There lived in the reign of the Caliph Hishám, [FN#110] son of Abd
al-Malik, a man called Yúnus the Scribe well-known to the general, and
he set out one day on a journey to Damascus, having with him a
slave-girl of surpassing beauty and loveliness, whom he had taught all
that was needful to her and whose price was an hundred thousand
dirhams. When they drew near to Damascus, the caravan halted by the
side of a lake and Yunus went down to a quiet place with his damsel and
took out some victual he had with him and a leather bottle of wine. As
he sat at meat, behold, came up a young man of goodly favour and
dignified presence, mounted on a sorrel horse and followed by two
eunuchs, and said to him, “Wilt thou accept me to guest?” “Yes,”
replied Yunus. So the stranger alighted and said, “Give me to drink of
thy wine.” Yunus gave him to drink and he said, “If it please thee,
sing us a song.” So Yunus sang this couplet extempore:—
She joineth charms were never seen conjoined in mortal dress: * And
for her love she makes me love my tears and wakefulness.
At which the stranger rejoiced with exceeding joy and Yunus gave him to
drink again and again, till the wine got the better of him and he said,
“Bid thy slave-girl sing.” So she improvised this couplet:—
A houri, by whose charms my heart is moved to sore distress: *
Nor wand of tree nor sun nor moon her rivals I confess!
The stranger was overjoyed with this and they sat drinking till
nightfall, when they prayed the evening-prayer and the youth said to
Yunus, “What bringeth thee to our city?” He replied, “Quest of
wherewithal to pay my debts and better my case.” Quoth the other, “Wilt
thou sell me this slave-girl for thirty thousand dirhams?” Whereto
quoth Yunus, “I must have more than that.” He asked, “Will forty
thousand content thee?”; but Yunus answered, “That would only settle my
debts, and I should remain empty-handed.” Rejoined the stranger, “We
will take her of thee at fifty thousand dirhams[FN#111] and give thee a
suit of clothes to boot and the expenses of thy journey and make thee a
sharer in my condition as long as thou livest.” Cried Yunus, “I sell
her to thee on these terms.” Then said the young man, “Wilt thou trust
me to bring thee the money to-morrow and let me take her with me, or
shall she abide with thee till I pay down her price?” Whereto wine and
shame and awe of the stranger led Yunus to reply, “I will trust thee;
take her and Allah bless thee in her!” Whereupon the visitor bade one
of his pages sit her before him on his beast, and mounting his own
horse, farewelled of Yunus and rode away out of sight. Hardly had he
left him, when the seller bethought himself and knew that he had erred
in selling her and said to himself, “What have I done? I have delivered
my slave-girl to a man with whom I am unacquainted, neither know I who
he is; and grant that I were acquainted with him, how am I to get at
him?” So he abode in thought till the morning, when he prayed the
dawn-prayers and his companions entered Damascus, whilst he sat,
perplexed and wotting not what to do, till the sun scorched him and it
irked him to abide there. He thought to enter the city, but said in his
mind, “If I enter Damascus, I cannot be sure but that the messenger
will come and find me not, in which case I shall have sinned against
myself a second sin.” Accordingly he sat down in the shade of a wall
that was there, and towards the wane of day, up came one of the eunuchs
whom he had seen with the young man, whereat great joy possessed Yunus
and he said in himself, “I know not that aught hath ever given me more
delight than the sight of this castrato.” When the eunuch reached him,
he said to him, “O my lord, we have kept thee long waiting”; but Yunus
disclosed nothing to him of the torments of anxiety he had suffered.
Then quoth the castrato, “Knowest thou the man who bought the girl of
thee?”; and quoth Yunus, “No,” to which the other rejoined, “’Twas
Walid bin Sahl,[FN#112] the Heir Apparent.” And Yunus was silent. Then
said the eunuch, “Ride,” and made him mount a horse he had with him and
they rode till they came to a mansion, where they dismounted and
entered. Here Yunus found the damsel, who sprang up at his sight and
saluted him. He asked her how she had fared with him who had bought her
and she answered, “He lodged me in this apartment and ordered me all I
needed.” Then he sat with her awhile, till suddenly one of the servants
of the houseowner came in and bade him rise and follow him. So he
followed the man into the presence of his master and found him
yesternight’s guest, whom he saw seated on his couch and who said to
him, “Who art thou?” “I am Yunus the Scribe.” “Welcome to thee, O
Yunus! by Allah, I have long wished to look on thee; for I have heard
of thy report. How didst thou pass the night?” “Well, may Almighty
Allah advance thee!” “Peradventure thou repentedest thee of that thou
didst yesterday and saidst to thyself: I have delivered my slave-girl
to a man with who I am not acquainted, neither know I his name nor
whence he cometh?” “Allah forbid, O Emir, that I should repent over
her! Had I made gift of her to the Prince, she were the least of the
gifts that are given unto him,”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-fifth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Yunus
the Scribe said to Walid, “Allah forbid I should repent over her! Had I
made gift of her to the Prince, she were the least of gifts that are
given to him, nor indeed is she worthy of his rank,” Walid rejoined,
“By Allah, but I repented me of having carried her away from thee and
said to myself:—This man is a stranger and knoweth me not, and I have
taken him by surprise and acted inconsiderately by him, in my haste to
take the damsel! Dost thou recall what passed between us?” Quoth
Yunus, “Yes!” and quoth Walid, “Dost thou sell this damsel to me for
fifty thousand dirhams?” And Yunus said, “I do.” Then the Prince called
to one of his servants to bring him fifty thousand dirhams and a
thousand and five hundred dinars to boot, and gave them all to Yunus,
saying, “Take the slave’s price: the thousand dinars are for thy fair
opinion of us and the five hundred are for thy viaticum and for what
present thou shalt buy for thy people. Art thou content?” “I am
content,” answered Yunus and kissed his hands, saying, “By Allah, thou
hast filled my eyes and my hands and my heart!” Quoth Walid, “By Allah,
I have as yet had no privacy of her nor have I taken my fill of her
singing. Bring her to me!” So she came and he bade her sit, then said
to her, “Sing.” And she sang these verses,
“O thou who dost comprise all Beauty’s boons! * O sweet of
nature, fain of coquetry!
In Turks and Arabs many beauties dwell; * But, O my fawn, in none
thy charms I see.
Turn to thy lover, O my fair, and keep * Thy word, though but in
visioned phantasy:
Shame and disgrace are lawful for thy sake * And wakeful nights
full fill with joy and glee:
I’m not the first for thee who fared distraught; * Slain by thy
love how many a many be!
I am content with thee for worldly share * Dearer than life and
good art thou to me!”
When he heard this, he was delighted exceedingly and praised Yunus for
his excellent teaching of her and her fair education. Then he bade his
servants bring him a roadster with saddle and housings for his riding,
and a mule to carry his gear, and said to him, “O Yunus, when it shall
reach thee that command hath come to me, do thou join me; and, by
Allah, I will fill thy hands with good and advance thee to honour and
make thee rich as long as thou livest!” So Yunus said, “I took his
goods and went my ways; and when Walid succeeded to the Caliphate, I
repaired to him; and by Allah, he kept his promise and entreated me
with high honour and munificence. Then I abode with him in all content
of case and rise of rank and mine affairs prospered and my wealth
increased and goods and farms became mine, such as sufficed me and will
suffice my heirs after me; nor did I cease to abide with Walid, till he
was slain, the mercy of Almighty Allah be on him!” And men tell a tale
concerning