They tell that Al-Hajjáj[FN#118] once bade the Chief of Police go
his rounds about Bassorah city by night, and whomsoever he found
abroad after supper-tide that he should smite his neck. So he
went round one night of the nights and came upon three youths
swaying and staggering from side to side, and on them signs of
wine-bibbing. So the watch laid hold of them and the captain
said to them, "Who be you that ye durst transgress the
commandment of the Commander of the Faithful[FN#119] and come
abroad at this hour?" quoth one of the youths, "I am the son of
him to whom all necks[FN#120] abase themselves, alike the nose-
pierced of them and the breaker; they come to him in their own
despite, abject and submissive, and he taketh of their wealth and
of their blood." The Master of Police held his hand from him,,
saying, "Belike he is of the kinsman of the Prince of True
Believers," and said to the second, "Who art thou?" Quoth he, "I
am the son of him whose rank[FN#121] Time abaseth not, and if it
be lowered one day, 'twill assuredly return to its former height;
thou seest the folk crowd in troops to the light of his fire,
some standing around it and some sitting." So the Chief of
Police refrained from slaying him and asked the third, "Who art
thou?" He answered, "I am the son of him who plungeth through the
ranks[FN#122] with his might and levelleth them with the sword,
so that they stand straight: his feet are not loosed from the
stirrup, whenas the horsemen on the day of the battle are a-
weary." So the Master of the Police held his hand from him also,
saying, "Belike, he is the son of a Brave of the Arabs." Then he
kept them under guard, and when the morning morrowed, he referred
their case to Al-Hajjaj, who caused bring them before him and
enquiring into their affair, when behold, the first was the son
of a barber-surgeon, the second of a bean-seller, and the third
of a weaver. So he marvelled at their eloquent readiness of
speech and said to the men of his assembly, "Teach your sons the
rhetorical use of Arabic:[FN#123] for, by Allah, but for their
ready wit, I had smitten off their heads!"
HARUN AL-RASHID AND THE WOMAN OF THE
BARMECIDES[FN#124]
They tell[FN#125] that Harun Al-Rashid was sitting one day to
abate grievances, when there came up to him a woman and said, "O
Commander of the Faithful, may Allah perfect thy purpose and
gladden thee in whatso He hath given thee and increase thee in
elevation! Indeed, thou hast done justice and wrought
equitably." [FN#126] Quoth the Caliph to those who were present
with him, "Know ye what this one means by her saying?" and quoth
they, "Of a surety, she meaneth not otherwise than well, O Prince
of True Believers." Al-Rashid rejoined: "Nay, in this she
purposeth only to curse me. As for her saying, 'Allah perfect
thy purpose,' she hath taken it from the saying of the poet,
'When thy purpose is effected beginneth its decay; * when they
say 'Thy wish is won' feel thou sure 'twill pass away.'
As for her saying 'Allah gladden thee in whatso He hath given
thee,' she took it from the saying of Almighty Allah,[FN#127]
'Till, whenas they were gladdened in that they were given, We
suddenly laid hold of them and lo, they were in despair!' As for
her saying, 'Allah increase thee in elevation!' she took it from
the saying of the poet:—
'No flier flieth however tall * but as he flieth shall come to
fall.'
And as for her saying, 'Indeed, thou hast done justice and
wrought equitably, 'tis from the saying of the Almighty, 'If ye
swerve[FN#128] or lag behind or turn aside, verily, Allah of that
which ye do is well aware;' and 'As for the swervers[FN#129] they
are fuel for Hell.'" Then he turned to the woman and asked her,
"Is it not thus?" answered she, "Yes, O Commander of the
Faithful," and quoth he, "What prompted thee to this?" Quoth
she, "Thou slewest my parents and my kinsfolk and despoiledst
their good." Enquired the Caliph, "Whom meanest thou?" and she
replied, "I am of the House of Barmak." Then said he to her, "As
for the dead, they are of those who are past away, and it booteth
not to speak of them; but, as for that which I took of wealth, it
shall forthright be restored to thee, yea, and more than it."
And he was bountiful to her to the uttermost of his bounties.
THE TEN WAZIRS: OR THE HISTORY OF KING
AZADBAKHT AND HIS SON.[FN#130]
There was once, of old days, a king of the kings, whose name was
Azádbakht; his capital was hight Kunaym Madúd[FN#131] and his
kingdom extended to the confines of Sístán[FN#132] and from the
confines of Hindostan to the Indian Ocean. He had ten Wazirs, who
ordered his kingship and his dominion, and he was possessed of
judgment and exceeding wisdom. One day he went forth with certain
of his guards to the chase and fell in with an Eunuch riding a
mare and hending in hand the halter of a she-mule, which he led
along. On the mule's back was a domed litter of brocade purfled
with gold and girded with an embroidered band set with pearls and
gems, and about it was a company of Knights. When King Azadbakht
saw this, he separated himself from his suite and, making for the
horsemen and that mule, questioned them, saying, "To whom
belongeth this litter and what is therein?" The Eunuch answered
(for he knew not that the speaker was King Azadbakht), saying,
"This litter belongeth to Isfahand, Wazir to King Azadbakht, and
therein is his daughter, whom he is minded to marry to the King
hight Zád Sháh."
As the Eunuch was speaking with the king, behold, the maiden
raised a corner of the curtain that shut in the litter, so she
might look upon the speaker, and saw the king. When Azadbakht
beheld her and noted her fashion and her loveliness (and indeed
never did seer[FN#133] espy her like), his soul inclined to her
and she took hold upon his heart and he was ravished by her
sight. So he said to the Eunuch, "Turn the mule's head and
return, for I am King Azadbakht and in very sooth I will marry
her myself, inasmuch as Isfahand her sire is my Wazir and he will
accept of this affair and it will not be hard to him." Answered
the Eunuch, "O king, Allah prolong thy continuance, have patience
till I acquaint my lord her parent, and thou shalt wed her in the
way of consent, for it besitteth thee not, neither is it seemly
for thee, to seize her on this wise, seeing that it will be an
affront to her father an if thou take her without his knowledge."
Quoth Azadbakht, 'I have not patience to wait till thou repair to
her sire and return, and no shame will betide him, if I marry
her." And quoth the eunuch, "O my lord, naught that in haste is
done long endureth nor doth the heart rejoice therein; and indeed
it behoveth thee not to take her on this unseemly wise.
Whatsoever betideth thee, destroy not thyself with haste, for I
know that her sire's breast will be straitened by this affair and
this that thou dost will not win thy wish." But the king said,
"Verily, Isfahand is my Mameluke and a slave of my slaves, and I
reck not of her father, an he be fain or unfain." So saying, he
drew the reins of the mule and carrying the damsel, whose name
was Bahrjaur,[FN#134] to his house married her. Meanwhile, the
Eunuch betook himself, he and the knights, to her sire and said
to him, "O my lord, thou hast served the king a many years'
service and thou hast not failed him a single day; and now he
hath taken thy daughter without thy consent and permission." And
he related to him what had passed and how the king had seized her
by force. When Isfahand heard the eunuch's words, he was wroth
with exceeding wrath and assembling many troops, said to them,
"Whenas the king was occupied with his women[FN#135] we took no
reck of him; but now he putteth out his hand to our Harim;
wherefore 'tis my rede that we look us out a place wherein we may
have sanctuary." Then he wrote a letter to King Azadbakht, saying
to him, "I am a Mameluke of thy Mamelukes and a slave of thy
slaves and my daughter at thy service is a hand-maid, and
Almighty Allah prolong thy days and appoint thy times to be in
joy and gladness! Indeed, I went ever waist-girded in thy service
and in caring to conserve thy dominion and warding off from thee
all thy foes; but now I abound yet more than erewhile in zeal and
watchfulness, because I have taken this charge upon myself, since
my daughter is become thy wife." And he despatched a courier to
the king with the letter and a present. When the messenger came
to King Azadbakht and he read the letter and the present was laid
before him, he rejoiced with joy exceeding and occupied himself
with eating and drinking, hour after hour. But the chief Wazir of
his Wazirs came to him and said, "O king, know that Isfahand the
Wazir is thine enemy, for that his soul liketh not that which
thou hast done with him, and this message he hath sent thee is a
trick; so rejoice thou not therein, neither be thou misled by the
sweets of his say and the softness of his speech." The king
hearkened to his Wazir's speech, but presently made light of the
matter and busied himself with that which he was about of eating
and drinking, pleasuring and merrymaking. Meanwhile, lsfahand the
Wazir wrote a letter and sent it to all the Emirs, acquainting
them with that which had betided him from King Azadbakht and how
he had forced his daughter, adding, "And indeed he will do with
you more than he hath done with me." When the letter reached the
chiefs,[FN#136] they all assembled together to Isfahand and said
to him, "What was his affair?"[FN#137] Accordingly he discovered
to them the matter of his daughter and they all agreed, of one
accord, to strive for the slaughter of the king; and, taking
horse with their troops, they set out to seek him. Azadbakht knew
naught till the noise of the revolt beset his capital city, when
he said to his wife Bahrjaur, "How shall we do?" She answered,
"Thou knowest best and I am at thy commandment;" so he bade fetch
two swift horses and bestrode one himself, whilst his wife
mounted the other. Then they took what they could of gold and
went forth, flying through the night to the desert of
Karmán;[FN#138] while Isfahand entered the city and made himself
king. Now King Azadbakht's wife was big with child and the labour
pains took her in the mountain; so they alighted at the foot, by
a spring of water, and she bare a boy as he were the moon.
Bahrjaur his mother pulled off a coat of gold-woven brocade and
wrapped the child therein, and they passed the night in that
place, she giving him the breast till morning. Then said the king
to her, "We are hampered by this child and cannot abide here nor
can we carry him with us; so methinks we had better leave him in
this stead and wend our ways, for Allah is able to send him one
who shall take him and rear him." So they wept over him with
exceeding sore weeping and left him beside the fountain, wrapped
in that coat of brocade: then they laid at his head a thousand
gold pieces in a bag and mounting their horses, fared forth and
fled. Now, by the ordinance of the Most High Lord, a company of
highway robbers fell upon a caravan hard by that mountain and
despoiled them of what was with them of merchandise. Then they
betook themselves to the highlands, so they might share their
loot, and looking at the foot thereof, espied the coat of
brocade: so they descended to see what it was, and behold, it was
a boy wrapped therein and the gold laid at his head. They
marvelled and said, "Praised be Allah! By what misdeed cometh
this child here?" Thereupon they divided the money between them
and the captain[FN#139] of the highwaymen took the boy and made
him his son and fed him with sweet milk and dates,[FN#140] till
he came to his house, when he appointed a nurse for rearing him.
Meanwhile, King Azadbakht and his wife stayed not in their flight
till they came to the court of the King of Fars, whose name was
Kisra[FN#141]. When they presented themselves to him, he honoured
them with all honour and entertained them with handsomest
entertainment, and Azadbakht told him his tale from incept to
conclusion. So he gave him a mighty power and wealth galore and
he abode with him some days till he was rested, when he made
ready with his host and setting out for his own dominions, waged
war with Isfahand and falling in upon the capital, defeated the
whilome Minister and slew him. Then he entered the city and sat
down on the throne of his kingship; and whenas he was rested and
his kingdom waxed peaceful for him, he despatched messengers to
the mountain aforesaid in search of the child; but they returned
and informed the king that they had not found him. As time ran
on, the boy, the son of the king, grew up and fell to cutting the
way[FN#142] with the highwaymen, and they used to carry him with
them, whenever they went banditing. They sallied forth one day
upon a caravan in the land of Sistan, and there were in that
caravan strong men and valiant, and with them a mighty store of
merchandise. Now they had heard that in that land banditti
abounded: so they gathered themselves together and gat ready
their weapons and sent out spies, who returned and gave them news
of the plunderers. Accordingly, they prepared for battle, and
when the robbers drew near the caravan, they fell upon them and
the twain fought a sore fight. At last the caravan-folk
overmastered the highwaymen by dint of numbers, and slew some of
them, whilst the others fled. They also took the boy, the son of
King Azadbakht, and seeing him as he were the moon, a model of
beauty and loveliness, bright of face and engraced with grace,
asked him, "Who is thy father, and how camest thou with these
banditti?" And he answered, saying, "I am the son of the Captain
of the highwaymen." So they seized him and carried him to the
capital of his sire, King Azadbakht. When they reached the city,
the king heard of their coming and commanded that they should
attend him with what befitted of their goods. Accordingly they
presented themselves before him, and the boy with them, whom when
the king saw, he asked them, "To whom belongeth this boy?" and
they answered, "O King, we were going on such a road, when there
came out upon us a sort of robbers; so we fought them and beat
them off and took this boy prisoner. Then we questioned him,
saying, Who is thy sire? and he replied, I am the son of the
robber-captain." Quoth the king, "I would fain have this boy;"
and quoth the captain of the caravan, "Allah maketh thee gift of
him, O king of the age, and we all are thy slaves." Then the king
(who was not aware that the boy was his son) dismissed the
caravan and bade carry the lad into his palace, and he became as
one of the pages, while his sire the king still knew not that he
was his child. As the days rolled on, the king observed in him
good breeding and understanding and handiness galore and he
pleased him; so he committed his treasuries to his charge and
shortened the Wazir's hand therefrom, commanding that naught
should be taken forth save by leave of the youth. On this wise he
abode a number of years and the king saw in him only good conduct
and the habit of righteousness. Now the treasuries had been
aforetime in the hands of the Wazirs to do with them whatso they
would, and when they came under the youth's hand, that of the
Ministers was shortened from them, and he became dearer than a
son to the king, who could not support being separated from him.
When the Wazirs saw this, they were jealous of him and envied him
and sought a device against him whereby they might oust him from
the King's eye,[FN#143] but found no means. At last, when Fate
descended,[FN#144] it chanced that the youth one day of the days
drank wine and became drunken and wandered from his right wits;
so he fell to going round about within the king's palace and
Destiny led him to the lodging of the women, in which there was a
little sleeping chamber, where the king lay with his wife.
Thither came the youth and entering the dormitory, found there a
spread couch, to wit, a sleeping place: so he cast himself on the
bed, marvelling at the paintings that were in the chamber, which
was lighted by one waxen taper. Presently he fell asleep and
slumbered heavily till eventide, when there came a hand-maid,
bringing with her as of wont all the dessert, eatables and
drinkables, usually made ready for the king and his wife, and
seeing the youth lying on his back (and none knowing of his case
and he in his drunkenness unknowing where he was), thought that
he was the king asleep on his couch; so she set the
censing-vessel and laid the perfumes by the bedding, then shut
the door and went her ways. Soon after this, the king arose from
the wine-chamber and taking his wife by the hand, repaired with
her to the chamber in which he slept. He opened the door and
entered when, lo and behold! he saw the youth lying on the bed,
whereupon he turned to his wife and said to her, "What doth this
youth here? This fellow cometh not hither save on thine account."
Said she. "I have no knowledge of him." Hereupon the youth awoke
and seeing the king, sprang up and prostrated himself before him,
and Azadbakht said to him, "O vile of birth,[FN#145] O traitor of
unworth, what hath driven thee to my dwelling?" And he bade
imprison him in one place and the Queen in another.