A plain and literal translation of the Arabian nights entertainments, now entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night. Volume 7 (of 17)

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[139 - Arab. “Rahim” or “Rihm” = womb, uterine relations, pity or sympathy, which may here be meant.] 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[140 - Reciting Fátihahs and so forth, as I have described in the Cemetery of Al-Medinah (ii. 300). Moslems do not pay for prayers to benefit the dead like the majority of Christendom and, according to Calvinistic Wahhábi-ism, their prayers and blessings are of no avail. But the mourner’s heart loathes reason and he prays for his dead instinctively like the so-termed “Protestant.” Amongst the latter, by the bye, I find four great Sommités, (1) Paul of Tarsus who protested against the Hebraism of Peter; (2) Mohammed who protested against the perversions of Christianity; (3) Luther who protested against Italian rule in Germany, and lastly (4) one (who shall be nameless) that protests against the whole business.] 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

THE BADAWI AND HIS WIFE.[141 - Lane transfers this to vol. i. 520 (notes to chapt. vii.); and gives a mere abstract as of that preceding.]

Caliph Mu’áwiyah was sitting one day in his palace[142 - We learn from Ibn Batutah that it stood South of the Great Mosque and afterwards became the Coppersmiths’ Bazar. The site was known as Al-Khazrá (the Green) and the building was destroyed by the Abbasides. See Defrémery and Sanguinetti, i. 206.] at Damascus, in a room whose windows were open on all four sides, that the breeze might enter from every quarter. Now it was a day of excessive heat, with no breeze from the hills stirring, and the middle of the day, when the heat was at its height, and the Caliph saw a man coming along, scorched by the heat of the ground and limping, as he fared on barefoot. Mu’awiyah considered him awhile and said to his courtiers, “Hath Allah (may He be extolled and exalted!) created any miserabler than he who need must hie abroad at such an hour and in such sultry tide as this?” Quoth one of them, “Haply he seeketh the Commander of the Faithful;” and quoth the Caliph, “By Allah, if he seek me, I will assuredly give to him, and if he be wronged, I will certainly succour him. Ho, boy! Stand at the door, and if yonder wild Arab seek to come in to me, forbid him not therefrom.” So the page went out and presently the Arab came up to him and he said, “What dost thou want?” Answered the other, “I want the Commander of the Faithful,” and the page said, “Enter.” So he entered and saluted the Caliph,–And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-second Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the page allowed him to enter, the Badawi saluted the Caliph, who said to him, “Who art thou?” Replied the Arab, “I am a man of the Banú Tamím.”[143 - This great tribe or rather nation has been noticed before (vol. ii. 170). The name means “Strong,” and derives from one Tamim bin Murr of the race of Adnan, nat. circ. A.D. 121. They hold the North-Eastern uplands of Najd, comprising the great desert Al-Dahná and extend to Al-Bahrayn. They are split up into a multitude of clans and septs; and they can boast of producing two famous sectarians. One was Abdullah bin Suffár, head of the Suffriyah; and the other Abdullah bin Ibáz (Ibadh) whence the Ibázíyah heretics of Oman who long included her princes. Mr. Palgrave wrongly writes Abadeeyah and Biadeeyah and my “Bayázi” was an Arab vulgarism used by the Zanzibarians. Dr. Badger rightly prefers Ibáziyah which he writes Ibâdhiyah (Hist. of the Imams, etc.)] “And what bringeth thee here at this season?” asked Mu’awiyah; and the Arab answered, “I come to thee, complaining and thy protection imploring.” “Against whom?” “Against Marwan bin al-Hakam,[144 - Governor of Al-Medinah under Mu’awiyah and afterwards (A.H. 64–65 = 683–4) fourth Ommiade. Al-Siyúti (p. 216 (#x27_x_27_i24)) will not account him amongst the princes of the Faithful, holding him a rebel against Al-Zubayr. Ockley makes Ibn al-Zubayr ninth and Marwán tenth Caliph.] thy deputy,” replied he, and began reciting:—

Mu’áwiyah,[145 - The address, without the vocative particle, is more emphatic; and the P.N. Mu’awiyah seems to court the omission.] thou gen’rous lord, and best of men that be;
And oh, thou lord of learning, grace and fair humanity,
Thee-wards I come because my way of life is strait to me:
O help! and let me not despair thine equity to see.
Deign thou redress the wrong that dealt the tyrant whim of him
Who better had my life destroyed than made such wrong to dree.
He robbed me of my wife Su’ád and proved him worst of foes,
Stealing mine honour ’mid my folk with foul iniquity;
And went about to take my life before th’ appointed day
Hath dawned which Allah made my lot by destiny’s decree.

Now when Mu’awiyah heard him recite these verses, with the fire flashing from his mouth, he said to him, “Welcome and fair welcome, O brother of the Arabs! Tell me thy tale and acquaint me with thy case.” Replied the Arab, “O Commander of the Faithful, I had a wife whom I loved passing dear with love none came near; and she was the coolth of mine eyes and the joy of my heart; and I had a herd of camels, whose produce enabled me to maintain my condition; but there came upon us a bad year which killed off hoof and horn and left me naught. When what was in my hand failed me and wealth fell from me and I lapsed into evil case, I at once became abject and a burden to those who erewhile wished to visit me; and when her father knew it, he took her from me and abjured me and drove me forth without ruth. So I repaired to thy deputy, Marwan bin al-Hakam, and asked his aid. He summoned her sire and questioned him of my case, when he denied any knowledge of me.” Quoth I, “Allah assain the Emir! An it please him to send for the woman and question her of her father’s saying, the truth will appear.” So he sent for her and brought her; but no sooner had he set eyes on her than he fell in love with her; so, becoming my rival, he denied me succour and was wroth with me, and sent me to prison, where I became as I had fallen from heaven and the wind had cast me down in a far land. Then said Marwan to her father, “Wilt thou give her to me to wife, on a present settlement of a thousand dinars and a contingent dowry of ten thousand dirhams,[146 - This may also mean that the £500 were the woman’s “mahr” or marriage dowry and the £250 a present to buy the father’s consent.] and I will engage to free her from yonder wild Arab!” Her father was seduced by the bribe and agreed to the bargain; whereupon Marwan sent for me and looking at me like an angry lion, said to me, “O Arab, divorce Su’ad.” I replied, “I will not put her away; but he set on me a company of his servants, who tortured me with all manner of tortures, till I found no help for it but to divorce her. I did so and he sent me back to prison, where I abode till the days of her purification were accomplished, when he married her and let me go. So now I come hither in thee hoping and thy succour imploring and myself on thy protection throwing.” And he spoke these couplets:—

Within my heart is fire
Whichever flameth higher;
Within my frame are pains
For skill of leach too dire.
Live coals in vitals burn
And sparks from coal up spire:
Tears flood mine eyes and down
Coursing my cheek ne’er tire:
Only God’s aid and thine
I crave for my desire!

Then he was convulsed,[147 - Quite true to nature. See an account of the quasi-epileptic fits to which Syrians are subject and by them called Al-Wahtah in “The Inner Life of Syria,” i. 233.] and his teeth chattered and he fell down in a fit, squirming like a scotched snake. When Mu’awiyah heard his story and his verse, he said, “Marwan bin al-Hakam hath transgressed against the laws of the Faith and hath violated the Harim of True Believers!”–And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-third Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Caliph Mu’awiyah heard the wild Arab’s words, he said, “The son of al-Hakam hath indeed transgressed against the laws of the Faith and hath violated the Harim of True Believers,” presently adding, “O Arab, thou comest to me with a story, the like whereof I never heard!” Then he called for inkcase and paper and wrote to Marwan as follows:—Verily it hath reached me that thou transgresseth the laws of the Faith with regard to thy lieges. Now it behoveth the Wali who governeth the folk to keep his eyes from their lusts and stay his flesh from its delights. And after he wrote many words, which (quoth he who told me the tale) I omit, for brevity’s sake, and amongst them these couplets:—

Thou wast invested (woe to thee!)[148 - Arab “Wayha-k” here equivalent to Wayla-k. M. C. Barbier de Meynard renders the first “mon ami” and the second “misérable.”] with rule for thee unfit;
Crave thou of Allah pardon for thy foul adultery.
Th’ unhappy youth to us is come complaining ’mid his groans
And asks redress for parting-grief and saddened me through thee.
An oath have I to Allah sworn shall never be forsworn;
Nay, for I’ll do what Faith and Creed command me to decree.
An thou dare cross me in whate’er to thee I now indite
I of thy flesh assuredly will make the vulture free.
Divorce Su’ad, equip her well, and in the hottest haste
With Al-Kumayt and Zíbán’s son, hight Nasr, send to me.

Then he folded the letter and, sealing it with his seal, delivered it to Al-Kumayt[149 - This is an instance when the article (Al) is correctly used with one proper name and not with another. Al-Kumayt (P. N. of poet) lit. means a bay horse with black points: Nasr is victory.] and Nasr bin Zíbán (whom he was wont to employ on weighty matters, because of their trustiness) who took the missive and carried it to Al-Medinah, where they went in to Marwan and saluting him delivered to him the writ and told him how the case stood. He read the letter and fell a-weeping; but he went in to Su’ad (as ’twas not in his power to refuse obedience to the Caliph) and, acquainting her with the case, divorced her in the presence of Al-Kumayt and Nasr; after which he equipped her and delivered her to them, together with a letter to the Caliph wherein he versified as follows:—

Hurry not, Prince of Faithful Men! with best of grace thy vow
I will accomplish as ’twas vowed and with the gladdest gree.
I sinned not adulterous sin when loved her I, then how
Canst charge me with advowtrous deed or any villainy?
Soon comes to thee that splendid sun which hath no living peer
On earth, nor aught in mortal men or Jinns her like shalt see.

This he sealed with his own signet and gave to the messengers who returned with Su’ad to Damascus and delivered to Mu’awiyah the letter, and when he had read it he cried, “Verily, he hath obeyed handsomely, but he exceedeth in his praise of the woman.” Then he called for her and saw beauty such as he had never seen, for comeliness and loveliness, stature and symmetrical grace; moreover, he talked with her and found her fluent of speech and choice in words. Quoth he, “Bring me the Arab.” So they fetched the man, who came, sore disordered for shifts and changes of fortune, and Mu’awiyah said to him, “O Arab, an thou wilt freely give her up to me, I will bestow upon thee in her stead three slave girls, high-bosomed maids like moons, with each a thousand dinars; and I will assign thee on the Treasury such an annual sum as shall content thee and enrich thee.” When the Arab heard this, he groaned one groan and swooned away, so that Mu’awiyah thought he was dead; and, as soon as he revived, the Caliph said to him, “What aileth thee?” The Arab answered, “With heavy heart and in sore need have I appealed to thee from the injustice of Marwan bin al-Hakam; but to whom shall I appeal from thine injustice?” And he versified in these couplets:—

Make me not (Allah save the Caliph!) one of the betrayed
Who from the fiery sands to fire must sue for help and aid:
Deign thou restore Su’ád to this afflicted heart distraught,
Which every morn and eve by sorest sorrow is waylaid:
Loose thou my bonds and grudge me not and give her back to me;
And if thou do so ne’er thou shalt for lack of thanks upbraid!

Then said he, “By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, wert thou to give me all the riches contained in the Caliphate, yet would I not take them without Su’ad.” And he recited this couplet:—

I love Su’ád and unto all but hers my love is dead,
Each morn I feel her love to me is drink and daily bread.

Quoth the Caliph, “Thou confessest to having divorced her and Marwan owned the like; so now we will give her free choice. An she choose other than thee, we will marry her to him, and if she choose thee, we will restore her to thee.” Replied the Arab, “Do so.” So Mu’awiyah said to her, “What sayest thou, O Su’ad? Which dost thou choose; the Commander of the Faithful, with his honour and glory and dominion and palaces and treasures and all else thou seest at his command, or Marwan bin al-Hakam with his violence and tyranny, or this Arab, with his hunger and poverty?” So she improvised these couplets:—

This one, whom hunger plagues, and rags enfold,
Dearer than tribe and kith and kin I hold;
Than crownèd head, or deputy Marwán,
Or all who boast of silver coins and gold.

Then said she, “By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, I will not forsake him for the shifts of Fortune or the perfidies of Fate, there being between us old companionship we may not forget, and love beyond stay and let; and indeed ’tis but just that I bear with him in his adversity, even as I shared with him in prosperity.” The Caliph marvelled at her wit and love and constancy and, ordering her ten thousand dirhams, delivered her to the Arab, who took his wife and went away.[150 - This anecdote, which reads like truth, is ample set off for a cart-load of abuse of women. But even the Hindus, determined misogynists in books, sometimes relent. Says the Katha Sarit Sagara: “So you see, King, honourable matrons are devoted to their husbands, and it is not the case that all women are always bad” (ii. 624). Let me hope that after all this Mistress Su’ad did not lead her husband a hardish life.] And they likewise tell a tale of

THE LOVERS OF BASSORAH

The Caliph Harun al-Rashid was sleepless one night; so he sent for Al-Asma’i and Husayn al-Khalí’a[151 - Al-Khalí’a has been explained in vol. i. 311: the translation of Al-Mas’udi (vi. 10) renders it “scélérat.” Abú Alí al-Husayn the Wag was a Bassorite and a worthy companion of Abu Nowas the Debauchee; but he adorned the Court of Al-Amin the son, not of Al-Rashid the father.] and said to them, “Tell me a story you twain and do thou begin, O Husayn.” He said, “’Tis well, O Commander of the Faithful;” and thus began:—Some years ago, I dropped down stream to Bassorah, to present to Mohammed bin Sulayman al-Rabí’í[152 - Governor of Bassorah, but not in Al-Husayn’s day.] a Kasidah or elegy I had composed in his praise; and he accepted it and bade me abide with him. One day, I went out to Al-Mirbad,[153 - The famous market-place where poems were recited; mentioned by Al-Hariri] by way of Al-Muháliyah;[154 - A quarter of Bassorah.] and, being oppressed by the excessive heat, went up to a great door, to ask for drink, when I was suddenly aware of a damsel, as she were a branch swaying, with eyes languishing, eyebrows arched and finely pencilled and smooth cheeks rounded, clad in a shift the colour of a pomegranate-flower, and a mantilla of Sana’á[155 - Capital of Al-Yaman, and then famed for its leather and other work (vol. v. 16).] work; but the perfect whiteness of her body overcame the redness of her shift, through which glittered two breasts like twin granadoes and a waist, as it were a roll of fine Coptic linen, with creases like scrolls of pure white paper stuffed with musk.[156 - The creases in the stomach like the large navel are always insisted upon. Says the Kathá (ii. 525) “And he looked on that torrent river of the elixir of beauty, adorned with a waist made charming by those wave-like wrinkles,” etc.] Moreover, O Prince of True Believers, round her neck was slung an amulet of red gold that fell down between her breasts, and on the plain of her forehead were brow-locks like jet.[157 - Arab. Sabaj (not Sabah, as the Mac. Edit. misprints it): I am not sure of its meaning.] Her eyebrows joined and her eyes were like lakes; she had an aquiline nose and thereunder shell-like lips showing teeth like pearls. Pleasantness prevailed in every part of her; but she seemed dejected, disturbed, distracted and in the vestibule came and went, walking upon the hearts of her lovers, whilst her legs[158 - A truly Arab conceit, suggesting—] made mute the voices of their ankle-rings; and indeed she was as saith the poet:—

Each portion of her charms we see
Seems of the whole a simile.