the antidote of Bhang to King Yohanna, father of Husn Maryam, and he
came to himself and found Ala al-Din and his daughter sitting on his
breast. So he said to her, "O my daughter, dost thou deal thus with
me?" She answered "If I be indeed thy daughter, become a Moslem, even
as I became a Moslemah, for the truth was shown to me and I attested
it; and the false, and I deserted it. I have submitted myself unto
Allah, The Lord of the Three Worlds, and am pure of all faiths contrary
to that of Al-Islam in this world and in the next world. Wherefore, if
thou wilt become a Moslem, well and good; if not, thy death were better
than thy life." Ala al-Din also exhorted him to embrace the True Faith;
but he refused and was contumacious; so Ala al-Din drew a dagger and
cut his throat from ear to ear.[FN#126] Then he wrote a scroll, setting
forth what had happened and laid it on the brow of the dead, after
which they took what was light of load and weighty of worth and turned
from the palace and returned to the church. Here the Princess drew
forth the jewel and, placing her hand upon the facet where was figured
a couch, rubbed it; and behold, a couch appeared before her and she
mounted upon it with Ala al-Din and his wife Zubaydah, the lutist,
saying, "I conjure thee by the virtue of the names and talismans and
characts engraver on this jewel, rise up with us, O Couch!" And it rose
with them into the air and flew, till it came to a Wady wholly bare of
growth, when the Princess turned earthwards the facet on which the
couch was figured, and it sank with them to the ground. Then she turned
up the face where on was fashioned a pavilion and tapping it said, "Let
a pavilion be pitched in this valley;" and there appeared a pavilion,
wherein they seated themselves. Now this Wady was a desert waste,
without grass or water; so she turned a third face of the jewel towards
the sky, and said, "By the virtue of the names of Allah, let trees
upgrow here and a river flow beside them!" And forthwith trees sprang
up and by their side ran a river plashing and dashing. They made the
ablution and prayed and drank of the stream; after which the Princess
turned up the three other facets till she came to the fourth, whereon
was portrayed a table of good, and said, "By the virtue of the names of
Allah, let the table be spread!" And behold, there appeared before them
a table, spread with all manner of rich meats, and they ate and drank
and made merry and were full of joy. Such was their case; but as
regards Husn Maryam's father, his son went in to waken him and found
him slain; and, seeing Ala al-Din's scroll, took it and read it, and
readily understood it. Then he sought his sister and finding her not,
betook himself to the old woman in the church, of whom he enquired for
her, but she said, "Since yesterday I have not seen her." So he
returned to the troops and cried out, saying, "To horse, ye horsemen!"
Then he told them what had happened, so they mounted and rode after the
fugitives, till they drew near the pavilion. Presently Husn Maryam
arose and looked up and saw a cloud of dust which spread till it walled
the view, then it lifted and flew, and lo! stood disclosed her brother
and his troops, crying aloud, "Whither will ye fly, and we on your
track!" Then said she to Ala al-Din, "Are thy feet firm in fight?" He
replied, "Even as the stake in bran, I know not war nor battle, nor
swords nor spears." So she pulled out the jewel and rubbed the fifth
face, that on which were graven a horse and his rider, and behold,
straightway a cavalier appeared out of the desert and ceased not to do
battle with the pursuing host and smite them with the sword, till he
routed them and put them to flight. Then the Princess asked Ala al-Din,
"Wilt thou go to Cairo or to Alexandria?"; and he answered, "To
Alexandria." So they mounted the couch and she pronounced over it the
conjuration, whereupon it set off with them and, in the twinkling of an
eye, brought them to Alexandria. They alighted without the city and Ala
al-Din hid the women in a cavern, whilst he went into Alexandria and
fetched them outer clothing, wherewith he covered them. Then he carried
them to his shop and, leaving them in the "ben"[FN#127] walked forth to
fetch them the morning-meal, and behold he met Calamity Ahmad who
chanced to be coming from Baghdad. He saw him in the street and
received him with open arms, saluting him and welcoming him. Whereupon
Ahmad al-Danaf gave him the good news of his son Aslan and how he was
now come to the age of twenty: and Ala al-Din, in his turn, told the
Captain of the Guard all that had befallen him from first to last,
whereat he marvelled with exceeding marvel. Then he brought him to his
shop and sitting room where they passed the night; and next day he sold
his place of business and laid its price with other monies. Now Ahmad
al-Danaf had told him that the Caliph sought him; but he said, "I am
bound first for Cairo, to salute my father and mother and the people of
my house." So they all mounted the couch and it carried them to Cairo
the God-guarded; and here they alighted in the street called
Yellow,[FN#128] where stood the house of Shams al-Din. Then Ala al-Din
knocked at the door, and his mother said, "Who is at the door, now that
we have lost our beloved for evermore?" He replied, " 'Tis I! Ala
al-Din!" whereupon they came down and embraced him. Then he sent his
wives and baggage into the house and entering himself with Ahmad
al-Danaf, rested there three days, after which he was minded to set out
for Baghdad. His father said, "Abide with me, O my son;" but he
answered; "I cannot bear to be parted from my child Aslan." So he took
his father and mother and fared forth for Baghdad. Now when they came
thither, Ahmad al-Danaf went in to the Caliph and gave him the glad
tidings of Ala al-Din's arrival—and told him his story whereupon the
King went forth to greet him taking the youth Aslan, and they met and
embraced each other. Then the Commander of the Faithful summoned the
arch-thief Ahmad Kamakim and said to Ala al-Din, "Up and at thy foe!"
So he drew his sword and smote off Ahmad Kamakim's head. Then the
Caliph held festival for Ala al-Din and, summoning the Kazis and
witnesses, wrote the contract and married him to the Princess Husn
Maryam; and he went in unto her and found her an unpierced pearl.
Moreover, the Caliph made Aslan Chief of the Sixty and bestowed upon
him and his father sumptuous dresses of honour; and they abode in the
enjoyment of all joys and joyance of life, till there came to them the
Destroyer of delights and the Sunderer of societies. But the tales of
generous men are manifold and amongst them is the story of
HATIM OF THE TRIBE OF TAYY.
It is told of Hбtim of the tribe of Tayy,[FN#129] that when he died,
they buried him on the top of a mountain and set over his grave two
troughs hewn out of two rocks and stone girls with dishevelled hair. At
the foot of the hill was a stream of running water, and when wayfarers
camped there, they heard loud crying and keening in the night, from
dark till daybreak; but when they arose in the morning, they found
nothing but the girls carved in stone. Now when Zъ 'l-Kurб'a,[FN#130]
King of Himyar, going forth of his tribe, came to that valley, he
halted to pass the night there,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Seventieth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zu 'l-
Kura'a passed by the valley he righted there, and, when he drew near
the mountain, he heard the keening and said, "What lamenting is that on
yonder hill?" They answered him, saying, "Verily this be the tomb of
Hatim al-Tбyy, over which are two troughs of stone and stone figures of
girls with dishevelled hair; and all who camp in this place by night
hear this crying and keening." So he said jestingly, "O Hatim of Tayy!
we are thy guests this night, and we are lank with hunger." Then sleep
overcame him, but presently he awoke in affright and cried out, saying,
"Help, O Arabs! Look to my beast!" So they came to him, and finding his
she-camel struggling and struck down, they stabbed her in the throat
and roasted her flesh and ate. Then they asked him what had happened
and he said, "When I closed my eyes, I saw in my sleep Hatim of Tayy
who came to me sword in hand and cried, 'Thou comest to us and we have
nothing by us.' Then he smote my she- camel with his sword, and she had
surely died even though ye had not come to her and slaughtered
her."[FN#131] Now when morning dawned the King mounted the beast of one
of his companions and, taking the owner up behind him, set out and
fared on till midday, when they saw a man coming towards them, mounted
on a camel and leading another, and said to him, "Who art thou?" He
answered, "I am Adi,[FN#132] son of Hatim of Tayy; where is Zu
'l-Kura'a, Emir of Himyar?" Replied they, "This is he;" and he said to
the prince, "Take this she-camel in place of thy beast which my father
slaughtered for thee." Asked Zu 'l Kura'a, "Who told thee of this?" and
Adi answered, "My father appeared to me in a dream last night and said
to me, 'Harkye, Adi; Zu 'l Kura'a King of Himyar, sought the guest-rite
of me and I, having naught to give him, slaughtered his she-camel, that
he might eat: so do thou carry him a she-camel to ride, for I have
nothing.'" And Zu 'l-Kura'a took her, marvelling at the generosity of
Hatim of Tayy alive and dead. And amongst instances of generosity is
the
TALE OF MA'AN THE SON OF ZAIDAH.[FN#133]
It is told of Ma'an bin Zбidah that, being out one day a-chasing and
a-hunting, he became athirst but his men had no water with them; and
while thus suffering behold, three damsels met him bearing three skins
of water;—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Seventy-first Night,[FN#134]
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that three girls met
him bearing three skins of water; so he begged drink of them, and they
gave him to drink. Then he sought of his men somewhat to give the
damsels but they had no money; so he presented to each girl ten golden
piled arrows from his quiver. Whereupon quoth one of them to her
friend, "Well-a-day! These fashions pertain to none but Ma'an bin
Zaidah! so let each one of us say somewhat of verse in his praise."
Then quoth the first,
"He heads his arrows with piles of gold, * And while shooting his
foes is his bounty doled:
Affording the wounded a means of cure, * And a sheet for the
bider beneath the mould!"
And quoth the second,
"A warrior showing such open hand, * His boons all friends and
all foes enfold:
The piles of his arrows of or are made, * So that battle his
bounty may not withhold!"
And quoth the third,
"From that liberal-hand on his foes he rains * Shafts aureate-
headed and manifold:
Wherewith the hurt shall chirurgeon pay, * And for slain the
shrouds round their corpses roll'd."[FN#135]
And there is also told a tale of
MA'AN SON OF ZAIDAH AND THE BADAWI.
Now Ma'an bin Zбidah went forth one day to the chase with his company,
and they came upon a herd of gazelles; so they separated in pursuit and
Ma'an was left alone to chase one of them. When he had made prize of it
he alighted and slaughtered it; and as he was thus engaged, he espied a
person[FN#136] coming forth out of the desert on an ass. So he
remounted and riding up to the new- comer, saluted him and asked him,
"Whence comest thou?" Quoth he, "I come from the land of Kuzб'ah, where
we have had a two years' dearth; but this year it was a season of
plenty and I sowed early cucumbers.[FN#137] They came up before their
time, so I gathered what seemed the best of them and set out to carry
them to the Emir Ma'an bin Zaidah, because of his well-known
beneficence and notorious munificence." Asked Ma'an, "How much dost
thou hope to get of him?"; and the Badawi answered, "A thousand
dinars." Quoth the Emir, "What if he say this is too much?" Said the
Badawi, "Then I will ask five hundred dinars." "And if he say, too
much?" "Then three hundred!" "And if he say yet, too much?" "Then two
hundred!" "And if he say yet, too much?" "Then one hundred!" "And if he
say yet, too much?" "Then, fifty!" "And if he say yet, too much?" "Then
thirty!" "And if he say still, too much?" asked Ma'an bin Zaidah.
Answered the Badawi, "I will make my ass set his four feet in his
Honour's home[FN#138] and return to my people, disappointed and empty-
handed." So Ma'an laughed at him and urged his steed till he came up
with his suite and returned to his place, when he said to his
chamberlain, "An there come to thee a man with cucumbers and riding on
an ass admit him to me." Presently up came the Badawi and was admitted
to Ma'an's presence; but knew not the Emir for the man he had met in
the desert, by reason of the gravity and majesty of his semblance and
the multitude of his eunuchs and attendants, for he was seated on his
chair of state with his officers ranged in lines before him and on
either side. So he saluted him and Ma'an said to him "What bringeth
thee, O brother of the Arabs?" Answered the Badawi, "I hoped in the
Emir, and have brought him curly cucumbers out of season." Asked Ma'an,
"And how much dost thou expect of us?" "A thousand dinars," answered
the Badawi. "This is far too much," quoth Ma'an. Quoth he, "Five
hundred." "Too much!" "Then three hundred." "Too much!" "Two hundred."
"Too much!" "One hundred." "Too much!" "Fifty." "Too much!" At last the
Badawi came down to thirty dinars; but Ma'an still replied, "Too much!"
So the Badawi cried, "By Allah, the man who met me in the desert
brought me bad luck! But I will not go lower than thirty dinars." The
Emir laughed and said nothing; whereupon the wild Arab knew that it was
he whom he had met and said, "O my lord, except thou bring the thirty
dinars, see ye, there is the ass tied ready at the door and here sits
Ma'an, his honour, at home." So Ma'an laughed, till he fell on his
back; and, calling his steward, said to him, "Give him a thousand
dinars and five hundred and three hundred and two hundred and one
hundred and fifty and thirty; and leave the ass tied up where he is."
So the Arab to his amazement, received two thousand one hundred and
eighty dinars, and Allah have mercy on them both and on all generous
men! And I have also heard, O auspicious King, a tale of
THE CITY OF LABTAYT.[FN#139]
There was once a royal-city in the land of Roum, called the City of
Labtayt wherein stood a tower which was always shut. And whenever a
King died and another King of the Greeks took the Kingship after him,
he set on the tower a new and strong lock, till there were
four-and-twenty locks upon the gate, according to the number of the
Kings. After this time, there came to the throne a man who was not of
the old royal-house, and he had a mind to open these locks, that he
might see what was within the tower. The grandees of his kingdom
forbade him this and pressed him to desist and reproved him and blamed
him; but he persisted saying, "Needs must this place be opened." Then
they offered him all that their hands possessed of monies and treasures
and things of price, if he would but refrain; still he would not be
baulked,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Seventy-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the grandees
offered that King all their hands possessed of monies and treasures if
he would but refrain; still he would not be baulked and said "There is
no help for it but I open this tower." So he pulled off the locks and
entering, found within the tower figures of Arabs on their horses and
camels, habited in turbands[FN#140] hanging down at the ends, with
swords in baldrick-belts thrown over their shoulders and bearing long
lances in their hands. He found there also a scroll which he greedily
took and read, and these words were written therein, "Whenas this door
is opened will conquer this country a raid of the Arabs, after the
likeness of the figures here depicted; wherefore beware, and again
beware of opening it." Now this city was in Andalusia; and that very
year Tбrik ibn Ziyбd conquered it, during the Caliphate of Al-Walнd son
of Abd al-Malik[FN#141] of the sons of Umayyah; and slew this King
after the sorriest fashion and sacked the city and made prisoners of
the women and boys therein and got great loot. Moreover, he found there
immense treasures; amongst the rest more than an hundred and seventy
crowns of pearls and jacinths and other gems of price; and he found a
saloon, wherein horsemen might throw the spears, full of vessels of
gold and silver, such as no description can comprise. Moreover, he
found there the table of food for the Prophet of Allah, Solomon, son of
David (peace with both of them!), which is extant even now in a city of
the Greeks, it is told that it was of grass-green emerald with vessels
of gold and platters of jasper. Likewise he found the Psalms written in
the old Ionian[FN#142] characters on leaves of gold bezel'd with
jewels; together with a book setting forth the properties of stones and
herbs and minerals, as well as the use of characts and talismans and
the canons of the art of alchymy; and he found a third volume which
treated of the art of cutting and setting rubies and other precious
stones and of the preparation of poisons and theriacks. There found he
also a mappa mundi figuring the earth and the seas and the different
cities and countries and villages of the world; and he found a vast
saloon full of hermetic powder, one drachm of which elixir would turn a
thousand drachms of silver into fine gold; likewise a marvellous
mirror, great and round, of mixed metals, which had been made for
Solomon, son of David (on the twain be peace!) wherein whoso looked
might see the counterfeit presentment of the seven climates of the
world; and he beheld a chamber full of Brahmini[FN#143] jacinths for
which no words can suffice. So he despatched all these things to Walid
bin Abd al-Malik, and the Arabs spread all over the cities of Andalusia
which is one of the finest of lands. This is the end of the story of
the City of Labtayt. And a tale is also told of
THE CALIPH HISHAM AND THE ARAB YOUTH.
The Caliph Hishбm bin Abd al-Malik bin Marwan, was hunting one day,
when he sighted an antelope and pursued it with his dogs. As he was
following the quarry, he saw an Arab youth pasturing sheep and said to
him, "Ho boy, up and after yonder antelope, for it escapeth me!" The
youth raised his head to him and replied, "O ignorant of what to the
deserving is due, thou lookest on me with disdain and speakest to me
with contempt; thy speaking is that of a tyrant true and thy doing what
an ass would do." Quoth Hisham, "Woe to thee, dost thou not know me?"
Rejoined the youth, "Verily thine unmannerliness hath made thee known
to me, in that thou spakest to me, without beginning by the
salutation."[FN#144] Repeated the Caliph, "Fie upon thee! I am Hisham
bin Abd al-Malik." "May Allah not favour thy dwelling-place," replied
the Arab, "nor guard thine abiding place! How many are thy words and
how few thy generous deeds!" Hardly had he ended speaking, when up came
the troop from all sides and surrounded him as the white encircleth the
black of the eye, all and each saying, "Peace be with thee, O Commander
of the Faithful!" Quoth Hisham, "Cut short this talk and seize me
yonder boy." So they laid hands on him; and when he saw the multitude
of Chamberlains and Wazirs and Lords of State, he was in nowise
concerned and questioned not of them, but let his chin drop on his
breast and looked where his feet fell, till they brought him to the
Caliph[FN#145] when he stood before him, with head bowed groundwards
and saluted him not and spoke him not. So one of the eunuchs said to
him, "O dog of the Arabs, what hindereth thy saluting the Commander of
the Faithful?" The youth turned to him angrily and replied, "O
packsaddle of an ass, it was the length of the way that hindered me
from this and the steepness of the steps and the profuseness of my
sweat." Then said Hisham (and indeed he was exceeding wroth), "O boy,
verily thy days are come to their latest hour; thy hope is gone from
thee and thy life is past out of thee." He answered, "By Allah, O
Hisham, verily an my life-term be prolonged and Fate ordain not its
cutting short, thy words irk me not, be they long or short." Then said
the Chief Chamberlain to him, "Doth it befit thy degree, O vilest of
the Arabs, to bandy words with the Commander of the Faithful?" He
answered promptly, "Mayest thou meet with adversity and may woe and
wailing never leave thee! Hast thou not heard the saying of Almighty
Allah?, 'One day, every soul shall come to defend itself.'"[FN#146]
Hereupon Hisham rose, in great wrath, and said, "O headsman, bring me
the head of this lad; for indeed he exceedeth in talk, such as passeth
conception." So the sworder took him and, making him kneel on the
carpet of blood, drew his sword above him and said to the Caliph, "O
Commander of the Faithful, this thy slave is misguided and is on the
way to his grave; shall I smite off his head and be quit of his blood?"
"Yes," replied Hisham. He repeated his question and the Caliph again
answered in the affirmative. Then he asked leave a third time; and the
youth, knowing that, if the Caliph assented yet once more, it would be
the signal of his death, laughed till his wisdom-teeth showed;
whereupon Hisham's wrath redoubled and he said to him, "O boy, meseems
thou art mad; seest thou not that thou art about to depart the world?
Why then dost thou laugh in mockery of thyself?" He replied, "O
Commander of the Faithful, if a larger life-term befell me, none can
hurt me, great or small; but I have bethought me of some couplets,
which do thou hear, for my death cannot escape thee." Quoth Hisham,
"Say on and be brief;" so the Arab repeated these couplets,
"It happed one day a hawk pounced on a bird, * A wildling sparrow
driven by destiny;
And held in pounces spake the sparrow thus, * E'en as the hawk
rose ready home to hie:—
'Scant flesh have I to fill the maw of thee * And for thy lordly
food poor morsel I.
Then smiled the hawk in flattered vanity * And pride, so set the
sparrow free to fly.
At this Hisham smiled and said, "By the truth of my kinship to the
Apostle of Allah (whom Allah bless and keep!), had he spoken this
speech at first and asked for aught except the Caliphase, verily I
would have given it to him. Stuff his mouth with jewels,[FN#147] O
eunuch and entreat him courteously;" so they did as he bade them and
the Arab went his way. And amongst pleasant tales is that of
IBRAHIM BIN AL-MAHDI AND THE BARBER-SURGEON.
They relate that Ibrahнm, son of al-Mahdн,[FN#148] brother of Harun
al-Rashid, when the Caliphate devolved to Al-Maamun, the son of his
brother Harun, refused to acknowledge his nephew and betook himself to
Rayy[FN#149]; where he claimed the throne and abode thus a year and
eleven months and twelve days. Meanwhile his nephew, Al-Maamun, awaited
his return to allegiance and his accepting a dependent position till,
at last, despairing of this, he mounted with his horsemen and footmen
and repaired to Rayy in quest of him. Now when the news came to
Ibrahim, he found nothing for it but to flee to Baghdad and hide there,
fearing for his life; and Maamun set a price of a hundred thousand gold
pieces upon his head, to be paid to whoso might betray him. (Quoth
Ibrahim) "When I heard of this price I feared for my head"—And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Seventy-third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Ibrahim
continued, "Now when I heard of this price I feared for my head and
knew not what to do: so I went forth of my house in disguise at
mid-day, knowing not whither I should go. Presently I entered a broad
street which was no thoroughfare and said in my mind, 'Verily, we are
Allah's and unto Him we are returning! I have exposed my life to
destruction. If I retrace my steps, I shall arouse suspicion.' Then,
being still in disguise I espied, at the upper end of the street, a
negro-slave standing at his door; so I went up to him and said to him,
'Hast thou a place where I may abide for an hour of the day?' 'Yes,'
answered he, and opening the door admitted me into a decent house,
furnished with carpets and mats and cushions of leather. Then he shut
the door on me and went away; and I misdoubted me he had heard of the
reward offered for me, and said to myself, 'He hath gone to inform
against me.' But, as I sat pondering my case and boiling like cauldron
over fire, behold, my host came back, accompanied by a porter loaded
with bread and meat and new cooking-pots and gear and a new jar and new
gugglets and other needfuls. He made the porter set them down and,
dismissing him, said to me, 'I offer my life for thy ransom! I am a
barber-surgeon, and I know it would disgust thee to eat with me'
because of the way in which I get my livelihood;[FN#150] so do thou
shift for thyself and do what thou please with these things whereon no
hand hath fallen.' (Quoth Ibrahim), Now I was in sore need of food so I
cooked me a pot of meat whose like I remember not ever to have eaten;
and, when I had satisfied my want, he said to me, 'O my lord, Allah
make me thy ransom! Art thou for wine?; for indeed it gladdeneth the
soul and doeth away care.' 'I have no dislike to it,' replied I, being
desirous of the barber's company; so he brought me new flagons of glass
which no hand had touched and a jar of excellent wine, and said to me,
'Strain for thyself, to thy liking;' whereupon I cleared the wine and
mixed me a most delectable draught. Then he brought me a new cup and
fruits and flowers in new vessels of earthenware; after which he said
to me, 'Wilt thou give me leave to sit apart and drink of my own wine
by myself, of my joy in thee and for thee?' 'Do so,' answered I. So I
drank and he drank till the wine began to take effect upon us, when the
barber rose and, going to a closet, took out a lute of polished wood
and said to me, 'O my lord, it is not for the like of me to ask the
like of thee to sing, but it behoveth thine exceeding generosity to
render my respect its due; so, if thou see fit to honour thy slave,
thine is the high decision.' Quoth I (and indeed I thought not that he
knew me), 'How knowest thou that I excel in song?' He replied, 'Glory
be to Allah, our lord is too well renowned for that! Thou art my lord
Ibrahim, son of Al-Mahdi, our Caliph of yesterday, he on whose head
Al-Maamun hath set a price of an hundred thousand dinars to be paid to
thy betrayer: but thou art in safety with me.' (Quoth Ibrahim), When I
heard him say this, he was magnified in my eyes and his loyalty and
noble nature were certified to me; so I complied with his wish and took
the lute and tuned it, and sang. Then I bethought me of my severance
from my children and my family and I began to say,
'Belike Who Yъsuf to his kin restored * And honoured him in goal,
a captive wight,
May grant our prayer to reunite our lots, * For Allah, Lord of
Worlds, hath all of might.'