Al-Asma’i and Husayn al-Khalí’a[151] and said to them, “Tell me a story
you twain and do thou begin, O Husayn.” He said, “’Tis well, O Commander
of the Faithful;” and thus began:—Some years ago, I dropped down stream
to Bassorah, to present to Mohammed bin Sulayman al-Rabí’í[152] a
Kasidah or elegy I had composed in his praise; and he accepted it and
bade me abide with him. One day, I went out to Al-Mirbad,[153] by way of
Al-Muháliyah;[154] and, being oppressed by the excessive heat, went up
to a great door, to ask for drink, when I was suddenly aware of a
damsel, as she were a branch swaying, with eyes languishing, eyebrows
arched and finely pencilled and smooth cheeks rounded, clad in a shift
the colour of a pomegranate-flower, and a mantilla of Sana’á[155] work;
but the perfect whiteness of her body overcame the redness of her shift,
through which glittered two breasts like twin granadoes and a waist, as
it were a roll of fine Coptic linen, with creases like scrolls of pure
white paper stuffed with musk.[156] Moreover, O Prince of True
Believers, round her neck was slung an amulet of red gold that fell down
between her breasts, and on the plain of her forehead were brow-locks
like jet.[157] Her eyebrows joined and her eyes were like lakes; she had
an aquiline nose and thereunder shell-like lips showing teeth like
pearls. Pleasantness prevailed in every part of her; but she seemed
dejected, disturbed, distracted and in the vestibule came and went,
walking upon the hearts of her lovers, whilst her legs[158] made mute
the voices of their ankle-rings; and indeed she was as saith the poet:—
Each portion of her charms we see ✿ Seems of the whole a simile.
I was overawed by her, O Commander of the Faithful, and drew near her to
greet her, and behold, the house and vestibule and highways breathed
fragrant with musk. So I saluted her and she returned my salam with a
voice dejected and heart depressed and with the ardour of passion
consumed. Then said I to her, “O my lady, I am an old man and a stranger
and sore troubled by thirst. Wilt thou order me a draught of water, and
win reward in heaven?” She cried, “Away, O Shaykh, from me! I am
distracted from all thought of meat and drink.”——And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-fourth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the damsel
said, “O Shaykh, I am distracted from all thought of meat and drink.”
Quoth I (continued Husayn), “By what ailment, O my lady?” and quoth she,
“I love one who dealeth not justly by me and I desire one who of me will
none. Wherefore I am afflicted with the wakefulness of those who wake
star-gazing.” I asked, “O my lady, is there on the wide expanse of earth
one to whom thou hast a mind and who to thee hath no mind?” Answered
she, “Yes; and this for the perfection of beauty and loveliness and
goodliness wherewith he is endowed.” “And why standeth thou in this
porch?” enquired I. “This is his road,” replied she, “and the hour of
his passing by.” I said, “O my lady, have ye ever foregathered and had
such commerce and converse as might cause this passion?” At this she
heaved a deep sigh; the tears rained down her cheeks, as they were dew
falling upon roses, and she versified with these couplets:—
We were like willow-boughs in garden shining ✿ And scented joys in
happiest life combining;
Whenas one bough from other self would rend ✿ And oh! thou seest this
for that repining!
Quoth I, “O maid, and what betideth thee of thy love for this man?”; and
quot. she, “I see the sun upon the walls of his folk and I think the sun
is he; or haply I catch sight of him unexpectedly and am confounded and
the blood and the life fly my body and I abide in unreasoning plight a
week or e’en a se’nnight.” Said I, “Excuse me, for I also have suffered
that which is upon thee of love-longing and distraction of soul and
wasting of frame and loss of strength; and I see in thee pallor of
complexion and emaciation, such as testify of the fever-fits of desire.
But how shouldst thou be unsmitten of passion and thou a sojourner in
the land of Bassorah?” Said she, “By Allah, before I fell in love of
this youth, I was perfect in beauty and loveliness and amorous grace
which ravished all the Princes of Bassorah, till he fell in love with
me.” I asked, “O maid, and who parted you?”; and she answered, “The
vicissitudes of fortune,” but the manner of our separation was strange;
and ’twas on this wise. One New Year’s day I had invited the damsels of
Bassorah and amongst them a girl belonging to Sírán, who had bought her
out of Oman for fourscore thousand dirhams. She loved me and loved me to
madness and when she entered she threw herself upon me and well-nigh
tore me in pieces with bites and pinches.[159] Then we withdrew apart,
to drink wine at our ease, till our meat was ready[160] and our delight
was complete, and she toyed with me and I with her, and now I was upon
her and now she was upon me. Presently, the fumes of the wine moved her
to strike her hand on the inkle of my petticoat-trousers, whereby it
became loosed, unknown of either of us, and my trousers fell down in our
play. At this moment he came in unobserved and, seeing me thus, was
wroth at the sight and made off, as the Arab filly hearing the tinkle of
her bridle.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-fifth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the maiden said
to Husayn al-Khali’a, “When my lover saw me playing, as I described to
thee, with Siran’s girl, he went forth in anger. And ’tis now, O Shaykh,
three years ago, and since then I have never ceased to excuse myself to
him and coax him and crave his indulgence, but he will neither cast a
look at me from the corner of his eye, nor write me a word nor speak to
me by messenger nor hear from me aught.” Quoth I, “Harkye maid, is he an
Arab or an Ajam?”; and quoth she, “Out on thee! He is of the Princes of
Bassorah.” “Is he old or young?” asked I; and she looked at me
laughingly and answered, “Thou art certainly a simpleton! He is like the
moon on the night of its full, smooth-cheeked and beardless, nor is
there any defect in him except his aversion to me.” Then I put the
question, “What is his name?” and she replied, “What wilt thou do with
him?” I rejoined, “I will do my best to come at him, that I may bring
about reunion between you.” Said she, “I will tell thee on condition
that thou carry him a note;” and I said, “I have no objection to that.”
Then quoth she, “His name is Zamrah bin al-Mughayrah, hight Abú
al-Sakhá,[161] and his palace is in the Mirbad.” Therewith she called to
those within for inkcase and paper and tucking up[162] her sleeves,
showed two wrists like broad rings of silver. She then wrote after the
Basmalah as follows, “My lord, the omission of blessings[163] at the
head of this my letter shows mine insufficiency, and know that had my
prayer been answered, thou hadst never left me; for how often have I
prayed that thou shouldest not leave me, and yet thou didst leave me!
Were it not that distress with me exceedeth the bounds of restraint,
that which thy servant hath forced herself to do in writing this writ
were an aidance to her, despite her despair of thee, because of her
knowledge of thee that thou wilt fail to answer. Do thou fulfil her
desire, my lord, of a sight of thee from the porch, as thou passest in
the street, wherewith thou wilt quicken the dead soul in her. Or, far
better for her still than this, do thou write her a letter with thine
own hand (Allah endow it with all excellence!), and appoint it in
requital of the intimacy that was between us in the nights of time past,
whereof thou must preserve the memory. My lord, was I not to thee a
lover sick with passion? An thou answer my prayer, I will give to thee
thanks and to Allah praise; and so—The Peace!”[164] Then she gave me the
letter and I went away. Next morning I repaired to the door of the
Viceroy Mohammed bin Sulayman, where I found an assembly of the notables
of Bassorah, and amongst them a youth who adorned the gathering and
surpassed in beauty and brightness all who were there; and indeed the
Emir Mohammed set him above himself. I asked who he was and behold, it
was Zamrah himself: so I said in my mind, “Verily, there hath befallen
yonder unhappy one that which hath befallen her[165]!” Then I betook
myself to the Mirbad and stood waiting at the door of his house, till he
came riding up in state, when I accosted him and invoking more than
usual blessings on him, handed him the missive. When he read it and
understood it he said to me, “O Shaykh, we have taken other in her
stead. Say me, wilt thou see the substitute?” I answered, “Yes.”
Whereupon he called out a woman’s name, and there came forth a damsel
who shamed the two greater lights; swelling-breasted, walking the gait
of one who hasteneth without fear, to whom he gave the note, saying, “Do
thou answer it.” When she read it, she turned pale at the contents and
said to me, “O old man, crave pardon of Allah for this that thou hast
brought.” So I went out, O Commander of the Faithful, dragging my feet
and returning to her asked leave to enter. When she saw me, she asked,
“What is behind thee?”; and I answered, “Evil and despair.” Quoth she,
“Have thou no concern of him. Where are Allah and His power?”[166] Then
she ordered me five hundred dinars and I took them and went away. Some
days after I passed by the place and saw there horsemen and footmen. So
I went in and lo! these were the companions of Zamrah, who were begging
her to return to him; but she said, “No, by Allah, I will not look him
in the face!” And she prostrated herself in gratitude to Allah and
exultation over Zamrah’s defeat. Then I drew near her, and she pulled
out to me a letter, wherein was written, after the Bismillah, “My lady,
but for my forbearance towards thee (whose life Allah lengthen!) I would
relate somewhat of what betided from thee and set out my excuse, in that
thou trans-gressedst against me, whenas thou wast manifestly a sinner
against thyself and myself in breach of vows and lack of constancy and
preference of another over us; for, by Allah, on whom we call for help
against that which was of thy free-will, thou didst transgress against
the love of me; and so—The Peace!” Then she showed me the presents and
rarities he had sent her, which were of the value of thirty thousand
dinars. I saw her again after this, and Zamrah had married her. Quoth
Al-Rashid, “Had not Zamrah been beforehand with us, I should certainly
have had to do with her myself.”[167] And men tell the tale of
-----
Footnote 151:
Al-Khalí’a has been explained in vol. i. 311: the translation of
Al-Mas’udi (vi. 10) renders it “scélérat.” Abú Alí al-Husayn the Wag
was a Bassorite and a worthy companion of Abu Nowas the Debauchee; but
he adorned the Court of Al-Amin the son, not of Al-Rashid the father.
Footnote 152:
Governor of Bassorah, but not in Al-Husayn’s day.
Footnote 153:
The famous market-place where poems were recited; mentioned by
Al-Hariri
Footnote 154:
A quarter of Bassorah.
Footnote 155:
Capital of Al-Yaman, and then famed for its leather and other work
(vol. v. 16).
Footnote 156:
The creases in the stomach like the large navel are always insisted
upon. Says the Kathá (ii. 525) “And he looked on that torrent river of
the elixir of beauty, adorned with a waist made charming by those
wave-like wrinkles,” etc.
Footnote 157:
Arab. Sabaj (not Sabah, as the Mac. Edit. misprints it): I am not sure
of its meaning.
Footnote 158:
A truly Arab conceit, suggesting—
The mind, the music breathing from her face;
her calves moved rhythmically, suggesting the movement and consequent
sound of a musical instrument.
Footnote 159:
The _morosa voluptas_ of the Catholic divines. The Sapphist described
in the text would procure an orgasm (_in gloria_, as the Italians call
it) by biting and rolling over the girl she loved; but by loosening
the trouser-string she evidently aims at a closer tribadism—the Arab
“Musáhikah.”
Footnote 160:
We drink (or drank) after dinner; Easterns before the meal and
half-Easterns (like the Russians) before and after. We talk of liquor
being unwholesome on an empty stomach; but the truth is that all is
purely habit. And as the Russian accompanies his Vodki with caviare,
etc., so the Oriental drinks his Raki or Mahayá (Ma al-hayát—aqua
vitæ) alternately with a Salátah, for whose composition see Pilgrimage
i. 198. The Eastern practice has its advantages: it awakens the
appetite, stimulates digestion and, what Easterns greatly regard, it
is economical; half a bottle doing the work of a whole. Bhang and
Kusumbá (opium dissolved and strained through a pledget of cotton) are
always drunk before dinner and thus the “jolly” time is the
preprandial, not the postprandial.
Footnote 161:
“Abu al-Sakhá” (pronounced Abussakhá) = Father of munificence.
Footnote 162:
Arab. “Shammara,” also used for gathering up the gown, so as to run
the faster.
Footnote 163:
_i.e._, blessing the Prophet and all True Believers (herself
included).
Footnote 164:
The style of this letter is that of a public scribe in a Cairo
market-place thirty years ago.
Footnote 165:
_i.e._ she could not help falling in love with this beauty man.
Footnote 166:
“Kudrat,” used somewhat in the sense of our vague “Providence.” The
sentence means, leave Omnipotence to manage him. Mr. Redhouse, who
forces a likeness between Moslem and Christian theology, tells us that
“Qader is unjustly translated by Fate and Destiny, an old pagan idea
abhorrent to Al-Islam which reposes on God’s providence.” He makes
Kazá and Kismet quasi synonyms of “Qazá” and “Qader,” the former
signifying God’s decree, the latter our allotted portion; and he would
render both by dispensation. Of course it is convenient to forget the
Guarded Tablet of the learned and the Night of Power and
skull-lectures of the vulgar. The eminent Turkish scholar would also
translate Salát by worship (du’á being prayer) because it signifies a
simple act of adoration without entreaty. If he will read the Opener
of the Koran, recited in every set of prayers, he will find an
especial request to be “led to the path which is straight.” These
vagaries are seriously adopted by Mr. E. J. W. Gibb in his Ottoman
Poems (p. 245, etc.) London: Trübner and Co., 1882; and they deserve,
I think, reprehension, because they serve only to mislead; and the
high authority of the source whence they come necessarily recommends
them to many.
Footnote 167:
The reader will have noticed the likeness of this tale to that of Ibn
Mansúr and the Lady Budúr (vol. iv., 228 _et seq._) For this reason
Lane leaves it untranslated (iii. 252).
ISHAK OF MOSUL AND HIS MISTRESS AND THE DEVIL.[168]
Quoth Ishak bin Ibrahim al-Mausili:—I was in my house one night in the
winter-time, when the clouds had dispread themselves and the rains
poured down in torrents, as from the mouths of water-skins, and the folk
forbore to come and go about the ways for that which was therein of rain
and slough. Now I was straitened in breast because none of my brethren
came to me nor could I go to them, by reason of the mud and mire; so I
said to my servant, “Bring me wherewithal I may divert myself.”
Accordingly he brought me meat and drink, but I had no heart to eat,
without someone to keep me company, and I ceased not to look out of
window and watch the ways till nightfall, when I bethought myself of a
damsel belonging to one of the sons of Al-Mahdi,[169] whom I loved and
who was skilled in singing and playing upon instruments of music, and
said to myself, “Were she here with us to-night, my joy would be
complete and my night would be abridged of the melancholy and
restlessness which are upon me.” At this moment one knocked at the door,
saying, “Shall a beloved enter in who standeth at the door?” Quoth I to
myself, “Meseems the plant of my desire hath fruited.” So I went to the
door and found my mistress, with a long green skirt[170] wrapped about
her and a kerchief of brocade on her head, to fend her from the rain.
She was covered with mud to her knees and all that was upon her was
drenched with water from gargoyles[171] and house-sprouts; in short, she
was in sorry plight. So I said to her, “O my mistress, what bringeth
thee hither through all this mud?” Replied she, “Thy messenger came and
set forth to me that which was with thee of love and longing, so that I
could not choose but yield and hasten to thee.” I marvelled at this——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the damsel
came and knocked at Ishak’s door, he went forth to her and cried, “O my
lady, what bringeth thee hither through all this mud?”; and she replied,
“Thy messenger came and set forth to me that which was with thee of love
and longing, so that I could not choose but yield and hasten to thee.” I
marvelled at this, but did not like to tell her that I had sent no
messenger; wherefore I said, “Praised be Allah for that He hath brought
us together, after all I have suffered by the mortification of patience!
Verily, hadst thou delayed an hour longer, I must have run to thee,
because of my much love for thee and longing for thy presence.” Then I
called to my boy for water, that I might better her plight, and he
brought a kettle full of hot water such as she wanted. I bade pour it
over her feet, whilst I set to work to wash them myself; after which I
called for one of my richest dresses and clad her therein after she had
doffed the muddy clothes. Then, as soon as we were comfortably seated, I
would have called for food, but she refused and I said to her, “Art thou
for wine?”; and she replied, “Yes.” So I fetched cups and she asked me,
“Who shall sing?” “I, O my princess!” “I care not for that;” “One of my
damsels?” “I have no mind to that either!” “Then sing thyself.” “Not I!”
“Who then shall sing for thee?” I enquired, and she rejoined, “Go out
and seek some one to sing for me.” So I went out, in obedience to her,
though I despaired of finding any one in such weather and fared on till
I came to the main street, where I suddenly saw a blind man striking the
earth with his staff and saying, “May Allah not requite with weal those
with whom I was! When I sang, they listened not, and when I was silent,
they made light of me.” So I said to him, “Art thou a singer?” and he
replied, “Yes.” Quoth I, “Wilt thou finish thy night with us and cheer
us with thy company?”; and quoth he, “If it be thy will, take my hand.”
So I took his hand and, leading him to my house, said to the damsel, “O
my mistress, I have brought a blind singer, with whom we may take our
pleasure and he will not see us.” She said, “Bring him to me.” So I
brought him in and invited him to eat. He ate but a very little and
washed his hands, after which I brought him wine and he drank three
cupsful. Then he said to me, “Who art thou?”; and I replied, “I am Ishak
bin Ibrahim al-Mausili.” Quoth he, “I have heard of thee and now I
rejoice in thy company;” and I, “O my lord, I am glad in thy gladness.”
He said, “O Ishak, sing to me.” So I took the lute, by way of jest, and
cried, “I hear and I obey.” When I had made an end of my song, he said
to me, “O Ishak, thou comest nigh to be a singer!” His words belittled
me in mine own eyes and I threw the lute from my hand; whereupon he
said, “Hast thou not with thee some one who is skilled in singing?”
Quoth I, “I have a damsel with me;” and quoth he, “Bid her sing.” I
asked him, “Wilt thou sing, when thou hast had enough of her singing?”;
and he answered “Yes.” So she sang and he said, “Nay, thou hast shown no
art.” Whereupon she flung the lute from her hand in wrath and cried, “We
have done our best: if thou have aught, favour us with it by way of an
alms.” Quoth he, “Bring me a lute hand hath not touched.” So I bade the
servant bring him a new lute and he tuned it and preluding in a mode I
knew not began to sing, improvising these couplets:—
Clove through the shades and came to me in night so dark and sore ✿ The
lover weeting of herself ’twas trysting-tide once more:
Naught startled us but her salám and first of words she said ✿ “May a
belovèd enter in who standeth at the door!”
When the girl heard this, she looked at me askance and said, “What
secret was between us could not thy breast hold for one hour, but thou
must discover it to this man?” However, I swore to her that I had not
told him and excused myself to her and fell to kissing her hands and
tickling her breasts and biting her cheeks, till she laughed and,
turning to the blind man, said to him, “Sing, O my lord!” So he took the
lute and sang these two couplets:—
Ah, often have I sought the fair; how often lief and fain ✿ My palming
felt the finger ends that bear the varied stain!
And tickled pouting breasts that stand firm as pomegranates twain ✿ And
bit the apple of her cheek kissed o’er and o’er again.
So I said to her, “O my princess, who can have told him what we were
about?” Replied she, “True,” and we moved away from him. Presently quoth
he, “I must make water;” and quoth I, “O boy, take the candle and go
before him.” Then he went out and tarried a long while. So we went in
search of him, but could not find him; and behold, the doors were locked
and the keys in the closet, and we knew not whether to heaven he had
flown or into earth had sunk. Wherefore I knew that he was Iblís and
that he had done me pimp’s duty, and I returned, recalling to myself the
words of Abu Nowas in these couplets:—
I marvel in Iblis such pride to see ✿ Beside his low intent and
villeiny: He sinned to Adam who to bow refused, ✿ Yet pimps for all of
Adam’s progeny.
And they tell a tale concerning
-----
Footnote 168:
Lane also omits this tale (iii. 252). See Night dclxxxviii., vol. vii.
p. 113 _et seq._, for a variant of the story.
Footnote 169:
Third Abbaside, A. H. 158–169 (= 775–785), and father of Harun
Al-Rashid. He is known chiefly for his eccentricities, such as cutting
the throats of all his carrier-pigeons, making a man dine off marrow
and sugar and having snow sent to him at Meccah, a distance of 700
miles.
Footnote 170:
Arab. Mirt; the dictionaries give a short shift, cloak or breeches of
wool or coarse silk.
Footnote 171:
Arab. “Mayázíb” plur. of the Pers. Mízáb (orig. Míz-i-áb = channel of
water) a spout for roof-rain. That which drains the Ka’abah on the N.
W. side is called Mizáb al-Rahmah (Gargoyle of Mercy) and pilgrims
stand under it for a douche of holy water. It is supposed to be of
gold, but really of silver gold-plated and is described of Burckhardt
and myself (Pilgrimage iii. 164). The length is 4 feet 10 in.; width 9
in.; height of sides 8 in.; and slope at mouth 1 foot 6 in. long.
THE LOVERS OF AL-MEDINAH.
Quoth Ibrahim the father of Ishak,[172] I was ever a devoted friend to
the Barmecide family. And it so happened to me one day, as I sat at home
quite alone, a knock was heard at the door; so my servant went out and
returned, saying, “A comely youth is at the door, asking admission.” I
bade admit him and there came in to me a young man, on whom were signs
of sickness, and he said, “I have long wished to meet thee, for I have
need of thine aid.” “What is it thou requirest?” asked I. Whereupon he
pulled out three hundred dinars and laying them before me, said, “I
beseech thee to accept these and compose me an air to two couplets I
have made.” Said I, “Repeat them to me;”——And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-seventh Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
youth came in to Ibrahim and placed the gold in his hands, saying,
“Prithee accept it and compose me an air to two couplets.” He replied,
“Recite them to me,” whereupon he recited:—
By Allah, glance of mine! thou hast opprest ✿ My heart, so quench the
fire that burns my breast.
Blames me the world because in him[173] I live ✿ Yet cannot see him till
in shroud I rest.