set out. Hasan fared with her, drowned in the sea of solicitude and
reciting verses like those above, whilst she strave to comfort him and
exhorted him to patience; but he awoke not from his tristesse and heeded
not her exhortations. They journeyed thus till they came to the
boundaries of the Land of Birds[129] and when they entered it, it seemed
to Hasan as if the world were turned topsy-turvy for the exceeding
clamour. His head ached and his mind was dazed, his eyes were blinded
and his ears deafened, and he feared with exceeding fear and made
certain of death, saying to himself, “If this be the Land of Birds, how
will be the Land of Beasts?” But, when the crone hight Shawahi saw him
in this plight, she laughed at him, saying, “O my son, if this be thy
case in the first island, how will it fare with thee, when thou comest
to the others?” So he prayed to Allah and humbled himself before the
Lord, beseeching Him to assist him against that wherewith He had
afflicted him and bring him to his wishes; and they ceased not going
till they passed out of the Land of Birds and, traversing the Land of
Beasts, came to the Land of the Jann which when Hasan saw, he was sore
affrighted and repented him of having entered it with them. But he
sought aid of Allah the Most High and fared on with them, till they were
quit of the Land of the Jann and came to the river and set down their
loads at the foot of a vast mountain and a lofty, and pitched their
tents by the stream-bank. Then they rested and ate and drank and slept
in security, for they were come to their own country. On the morrow the
old woman set Hasan a couch of alabaster, inlaid with pearls and jewels
and nuggets of red gold, by the river-side, and he sat down thereon,
having first bound his face with a chin-kerchief, that discovered naught
of him but his eyes. Then she bade proclaim among the troops that they
should all assemble before her tent and put off their clothes and go
down into the stream and wash; and this she did that she might parade
before him all the girls, so haply his wife should be amongst them and
he know her. So the whole army mustered before her and putting off their
clothes, went down into the stream, and Hasan seated on his couch
watched them washing their white skins and frolicking and making merry,
whilst they took no heed of his inspecting them, deeming him to be of
the daughters of the Kings. When he beheld them stripped of their
clothes, his chord stiffened for that looking at them mother-naked he
saw what was between their thighs, and that of all kinds, soft and
rounded, plump and cushioned; large-lipped, perfect, redundant and
ample,[130] and their faces were as moons and their hair as night upon
day, for that they were of the daughters of the Kings. When they were
clean, they came up out of the water, stark naked, as the moon on the
night of fullness and the old woman questioned Hasan of them, company by
company, if his wife were among them; but, as often as she asked him of
a troop, he made answer, “She is not among these, O my lady.”——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Eight Hundred and Seventh Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old woman
questioned Hasan of the girls, company after company, if haply his wife
were among them; but as often as she asked him of a troop, he made
answer, “She is not among these, O my lady!” Last of all, there came up
a damsel, attended by ten slave-girls and thirty waiting-women, all of
them high-bosomed maidens. They put off their clothes and went down into
the river, where the damsel fell to riding the high horse over her
women, throwing them down and ducking them. On this wise she continued
for a full hour, after which all came up out of the water and sat down;
and they brought her napkins[131] of gold-purfled silk, with which she
dried herself. Then they brought her clothes and jewels and ornaments of
the handiwork of the Jinn, and she donned them and rose and walked with
graceful pace among the troops, she and her maidens. When Hasan saw her,
his heart was ready to fly from his breast and he said, “Verily this
girl is the likest of all folk to the bird I saw in the basin atop of
the palace of my sisters the Princesses, and she lorded it over her
lieges even as doth this one.” The old woman asked, “O Hasan, is this
thy wife?”; and he answered, “No, by thy life, O my lady; this is not my
wife, nor ever in my life have I set eyes on her; neither among all the
girls I have seen in these islands is there the like of my wife nor her
match for symmetry and grace and beauty and loveliness!” Then said
Shawaki, “Describe her to me and acquaint me with all her attributes,
that I may have her in my mind; for I know every girl in the Islands of
Wak, being commander of the army of maids and governor over them;
wherefore, an thou describe her to me, I shall know her and will
contrive for thee to take her.” Quoth he, “My wife hath the fairest face
and a form all grace; smooth is she of cheeks and high of breasts with
eyes of liquid light, calves and thighs plump to sight, teeth snowy
white, with dulcet speech dight; in speech soft and bland as she were a
willow-wand; her gifts are a moral and lips are red as coral; her eyes
wear natural Kohl-dye and her lower labia[132] in softness lie. On her
right cheek is a mole and on her waist, under her navel, is a sign; her
face shines as the rondure of the moon in sheen, her waist is slight,
her hips a heavy weight, and the water of her mouth the sick doth heal,
as it were Kausar or Salsabil.”[133] Said the old woman, “Give me an
increased account of her, Allah increase thee of passion for her!” Quoth
he, “My wife hath a face the fairest fair and oval cheeks the rarest
rare; neck long and spare and eyes that Kohl wear; her side face shows
the Anemones of Nu’uman, her mouth is like a seal of cornelian and
flashing teeth that lure and stand one in stead of cup and ewer. She is
cast in the mould of pleasantness and between her thighs is the throne
of the Caliphate, there is no such sanctuary among the Holy Places; as
saith in its praise the poet:—
[Illustration]
The name of what drave me distraught ✿ Hath letters renowned among men:
A four into five multiplied ✿ And a multiplied six into ten.”[134]
Then Hasan wept and chanted the following Mawwál[135]:—
O heart, an lover false thee, shun the parting bane ✿ Nor to
forgetfulness thy thoughts constrain:
Be patient; thou shalt bury all thy foes; ✿ Allah ne’er falseth man of
patience fain.
And this also:—
An wouldst be life-long safe, vaunt not delight; ✿ Never despair, nor
wone o’erjoyed in sprite!
Forbear, rejoice not, mourn not o’er thy plight ✿ And in ill day “Have
not we oped?”—recite.[136]
Thereupon the old woman bowed her head groundwards awhile, then, raising
it, said, “Laud be to the Lord, the Mighty of Award! Indeed I am
afflicted with thee, O Hasan! Would Heaven I had never known thee! This
woman, whom thou describest to me as thy wife, I know by description and
I know her to be none other than the eldest daughter of the Supreme
King, she who ruleth over all the Islands of Wak. So open both eyes and
consider thy case; and if thou be asleep, awake; for, if this woman be
indeed thy wife, it is impossible for thee ever to obtain her, and
though thou come to her, yet couldst thou not avail to her possession,
since between thee and her the distance is as that between earth and
Heaven. Wherefore, O my son, return presently and cast not thyself into
destruction nor cast me with thee; for meseemeth thou hast no lot in
her; so return whence thou camest lest our lives be lost.” And she
feared for herself and for him. When Hasan heard her words, he wept till
he fainted and she left not sprinkling water on his face, till he came
to himself, when he continued to weep, so that he drenched his dress
with tears, for the much cark and care and chagrin which betided him by
reason of her words. And indeed he despaired of life and said to the old
woman, “O my lady, and how shall I go back, after having come hither?
Verily, I thought not thou wouldst forsake me nor fail of the winning of
my wish, especially as thou art the Commander-in-chief of the army of
the girls.” Answered Shawahi, “O my son, I doubted not but thy wife was
a maid of the maids, and had I known she was the King’s daughter, I had
not suffered thee to come hither nor had I shown the troops to thee, for
all the love I bear thee. But now, O my son, thou hast seen all the
girls naked; so tell me which of them pleaseth thee and I will give her
to thee, in lieu of thy wife, and do thou put it that thy wife and
children are dead and take her and return to thine own country in
safety, ere thou fall into the King’s hand and I have no means of
delivering thee. So, Allah upon thee, O my son, hearken unto me. Choose
thyself one of these damsels, in the stead of yonder woman, and return
presently to thy country in safety and cause me not quaff the cup of
thine anguish! For, by Allah, thou hast cast thyself into affliction
sore and peril galore, wherefrom none may avail to deliver thee
evermore!” But Hasan hung down his head and wept with long weeping and
recited these couplets:—
“Blame not!” said I to all who blamèd me; ✿ “Mine eyelids naught but
tears were made to dree:”
The tears that brim these orbs have overflowed ✿ My cheeks, for lovers
and love’s cruelty.
Leave me to love though waste this form of me! ✿ For I of Love adore the
insanity:
And, Oh my dearling, passion grows on me ✿ For you—and you, why grudge
me clemency?
You wronged me after swearing troth and plight, ✿ Falsed my
companionship and turned to flee:
And cup of humbling for your rigours sore ✿ Ye made me drain what day
departed ye:
Then melt, O heart, with longing for their sight ✿ And, O mine eyes,
with crowns of tears be dight.
——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Eight Hundred and Eighth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the old woman
said to Hasan, “By Allah, O my son, hearken to my words! Choose thee one
of these girls in lieu of thy wife and presently return to thy country
in safety,” he hung down his head and recited the couplets quoted above.
Then he wept till he swooned away and Shawahi sprinkled water on his
face till he revived, when she addressed him, “O my lord, I have no
shift left; because if I carry thee to the city thy life is lost and
mine also: for, when the Queen cometh to know of this, she will blame me
for admitting thee into her lands and islands, whereto none of Adam’s
sons hath access, and will slay me for bringing thee with me and for
suffering mortal to look upon the virgins seen by thee in the sea, whom
ne’er touched male, neither approached mate.” And Hasan sware that he
had never looked on them with evil of eye. She resumed, “O my son,
hearken to me and return to thy country and I will give thee wealth and
treasures and things of price, such as shall suffice thee for all the
women in the world. Moreover, I will give thee a girl of the best of
them, so lend an ear to my words and return presently and imperil not
thyself; indeed I counsel thee with good counsel.” But he wept and
rubbed both cheeks against her feet, saying, “O my lady and mistress and
coolth of mine eyes, how can I turn back now that I have made my way
hither, without the sight of those I desire, and now that I have come
near the beloved’s site, hoping for meeting forthright, so haply there
may be a portion in reunion to my plight?” And he improvised these
couplets:—
O Kings of beauty, grace to prisoner ta’en ✿ Of eyelids fit to rule the
Chosroës’ reign:
Ye pass the wafts of musk in perfumed breath; ✿ Your cheeks the charms
of blooming rose disdain.
The softest Zephyr breathes where pitch ye camp ✿ And thence
far-scattered sweetness fills the plain:
Censor of me, leave blame and stint advice! ✿ Thou bringest wearying
words and wisdom vain:
Why heat my passion with this flame and up- ✿ braid me when naught thou
knowest of its bane?
Captured me eyes with passion _maladifs_, ✿ And overthrew me with Love’s
might and main:
I scatter tears the while I scatter verse; ✿ You are my theme for rhyme
and prosy strain.
Melted my vitals glow of rosy cheeks ✿ And in the Lazá-lowe my heart is
lain:
Tell me, an I leave to discourse of you, ✿ What speech my breast shall
broaden? Tell me deign!
Life-long I loved the lovelings fair, but ah, ✿ To grant my wish eke
Allah must be fain!
Hearing his verses the old woman was moved to ruth for him and Allah
planted the seed of affection for him in her heart; so coming up to him
she consoled him, saying, “Be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and
clear and put away trouble from thy thought, for, by Allah, I will
venture my life with thee, till thou attain thine aim or death undo me!”
With this, Hasan’s heart was comforted and his bosom broadened and he
sat talking with the old woman till the end of the day, when all the
girls dispersed, some entering their town-mansions and others nighting
in the tents. Then the old woman carried him into the city and lodged
him in a place apart, lest any should come to know of him and tell the
Queen of him and she should slay him and slay her who had brought him
thither. Moreover, she served him herself and strave to put him in fear
of the awful majesty of the Supreme King, his wife’s father; whilst he
wept before her and said, “O my lady, I choose death for myself and
loathe this worldly life, if I foregather not with my wife and children:
I have set my existence on the venture and will either attain my aim or
die.” So the old woman fell to pondering the means of bringing him and
his wife together and casting about how to do in the case of this
unhappy one, who had thrown himself into destruction and would not be
diverted from his purpose by fear or aught else; for, indeed he recked
not of his life and the sayer of bywords saith, “Lover in nowise
hearkeneth he to the speech of the man who is fancy-free.” Now the name
of the Queen of the island wherein they were was Núr al-Hudà,[137]
eldest daughter of the Supreme King, and she had six virgin sisters,
abiding with their father, whose capital and court were in the chief
city of that region and who had made her ruler over all the lands and
islands of Wak. So when the ancient dame saw Hasan on fire with yearning
after his wife and children, she rose up and repaired to the palace and
going in to Queen Nur al-Huda kissed ground before her; for she had a
claim on her favour because she had reared the King’s daughters one and
all and had authority over each and every of them and was high in honour
and consideration with them and with the King. Nur al-Huda rose to her
as she entered and embracing her, seated her by her side and asked her
of her journey. She answered, “By Allah, O my lady ’twas a blessed
journey and I have brought thee a gift which I will presently present to
thee,” adding, “O my daughter, O Queen of the Age and the time, I have a
favour to crave of thee and I fain would discover it to thee, that thou
mayst help me to accomplish it, and but for my confidence that thou wilt
not gainsay me therein, I would not expose it to thee.” Asked the Queen,
“And what is thy need? Expound it to me, and I will accomplish it to
thee, for I and my kingdom and troops are all at thy commandment and
disposition.” Therewithal the old woman quivered as quivereth the reed
on a day when the storm-wind is abroad and saying in herself, “O[138]
Protector, protect me from the Queen’s mischief[139]!” fell down before
her and acquainted her with Hasan’s case, saying, “O my lady, a man, who
had hidden himself under my wooden settle on the sea-shore, sought my
protection; so I took him under my safeguard and carried him with me
among the army of girls armed and accoutred so that none might know him,
and brought him into the city; and indeed I have striven to affright him
with thy fierceness, giving him to know of thy power and prowess; but,
as often as I threatened him, he weepeth and reciteth verses and
sayeth:—Needs must I have my wife and children or die, and I will not
return to my country without them. And indeed he hath adventured himself
and come to the Islands of Wak, and never in all my days saw I mortal
heartier of heart than he or doughtier of derring-do, save that love
hath mastered him to the utmost of mastery.”——And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Eight Hundred and Ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the old woman
related to Queen Nur al-Huda the adventure of Hasan, ending with, “Never
I saw any one heartier of heart than he save that love hath mastered him
to the utmost of mastery,” the Queen, after lending an attentive ear and
comprehending the case, waxed wroth at her with exceeding wrath and
bowed her head awhile groundwards; then, raising it, she looked at
Shawahi and said to her, “O ill-omened beldam, art thou come to such a
pass of lewdness that thou carriest males, men, with thee into the
Islands of Wak and bringest them into me, unfearing of my mischief? Who
hath foregone thee with this fashion, that thou shouldst do thus? By the
head of the King, but for thy claim on me for fosterage and service, I
would forthwith do both him and thee to die the foulest of deaths, that
travellers might take warning by thee, O accursed, lest any other do the
like of this outrageous deed thou hast done, which none durst hitherto!
But go and bring him hither forthright, that I may see him; or I will
strike off thy head, O accursed.” So the old woman went out from her,
confounded unknowing whither she went and saying, “All this calamity
hath Allah driven upon me from this Queen because of Hasan!” and going
in to him, said, “Rise, speak with the Queen, O wight whose last hour is
at hand!” So he rose and went with her, whilst his tongue ceased not to
call upon Almighty Allah and say, “O my God, be gracious to me in Thy
decrees and deliver me from this Thine affliction[140]!” And Shawahi
went with him charging him by the way how he should speak with the
Queen. When he stood before Nur al-Huda, he found that she had donned
the chin-veil[141]; so he kissed ground before her and saluted her with
the salam, improvising these two couplets:—
“God make thy glory last in joy of life: ✿ Allah confirm the boons he
deigned bestow:
Thy grace and grandeur may our Lord increase ✿ And aye Th’ Almighty aid
thee o’er thy foe!”
When he ended his verse Nur al-Huda bade the old woman ask him questions
before her, that she might hear his answers: so she said to him, “The
Queen returneth thy salam-greeting and saith to thee, What is thy name
and that of thy country, and what are the names of thy wife and
children, on whose account thou art come hither?” Quoth he, and indeed
he had made firm his heart and destiny aided him, “O Queen of the age
and tide and peerless jewel of the epoch and the time, my name is Hasan
the fulfilled of sorrow, and my native city is Bassorah. I know not the
name of my wife[142] but my children’s names are Násir and Mansúr.” When
the Queen heard his reply and his provenance, she bespoke him herself
and said, “And whence took she her children?” He replied, “O Queen, she
took them from the city of Baghdad and the palace of the Caliphate.”
Quoth Nur al-Huda, “And did she say naught to thee at the time she flew
away?;” and quoth he, “Yes; she said to my mother:—Whenas thy son cometh
to thee and the nights of severance upon him longsome shall be and he
craveth meeting and reunion to see, and whenas the breezes of love and
longing shake him dolefully let him come in the Islands of Wak to me.”
Whereupon Queen Nur al-Huda shook her head and said to him. “Had she not
desired thee she had not said to thy mother this say, and had she not
yearned for reunion with thee, never had she bidden thee to her stead
nor acquainted thee with her abiding-place.” Rejoined Hasan, “O mistress
of Kings and asylum of prince and pauper, whatso happened I have told
thee and have concealed naught thereof, and I take refuge from evil with
Allah and with thee; wherefore oppress me not, but have compassion on me
and earn recompense and requital for me in the world to come, and aid me
to regain my wife and children. Grant me my urgent need and cool mine
eyes with my children and help me to the sight of them.” Then he wept
and wailed and lamenting his lot recited these two couplets:—
Yea, I will laud thee while the ring-dove moans, ✿ Though fail my wish
of due and lawful scope:
Ne’er was I whirled in bliss and joys gone by ✿ Wherein I found thee not
both root and rope.[143]
The Queen shook her head and bowed it in thought a long time; then,
raising it, she said to Hasan (and indeed she was wroth), “I have ruth
on thee and am resolved to show thee in review all the girls in the city
and in the provinces of my island; and in case thou know thy wife, I
will deliver her to thee; but, an thou know her not and know not her
place, I will put thee to death and crucify thee over the old woman’s
door.” Replied Hasan, “I accept this from thee, O Queen of the Age, and
am content to submit to this thy condition. There is no Majesty and
there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!” And he
recited these couplets:—
You’ve roused my desire and remain at rest,— ✿ Waked my wounded lids
while you slept with zest.
And ye made me a vow ye would not hang back ✿ But your guile when you
chained me waxt manifest.
I loved you in childhood unknowing Love; ✿ Then slay me not who am sore
opprest.
Fear ye not from Allah when slaying a friend ✿ Who gazeth on stars when
folk sleep their best?
By Allah, my kinsmen, indite on my tomb ✿ “This man was the slave of
Love’s harshest hest!”
Haps a noble youth, like me Love’s own thrall, ✿ When he sees my grave
on my name shall call.
Then Queen Nur al-Huda commanded that not a girl should abide in the
city but should come up to the palace and pass in review before Hasan
and moreover she bade Shawahi go down in person and bring them up
herself. Accordingly all the maidens in the city presented themselves
before the Queen, who caused them to go in to Hasan, hundred after
hundred, till there was no girl left in the place, but she had shown her
to him; yet he saw not his wife amongst them. Then said she to him,
“Seest thou her amongst these?”; and he replied, “By thy life, O Queen,
she is not amongst them.” With this she was sore enraged against him and
said to the old woman, “Go in and bring out all who are in the palace
and show them to him.” So she displayed to him every one of the
palace-girls, but he saw not his wife among them and said to the Queen,
“By the life of thy head, O Queen, she is not among these.” Whereat the
Queen was wroth and cried out at those around her, saying, “Take him and
hale him along, face to earth, and cut off his head, least any adventure
himself after him and intrude upon us in our country and spy out our
estate by thus treading the soil of our islands.” So they threw him down
on his face and dragged him along; then, covering his eyes with his
skirt, stood at his head with bared brands awaiting royal permission.
Thereupon Shawahi came forward and kissing the ground before the Queen,
took the hem of her garment and laid it on her head, saying, “O Queen,
by my claim for fosterage, be not hasty with him, more by token of thy
knowledge that this poor wretch is a stranger, who hath adventured
himself and suffered what none ever suffered before him, and Allah (to
whom belong Might and Majesty,) preserved him from death, for that his
life was ordained to be long. He heard of thine equity and entered thy
city and guarded site;[144] wherefore, if thou put him to death, the
report will dispread abroad of thee, by means of the travellers, that
thou hatest strangers and slayest them. He is in any case at thy mercy
and the slain of thy sword, if his wife be not found in thy dominions;
and whensoever thou desireth his presence, I can bring him back to thee.
Moreover, in very sooth I took him under my protection only of my trust
in thy magnanimity through my claim on thee for fosterage, so that I
engaged to him that thou wouldst bring him to his desire, for my
knowledge of thy justice and quality of mercy. But for this, I had not
brought him into thy kingdom; for I said to myself:—The Queen will take
pleasure in looking upon him, and hearing him speak his verses and his
sweet discourse and eloquent which is like unto pearls strung on string.
Moreover, he hath entered our land and eaten of our meat; wherefore he
hath a claim upon us.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Eight Hundred and Tenth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Queen
Nur al-Huda bade her pages seize Hasan and smite his neck, the old
woman, Shawahi, began to reason with her and say, “Verily he hath
entered our land and eaten of our meat, wherefore he hath a claim upon
us, the more especially since I promised him to bring him in company
with thee; and thou knowest that, parting is a grievous ill and
severance hath power to kill, especially separation from children. Now
he hath seen all our women, save only thyself; so do thou show him thy
face?” The Queen smiled and said, “How can he be my husband and have had
children by me, that I should show him my face?” Then she made them
bring Hasan before her and when he stood in the presence, she unveiled
her face, which when he saw, he cried out with a great cry and fell down
fainting. The old woman ceased not to tend him, till he came to himself
and as soon as he revived he recited these couplets:—
O breeze that blowest from the land Irak ✿ And from their corners whoso
cry “Wak! Wak!”
Bear news of me to friends and say for me ✿ I’ve tasted passion-food of
bitter smack.
O dearlings of my love, show grace and ruth ✿ My heart is melted for
this severance-rack.
When he ended his verse he rose and looking on the Queen’s face, cried
out with a great cry, for stress whereof the palace was like to fall
upon all therein. Then he swooned away again and the old woman ceased
not to tend him till he revived, when she asked him what ailed him and
he answered, “In very sooth this Queen is either my wife or else the
likest of all folk to my wife.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Eight Hundred and Eleventh Night,