walked with the gait of a gazelle in flight, fit to damn a devotee,
till she came to a chair whereon she seated herself. And Al-Maamun
marvelled at her beauty and loveliness; but, when Abu Isa saw her, his
heart throbbed with pain, his colour changed to pale and wan and he was
in evil case. Asked the Caliph, "O Abu Isa, what aileth thee to change
thus?"; and he answered, "O Commander of the Faithful, it is because of
a twitch that seizeth me betimes." Quoth the Caliph, "Hast thou known
yonder damsel before to day?" Quoth he, "Yes, O Commander of the
Faithful, can the moon be concealed?" Then said al-Maamun to her, "What
is thy name, O damsel?"; and she replied, "My name is Kurrat al-Ayn. O
Commander of the Faithful," and he rejoined, "Sing to us, O Kurrat
al-Ayn." So she sang these two couplets,
"The loved ones left thee in middle night, *
And fared with the pilgrims when dawn shone bright:
The tents of pride round the domes they pitched, *
And with broidered curtains were veiled fro' sight."
Quoth the Caliph, "Favoured of Heaven art thou, O Kurrat al-Ayn! Whose
song is that?"; whereto she answered "The words are by Di'ibil
al-Khuza'i, and the air by Zurzϊr al-Saghνr." Abu Isa looked at her and
his tears choked him; so that the company marvelled at him. Then she
turned to al-Maamun and said to him, "O Commander of the Faithful, wilt
thou give me leave to change the words?" Said he, "Sing what thou
wilt;" so she played a merry measure and carolled these couplets,
"If thou should please a friend who pleaseth thee *
Frankly, in public practise secrecy.
And spurn the slanderer's tale, who seldom[FN#222] *
seeks Except the severance of true love to see.
They say, when lover's near, he tires of love, *
And absence is for love best remedy:
Both cures we tried and yet we are not cured, *
Withal we judge that nearness easier be:
Yet nearness is of no avail when he *
Thou lovest lends thee love unwillingly."
But when she had finished, Abu Isa said, "O Commander of the Faithful,"
—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Eighteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Kurrat
al-Ayn had finished her verse, Abu Isa said, "O Commander of the
Faithful, though we endure disgrace, we shall be at ease.[FN#223] Dost
thou give me leave to reply to her?" Quoth the Caliph, "Yes, say what
thou wilt to her." So he swallowed his tears and sang these two
distichs,
"Silent I woned and never owned my love; *
But from my heart I hid love's blissful boon;
Yet, if my eyes should manifest my love, *
'Tis for my nearness to the shining moon."
Then Kurrat al-Ayn took the lute and played a lively tune and rejoined
with these couplets,
"An what thou claimest were the real truth, *
With only Hope content thou hadst not been
Nor couldest patient live without the girl *
So rare of inner grace and outward mien.
But there is nothing in the claim of thee *
At all, save tongue and talk that little mean."
When Abu Isa heard this he fell to weeping and wailing and evidencing
his trouble and anguish. Then he raised his eyes to her and sighing,
repeated these couplets,
"Under my raiment a waste body lies, *
And in my spirit all comprising prize.
I have a heart, whose pain shall aye endure, *
And tears like torrents pour these woeful eyes.
Whene'er a wise man spies me, straight he chides *
Love, that misleads me thus in ways unwise:
O Lord, I lack the power this dole to bear: *
Come sudden Death or joy in bestest guise!"
When he had ended, Ali bin Hisham sprang up and kissing his feet, said,
"O my lord, Allah hearing thy secret hath answered thy prayer and
consenteth to thy taking her with all she hath of things rare and fair,
so the Commander of the Faithful have no mind to her." Quoth Al Maamun,
"Had we a mind to her, we would prefer Abu Isa before ourselves and
help him to his desire." So saying, he rose and embarking, went away,
whilst Abu Isa tarried for Kurrat al-Ayn, whom he took and carried to
his own house, his breast swelling with joy. See then the generosity of
Ali son of Hisham! And they tell a tale of
AL-AMIN SON OF AL-RASHID AND HIS UNCLE IBRAHIM BIN AL-MAHDI.
Al-Amin,[FN#224] brother of al-Maamun, once entered the house of his
uncle Ibrahim bin al-Mahdi, where he saw a slave girl playing upon the
lute; and, she being one of the fairest of women, his heart inclined to
her. Ibrahim, seeing how it was with him, sent the girl to him, with
rich raiment and precious ornaments. When he saw her, he thought that
his uncle had lain with her; so he was loath to have to do with her,
because of that, and accepting what came with her sent her back to
Ibrahim. His uncle learnt the cause of this from one of al-Amin's
eunuchs; so he took a shift of watered silk and worked upon its skirt,
in letters of gold, these two couplets,
"No! I declare by Him to whom all bow, *
Of nothing 'neath her petticoat I trow:
Nor meddle with her mouth; nor aught did I *
But see and hear her, and it was enow!"
Then he clad her in the shift and, giving her a lute, sent her back
again to his nephew. When she came into al-Amin's presence, she kissed
ground before him and tuning the lute, sang thereto these two couplets,
"Thy breast thou baredst sending back the gift; *
Showing unlove for me withouten shift:
An thou bear spite of Past, the Past forgive, *
And for the Caliphate cast the Past adrift."
When she had made an end of her verse, Al-Amin looked at her and,
seeing what was upon her skirt, could no longer control him self, And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Nineteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Al-Amin
looked at the damsel and saw what was upon her skirt, he could no
longer control himself, but drew near unto her and kissed her and
appointed her a separate lodging in his palace. Moreover, he thanked
his uncle for this and bestowed on him the government of Rayy. And a
tale is told of
AL-FATH BIN KHAKAN AND THE CALIPH AL-MUTAWAKKIL.
Al-Mutawakkil[FN#225] was once taking medicine, and folk sent him by
way of solace all sorts of presents and rarities and things costly and
precious. Amongst others, al-Fath bin Khαkαn[FN#226] sent him a virgin
slave, high breasted, of the fairest among women of her time, and with
her a vase of crystal, containing ruddy wine, and a goblet of red gold,
whereon were graven in black these couplets,
"Since our Imam came forth from medicine, *
Which made him health and heartiness rewin,
There is no healing draught more sovereign *
Than well boiled wine this golden goblet in:
Then let him break the seal for him secured; *
'Tis best prescription after medicine[FN#227]
Now when the damsel entered, the physician Yohannα[FN#228] was with the
Caliph, and as he read the couplets, he smiled and said, "By Allah, O
Commander of the Faithful, Fath is better versed than I in the art of
healing: so let not the Prince of True Believers gainsay his
prescription." Accordingly, the Caliph followed the recipe contained in
the poetry and was made whole by the blessing of Allah and won his
every wish. And among tales they tell is one of
THE MAN'S DISPUTE WITH THE LEARNED WOMAN CONCERNING THE RELATIVE
EXCELLENCE OF MALE AND FEMALE.
Quoth a certain man of learning, "I never saw amongst woman kind one
wittier, and wiser, better read and by nature more generously bred; and
in manners and morals more perfected than a preacher of the people of
Baghdad, by name Sitt al-Mashα'ikh.[FN#229] It chanced that she came to
Hamah city in the year of the Flight five hundred and sixty and
one[FN#230]; and there delivered salutary exhortations to the folk from
the professorial chair. Now there used to visit her house a number of
students of divinity and persons of learning and polite letters, who
would discuss with her questions of theology and dispute with her on
controversial points. I went to her one day, with a friend of mine, a
man of years and education; and when we had taken our seats, she set
before us a dish of fruit and seated herself behind a curtain. Now she
had a brother, a handsome youth, who stood behind us, to serve us. And
when we had eaten we fell to disputing upon points of divinity, and I
propounded to her a theological question bearing upon a difference
between the Imams, the Founders of the Four Schools. She proceeded to
speak in answer, whilst I listened; but all the while my friend fell to
looking upon her brother's face and admiring his beauties without
paying any heed to what she discoursed. Now as she was watching him
from behind the curtain; when she had made an end of her speech, she
turned to him and said, 'Methinks thou be of those who give men the
preference over women!' He replied, 'Assuredly,' and she asked, 'And
why so?'; whereto he answered, 'For that Allah hath made the masculine
worthier than the feminine,'" —And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Twentieth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Shaykh
replied, " 'For that Allah hath made the masculine worthier than the
feminine; and I like the excelling and mislike the excelled.' She
laughed and presently said, 'Wilt thou deal fairly with me in debate,
if I battle the matter with thee?' and he rejoined, 'Yes.' Then quoth
she, 'What is the evidence of the superiority of the male to the
female?' Quoth he, 'It is of two kinds, traditional and reasonable. The
authoritative part deriveth from the Koran and the Traditions of the
Apostle. As for the first we have the very words of Almighty Allah,
'Men shall have the pre-eminence above women because of those
advantages wherein Allah hath caused the one of them to excel the
other;[FN#231] and again, 'If there be not two men, let there be one
man and two women;'[FN#232] and again, when treating of inheritance,
'If there be brothers and sisters let a male have as much as the
portion of two females.'[FN#233] Thus Allah (extolled and exalted be
He!) hath in these places preferred the male over the female and
teacheth that a woman is as the half of a man, for that he is worthier
than she. As for the Sunnah traditions, is it not reported of the
Prophet (whom Allah save and assain!) that he appointed the blood money
for a woman to be half that of a man. And as for the evidence of
reason, the male is the agent and active and the female the patient and
passive.'[FN#234] Rejoined she, 'Thou hast said well, O my lord, but,
by Allah, thou hast proved my contention with thine own lips and hast
advanced evidence which telleth against thee, and not for thee. And
thus it is: Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) preferred the male
above the female solely because of the inherent condition and essential
quality of masculinity; and in this there is no dispute between us. Now
this quality of male-hood is common to the child, the boy, the youth,
the adult and the old man; nor is there any distinction between them in
this. If, then, the superior excellence of male masculant belong to him
solely by virtue of manhood, it behoveth that thy heart incline and thy
sole delight in the graybeard, equally with the boy; seeing that there
is no distinction between them, in point of male-hood. But the
difference between thee and me turneth upon the accident of qualities
that are sought as constituting the pleasure of intercourse and its
enjoyment; and thou hast adduced no proof of the superiority of the
youth over the young girl in this matter of non-essentials.' He made
answer, 'O reverend lady, knowest thou not that which is peculiar to
the youth of limber shape and rosy cheeks and pleasant smile and
sweetness of speech? Youths are, in these respects superior to women;
and the proof of this is what they traditionally report of the Prophet
(whom Allah bless and preserve!) that he said, 'Stay not thy gaze upon
the beardless, for in them is a momentary eye glance at the black eyed
girls of Paradise.' Nor indeed is the superiority of the lad over the
lass hidden to any of mankind, and how well saith Abu Nowas,[FN#235]
'The least of him is the being free *
From monthly courses and pregnancy.'
And the saying of another poet,
'Quoth our Imam, Abu Nowas, who was *
For mad debauch and waggishness renowned:
'O tribe that loves the cheeks of boys, take fill *
Of joys in Paradise shall ne'er be found!'
So if any one enlarge in praise of a slave girl and wish to enhance her
value by the mention of her beauties, he likeneth her to a youth,'"
—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Twenty-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Shaykh
continued, "'So if any one enlarge in praise of a slave girl and wish
to enhance her value by the mention of her beauties, he likeneth her to
a youth, because of the illustrious qualities that belong to the male,
even as saith the poet,
'Boy like of backside, in the deed of kind, *
She sways, as sways the wand like boughs a-wind.'
An youths, then, were not better and fairer than girls, why should
these be likened to them? And know also (Almighty Allah preserve thee!)
that a youth is easy to be led, adapting himself to every rede,
pleasant of converse and manners, inclining to assent rather than
dissent, especially when his side face is newly down'd and his upper
lip is first embrowned, and the purple lights of youth on his cheeks
abound, so that he is like the full moon sound; and how goodly is the
saying of Abu Tammαm[FN#236],
'The slanderers said 'There's hair upon his cheeks'; *
Quoth I, 'Exceed not, that's no blemish there.'
When he could bear that haling of his hips *
And pearl-beads shaded by mustachio hair;[FN#237]
And Rose swore solemn, holiest oath that is, *
From that fair cheek she nevermore would fare
I spoke with eyelids without need of speech, *
And they who answered me his eyebrows were.
He's even fairer than thou knewest him, *
And cheek down guards from all would overdare.
Brighter and sweeter now are grown his charms, *
Since down robes lip and cheek before were bare.
And those who blame me for my love of him, *
When him they mention say of him, 'Thy Fair'!'
And quoth al-Hariri[FN#238] and quoth excellently well,
'My censors say, 'What means this pine for him? *
Seest not the flowing hair on cheeks a flowing?'
I say, 'By Allah, an ye deem I dote, *
Look at the truth in those fine eyes a-showing!
But for the down that veils his cheek and chin, *
His brow had dazed all eyes no sight allowing:
And whoso sojourns in a growthless land, *
How shall he move from land fair growths a-growing?'
And quoth another,
'My blamers say of me, 'He is consoled,' And lie! *
No consolation comes to those who pine and sigh.
I had no solace when Rose bloomed alone on cheek, *
Now Basil blooms thereon and now consoled am I.'
And again,
'Slim waisted one, whose looks with down of cheek *
In slaughtering mankind each other hurtle
With the Narcissus blade he sheddeth blood, *
The baldrick of whose sheath is freshest
myrtle.'[FN#239]
And again,
'Not with his must I'm drunk, but verily *
Those curls turn manly heads like newest wine[FN#240]
Each of his beauties envies each, and all *
Would be the silky down on side face li'en.'
Such are the excellencies of the youth which women do not own, and they
more than suffice to give those the preference over these.' She
replied, 'Allah give thee health! verily, thou hast imposed the debate
upon thyself; and thou hast spoken and hast not stinted and hast
brought proofs to support every assertion. But, 'Now is the truth
become manifest;'[FN#241] so swerve thou not from the path thereof;
and, if thou be not content with a summary of evidence, I will set it
before thee in fullest detail. Allah upon thee, where is the youth
beside the girl and who shall compare kid and wild cow? The girl is
soft of speech, fair of form, like a branchlet of basil, with teeth
like chamomile-petals and hair like halters wherefrom to hang hearts.
Her cheeks are like blood-red anemones and her face like a pippin: she
hath lips like wine and breasts like pomegranates twain and a shape
supple as a rattan-cane. Her body is well formed and with sloping
shoulders dight; she hath a nose like the edge of a sword shining
bright and a forehead brilliant white and eyebrows which unite and eyes
stained by Nature's hand black as night. If she speak, fresh young
pearls are scattered from her mouth forthright and all hearts are
ravished by the daintiness of her sprite; when she smileth thou wouldst
ween the moon shone out her lips between and when she eyes thee, sword
blades flash from the babes of her eyes. In her all beauties to
conclusion come, and she is the centre of attraction to traveller and
stay-at-home. She hath two lips of cramoisy, than cream smoother and of
taste than honey sweeter,'" —And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Twenty-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the preacher
woman thus pursued her theme in the praise of fair maids, "'She hath
two lips of cramoisy, than cream smoother and than honey sweeter;'
adding, 'And she hath a bosom, as it were a way two hills between which
are a pair of breasts like globes of ivory sheen; likewise, a stomach
right smooth, flanks soft as the palm-spathe and creased with folds and
dimples which overlap one another, and liberal thighs, which like
columns of pearl arise, and back parts which billow and beat together
like seas of glass or mountains of glance, and two feet and hands of
gracious mould like unto ingots of virgin gold. So, O miserable! where
are mortal men beside the Jinn? Knowest thou not that puissant princes
and potent Kings before women ever humbly bend and on them for delight
depend? Verily, they may say, 'We rule over necks and rob hearts.'
These women! how many a rich man have they not paupered, how many a
powerful man have they not prostrated and how many a superior man have
they not enslaved! Indeed, they seduce the sage and send the saint to
shame and bring the wealthy to want and plunge the fortune favoured
into penury. Yet for all this, the wise but redouble in affection of
them and honour; nor do they count this oppression or dishonour. How
many a man for them hath offended his Maker and called down on him self
the wrath of his father and mother! And all this because of the
conquest of their love over hearts. Knowest thou not, O wretched one,
that for them are built pavilions, and slave girls are for
sale;[FN#242] that for them tear floods rail and for them are collected
jewels of price and ambergris and musk odoriferous; and armies are
arrayed and pleasaunces made and wealth heaped up and smitten off is
many a head? And indeed he spoke sooth in the words, 'Whoso saith the
world meaneth woman.' Now as for thy citation from the Holy Traditions,
it is an argument against thee and not for thee in that the Prophet
(whom Allah bless and preserve!) compareth the beardless with the black
eyed girls of Paradise. Now, doubtless, the subject of comparison is
worthier than the object there with compared; so, unless women be the
worthier and the goodlier, wherefore should other than they be likened
to them? As for thy saying that girls are likened to boys, the case is
not so, but the contrary: boys are likened to girls; for folk say,
Yonder boy is like a girl. As for what proof thou quotest from the
poets, the verses were the product of a complexion unnatural in this
respect; and as for the habitual sodomites and catamites, offenders
against religion, Almighty Allah hath condemned them in His Holy
Book,[FN#243] herein He denounceth their filthy practices, saying, 'Do
ye approach unto the males among mankind[FN#244] and leave your wives
which your Lord hath created for you? Surely ye are a people who
transgress!' These it is that liken girls to boys, of their exceeding
profligacy and ungraciousness and inclination to follow the fiend and
own lusts, so that they say, 'She is apt for two tricks,'[FN#245] and
these are all wanderers from the way of right and the righteous. Quoth
their chief Abu Nowas,
'Slim waist and boyish wits delight *
Wencher, as well as Sodomite,'[FN#246]
As for what thou sayest of a youth's first hair on cheek and lips and
how they add to his beauty and loveliness, by Allah, thou strayest from
the straight path of sooth and sayest that which is other than the
truth; for whiskers change the charms of the comely into ugliness
(quoting these couplets),
'That sprouting hair upon his face took wreak *
For lovers' vengeance, all did vainly seek.
I see not on his face a sign fuli- *
genous, except his curls are hue of reek.
If so his paper[FN#247] mostly be begrimed *
Where deemest thou the reed shall draw a streak?
If any raise him other fairs above, *
This only proves the judge of wits is weak.'
And when she ended her verse she resumed, 'Laud be to Allah Almighty,'"
—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Twenty-third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the preacher
woman ended her verse she resumed, addressing the man, " 'Laud to Allah
Almighty! how can it be hid from thee that the perfect pleasure is in
women and that abiding blessings are not to be found but with them,
seeing that Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) hath promised His
prophets and saints black eyed damsels in Paradise and hath appointed
these for a recompense of their godly works. And had the Almighty known
that the joy supreme was in the possession of other than women, He had
rewarded them therewith and promised it to them. And quoth he (whom
Allah bless and preserve!), 'The things I hold dearest of the things of
your world are three: women and perfume and the solace of my eyes in
prayer.' Verily Allah hath appointed boys to serve his prophets and
saints in Paradise, because Paradise is the abode of joy and delight,
which could not be complete without the service of youths; but, as to
the use of them for aught but service, it is Hell's putridity[FN#248]
and corruption and turpitude. How well saith the poet,
'Men's turning unto bums of boys is bumptious; *
Whoso love noble women show their own noblesse.
How many goodly wights have slept the night, enjoying *
Buttocks of boys, and woke at morn in foulest mess
Their garments stained by safflower, which is yellow merde; *
Their shame proclaiming, showing colour of distress.
Who can deny the charge, when so bewrayed are they *
That e'en by day light shows the dung upon their dress?
What contrast wi' the man, who slept a gladsome night *
By Houri maid for glance a mere enchanteress,
He rises off her borrowing wholesome bonny scent; *
That fills the house with whiffs of perfumed
goodliness.
No boy deserved place by side of her to hold; *
Canst even aloes wood with what fills pool of
cess!'[FN#249]
Then said she, 'O folk ye have made me to break the bounds of modesty
and the circle of free born women and indulge in idle talk of
chambering and wantonness, which beseemeth not people of learning. But
the breasts of free-borns are the sepulchres of secrets' and such
conversations are in confidence. Moreover, actions are according to
intentions,[FN#250] and I crave pardon of Allah for myself and you and
all Moslems, seeing that He is the Pardoner and the Compassionate.'
Then she held her peace and thereafter would answer us of naught; so we
went our way, rejoicing in that we had profited by her contention and
yet sorrowing to part from her." And among the tales they tell is one
of
ABU SUWAYD AND THE PRETTY OLD WOMAN.
Quoth Abu Suwayd, "I and a company of my friends, entered a garden one
day to buy somewhat of fruit; and we saw in a corner an old woman, who
was bright of face, but her head-hair was white, and she was combing it
with an ivory comb. We stopped before her, yet she paid no heed to us
neither veiled her face: so I said to her, 'O old woman,[FN#251] wert
thou to dye thy hair black, thou wouldst be handsomer than a girl: what
hindereth thee from this?' She raised her head towards me"—And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abu Suwayd
continued: "When I spake these words to the ancient dame she raised her
head towards me and, opening wide her eyes, recited these two couplets,
'I dyed what years have dyed, but this my staining *
Lasts not, while that of days is aye remaining:
Days when beclad in gear of youth I fared, *
Raked fore and aft by men with joy unfeigning.'