continued to Taj al-Muluk:—Now when I kicked the daughter of my uncle in
the breast she fell on the edge of the raised pavement in the saloon and
her brow struck upon a wooden peg. Thereby her forehead was cut open and
the blood ran down, but she was silent and did not utter a single
sound.[498] Presently she rose up, and made some tinder of rags, then
staunching with it the bleeding wound, bound her forehead with a
bandage; after which she wiped up the blood that had fallen on the
carpet, and it was as if nothing had been. Presently she came up to me
and smiling in my face, said with gentle voice, "By Allah, O son of my
uncle, I spake not these words to mock at thee or at her! But I was
troubled with an ache in my head and was minded to be blooded, but now
thou hast eased my head and lightened my brow; so tell me what hath
befallen thee to-day." Thereupon I told her all that had passed between
me and her that day; and she wept as she heard my words and said, "O son
of my uncle, rejoice at the good tidings of thy desire being fulfilled
and thine aim being attained. Of a truth this is a sign of acceptance;
for that she stayed away only because she wisheth to try thee and know
if thou be patient or not, and sincere in thy love for her or otherwise.
To-morrow, repair to her at the old place and see what sign she maketh
to thee; for indeed thy gladness is near and the end of thy sadness is
at hand." And she went on to comfort me; but my cark and care ceased not
to increase on me. Presently she brought me food which I kicked away
with my foot so that the contents of every saucer were scattered in all
directions, and I said, "Every lover is a madman; he inclineth not to
food neither enjoyeth he sleep." And my cousin Azizah rejoined, "By
Allah, O son of my uncle, these be in very deed the signs of love!" And
the tears streamed down her cheeks whenas she gathered the fragments of
the saucers and wiped up the food; then she took seat and talked to me,
whilst I prayed Allah to hasten the dawn. At last, when morning arose
with its sheen and shine, I went out to seek her and hastening to her
by-street sat down on that bench, when lo! the wicket opened and she put
out her head laughing. Then she disappeared within and returned with a
mirror, a bag, and a pot full of green plants and she held in hand a
lamp. The first thing she did was to take the mirror and, putting it
into the bag, tie it up and throw it back into the room; then she let
down her hair over her face and set the lamp on the pot of flowers
during the twinkling of an eye; then she took up all the things and went
away shutting the window without saying a word. My heart was riven by
this state of the case, and by her secret signals, her mysterious
secrets and her utter silence; and thereby my longing waxed more violent
and my passion and distraction redoubled on me. So I retraced my steps,
tearful-eyed and heavy-hearted, and returned home, where I found the
daughter of my uncle sitting with her face to the wall; for her heart
was burning with grief and galling jealousy; albeit her affection
forbade her to acquaint me with what she suffered of passion and pining
when she saw the excess of my longing and distraction. Then I looked at
her and saw on her head two bandages, one on account of the accident to
her forehead and the other over her eye in consequence of the pain she
endured for stress of weeping; and she was in miserable plight shedding
tears and repeating these couplets:—
I number rights; indeed I count night after night; ✿ Yet lived I
long ere learnt so sore accompt to see, ah!
Dear friend, I compass not what Allah pleased to doom ✿ For Laylá,
nor what Allah destinèd for me, ah!
To other giving her and unto me her love, ✿ What loss but Layla's
loss would He I ever dree, ah!
And when she had finished her reciting, she looked towards me and seeing
me through her tears, wiped them away and came up to me hastily, but
could not speak for excess of love. So she remained silent for some
while and then said, "O my cousin, tell me what befel thee with her this
time." I told her all that had passed and she said, "Be patient, for the
time of thy union is come and thou hast attained the object of thy
hopes. As for her signal to thee with the mirror which she put in the
bag, it said to thee, When the sun is set; and the letting down of her
hair over her face signified, When night is near and letteth fall the
blackness of the dark and hath starkened the daylight, come hither. As
for her gesture with the pot of green plants it meant, When thou comest,
enter the flower-garden which is behind the street; and as for her sign
with the lamp it denoted, When thou enterest the flower-garden walk down
it and make for the place where thou seest the lamp shining; and seat
thyself beneath it and await me; for the love of thee is killing me."
When I heard these words from my cousin, I cried out from excess of
passion and said, "How long wilt thou promise me and I go to her, but
get not my will nor find any true sense in thine interpreting." Upon
this she laughed and replied, "It remaineth for thee but to have
patience during the rest of this day till the light darken and the night
starken and thou shalt enjoy union and accomplish thy hopes; and indeed
all my words be without leasing. Then she repeated these two couplets:—
Let days their folds and plies deploy, ✿ And shun the house that
deals annoy!
Full oft when joy seems farthest far ✿ Thou nighmost art to hour
of joy."
Then she drew near to me and began to comfort me with soothing speech,
but dared not bring me aught of food, fearing lest I be angry with her
and hoping I might incline to her; so when coming to me she only took
off my upper garment and said to me, "Sit O my cousin, that I may divert
thee with talk till the end of the day and, Almighty Allah willing, as
soon as it is night thou shalt be with thy beloved." But I paid no heed
to her and ceased not looking for the approach of darkness, saying, "O
Lord, hasten the coming of the night!" And when night set in, the
daughter of my uncle wept with sore weeping and gave me a crumb of pure
musk, and said to me, "O my cousin, put this crumb in thy mouth, and
when thou hast won union with thy beloved and hast taken thy will of her
and she hath granted thee thy desire, repeat to her this couplet:—
Ho, lovers all! by Allah say me sooth ✿ What shall he do when love
sore vexeth youth?[499]"
And she kissed me and swore me not to repeat this couplet till I should
be about to leave my lover and I said, "Hearing is obeying!" And when it
was supper-tide I went out and ceased not walking on till I came to the
flower-garden whose door I found open. So I entered and, seeing a light
in the distance, made towards it and reaching it, came to a great
pavilion vaulted over with a dome of ivory and ebony, and the lamp hung
from the midst of the dome. The floor was spread with silken carpets
embroidered in gold and silver, and under the lamp stood a great candle,
burning in a candelabrum of gold. In mid-pavilion was a fountain adorned
with all manner of figures;[500] and by its side stood a table covered
with a silken napkin, and on its edge a great porcelain bottle full of
wine, with a cup of crystal inlaid with gold. Near all these was a large
tray of silver covered over, and when I uncovered it I found therein
fruits of every kind, figs and pomegranates, grapes and oranges, citrons
and shaddocks[501] disposed amongst an infinite variety of sweet-scented
flowers, such as rose, jasmine, myrtle, eglantine, narcissus and all
sorts of sweet-smelling herbs. I was charmed with the place and I joyed
with exceeding joy, albeit I found not there a living soul and my grief
and anxiety ceased from me.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day,
and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Hundred-and-sixteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young merchant
continued to Taj al-Muluk:—I was charmed with the place and joyed with
great joy albeit there I found not a living soul of Almighty Allah's
creatures, and saw nor slave nor handmaid to oversee these things or to
watch and ward these properties. So I sat down in the pavilion to await
the coming of the beloved of my heart; but the first hour of the night
passed by, and the second hour, and the third hour, and still she came
not. Then hunger grew sore upon me, for that it was long since I had
tasted food by reason of the violence of my love: but when I found the
place even as my cousin had told me, and saw the truth of her
interpretation of my beloved's signs, my mind was set at rest and I felt
the pangs of hunger; moreover, the odour of the viands on the table
excited me to eat. So making sure of attaining my desire, and being
famished for food I went up to the table and raised the cover and found
in the middle a china dish containing four chickens reddened with
roasting and seasoned with spices, round the which were four saucers,
one containing sweetmeats, another conserve of pomegranate-seeds, a
third almond-pastry[502] and a fourth honey fritters; and the contents
of these saucers were part sweet and part sour. So I ate of the fritters
and a piece of meat, then went on to the almond-cakes and ate what I
could; after which I fell upon the sweetmeats, whereof I swallowed a
spoonful or two or three or four, ending with part of a chicken and a
mouthful of something beside. Upon this my stomach became full and my
joints loose and I waxed too drowsy to keep awake; so I laid my head on
a cushion, after having washed my hands, and sleep overcame me; I knew
not what happened to me after this, and I awoke not till the sun's heat
scorched me, for that I had never once tasted sleep for days past. When
I awoke I found on my stomach a piece of salt and a bit of charcoal; so
I stood up and shook my clothes and turned to look right and left, but
could see no one; and discovered that I had been sleeping on the marble
pavement without bedding beneath me. I was perplexed thereat and
afflicted with great affliction; the tears ran down my cheeks and I
mourned for myself. Then I returned home, and when I entered, I found my
cousin beating her hand on her bosom and weeping tears like
rain-shedding clouds; and she versified with these couplets:—
Blows from my lover's land a Zephyr cooly sweet, ✿ And with its
every breath makes olden love new glow:
O Zephyr of the morning hour, come show to us ✿ Each lover hath
his lot, his share of joy and woe:
Could I but win one dearest wish, we had embraced ✿ With what
embrace and clip of breast fond lovers know.
Allah forbids, while bides unseen my cousin's face, ✿ All joys
the World can give or hand of Time bestow.
Would Heaven I knew his heart were like this heart of me, ✿ Melted
by passion-flame and charged with longing lowe.
When she saw me, she rose in haste and wiped away her tears and
addressed me with her soft speech, saying, "O son of my uncle, verily
Allah hath been gracious to thee in thy love, for that she whom thou
lovest loveth thee, whilst I pass my time in weeping and bewailing my
severance from thee who blamest me and chidest me; but may Allah not
punish thee for my sake!" Thereupon she smiled in my face a smile of
reproach and caressed me; then taking off my walking clothes, she spread
them out and said, "By Allah, this is not the scent of one who hath
enjoyed his lover! So tell me what hath befallen thee, O my cousin." I
told her all that had passed, and she smiled again a smile of reproach
and said, "Verily, my heart is full of pain; but may he not live who
would hurt thy heart! Indeed, this woman maketh herself inordinately
dear and difficult to thee, and by Allah, O son of my uncle, I fear for
thee from her.[503] Know, O my cousin, that the meaning of the salt is
thou wast drowned in sleep like insipid food, disgustful to the taste;
and it is as though she said to thee:—It behoveth thou be salted lest
the stomach eject thee; for thou professest to be of the lovers noble
and true; but sleep is unlawful and to a lover undue; therefore is thy
love but a lie. However, it is her love for thee that lieth; for she saw
thee asleep yet aroused thee not and were her love for thee true, she
had indeed awoken thee. As for the charcoal, it means Allah blacken thy
face[504] for thou makest a lying pretence of love, whereas thou art
naught but a child and hast no object in life other than eating and
drinking and sleeping! such is the interpretation of her signs, and may
Allah Almighty deliver thee from her!" When I heard my cousin's words, I
beat my hand upon my breast and cried out, "By Allah, this is the very
truth, for I slept and lovers sleep not! Indeed I have sinned against
myself, for what could have wrought me more hurt than eating and
sleeping? Now what shall I do?" Then I wept sore and said to the
daughter of my uncle, "Tell me how to act and have pity on me, so may
Allah have pity on thee: else I shall die." As my cousin loved me with
very great love,——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Hundred-and-seventeenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young merchant
continued his tale to Taj al-Muluk:—Thereupon quoth I to the daughter of
my uncle, "Tell me what to do and have pity on me, so may Allah have
pity on thee!" As the daughter of my uncle loved me with great love, she
replied, "On my head and eyes! But, O my cousin, I repeat what I have
told thee oftentimes, if I could go in and out at will, I would at once
bring you two together and cover you both with my skirt: nor would I do
this but hoping to win thy favour. Inshallah, I will do my utmost
endeavour to unite you; but hear my words and do my bidding. Go thou to
the very same place and sit down where thou sattest before and at
supper-tide look thou eat not, for eating induceth sleep; and have a
care thou slumber not, for she will not come to thee till a fourth part
of the night be passed. And the Almighty avert her mischief from thee!"
Now when I heard these words I rejoiced and besought Allah to hasten the
night; and, as soon as it was dark, I was minded to go, and my cousin
said to me, "When thou shalt have met her, repeat to her the couplet I
taught thee before, at the time of thy leave-taking." Replied I, "On my
head and eyes!" and went out and repaired to the garden, where I found
all made ready in the same state as on the previous night, with every
requisite of meat and drink, dried fruits, sweet-scented flowers and so
forth. I went up into the pavilion and smelt the odour of the viands and
my spirit lusted after them; but I possessed my soul in patience for a
while, till at last I could no longer withstand temptation. So I arose
from my seat and went up to the table and, raising its cover, found a
dish of fowls, surrounded by four saucers containing four several meats.
I ate a mouthful of each kind and as much as I would of the sweetmeats
and a piece of meat: then I drank from the saucer a sauce yellowed with
saffron[505] and as it pleased me, I supped it up by the spoonful till I
was satisfied and my stomach was full. Upon this, my eyelids drooped; so
I took a cushion and set it under my head, saying, "Haply I can recline
upon it without going to sleep." Then I closed my eyes and slept, nor
did I wake till the sun had risen, when I found on my stomach a cube of
bone,[506] a single tip-cat stick,[507] the stone of a green date[508]
and a carob pod. There was no furniture nor aught else in the place, and
it was as if there had been nothing there yesterday. So I rose and
shaking all these things off me, fared forth in fury; and, going home,
found my cousin groaning and versifying with these couplets:—
A wasted body, heart enpierced to core, ✿ And tears that down my
poor cheeks pour and pour:
And lover dure of access; but, but still ✿ Naught save what's fair
can come from fairest flow'r;
O cousin mine thou fill'st my soul with pain, ✿ And from these
tears mine eyelids ache full sore!
I chid the daughter of my uncle and abused her, whereat she wept; then,
wiping away her tears, she came up to me and kissed me and began
pressing me to her bosom, whilst I held back from her blaming myself.
Then said she to me, "O my cousin, it seemeth thou sleptest again this
night?" Replied I, "Yes; and when I awoke, I found on my stomach a cube
of bone, a single tip-cat stick, a stone of a green date and a
carob-pod, and I know not why she did this." Then I wept and went up to
her and said, "Expound to me her meaning in so doing and tell me how
shall I act and aid me in my sore strait." She answered, "On my head and
eyes! By the single tip-cat stick and the cube of bone which she placed
upon thy stomach she saith to thee, Thy body is present but thy heart is
absent; and she meaneth, Love is not thus: so do not reckon thyself
among lovers. As for the date-stone, it is as if she said to thee, An
thou wert in love thy heart would be burning with passion and thou
wouldst not taste the delight of sleep; for the sweet of love is like a
green date[509] which kindleth a coal of fire in the vitals. As for the
carob-pod[510] it signifieth to thee, The lover's heart is wearied; and
thereby she saith, Be patient under our separation with the patience of
Job." When I heard this interpretation, fires darted into my vitals like
a dart and grief redoubled upon my heart and I cried out, saying, "Allah
decreed sleep to me for my ill-fortune." Then I said to her, "O my
cousin, by my life, devise me some device whereby I may win my will of
her!" She wept and answered, "O Aziz, O son of my uncle, verily my heart
is full of sad thought which I cannot speak: but go thou again to-night
to the same place and beware thou sleep not, and thou shalt surely
attain thy desire. This is my counsel and peace be with thee!" Quoth I,
"If Allah please I will not sleep, but will do as thou biddest me." Then
my cousin rose, and brought me food, saying, "Eat now what may suffice
thee, that nothing may divert thy heart." So I ate my fill and, when
night came, my cousin rose and bringing me a sumptuous suit of clothes
clad me therein. Then she made me swear I would repeat to my lover the
verse aforesaid and bade me beware of sleeping. So I left her and
repaired to the garden and went up into that same pavilion where I
occupied myself in holding my eyelids open with my fingers and nodding
my head as the night darkened on me.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Hundred-and-eighteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young merchant
continued to Taj al-Muluk:—So I repaired to the garden and went up into
that same pavilion and occupied myself in gazing upon the flower-beds
and in holding my eyelids open with my fingers and nodding my head as
the night darkened on me. And presently I grew hungry with watching and
the smell of the meats being wafted towards me, my appetite increased:
so I went up to the table and took off the cover and ate a mouthful of
every dish and a bit of meat; after which I turned to the flagon of
wine, saying to myself, I will drink one cup. I drank it, and then I
drank a second and a third, till I had drunk full ten, when the cool air
smote me and I fell to the earth like a felled man. I ceased not to lie
thus till day arose, when I awoke and found myself outside the garden,
and on my stomach were a butcher's knife and a dram-weight of iron.[511]
Thereat I trembled and, taking them with me, went home, where I found my
cousin saying, "Verily, I am in this house wretched and sorrowful,
having no helper but weeping." Now when I entered, I fell down at full
length and throwing the knife and the dram-weight from my hand, I
fainted clean away. As soon as I came to myself, I told her what had
befallen me and said, "Indeed, I shall never enjoy my desire." But when
she saw my tears and my passion, they redoubled her distress on my
account, and she cried, "Verily, I am helpless! I warned thee against
sleeping; but thou wouldst not hearken to my warning, nor did my words
profit thee aught." I rejoined, "By Allah, I conjure thee to explain to
me the meaning of the knife and the iron dram-weight." "By the
dram-weight," replied my cousin, "she alludeth to her right eye,[512]
and she sweareth by it and saith:—By the Lord of all creatures and by my
right eye! if thou come here again and sleep, I will cut thy throat with
this very knife. And indeed I fear for thee, O my cousin, from her
malice; my heart is full of anguish for thee and I cannot speak.
Nevertheless, if thou can be sure of thyself not to sleep when thou
returnest to her, return to her and beware of sleeping and thou shalt
attain thy desire; but if when returning to her thou wilt sleep, as is
thy wont, she will surely slaughter thee." Asked I, "What shall I do, O
daughter of my uncle: I beg thee, by Allah, to help me in this my
calamity." Answered she, "On my head and eyes! if thou wilt hearken to
my words and do my bidding, thou shalt have thy will." Quoth I, "I will
indeed hearken to thy words and do thy bidding;" and quoth she, "When it
is time for thee to go, I will tell thee." Then she pressed me to her
bosom and laying me on the bed, shampoo'd my feet, till drowsiness
overcame me and I was drowned in sleep; then she took a fan and seated
herself at my head with the fan in her hand and she was weeping till her
clothes were wet with tears. Now when she saw that I was awake, she
wiped away the drops and fetched me some food and set it before me. I
refused it, but she said to me, "Did I not tell thee that thou must do
my bidding? Eat!" So I ate and thwarted her not and she proceeded to put
the food into my mouth and I to masticate it, till I was full. Then she
made me drink jujube-sherbet[513] and sugar and washed my hands and
dried them with a kerchief; after which she sprinkled me with
rose-water, and I sat with her awhile in the best of spirits. When the
darkness had closed in, she dressed me and said to me, "O son of my
uncle, watch through the whole night and sleep not; for she will not
come to thee this tide till the last of the dark hours and, Allah
willing, thou shalt be at one with her this night; but forget not my
charge." Then she wept, and my heart was pained for her by reason of her
over much weeping, and I asked, "What is the charge thou gavest me?" She
answered, "When thou takest leave of her repeat to her the verse before
mentioned." So, full of joy I left her and repairing to the garden, went
up into the pavilion where, being satiated with food, I sat down and
watched till a fourth part of the dark hours was past. That night seemed
longsome to me as it were a year: but I remained awake till it was three
quarters spent and the cocks crew and I was famished for long watching.
Accordingly I went up to the table and ate my fill, whereupon my head
grew heavy and I wanted to sleep, when behold, a light appeared making
towards me from afar. I sprang up and washed my hands and mouth and
roused myself; and before long she came with ten damsels, in whose midst
she was like the full moon among the stars. She was clad in a dress of
green satin purfled with red gold, and she was as saith the poet:—
She lords it o'er our hearts in grass-green gown, ✿ With
buttons[514] loose and locks long flowing down.
Quoth I, "What is thy name?" Quoth she, "I'm she, ✿ Who burns
the loverheart live coals upon:"
I made my plaint to her of loving lowe; ✿ Laughed she, "To stone
thou moanest useless moan!"
Quoth I, "An be of hardest stone thy heart, ✿ Allah drew
sweetest spring from hardest stone."
When she saw me she laughed and said, "How is it that thou art awake and
that sleep overcame thee not? Forasmuch as thou hast watched through the
night, I know that thou art a lover; for night-watching is the mark of
lovers displaying brave endurance of their desires." Then she turned to
her women and signed to them and they went away from her, whereupon she
came up to me and strained me to her breast and kissed me, whilst I
kissed her, and she sucked my upper lip whilst I sucked her lower lip. I
put my hand to her waist and pressed it and we came not to the ground
save at the same moment. Then she undid her petticoat-trousers which
slipped down to her anklets, and we fell to clasping and embracing and
toying and speaking softly and biting and intertwining of legs and going
round about the Holy House and the corners thereof,[515] till her joints
became relaxed for love-delight and she swooned away. I entered the
sanctuary, and indeed that night was a joy to the sprite and a solace to
the sight even as saith the poet:—
Sweetest of nights the world can show to me, that night ✿ When
cups went round and round as fed by ceaseless spring:
There utter severance made I 'twixt mine eyes and sleep, ✿ And
joined, rejoined mine ear-drop with the anklet-ring.[516]
We lay together in close embrace till the morning when I would have gone
away, but she stopped me and said, "Stay till I tell thee
something"——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
Now when it was the Hundred-and-nineteenth Night,