What is to do?” “’Tis
against thee,” replied some of the Grandees, whereto the Chamberlain
rejoined, “Hearkening and obeying Allah and then the Commander of
the Faithful!” After this they bore him to the Palace of the
Caliphate and an Emir of them put forth his hand to the
Chamberlain’s coat and tare it and rent his turband adown his neck
saying, “O Alaeddin,[109] this is the behest of the Prince of True
Believers who hath enjoined that we do with thee on such wise and we
despoil thy house: yet there is bread and salt between us albe we
must do as we are bidden, for obedience to royal behest is of the
ways of good breeding.” Then they carried him into the presence of
the Caliph and he, after he was made to stand between the Sovran’s
hands, kissed ground and blessed Harun and said, “Allah give aidance
to our liege lord and have him in His holy keeping: what may be the
offence of thine humble slave that he hath merited such treatment as
this?” Harun raised his head and asked, “Say me, knowest thou yon
fellow?” and the other looked and seeing the guardian of the gates
corded and pinioned made answer, “Yes indeed, I know him and he is
the Watchman of our ward.” The Caliph resumed, “Whence came to thee
this charger?” and the Chamberlain replied, “Let the Commander of
the Faithful (to whom Almighty Allah vouchsafe furtherance!) learn
that I was sitting at home when there rapped a rap at the door; and
I, going forth to open, beheld an ancient dame who said to me:—O my
son, this my daughter is athirst and I beg thee of thy bounty to
give her a draught of water for she will not take drink from the
public Sakká. So I brought them out their requirement and they
satisfied themselves and went their ways. After an hour or so I came
forth and took seat by my house-door when behold, up came the old
woman bearing in hand yon charger and said:—O my son, the person to
whom thou suppliedest drink hath sent this to thee in requital for
that thou gavest her of water inasmuch as she is unwilling to be
under an obligation. Quoth I:—Set it down; when she placed it upon
the edge of the Mastabah-bench and left me. Thereupon suddenly came
up this Watchman and craved from me the Sweetmeat of the Festival,
whereto I answered:—Do thou take this charger and its contents
(whereof by the bye I had not tasted aught); and he did so and
departed. This is all I know and—The Peace.” Now when the Commander
of the Faithful heard this from the Chamberlain, his heart was
gladdened and he enquired, “O Alaeddin, what time the young lady
drank the draught of water didst thou see her face or not?” and the
Chamberlain replied in haste, “O Prince of True Believers, indeed I
did see it.” Hereat Harun was wroth with exceeding wrath and bade
summon the daughter of Kisra and when she came bade the twain be
beheaded saying, “Thou farest forth to do alms-deeds, and thou durst
display thy features to this fellow when thou drankest water at his
hand!” Hereat she turned her towards Alaeddin and replied, “Thou see
my face! Nay, this is but a lie that may work my death.” He
rejoined, “The Reed-pen wrote what ’twas bidden write![110] I
designed to say:—Verily I beheld naught of her and my tongue ran as
it did the sooner to end our appointed life-term.” Then having set
the twain upon the rug of blood the Sworder bound their hands and
tearing off a strip from their skirts bandaged their eyes,
whereafter he walked around them and said, “By leave of the
Commander of the Faithful;” and Harun cried, “Smite!” Then the
Headsman paced around them a second time saying, “By leave of the
Commander of the Faithful,” and Harun again cried, “Smite!” But when
the executioner did in like manner for the third and last time[111]
quoth he to Alaeddin, “Hast thou haply in heart aught of regret or
requirement that I may fulfil it to thee? Ask of me anything save
release, ere the Commander of the Faithful say the word and
forthright thy head fall before thy feet?” “I desire,” quoth the
Chamberlain, “that thou unbind this bandage from mine eyes so may I
look one latest look at the world and at my friends, after which do
thou work thy will.” The Sworder granted this and Alaeddin glanced
first to the right where he saw none to aidance dight, and then to
the left where he found all favour reft; and the spectators each and
every hung their heads groundwards for awe of the Caliph, nor did
any take upon himself to utter a kindly word. Whereupon the
Chamberlain cried out his loudest saying, “A counsel, O Commander of
the Faithful!” and Harun regarding him asked, “What is it thou
counsellest?” “A respite of three days’ space,” rejoined the
condemned, “when thou shalt see a marvel, indeed a miracle of
miracles;” and the Caliph retorted, “After the third day, an I see
not as thou sayest I will assuredly smite thy neck;” and bade them
bear him back to gaol. But when the appointed term ended, the Caliph
sprang up and in his impatience to see what would befal him donned a
dress distinctive of his new calling,[112] and thrusting his feet
into coarse shoon and high of heel[113] and binding about his brows
a honey-coloured turband[114] he hent in hand a pellet-bow[115] and
slung its case over his shoulders: he also took gold in pouch and
thus equipped he left the palace. Then, as he roamed about the lanes
of Baghdad and her highways, giving alms and saying in his mind,
“Haply may I sight the wonder which the Chamberlain Alaeddin
announced to me,” it befel about mid-forenoon (and he still walking)
that behold, a man came forth from the Kaysaríyah[116] or chief mart
of the merchants crying aloud, “This be a marvel, nay a miracle of
miracles.” So the Caliph questioned him saying, “What be this wonder
thou hast seen?” and he answered, “Within yon Kaysariyah is a woman
who reciteth the Koran even as it was brought down,[117] and albeit
she have not ceased declaiming from the hour of the dawn-prayer
until this time, yet hath none given her a single dirham: no, nor
even one mite;[118] and what strangeness can be stranger than this I
tell thee?” The Caliph, hearing his words entered the mart wherein
he descried an ancient dame sitting and reciting the Koran and she
had well nigh reached the end thereof. He was charmed with the
beauty of her lecture and stood there until she had finished it and
had blessed the by-standers, but when he glanced round he saw nobody
give her aught. So he thrust his hand into his pouch saying in his
mind, “Whatso[119] of coin remaineth in purse shall go to this
woman.” And he designed to gift her with the gold when suddenly the
old dame sprang from her seat and going to a merchant’s shop took
seat beside the man and said to him, “O my son, dost thou accept of
a fair young lady?” Said he, “Yea, verily,” and she continued, “Up
with thee and come that I show thee a thing whose like thou hast
never seen.” Now when the Caliph heard her words he said to himself,
“Look at yon foul old crone who playeth bawd when I held her to be a
devotee, a holy woman. Indeed I will not give her aught until I see
what work is wrought by these twain.” The trader then followed the
old woman to her home wherein both, youth and crone, entered and the
Caliph who pursued them also went in privily and took his station at
a stead whence he could see without being seen.[120] Then lo and
behold! the old trot called to her daughter who came forth from the
bower wherein she was, and the Caliph looking at this young lady
owned that he had never sighted amongst his women aught fairer than
this, a model of beauty and loveliness and brilliancy and perfect
face and stature of symmetric grace. Her eyes were black and their
sleepy lids and lashes were kohl’d with Babylonian witchery, and her
eyebrows were as bows ready to shoot the shafts of her killing
glances, and her nose was like unto the scymitar’s edge, and her
mouth for magical might resembled the signet-ring of Sulayman (upon
whom be The Peace!), and her lips were carnelians twain, and her
teeth union pearls and her mouth-dews sweeter than honey and more
cooling than the limpid fount; with breasts strutting from her bosom
in pomegranate-like rondure and waist delicate and hips of heavy
weight, and stomach soft to the touch as sendal with plait upon
plait, and she was one that excited the sprite and exalted man’s
sight even as said a certain poet in song of her like:—
Breeze-wavèd branch, full moon o’ murk or sun of undurn sheeny bright, ✿
Which is she hight who all the three hath might to place in pauper
plight, ah!
Where on the bending branch alight with grace of stature like to hers ✿
Tho’ be the branch by Zephyr deckt and in its ornaments bedight, ah!
And how can fellowèd be her brow with fullest moon that lights the darks
✿ When sun must borrow morning light from that fair forehead dazzling
bright, ah!
Were set in scales the fairest fair and balanced with a long compare ✿
Their boasts, thou haddest over-weight for beauty and their charms
were light, ah!