O friend, mine eyes outpour:
Yea, I farewelled my heart on parting-day ✿ And heartless,
hopeless, now I bide forlore:
Pause, O my friend, with me farewelling one ✿ Whose words my cure
can work, my health restore!
Now when the youth ended his poetry he wept awhile and fell down in a
fainting-fit, whilst Taj al-Muluk looked at him and wondered at his
case. Then, coming to himself, he stared with distracted air, and
versified in these couplets:—
Beware her glance I rede thee, 'tis like wizard-wight, ✿ None
can escape unscathed those eye-shafts' glancing flight:
In very sooth black eyes, with languorous sleepy look, ✿ Pierce
deeper than white swords however these may bite.
Be not thy senses by her sweets of speech beguiled, ✿ Whose
brooding fever shall ferment in thought and sprite:
Soft-sided Fair,[475] did silk but press upon her skin, ✿ 'Twould
draw red blood from it, as thou thyself canst sight.
Chary is she of charms twixt neck and anklets dwell; ✿ And ah!
what other scent shall cause me such delight?[476]
Then he sobbed a loud sob and swooned away. But when Taj al-Muluk saw
him in this case, he was perplexed about his state and went up to him;
and, as the youth came to his senses and saw the King's son standing at
his head, he sprang to his feet and kissed the ground between his hands.
Taj al-Muluk asked him, "Why didst thou not show us thy merchandise?"
and he answered, "O my lord, there is naught among my stock worthy of
thine august highness." Quoth the Prince, "Needs must thou show me what
thou hast and acquaint me with thy circumstance; for I see thee
weeping-eyed and heavy-hearted. If thou have been oppressed, we will end
thine oppression, and if thou be in debt, we will pay thy debt; for of a
truth my heart burneth to see thee, since I first set eyes on
thee."[477] Then Taj al-Muluk bade the seats be set, and they brought
him a chair of ivory and ebony with a net-work of gold and silk, and
spread him a silken rug for his feet. So he sat down on the chair and
bidding the youth seat himself on the rug said to him, "Show me thy
stock in trade!" The young merchant replied, "O my Lord, do not name
this to me, for my goods be unworthy of thee." Rejoined Taj al-Muluk,
"It needs must be thus!"; and bade some of the pages fetch the goods. So
they brought them in despite of him; and, when he saw them, the tears
streamed from his eyes and he wept and sighed and lamented; sobs rose in
his throat and he repeated these couplets:—
By what thine eyelids show of Kohl and coquetry! ✿ By what thy
shape displays of lissome symmetry!
By what thy liplets store of honey-dew and wine! ✿ By what thy
mind adorns of gracious kindly gree!
To me thy sight dream-visioned, O my hope! exceeds ✿ The
happiest escape from horriblest injury.
Then the youth opened his bales and displayed his merchandise to Taj
al-Muluk in detail, piece by piece, and amongst them he brought out a
gown of satin brocaded with gold, worth two thousand dinars. When he
opened the gown there fell a piece of linen from its folds. As soon as
the young merchant saw this, he caught up the piece of linen in haste
and hid it under his thigh; and his reason wandered, and he began
versifying:—
When shall be healed of thee this heart that ever bides in woe? ✿
Than thee the Pleiad-stars more chance of happy meeting show.
Parting and banishment and longing pain and lowe of love,
✿ Procrastinating[478] and delay—these ills my life lay low:
Nor union bids me live in joy, nor parting kills by grief, ✿ Nor
travel draws me nearer thee nor nearer comest thou:
Of thee no justice may be had, in thee dwells naught of ruth; ✿
Nor gain of grace by side of thee, nor flight from thee I know:
For love of thee all goings forth and comings back are strait ✿ On
me; and I am puzzled sore to know where I shall go.
Taj al-Muluk wondered with great wonder at his verse, and could not
comprehend the cause. But when the youth snatched up the bit of linen
and placed it under thigh, he asked him, "What is that piece of linen?"
"O my Lord," answered the merchant, "thou hast no concern with this
piece." Quoth the King's son, "Show it me;" and quoth the merchant, "O
my Lord, I refused to show thee my goods on account of this piece of
linen; for I cannot let thee look upon it."——And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Hundred-and-twelfth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young merchant
said to Taj al-Muluk, "I did not refuse to show thee my goods save on
this account, for I cannot let thee look upon it." Whereupon Taj
al-Muluk retorted, "Perforce I must and will see it;" and insisted and
became angry. So the youth drew it out from under his thigh, and wept
and moaned and redoubled his sighs and groans, and repeated these
verses:—
Now blame him not; for blame brings only irk and pain! ✿ Indeed,
I spake him sooth but ne'er his ear could gain:
May Allah guard my moon which riseth in the vale ✿ Beside our
camp, from loosed robe like skyey plain:[479]
I left him but had Love vouchsafed to leave for me ✿ Some peace in
life such leave of him I ne'er had ta'en:
How long he pleaded for my sake on parting morn, ✿ While down
his cheeks and mine tears ran in railing rain:
Allah belie me not: the garb of mine excuse ✿ This parting rent, but
I will mend that garb again!
No couch is easy to my side, nor on such wise ✿ Aught easeth him,
when all alone without me lain:
Time with ill-omened hand hath wrought between us two, ✿ And made
my waxing joys to wane and his to wane,
And poured mere grief and woe, what time Time fain had crowned ✿
The bowl he made me drink and gave for him to drain.
When he ended his recitation, quoth Taj al-Muluk, "I see thy conduct
without consequence; tell me then why weepest thou at the sight of this
rag!" When the young merchant heard speak of the piece of linen, he
sighed and answered, "O my lord, my story is a strange and my case out
of range, with regard to this piece of linen and to her from whom I
brought it and to her who wrought on it these figures and emblems."
Hereupon, he spread out the piece of linen, and behold, thereon was the
figure of a gazelle wrought in silk and worked with red gold, and facing
it was another gazelle traced in silver with a neck-ring of red gold and
three bugles[480] of chrysolite upon the ring. When Taj al-Muluk saw the
beauty of these figures, he exclaimed, "Glory be to Allah who teacheth
man that which he knoweth not!"[481] And his heart yearned to hear the
youth's story; so he said to him, "Tell me thy story with her who owned
these gazelles." Replied the young man:—Hear, O my Lord, the
_TALE OF AZIZ AND AZIZAH._[482]
My father was a wealthy merchant and Allah had vouchsafed him no other
child than myself; but I had a cousin, Azízah hight, daughter of my
paternal uncle and we twain were brought up in one house; for her father
was dead and before his death, he had agreed with my father that I
should marry her. So when I reached man's estate and she reached
womanhood, they did not separate her from me or me from her, till at
last my father spoke to my mother and said, "This very year we will draw
up the contract of marriage between Aziz and Azizah." So having agreed
upon this he betook himself to preparing provision for the
wedding-feast. Still we ceased not to sleep on the same carpet knowing
naught of the case, albeit she was more thoughtful, more intelligent and
quicker-witted than I. Now when my father had made an end of his
preparations, and naught remained for him but to write out the contract
and for me but to consummate the marriage with my cousin, he appointed
the wedding for a certain Friday, after public prayers; and, going round
to his intimates among the merchants and others, he acquainted them with
that, whilst my mother went forth and invited her women friends and
summoned her kith and kin. When the Friday came, they cleaned the saloon
and prepared for the guests and washed the marble floor; then they
spread tapestry about our house and set out thereon what was needful,
after they had hung its walls with cloth of gold. Now the folk had
agreed to come to us after the Friday prayers; so my father went out and
bade them make sweetmeats and sugared dishes, and there remained nothing
to do but to draw up the contract. Then my mother sent me to the bath
and sent after me a suit of new clothes of the richest; and, when I came
out of the Hammam, I donned those habits which were so perfumed that as
I went along, there exhaled from them a delicious fragrance scenting the
wayside. I had designed to repair to the Cathedral-mosque, when I
bethought me of one of my friends and returned in quest of him that he
might be present at the writing of the contract; and quoth I to myself,
"This matter will occupy me till near the time of congregational
prayer." So I went on and entered a by-street which I had never before
entered, perspiring profusely from the effects of the bath and the new
clothes on my body; and the sweat streamed down whilst the scents of my
dress were wafted abroad: I therefore sat me at the upper end of the
street resting on a stone bench, after spreading under me an embroidered
kerchief I had with me. The heat oppressed me more and more, making my
forehead perspire and the drops trickled along my cheeks; but I could
not wipe my face with my kerchief because it was dispread under me. I
was about to take the skirt of my robe and wipe my cheeks with it, when
unexpectedly there fell on me from above a white kerchief, softer to the
touch than the morning breeze and pleasanter to the sight than healing
to the diseased. I hent it in hand and raised my head to see whence it
had fallen, when my eyes met the eyes of the lady who owned these
gazelles.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Hundred-and-thirteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the youth
continued to Taj al-Muluk:—So I raised my head to see whence this
kerchief had fallen, when my eyes met those of the lady who owned these
gazelles. And lo! she was looking out of a wicket in a lattice of brass
and never saw my eyes a fairer than she; and in fine my tongue faileth
to describe her beauty. When she caught sight of me looking at her, she
put her forefinger into her mouth, then joined her middle finger and her
witness-finger[483] and laid them on her bosom, between her breasts;
after which she drew in her head and closed the wicket-shutter and went
her ways. Thereupon fire broke out in and was heaped upon my heart, and
greater grew my smart; the one sight cost me a thousand sighs and I
abode perplexed, for that I heard no word by her spoken, nor understood
the meaning of her token. I looked at the window a second time, but
found it shut and waited patiently till sundown, but sensed no sound and
saw no one in view. So when I despaired of seeing her again, I rose from
my place and taking up the handkerchief, opened it, when there breathed
from it a scent of musk which caused me so great delight I became as one
in Paradise.[484] Then I spread it before me and out dropped from it a
delicate little scroll; whereupon I opened the paper which was perfumed
with a delicious perfume, and therein were writ these couplets:—
I sent to him a scroll that bore my plaint of love, ✿ Writ in
fine delicate hand; for writing proves man's skill:
Then quoth to me my friend, "Why is thy writing thus; ✿ So fine,
so thin-drawn 'tis to read unsuitable?"
Quoth I, "For that I'm fine-drawn, wasted, waxed thin; ✿ Thus
lovers' writ should be, for so Love wills his will."
And after casting my eyes on the beauty of the kerchief,[485] I saw upon
one of its two borders the following couplets worked in with the
needle:—
His cheek-down writeth (O fair fall the goodly scribe!) ✿ Two lines
on table of his face in Rayhán-hand:[486]
O the wild marvel of the Moon when comes he forth! ✿ And when he
bends, O shame to every Willow-wand!
And on the opposite border these two couplets were traced:—
His cheek-down writeth on his cheek with ambergris on pearl ✿
Two lines, like jet on apple li'en, the goodliest design:
Slaughter is in those languid eyne whene'er a glance they deal, ✿
And drunkenness in either cheek and not in any wine.
When I read the poetry on the handkerchief the flames of love darted
into my heart, and yearning and pining redoubled their smart. So I took
the kerchief and the scroll and went home, knowing no means to win my
wish, for that I was incapable of conducting love-affairs and
inexperienced in interpreting hints and tokens. Nor did I reach my home
ere the night was far spent and I found the daughter of my uncle sitting
in tears. But as soon as she saw me she wiped away the drops and came up
to me, and took off my walking dress and asked me the reason of my
absence, saying, "All the folk, Emirs and notables and merchants and
others, assembled in our house; and the Kazi and the witnesses were also
present at the appointed time. They ate and tarried awhile sitting to
await thine appearance for the writing of the contract; and, when they
despaired of thy presence, they dispersed and went their ways. And
indeed," she added, "thy father raged with exceeding wrath by reason of
this, and swore that he would not celebrate our marriage save during the
coming year, for that he hath spent on these festivities great store of
money." And she ended by asking, "What hath befallen thee this day to
make thee delay till now?; and why hast thou allowed that to happen
which happened because of thine absence?" Answered I, "O daughter of
mine uncle, question me not concerning what hath befallen me."[487] Then
I told her all that had passed from beginning to end, and showed her the
handkerchief. She took the scroll and read what was written therein; and
tears ran down her cheeks and she repeated these cinquains:—
Who saith that Love at first of free will came, ✿ Say him:—Thou
liest! Love be grief and grame:
Yet shall such grame and grief entail no shame; ✿ All annals teach
us one thing and the same—
Good current coin clipt coin we may not clepe!
An please thou, say there's pleasure in thy pain, ✿ Find
Fortune's playful gambols glad and fain:
Or happy blessings in th' unhappy's bane, ✿ That joy or grieve
with equal might and main:—
'Twixt phrase and antiphrase I'm all a-heap!
But he, withal, whose days are summer-bright, ✿ Whom maids e'er
greet with smiling lips' delight;
Whom spicey breezes fan in every site ✿ And wins whate'er he
wills, that happy wight
White-blooded coward heart should never keep!
Then she asked me, "What said she, and what signs made she to thee?" I
answered, "She uttered not a word, but put her forefinger in her mouth,
then joining it to her middle finger, laid both fingers on her bosom and
pointed to the ground. Thereupon she withdrew her head and shut the
wicket; and after that I saw her no more. However, she took my heart
with her, so I sat till sundown, expecting her again to look out of the
window; but she did it not; and, when I despaired of her, I rose from my
seat and came home. This is my history and I beg thee to help me in this
my sore calamity." Upon this she raised her face to me and said, "O son
of mine uncle, if thou soughtest my eye, I would tear it for thee from
its eyelids, and perforce I cannot but aid thee to thy desire and aid
her also to her desire; for she is whelmed in passion for thee even as
thou for her." Asked I, "And what is the interpretation of her signs?";
and Azizah answered, "As for the putting her finger in her mouth,[488]
it showed that thou art to her as her soul to her body and that she
would bite into union with thee with her wisdom teeth. As for the
kerchief, it betokeneth that her breath of life is bound up in thee. As
for the placing her two fingers on her bosom between her breasts, its
explanation is that she saith:—The sight of thee may dispel my grief.
For know, O my cousin, that she loveth thee and she trusteth in thee.
This is my interpretation of her signs and, could I come and go at will,
I would bring thee and her together in shortest time, and curtain you
both with my skirt." Hearing these words I thanked her (continued the
young merchant) for speaking thus, and said to myself, "I will wait two
days." So I abode two days in the house, neither going out nor coming
in; neither eating nor drinking but I laid my head on my cousin's lap,
whilst she comforted me and said to me, "Be resolute and of good heart
and hope for the best!"——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Hundred-and-fourteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the youth pursued
to Taj al-Muluk:—And when the two days were past she said to me, "Be of
good cheer and clear thine eyes of tears and take courage to dress
thyself and go to her, according to thy tryst." Then she rose and
changed my clothes and perfumed me with incense-smoke. So I braced
myself up and heartened my heart and went out and walked on till I came
to the by-street, where I sat down on the bench awhile. And behold, the
wicket suddenly opened and I looked up and seeing her, fell down in a
swoon. When I revived, I called up resolution and took courage and gazed
again at her and again became insensible to the world around me. Then I
came to myself and looking at her, saw that she held in hand a mirror
and a red kerchief. Now when she caught my glance, she bared her
fore-arms and opened her five fingers and smote her breast with palm and
digits; and after this she raised her hands and, holding the mirror
outside the wicket, she took the red kerchief and retired into the room
with it, but presently returned and putting out her hand with the
kerchief, let it down towards the lane three several times, dipping it
and raising it as often. Then she wrung it out and folded it in her
hands, bending down her head the while; after which she drew it in from
the lattice and, shutting the wicket-shutter, went away without a single
word; nay, she left me confounded and knowing not what signified her
signs.[489] I tarried sitting there till supper-time and did not return
home till near midnight; and there I found the daughter of my uncle with
her cheek propt in her hand and her eyelids pouring forth tears; and she
was repeating these couplets:—
Woe's me! why should the blamer gar thee blaming trow? ✿ How
be consoled for thee that art so tender bough?
Bright being! on my vitals dost thou prey, and drive ✿ My heart
before platonic passion's[490] force to bow.
Thy Turk-like[491] glances havoc deal in core of me, ✿ As
furbished sword thin-ground at curve could never show:
Thou weigh'st me down with weight of care, while I have not ✿
Strength e'en to bear my shift, so weakness lays me low:
Indeed I weep blood-tears to hear the blamer say:—✿ "The lashes of
thy lover's eyne shall pierce thee through!"
Thou hast, my prince of loveliness! an Overseer,[492] ✿ Who wrongs
me, and a Groom[493] who beats me down with brow.
He foully lies who says all loveliness belonged ✿ To Joseph, in
thy loveliness is many a Joe:
I force myself to turn from thee, in deadly fright ✿ Of spies; and
what the force that turns away my sight!
When I heard her verse, cark increased and care redoubled on me and I
fell down in a corner of our house; whereupon she arose in haste and,
coming to me, lifted me up and took off my outer clothes and wiped my
face with her sleeve. Then she asked me what had befallen me, and I
described all that had happened from her. Quoth she, "O my cousin, as
for her sign to thee with her palm and five fingers its interpretation
is, Return after five days; and the putting forth of her head out of the
window, and her gestures with the mirror and the letting down and
raising up and wringing out of the red kerchief,[494] signify, Sit in
the dyer's shop till my messenger come to thee." When I heard her words
fire flamed up in my heart and I exclaimed, "O daughter of my uncle,
thou sayest sooth in this thine interpretation; for I saw in the street
the shop of a Jew dyer." Then I wept, and she said, "Be of good cheer
and strong heart: of a truth others are occupied with love for years and
endure with constancy the ardour of passion, whilst thou hast but a week
to wait; why then this impatience?" Thereupon she went on cheering me
with comfortable talk and brought me food: so I took a mouthful and
tried to eat but could not; and I abstained from meat and drink and
estranged myself from the solace of sleep, till my colour waxed yellow
and I lost my good looks; for I had never been in love before nor had I
ever savoured the ardour of passion save this time. So I fell sick and
my cousin also sickened on my account; but she would relate to me, by
way of consolation, stories of love and lovers every night till I fell
asleep; and whenever I awoke, I found her wakeful for my sake with tears
running down her cheeks. This ceased not till the five days were past,
when my cousin rose and warmed some water and bathed me with it. Then
she dressed me in my best and said to me, "Repair to her and Allah
fulfil thy wish and bring thee to thy desire of thy beloved!" So I went
out and ceased not walking on till I came to the upper end of the
by-street. As it was the Sabbath[495] I found the dyer's shop locked and
sat before it, till I heard the call to mid afternoon prayer. Then the
sun yellowed and the Mu'ezzins[496] chanted the call to sundown-prayer
and the night came; but I saw no sign nor heard one word, nor knew any
news of her. So I feared for my life sitting there alone; and at last I
arose and walked home reeling like a drunken man. When I reached the
house, I found my cousin Azizah standing, with one hand grasping a peg
driven into the wall and the other on her breast; and she was sighing
and groaning and repeating these couplets:—
The longing of an Arab lass forlorn of kith and kin ✿ (Who to
Hijázian willow-wand and myrtle[497] doth incline,
And who, when meeting caravan, shall with love-lowe set light ✿
To bivouac-fire, and bring for drink her tears of pain and pine)
Exceeds not mine for him nor more devotion shows, but he ✿ Seeing
my heart is wholly his spurns love as sin indign.
Now when she had finished her verse she turned to me and, seeing me,
wiped away her tears and my tears with her sleeve. Then she smiled in my
face and said, "O my cousin, Allah grant thee enjoyment of that which He
hath given thee! Why didst thou not pass the night by the side of thy
beloved and why hast thou not fulfilled thy desire of her?" When I heard
her words, I gave her a kick in the breast and she fell down in the
saloon and her brow struck upon the edge of the raised pavement and hit
against a wooden peg therein. I looked at her and saw that her forehead
was cut open and the blood running——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Hundred-and-fifteenth Night,