hands and feet to wear!
Thou hast ensoiled a lady soft and bright, ✿ Marvel of marvels, fairest
of the fair:
Hadst thou been just, those anklets ne’er had been ✿ Of iron: nay of
purest gold they were:
By Allah! did the Kázis’ Kázi sight ✿ Her charms, he’d seat her in the
highest chair.
Now it chanced that the Kazi of Kazis passed by the smith’s house and
heard him improvise these lines; so he sent for him and as soon as he
saw him said to him, “O blacksmith, who is she on whom thou callest so
instantly an eloquently and with whose love thy heart is full filled?”
The smith sprang to his feet and kissing the Judge’s hand, answered,
“Allah prolong the days of our lord the Kazi and ample his life!” Then
he described to him Zayn al-Mawasif’s beauty and loveliness, brilliancy
and perfection, and symmetry and grace and how she was lovely faced and
had a slender waist and heavily based; and acquainted him with the sorry
plight wherein she was for abasement and durance vile and lack of
victual. When the Kazi heard this, he said, “O blacksmith, send her to
us and show her that we may do her justice, for thou art become
accountable for the damsel and unless thou guide her to us, Allah will
punish thee at the Day of Doom.” “I hear and obey,” replied the smith
and betook himself without stay and delay to Zayn al-Mawasif’s lodging,
but found the door barred and heard a voice of plaintive tone that came
from heart forlorn and lone; and it was Zayn al-Mawasif reciting these
couplets:—
I and my love in union were unite; ✿ And filled my friend to me cups
clearly bright
Between us reigned high mirth and jollity, ✿ Nor Eve nor Morn brought
’noyance or affright
Indeed we spent most joyous time, with cup ✿ And lute and dulcimer to
add delight,
Till Time estranged our fair companionship; ✿ My lover went and blessing
turned to blight.
Ah would the Severance-raven’s croak were stilled ✿ And Union-dawn of
Love show blessèd light!
When the blacksmith heard this, he wept like the weeping of the clouds.
Then he knocked at the door and the women said, “Who is at the door?”
Answered he, “’Tis I, the blacksmith,” and told them what the Kazi had
said and how he would have them appear before him and make their
complaint to him, that he might do them justice on their adversary.——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-eighth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
blacksmith told Zayn al-Mawasif what the Kazi had said, and how he
summoned them that he might apply the Lex Talionis to their adversary,
she rejoined, “How can we go to him, seeing the door is locked on us and
our feet shackled and the Jew hath the keys?” The smith replied, “I will
make the keys for the padlocks and therewith open door and shackles.”
Asked she, “But who will show us the Kazi’s house?”; and he answered, “I
will describe it to you.” She enquired, “But how can we appear before
him, clad as we are in hair-cloth reeking with sulphur?” And the smith
rejoined, “The Kazi will not reproach this to you, considering your
case.” So saying, he went forthright and made keys for the padlocks,
wherewith he opened the door and the shackles, and loosing the irons
from their legs, carried them forth and guided them to the Kazi’s
mansion. Then Hubub did off the hair-cloth garments from her lady’s body
and carried her to the Hammam, where she bathed her and attired her in
silken raiment, and her colour returned to her. Now it happened, by
exceeding good fortune, that her husband was abroad at a bride-feast in
the house of one of the merchants; so Zayn al-Mawasif, the Adornment of
Qualities, adorned herself with the fairest ornaments and repaired to
the Kazi, who at once on espying her rose to receive her. She saluted
him with softest speech and winsomest words, shooting him through the
vitals the while with the shafts of her glances, and said, “May Allah
prolong the life of our lord the Kazi and strengthen him to judge
between man and man!” Then she acquainted him with the affair of the
blacksmith and how he had done nobly by them, whenas the Jew had
inflicted on her and her women heart-confounding torments; and how his
victims deathwards he drave, nor was there any found to save. “O
damsel,” quoth the Kazi, “what is thy name?” “My name is Zayn
al-Mawasif,—Adornment of Qualities—and this my handmaid’s name is
Hubub.” “Thy name accordeth with the named and its sound conformeth with
its sense.” Whereupon she smiled and veiled her face, and he said to
her, “O Zayn al-Mawasif, hast thou a husband or not?” “I have no
husband”; “And what is thy Faith?” “That of Al-Islam, and the religion
of the Best of Men.” “Swear to me by Holy Law replete with signs and
instances that thou ownest the creed of the Best of Mankind.” So she
swore to him and pronounced the profession of the Faith. Then asked the
Kazi, “How cometh it that thou wastest thy youth with this Jew?” And she
answered, “Know, O Kazi (may Allah prolong thy days in contentment and
bring thee to thy will and thine acts with benefits seal!), that my
father left me, after his death, fifteen thousand dinars, which he
placed in the hands of this Jew, that he might trade therewith and share
his gains with me, the head of the property[359] being secured by legal
acknowledgment. When my father died, the Jew coveted me and sought me in
marriage of my mother, who said:—How shall I drive her from her Faith
and cause to become a Jewess? By Allah, I will denounce thee to the
rulers! He was affrighted at her words and taking the money, fled to the
town of Adan.[360] When we heard where he was, we came to Adan in search
of him, and when we foregathered with him there, he told us that he was
trading in stuffs with the monies and buying goods upon goods. So we
believed him and he ceased not to cozen us till he cast us into jail and
fettered us and tortured us with exceeding sore torments; and we are
strangers in the land and have no helper save Almighty Allah and our
lord the Kazi.” When the Judge heard this tale he asked Hubub the nurse,
“Is this indeed thy lady and are ye strangers and is she unmarried?”;
and she answered, “Yes.” Quoth he, “Marry her to me and on me be
incumbent manumission of my slaves and fasting and pilgrimage and
almsgiving of all my good an I do you not justice on this dog and punish
him for that he hath done!” And quoth she, “I hear and obey.” Then said
the Kazi, “Go, hearten thy heart and that of thy lady; and to-morrow,
Inshallah, I will send for this Miscreant and do you justice on him and
ye shall see prodigies of his punishment.” So Hubub called down
blessings upon him and went forth from him with her mistress, leaving
him with passion and love-longing fraught and with distress and desire
distraught. Then they enquired for the house of the second Kazi and
presenting themselves before him, told him the same tale. On like wise
did the twain, mistress and maid with the third and the fourth, till
Zayn al-Mawasif had made her complaint to all the four Kazis, each of
whom fell in love with her and besought her to wed him, to which she
consented with a “Yes”; nor wist any one of the four that which had
happened to the others. All this passed without the knowledge of the
Jew, who spent the night in the house of the bride-feast. And when
morning morrowed, Hubub arose and gat ready her lady’s richest raiment;
then she clad her therewith and presented herself with her before the
four Kazis in the court of justice. As soon as she entered, she veiled
her face and saluted the judges, who returned her salam and each and
every of them recognised her. One was writing, and the reed-pen dropped
from his hand, another was talking, and his tongue became tied, and a
third was reckoning and blundered in his reckoning; and they said to
her, “O admirable of attributes and singular among beauties! be not thy
heart other than hearty, for we will assuredly do thee justice and bring
thee to thy desire.” So she called down blessings on them and farewelled
them and went her ways.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-ninth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Kazis
said to Zayn al-Mawasif, “O admirable of attributes and singular among
beauties! Be not thy heart other than hearty for our doing thy desire
and thy winning to thy will.” So she called down blessings on them and
farewelled them and went her ways, the while her husband abode with his
friends at the marriage-banquet and knew naught of her doings. Then she
proceeded to beseech the notaries and scribes and the notables and the
Chiefs of Police to succour her against that unbelieving miscreant and
deliver her from the torment she suffered from him. Then she wept with
sore weeping and improvised these couplets:—
Rain showers of torrent tears, O Eyne and see ✿ An they will quench the
fires that flame in me:
After my robes of gold-embroidered silk ✿ I wake to wear the frieze of
monkery:
And all my raiment reeks of sulphur-fumes ✿ When erst my shift shed
musky fragrancy:
And hadst thou, O Masrúr, my case descried, ✿ Ne’er hadst thou borne my
shame and ignomy.
And eke Hubúb in iron chains is laid ✿ By Miscreant who unknows God’s
Unity.
The creed of Jewry I renounce and home, ✿ The Moslem’s Faith accepting
faithfully
Eastwards[361] I prostrate self in fairest guise ✿ Holding the only True
Belief that be:
Masrúr! forget not love between us twain ✿ And keep our vows and troth
with goodly gree:
I’ve changed my faith for sake of thee, and I ✿ For stress of love will
cleave to secrecy:
So haste to us, an us in heart thou bear, ✿ As noble spirit, nor as
laggard fare.
After this she wrote a letter to Masrur, describing to him all that the
Jew had done with her from first to last and enclosed the verses
aforesaid. Then she folded the scroll and gave it to her maid Hubub,
saying, “Keep this in thy pocket, till we send it to Masrur.” Upon these
doings lo and behold! in came the Jew and seeing them joyous, said to
them, “How cometh it that I find you merry? Say me, hath a letter
reached you from your bosom friend Masrur?” Replied Zayn al-Mawasif, “We
have no helper against thee save Allah, extolled and exalted be He! He
will deliver us from thy tyranny, and except thou restore us to our
birth-place and homestead, we will complain of thee to-morrow to the
Governor of this town and to the Kazi.” Quoth he, “Who struck off the
shackles from your legs? But needs must I let make for each of you
fetters ten pounds in weight and go round about the city with you.”
Replied Hubub, “All that thou purposest against us thou shall fall into
thyself, so it please Allah the Most High, by token that thou hast
exiled us from our homes, and to-morrow we shall stand, we and thou,
before the Governor of the city.” They nighted on this wise and next
morning the Jew rose up in haste and went out to order new shackles,
whereupon Zayn al-Mawasif arose and repaired with her women to the
court-house, where she found the four Kazis and saluted them. They all
returned her salutation and the Kazi of Kazis said to those about him,
“Verily this damsel is lovely as the Venus-star[362] and all who see her
love her and bow before her beauty and loveliness.” Then he despatched
four sergeants, who were Sharífs,[363] saying, “Bring ye the criminal
after abjectest fashion.” So, when the Jew returned with the shackles
and found none in the house, he was confounded; but, as he abode in
perplexity, suddenly up came the officers and laying hold of him beat
him with a sore beating and dragged him face downwards before the Kazi.
When the judge saw him, he cried out in his face and said to him, “Woe
to thee, O foe of God, is it come to such a pass with thee that thou
doest the deed thou hast done and bringest these women far from their
country and stealest their monies and wouldst make them Jews? How durst
thou seek to make Miscreants of Moslems?” Answered the Jew, “O my lord
this woman is my wife.” Now when the Kazis heard this, they all cried
out, saying, “Throw this hound on the ground and come down on his face
with your sandals and beat him with sore blows, for his offence is
unpardonable.” So they pulled off his silken gear and clad him in his
wife’s raiment of hair-cloth, after which they threw him down and
plucked out his beard and belaboured him about the face with sandals.
Then they sat him on an ass, face to crupper, arsi-versy, and making him
take its tail in his hand, paraded him round about the city, ringing the
bell before him in every street; after which they brought him back to
the Judges in sorriest plight; and the four Kazis with one voice
condemned him to have his feet and hands cut off and lastly to be
crucified. When the accursed heard this sentence his sense forsook him
and he was confounded and said, “O my lords the Kazis, what would ye of
me?” They replied, “Say thou:—This damsel is not my wife and the monies
are her monies, and I have transgressed against her and brought her far
from her country.” So he confessed to this and the Kazis recorded his
confession in legal form and taking the money from him, gave it to Zayn
al-Mawasif, together with the document. Then she went away and all who
saw her were confounded at her beauty and loveliness, whilst each of the
Kazis looked for her committing herself to him. But, when she came to
her lodging, she made ready all matters she needed and waited till
night. Then she took what was light of load and weighty of worth, and
setting out with her maids under cover of the murks three days with
their nights fared on without stopping. Thus it was with her; but as
regards the Kazis they ordered the Jew to prison.——And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Eight Hundred and Sixtieth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Kazis ordered
the Jew to prison and on the morrow they looked for Zayn al-Mawasif
coming to them, they and their assessors; but she presented herself not
to any of them. Then said the Chief Kazi, “I wish to-day to make an
excursion without the town on business there.” So he mounted his
she-mule and taking his page with him, went winding about the streets of
the town, searching its length and width for Zayn al-Mawasif, but never
finding her. On this errand he came upon the other three Kazis, going
about on the same, each deeming himself the only one to whom she had
given tryst. He asked them whither they were riding and why they were
going about the streets; when they told him their business, whereby he
saw that their plight was as his plight and their quest as his quest. So
they all four rode throughout the city, seeking her, but could hit on no
trace of her and returned to their houses, sick for love, and lay down
on the bed of langour. Presently the Chief Kazi bethought himself of the
blacksmith; so he sent for him and said to him, “O blacksmith, knowest
thou aught of the damsel whom thou didst direct to me? By Allah, an thou
discover her not to me, I will whack thee with whips.” Now when the
smith heard this, he recited these couplets[364]:—
She who my all of love by love of her hath won ✿ Owns every Beauty and
for others leaves she none:
She gazes, a gazelle; she breathes, fresh ambergris ✿ She waves, a lake;
she sways, a bough; she shines, a Sun.
Then said the blacksmith, “By Allah, O my lord, since she fared forth
from thy worshipful presence,[365] I have not set eyes on her; no, not
once. Indeed she took possession of my heart and wits and all my talk
and thoughts are of her. I went to her lodging but found her not, nor
found I any who could give me news of her, and it is as if she had dived
into the depths of the sea or had ascended to the sky.” Now when the
Kazi heard this, he groaned a groan, that his soul was like to depart
therefor, and he said, “By Allah, well it were had we never seen her!”
Then the smith went away, whilst the Kazi fell down on his bed and
became sick of languor for her sake, and on like wise fared it with the
other three Kazis and assessors. The mediciners paid them frequent
calls, but found in them no ailment requiring a leach: so the
city-notables went in to the Chief Kazi and saluting him, questioned him
of his case; whereupon he sighed and showed them that was in his heart,
reciting these couplets:—
Stint ye this blame; enough I suffer from Love’s malady ✿ Nor chide the
Kazi frail who fain must deal to folk decree!
Who doth accuse my love let him for me find some excuse: ✿ Nor blame;
for lovers blameless are in lover-slavery!
I was a Kázi whom my Fate deigned aid with choicest aid ✿ By writ and
reed and raisèd me to wealth and high degree;
Till I was shot by sharpest shaft that knows nor leach nor cure ✿ By
Damsel’s glance who came to spill my blood and murther me.
To me came she, a Moslemah and of her wrongs she ’plained ✿ With lips
that oped on Orient-pearls ranged fair and orderly:
I looked beneath her veil and saw a wending moon at full ✿ Rising below
the wings of Night engloomed with blackest blee:
A brightest favour and a mouth bedight with wondrous smiles; ✿ Beauty
had brought the loveliest garb and robed her cap-à-pie.
By Allah, ne’er beheld my eyes a face so ferly fair ✿ Amid mankind
whoever are, Arab or Ajamí.
My Fair! What promise didst thou make what time to me thou said’st ✿
“Whenas I promise I perform, O Kazi, faithfully.”
Such is my stead and such my case calamitous and dire ✿ And ask me not,
ye men of spunk, what dreadful teen I dree.
When he ended his verse he wept with sore weeping and sobbed one sob and
his spirit departed his body, which seeing they washed him and shrouded
him and prayed over him and buried him graving on his tomb these
couplets:—
Perfect were lover’s qualities in him was brought a-morn, ✿ Slain by his
love and his beloved, to this untimely grave:
Kázi was he amid the folk, and aye ’twas his delight ✿ To foster all the
folk and keep a-sheath the Justice-glaive:
Love caused his doom and ne’er we saw among mankind before ✿ The lord
and master louting low before his thrallèd slave.
Then they committed him to the mercy of Allah and went away to the
second Kazi, in company with the physician, but found in him nor injury
nor ailment needing a leach. Accordingly they questioned him of his case
and what preoccupied him; so he told them what ailed him, whereupon they
blamed him and chid him for his predicament and he answered them with
these couplets:—
Blighted by her yet am I not to blame; ✿ Struck by the dart at me her
fair hand threw.
Unto me came a woman called Hubúb ✿ Chiding the world from year to year
anew:
And brought a damsel showing face that shamed ✿ Full moon that sails
through Night-tide’s blackest hue,
She showed her beauties and she ’plained her plain ✿ Which tears in
torrents from her eyelids drew:
I to her words gave ear and gazed on her ✿ Whenas with smiling lips she
made me rue.
Then with my heart she fared where’er she fared ✿ And left me pledged to
sorrows soul subdue.
Such is my tale! So pity ye my case ✿ And this my page with Kazi’s gear
indue.
Then he sobbed one sob and his soul fled his flesh; whereupon they gat
ready his funeral and buried him commending him to the mercy of Allah;
after which they repaired to the third Kazi and the fourth, and there
befel them the like of what befel their brethren.[366] Furthermore, they
found the Assessors also sick for love of her, and indeed all who saw
her died of her love or, an they died not, lived on tortured with the
lowe of passion——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Eight Hundred and Sixty-first Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the city folk
found all the Kazis and the Assessors sick for love of her, and all who
saw her died love-sick or, an they died not, lived on tortured with the
lowe of passion for stress of pining to no purpose—Allah have mercy on
them one and all! Meanwhile Zayn al-Mawasif and her women drave on with
all diligence till they were far distant from the city and it so
fortuned that they came to a convent by the way, wherein dwelt a Prior
called Danis and forty monks.[367] When the Prior saw her beauty, he
went out to her and invited her to alight, saying, “Rest with us ten
days and after wend your ways.” So she and her damsels alighted and
entered the convent; and when Danis saw her beauty and loveliness, she
debauched his belief and he was seduced by her: wherefore he fell to
sending the monks, one after other with love-messages; but each who saw
her fell in love with her and sought her favours for himself, whilst she
excused and denied herself to them. But Danis ceased not his
importunities till he had dispatched all the forty, each one of whom
fell love-sick at first sight and plied her with blandishments never
even naming Danis; whilst she refused and rebuffed them with harsh
replies. At last when Danis’s patience was at an end and his passion was
sore on him, he said in himself, “Verily, the sooth-sayer saith:—Naught
scratcheth my skin but my own nail and naught like my own feet for mine
errand may avail.” So up he rose and made ready rich meats, and it was
the ninth day of her sojourn in the convent where she had purposed only
to rest. Then he carried them in to her and set them before her, saying,
“Bismillah, favour us by tasting the best of the food at our command.”
So she put forth her hand, saying, “For the name of Allah the
Compassionating, the Compassionate!” and ate, she and her handmaidens.
When she had made an end of eating, he said to her, “O my lady, I wish
to recite to thee some verses.” Quoth she, “Say on,” and he recited
these couplets:—
Thou hast won my heart by cheek and eye of thee, ✿ I’ll praise for love
in prose and poesy.
Wilt fly a lover, love-sick, love-distraught ✿ Who strives in dreams
some cure of love to see?
Leave me not fallen, passion-fooled, since I ✿ For pine have left
uncared the Monast’ry:
O Fairest, ’tis thy right to shed my blood, ✿ So rue my case and hear
the cry of me!
When Zayn al-Mawasif heard his verses, she answered him with these two
couplets:—
O who suest Union, ne’er hope such delight ✿ Nor solicit my favours, O
hapless wight!
Cease to hanker for what thou canst never have: ✿ Next door are the
greedy to sore despight.
Hearing this he returned to his place, pondering in himself and knowing
not how he should do in her affair, and passed the night in the sorriest
plight. But, as soon as the darkness was darkest Zayn al-Mawasif arose
and said to her handmaids, “Come, let us away, for we cannot avail
against forty men, monks, each of whom requireth me for himself.” Quoth
they, “Right willingly!” So they mounted their beasts and issued forth
the convent gate,——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Eight Hundred and Sixty-second Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Zayn al-Mawasif
and her handmaids issued forth the convent gate and, under favour of the
night, rode on till they overtook a caravan, with which they mingled and
found it came from the city of ’Adan wherein the lady had dwelt.
Presently, Zayn al-Mawasif heard the people of the caravan discoursing
of her own case and telling how the Kazis and Assessors were dead of
love for her and how the townsfolk had appointed in their stead others
who released her husband from prison. Whereupon she turned to her maids
and asked them, “Heard ye that?”; and Hubub answered, “If the monks were
ravished with love of thee, whose belief it is that shunning women is
worship, how should it be with the Kazis, who hold that there is no
monkery in Al-Islam? But let us make our way to our own country, whilst
our affair is yet hidden.” So they drave on with all diligence. Such was
their case; but as regards the monks, on the morrow, as soon as it was
day they repaired to Zayn al-Mawasif’s lodging, to salute her, but found
the place empty, and their hearts sickened within them. So the first
monk rent his raiment and improvised these couplets:—
Ho ye, my friends, draw near, for I forthright ✿ From you depart, since
parting is my lot:
My vitals suffer pangs o’ fiery love; ✿ Flames of desire in heart burn
high and hot,
For sake of fairest girl who sought our land ✿ Whose charms th’
horizon’s full moon evens not.
She fared and left me victimed by her love ✿ And slain by shaft those
lids death-dealing shot.
Then another monk recited the following couplets:—