"When I returned from my fifth voyage, I gave myself up to eating and drinking and passed my
time in solace and delight and forgot that which I had suffered of stresses and afflictions, nor was
it long before the thought of travel again presented itself to my mind and my soul hankered after
the sea. So I brought out the goods and binding up the bales, departed from Baghdad, [intending]
for certain of the lands, and came to the sea-coast, where I embarked in a stout ship, in company
with a number of other merchants of like mind with myself, and we [set out and] sailed till we
came among certain distant islands and found ourselves in difficult and dangerous case.
[One day], as the ship was sailing along, and we unknowing where we were, behold, the captain
came down [from the mast] and casting his turban from his head, fell to buffeting his face and
plucking at his beard and weeping and supplicating [God for deliverance]. We asked him what
ailed him, and he answered, saying, 'Know, O my masters, that the ship is fallen among shallows
and drifteth upon a sand-bank of the sea. Another moment [and we shall be upon it]. If we clear
the bank, [well and good]; else, we are all dead men and not one of us will be saved; wherefore
pray ye to God the Most High, so haply He may deliver us from these deadly perils, or we shall
lose our lives.' So saying, he mounted [the mast] and set the sail, but at that moment a contrary
wind smote the ship, and it rose upon the crest of the waves and sank down again into the trough
of the sea.
Now there was before us a high mountain,[FN#200] rising [abruptly] from the sea, and the ship
fell off into an eddy,[FN#201] which bore it on till presently it struck upon the skirt[FN#202] of
the mountain and broke in sunder; whereupon the captain came down [from the mast], weeping,
and said, 'God's will be done! Take leave of one another and look yourselves out graves from
to-day, for we have fallen into a predicament[FN#203] from which there is no escape, and never
yet hath any been cast away here and come off alive.' So all the folk fell a-weeping and gave
themselves up for lost, despairing of deliverance; friend took leave of friend and sore was the
mourning and lamentation; for that hope was cut off and they were left without guide or
pilot.[FN#204] Then all who were in the ship landed on the skirt of the mountain and found
themselves on a long island, whose shores were strewn with [wrecks], beyond count or
reckoning, [of] ships that had been cast away [there] and whose crews had perished; and there
also were dry bones and dead bodies, heaped upon one another, and goods without number and
riches past count So we abode confounded, drunken, amazed, humbling ourselves [in supplication
to God] and repenting us [of having exposed ourselves to the perils of travel]; but repentance
availed not in that place.
In this island is a river of very sweet water, issuing from the shore of the sea and entering in at a
wide cavern in the skirt of an inaccessible mountain, and the stones of the island are all limpid
sparkling crystal and jacinths of price. Therein also is a spring of liquid, welling up like [molten]
pitch, and when it cometh to the shore of the island, the fish swallow it, then return and cast it up,
and it becometh changed from its condition and that which it was aforetime; and it is crude
ambergris. Moreover, the trees of the island are all of the most precious aloes-wood, both Chinese
and Comorin; but there is no way of issue from the place, for it is as an abyss midmost the sea; the
steepness of its shore forbiddeth the drawing up of ships, and if any approach the mountain, they
fall into the eddy aforesaid; nor is there any resource[FN#205] in that island.
So we abode there, daily expecting death, and whoso of us had with him a day's victual ate it in
five days, and after this he died; and whoso had with him a month's victual ate it in five months
and died also. As for me, I had with me great plenty of victual; so I buried it in a certain place and
brought it out, [little by little,] and fed on it; and we ceased not to be thus, burying one the other,
till all died but myself and I abode alone, having buried the last of my companions, and but little
victual remained to me. So I said in myself, 'Who will bury me in this place?' And I dug me a
grave and abode in expectation of death, for that I was in a state of exhaustion. Then, of the
excess of my repentance, I blamed and reproached myself for my much [love of] travel and said,
'How long wilt thou thus imperil thyself?' And I abode as I were a madman, unable to rest; but, as
I was thus melancholy and distracted, God the Most High inspired me with an idea, and it was
that I looked at the river aforesaid, as it entered in at the mouth of the cavern in the skirt of the
mountain, and said in myself, 'Needs must this water have issue in some place.'
So I arose and gathering wood and planks from the wrecks, wrought of them the semblance of a
boat [to wit, a raft,] and bound it fast with ropes, saying, 'I will embark thereon and fare with this
water into the inward of the mountain. If it bring me to the mainland or to a place where I may
find relief and safety, [well and good]; else I shall [but] perish, even as my companions have
perished.' Then I collected of the riches and gold and precious stuffs, cast up there, whose owners
had perished, a great matter, and of jacinths and crude ambergris and emeralds somewhat past
count, and laid all this on the raft [together with what was left me of victual]. Then I launched it
on the river and seating myself upon it, put my trust in God the Most High and committed myself
to the stream.
The raft fared on with me, running along the surface of the river, and entered into the inward of
the mountain, where the light of day forsook me and I abode dazed and stupefied, unknowing
whither I went. Whenas I hungered, I ate a little of the victual I had with me, till it was all spent
and I abode expecting the mercy of the Lord of all creatures.[FN#206] Presently I found myself in
a strait [channel] in the darkness and my head rubbed against the roof of the cave; and in this case
I abode awhile, knowing not night from day, whilst anon the channel grew straiter and anon
widened out; and whenas my breast was straitened and I was confounded at my case, sleep took
me and I knew neither little nor much.
When I awoke and opened my eyes, I found myself [in the open air] and the raft moored to the
bank of the stream, whilst about me were folk of the blacks of Hind. When they saw that I was
awake, they came up to me, to question me; so I rose to them and saluted them. They bespoke me
in a tongue I knew not, whilst I deemed myself in a dream, and for the excess of my joy, I was
like to fly and my reason refused to obey me. Then there came to my mind the verses of the poet
and I recited, saying:
Let destiny with loosened rein its course appointed fare And lie thou down to sleep by night, with
heart devoid of care;
For 'twixt the closing of an eye and th'opening thereof, God hath it in His power to change a case
from foul to fair.
When they heard me speak in Arabic, one of them came up to me and saluting me [in that
language], questioned me of my case. Quoth I, 'What [manner of men] are ye and what country is
this?' 'O my brother,' answered he, 'we are husbandmen and come to this river, to draw water,
wherewithal to water our fields; and whilst we were thus engaged to-day, as of wont, this boat
appeared to us on the surface of the water, issuing from the inward of yonder mountain. So we
came to it and finding thee asleep therein, moored it to the shore, against thou shouldst awake.
Acquaint us, therefore, with thy history and tell us how thou camest hither and whence thou
enteredst this river and what land is behind yonder mountain, for that we have never till now
known any make his way thence to us.' But I said to them, 'Give me somewhat to eat and after
question me.' So they brought me food and I ate and my spirits revived and I was refreshed. Then
I related to them all that had befallen me, whereat they were amazed and confounded and said, 'By
Allah, this is none other than a marvellous story, and needs must we carry thee to our king, that
thou mayst acquaint him therewith.' So they carried me before their king, and I kissed his hand
and saluted him.
Now he was the king of the land of Serendib,[FN#207] and he welcomed me and entreated me
with kindness, bidding me be seated and admitting me to his table and converse. So I talked with
him and called down blessings upon him and he took pleasure in my discourse and showed me
satisfaction and said to me, 'What is thy name?' 'O my lord,' answered I, 'my name is Sindbad the
Sailor;' and he said, 'And what countryman art thou?' Quoth I, 'I am of Baghdad.' 'And how
earnest thou hither?' asked he. So I told him my story and he marvelled mightily thereat and said,
'By Allah, O Sindbad, this thy story is marvellous and it behoveth that it be written in characters
of gold.'
Then they brought the raft before him and I said to him, 'O my lord, I am in thy hands, I and all
my good.' He looked at the raft and seeing therein jacinths and emeralds and crude ambergris, the
like whereof was not in his treasuries, marvelled and was amazed at this. Then said he, 'O
Sindbad, God forbid that we should covet that which God the Most High hath vouchsafed unto
thee! Nay, it behoveth us rather to further thee on thy return to thine own country.' So I called
down blessings on him and thanked him. Then he signed to one of his attendants, who took me
and established me in a goodly lodging, and the king assigned me a daily allowance and pages to
wait on me. And every day I used to go in to him and he entertained me and entreated me friendly
and delighted in my converse; and as often as our assembly broke up, I went out and walked
about the town and the island, diverting myself by viewing them.
Now this island is under the Equinoctial line; its night is still twelve hours and its day the like. Its
length is fourscore parasangs and its breadth thirty, and it is a great island, stretching between a
lofty mountain and a deep valley. This mountain is visible at a distance of three days' journey and
therein are various kinds of jacinths and other precious stones and metals of all kinds and all
manner spice-trees, and its soil is of emery, wherewith jewels are wrought. In its streams are
diamonds, and pearls are in its rivers.[FN#208] I ascended to its summit and diverted myself by
viewing all the marvels therein, which are such as beggar description; after which I returned to the
king and sought of him permission to return to my own country. He gave me leave, after great
pressure, and bestowed on me abundant largesse from his treasuries. Moreover, he gave me a
present and a sealed letter and said to me, 'Carry this to the Khalif Haroun er Reshid and salute
him for us with abundant salutation.' And I said, 'I hear and obey.'
Now this letter was written with ultramarine upon the skin of the hog-deer, the which is goodlier
than parchment or paper and inclineth unto yellow, and was to the following effect: 'From the
King of Hind, before whom are a thousand elephants and on the battlements of his palace a
thousand jewels, [to the Khalif Haroun er Reshid, greeting]. To proceed:[FN#209] we send thee
some small matter of presents, which do thou accept and be to us as a brother and a friend, for
that the love of thee aboundeth in our heart and we would have thee to know that we look to thee
for an answer. Indeed, we are sharers with thee in love and fear, ceasing[FN#210] never to do
thee honour; and for a beginning, we send thee the Book of the Quintessence of Balms and a
present after the measure of that which is fallen to our lot. Indeed, this is unworthy of thy rank,
but we beseech thee, O brother, to favour us by accepting it, and peace be on thee!'
Now this present was a cup of ruby, a span high and a finger's length broad, full of fine pearls,
each a mithcal[FN#211] in weight and a bed covered with the skin of the serpent that swalloweth
the elephant, marked with spots, each the bigness of a dinar, whereon whoso sitteth shall never
sicken; also an hundred thousand mithcals of Indian aloes-wood and thirty grains of camphor,
each the bigness of a pistachio-nut, and a slave-girl with her paraphernalia, a charming creature, as
she were the resplendent moon. Then the king took leave of me, commending me to the
merchants and the captain of the ship, and I set out, with that which was entrusted to my charge
and my own good, and we ceased not to pass from island to island and from country to country,
till we came to Baghdad, when I entered my house and foregathered with my family and brethren.
Then I took the present and a token of service from myself to the Khalif and [presenting myself
before him], kissed his hands and laid the whole before him, together with the King of Hind's
letter. He read the letter and taking the present, rejoiced therein with an exceeding joy and
entreated me with the utmost honour. Then said he to me, 'O Sindbad, is this king, indeed, such as
he avoucheth in this letter?' I kissed the earth and answered, saying, 'O my lord, I myself have
seen the greatness of his kingship to be manifold that which he avoucheth in his letter. On the day
of his audience,[FN#212] there is set up for him a throne on the back of a huge elephant, eleven
cubits high, whereon he sitteth and with him are his officers and pages and session-mates,
standing in two ranks on his right hand and on his left. At his head standeth a man, having in his
hand a golden javelin, and behind him another, bearing a mace of the same metal, tipped with an
emerald, a span long and an inch thick. When he mounteth, a thousand riders take horse with him,
arrayed in gold and silk; and whenas he rideth forth, he who is before him proclaimeth and saith,
"This is the king, mighty of estate and high of dominion!" And he proceedeth to praise him on this
wise and endeth by saying, "This is the king, lord of the crown the like whereof nor
Solomon[FN#213] nor Mihraj[FN#214] possessed!" Then is he silent, whilst he who is behind the
king proclaimeth and saith, "He shall die! He shall die! And again I say, he shall die!" And the
other rejoineth, saying, "Extolled be the perfection of the Living One who dieth not!" And by
reason of his justice and judgment[FN#215] and understanding, there is no Cadi in his [capital]
city; but all the people of his realm distinguish truth from falsehood and know [and practise] truth
and right for themselves.'
The Khalif marvelled at my speech and said, 'How great is this king! Indeed, his letter testifieth of
him; and as for the magnificence of his dominion, thou hast acquainted us with that which thou
hast seen; so, by Allah, he hath been given both wisdom and dominion.' Then he bestowed on me
largesse and dismissed me, so I returned to my house and paid the poor-rate[FN#216] and gave
alms and abode in my former easy and pleasant case, forgetting the grievous stresses I had
suffered. Yea, I cast out from my heart the cares of travel and traffic and put away travail from
my thought and gave myself up to eating and drinking and pleasure and delight."