“O Commander of the Faithful, I have been wronged!” Quoth he, “How so,
and who hath wronged thee?” Quoth she “Thy son bought me awhile ago, for
ten thousand dirhams, meaning to give me to thee; but thy wife, the
daughter of thine uncle, sent him the said price and bade him shut me up
from thee in this chamber.” Whereupon said the Caliph. “Ask a boon of
me,” and she, “I ask thee to lie with me to-morrow night.” Replied the
Caliph, “Inshallah!” and leaving her, went away. Now as soon as it was
morning, he repaired to his sitting-room and called for Abu Nowás, but
found him not and sent his chamberlain to ask after him. The chamberlain
found him in a tavern, pawned and pledged for a score of a thousand
dirhams, which he had spent on a certain beardless youth, and questioned
him of his case. So he told him what had betided him with the comely boy
and how he had spent upon him a thousand silver pieces; whereupon quoth
the chamberlain, “Show him to me; and if he be worth this, thou art
excused.” He answered, “Patience, and thou shalt see him presently.” As
they were talking together, up came the lad, clad in a white tunic,
under which was another of red and under this yet another black. Now
when Abu Nowas saw him, he sighed a loud sigh and improvised these
couplets:—
He showed himself in shirt of white, ✿ With eyes and eyelids
languor-dight.
Quoth I, “Dost pass and greet me not? ✿ Though were thy greeting a
delight?
Blest He who clothed in rose thy cheeks, ✿ Creates what wills He by His
might!”
Quoth he, “Leave prate, forsure my Lord ✿ Of works is wondrous infinite:
My garment’s like my face and luck; ✿ All three are white on white on
white.”
When the beardless one heard these words, he doffed the white tunic and
appeared in the red; and when Abu Nowas saw him he redoubled in
expressions of admiration and repeated these couplets:—
He showed in garb anemone-red, ✿ A foeman “friend” entitulèd:
Quoth I in marvel, “Thou’rt full moon ✿ Whose weed shames rose however
red:
Hath thy cheek stained it red, or hast ✿ Dyed it in blood by lovers
bled?”
Quoth he, “Sol gave me this for shirt ✿ When hasting down the West to
bed:
So garb and wine and hue of cheek ✿ All three are red on red on red.”
And when the verses came to an end, the beardless one doffed the red
tunic and stood in the black; and, when Abu Nowas saw him, he redoubled
in attention to him and versified in these couplets:—
He came in sable-huèd sacque ✿ And shone in dark men’s heart to rack:
Quoth I, “Dost pass and greet me not? ✿ Joying the hateful envious pack?
Thy garment’s like thy locks and like ✿ My lot, three blacks on black on
black.”
Seeing this state of things and understanding the case of Abu Nowas and
his love-longing, the Chamberlain returned to the Caliph and acquainted
him therewith; so he bade him pouch a thousand dirhams and go and take
him out of pawn. Thereupon the Chamberlain returned to Abu Nowas and,
paying his score, carried him to the Caliph, who said, “Make me some
verses containing the words, O Trusted of Allah, what may this be?”
Answered he, “I hear and I obey, O Commander of the Faithful.”——And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Fortieth Night,
She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abu Nowas
answered, “I hear and I obey, O Commander of the Faithful!” and
forthwith he improvised these couplets:—
Long was my night for sleepless misery; ✿ Weary of body and of thought
ne’er free:
I rose and in my palace walked awhile, ✿ Then wandered thro’ the halls
of Haremry:
Till chanced I on a blackness, which I found ✿ A white girl hid in hair
for napery:
Here to her for a moon of brightest sheen! ✿ Like willow-wand and veiled
in pudency:
I quaffed a cup to her; then drew I near, ✿ And kissed the beauty-spot
on cheek had she:
She woke astart, and in her sleep’s amaze, ✿ Swayed as the swaying
branch in rain we see;
Then rose and said to me, “O Trusted One ✿ Of Allah, O Amin, what may
this be?”
Quoth I, “A guest that cometh to thy tents ✿ And craves till morn thy
hospitality.”
She answered, “Gladly I, my lord, will grace ✿ And honour such a guest
with ear and eye.”
Cried the Caliph, “Allah strike thee dead! it is as if thou hadst been
present with us.”[389] Then he took him by the hand and carried him to
the damsel and, when Abu Nowas saw her clad in a dress and veil of blue,
he expressed abundant admiration and improvised these couplets:—
Say to the pretty one in veil of blue, ✿ “By Allah, O my life, have ruth
on dole!
For, when the fair entreats her lover foul, ✿ Sighs rend his bosom and
bespeak his soul:
By charms of thee and whitest cheek I swear thee, ✿ Pity a heart for
love lost all control:
Bend to him, be his stay ‘gainst stress of love, ✿ Nor aught accept what
saith the ribald fool.”
Now when he ended his verse, the damsel set wine before the Caliph; and,
taking the lute, played a lively measure and sang these couplets:—
Wilt thou be just to others in thy love, and do ✿ Unright, and put me
off, and take new friend in lieu?
Had lovers Kazi unto whom I might complain ✿ Of thee, he’d peradventure
grant the due I sue:
If thou forbid me pass your door, yet I afar ✿ Will stand, and viewing
you waft my salams to you!
The Caliph bade her ply Abu Nowas with wine, till he lost his right
senses; thereupon he gave him a full cup, and he drank a draught of it
and held the cup in his hand till he slept. Then the Commander of the
Faithful bade the girl take the cup from his grasp and hide it; so she
took it and set it between her thighs; moreover he drew his scymitar
and, standing at the head of Abu Nowas, pricked him with the point;
whereupon he awoke and saw the drawn sword and the Caliph standing over
him. At this sight the fumes of the wine fled from his head and the
Caliph said to him, “Make me some verses and tell me therein what is
become of thy cup; or I will cut off thy head.” So he improvised these
couplets:—
My tale, indeed, is tale unlief; ✿ ‘Twas yonder fawn who play’d the
thief!
She stole my cup of wine, before ✿ The sips and sups had dealt relief;
And hid it in a certain place, ✿ My heart’s desire and longing grief.
I name it not, for dread of him ✿ Who hath of it command-in-chief.
Quoth the Caliph, “Allah strike thee dead![390] How knewest thou that?
But we accept what thou sayst.” Then he ordered him a dress of honour
and a thousand dinars, and he went away rejoicing. And among tales they
tell is one of
-----
Footnote 387:
The moon is masculine possibly by connection with the Assyrian
Lune-god “Sin”; but I can find no cause for the Sun (Shams) being
feminine.
Footnote 388:
Arab. “Al-Amin,” a title of the Prophet. It is usually held that this
proud name, “The honest man,” was applied by his fellow-citizens to
Mohammed in early life; and that in his twenty-fifth year, when the
Eighth Ka’abah was being built, it induced the tribes to make him
their umpire concerning the distinction of placing in position the
“Black Stone” which Gabriel had brought from Heaven to be set up as
the starting-post for the seven circuitings. He distributed the honour
amongst the clans and thus gave universal satisfaction. His Christian
biographers mostly omit to record an anecdote which speaks so highly
in Mohammed’s favour (Pilgrimage iii. 192.)
Footnote 389:
The idea is that Abu Nowas was a thought-reader—such being the
prerogative of inspired poets in the East. His drunkenness and
debauchery only added to his power. I have already noticed that “Allah
strike thee dead” (Kátala-k Allah) is like our phrase, “Confound the
fellow, how clever he is.”
Footnote 390:
Again said facetiously, “Devil take you!”
THE MAN WHO STOLE THE DISH OF GOLD WHEREIN THE DOG ATE.
Some time erst there was a man, who had accumulated debts, and his case
was straitened upon him, so that he left his people and family and went
forth in distraction; and he ceased not wandering on at random till he
came after a time to a city tall of walls and firm of foundations. He
entered it in a state of despondency and despair, harried by hunger and
worn with the weariness of his way. As he passed through one of the main
streets, he saw a company of the great going along; so he followed them
till they reached a house like to a royal palace. He entered with them,
and they stayed not faring forwards till they came in presence of a
person seated at the upper end of a saloon, a man of the most dignified
and majestic aspect, surrounded by pages and eunuchs, as he were of the
sons of the Wazirs. When he saw the visitors, he rose to greet them and
received them with honour; but the poor man aforesaid was confounded at
his own boldness, when beholding——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Forty-first Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the poor man
aforesaid was confounded at his own boldness, when beholding the
goodliness of the place and the crowd of servants and attendants; so
drawing back, in perplexity and fear for his life sat down apart in a
place afar off, where none should see him. Now it chanced that whilst he
was sitting, behold, in came a man with four sporting-dogs, whereon were
various kinds of raw silk and brocade[391] and wearing round their necks
collars of gold with chains of silver, and tied up each dog in a place
set privy for him; after which he went out and presently returned with
four dishes of gold, full of rich meats, which he set severally before
the dogs, one for each. Then he went away and left them, whilst the poor
man began to eye the food, for stress of hunger, and longed to go up to
one of the dogs and eat with him; but fear of them withheld him.
Presently, one of the dogs looked at him and Allah Almighty inspired the
dog with a knowledge of his case; so he drew back from the platter and
signed to the man, who came and ate till he was filled. Then he would
have withdrawn, but the dog again signed to him to take for himself the
dish and what food was left in it, and pushed it towards him with his
fore-paw. So the man took the dish and leaving the house, went his way,
and none followed him. Then he journeyed to another city where he sold
the dish and buying with the price a stock-in-trade, returned to his own
town. There he sold his goods and paid his debts; and he throve and
became affluent and rose to perfect prosperity. He abode in his own
land; but after some years had passed he said to himself, “Needs must I
repair to the city of the owner of the dish, and' carry him a fit and
handsome present and pay him the money-value of that which his dog
bestowed upon me.” So he took the price of the dish and a suitable gift;
and, setting out, journeyed day and night, till he came to that city; he
entered it and sought the place where the man lived; but he found there
naught save ruins mouldering in row and croak of crow, and house and
home desolate and all conditions in changed state. At this, his heart
and soul were troubled, and he repeated the saying of him who saith:—
Void are the private rooms of treasury: ✿ As void were hearts of fear
and piety:
Changed is the Wady nor are its gazelles ✿ Those fawns, nor sand-hills
those I wont to see.
And that of another:—
In sleep came Su’adá’s[392] shade and wakened me ✿ Near dawn, when
comrades all a-sleeping lay:
But waking found I that the shade was fled, ✿ And saw air empty and
shrine far away.
Now when the man saw these mouldering ruins and witnessed what the hand
of time had manifestly done with the place, leaving but traces of the
substantial things that erewhiles had been, a little reflection made it
needless for him to enquire of the case; so he turned away. Presently,
seeing a wretched man, in a plight which made him shudder and feel
goose-skin, and which would have moved the very rock to ruth, he said to
him, “Ho thou! What have time and fortune done with the lord of this
place? Where are his lovely faces, his shining full moons and splendid
stars; and what is the cause of the ruin that is come upon his abode, so
that nothing save the walls thereof remain?” Quoth the other, “He is the
miserable thou seest mourning that which hath left him naked.” But
knowest thou not the words of the Apostle (whom Allah bless and keep!),
wherein is a lesson to him who will learn by it and a warning to whoso
will be warned thereby and guided in the right way, “Verily it is the
way of Allah Almighty to raise up nothing of this world, except He cast
it down again?”[393] “If thou question of the cause of this accident,
indeed it is no wonder, considering the chances and changes of Fortune.
I was the lord of this place and I builded it and founded it and owned
it; and I was the proud possessor of its full moons lucent and its
circumstance resplendent and its damsels radiant and its garniture
magnificent, but Time turned and did away from me wealth and servants
and took from me what it had lent (not given); and brought upon me
calamities which it held in store hidden. But there must needs be some
reason for this thy question: so tell it me and leave wondering.”
Thereupon, the man who had waxed wealthy being sore concerned, told him
the whole story, and added, “I have brought thee a present, such as
souls desire, and the price of thy dish of gold which I took; for it was
the cause of my affluence after poverty, and of the replenishment of my
dwelling-place, after desolation, and of the dispersion of my trouble
and straitness.” But the man shook his head, and weeping and groaning
and complaining of his lot answered, “Ho thou! methinks thou art mad;
for this is not the way of a man of sense. How should a dog of mine make
generous gift to thee of a dish of gold and I meanly take back the price
of what a dog gave? This were indeed a strange thing! Were I in
extremest unease and misery, by Allah, I would not accept of thee aught;
no, not the worth of a nail-paring! So return whence thou camest in
health and safety.”[394] Whereupon the merchant kissed his feet and
taking leave of him, returned whence he came, praising him and reciting
this couplet:—
Men and dogs together are all gone by; ✿ So peace be with all of them!
dogs and men!
And Allah is All-knowing! Again men tell the tale of
-----
Footnote 391:
In all hot-damp countries it is necessary to clothe dogs, morning and
evening especially: otherwise they soon die of rheumatism and loin
disease.
Footnote 392:
= Beatrice. A fragment of these lines is in Night cccxv. See also
Night dcclxxxi.
Footnote 393:
The Moslems borrowed the horrible idea of a “jealous God” from their
kinsmen, the Jews. Every race creates its own Deity after the fashion
of itself: Jehovah is distinctly a Hebrew; the Christian Theos is
originally a Judæo-Greek and Allah a half-Badawi Arab. In this tale
Allah, despotic and unjust, brings a generous and noble-minded man to
beggary, simply because he fed his dogs off gold plate. Wisdom and
morality have their infancy and youth: the great value of such tales
as these is to show and enable us to measure man’s development.
Footnote 394:
In Trébutien (Lane ii. 501) the merchant says to ex-Dives, “Thou art
wrong in charging Destiny with injustice. If thou art ignorant of the
cause of thy ruin I will acquaint thee with it. Thou feddest the dogs
in dishes of gold and leftest the poor to die of hunger.” A
superstition, but intelligible.
THE SHARPER OF ALEXANDRIA AND THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
There was once in the coast-fortress of Alexandria, a Chief of Police,
Husám al-Din hight, the sharp Scymitar of the Faith. Now one night as he
sat in his seat of office, behold, there came in to him a trooper-wight
who said, “Know, O my lord the Chief, that I entered your city this
night and alighted at such a khan and slept there till a third part of
the night was past, when I awoke and found my saddle-bags sliced open
and a purse of a thousand gold pieces stolen from them.” No sooner had
he done speaking than the Chief summoned his chief officials and bade
them lay hands on all in the khan and clap them in limbo till the
morning; and on the morrow, he caused bring the rods and whips used in
punishment; and, sending for the prisoners, was about to flog them till
they confessed in the presence of the owner of the stolen money when,
lo! a man broke through the crowd till he came up to the Chief of
Police,——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Forty-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Chief was
about to flog them when lo! a man broke through the crowd till he came
up to the Chief of Police and the trooper and said, “Ho! Emir, let these
folk go, for they are wrongously accused. It was I who robbed this
trooper, and see, here is the purse I stole from his saddle-bags.” So
saying, he pulled out the purse from his sleeve and laid it before
Husam' al-Din, who said to the soldier, “Take thy money and pouch it;
thou now hast no ground of complaint against the people of the khan.”
Thereupon these folk and all who were present fell to praising the thief
and blessing him; but he said, “Ho! Emir, the skill is not in that I
came to thee in person and brought thee the purse; the cleverness was in
taking it a second time from this trooper.” Asked the Chief, “And how
didst thou do to take it, O sharper?”; and the robber replied, “O Emir,
I was standing in the Shroff’s[395] bazar at Cairo, when I saw this
soldier receive the gold in change and put it in yonder purse; so I
followed him from by-street to by-street, but found no occasion of
stealing it. Then he travelled from Cairo and I followed him from town
to town, plotting and planning by the way to rob him, but without avail,
till he entered this city and I dogged him to the khan. I took up my
lodging beside him and watched him till he fell asleep and I heard him
sleeping; when I went up to him softly, softly; and I slit open his
saddle-bags with this knife, and took the purse in the way I am now
taking it.” So saying, he put out his hand and took the purse from
before the Chief of Police and the trooper both of whom, together with
the folk, drew back watching him and thinking he would show them how he
took the purse from the saddle-bags. But, behold! he suddenly broke into
a run and threw himself into a pool of standing water[396] hard by. So
the Chief of the Police shouted to his officers, “Stop thief!” and many
made after him; but before they could doff their clothes and descend the
steps, he had made off; and they sought for him, but found him not; for
that the by-streets and lanes of Alexandria all communicate. So they
came back without bringing the purse; and the Chief of Police said to
the trooper, “Thou hast no demand upon the folk; for thou foundest him
who robbed thee and receivedst back thy money, but didst not keep it.”
So the trooper went away, having lost his money, whilst the folk were
delivered from his hands and those of the Chief of Police; and all this
was of the favour of Almighty Allah.[397] And they also tell the tale of
-----
Footnote 395:
Arab. “Sarráf” = a money-changer.
Footnote 396:
Arab. “Birkah,” a common feature in the landscapes of Lower Egypt; it
is either a natural pool left by the overflow of the Nile; or, as in
the text, a built-up tank, like the “Táláb” for which India is famous.
Sundry of these Birkahs are or were in Cairo itself; and some are
mentioned in The Nights.
Footnote 397:
This sneer at the “military” and the “police” might come from an
English convict’s lips.
AL-MALIK AL-NASIR AND THE THREE CHIEFS OF POLICE.
Once upon a time Al-Malik al-Násir[398] sent for the Wális or Chiefs of
Police of Cairo, Bulak, and Fostat[399] and said to them, “I desire each
of you to recount me the marvellousest thing that hath befallen him
during his term of office.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Forty-third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth Al-Malik
al-Nasir to the three Walis, “I desire each of you to recount me the
marvellousest thing which hath befallen him during his term of office.”
So they answered, “We hear and we obey.” Then said the Chief of the
Police of Cairo, “Know thou, O our lord the Sultan, the most wonderful
thing that befel me, during my term of office, was on this wise:” and he
began
_THE STORY OF THE CHIEF OF POLICE OF CAIRO._
There were in this city two men of good repute fit to bear witness[400]
in matters of murder and wounds; but they were both secretly addicted to
intrigues with low women and to wine-bibbing and to dissolute doings,
nor could I succeed (do what I would) in bringing them to book; and I
began to despair of success. So I charged the taverners and
confectioners and fruiterers and candle-chandlers and the keepers of
brothels and bawdy houses to acquaint me of these two good men whenever
they should anywhere be engaged in drinking or other debauchery, or
together or apart; and ordered that, if they both or if either of them
bought at their shops aught for the purpose of wassail and carousal, the
vendors should not conceal it from me. And they replied, “We hear and
obey.” Presently it chanced that one night, a man came to me and said,
“O my master, know that the two just men, the two witnesses, are in such
a street in such a house, engaged in abominable wickedness.” So I
disguised myself, I and my body-servant, and ceased not trudging till I
came to the house and knocked at the door, whereupon a slave-girl came
out and opened to me, saying, “Who art thou?” I entered without
answering her and saw the two legal witnesses and the house-master
sitting, and lewd women by their side and before them great plenty of
wine. When they saw me, they rose to receive me, and made much of me,
seating me in the place of honour and saying to me, “Welcome for an
illustrious guest and well come for a pleasant cup-companion!” And on
this wise they met me without showing a sign of alarm or trouble.
Presently, the master of the house arose from amongst us and went out
and returned after a while with three hundred dinars, when the men said
to me, without the least fear, “Know, O our lord the Wali, it is in thy
power to do even more than disgrace and punish us; but this will bring
thee in return nothing but weariness: so we reck thou wouldest do better
to take this much money and protect us; for Almighty Allah is named the
Protector and loveth those of His servants who protect their Moslem
neighbours; and thou shalt have thy reward in this world and due
recompense in the world to come.” So I said to myself, “I will take the
money and protect them this once; but, if ever again I have them in my
power, I will take my wreak of them;” for, you see, the money had
tempted me. Thereupon I took it and went away thinking that no one would
know it; but, next day, on a sudden one of the Kazi’s messengers came to
me and said to me, “O Wali, be good enough to answer the summons of the
Kazi who wanteth thee.” So I arose and accompanied him, knowing not the
meaning of all this; and when I came into the judge’s presence, I saw
the two witnesses and the master of the house, who had given me the
money, sitting by his side. Thereupon this man rose and sued me for
three hundred dinars, nor was it in my power to deny the debt; for he
produced a written obligation and his two companions, the legal
witnesses, testified against me that I owed the amount. Their evidence
satisfied the Kazi and he ordered me to pay the sum; nor did I leave the
Court till they had of me the three hundred gold pieces. So I went away,
in the utmost wrath and shame, vowing mischief and vengeance against
them and repenting that I had not punished them. Such, then is the most
remarkable event which befel me during my term of office. Thereupon rose
the Chief of the Bulak Police and said, “As for me, O our lord the
Sultan, the most marvellous thing that happened to me, since I became
Wali, was as follows:” and he began
_THE STORY OF THE CHIEF OF THE BULAK POLICE._
I was once in debt to the full amount of three hundred thousand gold
pieces;[401] and, being distressed thereby, I sold all that was behind
me and what was before me and all I hent in hand, but I could collect no
more than an hundred thousand dinars——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Now when it was the Three Hundred and Forty-fourth Night,