There was once, of olden time, a king and he had a son Bihzad
hight, there was not in his tide a fairer than he and he loved to
fellow with the folk and to mix with the merchants and sit and
talk with them. One day, as he was seated in an assembly, amongst
a number of people, he heard them talking of his own beauty and
loveliness, and saying, "There be not in his time a fairer than
he." But one of the company said, "Indeed, the daughter of King
Such-an-one is seemlier than he." When Bihzad heard this saying,
his reason fled and his heart fluttered and he called the last
speaker and said to him, "Repeat to me that which thou saidst and
tell me the truth concerning her whom thou avouchest to be
goodlier than I and whose daughter she is." Quoth the man, "She
is the daughter of King Such-an-one;" whereupon Bihzad's heart
clave to her and his colour changed. Presently the news reached
his sire, who said to him, "O my son, this maiden to whom thy
heart cleaveth is at thy command and we have power over her; so
wait till I demand her in wedlock for thee." But the Prince said,
"I will not wait." So the king hastened in the matter and sent to
demand her of her sire, who required of him an hundred thousand
dinars paid down to his daughter's dowry. Quoth Bihzad's father,
"So be it," and weighed out what was in his treasuries, and there
remained to his charge but a little of the dower.[FN#177] So he
said, "Have patience, O my son, till we gather together the rest
of the money and send to fetch her for thee, since now she is
become thine." Therewith the Prince waxed wroth with exceeding
wrath and cried, "I will not have patience;" so he took his sword
and his lance[FN#178] and mounting his horse, went forth and fell
to cutting the way.[FN#179] It chanced one day that he fell upon
a company of folk who overcame him by dint of numbers and taking
him prisoner, pinioned him and carried him to the lord of that
land wherein he was a-highwaying. This king saw his semblance and
loveliness and misdoubting of him, said, "This be no robber's
favour. Tell me truly, O youth, who thou art." Bihzad was ashamed
to acquaint him with his condition and preferred death for
himself; so he answered, "I am naught but a thief and a bandit."
Quoth the king, "It behoveth us not to act hastily in the matter
of this youth, but that we look into his affair, for that
impatience gendereth penitence." So he imprisoned him in his
palace and assigned him one to serve him. Meanwhile the news
spread abroad that Bihzad, son of the sovran, was lost, whereupon
his father sent letters in quest of him to all the kings
including him with whom he was imprisoned. When the letter
reached the latter, he praised Almighty Allah for that he had not
anyways hastened in Bihzad's affair and bidding them bring him
before himself, said to him, "Art thou minded to destroy thy
life?" Quoth Bihzad, "I did this for fear of shame;" and the king
said, "An thou fear shame, thou shouldst not practise haste in
thy doings; knowest thou not that the fruit of impatience is
repentance? Had we hasted, we also, like thee, had repented."
Then he conferred on him a robe of honour and engaged to him for
the completion of the dowry and sent to his father, giving him
the glad tidings and comforting his heart with news of his son's
safety; after which he said to Bihzad, "Arise, O my son, and go
to thy sire." Rejoined the Prince, "O king, complete thy kindness
to me by hastening my going-in to my wife; for, an I go back to
my sire, the time will be long till he send a messenger and he
return, promising me dispatch." The king laughed and marvelled at
him and said to him, "I fear for thee from this precipitancy,
lest thou come to shame and win not thy wish." Then he gave him
muchel of wealth and wrote him letters, commending him to the
father of the Princess, and despatched him to them. When he drew
near their country, the king came forth to meet him with the
people of his realm and assigned him a fine lodging and bade
hasten the going-in of his daughter to him, in compliance with
the other king's letter. He also advised the Prince's father of
his son's coming and they busied themselves with the affair of
the young lady. When it was the day of the bride's
going-in[FN#180] Bihzad, of his impetuosity and lack of patience,
betook himself to the wall, which was between himself and her
lodging and wherein was a hole pierced, and of his haste looked
through it, so he might see his bride. But her mother espied
him[FN#181] and this was grievous to her; so she took from one of
the pages two red-hot iron spits and thrust them into the hole
through which the Prince was looking. The spits ran into his eyes
and put them out and he fell down fainting and the
wedding-festival was changed to mourning and sore concern. "See,
then, O king" (continued the youth), "the issue of the Prince's
haste and lack of deliberation, for indeed his impatience
bequeathed him long penitence and his joy turned to annoy; and on
like wise was it with the woman who hastened to put out his eyes
and delayed not to deliberate. All this was the doing of haste;
wherefore it behoveth the king not to be hasty in putting me to
death, for that I am under the hold of his hand, and whatso time
thou desirest my slaughter, it shall not escape thee." When the
king heard this his anger subsided and he said, "Return him back
to the prison till to-morrow, so we may look into his case."
The Fifth Day.
Of the Issues of Good and Evil Actions.
When it was the fifth day, the fifth Wazir, whose name was
Jahrbaur,[FN#182] came in to the king and prostrating himself
before him. said, "O king, it behoveth thee, an thou see or hear
one look on thy house,[FN#183] that thou pluck out his eyes. How
then should it be with him whom thou sawest a-middlemost thy
palace and on thy royal bed, and he suspected with thy Harim, and
not of thy lineage or of thy kindred? So do thou away this shame
by putting him to death. Indeed, we urge thee not to this, except
for the assurance of thine empire and of our zeal for thy loyal
counselling and of our affection to thee. How can it be lawful
that this youth should live for a single hour?" Therewith the
king was filled with fury and cried, "Bring him forthright." So
they fetched the youth whom they set before him in fetters, and
the king said to him, "Woe to thee! Thou hast sinned a great sin
and the time of thy survival hath been long;[FN#184] but needs
must we put thee to death, because there is no ease for us in thy
life till we take it." Quoth the youth, "Know O king, that I, by
Allah, am guiltless, and by reason of this I hope for life, for
that he who is innocent of all offence goeth not in fear of pains
and penalties, neither greateneth his mourning and his concern;
but whoso hath sinned, needs must his sin be expiated upon him,
though his life be prolonged, and it shall overtake him, even as
it overtook Dádbín the king and his Wazir." Asked Azadbakht, "How
was that?" and the youth said, "Hear, O king (whose days may Allah
increase!),
The Story of King Dadbin[FN#185] and his Wazirs.
There was once a king in the land of Tabaristan,[FN#186] by name
Dádbín, and he had two Wazirs, one called Zorkhan and the other
Kárdán.[FN#187] The Minister Zorkhan had a daughter, there was
not in her day a fairer than she nor yet a chaster or a more
pious, for she was a faster, a prayer and an adorer of Allah the
Almighty, and her name was Arwà.[FN#188] Now Dadbin, the king,
heard tell of her praises; so his heart clave to her and he
called the Wazir her sire and said to him, "I desire of thee that
thou marry me to thy daughter." Quoth Zorkhan, "O my liegest
lord, suffer me to consult her, and if she consent, I will marry
thee with her." And the king, said, "Haste thee with this." So
the Minister went in to his daughter and said to her, "O my
daughter, the king seeketh thee of me and desireth to marry
thee." She said. "O my father, I desire not a husband, and if
thou wilt marry me, marry me not but with a mate who shall be mine inferior
in rank and I nobler than he, so he may not turn to other than
myself nor lift his eyes upon me,[FN#189] and marry me not to one
who is nobler than I, lest I be with him as a slave-girl and a
serving-woman." Accordingly the Wazir returned to the king and
acquainted him with that which his daughter had said, whenas he
redoubled in desire and love-longing for her, and said to her
sire, "An thou marry me not to her of good grace, I will take her
in thy despite and by force." The Minister again betook himself
to his daughter and repeated to her the king's words, but she
replied, "I want no husband." So he returned to the king and told
him what she said, and he was wroth and threatened him, whereupon
the father took his daughter and fled with her. When this came to
the king's knowledge, he despatched troops in pursuit of Zorkhan,
to stop the road upon him, whilst he himself went out and
overtaking the Wazir, smote him on the head with his mace[FN#190]
and slew him. Then he took his daughter by force and returning to
his dwelling-place, went in to her and married her. Arwa resigned
herself with patience to that which betided her and committed her
case to Allah Almighty; and indeed she was used to serve Him
night and day with a goodly service in the house of King Dadbin
her husband. It befel one day that the king had occasion to make
a journey; so he called his second Wazir Kardan and said to him,
"I have a charge to commit to thy care, and it is yonder lady, my
wife, the daughter of the Wazir Zorkhan, and I desire that thou
keep her and guard her thy very self, because I have not in the
world aught dearer than she." Quoth Kardan in his mind, "Of a
truth, the king honoureth me with an exceeding honour in
entrusting me with this lady." And he answered, "With love and
all gladness." When the king had departed on his journey, Kardan
said in himself, "Needs must I look upon this lady whom the king
loveth with all this love." So he hid himself in a place, that he
might espy her, and saw her surpassing description; wherefor he
was confounded at her and his wit was wildered and love gat the
lordship of him, so that he sent to her, saying, "Have pity on
me, for indeed I perish for the love of thee." She sent back to
him and replied, "O Wazir, thou art in the place of faith and
confidence, so do not thou betray thy trust, but make thine
inward life like unto thine outward[FN#191] and occupy thyself
with thy wife and that which is lawful to thee. As for this, 'tis
mere lust and women are all of one and the same taste.[FN#192]
And if thou wilt not be forbidden from this talk, I will make
thee a byword and a reproach among folk." When the Minister heard
her answer, he knew that she was chaste of soul and body;
wherefore he repented with the utmost of repentance and feared
for himself from the king and said, "Needs must I devise a device
whereby I may destroy her; else shall I be disgraced with the
king." Now when the king returned from his journey, he questioned
Kardan of the affairs of his kingdom, and the Wazir answered,
"All is right well, O king, save a vile matter, which I have
espied here and with which I am ashamed to confront the sovran;
but, if I hold my peace thereof, I fear lest other than I
discover it and I shall have played traitor to the king in the
matter of my warning and my trust." Quoth Dadbin, "Speak, for to
me thou art none other than a truth-teller, a trustworthy and a
loyal counsellor in whatso thou sayest, undistrusted in aught."
And the Minister said, "O king, this woman to whose love thy
heart cleaveth and of whose piety thou talkest and her fasting
and her praying, I will plainly prove to thee that this is craft
and guile." Hereat the king was troubled and said, "What may be
the matter?" and the Wazir replied, "I would have thee wot that
some days after thy departure, one came to me and said to me,
Come, O Wazir, and look. So I went to the door of the queen's
sleeping-chamber and behold, she was sitting with Abu al-Khayr,
her father's page, whom she favoureth, and she did with him what
she did, and such is the manner of that which I saw and heard."
When Dadbin heard this, he burnt with rage and said to one of his
eunuchs,[FN#193] "Go and slay her in her chamber." But the eunuch
said to him, "O king, Allah prolong thy life! Indeed, the killing
of her may not be in this way neither at this time; but do thou
bid one of thine Castratos take her up on a camel and carry her
to one of the trackless wolds and cast her down there; so, if she
be guilty, Allah shall cause her to perish, and if she be
innocent, He will deliver her, and the king shall be free from
default against her; for that this lady is dear to thee and thou
slewest her father by reason of thy love for her." Quoth the
king, "By Allah, thou sayst sooth!" Then he bade one of his
eunuchs carry her on a camel to one of the far-off wilds and
cut-off wolds and there leave her and wend his ways, and he
forbad her torment to be prolonged. So he took her up and
betaking himself with her to the desert, left her there without
provaunt or water and returned, whereupon she made for one of the
hills, and ranging stones before her in form of prayer-niche,
stood praying. Now it chanced that a camel-driver, belonging to
Kisrà[FN#194] the king, lost certain camels, and his lord
threatened him, if he found them not, that he would slay him.
Accordingly he set out and plunged into the wastes till he came
to the place where the lady was, and seeing her standing at
prayer utterly alone, waited till she had made an end of her
orisons, when he went up to her and saluted her with the salam,
saying, "Who art thou?" Quoth she, "I am a hand-maid of the
Almighty." He asked, "What doest thou in this desolate place?"
and she answered, "I serve Allah the Most High." When he saw her
beauty and loveliness, he fell in love with her, and said to her,
"Harkye! Do thou take me to mate and I will be tender to thee and
use thee with exceeding ruth, and I will further thee in
obedience to Allah Almighty." But she answered, saying, "I have
no need of wedlock and I desire to abide here alone with my Lord
and His worship; but an thou wouldst have ruth upon me and
further me in the obedience of Allah the Most High, carry me to a
place where there is water and thou wilt have done me a
kindness." Thereupon he took her to a place wherein was running
water and setting her down on the ground, left her and went his
ways, marvelling at her. After he left her, he found his camels,
by her blessing, and when he returned, King Kisra asked him,
"Hast thou found the camels?" He answered "Yes," and acquainted
him with the affair of the damsel, and detailed to him her beauty
and loveliness: whereupon the king's heart clave to her and he
mounted with a few men and betook himself to that place, where he
found the lady and was amazed at her, because he saw her
surpassing the description wherewith the camel-driver had
described her to him. So he accosted her and said to her, "I am
King Kisra, greatest of the kings. Wilt thou not have me to
husband?" Quoth she, "What wilt thou do with me, O king, and I a
woman abandoned in the waste?" And quoth he, "Needs must this be,
and if thou wilt not consent to me, I will take up my abode here
and devote myself to Allah's service and thy service, and with
thee worship the Almighty." Then he bade set up for her a tent
and another for himself, facing hers, so he might adore Allah
with her, and fell to sending her food; and she said in herself,
"This is a king, and 'tis not lawful for me that I suffer him for
my sake to forsake his lieges and his land." Presently she said
to the servingwoman, who used to bring her the food, "Speak the
king that he return to his women, for he hath no need of me, and
I desire to abide in this place, so I may worship therein Allah
the Most High." The slave-girl returned to the king and told him
this, whereupon he sent back to her, saying, "I have no need of
the kingship and I also desire to tarry here and worship Allah
with thee in this waste." When she found this earnestness in him,
she fell in with his wishes, and said, "O king, I will consent to
that which thou desirest and will be to thee a wife, but on
condition that thou bring me Dadbin the king and his Wazir Kardan
and his Chamberlain the chief Eunuch, and that they be present in
thine assembly, so I may speak a word with them in thy presence,
to the intent that thou mayst redouble in affection for me."
Quoth Kisra, "And what is thy want unto this?" So she related to
him her story from first to last, how she was the wife of Dadbin
the king and how the Wazir Kardan had misspoken of her honour.
When King Kisra heard this, he redoubled in love-longing for her
and affection and said to her, "Do whatso thou willest:" then he
let bring a litter[FN#195] and carrying her therein to his
dwelling-place, entreated her with the utmost honour and espoused
her. Presently he sent a great army to King Dadbin and fetching
him and his Wazir Kardan and the Eunuch-chamberlain, caused bring
them before him, they unknowing the while what he might purpose
to do with them. Moreover, he caused set up for Arwa a
pavilion[FN#196] in the courtyard of his palace, and she entered
it and let down the curtain before herself. When the servants had
set their seats and they had seated themselves, Arwa raised a
corner of the curtain and said, "O Kardan, rise to thy feet, for
it besitteth not that thou sit in the like of this assembly,
before this mighty King Kisra." When the Wazir heard these words,
his heart fluttered and his joints were loosened and he rose to
his feet of his fear. Then said she to him, "By the virtue of Him
who hath made thee stand up to judgment in this standing-stead,
and thou abject and humiliated, I conjure thee speak the truth
and say what egged thee on to lie against me and drive me from my
home and from the land of my husband and made thee practise thus
against a man and a Moslem so as to slay him.[FN#197] This is no
place wherein lying availeth nor may artifice be herein." When
the Wazir was 'ware that she was Arwa and heard her speech, he
knew that it behoved him not to lie and that naught would avail
him save truth; so he bowed his head groundwards and wept and
said, "Whoso doth evil, needs must he incur it, albe his day be
prolonged. By Allah, I am he who hath sinned and transgressed,
and naught prompted me unto this but fear and overmastering
desire and the misery writ upon my brow.[FN#198] And indeed this
woman is pure and chaste and free from all fault." When King
Dadbin heard this, he beat his face and said to Kardan, his
Wazir, "Allah slay thee![FN#199] 'Tis thou that hast parted me
and my wife and wronged me!" But Kisra the king said to him,
"Allah shall assuredly slay thee, because thou hastenedst and
lookedst not into thine affair, and knewest not the guilty from
the guiltless. Hadst thou wrought deliberately, the unright had
been made manifest to thee from the right; so when this villain
Wazir purposed thy ruin, where was thy judgment and whither went
thy sight?" Then he asked Arwa, "What wilt thou that I do with
them?" and she answered, "Accomplish on them the ordinance of
Almighty Allah:[FN#200] let the slayer be slain and the
transgressor transgressed against, even as he transgressed
against us; yea, and to the well-doer weal shall be done even as
he did unto us." So she gave her officers order concerning Dadbin
and they smote him on the head with a mace and slew him, and she
said, "This is for the slaughter of my sire." Then she bade set
the Wazir on a beast and bear him to the desert whither he had
caused her to be borne, and leave him there without provaunt or
water; and she said to him, "An thou be guilty, thou shalt suffer
the punishment of thy guilt and die in the desert of hunger and
thirst; but an there be no guilt in thee, thou shalt be
delivered, even as I was delivered." As for the
Eunuch-chamberlain, who had counselled King Dadbin not to slay
her, but to cause carry her to the desert, she bestowed on him a
costly robe of honour and said to him, "The like of thee it
befitteth kings to hold in favour and promote to high place, for
that thou spakest loyally and well, and a man is requited
according to his deed." And Kisra the King made him Wali in a
certain province of his empire. "Know, therefore, O king"
(continued the youth), "that whoso doeth good is requited with
good, and he who is guiltless of sin and offence feareth not the
issue of his affair. And I, O my liege lord, am free from guilt,
wherefore I hope in Allah that He will show forth the truth to
mine auspicious king, and vouchsafe me the victory over enemies
and enviers." When the king heard this, his wrath subsided and he
said, "Return him to the prison till the morrow, so we may look
into his case."
The Sixth Day.
Of Trust in Allah.
When it was the sixth day, the wrath of the Wazirs redoubled,
because they had not won their will of the youth and they feared
for their lives from the liege lord; so three of them went in to
him and prostrating themselves between his hands, said to him, "O
king, indeed we are loyal counsellors to thy dignity and fondly
solicitous for thy weal. Verily, thou persistest long in leaving
this youth alive and we know not what is thine advantage therein.
Every day findeth him yet on life and the talk of folk redoubleth
suspicion on thee; so do thou do him dead, that the talk may be
made an end of." When the king heard this speech, he said, "By
Allah, verily ye say sooth and speak rightly!" Then he bade them
bring the young treasurer and when he came into the presence said
to him, "How Iong shall I look into thy case, and find no helper
for thee and see them athirst for thy blood?" The youth answered,
"O king, I hope for succour only from Allah, not from created
beings: an He aid me, none shall have power to harm me, and if He
be with me and on my side, because of the truth, from whom shall
I fear, because of untruth? Indeed, I have made my intent with
Allah a pure intent and a sincere, and I have severed my
expectation from the help of the creature; and whoso seeketh aid
of Allah findeth of his desire that which Bakhtzamán found."
Quoth the king, "Who was Bakhtzaman and what is his story?" and
quoth the youth, "Hear, O king,