There was once, of old time, a great and puissant King, of the
Kings of the Persians, Sabour by name, who was the richest of
all the Kings in store of wealth and dominion and surpassed them
all in wit and wisdom. Generous, open-handed and beneficent, he
gave to those who sought and repelled not those who resorted to
him, comforted the broken-hearted and honourably entreated those
who fled to him for refuge. Moreover, he loved the poor and was
hospitable to strangers and did the oppressed justice upon those
who oppressed them. He had three daughters, like shining full
moons or flowered gardens, and a son as he were the moon; and it
was his wont to keep two festivals in the year, those of the New
Year and the Autumnal Equinox, on which occasions he threw open
his palaces and gave gifts and made proclamation of safety and
security and advanced his chamberlains and officers; and the
people of his realm came in to him and saluted him and gave him
joy of the festival, bringing him gifts and servants.
Now he loved science and geometry, and one day, as he sat on
his throne of kingship, during one of these festivals, there
came in to him three sages, cunning artificers and past masters
in all manner of crafts and inventions, skilled in making
rarities, such as confound the wit, and versed in the knowledge
of [occult] truths and subtleties; and they were of three
different tongues and countries, the first an Indian, the
second a Greek and the third a Persian. The Indian came forward
and prostrating himself before the King, gave him joy of the
festival and laid before him a present befitting [his dignity];
that is to say, a figure of gold, set with precious stones and
jewels of price and holding in its hand a golden trumpet. When
Sabour saw this, he said, 'O sage, what is the virtue of this
figure?' And the Indian answered, 'O my lord; if this figure be
set at the gate of thy city, it will be a guardian over it;
for, if an enemy enter the place, it will blow this trumpet
against him, and so he will be known and laid hands on.' The
King marvelled at this and said, 'By Allah, O sage, an this thy
word be true, I will grant thee thy wish and thy desire.'
Then came forward the Greek and prostrating himself before the
King, presented him with a basin of silver, in whose midst was
a peacock of gold, surrounded by four-and-twenty young ones of
the same metal. Sabour looked at them and turning to the Greek,
said to him, 'O sage, what is the virtue of this peacock?' 'O
my lord,' answered he, 'as often as an hour of the day or night
passes, it pecks one of its young [and cries out and flaps its
wings,] till the four-and-twenty hours are accomplished; and
when the month comes to an end, it will open its mouth and thou
shalt see the new moon therein.' And the King said, 'An thou
speak sooth, I will bring thee to thy wish and thy desire.'
Then came forward the Persian sage and prostrating himself
before the King, presented him with a horse of ebony wood,
inlaid with gold and jewels, ready harnessed with saddle and
bridle and stirrups such as befit kings; which when Sabour saw,
he marvelled exceedingly and was confounded at the perfection
of its form and the ingenuity of its fashion. So he said, 'What
is the use of this horse of wood, and what is its virtue and
the secret of its movement?' 'O my lord,' answered the Persian,
'the virtue of this horse is that, if one mount him, it will
carry him whither he will and fare with its rider through the
air for the space of a year and a day.' The King marvelled and
was amazed at these three wonders, following thus hard upon
each other in one day, and turning to the sage, said to him,
'By the Great God and the Bountiful Lord, who created all
creatures and feedeth them with water and victual, an thy
speech be true and the virtue of thy handiwork appear, I will
give thee whatsoever thou seekest and will bring thee to thy
wish and thy desire!'
Then he entertained the three sages three days, that he might
make trial of their gifts, after which they brought them before
him and each took the creature he had wrought and showed him
the secret of its movement. The trumpeter blew the trumpet, the
peacock pecked its young and the Persian sage mounted the horse
of ebony, whereupon it soared with him into the air and
descended again. When the King saw all this, he was amazed and
perplexed and was like to fly for joy and said to the three
sages, 'Now am I certified of the truth of your words and it
behoves me to quit me of my promise. Seek ye, therefore, what
ye will, and I will give it you.' Now the report of the [beauty
of the] King's daughters had reached the sages, so they
answered, 'If the King be content with us and accept of our
gifts and give us leave to ask a boon of him, we ask of him
that he give us his three daughters in marriage, that we may be
his sons-in-law; for that the stability of kings may not be
gainsaid.' Quoth the King, 'I grant you that which you desire,'
and bade summon the Cadi forthright, that he might marry each
of the sages to one of his daughters.
Now these latter were behind a curtain, looking on; and when they
heard this, the youngest considered [him that was to be] her
husband and saw him to be an old man, a hundred years of age,
with frosted hair, drooping forehead, mangy eyebrows, slitten
ears, clipped[FN#69] beard and moustaches, red, protruding eyes,
bleached, hollow, flabby cheeks, nose like an egg-plant and face
like a cobbler's apron, teeth overlapping one another,[FN#70]
lips like camel's kidneys, loose and pendulous; brief, a monstrous
favour; for he was the frightfullest of the folk of his time; his
grinders had been knocked[FN#71] out and his teeth were like the
tusks of the Jinn that fright the fowls in the hen-house. Now the
princess was the fairest and most graceful woman of her time, more
elegant than the tender gazelle, blander than the gentle zephyr
and brighter than the moon at her full, confounding the branch
and outdoing the gazelle in the flexile grace of her shape and
movements; and she was fairer and sweeter than her sisters. So,
when she saw her suitor, she went to her chamber and strewed dust
on her head and tore her clothes and fell to buffeting her face
and lamenting and weeping.
Now the prince her brother, who loved her with an exceeding
love, more than her sisters, was then newly returned from a
journey and hearing her weeping and crying, came in to her and
said, 'What ails thee? Tell me and conceal nought from me.' 'O
my brother and my dear one,' answered she, 'if the palace be
straitened upon thy father, I will go out; and if he be
resolved upon a foul thing, I will separate myself from him,
though he consent not to provide for me.' Quoth he, 'Tell me
what means this talk and what has straitened thy breast and
troubled thy humour.' 'O my brother and my dear one,' answered
the princess, 'know that my father hath given me in marriage to
a sorcerer, who brought him, as a gift, a horse of black wood,
and hath stricken him with his craft and his sorcery; but, as
for me, I will none of him, and would, because of him, I had
never come into this world!' Her brother soothed her and
comforted her, then betook himself to his father and said to
him, 'What is this sorcerer to whom thou hast given my youngest
sister in marriage, and what is this present that he hath
brought thee, so that thou hast caused my sister to [almost]
die of chagrin? It is not right that this should be.'
Now the Persian was standing by and when he heard the prince's
words, he was mortified thereby and filled with rage, and the
King said, 'O my son, an thou sawest this horse, thy wit would
be confounded and thou wouldst be filled with amazement.' Then
he bade the slaves bring the horse before him and they did so;
and when the prince, who was an accomplished cavalier, saw it,
it pleased him. So he mounted it forthright and struck its
belly with the stirrup-irons; but it stirred not and the King
said to the sage, 'Go and show him its movement, that he also
may help thee to thy wish.' Now the Persian bore the prince
malice for that he willed not he should have his sister; so he
showed him the peg of ascent on the right side [of the horse's
neck] and saying to him, 'Turn this pin,' left him. So the
prince turned the pin and forthwith the horse soared with him
into the air, as it were a bird, and gave not over flying with
him, till it disappeared from sight, whereat the King was
troubled and perplexed about his affair and said to the
Persian, 'O sage, look how thou mayst make him descend.' But he
answered, 'O my lord, I can do nothing, and thou wilt never see
him again till the Day of Resurrection, for that he, of his
ignorance and conceit, asked me not of the peg of descent and I
forgot to acquaint him therewith.' When the King heard this, he
was sore enraged and bade beat the sorcerer and clap him in
prison, whilst he himself cast the crown from his head and
buffeted his face and beat upon his breast. Moreover, he shut
the doors of his palaces and gave himself up to weeping and
lamentation, he and his wife and daughters and all the folk of
the city; and [thus] their joy was turned to mourning and their
gladness changed into chagrin and sore affliction.
Meanwhile, the horse gave not over soaring with the prince,
till he drew near the sun, whereat he gave himself up for lost
and was confounded at his case, repenting him of having mounted
the horse and saying in himself, 'Verily, this was a plot of
the sage to destroy me; but there is no power and no virtue but
in God the Most High, the Supreme! I am lost without recourse;
but, I wonder, did not he who made the peg of ascent make a peg
of descent also?' Now he was a man of wit and intelligence; so
he fell to examining all the parts of the horse, but saw
nothing save a peg, like a cock's head, on its right shoulder
and the like on the left, and turned the right-hand peg,
whereupon the horse flew upward with increased speed. So he
left it and turned the left-hand peg, and immediately the
steed's upward motion ceased and he began to descend, little by
little, towards the earth. When the prince saw this and knew
the uses of the horse, he was filled with joy and gladness and
thanked God the Most High for that He had vouchsafed to deliver
him from destruction. Then he began to turn the horse's head
whither he would, making him rise and fall at pleasure, till he
had gotten complete command of his movement.
He ceased not to descend the whole of that day, for that the
steed's upward flight had borne him afar from the earth; and as
he descended, he diverted himself with viewing the various
towns and countries over which he passed and which he knew not,
having never seen them in his life. Amongst the rest, he saw a
city of the goodliest ordinance, in the midst of a green and
smiling country, abounding in trees and streams; whereat he
fell a-musing and said in himself, 'Would I knew the name of
yonder city and in what country it is!' And he began to circle
about it and observe it right and left. By this time, the day
began to wane and the sun drew near to its setting; and he
said, 'I see no goodlier place to pass the night in than this
city; so I will lodge here this night and on the morrow I will
return to my people and my kingdom and tell my father and
family what has passed and what I have seen with my eyes.' Then
he addressed himself to look for a place, where he might safely
bestow himself and his horse and where none should see him, and
presently espied a palace, surrounded by a great wall with
lofty battlements, rising high into the air from the midst of
the city and guarded by forty black slaves, clad in complete
mail and armed with spears and swords and bows and arrows.
Quoth he, 'This is a goodly place,' and turned the peg of
descent, whereupon the horse sank down with him and alighted
gently on the roof of the palace. So the prince dismounted and
began to go round about the horse and examine it, saying, 'By
Allah, he who fashioned thee was a cunning craftsman, and if God
extend the term of my life and restore me to my country and family
in safety and reunite me with my father, I will assuredly bestow
upon him all manner of bounties and entreat him with the utmost
favour.'
By this time the night had overtaken him and he sat on the
roof, till he was assured that all in the palace slept; and
indeed hunger and thirst were sore upon him, for that he had
not tasted food since he parted from his father. So he said in
himself, 'Surely, the like of this palace will not lack of
victual,' and leaving the horse there, went in quest of
somewhat to eat. Presently, he came to a stair and descending
it, found himself in a court paved with white marble and
alabaster, that shone in the light of the moon. He marvelled at
the place and the goodliness of its fashion, but heard no sound
and saw no living soul and stood in perplexity, looking right
and left and knowing not whither he should go. Then said he to
himself, 'I cannot do better than return to where I left my
horse and pass the night by it; and as soon as it is day, I
will mount and depart.' However, as he stood talking to
himself, he espied a light within the palace, and making
towards it, found that it came from a candle that stood before
a door of the palace, at the head of an eunuch, as he were one
of the Afrits of Solomon or a tribesman of the Jinn, longer
than a plank and wider than a bench. He lay asleep before the
door, with the pommel of his sword gleaming in the flame of the
candle, and at his head was a budget of leather[FN#72] hanging
from a column of granite.
When the prince saw this, he was affrighted and said, 'I crave
help from God the Supreme! O my God, even as Thou hast [already]
delivered me from destruction, vouchsafe me strength to quit
myself of the adventure of this palace!' So saying, he put out
his hand to the budget and taking it, carried it to a place
apart and opened it and found in it food of the best. So he
ate his fill and refreshed himself and drank water, after
which he hung the budget up in its place and drawing the
eunuch's sword from its sheath, took it, whilst the latter
slept on, knowing not whence destiny should come to him. Then
the prince fared on into the palace, till he came to another
door, with a curtain drawn before it; so he raised the curtain
and entering, saw a couch of ivory, inlaid with pearls and
jacinths and jewels, and four slave-girls sleeping about it. He
went up to the couch, to see what was therein, and found a
young lady lying asleep, veiled with her hair, as she were the
full moon at its rising, with flower-white forehead and
shining parting and cheeks like blood-red anemones and dainty
moles thereon.
When he saw this, he was amazed at her beauty and grace and
symmetry and recked no more of death. So he went up to her,
trembling in every nerve, and kissed her on the right cheek;
whereupon she awoke forthright and seeing the prince standing
at her head, said to him, 'Who art thou and whence comest thou?'
Quoth he, 'I am thy slave and thy lover.' 'And who brought thee
hither?' asked she. 'My Lord and my fortune,' answered he; and
she said, 'Belike thou art he who demanded me yesterday of my
father in marriage and he rejected thee, pretending that thou
wast foul of favour. By Allah he lied, when he spoke this thing,
for thou art not other than handsome.'
Now the son of the King of Hind[FN#73] had sought her in
marriage, but her father had rejected him, for that he was ill-
favoured, and she thought the prince was he. So, when she saw
his beauty and grace, for indeed he was like the radiant moon,
her heart was taken in the snare of his love, as it were a
flaming fire, and they fell to talk and converse. Presently,
her waiting-women awoke from their sleep and seeing the prince
sitting with their mistress, said to her, 'O my lady, who is
this with thee?' Quoth she, 'I know not; I found him sitting by
me, when I awoke. Belike it is he who seeks me in marriage of
my father.' 'O my lady,' answered they, 'by the Most Great God,
this is not he who seeks thee in marriage, for he is foul and
this man is fair and of high condition. Indeed, the other is
not fit to be his servant.'
Then they went out to the eunuch and finding him asleep, awoke
him, and he started up in alarm. Quoth they, 'How comes it that
thou art guardian of the palace and yet men come in to us,
whilst we are asleep?' When the eunuch heard this, he sprang in
haste to his sword, but found it not, and fear took him and
trembling. Then he went in, confounded, to his mistress and
seeing the prince sitting talking with her, said to the former,
'O my lord, art thou a man or a genie?' 'O it on thee, O
unluckiest of slaves!' replied the prince. 'How darest thou
even a prince of the sons of the Chosroës with one of the
unbelieving Satans?' Then he took the sword in his hand and
said, 'I am the King's son-in-law, and he hath married me to
his daughter and bidden me go in to her.' 'O my lord,' replied
the eunuch, 'if thou be indeed a man, as thou avouchest, she is
fit for none but thee, and thou art worthier of her than any
other.'
Then he ran to the King, shrieking out and rending his clothes
and casting dust upon his head; and when the King heard his
outcry, he said to him, 'What has befallen thee? Speak quickly
and be brief; for thou troublest my heart.' 'O King,' answered
the eunuch, 'come to thy daughter's succour; for a devil of the
Jinn, in the likeness of a king's son, hath gotten possession
of her; so up and at him!' When the King heard this, he thought
to kill him and said, 'How camest thou to be careless of my
daughter and let this demon come at her?' Then he betook
himself to the princess's palace, where he found her women
standing, [awaiting him] and said to them, 'What is come to my
daughter?' 'O King,' answered they, 'sleep overcame us and when
we awoke, we found a young man sitting talking with her, as he
were the full moon, never saw we a fairer of favour than he. So
we questioned him of his case and he avouched that thou hadst
given him thy daughter in marriage. More than this we know not,
nor do we know if he be a man or a genie; but he is modest and
well bred, and doth nothing unseemly.'
When the King heard this, his wrath cooled and he raised the
curtain stealthily and looking in, saw a prince of the goodliest
fashion, with a face like the shining full moon, sitting talking
with his daughter. At this sight he could not contain himself,
of his jealousy for his daughter, and putting the curtain aside,
rushed in upon them, like a Ghoul, with his drawn sword in his
hand. When the prince saw him, he said to the princess, 'Is this
thy father?' 'Yes,' answered she; whereupon he sprang to his
feet and taking his sword in his hand, cried out at the King
with such a terrible cry, that he was confounded. Then he would
have fallen on him with the sword; but the King, seeing that the
prince was doughtier than he, sheathed his blade and stood till
the latter came up to him, when he accosted him courteously and
said to him, 'O youth, art thou a man or a genie?' Quoth the
prince, 'Did I not respect thy right[FN#74] and thy daughter's
honour, I would spill thy blood! How darest thou even me with
devils, me that am a prince of the sons of the Chosroës, who,
had they a mind to take thy kingdom, could shake thee from thy
power and thy dominion and despoil thee of all thy possessions?'
When the King heard his words, he was smitten with awe and fear
of him and rejoined, 'If thou indeed be of the sons of the kings,
as thou pretendest, how comes it that thou enterest my palace,
without my leave, and soilest my honour, making thy way to my
daughter and feigning that thou art her husband and that I have
given her to thee to wife, I that have slain kings and kings'
sons, who sought her of me in marriage? And now who shall save
thee from my mischief, when, if I cried out to my slaves and
servants and bade them put thee to death, they would slay thee
forthright? Who then shall deliver thee out of my hand?'
When the prince heard this speech of the King, he answered,
'Verily, I wonder at thee and at the poverty of thy wit! Canst
thou covet for thy daughter a goodlier mate than myself and
hast ever seen a stouter of heart or a more sufficient or a
more glorious in rank and dominion than I?' 'Nay, by Allah,'
rejoined the King. 'But, O youth, I would have had thee make
suit to me for her hand before witnesses, that I might marry
her to thee publicly; and now, were I to marry her to thee
privily, yet hast thou dishonoured me in her person.' 'Thou
sayst well, O King,' replied the prince; 'but, if thy servants
and soldiers should fall upon me and slay me, as thou pretendest,
thou wouldst but publish thine own dishonour, and the folk
would be divided between belief and disbelief with regard
to thee. Wherefore, meseems thou wilt do well to turn from
this thought to that which I shall counsel thee.' Quoth the
King, 'Let me hear what thou hast to propose.' And the prince
said, 'What I have to propose to thee is this: either do
thou meet me in single combat and he who slays the other shall
be held the worthier and having a better title to the kingdom;
or else, let me be this night and on the morrow draw out
against me thy horsemen and footmen and servants; but [first]
tell me their number.' Quoth the King, 'They are forty thousand
horse, besides my own slaves and their followers, who are the
like of them in number.' 'When the day breaks, then,' continued
the prince, 'do thou array them against me and say to them,
"This fellow is a suitor to me for my daughter's hand, on
condition that he shall do battle single-handed against you
all; for he pretends that he will overcome you and put you to
the rout and that ye cannot prevail against him." Then leave me
to do battle with them. If they kill me, then is thy secret the
safelier hidden and thine honour the better guarded; and if I
overcome them, then is the like of me one whose alliance a King
should covet.'
The King approved of his counsel and accepted his proposition,
despite his awe and amaze at the exorbitant pretension of the
prince to do battle against his whole army, such as he had
described it to him, being at heart assured that he would
perish in the mellay and so he be quit of him and freed from
the fear of dishonour. So he called the eunuch and bade him go
forthright to his Vizier and bid him assemble the whole of the
troops and cause them don their arms and mount their horses.
The eunuch carried the King's order to the Vizier, who straightway
summoned the captains of the army and the grandees of the realm
and bade them don their harness of war and mount their horses
and sally forth in battle array.
Meanwhile, the King sat conversing with the prince, being
pleased with his wit and good breeding, till daybreak, when he
returned to his palace and seating himself on his throne,
commanded the troops to mount and bade saddle one of the best
of the royal horses with handsome housings and trappings and
bring it to the prince. But the latter said, 'O King, I will
not mount, till I come in sight of the troops and see them.'
'Be it as thou wilt,' answered the King. Then they repaired to
the tilting ground, where the troops were drawn up, and the
prince looked upon them and noted their great number; after
which the King cried out to them, saying, 'Ho, all ye men,
there is come to me a youth who seeks my daughter in marriage,
--never have I seen a goodlier than he, no, nor a stouter of
heart nor a doughtier, for he pretends that he can overcome
you, single-handed, and put you to the rout and that, were ye a
hundred thousand in number, yet would ye be for him but little.
But, when he charges upon you, do ye receive him upon the
points of your lances and the edges of your sabres; for,
indeed, he hath undertaken a grave matter.'
Then said he to the prince, 'Up, O my son, and do thy will on
them.' 'O King,' answered he, 'thou dealest not fairly with me.
How shall I go forth against them, seeing that I am afoot and
they are mounted?' 'I bade thee mount, and thou refusedst,'
rejoined the King; 'but take which of my horses thou wilt.' But
he said, 'None of thy horses pleases me, and I will ride none
but that on which I came.' 'And where is thy horse?' asked the
King. 'Atop of thy palace,' answered the prince, and the King
said, 'In what part of my palace?' 'On the roof,' replied the
prince. 'Out on thee!' quoth the King. 'This is the first sign
thou hast given of madness. How can the horse be on the roof?
But we shall soon see if thou speak truth or falsehood.' Then
he turned to one of his chief officers and said to him, 'Go to
my palace and bring me what thou findest on the roof.' And all
the people marvelled at the prince's words, saying, 'How can a
horse come down the steps from the roof? Verily this is a thing
whose like we never heard.'
Meanwhile, the King's messenger repaired to the palace,
accompanied by other of the royal officers, and mounting to the
roof, found the horse standing there,--never had they looked on
a handsomer; but when they drew near and examined it, they saw
that it was made of ebony and ivory; whereat they laughed to
each other, saying, 'Was it of the like of this horse that the
youth spoke? Surely, he must be mad; but we shall soon see the
truth of his case. Belike, there hangs some great mystery by
him.' Then they lifted up the horse and carrying it to the
King, set it down before him, and all the people flocked round
it, staring at it and marvelling at the beauty of its fashion
and the richness of its saddle and bridle. The King also
admired it and wondered at it extremely; and he said to the
prince, 'O youth, is this thy horse?' 'Yes, O King,' answered
the prince; 'this is my horse, and thou shalt soon see wonders
of it.' 'Then take and mount it,' rejoined the King, and the
prince said, 'I will not mount till the troops withdraw afar
from it.' So the King bade them withdraw a bowshot from the
horse; whereupon quoth the prince, 'O King, I am about to mount
my horse and charge upon thy troops and scatter them right and
left and cleave their hearts in sunder.' 'Do as thou wilt,'
answered the King; 'and spare them not, for they will not spare
thee.' Then the prince mounted, whilst the troops ranged
themselves in ranks before him, and one said to another, 'When
the youth comes between the ranks, we will take him on the
points of our pikes and the edges of our swords.' 'By Allah,'
quoth another, 'it were pity to kill so handsome and well-shaped
a youth!' 'By Allah,' rejoined a third, 'ye will have hard work
to get the better of him; for he had not done this, but for what
he knew of his own prowess and valiantise.'
Meanwhile, the prince, having settled himself in his saddle,
whilst all eyes were strained to see what he would do, turned
the peg of ascent; whereupon the horse began to sway to and fro
and make the strangest of movements, after the manner of
horses, till its belly was filled with air and it took flight
with him and soared into the sky. When the King saw this, he
cried out to his men, saying, 'Out on you! Take him, ere he
escape you!' But his Viziers and officers said to him, 'O King,
how shall we overtake the flying bird? This is surely none but
some mighty enchanter, and God hath saved thee from him. So
praise thou the Most High for thy deliverance from his hand.'
Then the King returned to his palace and going in to his
daughter, acquainted her with what had befallen. He found her
sore afflicted for the prince and bewailing her separation from
him; wherefore she fell grievously sick and took to her pillow.
When her father saw her thus, he pressed her to his bosom and
kissing her between the eyes, said to her, 'O my daughter,
praise God and thank Him for that He hath delivered thee from
this crafty enchanter!' And he repeated to her the story of the
prince's disappearance; but she paid no heed to his word and
did but redouble in her tears and lamentations, saying to
herself, 'By Allah, I will neither eat nor drink, till God
reunite me with him!' Her father was greatly concerned for her
plight and mourned sore over her; but, for all he could do to
comfort her, passion and love-longing still grew on her for the
prince.
Meanwhile, the King's son, whenas he had risen into the air,
turned his horse's head towards his native land, musing upon
the beauty and grace of the princess. Now he had enquired of
the King's people the name of the princess and of the King her
father and of the city, which was the city of Senaa of Yemen.
So he journeyed homeward with all speed, till he drew near his
father's capital and making a circuit about the city, alighted
on the roof of the King's palace, where he left his horse, whilst
he descended into the palace and finding its threshold strewn
with ashes, bethought him that one of his family was dead. Then
he entered, as of wont, and found his father and mother and
sisters clad in mourning raiment of black, pale-faced and lean
of body. When his father saw him and was assured that it was
indeed his son, he gave a great cry and fell down in a swoon,
but presently coming to himself, threw himself upon him and
embraced him, straining him to his bosom and rejoicing in him
exceedingly. His mother and sisters heard this; so they came
in and seeing the prince, fell upon him, kissing him and weeping
and rejoicing with an exceeding joy. Then they questioned him of
his case; so he told them all that had befallen him from first
to last and his father said to him, 'Praised be God for thy
safety, O solace of my eyes and life-blood of my heart!'
Then the King bade hold high festival, and the glad news flew
through the city. So they beat the drums and the cymbals and
putting off the raiment of mourning, donned that of joy and
decorated the streets and markets; whilst the folk vied with
one another who should be the first to give the King joy, and
the latter proclaimed a general pardon and opening the prisons,
released those who were therein. Moreover, he made banquets to
the people seven days and nights and all creatures were glad;
and he took horse with his son and rode out with him, that the
folk might see him and rejoice. After awhile the prince
enquired for the maker of the horse, saying, 'O my father, what
hath fortune done with him?' 'May God not bless him,' answered
the King, 'nor the hour in which I set eyes on him! For he was
the cause of thy separation from us, O my son, and he hath lain
in prison since the day of thy disappearance.' Then he bade
release him from prison and sending for him, invested him in a
dress of honour and entreated him with the utmost favour and
munificence, save that he would not give him his daughter to
wife; whereat he was sore enraged and repented of that which he
had done, knowing that the prince had learnt the secret of the
horse and the manner of its motion. Moreover, the King said to
his son, 'Methinks thou wilt do well not to mount the horse
neither go near it henceforth; for thou knowest not its
properties, and it is perilous for thee to meddle with it.' Now
the prince had told his father of his adventure with the King's
daughter of Senaa, and he said, 'If the King had been minded to
kill thee, he had done so; but thine hour was not yet come.'
When the rejoicings were at an end, the people returned to
their houses and the King and his son to the palace, where they
sat down and fell to eating and drinking and making merry. Now
the King had a handsome slave-girl, who was skilled in playing
upon the lute; so she took it and began to play upon it and
sing thereto of separation of lovers before the King and his
son, and she chanted the following verses:
Think not that absence ever shall win me to forget: For what
should I remember, if I'd forgotten you?
Time passes, but my passion for you shall never end: In love of
you, I swear it, I'll die and rise anew.
When the prince heard this, the fires of longing flamed up in
his heart and passion redoubled upon him. Grief and regret were
sore upon him and his entrails yearned in him for love of the
King's daughter of Senaa; so he rose forthright and eluding his
father's notice, went forth the palace to the horse and
mounting it, turned the peg of ascent, whereupon it flew up
into the air with him and soared towards the confines of the
sky. Presently, his father missed him and going up to the
summit of the palace, in great concern, saw the prince rising
into the air; whereat he was sore afflicted and repented
exceedingly that he had not taken the horse and hidden it: and
he said in himself, 'By Allah, if but my son return to me, I
will destroy the horse, that my heart may be at rest concerning
my son.' And he fell again to weeping and bewailing himself for
his son.
Meanwhile, the prince flew on through the air till he came to
the city of Senaa and alighted on the roof as before. Then he
went down stealthily and finding the eunuch asleep, as of wont,
raised the curtain and went on, little by little, till he came
to the door of the princess's chamber and stopped to listen;
when, behold, he heard her weeping plenteous tears and reciting
verses, whilst her women slept round her. Presently, they heard
her weeping and wailing and said, 'O our mistress, why wilt
thou mourn for one who mourns not for thee?' 'O little of
wit,' answered she, 'is he for whom I mourn of those who are
forgotten?' And she fell again to weeping and wailing, till
sleep overcame her.
Now the prince's heart ached for her, so he entered and seeing
her lying asleep, without covering, touched her with his hand;
whereupon she opened her eyes and saw him standing by her.
Quoth he, 'Why this weeping and mourning?' And when she knew
him, she threw herself upon him and embraced him and kissed him
and answered, 'For thy sake and because of my separation from
thee.' 'O my lady,' said he, 'I have wearied for thee all this
time!' But she answered, 'It is I who have wearied for thee,
and hadst thou tarried longer, I had surely died!' 'O my lady,'
rejoined he, 'what thinkest thou of my case with thy father and
how he dealt with me? Were it not for my love of thee, O
ravishment of all creatures, I had surely slain him and made
him a warning to all beholders; but, even as I love thee, so I
love him for thy sake.' Quoth she, 'How couldst thou leave me?
Can life be sweet to me after thee?' Quoth he, 'Let what has
happened suffice now: I am hungry and thirsty.' So she bade her
maidens make ready meat and drink, [and they sat eating and
drinking and conversing] till nigh upon daybreak, when he rose
to take leave of her and depart, ere the eunuch should awake,
and she said, 'Whither goest thou?' 'To my father's house,'
answered he; 'and I plight thee my troth that I will come to
thee once in every week.' But she wept and said, 'I conjure
thee, by God the Supreme, take me with thee whither thou goest
and make me not taste anew the bitterness of separation from
thee.' Quoth he, 'Wilt thou indeed go with me?' and she
answered, 'Yes.' 'Then,' said he, 'arise, that we may depart.'
So she rose forthright and going to a chest, arrayed herself in
what was richest and dearest to her of her trinkets of gold and
jewels of price. Then he carried her up to the roof of the
palace and mounting the horse, took her up behind him and bound
her fast to himself; after which he turned the peg of ascent,
and the horse rose with him into the air. When her women saw
this, they shrieked aloud and told her father and mother, who
rushed up to the roof of the palace and looking up, saw the
ebony horse flying away with the prince and princess. At this
the King was sore troubled and cried out, saying, 'O King's
son, I conjure thee, by Allah, have compassion on me and my
wife and bereave us not of our daughter!' The prince made him
no reply, but, thinking that the princess repented of leaving
her father and mother, said to her, 'O ravishment of the age,
wilt thou that I restore thee to thy father and mother?' 'By
Allah, O my lord, that is not my desire,' answered she; 'my
only wish is to be with thee wherever thou art; for I am
distracted by the love of thee from all else, even to my father
and mother.' At this the prince rejoiced greatly and made
the horse fare softly with them, so as not to disquiet the
princess; nor did they stay their flight till they came in
sight of a green meadow, in which was a spring of running
water. Here they alighted and ate and drank; after which they
took horse again and fared on, till they came in sight of his
father's capital. At this, the prince was filled with joy and
bethought himself to show her the seat of his dominion and his
father's power and dignity and give her to know that it was
greater than that of her father. So he set her down in one of
his father's pleasance-gardens [without the city] and carrying
her into a pavilion there, prepared for the King, left the
horse at the door and charged her keep watch over it, saying,
'Sit here, till my messenger come to thee; for I go now to my
father, to make ready a palace for thee and show thee my royal
estate.' 'Do as thou wilt,' answered she, for she was glad that
she should not enter but with due honour and observance, as
became her rank.
Then he left her and betook himself to the palace of the King
his father, who rejoiced in his return and welcomed him; and
the prince said to him, 'Know that I have brought with me the
princess of whom I told thee and have left her without the city
in such a garden and come to tell thee, that thou mayest make
ready and go forth to meet her in state and show her thy royal
dignity and troops and guards.' 'With all my heart,' answered
the King and straightway bade decorate the city after the
goodliest fashion. Then he took horse and rode out in all state
and splendour, he and his troops and household and grandees;
whilst the prince made ready for her a litter of green and
red and yellow brocade, in which he set Indian and Greek
and Abyssinian slave-girls. Moreover, he took forth of his
treasuries jewellery and apparel and what else of the things
that kings treasure up and made a rare display of wealth and
magnificence. Then he left the litter and those who were
therein and rode forward to the pavilion, where he had left the
princess; but found both her and the horse gone. When he saw
this, he buffeted his face and rent his clothes and went round
about the garden, as he had lost his wits; after which he came
to his senses and said to himself, 'How could she have come at
the secret of the horse, seeing I told her nothing of it? Maybe
the Persian sage who made the horse has chanced upon her and
stolen her away, in revenge for my father's treatment of him.'
Then he sought the keepers of the garden and asked them if they
had seen any enter the garden.
Quoth they, 'We have seen none enter but the Persian sage, who
came to gather simples.' So the prince was certified that it
was indeed he that had taken away the princess and abode
confounded and perplexed concerning his case. And he was
abashed before the folk and returning to his father, [told him
what had happened and] said to him, 'Take the troops and return
to the city. As for me, I will never return till I have cleared
up this affair.' When the King heard this, he wept and beat his
breast and said to him, 'O my son, calm thyself and master thy
chagrin and return with us and look what King's daughter thou
wouldst fain have, that I may marry thee to her.' But the
prince paid no heed to his words and bidding him farewell,
departed, whilst the King returned to the city and their joy
was changed into mourning.
Now, as Fate would have it, when the prince left the princess
in the pavilion and betook himself to his father's palace, for
the ordering of his affair, the Persian entered the garden to
pluck simples and scenting the fragrance of musk and essences,
that exhaled from the princess's person and perfumed the whole
place, followed it till he came to the pavilion and saw the horse,
that he had made with his own hands, standing at the door. At
this sight, his heart was filled with joy and gladness, for he
had mourned sore for it, since it had gone out of his hand. So
he went up to it and examining its every part, found it safe
and sound; whereupon he was about to mount and ride away, when
he bethought himself and said, 'Needs must I first look what
the prince hath brought and left here with the horse.' So he
entered the pavilion and seeing the princess sitting there, as
she were the sun shining in the cloudless sky, knew her to be
some high-born lady and doubted not but the prince had brought
her thither on the horse and left her in the pavilion, whilst
he went to the city, to make ready for her entry in state.
Then he went up to her and kissed the earth before her,
whereupon she raised her eyes to him and finding him exceeding
foul of face and favour, said, 'Who art thou?' 'O my lady,'
answered he, 'I am sent by the prince, who hath bidden me bring
thee to another garden, nearer the city; for that my lady the
queen cannot go so far a journey and is unwilling, of her joy
in thee, that another should forestall her with thee.' 'Where
is the prince?' asked she; and the Persian replied, 'He is in
the city, with his father, and will presently come for thee in
great state.' 'O fellow,' said she, 'could he find none to send
to me but thee?' At this he laughed and answered, 'O my lady,
let not the ugliness of my face and the foulness of my favour
deceive thee. Hadst thou profited of me as hath the prince,
thou wouldst praise my affair. Indeed, he chose me as his
messenger to thee, because of my uncomeliness and forbidding
aspect, in his jealousy and love of thee: else hath he slaves
and pages and servants, white and black, out of number, each
goodlier than the other.' When she heard this, it commended
itself to her reason and she believed him; so she rose and
putting her hand in his, said, 'O my father, what hast thou
brought me to ride?' 'O my lady,' answered he, 'thou shalt ride
the horse thou camest on.' Quoth she, 'I cannot ride it by
myself.' Whereupon he smiled and knew that she was in his power
and said, 'I myself will ride with thee.' So he mounted and
taking her up behind him, bound her fast to himself, for she
knew not what he would with her. Then he turned the peg of
ascent, whereupon the belly of the horse became full of wind
and it swayed to and fro and rose with them into the air nor
slackened in its flight, till it was out of sight of the city.
When the princess saw this, she said to him, 'O fellow, what
didst thou tell me of the prince, that he sent thee to me?'
'Foul befall the prince!' answered the Persian. 'He is a
scurril knave.' And she said, 'Out on thee! How darest thou
disobey thy lord's commandment!' 'He is no lord of mine,'
rejoined the Persian. 'Knowst thou who I am?' 'I know nothing
of thee,' replied the princess, 'save what thou toldest me.'
Quoth he, 'What I told thee was a trick of mine against thee
and the prince. I am he who made this horse under us, and I
have long regretted its loss; for the prince made himself
master of it. But now I have gotten possession of it and of
thee too, and I will rack his heart, even as he hath racked
mine; nor shall he ever have the horse again. So take comfort
and be of good cheer, for I can be of more service to thee than
he.' When she heard this, she buffeted her face and cried out,
saying, 'Ah, woe is me! I have neither gotten my beloved nor
kept my father and mother!' And she wept sore over what had
befallen her, whilst the Persian fared on with her, without
ceasing, till he came to the land of the Greeks and alighted in
a verdant meadow, abounding in trees and streams.
Now this meadow was near a city, in which was a king of great
puissance, and it befell that he went forth that day to hunt
and divert himself. As he passed by the meadow, he saw the
Persian standing there, with the princess and the horse by his
side, and before he was aware, the King's followers fell upon
him and carried him, the lady and the horse to their master,
who noting the foulness of his favour and the beauty and grace
of the princess, said to the latter, 'O my lady, what kin is
this old fellow to thee?' The Persian made haste to reply, 'She
is my wife and the daughter of my father's brother.' But she
gave him the lie and said, 'O King, by Allah, I know him not,
nor is he my husband, but hath stolen me away by force and
fraud.' Thereupon the King bade beat the Persian, and they beat
him, till he was well-nigh dead; after which the King commanded
to carry him to the city and cast him into prison, and taking
the princess and the horse from him, set the former in his
harem and laid up the latter in his treasury, though he knew
not its properties nor the secret of its motion.
Meanwhile, the prince donned a travelling-habit and taking what
he needed of money, set out, in very sorry plight, in quest of
the princess, and journeyed from country to country and city to
city, enquiring after the ebony horse, whilst all who heard him
marvelled at him and deemed his talk extravagant. Thus did he a
long while; but, for all his enquiry and research, he could win
at no news of her. At last, he came to the city of Senaa and
there enquired for her, but could get no tidings of her and
found her father mourning her loss. So he turned back and made
for the land of the Greeks, pursuing his enquiries as he went,
till, as chance would have it, he alighted at a certain khan
and saw a company of merchants sitting talking. He sat down
near them and heard one say to the others, 'O my friends, I
happened lately upon a wonder of wonders.' 'What was that?'
asked they, and he answered, 'I was late in such a city,'
naming the city wherein was the princess, 'and heard its people
speak of a strange thing that had lately befallen. It was that
their King went out one day a-hunting, with a company of his
courtiers and the grandees of his realm, and coming to a green
meadow, espied there a man standing, with a horse of ebony, and
a lady sitting hard by. The man was ugly and foul of favour,
but the lady was a marvel of beauty and grace and symmetry; and
as for the ebony horse, it was a wonder, never saw eyes aught
goodlier than it nor more perfect than its fashion.' 'And
what did the King with them?' asked the others. 'As for the
man,' said the merchant, 'he questioned him of the lady and
he pretended that she was his wife and the daughter of his
father's brother; but she gave him the lie. So the King took
her from him and bade beat him and cast him into prison. As
for the horse, I know not what became of it.' When the prince
heard this, he drew near unto the speaker and questioned him
discreetly and courteously, till he told him the name of the
city and of its king; which when he knew, he passed the night,
full of joy.
On the morrow, he set out and travelled till he reached the
city; but, when he would have entered, the gatekeepers laid
hands on him, that they might bring him before the King; for
that it was his wont to question all strangers respecting their
conditions and the crafts in which they were skilled and the
reason of their coming thither. Now it was eventide, when he
entered the city, and it was then too late to go in to the King
or take counsel with him respecting him. So they carried him to
the prison, thinking to lay him therein for the night; but,
when the warders saw his beauty and grace, they could not find
it in their hearts to imprison him, but made him sit with them,
without the prison; and when food came to them, he ate his fill
with them. When they had made an end of eating, they turned to
him and said, 'What countryman art thou?' 'I come from Persia,'
answered he, 'the land of the Chosroës.' When they heard this,
they laughed and one of them said, 'O Chosroän, I have heard
the talk of men and their histories and looked upon their
conditions; but never saw or heard I a greater liar than the
Chosroän that is with us in the prison.' 'Nor,' quoth another,
'did I ever see fouler than his favour or more repulsive than
his aspect.' 'What have ye seen of his lying?' asked the
prince, and they answered, 'He pretends that he is a sage. Now
the King came upon him, as he went a-hunting, and found with
him a most beautiful lady and a horse of ebony, never saw I a
handsomer. As for the lady, she is with the King, who is
enamoured of her and would fain marry her; but she is mad, and
were this man a physician, as he pretends, he would have cured
her, for the King doth his utmost endeavour to find a remedy
for her disease, and this whole year past hath he spent
treasures upon physicians and astrologers, on her account; but
none can avail to cure her. As for the horse, it is in the
royal treasury, and the man is here with us in the prison; and
all night long he weeps and bemoans himself and will not let us
sleep.'
When the prince heard this, he bethought himself of a device by
which he might compass his desire; and presently the warders,
being minded to sleep, clapped him into the prison and locked
the door. He heard the Persian weeping and bemoaning himself,
in his own tongue, and saying, 'Woe is me for my sin, that I
sinned against myself and against the King's son, in that which
I did with the damsel; for I neither left her nor got my desire
of her! All this comes of my want of sense, in that I sought
for myself that which I deserved not and which befitted not the
like of me; for he, who seeks what befits him not, falleth into
the like of my predicament.' When the prince heard this, he
accosted him in Persian, saying, 'How long wilt thou keep up
this weeping and wailing? Thinkst thou that there hath befallen
thee what never befell other than thou?' When the Persian heard
this, he made friends with him and began to complain to him of
his case and misfortunes.
As soon as it was day, the warders took the prince and carried
him before the King, informing him that he had entered the city
on the previous night, at a time when no audience could be had
of him. Quoth the King to the prince, 'Whence comest thou and
what is thy name and craft and why comest thou hither?' And he
answered, 'I am called, in Persian, Herjeh. I come from the
land of Fars and I am of the men of art and especially of the
art of medicine and cure the sick and the mad. For this, I go
round about all countries and cities, adding knowledge to my
knowledge, and whenever I see a sick person, I heal him; and
this is my craft.' When the King heard this, he rejoiced
exceedingly and said, 'O excellent sage, thou hast come to us
at a time when we have need of thee.' Then he acquainted him
with the case of the princess, adding, 'If thou win to cure her
and recover her of her madness, thou shalt have of me whatever
thou seekest.' 'May God advance the King!' rejoined the prince.
'Describe to me all thou hast seen of her madness and tell me
how long it is since it attacked her; also how thou camest by
her.' So the King told him the whole story, from first to last,
adding, 'The sage is in prison.' 'O august King,' said the
prince, 'and what hast thou done with the horse?' 'It is with
me yet, laid up in one of my treasure-chambers,' replied the
King; whereupon quoth the prince in himself, 'The first thing
to do is to see the horse and assure myself of its condition.
If it be whole and unhurt, all will be well; but, if its works
be destroyed, I must find some other way of delivering my
beloved.'
So he turned to the King and said to him, 'O King, I must see
the horse in question: haply I may find in it somewhat that
will serve me for the recovery of the damsel.' 'With all my
heart,' replied the King and taking him by the hand, led him to
the place where the horse was. The prince went round about it,
examining its condition, and found it whole and unhurt, whereat
he rejoiced greatly and said to the King, 'May God exalt the
King! I would fain go in to the damsel, that I may see how it
is with her; for I hope, by God's grace, to cure her by means
of the horse.' Then he bade take care of the horse and the King
carried him to the princess's apartment, where he found her
writhing and beating herself against the ground, as was her
wont; but there was no madness in her, and she did this but
that none might approach her. When the prince saw her thus, he
said to her, 'No harm shall betide thee, O ravishment of all
creatures;' and went on to soothe her and speak her fair, till
he won to make himself known to her; whereupon she gave a loud
cry and fell down in a swoon for excess of joy; but the King
thought this came of her fear of him.
Then the prince put his mouth to her ear and said to her, 'O
seduction of the universe, have a care for thy life and mine
and be patient and constant; for we have need of patience and
skilful ordinance to make shift for our delivery from this
tyrannical King. To begin with, I will now go out to him and
tell him that thou art possessed of a genie, and hence thy
madness; but, that if he will loose thee from thy bonds, I will
engage to heal thee and drive away the evil spirit. So, when he
comes in to thee, do thou give him fair words, that he may
think I have cured thee, and all will be accomplished as we
desire.' Quoth she, 'I hear and obey;' and he went out to the
King, full of joy and happiness, and said to him, 'O august
King, by thy good fortune I have discovered her disease and its
remedy and have cured her for thee. So now do thou go in to her
and speak softly to her and entreat her kindly, and promise her
what may please her; so shall all thou desirest of her be
accomplished to thee.' So he went in to her and when she saw
him, she rose and kissing the ground, bade him welcome; whereat
he was greatly rejoiced and bade the eunuchs and waiting-women
attend her and carry her to the bath and make ready for her
dresses and ornaments.
So they went in to her and saluted her, and she returned their
greeting, after the goodliest and pleasantest fashion; after
which they clad her in royal apparel and clasping a collar of
jewels about her neck, carried her to the bath and served her
there. Then they brought her forth, as she were the full moon;
and when she came into the King's presence, she saluted him and
kissed the ground before him, whereupon he rejoiced in her with
an exceeding joy and said to the prince, 'All this is of thy
blessing, may God increase us of thy good offices!' Quoth the
prince, 'O King, it behoves, for the completion of her cure,
that thou carry her forth, together with the ebony horse, and
attend her with all thy troops to the place where thou foundest
her, that there I may expel from her the evil spirit, by whom
she is possessed, and bind him and kill him, so he may never
more return to her.' 'With all my heart,' answered the King.
Then he caused carry out the horse to the meadow in question
and mounting, rode thither with all his troops and the princess,
knowing not the prince's purpose.
When they came to the appointed place, the prince bade set the
horse and the princess as far as the eye could reach from the
King and his troops and said to the former, 'With thy leave, I
will now proceed to the needful fumigations and conjurations
and imprison the genie here, that he may nevermore return to
her. After this, I shall mount the horse and take the damsel up
behind me; whereupon it will sway to and fro and fare forward,
till it come to thee, when the affair will be at an end; and
after this thou mayst do with her as thou wilt.' And when the
King heard his words, he rejoiced with an exceeding joy. So the
prince mounted the horse and taking the princess up behind him,
bound her fast to him, whilst the King and his troops watched
him. Then he turned the peg of ascent and the horse took flight
and soared with them into the air, till he disappeared from
sight.
The King abode half the day, expecting their return; but they
returned not. So, when he despaired of them, he returned to the
city with his troops, repenting him greatly of that which he
had done and grieving sore for the loss of the damsel. He shut
himself up in his palace, mourning and afflicted; but his
Viziers came in to him and applied themselves to comfort him,
saying, 'Verily, he who took the damsel is an enchanter, and
praised be God who hath delivered thee from his craft and
sorcery!' And they ceased not from him, till he was comforted
for her loss.
Meanwhile, the prince bent his course, in joy and cheer,
towards his father's capital and stayed not, till he alighted
on his own palace, where he set the princess in safety; after
which he went in to his father and mother and acquainted them
with her coming, whereat they rejoiced exceedingly. Then he
made great banquets to the townsfolk and they held high
festival a whole month, at the end of which time he went in to
the princess and they rejoiced in one another with an exceeding
joy. But his father broke the horse in pieces and destroyed its
works. Moreover, the prince wrote a letter to the princess's
father, advising him of all that had befallen her and how she
was now married to him and in all health and happiness, and
sent it by a messenger, together with costly presents and
rarities. The messenger, in due course, arrived at the city of
Senaa and delivered the letter and the presents to the King,
who, when he read the former, rejoiced greatly and accepted the
presents, rewarding the bearer handsomely. Moreover, he sent
rich presents to his son-in-law by the same messenger, who
returned to his master and acquainted him with what had passed,
whereat he was much cheered. And after this the prince wrote a
letter every year to his father-in-law and sent him a present,
till, in course of time, his father King Sabour died and he
reigned in his stead, ruling justly over his subjects and
ordering himself well and righteously towards them, so that
they submitted themselves to him and did him loyal service; and
he and his wife abode in the enjoyment of all delight and
solace of life, till there came to them the Destroyer of
Delights and Sunderer of Companies, He that layeth waste the
palaces and peopleth the tombs; and glory be to the Living One
who dieth not and in whose hand is the dominion of the Seen and
the Unseen!
UNS EL WUJOUD AND THE VIZIER'S DAUGHTER
ROSE-IN-BUD.
There was once, of old days and in bygone ages and times, a
King of great power and glory and dominion, who had a Vizier
named Ibrahim, and this Vizier had a daughter of extraordinary
beauty and grace, gifted with surpassing brilliancy and all
perfection, possessed of abundant wit and perfectly accomplished.
She loved wine and good cheer and fair faces and choice verses
and rare stories; and the delicacy of her charms invited all
hearts to love, even as Saith the poet, describing her:
She shines out like the moon at full, that midst the stars doth
fare, And for a wrapping-veil she hath the ringlets of her
hair.
The Eastern zephyr gives her boughs to drink of all its sweets
And like a jointed cane, she sways to every breath of air.
She smiles in passing by. O thou that dost alike accord With
red and yellow and arrayed in each, alike art fair,
Thou sportest with my wit in love, so that indeed meseems As if
a sparrow in the clutch of playful urchin 'twere.
Her name was Rose-in-bud and she was so named for the exceeding
delicacy and perfection of her beauty; and the King loved to
carouse with her, because of her wit and good breeding.
Now it was the King's custom yearly to gather together all the
nobles of his realm and play with the ball. So, when the day
came round, on which the folk assembled for ball-play, the
Vizier's daughter seated herself at her lattice, to divert
herself by looking on at the game; and as they were at play,
her eyes fell upon a youth among them, never was seen a
handsomer than he or a goodlier of favour, for he was bright of
face, laughing-teethed, tall and broad-shouldered. She looked
at him again and again and could not take her fill of gazing on
him. Then she said to her nurse, 'What is the name of yonder
handsome young man among the troops?' 'O my daughter,' replied
the nurse, 'they are all handsome. Which of them dost thou
mean?' 'Wait till he passes,' said Rose-in-bud, 'and I will
point him out to thee.' So she took an apple and waited till he
came under her window, when she dropped it on him, whereupon he
raised his head, to see who did this, and saw the Vizier's
daughter at the window, as she were the full moon in the
darkness of the night; nor did he withdraw his eyes, till he
had fallen passionately in love with her; and he recited the
following verses:
Was it an archer shot me or did thine eyes undo The lover's
heart that saw thee, what time thou metst his view?
Did the notched arrow reach me from midst a host, indeed, Or
was it from a lattice that launched at me it flew?
When the game was at an end, he went away with the King,
[whose servant and favourite he was,] with heart occupied with
love of her; and she said to her nurse, 'What is the name of
that youth I showed thee?' 'His name is Uns el Wujoud,'
answered she; whereat Rose-in-bud shook her head and lay down
on her couch, with a heart on fire for love. Then, sighing
deeply, she improvised the following verses:
He erred not who dubbed thee, "All creatures' delight,"[FN#75]
That pleasance and bounty[FN#76] at once dust unite.
Full-moonlike of aspect, O thou whose fair face O'er all the
creation sheds glory and light,
Thou'rt peerless midst mortals, the sovran of grace, And many a
witness to this I can cite.
Thy brows are a Noun[FN#77] and shine eyes are a Sad,[FN#78]
That the hand of the loving Creator did write;
Thy shape is the soft, tender sapling, that gives Of its
bounties to all that its favours invite.
Yea, indeed, thou excellest the world's cavaliers In pleasance
and beauty and bounty and might.
When she had finished, she wrote the verses on a sheet of
paper, which she folded in a piece of gold-embroidered silk and
laid under her pillow. Now one of her nurses saw her; so she
came up to her and held her in talk, till she slept, when she
stole the scroll from under her pillow and reading it, knew
that she had fallen in love with Uns el Wujoud. Then she
returned the scroll to its place and when her mistress awoke,
she said to her, 'O my lady, indeed, I am to thee a faithful
counsellor and am tenderly solicitous for thee. Know that
passion is grievous and the hiding it melteth iron and causeth
sickness and unease; nor is there reproach for whoso confesses
it.' 'O my nurse,' rejoined Rose-in-bud,'and what is the remedy
of passion?' 'The remedy of passion is enjoyment,' answered the
nurse. 'And how may one come by enjoyment?' asked Rose-in-bud.
'By letters and messages,' replied the nurse, 'and many a
tender word and greeting; this brings lovers together and makes
hard matters easy. So, if thou have aught at heart, mistress
mine, I will engage to keep thy secret and do thy need and
carry thy letters.'
When the girl heard this, her reason fled for joy; but she
restrained herself from speech, till she should see the issue
of the matter, saying in herself, 'None knoweth this thing of
me, nor will I trust this woman with my secret, till I have
proved her.' Then said the nurse, 'O my lady, I saw in my sleep
as though one came to me and said, "Thy mistress and Uns el
Wujoud love one another; so do thou serve their loves by
carrying their messages and doing their need and keeping their
secrets; and much good shall befall thee." So now I have told
thee my dream, and it is thine to decide.' 'O my nurse,' quoth
Rose-in-bud, 'canst thou keep secrets?' 'And how should I not
keep secrets,' answered the nurse, 'I that am of the flower of
the free-born?' Then Rose-in-bud pulled out the scroll, on
which she had written the verses afore said, and said to her,'
Carry this my letter to Uns el Wujoud and bring me his answer.'
So the nurse took the letter and repairing to Uns el Wujoud,
kissed his hands and saluted him right courteously, then gave
him the letter; and he read it and wrote on the back the
following verses:
I temper my heart in passion and hide my case as I may; But my
case interprets for me and doth my love bewray.
And whenas my lids brim over with tears,--lest the spy should
see And come to fathom my secret,--"My eye is sore," I
say.
Of old I was empty-hearted and knew not what love was; But now
I am passion's bondman, my heart to love's a prey.
To thee I prefer my petition, complaining of passion and pain,
So haply thou mayst be softened and pity my dismay.
With the tears of my eye I have traced it, that so unto thee it
may The tidings of what I suffer for thee to thee convey.
God watch o'er a visage, that veileth itself with beauty, a
face That the full moon serves as a bondman and the stars
as slaves obey!
Yea' Allah protect her beauty, whose like I ne'er beheld! The
boughs from her graceful carriage, indeed, might learn to
sway.
I beg thee to grant me a visit; algates, if it irk thee nought.
An thou knewst how dearly I'd prize it, thou wouldst not
say me nay.
I give thee my life, so haply thou mayst accept it: to me Thy
presence is life eternal and hell thy turning away.
Then he folded the letter and kissing it, gave it to the nurse
and said to her, 'O nurse, incline thy lady's heart to me.' 'I
hear and obey,' answered she and carried the letter to her
mistress, who kissed it and laid it on her head, then wrote at
the foot of it these verses:
Harkye, thou whose heart is taken with my grace and loveliness,
Have but patience, and right surely thou my favours shalt
possess.
When we were assured the passion thou avouchedst was sincere
And that that which us betided had betided thee no less,
Gladly had we then vouchsafed thee what thou sighedst for, and
more; But our guardians estopped us to each other from
access.
When night darkens on the dwellings, fires are lighted in our
heart And our entrails burn within us, for desire and
love's excess.
Yea, for love and longing, slumber is a stranger to our couch
And the burning pangs of fever do our body sore distress.
'Twas a law of passion ever, love and longing to conceal; Lift
not thou the curtain from us nor our secret aye
transgress.
Ah, my heart is overflowing with the love of yon gazelle; Would
it had not left our dwellings for the distant wilderness.
Then she folded the letter and gave it to the nurse, who took
it and went out to go to the young man; but as she went forth
the door, her master met her and said to her, 'Whither away?'
'To the bath,' answered she; but, in her trouble, she dropped
the letter, without knowing it, and one of the servants, seeing
it lying in the way, picked it up. When she came without the
door, she sought for it, but found it not, so turned back to
her mistress and told her of this and what had befallen her
with the Vizier.
Meanwhile, the latter came out of the harem and seated himself
on his couch. Presently, the servant, who had picked up the
letter, came in to him, with it in his hand, and said, 'O my
lord, I found this paper lying on the floor and picked it up.'
So the Vizier took it from his hand, folded as it was, and
opening it, read the verses above set down. Then he examined
the writing and knew it for his daughter's hand; whereupon he
went in to her mother, weeping so sore that his beard was
drenched. 'What makes thee weep, O my lord?' asked she; and he
answered, 'Take this letter and see what is therein.' So she
took it and saw it to be a love-letter from her daughter
Rose-in-bud to Uns el Wujoud; whereupon the tears sprang to her
eyes; but she mastered herself and swallowing her tears, said
to her husband, 'O my lord, there is no profit in weeping: the
right course is to cast about for a means of preserving thine
honour and concealing thy daughter's affair.' And she went on
to comfort him and lighten his trouble. Quoth he, 'I am fearful
of what may ensue this passion of my daughter, and that for two
reasons. The first concerns myself; it is, that she is my daughter;
the second, that Uns el Wujoud is a favourite with the Sultan,
who loves him with an exceeding love, and maybe great troubles
shall come of this affair. What deemest thou of the matter?'
'Wait,' answered she, 'whilst I pray to God for direction.'
So she prayed a two-bow prayer, according to the prophetic
ordinance of the prayer for divine guidance; after which she
said to her husband, 'Amiddleward the Sea of Treasures stands
a mountain called the Mount of the Bereaved Mother,' (the cause
of which being so named shall follow in its place, if it be the
will of God,) 'and thither can none come, save with difficulty;
do thou make her an abiding-place there.'