She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the maid-servant
went out to the man and asked him, “Come in; my lady hath a mind to buy
some of thy wares, after she hath tried them and looked at them.” The
man thought she spoke truly and, seeing no harm in this, entered and sat
down as she bade him; and she shut the door upon him. Whereupon her
mistress came out of her room and, taking him by the gaberdine,[476]
drew him within and said, “How long shall I seek union of thee? Verily
my patience is at an end on thine account. See now, the place is
perfumed and provision prepared and the householder is absent this
night, and I give to thee my person without reserve, I whose favours
kings and captains and men of fortune have sought this long while, but I
have regarded none of them.” And she went on talking thus to him, whilst
he raised not his eyes from the ground, for shame before Allah Almighty
and fear of the pains and penalties of His punishment; even as saith the
poet:—
‘Twixt me and riding many a noble dame, ✿ Was naught but shame which
kept me chaste and pure:
My shame was cure to her; but haply were ✿ Shame to depart, she ne’er
had known a cure.
The man strove to free himself from her, but could not; so he said to
her, “I want one thing of thee.” She asked, “What is that?”: and he
answered, “I wish for pure water and that I may carry it to the highest
place of thy house and do somewhat therewith and cleanse myself of an
impurity, which I may not disclose to thee.” Quoth she, “The house is
large and hath closets and corners and privies at command.” But he
replied, “I want nothing but to be at a height.” So she said to her
slave-girl, “Carry him up to the belvedere on the house-terrace.”
Accordingly the maid took him up to the very top and, giving him a
vessel of water, went down and left him. Then he made the ablution and
prayed a two-bow prayer; after which he looked at the ground, thinking
to throw himself down, but seeing it afar off, feared to be dashed to
pieces by the fall.[477] Then he bethought him of his disobedience to
Allah, and the consequences of his sin; so it became a light matter to
him to offer up his life and shed his blood; and he said, “O my God and
my Lord, Thou seest that which is fallen on me; neither is my case
hidden from Thee. Thou indeed over all things art Omnipotent and the
tongue of my case reciteth and saith:”—
I show my heart and thoughts to Thee, and Thou ✿ Alone my secret’s
secrecy canst know.
If I address Thee fain I cry aloud; ✿ Or, if I’m mute, my signs for
speech I show.
O Thou to whom no second be conjoined! ✿ A wretched lover seeks Thee in
his woe.
I have a hope my thoughts as true confirm; ✿ And heart that fainteth as
right well canst trow.
To lavish life is hardest thing that be, ✿ Yet easy an Thou bid me life
forego;
But, an it be Thy will to save from stowre, ✿ Thou, O my Hope, to work
this work hast power!
Then the man cast himself down from the belvedere; but Allah sent an
angel who bore him up on his wings and brought him down to the ground,
whole and without hurt or harm. Now when he found himself safe on the
ground, he thanked and praised Allah (to whom belong Majesty and Might!)
for His merciful protection of his person and his chastity; and he went
straight to his wife who had long expected him, and he empty-handed.
Then seeing him, she asked him why he had tarried and what was come of
that he had taken with him and why he returned empty-handed; whereupon
he told her of the temptation which had befallen him, and she said,
“Alhamdolillah—praised be God—for delivering thee from seduction and
intervening between thee and such calamity!” Then she added, “O man, the
neighbours use to see us light our oven every night; and, if they see us
fireless this night, they will know that we are destitute. Now it
behoveth in gratitude to Allah, that we hide our destitution and conjoin
the fast of this night to that of the past and continue it for the sake
of Allah Almighty.” So she rose and, filling the oven with wood, lighted
it, to baffle the curiosity of her women-neighbours, reciting these
couplets:—
Now I indeed will hide desire and all repine; ✿ And light up this my
fire that neighbours see no sign:
Accept I what befalls by order of my Lord; ✿ Haply He too accept this
humble act of mine.
——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Four Hundred and Seventieth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that after the goodwife
had lit the fire to baffle the curiosity of her women-neighbours, she
and her husband made the Wuzu-ablution and stood up to pray, when
behold, one of the neighbours’ wives came and asked leave to take a
fire-brand from the oven. “Do what thou wilt with the oven,” answered
they; but, when she came to the fire, she cried out, saying, “Ho, such
an one (to the tray-maker’s wife) take up thy bread ere it burn!” Quoth
the wife to her husband, “Hearest thou what she saith?” Quoth he, “Go
and look.” So she went up to the oven, and behold, it was full of fine
bread and white. She took up the scones and carried them to her husband,
thanking Allah (to whom belong Majesty and Might!) for His abounding
good and great bounty; and they ate of the bread and drank water and
praised the Almighty. Then said the woman to her husband, “Come let us
pray to Allah the Most Highest, so haply He may vouchsafe us what shall
enable us to dispense with the weariness of working for daily bread and
devote ourselves wholly to worshipping and obeying Him.” The man rose in
assent and prayed, whilst his wife said, “Amen,” to his prayer, when the
roof clove in sunder and down fell a ruby, which lit the house with its
light. Hereat, they redoubled in praise and thanksgiving to Allah
praying what the Almighty willed,[478] and rejoiced at the ruby with
great joy. And the night being far spent, they lay down to sleep and the
woman dreamt that she entered Paradise and saw therein many chairs
ranged and stools set in rows. She asked what the seats were and it was
answered her, “These are the chairs of the prophets and those are the
stools of the righteous and the pious.” Quoth she, “Which is the stool
of my husband such an one?”; and it was said to her, “It is this.” So
she looked and seeing a hole in its side asked, “What may be this
hole?”; and the reply came, “It is the place of the ruby that dropped
upon you from your house-roof.” Thereupon she awoke, weeping and
bemoaning the defect in her husband’s stool among the seats of the
Righteous; so she told him the dream and said to him, “Pray Allah, O
man, that this ruby return to its place; for endurance of hunger and
poverty during our few days here were easier than a hole in thy chair
among the just in Paradise.”[479] Accordingly, he prayed to his Lord,
and lo! the ruby flew up to the roof and away whilst they looked at it.
And they ceased not from their poverty and their piety, till they went
to the presence of Allah, to whom be Honour and Glory! And they also
tell a tale of
-----
Footnote 474:
Arab. “Atbák”; these trays are made of rushes, and the fans of
palm-leaves or tail-feathers.
Footnote 475:
Except on the two great Festivals when fasting is forbidden. The only
religion which has shown common sense in this matter is that of the
Guebres or Parsis: they consider fasting neither meritorious nor
lawful; and they honour Hormuzd by good living “because it keeps the
soul stronger.” Yet even they have their food superstitions, _e.g._ in
Gate No. xxiv.: “Beware of sin specially on the day thou eatest flesh,
for flesh is the diet of Ahrimán.” And in India the Guebres have
copied the Hindus in not slaughtering horned cattle for the table.
Footnote 476:
Arab. “Jallábiyah,” a large-sleeved robe of coarse stuff worn by the
poor.
Footnote 477:
His fear was that his body might be mutilated by the fall.
Footnote 478:
The phrase means “offering up many and many a prayer.”
Footnote 479:
A saying of Mohammed is recorded “Al-fakru fakhrí” (poverty is my
pride!), intelligible in a man who never wanted for anything. Here he
is diametrically opposed to Ali who honestly abused poverty; and the
Prophet seems to have borrowed from Christendom, whose “Lazarus and
Dives” shows a man sent to Hell because he enjoyed a very modified
Heaven in this life and which suggested that one of the man’s greatest
miseries is an ecclesiastical virtue—“Holy Poverty”—represented in the
Church as a bride young and lovely. If a “rich man can hardly enter
the kingdom” what must it be with a poor man whose conditions are far
more unfavourable? Going to the other extreme we may say that Poverty
is the root of all evil and the more so as it curtails man’s power of
benefiting others. Practically I observe that those who preach and
praise it the most, practise it the least willingly: the ecclesiastic
has always some special reasons, a church or a school is wanted; but
not the less he wishes for more money. In Syria this Holy Poverty
leads to strange abuses. At Bayrut I recognised in most impudent
beggars well-to-do peasants from the Kasrawán district, and presently
found out that whilst their fields were under snow they came down to
the coast, enjoyed a genial climate and lived on alms. When I asked
them if they were not ashamed to beg, they asked me if I was ashamed
of following in the footsteps of the Saviour and Apostles. How much
wiser was Zoroaster who found in the Supreme Paradise (Minuwán-minu)
“many persons, rich in gold and silver who had worshipped the Lord and
had been grateful to Him.” (Dabistan i. 265.)
AL-HAJJAJ AND THE PIOUS MAN.
Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf al-Sakafi had been long in pursuit of a certain man
of the notables, and when at last he was brought before him, he said, “O
enemy of Allah, He hath delivered thee over to me;” and cried, “Hale him
to prison and lay him by the heels in heavy fetters and build a closet
over him, that he may not come forth of it nor any go into him.” So they
bore him to jail and summoned the blacksmith with the irons; and every
time the smith gave a stroke with his hammer, the prisoner raised his
eyes to heaven and said, “Is not the whole Creation and the Empire
thereof His?”[480] Then the gaolers built the cage[481] over him and
left him therein, lorn and lone, whereupon longing and consternation
entered into him and the tongue of his case recited in extempore verse:—
O Wish of wistful men, for Thee I yearn; ✿ My heart seeks grace of one
no heart shall spurn.
Unhidden from thy sight is this my case; ✿ And for one glance of thee I
pine and burn.
They jailed and tortured me with sorest pains:✿ Alas for lone one can no
aid discern’!
But, albe lone, I find Thy name befriends ✿ And cheers, though sleep to
eyes shall ne’er return:
An thou accept of me, I care for naught; ✿ And only Thou what’s in my
heart canst learn!
Now when night fell dark, the gaoler left his watchmen to guard him and
went to his house; and on the morrow, when he came to the prison, he
found the fetters lying on the ground and the prisoner gone; whereat he
was affrighted and made sure of death. So he returned to his place and
bade his family farewell, after which he took in his sleeve his shroud
and the sweet herbs for his corpse, and went in to Al-Hajjáj. And as he
stood before the presence, the Governor smelt the perfumes and asked,
“What is that?” when the gaoler answered, “O my lord, it is I who have
brought it.” “And what moved thee to that?” enquired the Governor;
whereupon he told him his case,——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Four Hundred and Seventy-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the gaoler
told his case to Al-Hajjaj, the Governor cried, “Woe to thee! Didst thou
hear him say aught?” Answered the gaoler, “Yes! whilst the blacksmith
was hammering his irons, he ceased not to look up heavenwards and
say:—Is not the whole Creation and the Empire thereof His?” Rejoined
Al-Hajjaj, “Dost thou not know that He, on whom he called in thy
presence, delivered him in thine absence?” And the tongue of the case
recited on this theme:—
O Lord, how many a grief from me hast driven ✿ Nor can I sit or stand
without Thy hold:
How many many things I cannot count, ✿ Thou sav’st from many many and
manifold!
And they also tell a tale of
-----
Footnote 480:
Koran vii. 52.
Footnote 481:
Arab. “Al-bayt” = the house. The Arabs had probably learned this
pleasant mode of confinement from the Chinese whose _Kea_ or Cangue is
well known. The Arabian form of it is “Ghull,” or portable pillory,
which reprobates will wear on Judgment Day.
THE BLACKSMITH WHO COULD HANDLE FIRE WITHOUT HURT.
It reached the ears of a certain pious man that there abode in such a
town a blacksmith, who could put his hand into the fire and pull out the
iron red-hot, without the flames doing him aught of hurt.[482] So he set
out for the town in question and asked for the blacksmith; and, when the
man was shown to him, he watched him at work and saw him do as had been
reported to him. He waited till he had made an end of his day’s work;
then, going up to him, saluted him with the salam and said, “I would be
thy guest this night.” Replied the smith, “With gladness and goodly
gree!” and carried him to his place, where they supped together and lay
down to sleep. The guest watched, but saw no sign in his host of praying
through the night or of special devoutness and said in his mind, “Haply
he hideth himself from me.” So he lodged with him a second and a third
night, but found that he did not exceed the devotions prescribed by the
law and custom of the Prophet and rose but little in the dark hours to
pray. At last he said to him, “O my brother, I have heard of the gift
with which Allah hath favoured thee and have seen the truth of it with
mine eyes. Moreover, I have taken note of thine assiduity in religious
exercises, but find in thee no such piety as distinguisheth those who
work saintly miracles: whence, then, cometh this to thee?” “I will tell
thee,” answered the smith:—Know that I was once passionately enamoured
of a slave-girl and ofttimes sued her for love-liesse, but could not
prevail upon her, because she still held fast by her chastity. Presently
there came a year of drought and hunger and hardship; food failed and
there befel a sore famine. As I was sitting one day at home, somebody
knocked at the door; so I went out and behold, she was standing there;
and she said to me, “O my brother, I am sorely anhungered and I lift
mine eyes to thee, beseeching thee to feed me for Allah’s sake!” Quoth
I, “Wottest thou not how I love thee and what I have suffered for thy
sake? Now I will not give thee one bittock of bread except thou yield
thy person to me.” Quoth she, “Death, but not disobedience to the Lord!”
Then she went away and returned after two days with the same prayer for
food as before. I made her a like answer, and she entered and sat down
in my house being nigh upon death. I set food before her, whereupon her
eyes brimmed with tears and she cried, “Give me meat for the love of
Allah, to whom belong Honour and Glory!” But I answered, “Not so, by
Allah, except thou yield thyself to me.” Quoth she, “Better is death to
me than the wrath and wreak of Allah the Most Highest;” and she rose and
left the food untouched——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Four Hundred and Seventy-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the man set
food before her, the woman said, “Give me meat for the love of Allah, to
whom be Honour and Glory!” But I answered, “Not so, by Allah, except
thou yield to me thy person.” Quoth she, “Better is death than the wrath
and wreak of Allah;” and she rose and left the food untouched and went
away repeating these couplets:—
O Thou, the One, whose grace doth all the world embrace; ✿ Thine ears
have heard, Thine eyes have seen my case!
Privation and distress have dealt me heavy blows; ✿ The woes that weary
me no utterance can trace.
I am like one athirst who eyes the landscape’s eye, ✿ Yet may not drink
a draught of streams that rail and race.
My flesh would tempt me by the sight of savoury food ✿ Whose joys shall
pass away and pangs maintain their place.
She then disappeared for two days, when she again came and knocked at
the door; so I went out to her, and lo! hunger had taken away her voice;
but, after a rest she said, “O my brother, I am worn out with want and
know not what to do, for I cannot show my face to any man but to thee.
Say, wilt thou feed me for the love of Allah Almighty?” But I answered,
“Not so, except thou yield to me thy person.” And she entered my house
and sat down. Now I had no food ready; but, when the meat was dressed
and I laid it in a saucer, behold, the grace of Almighty Allah entered
into me and I said to myself, “Out on thee! This woman, weak of wit and
faith, hath refrained from food till she can no longer, for stress of
hunger; and, while she refuseth time after time, thou canst not forbear
from disobedience to the Lord!” And I said, “O my God, I repent to Thee
of that which my flesh purposed!” Then I took the food and carrying it
to her, said, “Eat, for no harm shall betide thee: this is for the love
of Allah, to whom belong Honour and Glory!” Then she raised her eyes to
heaven and said, “O my God, if this man say sooth, I pray Thee forbid
fire to harm him in this world and the next, for Thou over all things
art Omnipotent and Prevalent in answering the prayer of the penitent!”
Then I left her and went to put out the fire in the brasier.[483] Now
the season was winter and the weather cold, and a live coal fell on my
body: but by the decree of Allah (to whom be Honour and Glory!) I felt
no pain and it became my conviction that her prayer had been answered.
So I took the coal in my hand, and it burnt me not; and going in to her,
I said, “Be of good cheer, for Allah hath granted thy prayer!”——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Four Hundred and Seventy-third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the blacksmith
continued:—So I went in to her and said, “Be of good cheer, for Allah
hath granted thy prayer!” Then she dropped the morsel from her hand and
said, “O my God, now that Thou hast shown me my desire of him and hast
granted me my prayer for him, take Thou my soul, for Thou over all
things art Almighty!” And straightway He took her soul to Him, the mercy
of Allah be upon her! And the tongue of the case extemporised and spake
on this theme:—
She prayed: the Lord of grace her prayer obeyed; ✿ And spared the
sinner, who for sin had prayed:
He showed her all she prayed Him to grant; ✿ And Death (as prayed she)
her portion made:
Unto his door she came and prayed for food, ✿ And sued his ruth for what
her misery made:
He leant to error following his lusts, ✿ And hoped to enjoy her as her
wants persuade;
But he knew little of what Allah willed; ✿ Nor was Repentance, though
unsought, denayed.
Fate comes to him who flies from Fate, O Lord, ✿ And lot and daily bread
by Thee are weighed.
And they also tell of
-----
Footnote 482:
This commonest conjuring trick in the West becomes a miracle in the
credulous East.
Footnote 483:
Arab. “Kánún”; the usual term is Mankal (pron. Mangal) a pan of copper
or brass. Some of these “chafing-dishes” stand four feet high and are
works of art. Lane (M. E. chapt. iv) gives an illustration of the
simpler kind, together with the “Azikí,” a smaller pan for heating
coffee. See Night dxxxviii.
THE DEVOTEE TO WHOM ALLAH GAVE A CLOUD FOR SERVICE AND THE DEVOUT KING.
There was once, among the children of Israel, a man of the devout, for
piety acclaimed and for continence and asceticism en-famed, whose
prayers were ever granted and who by supplication obtained whatso he
wanted; and he was a wanderer in the mountains and was used to pass the
night in worship. Now Almighty Allah had subjected to him a cloud which
travelled with him wherever he went, and poured on him its
water-treasures in abundance that he might make his ablutions and drink.
After a long time when things were thus, his fervour somewhat abated,
whereupon Allah took the cloud away from him and ceased to answer his
prayers. On this account, great was his grief and long was his woe, and
he ceased not to regret the time of grace and the miracle vouchsafed to
him and to lament and bewail and bemoan himself, till he saw in a dream
one who said to him, “An thou wouldest have Allah restore to thee thy
cloud, seek out a certain King, in such a town, and beg him to pray for
thee: so will Allah (be He extolled and exalted!) give thee back thy
cloud and bespread it over thee by virtue of his pious prayers.” And he
began repeating these couplets:—
Wend to that pious prayerful Emir, ✿ Who can with gladness thy condition
cheer;
An he pray Allah, thou shalt win thy wish; ✿ And heavy rain shall drop
from welkin clear.
He stands all Kings above in potent worth; ✿ Nor to compare with him
doth aught appear:
Near him thou soon shalt hap upon thy want, ✿ And see all joy and
gladness draw thee near:
Then cut the wolds and wilds unfounted till ✿ The goal thou goest for
anigh shalt speer!
So the hermit set out for the town named to him in the dream; and,
coming thither after long travel, enquired for the King’s palace which
was duly shown to him. And behold, at the gate he found a slave-officer
sitting on a great chair and clad in gorgeous gear; so he stood to him
and saluted him; and he returned his salam and asked him, “What is thy
business?” Answered the devotee, “I am a wronged man, and come to submit
my case to the King.” Quoth the officer, “Thou hast no access to him
this day; for he hath appointed unto petitioners and enquirers one day
in every seven” (naming the day), “on which they may go in to him; so
wend thy ways in welfare till then.” The hermit was vexed with the King
for thus veiling himself from the folk and said in thought, “How shall
this man be a saint of the saints of Allah (to whom belong Majesty and
Might!) and he on this wise?” Then he went away and awaited the
appointed day. Now (quoth he) when it came, I repaired to the palace,
where I found a great number of folk at the gate, expecting admission;
and I stood with them, till there came out a Wazir robed in gorgeous
raiment and attended by guards and slaves, who said, “Let those, who
have petitions to present, enter.” So I entered with the rest and found
the King seated facing his officers and grandees who were ranged
according to their several ranks and degrees. The Wazir took up his post
and brought forward the petitioners, one by one, till it came to my
turn, when the King looked on me and said, “Welcome to the ‘Lord of the
Cloud’! Sit thee down till I make leisure for thee.” I was confounded at
his words and confessed his dignity and superiority; and, when the King
had answered the petitioners and had made an end with them, he rose and
dismissed his Wazirs and Grandees; then, taking my hand he led me to the
door of the private palace, where we found a black slave, splendidly
arrayed, with helm on head, and on his right hand and his left, bows and
coats of mail. He rose to the King; and, hastening to obey his orders
and forestall his wishes, opened the door. We went in, hand in hand,
till we came to a low wicket, which the King himself opened and led me
into a ruinous place of frightful desolation and thence passed into a
chamber, wherein was naught but a prayer-carpet, an ewer for ablution
and some mats of palm-leaves. Here the King doffed his royal robes and
donned a coarse gown of white wool and a conical bonnet of felt. Then he
sat down and making me sit, called out to his wife, “Ho, such an one!”
and she answered from within saying, “Here am I.” Quoth he, “Knowest
thou who is our guest to-day?” Replied she, “Yes, it is the ‘Lord of the
Cloud.’” The King said, “Come forth: it mattereth not for him.” And
behold, there entered a woman, as she were a vision, with a face that
beamed like the new moon; and she wore a gown and veil of wool.——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Four Hundred and Seventy-fourth Night,