a King of great power and lord of glory and dominion galore; who had a
Wazir Ibrahim hight, and this Wazir's daughter was a damsel of
extraordinary beauty and loveliness, gifted with passing brilliancy and
the perfection of grace, possessed of abundant wit, and in all good
breeding complete. But she loved wassail and wine and the human face
divine and choice verses and rare stories; and the delicacy of her
inner gifts invited all hearts to love, even as saith the poet,
describing her,
"Like moon she shines amid the starry sky, *
Robing in tresses blackest ink outvie.
The morning-breezes give her boughs fair drink, *
And like a branch she sways with supple ply:
She smiles in passing us. O thou that art *
Fairest in yellow robed, or cramoisie,
Thou playest with my wit in love, as though *
Sparrow in hand of playful boy were I."[FN#31]
Her name was Rose-in-Hood and she was so named for her young and tender
beauty and the freshness of her brilliancy; and the King loved her in
his cups because of her accomplishments and fine manners. Now it was
the King's custom yearly to gather together all the nobles of his realm
and play with the ball.[FN#32] So when the day came round whereon the
folk assembled for ballplay, the Minister's daughter seated herself at
her lattice, to divert herself by looking on at the game; and, as they
were at play, her glance fell upon a youth among the guards than whom
never was seen a comelier face nor a goodlier form; for he was bright
of favour showing white teeth when he smiled, tall-statured and
broad-shouldered. She looked at him again and again and could not take
her fill of gazing; and presently said to her nurse, "What is the name
of yonder handsome young man among the troops?" Replied the nurse, "O
my daughter, the dear fellows are all handsome. Which of them dost thou
mean?" Said Rose-in-Hood, "Wait till he come past and I will point him
out to thee." So she took an apple and as he rode by dropped it on him,
whereupon he raised his head, to see who did this, and espied the
Wazir's daughter at the window, as she were the moon of fullest light
in the darkness of the night; nor did he withdraw his eyes, till his
heart was utterly lost to her, and he recited these lines,
"Was't archer shot me, or was't thine eyes *
Ruined lover's heart that thy charms espies?
Was the notched shaft[FN#33] from a host outshot, *
Or from latticed window in sudden guise?"
When the game was at an end, and all had left the ground, she asked her
nurse, "What is the name of that youth I showed thee?"; and the good
woman answered, "His name is Uns al-Wujud;" whereat Rose-in-Hood shook
her head and lay down on her couch, with thoughts a-fire for love.
Then, sighing deeply, she improvised these couplets,
"He missed not who dubbed thee, 'World's delight,' *
A world's love conjoining to bounty's light:[FN#34]
O thou, whose favour the full moon favours, *
Whose charms make life and the living bright!
Thou hast none equal among mankind; *
Sultan of Beauty, and proof I'll cite:
Thine eye-brows are likest a well-formed Nϊn,[FN#35] *
And thine eyes a Sαd,[FN#36] by His hand indite;
Thy shape is the soft, green bough that gives *
When asked to all with all-gracious sprite:
Thou excellest knights of the world in stowre, *
With delight and beauty and bounty dight."
When she had finished her verses, she wrote them on a sheet of paper,
which she folded in a piece of golf-embroidered silk and placed under
her pillow. Now one of her nurses had seen 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, after reading it, knew that she had fallen in
love with Uns al-Wujud. 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 true counsellor and am tenderly anxious on thy account. Know
that love is a tyrant and the hiding it melteth iron and entaileth
sickness and unease; nor for whoso confesseth it is there aught of
reproach." Rejoined Rose-in-Hood, "And what is the medicine of passion,
O nurse mine?" Answered the nurse, "The medicine of passion is
enjoyment" Quoth she, "And how may one come by enjoyment?" Quoth the
other, "By letters and messages, my lady; by whispered words of
compliment and by greetings before the world;[FN#37] all this bringeth
lovers together and makes hard matters easy. So if thou have aught at
heart, mistress mine, I am the fittest to keep thy secret and do thy
desires and carry thy letters." Now when the damsel heard this, her
reason flew and fled for joy; but she restrained herself from speech
till she should see the issue of the matter, saying within herself,
"None knoweth this thing of me, nor will I trust this one with my
secret, till I have tried her." Then said the woman, "O my lady, I saw
in my sleep as though a man came to me and said: 'Thy mistress and Uns
al-Wujud love each other; so do thou serve their case by carrying their
messages and doing their desires and keeping their secrets; and much
good shall befal thee.' So now I have told thee my vision and it is
thine to decide." Quoth Rose-in-Hood, after she heard of the dream,—And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Seventy-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Rose-in- Hood
asked her nurse after hearing of the dream, "Tell me, canst thou keep a
secret, O my nurse?"; whereto she answered, "And how should I not keep
secrecy, I that am of the flower of the free?"[FN#38] Then the maiden
pulled out the scroll, whereon she had written the verses and said,
"Carry me this my letter to Uns al-Wujud and bring me his reply." The
nurse took the letter and, repairing to Uns al-Wujud, kissed his hands
and greeted him right courteously, then gave him the paper; and he read
it and, comprehending the contents, wrote on the back these couplets,
"I soothe my heart and my love repel; *
But my state interprets my love too well:
When tears flow I tell them mine eyes are ill, *
Lest the censor see and my case fortell,
I was fancy-free and unknew I Love; *
But I fell in love and in madness fell.
I show you my case and complain of pain, *
Pine and ecstasy that your ruth compel:
I write you with tears of eyes, so belike *
They explain the love come my heart to quell;
Allah guard a face that is veiled with charms, *
Whose thrall is Moon and the Stars as well:
In her beauty I never beheld the like; *
From her sway the branches learn sway and swell:
I beg you, an 'tis not too much of pains, *
To call;[FN#39] 'twere boon without parallel.
I give you a soul you will haply take. *
To which Union is Heaven, Disunion Hell."
Then he folded the letter and kissing it, gave it to the go- between
and said to her, "O nurse, incline the lady's heart to me." "To hear is
to obey," answered she and carried the script to her mistress, who
kissed it and laid it on her head, then she opened it and read it and
understood it and wrote at the foot of it these couplets,
"O whose heart by our beauty is captive ta'en, *
Have patience and all thou shalt haply gain!
When we knew that thy love was a true affect, *
And what pained our heart to thy heart gave pain,
We had granted thee wished-for call and more; *
But hindered so doing the chamberlain.
When the night grows dark, through our love's excess *
Fire burns our vitals with might and main:
And sleep from our beds is driven afar, *
And our bodies are tortured by passion-bane.
'Hide Love!' in Love's code is the first command; *
And from raising his veil thy hand restrain:
I fell love-fulfilled by yon gazelle: *
Would he never wander from where I dwell!"
Then she folded the letter and gave it to the nurse, who took it and
went out from her mistress to seek the young man; but, as she would
fare forth, the chamberlain met her and said to her, "Whither away?"
"To the bath," answered she; but in her fear and confusion, she dropped
the letter, without knowing it, and went off unrecking what she had
done; when one of the eunuchs, seeing it lying in the way, picked it
up. When the nurse 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. Meanwhile, the Wazir came out of the Harim and seated
himself on his couch; whereupon behold, the eunuch, who had picked up
the letter, came in to him, hending it in hand and said, "O my lord, I
found this paper lying upon the floor and picked it up." So the
Minister took it from his hand, folded as it was, and opening it, read
the verses as above set down. Then, after mastering the meaning, he
examined the writing and knew it for his daughter's hand; whereupon he
went to her mother, weeping so abundant tears that his beard was
wetted. His wife asked him, "What maketh thee weep, O my lord?"; and he
answered, "Take this letter and see what is therein." So she took it
and found it to be a love-letter from her daughter Rose-in-Hood to Uns
al-Wujud: whereupon the ready drops sprang to her eyes; but she
composed her mind, and, gulping down 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 keeping thine honour and concealing the affair of
thy daughter." And she went on to comfort him and lighten his trouble;
but he said, "I am fearful for my daughter by reason of this new
passion. Knowest thou not that the Sultan loveth Uns al- Wujud with
exceeding love? And my fear hath two causes. The first concerneth
myself; it is, that she is my daughter: the second is on account of the
King; for that Uns al-Wujud is a favourite with the Sultan and
peradventure great troubles shall come out of this affair. What deemest
thou should be done?"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Seventy-third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir, after
recounting the affair of his daughter, asked his wife, "What deemest
thou should be done?" And she answered, "Have patience whilst I pray
the prayer for right direction." So she prayed a two-bow prayer
according to the prophetic[FN#40] ordinance for seeking divine
guidance; after which she said to her husband, "In the midst of the Sea
of Treasures[FN#41] standeth a mountain named the Mount of the Bereaved
Mother (the cause of which being so called shall presently follow in
its place, Inshallah!); and thither can none have access, save with
pains and difficulty and distress: do thou make that same her
abiding-place." Accordingly the Minister and his wife agreed to build
on that mountain a virgin castle and lodge their daughter therein with
the necessary provision to be renewed year by year and attendants to
cheer and to serve her. Accordingly he collected carpenters, builders
and architects and despatched them to the mountain, where they builded
her an impregnable castle, never saw eyes the like thereof. Then he
made ready vivers and carriage for the journey and, going in to his
daughter by night, bade her prepare to set out on a pleasure-excursion.
Thereupon her heart presaged the sorrows of separation and, when she
went forth and saw the preparations for the journey, she wept with sore
weeping and wrote that upon the door which might acquaint her lover
with what had passed and with the transports of passion and grief that
were upon her, transports such as would make the flesh to shiver and
hair to stare, and melt the hardest stone with care, and tear from
every eye a tear. And what she wrote were these couplets,
"By Allah, O thou house, if my beloved a morn go by, *
And greet with signs and signals lover e'er is wont to fly,
I pray thee give him our salams in pure and fragrant guise, *
For he indeed may never know where we this eve shall lie.
I wot not whither they have fared, thus bearing us afar *
At speed, and lightly-quipt, the lighter from one love to
fly:
When starkens night, the birds in brake or branches snugly
perched * Wail for our sorrow and announce our hapless
destiny:
The tongue of their condition saith, 'Alas, alas for woe, *
And heavy brunt of parting-blow two lovers must aby':
When viewed I separation-cups were filled to the brim *
And us with merest sorrow-wine Fate came so fast to ply,
I mixed them with becoming share of patience self to excuse, *
But Patience for the loss of you her solace doth refuse."
Now when she ended her lines, she mounted and they set forward with
her, crossing and cutting over wold and wild and riant dale and rugged
hill, till they came to the shore of the Sea of Treasures; here they
pitched their tents and built her a great ship, wherein they went down
with her and her suite and carried them over to the mountain. The
Minister had ordered them, on reaching the journey's end, to set her in
the castle and to make their way back to the shore, where they were to
break up the vessel. So they did his bidding and returned home, weeping
over what had befallen. Such was their case; but as regards Uns al-
Wujud, he arose from sleep and prayed the dawn-prayer, after which he
took horse and rode forth to attend upon the Sultan. On his way, he
passed by the Wazir's house, thinking perchance to see some of his
followers as of wont; but he saw no one and, looking upon the door, he
read written thereon the verses aforesaid. At this sight, his senses
failed him; fire was kindled in his vitals and he returned to his
lodging, where he passed the day in trouble and transports of grief,
without finding ease or patience, till night darkened upon him, when
his yearning and love-longing redoubled. Thereupon, by way of
concealment, he disguised himself in the ragged garb of a Fakir,[FN#42]
and set out wandering at random through the glooms of night, distracted
and knowing not whither he went. So he wandered on all that night and
next day, till the heat of the sun waxed fierce and the mountains
flamed like fire and thirst was grievous upon him. Presently, he espied
a tree, by whose side was a thin thread of running water; so he made
towards it and sitting down in the shade, on the bank of the rivulet,
essayed to drink, but found that the water had no taste in his
mouth;[FN#43] and, indeed his colour had changed and his face had
yellowed, and his feet were swollen with travel and travail. So he shed
copious tears and repeated these couplets,
"The lover is drunken with love of friend; *
On a longing that groweth his joys depend:
Love-distracted, ardent, bewildered, lost *
From home, nor may food aught of pleasure lend:
How can life be delightsome to one in love, *
And from lover parted, 'twere strange, unkenned!
I melt with the fire of my pine for them, *
And the tears down my cheek in a stream descend.
Shall I see them, say me, or one that comes *
From the camp, who th' afflicted heart shall tend?"
And after thus reciting he wept till he wetted the hard dry ground; but
anon without loss of time he rose and fared on again over waste and
wold, till there came out upon him a lion, with a neck buried in
tangled mane, a head the bigness of a dome, a mouth wider than the door
thereof and teeth like elephants' tusks. Now when Uns al-Wujud saw him,
he gave himself up for lost, and turning[FN#44] towards the Temple of
Meccah, pronounced the professions of the faith and prepared for death.
He had read in books that whoso will flatter the lion, beguileth
him,[FN#45] for that he is readily duped by smooth speech and gentled
by being glorified; so he began and said, "O Lion of the forest! O Lord
of the waste! O terrible Leo! O father of fighters! O Sultan of wild
beasts! Behold, I am a lover in longing, whom passion and severance
have been wronging; since I parted from my dear, I have lost my
reasoning gear; wherefore, to my speech do thou give ear and have ruth
on my passion and hope and fear." When the lion heard this, he drew
back from him and sitting down on his hindquarters, raised his head to
him and began to frisk tail and paws; which when Uns al-Wujud saw, he
recited these couplets,
"Lion of the wold wilt thou murther me, *
Ere I meet her who doomed me to slavery?
I am not game and I bear no fat; *
For the loss of my love makes me sickness dree;
And estrangement from her hath so worn me down *
I am like a shape in a shroud we see.
O thou sire of spoils,[FN#46] O thou lion of war, *
Give not my pains to the blamer's gree.
I burn with love, I am drowned in tears *
For a parting from lover, sore misery!
And my thoughts of her in the murk of night *
For love hath make my being unbe."
As he had finished his lines the lion rose,—And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Seventy-fourth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that as Uns al- Wujud
ended his lines, the lion arose and stalked slowly up to him, with eyes
tear-railing and licked him with his tongue, then walked on before him,
signing to him as though saying, "Follow me." So he followed him, and
the beast ceased not leading him on for a while till he brought him up
a mountain, and guided him to the farther side, where he came upon the
track of a caravan over the desert, and knew it to be that of
Rose-in-Hood and her company. Then he took the trail and, when the lion
saw that he knew the track for that of the party which escorted her, he
turned back and went his way; whilst Uns al-Wujud walked along the
foot-marks day and night, till they brought him to a dashing sea,
swollen with clashing surge. The trail led down to the sandy shore and
there broke off; whereby he knew that they had taken ship and had
continued their journey by water. So he lost hope of finding his lover
and with hot tears he repeated these couplets,
"Far is the fane and patience faileth me; *
How can I seek them[FN#47] o'er the abyssmal sea;
Or how be patient, when my vitals burn *
For love of them, and sleep waxed insomny?
Since the sad day they left the home and fled, *
My heart's consumed by love's ardency:
Sayhun, Jayhun,[FN#48] Euphrates-like my tears, *
Make flood no deluged rain its like can see:
Mine eyelids chafed with running tears remain, *
My heart from fiery sparks is never free;
The hosts of love and longing pressed me *
And made the hosts of patience break and flee.
I've risked my life too freely for their love; *
And risk of life the least of ills shall be.
Allah ne'er punish eye that saw those charms *
Enshrined, and passing full moon's brilliancy!
I found me felled by fair wide-opened eyes, *
Which pierced my heart with stringless archery:
And soft, lithe, swaying shape enraptured me *
As sway the branches of the willow-tree:
Wi' them I covet union that I win, *
O'er love-pains cark and care, a mastery.
For love of them aye, morn and eve I pine, *
And doubt all came to me from evil eyne."
And when his lines were ended he wept, till he swooned away, and abode
in his swoon a long while; but as soon as he came to himself, he looked
right and left and seeing no one in the desert, he became fearful of
the wild beasts; so he clomb to the top of a high mountain, where he
heard the voice of a son of Adam speaking within a cave. He listened
and lo! they were the accents of a devotee, who had forsworn the world
and given himself up to pious works and worship. He knocked thrice at
the cavern-door, but the hermit made him no answer, neither came forth
to him; wherefore he groaned aloud and recited these couplets.
"What pathway find I my desire t'obtain, *
How 'scape from care and cark and pain and bane?
All terrors join to make me old and hoar *
Of head and heart, ere youth from me is ta'en:
Nor find I any aid my passion, nor *
A friend to lighten load of bane and pain.
How great and many troubles I've endured! *
Fortune hath turned her back I see unfain.
Ah mercy, mercy on the lover's heart, *
Doomed cup of parting and desertion drain!
A fire is in his heart, his vitals waste, *
And severance made his reason vainest vain.
How dread the day I came to her abode *
And saw the writ they wrote on doorway lain!
I wept, till gave I earth to drink my grief; *
But still to near and far[FN#49] I did but feign:
Then strayed I till in waste a lion sprang *
On me, and but for flattering words had slain:
I soothed him: so he spared me and lent me aid, *
He too might haply of love's taste complain.
O devotee, that idlest in thy cave, *
Meseems eke thou hast learned Love's might and main;
But if, at end of woes, with them I league, *
Straight I'll forget all suffering and fatigue."
Hardly had he made an end of these verses when, behold! the door of the
cavern opened and he heard one say, "Alas, the pity of it!"[FN#50] So
he entered and saluted the devotee, who returned his salam and asked
him, "What is thy name?" Answered the young man, "Uns al-Wujud." "And
what caused thee to come hither?" quoth the hermit. So he told him his
story in its entirety, omitting naught of his misfortunes; whereat he
wept and said, "O Uns al- Wujud, these twenty years have I passed in
this place, but never beheld I any man here, until yesterday, when I
heard a noise of weeping and lamentation and, looking forth in the
direction of the sound, saw many people and tents pitched on the
sea-shore; and the party at once proceeded to build a ship, in which
certain of them embarked and sailed over the waters. Then some of the
crew returned with the ship and breaking it up, went their way; and I
suspect that those who embarked in the ship and returned not, are they
whom thou seekest. In that case, O Uns al-Wujud, thy grief must needs
be great and sore and thou art excusable, though never yet was lover
but suffered love-longing." Then he recited these couplets,
"Uns al-Wujud, dost deem me fancy-free, *
When pine and longing slay and quicken me?
I have known love and yearning from the years *
Since mother-milk I drank, nor e'er was free.
Long struggled I with Love, till learnt his might; *
Ask thou of him, he'll tell with willing gree.
Love-sick and pining drank I passion-cup, *
And well-nigh perished in mine agony.
Strong was I, but my strength to weakness turned, *
And eye-sword brake through Patience armoury:
Hope not to win love-joys, without annoy; *
Contrary ever links with contrary.
But fear not change from lover true; be true *
Unto thy wish, some day thine own 'twill be.
Love hath forbidden to his votaries *
Relinquishment as deadliest heresy."
The eremite, having ended his verse, rose and, coming up to Uns
al-Wujud, embraced him,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Seventy-fifth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the eremite
having ended his verse, rose and coming up to Uns al-Wujud embraced
him, and they wept together, till the hills rang with their cries and
they fell down fainting. When they revived, they swore
brotherhood[FN#51] in Allah Almighty; after which said Uns al-Wujud,
"This very night will I pray to God and seek of Him direction[FN#52]
anent what thou shouldst do to attain thy desire." Thus it was with
them; but as regards Rose-in-Hood, when they brought her to the
mountain and set her in the castle and she beheld its ordering, she
wept and exclaimed, "By Allah, thou art a goodly place, save that thou
lackest in thee the presence of the beloved!"[FN#53] Then seeing birds
in the island, she bade her people set snares for them and put all they
caught in cages within the castle; and they did so. But she sat at a
lattice and bethought her of what had passed, and desire and passion
and distraction redoubled upon her, till she burst into tears and
repeated these couplets,
"O to whom now, of my desire complaining sore, shall I *
Bewail my parting from my fere compellθd thus to fly?
Flames rage within what underlies my ribs, yet hide them I *
In deepest secret dreading aye the jealous hostile spy:
I am grown as lean, attenuate as any pick of tooth,[FN#54] *
By sore estrangement, absence, ardour, ceaseless sob and
sigh.
Where is the eye of my beloved to see how I'm become *
Like tree stripped bare of leafage left to linger and to
die.
They tyrannised over me whom they confined in place *
Whereto the lover of my heart may never draw him nigh:
I beg the Sun for me to give greetings a thousandfold, *
At time of rising and again when setting from the sky,
To the beloved one who shames a full moon's loveliness, *
When shows that slender form that doth the willow-branch
outvie.