The Rose and Nightingale held festival,
Until the furious cruelty of fate
Turned all their love to abject misery.
The Rose became the prey of every wind,
The Nightingale fell headlong in the dust,
The course of fate ordained for them to drink
The cup of desolation to the dregs.
Those upon whom companion’s smile is turned,
Are never infinitely destitute,
And this too treacherous world betrays us all,
With craft and the sharp edge of trickery.
And when the dish gives honey to our lips,
A deadly poison lurks within the bowl.
And if we trust one moment to a cup
It kills us till the blood in torrents flows.
When did two days award an equal calm
But that distress did not the next ensue?
When was it that the highest bliss was given,
But that at last there followed misery?
The treasure is a snake, the gold but dross,
Their grace a fading leaf, their balm is blight,
And pain is but the sequel of delight,
Their life to nothing but a vapor turns.
Darius, Alexander, where are they,
Who once were conquerors of every land?
For both of them at last exchanged for grief,
For grief of death, the glory of their life.
Where is the sovereign Solomon, whose throne
From peak to peak of Caucasus was set,
He whose high throne was sport to every wind,
To waft it as it wished to every pole?
At last the wind bore off the lofty throne,
And Solomon to-day is but a name.
Where is Schamshid, through whose profound design
The world was moulded into living form?
But even his genius vanished in the wind,
And suddenly he mouldered into dust.
Where now is he, the Lord of all the world,
The lord of lords, illustrious Feridun?
He also to the spoiler yields his power,
Flung to the ground to mingle with the dust.
Still in this house there lingers only one,
The everlasting, everliving God.
This world has but two portals, which indeed
Are separated from each other far,
For by one door man enters to the house,
And by the other he an exit makes.
Who in this house forever gladly stays,
From which the very Prophet took his flight?
And since he never lingered in this house,
How canst thou think eternal there thy lot?
What is the world, O Fasli, but an inn
Where caravans halt only for night?
Put not thy trust, then, in its permanence,
For ambush ever lies in wait for it.
Distrust it, then, for it can ne’er endure,
Despise it, for it has no help for thee.
LIX
DECLARATION OF THE HIDDEN MEANING WHICH FOR THE MYSTIC LIES IN THIS TRUE
HISTORY AND MOURNFUL NARRATIVE
Thou who hast on these pages fixed thine eyes,
If there is any knowledge in thy mind,
Look not on these events as idle tales,
For in the words a meaning there abides.
And what from idle tales can come of good,
Unless some meaning there be hid in them?
Some doctrine from a fable often comes,
So idle tales are often profitless.
And hence the hidden sense of history
Declares the sequel both to me and thee.
For now when to an end the story comes,
Thou needs must learn the lesson of the tale.
The Shah, the radiant monarch of the Spring,
Is intellect that bides for evermore.
The Rose, which is the daughter of the Shah,
Is genius, offspring of the intellect.
The city which is named the rose garden
Is life when spent on beds of luxury.
The Nightingale upon the rose parterre
The human heart, which after genius longs.
The heart by genius is perfected,
And therefore is of genius amorous.
The East Wind is the breath of suffering,
Which ever blows between the heart and soul,
And the clear vision which in life abides
Is the narcissus in the rose parterre.
The tulip, in a circle bends its cup,--
’Tis friendship with its tender-heartedness.
The cypress, I would fain expound to you,
Is the free symbol of integrity.
The rivulet is purity of soul,
Wherein the well-beloved is mirrored clear.
And in the dew which serves the flowers for wine
Is seen the shining tenderness of God.
What is the lily else but bravery?
The violet is loveliness of heart,
The hyacinth is bitter jealousy,
The thorn is anger which estranges all.
And that which Summer I and Winter call,
Must also have a double sense to thee.
For one brings many blessings to thy life,
The other desolates this world of ours;
And on the character of each of these
All of the year’s vicissitudes depend.
The one is strong as anger in its day,
And with it carries off the strength of man;
For man when fiery ardor rules the sky
Finds all his life with flames of heat consumed.
And this is August burning like a brand,
Which desolates the city of the soul.
Thus will be clear to thee how any fire
Destroys the happiness of monarch Spring.
So soon as suffering seizes on the life
It overcomes the soul and intellect.
For intellect its office fails to fill,
So anger has with all things laid it waste.
The other source of strength is love of kind,
Which always brings a blessing in its train.
Its action is to deepen graciousness,
And give new color to the sense of life.
And so I name it Autumn: well is known
Its character as separate and distinct--
Since rage and passion then are satisfied,
And life into a mellow twilight comes.
While all the time nature in calm decay
Is like the chill of man’s declining day.
And thus the king of winter seems at last
The human life and spirit to usurp.
The king who does the rose garden restore
Is but the light and health that clears man’s soul.
Anger and passion both give way to him,
And God’s own light at last pours blessing down.
This king brings help to heart and intellect,
And takes possession of the whole domain.
He frees the spirit from the charge of sense,
And widens out the prospect of the soul;
Then heart and spirit in a kiss unite,
The bridal of the Rose and Nightingale.
LX
THE CLOSE OF THE BOOK
Thank God, these pages, numbered to the full,
Are pleasant as the petals of a Rose;
Where genius is as the Nightingale,
And plucks them ardently from off the flower.
’Tis genius blent the sweets of Gulistan,
Tinting narcissus’ cheeks with fresher hue.
Each verse is like a gayly-painted rose,
And Bulbul is the guardian of the grove.
The letters like to cedars stand in line,
The lines run o’er the page like rivulets.
The words like rank and file their order take,
The sense is as the diamond in the mine.
And thus the poet has prepared for you
A feast of tenderness, a dainty feast,
A bosom book of the sublimest lore,
Which all the world will welcome with delight.
The book towers up like some tall monument,
And every verse of it is Eden’s door.
And I have put a meaning under it,
Which is the Gulistan of its fair words.
It sprang from out the well of my pure wit,
My genius is enthroned on its renown,
’Tis I who clothed the legend in these words,
The language and the meaning both are mine,
And in this legend there is naught of guile,
My taper’s light no _ignis fatuus_,
And he who sees the symbol will esteem,
The book from title-page to colophon.
I borrowed no man’s phrases and I trod
No path that had been trodden hitherto.
Forth from the portal of my intellect
There streamed the words of evil and of good.
And many a lovely lay have I composed
From the sad music of the Nightingale.
So that this book, so fascinating fair,
Will by the fair ever be beloved.
I hope that God the volume will protect,
And keep it safe from misadventures twain.
First from a critic ignorant and dull,
Who like a mule the poet tramples down,
A critic without intellect and sense,
Who cannot see the meaning of the words,
But twists the sense of every graceful line,
And does not hear the music in the verse.
One point he dwells on, to another blind,
And mixes up the poetry and prose.
Presumes himself to boast poetic fire,
And to set right a hundred lines of mine.
Then from the writer who, like one bewitched,
Does naught but blot each blemish in the book.
He scores the book with blots as with a cloak,
And all its beauties in concealment keeps.
He sticks his mark where is no need of it,
And blunders every time he would correct;
His criticism should be criticised,
And his misuse of language makes me smile,
Even misspelling he is guilty of.
His very letters does he scarcely know,
His very pen itself cannot run straight,
His knotted fingers scarce can hold the pen.
Now, Fasli, comes at length thy poem’s end.
Thank God for all the beauty of thy lays.
Leave poetry and turn thy mind to God,
And thank him thou hast reached the colophon.
Thy book is one of happiness and bliss,
In lovers’ bosoms it will oft be borne.
And now the numbered verses thus conclude
The story of the Rose and Nightingale.
HISTORY OF THE FORTY VEZIRS
INTRODUCTION
It is related that the wife of a great king unjustly accused his son, by
another mother, of an act of treachery against his father; and that that
king was wroth, and for forty mornings caused his son to be led forth to
be slain; and that that king had many vezirs, all of whom were peerless
in the sea of understanding, and in thoughtfulness and sagacity, and
full of plans and devices; and that when the king each morning caused
his son to be led forth for execution, these vezirs gave the king
counsel, and each morning a vezir, telling a story, calmed the king’s
heart and turned away his wrath, and saved the prince from his hand; and
again, that each night that crafty lady, letting not the king rest, ever
incited him to the slaughter of the prince, and with enticing and
beguiling words, repeated each night a story to the king, and made his
understanding forsake him; and that through the words of that crafty
lady, every morning for forty days he caused his son to be led into his
presence to be slain; and that the vezirs by telling a story delivered
him. After forty days the innocence of the prince was manifested and the
falsehood and calumny of the crafty lady disclosed; and she received her
due, and the prince was greatly loved and esteemed before his father
when the truth of his affair was known. The adventures of the king, and
the lady and the prince, and his governor and the vezirs, and what
befell between them, will be related; and sixteen of the stories told by
the vezirs in the forty days, and by the lady in the forty nights will
be set forth and narrated. “With God is grace: how excellent a friend is
he!”
They tell in history books, that there was in Persia a great king, whose
name was Khānqīn, and in the grasp of whose possession were the Seven
Climes. As he was gracious and able and sagacious, kingliness and the
bases of empire were present in him. God most high had give him a fair
son, by whose beauty the people of the world were bewildered. Whosoever
looked upon his loveliness would say, “Is it magic, this?”[3] and he who
beheld his tall figure would exclaim, “This is no mortal!”[4] Fair was
his beauty and charming was his self, and desired of lovers. Moreover,
his were accomplishments and perfections; he had no rival in the reading
of science, or in penmanship, or in archery, or in horsemanship; and his
fair character was talked of and celebrated among high and low. The
king, too, whenever he saw him, experienced a hundred thousand
pleasures, and looked upon him as the source of his life. The mother of
this youth was of the lovely ones of China.[5] One day she fell ill, and
at length, no remedy availing, she was received into Mercy. Thereupon,
after some time had passed, his father married the daughter of a great
king and brought her to his palace.
After a while this lady fell in love with the prince. For a long time
she hid her love in her heart, and, saying in herself, “He is my
step-son, what help for it!” she disclosed it not. But when, day after
day, she looked upon his beauty, she was no longer able to bear with
patience the fire of love, and, bringing into the field the wallet of
craft, she was busy night and day with stratagems. Now the king had
given the prince to a governor to be taught the sciences of astronomy
and astrology, and the boy was night and day occupied acquiring them.
One day the governor looked at the youth’s horoscope, and perceived
there was a space of forty days in most sinister aspect. Did he say a
word about this, he would be pointing out a great calamity; so he was
exceeding grieved, and his heart was contracted. But he said to the
prince, “I have this day looked at thy horoscope and seen a most
sinister aspect; such is it, my life,[6] that thou must obey the command
and decree of God most high, and observe my injunction, else thou shalt
die.”
The prince heard these words of his governor and his color changed, and
he said to his teacher, “Order what thou wilt: command is thine.” Quoth
the teacher, “O son, the way of averting this calamity is thus stated in
the book: for the space of forty days thou shalt not speak one word
though a naked sword be above thy head.” Then he bade the prince bear in
mind certain of the holy names and blessed litanies, and sent him to his
father. The governor thereupon hid in a vault and concealed himself.[7]
When the prince came to his father, the latter said to him, “My son,
what hast thou read and written this day?” but the prince gave no answer
to his father. Again quoth the king, “O my life, what does thy master?”
again he gave no answer. Again his father said, “O life of my life, what
has befallen thee? Why dost thou not speak?” Again he gave no answer.
Then said the king to his son’s guardian, “The boy is sad to-day, take
him to his mother, maybe that his heart will expand.” Then the guardian
took the youth to the lady and said, “Lady, this youth is sad, he has
not uttered one syllable to his father this day, therefore has he sent
him to thee, that peradventure he may speak beside his mother.” The lady
was glad and said, “Clear the house, go, be off; that I may learn
somewhat of the prince, and banish his sadness and grief.”
When she was alone with the youth the lady threw her arm round his neck,
and said, “O my life, ah, my lord, what has befallen thee that thy heart
is thus sad, and that thou art disconsolate and mournful? Whatever thy
father possesses is in my hand; if thou wilt make thy heart one with
mine, and act according to my words, I will turn away thy sadness.” To
her too the prince gave no answer. Again said the lady, “Thou art a
grown-up youth, I too am a young lady; thy father is a decrepit old man,
with neither thought nor discernment; if thou wilt assure me, and swear
to me, and accept me as thy legal wife, I will make shift to kill thy
father and make thee king in his stead. First, I swear by God, and for
God, and in God, that I speak these words from the bottom of my heart
and from my very soul, and that I will not falsify these words; do thou
likewise assure me, and swear to me that I may act accordingly.” The
prince answered not a word.
Quoth the lady, “O dearer than my life, should thou ask how I will kill
thy father; lo, in the treasury are many kinds of poisons, of one of
which if a person eat, he turns ill and after three months dies. The
people will not know the cause of his death, and will not suspect that
he has eaten poison. They will say he but took ill, and will doubtless
make thee king. Should thou say I am thy step-mother and wonder how thou
art to marry me, the way is this: send me off to my own country, and
while yet on the road, send someone after me who shall come in the guise
of a robber and pounce upon us by night and seize me; so it will be said
that robbers have seized me. Then buy me as a slave girl from that man,
and make me thy wife; so none will know.” But the prince answered her
not at all, and spake not. Then the lady grew desperate at his not
speaking, and her patience was exhausted, and she said, “O my soul, O my
gliding angel, why wilt thou not speak to me?” And she put her arm round
his neck and drew him to her and made to kiss him. And the prince was
wroth, and he smote the lady’s mouth with the back of his hand, so that
her mouth filled with blood.
When she saw this conduct the fire of anger blazed up in the hearth of
her breast, and the sparks from the fumes of her pride gained her heart,
and she cried, “Out on thee! fool! boy! I sought to raise thee to the
throne and make thee king, and thou didst strike me thus; now will I
speak to thy father that he shall hew thee in pieces, small even as
thine ear.” And she dishevelled her hair and smeared the four sides of
her robe with the blood of her mouth and sat down, sad and tearful,
feeble and wailing. Then the youth went to his private apartments. After
a time the king came to the harem, thinking to inquire of the lady
concerning the affair of the prince, and he saw her seated besmeared
with red blood. And the king marvelled at this sight, and said to the
lady, “What is this matter? explain to me.” She said, “O king, that
degenerate son of thine! God forbid that he be son of thine!” “What is
the matter?” said the king.
The lady replied, “I saw that degenerate youth that he was sad, and I
cleared the palace that I might banish his sadness, and I said to him,
‘My son, why art thou sad?’ Then he stretched forth his hand and made to
do me wrong, but I prevented him. Then he said to me, ‘Why dost thou
flee me? if thou wilt be my mistress and make thy heart one with mine,
and assure me thereof, it is my intention to kill my father and make
thee my wife; and the riches, and the country, and the throne, and the
kingdom will be ours,’ But I consented not, and he desired to kill me
that I might not make known this matter to the king. And I cried out for
the saving of my life, and he left me in this plight and went away. Now,
O king, know of a surety that he purposes evil against thee, and see to
the saving of thine own life, else crown and throne will go from thy
hands; so ere he kill thee do thou kill him that thou be secure from his
wickedness.” When the king heard these words from the lady he was wroth,
and that night sleep came not to his eyes.
In the early morning he went forth and sat upon his throne, and caused
the prince to be brought before him, that he might order the executioner
to smite off his head. The courtiers who were beside him got the
executioner to delay, and at once sent word to the vezirs. As soon as
they knew what was happening, the vezirs came with all speed to the
presence of the king, and said, “O king, how has the prince this day
thus merited the anger of the king?”
The king related to the vezirs the events that had taken place,
whereupon the grand vezir said, “Slay not thy son, trusting on the
woman’s word; do not a deed beyond the ordinance of God and the law of
the Messenger:[8] and there is no permission in the law for one to act
on a woman’s word. If there were witnesses that the prince had done this
thing to the lady, then were command the king’s; but spill not blood
unjustly, that afterward thou suffer not regret and remorse. They have
said that whatsoever oppression there be in a country it is incumbent on
him who is king to banish it; where then were room for kings to do deeds
beyond the law and spill blood unjustly? If they be negligent in the
matter of banishing oppression, God most high will visit and afflict
them with four sorts of troubles: firstly, he will make their life
short; secondly, he will let the enemy prevail against them; thirdly,
he will give the enemy aid and victory; and fourthly, on the
resurrection day he will be wroth with them and consign them to the
torment of hell.
“He then is wise who will not for a five-days’ life lose the hereafter,
and is not needless. And, moreover, the holy Messenger (peace on him!)
when going to perform the ablution would first of all perform it with
sand; the companions asked, ‘O Apostle of God, is it lawful to perform
the sand ablution when there is water?’ The most noble beloved of God
replied, ‘I fear lest death let me not reach the water.’ Now, O king, be
not presumptuous through worldly fortune and kingship, and consent not
to a deed contrary to the law, and ruin not thy hereafter, trusting in
the woman’s word. For by reason of the craft of woman has many a head
been cut off; and the blessed Messenger hath said, ‘Whatsoever
misfortunes befall my people will befall them through women.’ And wise
is he who looks at the beginning and end of an affair, like that king
who took counsel with his sons and his vezirs and the elders of the
country, and was prospered alike in the world and the hereafter. And
that story is a fair story; if the king grant leave I will relate it.”
The king said, “Tell on.” Quoth the vezir:
TRIAL OF THE THREE SONS
“There was of old time in the palace of the world a great king, such
that the world was under his rule. He had lived enjoying sovereignty for
a hundred and twenty years in the palace of the world, and was grown old
and knew that in the near future he would be given to drink of the
potion of death. And the king had three moon-faced[9] sons and likewise
three able and skilful vezirs. One day quoth the king to his vezirs,
‘The end of this my life draws nigh; the natural life of man is a
hundred and twenty years, after that not an old man remains. Now I have
reached that state and the affair is thus, I wish to appoint one of my
sons to my place, and, leaning my back against the wall of abdication,
take rest. Which of my sons do ye deem worthy of the throne?’ The vezirs
said, ‘O king, long be thy life; a person’s good and bad are not known
till he have been proved; for two things are the touchstone of a man;
the first is wine, the second, office; in these two things is a person’s
manfulness apparent and manifest. This were best, for nine days let
these thy three sons enjoy the throne and sovereignty, and with this
touchstone let the king prove them; whatever be the character of each of
them, it will appear; for the rest, let the king order accordingly,’
“When the king heard these words from the vezirs they seemed right good
to his heart, and he commanded that each son should sit for three days
on the throne and exercise sovereignty, and declared that he would allow
whatever they should annul or appoint, and whatever they should grant
from the treasury, and whatever justice or oppression they might show,
and that no one should say aught. Then the eldest son of the king sat
upon the throne and directed the government, and he practised justice
and equity on such wise as cannot be described. He loved the doctors and
turned from the foolish, and gave the high offices to the learned, and
withdrew from listening to things forbidden and what was vain, and
strove much in well-doing.
“Then the king, to prove the judgment of his son, sent him three persons
from prison, one was a murderer, and one a thief, and one an adulterer;
and with them he sent the complainants. When they came before the prince
the complainants stated their case and the witnesses bore witness that
these three persons were indeed guilty, and that these words were no
calumny against them, but true. When the prince knew how the case was,
he said, ‘On a man’s coming into the world he is the blood of his
father’s and mother’s hearts; and, after bearing these many troubles and
afflictions, a man in forty years becomes mature; so it is not well to
slay him in a minute, as God most high will in the hereafter surely
punish him in hell.’ And he made them vow that henceforward they would
do no such deeds, and set all three at liberty. And for the whole three
days he ruled with justice.
“On the fourth day the turn came to the middle son, and he likewise sat
upon the throne and directed the government. He abased the learned and
promoted the foolish; and adopted as habit wine and music, and as
profession avarice and meanness. Brief, he was the opposite of his
elder brother. According to the custom, they sent to him too three
criminals. When the prince heard how the case was he said, ‘Men like
these are the thorns of the country;’ and he ordered that the three of
them perished. When he too had ruled for three days, the turn came to
the youngest prince, and he likewise sat upon the throne and directed
the government. He gave to the doctors the post suitable to the doctors,
and to the learned the high offices, and to the strong and impetuous
young heroes, military fiefs, and to the champions, feudal domains; and
he registered their pay. He honored each of them according to his
position, and abased the unmannerly. Brief, he put each one in his
proper place, like a string of pearls; and he left not his gate unlocked
lest the foe should triumph over him.
“The king again sent three culprits from the prison that he might try
his judgment. When they were present the servants informed him, and he
said, ‘Bring them one by one,’ Then when the witnesses had borne witness
that the man had indeed committed murder, the prince said, ‘Murder is of
two kinds, the one intentional, the other accidental; and the
intentional is also of two kinds, the first when a person strikes
another with an iron instrument and kills him, him it is needful to put
to death in retaliation; and they have written in the Book of Dues that
if one person strike another with a stick and kill him, or if he throw
him into a fire, then the fine for blood and the expiation alike become
necessary. And the other too is accidental, when the expiation is
incumbent, and he is culpable, but the fine for blood does not become
necessary. And that is accidental when a person shoots an arrow at a
deer, and it glances and hits a man and kills him; as God most high hath
said, “Then whoso killeth a believer by mischance, then (the expiation
is) the freeing of a believer from bondage ... but if he find not (the
means of doing so), then a fast for two consecutive months.”’[10]
“Then the prince asked and learned that he had murdered intentionally;
so they executed him. After that they brought the thief; and the prince
said, ‘If anyone, sane and of age, steal ten minted dirhems of silver,
his hand must be cut off, as also if he steal one dīnār of gold, even as
saith the Apostle (peace on him!), “No cutting save for a dīnār or ten
dirhems.” When one thus commits theft his right hand must be cut off at
the wrist; if he commit theft again, his left hand must be cut off; if
he commit it a third time, his right foot must be cut off; and if he
commit it yet again, he must be put in prison till he repent.’ Then the
prince caused the man to receive the due of his crime. After that they
brought him who had committed adultery, his case also they exposed, and
they gave him the due of his sin conformably to the law.
“The nine days were completed, and the king assembled his vezirs and
said, ‘Lo, ye have seen the rule of my three sons, which of them is
worthy the throne?’ Quoth the first vezir, ‘O king, thy eldest son is
worthy,’ Quoth the second vezir, ‘Thy middle son is worthy,’ Quoth the
third vezir, ‘Thy youngest son is worthy,’ When the king heard these
words of the vezirs his doubts were not removed; and he said, ‘O vezirs,
the words of the three of ye are contrary each to other.’ And forthwith
he commanded the people of the country that on the morrow they should
all come out to the plain. The next day the whole of the folk were
assembled on the plain; then the king rose on his feet and said, ‘O
people, do not to-morrow on the resurrection day seize hold of my collar
and say, “Thou hast oppressed us,” and so wrest from me my meritorious
acts and render me confounded and ashamed. Now be ye kind and look not
at my kingship and know that before God most high there is none meaner
or more abject than myself.’ And he wept full bitterly. And the rich and
poor assembled there wept all of them together.
“Then turning again, the king said, ‘O friends, lo, my time is at hand;
do ye absolve me for the hereafter. I have three sons, whichever of them
ye wish, him will I seat upon the throne. If he be just, ye will enjoy
rest and bless me, and I shall be at rest in the place where I lie; but
if he be cruel, ye will not have rest neither shall I have rest.’ The
people said, ‘May the king’s life endure full many a year! may God most
high be well pleased with our king! We are well pleased with our king;
whatever we may have against our king, let him be absolved. We are
pleased with whichever son he see worthy the throne; but since the king
has given the choice into our hands, let him seat his youngest son upon
the throne. He is wise as well as learned and skilled in the affairs of
the world; if the king see fit, the wise is worthy the seat of honor, as
this has come down in the traditions, “A wise youth taketh precedence of
a foolish elder.” For the rest, the king knows.’
“Then the king went to the palace and ordered that they adorned the
throne, and the grandees of the state came, and all were present. Then
he took his youngest son by the hand and made to seat him on the throne,
when his brothers came forward and said, ‘O father, all the folk say
that he is accomplished and wise and that he knows well the law and the
government; now we have some questions to ask of him, which if he
answer, we also will contentedly resign to him the throne and stand in
his presence with folded hands;[11] but if not, the crown and throne
indeed become him not.’
“The king said to his youngest son, ‘What sayest thou?’ He replied,
‘Whatsoever their questions be, let them ask them.’ They said, ‘What is
meant by Sultan?’ He answered, ‘By Sultan is meant one who has
certificate and warrant, that we obey the command and ordinance of God
most high: the Sultan is the shadow of God on the earth.’ And they
asked, ‘To whom is it worthy to be king by birth?’ He answered, ‘First
the king’s lineage must be manifest, then his descent must be perfect,
then he must observe the habits of the just monarchs. They said, ‘Who is
just?’ He answered, ‘The just is he who transgresses not the law.’ They
said, ‘Who is unjust?’ He replied, ‘He who rather than obey the law,
brings in innovations of his own, so that it may be easy to amass wealth
with oppression.’ They said, ‘What manner of persons should kings
appoint vezirs?’
“He answered, ‘They should appoint those persons in whom are two
characteristics, the first of which is that they be endowed with
prudence and resource, and the second that they be wise and
accomplished; for learning in a man is a second understanding.’ They
said, ‘How many sorts of people are needful to kings?’ He answered,
‘Four kinds of people; the first, skilful vezirs; the second, valiant
warriors; the third, an accomplished scribe who is perfect in Arabic and
Persian and the science of writing; and the fourth, a clever physician
who is most able in the science of philosophy.’ They said, ‘How many
different things ought always to be in the thoughts of a king?’ He
answered, ‘Four different things; the first, to do justice to the
people; the second, to use aright the money that is in the treasury; the
third, to distribute offices properly; and the fourth, to be not
negligent concerning enemies.’ They said, ‘How many different traits
should the king adopt as his wont?’ He answered, ‘Four; the first is a
smiling face; the second, a sweet speech; the third, generosity; and the
fourth, mercy to the poor.’ They said, ‘How many kinds of courtiers are
needful to the king?’ He answered, ‘Four classes are requisite; first,
the wise; second, the learned; third, the valiant champions; and fourth,
musicians: from the wise he will learn the law, from the learned he will
acquire the sciences, from the valiant champions he will acquire
chivalry, and by the musicians will his heart be expanded.’
“They said, ‘Of which class should the king consider himself one?’ He
answered, ‘Let him consider himself of the great sheykhs who have
reached God, for it will cause him to be just.’ Then he turned to his
brothers and said, ‘O my brothers, ye have put these many questions to
me and I have answered the whole of them to the best of my power: I too
have a question.’ So they said to him, ‘Ask on.’ Quoth he, ‘What do the
kings of the world resemble, and what do their agents resemble, and what
do the people resemble, and what do the king’s enemies resemble, and
what do the sheykhs resemble?’ Then they both bent their heads and
pondered. After a time the prince again said, ‘This is no time for
pondering; lo, there the question; lo, there the throne.’ Quoth they,
‘We are unequal to this question.’ Then the king took his youngest son
by the hand and seated him on the throne and said, ‘O son, may God ever
aid thee and may thy foes be overthrown!’ Then all the nobles of the
state and the people came and said, ‘May the throne be blessed!’ And
they made him king over them.
“Then the king said, ‘O son, do thou answer the question thou puttest to
thy brethren, that we may hear.’ Quoth the prince, ‘O my father, this
world resembles a pasture, and these people resemble the sheep that
wander in that pasture, and the king resembles their shepherd, and the
owner of the sheep is God most high, and the nobles resemble that
shepherd’s dogs, and the enemy resembles the wolf, and the sheykhs and
the wise resemble the guardians appointed by God most high over the
shepherd, who forbid the shepherd by the order of God most high whenever
he would do evil to the sheep. O father, in very truth I am a feeble
shepherd, I see the sheep, and I perceive that even while we say, “Let
not them come and hurt the sheep,” we become ourselves partners with the
wolf. Should the Owner of the sheep ask us about his lambs, woe, woe to
us!’ And he wept full bitterly. The princes acknowledged the sovereignty
of their younger brother.
“Then the King took up a handful of dust and put it on his eye and said,
‘O eye, how long a time is it I have been king, and how great wealth
have I amassed and brought before thee by this much oppression and
justice, and thou wast never satisfied! And with how many beauties have
I made merry and enjoyed the best of what they had till thou hast lost
all pleasure in taking it! And how many delicacies have I eaten and how
many sherbets have I drunk, and thou art not content! Why then didst
thou not look to these affairs and see not? True is it what they say,
“Naught fills the eye save a handful of dust.” Woe, woe, to us!’ And he
wept. And all the nobles assembled there were moved to pity and they
wept together. Then the king arose and went to his oratory and gave
himself up to devotion.
“After some time the king laid his head upon the pillow of death and
felt that his life had touched its end, and he said, ‘Do now before my
eyes that which ye should do when I am dead, that I may see it.’ Then
they laid the king upon his throne in the palace. And they scattered
sifted dust below the castle and cut up strips of damask and strewed
them with dust. And all the slave girls put on black and dishevelled
their hair and scattered dust upon their heads and began to weep
together, crying, ‘Alas! woe! alas!’ so that hearts were rent. Then came
the vezirs, who likewise fell to weeping together and exclaiming, ‘Shall
a king so just as this be found?’ After that they ordered that they
brought a coffin with great reverence; then the three princes, when they
saw the coffin, wept blood in place of tears and cried, ‘This is the
horse our father rideth now!’ And they adorned it with jewels and
placed upon it a jewel-set crown and held over it the royal parasol.
“Then four great lords came and took hold of the frame of the coffin and
bare it away. And before the coffin went the sheykhs singing chants and
hymns. And the devotees held copies of the sacred volume before them;
and great nobles and nobles’ sons marched in front. Before them were a
hundred sweet-voiced dirge singers who wept and cried, ‘Ah! woe! alas!’
And from one side they scattered gold and silver and jewels on the
coffin; and there were some 10,000 horsemen with golden saddles and
broken stirrups and snapped bows. And behind these was an array of slave
girls, all clad in black, whose wails and cries rose to the heavens.
“When the king saw those things he sighed and ordered that they took him
down from the throne; and he turned and said, ‘While yet alive I have
seen my death.’ And he took a handful of earth and threw it on his head
and said, ‘Earth, though this long sovereignty has been mine, I have
done no righteous deed which will endure.’ And again, ‘O vezirs, I would
that ye endow for me.’ Thereupon the vezirs wrote what amounted to
10,000 aspres a day; and they founded free kitchens and colleges, and
they settled the revenues of certain towns and villages on the free
kitchens. When the business of the endowments was finished, they brought
the sections of the Koran, and to each section reader they gave five
sequins; and to each of the devotees and dervishes they gave 500
sequins.[12] Then they brought the food, and all the plates were of gold
or silver; and to all before whom they placed a dish they said, ‘Thine
be food and plate.’ When the banquet too was finished they freed all the
male and female slaves; and three days later the king departed for the
Abiding Home.
“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may, like that
sovereign, inquire, and act conformably to the words of the vezirs and
the people, and in compliance with the command of the law, that he be
not a prey in the world to remorse and in the hereafter to torment.” And
he kissed the ground and made intercession for the prince. When the
king heard of these wondrous events from the vezir, he perceived how
the world had no stability and he sighed and sent the youth to the
prison and went himself to the chase.
When it was evening he returned and came to the palace, and went in to
the lady who rose to greet him, and they sat down. After the repast the
lady began to speak about the youth and asked concerning him. Quoth the
king, “I have again sent him to the prison.” The lady said, “This matter
which has happened is no light matter, but thou art negligent and
wouldst act upon everyone’s word; and they have said that the negligent
person is not exempt from one of three conditions; either he is a fool,
or he is ignorant, or fortune has turned its face from him. O king, the
negligent does no perfect deed; be not negligent, for to be negligent in
this affair is madness. O king, this thy story resembles that of another
king, upon whom five times fell the enemy by reason of his negligence;
but mayhap my king has not heard that story.” The king said, “Tell on,
let us hear.” Quoth the lady:
STRATAGEM GREATER THAN STRENGTH
“There was of old time a king, and he had an enemy greater than himself.
One day that hostile king assembled a mighty host and came against that
weak king. The latter, having no other resource, assembled all his army
and went forth to meet him. Although he much besought that strong king
and said, ‘War is not a good thing, come, consent not to this calamity,
make not thyself guilty of the blood of so many Moslems;’ and mentioned
how the holy Apostle hath said, ‘If two Moslems fight against each other
with swords or other implements of war, and one kill the other, both the
killer and the killed shall enter hell;’ and made many and many an
excuse, it was in vain.
“When the king saw that all his entreaty was of no avail with the enemy,
he perceived that it was necessary to find some plan to avert this evil.
Now the king had three skilful vezirs, these he summoned to give
counsel. He said, ‘O my vezirs, what is your advice in this matter?’ The
chief vezir came forward and said, ‘My king, in the present
circumstances the military might of our enemy is great; most assuredly
are we unable to oppose him. Now the best way were this, that we put
off the battle and return to our country; he will certainly come after
us, but we will enter into a strong castle and rest there till that time
when fortune will surely turn toward us likewise; thus are the affairs
of the world, now gladness, now woe.’ He likewise asked the second
vezir, ‘What is thy advice, let us see?’ So he said, ‘O my king, all
that the first vezir has said is wise; but it is never allowable to show
weakness before the enemy, for inasmuch as thou displayest weakness will
he become strong; so if now thou shun battle and flee, thou wilt be
giving him opportunity. Wise is he who, although the enemy appear
overwhelming, fears not death and gives the foe no answer but the
sword.’
“Then, said the king to the third vezir, ‘What is thine advice in this
matter?’ The vezir answered, ‘O king, manliness is of ten parts, nine of
which are stratagem and one of which is strength; and by stratagem is
the affair of enemies ever finished, for they have said that the affair
which one stratagem finishes 100,000 soldiers cannot finish. If the king
will be guided by this humble one, to-night of a sudden we will attack
the enemy and fall upon his camp, and, if it please God most high, we
will cut off the heads of many of them.’ The king approved this
stratagem of the vezir, so when it was midnight and the enemy was
negligent they fell upon his camp from every side, and slaughtered the
foes till morning, and their king fled to his own country.
“So was this weak king victorious, and he returned to his own land. But
that fugitive king went to his country and assembled an army, and again
marched against this king. Then the weak king, having no other resource,
went forth to meet him, and they pitched opposite each other.
“The weak king said to his vezirs, ‘What is your advice this time, let
us see?’ Then quoth the third vezir, ‘O king, we shall again finish our
affair by stratagem.’ Said the king, ‘What stratagem shall we use? they
will be very watchful this night.’ The vezir replied, ‘Stratagem is not
one; let them keep watch till morning, we shall this time employ another
stratagem.’ Quoth the king, ‘Speak on, let us see.’ The vezir said, ‘We
will hide in ambush 2,000 strong impetuous youths; and as soon as it is
morning we will go out against the enemy and fight a little, then we
will appear to flee, and they shall follow after, thinking to fall upon
us; and when the foremost of the host reaches us we will turn and fight
with them and cut them down. Thereupon our soldiers who are in ambush
will rush into the field and take the hostile army in the centre; and,
if it please God most high, we will strike hard with our swords and
seize their leaders, and take their flags, and tear in pieces their
ensigns; and in this way will we overcome the foe.’ The king liked this
plan of the vezir, and by this stratagem they sabred the foe and were
again victorious. And the king returned smiling to his country.
“The other strong king in the greatness of his wrath cried out, ‘What
means this that thus weak a king routs my army and puts me to flight on
this wise! God most high gives victory to whom he will!’ Then he
assembled an army of which he, himself, knew not the number, and went
against that poor weak king. They gave the king word, and he, having no
other resource, went forth again, and they pitched opposite each other.
Again the weak king questioned his vezirs. Then the third vezir said, ‘O
my king, our affair is finished by stratagem.’ Quoth the king, ‘What
stratagem shall we employ?’ The vezir said, ‘O king, let us send an
adroit headsman, who will go and by some stratagem kill him; and when
the head goes the foot is not steady.’
“The king approved the vezir’s words, and sent a headsman with a dagger,
who went and somehow made shift to smite that strong king that he
well-nigh slew him, and then took flight. But while he was fleeing they
caught him and hewed him in pieces. When they saw their king that he had
reached the bounds of death, they said, ‘There is no fighting in such
plight;’ and they fled, bearing their king. They came to their country
and appointed a physician, and after some days the wound got better. And
that king again assembled a host and came against the poor weak king.
The latter, having no other resource, went forth to meet him and again
sought counsel of his vezirs. The third vezir said, ‘O my king, our
affair is finished by stratagem.’ The king asked, ‘What stratagem wilt
thou employ this time?’ The vezir said, ‘This time let us send an
ambassador and offer some money and some slave girls and say, “We submit
to thee.” And we will give poison to one of the slave girls we send,
and tell her to give it to the king to eat when she finds an
opportunity; and in this way will we gain the victory over him.’
“The king deemed the vezir’s words good, and by that stratagem they
poisoned that king. And this king mounted and attacked his army, and, as
when the head goes the foot is not steady, it was beaten. They took
their king, and, after a thousand stratagems, conveyed him to a castle
and tended him, and at length he recovered. Again he assembled an army,
and again they went against that weak king. So the latter, having no
other resource, again went forth to meet him. He summoned his vezirs and
asked advice. Again the third vezir said, ‘O king, our affair is
finished by stratagem.’ Quoth the king, ‘Give advice.’ The vezir said.
‘O king, this time he comes with great caution, and has posted men on
the roads and at the stations who seize on everyone who passes. If the
king deem good, we will write a letter and address it to his vezirs and
great nobles, and it shall be on this wise:
“’“After greeting: Be it not concealed that your letter has come and all
that you say is understood. Long life and health to you! We indeed hoped
it from you. Now let me see you. Display manliness and valor. Seize him
on the road and bring him to me, and that country shall be yours; such
and such a place to so and so, and such and such a district to so and
so.” Then we will seal it, and split a staff and put it therein, and
give it to a man and send him to them. They will find the staff and take
it to the king, who will undoubtedly read it, and look upon those vezirs
and nobles as traitors, and murmurings will arise among them and they
will split into parties. And by this stratagem we will again find
relief.’
“The king did so. And in that way they brought the letter to that king,
and as soon as he had read it, fear for his life fell upon him. Then he
turned back and went to his country and seized those vezirs and nobles
and slew them. At length all the nobles turned from him and wrote a
letter and sent it to this king, and it was thus: ‘For the love of God
come against this tyrant, and we will aid thee.’ When the king had read
the letter he assembled an army and went to that country, and on the
battle day all the nobles came and submitted to him, and they seized the
other king and surrendered him. So he took that country through
stratagem; and because that strong king was negligent he lost his
country and his head, for they slew him.
“Now, O king, I have told this story for that my king may know and not
be negligent, and lose not life and kingdom through the stratagem of
that unworthy youth.” When the king heard this story from the lady he
was wroth, and said, “To-morrow will I slay him.”
When it was morning and the sun showed his face from behind the castle
of Qāf,[13] and illumined the world with light, the king came and sat
upon his throne, and commanded the executioner that he bring the youth
and he gave the word, “Smite off his head.” Then the fourth vezir came
forward and said, “O my king, it is not seemly in kings to hasten in all
things with precipitancy; above all the spilling of blood unjustly is
deemed by the wise most blameworthy and hateful. They have declared that
the trials of a king are four: one is haste; another, trusting to wrong;
another, considering not the end of matters; and another, negligence.
Haste is that which disappoints those who seek good and profit for
themselves; wrong is that which brings about wars and uses armies
unjustly and does evil things; considering not the end of matters is
that which employs hurry instead of deliberation; and negligence is that
which inclines to music, and lust, and taking counsel of women. And they
have said, ‘Let one take counsel of a woman and do the opposite of what
she says;’ even as spake the holy Apostle (peace on him!) ‘Consult them
and do clear contrary.’[14]
“In compliance with this tradition the king must not obey the woman’s
word; and through the words of women have many men suffered remorse and
fallen under the wrath of God. And the story of Balaam, the son of
Beor,[15] is a strange story; if the king grant leave, I will relate
it.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:
THE WILES OF WOMAN
“One day Moses (peace on him!) went against a tribe, and they were of
the people of ‘Ad, and they called their chief Og, the son of Anak.[16]
One day Moses (peace on him!) by command of God summoned these to the
faith, and resolved to fight and war with them if they were not
obedient. So Moses (peace on him!) assembled four hundred and four-score
thousand men and proceeded against the ‘Adīs. When they were come near
the ‘Adīs, he sent twelve men as ambassadors to that tribe. Now Og had
gone out to look about, and he saw the twelve men coming, so he put the
whole of them into his sack and slung it over his shoulder and turned
back and went away. He brought them to his tribe the ‘Adīs and said,
‘See the host of the Messenger Moses which is come seeking to make war
with us;’ and he held the mouth of the sack downward and the twelve men
rolled out.
“And that tribe saw them that they were small of stature, for their own
stature was twice that of these. And they all made mock of them and
laughed at them; but they killed them not, but sent them back. They
returned and told these things to Saint Moses, and fear fell upon all
the host. Then Saint Moses (peace on him!) took his rod in his hand and
went against that tribe of ‘Ad. Og the son of Anak saw that Moses (peace
on him!) was himself coming, and straightway he went and pulled up a
rock like a mountain and put it on his head, and went that he might cast
it upon the host of Moses (peace on him!). But God most high commanded
an angel that he went in the likeness of a bird and smote that rock with
his beak and clave it, and thereupon it passed like a circle of cursers
down before the face of Og. And straightway Saint Moses came up, and his
stature grew to forty cubits, and his rod to forty cubits, and he leaped
up forty cubits, and smote Og on the heel with his rod; and God most
high slew Og.
“Then Saint Moses (peace on him!) returned to his people and gave them
tidings of Og being slain; and they were all glad. Then Saint Moses
passed thence and made for the country of Sheykh Balaam, the son of
Beor. When he was come nigh, they brought word to the sheykh that Saint
Moses was coming against him with many warriors. Whereupon the sheykh’s
disciples said, ‘O sheykh, if that host come into our land, it will lay
waste all our land; thou must find some help for this.’ Then were they
silent. The sheykh said, ‘What should we do?’ They answered, ‘Curse
him.’ The sheykh said, ‘He is a Messenger; I cannot curse him.’ And
howsoever much they urged the sheykh, it was in vain. Now the sheykh had
a cunning brawling wife; her they besought, saying, ‘Speak to the
sheykh, and we will give thee much money,’ The woman answered, ‘I will
manage it.’ When the sheykh came to his house he desired to take counsel
of his wife; she said, ‘Curse him.’ The sheykh replied, ‘He is a
Messenger; how can I curse him?’
“The woman persisted so that the sheykh was constrained to lift up his
hands and curse him. His curse was heard; and Saint Moses, who was
fourteen leagues distant, remained for forty years in the wilderness;
even as God most high saith in his Word, ‘For forty years shall they
wander about in the earth,’[17] Then Saint Moses knew that there was
some reason for this, and he prayed and humbled himself before God most
high, and said, ‘My God, send him who is the cause of our thus
wandering, from the world to the hereafter without the faith.’ His
prayer was accepted at the court of God, and that sheykh went from the
world to the hereafter without the faith by reason of a woman; even as
God most high hath said, ‘And his likeness was as the likeness of a
dog.’[18]
“Now, O King, I have told this story for that these many men have been
cast forth from the court of God for following the words of women. Then
is it incumbent on the king that he judge accordingly, so that he become
not a prey to remorse; for too late repentance profits not. Beware and
beware, slay not the prince on the woman’s word.” And he kissed the
ground and made intercession for the prince for that day. When the king
heard this story from the vezir, he sent the prince to the prison and
went himself to the chase.
When it was evening the king came to the palace, and the lady rose to
greet him, and they sat down. After the repast the lady again began to
speak about the youth, and the king said, “This day too my vezirs would
not let me be, so I have sent him to the prison.” Quoth the lady, “I
know all the plot of those vezirs, day by day each of them plans some
trick or wile; they purpose to discredit me with thee, so they say that
women are lacking in understanding, and that by reason thereof they are
plotters and liars. These words of theirs are false, do not assail the
truth; for these see me, that my trust in my king is strong. Yet I am
aware of their case and their hurtful deeds; and for that I would defend
my king from their craft and malice, are they enemies to me. An thou
desire, my king, I shall say no more; and they may do whatsoever they
will. But all these are of single tongue and single aim, and I fear they
will bring some calamity upon thee and some evil upon me; and afterward
thou shalt repent, but it will avail not.
“My king, thou hast assembled some men of low birth and made them vezirs
and confided all thy affairs to them, and thou thinkest them honest;
Heaven forefend they should be honest when some of them are the sons of
cooks, and some of bakers, and some of butchers; it is even as when
Khizr[19] (peace on him!) showed another king the origin of his vezirs,
but mayhap my king has not heard that story.” The king said, “Tell on,
let us hear.” Quoth the lady:
THE SEARCH FOR KHIZR
“There was in the palace of the world a king who was very desirous of
seeing Khizr (peace on him!); and he would ever say, ‘If there be anyone
who will show me Khizr, I will give him whatsoever he may wish.’ Now
there was at that time a man poor of estate; and from the greatness of
his poverty he said in himself, ‘Let me go and bespeak the king that if
he provide for me during three years I will show him Khizr; by three
years either I shall be dead or the king will be dead, or he will
forgive me my fault, or I shall on somewise win to escape: and in this
way shall I make merry for a time.’ So he went to the king and spake
those words to him. The king said, ‘An thou show him not then, I will
kill thee;’ and that poor man consented.
“Then the king let give him much wealth and money, and the poor man took
that wealth and money and went to his house. Three years he spent in
merriment and delight, and he rested at ease till the term was
accomplished. At the end of the time he fled and hid himself in a
trackless place, and he began to quake for fear. Of a sudden he saw a
personage with white raiment and shining face who saluted him. The poor
man returned the salutation, and the radiant being asked, ‘Why art thou
thus sad?’ but he gave no answer. Again the radiant being asked him and
sware to him, saying, ‘Do indeed tell to me thy plight that I may find
thee some remedy.’ So that hapless one narrated his story from its
beginning to its end; and the radiant being said, ‘Come, I will go with
thee to the king and I will answer for thee;’ so they arose.
“Now the king wanted that hapless one; and, while they were going, some
of the king’s officers who were seeking met them, and they straightway
seized the poor man and brought him to the king. Quoth the king, ‘Lo,
the three years are accomplished; come now show me Khizr.’ That poor man
said, ‘My king, grace and bounty are the work of kings; forgive my sin.’
Quoth the king, ‘I made a pact; till I have killed thee I shall not have
fulfilled it!’ And he looked to his chief vezir and said, ‘How should
this be done?’ Quoth the vezir, ‘This man should be hewn in many pieces,
and these hung up on butcher’s hooks, that others may see and lie not
before the king.’ Said that radiant being, ‘True spake the vezir; all
things return to their origin.’ Then the king looked to the second vezir
and said, ‘What sayest thou?’ He replied, ‘This man should be boiled in
a caldron.’ Said that radiant being, ‘True spake the vezir; all things
return to their origin.’ The king looked to the third vezir and said,
‘What sayest thou?’ The vezir replied, ‘This man should be hewn in small
pieces and baked in an oven.’ Again said that elder, ‘True spake the
vezir; all things return to their origin.’
“Then quoth the king to the fourth vezir, ‘Let us see, what sayest
thou?’ The vezir replied, ‘O king, the wealth thou gavest this poor
creature was for the love of Khizr (peace on him!). He, thinking to find
him, accepted it; now that he has not found him he seeks pardon; this
were befitting, that thou set free this poor creature for the love of
Khizr.’ Said that elder, ‘True spake the vezir; all things return to
their origin.’ Then the king said to the elder, ‘O elder, all my vezirs
have said different things, contrary the one to the other, and thou hast
said concerning each of them, “True spake the vezir; all things return
to their origin.’ What is the reason thereof?’ That elder replied, ‘O
king, thy first vezir is a butcher’s son, therefore did he draw to his
origin; thy second vezir is a cook’s son, he likewise proposed a
punishment as became his origin; thy third vezir is a baker’s son, he
likewise proposed a punishment as became his origin; but thy fourth
vezir is of gentle birth, compassion therefore becomes his origin; so he
had compassion on that hapless one and sought to do good and counselled
liberation. O king, all things draw to their origin.’[20]
“And he gave the king much counsel and at last said, ‘Lo, I am Khizr!’
and vanished. Then the king went forth from his palace, but could see no
sign or trace of that radiant elder; and he said, ‘I much longed to see
Khizr (peace on him!); praise be to God, I have attained thereto, and he
has told me the origin of my vezirs.’ And he commanded that they gave
that poor man much wealth.
“Now, O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst know that thy
vezirs are of low origin, and that fidelity will not proceed from them.
In this matter too their words tally with their origin; lose not the
opportunity, for to spare an enemy is great folly.” The king heard this
story from the lady, and said, “To-morrow will I roll up the scroll of
his life.”
When it was morning and the world, like to him who had won to Khizr, was
illumined with light, the king sat upon his throne and commanded the
executioner that he bring the youth, and he gave the word, “Smite off
his head.” Thereupon the fifth vezir came forward and said, “O king of
the world, slay not the prince thus hastily, and cast not to the winds
the counsels of these many vezirs; for as they take pearls from the sea
and string them, so do these string their words; they are speakers such
that Mercury in the sky could not match their suggestions. O king, the
reason of that which thy vezirs have said to thee is this, that the
Apostle (peace on him!) hath said that whoso seeth his king do an act
contrary to the law, and hindereth him not therefrom, hath departed from
the Canon. Now, O king, deem not the words of thy vezirs mistaken; it is
even as they have said, ‘Let him who would see Khizr in the flesh, look
upon a wise, accomplished and learned vezir.’ And again, ‘If one seek to
do a righteous deed, let him arrange the affair of some poor creature
with a king.’ Mayhap the king has not heard the story of Khizr and a
vezir.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:
THE VEZIR AND KHIZR
“There was, of old time, a king who had an experienced vezir; and Khizr
(peace on him!) would ever come to that vezir. One day the vezir looked
upon the affairs of the world, how they abode not with anyone; and he
withdrew from the vezirship, and chose the corner of retirement, and
gave himself up to worship. A long time passed, and Khizr (peace on
him!) never once came to him. The vezir marvelled and said, ‘Why does
not Khizr (peace on him!) come to me? Now ought he to come every day.’
Then he said, ‘There must indeed be some reason for this.’ Thereupon he
saw that Khizr had appeared, and he said, ‘O Khizr, while I was vezir
thou didst ever come to me, is it for that I have withdrawn from the
world that thou comest not now?’ Khizr (peace on him!) replied, ‘O
vezir, outwardly thou didst perform the duties of vezir, inwardly I did;
therefore was there a bond between us; now thou hast withdrawn
therefrom, and that bond is gone from between us, so I come not to
thee.’ When the vezir heard these words from Khizr, he went and asked
back the vezirship, and he received it, and Khizr (peace on him!) came
to him as before and ceased not.
“O king, I have told this story for that the king may hearken to the
vezir’s words and follow them, and pass his life in happiness. Beware, O
king, be not overhasty in this affair, that afterward thou suffer not
remorse.” When the king heard this story from the vezir, he sent the
prince to the prison and went himself to the chase, and that day he
took much game.
In the evening he came to the palace, and the lady rose to greet him,
and they sat down. After the repast the lady asked about the youth; the
king said, “This day again such an one of my vezirs made intercession
for him, and I sent him to the prison.” Quoth the lady, “O my king, how
good were it, could he be reformed by such conduct; but this youth is
incapable of reform; for he resembles that snake which first stings his
mother as she bears him and kills her, and then stings his father and
kills him. God most high will take vengeance on him; and his eyes will
be blinded as though he had looked upon an emerald.[21] If a drop of an
April shower fall upon a snake it becomes poison, but if it fall into an
oyster it becomes a pearl;[22] and if the Koran, great of glory, fall
upon a believer’s heart, it is faith and knowledge. And it is notorious
that whoever nurses a snake falls at last a prey to its poison. A
certain man formed a friendship with a snake and used every day to bring
it a portion of food. He went to the snake’s hole and laid it there, and
the snake would put its head out of its hole and eat that food, and when
it was satisfied it would frolic about, and that man would play with it.
One day he came and saw that the snake was out of its place and quite
stiff from cold; ‘O poor thing,’ he said, and took and put it in his
bosom. When the snake got warm it at once raised its head and stung that
unhappy man, and killed him, and fled and entered its hole. And thus
have they said, that if one foster a swine, that brute will not leave
off till in the end it hurt him. It is even as the story of that
sherbet-seller and the Moor.” Said the king, “Tell on, let us hear.”
Quoth the lady:
THE SHERBET-SELLER AND THE MOOR
“There was of old time in a great city a sherbet-seller, and he had a
son, a loveling of the age, who was so fair that he seemed a second
Joseph;[23] and he used to sell sherbet in the shop. The folk would come
to gaze upon this youth’s beauty, and they would give a sequin for each
cup of sherbet, and drain it; and whenever they drank a cup they would
say it was the water of life. Now one day a swarthy Moor came to that
country; and as soon as he saw the youth, the hapless Moor’s power of
speech left him, and he could not stir one step from where he stood, but
leaned against the opposite wall bewildered. After a time he recovered
his understanding, and, rising and falling like one drunk, he came up as
best he could to the youth, and gave a sequin and drank a cup of
sherbet, and went away. For a time he came every day and drank cups of
sherbet at a sequin each, and looked on the beauty of the youth.
“One day the youth told this thing to his father, and his father
perceived that the Moor was ravished with the boy, and said, ‘O my son,
bring that Moor to the house to-morrow, and let us see what manner of
man he is.’ The next day when the Moor came to the youth, he invited him
to his house, and took him and went to his father. After they had eaten,
the father of the boy asked of the Moor’s case and dwelling. The Moor
saw what his intention was, and answered, ‘I have no dwelling, I am a
stranger.’ The boy’s father said, ‘Thou art a stranger; we will give
thee a dwelling, stay with us.’ The Moor was glad and counted it a boon
to his soul; even as they have said, ‘The loved one’s ward is paradise.’
So they showed the Moor a dwelling. He abode for some days, and
gradually his love for the boy increased; and one day he showed him a
precious stone, and said, ‘An thou let me take one kiss of thee, I will
give thee this stone.’ With a thousand graces the boy consented, and the
Moor gave him the stone and kissed him, and said, ‘My life, my master, I
love thee from heart and soul, flee me not; I know a talisman which will
open before thee; if thou wilt come with me I will open it, and give
thee so much gold that thou shalt never again know poverty.’
“The youth told this thing to his father, and his father gave him leave;
so the Moor took him, and they went without the city; and he brought him
to a ruin. Now there was a well there, full to the mouth with water; and
the Moor wrote on a piece of paper and laid it on the well, and
thereupon all the water vanished from the well. The Moor and the boy
descended to the bottom of the well, and saw a locked door. The Moor
wrote a charm and fastened it on the lock, and it opened forthwith. They
went in and saw a negro holding in one hand a great stone to throw upon
anyone who entered. The Moor repeated a charm and blew upon the negro,
and the negro laid the stone that was in his hand upon the ground, and
let them pass. They went on and saw a dome of crystal, and at the door
of the domed building were two dragons, who stood facing one the other
with open mouths like caverns. When they came near, these flew at them,
but the Moor repeated a charm and blew on them, and they vanished.
“Then the door of the domed building opened and they went in, and they
saw that in one corner thereof was gold, in another corner silver, in
another corner all manner of jewels, and in another corner was raised a
throne upon black earth, and on that throne was a coffin, and in that
coffin lay a renowned man dead. Upon his breast was a gold tablet, and
on that tablet was written: ‘I was a king, and I ruled the whole earth,
and whithersoever I went in this world I conquered. I had many many
champions and great wealth and treasure. Some little of the wealth I
owned I gathered here. Me too death spared not; but made me even as
though I had not come into the world. Now, O thou who seest me in this
plight, take warning by me, and remember my soul in prayer, and be not
presumptuous through the wealth of this world for a few days’ life.’ And
that was all. Then the Moor and the youth took as much as they desired
of the gold and silver and precious stones and black earth, which was
the philosopher’s stone, and went out. The Moor repeated a charm and
blew upon the well, and it was again all full of water; and he went back
with the boy to their house, and they gave themselves up to mirth and
merriment. Day and night they ceased not therefrom an instant.
“One day the boy asked the Moor to teach him the charms he had repeated
in the talisman. The Moor consented, and instructed him for many days
and taught him. One day, of a sudden, the boy said to his father, ‘O
father, I have learned the whole of the charms for the talisman, so we
have no longer any need of the Moor; let us poison him.’ But his father
consented not, and said, ‘Let us turn him away; let him go
elsewhither.’ Quoth the youth, ‘The turning away of him would not do;
he is a great master, he might do us an injury, so let us poison him ere
he play us some trick; and I will take as much gold and silver as is
needful from that buried treasure.’ The Moor heard him and knew that
fairness purposed foulness, and he straightway disappeared from there.
“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that no
good has ever happened to anyone from youths. Yea, O king, be not
negligent, kill the youth, else the affair will end in evil.” When the
king heard this story from the lady he was wroth and said, “On the
morrow will I slay him.”
When it was morning the king sat upon his throne and caused the youth to
be brought, and commanded the executioner, “Smite off his head.” The
sixth vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world, beware, act not
on anyone’s word till the crime be proved against the prince; for the
resurrection is at hand, and lying and cunning and craft abound. The
wise man is he who turns off sin and evil that he may not afterward
begin to bite upon the finger with regret and remorse and be repentant,
and who takes the woful by the hand and gives happiness to the unhappy,
and who repulses not him who comes to his door, but sees his needs and
provides for him, and who never lets himself be deceived by a woman’s
word; for these laugh in one’s face. Mayhap my king has not heard the
story of the tailor youth and the woman.” The king said, “Tell on, let
us hear.” Quoth the vezir:
THE TAILOR AND THE WOMAN
“Thus relate they: In the time of Saint Jesus (peace on him!) there was
a tailor youth who had a fair wife, and they greatly loved one another.
One day they made a pact that if the woman died first, her husband
should take no other wife, but throw his arms round her tombstone, and
weep till morning; and if the youth died first, the woman should do
likewise. By the decree of God the woman died. After the tailor had wept
and lamented he buried her, and fulfilled his pact, and threw his arms
round his wife’s tombstone and wept. And he constantly kept watch over
the grave. One day Jesus (peace on him!) when passing by that place, saw
a youth weeping and embracing a tombstone, and he went up to him and
asked why he wept. The youth related all.
“Then Jesus (peace on him!) prayed, and the woman became alive, and came
forth from the grave in her shroud. And Jesus (peace on him!) proceeded
on his way. The youth said, ‘One cannot go thus in a shroud; wait thou
here a moment till I go and fetch clothes from the house; then thou
shalt put on these clothes, and we will go together.’ And he went
quickly to the house, leaving the woman there. Suddenly the son of the
king of that country passed that spot, and saw a fair woman sitting
wrapped in a shroud. As soon as the prince saw that woman he fell in
love with her from heart and soul, and he said to her, ‘Who art thou?’
She answered, ‘I am a stranger; a robber has stripped me.’ Thereupon the
prince ordered his servants to take the woman to the palace, and clothe
her in clean garments.
“When the youth returned with the clothes he found not the woman there,
and he cried and asked of the passers-by. No one had seen her. The poor
man, asking and asking, met the prince’s servants. These asked the
tailor why he wept. He replied, ‘For a time my wife was dead; but now,
praise be to God, she is become alive through the prayer of the
messenger Jesus; I went to fetch her clothes, but she has disappeared:
therefore do I weep.’ They answered, ‘The prince sent that lady to the
palace this day.’ Thereupon the tailor went before the prince and
complained, saying, ‘The woman thou hast taken is my wife.’ The prince
asked the lady, she denied and said, ‘This is the robber who stripped me
of my clothes and made off; praise be to God, if thou kill him now, thou
shalt gain great reward.’ The prince commanded that they bound both the
tailor’s hands behind his back. Although the poor tailor cried aloud, it
was no avail; they put a rope round his neck and led him to the gallows.
“Then they perceived Saint Jesus on the road, and they waited. When he
came near he asked of their case, and they told him. Then he bade them
stop and went himself to the prince; they called the woman, and he said,
‘This woman is the wife of yonder youth; I prayed and she became alive.’
When the woman saw the messenger she was unable to deny, but spake the
truth. Jesus (peace on him!) prayed again, and that woman died; and the
youth was rescued from the abyss whereinto he had fallen, and he
repented of his having wept so long a time.
“Now, O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst know that the
inclinations of women are ever to works of evil, craft, and wickedness.”
And he kissed the ground and made intercession for the prince’s life.
When the king heard this story from the vezir he sent the prince to the
prison, and went himself to the chase.
In the evening he returned from the chase and came to the palace, and
the lady rose to greet him, and they sat down. After the repast the lady
fell to speaking about the youth. The king said, “To-day such an one of
my vezirs made intercession for him, so I have again sent him to the
prison.” Quoth the lady, “O king, thou dost not believe my words; but at
length, in the near future, some hurt will befall thee from the youth;
for this night I saw a vision, which it is, as it were, a duty on me to
tell my king, and incumbent on thee to hear.” Said the king, “Tell on,
let us hear.” The lady said, “This night thou wast holding in thy hand a
golden ball, and that ball was adorned and set round with rubies and
jewels, and its brilliancy lit up the world; and thou wast playing,
throwing up the ball and catching it in thy hand. And this youth was
sitting by thy side watching, and ever and anon he asked for the ball,
but thou gavest him it not.
“Of a sudden, while thou wast heedless, he snatched the ball, and for
that thou hadst not given it him when he had asked was he angry, and he
struck the ball upon a stone, so that it was shattered in pieces. And I
was grieved, and I went and picked up the fragments of the ball, and
gave them into thy hand, and thou didst look upon those fragments and
didst marvel, and with that I awoke.” Quoth the king, “What may the
interpretation of this vision be?” The lady said, “I interpreted this
dream: that ball is thy kingdom; and this youth’s snatching it from thy
hand is this, that this youth came to me and said, ‘I wish to kill my
father and sit upon the throne, and I desire to make thee my wife; and
all the men of the kingdom have turned to me, and now the kingdom is
wholly mine, do thou likewise submit to me?’ Had I submitted to him, ere
now he had killed thee and accomplished his affair. Ah! the fortune and
auspiciousness of my king averted it. And his striking the ball upon the
stone is this, that if he had become king after thee, he would have
utterly ruined the kingdom. And my going and picking up the fragments
and giving them to the king is this, that for that I obeyed not the
youth, but came and told the king, he seized him, and the kingdom
remained in his hand. But had not I done so, know of a surety that ere
now the kingdom would have passed from thy hand; yea, thy life, too,
would have gone. That is the interpretation of the dream. O king, the
story of this degenerate youth resembles that of a certain king’s son;
mayhap my king has not heard it.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.”
Quoth the lady:
STORY OF THE ADOPTED SON
“In the palace of the world there was a king in whose country was a
robber, such that none could escape from his hands. And in that king’s
country was a great khoja. That khoja and his wife were travelling with
some money, when of a sudden, while they were on the road they met that
robber. He forthwith stripped them and made them naked and took them
captives. He put their clothes in the cave which he had chosen for his
dwelling, and bound both the khoja’s hands behind his back and laid him
in a corner; and then he gave himself up to mirth and merriment with the
woman. After seven or eight months the robber released the khoja and his
wife. So these went forth from the cave, and saying, ‘There is nor
strength nor power save in God, the high, the mighty,’ they set their
faces in a certain direction, and fared on till one day they entered a
city. And they took a dwelling in that city and settled there.
“When the woman’s time was come she gave birth to a boy; but as they
knew that the boy was the robber’s, they would not accept him, and they
laid him at the door of the mosque. The king of that country happened to
pass by and asked concerning him, and the people who were present
answered that his parents had no means of bringing him up and so had
left him there. Now the king had no son, and he took pity on this child
and adopted him and made him his son, and said, ‘If God give him life
and he die not, he shall sit on the throne after me and be king.’ So
they took the boy and brought him to the palace, and appointed him a
nurse, and made him clothes of all manner of stuffs. Day by day he grew,
and when he had reached his seventh year he was a moon-faced boy, such
that he who looked upon his countenance desired to look thereon again.
“And the king appointed a teacher and a governor for the boy, and he
learned science and good conduct. When he had reached his twelfth year
he had acquired sciences and accomplishments. After that, they
instructed him in horsemanship; that too he acquired in a few days. And
every day he would go into the square and take a ball and play; and all
the world marvelled at his beauty and dexterity, and the king felt
delight as often as he looked upon him. Now the king had also a daughter
peerless in beauty. In the course of a few years this girl grew up and
reached the age of puberty, and the boy fell in love with her. He would
brood over this, saying, ‘Alas! would she were not my sister, that I
might marry her.’ Now the boy was a valiant youth, such that the king’s
emirs and vezirs applauded his valor; and he overcame the king’s enemies
who were round about, and made them subject to his father; and no one
could stand before his sword. The king had betrothed his daughter to
another king’s son, and when the time was come they wished to take the
girl from the king.
“And the king commanded that they should make ready; and thereupon the
youth, to make clear what was in his heart, asked a legist this
question, ‘If a person have a garden and the fruit of that garden ripen,
should that person eat it or another?’ The legist replied, ‘It were
better that person should eat it than another.’ Now the prince had a
learned companion, and that companion knew the prince’s desire; for
science is of three kinds: one the science of the faith, another the
science of physiognomy, and another the science of the body; but unless
there be the science of physiognomy, other science avails not.
Straightway that companion said, ‘O prince, if there be in that garden
you ask of, a fruit forbidden by God most high, it were better that the
owner eat it not; but if God most high have not forbidden it, then is it
lawful for that person to eat it.’ Quoth the prince, ‘Thou knowest not
as much as a legist; yon man is a legist; I look to his decision.’ And
he arose and went to his sister’s palace, and that hour he took his
sister and went forth the city, and made for another city.
“Then the slave girls with great crying informed the king, and thereupon
the king’s senses forsook him, and he commanded, ‘Let the soldiers
forthwith mount their horses and pursue the youth and seize him.’
Straightway the soldiers mounted and went after the youth; and the king
said, ‘From the low born fidelity comes not;’ and he repented him of his
having taken him to son. The king and the soldiers appeared behind the
youth, and the latter sprang into a hiding-place. And while the king and
the soldiers were passing he slew the king from that hiding-place; and
when the soldiers saw that the king was slain they each one fled in a
different direction, and were scattered in confusion. And the youth took
the girl and went to a city and took a house therein, and made her his
wife; and he adopted the whole of what had been his father’s business,
and turned robber.
“Now, O king, I have told this story, for that thou mayst know that the
desire of this degenerate youth is to kill his father as that low-born
one slew his; the rest the king knows.” When the king heard this strange
thing from the lady, he said, “On the morrow will I slay him.”
When it was morning the king went and sat upon his throne, and he caused
the youth to be brought and commanded the executioner, “Smite off his
head.” Whereupon the seventh vezir came forward and said, “O king of the
world, first look to the end of every business thou undertakest and then
act accordingly; for on the day of battle it is needful, first to think
of the way of retreat and then to set to, so that when it is ‘or fate or
state,’ one may save his life. They have said, ‘On the day of strife be
not far from the nobles: in the chase and the palace go not near them;’
and ‘He is profitable in the councils of a king, who in the day of
security looks to the matters of war and the provision of weapons, and
stints not money to the troops that these on the day of battle may be
lavish with their lives in the king’s cause.’ It is incumbent on the
king that he kill those who flee when they see the enemy (and after that
the foes); for they resemble those who give up a stronghold to the
adversary. And they have said that a good scribe and a man who knows the
science of the sword are very needful for a king; for with the pen is
wealth collected, and with the sword are countries taken. Mayhap the
king has not heard the story of a certain king and a vezir.” The king
said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:
THE KING AND THE VEZIR
“There was in the palace of the world a king and he had two vezirs, one
of whom was wise and learned and one of whom was foolish and ignorant.
On the king’s taking counsel of them concerning the management of the
affairs of the state, the ignorant vezir said, ‘O king, expend not
money, give not money to the soldiers and warriors, or if thou give,
give little; and let him who will stay, stay; and let him who will not
stay, go. When thou hast money on the battle day, many will be soldiers
to thee: where the honey is, there surely come the flies.’ His words
seemed good to the king, who one day said to the learned vezir, ‘Get me
a few men who will be content with little pay.’ On the vezir’s replying,
‘Men without pay are not to be had,’ the king said, ‘I shall have money
when anything befalls, and shall find many men.’ Quoth the vezir, ‘So be
it, I shall find men for the king who will take no pay and stir not day
or night from his gate.’ The king was glad and said, ‘Get them, let us
see.’
“The vezir went and found a painter and brought him, and he painted a
large room in the palace so that the four walls of that room were
covered with pictured figures of men, and he decked all the figures with
arms and implements of war, he depicted a mounted and armed host
standing rank on rank. When it was completed the vezir called the king,
and the king arose and went with him to that wall of pictures, and he
showed the king the whole of them. The king looked and said, ‘What are
these pictures? why hast thou ranged these here rank on rank?’ The vezir
replied, ‘O king, thou desiredst of me men without pay; lo, these youths
want no pay; so they will serve the king.’ The king said, ‘There is no
life in these; how can they serve?’ The vezir answered, ‘O king, if
lifeless pictures will not serve, no more will payless soldiers serve.
Fief and pay are as the life of the soldier; when thou givest not a man
his fief or pay, it is as though thou tookest away his life; judge if a
lifeless man could serve.’
“Again, ‘O king, if a paid army be not needful for thee, these will
suffice; but living men require to eat and drink. If they get no pay
they will not sacrifice their lives in the cause of the king or face the
enemy; but they will hate the king and turn from him and evil will
befall the king; but if the king be bountiful they will obey. Thus a
noble had a young steward who used to serve him. One day the noble asked
the youth his name. He replied, “God on thee, my name is Wittol.” Said
the noble, “Can anyone be so called?” The youth answered, “Anyhow it is
my nickname, never mind.” So they used to call that youth Wittol so long
as he was at that noble’s gate. One day he went from that noble’s gate
to another’s. One day that noble in whose service he had been happened
to meet him, when he cried out, “Ho, Wittol, how art thou?” The youth
replied, “O noble, say not so again, or thou shalt see.” The noble said,
“My life, thou didst tell me Wittol was thy name; why art thou now
angered?” The youth answered, “Then did I serve thee, and thou
bestowedst on me worlds of bounties, so though thou calledst me Wittol,
it offended me not; but now I never get a favor from this man that he
should call me so.”
“‘Quoth the noble, “He who called thee so just now was I, not he; yet
thou wast angered with me.” The youth replied, “God forbid I should be
angered with thee; but if to-morrow the other were to hear that word
from thee, he too would wish to use it; now was I angered lest he should
call me so.”’ Then that vezir laid a dish of honey before the king; as
it was night no flies came to it. And the vezir said, ‘They say that
where there is honey, thither will the flies surely flock; lo, here is
honey, where are the flies?’ Quoth the king, ‘It is night, therefore
they come not.’ The vezir said, ‘My king, it is necessary to give
soldiers money at the proper time; for bringing out money on the battle
day is like bringing out honey at night.’ When the king heard these
words from the vezir he was ashamed; but he greatly applauded the vezir,
and thenceforth did whatsoever he advised.
“Now, O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst know that
attendants and servants are needful for kings, and that masters of
device and resource are requisite. Kings should take counsel of their
vezirs in such matters that no defect may mar their fortune in the world
or the hereafter. Now the prince is thy support and asylum, and all the
folk, high and low, ask why he is fettered with the bonds of woe and a
prisoner of the dungeon. And slaying the prince were like slaying the
vezirs and all the world. Who would sit on the throne after thee that
should know our circumstances? All grandees of the empire and lords of
the state and noble seyyids would be cast down, and scattered to the
winds and ruined. This woman is a woman lacking in religion and
understanding; to give ear to and thus countenance those who are so
lacking is not worthy our king.” And he kissed the ground and begged for
the prince. So the king sent him to the prison.
Having returned from the chase, the king went to the palace, and the
lady rose to greet him, and they passed on and sat down. After the
repast the lady again asked for news of the youth. The king answered,
“To-day too I have sent him to the prison.” The lady said, “Thou art a
wise and just king; we will talk together this night and see whether or
no by principle, by the law, and by custom, thou dost sin in thus vexing
my heart. O king, there are many rights between husband and wife. And
they have said that it is better to give a woman a handful of words than
a skirtful of money. Mayhap the king has not heard the story of the
sparrow and his mate.” The king said, “Relate it, let us hear.” Quoth
the lady:
THE SPARROW AND HIS MATE
“There was in the blessed service of Saint Solomon (peace on him!) a
little sparrow whose many tricks and gambols were ever pleasing to Saint
Solomon. One day Saint Solomon saw not the sparrow by him, and he
commanded the sīmurgh[24] bird to go fetch the sparrow wherever he might
find him. For a long time the sparrow had not gone to his mate, and his
mate had upbraided him, saying, ‘For this long time thou hast left me
and been with Solomon; dost thou love him more than me, or dost thou
fear him? tell me.’ The sparrow answered, ‘By God, I would not give thee
for the world: I am come but once to earth and shall not come again; I
go to Solomon for diversion, I have no dread of him.’ While he was
talking with many such vaunts and boasts, the sīmurgh arrived in haste
and heard the sparrow bragging and said harshly, ‘Up, let us off; Saint
Solomon wants thee.’ Then the sparrow, being beside his mate, plucked up
courage and replied, ‘Off, begone, I will not go.’ The sīmurgh said, ‘I
will indeed take thee.’ The sparrow answered, ‘Off with thee, get thee
hence, or I will seize thee and rend thee in twain.’ Quoth the sīmurgh,
‘Until I take thee with me I will not budge from here.’
“Yet the sparrow heeded not, and the sīmurgh waited a while, but the
sparrow would not go. Again said the sīmurgh to the sparrow, ‘O my life,
give me an answer.’ Quoth the sparrow, ‘I tell thee begone from here; if
thou speak again, my heart will bid me do somewhat else; but no, I will
not slay thee. Off, begone, or I will do thee some hurt, and then go to
Solomon’s palace and smite it with my foot, and overturn it from its
foundations and pull it down about his head; now then, away fool, off,
begone the road thou camest. Thou chatterest here and sayest not, “This
is the sparrow’s harem; he is ill.”’ And he gave the sīmurgh a kick such
that the latter knew not where it touched him, but he flew thence and
reported the sparrow’s words to Saint Solomon. Solomon said, ‘When the
sparrow spake these words where was he?’ ‘His mate was there,’ answered
the sīmurgh. Then quoth Solomon (peace on him!), ‘There is no harm in
one thus boasting and bragging in his own house before his wife. Though
every stone of this my palace was raised by the toil of these many
demons, still wonder not at his saying when beside his wife that he
could shatter it with one foot.’ And this was pleasing to Solomon (peace
on him!), and when the sparrow came he made him of his boon companions.
“O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst know that one should
thus love his wife and vex not her little heart, so that his wife may
have naught against him. And God most high has given thee understanding;
weigh my words in the balance of understanding, and try them on the
touchstone of the heart; if they stand not the test, I shall speak no
more. I tell thee that this youth has stretched forth his hand to me and
has been treacherous, and has moreover purposed against thy life; can
there be greater crimes than these? O king, beware, be not negligent in
this matter; for there is fear and danger for thy life and kingdom.”
When the king heard these beguiling words of the lady he said, “On the
morrow will I make an end of his affair.”
When it was morning the king sat upon his throne and commanded the
executioner that he bring the youth, and he said, “Smite off his head.”
Whereupon the eighth vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world,
slay not the prince on the woman’s word. One should be forgiving; above
all, as no man is exempt from sin; for they have said that humanity is
composed of forgetfulness. A man falls sometimes through the intrigues
of an enemy and sometimes through the maleficence of the cruel sphere;
or else he attains prosperity and falls into adversity. Mayhap the king
has not heard the story of a certain vezir.” The king said, “Tell on,
let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:
THE CRAFTY VEZIR
“Of old time there was a king, and he had an experienced and learned
vezir. One day the latter went to the bath, and while he was sitting
beside the basin, his ring fell from his finger into the water; and it
sank not in the water, but floated on the surface. Whenever the vezir
saw this he sent men to his house and treasury, saying, ‘Go quickly, and
hide in a certain place whatsoever I have in the treasury of gold and
silver or rubies and jewels; for now is the king about to seize me.’
Then they went and acted according to his order. And as the vezir was
coming out from the bath, men from the king arrived and seized him; and
they put him in prison and took possession of whatever he had in his
house and treasury.
“One day, after the vezir had been imprisoned for a certain time, his
heart longed for a conserve of pomegranate pips, and he ordered the
jailer, saying, ‘Make me ready a conserve and bring it, for my heart
doth greatly desire it.’ Now the king had forbidden that dish, and the
jailer was afraid and made it not. And the vezir’s desire increased and
he begged it of all who came to him, but no one made it and brought it
through fear of the king. Brief, the vezir lay for a year in prison and
longed for that dish, but no one found means to bring him it. One day
the jailer made shift to cook that dish and bring it to the vezir. As
soon as the vezir saw it he was glad; and they put it before him, but
ere he had stretched out his hand to it, two mice, that were struggling
with each other above, fell into the dish, and the food became unclean.
“Thereupon the vezir said, ‘It is good;’ and he arose and commanded his
servants, saying, ‘Go, furnish the mansion, put that wealth you hid back
into its proper place; my king is about to take me from prison and make
me vezir.’ Then his retainers went and did as he had commanded. Hereupon
came a man from the king who took the vezir from the prison and brought
him before the king. Then said the king to comfort the vezir’s heart, ‘I
put thee in prison seemingly to afflict thee; but really that thou
mightest know, from experiencing imprisonment, speedily to intercede for
the men whom I cast into jail.’ Quoth the vezir, ‘Nearness to a sultan
is a burning fire: whatsoever conduct be observed toward me by the king
is pleasant teaching.’ The king was pleased and commanded that they
bring a robe of honor, and he put it on him and made him again vezir.
“Then when the vezir was come to his mansion his retainers and others
asked him, saying, ‘Whence knewest thou of the king’s being about to
imprison thee and seize thy wealth, and whence knewest thou of his being
about to take thee out and make thee vezir?’ The vezir replied, ‘While
in the bath my ring fell into the water and sank not, so I knew that my
fortune had reached its perfection, and that what follows every
perfection is declension, therefore did I so command; and for a whole
year, while I was in prison, I longed for a dish of pomegranate pips, at
length I got it, and mice polluted it so that I could not eat it, so I
knew that my misfortune was complete and that my former estate was
returned. And I was glad.’
“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may likewise know
that every perfection has its declension. Until now the prince and the
vezirs were safe and esteemed before the king. Now he knows not in what
malefic sign our stars may be imprisoned. A woman has rendered us
despicable before the king and has bound him about with craft and wiles,
so that these many learned and sagacious vezirs are impotent against her
incitements; even as it is clear that when a fool throws a stone down a
well a wise man is powerless to get it up again. O king, haste not in
this affair; too late repentance profits not; for the prince is like a
young bird that can neither fly nor flee, grant him a few days’ respite,
haply this difficulty may be solved; and there is a reason for his not
speaking. He is ever as a prisoner in thy hand; afterward, if thou will,
kill him; if thou will, free him.” And he kissed the ground and begged
for the prince. When the king heard this story from the vezir the fire
that was in his heart was increased ten-fold and the tears poured from
his eyes; and he sent the prince to the prison and mounted for the chase
with his own cares.
When the king returned he entered the palace, and the lady rose to greet
him, and they sat down. After the repast the lady asked for news of the
youth. The king said, “To-day too such an one of my vezirs made
intercession for him, and I sent him to the prison.” Quoth the lady, “O
king, I have given thee this much counsel, and it has produced no effect
upon thee. It is as though a physician treated a sick man, and the
treatment was without result, and that physician was powerless and
attempted no other treatment, but left off; for if he treated that sick
man again, he would kill him. Now, I too am powerless to speak to thee.
I should say, ‘I will speak no more nor waste my breath in vain;’ still
my heart pities thee, for the king’s realm and life will be destroyed.
My head, too, will fall; for that I am in the same peril with the king
do I speak. It is even as once when they cut off a person’s hand and he
uttered no sound; afterward he saw someone whose hand had been cut off,
and he wailed aloud and wept. Those who were present wondered and asked,
saying, ‘O man, when thy hand was cut off thou didst not weep; why
weepest thou now?’ That person answered, ‘By God, then, when they cut
off my hand, I saw that there was not among you one who had met the
like, and I said in myself that if I wept each of you would speak ill of
me, for ye knew not the pain of it; now that I have found a companion
in my plight do I weep, for he knows the anguish I have suffered,’ Now,
O king, thy head and my head are like to fall; if the king know not my
plight, who should know it? Mayhap my king has not heard the story of
the three princes and the cadi.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.”
Quoth the lady:
THE THREE PRINCES AND THE CADI
“In the palace of the world there was a king and he had three sons. One
day this king laid his head on the pillow of death and called those sons
to his side, and spake privately with them. He said, ‘In such and such a
corner of the palace I have hidden a vase full of pearls and jewels and
diverse gems; when I am dead do ye wash me well and bury me, then go and
take that vase from its place and divide its contents.’ The king lay for
three days, and on the fourth day he drained the wine of death and set
forth for the abiding home. When the princes had buried their father
according to his injunctions, they came together and went and beheld
that in the place of those jewels the winds blew. Now the princes began
to dispute, and they said, ‘Our father told this to us three in private,
this trick has been played by one of us.’ And the three of them went to
the cadi, and told their complaint. The cadi listened and then said to
them, ‘Come, I will tell you a story, and after that I will settle your
dispute.
“‘Once, in a certain city, a youth and a girl loved each other, and that
girl was betrothed to another youth. When the lover was alone with that
girl he said, “O my life, now thou comest to me and I am happy with
thee; to-morrow when thou art the bride of thy betrothed, how will be my
plight?” The girl said, “My master, do not grieve; that night when I am
bride, until I have come to thee and seen thee, I will not give the
bridegroom his desire.” And they made a pact to that end. Brief, when
the bridal night arrived, the girl and the youth went apart; and when
all the people were dispersed and the place was clear of others, the
girl told the bridegroom of the pact between her and the stricken lover,
and besought leave to fulfil it. Whenever the bridegroom heard these
words from the bride he said, “Go, fulfil thy plight and come again in
safety.” So the bride went forth, but while on the road she met a
robber. The robber looked at her attentively, and saw that she was a
beautiful girl like the moon of fourteen nights; never in his life had
he seen such a girl, and upon her was endless gold, and she was covered
with diverse jewels such as cannot be described. Thereupon the bridle of
choice slipped from the robber’s hands; and as the hungry wolf springs
upon the sheep, so did the robber spring upon that girl. Straightway the
girl began to sigh, and the robber felt pity and questioned her.
“‘So the bride related to the robber her story from its beginning to its
end, whereupon the robber exclaimed, “That is no common generosity! nor
shall I do any hurt or evil thing to her.” Then said he to the girl,
“Come, I will take thee to thy lover.” And he took her and led to her
lover’s door and said, “Now go in and be with thy lover.” Then the girl
knocked at the door, and that youth, who lay sighing, heard the knocking
and went with haste and said, “Who is that?” The girl answered, “Open
the door; lo, I have kept my plight, nor have I broken it, I am come to
thee.” The youth opened the door and came to the girl and said, “O my
life, my mistress, welcome, and fair welcome! how hast thou done it?”
She replied, “The folk assembled and gave me to the bridegroom, then all
dispersed and each went his way. And I explained my case to the
bridegroom and he gave me leave. While on the road I met a robber, and
that robber wished to stretch forth his hand to me, but I wept and told
him of my plight with thee, and he had pity and brought me to the door
and left me, and has gone away.”
“‘When the youth heard these things from the girl he said, “Since the
bridegroom is thus generous, and has given thee leave to fulfil thy
plight with me, and sent thee to me, there were no generosity in me did
I stretch forth my hand to thee and deal treacherously; from this day be
thou my sister; go, return to thy husband.” And he sent her off. When
the girl went out she saw that robber standing by the door; and he
walked in front of her, and conducted her to the bridegroom’s door. And
the girl went in, and the robber departed to his own affairs. While the
bridegroom was marvelling the bride entered, and the bridegroom leaped
up and took the bride’s hands in his, and they sat upon the bed. And
the bridegroom turned and asked her news of the bride; and she told all
her adventures from their beginning to their end.’ Then quoth the cadi,
‘O my sons, which of those showed manliness and generosity in this
matter?’ The eldest youth said, ‘The bridegroom, who, while she was his
lawful bride, and when he had spent thus much upon her, gave the girl
leave. What excellent generosity did he display!’ The middle youth said,
‘The generosity was that lover’s, who, while there was so much love
between them, had patience and sent her back. What excellent generosity:
can there be greater than this!’ Then asked he of the youngest boy, ‘O
you, what say you!’ Quoth he, ‘O ye, what say ye? when one hunting in
the night met thus fair a beauty, a torment of the world, a fresh rose;
above all, laden with these many jewels, and yet coveted her not but
took her to her place. What excellent patience, what excellent
generosity!’ When the cadi heard these words of the youngest boy he
said, ‘O prince, the jewels are with thee; for the lover praised the
lover; and the trustful, the trustful; and the robber, the robber.’ The
prince was unable to deny it, and he took the jewels from his breast and
laid them before the cadi.
“Now, O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst know that in
that I am true I would aid my king; and that the vezirs, in that they
are traitors, would aid the traitor prince. And they are forty men, each
one of them a wonder of the world, while as for me, I am but one and a
woman, lacking in understanding: the rest the king knows.” When the king
heard these enticing and beguiling words of the lady he said, “Grieve
not, to-morrow will I kill him.”
When it was morning the king sat upon his throne and thus commanded the
executioner, “Smite off the head of that traitor youth.” Whereupon the
ninth vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world, beware, slay
not thy son on the woman’s word, and be not heedless of the import of
this verse which God most high hath spoken in his Word: ‘And the
stiflers of wrath, and the pardoners of men; and God loveth the
beneficent:’[25] that is they are his peculiar servants. And the holy
Apostle (peace on him!) hath said, ‘Whoso bridleth his anger, he having
power to avenge--God will call him on the resurrection day over the
heads of the creatures that he may give him to choose from the houris
which he pleaseth:’ that is he shall surely enter Paradise. Let one
pardon him who has wronged him and forgive his servants their misdeeds,
that God most high may pardon him and be beneficent to him; even as
saith the Apostle (peace on him!) ‘The proclaimer shall proclaim on the
resurrection day:--Where are they whose reward is (incumbent) upon God;
none shall rise save him who hath forgiven.’ Mayhap the king has not
heard the story of Hārūn-er-Reshīd[26] and the slave girl.” The king
said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:
THE CALIPH AND THE SLAVE GIRL
“Once the Caliph Hārūn-er-Reshīd sat upon his throne of estate; and the
people of the city of Bagdad were late in coming to salute him.
Therefore was the caliph exceeding wroth, and he thus commanded the
chamberlains, ‘Whoso comes now do ye turn off and cast into prison.’ And
they seized and cast into prison all of the grandees of the city who
came. For three days the caliph went not out, neither spake with anyone;
but sat full of fury: who could have dared to address a word to him?
“While in this state he desired to eat, and he ordered one of the slave
girls to bring food. She brought it before him, but while laying down
the dish, she was careless and spilt some part of it over the caliph.
Forthwith the caliph rose in wrath and was about to hew the girl in
pieces, when she said, ‘O caliph, God most high saith in his glorious
Word, “And the stiflers of wrath.”‘[27] Straightway the caliph’s wrath
was calmed. Again saith the slave girl, ’“And the pardoners of
men.”‘[27] Quoth the caliph, ‘I have forgiven the crimes of all the
criminals who may be in prison.’ Again said the slave girl, ’“And God
loveth the beneficent.”‘[27] Quoth the caliph, ‘God be witness that I
have with my own wealth freed thee and as many unfreed male and female
slaves as I have, and that this day I have for the love of God given the
half of all my wealth to the poor in alms.’ After that he let bring
into his presence all the prisoners who were in the jail and begged
absolution of them; and as he had attained to the import of that noble
verse, he put on each of them a robe of honor, and devoted himself to
justice and equity. And now whoso mentions him doth add, ‘The mercy of
God on him!’[28]
“O king, I have told this story for that I have seen this day that thy
wrath was great. I would that thou pardon the prince and grant him his
life and so do a meritorious deed; and in this matter, beyond doubt and
beyond uncertainty, thou shalt become deserving of the mercy and
paradise of God most high.” And he kissed the ground and begged for the
prince. When the king heard this story from the vezir he sent the youth
to the prison and mounted for the chase.
That day he found no game and returned in wrath to the palace. Again the
lady rose to greet him and they sat down. After the repast the lady
began to speak of the youth. The king said, “Look, my mistress, now all
is over, and my prince is still upon thy tongue; to-day too one of my
vezirs begged for him and I sent him to the prison.” The lady saw that
the king was vexed and said, “My king, be kind, be not vexed with me;
for I know that soon no good will befall thee from that youth, for he is
very covetous of wealth and kingship, and the covetous is ever balked. I
saw him without understanding and without discretion; he knows neither
his words nor himself; he is even as the sons of that king who took the
metaphorical words of their father as literal, and at length lost what
wealth was in their hands. Mayhap my king has not heard that story.” The
king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:
THE FOOLISH PRINCES
“There was in the palace of the world a great king, and he had three
sons. One day that king laid his head upon the pillow of death and
called his sons before him and said, ‘O my sons, my life has reached its
end; I have counsel to give you, which when I am dead do ye observe.’
His sons replied, ‘On our heads be it; speak, father.’ To his eldest son
he said, ‘Build thou a house in every city.’ And to his middle son,
‘Marry thou every night.’ And to his youngest son, ‘Whenever thou
eatest, eat honey and butter.’ The king lived not long after giving
these injunctions, but died. The eldest son fell to building a house in
every city; the middle son married a wife every night, and on the morrow
gave her her dower and sent her to her father’s house; and the youngest
son, whenever he ate, mixed honey and butter and ate it. A long time
passed on this wise; we may say that though the middle and the youngest
sons spent money, they at least had pleasure for it; but that bewildered
and senseless eldest son spent this much money, and if the buildings he
raised were fit for habitation, still they pointed to folly.
“One day a wise man asked them, ‘Why do ye thus?’ The princes answered,
‘By God, our father thus enjoined us.’ The wise man said, ‘Your father’s
injunctions were not thus, but ye have not understood his riddles. And
there is a tale suitable to this your plight, I will tell it you;
afterward I will teach you your father’s riddles.’ The princes said,
‘Pray do so.’ Quoth the wise man, ‘Once there was a king who always
exacted tribute from the infidels. One day those infidels assembled
their monks and said, “Let us find some trick which the king will be
unable to understand, that thereby we may escape from this tribute: now
do ye each think of some plan.” Thereupon they dispersed and went away.
After a time a monk came to the infidel who was their chief and said, “I
shall go to them and put to them a question, and if they can answer it
we will give them tribute.”
“‘So the unbelieving king gave that monk a little money and sent him.
One day he entered the realms of Islam, and the event was reported to
the king, who said, “Our learned men of the faith will surely answer an
infidel without the faith; let him come.” They brought him into the
presence of the king; and the king straightway assembled his doctors and
pious men and grandees. Then the king said, “O monk, now what is thy
question; speak, let us see?” The monk first opened the five fingers of
his hand and held the palm opposite the folk, then he let the five
fingers droop downward, and said, “What means that? know ye?” And all
the doctors were silent and began to ponder, and they reflected, saying,
“What riddles can these riddles be? There is no such thing in the
Commentaries or the Traditions.”
“‘Now there was there a learned wanderer, and forthwith he came forward
and asked leave of the king that he might answer. The king gladly gave
leave; then that wanderer came forward and said to the monk, “What is
thy question? what need for the doctors? poor I can answer.” Then the
monk came forward and opened his hand and held it so before the dervish;
straightway the dervish closed his fist and held it opposite the monk.
Then the monk let his five fingers droop downward; the dervish opened
his fist and held his five fingers upward.
“‘When the monk saw these signs of the dervish, he said, “That is the
answer,” and gave up the money he had brought. But the king knew not
what these riddles meant, and he took the dervish apart and asked him.
The dervish replied, “When he opened his fingers and held his hand so to
me, it meant ‘now I strike thee so on the face;’ so I showed him my
fist, which meant, ‘I strike thy throat with my fist;’ he turned and let
his fingers droop downward, which meant, ‘thou dost so, then I strike
lower and seize thy throat with my hand;’ and my raising my fingers
upward meant, ‘if thou seekest to seize my throat, I too shall grasp thy
throat from underneath;’ so we fought with one another by signs.” Then
the king called the monk and said, “Thou madest signs with the dervish,
but what meant those signs?” The monk replied, “I held my five fingers
opposite him, that meant, ‘the five times ye do worship, is it right?’
The dervish presented his fist, which meant, ‘it is right,’ Then I held
my fingers downward, which meant, ‘why does the rain come down from
heaven?’ The dervish held his fingers upward, which meant, ‘the rain
falls down from heaven that the grass may spring up from the earth.’ Now
such are the answers to those questions in our books.” Then he returned
to his country.
“‘And the king knew that the dervish had not understood the monk’s
riddles; but the king was well pleased for that he had done what was
suitable; and he bestowed on the dervish a portion of the money which
the monk had left. O princes, ye have not understood your father’s
riddles and ye have wasted your wealth in vain.’ The princes said, ‘What
meant our father’s riddles?’ He replied, ‘Firstly, when he said, “Build
thou a house in every city,” he meant, “gain thou a friend in every
city, so that when thou goest to a city the house of the friend thou
hast gained may be thine.” Secondly, when he said, “Embrace thou a
virgin whenever thou embracest,” he meant, “be moderate in thy pleasures
that thou mayst enjoy them the more.” Thirdly, when he said, “Whenever
thou eatest, eat honey and butter,” he meant, “never when thou eatest,
eat to repletion; but eat so that if it be but dry bread thou eatest, it
will be to thee as honey and butter.”’ When the princes heard the words
of the wise dervish they knew that their father’s signs to them were so,
and not that which they had done; and they left off doing those things.
“Now, O king, I have told this story for that with youths is no
discretion, but in them ignorance and heedlessness abound. Though thou
through understanding have compassion on him, yet will he have none on
thee; it will be even as when one day Saint Bāyezīid of Bestām[29] saw a
mangy dog, and through pity took it and laid it in a place and tended it
many days till it became well, whereon it bit his foot. Bāyezīd said, ‘O
dog, this is the return for the kindness I did thee--that thou bitest
me.’ God most high gave speech to that dog, and it said, ‘O Bāyezīd, is
not the proverb well known, “A man acts as a man; a dog, as a dog”?’
Methinks, O king, that in that youth must be an evil vein: for if
kindness be to kindness, never so long as he lived could that unworthy
one have cast on me an envious glance; above all, never could he have
sought to slay my king, his father, the source of his being. I, where am
I? Take warning.” And she incited the king with very many evil words, so
that he was afraid and said, “Grieve not, to-morrow will I slay him.”
And that night was grievous to the king.
Scarce was it morning and had the sun shown forth the riddle of the
whiteness of dawn, like as that dervish showed to the king’s sons the
riddles of their father, and illumined the world with light, ere the
king sat upon his throne and caused the youth to be brought and ordered
the executioner, “Smite off his head.” Then the tenth vezir came forward
and said, “O king of the world, every king desires that whithersoever
he go he may triumph and conquer; and that the earth be subject to his
hand; and that whoso comes to his gate hoping, may find that which he
seeks; and that the heart of none be vexed. When in the country of a
king despairing hearts are many, that host of despairing hearts gathers
together and utterly destroys another gay host. Thus it becomes the
greatness and glory of kings, that when they see a beast under a heavy
load they have compassion on that beast; even as it was when an ass
came, dragging itself along, to the chain of the justice of Nūshīrvān
the Just.[30]
“Straightway the king caused it to be brought into his presence, and he
saw it to be a lean and worn black ass, whose back was broken with
bearing loads. When the king saw that animal in such plight his heart
bled, and he laid his hand on the beast’s face and wept full bitterly
and said, ‘See ye how this poor creature has been oppressed in my
kingdom?’ And he called for a physician and said to him, ‘Go, tend the
wounds of this beast, and give it abundance to eat, and wrap round it a
good horse-cloth that it be at ease.’ Now, it is incumbent on kings that
they have compassion on the unhappy and the weak, and pity them, and
believe not plotters and liars, nor trust their evil wicked words; and
such folk are very many. Mayhap my king has not heard the story of the
king’s son of Egypt and the crafty woman.” The king said, “Relate it,
let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:
STORY OF THE EGYPTIAN PRINCE
“In the city of Cairo there was a king and he had two sons. One day he
reflected on the doings of the cruel sphere and saw how the world was
without constancy and remained not to king nor yet to beggar, but trod
all under foot. At length he bethought him how it would not endure for
himself either; and he took his younger son and made him apprentice to a
master tailor, and said, ‘After all, a trade is needful for a man; and
they have said that the least knowledge of a trade is better than a
hundred thousand sequins.’ So in a short while the prince became a
tailor such that there was not in the city of Cairo one who could ply
his scissors and needle. One day the king passed to the abiding home,
and his elder son became king. His brother the tailor, fearing for his
head, fled and went to the Ka’ba.[31]
“While making the circumambulation,[32] his foot struck against
something hard, he looked and saw a girdle and took it up and bound it
round his loins, and continued the circumambulation. After a while he
saw a khoja who had a stone in either hand and who was beating his
breast with these stones and crying, ‘Ah woe! alas! I had hidden in that
girdle all the wealth I have gained from my youth; whatever Moslem has
found it, let him give it me for the love of God and the honor of the
Ka’ba, and the half of it shall be lawful for him as his mother’s milk.’
“When the prince saw and heard him he knew that that girdle was his, and
he said in his heart, ‘What has this much wealth and the kingdom of my
father done for me? and what should this do for me? I shall not let this
poor man weep; I shall give it him.’ And he went round and came before
the khoja and said, ‘O khoja, I have found that girdle of thine; lo, it
is round my loins.’ The khoja clung fast to the prince, and the prince
said, ‘What reward wilt thou give me? lo, the girdle is round my loins.’
Then the khoja took the prince and brought him to his own tent; and the
prince loosed the girdle from his loins and laid it before the khoja,
and the khoja took it and clasped it to his heart. Then he brake the
seal and poured out what was in it; and the prince saw it to be full of
precious stones.
“The khoja divided these stones into three heaps and said, ‘O youth,
wilt thou take one heap with my good-will, or two without it?’ The
prince replied, ‘Give me one heap with thy good-will.’ Then the khoja
divided one of those heaps into two and said, ‘Which of them wilt thou
take with my good-will?’ Again the prince made choice of a heap. At
length the khoja said, ‘Youth, wouldest thou have these remaining
jewels, or wouldest thou that we go and that I pray for thee under the
Golden Spout?’[33] The prince answered, ‘Wealth perishes, but prayers
endure; do thou bless me, I have relinquished all these riches.’ And
they went, and he held up his hands and said to the prince, ‘Say thou,
“Amen.”’ So the youth raised up his hands and the khoja began to pray.
He repeated many prayers in himself, and the prince said, ‘Amen.’ The
khoja drew his hands down his face and said, ‘O youth, I have prayed
much for thee; now go, and may thy end be good.’
“The prince went away; but after a little he thought in himself, ‘If I
go now to Cairo my brother will kill me, let me go along with this khoja
to Bagdad.’ So he went back to the khoja and said, ‘O khoja, I would go
with thee to Bagdad; take me that I may serve thee on the road.’ So the
khoja took him; and the prince was in the khoja’s service, and they
entered Bagdad and lighted at the khoja’s dwelling. For some days the
prince abode there, then he said to the khoja, ‘I may not stay here thus
idling; I have a trade, I am a master tailor, if thou hast any tailor
friend, pray take me to him that he may give me some work to do.’
“Now the khoja had a tailor friend, and he straightway took the prince
and brought him to the shop of that tailor and commended him to him, and
the tailor consented. Then the prince sat down and his master cut out
cloth for a robe and gave it him; now the prince had checkmated the
Cairo tailors, where then were those of Bagdad? The prince sewed that
robe and returned it, and the master took it and looked at it and saw
that it was a beautiful robe, made so that in all his life he had not
seen the like of it, and he said, ‘A thousand times well-done, youth.’
This news spread among the masters, and they all came to that shop and
saw it and admired; and this prince became very famous in that country.
The work in that master’s shop was now increased tenfold, and customers
in like measure. One day that khoja had a quarrel with his wife, and in
the greatness of his heat the words of the triple divorce passed his
lips.