Quoth Masrur the Eunuch:—The Caliph Harun Al-Rashid was very wakeful
one night and said to me, “See which of the poets is at the door
to-night.” So I went out and finding Jamíl bin Ma’amar al-Uzrí[FN#126]
in the antechamber, said to him, “Answer the Commander of the
Faithful.” Quoth he, “I hear and I obey,” and going in with me, saluted
the Caliph, who returned his greeting and bade him sit down. Then he
said to him, “O Jamil, hast thou any of thy wonderful new stories to
tell us?” He replied, “Yes, O Commander of the Faithful: wouldst thou
fainer hear that which I have seen with mine eyes or that which I have
only heard?” Quoth the Caliph, “Tell me something thou hast actually
beheld.” Quoth Jamil, “’Tis well, O Prince of True Believers; incline
thy heart to me and lend me thine ears.” The Caliph took a bolster
of red brocade, purfled with gold and stuffed with ostrich-feathers
and, laying it under his thighs, propped up both elbows thereon; then
he said to Jamil, “Now[FN#127] for thy tale, O Jamil!” Thereupon he
begun:—Know, O Commander of the Faithful, that I was once desperately
enamoured of a certain girl and used to pay her frequent visits.——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Eighty-ninth Night,
She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Caliph had propped his elbows upon the brocaded cushion, he said, “Out
with thy tale, O Jamil!” and the poet begun:—Know, O Commander of the
Faithful, I was desperately in love with a girl and used often to visit
her, because she was my desire and delight of all the things of this
world. After a while, her people removed with her, by reason of
scarcity of pasture, and I abode some time without seeing her, till I
grew restless for desire and longed for her sight and the flesh[FN#128]
urged me to journey to her. One night, I could hold out no longer; so I
rose and saddling my she-camel, bound on my turban and donned my oldest
dress.[FN#129] Then I baldricked myself with my sword and slinging my
spear behind me, mounted and rode forth in quest of her. I fared on
fast till, one night, it was pitch dark and exceeding black, yet I
persisted in the hard task of climbing down Wadys and up hills, hearing
on all sides the roaring of lions and howling of wolves and the cries
of the wild beasts. My reason was troubled thereat and my heart sank
within me; but for all that my tongue ceased not to call on the name of
Almighty Allah. As I went along thus, sleep overtook me and the camel
carried me aside out of my road, till, presently, something[FN#130]
smote me on the head, and I woke, startled and alarmed, and found
myself in a pasturage full of trees and streams and birds on the
branches, warbling their various speech and notes. As the trees were
tangled I alighted and, taking my camel’s halter in hand, fared on
softly with her, till I got clear of the thick growth and came out into
the open country, where I adjusted her saddle and mounted again,
knowing not where to go nor whither the Fates should lead me; but,
presently, peering afar into the desert, I espied a fire in its middle
depth. So I smote my camel and made for the fire. When I drew near, I
saw a tent pitched, and fronted by a spear stuck in the ground, with a
pennon flying[FN#131] and horses tethered and camels feeding, and said
in myself, “Doubtless there hangeth some grave matter by this tent, for
I see none other than it in the desert.” So I went up thereto and said,
“Peace be with you, O people of the tent, and the mercy of Allah and
His Blessing!” Whereupon there came forth to me a young man as youths
are when nineteen years old, who was like the full moon shining in the
East, with valour written between his eyes, and answered, saying, “And
with thee be the Peace, and Allah’s mercy and His blessing! O brother
of the Arabs, methinks thou hast lost thy way?” Replied I, “Even so,
direct me right, Allah have mercy on thee!” He rejoined, “O brother of
the Arabs, of a truth this our land is infested with lions and the
night is exceeding dark and dreary, beyond measure cold and gloomy, and
I fear lest the wild beasts rend thee in pieces; wherefore do thou
alight and abide with me this night in ease and comfort, and to-morrow
I will put thee in the right way.” Accordingly, I dismounted and
hobbled my she-camel with the end of her halter;[FN#132] then I put
off my heavy upper clothes and sat down. Presently the young man took a
sheep and slaughtered it and kindled a brisk fire; after which he went
into the tent and bringing out finely powdered salt and spices, fell to
cutting off pieces of mutton and roasting them over the fire and
feeding me therewith, weeping at one while and sighing at another. Then
he groaned heavily and wept sore and improvised these couplets,
“There remains to him naught save a flitting breath * And an eye
whose babe ever wandereth.
There remains not a joint in his limbs, but what * Disease firm
fixt ever tortureth.
His tears are flowing, his vitals burning; * Yet for all his
tongue still he silenceth.
All foemen in pity beweep his woes; * Ah for freke whom the
foeman pitieth!”
By this I knew, O Commander of the Faithful, that the youth was a
distracted lover (for none knoweth passion save he who hath tasted the
passion-savour), and quoth I to myself, “Shall I ask him?” But I
consulted my judgment and said, “How shall I assail him with
questioning, and I in his abode?” So I restrained myself and ate my
sufficiency of the meat. When we had made an end of eating, the young
man arose and entering the tent, brought out a handsome basin and ewer
and a silken napkin, whose ends were purfled with red gold and a
sprinkling-bottle full of rose-water mingled with musk. I marvelled at
his dainty delicate ways and said in my mind, “Never wot I of delicacy
in the desert.” Then we washed our hands and talked a while, after
which he went into the tent and making a partition between himself and
me with a piece of red brocade, said to me, “Enter, O Chief of the
Arabs, and take thy rest; for thou hast suffered more of toil and
travel than sufficeth this night and in this thy journey.” So I entered
and finding a bed of green brocade, doffed my dress and passed a night
such as I had never passed in my life.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Ninetieth Night,
She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Jamil spoke,
saying:—Never in my life passed I a night like that. I pondered the
young man’s case, till the world was dark and all eyes slept, when I
was aroused by the sound of a low voice, never heard I a softer or
sweeter. I raised the curtain which hung between us and saw a damsel
(never beheld I a fairer of face), by the young man’s side and they
were both weeping and complaining, one to other of the pangs of passion
and desire and of the excess of their longing for union.[FN#133] Quoth
I, “By Allah, I wonder who may be this second one! When I entered this
tent, there was none therein save this young man.” And after reflection
I added, “Doubtless this damsel is of the daughters of the Jinn and is
enamoured of this youth; so they have secluded themselves with each
other in this solitary place.” Then I considered her closely and
behold, she was a mortal and an Arab girl, whose face, when she
unveiled, shamed the shining sun, and the tent was lit up by the light
of her countenance. When I was assured that she was his beloved, I
bethought me of lover-jealousy; so I let drop the curtain and covering
my face, fell asleep. As soon as it was dawn I arose and donning my
clothes, made the Wuzu-ablution and prayed such prayers as are
obligatory and which I had deferred. Then I said, “O brother of the
Arabs, wilt thou direct me into the right road and thus add to thy
favours?” He replied, “At thy leisure, O chief of the Arabs, the term
of the guest-rite is three days,[FN#134] and I am not one to let thee
go before that time.” So I abode with him three days, and on the fourth
day as we sat talking, I asked him of his name and lineage. Quoth he
“As for my lineage, I am of the Banú Odhrah; my name is such an one,
son of such an one and my father’s brother is called such an one.” And
behold, O Commander of the Faithful, he was the son of my paternal
uncle and of the noblest house of the Banú Uzrah. Said I, “O my cousin,
what moved thee to act on this wise, secluding thyself in the waste and
leaving thy fair estate and that of thy father and thy slaves and
handmaids?” When he heard my words, his eyes filled with tears and he
replied, “Know, O my cousin, that I fell madly in love of the daughter
of my father’s brother, fascinated by her, distracted for her,
passion-possessed as by a Jinn, wholly unable to let her out of my
sight. So I sought her in marriage of her sire, but he refused and
married her to a man of the Banu Odhrah, who went in to her and carried
her to his abiding-place this last year. When she was thus far removed
from me and I was prevented from looking on her, the fiery pangs of
passion and excess of love-longing and desire drove me to forsake my
clan[FN#135] and friends and fortune and take up my abode in this
desert, where I have grown used to my solitude.” I asked, “Where are
their dwellings?” and he answered, “They are hard by, on the crest of
yonder hill; and every night, at the dead time, when all eyes sleep,
she stealeth secretly out of the camp, unseen of any one, and I satisfy
my desire of her converse and she of mine.[FN#136] So I abide thus,
solacing myself with her a part of the night, till Allah work out that
which is to be wrought; either I shall compass my desire, in
spite[FN#137] of the envious, or Allah will determine for me and He is
the best of determinators.” Now when the youth told me his case, O
Commander of the Faithful, I was concerned for him and perplexed by
reason of my jealousy for his honour; so I said to him, “O son of my
uncle, wilt thou that I point out to thee a plan and suggest to thee a
project, whereby (please Allah) thou shalt find perfect welfare and the
way of right and successful issue whereby the Almighty shall do away
from thee that thou dreadest?” He replied, “Say on, O my cousin”; and
quoth I, “When it is night and the girl cometh, set her on my she-camel
which is swift of pace, and mount thou thy steed, whilst I bestride one
of these dromedaries. So will we fare on all night and when the morrow
morns, we shall have traversed wolds and wastes, and thou wilt have
attained thy desire and won the beloved of thy heart. The Almighty’s
earth is wide, and by Allah, I will back thee with heart and wealth and
sword.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Jamil
advised the elopement and night journey, promising his aid as long as
he lived, the youth accepted and said, “O cousin, wait till I take
counsel with her, for she is quick-witted and prudent and hath insight
into affairs.” So (continued Jamil) when the night darkened and the
hour of her coming arrived, and he awaiting her at the appointed tide,
she delayed beyond her usual time, and I saw him go forth the door of
the tent and opening his mouth, inhale the wafts of breeze that blew
from her quarter, as if to snuff her perfume, and he repeated these two
couplets:—
“Breeze of East who bringest me gentle air * From the place of
sojourn where dwells my fair:
O Breeze, of the lover thou bearest sign, * Canst not of her
coming some signal bear?”
Then he entered the tent and sat weeping awhile; after which he said to
me, “O my cousin, some mischance must have betided the daughter of mine
uncle, or some accident must have hindered her from coming to me this
night,” presently adding, “But abide where thou art, till I bring thee
the news.” And he took sword and shield and was absent a while of the
night, after which he returned, carrying something in hand and called
aloud to me. So I hastened to him and he said, “O my cousin, knowest
thou what hath happened?” I replied, “No, by Allah!” Quoth he, “Verily,
I am distraught concerning my cousin this night; for, as she was coming
to me, a lion met her in the way and devoured her, and there remaineth
of her but what thou seest.” So saying, he threw down what he had in
his hand, and behold, it was the damsel’s turband and what was left of
her bones. Then he wept sore and casting down his bow,[FN#138] took a
bag and went forth again saying, “Stir not hence till I return to thee,
if it please Almighty Allah.” He was absent a while and presently
returned, bearing in his hand a lion’s head, which he threw on the
ground and called for water. So I brought him water, with which he
washed the lion’s mouth and fell to kissing it and weeping; and he
mourned for her exceedingly and recited these couplets:—
Ho thou lion who broughtest thyself to woe, * Thou art slain and
worse sorrows my bosom rend!
Thou hast reft me of fairest companionship, * Made her home
Earth’s womb till the world shall end.
To Time, who hath wrought me such grief, I say, * ‘Allah grant in
her stead never show a friend!’
Then said he to me, “O cousin, I conjure thee by Allah and the claims
of kindred and consanguinity[FN#139] between us, keep thou my charge.
Thou wilt presently see me dead before thee; whereupon do thou wash me
and shroud me and these that remain of my cousin’s bones in this robe
and bury us both in one grave and write thereon these two couplets:—
On Earth surface we lived in rare ease and joy * By fellowship
joined in one house and home.
But Fate with her changes departed us, * And the shroud conjoins
us in Earth’s cold womb.”
Then he wept with sore weeping and, entering the tent, was absent
awhile, after which he came forth, groaning and crying out. Then he
gave one sob and departed this world. When I saw that he was indeed
dead, it was grievous to me and so sore was my sorrow for him that I
had well-nigh followed him for excess of mourning over him. Then I laid
him out and did as he had enjoined me, shrouding his cousin’s remains
with him in one robe and laying the twain in one grave. I abode by
their tomb three days, after which I departed and continued to pay
frequent pious visits[FN#140] to the place for two years. This then is
their story, O Commander of the Faithful! Al-Rashid was pleased with
Jamil’s story and rewarded him with a robe of honour and a handsome
present. And men also tell a tale concerning