witch, Zat al-Dawahi, took the head of the Knight, the leader of the
twenty thousand Infidels, she brought it and threw it down before Zau
al-Makan and his brother Sharrkan and the Wazir Dandan, saying, "When I
saw your condition, I waxed jealous for your honour; so I rushed on the
Chief Knight and smote him with the sword till I severed head from
trunk. And none could near me, so I brought his head to you, that you
may be strengthened in Holy War and work out with your swords the will
of the Lord of the Faithful. And now I purpose leaving you to strive
against the Infidels, whilst I go to your army, though they be at the
gates of Constantinople, and return with twenty thousand horse to
destroy these Unfaithfuls." Quoth Sharrkan, "How wilt thou pass to them,
O thou holy man, seeing that the valley is blocked up on all sides by
the Miscreants?" Quoth the accursed hag, "Allah will veil me from their
eyes and they shall not sight me;[432] nor, if any saw me, would he dare
to attack me at that time, for I shall be as one non-existing, absorbed
in Allah, and He will fend off from me His foes." "Thou sayest sooth, O
holy man," rejoined Sharrkan, "for indeed I have been witness of that;
so, if thou can pass out at the first of the night, 'twill be best for
us." Replied she, "I will set out at this very hour and, if thou desire,
thou shalt go with me and none shall see thee. Furthermore if thy
brother also have a mind to go with us we will take him, but none else;
for the shadow of a saint can cover only twain." Sharrkan said, "As for
me I will not leave my comrades; but, if my brother will, there is no
harm in his going with thee and setting us free of this strait; for he
is the stronghold of the Moslems and the sword of the Lord of the three
Worlds; and if it be his pleasure, let him take with him the Wazir
Dandan, or whom else he may elect and send us ten thousand horse to
succour us against these caitiffs." So after debate they agreed on this
and the old woman said, "Give me leisure to go before you and consider
the condition of the Infidels, if they be asleep or awake." Quoth they,
"We will not go forth save with thee and trust our affair to Allah." "If
I do your bidding," replied she, "blame me not but blame yourselves; for
it is my rede that you await me till I bring you tidings of the case."
Then said Sharrkan, "Go to them and delay not from us, for we shall be
awaiting thee." Thereupon she fared forth and Sharrkan turned to his
brother addressing him and said, "Were not this holy man a
miracle-worker, he had never slain yonder furious knight. This is proof
sufficient of the ascetic's power; and of a truth the pride of the
Infidels is laid low by the slaying of this cavalier, for he was
violent, evil devil and a stubborn." Now whilst they were thus devising
of the mighty works of the devotee, behold, the accursed Zat al-Dawahi
came upon them and promised them victory over the Unbelievers; wherefor
they thanked her (not knowing that all this was wile and guile) and the
damned hag asked, "Where be the King of the Age, Zau al-Makan, and the
Minister Dandan?" Answered he, "Here am I!" "Take with thee thy Wazir,"
said she, "and follow after me, that we may fare forth to
Constantinople." Now she had acquainted the Infidels with the cheat she
had put upon the Moslems, and they rejoiced with exceeding great joy,
and said, "Our hearts will not be contented till we shall have slain
their King in return for the Knight's death; because we had no stouter
rider than he;" and they added (bespeaking the ill-omened hag as she
told them her plan of faring to the land of the Moslems), "When thou
bringest him to us, we will bear him to King Afridun." Then she went out
and went out with her Zau al-Makan and the Minister Dandan, and she
walked on before the two saying, "Fare forth with the blessing of
Almighty Allah!" So they did her bidding, for the shaft of Fate and
Fortune of man's lot had shot them, and she ceased not leading them both
through the midst of the Grecian camp, till they came to the defile, the
narrow pass aforesaid, whilst the Infidel enemy watched them, but did
them no hindrance; for the infernal old woman had enjoined this. Now
when Zau al-Makan and the Wazir Dandan saw that the Infidel host offered
them no let and stay and yet had them in sight, the Wazir exclaimed, "By
Allah, this is one of the holy man's saintly miracles! and doubtless he
be of the elect." Rejoined Zau al-Makan, "By Allah, I think the Infidels
be naught but blind, for we see them and they see us not." And while
they were thus praising the holy man and recounting his mighty works and
his piety and his prayers, behold, the Infidels charged down on them
from all sides and surrounded them and seized them, saying, "Is there
anyone else with you twain, that we may seize upon him too?" And the
Wazir Dandan replied, "See you not yon other man that is before us?"
Replied the Unbelievers, "By the truth of the Messiah and the Monks, and
the Primate and the Metropolitan, we see none save you two!" Then Zau
al-Makan said, "By Allah, this is a chastisement decreed to us by
Almighty Allah!"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Ninety-eighth Night,
She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Unfaithful had seized upon King Zau al-Makan and the Wazir Dandan, they
said to the two, "Is there anyone else with you twain, that we may seize
upon him also?" And the Wazir Dandan replied, "See you not yon other man
who be with us?" They rejoined, "By the truth of the Messiah and the
Monks and the Primate and the Metropolitan, we see none save you two!"
Then the Infidels laid shackles on their feet and set men to guard them
during the night, whilst Zat al-Dawahi fared on and disappeared from
their sight. So they fell to lamenting and saying to each other,
"Verily, the opposing of pious men leadeth to greater distress than
this, and we are punished by the strait which hath befallen us." So far
concerning Zau al-Makan and the Wazir Dandan; but as regards King
Sharrkan, he passed that night in the cavern with his comrades, and when
dawned the day and he had prayed the morn-prayer, he and his men made
ready to do battle with the Infidel and he heartened them and promised
them all good. Then they sallied out till they were hard upon the
Unbelievers and, when these saw them from afar, they cried out to them,
saying, "O Moslems, we have taken captives your Sultan and your Wazir
who hath the ordering of your affairs; and except ye leave off fighting
us, we will slay you to the last man; but an you yield yourselves we
will take you to our King, who will make peace with you on condition
that you quit our country and return home and harm us in naught, and we
will do you no harm in aught. If ye accept, it will be well for you; but
if ye refuse there remaineth nothing for you but death. So we have told
you sooth, and this is our last word to you." Now when Sharrkan heard
this and was certified of the captivity of his brother and the Wazir
Dandan, he was weighed down with woe and wept; his force failed him and,
making sure of death, he said to himself, "Would I knew the cause of
their capture! Did they fail of respect to the holy man or disobey him,
or what was the matter?" Then they sprang up to battle with the
Unbelievers and slew great numbers of them. The brave was known that day
from craven men, and sword and spear were dyed with bloody stain; for
the Infidels flocked upon them, as flies flock to drink, from hill and
from plain; but Sharrkan and his men ceased not to wage the fight of
those who fear not to die, nor let death hinder them from the pursuit of
victory, till the valley ran gore and earth was full of the slain she
bore. And when night fell the armies separated, each making for his own
place; and the Moslems returned to the cavern where gain and loss were
manifest to them: few remained of them and there was no dependence for
them but on Allah and the scymitar. Now there had been slain of them
that day five-and-thirty men of the chiefest Emirs, and they had killed
thousands of the Infidels, footmen and fighters on horse. When Sharrkan
saw this, the case was grievous to him and he asked his comrades, "What
shall we do?"; whereto all answered, "That which Almighty Allah willeth
shall befal us." On the morning of the second day, Sharrkan said to the
remnant of his troop, "If ye go forth to fight, not one of you will
remain alive and we have but little left of food and water; so I deem ye
would do better to bare your brands and go forth and stand at the mouth
of this cavern, to hinder any from entering. Haply the holy man may have
reached the Moslem host, and may return with ten thousand horse to
succour us in fight with the Infidels, for belike the Unfaithful may
have failed to see him and those with him." They said, "This were the
better course to take, and of its expediency no doubt we make." So the
troop went out and held the cavern mouth standing by its walls; and
every one of the Infidels who sought to enter in, they slew. Thus did
they fend off the foe from the gape of the cave and they patiently
supported all such assaults, till day was done and night came on dusky
and dun;——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Ninety-ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the army of the
Moslems held the cavern-mouth and stood by its walls and they fended off
the foe, and every one of the Infidels attempted to charge them, him
they slew; and they patiently supported all such assaults till day was
done and night came on dusky and dun; by which time King Sharrkan had
only five-and-twenty men and no more left. Then quoth the Infidels to
one another, "When shall these battle days have an end? We are weary of
warring the Moslems." And quoth one of them, "Up and at them, for there
remain of them but five-and-twenty men! If we cannot prevail on them to
fight, let us light a fire upon them;[433] and if they submit themselves
and yield to us, we will take them prisoners; but if they refuse we will
leave them for fuel to the fire, so shall they become to men of
foreseeing mind a warning dire. May the Messiah on their fathers have no
grace, and may the sojourn of the Nazarenes be for them no
abiding-place!" So they carried fuel to the jaws of the cavern and set
fire to it. Thereupon Sharrkan and his companions made sure of perdition
and yielded themselves prisoners. And while they were in this condition,
lo! the knight their captain said to those who counselled their
slaughter, "It is not for any save for King Afridun to kill them, that
he may gratify his wrath; therefore it behoveth us to keep them in
durance by us till the morrow, when we will journey with them to
Constantinople and deliver them to our King, who shall deal with them as
he please." Said they, "This is the right course;" and he commanded to
pinion them and set guards over them. Then, as soon as it was black
night, the Infidels busied themselves with feasting and making festival;
and they called for wine and drank it till all fell upon their backs.
Now Sharrkan and his brother, Zau al-Makan, were in confinement and so
also were his companion knights; whereupon the elder turned to the
younger brother and said to him, "O my brother, how win free?" "By
Allah," replied Zau al-Makan, "I know not; for here we be like birds in
cage." Then Sharrkan waxed wroth and sighed for excess of rage and
stretched himself, till his pinion-bonds brast asunder; whereupon being
free he arose and went up to the Captain of the guard, and taking from
his pocket the keys of the fetters, freed Zau al-Makan and the Wazir
Dandan and the rest of his men. Then he turned to the two and said, "I
desire to slay three of these Infidels and take and don their dress, we
three; so that we shall be guised as Greeks and we will pass through
them, without their knowing us, and fare forth to our own force."
Replied Zau al-Makan, "This is no safe counsel for if we kill them, I
fear some of their comrades may hear their shrieks and the foe be
aroused upon us and kill us. 'Twere the surer way to pass out of the
defile." So they agreed upon this and set out; and, when they had left
the head of the strait a little distance behind, they saw horses
picketed and the riders sleeping: and Sharrkan said to his brother,
"Better we take each one of us a steed." There were five-and-twenty
horsemen, so they took five-and-twenty horses, whilst Allah sent sleep
upon the Infidels for a purpose He knew; and the Faithful mounted and
fared on till they were out of reach. Meanwhile Sharrkan set to
gathering from the Infidels as many weapons, swords, and spears, as were
wanted. And while they took saddle and struck forwards none of the
Infidels supposed that anyone could release Zau al-Makan and his brother
and their men; or that their prisoners had power to escape. Now when all
the captives were safe from the Unfaithful, Sharrkan came up with his
comrades, and found them awaiting his arrival, on coals of flame,
expecting him in anxious grame, so he turned to them and said, "Feel no
fear since Allah protecteth us. I have that to propose which haply shall
effect our purpose." "What is it?" asked they, and he answered, "I
desire that ye all climb to the mountain top and cry out with one voice,
Allaho Akbar! and ye add, The army of Al-Islam is upon you! Allaho
Akbar! This wise their company will surely be dissolved nor will they
find out the trick for they are drunk, but they will think that the
Moslem troops have encompassed them about on all sides and have mingled
with them; so they will fall on one another brand in hand during the
confusion of drunkenness and sleep, and we will cleave them asunder with
their own swords and the scymitar will go round amongst them till dawn."
Replied Zau al-Makan, "This plan is not good; we should do better to
make our way to our army and speak not a word; for if we cry out Allaho
Akbar, they will wake and fall on us and not one of us will escape."
Rejoined Sharrkan, "By Allah, though they should awake 'tis no matter,
and I long that ye fall in with my plan, for naught save good can come
of it!" So they agreed thereon and clomb the mountain and shouted,
"Allaho Akbar!" And hills and trees and rocks re-worded their Allaho
Akbar for fear of the Almighty. But when the Kafirs heard this slogan
they cried out to one another——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Hundredth Night,
She said, It hath reached me O auspicious King, that Sharrkan spake
thus, "I long that ye fall in with this my plan, for naught save good
can come of it." So they agreed thereon and clomb the mountain head
and shouted, "Allaho Akbar!"; and hills and trees and rocks re-worded
their Allaho Akbar for fear of the Almighty. The Infidels heard it and
cried out one to other and donned their armour and said, "The foe is
upon us, by the truth of the Messiah!" Then they fell on one another
and slew of their own men more than any knoweth save Almighty Allah.
As soon as it was dawn, they sought for the captives, but found no
trace of them, and their captains said, "They who did this were the
prisoners in our possession; up, then, and after them in all haste
till ye overtake them, when we will make them quaff the cup of
requital; and let not fright nor the panic of sudden awaking possess
you." So they took horse and rode after the fugitives and it wanted
but an eye-twinkling before they overtook them and surrounded them.
Now when Zau al-Makan saw this, he was seized with increase of terror
and said to his brother, "What I feared would come, is come upon us,
and now it remaineth only for us to fight for the Faith." But Sharrkan
preferred to hold his peace. Then Zau al-Makan and his companions
rushed down from the hill-crest, shouting, "Allaho Akbar!" and his men
repeated the war cry and addressed themselves to fight and to sell
their lives in the service of the Lord of Faithful Men; and while they
were in this case, behold, they heard many voices voicing, "There is
no god but _the_ God! God is most great! Salutation and salvation upon
the Apostle, the Bringer of glad Tidings, the Bearer of bad
Tidings!"[434] So they turned towards the direction of the sound and
saw a company of Moslems who believed in one God, pushing towards
them, whereat their hearts were heartened and Sharrkan charged upon
the Infidels crying out, "There is no god but _the_ God! God is most
great!" he and those with him, so that earth quaked as with an
earthquake and the Unbeliever host brake asunder and fled into the
mountains and the Moslems followed them with lunge and blow; and Zau
al-Makan and his comrades of the Moslems ceased not to smite the hosts
of the Infidel foe, and parted heads from bodies till day darkened and
night coming on starkened sight. Thereupon the Moslems drew together
and passed the night in congratulations; and, when morning dawned and
daybreak shone with its shine and sheen, they saw Bahram, the captain
of the Daylamites, and Rustam, the captain of the Turks, advancing to
join them, with twenty thousand cavaliers like lions grim. As soon as
they saw Zau al-Makan, the riders dismounted and saluted him, and
kissed ground between his hands when he said to them, "Rejoice ye in
the glad tidings of the victory of the Moslem and the discomfiture of
the tribe of Unbelievers!" Then they gave one another joy of their
deliverance and of the greatness of their reward after Resurrection
Day. Now the cause of the coming of the succours to that place was
this. When the Emir Bahram and the Emir Rustam and the Chief
Chamberlain, with the Moslem host and flags flaunting high ahead, came
in sight of Constantinople they saw that the Nazarenes had mounted the
walls and manned the towers and the forts, and had set all their
defenders in order of defence, as soon as they learned of the approach
of the host of Al-Islam and the banners Mohammedan, and they heard the
clash of arms and the noise of war-voices and tramp of horse-hoofs;
and from their look-outs they beheld the Moslems, with their standards
and ensigns of the Faith of Unity under the dust-clouds and lo! they
were like a flight of locusts or rain clouds raining rain; and the
voices of the Moslems chanting the Koran and glorifying the
Compassionate One, struck their ears. Now the Infidels knew of the
approach of this host through Zat al-Dawahi with her craft and
whoredom,[435] calumny and contrivance. And the armies of Al-Islam
drew near, as it were the swollen sea, for the multitude of footmen
and horsemen and women and children. Then quoth the General of the
Turks to the General of the Daylamites, "O Emir, of a truth, we are in
jeopardy from the multitude of the foe who is on the walls. Look at
yonder bulwarks and at this world of folk like the seas that clash
with dashing billows. Indeed yon Infidel outnumbereth us an
hundredfold and we cannot be safe from spies who may inform them that
we are without a Sultan. In very sooth, we run danger from these
enemies, whose numbers may not be told and whose resources none can
withhold, especially in the absence of King Zau al-Makan and his
brother Sharrkan and the illustrious Wazir Dandan. If they know of
this, they will be emboldened to attack us in their absence and with
the sword they will annihilate us to the last man; not one of us
safety shall see. So it is my counsel that thou take ten thousand
riders of the allies and the Turks, and march them to the hermitage of
Matruhina and the meadow of Malúkhiná in quest of our brothers and
comrades. If thou act by my advice, it may be we shall approve
ourselves the cause of their deliverance, in case they be hard pressed
by the Infidels; and if thou act not, blame will not attach to me.
But, an ye go, it behoveth that ye return quickly, for ill-suspicion
is part of prudence." The Emir aforesaid fell in with his counsel; so
they chose twenty thousand horse and they set out covering the roads
and making for the monastery above mentioned. So much for the cause of
their coming; but as regards the ancient dame, Zat al-Dawahi, as soon
as she had delivered Sultan Zau al-Makan and his brother Sharrkan and
the Wazir Dandan into the hands of the Infidels, the foul whore
mounted a swift steed, saying to the Faithless, "I design to rejoin
the Moslem army which is at Constantinople and contrive for their
destruction; for I will inform them that their chiefs are dead, and
when they hear that from me, their joining will be disjointed and the
cord of their confederation cut and their host scattered. Then will I
go to King Afridun, Lord of Constantinople, and to my son Hardub, King
of Roum, and relate to them their tidings and they will sally forth on
the Moslems with their troops and will destroy them and will not leave
one of them alive." So she mounted and struck across country on her
good steed all the livelong night; and, when day dawned, appeared the
armies of Bahram and Rustam advancing towards her. So she turned into
a wayside brake and hid her horse among the trees and she walked a
while saying to herself, "Haply the Moslem hosts be returning, routed,
from the assault of Constantinople." However, as she drew near them
she looked narrowly and made sure that their standards were not
reversed,[436] and she knew that they were coming not as conquered
men, but fearing for their King and comrades. When she was assured of
this, she hastened towards them, running at speed, like a devil of ill
rede, till reaching them she cried out, "Haste ye! haste ye! O
soldiers of the Compassionate One, hasten to the Holy War against the
hosts of Satan!" When Bahram saw her he dismounted and kissed the
ground before her and asked her, "O friend of Allah, what is behind
thee?" Answered she, "Question not of sad case and sore condition; for
when our comrades had taken the treasure from the hermitage of
Matruhina, and designed to win their way Constantinople-wards,
thereupon came out on them a driving host and a dreadful of the
Infidels." And the damned witch repeated to them the story to fill
them with trouble and terror, adding, "The most of them are dead, and
there are but five-and-twenty men left." Said Bahram, "O holy man!
when didst thou leave them?" "But this night,"[437] replied she. He
cried, "Glory be to Allah! to Him who hath rolled up the far distance
for thee like a rug, so that thou hast sped thus walking upon thy feet
and propt upon a mid-rib of palm-tree! But thou art one of the saints
which fly like birds when inspired and possessed by His
directions."[438] Then he mounted his horse, and he was perplexed and
confounded by what he had heard from the beldam so strong in lies and
ill calumnies, and he said, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might
save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! Verily our labour is lost and
our hearts are heavy within us, for our Sultan is a prisoner and those
who are with him." Then they cut across the country, wide and side,
night and day, and when morning dawned they reached the head of the
defile and saw Zau al-Makan and Sharrkan shouting. "There is no god
but _the_ God! Allaho Akbar! and Salutation and Salvation upon the
Congratulator, the Comminator."[439] Whereupon he and his drove at the
Unbelievers and whelmed them, as the rain-torrent whelms the waste;
and cried out their war-cries, till fear gat hold of the prowest
Knights and the mountains were cloven in affright. And when shone the
day and showed its shine and sheen, the breeze of morning blew upon
them sweet and fragrant, and each recognised other as hath been said
before. Then they kissed the ground before the King and before his
brother Sharrkan, who told them all that had befallen the party in the
cave. Now thereat they marvelled and said to one another, "Hasten we
back to Constantinople, for we left our companions there, and our
hearts are with them." So they hurried departure, commending
themselves to the Subtle, the All-wise, and Zau al-Makan exhorted the
Moslems to steadfastness and versified in the following
couplets:[440]—
Be praises mine to all-praiseworthy Thee, ✿ O Lord, who stinted
not mine aid to be!
Though was I lost abroad, Thou wast to me ✿ Strongest support
which vouchsafed victory:
Thou gav'st me wealth and reign and goodly gifts, ✿ And
slungest conquering sword of valiancy:
Thou mad'st me blest beneath Thy kingly shade, ✿ Engraced with
generous boons dealt fain and free:
Thou savedst from every fear I feared, by aid ✿ Of my Wazir, the
Age's noblest he!
Garred us Thy grace in fight to throw the Greek, ✿ Who yet came
back dight in War's cramoisie:
Then made I feint to fly from out the fight; ✿ But like grim
lion turning made them flee,
And left on valley-sole my foemen, drunk ✿ Not with old wine[441]
but Death-cup's revelry:
Then came the Saintly Hermit, and he showed ✿ His marvels wrought
for town and wold to see;
When slew they hero-wights who woke to dwell ✿ In Eden bowers
wherein sweet rill-lets well.
But, when Zau al-Makan had made an end of versifying, his brother
Sharrkan congratulated him on his safety and thanked him for the deeds
he had done; after which both set out forcing their marches to rejoin
their army.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
Now when it as the Hundred-and-first Night,