Sindbad The Seaman[FN#1] and Sindbad The Landsman.
There lived in the city of Baghdad, during the reign of the Commander
of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, a man named Sindbád the Hammál,[FN#2]
one in poor case who bore burdens on his head for hire. It happened to
him one day of great heat that whilst he was carrying a heavy load, he
became exceeding weary and sweated profusely, the heat and the weight
alike oppressing him. Presently, as he was passing the gate of a
merchant’s house, before which the ground was swept and watered, and
there the air was temperate, he sighted a broad bench beside the door;
so he set his load thereon, to take rest and smell the air,—And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-seventh Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Hammal
set his load upon the bench to take rest and smell the air, there came
out upon him from the court-door a pleasant breeze and a delicious
fragrance. He sat down on the edge of the bench, and at once heard from
within the melodious sound of lutes and other stringed instruments, and
mirth-exciting voices singing and reciting, together with the song of
birds warbling and glorifying Almighty Allah in various tunes and
tongues; turtles, mocking-birds, merles, nightingales, cushats and
stone-curlews,[FN#3] whereat he marvelled in himself and was moved to
mighty joy and solace. Then he went up to the gate and saw within a
great flower-garden wherein were pages and black slaves and such a
train of servants and attendants and so forth as is found only with
Kings and Sultans; and his nostrils were greeted with the savoury
odours of all manner meats rich and delicate, and delicious and
generous wines. So he raised his eyes heavenwards and said, “Glory to
Thee, O Lord, O Creator and Provider, who providest whomso Thou wilt
without count or stint! O mine Holy One, I cry Thee pardon for all sins
and turn to Thee repenting of all offences! O Lord, there is no
gainsaying Thee in Thine ordinance and Thy dominion, neither wilt Thou
be questioned of that Thou dost, for Thou indeed over all things art
Almighty! Extolled be Thy perfection: whom Thou wilt Thou makest poor
and whom Thou wilt Thou makest rich! Whom Thou wilt Thou exaltest and
whom Thou wilt Thou abasest and there is no god but Thou! How mighty is
Thy majesty and how enduring Thy dominion and how excellent Thy
government! Verily, Thou favourest whom Thou wilt of Thy servants,
whereby the owner of this place abideth in all joyance of life and
delighteth himself with pleasant scents and delicious meats and
exquisite wines of all kinds. For indeed Thou appointest unto Thy
creatures that which Thou wilt and that which Thou hast foreordained
unto them; wherefore are some weary and others are at rest and some
enjoy fair fortune and affluence, whilst others suffer the extreme of
travail and misery, even as I do.” And he fell to reciting,
“How many by my labours, that evermore endure, * All goods of
life enjoy and in cooly shade recline?
Each morn that dawns I wake in travail and in woe, * And strange
is my condition and my burden gars me pine:
Many others are in luck and from miseries are free, * And Fortune
never loads them with loads the like o’ mine:
They live their happy days in all solace and delight; * Eat,
drink and dwell in honour ’mid the noble and the digne:
All living things were made of a little drop of sperm, * Thine
origin is mine and my provenance is thine;
Yet the difference and distance ’twixt the twain of us are far *
As the difference of savour ’twixt vinegar and wine:
But at Thee, O God All-wise! I venture not to rail * Whose
ordinance is just and whose justice cannot fail.”
When Sindbad the Porter had made an end of reciting his verses, he bore
up his burden and was about to fare on, when there came forth to him
from the gate a little foot-page, fair of face and shapely of shape and
dainty of dress who caught him by the hand saying, “Come in and speak
with my lord, for he calleth for thee.” The Porter would have excused
himself to the page but the lad would take no refusal; so he left his
load with the doorkeeper in the vestibule and followed the boy into the
house, which he found to be a goodly mansion, radiant and full of
majesty, till he brought him to a grand sitting-room wherein he saw a
company of nobles and great lords, seated at tables garnished with all
manner of flowers and sweet-scented herbs, besides great plenty of
dainty viands and fruits dried and fresh and confections and wines of
the choicest vintages. There also were instruments of music and mirth
and lovely slave-girls playing and singing. All the company was ranged
according to rank; and in the highest place sat a man of worshipful and
noble aspect whose beard-sides hoariness had stricken; and he was
stately of stature and fair of favour, agreeable of aspect and full of
gravity and dignity and majesty. So Sindbad the Porter was confounded
at that which he beheld and said in himself, “By Allah, this must be
either a piece of Paradise or some King’s palace!” Then he saluted the
company with much respect praying for their prosperity, and kissing the
ground before them, stood with his head bowed down in humble
attitude.—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-eighth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
Porter, after kissing ground between their hands stood with his head
bowed down in humble attitude. The master of the house bade him draw
near and be seated and bespoke him kindly, bidding him welcome. Then he
set before him various kinds of viands, rich and delicate and
delicious, and the Porter, after saying his Bismillah, fell to and ate
his fill, after which he exclaimed, “Praised be Allah whatso be our
case![FN#4]” and, washing his hands, returned thanks to the company for
his entertainment. Quoth the host, “Thou art welcome and thy day is a
blessed. But what is thy name and calling?” Quoth the other, “O my
lord, my name is Sindbad the Hammal, and I carry folk’s goods on my
head for hire.” The house-master smiled and rejoined, “Know, O Porter
that thy name is even as mine, for I am Sindbad the Seaman; and now, O
Porter, I would have thee let me hear the couplets thou recitedst at
the gate anon.” The Porter was abashed and replied, “Allah upon thee!
Excuse me, for toil and travail and lack of luck when the hand is
empty, teach a man ill manners and boorish ways.” Said the host, “Be
not ashamed; thou art become my brother; but repeat to me the verses,
for they pleased me whenas I heard thee recite them at the gate.
Hereupon the Porter repeated the couplets and they delighted the
merchant, who said to him,—Know, O Hammal, that my story is a
wonderful one, and thou shalt hear all that befel me and all I
underwent ere I rose to this state of prosperity and became the lord of
this place wherein thou seest me; for I came not to this high estate
save after travail sore and perils galore, and how much toil and
trouble have I not suffered in days of yore! I have made seven voyages,
by each of which hangeth a marvellous tale, such as confoundeth the
reason, and all this came to pass by doom of fortune and fate; for from
what destiny doth write there is neither refuge nor flight. Know, then,
good my lords (continued he) that I am about to relate the