her, “O Hubub, hath thy mistress a husband or not?” She replied, “My
lady hath a husband; but he is actually abroad on a journey with
merchandise of his.” Now whenas he heard that her husband was abroad on
a journey, his heart lusted after her and he said, “O Hubub, glorified
be He who created this damsel and fashioned her! How sweet is her beauty
and her loveliness and her symmetry and perfect grace! Verily, into my
heart is fallen sore travail for her. O Hubub, so do that I come to
enjoy her, and thou shalt have of me what thou wilt of wealth and what
not else.” Replied Hubub, “O Nazarene, if she heard thee speak thus, she
would slay thee, or else she would kill herself, for she is the daughter
of a Zealot[317] of the Jews nor is there her like amongst them: she
hath no need of money and she keepeth herself ever cloistered,
discovering not her case to any.” Quoth Masrur, “O Hubub, an thou wilt
but bring me to enjoy her, I will be to thee slave and foot page and
will serve thee all my life and give thee whatsoever thou seekest of
me.” But quoth she, “O Masrur, in very sooth this woman hath no lust for
money nor yet for men, because my lady Zayn al-Mawasif is of the
cloistered, going not forth her house-door in fear lest folk see her;
and but that she bore with thee by reason of thy strangerhood, she had
not permitted thee to pass her threshold; no, not though thou wert her
brother.” He replied, “O Hubub, be thou our go-between and thou shalt
have of me an hundred gold dinars and a dress worth as much more, for
that the love of her hath gotten hold of my heart.” Hearing this she
said, “O man, let me go about with her in talk and I will return thee an
answer and acquaint thee with what she saith. Indeed, she loveth those
who berhyme her and she affecteth those who set forth her charms and
beauty and loveliness in verse, and we may not prevail over her save by
wiles and soft speech and beguilement.” Thereupon Hubub rose and going
up to her mistress, accosted her with privy talk of this and that and
presently said to her, “O my lady, look at yonder young man, the
Nazarene; how sweet is his speech and how shapely his shape!” When Zayn
al-Mawasif heard this, she turned to her and said, “An thou like his
comeliness love him thyself. Art thou not ashamed to address the like of
me with these words? Go, bid him begone about his business; or I will
make it the worse for him.” So Hubub returned to Masrur, but acquainted
him not with that which her mistress had said. Then the lady bade her
hie to the door and look if she saw any of the folk, lest foul befal
them. So she went and returning, said, “O my lady, without are folk in
plenty and we cannot let him go forth this night.” Quoth Zayn
al-Mawasif, “I am in dole because of a dream I have seen and am fearful
therefrom.” And Masrur said, “What sawest thou? Allah never trouble thy
heart!” She replied, “I was asleep in the middle of the night, when
suddenly an eagle swooped down upon me from the highest of the clouds
and would have carried me off from behind the curtain, wherefore I was
affrighted at him. Then I awoke from sleep and bade my women bring me
meat and drink, so haply, when I had drunken, the dolour of the dream
would cease from me.” Hearing this, Masrur smiled and told her his dream
from first to last and how he had caught the dove, whereat she marvelled
with exceeding marvel. Then he went on to talk with her at great length
and said, “I am now certified of the truth of my dream, for thou art the
dove and I the eagle, and there is no hope but that this must be, for,
the moment I set eyes on thee, thou tookest possession of my vitals and
settest my heart afire for love of thee!” Thereupon Zayn al-Mawasif
became wroth with exceeding wrath and said to him, “I take refuge with
Allah from this! Allah upon thee, begone about thy business ere the
neighbours espy thee and there betide us sore reproach,” adding,
“Harkye, man! Let not thy soul covet that it shall not obtain. Thou
weariest thyself in vain; for I am a merchant’s wife and a merchant’s
daughter and thou art a druggist; and when sawest thou a druggist and a
merchant’s daughter conjoined by such sentiment?” He replied, “O my
lady, never lacked love-liesse between folk[318]; so cut thou not off
from me hope of this and whatsoever thou seekest of me of money and
raiment and ornaments and what not else, I will give thee.” Then he
abode with her in discourse and mutual blaming whilst she still
redoubled in anger, till it was black night, when he said to her, “O my
lady, take this gold piece and fetch me a little wine, for I am athirst
and heavy hearted.” So she said to the slave-girl Hubub, “Fetch him wine
and take naught from him, for we have no need of his dinar.” So she went
whilst Masrur held his peace and bespake not the lady, who suddenly
improvised these lines:—
Leave this thy design and depart, O man! ✿ Nor tread paths where
lewdness and crime trepan!
Love is a net shall enmesh thy sprite, ✿ Make thee rise a-morning sad,
weary and wan:
For our spy thou shalt eke be the cause of talk; ✿ And for thee shall
blame me my tribe and clan:
Yet scant I marvel thou lovest a Fair:— ✿ Gazelles hunting lions we aye
shall scan!
And he answered her with these:—
Joy of boughs, bright branch of Myrobalan! ✿ Have ruth on the heart all
thy charms unman:
Death-cup to the dregs thou garrest me drain ✿ And don weed of Love with
its bane and ban:
How can soothe I a heart which for stress of pine ✿ Burns with living
coals which my longings fan?
Hearing these lines she exclaimed, “Away from me! Quoth the saw ‘Whoso
looseth his sight wearieth his sprite.’ By Allah, I am tired of
discourse with thee and chiding, and indeed thy soul coveteth that shall
never become thine; nay, though thou gave me my weight in gold, thou
shouldst not get thy wicked will of me; for, I know naught of the things
of the world, save pleasant life, by the boon of Allah Almighty!” He
answered, “O my lady Zayn al-Mawasif, ask of me what thou wilt of the
goods of the world.” Quoth she, “What shall I ask of thee? For sure thou
wilt fare forth and prate of me in the highway and I shall become a
laughing-stock among the folk and they will make a byword of me in
verse, me who am the daughter of the chief of the merchants and whose
father is known of the notables of the tribe. I have no need of money or
raiment and such love will not be hidden from the people and I shall be
brought to shame, I and my kith and kin.” With this Masrur was
confounded and could make her no answer; but presently she said,
“Indeed, the master-thief, if he steal, stealeth not but what is worth
his neck, and every woman who doth lewdness with other than her husband
is styled a thief; so, if it must be thus and no help[319], thou shalt
give me whatsoever my heart desireth of money and raiment and ornaments
and what not.” Quoth he, “An thou sought of me the world and all its
regions contain from its East to its West, ’twere but a little thing,
compared with thy favour;” and quoth she, “I will have of thee three
suits, each worth a thousand Egyptian dinars, and adorned with gold and
fairly purfled with pearls and jewels and jacinths, the best of their
kind. Furthermore I require that thou swear to me thou wilt keep my
secret nor discover it to any and that thou wilt company with none but
me; and I in turn will swear to thee a true oath that I will never false
thee in love.” So he sware to her the oath she required and she sware to
him, and they agreed upon this; after which she said to her nurse Hubub,
“To-morrow go thou with Masrur to his lodging and seek somewhat of musk
and ambergris and Nadd and rose-water and see what he hath. If he be a
man of condition, we will take him into favour; but an he be otherwise
we will leave him.” Then said she to him, “O Masrur, I desire somewhat
of musk and ambergris and aloes-wood and Nadd; so do thou send it me by
Hubub;” and he answered, “With love and gladness; my shop is at thy
disposal!” Then the wine went round between them and their séance was
sweet; but Masrur’s heart was troubled for the passion and pining which
possessed him; and when Zayn al-Mawasif saw him in this plight, she said
to her slave-girl Sukub, “Arouse Masrur from his stupor; mayhap he will
recover.” Answered Sukub, “Hearkening and obedience,” and sang these
couplets:—
Bring gold and gear an a lover thou, ✿ And hymn thy love so success
shalt row;
Joy the smiling fawn with the black-edged eyne ✿ And the bending lines
of the Cassia-bough:
On her look, and a marvel therein shalt sight, ✿ And pour out thy life
ere thy life-term show:
Love’s affect be this, an thou weet the same; ✿ But, an gold deceive
thee, leave gold and go!
Hereupon Masrur understood her and said, “I hear and apprehend. Never
was grief but after came relief, and after affliction dealing He will
order the healing.” Then Zayn al-Mawasif recited these couplets:—
From Love-stupor awake, O Masrur, ’twere best; ✿ For this day I dread my
love rend thy breast;
And to-morrow I fear me folks’ marvel-tale ✿ Shall make us a byword from
East to West:
Leave love of my like or thou’lt gain thee blame; ✿ Why turn thee
uswards? Such love’s unblest!
For one strange of lineage whose kin repel ✿ Thou shalt wake ill-famed,
of friends dispossest:
I’m a Zealot’s child and affright the folk; ✿ Would my life were ended
and I at rest!
Then Masrur answered her improvisation and began to say these lines:—
To grief leave a heart that to love ne’er ceased; ✿ Nor blame, for your
blame ever love increased:
You misrule my vitals in tyrant-guise; ✿ Morn and Eve I wend not or West
or East;
Love’s law forbids me to do me die; ✿ They say Love’s victim is ne’er
released:
Well-away! Could I find in Love’s Court a judge ✿ I’d ’plain and win to
my rights at least.
They ceased not from mutual chiding till morning morrowed, when Zayn
al-Mawasif said, “O Masrur ’tis time for thee to depart, lest one of the
folk see thee and foul befal us twain.” So he arose and accompanied by
nurse Hubub fared on, till they came to his lodging, where he talked
with her and said to her, “All thou seekest of me is ready for thee, so
but thou wilt bring me to enjoy her.” Hubub replied, “Hearten thy
heart;” whereupon he rose and gave her an hundred dinars, saying “O
Hubub, I have by me a dress worth an hundred gold pieces.” Answered she,
“O Masrur, make haste with the trinkets and other things promised her,
ere she change her mind, for we may not take her, save with wile and
guile, and she loveth the saying of verse.” Quoth he, “Hearing and
obeying,” and bringing her the musk and ambergris and lign-aloes and
rose-water, returned with her to Zayn al-Mawasif and saluted her. She
returned his salam with the sweetest speech, and he was dazed by her
beauty and improvised these lines:—
O thou sheeniest Sun who in night dost shine! ✿ O who stole my soul with
those large black eyne!
O slim-shaped fair with the graceful neck! ✿ O who shamest Rose wi’
those cheeks o’ thine!
Blind not our sight wi’ thy fell disdain, ✿ Disdain, that shall load us
with pain and pine;
Passion homes in our inmost, nor will be quenched ✿ The fire of yearning
in vitals li’en:
Your love has housèd in heart of me ✿ And of issue but you see I ne’er a
sign:
Then haply you’ll pity this hapless wight ✿ Thy sad lover and then—O the
Morn divine!
When Zayn al-Mawasif heard his verses, she cast at him a glance of eyes,
that bequeathed him a thousand regrets and sighs and his wits and soul
were ravished in such wise, and answered him with these couplets[320]:—
Think not from her, of whom thou art enamoured aye ✿ To win delight; so
put desire from thee away.
Leave that thou hop’st, for ’gainst her rigours whom thou lov’st ✿ Among
the fair, in vain is all thou canst essay.
My looks to lovers bring discomfiture and woe: ✿ Indeed, I make no count
of that which thou dost say.
When Masrur heard this, he hardened his heart and took patience
concealing his case and saying in himself, “There is nothing for it
against calamity save long-suffering;” and after this fashion they abode
till nightfall when Zayn al-Mawasif called for food and they set before
her a tray, wherein were all manner of dishes, quails and pigeons and
mutton and so forth, whereof they ate their sufficiency. Then she bade
take away the tables and they did so and fetched the lavatory gear; and
they washed their hands, after which she ordered her women to bring the
candlesticks, and they set on candelabra and candles therein of
camphorated wax. Thereupon quoth Zayn al-Mawasif, “By Allah, my breast
is straitened this night and I am a-fevered;” and quoth Masrur “Allah
broaden thy breast and banish thy bane!” Then she said, “O Masrur, I am
used to play at chess: say me, knowest aught of the game?” He replied,
“Yes; I am skilled therein;” whereupon she commanded her handmaid Hubub
fetch her the chessboard. So she went away and presently returning with
the board, set it before her, and behold, it was of ivory-marquetried
ebony with squares marked in glittering gold, and its pieces of pearl
and ruby.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Eight Hundred and Forty-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn
al-Mawasif bade the chessboard be brought, they set it between her
hands; and Masrur was amazed at this, when she turned to him and said,
“Wilt have red or white?” He replied, “O Princess of the fair and
adornment of morning air, do thou take the red for they formous are and
fitter for the like of thee to bear and leave the white to my care.”
Answered she, “So be it;” and, taking the red pieces, ranged them
opposite the white, then put out her hand to a piece purposing the first
pass into the battle-plain. Masrur considered her fingers, which were
white as paste, and was confounded at their beauty and shapely shape;
whereupon she turned to him and said, “O Masrur, be not bedazed, but
take patience and calm thyself.” He rejoined, “O thou whose beauty
shameth the moon, how shall a lover look on thee and have
patience-boon?” And while this was doing she cried, “Checkmate[321]!”
and beat him; wherefore she knew that he was Jinn-mad for love of her
and said to him, “O Masrur, I will not play with thee save for a set
stake.” He replied, “I hear and obey,” and she rejoined, “Swear to me
and I will swear to thee that neither of us will cheat[322] the
adversary.” So both sware this and she said, “O Masrur, an I beat thee,
I will have ten dinars of thee, but an thou beat me, I will give thee a
mere nothing.” He expected to win, so he said, “O my lady, be not false
to thine oath, for I see thou art an overmatch for me at this game!”
“Agreed,” said she and they ranged their men and fell again to playing
and pushing on their pawns and catching them up with the queens and
aligning and matching them with the castles and solacing them with the
onslaught of the knights. Now the “Adornment of Qualities” wore on head
a kerchief of blue brocade so she loosed it off and tucking up her
sleeve, showed a wrist like a shaft of light and passed her palm over
the red pieces, saying to him, “Look to thyself.” But he was dazzled at
her beauty, and the sight of her graces bereft him of reason, so that he
became dazed and amazed and put out his hand to the white men, but it
alit upon the red. Said she, “O Masrur, where be thy wits? The red are
mine and the white thine;” and he replied, “Whoso looketh at thee
perforce loseth all his senses.” Then, seeing how it was with him, she
took the white from him and gave him the red, and they played and she
beat him. He ceased not to play with her and she to beat him, whilst he
paid her each time ten dinars, till, knowing him to be distraught for
love of her, she said, “O Masrur, thou wilt never win to thy wish,
except thou beat me, for such was our understanding; and henceforth, I
will not play with thee save for a stake of an hundred dinars a game.”
“With love and gladness,” answered he and she went on playing and ever
beating him and he paid her an hundred dinars each time; and on this
wise they abode till the morning, without his having won a single game,
when he suddenly sprang to his feet. Quoth she, “What wilt thou do, O
Masrur?”; and quoth he, “I mean to go to my lodging and fetch somewhat
of money: it may be I shall come to my desire.” “Do whatso seemeth good
to thee,” said she; so he went home and taking all the money he had,
returned to her improvising these two couplets:—
In dream I saw a bird o’er speed (meseem’d), ✿ Love’s garden decked with
blooms that smiled and gleamed:
But I shall ken, when won my wish and will ✿ Of thee, the truthful sense
of what I dreamed.
Now when Masrur returned to her with all his monies they fell a-playing
again; but she still beat him and he could not beat her once; and in
such case they abode three days, till she had gotten of him the whole of
his coin; whereupon said she, “O Masrur, what wilt thou do now?”; and he
replied, “I will stake thee a druggist’s shop.” “What is its worth?”
asked she; and he answered, “Five hundred dinars.” So they played five
bouts and she won the shop of him. Then he betted his slave-girls,
lands, houses, gardens, and she won the whole of them, till she had
gotten of him all he had; whereupon she turned to him and said, “Hast
thou aught left to lay down?” Cried he, “By Him who made me fall into
the snare of thy love, I have neither money to touch nor aught else
left, little or much!” She rejoined, “O Masrur, the end of whatso began
in content shall not drive man to repent; wherefore, an thou regret
aught, take back thy good and begone from us about thy business and I
will hold thee quit towards me.” Masrur rejoined, “By Him who decreed
these things to us, though thou sought to take my life ’twere a wee
thing to stake for thine approof, because I love none but thee!” Then
said she, “O Masrur, fare forthright and fetch the Kazi and the
witnesses and make over to me by deed all thy lands and possessions.”
“Willingly,” replied he and, going forth without stay or delay, brought
the Kazi and the witnesses and set them before her. When the judge saw
her, his wits fled and his mind was amazed and his reason was dazed for
the beauty of her fingers, and he said to her, “O my lady, I will not
write out the writ of conveyance, save upon condition that thou buy the
lands and mansions and slave-girls and that they all pass under thy
control and into thy possession.” She rejoined, “We’re agreed upon that.
Write me a deed, whereby all Masrur’s houses and lands and slave-girls
and whatso his right hand possesseth shall pass to Zayn al-Mawasif and
become her property at such a price.” So the Kazi wrote out the writ and
the witnesses set hands thereto; whereupon she took it.——And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Eight Hundred and Forty-eighth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Zayn
al-Mawasif took from the Kazi the deed which made over to her lover’s
property she said to him, “O Masrur, now gang thy gait.” But her
slave-girl Hubub turned to him and said, “Recite us some verses.” So he
improvised upon that game of chess these couplets:—
Of Time and what befel me I complain, ✿ Mourning my loss by chess and
eyes of bane.
For love of gentlest, softest-sided fair ✿ Whose like is not of maids or
mortal strain:
The shafts of glances from those eyne who shot ✿ And led her conquering
host to battle-plain
Red men and white men and the clashing Knights ✿ And, crying “Look to
thee!” came forth amain:
And, when down charging, finger-tips she showed ✿ That gloomed like
blackest night for sable stain,
The Whites I could not rescue, could not save ✿ While ecstasy made
tear-floods rail and rain:
The Pawns and Castles with their Queens fell low ✿ And fled the Whites
nor could the brunt sustain:
Yea, with her shaft of glance at me she shot ✿ And soon that shaft had
pierced my heart and brain:
She gave me choice between her hosts, and I ✿ The Whites like moonlight
first to choose was fain,
Saying, “This argent folk best fitteth me ✿ I love them, but the Red by
thee be ta’en!”
She playèd me for free accepted stake ✿ Yet amorous mercy I could ne’er
obtain:
O fire of heart, O pine and woe of me, ✿ Wooing a fair like moon mid
starry train:
Burns no my heart O no! nor aught regrets ✿ Of good or land, but ah! her
eyes’ disdain!
Amazed I’m grown and dazed for drearihead ✿ And blame I Time who brought
such pine and pain.
Quoth she, “Why art thou so bedazed!” quoth I ✿ “Wine-drunken wight
shall more of wine assain?”
That mortal stole my sense by silk-soft shape, ✿ Which doth for
heart-core hardest rock contain.
I nervèd self and cried, “This day she’s mine” ✿ By bet, nor fear I
prove she unhumàne:
My heart ne’er ceased to seek possession, till ✿ Beggared I found me for
conditions twain:
Will youth you loveth shun the Love-dealt blow, ✿ Tho’ were he whelmed
in Love’s high-surging main?
So woke the slave sans e’en a coin to turn, ✿ Thralled to repine for
what he ne’er shall gain!
Zayn al-Mawasif hearing these words marvelled at the eloquence of his
tongue and said to him, “O Masrur, leave this madness and return to thy
right reason and wend thy ways; for thou hast wasted all thy moveables
and immoveables at the chess-game, yet hast not won thy wish, nor hast
thou any resource or device whereby thou mayst attain to it.” But he
turned to her and said, “O my lady, ask of me whatso thou wilt and thou
shalt have it; for I will bring it to thee and lay it at thy feet.”
Answered she, “O Masrur, thou hast no money left.” “O goal of all hopes,
if I have no money, the folk will help me.” “Shall the giver turn
asker?” “I have friends and kinsfolk, and whatsoever I seek of them,
they will give me.” “O Masrur, I will have of thee four pods of musk and
four vases of civet[323] and four pounds of ambergris and four thousand
dinars and four hundred pieces of royal brocade, purfled with gold. An
thou bring me these things, O Masrur, I will grant thee my favours.”
“This is a light matter to me, O thou that puttest the moons to shame,”
replied he and went forth to fetch her what she sought. She sent her
maid Hubub after him, to see what worth he had with the folk of whom he
had spoken to her; but, as he walked along the highways he turned and
seeing her afar off, waited till she came up to him and said to her,
“Whither away, O Hubub?” So she said to him, “My mistress sent me to
follow for this and that,” and he replied, “By Allah, O Hubub, I have
nothing to hand!” She asked, “Then why didst thou promise her?”; and he
answered, “How many a promise made is unkept of its maker! Fine words in
love-matters needs must be.” When she heard this from him, she said, “O
Masrur, be of good cheer and eyes clear for, by Allah, most assuredly I
will be the means of thy coming to enjoy her!” Then she left him nor
ceased walking till she stood before her mistress weeping with sore
weeping, and said, “O my lady, indeed he is a man of great
consideration, and good repute among the folk.” Quoth Zayn al-Mawasif,
“There is no device against the destiny of Almighty Allah! Verily, this
man found not in me a pitiful heart, for that I despoiled him of his
substance and he got of me neither affection nor complaisance in
granting him amorous joy; but, if I incline to his inclination, I fear
lest the thing be bruited abroad.” Quoth Hubub, “O my lady, verily,
grievous upon us is his present plight and the loss of his good and thou
hast with thee none save thyself and thy slave-girl Sukub; so which of
us two would dare prate of thee, and we thy handmaids?” With this, she
bowed her head for a while groundwards and the damsels said to her, “O
my lady, it is our rede that thou send after him and show him grace and
suffer him not ask of the sordid; for how bitter is such begging!” So
she accepted their counsel and calling for inkcase and paper, wrote him
these couplets:—
Joy is nigh, O Masrúr, so rejoice in true rede; ✿ Whenas night shall
fall thou shalt do kind-deed:
Crave not of the sordid a loan, fair youth, ✿ Wine stole my wits but
they now take heed:
All thy good I reft shall return to thee, ✿ O Masrúr, and I’ll add to
them amorous meed;
For indeed th’ art patient, and sweet of soul ✿ When wronged by thy
lover’s tyrannic greed.
So haste to enjoy us and luck to thee! ✿ Lest my folk come between us
speed, love, all speed!
Hurry uswards thou, nor delay, and while ✿ My mate is far, on Love’s
fruit come feed.
Then she folded the paper and gave it to Hubub the handmaid, who carried
it to Masrur and found him weeping and reciting in a transport of
passion and love-longing these lines:—
A breeze of love on my soul did blow ✿ That consumed my liver for stress
of lowe;
When my sweetheart went all my longings grew; ✿ And with tears in
torrent mine eyelids flow:
Such my doubt and fears, did I tell their tale ✿ To deaf rocks and
pebbles they’d melt for woe.
Would Heaven I wot shall I sight delight, ✿ And shall win my wish and my
friend shall know!
Shall be folded up nights that doomed us part ✿ And I be healed of what
harms my heart?
——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Eight Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that while Masrur,
transported by passion and love-longing, was repeating his couplets in
sing-song tone Hubub knocked at his door; so he rose and opened to her,
and she entered and gave him the letter. He read it and said to her, “O
Hubub, what is behind thee of thy lady’s news[324]?” She answered, “O my
lord, verily, in this letter is that dispenseth me from reply, for thou
art of those who readily descry!” Thereat he rejoiced with joy exceeding
and repeated these two couplets:—
Came the writ whose contents a new joy revealed, ✿ Which in vitals mine
I would keep ensealed:
And my longings grew when I kissed that writ, ✿ As were pearl of passion
therein concealed.