sister, “Do thou tell them my tale, for before them I stand abashed nor
can I face them with these words.” So she said to them, “O my sisters,
when we went away and left alone this unhappy one, the palace was
straitened upon him and he feared lest some one should come in to him,
for ye know that the sons of Adam are light of wits. So, he opened the
door of the staircase leading to the roof, of his loneliness and
trouble, and sat there, looking upon the Wady and watching the gate, in
his fear lest any should come thither. One day, as he sat thus, suddenly
he saw ten birds approach him, making for the palace, and they lighted
down on the brink of the basin which is in the pavilion-terrace. He
watched these birds and saw, amongst them, one goodlier than the rest,
which pecked the others and flouted them, whilst none of them dared not
put out a claw to it. Presently, they set their nails to their
neck-collars and, rending their feather-suits, came forth therefrom and
became damsels, each and every, like the moon on fullest night. Then
they doffed their dress and plunging into the water, fell to playing
with one another, whilst the chief damsel ducked the others, who dared
not lay a finger on her and she was fairest of favour and most famous of
form and most feateous of finery. They ceased not to be in this case
till near the hour of mid-afternoon prayer, when they came forth of the
basin and, donning their feather-shifts, flew away home. Thereupon he
waxed distracted, with a heart afire for love of the chief damsel and
repenting him that he had not stolen her plumery. Wherefore he fell sick
and abode on the palace-roof expecting her return and abstaining from
meat and drink and sleep, and he ceased not to be so till the new moon
showed, when behold, they again made their appearance according to
custom and doffing their dresses went down into the basin. So he stole
the chief damsel’s feather-suit, knowing that she could not fly save
therewith, hiding himself carefully lest they sight him and slay him.
Then he waited till the rest had flown away, when he arose and seizing
the damsel, carried her down from the terrace into the castle.” Her
sisters asked, “Where is she?”; and she answered, “She is with him in
such a chamber.” Quoth they, “Describe her to us, O our sister:” so
quoth she, “She is fairer than the moon on the night of fullness and her
face is sheenier than the sun; the dew of her lips is sweeter than honey
and her shape is straighter and slenderer than the cane; one with eyes
black as night and brow flower-white; a bosom jewel-bright, breasts like
pomegranates twain and cheeks like apples twain, a waist with dimples
overlain, a navel like a casket of ivory full of musk in grain, and legs
like columns of alabastrine vein. She ravisheth all hearts with
Nature-kohl’d eyne, and a waist slender-fine and hips of heaviest design
and speech that heals all pain and pine: she is goodly of shape and
sweet of smile, as she were the moon in fullest sheen and shine.” When
the Princesses heard these praises, they turned to Hasan and said to
him, “Show her to us.” So he arose with them, all love-distraught, and
carrying them to the chamber wherein was the captive damsel, opened the
door and entered, preceding the seven Princesses. Now when they saw her
and noted her loveliness, they kissed the ground between her hands,
marvelling at the fairness of her favour and the significance which
showed her inner gifts, and said to her, “By Allah, O daughter of the
Sovran Supreme, this is indeed a mighty matter: and haddest thou heard
tell of this mortal among women thou haddest marvelled at him all thy
days. Indeed, he loveth thee with passionate love; yet, O King’s
daughter, he seeketh not lewdness, but desireth thee only in the way of
lawful wedlock. Had we known that maids can do without men, we had
impeached him from his intent, albeit he sent thee no messenger, but
came to thee in person; and he telleth us he hath burnt the feather
dress; else had we taken it from him.” Then one of them agreed with the
Princess and becoming her deputy in the matter of the wedding contract,
performed the marriage ceremony between them, whilst Hasan clapped palms
with her, laying his hand in hers, and she wedded him to the damsel by
consent; after which they celebrated her bridal feast, as beseemeth
Kings’ daughters, and brought Hasan in to her. So he rose and rent the
veil and oped the gate and pierced the forge[74] and brake the seal,
whereupon affection for her waxed in him and he redoubled in love and
longing for her. Then, since he had gotten that which he sought, he gave
himself joy and improvised these couplets:—
Thy shape’s temptation, eyes as Houri’s fain ✿ And sheddeth Beauty’s
sheen[75] that radiance rare:
My glance portrayed thy glorious portraiture: ✿ Rubies one-half and gems
the third part were:
Musk made a fifth: a sixth was ambergris ✿ The sixth a pearl but pearl
without compare.
Eve never bare a daughter evening thee ✿ Nor breathes thy like in
Khuld’s[76] celestial air.
An thou would torture me ’tis wont of Love ✿ And if thou pardon ’tis thy
choice I swear:
Then, O world bright’ner and O end of wish! ✿ Loss of thy charms who
could in patience bear?
——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety-second Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Hasan
went in unto the King’s daughter and did away her maidenhead, he enjoyed
her with exceeding joy and affection for her waxed in him and he
redoubled in love-longing for her; so he recited the lines aforesaid.
Now the Princesses were standing at the door and when they heard his
verses, they said to her, “O King’s daughter, hearest thou the words of
this mortal? How canst thou blame us, seeing that he maketh poetry for
love of thee and indeed he hath so done a thousand times.[77]” When she
heard this she rejoiced and was glad and felt happy and Hasan abode with
her forty[78] days in all solace and delight, joyance and happiest
plight, whilst the damsels renewed festivities for him every day and
overwhelmed him with bounty and presents and rarities; and the King’s
daughter became reconciled to her sojourn amongst them and forgot her
kith and kin. At the end of the forty days, Hasan saw in a dream, one
night, his mother mourning for him and indeed her bones were wasted and
her body had waxed shrunken and her complexion had yellowed and her
favour had changed the while he was in excellent case. When she saw him
in this state, she said to him, “O my son, O Hasan, how is it that thou
livest thy worldly life at thine ease and forgettest me? Look at my
plight since thy loss! I do not forget thee, nor will my tongue cease to
name thy name till I die; and I have made thee a tomb in my house, that
I may never forget thee. Would Heaven I knew[79] if I shall live, O my
son, to see thee by my side and if we shall ever again foregather as we
were.” Thereupon Hasan awoke from sleep, weeping and wailing, the tears
railed down his cheeks like rain and he became mournful and melancholy;
his tears dried not nor did sleep visit him, but he had no rest, and no
patience was left to him. When he arose, the Princesses came in to him
and gave him good-morrow and made merry with him as was their wont; but
he paid no heed to them; so they asked his wife concerning his case and
she said, “I ken not.” Quoth they, “Question him of his condition.” So
she went up to him and said, “What aileth thee, O my lord?” Whereupon he
moaned and groaned and told her what he had seen in his dream and
repeated these two couplets:—
Indeed afflicted sore are we and all distraught, ✿ Seeking for union;
yet we find no way:
And Love’s calamities upon us grow ✿ And Love though light with
heaviest weight doth weigh.
His wife repeated to the Princesses what he said and they, hearing the
verses, had pity on him and said to him, “In Allah’s name, do as thou
wilt, for we may not hinder thee from visiting thy mother; nay, we will
help thee to thy wish by what means we may. But it behoveth that thou
desert us not, but visit us, though it be only once a year.” And he
answered, “To hear is to obey: be your behest on my head and eyes!” Then
they arose forthright and making him ready victual for the voyage,
equipped the bride for him with raiment and ornaments and everything of
price, such as defy description, and they bestowed on him gifts and
presents which pens of ready writers lack power to set forth. Then they
beat the magical kettle-drum and up came the dromedaries from all sides.
They chose of them such as could carry all the gear they had prepared;
amongst the rest five-and-twenty chests of gold and fifty of silver;
and, mounting Hasan and his bride on others, rode with them three days,
wherein they accomplished a march of three months. Then they bade them
farewell and addressed themselves to return; whereupon his sister, the
youngest damsel, threw herself on Hasan’s neck and wept till she
fainted. When she came to herself, she repeated these two couplets:—
Ne’er dawn the severance-day on any wise ✿ That robs of sleep these
heavy-lidded eyes.
From us and thee it hath fair union torn ✿ It wastes our force and makes
our forms its prize.
Her verses finished she farewelled him, straitly charging him, whenas he
should have come to his native land and have foregathered with his
mother and set his heart at ease, to fail not of visiting her once in
every six months and saying, “If aught grieve thee or thou fear aught of
vexation, beat the Magian’s kettle-drum, whereupon the dromedaries shall
come to thee; and do thou mount and return to us and persist not in
staying away.” He swore thus to do and conjured them to go home. So they
returned to the palace, mourning for their separation from him,
especially the youngest, with whom no rest would stay nor would Patience
her call obey, but she wept night and day. Thus it was with them; but as
regards Hasan and his wife, they fared on by day and night over plain
and desert site and valley and stony heights through noon-tide glare and
dawn’s soft light; and Allah decreed them safety, so that they reached
Bassorah-city without hindrance and made their camels kneel at the door
of his house. Hasan then dismissed the dromedaries and, going up to the
door to open it, heard his mother weeping and in a faint strain, from a
heart worn with parting-pain and on fire with consuming bane, reciting
these couplets:—
How shall he taste of sleep who lacks repose ✿ Who wakes a-night when
all in slumber wone?
He ownèd wealth and family and fame ✿ Yet fared from house and home an
exile lone:
Live coal beneath his[80] ribs he bears for bane, ✿ And mighty longing,
mightier ne’er was known:
Passion hath seized him, Passion mastered him; ✿ Yet is he constant
while he maketh moan;
His case for Love proclaimed aye that he, ✿ (As prove his tears) is
wretched, woe-begone.
When Hasan heard his mother weeping and wailing he wept also and knocked
at the door a loud knock. Quoth she, “Who is at the door?”; and quoth
he, “Open!” Whereupon she opened the door and knowing him at first sight
fell down in a fainting fit; but he ceased not to tend her till she came
to herself, when he embraced her and she embraced him and kissed him,
whilst his wife looked on mother and son. Then he carried his goods and
gear into the house, whilst his mother, for that her heart was comforted
and Allah had reunited her with her son versified with these couplets:—
Fortune had ruth upon my plight ✿ Pitied my long long bane and blight;
Gave me what I would liefest sight; ✿ And set me free from all affright.
So pardon I the sin that sin ✿ nèd she in days evanisht quite;
E’en to the sin she sinned when she ✿ Bleached my hair-parting silvern
white.
——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety-third Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Hasan with his
mother then sat talking and she asked him, “How faredst thou, O my son,
with the Persian?” whereto he answered, “O my mother, he was no Persian,
but a Magian, who worshipped the fire, not the All-powerful Sire.” Then
he told her how he dealt with him, in that he had journeyed with him to
the Mountain of Clouds and sewed him up in the camel’s skin, and how the
vultures had taken him up and set him down on the summit and what he had
seen there of dead folk, whom the Magian had deluded and left to die on
the crest after they had done his desire. And he told her how he had
cast himself from the mountain-top into the sea and Allah the Most High
had preserved him and brought him to the palace of the seven Princesses
and how the youngest of them had taken him to brother and he had
sojourned with them, till the Almighty brought the Magian to the place
where he was and he slew him. Moreover, he told her of his passion for
the King’s daughter and how he had made prize of her and of his seeing
her[81] in sleep and all else that had befallen him up to the time when
Allah vouchsafed them reunion. She wondered at his story and praised the
Lord who had restored him to her in health and safety. Then she arose
and examined the baggage and loads and questioned him of them. So he
told her what was in them, whereat she joyed with exceeding joy. Then
she went up to the King’s daughter, to talk with her and bear her
company; but, when her eyes fell on her, her wits were confounded at her
brilliancy and she rejoiced and marvelled at her beauty and loveliness
and symmetry and perfect grace: and she sat down beside her, cheering
her and comforting her heart while she never ceased to repeat
“Alhamdolillah, O my son, for thy return to me safe and sound!” Next
morning early she went down into the market and bought mighty fine
furniture and ten suits of the richest raiment in the city, and clad the
young wife and adorned her with everything seemly. Then said she to
Hasan, “O my son, we cannot tarry in this town with all this wealth; for
thou knowest that we are poor folk and the people will suspect us of
practising alchemy. So come, let us depart to Baghdad, the House[82] of
Peace, where we may dwell in the Caliph’s Sanctuary, and thou shalt sit
in a shop to buy and sell, in the fear of Allah (to whom belong Might
and Majesty!) and He shall open to thee the door of blessings with this
wealth.” Hasan approved her counsel and going forth straightway, sold
the house and summoned the dromedaries, which he loaded with all his
goods and gear, together with his mother and wife. Then he went down to
the Tigris, where he hired him a craft to carry them to Baghdad and
embarked therein all his possessions and his mother and wife. They
sailed up the river with a fair wind for ten days till they drew in
sight of Baghdad, at which they all rejoiced, and the ship landed them
in the city, where without stay or delay Hasan hired a storehouse in one
of the caravanserais and transported his goods thither. He lodged that
night in the Khan and on the morrow, he changed his clothes and going
down into the city, enquired for a broker. The folk directed him to one,
and when the broker saw him, he asked him what he lacked. Quoth he, “I
want a house, a handsome one and a spacious.” So the broker showed him
the houses at his disposal and he chose one that belonged to one of the
Wazirs and buying it of him for an hundred thousand golden dinars, gave
him the price. Then he returned to his caravanserai and removed all his
goods and monies to the house; after which he went down to the market
and bought all the mansion needed of vessels and carpets and other
household stuff, besides servants and eunuchs, including a little black
boy for the house. He abode with his wife in all solace and delight of
life three years, during which time he was vouchsafed by her two sons,
one of whom he named Násir and the other Mansúr: but, at the end of this
time he bethought him of his sisters, the Princesses, and called to mind
all their goodness to him and how they had helped him to his desire. So
he longed after them and going out to the market-streets of the city,
bought trinkets and costly stuffs and fruit-confections, such as they
had never seen or known. His mother asked him the reason of his buying
these rarities and he answered, “I purpose to visit my sisters, who
showed me every kind of kindness, and all the wealth that I at present
enjoy is due to their goodness and munificence: wherefore I will journey
to them and return soon, Inshallah!” Quoth she, “O my son, be not long
absent from me;” and quoth he, “Know, O my mother, how thou shalt do
with my wife. Here is her feather-dress in a chest, buried under ground
in such a place; do thou watch over it, lest haply she hap on it and
take it, for she would fly away, she and her children, and I should
never hear of them again and should die of grieving for them; wherefore
take heed, O my mother, while I warn thee that thou name this not to
her. Thou must know that she is the daughter of a King of the Jinn, than
whom there is not a greater among the Sovrans of the Jann nor a richer
in troops and treasure, and she is mistress of her people and dearest to
her father of all he hath. Moreover, she is passing high-spirited, so do
thou serve her thyself and suffer her not to go forth the door neither
look out of window nor over the wall, for I fear the air for her when it
bloweth,[83] and if aught befel her of the calamities of this world, I
should slay myself for her sake.” She replied, “O my son, I take refuge
with Allah[84] from gainsaying thee! Am I mad that thou shouldst lay
this charge on me and I disobey thee therein? Depart, O my son, with
heart at ease, and please Allah, soon thou shalt return in safety and
see her and she shall tell thee how I have dealt with her: but tarry
not, O my son, beyond the time of travel.”——And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety-fourth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Hasan had
determined to visit the Princesses, he gave his mother the orders we
have mentioned.[85] Now, as Fate would have it, his wife heard what he
said to his mother and neither of them knew it. Then Hasan went without
the city and beat the kettle-drum, whereupon up came the dromedaries and
he loaded twenty of them with rarities of Al-Irak; after which he
returned to his mother and repeated his charge to her and took leave of
her and his wife and children, one of whom was a yearling babe and the
other two years old. Then he mounted and fared on, without stopping
night or day, over hills and valleys and plains and wastes for a term of
ten days till, on the eleventh, he reached the palace and went in to his
sisters, with the gifts he had brought them. The Princesses rejoiced at
his sight and gave him joy of his safety, whilst his sister decorated
the palace within and without. Then they took the presents and, lodging
him in a chamber as before, asked him of his mother and his wife, and he
told them that she had borne him two sons. And the youngest Princess,
seeing him well and in good case, joyed with exceeding joy and repeated
this couplet:—
I ever ask for news of you from whatso breezes pass ✿ And never any but
yourselves can pass across my mind.
Then he abode with them in all honour and hospitality, for three months,
spending his time in feasting and merrymaking, joy and delight, hunting
and sporting. So fared it with him; but as regards his wife, she abode
with his mother two days after her husband’s departure, and on the third
day, she said to her, “Glory be to God! Have I lived with him three
years and shall I never go to the bath?” Then she wept and Hasan’s
mother had pity on her condition and said to her, “O my daughter, here
we are strangers and thy husband is abroad. Were he at home, he would
serve thee himself, but, as for me, I know no one. However, O my
daughter, I will heat thee water and wash thy head in the Hammam-bath
which is in the house.” Answered the King’s daughter, “O my lady, hadst
thou spoken thus to one of the slave-girls, she had demanded to be sold
in the Sultan’s open market and had not abode with thee.[86] Men are
excusable, because they are jealous and their reason telleth them that,
if a woman go forth the house, haply she will do frowardness. But women,
O my lady, are not all equal and alike and thou knowest that, if woman
have a mind to aught, whether it be the Hammam or what not else, none
hath power over her to guard her or keep her chaste or debar her from
her desire; for she will do whatso she willeth and naught restraineth
her but her reason and her religion.[87]” Then she wept and cursed fate
and bemoaned herself and her strangerhood, till Hasan’s mother was moved
to ruth for her case and knew that all she said was but truth and that
there was nothing for it but to let her have her way. So she committed
the affair to Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) and making ready all
that they needed for the bath, took her and went with her to the Hammam.
She carried her two little sons with her, and when they entered, they
put off their clothes and all the women fell to gazing on the Princess
and glorifying God (to whom belong Might and Majesty!) for that He had
created so fair a form. The women of the city, even those who were
passing by, flocked to gaze upon her, and the report of her was noised
abroad in Baghdad till the bath was crowded that there was no passing
through it. Now it chanced there was present on that day and on that
rare occasion with the rest of the women in the Hammam, one of the
slave-girls of the Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, by name
Tohfah[88] the Lutanist, and she, finding the Hammam over crowded and no
passing for the throng of women and girls, asked what was to do; and
they told her of the young lady. So she walked up to her and,
considering her closely, was amazed at her grace and loveliness and
glorified God (magnified be His majesty!) for the fair forms He hath
created. The sight hindered her from her bath, so that she went not
farther in nor washed, but sat staring at the Princess, till she had
made an end of bathing and coming forth of the caldarium donned her
raiment, whereupon beauty was added to her beauty. She sat down on the
divan,[89] whilst the women gazed upon her; then she looked at them and
veiling Herself, went out. Tohfah went out with her and followed her,
till she saw where she dwelt, when she left her and returned to the
Caliph’s palace; and ceased not wending till she went in to the Lady
Zubaydah and kissed ground between her hands; whereupon quoth her
mistress, “O Tohfah, why hast thou tarried in the Hammam?” She replied,
“O my lady, I have seen a marvel, never saw I its like amongst men or
women, and this it was that distracted me and dazed my wit and amazed
me, so that I forgot even to wash my head.” Asked Zubaydah, “And what
was that?”; and Tohfah answered, “O my lady, I saw a damsel in the bath,
having with her two little boys like moons, eye never espied her like,
nor before her nor after her, neither is there the fellow of her form in
the whole world nor her peer amongst Ajams or Turks or Arabs. By the
munificence, O my lady, an thou toldest the Commander of the Faithful of
her, he would slay her husband and take her from him, for her like is
not to be found among women. I asked of her mate and they told me that
he is a merchant Hasan of Bassorah hight. Moreover, I followed her from
the bath to her own house and found it to be that of the Wazir, with the
two gates, one opening on the river and the other on the land.[90]
Indeed, O my lady, I fear lest the Prince of True Believers hear of her
and break the law and slay her husband and take love-liesse with
her.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Seven Hundred and Ninety-fifth Night,