us the most remarkable thing that thou hast ever seen." Answered he: "I
hear and obey, O Commander of the Faithful. Know that I rode out one
day, a-pleasuring, and my ride brought me to a place where I smelt the
reek of food. So my soul longed for it and I halted, O Prince of True
Believers, perplexed and unable either to go on or to go in. Presently,
I raised my eyes and lo! I espied a lattice-window and behind it a
wrist, than which I never beheld aught lovelier. The sight turned my
brain and I forgot the smell of the food and began to plan and plot how
I should get access to the house. After awhile, I observed a tailor
hard by and going up to him, saluted him. He returned my salam and I
asked him, 'Whose house is that?' And he answered, 'It belongeth to a
merchant called such an one, son of such an one, who consorteth with
none save merchants.' As we were talking, behold, up came two men, of
comely aspect with intelligent countenances, riding on horseback; and
the tailor told me that they were the merchant's most intimate friends
and acquainted me with their names. So I urged my beast towards them
and said to them, 'Be I your ransom! Abu Fulбn[FN#409] awaiteth you!';
and I rode with them both to the gate, where I entered and they also.
Now when the master of the house saw me with them he doubted not but I
was their friend; so he welcomed me and seated me in the highest stead.
Then they brought the table of food and I said in myself, 'Allah hath
granted me my desire of the food; and now there remain the hand and the
wrist.' After awhile, we removed for carousel to another room, which I
found tricked out with all manner of rarities; and the host paid me
particular attention, addressing his talk to me, for that he took me to
be a guest of his guests; whilst in like manner these two made much of
me, taking me for a friend of their friend the house-master. Thus I was
the object of politest attentions till we had drunk several cups of
wine and there came into us a damsel as she were a willow wand of the
utmost beauty and elegance, who took a lute and playing a lively
measure, sang these couplets,
'Is it not strange one house us two contain * And still thou
draw'st not near, or talk we twain?
Only our eyes tell secrets of our souls, * And broken hearts by
lovers' fiery pain;
Winks with the eyelids, signs the eyebrow knows; * Languishing
looks and hand saluting fain.'
When I heard these words my vitals were stirred, O Commander of the
Faithful, and I was moved to delight, for her excessive loveliness and
the beauty of the verses she sang; and I envied her her skill and said,
'There lacketh somewhat to thee, O damsel!' Whereupon she threw the
lute from her hand in anger, and cried, 'Since when are ye wont to
bring ill-mannered louts into your assemblies?' Then I repented of what
I had done, seeing the company vexed with me, and I said in my mind,
'My hopes are lost by me'; and I weeted no way of escaping blame but to
call for a lute, saying, 'I will show you what escaped her in the air
she played.' Quoth the folk, 'We hear and obey'; so they brought me a
lute and I tuned the strings and sang these verses,
'This is thy friend perplexed for pain and pine, * Th' enamoured,
down whose breast course drops of brine:
He hath this hand to the Compassionate raised * For winning wish,
and that on hearts is lien:
O thou who seest one love-perishing, * His death is caused by
those hands and eyne!'[FN#410]
Whereupon the damsel sprang up and throwing herself at my feet, kissed
them and said, 'It is thine to excuse, O my Master! By Allah, I knew
not thy quality nor heard I ever the like of this performance!' And all
began extolling me and making much of me, being beyond measure
delighted' and at last they besought me to sing again. So I sang a
merry air, whereupon they all became drunken with music and wine, their
wits left them and they were carried off to their homes, while I abode
alone with the host and the girl. He drank some cups with me and then
said, 'O my lord, my life hath been lived in vain for that I have not
known the like of thee till the present. Now, by Allah, tell me who
thou art, that I may ken who is the cup-companion whom Allah hath
bestowed on me this night.' At first I returned him evasive answers and
would not tell him my name; but he conjured me till I told him who I
was, whereupon he sprang to his feet"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Ibrahim son of
Al-Mahdi continued: "Now when the housemaster heard my name he sprang
to his feet and said, 'Indeed I wondered that such gifts should belong
to any but the like of thee; and Fortune hath done me a good turn for
which I cannot thank her too much. But, haply, this is a dream; for how
could I hope that one of the Caliphate house should visit my humble
home and carouse with me this night?' I conjured him to be seated; so
he sat down and began to question me as to the cause of my visit in the
most courteous terms. So I told him the whole affair, first and last,
hiding naught, and said to him, 'Now as to the food I have had my will,
but of the hand and wrist I have still to win my wish.' Quoth he, 'Thou
shalt have thy desire of the hand and wrist also, Inshallah!' Then said
he to the slave-girl, 'Ho, such an one, bid such an one come down.' And
he called his slave-girls down, one by one and showed them to me; but I
saw not my mistress among them, and he said, 'O my lord, there is none
left save my mother and sister; but, by Allah, I must needs have them
also down and show them to thee.' So I marvelled at his courtesy and
large heartedness and said, 'May I be thy sacrifice! Begin with the
sister;' and he answered, 'With joy and goodwill.' So she came down and
he showed me her hand and behold, she was the owner of the hand and
wrist. Quoth I, 'Allah make me thy ransom! this is the damsel whose
hand and wrist I saw at the lattice.' Then he sent his servants without
stay or delay for witnesses and bringing out two myriads[FN#411] of
gold pieces, said to the witnesses, 'This our lord and master, Ibrahim
son of Al-Mahdi, paternal-uncle of the Commander of the Faithful,
seeketh in marriage my sister such an one; and I call you to witness
that I give her in wedlock to him and that he hath settled upon her ten
thousand dinars.' And he said to me, 'I give thee my sister in
marriage, at the portion aforesaid.' 'I consent,' answered I, 'and am
herewith content.' Whereupon he gave one of the bags to her and the
other to the witnesses, and said to me, 'O our lord, I desire to adorn
a chamber for thee, where thou mayst sleep with thy wife.' But I was
abashed at his generosity and was ashamed to lie with her in his house;
so I said, 'Equip her and send her to my place.' And by thy being, O
Commander of the Faithful, he sent me with her such an equipage that my
house, for all its greatness, was too strait to hold it! And I begot on
her this boy that standeth in thy presence." Then Al-Maamun marvelled
at the man's generosity and said, "Gifted of Allah is he! Never heard I
of his like." And he bade Ibrahim bin al-Mahdi bring him to court, that
he might see him. He brought him and the Caliph conversed with him; and
his wit and good breeding so pleased him that he made him one of his
chief officers. And Allah is the Giver, the Bestower! Men also relate
the tale of
THE WOMAN WHOSE HANDS WERE CUT OFF FOR GIVING ALMS TO THE POOR.
A certain King once made proclamation to the people of his realm
saying, "If any of you give alms of aught, I will verily and assuredly
cut off his hand;" wherefore all the people abstained from alms-deed,
and none could give anything to any one. Now it chanced that one day a
beggar accosted a certain woman (and indeed hunger was sore upon him),
and said to her, "Give me an alms"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was Three Hundred and Forty-eighth Night
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that, quoth the beggar
to the woman, "Give me an alms however small." But she answered him,
"How can I give thee aught, when the King cutteth off the hands of all
who give alms?" Then he said, "I conjure thee by Allah Almighty, give
me an alms;" so when he adjured her by the Holy Name of Allah, she had
ruth on him and gave him two scones. The King heard of this; whereupon
he called her before him and cut off her hands, after which she
returned to her house. Now it chanced after a while that the King said
to his mother, "I have a mind to take a wife; so do thou marry me to a
fair woman." Quoth she, "There is among our female slaves one who is
unsurpassed in beauty; but she hath a grievous blemish." The King
asked, "What is that?" and his mother answered, "She hath had both her
hands cut off." Said he, "Let me see her." So she brought her to him,
and he was ravished by her and married her and went in unto her; and
begat upon her a son. Now this was the woman who had given two scones
as an alms to the asker, and whose hands had been cut off therefor; and
when the King married her, her fellow-wives envied her and wrote to the
common husband that she was an unchaste, having just given birth to the
boy; so he wrote to his mother, bidding her carry the woman into the
desert and leave her there. The old Queen obeyed his commandment and
abandoned the woman and her son in the desert; whereupon she fell to
weeping for that which had befallen her and wailing with exceeding sore
wail. As she went along, she came to a river and knelt down to drink,
being overcome with excess of thirst, for fatigue of walking and for
grief; but, as she bent her head, the child which was at her neck fell
into the water. Then she sat weeping bitter tears for her child, and as
she wept, behold came up two men, who said to her, "What maketh thee
weep?" Quoth she, "I had a child at my neck, and he hath fallen into
the water." They asked, "Wilt thou that we bring him out to thee?" and
she answered, "Yes." So they prayed to Almighty Allah, and the child
came forth of the water to her, safe and sound. Then said they, "Wilt
thou that Allah restore thee thy hands as they were?" "Yes," replied
she: whereupon they prayed to Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) and
her hands were restored to her, goodlier than before. Then said they,
"Knowest thou who we are?"; and she replied, "Allah is all
knowing;"[FN#412] and they said, "We are thy two Scones of Bread, which
thou gayest in alms to the asker and which were the cause of the
cutting off of thy hands.[FN#413] So praise thou Allah Almighty for
that He hath restored to thee thy hands and thy child." Then she
praised Almighty Allah and glorified Him. And men relate a tale of
THE DEVOUT ISRAELITE.
There was once a devout man of the Children of Israel,[FN#414] whose
family span cotton-thread; and he used every day to sell the yarn and
buy fresh cotton, and with the profit he laid in daily bread for his
household. One morning he went out and sold the day's yarn as wont,
when there met him one of his brethren, who complained to him of need;
so he gave him the price of the thread and returned, empty-handed, to
his family, who said to him, "Where is the cotton and the food?" Quoth
he, "Such an one met me and complained to me of want; whereupon I gave
him the price of the yarn." And they said, "How shall we do? We have
nothing to sell." Now they had a cracked trencher[FN#415] and a jar; so
he took them to the bazar but none would buy them of him. However
presently, as he stood in the market, there passed by a man with a
fish,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the man took the
trencher and jar to the bazar, but none would buy them of him. However
there presently passed by a man with a fish which was so stinking and
so swollen that no one would buy it of him, and he said to the Jew,
"Wilt thou sell me thine unsaleable ware for mine?" "Yes," answered the
Jew; and, giving him the wooden trencher and jar, took the fish and
carried it home to his family, who said, "What shall we do with this
fish?" Quoth he, "We will broil it and eat it, till it please Allah to
provide bread for us." So they took it and ripping open its belly,
found therein a great pearl and told the head of the household who
said, "See ye if it be pierced: if so, it belongeth to some one of the
folk; if not, 'tis a provision of Allah for us." So they examined it
and found it unpierced. Now when it was the morrow, the Jew carried it
to one of his brethren which was an expert in jewels, and the man
asked, "O such an one! whence haddest thou this pearl?"; whereto the
Jew answered, "It was a gift of Almighty Allah to us," and the other
said, "It is worth a thousand dirhams and I will give thee that; but
take it to such an one, for he hath more money and skill than I." So
the Jew took it to the jeweller, who said, "It is worth seventy
thousand dirhams and no more." Then he paid him that sum and the Jew
hired two porters to carry the money to his house. As he came to his
door, a beggar accosted him, saying, "Give me of that which Allah hath
given thee." Quoth the Jew to the asker, "But yesterday we were even as
thou; take thee half this money:" so he made two parts of it, and each
took his half. Then said the beggar, "Take back thy money and Allah
bless and prosper thee in it; I am a Messenger,[FN#416] whom thy Lord
hath sent to try thee." Quoth the Jew, "To Allah be the praise and the
thanks!" and abode in all delight of life he and his household till
death. And men recount this story of
ABU HASSAN AL-ZIYADI AND THE KHORASAN.
Quoth Abъ Hassбn al-Ziyбdi[FN#417]: "I was once in straitened case and
so needy that the grocer, the baker and other tradesmen dunned and
importuned me; and my misery became extreme, for I knew of no resource
nor what to do. Things being on this wise there came to me one day
certain of my servants and said to me, 'At the door is a pilgrim wight,
who seeketh admission to thee.' Quoth I, 'Admit him.' So he came in and
behold, he was a Khorasбnн. We exchanged salutations and he said to me,
'Tell me, art thou Abu Hassan al-Ziyadi?'; and I replied, 'Yes, what is
thy wish?' Quoth he, 'I am a stranger and am minded to make the
pilgrimage; but I have with me a great sum of money, which is
burdensome to bear: so I wish to deposit these ten thousand dirhams
with thee whilst I make my pilgrimage and return. If the caravan march
back and thou see me not, then know that I am dead, in which case the
money is a gift from me to thee; but if I come back, it shall be mine.'
I answered, 'Be it as thou wilt, an thus please Allah Almighty.' So he
brought out a leather bag and I said to the servant, 'Fetch the
scales;' and when he brought them the man weighed out the money and
handed it to me, after which he went his way. Then I called the
purveyors and paid them my liabilities"—And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Fiftieth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth Abu Hassan
al-Ziyadi: "I called the purveyors and paid them my liabilities and
spent freely and amply, saying to myself, 'By the time he returns,
Allah will have relieved me with one or other of the bounties He hath
by Him.' However, on the very next day, the servant came in to me and
said, 'Thy friend the Khorasan man is at the door.' 'Admit him,'
answered I. So he came in and said to me, 'I had purposed to make the
pilgrimage; but news hath reached me of the decease of my father, and I
have resolved to return; so give me the monies I deposited with thee
yesterday.' When I heard this, I was troubled and perplexed beyond
measure of perplexity known to man and wotted not what reply to make
him; for, if I denied it, he would put me on my oath, and I should be
disgraced in the world to come; whilst, if I told him that I had spent
the money, he would make an outcry and dishonour me before men. So I
said to him, 'Allah give thee health! This my house is no stronghold
nor site of safe custody for this money. When I received thy leather
bag, I sent it to one with whom it now is; so do thou return to us
to-morrow and take thy money, Inshallah!'[FN#418] So he went away and I
passed the night in great concern, because of his return to me; sleep
visited me not nor could I close my eyes; so I rose and bade the boy
saddle me the she-mule. Answered he, 'O my lord, it is yet but the
first third of the night and indeed we have hardly had time to rest.' I
returned to my bed, but sleep was forbidden to me and I ceased not to
awaken the boy, and he to put me off, till break of day, when he
saddled me the mule, and I mounted and rode out, not knowing whither to
go. I threw the reins on the mule's shoulders and gave myself up to
regrets and melancholy thoughts, whilst she fared on with me to the
eastward of Baghdad. Presently, as I went along, behold, I saw a number
of people approaching me and turned aside into another path to avoid
them; but seeing that I wore a turband in preacher-fashion,[FN#419]
they followed me and hastening up to me, said, 'Knowest thou the
lodging of Abu Hassan al-Ziyadi?' 'I am he,' answered I; and they
rejoined, 'Obey the summons of the Commander of the Faithful.' Then
they carried me before Al-Maamun, who said to me, 'Who art thou?' Quoth
I, 'An associate of the Kazi Abu Yъsuf and a doctor of the law and
traditions.' Asked the Caliph, 'By what surname art thou
known?'[FN#420] and I answered, 'Abu Hassan al-Ziyadi;' whereupon quoth
he, 'Expound to me thy case.' So I recounted to him my case and he wept
sore and said to me, 'Out on thee! The Apostle of Allah (whom Allah
bless and assain!) would not let me sleep this night, because of thee;
for in early darkness[FN#421] he appeared to me and said, 'Succour Abu
Hassan al-Ziyadi.' Whereupon I awoke and, knowing thee not, went to
sleep again; but he came to me a second time and said to me, 'Woe to
thee! Succour Abu Hassan al-Ziyadi.' I awoke a second time, but knowing
thee not I went to sleep again; and he came to me a third time and
still I knew thee not and went to sleep again. Then he came to me once
more and said, 'Out on thee! Succour Abu Hassan al-Ziyadi!' After that
I dared not sleep any more, but watched the rest of the night and
aroused my people and sent them on all sides in quest of thee.' Then he
gave me one myriad of dirhams, saying, 'This is for the Khorasani,' and
other ten thousand, saying, 'Spend freely of this and amend thy case
therewith, and set thine affairs in order.' Moreover, he presented me
with thirty thousand dirhams, saying, 'Furnish thyself with this, and
when the Procession-day[FN#422] is being kept, come thou to me, that I
may invest thee with some office.' So I went forth from him with the
money and returned home, where I prayed the dawn-prayer; and behold,
presently came the Khorasani, so I carried him into the house and
brought out to him one myriad of dirhams, saying, 'Here is thy money.'
Quoth he, 'It is not my very money; how cometh this?' So I told him the
whole story, and he wept and said, 'By Allah, haddest thou told me the
fact at first, I had not pressed thee!; and now, by Allah, I will not
accept aught of this money'"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Three Hundred and Fifty-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth the
Khorasani to Al-Ziyadi, "'By Allah, haddest thou told me the fact at
first, I had not pressed thee!; and now, by Allah, I will not accept
aught of this money and thou art lawfully quit of it.' So saying, he
went away and I set my affairs in order and repaired on the
Procession-day to Al-Maamun's Gate, where I found him seated. When he
saw me present myself he called me to him and, bringing forth to me a
paper from under his prayer-carpet, said to me, 'This is a patent,
conferring on thee the office of Kazi of the western division of
Al-Medinah, the Holy City, from the Bab al-Salбm[FN#423] to the
furthest limit of the township; and I appoint thee such and such
monthly allowances. So fear Allah (to whom be honour and glory!) end be
mindful of the solicitude of His Apostle (whom may He bless and keep!)
on thine account.' Then the folk marvelled at the Caliph's words and
asked me their meaning; whereupon I told them the story from beginning
to end and it spread abroad amongst the people." "And" (quoth he who
telleth the tale) "Abu Hassan al-Ziyadi ceased not to be Kazi of
Al-Medinah, the Holy City, till he died in the days of Al-Maamun the
mercy of Allah be on him!" And among the tales men tell is one of
THE POOR MAN AND HIS FRIEND IN NEED.
There was once a rich man who lost all he had and became destitute,
whereupon his wife advised him to ask aid and assistance of one of his
intimates. So he betook himself to a certain friend of his and
acquainted him with his necessities; and he lent him five hundred
dinars to trade withal. Now in early life he had been a jeweller; so he
took the gold and went to the jewel-bazar, where he opened a shop to
buy and sell. Presently, as he sat in his shop three men accosted him
and asked for his father, and when he told them that he was deceased,
they said, "Say, did he leave issue?" Quoth the jeweller, "He left the
slave who is before you." They asked, "And who knoweth thee for his
son?"; and he answered, "The people of the bazar whereupon they said,
"Call them together, that they may testify to us that thou art his very
son." So he called them and they bore witness of this; whereupon the
three men delivered to him a pair of saddle- bags, containing thirty
thousand dinars, besides jewels and bullion of high value, saying,
"This was deposited with us in trust by thy father." Then they went
away; and presently there came to him a woman, who sought of him
certain of the jewels, worth five hundred dinars which she bought and
paid him three thousand for them. Upon this he arose and took five
hundred dinars and carrying them to his friend who had lent him the
money, said to him, "Take the five hundred dinars I borrowed of thee;
for Allah hath opened to me the gate of prosperity." Quoth the other,
"Nay; I gave them to thee outright, for the love of Allah; so do thou
keep them. And take this paper, but read it not till thou be at home,
and do according to that which is therein." So he took the money and
the paper and returned home, where he opened the scroll and found
therein inscribed these couplets,
"Kinsmen of mine were those three men who came to thee; * My sire
and uncles twain and Sбlih bin Ali.
So what for cash thou coldest, to my mother 'twas * Thou soldest
it, and coin and gems were sent by me.
Thus doing I desired not any harm to thee * But in my presence
spare thee and thy modesty."
And they also recount the story of
THE RUINED MAN WHO BECAME RICH AGAIN THROUGH A DREAM.[FN#424]
There lived once in Baghdad a wealthy man and made of money, who lost
all his substance and became so destitute that he could earn his living
only by hard labour. One night, he lay down to sleep, dejected and
heavy hearted, and saw in a dream a Speaker[FN#425] who said to him,
"Verily thy fortune is in Cairo; go thither and seek it." So he set out
for Cairo; but when he arrived there evening overtook him and he lay
down to sleep in a mosque Presently, by decree of Allah Almighty, a
band of bandits entered the mosque and made their way thence into an
adjoining house; but the owners, being aroused by the noise of the
thieves, awoke and cried out; whereupon the Chief of Police came to
their aid with his officers. The robbers made off; but the Wali entered
the mosque and, finding the man from Baghdad asleep there, laid hold of
him and beat him with palm-rods so grievous a beating that he was
well-nigh dead. Then they cast him into jail, where he abode three
days; after which the Chief of Police sent for him and asked him,
"Whence art thou?"; and he answered, "From Baghdad." Quoth the Wali,
"And what brought thee to Cairo?"; and quoth the Baghdadi, "I saw in a
dream One who said to me, Thy fortune is in Cairo; go thither to it.
But when I came to Cairo the fortune which he promised me proved to be
the palm-rods thou so generously gavest to me." The Wali laughed till
he showed his wisdom-teeth and said, "O man of little wit, thrice have
I seen in a dream one who said to me: 'There is in Baghdad a house in
such a district and of such a fashion and its courtyard is laid out
garden-wise, at the lower end whereof is a jetting-fountain and under
the same a great sum of money lieth buried. Go thither and take it.'
Yet I went not; but thou, of the briefness of thy wit, hast journeyed
from place to place, on the faith of a dream, which was but an idle
galimatias of sleep." Then he gave him money saying, "Help thee back
herewith to thine own country;"— And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.