Blest be his beauty; blest the Lord's decree * Who cast and shaped a
thing so bright of blee:
All gifts of beauty he conjoins in one; * Lost in his love is all
humanity;
For Beauty's self inscribed on his brow * "I testify there be no Good
but he!"[FN#338]
When I looked at him my heart inclined to him and I loved him; and he
sat by my side and talked with me a while, when the young lady again
clapped her hands and behold, a side door opened and out of it came the
Kazi with his four assessors as witnesses; and they saluted us and,
sitting down, drew up and wrote out the marriage contract between me
and the youth and retired. Then he turned to me and said, "Be our night
blessed," presently adding, "O my lady, I have a condition to lay on
thee." Quoth I, "O my lord, what is that?" Whereupon he arose and
fetching a copy of the Holy Book presented it to me saying "Swear
hereon thou wilt never look at any other than myself nor incline thy
body or thy heart to him." I swore readily enough to this and he joyed
with exceeding joy and embraced me round the neck while love for him
possessed my whole heart. Then they set the table[FN#339] before us and
we ate and drank till we were satisfied, but I was dying for the coming
of the night. And when night did come he led me to the bride chamber
and slept with me on the bed and continued to kiss and embrace me till
the morning—such a night I had never seen in my dreams. I lived with
him a life of happiness and delight for a full month, at the end of
which I asked his leave[FN#340] to go on foot to the bazar and buy me
certain especial stuffs and he gave me permission. So I donned my
mantilla and, taking with me the old woman and a slave-girl,[FN#341] I
went to the khan of the silk-mercers, where I seated myself in the shop
front of a young merchant whom the old woman recommended, saying to me,
"This youth's father died when he was a boy and left him great store of
wealth: he hath by him a mighty fine[FN#342] stock of goods and thou
wilt find what thou seekest with him, for none in the bazar hath better
stuffs than he. Then she said to him, "Show this lady the most costly
stuffs thou hast by thee;" and he replied, "Hearkening and obedience!"
Then she whispered me, "Say a civil word to him!"; but I replied, "I am
pledged to address no man save my lord. And as she began to sound his
praise I said sharply to her, We want nought of thy sweet speeches; our
wish is to buy of him whatsoever we need, and return home." So he
brought me all I sought and I offered him his money, but he refused to
take it saying, "Let it be a gift offered to my guest this day!" Then
quoth I to the old woman, "If he will not take the money, give him back
his stuff." "By Allah," cried he, "not a thing will I take from thee: I
sell it not for gold or for silver, but I give it all as a gift for a
single kiss; a kiss more precious to me than everything the shop
containeth." Asked the old woman, "What will the kiss profit thee?";
and, turning to me, whispered, "O my daughter, thou hearest what this
young fellow saith? What harm will it do thee if he get a kiss from
thee and thou gettest what thou seekest at that price?" Replied I, “I
take refuge with Allah from such action! Knowest thou not that I am
bound by an oath?”[FN#343] But she answered, "Now whist! just let him
kiss thee and neither speak to him nor lean over him, so shalt thou
keep thine oath and thy silver, and no harm whatever shall befal thee."
And she ceased not to persuade me and importune me and make light of
the matter till evil entered into my mind and I put my head in the
poke[FN#344] and, declaring I would ne'er consent, consented. So I
veiled my eyes and held up the edge of my mantilla between me and the
people passing and he put his mouth to my cheek under the veil. But
while kissing me he bit me so hard a bite that it tore the flesh from
my cheek,[FN#345] and blood flowed fast and faintness came over me. The
old woman caught me in her arms and, when I came to myself, I found the
shop shut up and her sorrowing over me and saying, "Thank Allah for
averting which might have been worse!" Then she said to me, "Come, take
heart and let us go home before the matter become public and thou be
dishonoured. And when thou art safe inside the house feign sickness and
lie down and cover thyself up; and I will bring thee powders and
plasters to cure this bite withal, and thy wound will be healed at the
latest in three days." So after a while I arose and I was in extreme
distress and terror came full upon me; but I went on little by little
till I reached the house when I pleaded illness and lay me down. When
it was night my husband came in to me and said, "What hath befallen
thee, O my darling, in this excursion of thine?"; and I replied, "I am
not well: my head acheth badly." Then he lighted a candle and drew near
me and looked hard at me and asked, "What is that wound I see on thy
cheek and in the tenderest part too?" And I answered, When I went out
to day with thy leave to buy stuffs, a camel laden with firewood
jostled me and one of the pieces tore my veil and wounded my cheek as
thou seest; for indeed the ways of this city are strait." "Tomorrow,"
cried he, "I will go complain to the Governor, so shall he gibbet every
fuel seller in Baghdad." "Allah upon thee," said I, "burden not thy
soul with such sin against any man. The fact is I was riding on an ass
and it stumbled, throwing me to the ground; and my cheek lighted upon a
stick or a bit of glass and got this wound." "Then," said he, "tomorrow
I will go up to Ja'afar the Barmaki and tell him the story, so shall he
kill every donkey boy in Baghdad." "Wouldst thou destroy all these men
because of my wound," said I, "when this which befel me was by decree
of Allah and His destiny?" But he answered, "There is no help for it;"
and, springing to his feet, plied me with words and pressed me till I
was perplexed and frightened; and I stuttered and stammered and my
speech waxed thick and I said, "This is a mere accident by decree of
Allah." Then, O Commander of the Faithful, he guessed my case and said,
"Thou hast been false to thine oath." He at once cried out with a loud
cry, whereupon a door opened and in came seven black slaves whom he
commanded to drag me from my bed and throw me down in the middle of the
room. Furthermore, he ordered one of them to pinion my elbows and squat
upon my head; and a second to sit upon my knees and secure my feet; and
drawing his sword he gave it to a third and said, "Strike her, O Sa'ad,
and cut her in twain and let each one take half and cast it into the
Tigris[FN#346] that the fish may eat her; for such is the retribution
due to those who violate their vows and are unfaithful to their love."
And he redoubled in wrath and recited these couplets:—
"An there be one who shares with me her love, * I'd strangle Love tho'
life by Love were slain
Saying, O Soul, Death were the nobler choice, * For ill is Love when
shared 'twixt partners twain."
Then he repeated to the slave, "Smite her, O Sa'ad!" And when the slave
who was sitting upon me made sure of the command he bent down to me and
said, "O my mistress, repeat the profession of Faith and bethink thee
if there be any thing thou wouldst have done; for verily this is the
last hour of thy life." "O good slave," said I, "wait but a little
while and get off my head that I may charge thee with my last
injunctions." Then I raised my head and saw the state I was in, how I
had fallen from high degree into lowest disgrace; and into death after
life (and such life!) and how I had brought my punishment on myself by
my own sin; where upon the tears streamed from mine eyes and I wept
with exceed ing weeping. But he looked on me with eyes of wrath, and
began repeating:—
"Tell her who turneth from our love to work it injury sore, * And
taketh her a fine new love the old love tossing o'er:
We cry enough o' thee ere thou enough of us shalt cry! * What past
between us doth suffice and haply something more."[FN#347]
When I heard this, O Commander of the Faithful, I wept and looked at
him and began repeating these couplets:—
"To severance you doom my love and all unmoved remain; * My tear sore
lids you sleepless make and sleep while I complain:
You make firm friendship reign between mine eyes and insomny; * Yet can
my heart forget you not, nor tears can I restrain:
You made me swear with many an oath my troth to hold for aye; * But
when you reigned my bosom's lord you wrought me traitor bane:
I loved you like a silly child who wots not what is Love; * Then spare
the learner, let her not be by the master slain!
By Allah's name I pray you write, when I am dead and gone, * Upon my
tomb, This died of Love whose senses Love had ta'en:
Then haply one shall pass that way who fire of Love hath felt, * And
treading on a lover's heart with ruth and woe shall melt."
When I ended my verses tears came again; but the poetry and the weeping
only added fury to his fury, and he recited:—
"'Twas not satiety bade me leave the dearling of my soul, * But that
she sinned a mortal sin which clipt me in its clip:
She sought to let another share the love between us twain, * But my
True Faith of Unity refuseth partnership."[FN#348]
When he ceased reciting I wept again and prayed his pardon and humbled
myself before him and spoke him softly, saying to myself, "I will work
on him with words; so haply he will refrain from slaying me, even
though he take all I have." So I complained of my sufferings and began
to repeat these couplets:—
"Now, by thy life and wert thou just my life thou hadst not ta'en, *
But who can break the severance law which parteth lovers twain!
Thou loadest me with heavy weight of longing love, when I * Can hardly
bear my chemisette for weakness and for pain:
I marvel not to see my life and soul in ruin lain: * I marvel much to
see my frame such severance pangs sustain."
When I ended my verse I wept again; and he looked at me and reviled me
in abusive language,[FN#349] repeating these couplets:—
"Thou wast all taken up with love of other man, not me; * 'Twas thine
to show me severance face, ’twas only mine to see:
I'll leave thee for that first thou wast of me to take thy leave * And
patient bear that parting blow thou borest so patiently:
E'en as thou soughtest other love, so other love I'll seek, * And make
the crime of murdering love thine own atrocity."
When he had ended his verses he again cried out to the slave, "Cut her
in half and free us from her, for we have no profit of her. So the
slave drew near me, O Commander of the Faithful and I ceased bandying
verses and made sure of death and, despairing of life, committed my
affairs to Almighty Allah, when behold, the old woman rushed in and
threw herself at my husband's feet and kissed them and wept and said,
"O my son, by the rights of my fosterage and by my long service to
thee, I conjure thee pardon this young lady, for indeed she hath done
nothing deserving such doom. Thou art a very young man and I fear lest
her death be laid at thy door; for it is said:—Whoso slayeth shall be
slain. As for this wanton (since thou deemest her such) drive her out
from thy doors, from thy love and from thy heart." And she ceased not
to weep and importune him till he relented and said, 'I pardon her, but
needs must I set on her my mark which shall show upon her all her
life." Then he bade the slaves drag me along the ground and lay me out
at full length, after stripping me of all my clothes;[FN#350] and when
the slaves had so sat upon me that I could not move, he fetched in a
rod of quince tree and came down with it upon my body, and continued
beating me on the back and sides till I lost consciousness from excess
of pain, and I despaired of life. Then he commanded the slaves to take
me away as soon as it was dark, together with the old woman to show
them the way and throw me upon the floor of the house wherein I dwelt
before my marriage. They did their lord's bidding and cast me down in
my old home and went their ways. I did not revive from my swoon till
dawn appeared, when I applied myself to the dressing of my wounds with
ointments and other medicaments; and I medicined myself, but my sides
and ribs still showed signs of the rod as thou hast seen. I lay in
weakly case and confined to my bed for four months before I was able to
rise and health returned to me. At the end of that time I went to the
house where all this had happened and found it a ruin; the street had
been pulled down endlong and rubbish heaps rose where the building erst
was; nor could I learn how this had come about. Then I betook myself to
this my sister on my father's side and found her with these two black
bitches. I saluted her and told her what had betided me and the whole
of my story and she said, "O my sister, who is safe from the despite of
Time and secure? Thanks be to Allah who has brought thee off safely;"
and she began to say:—
"Such is the World, so bear a patient heart * When riches leave thee
and when friends depart!"
Then she told me her own story, and what had happened to her with her
two sisters and how matters had ended; so we abode together and the
subject of marriage was never on our tongues for all these years. After
a while we were joined by our other sister, the procuratrix, who goeth
out every morning and buyeth all we require for the day and night; and
we continued in such condition till this last night. In the morning our
sister went out, as usual, to make her market and then befel us what
befel from bringing the Porter into the house and admitting these three
Kalandar men.
We entreated them kindly and honourably and a quarter of the night had
not passed ere three grave and respectable merchants from Mosul joined
us and told us their adventures. We sat talking with them but on one
condition which they violated, whereupon we treated them as sorted with
their breach of promise, and made them repeat the account they had
given of themselves. They did our bidding and we forgave their offence;
so they departed from us and this morning we were unexpectedly summoned
to thy presence. And such is our story! The Caliph wondered at her
words and bade the tale be recorded and chronicled and laid up in his
muniment-chambers.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
When it was the Nineteenth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Caliph
commanded this story and those of the sister and the Kalandars to be
recorded in the archives and be set in the royal muniment-chambers.
Then he asked the eldest lady, the mistress of the house, "Knowest thou
the whereabouts of the Ifritah who spelled thy sisters?"; and she
answered, "O Commander of the Faithful, she gave me a ringlet of her
hair saying: —Whenas thou wouldest see me, burn a couple of these hairs
and I will be with thee forthright, even though I were beyond
Caucasus-mountain." Quoth the Caliph, "Bring me hither the hair." So
she brought it and he threw the whole lock upon the fire. As soon as
the odour of the burning hair dispread itself, the palace shook and
trembled, and all present heard a rumbling and rolling of thunder and a
noise as of wings and lo! the Jinniyah who had been a serpent stood in
the Caliph's presence. Now she was a Moslemah, so she saluted him and
said, "Peace be with thee O Vicar[FN#351] of Allah;" whereto he
replied, "And with thee also be peace and the mercy of Allah and His
blessing." Then she continued, "Know that this damsel sowed for me the
seed of kindness, wherefor I cannot enough requite her, in that she
delivered me from death and destroyed mine enemy. Now I had seen how
her sisters dealt with her and felt myself bound to avenge her on them.
At first I was minded to slay them, but I feared it would be grievous
to her, so I transformed them to bitches; but if thou desire their
release, O Commander of the Faithful, I will release them to pleasure
thee and her for I am of the Moslems." Quoth the Caliph, "Release them
and after we will look into the affair of the beaten lady and consider
her case carefully; and if the truth of her story be evidenced I will
exact retaliation[FN#352] from him who wronged her." Said the Ifritah,
"O Commander of the Faithful, I will forthwith release them and will
discover to thee the man who did that deed by this lady and wronged her
and took her property, and he is the nearest of all men to thee!" So
saying she took a cup of water and muttered a spell over it and uttered
words there was no understanding; then she sprinkled some of the water
over the faces of the two bitches, saying, "Return to your former human
shape!" whereupon they were restored to their natural forms and fell to
praising their Creator. Then said the Ifritah, "O Commander of the
Faithful, of a truth he who scourged this lady with rods is thy son
Al-Amin brother of Al-Maamun ;[FN#353] for he had heard of her beauty
and love liness and he played a lover's stratagem with her and married
her according to the law and committed the crime (such as it is) of
scourging her. Yet indeed he is not to be blamed for beating her, for
he laid a condition on her and swore her by a solemn oath not to do a
certain thing; however, she was false to her vow and he was minded to
put her to death, but he feared Almighty Allah and contented himself
with scourging her, as thou hast seen, and with sending her back to her
own place. Such is the story of the second lady and the Lord knoweth
all." When the Caliph heard these words of the Ifritah, and knew who
had beaten the damsel, he marvelled with mighty marvel and said,
"Praise be to Allah, the Most High, the Almighty, who hath shown his
exceeding mercy towards me, enabling me to deliver these two damsels
from sorcery and torture, and vouchsafing to let me know the secret of
this lady's history! And now by Allah, we will do a deed which shall be
recorded of us after we are no more." Then he summoned his son Al-Amin
and questioned him of the story of the second lady, the portress; and
he told it in the face of truth; whereupon the Caliph bade call into
presence the Kazis and their witnesses and the three Kalandars and the
first lady with her sisters german who had been ensorcelled; and he
married the three to the three Kalandars whom he knew to be princes and
sons of Kings and he appointed them chamberlains about his person,
assigning to them stipends and allowances and all that they required,
and lodging them in his palace at Baghdad. He returned the beaten lady
to his son, Al-Amin, renewing the marriage contract between them and
gave her great wealth and bade rebuild the house fairer than it was
before. As for himself he took to wife the procuratrix and lay with her
that night: and next day he set apart for her an apartment in his
Serraglio, with handmaidens for her service and a fixed daily
allowance. And the people marvelled at their Caliph's generosity and
natural beneficence and princely widsom; nor did he forget to send all
these histories to be recorded in his annals. When Shahrazad ceased
speaking Dunyazad exclaimed, "O my own sister, by Allah in very sooth
this is a right pleasant tale and a delectable; never was heard the
like of it, but prithee tell me now another story to while away what
yet remaineth of the waking hours of this our night." She replied,
"With love and gladness if the King give me leave;" and he said, "Tell
thy tale and tell it quickly." So she began, in these words,