took that letter from Hayat al-Nufus she fared forth till she found the
youth who was sitting in his shop and gave it to him, saying, “Read
thine answer and know that when she perused thy paper she was wroth with
exceeding wrath; but I soothed her and spake her fair, till she
consented to write thee a reply.” He took the letter joyfully but, when
he had read it and understood its drift, he wept sore, whereat the old
woman’s heart ached and she cried, “O my son, Allah never cause thine
eyes to weep nor thy heart to mourn! What can be more gracious than that
she should answer thy letter when thou hast done what thou diddest?” He
replied, “O my mother what shall I do for a subtle device? Behold, she
writeth to me, threatening me with death and crucifixion and forbidding
me from writing to her; and I, by Allah, see my death to be better than
my life; but I beg thee of thy grace[273] to carry her another letter
from me.” She said, “Write and I warrant I’ll bring thee an answer. By
Allah, I will assuredly venture my life to win for thee thy wish, though
I die to pleasure thee!” He thanked her and kissing her hands, wrote
these verses:—
Do you threaten me wi’ death for my loving you so well? ✿ When Death to
me were rest and all dying is by Fate?
And man’s death is but a boon, when so longsome to him grows ✿ His life,
and rejected he lives in lonest state:
Then visit ye a lover who hath ne’er a soul to aid; ✿ For on pious works
of men Heaven’s blessing shall await.
But an ye be resolved on this deed then up and on; ✿ I’m in bonds to
you, a bondsman confined within your gate:
What path have I whose patience without you is no more? ✿ How is this,
when a lover’s heart in stress of love is strait?
O my lady show me ruth, who by passion am misused; ✿ For all who love
the noble stand for evermore excused.
He then folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, together with
two purses of two hundred dinars, which she would have refused, but he
conjured her by oath to accept of them. So she took them both and said,
“Needs must I bring thee to thy desire, despite the noses of thy foes.”
Then she repaired to the palace and gave the letter to Hayat al-Nufus
who said, “What is this, O my nurse? Here are we in a correspondence and
thou coming and going! Indeed, I fear lest the matter get wind and we be
disgraced.” Rejoined the old woman, “How so, O my lady? Who dare speak
such word?” So she took the letter and after reading and understanding
it she smote hand on hand, saying, “Verily, this is a calamity which is
fallen upon us, and I know not whence this young man came to us!” Quoth
the old woman, “O my lady, Allah upon thee, write him another letter;
but be rough with him this time and say to him:—An thou write me another
word after this, I will have thy head struck off.” Quoth the Princess,
“O my nurse, I am assured that the matter will not end on such wise;
’twere better to break off this exchange of letters; and, except the
puppy take warning by my previous threats, I will strike off his head.”
The old woman said, “Then write him a letter and give him to know this
condition.” So Hayat al-Nufus called for pen-case and paper and wrote
these couplets:—
Ho, thou heedless of Time and his sore despight! ✿ Ho, thou heart whom
hopes of my favours excite!
Think O pride-full! would’st win for thyself the skies? ✿ Would’st
attain to the moon shining clear and bright?
I will burn thee with fire that shall ne’er be quenched, ✿ Or will slay
thee with scymitar’s sharpest bite!
Leave it, friend, and ’scape the tormenting pains, ✿ Such as turn
hair-partings[274] from black to white.
Take my warning and fly from the road of love; ✿ Draw thee back from a
course nor seemly nor right!
Then she folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, who was puzzled
and perplexed by the matter. She carried it to Ardashir, and the Prince
read the letter and bowed his head to the earth, making as if he wrote
with his finger and speaking not a word. Quoth the old woman, “How is it
I see thee silent stay and not say thy say?”; and quoth he, “O my
mother, what shall I say, seeing that she doth but threaten me and
redoubleth in hardheartedness and aversion?” Rejoined the nurse, “Write
her a letter of what thou wilt: I will protect thee; nor let thy heart
be cast down, for needs must I bring you twain together.” He thanked her
for her kindness and kissing her hand, wrote these couplets:—
A heart, by Allah! never soft to lover-wight, ✿ Who sighs for union only
with his friends, his sprite!
Who with tear-ulcered eyelids evermore must bide, ✿ When falleth upon
earth first darkness of the night:
Be just, be gen’rous, lend thy ruth and deign give alms ✿ To
love-molested lover, parted, forced to flight!
He spends the length of longsome night without a doze; ✿ Fire-brent and
drent in tear-flood flowing infinite:
Ah; cut not off the longing of my fondest heart ✿ Now disappointed,
wasted, flutt’ring for its blight.
Then he folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, together with
three hundred dinars, saying, “This is for the washing of thy hands.”
She thanked him and kissed his hands, after which she returned to the
palace and gave the letter to the Princess, who took it and read it and
throwing it from her fingers, sprang to her feet. Then she walked, shod
as she was with pattens of gold, set with pearls and jewels, till she
came to her sire’s palace, whilst the vein of anger started out between
her eyes, and none dared ask her of her case. When she reached the
palace, she enquired for the King, and the slave-girls and concubines
replied to her, “O my lady, he is gone forth a-hunting and sporting.” So
she returned, as she were a rending lioness, and bespake none for the
space of three hours, when her brow cleared and her wrath cooled. As
soon as the old woman saw that her irk and anger were past, she went up
to her and, kissing ground between her hands, asked her, “O my lady,
whither went those noble steps?” The Princess answered, “To the palace
of the King my sire.” “And could no one do thine errand?” enquired the
nurse. Replied the Princess, “No, for I went to acquaint him of that
which hath befallen me with yonder cur of a merchant, so he might lay
hands on him and on all the merchants of his bazar and crucify them over
their shops nor suffer a single foreign merchant to tarry in our town.”
Quoth the old woman, “And was this thine only reason, O my lady, for
going to thy sire?”; and quoth Hayat al-Nufus, “Yes, but I found him
absent a-hunting and sporting and now I await his return.” Cried the old
nurse, “I take refuge with Allah, the All-hearing, the All-knowing!
Praised be He! O my lady, thou art the most sensible of women and how
couldst thou think of telling the King these fond words, which it
behoveth none to publish?” Asked the Princess, “And why so?” and the
nurse answered, “Suppose thou had found the King in his palace and told
him all this tale and he had sent after the merchants and commanded to
hang them over their shops, the folk would have seen them hanging and
asked the reason and it would have been answered them:—They sought to
seduce the King’s daughter.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old woman
said to the Princess, “Suppose thou had told this to the King and he had
ordered the merchants to be hanged, would not folk have seen them and
have asked the cause of the execution when the answer would have
been:—They sought to seduce the King’s daughter? Then would they have
dispread divers reports concerning thee, some saying:—She abode with
them ten days, away from her palace, till they had taken their fill of
her; and other some in otherguise; for woman’s honour, O my lady, is
like curded milk, the least dust fouleth it; and like glass, which, if
it be cracked, may not be mended. So beware of telling thy sire or any
other of this matter, lest thy fair fame be smirched, O mistress mine,
for ’twill never profit thee to tell folk aught; no, never! Weigh what I
say with thy keen wit, and if thou find it not just, do whatso thou
wilt.” The Princess pondered her words, and seeing them to be altogether
profitable and right, said, “Thou speakest sooth, O my nurse; but anger
had blinded my judgment.” Quoth the old woman, “Thy resolve to tell no
one is pleasing to the Almighty; but something remaineth to be done: we
must not let the shamelessness of yonder vile dog of a merchant pass
without notice. Write him a letter and say to him:—O vilest of traders,
but that I found the King my father absent, I had straightway commanded
to hang thee and all thy neighbours. But thou shalt gain nothing by
this; for I swear to thee, by Allah the Most High, that an thou return
to the like of this talk, I will blot out the trace of thee from the
face of earth! And deal thou roughly with him in words, so shalt thou
discourage him in this attempt and arouse him from his heedlessness.”
“And will these words cause him to abstain from his offending?” asked
the Princess; and the old woman answered, “How should he not abstain?
Besides, I will talk with him and tell him what hath passed.” So the
Princess called for ink-case and paper and wrote these couplets:—
To win our favours still thy hopes are bent; ✿ And still to win thy will
art confident!
Naught save his pride-full aim shall slay a man; ✿ And he by us shall
die of his intent.
Thou art no lord of might, no chief of men, ✿ Nabob or Prince or Soldan
Heaven-sent;
And were this deed of one who is our peer, ✿ He had returned with hair
for fear white-sprent:
Yet will I deign once more excuse thy sin ✿ So from this time thou prove
thee penitent.
Then she gave the missive to the old woman, saying, “O my nurse, do thou
admonish this puppy lest I be forced to cut off his head and sin on his
account.” Replied the old woman, “By Allah, O my lady, I will not leave
him a side to turn on!” Then she returned to the youth and, when salams
had been exchanged, she gave him the letter. He read it and shook his
head, saying, “Verily, we are Allah’s and unto him shall we return!”
adding, “O my mother, what shall I do? My fortitude faileth me and my
patience palleth upon me!” She replied, “O my son, be long-suffering:
peradventure, after this Allah shall bring somewhat to pass. Write that
which is in thy mind and I will fetch thee an answer, and be of good
cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear; for needs must I bring about
union between thee and her,—Inshallah!” He blessed her and wrote to the
Princess a note containing these couplets:—
Since none will lend my love a helping hand, ✿ And I by passion’s bale
in death low-lain,
I bear a flaming fire within my heart ✿ By day and night nor place of
rest attain,
How cease to hope in thee, my wishes’ term? ✿ Or with my longings to be
glad and fain?
The Lord of highmost Heaven to grant my prayer ✿ Pray I, whom love of
lady fair hath slain;
And as I’m clean o’erthrown by love and fear, ✿ To grant me speedy union
deign, oh deign!
Then he folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, bringing out at
the same time a purse of four hundred dinars. She took the whole and
returning to the palace sought the Princess to whom she gave the letter;
but the King’s daughter refused to take it and cried, “What is this?”
Replied the old woman, “O my lady, this is only the answer to the letter
thou sentest to that merchant dog.” Quoth Hayat al-Nufus, “Didst thou
forbid him as I told thee?”; and quoth she, “Yes, and this is his
reply.” So the Princess took the letter and read it to the end; then she
turned to the old woman and exclaimed, “Where is the result of thy
promise?” “O my lady, saith he not in his letter that he repenteth and
will not again offend, excusing himself for the past?” “Not so, by
Allah!: on the contrary, he increaseth.” “O my lady, write him a letter
and thou shalt presently see what I will do with him.” “There needeth
nor letter nor answer.” “I must have a letter that I may rebuke him
roughly and cut off his hopes.” “Thou canst do that without a letter.”
“I cannot do it without the letter.” So Hayat al-Nufus called for
pen-case and paper and wrote these verses:—
Long have I chid thee but my chiding hindereth thee not ✿ How often
would my verse with writ o’ hand ensnare thee, ah!
Then keep thy passion hidden deep and ever unrevealed, ✿ And if thou
dare gainsay me Earth shall no more bear thee, ah!
And if, despite my warning, thou dost to such words return ✿ Death’s
Messenger[275] shall go his rounds and dead declare thee, ah!
Soon shall the wold’s fierce chilling blast o’erblow that corse o’
thine; ✿ And birds o’ the wild with ravening bills and beaks shall
tear thee, ah!
Return to righteous course; perchance that same will profit thee; ✿ If
bent on wilful aims and lewd I fain forswear thee, ah!
When she had made an end of her writing this, she cast the writ from her
hand in wrath, and the old woman picked it up and went with it to
Ardashir. When he read it to the last he knew that she had not softened
to him, but only redoubled in rage against him, and that he would never
win to meet her, so he bethought himself to write her an answer invoking
Allah’s help against her. Thereupon he indited these couplets:—
O Lord, by the Five Shaykhs, I pray deliver me ✿ From love, which gars
me bear such grief and misery.
Thou knowest what I bear for passion’s fiery flame; ✿ What stress of
sickness for that merciless maid I dree.
She hath no pity on the pangs to me decreed ✿ How long on weakly wight
shall last her tyranny?
I am distraught for her with passing agonies ✿ And find no friend, O
folk! to hear my plaint and plea.
How long, when Night hath drooped her pinions o’er the world ✿ Shall I
lament in public as in privacy?
For love of you I cannot find forgetfulness; ✿ And how forget when
Patience taketh wings to flee?
O thou wild parting-bird[276] say is she safe and sure ✿ From shift and
change of time and the world’s cruelty?
Then he folded the scroll and gave it to the old woman, adding a purse
of five hundred dinars; and she took it and carried it to the Princess,
who read it to the end and learned its purport. Then, casting it from
her hand, she cried, “Tell me O wicked old woman, the cause of all that
hath befallen me from thee and from thy cunning and thine advocacy of
him, so that thou hast made me write letter after letter and thou
ceasest not to carry messages, going and coming between us twain, till
thou hast brought about a correspondence and a connection. Thou leavest
not to say:—I will ensure thee against his mischief and cut off from
thee his speech; but thou speakest not thus save only to the intent that
I may continue to write thee letters and thou to fetch and carry between
us, evening and morning, till thou ruin my repute. Woe to thee! Ho,
eunuchs, seize her!” Then Hayat al-Nufus commanded them to beat her, and
they lashed her till her whole body flowed with blood and she fainted
away, whereupon the King’s daughter caused her slave-women to drag her
forth by the feet and cast her without the palace and bade one of them
stand by her head till she recovered, and say to her, “The Princess hath
sworn an oath that thou shalt never return to and re-enter this palace;
and she hath commanded to slay thee without mercy an thou dare return
hither.” So, when she came to herself, the damsel told her what the
King’s daughter said and she answered, “Hearkening and obedience.”
Presently the slave-girls fetched a basket and a porter whom they caused
carry her to her own house; and they sent after her a physician, bidding
him tend her assiduously till she recovered. He did what he was told to
do and as soon as she was whole she mounted and rode to the shop of
Ardashir who was concerned with sore concern for her absence and was
longing for news of her. As soon as he saw her, he sprang up and coming
to meet her, saluted her; then he noticed that she was weak and ailing;
so he questioned her of her case and she told him all that had befallen
her from her nursling. When he heard this, he found it grievous and
smote hand upon hand, saying, “By Allah, O my mother, this that hath
betided thee straiteneth my heart! But, what, O my mother, is the reason
of the Princess’s hatred to men?” Replied the old woman, “Thou must know
O my son, that she hath a beautiful garden, than which there is naught
goodlier on earth’s face and it chanced that she lay there one night. In
the joyance of sleep, she dreamt a dream and ’twas this, that she went
down into the garden, where she saw a fowler set up his net and strew
corn thereabout, after which he withdrew and sat down afar off to await
what game should fall into it. Ere an hour had passed the birds flocked
to pick up the corn and a male pigeon[277] fell into the net and
struggled in it, whereat all the others took fright and fled from him.
His mate was amongst them, but she returned to him after the shortest
delay; and, coming up to the net, sought out the mesh wherein his foot
was entangled and ceased not to peck at it with her bill, till she
severed it and released her husband, with whom she flew away. All this
while, the fowler sat dozing, and when he awoke, he looked at the net
and found it spoilt. So he mended it and strewed fresh grain, then
withdrew to a distance and sat down to watch it again. The birds soon
returned and began to pick up the corn, and among the rest the pair of
pigeons. Presently, the she-pigeon fell into the net and struggled to
get free; whereupon all the other birds flew away, and her mate, whom
she had saved, fled with the rest and did not return to her. Meantime,
sleep had again overcome the fowler; and, when he awoke after long
slumbering, he saw the she-pigeon caught in the net; so he went up to
her and freeing her feet from the meshes, cut her throat. The Princess
startled by the dream awoke troubled, and said:—Thus do men with women,
for women have pity on men and throw away their lives for them, when
they are in difficulties; but if the Lord decree against a woman and she
fall into calamity, her mate deserteth her and rescueth her not, and
wasted is that which she did with him of kindness. Allah curse her who
putteth her trust in men, for they ill requite the fair offices which
women do them! And from that day she conceived an hatred to men.” Said
the King’s son, “O my mother, doth she never go out into the highways?”;
and the old woman replied, “Nay, O my son; but I will tell thee somewhat
wherein, Allah willing, there shall be profit for thee. She hath a
garden which is of the goodliest pleasaunces of the age; and every year,
at the time of the ripening of the fruits, she goeth thither and taketh
her pleasure therein only one day, nor layeth the night but in her
pavilion. She entereth the garden by the private wicket of the palace
which leadeth thereto; and thou must know that it wanteth now but a
month to the time of her going forth. So take my advice and hie thee
this very day to the keeper of that garden and make acquaintance with
him and gain his good graces, for he admitteth not one of Allah’s
creatures into the garth, because of its communication with the
Princess’s palace. I will let thee know two days beforehand of the day
fixed for her coming forth, when do thou repair to the garden, as of thy
wont, and make shift to night there. When the King’s daughter cometh be
thou hidden in some place or other;”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Twenty-fifth Night,