I went one year on the pilgrimage to the Holy House of Allah, and when
I had accomplished my pilgrimage, I turned back for visitation of the
tomb of the Prophet, whom Allah bless and keep! One night, as I sat in
the garden,[FN#80] between the tomb and the pulpit, I heard a low
moaning in a soft voice; so I listened to it and it said,
“Have the doves that moan in the lotus-tree * Woke grief in thy
heart and bred misery?
Or doth memory of maiden in beauty deckt * Cause this doubt in
thee, this despondency?
O night, thou art longsome for love-sick sprite * Complaining of
Love and its ecstasy:
Thou makest him wakeful, who burns with fire * Of a love, like
the live coal’s ardency.
The moon is witness my heart is held * By a moonlight brow of the
brightest blee:
I reckt not to see me by Love ensnared * Till ensnared before I
could reck or see.”
Then the voice ceased and not knowing whence it came to me I abode
perplexed; but lo! it again took up its lament and recited,
“Came Rayya’s phantom to grieve thy sight * In the thickest gloom
of the black-haired Night!
And hath love of slumber deprived those eyes * And the
phantom-vision vexed thy sprite?
I cried to the Night, whose glooms were like * Seas that surge
and billow with might, with might:
‘O Night, thou art longsome to lover who * Hath no aid nor help
save the morning light!’
She replied, ‘Complain not that I am long: * ’Tis love is the
cause of thy longsome plight!’”
Now, at the first of the couplets, I sprang up and made for the quarter
whence the sound came, nor had the voice ended repeating them, ere I
was with the speaker and saw a youth of the utmost beauty, the hair of
whose side face had not sprouted and in whose cheeks tears had worn
twin trenches.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-first Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abdullah bin
Ma’amar al-Kaysi thus continued:—So I sprang up and made for the
quarter whence the sound came, nor had the voice ended repeating the
verses, ere I was with the speaker and saw a youth on whose side face
the hair had not sprouted and in whose cheeks tears had worn twin
trenches. Quoth I to him, “Fair befal thee for a youth!”; and quoth he,
“And thee also! Who art thou?” I replied, “Abdullah bin Ma’amar
al-Kaysi;” and he said, “Dost thou want aught?” I rejoined, “I was
sitting in the garden and naught hath troubled me this night but thy
voice. With my life would I ransom thee! What aileth thee?” He said,
“Sit thee down.” So I sat down and he continued, “I am Otbah bin
al-Hubáb bin al-Mundhir bin al-Jamúh the Ansári.[FN#81] I went out in
the morning to the Mosque Al-Ahzáb[FN#82] and occupied myself there
awhile with prayer-bows and prostrations, after which I withdrew apart,
to worship privily. But lo! up came women, as they were moons, walking
with a swaying gait, and surrounding a damsel of passing loveliness,
perfect in beauty and grace, who stopped before me and said, ‘O Otbah,
what sayst thou of union with one who seeketh union with thee?’ Then
she left me and went away; and since that time I have had no tidings of
her nor come upon any trace of her; and behold, I am distracted and do
naught but remove from place to place.” Then he cried out and fell to
the ground fainting. When he came to himself, it was as if the damask
of his cheeks were dyed with safflower,[FN#83] and he recited these
couplets:—
I see you with my heart from far countrie * Would Heaven you
also me from far could see
My heart and eyes for you are sorrowing; * My soul with you
abides and you with me.
I take no joy in life when you’re unseen * Or Heaven or Garden of
Eternity.
Said I, “O Otbah, O son of my uncle, repent to thy Lord and drave
pardon for thy sin; for before thee is the terror of standing up to
Judgment.” He replied, “Far be it from me so to do. I shall never leave
to love till the two mimosa-gatherers return.”[FN#84] I abode with him
till daybreak, when I said to him, “Come let us go to the Mosque
Al-Ahzab.” So we went thither and sat there, till we had prayed the
midday prayers, when lo! up came the women; but the damsel was not
among them. Quoth they to him, “O Otbah, what thinkest thou of her who
seeketh union with thee?” He said, “And what of her?”; and they
replied, “Her father hath taken her and departed to Al-Samawah.”[FN#85]
I asked them the name of the damsel and they said, “She is called
Rayyá, daughter of Al-Ghitríf al-Sulami.”[FN#86] Whereupon Otbah
raised his head and recited these verses,
“My friends, Rayya hath mounted soon as morning shone, * And to
Samawah’s wilds her caravan is gone.
My friends, I’ve wept till I can weep no more, Oh, say, * Hath
any one a tear that I can take on loan.”
Then said I to him, “O Otbah, I have brought with me great wealth,
wherewith I desire to succour generous men; and by Allah, I will lavish
it before thee,[FN#87] so thou mayst attain thy desire and more than
thy desire! Come with me to the assembly of the Ansaris.” So we rose
and went, till we entered their assembly, when I salam’d to them and
they returned my greeting civilly. Then quoth I, “O assembly, what say
ye of Otbah and his father?”: and they replied, “They are of the
princes of the Arabs.” I continued, “Know that he is smitten with the
calamity of love and I desire your furtherance to Al-Samawah.” And they
said, “To hear is to obey.” So they mounted with us, the whole party,
and we rode till we drew near the place of the Banu Sulaym. Now when
Ghitrif heard of our being near, he hastened forth to meet us, saying,
“Long life to you, O nobles!”; whereto we replied, “And to thee also!
Behold we are thy guests.” Quoth he, “Ye have lighted down at a most
hospitable abode and ample;” and alighting he cried out, “Ho, all ye
slaves, come down!” So they came down and spread skin-rugs and cushions
and slaughtered sheep and cattle; but we said, “We will not taste of
thy food, till thou have accomplished our need.” He asked, “And what is
your need?”; and we answered, “We demand thy noble daughter in marriage
for Otbah bin Hubab bin Mundhir the illustrious and well born.” “O my
brethren,” said he, “she whom you demand is owner of herself, and I
will go in to her and tell her.” So he rose in wrath[FN#88] and went in
to Rayya, who said to him, “O my papa, why do I see thee show anger?”
And he replied, saying, “Certain of the Ansaris have come upon me to
demand thy hand of me in marriage.” Quoth she, “They are noble chiefs;
the Prophet, on whom be the choicest blessings and peace, intercedeth
for them with Allah. For whom among them do they ask me?” Quoth he,
“For a youth known as Otbah bin al-Hubab;” and she said, “I have heard
of Otbah that he performeth what he promiseth and findeth what he
seeketh.” Ghitrif cried, “I swear that I will never marry thee to him;
no, never, for there hath been reported to me somewhat of thy converse
with him.” Said she, “What was that? But in any case, I swear that the
Ansaris shall not be uncivilly rejected; wherefore do thou offer them a
fair excuse.” “How so?” “Make the dowry heavy to them and they will
desist.” “Thou sayst well,” said he, and going out in haste, told the
Ansaris, “The damsel of the tribe[FN#89] consenteth; but she requireth
a dowry worthy herself. Who engageth for this?” “I,” answered I. Then
said he, “I require for her a thousand bracelets of red gold and five
thousand dirhams of the coinage of Hajar[FN#90] and a hundred pieces of
woollen cloth and striped stuffs[FN#91] of Al-Yaman and five bladders
of ambergris.” Said I, “Thou shalt have that much; dost thou consent?”;
and he said, “I do consent.” So I despatched to Al-Medinah the
Illumined[FN#92] a party of the Ansaris, who brought all for which I
had become surety; whereupon they slaughtered sheep and cattle and the
folk assembled to eat of the food. We abode thus forty days when
Ghitrif said to us, “Take your bride.” So we sat her in a
dromedary-litter and her father equipped her with thirty camel-loads of
things of price; after which we farewelled him and journeyed till we
came within a day’s journey of Al-Medinah the Illumined, when there
fell upon us horsemen, with intent to plunder, and methinks they were
of the Banu Sulaym, Otbah drove at them and slew of them much people,
but fell back, wounded by a lance-thrust, and presently dropped to the
earth. Then there came to us succour of the country people, who drove
away the highwaymen; but Otbah’s days were ended. So we said, “Alas for
Otbah, oh!;” and the damsel hearing it cast herself down from the camel
and throwing herself upon him, cried out grievously and repeated these
couplets,
“Patient I seemed, yet Patience shown by me * Was but
self-guiling till thy sight I see:
Had my soul done as due my life had gone, * Had fled before
mankind forestalling thee:
Then, after me and thee none shall to friend * Be just, nor any
soul with soul agree.”
Then she sobbed a single sob and gave up the ghost. We dug one grave
for them and laid them in the earth, and I returned to the dwellings of
my people, where I abode seven years. Then I betook me again to
Al-Hijaz and entering Al-Medinah the Illumined for pious visitation
said in my mind, “By Allah, I will go again to Otbah’s tomb!” So I
repaired thither, and, behold, over the grave was a tall tree, on which
hung fillets of red and green and yellow stuffs.[FN#93] So I asked the
people of the place, “How be this tree called?”; and they answered,
“The tree of the Bride and the Bridegroom.” I abode by the tomb a day
and a night, then went my way; and this is all I know of Otbah.
Almighty Allah have mercy upon him! And they also tell this tale of