marching, behold, a great dust cloud arose before them and walled the
horizon, and the whole region. So Kurajan sent out scouts, saying, “Go
forth and bring me tidings of what meaneth this dust.” They went till
they passed under the enemy’s standards and presently returning said, “O
King, verily this is the dust of the Moslems.” Whereat he was glad and
said, “Did ye count them?” And they answered, “We counted the colours
and they numbered twenty.” Quoth he, “By my faith, I will not send one
man-at-arms against them, but will go forth to them alone by myself and
strew their heads under the horses’ hooves!” Now this was the army of
Jamrkan who, espying the host of the Kafirs and seeing them as a surging
sea, called a halt; so his troops pitched the tents and set up the
standards, calling upon the name of the All-wise One, the Creator of
light and gloom, Lord of all creatures, Who seeth while Him none see,
the High to infinity, extolled and exalted be He! There is no God but
He! The Miscreants also halted and pitched their tents, and Kurajan said
to them, “Keep on your arms, and in armour sleep, for during the last
watch of the night we will mount and trample yonder handful under feet!”
Now one of Jamrkan’s spies was standing nigh and heard what Kurajan had
contrived; so he returned to the host and told his chief who said to
them, “Arm yourselves and as soon as it is night, bring me all the mules
and camels and hang all the bells and clinkets and rattles ye have about
their necks.” Now they had with them more than twenty thousand camels
and mules. So they waited till the Infidels fell asleep, when Jamrkan
commanded them to mount, and they arose to ride and on the Lord of the
Worlds they relied. Then said Jamrkan, “Drive the camels and mules to
the Miscreants’ camp and push them with your spears for goads!” They did
as he bade and the beasts rushed upon the enemy’s tents, whilst the
bells and clinkets and rattles jangled[16] and the Moslems followed at
their heels, shouting, “God is Most Great!” till all the hills and
mountains resounded with the name of the Highmost Deity, to whom belong
glory and majesty! The cattle hearing this terrible din, took fright and
rushed upon the tents and trampled the folk, as they lay asleep.——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Six Hundred and Forty-sixth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Jamrkan
fell upon them with his men and steeds and camels, and the camp lay
sleeping, the idolaters started up in confusion and, snatching up their
arms, fell upon one another with smiting, till the most part was
slaughtered. And when the day broke, they looked and found no Moslem
slain, but saw them all on horseback, armed and armoured; wherefore they
knew that this was a sleight which had been played upon them, and
Kurajan cried out to the remnant of his folk, “O sons of whores, what we
had a mind to do with them, that have they done with us and their craft
hath gotten the better of our cunning.” And they were about to charge
when, lo and behold! a cloud of dust rose high and walled the
horizon-sky, when the wind smote it, so that it spired aloft and spread
pavilion-wise in the lift and there it hung; and presently appeared
beneath it the glint of helmet and gleam of hauberk and splendid
warriors, baldrick’d with their tempered swords and holding in rest
their supple spears. When the Kafirs saw this, they held back from the
battle and each army sent out, to know the meaning of this dust, scouts,
who returned with the news that it was an army of Moslems. Now this was
the host of the Mountain-Ghul whom Gharib had despatched to Jamrkan’s
aid, and Sa’adan himself rode in their van. So the two hosts of the True
Believers joined company and rushing upon the Paynimry like a flame of
fire, plied them with keen sword and Rudaynian spear and quivering
lance, what while day was darkened and eyes for the much dust starkened.
The valiant stood fast and the faint-hearted coward fled and to the
wilds and the wolds swift sped, whilst the blood over earth was like
torrents shed; nor did they cease from fight till the day took flight
and in gloom came the night. Then the Moslems drew apart from the
Miscreants and returned to their tents, where they ate and slept, till
the darkness fled away and gave place to smiling day; when they prayed
the dawn-prayer and mounted to battle. Now Kurajan had said to his men
as they drew off from fight (for indeed two-thirds of their number had
perished by sword and spear), “O folk, to-morrow, I will champion it in
the stead of war where cut and thrust jar, and where braves push and
wheel I will take the field.” So, as soon as light was seen and morn
appeared with its shine and sheen, took horse the hosts twain and
shouted their slogans amain and bared the brand and hent lance in hand
and in ranks took stand. The first to open the door of war was Kurajan,
who cried out, saying, “Let no coward come out to me this day nor
craven!” Whereupon Jamrkan and Sa’adan stood by the colours, but there
ran at him a captain of the Banu Amir and the two drave each at other
awhile, like two rams butting. Presently Kurajan seized the Moslem by
the jerkin under his hauberk and, dragging him from his saddle, dashed
him to the ground where he left him; upon which the Kafirs laid hands on
him and bound him and bore him off to their tents; whilst Kurajan
wheeled about and careered and offered battle, till another captain came
out, whom also he took prisoner; nor did he leave to do thus till he had
made prize of seven captains before mid-day. Then Jamrkan cried out with
so mighty a cry, that the whole field made reply and heard it the armies
twain, and ran at Kurajan with a heart in rageful pain, improvising
these couplets:—
Jamrkan am I! and a man of might, ✿ Whom the warriors fear with a sore
affright:
I waste the forts and I leave the walls ✿ To wail and weep for the
wights I smite:
Then, O Kurajan, tread the rightful road ✿ And quit the paths of thy
foul unright:
Own the One True God, who dispread the skies ✿ And made founts to flow
and the hills pegged tight:
An the slave embrace the True Faith, he’ll ’scape ✿ Hell-pains and in
Heaven be deckt and dight!
When Kurajan heard these words, he snarked and snorted and foully abused
the sun and the moon and drave at Jamrkan, versifying with these
couplets:—
I’m Kurajan, of this age the knight; ✿ And my shade to the lions of
Shara’[17] is blight:
I storm the forts and snare kings of beasts ✿ And warriors fear me in
field of fight;
Then, Harkye Jamrkan, if thou doubt my word, ✿ Come forth to the combat
and try my might!
When Jamrkan heard these verses, he charged him with a stout heart and
they smote each at other with swords till the two hosts lamented for
them, and they lunged with lance and great was the clamour between them:
nor did they leave fighting till the time of mid-afternoon prayer was
passed and the day began to wane. Then Jamrkan drave at Kurajan and
smiting him on the breast with his mace,[18] cast him to the ground, as
he were the trunk of a palm-tree; and the Moslems pinioned him and
dragged him off with ropes like a camel. Now when the Miscreants saw
their Prince captive, a hot fever-fit of ignorance seized on them and
they bore down upon the True Believers thinking to rescue him; but the
Moslem champions met them and left most of them prostrate on the earth,
whilst the rest turned and sought safety in flight, seeking surer site,
while the clanking sabres their backsides smite. The Moslems ceased not
pursuing them till they had scattered them over mount and wold, when
they returned from them to the spoil; whereof was great store of horses
and tents and so forth:—good look to it for a spoil! Then Jamrkan went
in to Kurajan and expounded to him Al-Islam, threatening him with death
unless he embraced the Faith. But he refused; so they cut off his head
and stuck it on a spear, after which they fared on towards Oman[19]
city. But as regards the Kafirs, the survivors returned to Jaland and
made known to him the slaying of his son and the slaughter of his host,
hearing which he cast his crown to the ground and buffeting his face,
till the blood ran from his nostrils, fell fainting to the floor. They
sprinkled rose-water on his head, till he came to himself and cried to
his Wazir, “Write letters to all my Governors and Nabobs, and bid them
leave not a smiter with the sword nor a lunger with the lance nor a
bender of the bow, but bring them all to me in one body.” So he wrote
letters and despatched them by runners to the Governors, who levied
their power and joined the King with a prevailing host, whose number was
one hundred and eighty-thousand men. Then they made ready tents and
camels and noble steeds and were about to march when, behold, up came
Jamrkan and Sa’adan the Ghul, with seventy thousand horse, as they were
lions fierce-faced, all steel-encased. When Jaland saw the Moslems
trooping on he rejoiced and said, “By the virtue of the Sun, and her
resplendent light, I will not leave alive one of my foes; no, not one to
carry the news, and I will lay waste the land of Al-Irak, that I may
take my wreak for my son, the havoc-making champion bold; nor shall my
fire be quenched or cooled!” Then he turned to Ajib and said to him, “O
dog of Al-Irak, ’twas thou broughtest this calamity on us! But by the
virtue of that which I worship, except I avenge me of mine enemy I will
do thee die after foulest fashion!” When Ajib heard these words he was
troubled with sore trouble and blamed himself; but he waited till
nightfall, when the Moslems had pitched their tents for rest. Now he had
been degraded and expelled the royal camp together with those who were
left to him of his suite: so he said to them, “O my kinsmen, know that
Jaland and I are dismayed with exceeding dismay at the coming of the
Moslems, and I know that he will not avail to protect me from my brother
nor from any other; so it is my counsel that we make our escape, whilst
all eyes sleep, and flee to King Ya’arub bin Kahtán,[20] for that he
hath more of men and is stronger of reign.” They, hearing his advice
exclaimed “Right is thy rede,” whereupon he bade them kindle fires at
their tent-doors and march under cover of the night. They did his
bidding and set out, so by daybreak they had already fared far away. As
soon as it was morning Jaland mounted with two hundred and sixty
thousand fighting-men, clad cap-à-pie in hauberks and cuirasses and
strait-knit mail-coats, the kettle-drums beat a point of war and all
drew out for cut and thrust and fight and fray. Then Jamrkan and Sa’adan
rode out with forty-thousand stalwart fighting-men, under each standard
a thousand cavaliers, doughty champions, foremost in champaign. The two
hosts drew out in battles and bared their blades and levelled their
limber lances, for the drinking of the cup of death. The first to open
the gate of strife was Sa’adan, as he were a mountain of syenite or a
Marid of the Jinn. Then dashed out to him a champion of the Infidels,
and the Ghul slew him and casting him to the earth, cried out to his
sons and slaves, saying, “Light the fire and roast me this dead one.”
They did as he bade and brought him the roast and he ate it and crunched
the bones, whilst the Kafirs stood looking on from afar; and they cried
out, “Oh for aid from the light-giving Sun!” and were affrighted at the
thought of being slain by Sa’adan. Then Jaland shouted to his men,
saying, “Slay me yonder loathsome beast!” Whereupon another captain of
his host drove at the Ghul; but he slew him, and he ceased not to slay
horseman after horseman, till he had made an end of thirty men. With
this the blamed Kafirs held back and feared to face him, crying, “Who
shall cope with Jinns and Ghuls?” But Jaland raised his voice saying,
“Let an hundred horse charge him and bring him to me, bound or slain.”
So an hundred horse set upon Sa’adan with swords and spears, and he met
them with a heart firmer than flint, proclaiming the unity of the
Requiting King, whom no one thing diverteth from other thing. Then he
cried aloud, “Allaho Akbar!” and, smiting them with his sword, made
their heads fly and in one onset he slew of them four-and-seventy
whereupon the rest took to flight. So Jaland shouted aloud to ten of his
captains, each commanding a thousand men, and said to them, “Shoot his
horse with arrows till it fall under him, and then lay hands on him.”
Therewith ten thousand horse drove at Sa’adan who met them with a stout
heart; and Jamrkan, seeing this, bore down upon the Miscreants with his
Moslems, crying out, “God is Most Great!” Before they could reach the
Ghul, the enemy had slain his steed and taken him prisoner; but they
ceased not to charge the Infidels, till the day grew dark for dust and
eyes were blinded, and the sharp sword clanged while firm stood the
valiant cavalier and destruction overtook the faint-heart in his fear;
till the Moslems were amongst the Paynims like a white patch on a black
bull.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Six Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that battle raged
between the Moslems and the Paynims till the True Believers were like a
white patch on a black bull. Nor did they stint from the mellay till the
darkness fell down, when they drew apart, after there had been slain of
the Infidels men without compt. Then Jamrkan and his men returned to
their tents; but they were in great grief for Sa’adan, so that neither
meat nor sleep was sweet to them, and they counted their host and found
that less than a thousand had been slain. But Jamrkan said, “O folk,
to-morrow I will go forth into the battle-plain and place where cut and
thrust obtain, and slay their champions and make prize of their families
after taking them captives and I will ransom Sa’adan therewith, by the
leave of the Requiting King, whom no one thing diverteth from other
thing!” Wherefore their hearts were heartened and they joyed as they
separated to their tents. Meanwhile Jaland entered his pavilion and
sitting down on his sofa of estate, with his folk about him, called for
Sa’adan and forthright on his coming, said to him, “O dog run wood and
least of the Arab brood and carrier of firewood, who was it slew my son
Kurajan, the brave of the age, slayer of heroes and caster down of
warriors?” Quoth the Ghul, “Jamrkan slew him, captain of the armies of
King Gharib, Prince of cavaliers, and I roasted and ate him, for I was
anhungered.” When Jaland heard these words, his eyes sank into his head
for rage and he bade his swordbearer smite Sa’adan’s neck. So he came
forward in that intent, whereupon Sa’adan stretched himself mightily and
bursting his bonds, snatched the sword from the headsman and hewed off
his head. Then he made at Jaland who threw himself down from the throne
and fled; whilst Sa’adan fell on the bystanders and killed twenty of the
King’s chief officers, and all the rest took to flight. Therewith loud
rose the crying in the camp of the Infidels and the Ghul sallied forth
of the pavilion and falling upon the troops smote them with the sword,
right and left, till they opened and left a lane for him to pass; nor
did he cease to press forward, cutting at them on either side, till he
won free of the Miscreants’ tents and made for the Moslem camp. Now
these had heard the uproar among their enemies and said, “Haply some
calamity hath befallen them.” But whilst they were in perplexity,
behold, Sa’adan stood amongst them and they rejoiced at his coming with
exceeding joy; more especially Jamrkan, who saluted him with the salam
as did other True Believers and gave him joy of his escape. Such was the
case with the Moslems; but as regards the Miscreants, when, after the
Ghul’s departure, they and their King returned to their tents, Jaland
said to them, “O folk, by the virtue of the Sun’s light-giving ray and
by the darkness of the Night and the light of the Day and the Stars that
stray, I thought not this day to have escaped death in mellay; for, had
I fallen into yonder fellow’s hands, he had eaten me, as I were a kernel
of wheat or a barley-corn or any other grain.” They replied, “O King,
never saw we any do the like of this Ghul.” And he said, “O folk,
to-morrow do ye all don arms and mount steed and trample them under your
horses’ hooves.” Meanwhile the Moslems had ended their rejoicings at
Sa’adan’s return and Jamrkan said to them, “To-morrow, I will show you
my derring-do and what behoveth the like of me, for by the virtue of
Abraham the Friend, I will slay them with the foulest of slaughters and
smite them with the bite of the sword, till all who have understanding
confounded at them shall stand. But I mean to attack both right and left
wings; so, when ye see me drive at the King under the standards, do ye
charge behind me with a resolute charge, and Allah’s it is to decree
what thing shall be!” Accordingly the two sides lay upon their arms till
the day broke through night and the sun appeared to sight. Then they
mounted swiftlier than the twinkling of the eyelid; the raven of the
wold croaked and the two hosts, looking each at other with the eye of
fascination, formed in line-array and prepared for fight and fray. The
first to open the chapter of war was Jamrkan who wheeled and careered
and offered fight in field; and Jaland and his men were about to charge
when, behold, a cloud of dust up-rolled till it walled the wold and
overlaid the day. Then the four winds smote it and away it floated torn
to rags, and there appeared beneath it cavaliers, with helms black and
garb white and many a princely knight and lances that bite and swords
that smite and footmen who lion-like knew no affright. Seeing this both
armies left fighting and sent out scouts to reconnoitre and report who
thus had come in main and might. So they went and within the dust-cloud
disappeared from sight, and returned after awhile with the news aright
that the approaching host was one of Moslems, under the command of King
Gharib. When the True Believers heard from the scouts of the coming of
their King, they rejoiced and driving out to meet him, dismounted and
kissed the earth between his hands——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Six Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Moslems saw the presence of their King Gharib, they joyed with exceeding
joy; and, kissing the earth between his hands, saluted him and gat
around him whilst he welcomed them and rejoiced in their safety. Then
they escorted him to their camp and pitched pavilions for him and set up
standards; and Gharib sat down on his couch of estate, with his Grandees
about him; and they related to him all that had befallen, especially to
Sa’adan. Meanwhile the Kafirs sought for Ajib and finding him not among
them nor in their tents, told Jaland of his flight, whereat his Doomsday
rose and he bit his fingers, saying, “By the Sun’s light-giving round,
he is a perfidious hound and hath fled with his rascal rout to
desert-ground. But naught save force of hard fighting will serve us to
repel these foes; so fortify your resolves and hearten your hearts and
beware of the Moslems.” And Gharib also said to the True Believers,
“Strengthen your courage and fortify your hearts and seek aid of your
Lord, beseeching him to vouchsafe you the victory over your enemies.”
They replied, “O King, soon thou shalt see what we will do in
battle-plain where men cut and thrust amain.” So the two hosts slept
till the day arose with its sheen and shone and the rising sun rained
light upon hill and down, when Gharib prayed the two-bow prayer, after
the rite of Abraham the Friend (on whom be the Peace!) and wrote a
letter, which he despatched by his brother Sahim to the King of the
Kafirs. When Sahim reached the enemies’ camp, the guards asked him what
he wanted, and he answered them, “I want your ruler.”[21] Quoth they,
“Wait till we consult him anent thee;” and he waited, whilst they went
in to their Sovran and told him of the coming of a messenger, and he
cried, “Hither with him to me!” So they brought Sahim before Jaland, who
said to him, “Who hath sent thee?” Quoth he, “King Gharib sends me, whom
Allah hath made ruler over Arab and Ajam; receive his letter and return
its reply.” Jaland took the writ and opening it, read as follows:—“In
the name of Allah, the Compassionating, the Compassionate ✿ the One, the
All-knowing, the supremely Great ✿ the Immemorial, the Lord of Noah and
Sálih and Húd and Abraham and of all things He made! ✿ The Peace be on
him who followeth in the way of righteousness and who feareth the issues
of frowardness ✿ who obeyeth the Almighty King and followeth the Faith
saving and preferreth the next world to any present thing! ✿ But
afterwards: O Jaland, none is worthy of worship save Allah alone, the
Victorious, the One, Creator of night and day and the sphere revolving
alway ✿ Who sendeth the holy Prophets and garreth the streams to flow
and the trees to grow, who vaulted the heavens and spread out the earth
like a carpet below ✿ Who feedeth the birds in their nests and the wild
beasts in the deserts ✿ for He is Allah the All-powerful, the Forgiving,
the Long-suffering, the Protector, whom eye comprehendeth on no wise and
who maketh night on day arise ✿ He who sent down the Apostles and their
Holy Writ. Know, O Jaland, that there is no faith but the Faith of
Abraham the Friend; so cleave to the Creed of Salvation and be saved
from the biting glaive and the Fire which followeth the grave ✿ But, an
thou refuse Al-Islam look for ruin to haste and thy reign to be waste
and thy traces untraced ✿ And, lastly, send me the dog Ajib hight that I
may take from him my father’s and mother’s blood-wit.” When Jaland had
read this letter, he said to Sahim, “Tell thy lord that Ajib hath fled,
he and his folk, and I know not whither he is gone; but, as for Jaland,
he will not forswear his faith, and to-morrow, there shall be battle
between us and the Sun shall give us the victory.” So Sahim returned to
his brother with this reply, and when the morning morrowed, the Moslems
donned their arms and armour and bestrode their stout steeds, calling
aloud on the name of the All-conquering King, Creator of bodies and
souls, and magnifying Him with “Allaho Akbar.” Then the kettle-drums of
battle beat until earth trembled, and sought the field all the lordly
warriors and doughty champions. The first to open the gate of battle was
Jamrkan, who drave his charger into mid-plain and played with sword and
javelin, till the understanding was amazed; after which he cried out,
saying, “Ho! who is for tilting? Ho! who is for fighting? Let no
sluggard come out to me to-day nor weakling! I am the slayer of Kurajan
bin Jaland; who will come forth to avenge him?” When Jaland heard the
name of his son, he cried out to his men, “O whore-sons, bring me yonder
horseman who slew my son, that I may eat his flesh and drink his blood.”
So an hundred fighting men charged at Jamrkan, but he slew the most part
of them and put their chief to flight; which feat when Jaland saw, he
cried out to his folk, “At him all at once and assault him with one
assault.” Accordingly they waved the awe-striking banners and host was
heaped on host; Gharib rushed on with his men and Jamrkan did the same
and the two sides met like two seas together clashing. The Yamáni sword
and spear wrought havoc and breasts and bellies were rent, whilst both
armies saw the Angel of Death face to face and the dust of the battle
rose to the skirts of the sky. Ears went deaf and tongues went dumb and
doom from every side came on whilst valiant stood fast and faint-heart
fled: and they ceased not from fight and fray till ended the day, when
the drums beat the retreat and the two hosts drew apart and returned,
each to its tents.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Six Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,