trees and pluck the ripe fruits, when this young man slew him wrongously
and swerved from the road of righteousness; wherefore we demand of thee
the retribution of his crime and call upon thee to pass judgment upon
him, according to the commandment of Allah.” Then Omar cast a terrible
look at the accused youth and said to him, “Verily thou hearest the
complaint these two young men prefer; what hast thou in reply to aver?”
But he was brave of heart and bold of speech, having doffed the robe of
pusillanimity and put off the garb of cowardry; so he smiled and spake
in the most eloquent and elegant words; and, after paying the usual
ceremonial compliment to the Caliph, said, “By Allah, O Commander of the
Faithful, I have indeed given ear to their complaint, and they have told
the truth in that which they tell, so far as they have set out what
befel; and the commandment of Allah is a decreed decree.[146] But I will
forthright state my case between thy hands, and it is for thee to give
commands. Know then, O Prince of the Faithful, that I am a very Arab of
the Arabies,[147] the noblest of those that are beneath the skies. I
grew up in the dwellings of the wold and fell, till evil times my tribe
befel, when I came to the outskirts of this town, with my family and
whatso goods I own: and as I went along one of the paths leading to its
gardens, orchards and garths, with my she-camels highly esteemed and by
me most precious deemed, and midst them a stallion of noble blood and
shape right good, a plenteous getter of brood, by whom the females
abundantly bore and who walked among them as though a kingly crown he
wore, one of the she-camels broke away; and, running to the garden of
these young men’s father, where the trees showed above the wall, put
forth her lips and began to feed as in stall. I ran to her, to drive her
away, when behold, there appeared, at a breach of the wall, an old man
and grey, whose eyes sparkled with angry ray, holding in his right a
stone to throw and swaying to and fro, with a swing like a lion ready
for a spring. He cast the stone at my stallion, and it killed him for it
struck a vital part. When I saw the stallion drop dead beside me, I felt
live coals of anger kindled in my heart; so I took up the very same
stone and throwing it at the old man, it was the cause of his bane and
ban: thus his own wrongful act returned to him anew, and the man was
slain of that wherewith he slew. When the stone struck him, he cried out
with a great cry and shrieked out a terrible shriek, whereupon I
hastened from the spot; but these two young men hurried after me and
laid hands on me and before thee carried me.” Quoth Omar (Almighty Allah
accept of him!), “Thou hast confessed what thou committedest, and of
acquittal there is no possible occasion; for urgent is the law of
retaliation and they cried for mercy but it was not a time to
escape.”[148] The youth answered, “I hear and obey the judgment of the
Imam, and I consent to all required by the law of Al-Islam; but I have a
young brother, whose old father, before his decease, appointed to him
wealth in great store and gold galore, and committed his affair to me
before Allah, saying:—I give this into thy hand for thy brother; keep it
for him with all thy might. So I took the money and buried it; nor doth
any know of it but I. Now, if thou adjudge me to be justiced forthright,
the money will be lost and thou shalt be the cause of its loss;
wherefore the child will sue thee for his due on the day when the
Creator shall judge between His creatures. But, if thou wilt grant me
three days’ delay, I will appoint some guardian to administer the
affairs of the boy and return to answer my debt; and I have one who will
be my surety for the fulfilment of this my promise.” So the Commander of
the Faithful bowed his head awhile, then raised it and looking round
upon those present, said, “Who will stand surety by me for his return to
this place?” And the youth looked at the faces of those who were in
company and pointing to Abu Zarr,[149] in preference to all present,
said, “This man shall answer for me and be my bail.”——And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Ninety-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the youth
pointed to Abu Zarr and said, “This man shall answer for me and be my
bail,” Omar (Allah accept of him!) said, “O Abu Zarr, dost thou hear
these words and wilt thou be surety to me for the return of this youth?”
He answered, “Yes, O Commander of the Faithful, I will be surety for him
three days.” So the Caliph accepted his guarantee and let the young man
go. Now when the appointed time passed and the days of grace were nearly
or quite at end yet the youth came not, the Caliph took seat in his
council, with the Companions surrounding him, like the constellations
about the moon, Abu Zarr and the plaintiffs being also present; and the
avengers said, “Where is the defendant, O Abu Zarr, and how shall he
return, having once fled? But we will not stir from our places till thou
bring him to us, that we may take of him our blood-revenge.” Replied Abu
Zarr, “By the truth of the All-Wise King, if the three days of grace
expire and the young man return not, I will fulfil my warranty and
surrender my person to the Imam;” and added Omar (whom Allah accept!),
“By the Lord, if the young man appear not, I will assuredly execute on
Abu Zarr that which is prescribed by the law of Al-Islam!”[150]
Thereupon the eyes of the bystanders ran over with tears; those who
looked on groaned aloud and great was the clamour. Then the chiefs of
the Companions urged the plaintiffs to accept the blood-wit and deserve
the thanks of the folk; but they both refused and would accept nothing
save the talion. However, as the folk were swaying to and fro like waves
and loudly bemoaning Abu Zarr, behold, up came the young Badawi; and,
standing before the Imam, saluted him right courteously (with
sweat-beaded face and shining with the crescent’s grace) and said to
him, “I have given the lad in charge to his mother’s brothers and have
made them acquainted with all that pertaineth to his affairs and let
them into the secret of his monies; after which I braved the heats of
noon and have kept my word as a free-born man.” Thereupon the folk
marvelled, seeing his good faith and loyalty and his offering himself to
death with so stout a heart; and one said to him, “How noble a youth art
thou and how loyal to thy word of honour and thy devoir!” Rejoined he,
“Are ye not convinced that when death presenteth itself, none can escape
from it? And indeed, I have kept my word, that it be not said, Good
faith is gone from among mankind.” Said Abu Zarr, “By Allah, O Commander
of the Faithful, I became warrant for this young man, without knowing to
what tribe he belonged, nor had I seen him before that day; but, when he
turned away from all who were present and singled me out, saying:—This
man shall answer for me and be my bail, I thought it not right to refuse
him, and generosity forbade to disappoint his desire, there being no
harm in compliance therewith, that it be not bruited abroad, Benevolence
is gone from among mankind.” Then said the two young men, “O Commander
of the Faithful, we forgive this youth our father’s blood, seeing that
he hath changed desolation into cheerfulness; that it be not said,
Humanity is gone from among mankind.” So the Caliph rejoiced in the
acquittance of the youth and his truth and good faith; moreover, he
magnified the generosity of Abu Zarr, extolling it over all his
companions, and approved the resolve of the two young men for its
benevolence, giving them praise with thanks and applying to their case
the saying of the poet:—
Who doth kindness to men shall be paid again; ✿ Ne’er is kindness lost
betwixt God and men.
Then he offered to pay them, from the Treasury, the blood-wit for their
father; but they refused, saying, “We forgave him only of our desire
unto Allah,[151] the Bountiful, the Exalted; and he who is thus
intentioned followeth not his benefits with reproach or with
mischief.”[152] And amongst the tales they relate is that of
-----
Footnote 144:
P. N. of the tribe, often mentioned in The Nights.
Footnote 145:
Adnan, with whom Arab genealogy begins, is generally supposed to be
the eighth (Al-Tabari says the fortieth) descendant from Ishmael and
nine generations are placed between him and Fahr (Fihr) Kuraysh. The
Prophet cut all disputes short by saying, “Beyond Adnan none save
Allah wotteth and the genealogists lie” (Pilgrimage ii. 344). M. C. de
Perceval dates Adnan about B.C. 130.
Footnote 146:
Koran xxxiii., 38.
Footnote 147:
Arab. “Arab al-Arabá,” as before noticed (vol. i. 12) the pure and
genuine blood as opposed to the “Musta’aribah,” the “Muta’arribah,”
the “Mosarabians” and other Araboids; the first springing from Kahtan
(Yaktan?) and the others from Adnan. And note that “Arabi” = a man of
pure Arab race, either of the Desert or of the city, while A’arábi
applies only to the Desert man, the Badawi.
Footnote 148:
Koran xxxviii. 2, speaking of the Unbelievers (_i.e._ non-Moslems) who
are full of pride and contention.
Footnote 149:
One of the Asháb, or Companions of the Apostle, that is them who knew
him personally (Pilgrimage ii. 80, etc.). The Asháb al-Suffah
(Companions of the bench or sofa) were certain houseless Believers
lodged by the Prophet (Pilgrimage ii. 143).
Footnote 150:
Hence Omar is entitled “Al-Adil” = the Just. Readers will remember
that by Moslem law and usage murder and homicide are offences to be
punished by the family, not by society or its delegates. This system
reappears in civilisation under the denomination of “Lynch Law,” a
process infinitely distasteful to lawyers (whom it abolishes) and most
valuable when administered with due discretion.
Footnote 151:
Lane translates (ii. 592) “from a desire of seeing the face of God;”
but the general belief of Al-Islam is that the essence of Allah’s
corporeal form is different from man’s. The orthodox expect to “see
their Lord on Doom-day as they see the full moon” (a tradition). But
the Mu’atazilites deny with the existence of matter the corporeity of
Allah and hold that he will be seen only with the spiritual eyes,
_i.e._ of reason.
Footnote 152:
See Gesta Romanorum, Tale cviii., “of Constancy in adhering to
Promises,” founded on Damon and Pythias or, perhaps, upon the Arabic.
THE CALIPH AL-MAAMUN AND THE PYRAMIDS[153] OF EGYPT.
It is told that the Caliph-al-Maamun son of Harun al-Rashid, when he
entered the God-guarded city of Cairo, was minded to pull down the
Pyramids, that he might take what was therein; but, when he went about
to do this, he could not succeed, albeit his best was done. He expended
a mint of money in the attempt,——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Ninety-eighth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Al-Maamun
attempting to pull down the Pyramids, expended his mint of money, but
succeeded only in opening up a small tunnel in one of them, wherein it
is said he found treasure to the exact amount of the monies he had spent
in the works, neither more nor less; whereat he marvelled and taking
what he found there, desisted from his determination. Now the Pyramids
are three, and they are one of the Wonders of the World; nor is there on
the face of earth aught like them for height and fashion and
mysteries[154]; for they are built of huge rocks, and the builders
proceeded by piercing one block of stone and setting therein upright
rods of iron[155]; after which they pierced a second block of stone and
lowered it upon the first. Then they poured melted lead upon the clamps
and set the blocks in geometrical order, till the building was complete.
Now the height of each pyramid was an hundred cubits, of the normal
measure of the day, and it had four faces, each three hundred cubits
long from the base and thence battering upwards to a point. The ancients
say that, in the western Pyramid, are thirty chambers of parti-coloured
syenite, full of precious gems and treasures galore and rare images and
utensils and costly weapons which are anointed with egromantic unguents,
so that they may not rust till the day of Resurrection.[156] Therein,
also, are vessels of glass which bend and break not, containing various
kinds of compound drugs and sympathetic waters. In the second Pyramid
are the records of the priests, written on tablets of syenite, to each
priest his tablet, whereon are engraved the wonders of his craft and his
feats; and on the walls are human figures like idols, working with their
hands at all manner of mechanism and seated on stepped thrones.
Moreover, to each Pyramid there is a guardian treasurer who keepeth
watch over it and wardeth it, to all eternity, against the ravages of
time and the shifts of events; and indeed the marvels of these Pyramids
astound all who have sight and insight. Many are the poems that describe
them, thou shalt thereby profit no small matter, and among the rest,
quoth one of them:—
If Kings would see their high emprize preserved, ✿ ‘Twill be by tongues
of monuments they laid:
Seest not the Pyramids? These two endure ✿ Despite what change Time and
Chance have made.
And quoth another:—
Look on the Pyramids, and hear the twain ✿ Recount their annals of the
long-gone Past:
Could they but speak, high marvels had they told ✿ Of what Time did to
man from first to last.
And quoth a third:—
My friend I prithee tell me, ‘neath the sky ✿ Is aught with Egypt’s
Pyramids can compare?
Buildings which frighten Time, albe what dwells ✿ On back of earth in
fear of Time must fare:
If on their marvels rest my sight no more, ✿ Yet these I ever shall in
memory bear.
And quoth a fourth:—
Where is the man who built the Pyramids? ✿ What was his tribe, what day
and where his tomb?
The monuments survive the men who built ✿ Awhile, till overthrown by
touch of Doom.
And men also tell a tale of
-----
Footnote 153:
Arab. “Al-Ahrám,” a word of unknown provenance. It has been suggested
that the singular form (Haram), preceded by the Coptic article “Pi” (=
the) suggested to the Greeks “Pyramis.” But this word is still _sub
judice_ and every Egyptologist seems to propose his own derivation.
Brugsch (Egypt i. 72) makes it Greek, the Egyptian being “Abumir,”
while “pir-am-us” = the edge of the pyramid, the corners running from
base to apex. The great Egyptologist proves also what the Ancients
either ignored or forgot to mention, that each pyramid had its own
name.
Footnote 154:
Arab. “Ahkám,” in this matter supporting the “Pyramidologists.”
Footnote 155:
All imaginative.
Footnote 156:
It has always been my opinion founded upon considerations too long to
detail, that the larger Pyramids contain many unopened chambers. Dr.
Grant Bey of Cairo proposed boring through the blocks as Artesian
wells are driven. I cannot divine why Lane (ii. 592) chose to omit
this tale, which is founded on historic facts and interests us by
suggesting a comparison between Mediæval Moslem superstitions and
those of our xixth Century, which to our descendants will appear as
wild, if not as picturesque, as those of The Nights. The “inspired
British inch” and the building by Melchisedek (the Shaykh of some
petty Syrian village) will compare not unaptly with the enchanted
swords, flexible glass and guardian spirits. But the Pyramidennarren
is a race which will not speedily die out: it is based on Nature, the
Pyramids themselves.
THE THIEF AND THE MERCHANT.
There was once a thief who repented to Almighty Allah with sincere
penitence; so he opened himself a shop for the sale of stuffs, where he
continued to trade awhile. It so chanced one day that he locked his shop
and went home, and in the night there came to the bazar an artful thief
disguised in the habit of the merchant, and pulling out keys from his
sleeve, said to the watchman of the market, “Light me this wax-candle.”
The watchman took the taper and went to light it,——And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Ninety-ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the watchman took
the taper and went to light it, whilst the thief opened the shop and lit
another candle he had by him. When the watchman came back, he found him
seated in the shop, account-books in hand, and reckoning with his
fingers; nor did he cease to do thus till point of day, when he said to
the man, “Fetch me a camel-driver and his camel, to carry some goods for
me.” So the man fetched him a camel, and the thief took four bales[157]
of stuffs and gave them to the cameleer, who loaded them on his beast.
Then he gave the watchman two dirhams and went away after the
camel-driver, leaving the watchman believing him to be the owner of the
shop. Now when the morning dawned and day broke the merchant came and
the watchman began greeting him with blessings, because of the two
dirhams; but the shop-owner wondered at his words as one not knowing
what he meant. When he opened his shop, he saw the droppings of the wax
and the account book lying on the floor, and looking round, found four
bales of stuffs missing. So he asked the watchman what had happened and
he told him what had passed in the night and what had been said to the
cameleer, whereupon the merchant bade him fetch the man and asked him,
“Whither didst thou carry the stuffs this morning?” Answered the driver,
“To such a landing-place, and I stowed them on board such a vessel.”
Said the merchant, “Come with me thither;” so the camel-driver carried
him to the landing-place and said to him, “This be the barque and this
be her owner.” Quoth the merchant to the seaman, “Whither didst thou
carry the merchant and the stuff?” Answered the boat-master, “To such a
place, where he fetched a camel-driver and, setting the bales on the
camel, went his ways I know not whither.” “Fetch me the cameleer who
carried the goods,” said the merchant; so he fetched him and the
merchant said to him, “Whither didst thou carry the bales of stuffs from
the ship?” “To such a Khan,” answered he; and the merchant rejoined,
“Come thither with me and show it me.” So the camel-man went with him to
a place far distant from the shore and showed him the Khan where he had
set down the stuffs, and at the same time the false merchant’s magazine,
which he opened and found therein his four bales bound up as they had
been packed. The thief had laid his cloak over them; so the merchant
took the cloak as well as the bales and delivered them to the
camel-driver, who laid them on his camel; after which he locked the
magazine and went away with the cameleer. On the way, behold, he was
confronted by the thief who followed him, till he had shipped the bales,
when he said to him, “O my brother (Allah have thee in His holy
keeping!), thou hast indeed recovered thy goods and naught of them is
lost; so give me back my cloak.” The merchant laughed and, giving him
back his cloak, let him go unhindered; whereupon both went their ways.
And they tell a tale of
-----
Footnote 157:
Arab. “Rizm;” hence, through the Italian Risma our ream (= 20 quires
of paper, etc.), which our dictionaries derive from ἀριθμός (!) See
“frail” in Night dcccxxxviii.
MASRUR THE EUNUCH AND IBN AL-KARIBI.
The Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, was exceedingly restless
one night; so he said to his Wazir Ja’afar, “I am sleep-less to-night
and my breast is straitened and I know not what to do.” Now his castrato
Masrúr was standing before him, and he laughed; whereupon the Caliph
said “At whom laughest thou? is it to make mock of me or hath madness
seized thee?” Answered Masrur, “Nay, by Allah, O Commander of the
Faithful,”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
Now when it was the Four Hundredth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Harun al-Rashid
said to Masrur the Sworder, “Dost thou laugh to make mock of me or hath
madness seized thee?” Answered Masrur, “Nay, by Allah, O Commander of
the Faithful, I swear by thy kinship to the Prince of Apostles, I did it
not of my free will; but I went out yesterday to walk within sight of
the palace and, coming to the bank of the Tigris, saw there the folk
collected; so I stopped and found a man, Ibn al-Káribí hight, who was
making them laugh; but just now I recalled what he said, and laughter
got the better of me; and I crave pardon of thee, O Commander of the
Faithful!” Quoth the Caliph, “Bring him to me forthright;” so Masrur
repaired in all haste to Ibn al-Karibi and said to him, “Answer the
summons of the Commander of the Faithful,” whereto he replied, “I hear
and obey.” “But on condition,” added Masrur, “that, if he give thee
aught, thou shalt have a quarter and the rest shall be mine.” Replied
the droll, “Nay, thou shalt have half and I half.” Rejoined Masrur, “Not
so, I will have three-quarters.” Lastly said Ibn al-Karibi, “Thou shalt
have two-thirds and I the other third;” to which Masrur agreed, after
much higgling and haggling, and they returned to the palace together.
Now when Ibn al-Karibi came into the Caliph’s presence he saluted him as
men greet the Caliphate, and stood before him; whereupon said Al-Rashid
to him, “If thou do not make me laugh, I will give thee three blows with
this bag.” Quoth Ibn al-Karibi in his mind, “And a small matter were
blows with that bag, seeing that beating with whips hurteth me not;” for
he thought the bag was empty. Then he began to deal out his drolleries,
such as would make the dismallest jemmy guffaw, and gave vent to all
manner of buffooneries; but the Caliph laughed not neither smiled,
whereat Ibn al-Karibi marvelled and was chagrined and affrighted. Then
said the Commander of the Faithful, “Now hast thou earned the beating,”
and gave him a blow with the bag, wherein were four pebbles each two
rotols in weight. The blow fell on his neck and he gave a great cry,
then calling to mind his compact with Masrur, said, “Pardon, O Commander
of the Faithful! Hear two words from me.” Quoth the Caliph, “Say on,”
and quoth Ibn al-Karibi, “Masrur made it a condition with me and I a
covenant with him, that whatsoever largesse might come to me of the
bounties of the Commander of the Faithful, one-third thereof should be
mine and the rest his; nor did he agree to leave me so much as
one-third, save after much higgling and haggling. Now thou hast bestowed
on me nothing but beating; I have had my share and here standeth he,
ready to receive his portion; so pay him the two other blows.” Now when
the Caliph heard this, he laughed till he fell on his back; then calling
Masrur, he gave him a blow, whereat he cried out and said, “O Commander
of the Faithful, the one-third sufficeth me: give him the
two-thirds.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
Now when it was the Four Hundred and First Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Masrur cried out,
“O Commander of the Faithful! the one-third sufficeth me; give him the
two-thirds.” So the Caliph laughed at them and ordered them a thousand
dinars each, and they went away, rejoicing at the largesse. And of the
tales they tell is one of
THE DEVOTEE PRINCE.
The Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, had a son who, from the
time he attained the age of sixteen, renounced the world and walked in
the way[158] of ascetics and devotees. He was wont to go out to the
grave-yards and say, “Ye once ruled the world, but that saved you not
from death, and now are ye come to your sepulchres! Would Heaven I knew
what ye said and what is said to you!”[159] And he wept as one weepeth
who is troubled with fear and apprehension, and repeated the words of
the poet:—
Affright me funerals at every time; ✿ And wailing women grieve me to the
soul!