Grudge not this exile when he flees abroad * Where he on wealth
and welfare may alight.
An pearls for ever did abide in shell, * The kingly crown they
ne'er had deckt and dight."
The ship was wrecked, yet the man saved himself on a plank and his wife
and children also saved themselves, but on other planks. The waves
separated them and the wife was cast up in one country and one of the
boys in another. The second son was picked up by a ship, and the surges
threw the father on a desert island, where he landed and made the
Wuzu-ablution. Then he called the prayer-call,—And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Eightieth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the man
landed upon the island, he made the Wuzu-ablution to free himself from
the impurities of the sea and called the call to prayer and stood up to
his devotions, when, behold, there came forth of the sea, creatures of
various kinds and prayed with him. When he had finished, he went up to
a tree and stayed his hunger with its fruits; after which he found a
spring of water and drank thereof and praised Allah, to whom be honour
and glory! He abode thus three days and whenever he stood up to pray,
the sea-creatures came out and prayed in the same manner as he prayed.
Now after the third day, he heard a voice crying aloud and saying, "O
thou just man, and pious, who didst so honour thy father and revere the
decrees of thy Lord, grieve not, for Allah (be He extolled and
exalted!) shall restore to thee all which left thy hand. In this isle
are hoards and monies and things of price which the Almighty willeth
thou shalt inherit, and they are in such a part of this place. So bring
thou them to light; and verily, we will send ships unto thee; and do
thou bestow charity on the folk and bid them to thee." So he sought out
that place, and the Lord discovered to him the treasures in question.
Then ships began resorting to him, and he gave abundant largesse to the
crews, saying to them, "Be sure ye direct the folk unto me and I will
give them such and such a thing and appoint to them this and that."
Accordingly, there came folk from all parts and places, nor had ten
years passed over him ere the island was peopled and the man became its
King.[FN#500] No one came to him but he entreated him with munificence,
and his name was noised abroad, through the length and breadth of the
earth. Now his elder son had fallen into the hands of a man who reared
him and taught him polite accomplishments; and, in like manner, the
younger was adopted by one who gave him a good education and brought
him up in the ways of merchants. The wife also happened upon a trader
who entrusted to her his property and made a covenant with her that he
would not deal dishonestly by her, but would aid her to obey Allah (to
whom belong Majesty and Might!); and he used to make her the companion
of his voyages and his travels. Now the elder son heard the report of
the King and resolved to visit him, without knowing who he was; so he
went to him and was well received by the King, who made him his
secretary. Presently the other son heard of the King's piety and
justice and was also taken into his service as a steward. Then the
brothers abode awhile, neither knowing the other, till it chanced that
the merchant, in whose home was their mother, also hearing of the
King's righteous and generous dealing with the lieges, freighted a ship
with rich stuffs and other excellent produce of the land, and taking
the woman with him, set sail for the island. He made it in due course
and landing, presented himself with his gift before the King; who
rejoiced therein with exceeding joy and ordered him a splendid
return-present. Now, there were, among the gifts, certain aromatic
roots of which he would have the merchant acquaint him with the names
and uses; so he said to him, "Abide with us this night."—And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Eighty-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the King
said, "Abide with us this night," the merchant replied, "We have in the
ship one to whom I have promised to entrust the care of her to none
save myself; and the same is a holy woman whose prayers have brought me
weal and I have felt the blessing of her counsels." Rejoined the King,
"I will send her some trusty men, who shall pass the night in the ship
and guard her and all that is with her." The merchant agreed to this
and abode with the King, who called his secretary and steward and said
to them, "Go and pass the night in this man's ship and keep it safe,
Inshallah!" So they went up into the ship and seating themselves, this
on the poop and that on the bow, passed a part of the night in
repeating the names of Allah (to whom belong Majesty and Might!). Then
quoth one to the other, "Ho, such an one! The King bade us keep watch
and I fear lest sleep overtake us; so, come, let us discourse of
stories of fortune and of the good we have seen and the trials of
life." Quoth the other, "O my brother, as for my trials Fate parted me
from my mother and a brother of mine, whose name was even as thine; and
the cause of our parting was this. My father took ship with us from
such a place, and the winds rose against us and were contrary, so that
the ship was wrecked and Allah broke our fair companionship." Hearing
this the first asked, "What was the name of thy mother, O my brother?";
and the second answered, "So and so." Thereat brother threw himself
upon brother saying, "By Allah, thou art my very brother!" And each
fell to telling the other what had befallen him in his youth, whilst
the mother heard all they said, but held her peace and in patience
possessed her soul. Now when it was morning, one said to the other,
"Come, brother, let us go to my lodging and talk there;" and the other
said, "'Tis well." So they went away and presently, the merchant came
back and finding the woman in great trouble, said to her, "What hath
befallen thee and why this concern?" Quoth she, "Thou sentest to me
yesternight men who tempted me to evil, and I have been in sore annoy
with them." At this, he was wroth and, repairing to the King, reported
the conduct of his two trusty wights. The King summoned the twain
forthwith, as he loved them for their fidelity and piety; and, sending
for the woman, that he might hear from her own lips what she had to say
against them, thus bespake her, "O woman, what hath betided thee from
these two men in whom I trust?" She replied, "O King, I conjure thee by
the Almighty, the Bountiful One, the Lord of the Empyrean, bid them
repeat the words they spoke yesternight." So he said to them, "Say what
ye said and conceal naught thereof." Accordingly, they repeated their
talk, and lo! the King rising from his throne, gave a great cry and
threw himself upon them, embracing them and saying, "By Allah, ye are
my very sons!" Therewith the woman unveiled her face and said, "And by
Allah, I am their very mother." So they were united and abode in all
solace of life and its delight till death parted them; and so glory be
to Him who delivereth His servant when he restoreth to Him, and
disappointeth not his hope in Him and his trust! And how well saith the
poet on the subject,
"Each thing of things hath his appointed tide * When 'tis, O
brother, granted or denied.
Repine not an affliction hit thee hard; * For woe and welfare aye
conjoint abide:
How oft shall woman see all griefs surround * Yet feel a joyance
thrill what lies inside!
How many a wretch, on whom the eyes of folk * Look down, shall
grace exalt to pomp and pride!
This man is one long suffering grief and woe; * Whom change and
chance of Time hath sorely tried:
The World divided from what held he dearest, * After long union
scattered far and wide;
But deigned his Lord unite them all again, * And in the Lord is
every good descried.
Glory to Him whose Providence rules all * Living, as surest
proofs for us decide.
Near is the Near One; but no wisdom clearer * Shows him, nor
distant wayfare brings Him nearer."
And this tale is told of
ABU AL-HASAN AND ABU JA'AFAR THE LEPER.[FN#501]
"I had been many times to Meccah (Allah increase its honour!) and the
folk used to follow me for my knowledge of the road and remembrance of
the water-stations. It happened one year that I was minded to make the
pilgrimage to the Holy House and visitation of the Tomb of His Prophet
(on whom be blessing and peace!) and I said in myself, 'I well know the
way and will fare alone.' So I set out and journeyed till I came to
Al-Kadisνyah[FN#502] and, entering the mosque there, saw a man
suffering from black leprosy seated in the prayer-niche. Quoth he on
seeing me, 'O Abu al-Hasan, I crave thy company to Meccah.' Quoth I to
myself, 'I fled from all my companions, and how shall I company with
lepers?' So I said to him, 'I will bear no man company'; and he was
silent at my words. Next day I walked on alone, till I came to
Al-Akabah,[FN#503] where I entered the mosque and found the leper
seated in the prayer-niche. So I said to myself, 'Glory be to Allah!
how hath this fellow preceded me hither?' But he raised his head to me
and said with a smile, 'O Abu al-Hasan, He doth for the weak that which
surpriseth the strong!' I passed that night confounded at what I had
seen; and, as soon as morning dawned, set out again by myself; but when
I came to Arafat[FN#504] and entered the mosque, behold, there was the
leper seated in the niche! So I threw myself upon him and kissing his
feet said, 'O my lord, I crave thy company.' But he answered, 'This may
in no way be.' Then I began weeping and wailing at the loss of his
converse, when he said, 'Spare thy tears which will avail thee
naught!'"-And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Eighty-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abu al-Hasan
continued: "Now when I saw the leper-man seated in the prayer-niche, I
threw myself upon him and said, 'O my lord, I crave thy company;' and
fell to kissing his feet. But he answered, 'This may in no way be!'
Then I began weeping and wailing at the loss of his company when he
said, 'Spare thy tears which will avail thee naught!'; and he recited
these couplets,
'Why dost thou weep when I depart and thou didst parting claim; *
And cravest union when we ne'er shall reunite the same?
Thou lookedest on nothing save my weakness and disease; * And
saidst 'Nor goes nor comes, or night or day, this sickly
frame.
Seest not how Allah (glorified His glory ever be!) * Deigneth to
grant His slave's petition wherewithal he came.
If I, to eyes of men be that and only that they see, * And this
my body show itself so full of grief and grame,
And have I naught of food that shall supply me to the place *
Where crowds unto my Lord resort impelled by single aim,
I have a high Creating Lord whose mercies aye are hid; * A Lord
who hath none equal and no fear is known to Him.
So fare thee safe and leave me lone in strangerhood to wone * For
He, the only One, consoles my loneliness so lone.'
Accordingly, I left him; but every station I came to, I found he had
foregone me, till I reached Al-Medinah, where I lost sight of him and
could hear no tidings of him. Here I met Abu Yazνd al-Bustαmi and Abu
Bakr al-Shibli and a number of other Shaykhs and learned men, to whom
with many complaints, I told my case and they said, 'Heaven forbid that
thou shouldst gain his company after this! He was Abu Ja'afar the
leper, in whose name folk at all times pray for rain and by whose
blessing-prayers their end attain.' When I heard their words, my desire
for his company redoubled and I implored the Almighty to reunite me
with him. Whilst I was standing on Arafat,[FN#505] one pulled me from
behind, so I turned and behold, it was my man. At this sight I cried
out with a loud cry and fell down in a fainting fit; but, when I came
to myself he had disappeared from my sight. This increased my yearning
for him and the ceremonies were tedious to me and I prayed Almighty
Allah to give me sight of him; nor was it but a few days after, when
lo! one pulled me from behind, and I turned and it was he again.
Thereupon he said, 'Come, I conjure thee and ask thy want of me.' So I
begged him to pray for me three prayers; first, that Allah would make
me love poverty; secondly, that I might never lie down at night upon
provision assured to me; and thirdly, that He would vouchsafe me to
look upon His bountiful Face. So he prayed for me as I wished, and
departed from me. And indeed Allah hath granted me what the devotee
asked in prayer: to begin with He hath made me so love poverty that, by
the Almighty! there is naught in the world dearer to me than it, and
secondly since such a year, I have never lain down to sleep upon
assured provision; withal hath He never let me lack aught. As for the
third prayer, I trust that He will vouchsafe me that also, even as He
hath granted the two precedent, for right Bountiful and Beneficent is
His Godhead, and Allah have mercy on him who said:[FN#506]-
Garb of Fakir, renouncement, lowliness;
His robe of tatters and of rags his dress;
And pallor ornamenting brow as though
'Twere wanness such as waning crescents show.
Wasted him prayer a-through the long-lived night,
And flooding tears ne'er cease to dim his sight.
Memory of Him shall cheer his lonely room:
Th' Almighty nearest is in nightly gloom.
The Refuge helpeth such Fakir in need;
Help e'en the cattle and the winged breed:
Allah for sake of him of wrath is fain,
And for the grace of him shall fall the rain;
And if he pray one day for plague to stay,
'Twill stay, and 'bate man's wrong and tyrants slay.
While folk are sad, afflicted one and each,
He in his mercy's rich, the generous leach:
Bright shines his brow; an thou regard his face
Thy heart illumined shines by light of grace.
O thou who shunnest souls of worth innate
Departs thee (woe to thee!) of sins the weight.
Thou thinkest to overtake them, while thou bearest
Follies, which slay thee whatso way thou farest.
Didst wot their worth thou hadst all honour showed,
And tears in streamlets from thine eyes had flowed.
To catarrh-troubled men flowers lack their smell;
And brokers ken for how much clothes can sell;
So haste and with thy Lord reunion sue,
And haply Fate shall lend thee aidance due,
Rest from rejection and estrangement-stress,
And Joy thy wish and will shall choicely bless.
His court wide open for the suer is dight:—
One, very God, the Lord, th' Almighty might.'"
And they also tell a tale of
THE QUEEN OF THE SERPENTS.[FN#507]
There was once, in days of yore and in ages and times long gone before,
a Grecian sage called Daniel, who had disciples and scholars and the
wise men of Greece were obedient to his bidding and relied upon his
learning. Withal had Allah denied him a man child. One night, as he lay
musing and weeping over the lack of a son who might inherit his lore,
he bethought him that Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) heareth the
prayer of those who resort to Him and that there is no doorkeeper at
the door of His bounties and that He favoureth whom He will without
compt and sendeth no supplicant empty away; nay He filleth their hands
with favours and benefits. So he besought the Almighty, the Bountiful,
to vouchsafe him a son to succeed him, and to endow him abundantly with
His beneficence. Then he returned home and carnally knew his wife who
conceived by him the same night.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Eighty-third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Grecian sage
returned home and knew his wife who conceived by him the same night. A
few days after this he took ship for a certain place, but the ship was
wrecked and he saved himself on one of her planks, while only five
leaves remained to him of all the books he had. When he returned home,
he laid the five leaves in a box and locking it, gave the key to his
wife (who then showed big with child), and said to her, "Know that my
decease is at hand and that the time draweth nigh for my translation
from this abode temporal to the home which is eternal. Now thou art
with child and after my death wilt haply bear a son: if this be so,
name him Hαsib Karνm al-Dνn[FN#508] and rear him with the best of
rearing. When the boy shall grow up and shall say to thee, 'What
inheritance did my father leave me?'' give him these five leaves, which
when he shall have read and understood, he will be the most learned man
of his time." Then he farewelled her and heaving one sigh, departed the
world and all that is therein—the mercy of Allah the Most Highest be
upon Him! His family and friends wept over him and washed him and bore
him forth in great state and buried him; after which they wended their
ways home. But few days passed ere his widow bare a handsome boy and
named him Hasib Karim al-Din, as her husband charged her; and
immediately after his birth she summoned the astrologers, who
calculated his ascendants and drawing his horoscope, said to her,
"Know, O woman! that this birth will live many a year; but that will be
after a great peril in the early part of his life, wherefrom can he
escape, he will be given the knowledge of all the exact sciences." So
saying they went their ways. She suckled him two years,[FN#509] then
weaned him, and when he was five years old, she placed him in a school
to learn his book, but he would read nothing. So she took him from
school and set him to learn a trade; but he would not master any craft
and there came no work from his hands. The mother wept over this and
the folk said to her, "Marry him: haply he will take heart for his wife
and learn him a trade." So she sought out a girl and married him to
her; but, despite marriage and the lapse of time, he remained idle as
before, and would do nothing. One day, some neighbours of hers, who
were woodcutters, came to her and said, "Buy thy son an ass and cords
and an axe and let him go with us to the mountain and we will all of us
cut wood for fuel. The price of the wood shall be his and ours, and he
shall provide thee and his wife with his share." When she heard this,
she joyed with exceeding joy and bought her son an ass and cords and
hatchet; then, carrying him to the woodcutters, delivered him into
their hands and solemnly committed him to their care. Said they, "Have
no concern for the boy, our Lord will provide for him: he is the son of
our Shaykh." So they carried him to the mountain, where they cut
firewood and loaded their asses therewith; then returned to the city
and, selling what they had cut, spent the monies on their families.
This they did on the next day and the third and ceased not for some
time, till it chanced one day, a violent storm of rain broke over them,
and they took refuge in a great cave till the downfall should pass
away. Now Hasib Karim al-Din went apart from the rest into a corner of
the cavern and sitting down, fell to smiting the floor with his axe.
Presently he noted that the ground sounded hollow under the hatchet; so
he dug there awhile and came to a round flagstone with a ring in it.
When he saw this, he was glad and called his comrades the
woodcutters,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Eighty-fourth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Hasib Karim
al-Din saw the flagstone with the ring, he was glad and called his
comrades the woodcutters, who came to him and, finding it was fact,
soon pulled up the stone and discovered under it a trap-door, which,
being opened, showed a cistern full of bees' honey.[FN#510] Then said
they to one another, "This is a large store and we have nothing for it
but to return to the city and fetch vessels wherein to carry away the
honey, and sell it and divide the price, whilst one of us stands by the
cistern, to guard it from outsiders." Quoth Hasib, "I will stay and
keep watch over it till you bring your pots and pans." So they left him
on guard there and, repairing to the city, fetched vessels, which they
filled with honey and loading their asses therewith, carried them to
the streets and sold the contents. They returned on the morrow and thus
they did several days in succession, sleeping in the town by night and
drawing off the stuff by day, whilst Hasib abode on guard by it till
but little remained, when they said one to other, "It was Hasib Karim
al-Din found the honey, and tomorrow he will come down to the city and
complain against us and claim the price of it, saying, Twas I found
it;' nor is there escape for us but that we let him down into the
cistern, to bale out the rest of the honey, and leave him there; so
will he die of hunger, and none shall know of him." They all fell in
with this plot as they were making for the place; and, when they
reached it, one said to him, "O Hasib, go down into the pit and bale
out for us the rest of the honey." So he went down and passed up to
them what remained of the honey, after which he said to them, "Draw me
up, for there is nothing left." They made him no answer; but, loading
their asses, went off to the city and left him alone in the cistern.
Thereupon he fell to weeping and crying, "There is no Majesty and there
is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!" Such was his case;
but as regards his comrades, when they reached the city and sold the
honey, they repaired to Hasib's mother, weeping, and said to her, "May
thy head outlive thy son Hasib!" She asked, "What brought about his
death?" and they answered, "We were cutting wood on the mountain- top,
when there fell on us a heavy downfall of rain and we took shelter from
it in a cavern; and suddenly thy son's ass broke loose and fled into
the valley, and he ran after it, to turn it back, when there came out
upon them a great wolf, who tore thy son in pieces and ravined the
ass." When the mother heard this, she beat her face and strewed dust on
her head and fell to mourning for her son; and she kept life and soul
together only by the meat and drink which they brought her every day.
As for the woodcutters they opened them shops and became merchants and
spent their lives in eating and drinking and laughing and frolicking.
Meanwhile Hasib Karim al-Din, who ceased not to weep and call for help,
sat down upon the cistern edge when behold, a great scorpion fell down
on him; so he rose and killed it. Then he took thought and said, "The
cistern was full of honey; how came this scorpion here?" Accordingly he
got up and examined the well right and left, till he found a crevice
from which the scorpion had fallen and saw the light of day shining
through it. So he took out his woodman's knife and enlarged the hole,
till it was big as a window, then he crept through it and, after
walking for some time, came to a vast gallery, which led him to a huge
door of black iron bearing a padlock of silver wherein was a key of
gold. He stole up to the door and, looking through the chink, saw a
great light shining within; so he took the key and, opening the door,
went on for some time, till he came to a large artificial lake, wherein
he caught sight of something that shimmered like silver. He walked up
to it and at last he saw, hard by a hillock of green jasper and on the
hill top, a golden throne studded with all manner gems,—And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Eighty-fifth Night,