18
CO
h-
s
;co
'CO
FROM-THE- LIBRARY-OF
TWNITYCOLLEGETORONTO
TO THE PURE ALL THINGS ARE PURE*
(Paris omnia pura)
Arab Proverb.
"Niuna corrotta mente intese mai sanamente parole."
"Decameron " conclusion.
' Erubuit, posuitque raeura Lucretia librum
Sed coram Bruto. Brute I recede, ieget. "
Martiat.
" Mieulx est de ris que de larmes escripre,
Pour ce que rire est le propre des hommes."
RABELAIS.
"The pleasure we derive from perusing the Thousand-and-Ooa
Stories makes us regret that we possess only a comparatively small
part of these truly enchanting fictions. "
CRICHTON'S "History of. Arabia*,
PLAIN AND LITERAL TRANSLATION OF THE
ARABIAN NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS, NOW
ENTITULED
THE BOOK OF THE
atiH ar
WITH INTRODUCTION EXPLANATORY NOTES ON THE
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF MOSLEM MEN AND A
TERMINAL ESSAY UPON THE HISTORY OF THE
NIGHTS
VOLUME III.
RICHARD F. BURTON
PRINTED BY THE BURTON CLUB FOR PRIVATE
SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Shammar Edition
Limited to one thousand numbered sets,
of which this is
Number <
PRINTED IN U. S. A.
WAY l 2
89H2Q
DURING A FRIENDSHIP OF TWENTY-SIX YEARS
EVER SHOWED ME THE MOST
UNWEARIED KINDNESS
Jiloncfeton
30aron
CONTENTS OF THE THIRD VOLUME.
PACE
CONTINUATION OF THE TALE OF KING OMAR BIN AL-NU'UMAN
AND HIS SONS SHARRKAN AND ZAU AL-MAKAN.
aa. CONTINUATION OF THE TALE OF Aziz AND AZIZAH ... I
ab. CONCLUSION OF THE TALE OF KING OMAR BIN AL-NU'UMAN
AND HIS SONS SHARRKAN AND ZAU AL-MAKAN ... 48
b. TALE OF THE HASHISH-EATER ...- 9 1
f. TALE OF HAMMAD THE BADAWI IO 4
1. THE BIRDS AND BEASTS AND THE CARPENTER ... "4
(Lane, II. 52-59. The Fable of the Peacock and Peahen, the Duck, the
Young Lion, the Ass, the Horse, the Camel, and the Carpenter, etc.)
2. THE HERMITS I2 5
3. THE WATER-FOWL AND THE TORTOISE 129
4. THE WOLF AND THE FOX . . . ' * * '3*
(Lane, II. 59-69. The Fable of the Fox and the Wolf.)
a. TALE OF THE FALCON AND THE PARTRIDGE '3 8
5. THE MOUSE AND THE ICHNEUMON *47
6. THE CAT AND THE CROW . . . * * . . 149
viii Contents.
7. THE FOX AND THE CROW ........ 150
a. THE FLEA AND THE MOUSE ........ 151
b. THE SAKER AND THE BIRDS ........ 154
c. THE SPARROW AND THE EAGLE ........ 155
8. THE HEDGEHOG AND THE WOOD PIGEONS .... 156
a. THE MERCHANT AND THE Two SHARPERS ..... 158
9. THE THIEF AND HIS MONKEY ....... 159
THE FOOLISH WEAVER ......... #.
10. THE SPARROW AND THE PEACOCK . ..... 161
11. ALI BIN BAKKAR AND SHAMS AL-NAHAR . . . . .163
(Lane, Vol. If. , Chapt. ix. Story of Alee the Son of Bakkar,
and Shams en-Nahdr, p. I.)
12. TALE OF KAMAR. AL-ZAMAN
(Lane, Chapt. x. Story of the Prince Kamar ez-Zeman and
the Princess Budur, p. 78 and ibid. p. 149.
Story of the Two Princes El-Amjad and El-As'ad, p.
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night.
fo&en Ct foas tfje f^unteb anb STfocnt^Kftf) Nijjfit,
SHAHRAZAD continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that
Aziz pursued to Taj al-Muluk : Then I entered the flower-garden
and made for the pavilion, where I found the daughter of Dalilah,
the Wily One, sitting with head on knee and hand to cheek. Her
colour was changed and her eyes were sunken ; but, when she saw
me, she exclaimed, " Praised be Allah for thy safety ! " And she
was minded to rise but fell down for joy. I was abashed before
her and hung my head ; presently, however, I went up to her and
kissed her and asked, " How knewest thou that I should come to
thee this very night ? " She answered, " I knew it not ! By Allah,
this whole year past I have not tasted the taste of sleep, but have
watched through every night, expecting thee ; and such hath been
my case since the day thou wentest out from me and I gave thee
the new suit of clothes, and thou promisedst me to go to the
Hammam and to come back ! So I sat awaiting thee that night and
a second night and a third night ; but thou earnest not till after
so great delay, and I ever expecting thy coming ; for this is lovers'
way. And now I would have thee tell me what hath been the
cause of thine absence from me the past year long ? " So I told
her. And when she knew that I \vas married, her colour waxed
yellow, and I added, " I have come to thee this night but I must
leave thee before day." Quoth she, " Doth it not suffice her that
she tricked thee into marrying her and kept thee prisoner with her
a whole year, but she must also make thee swear by the oath of
divorce, that thou wilt return to her on the same night before
morning, and not alfow thee to divert thyself with thy mother or
me, nor suffer thee to pass one night with either of us, away from
her ? How then must it be with one from whom thou hast been
absent a full year, and I knew thee before she did ? But Allah
have mercy on thy cousin Azizah, for there befel her what never
befel any and she bore what none other ever bore and she died by
thy ill-usage ; yet 'twas she who protected thee against me. Indeed,
I thought thou didst love me, so I let thee take thine own way ;
else had I not suffered thee to go safe in a sound skin, when I had
it in my power to clap thee in jail and even to slay thee." Thea
she wept with sore weeping and waxed wroth and shuddered in
VOL. in. A
2 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
my face with skin bristling 1 and looked at me with furious eyes.
When I saw her in this case I was terrified at her and my side-
muscles trembled and quivered, for she was like a dreadful she-
Ghul, an ogress in ire, and I like a bean over the fire. Then said
she, " Thou art of no use to me, now thou art married and hast a
child ; nor art thou any longer fit for my company ; I care only
for bachelors and not for married men : 2 these profit us nothing.
Thou hast sold me for yonder stinking armful ; but, by Allah, I
will make the whore's heart ache for thee, and thou shalt not live
either for me or for her ! " Then she cried a loud cry and, ere I
could think, up came the slave-girls and threw me on the ground ;
and when I was helpless under their hands she rose and, taking a
knife, said, " I will cut thy throat as they slaughter he-goats ; and
that will be less than thy desert, for thy doings to me and the
daughter of thy uncle before me." When I looked to my life and
found myself at the mercy of her slave-women, with my cheeks
dust-soiled, and saw her sharpen the knife, I made sure of death "
- - And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to sa/
her permitted say.
Nofo fo&m it foas tje f^unfcrrtr an& Cfoentg^fxtJ Nfgftt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazif
Dandan thus continued his tale to Zau al-Makan : Then quoth
the youth Aziz to Taj al-Muluk, Now when I found my life at the
mercy of her slave-women with my cheeks dust-soiled, and I saw
her sharpen the knife, I made sure of death and cried out to her
for mercy. But she only redoubled in ferocity and ordered the
slave-girls to pinion my hands behind me, which they did ; and,
throwing me on my back, she seated herself on my middle and
held down my head. Then two of them came up and squatted
on my shin-bones, whilst other two grasped my hands and arms ;
and she summoned a third pair and bade them beat me. So they
beat me till I fainted and my voice failed. When I revived, I said
to myself, " 'Twere easier and better for me to have my gullet slit
than to be beaten on this wise ! " And I remembered the words
of my cousin, and how she used to say to me, " Allah, keep thee
* This "horripilation," for which we have the poetical term **gooseflfish>" is often
mentioned in Hindu as in Arab literature.
* How often we have heard this in England I
Tale of Aziz and Azizah. 3
from her mischief! " ; and I shrieked and wept till my voice
failed and I remained without power to breathe or to move. Then
she again whetted the knife and said to the slave-girls, " Uncover
him/* Upon this the Lord inspired me to repeat to her the two
phrases my cousin had taught me, and had bequeathed to me, and
I said, " O my lady, dost thou not know that Faith is fair, Unfaith
is foul?" When she heard this, she cried out and said, " Allah pity
thee, Azizah, and give thee Paradise in exchange for thy wasted
youth ! By Allah, of a truth she served thee in her life-time and
after her death, and now she hath saved thee alive out of my
hands with these two saws. Nevertheless, I cannot by any means
leave thee thus, but needs must I set my mark on thee, to spite
yonder brazen-faced piece, who hath kept thee from me. There-
upon she called out to the slave-women and bade them bind my
feet with cords and then said to them, " Take seat on him ! " They
did her bidding, upon which she arose and fetched a pan of copper
and hung it over the brazier and poured into it oil of sesame, in
which she fried cheese. 1 Then she came up to me (and I still
insensible) and, unfastening my bag-trousers, tied a cord round my
testicles and, giving it to two of her women, bade them hawl at
it. They did so, and I swooned away and was for excess of pair>
in a world other than this. Then she came with a razor of steel
and cut off my member masculine, 2 so that I remained like a*
woman : after which she seared the wound with the boiling oil
and rubbed it with a powder, and I the while unconscious. Now
when I came to myself, the blood had stopped ; so she bade the
slave-girls unbind me and made me drink a cup of wine. Then
said she to me, " Go now to her whom thou hast married and who
grudged me a single night, and the mercy of Allah be on thy
cousin Azizah, who saved thy life and never told her secret love J
Indeed, haddest thou not repeated those words to me, I had surely
slit thy weasand. Go forth this instant to whom thou wilt, for I
1 As a styptic. The scene in the text has often been enacted in Egypt when a
favourite feminine mode of murdering men is by beating and bruising the testicles.
The Fellahs are exceedingly clever in inventing methods of manslaughter. For some
years bodies were found that bore no outer mark of violence, and only Prankish
inquisitiveness discovered that the barrel of a pistol had been passed up the anus and
the weapon discharged internally. Murders of this description are known in English
history ; but never became popular practice.
2 Arab. "Zakar," that which betokens masculinity. At the end of the tale we learn
that she also gelded him ; thus he was a " Sandali," a rast,
4 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
needed naught of thee save what I have just cut off; and now I
have no part in thee, nor have I any further want of thee or care
for thee. So begone about thy business and rub thy head 1 and
implore mercy for the daughter of thine uncle!" Thereupon she
kicked me with her foot and I rose, hardly able to walk ; and I
went, little by little, till I came to the door of our house. I saw it
was open, so I threw myself within it and fell down in a fainting-
fit ; whereupon my wife came out and lifting me up, carried me
into the saloon and assured herself that I had become like a
woman. Then I fell into a sleep and a deep sleep ; and when I
awoke, I found myself thrown down at the garden gate, And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her per-
mitted say.
Hofo fo&cn (t foas tlje ^un&reto an& tEfoentg^ebentJ Ni<$t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir
Dandan pursued to King Zau al-Makan, The youth Aziz thus
continued his story to Taj al-Muluk : When I awoke and found
myself thrown down at the garden-gate, I rose, groaning for pain
and misery, and made my way to our home and entering, I came
upon my mother weeping for me, and saying, " Would I knew, O
my son, in what land art thou ! " So I drew near and threw
myself upon her, and when she looked at me and felt me, she
knew that I was ill ; for my face was coloured black and tan.
Then I thought of my cousin and all the kind offices she had
been wont to do me, and I learned when too late that she had
truly loved me ; so I wept for her and my mother wept also.
Presently she said to me, " O my son, thy sire is dead." At this
my fury against Fate redoubled, and I cried till I fell into a fit.
When I came to myself, I looked at the place where my cousin
Azizah had been used to sit and shed tears anew, till I all but
fainted once more for excess of weeping ; and I ceased not to cry
and sob and wail till midnight, when my mother said to me, "Thy
father hath been dead these ten days." "I shall never think of
any one but my cousin Azizah," replied I ; "and indeed I deserve
all that hath befallen me, for that I neglected her who loved me
with love so dear." Asked she, "What hath befallen thee?" So
} See vol. i. p. 104.
Tale of Aziz and Azlzah. $
'I told her all that had happened and she wept awhile, then she
rose and set some matter of meat and drink before me. I ate a
little and drank, after which I repeated my story to her, and told
her the whole occurrence ; whereupon she exclaimed, " Praised be
Allah, that she did but this to thee and forbore to slaughter
thee ! " Then she nursed me and medicined me till I regained
my health ; and, when my recovery was complete, she said to me,
" O my son, I will now bring out to thee that which thy cousin
committed to me in trust for thee ; for it is thine. She swore me
not to give it thee, till I should see thee recalling her to mind and
weeping over her and thy connection severed from other than
herself; and now I know that these conditions are fulfilled in
thee." So she arose, and opening a chest, took out this piece of
linen, with the figures of gazelles worked thereon, which I had
given to Azizah in time past ; and taking it I found written
therein these couplets :
Lady of beauty, say, who taught thee hard and harsh design, o To slay with
longing Love's excess this hapless lover thine ?
An thou fain disremember me beyond our parting day, o Allah will know, that
thee and thee my memory never shall tyne.
Thou blamest me with bitter speech yet sweetest 'tis to me ; o Wilt generous be
and deign one day to show of love a sign ?
I had not reckoned Love contained so much of pine and pain ; o And soul
distress until I came for thee to pain and pine ;
Never my heart knew weariness, until that eve I fell o In love wi' thee, and
prostrate fell before those glancing eyne !
My very foes have mercy on my case and moan therefor ; o But thou, O heart
of Indian steel, all mercy dost decline.
No, never will I be consoled, by Allah, an I die, o Nor yet forget the love of
thee though life in ruins lie !
When I read these couplets, I wept with sore weeping and buffeted
my face ; then I unfolded the scroll, and there fell from it another
paper. I opened it and behold, I found written therein, " Know, O
son of rny uncle, that I acquit thee of my blood and I beseech
Allah to make accord between thee and her whom thou lovest ;
but if aught befal thee through the daughter of Dalilah the Wily,
return thou not to her neither resort to any other woman and
patiently bear thine affliction, for were not thy fated life-tide a
long life, thou hadst perished long ago ; but praised be Allah who
hath appointed my death-day before thine ! My peace be upon
thee ; preserve this cloth with the gazelles herein figured and let
it not leave thee, for it was my companion when thou was absent
6 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
from me ; " And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
J^ofo fofjnt it foas tje J^tmtoefc antr 3Tto0nts=et($ti) Mi$fl>
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir
Dandan pursued to King Zau al-Makan, And the youth Aziz
continued to Taj al-Muluk : So I read what my cousin had written*
and the charge to me which was, " Preserve this cloth with the'
gazelles and let it not leave thee, for it was my companion when'
thou wast absent from me and, Allah upon thee ! if thou chance to
fall in with her who worked these gazelles, hold aloof from her and
do not let her approach thee nor marry her ; and if thou happen
not on her and find no way to her, look thou consort not with any
of her sex. Know that she who wrought these gazelles worketh
every year a gazelle-cloth and despatcheth it to far countries, that
her report and the beauty of her broidery, which none in the world
can match, may be bruited abroad. As for thy beloved, the
daughter of Dalilah the Wily, this cloth came to her hand, and she
used to ensnare folk with it, showing it to them and saying, I have
a sister who wrought this. But she lied in so saying, Allah rend
her veil! This is my parting counsel; and I have not charged
thee with this charge, but because I know * that after my death the
world will be straitened on thee and, haply, by reason of this, thou
wilt leave thy native land and wander in foreign parts, and hearing
of her who wrought these figures, thou mayest be minded to fore-
gather with her. Then wilt thou remember me, when the memory
shall not avail thee ; nor wilt thou know my worth till after my
death. And, lastly, learn that she who wrought the gazelles is
the daughter of the King of the Camphor Islands and a lady of
the noblest." Now when I had read that scroll and understood
what was written therein, I fell again to weeping, and my mother
wept because I wept, and I ceased not to gaze upon it and to shed
tears till night-fall. I abode in this condition a whole year, at the
end of which the merchants, with whom I am in this cafilah,
prepared to set out from my native town ; and my mother coun-
selled me to equip myself and journey with them, so haply I might
be consoled and my sorrow be dispelled, saying, " Take comfort
and put away from thee this mourning and travel for a year or two
1 The purity and intensity of her love had attained to a something of prophetic strain.
Tale of Aziz and Azlzak. f
or three, till the caravan return, when perhaps thy breast may be
broadened and thy heart heartened." And she ceased not tO|
persuade me with endearing words, till I provided myself with:
merchandise and set out with the caravan. But all the time of
my wayfaring, my tears have never dried ; no, never ! and at every
halting place where we halt, I open this piece of linen and look on
these gazelles and call to mind my cousin Azizah and weep for
her as thou hast seen ; for indeed she loved me with dearest love
and died, oppressed by my unlove. I did her nought but ill and
she did me nought but good. When these merchants return from
their journey, I shall return with them, by which time I shall have
been absent a whole year : yet hath my sorrow waxed greater and
my grief and affliction were but increased by my visit to the Islands
of Camphor and the Castle of Crystal. Now these islands are
seven in number and are ruled by a King, by name Shahriman, 1 ,
who hath a daughter called Dunyd ; 2 and I was told that it was
she who wrought these gazelles and that this piece in my possession
was of her embroidery. When I knew this, my yearning redoubled
and I burnt with the slow fire of pining and was drowned in the
sea of sad thought ; and I wept over myself for that I was become
even as a woman, without manly tool like other men, and there
was no help for it. From the day of my quitting the Camphor
Islands, I have been tearful-eyed and heavy-hearted, and such
hath been my case for a long while and I know not whether it
will be given me to return to my native land and die beside my
mother or not ; for I am sick from eating too much of the world.
Thereupon the young merchant wept and groaned and complained
and gazed upon the gazelles ; whilst the tears rolled down his
cheeks in streams and he repeated these two couplets :
"Joy needs shall come," a prattler 'gan to prattle : o " Needs cease thy blame !"
I was commoved to rattle :
" In time," quoth he: quoth I "'Tis marvellous ! o Who shall ensure my life,
O cold of tattle!" 3
1 Lane corrupts this Persian name to Shah Zeman (i. 568).
8 i.*., the world, which includes the ideas of Fate, Time, Chance.
, 3 Arab. " Bdrid," silly, noyous, contemptible ; as in the proverb
Two things than ice are colder cold :
An old man young, a young man old.
A " cold-of-countenance " = a fool : '< May Allah make cold thy face 1 " = may it show
want and misery. " By Allah, a cold speech ! " = a silly or abusive tirade (Pilgrimage, J
iU 22).j
8 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
And he repeated also these :
Well Allah weets that since our severance-day o I've wept till forced
to ask of tears a loan :
" Patience ! (the blamer cries) : thou'lt have her yet ! " o Quoth I, " O blamer
where may patience wone ? "
Then said he, " This, O King ! is my tale : hast thou ever heard
one stranger?" So Taj al-Muluk marvelled with great marvel at
the young merchant's story, and fire darted into his entrails on
hearing the name of the Lady Dunya and her loveliness. -- And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say,
Noto foben ft foas tjj* pjuntortj an* tltoent^nutt!)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir
Dandan continued to Zau al-Makan : Now when Taj al-Muluk
heard the story of the young merchant, he marvelled with great
marvel and fire darted into his entrails on hearing the name of the
Lady Dunya who, as he knew, had embroidered the gazelles ; and
his love and longing hourly grew, so he said to the youth, u By
Allah, that hath befallen thee whose like never befel any save
thyself, but thou hast a life-term appointed, which thou must
fulfil ; and now I would fain ask of thee a question." Quoth
Aziz, " And what is it ? " Quoth he, " Wilt thou tell me how thou
sawest the young lady who wrought these gazelles ? " Then he,
" O my lord, I got me access to her by a sleight and it was this.
When I entered her city with the caravan, I went forth and
wandered about the garths till I came to a flower-garden
abounding in trees, whose keeper was a venerable old man, a
Shaykh stricken in years. I addressed him, saying, O ancient
sir, whose may be this garden ? and he replied, It belongs to the
King's daughter, the Lady Dunya, We are now beneath her
palace and, when she is minded to amuse herself, she openeth the
private wicket and walketh in the garden and smelleth the fra-
grance of the flowers. So I said to him, Favour me by allowing
me to sit in this garden till she come; haply I may enjoy a sight of
her as she passeth. The Shaykh answered, There can be no harm
in that* Thereupon I gave him a dirham or so and said to him,
Buy us something to eat. He took the money gladly and opened
the door and, entering himself, admitted me into the garden, where
Tale of Tdj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunyd. 9
we strolled and ceased not strolling till we reached a pleasant
spot in which he bade me sit down and await his going and
his returning. Then he brought me somewhat of fruit and,
leaving me, disappeared for an hour ; but after a while he returned
to me bringing a roasted lamb, of which we ate till we had eaten
enough, my heart yearning the while for a sight of the lady.
Presently, as we sat, the postern opened and the keeper said to
me, Rise and hide thee. I did so ; and behold, a black eunuch
put his head out through the garden-wicket and asked, O Shaykh,
is there any one with thee ? No, answered he ; and the eunuch
said, Shut the garden gate. So the keeper shut the gate, and lo !
the Lady Dunya came in by the private door. When I saw her,
methought the moon had risen above the horizon and was shining;
so I looked at her a full hour and longed for her as one athirst
longeth for water. After a while she withdrew and shut the
door ; whereupon I left the garden and sought my lodging, knowing
that I could not get at her and that I was no man for her, more
especially as I was become like a woman, having no manly tool :
moreover she was a King's daughter and I but a merchant man ;
so how could I have access to the like of her or to any other
woman ? Accordingly, when these my companions made ready
for the road, I also made preparation and set out with them,
and we journeyed towards this city till we arrived at the place
where we met with thee. Thou askedst me and I have
answered ; and these are' my adventures and peace be with
thee ! " Now when Taj al-Muluk heard that account, fires
raged in his bosom and his heart and thought were occupied
with love for the Lady Dunya ; and passion and longing
were sore upon him. Then he arose and mounted horse and,
taking Aziz with him, returned to his father's capital, where he
settled him in a separate house and supplied him with all he
needed in the way of meat and drink and dress. Then he left
him and returned to his palace, with the tears trickling down his
cheeks, for hearing oftentimes standeth in stead of seeing and
knowing. 1 And he ceased not to be in this state till his father
came in to him and finding him wan-faced, lean of limb and
tearful-eyed, knew that something had occurred to chagrin him
and said, " O my son, acquaint me with thy case and tell me
what hath befallen thee, that thy colour is changed and thy body
1 The popular form is, " often the ear loveth before the eye."
IO A If Laylah wa Laylah.
j
is wasted.*' So he told him all that had passed and what tale h
had heard of Aziz and the account of the Princess Dunya ; anc
how he had fallen in love of her on hearsay, without having set
eyes on her. Quoth his sire, " O my son, she is the daughter of a
King whose land is far from ours : so put away this thought and
go in to thy mother's palace " And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo fo&en tt foas tfte J^untoU anfc ^trttetf) Nu$t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir
Dandan continued to Zau al-Makan : And the father of Taj al-
Muluk spake to him on this wise, "O my son, her father is a
King whose land is far from ours : so put away this thought and
go into thy mother's palace where are five hundred maidens like
moons, and whichsoever of them pleaseth thee, take her ; or else
we will seek for thee in marriage some one of the King's daugh-
ters, fairer than the Lady Dunya." Answered Taj al-Muluk, " O my
father, I desire none other, for she it is who wrought the gazelles
which I saw, and there is no help but that I have her ; else I will
flee into the wold and the waste and I will slay myself for her
sake." Then said his father, " Have patience with me, till I send
to her sire and demand her in marriage, and win thee thy wish as
I did for myself with thy mother. Haply Allah will bring thee to
thy desire; and, if her parent will not consent, I will make Ms
kingdom quake under him with an army, whose rear shall be with
me whilst its van shall be upon him." Then he sent for the youth
Aziz and asked him, " O my son, tell me dost thou know the way
to the Camphor Islands?" He answered " Yes"; and the King
said, " I desire of thee that thou fare with my Wazir thither."
Replied Aziz, " I hear and I obey, O King of the Age ! " ; where-
upon the King summoned his Minister and said to him, ' Devise
me some device, whereby my son's affair may be rightly managed,
and fare thou forth to the Camphor Islands and demand of their
King his daughter in marriage for my son, Taj al-Muluk." The
Wazir replied, " Hearkening and obedience." Then Taj al-Muluk
returned to his dwelling-place and his love and longing redoubled
and the delay seemed endless to him ; and when the night darkened
around him, he wept and sighed and complained and repeated this
poetry :
Tale of Taj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunyd. . 1 1
Dark falls the night : my tears unaided rail * And fiercest flames of
love my heart assail :
Ask thoii the nights of -me, and they shall tell o An I find aught to do
but weep and wail :
Night-long awake, I watch the stars what while o Pour down my cheeks
the tears like dropping hail :
And lone and lorn I'm grown with none to aid; o For kith and kin th6j
love-lost lover fail.
And when he had ended his reciting he swooned away and did not
recover his senses till the morning, at which time there came to
him one of his father's eunuchs and, standing at his head, sum-
moned him to the King's presence. So he went with him and his
father, seeing that his pallor had increased, exhorted him to
patience and promised him union with her he loved. Then he
equipped Aziz and the Wazir and supplied them with presents ;
and they set out and fared on day and night till they drew near
the Isles of Camphor, where .they halted on the banks of a stream,
and the Minister despatched a messenger to acquaint the King of
his arrival. The messenger hurried forwards and had not been
gone more than an hour, before they saw the King's Chamberlains
and Emirs advancing towards them, to meet them at a parasang's
distance from the city and escort them into the royal presence.
They laid their gifts before the King and became his guests for
three days. And on the fourth day the Wazir rose and going in
to the King, stood between his hands and acquainted him with the
object which induced his visit ; whereat he was perplexed for an
answer inasmuch as his daughter misliked men and disliked
marriage. So he bowed his head groundwards awhile, then raised
it and calling one of his eunuchs, said to him, " Go to thy mistress,
the Lady Dunya, and repeat to her what thou hast heard and the
purport of this Wazir's coming." So the eunuch went forth and
returning after a time, said to the King, " O King of the Age,
when I went in to the Lady Dunya and told her what I had heard,
she was wroth with exceeding wrath and rose at me with a staff
designing to break my head ; so I fled from her, and she said to
me : If my Father force me to wed him, whomsoever I wed I will
slay " Then said her sire to the Wazir and Aziz, " Ye have heard,
and now ye know all ! So let your King wot of it and give him
my salutations and say that my daughter misliketh men and dis-
liketh marriage.' And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
12 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
foj*n it foas tftc 3^unfcrrt> anto
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King
Shahriman thus addressed the Wazir and Aziz, " Salute your King
from me and inform him of what ye have heard, namely that my
daughter misliketh marriage." So they turned away unsuccessful
and ceased not faring on till they rejoined the King and told him
what had passed ; whereupon he commanded the chief officers to
summon the troops and get them ready for marching and canv
paigning. But the Wazir said to him, " O my liege Lord, do not
thus : the King is not at fault because, when his daughter learnfr
our business, she sent a message saying, If my father force me to
wed, whomsoever I wed I will slay and myself after him. So the
refusal cometh from her." When the King heard his Minister's
words he feared for Taj al-Muluk and said, " Verily if I make war
on the King of the Camphor Islands and carry off his daughter^
she will kill herself and it will avail me naught." Then he told
his son how the case stood, who hearing it said, " O my father, I
cannot live without her ; so I will go to her and contrive to get at
her, even though I die in the attempt, and this only will I do and
nothing else." Asked his father, " How wilt thou go to her ? "
and he answered, " I will go in the guise of a merchant." 1 Then
said the King, " If thou need must go and there is no help for it,
take with thee the Wazir and Aziz." Then he brought out money
from his treasuries and made ready for his son merchandise to the
value of an hundred thousand dinars. The two had settled upon
this action j and when the dark hours came Taj al-Muluk and Aziz
went to Aziz's lodgings and there passed that night, and the Prince
was heart-smitten, taking no pleasure in food or in sleep ; for
melancholy was heavy upon him and he was agitated with longing
for his beloved. So he besought the Creator that he would vouch-
safe to unite him with her and he wept and groaned and wailed
and began versifying :
Union, this severance ended, shall I see some day? o Then shall my tears this
love-lorn lot of me portray.
While night all care forgets I only minded thee, o And thou didst gar me
wake while all forgetful lay.
1 Not the first time that royalty has played this prank, nor the last, perhaps.
Tale of Tdj al-Mul&k and the Princess Dunyd. 13
And when his improvising came to an end, he wept with sore
weeping and Aziz wept with him, for that he remembered his
cousin ; and they both ceased not to shed tears till morning
dawned, whereupon Taj al-Muluk rose and went to farewell his
mother, in travelling dress. She asked him of his case and he
repeated the story to her ; so she gave him fifty thousand gold
pieces and bade him adieu ; and, as he fared forth, she put up
prayers for his safety and for his union with his lover and his
friends. Then he betook himself to his father and asked his leave
to depart. The King granted him permission and, presenting him
with other fifty thousand dinars, bade set up a tent for him
without the city and they pitched a pavilion wherein the travellers
abode two days. Then all set out on their journey. Now Taj
al-Muluk delighted in the company of Aziz and said to him, " O
my brother, henceforth I can never part from thee." Replied Aziz,
" And I am of like mind and fain would I die under thy feet : but,
my brother, my heart is concerned for my mother. " " When we
shall have won our wish," said the Prince, " there will be naught
save what is well ! " Now the Wazir continued charging Taj al-
Muluk to be patient, whilst Aziz entertained him every evening
with talk and recited poetry to him and diverted him with histories
and anecdotes. And so they fared on diligently night and day for
two whole months, till the way became tedious to Taj al-Muluk
and the fire of desire redoubled on him ; and he broke out :
The road is longsome ; grow my grief and need, o While on my breast love-
fires for ever feed :
Goal of my hopes, sole object of my wish ! o By him who moulded man
from drop o' seed,
1 bear such loads of longing for thy love, o Dearest, as weight of al-
Shumm Mounts exceed :
O ' Lady of my World >l Love does me die ; o No breath of life is left for
life to plead ;
But for the union-hope that lends me strength, o My weary limbs were weak
this way to speed.
When he had finished his verses, he wept (and Aziz wept with
him) from a wounded heart, till the Minister was moved to pity by
their tears and said, " O my lord, be of good cheer and keep thine
eyes clear of tears; there will be naught save what is well!"
Quoth Taj al-Muluk, " O Wazir, indeed I am weary of the length
1 i.e. the Lady Dunya.
14 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
of the way. Tell me how far we are yet distant from the city."
Quoth Aziz, " But a little way remaineth to us." Then they con-
tinued their journey, cutting across river-vales and plains, wolds
and stony wastes, till one night, as Taj al-Muluk was sleeping, he
dreamt that his beloved was with him and that he embraced her
and pressed her to his bosom ; and he awoke quivering, shivering
with pain, delirious with emotion, and improvised these verses :
Dear friend, my tears aye flow these cheeks adown, o With longsome pain and
pine, my sorrow's crown :
I plain like keening woman child bereft, o And as night falls like
widow-dove I groan :
An blow the breeze from land where thou dost wone, o I find o er sunburnt earth
sweet coolness blown.
Peace be wi' thee, my love, while zephyr breathes, o And cushat flies and
turtle makes her moan.
And when he had ended his versifying, the Wazir came to him and
said, " Rejoice ; this is a good sign : so be of good cheer and keep
thine eyes cool and clear, for thou shalt surely compass thy desire."
And Aziz also came to him and exhorted him to patience and
applied himself to divert him, talking with him and telling him
tales. So they pressed on, marching day and night, other two
months, till there appeared to them one day at sunrise some white
thing in the distance and Taj ul-Muluk said to Aziz, " What is
yonder whiteness ? " He replied, " O my lord ! yonder is the
Castle of Crystal and that is the city thou seekest." At this the
Prince rejoiced, and they ceased not faring forwards till they drew
near the city and, as they approached it, Taj al-Muluk joyed with
exceeding joy, and his care ceased from him. They entered in
trader guise, the King's son being habited as a merchant of impor-
tance ; and repaired to a great Khan, known as the Merchants'
Lodging. Quoth Taj al-Muluk to Aziz, " Is this the resort of the
merchants ?"; and quoth he, "Yes; 'tis the Khan wherein I lodged
before." So they alighted there and making their baggage* camels
kneel, unloaded them and stored their goods in the warehouses. 1
They abode four days for rest ; when the Wazir advised that they
should hire a large house. To this they assented and they found
them a spacious house, fitted up for festivities, where they took up
1 These magazines are small strongly-built rooms on the ground floor> where robbery
is almost impossible.
Tale of Taj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunyd. 15
their abode, and the Wazir and Aziz studied to devise some device
for Taj al-Muluk, who remained in a state of perplexity, knowing
not what to do. Now the Minister could think of nothing but that
he should set up as a merchant on 'Change and in the market of
fine stuffs ; so he turned to the Prince and his companion and said
to them, " Know ye that if we tarry here on this wise, assuredly
we shall not win our wish nor attain our aim ; but a something
occurred to me whereby (if Allah please !) we shall find our advan-
tage." Replied Taj al-Muluk and Aziz, "Do what seemeth good
to thee, indeed there is a blessing on the grey-beard ; more specially
on those who, like thyself, are conversant with the conduct of affairs:
so tell us what occurreth to thy mind." Rejoined the Wazir, " It is
my counsel that we hire thee a shop in the stuff-bazar, where thou
mayst sit to sell and buy. Every one, great and small, hath need
of silken stuffs and other cloths ; so if thou patiently abide in thy
shop, thine affairs will prosper, Inshallah ! more by token as thou
art comely of aspect. Make, however, Aziz thy factor and set him
within the shop, to hand thee the pieces of cloth and stuffs." When
Taj al-Muluk heard these words, he said, " This rede is right and a
right pleasant recking." So he took out a handsome suit of mer-
chant's weed, and, putting it on, set out for the bazar, followed by
his servants, to one of whom he had given a thousand dinars,
wherewith to fit up the shopj They ceased riot walking till they
came to the stuff-market, and when the merchants saw Taj al-
Muluk's beauty and grace, they were confounded and went about
saying, " Of a truth Rizwan * hath opened the gates of Paradise
and left them unguarded, so that this youth of passing comeliness
hath come forth." And others, " Peradventure this is one of the
angels." Now when they went in among the traders they asked
for the shop of the Overseer of the market and the merchants
directed them thereto. So they delayed not to repair thither and
to salute him, and he and those who were with him rose to them
and seated them and made much of them, because of the Wazir,
whom they saw to be a man in years and of reverend aspect ; and
viewing the youths Aziz and Taj al-Muluk in his company, they
said to one another, " Doubtless our Shaykh is the father of these
two youths." Then quoth the Wazir, " Who among you is the Over-
1 Lit. "approbation,'* " benediction " ; also the Angel who keeps the Gates of Para-
dise and who has allowed one of the Ghilman (or Wuldan) the boys of supernatural
beauty that wait upon the Faithful, to wander forth into this wicked world.
1 6 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
seer of the market?" "This is he," replied they; and behold,
he came forward and the Wazir observed him narrowly and saw
him to be an old man of grave and dignified carriage, with eunuchs
and servants and black slaves. The Syndic greeted them with
the greeting of friends and was lavish in his attentions to them :
then he seated them by his side and asked them, " Have ye any
business which we * may have the happiness of transacting ? " The
Minister answered, " Yes ; I am an old man, stricken in years, and
have with me these two youths, with whom I have travelled through
every town and country, entering no great city without tarrying there
a full year, that they might take their pleasure in viewing it and
come to know its citizens. Now I have visited your town intend-
ing to sojourn here for a while ; so I want of thee a handsome
shop in the best situation, wherein I may establish them, that they
may traffic and learn to buy and sell and give and take, whilst
they divert themselves with the sight of the place, and become
familiar with the usages of its people." Quoth the Overseer,
" There is no harm in that ;" and, looking at the two youths, he
was delighted with them and affected them with a warm affection.
Now he was a great connoisseur of bewitching glances, preferring
the love of boys to that of girls and inclining to the sour rather
than the sweet of love. So he said to himself, " This, indeed, is fine
game. Glory be to Him who created and fashioned them out of vile
water ! " 2 and rising, stood before them like a servant to do them
honour. Then he went out and made ready for them a shop
which was in the very midst of the Exchange ; nor was there any
larger or better in the bazar, for it was spacious and handsomely
decorated and fitted with shelves of ivory and ebony wood. After
this he delivered the keys to the Wazir, who was dressed as an old
merchant, saying, " Take them, O my lord, and Allah make it a
blessed abiding-place to thy two sons ! " The Minister took the
keys and the three returning to the Khan where they had alighted,
bade the servants transport to the shop all their goods and stuffs.
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
1 In Europe this would be a plurale majestatis, used only by Royalty. In Arabic it
has no such significance, and even the lower orders apply it to themselves ; although it
often has a soup$on of " I and thou.'V^
2 Man being an " extract of despicable water " (Koran xxxii. 7) ex spermate genitali,
b\rhich Mr. Rodwell renders " from germs of life,*' " from sorry water."
Tale of Taj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunyd.
Nofo fojen ft foas tie $^unfcre& an* 2Wrtg=secon&
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the:
Wazir took the shop keys, he went accompanied by Taj al-Muluk
and Aziz to the Khan, and they bade the servants transport to
the shop all their goods and stuffs and valuables of which they
had great store worth treasures of money. And when all this
was duly done, they went to the shop and ordered their stock in
trade and slept there that night. As soon as morning morrowed
the Wazir took the two young men to the Hammam-bath where
they washed them clean ; and they donned rich dresses and scented
themselves with essences and enjoyed themselves to the utmost
Now each of the youths was passing fair to look upon, and in the
bath they were even as saith the poet :
Luck to the Rubber, whose deft hand o'erflies * A frame begotten twixt the
lymph and light : !
He shows the thaumaturgy of his craft, * And gathers musk in form of
camphor dight. 2
After bathing they left ; and, when the Overseer heard that they
had gone to the Hammam, he sat down to await the twain, and
presently they came up to him like two gazelles ; their cheeks were
reddened by the bath and their eyes were darker than ever ; their
faces shone and they were as two lustrous moons or two branches
fruit-laden. Now when he saw them he rose forthright and said
to them, " O my sons, may your bath profit you alway ! " 3 Where-
upon Taj al-Muluk replied, with the sweetest of speech, " Allah be
bountiful to thee, O my father ; why didst thou not come with
us and bathe in our company ? " Then they both bent over his
right hand and kissed it and walked before him to the shop, to
entreat him honourably and show their respect for him, for that he
was Chief of the Merchants and the market, and he had done
them kindness in giving them the shop. When he saw their hips
r i.e. begotten by man's seed in the light of salvation (Niir al-huda).
2 The rolls of white (camphor-like) scarf-skin and sordes which come off under the
bathman's glove become by miracle of Beauty, as brown musk. The Rubber or Sham-
pooer is called in Egypt " Mukayyis" (vulgarly " Mukayyisdti ") or " bagman, "
from his " Kis," a bag-glove of coarse wollen stuff. To " Johnny Raws" he never
fails to show the little rolls which come off the body and prove to them how unclean
they are; but the material is mostly dead scarf-skin.
3 The normal phrase on such occasions (there is always a "dovetail" de rigueur)
14 Allah give thee profit ! "
VOL. III. B
1 8 { Alf Laylah wa Laylak.
quivering as they'moved, desire and longing redoubled on him ;'
and he puffed and snorted and he devoured them with his eyes,
for he could not contain himself, repeating the while these two
couplets :
Here the heart reads a chapter of devotion pure ; o Nor reads dispute if
Heaven in worship partner take :
No wonder 'tis he trembles walking 'neath such weight ! o How much of move-
ment that revolving sphere must make. 1
Furthermore he said :
I saw two charmers treading humble earth, Two I must love an tread they
on mine eyes.
When they heard this, they conjured him to enter the bath with
them a second time. He could hardly believe his ears and hasten-
ing thither, went in with them. The Wazir had not yet left the
bath ; so when he heard of the Overseer's coming, he came out
and meeting him in the middle of the bath-hall invited him to
enter. He refused, whereupon Taj al-Muluk taking him by the
hand walked on one side and Aziz by the other, and carried him
into a cabinet ; and that impure old man submitted to them, whilst
his emotion increased on him. He would have refused, albeit this
was what he desired ; but the Minister said to him, " They are thy
sons ; let them wash thee and cleanse thee." " Allah preserve
them to thee ! " exclaimed the Overseer, " by Allah your coming
and the coming of those with you bring down blessing and good
luck upon our city ! " And he repeated these two couplets :
Thou earnest and green grew the hills anew ; o And sweetest bloom to
the bridegroom threw,
While aloud cried Earth and her earth-borns too o ' Hail and welcome who
comest with grace to endue.'
They thanked him for this, and Taj al-Muluk ceased not to wash
him and Aziz to pour water over him and he thought his soul in
Paradise. When they had made an end of his service, he blessed
them and sat by the side of the Wazir, talking but gazing the
while on the youths. Presently, the servants brought them towels,
and they dried themselves and donned their dress. Then they
Went out, and the Minister turned to the Syndic and said to him,
1 i.e. We are forced to love him only, and ignore giving him a rival (referring to
Koranic denunciations of " Shirk," or attributing a partner to Allah, the religion of
plurality, syntheism not polytheism) : see, he walks tottering under the weight of his
back parts wriggling them whilst they are rounded like the revolving heavens.
Tale of Tdj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunyd. 19
"O my lord! verily the bath is the Paradise 1 of this world."
Replied the Overseer, " Allah vouchsafe to thee such Paradise, and
health to thy sons and guard them from the evil eye! Do ye
remember aught that the eloquent have said in praise of the bath ? "
Quoth Taj al-Muluk, " I will repeat for thee a pair of couplets ; "
and he recited :
The life of the bath is the joy of man's life, 2 o Save that time is short for us
there to bide :
A Heaven, where irksome it were to stay; o A Hell, delightful at entering-
tide.
When he ended his recital, quoth Aziz, " And I also remember two
couplets in praise of the bath." The Overseer said, " Let me hear
them ; " so he repeated the following :
A. house where flowers from stones of granite grow, o Seen at its best when
hot with living lowe :
Thou deem'st it Hell but here, forsooth, is Heaven, o And some like suns
and moons within it show.
And when he had ended his recital, his verses pleased the Overseer
and he wondered at his words and savoured their grace and
facundity and said to them, " By Allah, ye possess both beauty
and eloquence. But now listen to me, you twain ! " And he
began chanting, and recited in song the following verses :
joy of Hell and Heaven ! whose tormentry o Enquickens frame and soul
with lively gree :
1 marvel so delightsome house to view, o And most when 'neath it
kindled fires I see :
Sojourn of bliss to visitors, withal o Pools on them pour down
tears unceasingly.
!' . i. ii ... i ni i . i.
1 Jannat al-Na'im (Garden of Delight) ; the fifth of the seven Paradises, made of
-*rhite diamond ; the gardens and the plurality being borrowed from the Talmud.
Mohammed's Paradise, by the by, is not a greater failure than Dante's. Only ignorance
or pious fraud asserts it to be wholly sensual ; and a single verse is sufficient refutation :
" Their prayer therein shall be * Praise unto thee, O Allah !' and their salutation therein
'shall be ' Peace ! ' and the end of their prayer shall be, ' Praise unto God, the Lord of all
creatures'" (Koran x. 10-11). See also Ivi. 24-26. It will also be an intellectual
condition wherein knowledge will greatly be increased (Ixx'xviii. 17-20). Moreover the
Moslems, far more logical than Christians, admit into Paradise the so-called "lower
animals."
2 Sed vitam faciunt balnea, vina, Venus ! The Hammam to Easterns is a luxury as
well as a necessity ; men sit there for hours talking chiefly of money and their prowess
with the fair ; and women pass half the day in it complaining of their husbands' over-
amativeness and contrasting their own chaste and modest aversion to carnal congress.
2O A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Then his eye sight roamed and browsed on the gardens of their
beauty and 'he repeated these two couplets :
I went to the house of the keeper-man; o He was out, but others to
smile began :
I entered his Heaven 1 and then his Hell; 2 o And I said " Bless Malik 3
and bless Rizwa"n." *
When they heard these verses they were charmed, and the Overseer
invited them to his house; but they declined and returned to their
own place, to rest from the great heat of the bath. So they took
their ease there and ate and drank and passed that night in perfect
solace and satisfaction, till morning dawned, when they arose from
sleep and making their lesser ablution, prayed the dawn-prayer
and drank the morning draught. 5 As soon as the sun had risen
and the shops and markets opened, they arose and going forth
from their place to the bazar opened their shop, which their
servants had already furnished, after the handsomest fashion, and
Jiad spread with prayer-rugs and silken carpets and had placed on
the divans a pair of mattresses, each worth an hundred dinars. On
every mattress they had disposed a rug of skin fit for a King and
edged with a fringe of gold ; and a-middlemost the shop stood
a third seat still richer, even as the place required. Then Taj
al-Muluk sat down on one divan, and Aziz on another/whilst the
Wazir seated himself on that in the centre, and the servants stood
before them. The city people soon heard of them and crowded
about them, so that they sold some of their goods and not a few of
their stuffs ; for Taj al-Muluk's beauty and loveliness had become
the talk of the town. Thus they passed a trifle of time, and every
day the people flocked to them and pressed upon them more and
1 The frigidarium or cold room, coolness being delightful to the Arab.
2 The calidarium or hot room of the bath.
3 The Angel who acts door-keeper of Hell ; others say he specially presides over the
torments of the damned (Koran xliii. 78).
4 The Door-keeper of Heaven before mentioned who, like the Guebre Zamiyad has
charge of the heavenly lads and lasses, and who is often charged by poets with letting
them slip.
8 Lane (i. 616), says "of wine, milk, sherbet, or any other beverage. 1 * Here it is
wine, a practice famed in Persian poetry, especially by Hafiz, but most distasteful to a
European stomach. We find the Mu allakah of Imr al-Kays noticing "our morning
draught." Nott (Hafiz) says a " cheerful cup of wine in the morning was a favourite
indulgence with the more luxurious Persians. And it was not uncommon among the
Easterns, to salute a friend by saying : May your morning potation be agreeable to you ! "
In the present day this practice is confined to regular debauchees.
Tale of Taj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunya. 21
more, till the Wazir, after exhorting Taj al-Muluk to keep his
secret, commended him to the care of Aziz and went horrie, that
he might commune with himself alone and cast about for some
contrivance which might profit them. Meanwhile, the two young
men sat talking and Taj al Muluk said to Aziz, " Haply some one
will come from the Lady Dunya." So he ceased not expecting this
chance days and nights, but his heart was troubled and he knew
neither sleep nor rest ; for desire had got the mastery of him, and
love and longing were sore upon him, so that he renounced the
solace of sleep and abstained from meat and drink ; yet ceased he
not to be like the moon on the night of fullness. Now one day as
he sat in the shop, behold, there came up an ancient woman
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Nofo to&en ft foas tfje f^untafc attU {Jbfttg-t&htJ Nfgf)f,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir
Dandan continued to Zau al-Makan : Now one day as Taj al-
Muluk sat in his shop, behold, there appeared an ancient woman,
who came up to him followed by two slave girls. She ceased not
advancing till she stood before the shop of Taj al-Muluk and>,
observing his symmetry and beauty and loveliness, marvelled at
his charms and sweated in her petticoat trousers, exclaiming,
"Glory to Him who created thee out of vile water, and made
thee a temptation to all beholders ! " And she fixed her eyes on
him and said, " This is not a mortal, he is none other than an
angel deserving the highest respect." * Then she drew near and
saluted him, whereupon he returned her salute and rose to his feet
to receive her and smiled in her face (all this by a hint from Aziz);
after which he made her sit down by his side and fanned her with
a fan, till she was rested and refreshed. Then she turned to Taj
al-Muluk and said, " O my son ! O thou who art perfect in bodily
gifts and spiritual graces; say me, art thou of this country >" He
replied, in voice the sweetest and in tone the pleasantest, " By
Allah, O my mistress, I was never in this land during my life till
this time, nor do I abide here save by way of diversion." Rejoined
1 Koran xii. 31. The words spoken by Zulaykha's women friends and detractors whom
she invited to see Beauty Joseph.
22
Alf Layl&k wa Laylah.
she, " May the Granter grant thee all honour and prosperity ! And
what stuffs hast thou brought with thee ? Show me something
passing fine ; for the beauteous should bring nothing but what is
beautiful." When he heard her words, his heart fluttered and he
knew not their inner meaning ; but Aziz made a sign to him and
he replied, " I have everything thou canst desire and especially I
have goods that besit none but Kings and King's daughters ; so
tell me what stuff thou wantest and for whom, that I may show
thee what will be fitting for him." This he said, that he might,
learn the meaning of her words ; and she rejoined, " I want a stuff
fit for the Princess Dunya, daughter of King Shahriman." Now
when the Prince heard the name of his beloved, he joyed with
great joy and said to Aziz, " Give me such a parcel." So Aziz
brought it and opened it before Taj al-Muluk who said to the old-
woman, " Select what will suit her ; for these goods are to be found
only with me." She chose stuffs worth a thousand dinars and
asked, " How much is this ? " ; and she ceased not the while to
talk with him and rub what was inside her thighs with the palm of
her hand. Answered Taj al-Muluk, " Shall I haggle with the like
of thee about this paltry price ? Praised be Allah who hath ac-
quainted me with thee ! " The old woman rejoined, "Allah's name
be upon thee ! I commend thy beautiful face to the protection of
the Lord of the Daybreak. 1 Beautiful face and eloquent speech !
Happy she who lieth in thy bosom and claspeth thy waist in her
arms and enjoyeth thy youth, especially if she be beautiful and
lovely like thyself!" At this, Taj al-Muluk laughed till he fell
on his back and said to himself, " O Thou who fulfillest desires
human by means of pimping old women ! They are the true ful-
fillers of desires ! " Then she asked, " O my son, what is thy
name ? " and he answered, " My name is Taj al-Muluk, the Crown
of Kings." Quoth she, " This is indeed a name of Kings and
King's sons and thou art clad in merchant's clothes. 7 ' Quoth
Aziz, " For the love his parents and family bore him and for the
value they set on him, they named him thus." Replied the old
woman, " Thou sayest sooth, Allah guard you both from the evil
eye and the envious, though hearts be broken by your charms 1 "
Then she took the stuffs and went her way ; but she was amazed
1 A formula for averting fascination. Koran, chapt. cxiii. I. " Falak " means
"cleaving" ; hence the breaking forth of light from darkness, a "wonderful instance of
the Divine power."
Tale of Tdj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunyd. 23
at his beauty and stature and symmetry, and she ceased not going
till she found the Lady Dunya and said to her, " O my mistress ! 1
have brought thee some handsome stuffs." Quoth the Princess,
" Show me that same " ; and the old woman, " O apple of my eye,
here it is, turn it over and examine it." Now when the Princess
looked at it she was amazed and said, " O my nurse, this is indeed
handsome stuff: I have never seen its like in our city." " O my
lady," replied the old nurse," he who sold it me is handsomer still.
It would seem as if Rizwan had left the gates of Paradise open in
his carelessness, and as if the youth who sold me this stuff had
come bodily out of Heaven. I would he might sleep this night
with thee and might lie between thy breasts. 1 He hath come to
thy city with these precious stuffs for amusement's sake, and he is
a temptation to all who set eyes on him." The Princess laughed
at her words and said, " Allah afflict thee, O pernicious old hag !
Thou dotest and there is no sense left in thee." Presently, she
resumed, " Give me the stuff that I may look at it anew." So she
gave it her and she took it again and saw that its size was small
and its value great. It pleased her, for she had never in her life
seen its like, and she exclaimed, " By Allah, this is a handsome
stuff! " Answered the old woman, " O my lady, by Allah ! if thou
sawest its owner thou wouldst know him for the handsomest man
on the face of the earth." Quoth the Lady Dunya, " Didst thou
ask him if he had any need, that he might tell us and we might
satisfy it ? " But the nurse shook her head and said, " The Lord
keep thy sagacity ! By Allah, he hath a want, may thy skill not
fail thee. What ! is any man free from wants ? " Rejoined the
Princess, " Go back to him and salute him and say to him : Oui
land and town are honoured by thy visit and, if thou have any
need, we will fulfil it to thee, on our head and eyes." So the old
woman at once returned to Taj al-Muluk, and when he saw her his
heart jumped for joy and gladness and he rose to his feet before
her and, taking her hand, seated her by his side. As soon as she
was rested, she told him what Princess Dunya had said ; and he
on hearing it joyed with exceeding joy ; his breast dilated to the
full ; gladness entered his heart and he said to himself, " Verily, I
have my need." Then he asked the old woman, " Haply thou wilt
take her a message from me and bring me her answer ? "; and she
1 The usual delicate chaff.
24 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
answered, "I hear and I obey." So he said to Aziz, "Bring me
ink-case and paper and a brazen pen." And when Aziz brought
him what he sought, he hent the pen in hand and wrote these lines
of poetry:
I write to thee, O fondest hope ! a writ o Of grief that severance on my
soul doth lay :
Saith its first line, " Within my heart is lowe ! " o Its second, " Love and
Longing on me prey ! "
Its third, " My patience waste is, fades my life ! " o Its fourth, " Naught shall
1 my pain and pine allay ! "
Its fifth, "When shall mine eyes enjoy thy sight?" o Its sixth, " Say, when
shall dawn our meeting-day ? "
\
And, lastly, by way of subscription he wrote these words. " This
letter is from the captive of captivation # prisoned in the hold of
longing expectation * wherefrom is no emancipation * but in
anticipation and intercourse and in unification * after absence and
separation. * For from the severance of friends he loveth so fain *
he suffereth love-pangs and pining pain. # " Then his tears rushed
out, and he indited these two couplets :
I write thee, love, the while my tears pour down; o Nor cease they ever
pouring thick and fleet :
Yet I despair not of my God, whose grace o Haply some day will
grant us twain to meet.
Then he folded the letter ! and sealed it with his signet-ring and
gave it to the old woman, saying, " Carry it to the Lady Dunya."
Quoth she, " To hear is to obey ; " whereupon he gave her a
thousand dinars and said to her, " O my mother ! accept this gift
from me as a token of my affection." She took both from him
and blessed him and went her way and never stinted walking till
she went in to the Lady Dunya. Now when the Princess saw her
she said to her, " O my nurse, what is it he asketh of need that
(we may fulfil his wish to him ? " Replied the old woman, " O my
* l Such letters are generally written on a full-sized sheet of paper ("notes" are held
slighting in the East) and folded till the breadth is reduced to about one inch. The
edges are gummed ; the ink, much like our Indian ink, is smeared with the finger upon
the signet-ring ; the place where it is to be applied is slightly wetted with the tongue and
the seal is stamped across the line of junction to secure privacy. I have given a
specimen of an original love-letter of the kind in Scinde, or the Unhappy Valley/'
chapt. iv.
Tale of Taj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunyd. 2$
iady, he sendeth thee this letter by me, and I know not what is in
it ; " and handed it to her. Then the Princess took the letter and
read it ; and when she understood it, she exclaimed, " Whence
cometh and whither goeth this merchant man that he durst
address such a letter to me?" And she slapt her face saying,
"Whence are we that we should come to shopkeeping? Awah !
Awah ! By the lord, but that I fear Almighty Allah I had slain
him;" and she added, "Yea, I had crucified 1 him over his shop-
door!" Asked the old woman, ** What is in this letter to vex
thy heart and move thy wrath on this wise ? Doth it contain a
complaint of oppression or demand for the price of the stuff ?"
Answered the Princess, " Woe to thee ! There is none of this in it,
naught but words of love and endearment This is all through
thee : otherwise whence should this Satan 2 know me ? " Rejoined
the old woman, " O my lady, thou sittest in thy high palace and
none may have access to thee ; no, not even the birds of the air.
Allah keep thee, and keep thy youth from blame and reproach !
Thou needest not care for the barking of dogs, for thou art a
Princess, the daughter of a King. Be not wroth with me that I
brought thee this letter, knowing not what was in it ; but I opine
that thou send him an answer and threaten him with death and
forbid him this foolish talk ; surely he will abstain and not do the
like again." Quoth the Lady Dunya, " I fear that, if I write to
him, he will desire me the more." The old woman returned, if When
he heareth thy threats and promise of punishment, he will desist
from his persistence." She cried, " Here with the ink-case and
paper and brazen pen;" and when they brought them she wrote
these couplets :
1 Arab. " Salb " which may also mean hanging, but the usual term for the latter in
The Nights is "shanak." Crucifixion, abolished by the superstitious Constantine, was
practised as a servile punishment as late as -the days of Mohammed All Pasha the Great.
The malefactors were nailed and tied to the patibulum or cross-piece, without any
suppedaneum or foot-rest and left to suffer tortures from flies and sun, thirst and
hunger. They often lived three days and died of the wounds mortifying and the nervous 1
exhaustion brought on by cramps and convulsions. In many cases the corpses were left
to feed the kites and crows ; and this added horror to the death. Moslems care little for
mere hanging. Whenever a fanatical atrocity is to be punished, the malefactor should
be hung in pig-skin, his body burnt and the ashes publicly thrown into a common
cesspool.
2 Arab. " Shaytari" the insolent or rebellious one is a common term of abuse. The
word is Koranic, and borrowed as usual from the Jews. " Satan " occurs four times in die
O. T. o which two are in Job. where, however, he is a subordinate angel.
26 Alf Laylah wa Laylak.
thou who for thy wakeful nights wouldst claim my love to boon, o For >vhat
of pining thou must feel and tribulation !
Dost thou, fond fool and proud of sprite, seek meeting with the Moon ? o Say,
did man ever win his wish to take in arms the Moon ?
1 counsel thee, from soul cast out the wish that dwells therein, o And cut that
short which threatens thee with sore risk oversoon :
An to such talk thou dare return, I' bid thee to expect o Fro' me such awful
penalty as suiteth froward loon :
I swear by Him who moulded man from gout of clotted blood, 1 o Who lit the
Sun to shine by day and lit for night the moon,
An thou return to mention that thou spakest in thy pride, o Upon a cross of
tree for boon I'll have thee crucified !
Then she folded the letter and handing it to the old woman said,
" Give him this and say him : Cease from this talk ! " " Hearken-
ing and obedience " replied she, and taking the letter with joy,
returned to her own house, where she passed the night ; and when
morning dawned she betook herself to the shop of Taj al-Muluk
whom she found expecting her. When he saw her, he was ready
to fly 2 for delight, and when she came up to him, he stood to her
on his feet and seated her by his side. Then she brought out the
letter and gave it to him, saying, " Read what is in this ; " adding
"When Princess Dunya read thy letter she was angry; but I
coaxed her and jested with her till I made her laugh, and she
had pity on thee and she hath returned thee an answer." He
thanked her for her kindness and bade Aziz give her a thousand
gold pieces : then he perused the letter and understanding it fell
to weeping a weeping so sore that the old woman's heart was
moved to ruth for him, and his tears and complaints were grievous
to her. Presently she asked him, " O my son, what is there in this
letter to make thee weep ? " Answered he, " She hath threatened
me with death and crucifixion and she forbiddeth me to write to
her , but if I write not my death were better than my life. So
take thou my answer to her letter and let her work her will."
1 Arab. " Alak" from the Koran xxii. 5. " O men . . . consider that we first created
you of dust (Adam) ; afterwards of seed (Rodwell's " moist germs of life '*) ; afterwards
of a little coagulated (or clots of) blood." It refers to all mankind except Adam, Eve
and Isa. Also chapt. xcvi. 2, which, as has been said was probably the first composed
at Meccah. Mr. Rodwell (v. jo) translates by Servant of God " what should be " Slave
of Allah," alluding to Mohammed's original name Abdullah. See my learned friend
Aloys Sprenger, l^eben, etc., i. 155.
2 The Hindus similarly exaggerate: "He was ready to leap out pf his skin in his
fSelight " (Katha, etc., p.
Tale of Taj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunya. 27
Rejoined the old woman, " By the life of thy youth, needs must
I risk my existence for thee, that I may bring thee to thy
desire and help thee to win what thou hast at heart ! " And
Taj al-Muluk said, "Whatever thou dost, I will requite thee for
it and do thou weigh it in the scales of thy judgement, for thou
art experienced in managing matters, and skilled in reading the
chapters of the book of intrigue: all hard matters to thee are
easy doings ; and Allah can bring about everything." Then
he took a sheet of paper and wrote thereon these improvised
couplets :
Yestre'en my love with slaughter menaced me, o But sweet were slaughter
and Death 's foreordained :
Yes, Death is sweet for lover doomed to bear o Long life, rejected, in-
jured and constrained :
By Allah ! deign to visit friendless friend ! o Thy thrall am I and like
a thrall I'm chained :
Mercy, O lady mine, for loving thee ! o Who loveth noble soul
should be assained.
Then he sighed heavy sighs and wept till the old woman wept
also ; and presently taking the letter she said to him, " Be of good
cheer and cool eyes and clear ; for needs must I bring thee to thy
wish." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
Noto fofjen ft fcoas tf)e f^imfcrrtr an& ^Jfrfg-fourtf)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Taj
al-Muluk wept the old woman said to him, " Be of good cheer
and cool eyes and clear ; for needs must I bring thee to thy wish."
Then she rose and left him on coals of fire ; and returned to
Princess Dunya, whom she found still showing on her changed face
rage at Taj al-Muluk's letter. So she gave her his second letter,
whereat her wrath redoubled and she said, "Did I not say he
would desire us the more ? " Replied the old woman, " What thing
is this dog that he should aspire to thee ? " Quoth the Princess,
" Go back to him and tell him that, if he write me after this, I
will cut off his head." Quoth the nurse, " Write these words in a
letter and I will take it to him that his fear may be the greater."
So she took a sheet of paper and wrote thereon these couplets :
28 A If Laylah iva Laylak.
Ho thou, who past and bygone risks regardest with uncare ! o Thou who W
win thy meeting-prize dost overslowly fare !
In pride of spirit thinkest thou to win the star Soha 1 ? o Albe thou may not
reach the Moon which shines through upper air ?
How darest thou expect to win my favours, hope to clip o Upon a lover's
burning breast my lance like shape and rare ?
Leave this thy purpose lest my wrath come down on thee some day, o A day of
wrath shall hoary turn the partings of thy hair !
Then she folded the letter and gave it to the old woman, who took
it and repaired to Taj al-Muluk. And when he saw her, he rose
to his feet and exclaimed, " May Allah never bereave me of the
blessing of thy coming ! " Quoth she, " Take the answer to thy
letter." He took it and reading it, wept with sore weeping and
said, " I long for some one to slay me at this moment and send
me to my rest, for indeed death were easier to me than this my
state ! " Then he took ink-case and pen and paper and wrote a
letter containing these two couplets :
O hope of me ! pursue me not with rigour and disdain : o Deign thou to visit
lover-wight in love of thee is drowned ;
Deem not a life so deeply wronged I longer will endure ; o My soul for sever*
ance from my friend divorced this frame unsound.
Lastly he folded the letter and handed it to the old woman, saying,
"Be not angry with me, though I have wearied thee to no pur-
pose." And he bade Aziz give her other thousand ducats, saying^
" O my mother, needs must this letter result in perfect union or
utter severance." Replied she, " O my son, by Allah, I desire
nought but thy weal ; and it is my object that she be thine, for
indeed thou art the shining moon, and she the rising sun. 2 If I
1 A star in the tail of the Great Bear, one of the " Banat al-Na'ash," or a star close
to the second. Its principal use is to act foil to bright Sohayl (Canopus) as in the
beginning of Jami's Layla-Majnun :
To whom Thou'rt hid, day is darksome night :
To whom shown, Solid as Sohayl is bright.
See also al-Hariri (xxxii. and xxxvi.). The saying, " I show her Soha and she shows me
the moon" (A. P. i. 547) arose as follows. In the Ignorance a beautiful Amazon defied
any man to take her maidenhead ; and a certain Ibn al-Ghazz won the game by struggling
with her till she was nearly senseless. He then asked her, "How is thine eye-sight:
dost thou see Soha?" and she, in her confusion, pointed to the moon and said, "That
is it!"
8 The moon being masculine (lunus) and the sun feminine.
Tale of Tdj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunyd. 29
do not bring you together, there is no profit in my existence ; and
I have lived my life till I have reached the age of ninety years in
the practice of wile and intrigue ; so how should I fail to unite
two lovers, though in defiance of right and law ? " Then she took
leave of him having comforted his heart, and ceased not walking
till she went in to the Lady Dunya, Now she had hidden the
letter in her hair: so when she sat down by the Princess she
rubbed her head and said, " O my lady, maybe thou wilt untwist
my hair-knot, for it is a time since I went to the Hammam." The
King's daughter bared her arms to the elbows and, letting down
the old woman's locks, began to loose the knot of back hair ;
when out dropped the letter and the Lady Dunya seeing it, asked,
" What is this paper ? " Quoth the nurse, As I sat in the mer-
chant's shop, this paper must have stuck to me : give it to me that
I may return it to him ; possibly it containeth some account
whereof he hath need." But the Princess opened it and read it
and, when she understood it, she cried out, " This is one of thy
manifold tricks, and hadst thou not reared me, I would lay violent
hands on thee this moment ! Verily Allah hath afflicted me with
this merchant : but all that hath befallen me with him is on thy
head. I know not from what country this one can have come ;
no man but he would venture to affront me thus, and I fear lest
this my case get abroad, more by token as it concerneth one who
is neither of my kin nor of my peers." Rejoined the old woman,
" None would dare speak of this for fear of thy wrath and for awe
of thy sire ; so there can be no harm in sending him an answer."
Quoth the Princess, "O my nurse, verily this one is a perfect
Satan ! How durst he use such language to me and not dread the
Sultan's rage. Indeed, I am perplexed about his case : if I order
him to be put to death, it were unjust ; and if I leave him alive his
boldness will increase." Quoth the old woman, " Come, write him
a letter ; it may be he will desist in dread." So she called for
paper and ink-case and pen and wrote these couplets :
Thy folly drives thee on though long I chid, o Writing in verse : how long
shall I forbid ?
For all forbiddal thou persistest more, o And my sole grace it is t<*
keep it hid ;
Then hide thy love nor ever dare reveal ; o For an thou speak, of thee
Pll soon be rid ;
If to thy silly speech thou turn anew, e Ravens shall croak for thee
the wold amid :
3O A If Lay la ft wa Laylak.
And Death shall come and beat thee down ere long, o Put out of sight and
bury 'neath an earthen lid :
Thy folk, fond fool ! thou'lt leave for thee to mourn, o And through their
lives to sorrow all forlorn.
Then she folded the letter and committed it to the old woman,
who took it and returning to Taj al-Muluk, gave it to him. When
he read it, he knew that the Princess was hard-hearted and that he
should not win access to her ; so he complained of his case to the
Wazir and besought his counsel. Quoth the Minister/ " Know
thou that naught will profit thee save that thou write to her and
invoke the retribution of Heaven upon her." And quoth the
Prince, " O my brother, O Aziz, do thou write to her as if my
tongue spake, according to thy knowledge." So Aziz took a paper
and wrote these couplets :
By the Five Shayks, 1 O Lord, I pray deliver me ; Let her for whom I suffer
bear like misery :
Thou knowest how I fry in flaming lowe of love, o While she I love hath
naught of ruth or clemency :
How long shall I, despite my pain, her feelings spare ? o How long shall she
wreak tyranny o'er weakling me ?
In pains of never-ceasing death I ever grieve : o O Lord, deign aid ; none
other helping hand I see.
How fain would I forget her and forget her love ! o But how forget when Love
garred Patience death to dree ?
O thou who hinderest Love to 'joy fair meeting-tide Say ! art thou safe from
Time and Fortune's jealousy?
Art thou not glad and blest with happy life, while I o From folk and country
for thy love am doomed flee?
Then Aziz folded the letter and gave it to Taj al-Muluk, who read
it and was pleased with it. So he handed it to the old woman,
who took it and went in with it to Princess Dunya. But when she
read it and mastered the meaning thereof, she was enraged with
great rage and said, " All that hath befallen me cometh by means
of this ill-omened old woman !" Then she cried out to the damsels
and eunuchs, saying, " Seize this old hag, this accursed trickstress
and beat her with your slippers ! " So they came down upon her
till she swooned away ; and, when she came to herself, the Princess
said to her, " By the Lord ! O wicked old woman, did I not fear
Almighty Allah, I would slay thee." Then quoth she to them,
1 The " five Shaykhs" must allude to that number of Saints whose names are doubt-
ful ; it would be vain to ofier conjectures. Lane and hi* ' Sheykh " (i. 617) have fcied
and&iied.
Tale of Tdj al-MuUk and the Princess Dunyd* 31
"Beat her again " and they did so till she fainted a second time,
whereupon she bade them drag her forth and throw her outside the
palace-door. So they dragged her along on her face and threw her
down before the gate ; but as soon as she revived she got up from
the ground and, walking and sitting by turns, made her way home:
There she passed the night till morning, when she arose and went
to Taj al-Muluk and told them all that had occurred. He was
distressed at this grievous news and said, " O my mother, hard
indeed to us is that which hath befallen thee, but all things are
according to fate and man's lot." Replied she, " Be of good cheer
and keep thine eyes cool and clear, for I will not give over striving
till I have brought thee and her together, and made thee enjoy this
wanton who hath burnt my skin with beating." Asked the Prince,
" Tell me what caused her to hate men ; " and the old woman
answered, " It arose from what she saw in a dream." " And what
was this dream ? " " 'Twas this : one night, as she lay asleep, she
saw a fowler spread his net upon the ground and scatter wheat*
grain round it. Then he sat down hard by, and not a bird in the
neighbourhood but flocked to his toils. Amongst the rest she
beheld a pair of pigeons, male and female ; and, whilst she was
watching the net, behold, the male bird's foot caught in the meshes
and he began to struggle; whereupon all the other birds took
fright and flew away. But presently his mate came back and
hovered over him, then alighted on the toils unobserved by the
fowler, and fell to pecking with her beak and pulling at the mesh
in which the male bird's foot was tangled, till she released the toes
and they flew away together. Then the fowler came up, mended his
net and seated himself afar off. After an hour or so the birds flew
back and the female pigeon was caught in the net ; whereupon all the
other birds took fright and scurried away ; and the male pigeon
fled with the rest and did not return to his mate, but the fowler
came up and took the female -pigeon and cut her throat. The
Princess awoke, troubled by her dream, and said: All males
are like this pigeon, worthless creatures : and men in general lack
grace and goodness to women." When the old woman had ended
her story, the Prince said to her, " O my mother, I desire to have
one lool? at her, though it be my death ; so do thou contrive me
some contrivance for seeing her." She replied, " Know then that
she hath under her palace windows a garden wherein she taketh
her pleasure ; and thither she resorteth once in every month by the
private door. After ten days, the time of her thus going forth to.
3 2 A?f Laylak ma Laylak.
divert herself will arrive; so when she is about to visit the garden,
I will come and tell thee, that thou mayst go thither and meet her.
And look thou leave not the garden, for haply, an she see thy
beauty and loveliness, her heart will be taken with love of thee,
and love is the most potent means of union." He said, " I hear and
obey ;" whereupon he and Aziz arose and left the shop and, taking
the old woman with them, showed her the place where they
lodged. Then said Taj al-Muluk to Aziz, " O my brother,
I have no need of the shop now, having fulfilled my purpose
of it ; so I give it to thee with all that is in it ; for that thou
hast come abroad with me and hast left thy native land for my
sake." Aziz accepted his gift and then they sat conversing,
while the Prince questioned him of the strange adventures
which had befallen him, and his companion acquainted him
with the particulars thereof. Presently, they went to the Wazir
and, reporting to him^Taj al-Muluk's purpose, asked him, " What
is to be done ? " " Let us go to the garden," answered he.
So each and every donned richest clothes and went forth, followed
by three white slaves to the garden, which they found thick with
thickets and railing its rills. When they saw the keeper sitting at
the gate, they saluted him with the Salam and he returned their
salute. Then the Wazir gave him an hundred gold pieces, saying,
" Prithee, take this small sum and fetch us somewhat to eat ; for
we are strangers and I have with me these two lads whom I wish
to divert." * The Gardener took the sequins and said to them,
" Enter and amuse yourselves in the garden, for it is all yours ; and
sit down till I bring you what food you require." So he went to
the market while the Wazir and Taj al-Muluk and Aziz entered
the garden. And shortly after leaving for the bazar the Gardener
returned with a roasted lamb and cotton-white bread, which he
placed before them, and they ate and drank ; thereupon he served
up sweetmeats, and they ate of them, and washed their hands and
sat talking. Presently the Wazir said to the garth-keeper, " Tell
me about this garden : is it thine or dost thou rent it ? " The
Shaykh replied, " It doth not belong to me, but to our King's
daughter, the Princess Dunya." " What be thy monthly wages ? "
asked the Wazir and he answered, " One dinar and no more." Then
the Minister looked round about the garden and, seeing in its midst
1 The beauties of nature seem always to provoke hunger in Orientals, especially Turk?,
95 good news in Englishmen,
Tale of Taj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunyd. 33
a pavilion tall and grand but old and disused, said to the keeper,
" O elder, I am minded to do here a good work, by which thou shalfe
remember me." Replied the other, " O my lord, what is the good
work thou wouldest do?" "Take these three hundred dinars,"
rejoined the Wazir, When the Keeper heard speak of the gold,
he said, " O my lord, whatso thou wilt, do ! " So the Wazir gave
him the monies, saying, " Inshallah, we will make a good work in
this place!" Then they left him and returned to their lodging,
where they passed the night ; and when it was the next day, the
Minister sent for a plasterer and a painter and a skilful goldsmith
and, furnishing them with all the tools they wanted, carried them
to the garden, where he bade them whitewash the walls of the
pavilion and decorate it with various kinds of paintings. Moreover
he sent for gold and lapis lazuli * and said to the painter, " Figure
me on the wall, at the upper end of this hall, a man-fowler with
his nets spread and birds falling into them and a female pigeon
entangled in the meshes by her bill." And when the painter had
finished his picture on one side, the Wazir said, " Figure me on the
other side a similar figure and represent the she-pigeon alone in the
snare and the fowler seizing her and setting the knife to her neck ;
and draw on the third side-wall, a great raptor clutching the male
pigeon, her mate, and digging talons into him." The artist did his
bidding, and when he and the others had finished the designs, they
received their hire and went away. Then the Wazir and his com-
panions took leave of the Gardener and returned to their place,
where they sat down to converse. And Taj al-Muluk said to Aziz,
" O my brother, recite me some verses : perchance it may broaden
my breast and dispel my dolours and quench the fire flaming
in my heart" So Aziz chanted with sweet modulation these
couplets :
Whate'er they say of grief to lovers came, o I, weakling I, can single-
handed claim :
An seek thou watering-spot, 2 my streaming eyes o Pour floods that thirst would
quench howe'er it flame :
Or wouldest view what ruin Love has wrought o With ruthless hands, then see
this wasted frame.
1 Pers. " Lajuward" : Arab. "L&uward"; prob. the origin of our "azure/* through
he Romaic Aaovpiov and the Ital. azzurro; and, more evidently still, of lapis lazuli,
for which do not see the Dictionaries.
* Arab. " Maurid," the desert-wells where caravans drink ; also the way to water- wells,
VOL. Ill C
34 A If Laylah wa Laylak,
And his eyes ran over with tears and he repeated these couplets
also :
Who loves not swan-neck and gazelle-like eyes, a Yet claims to know Life's
joys, I say he lies :
In Love is mystery, none avail to learn Save he who loveth in pure
loving wise.
Allah my heart ne'er lighten of this love, * Nor rob the wakefulness
these eyelids prize.
Then he changed the mode of song and sang these couplets :
Ibn Si'na" * in his Canon doth opine o Lovers' best cure is found in
merry song :
In meeting lover of a like degree, o Dessert in garden, wine- draughts
long and strong :
I chose another who of thee might cure o While Force and Fortune aided
well and long ;
But ah ! I learnt Love's mortal ill, wherein o Ibn Sina's recipe is fond and
wrong.
After hearing them to the end, Taj al-Muluk was pleased with his
verses and wondered at his eloquence and the excellence of his
recitation, saying, " Indeed, thou hast done away with somewhat
of my sorrow." Then quoth the Wazir, " Of a truth, there occurred
to those of old what astoundeth those who hear it told." Quoth
the Prince, " If thou canst recall aught of this kind, prithee let
us hear thy subtle lines and keep up the talk." So the Minister
chanted in modulated song these couplets :
Indeed I deemed thy favours might be bought o By gifts of gold and things
that joy the sprite ;
And ignorantly thought thee light-o'-love, o When can thy love lay low
the highmost might ;
Until I saw thee choosing one, that one o Loved with all favour,
crowned with all delight :
Then wot I thou by sleight canst ne'er be won o And under wing my head I
hid from sight ;
And in this nest of passion made my wone, Wherein I nestle morning,
noon and night.
So far concerning them ; but as regards the old woman she re-
1 The famous Avicenna, whom the Hebrews called Aben Sina. The early European
Arabists, who seem to have learned Arabic through Hebrew, borrowed their corruption,
and it long kept its place in Southern Europe.
Tale of Taj al-Muluk ana the Princess Dunya. 35
mained shut up from the world in her house, till it befel that the
King's daughter was taken with a desire to divert herself in the
garden. Now she had never been wont so to do save in company
with her nurse ; accordingly she sent for her and made friends with
her and soothed her sorrow, saying, " I wish to go forth to the
garden, that I may divert myself with the sight of its trees and
fruits, and broaden my breast with the scent of its flowers." Replied
the old woman,"! hear and obey; but first I would go to my house,
and soon I will be with thee." The Princess rejoined, " Go home,
but be not long absent from me." So the old woman left her and,
repairing to Taj al-Muluk, said to him, " Get thee ready and don thy
richest dress and go to the garden and find out the Gardener and
salute him and then hide thyself therein." " To hear is to obey "
answered he ; and she agreed with him upon a signal, after which
she returned to the Lady Dunya. As soon as she was gone, the
Wazir and Aziz rose and robed Taj al-Muluk in a splendid suit of
royal raiment worth five thousand dinars, and girt his middle with
a girdle of gold set with gems and precious metals. Then they
repaired to the garden and found seated at the gate the Keeper
who, as soon as he saw the Prince, sprang to his feet and received
him with all respect and reverence, and opening the gate, said,
" Enter and take thy pleasure in looking at the garden." Now
the Gardener knew not that the King's daughter was to visit the
place that day ; but when Taj al-Muluk had been a little while
there, he heard a hubbub and ere he could think, out issued the
eunuchs and damsels by the private wicket. The Gardener seeing
this came up to the Prince, informed him of her approach and said
to him, " O my lord, what is to be done ? The Princess Dunya,
the King's daughter, is here." Replied the Prince, " Fear not, no
harm shall befal thee ; for I will hide me somewhere about the
garden." So the Keeper exhorted him to the utmost prudence and
went away. Presently the Princess entered the garden with her
damsels and with the old woman, who said to herself, " If these
eunuchs stay with us, -we shall not attain our end." So quoth she
to the King's daughter, " O my lady, I have somewhat to tell thee
which shall ease thy heart/' Quoth the Princess, " Say what thou
hast to say." " O my lady, rejoined the old woman, " thou hast no
need of these eunuchs at a time like the present ; nor wilt thou be
able to divert thyself at thine ease, whilst they are with us ; so
send them away ; " and the Lady Dunya replied, " Thou speakest
sooth." Accordingly she dismissed them and presently began to
36 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
walk about, whilst Taj al-Muluk looked upon her and fed his eyes
on her beauty and loveliness (but she knew it not) ; and every time
he gazed at her he fainted by reason of her passing charms. 1 The
old woman drew her on by converse till they reached the pavilion
which the Wazir had bidden be decorated, when the Princess entered
and cast a glance round and perceived the picture of the birds, the
fowler and the pigeon ; whereupon she cried, " Exalted be Allah !
This is the very counterfeit presentment of what I saw in my
dream." She continued to gaze at the figures of the birds and the
fowler with his net, admiring the work, and presently she said, " O
my nurse, I have been wont to blame and hate men, but look now
at the fowler how he hath slaughtered the she-bird and set free her
mate ; who was minded to return to her and aid her to escape when
the bird of prey met him and tore him to pieces."" Now the old
woman feigned ignorance to her and ceased not to occupy her in
converse, till they drew near the place where Taj al-Muluk lay
hidden. Thereupon she signed to him to come out and walk under
the windows of the pavilion ; and, as the Lady Dunya stood look-
ing from the casement, behold, her glance fell that way and she saw
him and noting his beauty of face and form, said to the old woman,
" O my nurse, whence cometh yonder handsome youth ? " Replied
the old woman, " I know nothing of him save that I think he must
be some great King's son, for he attaineth comeliness in excess and
extreme loveliness. And the Lady Dunya fell in love with him
to distraction ; the spells which bound her were loosed and her
reason was overcome by his beauty and grace ; and his fine stature
and proportions strongly excited her desires sexual. So she said,
" O my nurse ! this is indeed a handsome youth ; " and the old
woman replied, " Thou sayest sooth, O my lady," and signed to
Taj al-Muluk to go home. And though desire and longing
flamed in him and he was distraught for love, yet he went
away and took leave of the Gardener and returned to his place,
obeying the old woman and not daring to cross her. When he
told the Wazir and Aziz that she had signed him to depart, they
exhorted him to patience, saying, "Did not the ancient dame
know that there was an object to be gained by thy departure, she
1 According to the Hindus there are ten stages of love-sickness: (i) Love of the
eyes ; (2) Attraction of the Manas or mind ; (3) Birth of desire ; (4) Loss of sleep ;
(5) Loss of flesh : (6) Indifference to objects of sense ; (7) Loss of shame; (8) Distrac-
tion of thought ; (9) Loss of consciousness ; and (10) Death.
Tale of Taj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunya. 37
had not signalled thee to return home." Such was the case with
Taj al-Muluk, the Wazir and Aziz; but as regards the King's
daughter, the Lady Dunya, desire and passion redoubled upon
her; she was overcome with love and longing and she said to
her nurse, " I know not how I shall manage a meeting with this
youth, but through thee." Exclaimed the old woman, " I take
refuge with Allah from Satan the stoned ! Thou who art averse
from men ! How cometh it then that thou art thus afflicted with
hope and fear of this young man ? Yet, by Allah, none is worthy
of thy youth but he." Quoth the Lady Dunya, " O my nurse,
further my cause and help me to foregather with him, and thou
shalt have of me a thousand dinars and a dress of honour worth
as much more : but if thou aid me not to come at him, I am a dead
woman in very sooth." Replied the ancient dame, " Go to thy
palace and leave me to devise means for bringing you twain
together. I will throw away my life to content you both !" So
the Lady Dunya returned to her palace, and the old woman betook
herself to Taj al-Muluk who, when he saw her, rose to receive her
and entreated her with respect and reverence making her sit by his
side. Then she said, " The trick hath succeeded," and told him all
that had passed between herself and the Princess. He asked her,
"When is our meeting to be ?"; and she answered, "To-morrow."
So he gave her a thousand dinars and a dress of like value, and
she took them and stinted not walking till she returned to her
mistress, who said to her, " O my nurse ! what news of the be-
loved ? " Replied she, " I have learnt where he liveth and wiH
bring him to thee to-morrow." At this the Princess was glad and
gave her a thousand dinars and a dress worth as much more, and
she took them and returned to her own place, where she passed the
night till morning. Then she went to Taj al-Muluk and dress-
ing him in woman's clothes, said to him, " Follow me and sway
from side to side * as thou steppest, and hasten not thy pace nor
take heed of any who speaketh to thee." And after thus charging
him she went out, and the Prince followed her in woman's attire
and she continued to charge and encourage him by the way, that
he might not be afraid ; nor ceased they walking till they came to
the Palace-gate. She entered and the Prince after her, and she
1 We should call this walk of "Arab ladies" a waddle: I have never seen it in
Europe except amongst the trading classes of Trieste, who have a "wriggle" of theit
own.
3 8 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
led him on, passing through doors and vestibules, till they had
passed seven doors. 1 As they approached the seventh, she said
to him, " Hearten thy heart and when I call out to thee and
say : O damsel pass on ! do not slacken thy pace, but advance
as if about to run. When thou art in the vestibule, look to thy
left and thou wilt see a saloon with doors : count five doors and
enter the sixth, for therein is thy desire." Asked Taj al-Muluk,
" And whither wilt thou go ? " ; and she answered, " Nowhere shall
I go except that perhaps I may drop behind thee, and the Chief
Eunuch may detain me to chat with him/' She walked on (and
he behind her) till she reached the door where the Chief Eunuch
was stationed and he, seeing Taj al-Muluk with her dressed as a
slave-girl, said to the old woman, " What business hath this girl
with thee ? " Replied she, " This is a slave-girl of whom the Lady
Dunya hath heard that she is skilled in different kinds of work and
she hath a mind to buy her." "Rejoined the Eunuch, " I know neither
slave-girls nor anyone else ; and none shall enter here without my
searching according to the King's commands." And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
ftfofo fojen ft foas tje l^unturefc anfc fnrtB~fiftf) Xfg&t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Cham-
berlain Eunuch cried to the old woman, " I know neither slave-girl
nor anyone else ; and none shall enter here without my searching
him according to the King's commands." Then quoth she, feigning
to be angry, " I thought thee a man of sense and good breeding ;
but, if thou be changed, I will let the Princess know of it and tell
her how thou hinderest her slave-girl ;" and she cried out to Taj al-
Muluk, saying, "Pass on, O damsel !" So he passed on into the vesti-
bule as she bade him, whilst the Eunuch was silent and said no more.
The Prince counted five doors and entered the sixth where he found
the Princess Dunya standing and awaiting him. As soon as she saw
him, she knew him and clasped him to her breast, and he clasped
her to his bosom. Presently the old woman came in to them,
having made a pretext to dismiss the Princess's slave-girls for fear
of disgrace ; and the Lady Dunya said to her, " Be thou our door-
keeper!" So she and Taj al-Muluk abode alone together and
ceased not kissing and embracing and twining leg with leg till
1 In our idiom six doors.
Tale of TAJ al-Muluk and the Princess Dunyd. 39
dawn. * When day drew near, she left him and, shutting the door
upon him, passed into another chamber, where she sat down as
was her wont, whilst her slave-women came in to her, and she
attended to their affairs and conversed with them. Then she said
to them, " Go forth from me now, for I wish to amuse myself in
privacy." So they withdrew and she betook herself to Taj
al-Muluk, and the old woman brought them food, of which they
ate and returned to amorous dalliance till dawn. Then the door
was locked upon him as on the day before ; and they ceased not
to do thus for a whole month. This is how it fared with Taj
al-Muluk and the Lady Dunya ; but as regards the Wazir and
Aziz when they found that the Prince had gone to the Palace of
the King's daughter and there delayed all the while, they concluded
that he would never return from it and that he was lost for ever ;
and Aziz said to the Wazir, " O my father, what shall we do ? "
He replied, " O my son, this is a difficult matter, and except we
return to his sire and tell him, he will blame us therefor." So
they made ready at once and forthright set out for the Green
Land and the Country of the Two Columns, and sought Sulayman
Shah's capital. And they traversed the valleys night and day till
they went in to the King, and acquainted him with what had
befallen his son and how from the time he entered the Princess's
Palace they had heard no news of him. At this the King was as
though the Day of Doom had dawned for him and regret was sore
upon him, and he proclaimed a Holy War 1 throughout his realm.
After which he sent forth his host without the town and pitched
tents for them and took up his abode in his pavilion, whilst the
levies came from all parts of the kingdom ; for his subjects loved
him by reason of his great justice and beneficence. Then he
marched with an army walling the horizon, and departed in quest
of his son. Thus far concerning them ; but as regards Taj
al-Muluk and the Lady Dunya the two remained as they were
half a year's time, whilst every day they redoubled in mutual
affection ; and love and longing and passion and desire so pressed
upon Taj al-Muluk, that at last he opened his mind and said to
her, " Know, O beloved of my heart and vitals, that the longer
1 They refrained from the highest enjoyment, intending to many.
2 Arab. " Jihdd," lit. fighting against something ; Koranically, fighting against infidels
.*. non-believers in Al-Islam (chapt. Ix. i). But the "Mujhidun" who wage such
vrai are forbidden to act aggressively (ii. 186). Here it is a war to save a son.
4 A If Laylah wa Lay I an.
I abide with thee, the more love and longing and passion and
desire increase on me, for that I have not yet fulfilled the whole
of my wish." Asked she, " What then wouldst thou have, O light
of my eyes and fruit of my vitals ? If thou desire aught beside
kissing and embracing and entwining of legs with legs, do what
pleaseth thee ; for, by Allah, no partner hath any part in us." l
But he answered " It is not that I wish : I would fain acquaint thee
with my true story. Know, then, that I am no merchant, nay,
I am a King the son of a King, and my father's name is the
supreme King Sulayman Shah, who sent his Wazir ambassador to
thy father, to demand thee in marriage for me, but when the news
came to thee thou wouldst not consent. Then he told her his
past from first to last, nor is there any avail in a twice-told tale,
and he added, "And now I wish to return to my father, that he
may send an ambassador to thy sire, to demand thee in
wedlock for me, so we may be at ease." When she heard
these words, she joyed with great joy because it suited with her
own wishes, and they passed the night on this understanding.
But it so befel by the decree of Destiny that sleep overcame them
that night above all nights and they remained till the sun had
risen. Now at this hour, King Shahriman was sitting on his
cushion of estate, with his Emirs and Grandees before him, when
the Syndic of the goldsmiths presented himself between his hands,
carrying a large box. And he advanced and opening it in presence
of the King, brought out therefrom a casket of fine work worth an
hundred thousand dinars, for that which was therein of precious
stones, rubies and emeralds beyond the competence of any sovereign
on earth to procure. When the King saw this, he marvelled at
its beauty ; and, turning to the Chief Eunuch (him with whom the
old woman had had to do), said to him, " O Kafur, 2 take this casket
and wend with it to the Princess Dunya." The Castrato took the
casket and repairing to the apartment of the King's daughter
found the door shut and the old woman lying asleep on the
threshold ; whereupon said he, " What ! sleeping at this hour ? "
When the old woman heard the Eunuch's voice she started from
sleep and was terrified and said to him, " Wait till I fetch the key.'*
1 The lady proposing extreme measures is characteristic : Egyptians hold, and justly
enough, that their women are more amorous than men.
* " O Camphor," an antiphrase before noticed. The vulgar also say " Ya Talji "=r
O snowy (our snowball) , the polite " Ya Abu Sumrah ! " = O father of brownness.
Tale of Taj al-Mutik and the Princess Dunya. 41
Then she went forth and fled for her life. Such was her case ;
but as regards the Epicene he, seeing her alarm, lifted the door
off its hinge-pins, 1 and entering found the Lady Dunya with
her arms round the neck of Taj al-Muluk and both fast asleep.
At this sight he was confounded and was preparing to return to
the King, when the Princess awoke, and seeing him, was terrified
and changed colour and waxed pale, and said to him, " O Kafur^
veil thou what Allah hath veiled ! " 2 But he replied, " I cannot
conceal aught from the King"; and, locking the door on them,
returned to Shahriman, who asked him, " Hast thou given the
casket to the Princess ? " Answered the Eunuch, " Take the casket,
here it is for I cannot conceal aught from thee. Know that I found
a handsome young man by the side of the Princess and they two
asleep in one bed and in mutual embrace." The King commanded
them to be brought into the presence and said to them, " What
manner of thing is this ? " and, being violently enraged, seized a
dagger and was about to strike Taj al-Muluk with it, when the
Lady Dunya threw herself upon him and said to her father, " Slay
me before thou slayest him." The King reviled her and com-
manded her to be taken back to her chamber : then he turned to
Taj al-Muluk and said to him, " Woe to thee ! Whence art thou ?
Who is thy father and what hath emboldened thee to debauch my
daughter ? " Replied the Prince, " Know, O King, that if thou
put me to death, thou art a lost man, and thou and all in thy
dominions will repent the deed," Quoth the King, " How so ? ";
and quoth Taj al-Muluk, " Know that I am the son of King
Sulayman Shah, and ere thou knowest it, he will be upon thee
with his horse and foot." When King Shahriman heard these
words he would have deferred killing Taj al-Muluk and would
rather have put him in prison, till he should look into the truth of
his words ; but his Wazir said to him, " O King of the Age, it is
my opinion that thou make haste to slay this gallows-bird who
1 i.e. which fit into sockets in the threshold and lintel and act as hinges. These
hinges have caused many disputes about how they were fixed, for instance in caverns
without moveabie lintel or threshold. But one may observe that the upper projections
are longer than the lower and that the door never fits close above ; so by lifting it up the
inferior pins are taken out of the holes. It is the oldest form and the only form known
to the Ancients. In Egyptian the hinge is called Akab = the heel, hence the proverb
Wakaf al-bdb aid 'akabih ; the door standeth on its heel j i.e. every thing in proper place.
* Hence the addresses to the Deity : Yd Sdtir and Yd Sattdr O Thou who veilest
the sins of Thy Servants ! said e.g., when a woman is falling from her donkey, etc.
4 2 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
dares debauch the daughters of Kings." So the King cried to the.
headsman, " Strike off his head ; for he is a traitor." Accordingly,
the headsman took him and bound him fast and raised his hand to
the Emirs, signing to consult them, a first and a second signal,
thinking thereby to gain time in this matter j 1 but the King cried
in anger to him, " How long wilt thou consult others ? If thou
consult them again I will strike off thine own head." So the
headsman raised his hand till the hair of his armpit showed, and
was about to smite his neck And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo fojjen it foas tfie f^unfcreti anfc {H'rtp=sfxt!) ISTfg&t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the heads-
man raised his hand to smite off his head when behold, loud cries
arose and the folk closed their shops ; whereupon the King said to
the headsman, "Wait awhile," and despatched one to learn the
news. The messenger fared forth and presently returned and re-
ported, " I saw an army like the dashing sea with its clashing
surge : and their horses curvetting till earth trembleth with the
tramp; and I know no more of them." When the King heard
this, he was confounded and feared for his realm lest it should be
torn from him ; so he turned to his Minister and said, " Have not
any of our army gone forth to meet this army ? " But ere he had
done speaking, his Chamberlains entered with messengers from
the King who was approaching, and amongst them the Wazir
who had accompanied Taj al-Muluk. They began by saluting the
King, who rose to receive them and bade them draw near, and
asked the cause of their coming ; whereupon the Minister came
forward from amongst them and stood before him and said,
" Know that he who hath come down upon thy realm is no King
like unto the Kings of yore and the Sultans that went before."
" And who is he ? " asked Shahriman, and the Wazir answered,
" He is the Lord of justice and loyalty, the bruit of whose mag-
nanimity the caravans have blazed abroad, the Sultan Sulayman
Shah, Lord of the Green Land and the Two Columns and the
Mountains of Ispahan ; he who loveth justice and equity, and
hateth oppression and iniquity. And he saith to thee that his son
1 A necessary precaution, for the headsman who would certainly lose his own head by
overhaste.
Tale of Taj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunya. 43
is with thee and in thy city ; his son, his heart's very core and the
fruit of his loins, and if he find him in safety, his aim is won and
thou shalt have thanks and praise ; but if he have been lost from
thy realm or if aught of evil have befallen him, look thou for ruin
and the wasting of thy reign ! for this thy city shall become a wold
wherein the raven shall croak. Thus have I done my errand to
thee and peace be with thee ! " Now when King Shahriman heard
from the messenger these words, his heart was troubled and he
feared for his kingdom : so he cried out for his Grandees and
Ministers, Chamberlains and Lieutenants ; and, when they appeared,
he said to them, "Woe to you! Go down and search for the
youth." Now the Prince was still under the headsman's hands,
but he was changed by the fright he had undergone. Presently,
the Wazir, chancing to glance around, saw the Prince on the rug
of blood and recognised him ; so he arose and threw himself upon
him, and so did the other envoys. Then they proceeded to loose
his bonds and they kissed his hands and feet, whereupon Taj al-
Muluk opened his eyes and, recognising his father's Wazir and
his friend Aziz, fell down a-fainting for excess of delight in them.
When King Shahriman made sure that the coming of this army
was indeed because of this youth, he was confounded and feared
with great fear ; so he went up to Taj al-Muluk and, kissing his
head, said to him, " O my son, be not wroth with me, neither
blame the sinner for his sin : but have compassion on my grey
hairs, and waste not my realm." Whereupon Taj al-Muluk drew
near unto him and kissing his hand, replied, " No harm shall come
to thee, for indeed thou art to me as my father ; but look that
nought befal my beloved, the Lady Dunya ! " Rejoined the
King, " O my lord ! fear not for her ; naught but joy shall betide
her;" and he went on to excuse himself and made his peace with
Sulayman Shah's Wazir, to whom he promised much money, if
he would conceal from the King what he had seen. Then he bade
his chief Officers take the Prince with them and repair to the
Hammam and clothe him in one of the best of his own suits and
bring him back speedily. So they obeyed his bidding and bore
him to the bath and clad him in the clothes which King Shahriman
had set apart for him, and brought him back to the presence-
chamber. When he entered the King rose to receive him and
made all his Grandees stand in attendance on him. Then Taj al-
Muluk sat down to converse with his father's Wazir and with Aziz,
and he acquainted them with what had befallen him ; after which
44 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
they said to him, " During that delay we returned to thy father
and gave him to know that thou didst enter the Palace of the
Princess and didst not return therefrom ; and thy case seemed
doubtful to us. But when thy sire heard of this he mustered his
forces ; then we came to this land and indeed our coming hath
brought to thee relief in extreme case and to us great joy." Quoth
he, " Good fortune hath attended your every action, first and last."
While this was doing King Shahriman went in to his daughter,
Princess Dunya, and found her wailing and weeping for Taj al-
Muluk. Moreover, she had taken a sword and fixed the hilt in
the ground and had set the point to the middle of her heart
between her breasts ; and she bent over the blade saying, " Needs
must I slay myself and not survive my beloved." When her
father entered and saw her in this case, he cried out to her, saying,
" O Princess of kings' daughters, hold thy hand and have ruth on
thy sire and the folk of thy realm ! " Then he came up to her and
continued, " Let it not be that an ill thing befal thy father for thy
sake ! " And he told her the whole tale that her lover was the son
of King Sulayman Shah and sought her to wife and he added,
V The marriage waiteth only for thy consent/' Thereat she smiled
and said, " Did I not tell thee that he was the son of a Sultan ?
By Allah, there is no help for it but that I let him crucify thee
on a bit of wood worth two pieces of silver ! " Replied the King,
"O my daughter, have mercy on me, so Allah have mercy on
thee ! " Rejoined she, " Up with you and make haste and go
bring him to me without delay." Quoth the King, " On my head
and eyes be it ! "; and he left her and, going in hastily to Taj al-
Muluk, repeated her words in his ear. 1 So he arose and accom-
panied the King to the Princess, and when she caught sight of
her lover, she took hold of him and embraced him in her father's
presence and hung upon him and kissed him, saying, " Thou hast
desolated me by thine absence ! " Then she turned to her father
and said, " Sawest thou ever any that could do hurt to the like of
this beautiful being, who is moreover a King, the son of a King,
and of the free-born, 2 guarded against ignoble deeds ? " There-
1 The passage has also been rendered, "and rejoiced him by what he said"
(Lane i, 600).
2 Arab. u Hurr" = noble, independent (opp. to 'Abd=.a servile) often used to
express animse nobilitas as ctycv^s in Acts xvii. n; where the Berceans were "more
noble" than the Thessalonians. The Princess means that the Prince would not lie
with her before marriage.
Tale of Tdj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunyb. 45
upon King Shahriman went out shutting the door on them with
his own hand ; and he returned to the Wazir and to the other
envoys of Sulayman Shah and bade them inform their King that
his son was in health and gladness and enjoying all delight of
life with his beloved. So they returned to King Sulayman and
acquainted him with this ; whereupon King Shahriman ordered
largesse of money and vivers to the troops of King Sulayman
Shah ; and, when they had conveyed all he had commanded, he
bade be brought out an hundred coursers and an hundred drome-
daries and an hundred white slaves and an hundred concubines
and an hundred black slaves and an hundred female slaves ;
all of which he forwarded to the King as a present Then he
took horse, with his Grandees and Chief Officers, and rode out
of the city in the direction of the King's camp. As soon as
Sultan Sulayman Shah knew of his approach, he rose and
advanced many paces to meet him. Now the Wazir and Aziz
had told him all the tidings, whereat he rejoiced and cried,
41 Praise be to Allah who hath granted the dearest wish of
my son!" Then King Sulayman took King Shahriman in his
arms and seated him beside himself on the royal couch, where
they conversed awhile and had pleasure in each other's conversa-
tion. Presently food was set before them, and they ate till they
were satisfied ; and sweetmeats and dried fruits were brought, and
they enjoyed their dessert And after a while came to them Taj
al-Muluk, richly dressed and adorned, and when his father saw
him, he stood up and embraced him and kissed him. Then all
who were sitting rose to do him honour ; and the two Kings seated
him between them and they sat conversing a while, after which
quoth King Sulayman Shah to King Shahriman, " I desire to have
the marriage-contract between my son and thy daughter drawn up
in the presence of witnesses, that the wedding may be made public,
even as is the custom of Kings." " I hear and I obey," quoth
King Shahriman and thereon summoned the Kazi and the wit-
nesses, who came and wrote out the marriage-contract between Taj
al-Muluk and the Lady Dunya. Then they gave bakhshish J of
money and sweetmeats ; and lavished incense and essences ; and
indeed it was a day of joy and gladness and all the grandees and
soldiers rejoiced therein. Then King Shahriman proceeded to
dower and equip his daughter ; and Taj al-Muluk said to his sire,
1 The Persian word is now naturalized as Anglo- Egyptian.
46 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
" Of a truth, this young man Aziz is of the generous and hath done
me a notable service, having borne weariness with me ; and he
hath travelled with me and hath brought me to my desire. He
ceased never to show sufferance with me and exhort me to patience
till I accomplished my intent ; and now he hath abided with us
two whole years, and he cut off from his native land. So now I
purpose to equip him with merchandise, that he may depart hence
with a light heart; for his country is nearhand." Replied his
father, " Right is thy rede ; " so they made ready an hundred loads
of the richest stuffs and the most costly, and Taj al-Muluk pre<
sented them with great store of money to Aziz, and farewelled
him, saying, " O my brother and my true friend ! take these loads
and accept them from me by way of gift and token of affection,
and go in peace to thine own country." Aziz accepted the presents
and kissing the ground between the hands of the Prince and his
father bade them adieu. Moreover, Taj al-Muluk mounted and
accompanied him three miles on his homeward way as a proof of
amity, after which Aziz conjured him to turn back, saying, " By
Allah, O my master, were it not for my mother, I never would part
from thee i But, good my lord ! leave me not without news of
thee." Replied Taj al-Muluk, " So be it ! " Then the Prince re-
turned to the city and Aziz journeyed on till he came to his
native town ; and he entered it and ceased not faring till he went
in to his mother and found that she had built him a monument
in the midst of the house and used to visit it continually. When
he entered, he saw her with hair dishevelled and dispread over
the tomb, weeping and repeating these lines :
Indeed I'm strong to bear whate'er befal ; o But weak to bear such
parting's dire mischance :
What heart estrangement of the friend can bear ? o What strength withstand
assault of severance?
Then sobs burst from her breast, and she recited also these
couplets :
What's this ? I pass by tombs, and fondly greet o My friends' last homes,
but send they no reply :
For saith each friend, " Reply how can I make o When pledged to clay
and pawned to stones I lie?
arth has consumed my charms and I forget o Thy love, from kith and
kin poor banisht I."
While she was thus, behold, Aziz came in to her and when she
Tale of Taj al-Muluk and tlie Princess Dunya. 47
saw him, she fell down, fainting for very joy. He sprinkled water
on her face till she revived and rising, took him in her arms and
strained him to her breast, whilst he in like manner embraced
her. Then he greeted her and she greeted him, and she asked
the reason of his long absence, whereupon he told her all that
had befallen him from first to last and informed her how Taj
al-Muluk had given him an hundred loads of monies and stuffs.
At this she rejoiced, and Aziz abode with his mother in his native
town, weeping for what mishaps had happened to him with the
daughter of Dalilah the Wily One, even her who had castrated ! him.
Such was the case with Aziz ; but as regards Taj al-Muluk he went
in unto his beloved, the Princess Dunya, and abated her maiden-
head. Then King Shahriman proceeded to equip his daughter foF
her journey with her husband and father in-law, and bade bring
them provaunt and presents and rarities. So they loaded their
beasts and set forth, whilst King Shahriman escorted them, by way
of farewell, three days' journey on their way, till King Shah Sulay-
man conjured him to return. So he took leave of them and turned
back, and Taj al-Muluk and his wife and father fared forwards
night and day, with their troops, till they drew near their capital.
As soon as the news of their coming spread abroad, the folk
decorated for them the city, And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Jlofo fo&m ft foas t&e plunfcreDr a.nfc tjfjirtg-sebentj Jlfg&t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Shah
Sulayman drew near his capital, the folk decorated the city for him
and for his son. So they entered in state and the King, sitting on
his throne with his son by his side, gave alms and largesse and
loosed all who were in his jails. Then he held a second bridal for
his son, and the sound of the singing-women and players upon
instruments was never silent for a whole month, and the tire-
women stinted not to adorn the Lady Dunya and display her in
various dresses ; and she tired not of the displaying nor did the
women weary of gazing on her. Then Taj al-Muluk, after having
foregathered awhile with his father and mother, took up his sojourn
with his wife, and they abode in all joyance of life and in fairest for-
1 Arab. *' khassat hu " = removed his testicles, gelded hini.
48 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
tune, till there came to them the Destroyer of all delights. 1 Now
when the Wazir Dandan had ended the tale of Taj al-Muluk and the
Lady Dunya, Zau al-Makan said to him, " Of a truth, it is the like
of thee who lighten the mourner's heart and who deserve to be the
boon-companions of Kings and to guide their policy in the right
way." All this befel and they were still besieging Constantinople,
where they lay four whole years, till they yearned after their native
land ; and the troops murmured, being weary of vigil and besieg-
ing and the endurance of fray and foray by night and by day.
Then King Zau al-Makan summoned Rustam and Bahram and
Tarkash, and when they were in presence bespoke them thus,
" Know that we have lain here all these years and we have not won
to our wish ; nay, we have but gained increase of care and concern ;
for indeed we came, thinking to take our man-bote for King Omar
bin al-Nu'uman and in so doing my brother Sharrkan was slain ;
so is our sorrow grown to sorrows twain and our affliction to
afflictions twain. All this came of the old woman Zat al-Dawahi,
for it was she who slew the Sultan in his kingdom and carried off
his wife, the Queen Sophia ; nor did this suffice her, but she must
put another cheat on us and cut the throat of my brother Sharrkan :
and indeed I have bound myself and sworn by the solemnest oaths
that there is no help but I take blood-wit from her. What say ye ?
Ponder my address and answer me." Then they bowed their heads
and answered, " It is for the Wazir Dandan to opine." So the
Minister came forward and said, " Know O King of the Age ! it
booteth us nought to tarry here ; and 'tis my counsel that we
strike camp and return to our own country, there to abide for a
certain time and after that we should return for a razzia upon the
worshippers of idols." Replied the King, " This rede is right , for
indeed the folk weary for a sight of their families, and I am another
who is also troubled with yearning after my son Kanmakan and
my brother's daughter Kuzia Fakan, for she is in Damascus and
I know not how is her case." When the troops heard this report,
they rejoiced and blessed the Wazir Dandan. Then the King bade
the crier call the retreat after three days. They fell to preparing
for the march, and, on the fourth day, they beat the big drums and
unfurled the banners and the army set forth, the Wazir Dandan in
the van and the King riding in the mid-battle, with the Grand
1 Here ends the compound tale of Taj al-Muluk cum Aziz plus Azizah, and we
return to the history of King Omar's sons.
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman and his Sons. 49
Chamberlain by his side ; and all journeyed without ceasing, night
and day, till they reached Baghdad city. The folk rejoiced in their
return, and care and fear ceased from them whilst the stay-at-
homes met the absentees and each Emir betook him to his
own house. As for Zau al-Makan he marched up to the Palace
and went in to his son Kanmakan, who had now reached the
age of seven ; and who used to go down to the weapon-plain and
ride. As soon as the King was rested of his journey, he entered
the Hammam with his son, and returning, seated himself on his
sofa of state, whilst the Wazir Dandan took up his station before
him and the Emirs and Lords of the realm presented themselves
and stood in attendance upon him. Then Zau al-Makan called for
his comrade, the Fireman, who had befriended him in his wander-
ings ; and, when he came into presence, the King rose to do him
honour and seated him by his side. Now he had acquainted the
Wazir with all the kindness and good turns which the Stoker had
done him ; and he found that the wight had waxed fat and burly
with rest and good fare, so that his neck was like an elephant's
throat and his face like a dolphin's belly. Moreover, he was grown
dull of wit, for that he had never stirred from his place ; so at first
he knew not the King by his aspect. But Zau al-Makan came
up to him smiling in his face, and greeted him after the friendliest
fashion, saying, " How soon hast thou forgotten me ? " With this
the Fireman roused himself and, looking steadfastly at Zau al-
Makan, made sure that he knew him ; whereupon he sprang hastily
to his feet and exclaimed, " O my friend, who hath made thee
Sultan ? " Then Zau al-Makan laughed at him and the Wazir,
coming up to him expounded the whole story to him and said, " In
good sooth he was thy brother and thy friend ; and now he is King
of the land and needs must thou get great good of him. So I
charge thee, if he say : Ask a boon of me, ask not but for some
great thing; for thou art very dear to him." Quoth the Fireman,
4t I fear lest, if I ask of him aught, he may not choose to give it or
may not be able to grant it." Quoth the Wazir, " Have no care ;
whatsoever thou askest he will give thee." Rejoined the Stoker,
" By Allah, I must at once ask of him a thing that is in my
thought : every night I dream of it and implore Almighty Allah
to vouchsafe it to me." Said the Wazir, " Take heart ; by Allah,
if thou ask of him the government of Damascus, in place of his
brother, he would surely give it thee and make thee Governor."
With this the Stoker rose to his feet and Zau al-Makan signed to
VOL. in. D
5O A If Laylah wa Lay la h.
him to sit ; but he refused, saying, " Allah forfend ! The days are
gone by of my sitting in thy presence." Answered the Sultan,
" Not so, they endure even now. Thou wast in very deed the
cause that I am at present alive and, by Allah, whatever thing
most desired thou requirest of me, I will give that same to thee.
But ask thou first of Allah, and then of me ! " He said, " O my
lord, I fear" " Fear not," quoth the Sultan. He continued, " I
fear to ask aught and that thou shouldst refuse it to me and it is
only " At this the King laughed and replied, " If thou require
of me the half of my kingdom I would share it with thee : so ask
what thou wilt and leave talking." Repeated the Fireman " I
fear-" " Don't fear," quoth the King. He went on, " I fear lest
I ask a thing and thou be not able to grant it." Upon this the
Sultan waxed wroth and cried, " Ask what thou wilt." Then said
he, " I ask, first of Allah and then of thee, that thou write me
a patent of Syndicate over all the Firemen of the baths in the
Holy City, Jerusalem." The Sultan and all present laughed and
Zau al-Makan said," Ask something more than this." He replied,
" O my lord, said I not I feared that thou wouldst not choose to
give me what I should ask or that thou be not able to grant it ? "
Therewith the Wazir signed him with his foot once and twice and
thrice, and every time he began, " I ask of thee " Quoth the
Sultan, " Ask and be speedy." So he said, " I ask thee to make
me Chief of the Scavengers in the Holy City of Jerusalem, or in
Damascus- town." Then all those who were present fell on their
backs with laughter and the Wazir beat him ; whereupon he
turned to the Minister and said to him, "What art thou that thou
shouldest beat me ? 'Tis no fault of mine : didst thou not thyself
bid me ask some important thing ? " And he added, " Let me go
to my own land." With this, the Sultan knew that he was jesting
and took patience with him awhile ; then turned to him and said,
" O my brother, ask of me some important thing, befitting our
dignity." So the Stoker said, " O King of the Age, I ask first of
Allah and then of thee, that thou make me Viceroy of Damascus
in the place of thy brother ;" and the King replied, " Allah granteth
thee this." Thereupon the Fireman kissed ground before him
and he bade set him a chair in his rank and vested him with a
viceroy's habit. Then he wrote him a patent and sealed it with
his own seal, and said to the Wazir Dandan, " None shall go with
him but thou ; and when thou makest the return journey, do thou
bring with thee my brother's daughter, Kuzia Fakan." " Hearken-
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman and kis Sons. 5*
ing and obedience," answered the Minister ; and* taking the Fire-
man, went down with him and made ready for the march. Thea
the King* appointed for the Stoker servants and suite, and gave
him a new litter and a princely equipage and said to the Emirs,
" Whoso loveth me, let him honour this man and offer him a hand-
some present." So each and every of the Emirs brought him his
gift according to his competence ; and the King named him Zibl
Khdn, 1 and conferred on him the honourable surname of al-
Mujahid. 2 As soon as the gear was ready, he went up with the
Wazir Dandan to the King, that he might take leave of him and
ask his permission to depart. The King rose to him and em-
braced him, and charged him to do justice between his sub-
jects and bade him make ready for fight against the Infidels
after two years. Then they took leave of each other and the
King, 3 the Fighter for the Faith hight Zibl Khan, having been
again exhorted by Zau al-Makan to deal fairly with his subjects,
set out on his journey, after the Emirs had brought him Mamelukes
and eunuchs, even to five thousand in number, who rode after him.
The Grand Chamberlain also took horse, as did Bahram, captain
of the Daylamites, and Rustam, captain of the Persians, and
Tarkash, captain of the Arabs, who attended to do him service ;
and they ceased not riding with him three days' journey by way of
honour. Then, taking their leave of him, they returned to Baghdad
and the Sultan Zibl Khan and the Wazir Dandan fared on, with
their suite and troops, till they drew near Damascus Now news
was come, upon the wings of birds, to the notables of Damascus,
that King Zau al-Makan had made Sultan over Damascus a
King named Zibl Khan and surnamed Al-Mujahid ; so when he
reached the city he found it dressed in his honour and everyone in
the place came out to gaze on him. The new Sultan entered Da-
mascus in a splendid progress and went up to the citadel, where he
sat down upon his chair of state, whilst the Wazir Dandan stood in
attendance on him, to acquaint him with the ranks of the Emirs
1 "Zibl" popularly pronounced Zabal, means " dung." Khan is "Chief," as has
been noticed; "Zabbal," which Torrens renders literally "dung-drawer," is one who
feeds the Hammam with bois-de-vache, etc.
2 i.*. one who fights the Jihad or "Holy War": it is equivalent to our "good
knight."
3 Arab. "Malik." Azud al-Daulah, a Sultan or regent under the Abbaside Caliph"
Al-Tai li 'llah (regn. A.H. 363-381) was the first to take the title of " Malik." The
latter in poetry is still written Malik.
52 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
and their stations. Then the Grandees came in to him and 'kissed
hands and called down blessings on him. The new King, Zibl
Khan, received them graciously and bestowed on them dresses of
honour and various presents and bounties ; after which he opened
the treasuries and gave largesse to the troops, great and small.
Then he governed and did justice and proceeded to equip the
Lady Kuzia Fakan, daughter of King Sharrkan, appointing her a
litter of silken stuff. Moreover he furnished the Wazir Dandan
equally well for the return journey and offered him a gift of coin ;
but he refused, saying, " Thou art near the time appointed by the
King, and haply thou wilt have need of money, or after this we
may send to seek of thee funds for the Holy War or what not."
Now when the Wazir was ready to march, Sultan al-Mujahid
mounted to bid the Minister farewell and brought Kuzia Fakan to
him, and made her enter the litter and sent with her ten damsels
to do her service. Thereupon they set forward, whilst King
" Fighter for the Faith " returned to his government that he might
order affairs and get ready his munitions of war, awaiting such
time as King Zau al-Makan should send a requisition to him.
Such was the case with Sultan Zibl Khan, but as regards the Wazir
Dandan, he ceased not faring forward and finishing off the stages,
in company with Kuzia Fakan till they came to Ruhbah * after a
month's travel and thence pushed on, till he drew near Baghdad.
Then he sent to announce his arrival to King Zau al-Makan who,
when he heard this, took horse and rode out to meet him. The
Wazir Dandan would have dismounted, but the King conjured
him not to do so and urged his steed till he came up to his side.
Then he questioned him of Zibl Khan hight Al-Mujahid, whereto
the Wazir replied that he was well and that he had brought witli
him Kuzia Fakan the daughter of his brother. At this the King
rejoiced and said to Dandan, " Down with thee and rest thee from
the fatigue of the journey for three days, after which come to me
again." Replied the Wazir, " With joy and gratitude," and betook
himself to his own house, whilst the King rode up to his Palace
and went in to his brother's daughter, Kuzia Fakan, a girl of eight
years old. When he saw her, he rejoiced in her and sorrowed for
her sire ; then he bade make for her clothes and gave her splendid
jewelry and ornaments, and ordered she be lodged with his son
Kanmakan in one place. So they both grew up the brightest of
1 A townlet on the Euphrates, in the "awwal Shdm," or frontier of Syria.
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman and his Sons. 53
the people of their time and the bravest ; but Kuzia Fakan became
a maiden of good sense and understanding and knowledge of the
issues of events, whilst Kanmakan approved him a generous youth
and freehanded, taking no care in the issue of aught. And so
they continued till each of them attained the age of twelve. Now
Kuzia Fakan used to ride a-horseback and fare forth with her
cousin into the open plain and push forward and range at large
with him in the wold ; and they both learnt to smite with swords
and spike with spears. But when they had reached the age of
twelve, King Zau al-Makan, having completed his preparations
and provisions and munitions for Holy War, summoned the Wazir
Dandan and said to him, " Know that I have set mind on a
thing, which I will discover to thee, and I want thine opinion
thereon ; so do thou with speed return me a reply. Asked the
Wazir, " What is that, O King of the Age ? " ; and the other
answered, " I am resolved to make my son Kanmakan Sultan
and rejoice in him in my lifetime and do battle before him
till death overtake me. What reckest thou of this ? " The
Wazir kissed the ground before the King and replied, " Know, O
King and Sultan mine, Lord of the Age and the time ! that which.
is in thy mind is indeed good, save that it is now no tide to carry-
it out, for two reasons ; the first, that thy son Kanmakan is yet of
tender years ; and the second, that it often befalleth him who*
maketh his son King in his life-time, to live but a little while
thereafterward. 1 And this is my reply." Rejoined the King,
" Know, O Wazir, that we will make the Grand Chamberlain
guardian over him, for he is now one of the family and he married
my sister, so that he is to me as a brother." Quoth the Wazir,
" Do what seemeth good to thee : we have only to obey thine
orders." Then the King sent for the Grand Chamberlain whom
they brought into the presence together with the Lords of the
realm and he said to them, " Ye know that this my sort Kanmakan
is the first cavalier of the age, and that he hath no peer in striking
with the sword and lunging with the lance ; and now I appoint
him to be Sultan over you and I make the Grand Chamberlain,
his uncle, guardian over him." Replied the Chamberlain, " I am
but a tree which thy bounty hath t planted "; and Zau al-Makan
said, " O Chamberlain, verily this my son Kanmakan and my
niece Kuzia Fakan are brothers' children ; so I hereby marry her
1 *'.*., the son would took to that.
54 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
to him and I call those present to witness thereof." Then he made
over to his son such treasures as no tongue can describe ; and,
going in to his sister, Nuzhat al-Zaman, told her what he had
done, whereat she was a glad woman and said, " Verily the twain
are my children : Allah preserve thee to them and keep thy life
for them many a year ! " Replied he, " O my sister, I have ac-
complished in this world all my heart desired and I have no fear
for my son ! yet it were well thou have an eye on him, and an eye
on his mother." And he charged the Chamberlain and Nuzhat al-
Zaman with the care of his son and niece and wife, and this he
continued to do nights and days till he fell sick and deemed surely
that he was about to drink the cup of death ; so he took to his
bed, whilst the Chamberlain busied himself with ordering the folk
and realm. At the end of the year, the King summoned his son
Kanmakan and the Wazir Dandan and said, " O my son, after my
death this Wazir is thy sire ; for know that I am about to leave
this house of life transitory for the house of eternity. And indeed
I have fulfilled my will of this world ; yet there remaineth in my
heart one regret which may Allah dispel through and by thy
hands/ 1 Asked his son, " What regret is that, O my father ? "
Answered Zau al-Makan, " O my son, the sole regret of me is that I
die without having avenged thy grandfather, Omar bin al-Nu'uman,
and thine uncle, Sharrkan, on an old woman whom they call Zat
al-Dawahi ; but, if Allah grant thee aid, sleep not till thou take
thy wreak on her, and so wipe out the shame we have suffered at
the Infidel's hands ; and beware of the old hag's wile and do what
the Wazir Dandan shall advise thee; because he from old time
hath been the pillar of our realm." And his son assented to what
he said. Then the King's eyes ran over with tears and his sickness
redoubled on him ; whereupon his brother-in-law, the Chamberlain,
took charge over the country and, being a capable man, he judged
and bade and forbade for the whole of that year ; while Zau al-
Makan was occupied with his malady. And his sickness was sore
upon him for four years, during which the Chief Chamberlain sat
in his stead and gave full satisfaction to the commons and the
nobles ; and all the country blessed his rule. Such was the case
with Zau al-Makan and the Chamberlain; but as regards the
King's son, he busied himself only with riding and lunging with
lance and shooting with shaft, and thus also did the daughter of
his uncle, Kuzia Fakan ; for he and she were wont to fare forth
at the first of the day and return at nightfall, when she would go
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman and his Sons. 55
in to her mother, and he would go in to his mother whom fee ever
found sitting in tears by the head of his father's couch. Then he
would tend his father all night long till daybreak, when he would
go forth again with his cousin according to their wont. Now Zau
al-Makan's pains and sufferings were longsome upon him and he
wept and began versifying with these couplets :
Gone is my strength, told is my tale of days * And, lookye ! I am left as
thou dost see :
In honour's day most honoured wont to be, e And win the race from all
my company,
Would Heaven before my death I might behold o My son in seat of empire
sit for me ;
And rush upon his foes, to take his wreak * With sway of sword and
lance lunged gallantly :
In this world and the next I am undone, e Except the Lord vouchsafi?
me clemency.
When he had ended repeating these verses, he laid his head on his
pillow and closed his eyes and slept. Then saw he in his sleep
one who said to him, " Rejoice, for thy son shall fill the lands with
justest sway ; and he shall rule them and him shall the lieges obey."
Then he awoke from his dream gladdened by the good tidings he
had seen, and after a few days, Death smote him, and because of
his dying great grief fell on the people of Baghdad, and simple
and gentle mourned for him. But Time passed over him, as though
he had never been 1 and Kanmakan's estate was changed ; for the
people of Baghdad set him aside and put him and his family in
a place apart. Now when his mother saw this, she fell into the
sorriest of plights and said, " There is no help "but that I go to
the Grand Chamberlain, and I must hope for the aidance of the
Subtle, the All-Wise ! " Then she rose from her place and betook
herself to the house of the Chamberlain who was now become
Sultan, and she found him sitting upon his carpet. So she went
in to his wife, Nuzhat al-Zaman, and wept with sore weeping and
said unto her, ** Verily the dead hath no friend ! May Allah never
bring you to want as long as your age and the years endure, and
may you cease not to rule justly over rich and poor. Thine ears
have heard and thine eyes have seen all that was ours of king-
ship and honour and dignity and wealth and fair fortune of life
and condition ; and now Time hath turned upon us, and fate and
1 A characteristic touch of Arab pathos, tender and true.
56 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
the world have betrayed us and wrought in hostile way with us;
wherefore I come to thee craving thy favours, I from whom favours
were craved : for when a man dieth, women and maidens are brought
to despisal." And she repeated these couplets I-
Suffice thee Death such marvels can enhance, o And severed lives make
lasting severance :
Man's days are marvels, and their stations are But water-pits 1 of misery
and mischance.
Naught wrings my heart save loss of noble friends, o Girt round by rings of
hard, harsh circumstance.
When Nuzhat al-Zaman heard these words, she remembered her
brother, Zau al-Makan, and his son Kanmakan, and, making her
draw near to her and showing her honour, she said, " Verily at this
moment, by Allah, I am grown rich and thou art poor ; now by the
Lord ! we did not cease to seek thee out, but we feared to wound
thy heart lest thou shouldest fancy our gifts to thee an alms-gift.
Withal, whatso weal we now enjoy is from thee and thy husband ;
so our house is thy house and our place thy place, and thine rs all
our wealth and what goods we have belong to thee." Then she
robed her in sumptuous robes and set apart for her a place in the
Palace adjoining her own ; and they abode therein, she and her
son, in all delight of life* And Nuzhat al-Zaman clothed him also
in Kings' raiment and gave to them both especial handmaids for
their service. After a little, she related to her husband the sad
case of the widow of her brother, Zau al-Makan, whereat his
eyes filled with tears and he said, " Wouldest thou see the world
after thee, look thou upon the world after other than thyself.
Then entreat her honourably and enrich her poverty." -- And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say
Nofo fo&en it foas fte f^untKefc anij
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Nuzhat
al-Zaman related to her husband the sad case of the widow of her
brother, Zau al-Makan, the Chamberlain said, " Entreat her honour*
1 Arab. "Mawarid" from "ward" = resorting to pool or water-pit (like those of
' Gakdul ") for drinking, as opposed to " Sadr " =: returning after having drunk at it.
Hence the " Sadir " (part, act.) takes precedence of the " Warid " in Al-Hariri (Ass- of
'.he Badawi).
Tale of King Omar bin at-Nu'uman and his Sons. 57
ably and enrich her poverty." Thus far concerning Nuzhat al-
Zaman and her consort and the relict of Zau al-Makan ; but as
regards Kanmakan and his cousin Kuzia Fakan, they grew up and
flourished till they waxed like unto two fruit-laden boughs or two
shining moons ; and they reached the age of fifteen. And she was
indeed the fairest of maids who are modestly veiled, lovely-faced
with smooth cheeks graced, and slender waist on heavy hips
based ; and her shape was the shaft's thin line and her lips were
sweeter than old wine and the nectar of her mouth as it were the
fountain Salsab/1 *; even as saith the poet in these two couplets
describing one like her :
As though ptisane of wine on her lips honey-dew o Dropt from the ripened
grapes her mouth in clusters grew :
And, when her frame thou doublest, and low bends her vine, * Praise her
Creator's might no creature ever knew
Of a truth Allah had united in her every charm : her shape would
shame the branch of waving tree and the rose before her cheeks
craved lenity ; and the honey-dew of her lips of wine made jeer,
however old and clear, and she gladdened heart and beholder with
joyous cheer, even as saith of her the poet :
Goodly of gifts is she, and charm those perfect eyes, o With lashes shaming
Kohl and all the fair ones Kohl'd 3
And from those eyne the glances pierce the lover's heart, o Like sword in Mfr
al-Muminfna All's hold.
And (the relator continueth) as for Kanmakan, he became unique
in loveliness and excelling in perfection no less ; none could even
him in qualities as in seemliness and the sheen of valour between
his eyes was espied, testifying for him while against him it never
testified. The hardest hearts inclined to his side ; his eyelids bore
lashes black as by Kohl ; and he was of surpassing worth in body
and soul. And when the down of lips and cheeks began to sprout
bards and poets sang for him far and near t
Appeared not my excuse till hair had clothed his cheek, o And gloom
o'ercrept that side-face (sight to stagger !)
A fawn, when eyes would batten on his charms, o Each glance deals thrust
like point of Khanjar-dagger.
1 One of the fountains of Paradise (Koran, chapt. Ixxvi.) : the word lit. means
"water flowing pleasantly down the throat." The same chapter mentions " Zanjabfl/*
or the Ginger-fount, which to the Infidel mind unpleasantly suggests " ginger pop.**
2 Arab. " Takhil " = adorning with Kohl.
$8 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
And saith another :
His lovers' souls have drawn upon his cheek * An ant that perfected its
rosy light :
1 marvel at such martyrs Lazd-pent o Who yet with greeny robes
of Heaven are dight. 1
Now it chanced one holiday, that Kuzia Fakan fared forth to make
festival with certain kindred of the court, and she went surrounded
by her handmaids. And indeed beauty encompassed her; the roses
of her cheeks dealt envy to their mole ; from out her smiling lips
leven flashed white, gleaming like the chamomile 2 ; and Kanmakan
began to turn about her and devour her with his sight, for she was
the moon of resplendent light. Then he took heart and giving his
tongue a start began to improvise :
When shall the disappointed heart be healed of severance, o And lips of
Union smile at ceasing of our hard mischance ?
Would Heaven I knew shall come some night, and with it surely bring
Meeting with friend who like myself endureth sufferance. 3
When Kuzia Fakan heard these couplets, she showed vexation
and disapproval and, putting on a haughty and angry air, said to
, him, " Dost thou name me in thy verse, to shame me amongst
folk ? By Allah, if thou turn not from this talk, I will assuredly
complain of thee to the Grand Chamberlain, Sultan of Khorasan
and Baghdad and lord of justice and equity ; that disgrace and
punishment may befal thee ! " Kanmakan made no reply for
anger but he returned to Baghdad; and Kuzia Fakan also returned
to her palace and complained of her cousin to her mother, who
said to her, " O my daughter, haply he meant thee no harm, and is
he aught but an orphan ? Withal, he said nought of reproach to
1 The allusions are far-fetched and obscure as in Scandinavian poetry. Mr. Payne
(ii. 314) translates " Naml" by "net." I understand the ant (swarm) creeping up
the cheeks, a common simile for a young beard. The lovers are in the Laza (hell) of
jealousy, etc., yet feel in the Na'im (heaven) of love and robe in green, the hue of
hope, each expecting to be the favoured one.
2 Arab. " Ukhuwan," the classical term. There are two chamomiles ; the white
(Bdbunaj) and the yellow (Kaysun) : these however are Syrian names and plants are
differently called in almost every Province of Arabia.
* In nomadic life the parting of lovers happens so frequently that it becomes a stock
topic in poetry and often, as here, the lover complains of parting when he is not parted.
But the gravamen lies in the word " Wasl " which may mean union, meeting, reunion
or coition. As Ka'ab ibn Zuhayr l>egan his famous poem with Su'ad hath departed,"
900 imitators (says Al-Siyuti) adopted the Nasib or address to the beloved and Su'ad
came to signify a cruel, capricious mistress.
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman and his Sons. 59
thee ; so beware thou tell none of this, lest perchance it come to
the Sultan's ears and he cut short his life and blot out his name
and make it even as yesterday, whose memory hath passed away."
However, Kanmakan's love for Kuzia Fakan spread abroad in
Baghdad, so that the women talked of it. Moreover, his breast
became straitened and his patience waned and he kne,w not what
to do, yet he could not hide his condition from the world. Then
longed he to give vent to the pangs he endured, by reason of the
lowe of separation ; but he feared her rebuke and her wrath ; so
he began improvising :
Now is my dread to incur reproaches, which o Disturb her temper and her
mind obscure,
Patient I'll bear them ; e'en as generous youth o Beareth the burn of brand
his case to cure. 1
-- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
Koto foben it foas tje l^untofc anfc
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Grand Chamberlain became Sultan they named him King Sdsdn ;
and after he had assumed the throne he governed the people
in righteous way. Now as he was giving audience one day,
Kanmakan's verses came to his knowledge. Thereupon he
repented him of the past and going in to his wife Nuzhat al-
Zaman, said to her, " Verily, to join Halfah-grass and fire, 2 is the
greatest of risks ; and man may not be trusted with woman, so
long as eye glanceth and eyelid quivereth. Now thy brother's
son, Kanmakan, is come to man's estate and it behoveth us to
forbid him access to the rooms where anklets trinkle, and it is yet
more needful to forbid thy daughter the company of men, for the
like of her should be kept in the Harim." Replied she, " Thou
sayest sooth, O wise King ! " Next day came Kanmakan accord-
1 As might be expected from a nation of camel-breeders actual cautery which can
cause only counter-irritation, is a favourite nostrum ; and the Hadis or prophetic saying
is " Akhir al-dawa (or al-tibb) al-Kayy " = cautery is the end of medicine-cure; and
" Fire and sickness cannot cohabit." Most of the Badawi bear upon their bodies grisly
marks of this heroic treatment, whose abuse not unfrequently brings on gangrene. The
Hadis (Burckhardt, Proverbs, No. 30) also means " if nothing else avail, take violent
measures."
2 The Spaniards have the same expression : " Man is fire and woman is tinder."
,60 A If Layldh wa Laylah.
ing to his wont ; and, going in to his aunt saluted her. She
returned his salutation and said to him, "O my son! I have some-
what to say to thee which I would fain leave unsaid ; yet I must
tell it thee despite my inclination." Quoth he, " Speak ; " and
quoth she, " Know then that thy sire the Chamberlain, the father
of Kuzia Fakan, hath heard of the verses thou madest anent her,
and hath ordered that she be kept in the Harim and out of thy
reach ; if therefore, O my son, thou want anything from us, I
will send it to thee from behind the door ; and thou shalt not
look upon Kuzia Fakan nor shalt thou return hither from this
day forth. " When he heard this he arose and withdrew with-
out speaking a single word; and, betaking himself to his mother,
related what his aunt had said. She observed, " This all cometh
of thine overtalking. Thou knowest that the news of thy passion
for Kuzia Fakan is noised abroad and the tattle hath spread
everywhere how thou eatest their food and thereafter thou courtest
their daughter." Rejoined he, " And who should have her but I ?
She is the daughter of my father's brother and I have the best of
rights to her." Retorted his mother, " These are idle words. Be
silent, lest haply thy talk come to King Sasan's ears and it prove
the cause of thy losing her and the reason of thy ruin and increase
of thine affliction. They have not sent us any supper to-night and
we shall die an-hungered ; and were we in any land but this, we
were already dead of famine or of shame for begging our bread."
When Kanmakan heard these words from his mother, his regrets
redoubled ; his eyes ran over with tears and he complained and
began improvising:
Minish this blame I ever bear from you : o My heart loves her to whom all
love is due :
Ask not from me of patience jot or tittle, o Divorce of Patience by God's
House ! I rue :
What blamers preach of patience I unheed ; * Here am I, love-path firmly to
pursue !
Indeed they bar me access to my love ; o Here am I, by God's ruth no ill
I sue!
Good sooth my bones, whenas they hear thy name, o Quail as birds quailed
when Nisus o'er them flew :*
Ah ! say to them who blame my love that I o Will love that face, fair cousin,
till I die.
1 Arab. " Bashik" from Persian "Bashah" (accipiter Nisus} a fierce little species of
sparrow-hawk which I have described in "Falconry in the Valley of the Indus"
(p. 14, etc.)
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman and his Sons. 61
And when he had ended his verses he said to his mother, " I have
no longer a place in my aunt's house nor among these people, but
I will go forth from the palace and abide in the corners of the
city." So he and his mother left the court ; and, having sought
an abode in the neighbourhood of the poorer sort, there settled ;
but she used to go from time to time to King Sasan's palace and
thence take daily bread for herself and her son. As this went on
Kuzia Fakan took her aside one day and said to her, " Alas, O my
naunty, how is it with thy son ? " Replied she, " O my daughter,
sooth to say, he is tearful-eyed and heavy-hearted, being fallen
into the net of thy love." And she repeated to her the couplets
he had made ; whereupon Kuzia Fakan wept and said, " By
Allah ! I rebuked him not for his words, nor for ill-will to him,
but because I feared for him the malice of foes. Indeed my
passion for him is double that he feeleth for me ; my tongue may
not describe my yearning for him ; and were it not for the extra-
vagant wilfulness of his words and the wanderings of his wit, my
father had not cut off from him favours that besit, nor had decreed
unto him exclusion and prohibition as fit. However, man's days
bring nought but change, and patience in all case is most becoming ;
peradventure He who ordained our severance will vouchsafe us
reunion ! " And she began versifying in these two couplets :
O son of mine uncle ! same sorrow I bear, o And suffer the like of thy cark
and thy care ;
Yet hide I from man what I suffer for pine ; o Hide it too, and such secret to
man never bare !
When his mother heard this from her, she thanked her and blessed
her : then she left her and acquainted her son with what she had
said ; whereupon his desire for her increased and he took heart,
being eased of his despair and the turmoil of his love and care.
And he said, "By Allah, I desire none but her! "; and he began
improvising :
Leave this blame, I will list to no flout of my foe ! o I divulged a secret was
told me to keep :
He is lost to my sight for whose union I yearn, o And I watch all the
while he can slumber and sleep.
So the days and nights went by whilst Kanmakan lay tossing upon
coals of fire, 1 till he reached the age of seventeen ; and his beauty
1 Lit. "Coals (fit) for frying-pan."
62 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
had waxt perfect and his wits were at their brightest. One night,
as he lay awake, he communed with himself and said, "Why
should I keep silence till I waste away and see not my lover?
Fault have I none save poverty ; so, by Allah, I am resolved to
remove me from this region and wander over the wild and the
wold ; for my position in this city is a torture and I have no
friend nor lover therein to comfort me ; wherefore I am determined
to distract myself by absence from my native land till I die and
take my rest after this shame and tribulation." And he began
to improvise and recited these couplets :
Albeit my vitals quiver 'neath this ban ; o Before the foe myself I'll
ne'er unman !
So pardon me, my vitals are a writ o Whose superscription are
my tears that ran :
Heigh-ho ! my cousin seemeth Houri-may o Come down to earth by
reason of Rizwan :
'Scapes not the dreadful sword-lunge of her look o Who dares the glancing of
those eyne to scan :
O'er Allah's wide-spread world I'll roam and roam, o And from such exile win
what bread I can ;
Yes, o'er broad earth I'll roam and save my soul, o All but her absence bearing
like a man :
With gladsome heart I'll haunt the field of fight, o And meet the bravest Brave
in battle-van !
So Kanmakan fared forth from the palace barefoot and he walked
in a short-sleeyed gown, wearing on his head a skull- cap of felt 1
seven years old and carrying a scone three days stale, and in
the deep glooms of night betook himself to the portal al-Arij of
Baghdad. Here he waited for the gate being opened and when it
was opened, he was the first to pass through it ; and he went out
at random and wandered about the wastes night and day. When
the dark hours came, his mother sought him but found him not ;
whereupon the world waxt strait upon her for all that it was
great and wide, and she took no delight in aught of weal it supplied.
She looked for him a first day and a second day and a third day
till ten days were past, but no news of him reached her. Then
her breast became contracted and she shrieked and shrilled, saying,
" O my son ! O my darling ! thou hast revived my regrets. Sufficed
1 Arab. " Libdah," the sign of a pauper or religious mendicant. He is addressed
Ya Abu libdah ! " (O father of a felt calotte !)
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu*uman and his Sons. 63
not what I endured, but thou must depart from my home ? After
thee I care not for food nor joy in sleep, and naught but tears and
mourning are left me. O my son, from what land shall I call
thee ? And what town hath given thee refuge ? " Then her sobs
burst out, and she began repeating these couplets :
Well learnt we, since you left, our grief and sorrow to sustain, o While bows of
severance shot their shafts in many a railing rain :
They left me, after girthing on their selles of corduwayne o To fight the very
pangs of death while spanned they sandy plain :
Mysterious through the nightly gloom there came the moan of dove ; o A ring-
dove, and replied I, * Cease thy plaint, how durst complain?'
If, by my life, her heart, like mine, were full of pain and pine o She had not
deckt her neck with ring nor sole with ruddy stain. 1
Fled is mine own familiar friend, bequeathing me a store o Of parting-pang
and absence-ache to suffer evermore.
Then she abstained from food and drink and gave herself up to
excessive tear-shedding and lamentation. Her grief became
public property far and wide and all the people of the town and
country side wept with her and cried, " Where is thine eye, O
Zau al-Makan?" And they bewailed the rigours of Time, saying,
" Would Heaven we knew what hath befallen Kanmakan that he
fled his native town, and chased himself from the place where his
father used to fill all in hungry case and do justice and grace ? "
And his mother redoubled her weeping and wailing till the news of
Kanmakan's departure came to King Sasan. And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
jgofo fo&en it foas tfje ^tm&refc anfc JfortfetJ)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that came to
King Sasan the tidings of the departure of Kanmakan, through the
Chief Emirs who said to him, " Verily he is the son of our Sovran
and the seed of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman and it hath reached
us that he hath exiled himself from the land." When King Sasan
heard these words, he was wroth with them and ordered one of
them to be hanged by way of silencing him, whereat the fear of
him fell upon the hearts of all the other Grandees and they dared
1 In times of mourning Moslem women do not use perfumes or dyes, like the Henna
feere alluded to in the pink legs and feet of the dove.
64 A If Laylak wa Laylak.
not speak one word. Then he called to mind all the kindness
that Zau al-Makan had done him, and how he had charged him
with the care of his son ; wherefore he grieved for Kanmakan and
said, " Needs must I have search made for him in all countries."
So he summoned Tarkash and bade him choose an hundred horse
and wend with them in quest of the Prince. Accordingly he went
out and was absent ten days, after which he returned and said, " I
can learn no tidings of him and have hit on no trace of him, nor
can any tell me aught of him." Upon this King Sasan repented
him of that which he had done by the Prince ; whilst his mother
abode in unrest continual nor would patience come at her call: ana
thus passed over her twenty days in heaviness all. This is how it
fared with these; but as regards Kanmakan, when he left Baghdad,
he went forth perplexed about his case and knowing not whither
he should go : so he fared on alone through the desert for three
days and saw neither footman nor horseman ; withal, his sleep fled
and his wakefulness redoubled, for he pined after his people and
his homestead. He ate of the herbs of the earth and drank of its
flowing waters and siesta'd under its trees at hours of noontide
heats, till he turned from that road to another way and, following
it other three days, came on the fourth to a land of green leas, dyed
with the hues of plants and trees and with sloping valley-sides made
to please, abounding with the fruits of the earth. It had drunken
of the cups of the cloud, to the sound of thunders rolling loud and
the song of the turtle-dove gently sough'd, till its hill-slopes were
brightly verdant and its fields were sweetly fragrant. Then
Kanmakan recalled his father's city Baghdad, and for excess of
emotion he broke out into verse :
I roam, and roaming hope I to return; o Yet of returning see not how or
when:
I went for love of one I could not win, o Nor way of 'scaping 'ills that pressed
could ken.
When he ended his recital he wept, but presently he wiped away
his tears and ate of the fruits of the earth enough for his present
need. Then he made the Wuzu-ablution and prayed the ordained
prayers which he had neglected all this time ; and he sat resting
in that place through the livelong day. When night came he slept
and ceased not sleeping till midnight, when he awcke and heard a
human voice declaiming these couplets :
Tale of King Omar bin at-Nu'uman and his Sons. 65
What's life to me, unless I see the pearly sheen o Of teeth I love, and sight
that glorious mien ?
Pray for her Bishops who in convents reign, o Vying to bow before that '
heavenly queen.
And Death is lighter than the loved one's wrath, o Whose phantom haunts me
seen in every scene :
O joy of cup-companions, when they meet, o And loved and lover o'er,
each other lean !
E'en more in time of spring, the lord of flowers, o When fragrant is the world
with bloom and green :
Drainer of vine-juice ! up wi' thee, for now o Earth is a Heaven where
sweet waters flow. 1
When Kanmakan heard these distichs his sorrows surged up ; his
tears ran down his cheeks like freshets and flames of fire darted
into his heart. So he rose to see who it was that spake these
words, but saw none for the thickness of the gloom ; whereupon
passion increased on him and he was frightened and restlessness
possessed him. He descended from his place to the sole of the
valley and walked along the banks of the stream, till he heard the
same voice sighing heavy sighs and reciting these couplets :
Tho' 'tis thy wont to hide thy love perforce, o Yet weep on day of
parting and divorce !
Twixt me and my dear love were plighted vows ; o Pledge of reunion, fonder
intercourse :
With joy inspires my heart and deals it rest e Zephyr, whose coolness
doth desire enforce.
O Sa'ada", 2 thinks of me that anklet-wearer ? o Or parting broke she
troth without remorse ?
And say ! shall nights foregather us, and we o Of suffered hardships tell
in soft discourse ?
Quoth she," Thou 'rt daft for us and fey"; quoth I, o " 'Sain thee ! how many
a friend hast turned to corse ! "
If taste mine eyes sweet sleep while she's away, o Allah with loss of her
these eyne accurse.
O wounds in vitals mine! for cure they lack o Union and dewy lips'
sweet the Hack. 3
1 Koran, chapt. ii. 23. The idea is repeated in some forty Koranic passages.
2 A woman's name, often occurring. The " daughters of Sa'ada" are zebras, so called
because " they resemble women in beauty and graceful agility."
3 Arab. " Tiryak " from Gr. QrjpiaKov (fidpfjLaKov a drug against venomous bites.
It was compounded mainly of treacle, and that of Baghdad and Irak was long held sove-
reign. The European equivalent," Venice treacle," (Theriaca Andromachi) is an electuary
containing many elements. Badawin eat for counter- poison three heads of garlic in
clarified butter for forty days. (Pilgrimage Hi. 77.)
VOL. III. E
66 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
When Kanmakan heard this verse again spoken by the same voice
yet saw no one, he knew that the speaker was a lover like unto
himself, debarred from union with her who loved him ; and he said
to himself, " 'Twere fitting that this man should lay his head to
my head and become my comrade in this my strangerhood." 1 Then
he hailed the speaker and cried out to him, saying, " O thou who
farest in sombrest night, draw near to me and tell me thy tale ;
haply thou shalt find me one who will succour thee in thy suffer-
ings." And when the owner of the voice heard these words, he
cried out, " O thou that respondest to my complaint and wouldest
hear my history, who art thou amongst the knights ? Art thou
human or Jinni ? Answer me speedily ere thy death draw near,
for I have wandered in this desert some twenty days and have seen
no one nor heard any voice but thy voice." At these words Kan-
makan said to himself, " This one's case is like my case, for I, even
I, have wandered twenty days, nor during my wayfare have I seen
man or heard voice : " and he added, " I will make him no answer
till day arise." So he was silent, and the voice again called out to.
him, saying, "O thou that callest, if thou be of the Jinn fare in
peace and, if thou be man, stay awhile till the day break stark and
the night flee with the dark." The speaker abode in his place and
Kanmakan did likewise and the twain in reciting verses never
failed, and wept tears that railed till the light of day began loom
and the night departed with its gloom. Then Kanmakan looked at
the other and found him to be of the Badawi Arabs, a youth in
the flower of his age ; clad in worn clothes and bearing in baldrick
a rusty sword which he kept sheathed, and the signs of love-long-
ing were apparent on him. He went up to him and accosted him
and saluted him, and the Badawi returned the salute and greeted
him With courteous wishes for his long life, but somewhat despised
him, seeing his tender years and his Condition, which was that of a
pauper. So he said to him, " O youth, of what tribe art thou and
to whom art thou kin among the Arabs ; and what is thy history
that thou goest by night, after the fashion of knights ? Indeed
thou spakest to me in the dark words such as are spoken of none
1 Could Cervantes have read this ? In Algiers he might easily have heard it recited by
the tale-tellers. Kanmakan is the typical Arab Knight, gentle and valiant as Don
Quixote; Sabbah is the Grazioso t a "Beduin" Sancho Panza. In the " Romance of
Antar" we have a similar contrast with Ocab who says: "Indeed I am no fighter:
the sword in my hand-palm chases only pelicans ;" and, " whenever you kill a satrap, I'll
plunder him."
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nrfuman and his Sons. 67
but doughty cavaliers and lion-like warriors ; and now I hold thy
life in hand. But I have compassion on thee by reason of thy
green years ; so I will make thee my companion and thou shalt go
with me, to do me service." When Kanmakan heard him speak
these unseemly words, after showing him such skill in verse, he
knew that he despised him and would presume with him ; therefore
he answered him with soft and well-chosen speech, saying, " O
Chief of the Arabs, leave my tenderness of age and tell me why
thou wanderest by night in the desert reciting verses. Thou
talkest, I see, of my serving thee ; who then art thou and what
moved thee to talk this wise ? " Answered he, " Hark ye, boy ! I
am Sabbdh, son of Rammdh bin Humdm. 1 My people are of the
Arabs of Syria and I have a cousin, Najmah hight, who to all that
look on her brings delight. And when my father died I was
brought up in the house of his brother, the father of Najmah ; but
as soon I grew up and my uncle's daughter became a woman, they
secluded her from me and me from her, seeing that I was poor and
without money in pouch. Then the Chiefs of the Arabs and the
heads of the tribes rebuked her sire, and he was abashed before
them and consented to give me my cousin, but upon condition that
I should bring him as her dower fifty head of horses and fifty
dromedaries which travel ten days 2 without a halt and fifty camels
laden with wheat and a like number laden with barley, together
with ten black slaves and ten handmaids. Thus the weight he set
upon me was beyond my power to bear ; for he exacted more than
1 i.e. The Comely, son of the Spearman, son of the Lion, or Hero.
* Arab. " Ushari." Old Purchas (vi., i. 9) says there are three kinds of camels (i)
Huguin (=. Hejin) of tall stature and able to carry 1,000 Ibs.. (2) Bechete (=. Bukhti) the
two-humped Bactrian before mentioned and, (3) the Raguahill (Rahil) small dromedaries
unfit for burden but able to cover a hundred miles in a day. The " King of Timbukhtu "
(not " Bukhtu's well " pop. Timbuctoo) had camels which reach Segelmesse (Sijalmas) or
Darha, nine hundred miles in eight days at most. Lyon makes the Maherry (also called
El-Heirie ==. Mahri) trot nine miles an hour for a long time. Other travellers in North
Africa report the Sabayee (Saba'i = seven days wender) as able to get over six hundred
and thirty miles (or thirty-five caravan stages =. each eighteen miles) in five to seven
days. One of the dromedaries in the "hamlah" or caravan of Mr. Ensor (Journey
through Nubia and Darfoor a charming book) travelled one thousand one hundred and ten
miles in twenty-seven days. He notes that his beasts were better with water every five to
seven days, but in the cold season could do without drink for sixteen. I found in Al-Hijaz at
the end of August that the camels suffered much after ninety hours without drink (Pilgri-
mage iii. 14). But these were " Jiidi" fine-haired animals as opposed to Khawar "
(the Khowas of Chesney, p. 333), coarse-haired, heavy, slow brutes which will not stand
great heat.
68 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
the marriage-settlement as by law established. So here am I,
travelling from Syria to Irak, and I have passed twenty days with-
out seeing other than thyself ; yet I mean to go to Baghdad that I
may ascertain what merchant men of wealth and importance start
thence. Then will I fare forth in their track and loot their goods, and
I will slay their escort and drive off their camels with their loads.
But what manner of man art thou ? " Replied Kanmakan, " Thy
case is like unto my case, save that my evil is more grievous than
thine ill ; for my cousin is a King's daughter and the dowry of which
thou hast spoken would not content her people, nor would they be
satisfied with the like of that from me.'* Quoth Sabbah, " Surely
thou art a fool or thy wits for excess of passion are gathering wool !
How can thy cousin be a King's daughter ? Thou hast no sign of
royal rank on thee, for thou art but a mendicant." Rejoined Kan-
makan, " O Chief of the Arabs, let not this my case seern strange
to thee ; for what happened, happened ; * and if thou desire proof
of me, I am Kanmakan, son of King Zau al-Makan, son of King
Omar bin al-Nu'uman Lord of Baghdad and the realm Khorasan ;
and Fortune banned me with her tyrant ban, for my father died
and my Sultanate was taken by King Sasan. So I fled forth from
Baghdad secretly, lest I be seen of any man, and have wandered
twenty days without any but thyself to scan. So now I have dis-
covered to thee my case, and my story is as thy story and my need
as thy need." When Sabbah heard this, he cried out, " O my joy,
I have attained my desire ! I will have no loot this day but thy-
self ; for since thou art of the seed of Kings and hast come out in
beggar's garb, there is no help but thy people will seek thee ; and,
if they find thee in any one's power, they will ransom thee with
monies galore. So show me thy back, O my lad, and walk before
me." Answered Kanmakan, " O brother of the Arabs, act not on
this wise, for my people will not buy me with silver nor with gold,
not even with a copper dirham ; and I am a poor man, having with
me neither much nor little; so cease then to be upon this track and
take me to thy comrade. Fare we forth for the land of Irak and
wander over the world, so haply we may win dower and marriage-
portion, and we may seek and enjoy our cousins' kisses and em-
braces when we come back." Hearing this, Sabbah waxed angry;
his arrogance and fury redoubled and he said, "Woe to thee \
Dost thou bandy words with me, O vilest of dogs that be ? Turn
1 i.e. Fortune so willed it (euphemistically).
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nrfuman and his Sons. 09
thee thy back, or I will come down on thee with clack ! " Kan-
makan smiled and answered, " Why should I turn my back for
thee ? Is there no justice in thee ? Dost thou not fear to bring
blame upon the Arab men by driving a man like myself captive,
in shame and disdain, before thou hast proved him oh the plain, to
know if he be a warrior or of cowardly strain?" Upon this Sabbah
laughed and replied, "By Allah, a wonder! Thou art a boy in years
told, but in talk thou art old. These words should come from none
but a champion doughty and bold : what wantest thbu of justice?"
Quoth Kanmakan, " If thou wilt have me thy captive, to wend with
thee and serve thee, throw down thine arms and put off thine outer
gear and come on and wrestle with me; and whichever of us throw
his opponent shall have his will of him and make him his boy."
Then Sabbah laughed and said, " I think this waste of breath de-
noteth the nearness of thy death." Then he arose and threw down
his weapon and, tucking up his skirt, drew near unto Kanmakan
who also drew near and they gripped each other. But the Badawi
found that the other had the better of him and we]ghed him down,
as the quintal downweighs the dinar ; and he looked at his legs
firmly planted on the ground, and saw that they were as two
minarets * strongly based, or two tent-poles in earth encased, or
two mountains which may not be displaced. So he acknowledged
himself to be a failure and repented of having come to wrestle with
him, saying in himself, " Would I had slain him with my weapon!"
Then Kanmakan took hold of him and mastering "him, shook him
till the Badawi thought his bowels would burst in his belly, and he
broke out, " Hold thy hand, O boy ! " He heeded not his words,
but shook him again and, lifting him from the ground, made with
him towards the stream, that he might throw him therein : where-
upon the Badawi roared out, saying, " O thou valiant man, what
wilt thou do with me ? " 2 Quoth he, " I mean to throw thee into
this stream : it will bear to the Tigris. The Tigris will bring thee
to the river Isa and the Isa will carry thee to the Euphrates, and
the Euphrates will land thee in thine own country ; so thy tribe
shall see thee and know thy manly cheer and how thy passion be
sincere." Then Sabbah cried aloud and said, "O Champion of the
1 The "minaret" being feminine is usually compared with a fair young girl. The
oldest minaret proper is supposed to have been built in Damascus by the Ommiade
Caliph (No. X.) Al-Walid A.H. 86-96 (= 705-715). According to Ainsworth (ii. 113)
the second was at Kuch Hisar in Chaldea.
8 None of the pure Badawi can swim for the best of reasons, want of waters.
7O A If L'aylak wa Laylah.
desert-lair, do not with me what deed the wicked dare but let
me go, by the life of thy cousin, the jewel of the fair ! " Hearing
this, Kanmakan set him on the ground ; but when he found him-
self at liberty, he ran to his sword and targe and taking them up,
stood plotting in himself treachery and sudden assault on his
adversary. 1 The Prince kenned his intent in his eye and said to
him, " I con what is in thy heart, now thou hast hold of thy sword
and thy targe. Thou hast neither length of hand nor trick of
wrestling, but thou thinkest that, wert thou on thy mare and
couldst wheel about the plain, and ply me with thy skene, J had
long ago been slain. But I will give thee thy requite, so there may
be left in thy heart no despite ; now give me the targe and fall on
me with thy whinger ; either thou shalt kill me or I shall kill thee."
41 Here it is," answered Sabbah and, throwing him the targe, bared
his brand and rushed at him sword in hand ; Kanmakan hent the
buckler in his right and began to fend himself with it, whilst
Sabbah struck at him, saying at each stroke, " This is the finishing
blow ! " JBut it fell harmless enow, for Kanmakan took all on his
buckler and it was waste work, though he did not reply lacking the
wherewithal to strike and Sabbah ceased not to smite at him with
his sabre, till his arm was weary. When his opponent saw this, he
rushed upon him and, hugging him in his arms, shook him and
threw him to the ground. Then he turned him over on his face
and pinioned his elbows behind him with the baldrick of his sword,
and began to drag him by the feet and to make for the river.
Thereupon cried Sabbah, rt What wilt thou do with me, O youth,
and cavalier of the age and brave of the plain where battles rage- ? "
Answered he, " Did I not tell thee that it was my intent to send
thee by the river to thy kin and to thy tribe, that thy heart be not
troubled for them nor their hearts be troubled for thee, and lest
thou miss thy cousin's bride-feast ! " At this Sabbah shrieked aloud
and wept and screaming said, " Do not thus, O champion of the
1 The baser sort of Badawi is never to be trusted : he is a traitor born, and looks
upon fair play as folly or cowardice. Neither oath nor kindness can bind him : he
unites the cruelty of the cat with the wildness of the wolf. How many Englishmen
have lost their lives by not knowing these elementary truths ! The race has not changed
from the days of Mandeville (A.D. 1322) whose " Arabians, who are called Bedouins
and Ascopards (?), are right felonious and foul, and of a cursed nature." In his day
they "carried but one shield and one spear, without other arm:" now, unhappily for
travellers, they have matchlocks and most tribes can manufacture a something called be,
courtesy gunpowder*
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu J uman and his Sons. 71
time's braves ! Let me go and make me one of thy slaves ! " And
he wept and waile.d and began reciting these verses :
I'm estranged fro' my folk and estrangement's long : o Shall I die amid
strangers ? Ah, would that I kenned !
I die, nor my kinsmen shall know where I'm slain, o Die in exile nor
see the dear face of my friend !
Thereupon Kanmakan had compassion on him and said, " Make
with me a covenant true and swear me an onth to be a comrade as
due and to bear me company wheresoever I may go." "Tis well,"
replied Sabbah and swore accordingly. Then Kanmakan loosed
him and he rose and would have kissed the Prince's hand ; but he
forbade him that. Then the Badawi opened his scrip and, taking
out three barley scones, laid them before Kanmakan and they both
sat down on the bank of the stream to eat. 1 When they had done
eating together, they made the lesser ablution and prayed ; after
which they sat talking of what had befallen each of them from his
people and from the shifts of Timeu Presently said Kanmakan,
" Whither dost thou now intend ? " Replied Sabbah, " I purpose
to repair to Baghdad, thy native town, and abide there, until Allah
vouchsafe me the marriage portion." Rejoined the other, " Up
then and to the road ! I tarry here." So the Badawi farewelled
him and took the way for Baghdad, whilst Kanmakan remained
behind, saying to himself, " O my soul, with what face shall I re-
turn pauper-poor? Now by Allah, I will not go back empty-
handed and, if the Almighty please, I will assuredly work my de-
liverance." Then he went to the stream and made the Wuzu-
washing and when prostrating he laid his brow in the dust and
prayed to the Lord, saying, " O Allah ! Thou who sendest down
the dew, and feedest the worm that homes in the stone, I beseech
Thee vouchsafe me my livelihood of Thine Omnipotence and the
Grace of Thy benevolence ! " Then he pronounced the salutation
which closes prayer ; yet every road appeared closed to him. And
while he sat turning right and left, behold, he espied a horseman
making towards him with bent back and reins slack. He sat up-
right and after a time reached the Prince ; and the stranger was
at the last gasp and made sure of death, for he was grievously-
wounded when he came up ; the tears streamed down his cheeks
like water from the mouths of skins ; and he said to Kanmakan,
1 Thus by Arab custom 4hey become friends
7 2 A If Laylak wa Laylah.
41 O chief of the Arabs, take me to thy friendship as long as I live,
for thou wilt not find my like ; and give me a little water though
the drinking of water be harmful to one wounded, especially whilst
the blood is flowing and the life with it. And if I live, I will give
thee what shall heal thy penury and thy poverty : and if I die,
mayst ttfou be blessed for thy good intent." Now under that horse-*
man was a stallion, so noble a Rabite 1 the tongue fails to describe
him ; and as Kanmakan looked at his legs like marble shafts, he
was seized with a longing and said to himself, " Verily the like of
this stallion 2 is not to be found in our time." Then he helped the
rider to alight and entreated him in friendly guise and gave him a
little water to swallow ; after which he waited till he had taken
rest and addressed him, saying, " Who hath dealt thus with thee ? "
Quoth the rider, " I will tell thee the truth of the case. I am a
horse-thief and I have busied myself with lifting and snatching
horses all my life, night and day, and my name is Ghassan, the
plague of every stable and stallion. I heard tell of this horse,
that he was in the land of Roum, with King Afridun, where they
had named him Al-Katul and surnamed him Al-Majnun. 3 So I
journeyed to Constantinople for his sake and watched my oppor-
tunity and whilst I was thus waiting, there came out an old woman,
one highly honoured among the Greeks, and whose word with them
is law, by name Zat al-Dawahi, a past mistress in all manner of
trickery. She had with her this steed and ten slaves, no more, to
attend on her and the horse ; and she was bound for Baghdad and
Khorasan, there to seek King Sasan and to sue for peace and
pardon from ban. So I went out in their track, longing to get at
the horse, 4 and ceased not to follow them, but was unable to come
by the stallion, because of the strict guard kept by the slaves, till
they reached this country and I feared lest they enter the city of
Baghdad. As I was casting about to steal the stallion lo ! a great
cloud of dust arose on them and walled the horizon. Presently it
1 Our ckssical term for a noble Arab horse.
2 In Arab. "Khayl" is = horse; Husan, a stallion ; Hudud, a brood stallion; Faras,
a mare (but sometimes used as a horse and meaning " that tears over the ground ") ; Jiyad
a steed (noble) ; Kadish, a nag (ignoble) ; Mohr a colt and Mohrah, a filly. There are
dozens of other names but these suffice for conversation.
3 Al-Katul, the slayer ; Al-Majnun, the mad ; both high compliments in the style
inverted.
* This was a highly honourable exploit, which would bring the doer fame as well as
gain.
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu*uman and his Sons. 73
opened and disclosed fifty horsemen, gathered together to waylay
merchants on the highway, and their captain, by name Kahrdash,
was a lion in daring and dash; a furious lion who layeth knights
flat as carpets in battle-crash." - And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Note foben it foas tfje f^tmtali an* Jportn^rst
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the wounded
rider spake thus to Kanmakan, "Then came out the same Kahr-
dash, and fell on the old woman and her men and bore down upon
them bashing them, nor was it long before they bound her and the
ten slaves and bore off their captives and the horse, rejoicing.
When I saw this, I said to myself: My pains were in vain nor did
I attain my gain. However, I waited to see how the affair would
fare, and when the old woman found herself in bonds, she wept
and said to the captain, Kahrdash : O thou doughty Champion
and furious Knight, what wilt thou do with an old woman and
slaves, now that thou hast thy will of the horse? And she
beguiled him with soft words and she sware that she would send
him horses and cattle, till he released her and her slaves. Then
he went his way, he and his comrades, and I followed them till
they reached this country ; and I watched them, till at last I found
an opportunity of stealing the horse, whereupon I mounted him
and, drawing a whip from my wallet, struck him with it. When
the robbers heard this, they came out on me and surrounded me
on all sides and shot arrows and cast spears at me, whilst I stuck
fast on his back and he fended me with hoofs and forehand, 1 till at
last he bolted out with me from amongst them like unerring shaft
or shooting star. But in the stress and stowre I got sundry grievous
wounds and sore ; and, since that time, I have passed on his back
three days without tasting food or sleeping aught, so that my
strength is down brought and the world is become to me as
naught. But thou hast dealt kindly with me and hast shown ruth
on me ; and I see thee naked stark and sorrow hath set on thee its
mark, yet are signs of wealth and gentle breeding manifest on
1 This is a true and life-like description of horse-stealing in the Pesert : Antar and
Burckhardt will confirm every word. A noble Arab stallion is supposed to fight for his
rider and to wake hihl at night if he see any sign of danger. The owner generally
sleens under the belly of the beast which keeps eyes and ears alert till dawn.
74 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
thee. So tell me, what and whence art thou and whither art thou
bound ? " Answered the Prince, " My name is Kanmakan, son of
Zau al-Makan, son of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman. When my
father died and an orphan lot was my fate, a base man seized the
throne and became King over small and great." Then he told
him all his past from first to last ; and the horse-thief said to him,
for he pitied him, " By Allah, thou art one of high degree and
exceeding nobility, and thou shalt surely attain estate sublime and
become the first cavalier of thy time. If thou can lift me on
horseback and mount thee behind me and bring me to my own
land, thou shalt have honour in this world and a reward on the
day of band calling to band, 1 for I have no strength left to steady
myself; and if this be my last day, the steed is thine alway ; for
thou art worthier of him than any other." Quoth Kanmakan,
" By Allah, if I could carry thee on my shoulders or share my
days with thee, I would do this deed without the steed ! For I
am of a breed that loveth to do good and to succour those in
need ; and one kindly action in Almighty Allah's honour averteth
seventy calamities from its doer. So make ready to set out and
put thy trust in the Subtle, the All-Wise." And he would have
lifted him on to the horse and fared forward trusting in Allah,
Aider of those who seek aid, but the horse-thief said, " Wait for
me awhile." Then he closed his eyes and opening his hands, said,
" I .testify that there is no god but the God, and I testify that
Mohammed is the Apostle of God ! " And he added, " O glorious
One, pardon me my mortal sin, for none can pardon mortal sins
save the Immortal ! " And he made ready for death and recited
these couplets :
1 have wronged mankind, and have ranged like wind o O'er the world, and in
wine-cups my life has past :
I've swum torrent-course to bear off the horse ; o And my guiles high
places on plain have cast.
Much I've tried to win and o'er much my sin ; o And Katul of my win-
nings is most and last :
I had hoped of this steed to gain wish and need, But vain was the end
of this journey vast.
I have stolen through life, and my death in strife o Was doomed by the
Lord who doth all forecast ;
And I've toiled these toils to their fatal end o For an orphan, a pauper
sans kith or friend !
Arab. " Yaum al-tanadf," i.e. Resurrection-day.
,Tale of King Omar bin al-Nifuman and his Sons. 75
And when he had finished his verses he closed his eyes and opened
his mouth ; then with a single death-rattling he left this world.
Thereupon Kanmakan rose and dug a grave and laid him in
the dust ; after which he went up to the steed and kissed him
and wiped his face and joyed with exceeding joy, saying, "None
hath the fellow of this stallion ; no, not even King Sasan." Such
was the case with Kanmakan ; but as regards King Sasan, pre-
sently news came to him that the Wazir Dandan had thrown off
his allegiance, and with him half the army who swore that they
would have no King but Kanmakan : and the Minister had bound
the troops by a solemn covenant and had gone with them to the
Islands of India and to Berber-land and to Black-land j 1 where he
had levied armies from far and near, like unto the swollen sea for
fear and none could tell the host's van from its rear. And the
Minister was resolved to make for Baghdad and take the kingdom
in ward and slay every soul who dare retard, having sworn not to
return the sword of war to its sheath, till he had made Kanmakan
King. When this news came to Sasan, he was drowned in the sea
of appal, knowing that the whole state had turned against him,
great and small; and his trouble redoubled and his care became
despair. So he opened his treasuries and distributed his monies
among his officers ; and he prayed for Kanmakan's return, that he
might draw his heart to him with fair usage and bounty; and
make him commander of those troops which ceased not being
faithful to him, so might he quench the sparks ere they became a
flame. Now when the news of this reached Kanmakan by the
merchants, he returned in haste to Baghdad on the back of the
aforesaid stallion, and as King Sasan sat perplexed upon his throne
he heard of the coming of Kanmakan ; whereupon he despatched
all the troops and head-men of the city to meet him. So all who
were in Baghdad fared forth and met the Prince and escorted him
to the palace and kissed the thresholds, whilst the damsels and the
eunuchs went in to his mother and gave her the fair tidings of his
1 Arab. " Bilad al-Sudan" =. the Land of the Blacks, negro-land, whence the slaves
came, a word now fatally familiar to English ears. There are, however, two regions of
the same name, the Eastern upon the Upper Nile and the Western which contains the
Niger-Valley ; and each considers itself the Sudan. And the reader must not confound
the Berber of the Upper Nile, the Berberino who acts servant in Lower Egypt, with
the Berber of Barbary : the former speaks an African language ; the latter a " Semitic "
.(Arabic) tongue.
76" A If Laylah wa Laylak.
return. She came to him and kissed him between the eyes, but he
said to her, " O mother mine, let me go to my uncle King Sasan who
hath overwhelmed me with weal and boon." And while he so did,
all the palace-people and head-men marvelled at the beauty of the
stallion and said, " No King is like unto this man." So Kanmakan
went in to King Sasan and saluted him as he rose to receive him ;
and, kissing his hands and feet, offered him the horse as a present*
The King greeted him, saying, " Well come and welcome to my
son Kanmakan ! By Allah, the world hath been straitened on me
by reason of thine absence, but praised be Allah for thy safety ! '*
And Kanmakan called down blessings on him. Then the King
looked at the stallion, Al-Katul hight, and knew him for the very
horse he had seen in such and such a year whilst beleaguering the
Cross-worshippers of Constantinople with Kanmakan's sire, Zau
al-Makan, that time they slew his uncle Sharrkan. So he said to
the Prince, "If thy father could have come by this courser, he
would have bought it with a thousand blood horses : but now let
the honour return to the honourable. We accept the steed and
we give him back to thee as a gift, for to him thou hast more
right than any wight, being knightliest of knights." Then King
Sasan bade bring forth for him dresses of honour and led horses
and appointed to him the chief lodging in the palace, and showed
him the utmost affection and honour, because he feared the
issue of the Wazir Dandan's doings. At this Kanmakan rejoiced
and shame and humiliation ceased from him. Then he went to
his house and, going to his mother, asked, " O my mother, how is
it with the daughter of my uncle ? " Answered she, " By Allah,
O my son, my concern for thine absence hath distracted me from
any other, even from thy beloved ; especially as she was the cause
of thy strangerhood and thy separation from me.*' Then he com*
plained to her of his case, saying, " O my mother, go to her and
speak with her ; haply she will vouchsafe me her sight to see and
dispel from me this despondency." Replied his mother, " Idle
desires abase men's necks ; so put away from thee this thought
that can only vex ; for I will not wend to her nor go in to her
with such message.'* Now when he heard his mother's words he
told her what said the horse-thief concerning Zat al-Dawahi, how
the old woman was then in their land purposing to make Baghdad,
land added, " It was she who slew my uncle and my grandfather,
needs must I avenge them with man-bote, that our reproach
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nrfuman and his Sons. 77
be wiped out." Then he left her and repaired to an old woman,
a wicked, whorish, pernicious beldam by name Sa'adanah and
complained to her of his case and of what he suffered for love of
his cousin Kuzia Fakan and begged her to go to her and win her
favour for him. " I hear and I obey," answered the old hag and
leaving him betook herself to Kuzia Fakan's palace, that she might
intercede with her in his behalf. Then she returned to him and
said, " Of a truth Kuzia Fakan saluteth thee and promiseth to
visit thee this night about mid-night." And Shahrazad per-
ceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
fo&m ft foas tje ^unfcrrtf anU Jfott^seconto Nt'gjt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
old woman came to Kanmakan and said, " Of a truth the daughter
of thine uncle saluteth thee and she will visit thee this night about
midnight ; " he rejoiced and sat down to await the fulfilment of
his cousin's promise. But before the hour of night she came to
him, wrapped in a veil of black silk, and she went in to him and.
aroused him from sleep, saying, " How canst thou pretend to love
me, when thou art sleeping heart-free and in complete content ?" So
he awoke and said, " By Allah, O desire of my heart, I slept not
but in the hope that thine image might visit my dreams ! " Then
she chid him with soft words and began versifying in these
couplets :
Hadst thou been leal in love's loyalty, o Ne'er haddest suffered sleep to seal
those eyne :
O thou who claimest lover-loyalty, o Treading the lover's path of pain
and pine i
By Allah, O my cousin, never yet o Did eyes of lover sleep such sleep
indign.
Now when he heard his cousin's words, he was abashed before her
and rose and excused himself. Then they embraced and com-
plained to each other of the anguish of separation ; and they ceased
not thus till dawn broke and day dispersed itself over the horizon ;
when she rose preparing to depart. Upon this Kanmakan wept
and sighed and began improvising these couplets :
7 8 A/f Laylah wa Laylah.
thou who deignest come at sorest syne, o Whose lips those teeth
like necklaced pearls enshrine !
1 kissed him 1 thousand times and dipt his waist, o And spent the night with
cheek to cheek close li'en,
Till to depart us twain came dawning day, o Like sword-edge drawn
from sheath in radiant line.
And when he ended his poetry, Kuzia Fakan took leave of him and
returned to her palace. Now certain of her damsels became aware
of her secret, and one of these slave girls disclosed it to King
Sasan, who went into Kuzia Fakan and, drawing his sabre upon
her, would have slain her : but her mother Nuzhat al-Zaman
entered and said to him, " By Allah, do her no harm, for if thou
hurt her, the report will be noised among the folk and thou shalt
become a reproach amongst the Kings of the age ! Know thou
that Kanmakan is no son of adultery, but a man of honour and
nobility, who would not do aught that could shame him, and she
was reared with him. So be not hasty ; for verily the report is
spread abroad, among all the palace-people and all the folk of
Baghdad, how the Wazir Dandan hath levied armies from all
countries and is on his way hither to make Kanmakan King."
Quoth Sasan, " By Allah, needs must I cast him into such calamity
that neither earth shall support him nor sky shall shadow him ! I
did but speak him fair and show him favour because of my lieges
and my lords, lest they incline to him ; but right soon shalt thou
see what shall betide." Then he left her and went out to order the
affairs of the realm. Such, then, was the case with King Sasan ;
but as regards Kanmakan, on the next day he came in to his
mother and said, " O my mother ! I am resolved to ride forth
a-raiding and a-looting: and I will cut the road of caravans and
lift horses and flocks, negroes and white slaves and, as soon as I
have collected great store and my case is bettered galore, I will
demand my cousin Kuzia Fakan in marriage of my uncle Sasan."
Replied she, " O my son, of a truth the goods of men are not ready
to hand like a scape-camel ; 2 for on this side of them are sword-
strokes and lance-lungings and men that eat the wild beast and lay
countries waste and chase lynxes and hunt lions." Quoth he,
" Heaven forefend that I turn back from my resolve, till I have won
to my will!" Then he despatched the old woman to Kuzia Fakan,
l " Him "for "her."
2 Arab. " Sdibah," a she-camel freed from labour under certain conditions amongst
the pagan Arabs j for which see Sale (Prel. Disc. sect. v.).
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman and his Sons. 79
to tell her that he was about to set out in quest of a marriage-settle-
ment befitting her, saying to the beldam, " Thou needs must pray
her to send me an answer." " I hear and I obey," replied the old
woman and going forth, presently returned with Kuzia Fakan's
reply, which was, " She will come to thee at midnight." So he
abode awake till one half of the night was passed, when restlessness
gat hold on him, and before he was aware she came in to him,
saying, " My life be thy ransom from wakefulness ! " and he sprang
up to receive her, exclaiming, " O desire of my heart, my life be
thy redemption from all ills and evils ! " Then he acquainted her,
with his intent, and she wept : but he said, " Weep not, O daughter
of my uncle ; for I beseech Him who decreed our separation to
vouchsafe us reunion and fair understanding." Then Kanmakan,
having fixed a day for departure, went in to his mother and took
leave of her, after which came he down from his palace and threw
the baldrick of his sword over his shoulder and donned turband and
face-veil ; and mounting his horse, Al-Katul, and looking like the
moon at its full, he threaded the streets of Baghdad, till he reached
the city gate. And behold, here he found Sabbah bin Rammah
coming out of town; and his comrade seeing him, ran to his
stirrup and saluted him. He returned his salutation, and Sabbah
asked him, " O my brother, how earnest thou by this good steed
and this sword and clothes, whilst I up to present time have gotten
nothing but my sword and target ? " Answered Kanmakan, " The
hunter returneth not but with quarry after the measure of his
intention. A little after thy departure, fortune came to me : so
now say, wilt thou go with me and work thine intent in my com-
pany and journey with me in this desert ? Replied Sabbah, " By
the Lord of the Ka'abah, from this time forth I will call thee naught
but ' my lord ' ! Then he ran on before the horse, with his sword
hanging from his neck and his budget between his shoulder-blades,
and Kanmakan rode a little behind him ; and they plunged into
the desert, for a space of four days, eating of the gazelles and
drinking water of the springs. On the fifth day they drew near
a high hill, at whose foot was a spring-encampment * and a deep
1 Arab. " Marba'." In early spring the Badawi tribes leave the Rasm or wintering-
place (the Turco-Persian "Kishlak") in the desert, where winter-rains supply them,
and make for the Yaylak, or summer-quarters, where they find grass and water. Thus
the great Ruwala tribe appears regularly every year on the eastern slopes of the Anti-
Libanus (Unexplored Syria, i. 117), and hence the frequent "partuigs."
8o Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
running stream ; and the knolls and hollows were filled with
camels and cattle and sheep and horses, and little children played
about the pens and folds. When Kanmakan saw this, he rejoiced
at the sight and his breast was filled with delight ; so he addressed
himself to fight, that he might take the camels and the cattle, and
said to Sabbah, " Come, fall with us upon this loot, whose owners
have left it unguarded here, and do we battle for it with near and
far, so haply may fall to our lot of goods some share." Replied
Sabbah, " O my lord, verily they to whom these herds belong be
many in number ; and among them are doughty horsemen and
fighting footmen; and if we venture lives in this derring-do we
shall fall into danger great and neither of us will return safe from
this bate ; but we shall both be cut off by fate and leave our cousins
desolate." Then Kanmakan laughed and knew that he was a
coward ; so he left him and rode down the rise, intent on rapine,
with loud cries and chanting these couplets :
Oh a valiant race are the sons of Nu'uman, o Braves whose blades shred
heads of the foeman-clan ! l
A tribe who, when tried in the tussle of war, o Taketh prowest stand in the
battle-van :
In their tents safe close gaberlunzie's eyne, o Nor his poverty's ugly features
scan:
And I for their aidance sue of Him o Who is King of Kings and made
soul of man.
Then he rushed upon the she-camels like a he-camel in rut and
drove all before him, sheep and cattle, horses and dromedaries.
Therewith the slaves ran at him with their blades so bright and
their lances so long ; and at their head rode a Turkish horseman
who was indeed a stout champion, doughty in fray and in battle
chance and skilled to wield the nut-brown lance and the blade
with bright glance. He drove at Kanmakan, saying, "Woe to
thee ! Knewest thou to whom these herds belong thou hadst not
1 This " renowning it " and boasting of one's tribe (and oneself) before battle is as
natural as the war-cry : both are intended to frighten the foe and have often succeeded.
Every classical reader knows that the former practice dates from the earliest ages. It is
still customary in Arabia during the furious tribal fights, the duello on a magnificent
scale, which often ends in half the combatants on either side being placed hors-de-
combat. A fair specimen of '* renowning it "is Amru's Suspended Poem with its
extravagant panegyric of the Taghlab tribe (p. 64, "Arabian Poetry for English
Readers," etc., by W. A. Clouston, Glasgow: privately printed M DC CCLXXX I.;
and transcribed from Sir William Jones's translation).
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nuttman and his Sons. 8 1
done this deed. Know that they are the goods of the band
Grecian, the champions of the ocean and the troop Circassian ;
and this troop containeth none but valiant wights numbering an
hundred knights, who have cast off the allegiance of every Sultan.
But there hath been stolen from them a noble stallion, and they
have vowed not to return hence without him." Now when
Kanmakan heard these words, he cried out, saying, " O villain,
this I bestride is the steed whereof ye speak and after which ye
seek, and ye would do battle with me for his sake ! So come out
against me, all of you at once, and do you dourest for the nonce 1 "
Then he shouted between the ears of Al-Katul who ran at them
like a Ghul ; whereupon Kanmakan let drive at the Turk * and
ran him through the body and threw, him from his horse and let
out his life ; after which he turned upon a second and a third and
a fourth, and also of life bereft them. When the slaves saw this,
they were afraid of him, and he cried out and said to them, " Ho,
sons of whores, drive out the cattle and the stud or I will dye my
spear in your blood." So they untethered the beasts and began to
drive them out ; and Sabbah came down to Kanmakan with loud
voicing and hugely rejoicing ; when lo! there arose a cloud of dust
and grew till it walled the view, and there appeared under of it
riders an hundred, like lions an-hungered. Upon this Sabbah took
flight, and fled to the hill's topmost height, leaving the assailable
site, and enjoyed sight of the fight, saying, " I am no warrior ; but
in sport and jest I delight." 2 Then the hundred cavaliers made
towards Kanmakan and surrounded him on all sides, and one of
them accosted him, saying, " Whither goest thou with this loot ? "
Quoth he, " I have made it my prize and am carrying it away ;
1 The " Turk" appeared soon amongst the Abbaside Caliphs. Mohammed was made
to prophecy of them under the title Banu Kanturah, the latter being a slave-girl of
Abraham. The Imam Al-Shafi'i (A.H. I95 = A.D. 810) is said to have foretold their
rule in Egypt where an Ottoman defended him against a donkey-boy. (For details see
Pilgrimage i. 216.) The Caliph Al-Mu'atasim bi'llah (A.D. 833-842) had more than
10,000 Turkish slaves and was the first to entrust them with high office; so his Arab
subjects wrote of him :
A wretched Turk is thy heart's desire ;
And to them thou showest thee dam and sire.
His successor Al-Wdsik (Vathek, of the terrible eyes) was the first to appoint a Turk Ms
Sultan or regent. After his reign they became praetorians and led to the. downfall of the
Abbasides.
2 The Persian saying is " First at the feast and last at the fray."
VOL. III. F
82 A If LaylaJi wa Laylah*
and I forbid you from it, or come on to the combat, for know ye
that he who is before you is a terrible lion and an honourable
champion, and a sword that cutteth wherever it turneth ! " When,
the horseman heard these words, he looked at Kanmakan and
saw that he was a knight like a mane-clad lion in might, whilst
his face was as the full moon rising on its fourteenth night, and
valour shone from between his eyes. Now that horseman was the
captain of the hundred horse, and his name was Kahrdash; and
when he saw in Kanmakan the perfection of cavalarice with sur-
passing gifts of comeliness, his beauty reminded him of a beautiful
mistress of his whose name was Fatin. 1 Now she was one of the
fairest of women in face, for Allah had given her charms and grace
and noble qualities of all kinds, such as tongue faileth to explain
and which ravish the hearts of men. Moreover, the cavaliers of the
tribe feared her prowess and all the champions of that land stood
in awe of her high spirit ; and she had sworn that she would not
marry nor let any possess her, except he should conquer her in
combat (Kahrdash being one of her suitors) ; and she said to her
father, " None shall approach me, save he be able to deal me over-
throw in the field and stead of war-thrust and blow. Now when
this news reached Kahrdash, he scorned to fight with a girl,
fearing reproach ; and one of his intimates said to him, " Thou
art complete in all conditions of beauty and goodliness ; so if
thou contend with her, even though she be stronger than thou,
thou must needs overcome her ; for when she seeth thy beauty
and grace, she will be discomfited before thee and yield thee the
victory ; for verily women have a need of men e'en as thou .heedest
full plain. Nevertheless Kahrdash refused and would not contend
with her, and he ceased not to abstain from her thus, till he met
from Kanmakan that which hath been set down. Now he took
the Prince for his beloved Fatin and was afraid j albeit indeed she
loved him for what she had heard of his beauty and valour ; so he
went up to him and said, " Woe to thee, 2 O Fatin ! Thou comest
here to show me thy prowess ; but now alight from thy steed, that
I may talk with thee, for I have lifted these cattle and have foiled
my friends and waylaid many a brave and man of knightly race,
all for the sake of thy beauty of form and face, which are without
1 i.e. a tempter, a seducer.
* Arab. " Wayl-ak" here probably used in the sense of " Wayh-ak " an expression of
Affectionate concern.
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nt?uman and his Sons.. 83
peer. So marry me now, that Kings' daughters may serve thee
and thou shalt become Queen of these countries." When Kan-
makan heard these words, the fires of wrath flamed up in him and
he cried out, " Woe to thee, O Persian dog ! Leave Fatin and thy
trust and mistrust, and come to cut and thrust, for eftsoon thou
shalt lie in the dust;" and so saying, he began to wheel about him
and assail him and feel the way to prevail- But when Kahrdash
observed him closely he knew him for a doughty knight and a
stalwart in fight ; and the error of his thought became manifest to
him, whenas he saw the green down on his cheeks dispread like
myrtles springing from the heart of a rose bright-red. And ha
feared his onslaught and quoth he to those with him, " Woe to
you ! Let one of you charge down upon him and show him the
keen sword and the quivering spear ; for know that when many
do battle with one man it is foul shame, even though he be a
kemperly wight and an invincible knight/' Upon this, there ran
at Kanmakan a horseman like a lion in fight, mounted on a black
horse with hoofs snow-white and a star on his forehead, the bigness
of a dirham, astounding wit and sight, as he were Abjar, which
was Antar*s destrier, even as saith of him the poet :
The courser chargeth on battling foe, o Mixing heaven on high with the earth
down low : *
As though the Morning had blazed his brow, o And he rends her vitals as
quid pro quo.
He rushed upon Kanmakan, and they wheeled about awhile, giving
blows and taking blows such as confound the sprite and dim the
sight; but Kanmakan was the first to smite the foe a swashing
blow, that rove through turband and iron skull-cap and reached
his head, and he fell from his steed with the fall of a camel when
he rolleth over. Then a second came out to him and offered
battle, and in like guise a third, a fourth and a fifth, and he did
with them all as he had done with the first. Thereupon the rest
at once rushed upon him, for indeed they were roused by rage and
wild with wrath ; but it was not long before he had pierced them
all with the point of his spear. When Kahrdash saw these feats of
1 Firdausi, the Homer of Persia, affects the same magnificent exaggeration. The
trampling of men and horses raises such a dust that it takes one layer (of the seven)
from earth and adds it to the (seven of the) Heavens. The " blaze" on the stallion**
forehead (Arab. " Ghurrah ") is the white gleam of the morning.
84 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
arms, he feared death ; for he knew that the youth was stoutest of
heart and concluded that he was unique among knights and braves;
and he said to Kanmakan, " I waive my claim to thy blood and I
pardon thee the blood of my comrades : so take what thou wilt of
the cattle and wend thy ways, for thy firmness in fight moveth my
ruth and life is better for thee than death." Replied Kanmakan,
" Thou lackest not of the generosity of the noble ! but leave this
talk and run for thy life and reck not of blame nor think to get
back the booty ; but take the straight path for thine own safety.'*
Thereupon Kahrdash waxed exceeding wroth, and rage moved
him to the cause of his death ; so he said to Kanmakan, " Woe to
thee, an thou knew who I be, thou wouldst not wield these words
in the open field. I am the lion to bash known as Kahrdash, he
who spoileth great Kings and waylayeth all travellings and seizeth
the merchants' preciousest things. And the steed under thee is
that I am seeking ; and I call upon thee to tell me how thou
earnest by him and hast him in thy keeping." Replied Kan-
makan, " Know thou that this steed was being carried to my uncle
King Sasan, under the escort of an ancient dame high in rank
attended by ten slaves, when thou fellest upon her and tookest
the horse from her ; and I have a debt of blood against this old
woman for the sake of my grandfather King Omar bin al-Nu'uman
and my uncle King Sharrkan." " Woe to thee ! " quoth Kahrdash,
" who is thy father, O thou that hast no lawful mother ? " Quoth
he, " Know that I am Kanmakan, bin Zau al-Makan, son of Omar
bin al-Nu'uman." But when Kahrdash heard this address he said,
" Thy perfection cannot be denied, nor yet the union in thee of
knightly virtue and seemlihead," and he added, " Fare in peace,
for thy father showed us favour." Rejoined Kanmakan, " By
Allah, I will not deign to honour thee, O wretch I disdain, so far
as to overcome thee in battle-plain!" Upon this the Badawi
waxed wroth and they drove at each other, shouting aloud, whilst
their horses pricked their ears and raised their tails. 1 And they
ceased not clashing together with such a crash that it seemed to
each as if the firmament were split in sunder, and they continued
to strive like two rams which butt, smiting and exchanging with
their spears thrust and cut. Presently Kahrdash foined at
Kanmakan ; but he evaded it and rejoined upon him and so
1 A noted sign of excitement in the Arab blood horse* when the tail looks .like a
panache covering the hind-quarter.
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman and his Sons. 85
pierced him through the breast that the spearhead issued from his
back. Then he collected the horses and the plunder, and he cried
out to the slaves, saying, " Up and be driving as hard as ye may ! "
Hearing this, down came Sabbah and, accosting Kanmakan, said
to him, " Right well hast thou dight, O Knight of the age \ Verily
I prayed Allah for thee and the Lord heard my prayer/* Then he
cut off Kahrdash's head and Kanmakan laughed and said, " Woe
to thee, O Sabbah ! I thought thee a rider fain of fight." Quoth
the Badawi, " Forget not thy slave in the division ot !he spoil, so
haply therewith I may marry my cousin Najmah." Answered
Kanmakan, " Thou shalt assuredly share in it, but now keep watch
over the booty and the slaves." Then he set out for his home and
he ceased not journeying night and day till he drew near Baghdad
city, and all the troops heard of Kanmakan, and saw what was
his of loot and cattle and the horse-thief's head on the point of
Sabbah's spear. Also (for he was a noted highwayman) the mer-
chants knew Kahrdash's head and rejoiced, saying, " Allah hath
rid mankind of him ! " ; and they marvelled at his being slain and
blessed his slayer. Thereupon all the people of Baghdad came to
Kanmakan, seeking to know what adventures had befallen him,
and he told them what had passed, whereupon all men were taken*
with awe of him and the Knights and champions feared him..
Then he drove his spoil under the palace walls ; and, planting the:
spear-heel, on whose point was Kahrdash's head, over against the
royal gate, gave largesse to the people of Baghdad, distributing
horses and camels, so that all loved him and their hearts inclined
to him. Presently he took Sabbah and lodged him in a spacious
dwelling and gave him a share of the loot ; after which he went in
to his mother and told her all that had befallen him in his last
journey. Meanwhile the news of him reached the King, who rose
from his levee and, shutting himself up with his chief officers, said
to them, " Know ye that I desire to reveal to you my secret and
acquaint you with the hidden facts of my case. And further know
that Kanmakan will be the cause of our being uprooted from this
kingdom, our birth-place ; for he tiath slain Kahrdash, albeit he
had with him the tribes of the Kurds and the Turks, and our affair
with him will end in our destruction, seeing that the most part of
our tropps are his kinsmen and ye weet what the Wazir Dandan
hath done ; how he disowneth me, after all I have shown him of
favours ; and after being faithful "he hath turned traitor. Indeed it
hath reached me that he hath levied an army in the provinces and
66 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
liath planned to make Kanmakan Sultan, for that the Sultanate
was his father's and his grandfather's; and assuredly he will slay
me without mercy." Now when the Lords of the Realm heard
from him these words, they replied, " O King, verily his man 1 is
unequal to this, and did we not know him to have been reared by
thee, not one of us would approve of him. And know thou that
we are at thy commandment ; if thou desire his death, we will do
him die ; and if thou wilt remove him, we will remove him.' 5 Now
when King Sasan heard this, he said, " Verily, to slay him were
wise ; but needs must ye swear an oath to it." So all sware to slay.
Kanmakan without giving him a chance ; to the end that, when the
Wazir Dandan should come and hear of his death, his force might
be weakened and he fail of his design. When they had made this
compact and covenant with him, the King honoured them with the
highest honours and presently retired to his own apartments. But
the officers deserted him and the troops refused their service and
would neither mount nor dismount until they should espy what
might befal, for they saw that most of the army was with the
Wazir Dandan. Presently, the news of these things came to
Kuzia Fakan and caused her much concern ; so that she sent for
the old woman who was wont to carry messages between her and
her cousin, and when she came, bade her go to him and warn him
of the plot. Whereto he replied, " Bear my salutation to the
daughter of my uncle and say to her : Verily the earth is of Allah
(to whom belong Might and Majesty ! ), and He giveth it as
heritage to whomsoever of His servants he willeth. How excellent
is the saying of the sayer :
Allah holds Kingship ! Whoso seeks without Him victory o Shall be cast out,
with soul condemned to Hell of low degree :
Had I or any other man a finger-breadth of land, o The rule were
changed and men a twain of partner-gods would see."
Then the old woman returned to Kuzia Fakan and told her his
reply and acquainted her that he abode in the city. Meanwhile,
King Sasan awaited his faring forth from Baghdad, that he might
send after him some who would slay him ; till it befel one morning
that Kanmakan went out to course and chase, accompanied by
Sabbah, who would not leave him night or day. He caught ten
gazelles and among them one that had tender black eyes and
* i-e. Prince Kanmakan.
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman and his Sons. 87
turned right and left : so he let her go and Sabbah said to him,
" Why didst thou free this gazelle ? " Kanmakan laughed and set
the others free also, saying, " It is only humane to release gazelles
that have young, and this one turned not from side to side, save to
look for her fawns : so I let her go and released the others in her;
honour." Quoth Sabbah, " Do thou release me, that I may go to-
my people." At this Kanmakan laughed and smote him with the
spear-butt on the breast, and he fell to the ground squirming like
a snake. Whilst they were thus doing, behold, they saw a dust-
cloud spireing high and heard the tramp of horses ; and presently
there appeared under it a plump of knights and braves. Now the
cause of their coming was this. Some of his followers had ac-
quainted King Sasan with Kanmakan's going out to the chase ; so
he sent for an Emir of the Daylamite~s, called Jami' and twenty of
his horsemen ; and gave them money and bade them slay Kanma-
kan. So when they drew near the Prince, they charged down
upon him and he met them in mid-charge and killed them all, to
the last man. And behold, King Sasan took horse and riding out
to meet his people, found them all slain, whereat he wondered and
turned back ; when lo ! the people of the city laid hands on him
and bound him straitly. As for Kanmakan after that adventure,
he left the place behind him and rode onward with Sabbah the
Badawi And the while he went, lo ! he saw a youth sitting at
the door of a house on his road and saluted him. The youth
returned his greeting and, going into the house, brought out two
platters, one full of soured milk and the other of brewis swimming
in clarified butter ; and he set the platter before Kanmakan, saying,
" Favour us by eating of our victual." But he refused and quoth
the young man to him, " What aileth thee, O man, that thou wilt
not eat ? " Quoth Kanmakan, " I have a vow upon me." The
youth asked, "What is the cause of thy vow?", and Kanmakan
answered, "Know that King Sasan seized upon my kingdom like
a tyrant and an enemy, although it was my father's and my grand-
father's before me ; yet he became master of it by force after my.
father's death and took no count of me, by reason of my tender
years. So I have bound myself by a vow to eat no man's victual:
till I have eased my heart of my foe." Rejoined the youth, " Re-
joice, for Allah hath fulfilled thy vow. Know that he hath been
prisoned in a certain place and methinks he will soon die." Asked
Kanmakan, " In what house is he confined ? " " Under yon high
dome," answered the other. The Prince looked and saw the folk
88 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
entering and buffeting Sasan, who was suffering the agonies of the
dying. So he arose and went up to the pavilion and noted what
was therein ; after which he returned to his place and, sitting down
to the proferred victual, ate what sufficed him and put the rest in
his wallet. Then he took seat in his own place and ceased not
sitting till it was dark night and the youth, whose guest he was
slept ; when he rose and repaired to the pavilion wherein Sasan
was confined. Now about it were dogs guarding it, and one of
them sprang at him ; so he took out of his budget a bit of meat
and threw it to him. He ceased not casting flesh to the dogs till
he came to the pavilion and, making his way to where King Sasan
was, laid his hand upon his head ; whereupon he said in a loud
voice, " Who art thou ? " He replied, " I am Kanmakan whom
thou stravest to kill ; but Allah made thee fall into thine evil
device. Did it not suffice thee to take my kingdom and the
kingdom of my father, but thou must purpose to slay me ? " l
And Sasan swore a false oath that he had not plotted his death
and that the bruit was untrue. So Kanmakan forgave him and
said to him, " Follow me." Quoth he, " I cannot walk a single
step for weakness." Quoth Kanmakan, " If the case be thus we
will get us two horses and ride forth, I and thou, and seek the
open." So he did as he said, and he took horse with Sasan and
rode till day-break, when they prayed the dawn-prayer and fared
on, and ceased not faring till they came to a garden, where they
sat down and talked. Then Kanmakan rose to Sasan and said,
" Is aught left to set thy heart against me ? " " No, by Allah ! "
replied Sasan. So they agreed to return to Baghdad and Sabbah
the Badawi said, " I will go before you, to give folk the fair tidings
of your coming." Then he rode on in advance, acquainting women
and men with the good news ; so all the people came out to meet
Kanmakan with tabrets and pipes ; and Kuzia Fakan also came
out, like the full moon shining in all her splendour of light through
the thick darkness of the night. So Kanmakan met her, and soul
yearned to soul and body longed for body. There was no talk
among the people of the time but of Kanmakan ; for the Knights
bore witness of him that he was the most valiant of the folk of
the age and said, " It is not right that other than Kanmakan
1 The " quality of mercy " belongs to the noble Arab, whereas the ignoble and the
Badawin are rancorous and revengeful as camels.
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu'umart cfiid his Sons. 89
should be our Sultan ; but the throne of his grandfather shall
revert to him as it began." Meanwhile Sasan went in to his wife,
Nuzhat al-Zaman, who said to him, " I hear that the folk talk of
nothing but Kanmakan and attribute to him such qualities as
tongue never can." He replied, " Hearing of a man is not like
seeing a man. I have seen him, but have noted in him none of the
attributes of perfection. Not all that is heard is said ; but folk
ape one another in extolling and cherishing him, and Allah maketh
his praises to run on the lips of men, so that there incline to him
the hearts of the people of Baghdad and of the Wazir Dandan,
that perfidious and treacherous man ; who hath levied troops from
all lands and taketh to himself the right of naming a King of the
country ; and who chooseth that it shall be under the hand of an
orphan ruler whose worth is naught." Asked Nuzhat al-Zaman,
" What then is it that thou purposest to do ? "; and the King
answered, " I mean to kill him, that the Wazir may be baulked of
his intent and return to his allegiance, seeing nothing for it but my
service." Quoth she, " In good sooth perfidy with strangers is a
foul thing and how much more with kith and kin ! The righteous
deed to do would be to marry him to thy daughter Kuzia Fakan
and give heed to what was said of old time :
An Fate some person 'stablish o'er thy head, o And thou being worthier
her choice upbraid,
Yet do him honour due to his estate ; o He'll bring thee weal though far or
near thou vade :
Nor speak thy thought of him, else shalt thou be o Of those who self degrade
from honour's grade :
Many Harfms are lovelier than the Bride ; o But Time and Fortune lent
the Bride their aid."
When Sasan heard these her words and comprehended what her
verse intended, he rose from her in anger and said, " Were it not
that thy death would bring on me dishonour and disgrace, I would
take off thy head with my blade and make an end of thy breath."
Quoth she, "Why art thou wroth with me? I did but jest with
thee." Then she rose to him and bussed his head and hands,
saying, " Right is thy foresight, and I and thou will cast about for
some means to kill him forthright." When he heard this, he was
glad and said, " Make haste and contrive some deceit to relieve
me of my grieving : for in my sooth the door of device is straitened
upon me ! " Replied she, " At once I will devise for thee to do
9O A If Laylah wa Laylak.
away his life.-" How so?" asked he; and she answered, "By
means of our female slave the so-called Bakun." Now this Bakun
was past mistress in all kinds of knavery and was one of the most
pestilent of old women, in whose religion to abstain from wicked-
ness was not lawful ; she had brought up Kuzia Fakan and Kan-
makan who had her in so great affection that he used to sleep
at her feet. So when King Sasan heard his wife name her, he
said, " Right is this recking " ; and, sending for the old woman,
told her what had passed and bade her cast about to kill Kanma-
kan, promising her all good. Replied she, " Thy bidding shall be
obeyed ; but I would have thee, O my lord, give me a dagger l
which hath been tempered in water of death, that I may despatch
him the speedilier for thee." Quoth Sasan, "And welcome to
thee ! "; and gave her a hanger that would devance man's destiny.
Now this slave-woman had heard stories and verses and had
learned by rote great store of strange sayings and anecdotes : so
she took the dagger and went out of the room, considering how
she could compass his doom. Then she repaired to Kanmakan,
who was sitting and awaiting news of tryst with the daughter of
his uncle, Kuzia Fakan ; so that night his thought was taken up
with her and the fires of love for her raged in his heart. And while
he was thus, behold, the slave-woman, Bakun, went in to him and
said, " Union time is at hand and the days of disunion are over and
gone." Now when he heard this he asked, " How is it with Kuzia
Fakan ?"; and Bakun answered,. " Know that her time is wholly
taken up with love of thee." At this he rose and doffing his outer
clothes put them on her and promised her all good. Then said
she, " Know that I mean to pass this night with thee, that I may
tell thee what talk I have heard and console thee with stories of
many passion-distraughts whom love hath made sick." " Nay,"
quoth he, " rather tell me a tale that will gladden my heart and
gar my cares depart." " With joy and good will," answered she ;
then she took seat by his side (and that poniard under her dress)
and began to say : Know thou that the pleasantest thing my ears
ever heard was
1 Arab. " Khanjar," the poison was let into the grooves and hollows of the poniard.
The Tale of the Hashish Eater. 91
THE TALE OF THE HASHISH EATER.
A CERTAIN man loved fair women, and spent his substance on
them, till he became so poor that nothing remained to him ; the
world was straitened upon him and he used to go about the
market-streets begging his daily bread. Once upon a time as he
went along, behold, a bit of iron nail pierced his ringer and drew
blood ; so he sat down and wiping away the blood, bound up his
ringer. Then he arose crying out, and fared forwards till he came to
a Hammam and entering took off his clothes, and when he looked
about him he found it clean and empty. So he sat him down by
the fountain-basin, and ceased not pouring water on his head, till
he was tired. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Ttfoto fo&en it foa* tlje p}untottti anft JfortB-tftftli Nifijt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the man sat
down by the fountain-basin and ceased not* pouring water on his
head till he was tired. Then he went out to the room in which
was the cistern of cold water ; and seeing no one there, he found a
quiet corner and taking out a piece of Hashish, 1 swallowed it.
Presently the fumes mounted to his brain and he rolled over on to
the marble floor. Then the Hashish made him fancy that a great
lord was shampooing him and that two slaves stood at his head, one
bearing a bowl and the other washing gear and all the requisites of
the Hammam. When he saw this, he said in himself, " Meseemeth
these here be mistaken in me ; or else they are of the company
of us Hashish-eaters." 2 Then he stretched out his legs and he
imagined that the bathman said to him, " O my master, the time
of thy going up to the Palace draweth near and it is to-day thy
1 The Pers. "Bang"; Indian "Bhang"; Maroccan "Fasukh" and S. African
*' Dakha." (Pilgrimage i. 64). I heard of a " Hashish-argie " in London which ended in
half the experimentalists being on their sofas for a week. The drug is useful for stokers,,
having the curious property of making men insensible to heat. Easterns also use it for
" Imsak " prolonging coition, of which I speak presently.
* Arab. " Hashshashin ;" whence De Sacy derived " Assassin." A notable effect of
the Hashish preparation is wildly to excite the imagination, a kind of delirium imaginans
sive phantasticum.
9 2 A If Laylak wa Laylak.
turn of service." At this he laughed and said to himself, " As
Allah willeth, 1 O Hashish ! " Then he sat and said nothing,
whilst the bathman arose and took him by the hand and girt his
middle with a waist-cloth of black silk, after which the two slaves
followed him with the bowls and gear ; and they ceased not escort-
ing him till they brought him into a cabinet, wherein they set
incense and perfumes a-burning. He found the place full of
various kinds of fruits and sweet-scented flowers, and they sliced
him a water-melon and seated him on a stool of ebony, whilst the
4 bathman stood to wash him and the slaves poured water on him \
after which they rubbed him down well and said, " O our lord,
'Sir Wazir, health to thee for ever ! " Then they went out and shut
the door on him ; and in the vanity of phantasy he arose and re-
moved the waist-cloth from his middle, and laughed till he well
nigh fainted. He gave not over laughing for some time and at
last quoth he to himself, " What aileth them to address me as if I
were a Minister and style me Master, and Sir ? Haply they are
now blundering ; but after an hour they will know me and say,
This fellow is a beggar ; and take their fill of cuffing me on the
neck." Presently, feeling hot he opened the door, whereupon it
seemed to him that a little white slave and an eunuch came in to
him carrying a parcel. Then the slave opened it and brought out
three kerchiefs of silk, one of which he threw over his head, a
second over his shoulders and a third he tied round his waist.
Moreover, the eunuch gave him a pair of bath-clogs, 2 and he put
them on ; after which in came white slaves and eunuchs and sup-
ported him (and he laughing the while) to the outer hall, which he
found hung and spread with magnificent furniture, such as be-
seemeth none but kings ; and the pages hastened up to him and
seated him on the divan. Then they fell to kneading him till sleep
overcame him ; and he dreamt that he had a girl in his arms. So
he kissed her and set her between his thighs ; then, sitting to her
las a man sitteth to a woman, 3 he took yard in hand and drew her
^Meaning " Well done! M Mashallah (Ma shda f llah) is an exclamation of many uses,
especially affected when praising man or beast for fear lest flattering words induce the
evil eye.
2 Arab. " Kabkab " vulg. " Kubkab." They are between three and ten inches high;
^and those using them for the first time in the slippery Hammam must be careful.
8 Arab. " Majlis" = sitting. The postures of coition, ethnologically curious and in-
teresting, are subjects so extensive that they require a volume rather than a note. Full
information can be found in the Ananga-ranga, or Stage of the Bodiless One, a treatise
The Tale of the Hashish Eater. 93
towards him and weighed down upon her, when lo t he heard one
saying to him, "Awake, thou ne'er-do-well! The noon-hour is
come and thou art still asleep." He opened his eyes and found him-
self lying on the marge of the cold-water tank, amongst a crowd of
people all laughing at him ; for his prickle was at point and the
napkin had slipped from his middle. So he knew that all this
was but a confusion of dreams and an illusion of Hashish and he
was vexed and said to him who had aroused him, " Would thou
hadst waited till I had put it in ! " Then said the folk, " Art thou
not ashamed, O Hashish-eater, to be sleeping stark naked with
stiff-standing tool ? " And they cuffed him till his neck was red.
Now he was starving, yet forsooth had he savoured the flavour of
pleasure in his dream. When Kanmakan heard the bondwoman's
tale, he laughed till he fell backward and said to Bakun, " O my
nurse, this is indeed a rare story and a delectable ; I never heard
the like of this anecdote. Say me ! hast more ? " " Yes," replied
she, and she ceased not to tell him merry adventures and laughable
absurdities, till sleep overcame him. Then she sat by his head till
the most part of the night was past, when she said to herself, " It
is time to profit by the occasion." So she sprang to her feet and
unsheathed the hanger and rushing up to Kanmakan, was about to
cut his throat when behold, his mother came in upon the twain.
As soon as Bakun saw her, she rose in respect and advanced to
meet her, and fear gat hold of her and she fell a-trembling, as if
in Sanskrit verse vulgarly known as Koka Pandit from the supposed author, a Wazir of
the great Rajah Bhoj or, according to others, of the Maharajah of Kanoj. Under the
title Lizzat al-Nisa (The Pleasures or enjoying of Women) it has been translated into
all the languages of the Moslem East, from Hindustani to Arabic. It divides postures
into five great divisions : (i) the woman lying supine, of which there are eleven sub-
divisions ; (2) lying on her side, right or left, with three varieties ; (3) sitting, which has
ten ; (4) standing, with three subdivisions, and (5) lying prone, with two. This total of
twenty-nine, with three forms of " Purushayit," when the man lies supine (see the
Abbot in Boccaccio i. 4), becomes thirty-two, approaching the French quarante fafons.
The Upavishta, majlis, or sitting postures, when one or both " sit at squat " somewhat
like birds, appear utterly impossible to Europeans who lack the pliability of the
Eastern's limbs. Their object in congress is to avoid tension of the muscles which
\vould shorten the period of enjoyment. In the text the woman lies supine and the man
sits at squat between her legs : it is a favourite from Marocco to China. A literal trans-
lation of the Ananga-ranga appeared in 1873 under the name of Kama-Shastra ; or the
Hindoo Art of Love (Ars Amoris Indica) ; but of this only six copies were printed. It
was re-issued (printed but not published) in 1885. The curious in such matters wUl
consult the Index Librorum Prohibitorum (London, privately printed, 1879) by Pisanu*
Fraxi (H. S. Ashbee).
94 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
she had the ague. When his mother looked at her she marvelled
to see her thus and aroused her son, who awoke and found her
sitting at his head. Now the cause of her coming was that Kuzia
Fakan overheard the conversation and the concert to kill Kan-
makan, and she said to his mother, " O wife of my uncle, go to thy
son, ere that wicked whore Bakun murther him ;" and she told her
what had passed from first to last. So she fared forth at once,
and she thought of naught and stayed not for aught till she went
in to her son at the very moment when Bakun was about to slay
him in his sleep. When he awoke, he said to his mother, ' O my
mother, indeed thou comest at a good time, for nurse Bakun
hath been with me this night." Then he turned to Bakun and
asked her, " By my life ! knowest thou any story better than those
thou hast told me ? " She answered, " And where is what I have
told thee compared with what I will tell thee ? ; but however better
it be, it must be told at another time." Then she rose to depart,
hardly believing, in her escape albeit he said, " Go in peace ! " for
she perceived by her cunning that his mother knew whad had oc-
curred. So she went her way ; whereupon his mother said to him,
" O my son, blessed be this night, for that Almighty Allah hath
delivered thee from this accursed woman." " And how so ? " en-
quired he, and she told him the story from beginning to end.
Quoth he, " O my mother, of a truth the live man findeth no
slayer, and though slain he shall not die ; but now it were wiser
that we depart from amongst these enemies and let Allah work
what He will." So, when day dawned he left the city and joined
the Wazir Dandan, and after his departure, certain things befel
between King Sasan and Nuzhat al-Zaman, which compelled her
also to quit the city and join herself to them ; and presently they
were met by all the high officers of King Sasan who inclined to
their party. Then they sat in counsel together devising what they
should do, and at last all agreed upon a razzia into the land of
Roum there to take their revenge for the death of King Omar bin
al-Nu'uman and his son Sharrkan. So they set out with this in-
tent and, after sundry adventures (which it were tedious to tell as
will appear from what follows), they fell into the hands of Rumzan,
King of the Greeks. Next morning, King Rumzan caused Kan-
makan and the Wazir Dandan and their company to be brought
before him and, when they came, he seated them at his side, and
bade spread the tables of food. So they ate and drank and took
heart of grace, after having made sure of death, when they were
Tale of King Omar bin at-Ntfuman and his Sons. 95
summoned to the King's presence; and they had said to one
another, " He hath not sent for us but to slay us." And when they
were comforted the King said, " In truth I have had a dream,
which I related to the monks, and they said, " None can expound
it to thee save the Wazir Dandan." Quoth the Minister, "Weal
it was thou didst see in thy dream, O King of the age ! " Quoth
the King, " O Wazir, I dreamt that I was in a pit which seemed a
black well where multitudes were tormenting me ; and I would
have risen, but when springing up I fell on my feet and could
not get out of that same pit. Then I turned and saw therein a
girdle of gold and I stretched out my hand to take it ; but when
I raised it from the ground, I saw it was two girdles. So I girt
my middle with them both and behold, the girdles became one
girdle ; and this, O Wazir, is my dream and what I saw when my
sleep was deepest." Said Dandan, " O our Lord the Sultan ! know
that this thy dream denoteth thou hast a brother or a brother's
son or an uncle's son or other near kinsman of thy flesh and blood
whom thou knowest not ; withal he is of the noblest of you
all." Now when the King heard these words he looked at Kan-
makan and Nuzhat al-Zarnan and Kuzia Fakan and the Wazir
Dandan and the rest of the captives and said to himself, " If I
smite these people's necks, their troops will lose heart for the des-
truction of their chiefs and I shall be able to return speedily to
my realm, lest the Kingship pass out of my hands." So having
determined upon this he called the Sworder and bade him strike
off Kanmakan's head upon the spot and forthright, when lo ! up
came Rumzan's nurse and said to him, "O auspicious King, what
purposest thou ? " Quoth he, *' I purpose slaughtering these pri-
soners who are in my power; and after that I will throw their
heads among their men : then will I fall upon them, I and all my
army in one body, and kill all we can kill and rout the rest : so
will this be the decisive action of the war and I shall return
speedily to my kingdom ere aught of accident befal among my
subjects." When the nurse heard these words, she came up to
him and said in the Prankish tongue, " How canst thou prevail
upon thyself to slay thine own brother's son, and thy sister, and
thy sister's daughter?" When he heard this language, he was
wroth with exceeding wrath and said to her, " O accursed woman,
didst thou not tell me that my mother was murthered and that my
father died by poison ? Didst thou not give me a jewel and say
to me : Of a truth this jewel was thy father's ? Why didst thou
Laylah wa Laylah*
not tell me the truth ? " Replied she, c< All that I told thee is true,
but my case and thy case are wonderful and my history and thy his-
tory are marvellous. My name is Marjanah and thy mother's name
was Abrizah : and she was gifted with such beauty and loveliness
and valour that proverbs were made of her, and her prowess was re-
nowned among men of war. And thy father was King Omar bin
al-Nu'uman, Lord of Baghdad and Khorasan, without doubt or
double dealing or denial. He sent his son Sharrkan on a razzia,
in company with this very Wazir Dandan ; and they did all that
men can. But Sharrkan, thy brother, who had preceded the force,
separated himself from the troops and fell in with thy mother
Queen Abrizah in her palace ; and we happened to have sought a
place apart in order to wrestle, she and I and her other damsels.
He came upon us by chance while we were in such case, and
wrestled with thy mother, who overcame him by the power of her
splendid beauty and by her prowess. Then she entertained him
five days in her palace, till the news of this came to her father, by
the old woman Shawahi, surnamed Zat al-Dawahi, whereupon she
embraced Al-Islam at the hands of Sharrkan, and he took her and
carried her by stealth to Baghdad, and with her myseH' and Ray-
hanah and twenty other damsels, all of us having, like her, followed
the True Faith. When we came into the presence of thy Father,
the King Omar bin al-Nu'uman, and he saw thy mother, Queen
Abrizah, he fell in love with her and going in unto her one night,
had connection with her, and she conceived by him and became
with child of thee. Now thy mother had three jewels which she.
presented to thy father ; and he gave one of them to his daughter,
Nuzhat al-Zaman, another to thy brother, Zau al-Makan, and the
third to thy brother Sharrkan. This last thy mother took from
Sharrkan and kept it for thee. But as the time of her delivery
drew near she yearned after her own people and disclosed to me
her secret ; so I went to a black slave called Al-Ghazban ; and,
privily telling him our case, bribed him to go with us. Accordingly
the negro took us and fled the city with us, thy mother being near
her time. But as we approached a desert place on the borders
of our own country, the pangs of labour came upon thy mother.
Then the slave proved himself a lustful villain and approaching
her sought of her a shameful thing ; whereupon she cried out at
him with a loud cry, and was sore affrighted at him. In the excess
of her fright she gave birth to thee at once, and at that moment
there arose, in the direction of our country, a dust-cloud which
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman and his Sons. 97
towered and flew till it walled the view. Thereupon the slave
feared for his life ; so he smote Queen Abrizah with his sword and
slew her in his fury ; then mounting his horse he went his way.
Soon after his going, the dust lifted and discovered thy grandfather,
King Hardub, Lord of Graecia-land, who, seeing thy mother (and
his daughter) lying slain on the plain, was sorely troubled with a
distress that redoubled, and questioned me of the manner of her
death and the cause of her secretly quitting her father's realm.
So I told him all that had passed, first and last ; and this is the
cause of the feud between the people of the land of the Greeks
and the people of the city of Baghdad. Then we bore off thy
murthered mother and buried her; and I took thee and reared
thee, and hung about thy neck the jewel which was with Queen
Abrizah. But, wher being grown up thou earnest to man's estate,
I dared not acquaint thee with the truth of the matter, lest such
information stir up a war of blood-revenge between you. More-
over, thy grandfather had enjoined me to secrecy, and I could
not gainsay the commandment of thy mother's father, Hardub,
King of the Greeks. This, then, is the cause of my concealment
and the reason why I forbore to inform thee that thy father was
King Omar bin al-Nu'uman ; but when thou earnest to the throne,
I told thee what thou knowest ; and I durst not reveal to thee the
rest till this moment, O King of the Age ! So now I have dis-
covered to thee my secret and my proof, and I have acquainted
thee with all I know ; and thou reckest best what is in thy mind."
Now all the captives had heard the slave-woman Marjanah, nurse
to King Rumzan, speaking as she spake ; when Nuzhat al-Zaman,
\vithout stay or delay, cried out, saying, "This King Rumzan is
my brother by my father, King Omar bin al-Nu'uman, and his
mother was Queen Abrizah, daughter of King Hardub, Lord of
the Greeks ; and I know this slave-woman Marjanah right well."
With this, trouble and perplexity got hold upon Rum2an and he
caused Nuzhat al-Zaman to be brought up to him forthright.
When he looked upon her, blood yearned to blood and he ques-
tioned her of his history, She told him the tale and her story
tallied with that of Marjanah, his nurse ; whereupon the King was
assured that he was, indeed and without a doubt, of the people
of Irak ; and that King Omar bin al-Nu'uman was his father.
So without losing time he caused his sister to be unpinioned,
and Nuzhat al-Zaman came up to him and kissed his hands,
whilst her eyes ran over with tears. The King wept also to see
VOL. III. G
p8 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
her weeping, and brotherly love possessed him and his heart
yearned to his brothers son Sultan Kanmakan. So he sprang to
his feet and, taking the sword from the Sworder's hands (whereat
the captives made sure of death), he caused them to be set close to
him and he cut their bonds with the blade and said to his nurse
Marjanah, " Explain the matter to this company, even as thou
hast explained it to me." Replied she, " O King, know that this
Shaykh is the Wazir Dandan and he is the best of witnesses to my
story, seeing that he knoweth the facts of the case/' Then she
turned to the captives and repeated the whole story to them on
the spot and forthright, and in presence of the Kings of the
Greeks and the Kings of the Franks ; whereupon Queen Nuzhat
al-Zaman and the Wazir Dandan and all who were prisoners with
them confirmed her words. When Marjanah, the bond-woman,
had finished, chancing to look at Sultan Kanmakan she saw on
his neck the third jewel, fellow to the two which were with Queen
Abrizah ; and, recognising it, she cried so loud a cry, that the
palace re-echoed it and said to the King, " O my son, Know that
now my certainty is still more assured, for this jewel that is about
the neck of yonder captive is the fellow to that I hung to thy
neck ; and, these being the two, this captive is indeed thy brother's
son, Kanmakan." Then the slave-woman Marjanah turned to
Kanmakan and said to him, " Let me see that jewel, O King of
the Age ! "; so he took it from his neck and handed it to her.
Then she asked Nuzhat al-Zaman of the third jewel and she
gave it to her ; and when the two were in her hand she delivered
them to King Rumzan, and the truth and proof were made
manifest to him ; and he was assured that he was indeed Sultan
Kanmakan's uncle and that his father was King Omar bin al-
Nu'uman. So he rose at once and on the spot and, going up to
the Wazir Dandan, threw his arms round his neck; then he
embraced King Kanmakan and the twain cried a loud cry for
excess of joy. The glad news was blazed abroad without delay ;
and they beat the tabrets and cymbals, whilst the shawms
sounded and the people held high festival. The armies of Irak
and Syria heard the clamour of rejoicing among the Greeks; so
they mounted to the last man, and King Zibl Khan also took,
horse saying to himself, "Would I knew what can. be the cause
of this clamour and rejoicing in the army of the Franks and the
Greeks ! " Then the army of Irak dight itself for fight and
advanced into the plain and place of cut and foin. Presently,
Tale of King Omar din al-Nu'uman and his Sons. 99
King Rumzan turned him round and saw the army deployed
and in preparing for battle employed, so he asked the cause
thereof and was told the state of the case. Thereupon he bade
his niece and brother's daughter, Kuzia Fakan, return at once
and forthright to the troops of Syria and Irak and acquaint them
with the plight that had betided and how it was come to light
that King Rumzan was uncle to Sultan Kanmakan. She set
out, putting away from her sorrows and troubles and, coming to
King Zibl Khan, 1 saluted him and told him all that had passed
of the good accord, and how King Rumzan had proved to be her
uncle and uncle of Kanmakan. And when she went in to him
she found him tearful-eyed, in fear for the captive Emirs and
Princes ; but when he heard what had passed, from first to last,
the Moslem's sadness was abated and they joyed with the more
gladness. Then King Zibl Khan and all his officers and his
retinue took horse and followed Princess Kuzia Fakan till they
reached the pavilion of King Rumzan ; and when entering they
found him sitting with his nephew, Sultan Kanmakan. Now
he had taken counsel with the Wazir Dandan concerning King
Zibl Khan and had agreed to commit to his charge the city of
Damascus of Sham and leave him King over it as he before had
been while they themselves entered Irak. Accordingly, they con-
firmed him in the vice-royalty of Damascus of Syria, and bade
him set out at once for his government ; so he fared forth with
his troops and they rode with him a part of the way to bid him
farewell. Then they returned to their own places whereupon, the
two armies foregathered and gave orders for the march upon
Irak; but the Kings said one to other, "Our hearts will never
be at rest nor our wrath cease to rage till we have taken our
wreak of the old woman Shawahi, surnamed Zat al-Dawahi, and
wiped away our shame and blot upon our honour." Thereupon.
King Rumzan and his nephew set out, surrounded by their Nobles
and Grandees ; and indeed Kanmakan rejoiced in his uncle, King
Rumzan, and called down blessings on nurse Marjanah who had
made them known to each other. They fared on and ceased not
faring till they drew near their home Baghdad, and when the Chief
Chamberlain, Sasan, heard of their approach, he came out to meet
them and kissed the hand of King Rumzan who bestowed on him
a dress of honour. Then the King of Rouen sat down on the
1 i.e. Le Roi Crotte.
IOO Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
throne and seated by his side his nephew Sultan Kanmakan, who
said to him, " O my uncle, this Kingdom befitteth none but thee."
Replied Rumzan, " Allah be my refuge and the Lord forbid that
I should supplant thee in thy Kingdom ! " Upon this the Wazir
Dandan counselled them to share the throne between the two,
ruling each one day in turn ; and with this they were well satisfied.
- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
Wofo fofcft a foas tbe |L}tmtofc antr jfortg'fotmf)
She said , It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the two
Kings agreed each to rule one day in turn : then made they
feasts and offered sacrifices of clean beasts and held high fes-
tival ; and they abode thus awhile, whilst Sultan Kanmakan
spent his nights with his cousin Kuzia Fakan. And after that
period, as the two Kings sat rejoicing in their condition and in
the happy ending of their troubles, behold, they saw a cloud
of dust arise and tower till it wailed the world from their eyes.
And out of it came a merchant shrieking and crying aloud for
succour and saying, " O Kings of the Age ! how cometh it that
I woned safely in the land of the Infidels and I am plundered
in your realm, though it be the biding place of justice 1 and peace?"
Then King Rumzan went up to him and questioned him of his
case and he replied, " I am a merchant and, like other mer-
chants, I have been long absent from my native land, travelling
in far countries for some twenty years ; and I have a patent of
exemption from the city of Damascus which the Viceroy, King
Sharrkan (who hath found mercy) wrote me, for the cause that I
had made him gift of a slave-girl. Now as I was drawing near
my home, having with me an hundred loads of rarities of Hind,
when I brought them near Baghdad, which be the seat of your
sovereignty and the place of your peace and your justice, out there
came upon me wild Arabs and Kurds 2 in band gathered together
1 This seems to be a punning allusion to Baghdad, which in Persian would mean the
Garden (bagh) of Justice (dad). See " Biographical JNotices of Persian Poets " by Sir
Gore Ouseley, London, Oriental Translation Fund; 1846.
2 The Kardoukhoi (Carduchi) of Xenophon; also called (Strabo xv.) 4< Kardalns,
from a Persian word signifying manliness," which would be ' ' Kardak " == a doer (of
derring-do). They also- pamgd tj^e Montes Goxdaei the original Ata*ato
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu'uma* and his Sons. 1OI
from every land ; and they slew my many and they robbed my
money and this is what they have done me." Then the trader
wept in presence of King Rumzan, saying that he. was an old man
and infirm ; and he bemoaned himself till the King felt for him
and had compassion on him ; and likewise did King Kanmakan
and they swore that they would sally forth upon the thieves. So
they set out amid an hundred horse, each reckoned worth thousands
of men, and the merchant went before them to guide them in the
right way; and they ceased not faring on all that day and the
livelong night till dawnbreak, when they came to a valley abound-
ing in rills and shady with trees. Here they found the foray dis-
persed about the valley, having divided that merchant's bales
among them ; but there was yet some of the goods left. So the
hundred horsemen fell upon them and surrounded them on all
sides, and King Rumzan shouted his war cry, and thus also did
his nephew Kanmakan, and ere long they made prize of them all,
to the number of near three hundred horsemen, banded together
of the refuse of rascality. 1 They took what they could find of
the merchant's goods and, binding them tightly, brought them to
Baghdad, where King Rumzan and his nephew, King Kanmakan,
sat down together on one throne and, passing the prisoners in
review before them, questioned them of their case and their chiefs.
They said, " We have no chiefs but these three men and it was
they who gathered us together from all corners and countries."
The Kings said to them, " Point out to us your headmen ! "; and,
when this was done, they bade lay hands on the leaders and set
their comrades free, after taking from them all the goods in their
possession and restoring them to the merchant, who examined his
stuffs and monies and found that a fourth of his stock was missing,
The Kings engaged to make good the whole of his loss, where-
upon the trader pulled out two letters, one in the handwriting of
Noah's Ark. The Kurds are of Persian race, speaking an old and barbarous Iranian
tongue and often of the Shi'ah sect. They are born bandits, highwaymen, cattle-lifters j
yet they have spread extensively over Syria and Egypt and have produced some glorious
men, witness Sultan Salah al-Din (Saladin) the Great. They claim affinity with the
English in the East, because both races always inhabit the highest grounds they can
find.
1 These irregular bands who belong to no tribe are the most dangerous bandits in
Arabia, especially upon the northern frontier. Burckhardt, who suffered from them, give*
a long account of their treachery and utter ateence of that Arab " pundonoj " which is
supposed to characterise Arab thieves.
IO2 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Sharrkan, and the other in that of Nuzhat al-Zaman ; for this
was the very merchant who had bought Nuzhat al-Zaman of the
Badawi, when she was a virgin, and had forwarded her to her
brother Sharrkan ; and that happened between them which hap-
pened. 1 Hereupon King Kanmakan examined the letters and
recognised the handwriting of his uncle Sharrkan, and, having
heard the history of his aunt, Nuzhat al-Zaman, he went in to
her with the second letter written by her to the merchant who had
lost through her his monies ; Kanmakan also told her what had
befallen the trader from first to last. She knew her own hand-
writing and, recognising the merchant, despatched to him guest-
gifts and commended him to her brother and nephew, who ordered
him largesse of money and black slaves and pages to wait on him ;
besides which Nuzhat al-Zaman sent him an hundred thousand
dirhams in cash and fifty loads of merchandise and presented to
him other rich presents. Then she sent for him and when he
came, she went up to him and saluted him and told him that she
was the daughter of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman and that her
brother was King Rumzan and that King Kanmakan was her
nephew. Thereupon the merchant rejoiced with great joy, and
congratulated her on her safety and on her re-union with her
brother, and kissed her hands thanking her for her bounty ; and
said to her, " By Allah ! a good deed is not lost upon thee ! "
Then she withdrew to her own apartment and the trader sojourned
with them three days, after which he took leave of them and set
out on his return march to the land of Syria. Thereupon the two
Kings sent for the three robber-chiefs who were of the highway-
men, and questioned them of their case, when one of them came
forward and said, " Know ye that I am a Badawi who am wont to
lie in wait, by the way, to snatch small children 2 and virgin girls
and sell them to merchants ; and this I did for many a year until
these latter days, when Satan incited me to join yon two gallows-
birds in gathering together all the riff-raff of the Arabs and other
peoples, that we might plunder merchandise and waylay mer-
chants." Said the Kings, " Tell us the rarest of the adventures
that have befallen thee in kidnapping children and maidens."
Replied he, " O Kings of the Age, the strangest thing that hap-
1 An euphemistic form to avoid mentioning the incestuous mairiage.
8 I*he Arab form of our" Kinchin lay."
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman and his Sons. IOJ
pened to me was that one day, two-and-twenty years ago, I
snatched a girl who belonged to the Holy City; she was gifted
with beauty and comeliness, despite that she was but a servant
and was clad in threadbare clothes, with a piece of camlet-cloth
on her head. So I entrapped her by guile as she came out of the
caravanserai ; and at that very hour mounting her on a camel,
made of with her, thinking to carry her to my own people in the
Desert and there set her to pasture the camels and gather their
droppings in the valley. But she wept with so sore a weeping
that after coming down upon her with blows, I took her and
carried her to Damascus city where a merchant saw her with
me and, being astounded at her beauty and marvelling at her
accomplishments, wished to buy her of me and kept on bidding
me more and more for her, till at last I sold her to him for an
hundred thousand dirhams. After selling her I heard her dis-
play prodigious eloquence ; and it reached me that the merchant
clothed her in handsome gear and presented her to the Viceroy of
Damascus, who gave him three times the price which he had paid
to me, and this price, by my life ! was but little for such a damsel.
This, O Kings of the Age, is the strangest thing that ever befei
me." When the two Kings heard her story they wondered thereat,
but when Nuzhat al-Zaman heard what the Badawi related, the
light became darkness before her face and she cried out and said
to her brother Rumzan, " Sure and sans doubt this is the very
Badawi who kidnapped me in the Holy City Jerusalem ! " Then
she told them all that she had endured from him in her stranger-
hood of hardship, blows, hunger, humiliation, contempt, adding,
41 And now it is lawful for me to slay him." So saying she seized
a sword and made at him to smite him ; and behold, he cried
out and said, " O Kings of the Age, suffer her not to slay me,
till I shall have told you the rare adventures that have betided
me." And her nephew Kanmakan said to her, " O my aunt, let
him tell us his tale, and after that do with him as thou wilt." So
she held her hand and the Kings said to him, " Now let us hear
thy history " Quoth he, " O Kings of the Age, if I tell you a
rare tale will ye pardon me ? " " Yes," answered they. Then the
i robber-chief began,
IO4 A If Lay I ah wa Laylak*
THE TALE OF HAMMAD THE BAD A WI ;
AND he said : Know ye that a short while ago, I was sore wakeful
one night and thought the morn would never dawn ; so, as soon
as it was break of day I rose, without stay or delay ; and, slinging
over my shoulder my sword, mounted horse and set my lance in
rest. Then I rode out to sport and hunt and, as I went along, a
company of men accosted me and asked me whither I was bound.
I told them and they said, " We will keep thee company.'* So we
all fared on together, and, whilst we were faring, lo and behold ! up
started an ostrich and we gave her chase, but she escaped our pur-
suit and spreading wings ceased not to fly before us (and we fol-
lowing by sight) till she lost us in a desert wherein there was
neither grass nor water, nor heard we aught therein save hiss of
snake and wail of Jinn and howl of Ghul ; and when we reached
that place the ostrich disappeared nor could we tell whether she
had flown up into the sky or into the ground had gone down.
Then we turned our horses' heads and thought to return ; but found
that to retrace our steps at that time of burning heat would be
toilsome and dangerous ; for the sultry air was grievous to us, so
that we thirsted with sore thirst and our steeds stood still. We
made sure of death ; but while we were in this case we suddenly
espied from afar a spacious mead where gazelles were frisking.
Therein was a tent pitched and by the tent side a horse tethered
and a spear was planted with head glittering in the sun. 1 Upon
this our hearts revived after we had despaired, and we turned our
horses' heads towards that tent making for the meadow and the
water which irrigated it ; and all my comrades fared for it and I at
their head, and we ceased not faring till we reached the mead.
Then we alighted at the spring and watered our beasts. But I was
seized with a fever of foolish curiosity and went up to the door of
that tent, wherein I saw a young man, without hair on his cheeks,
who fellowed the new moon ; and on his right hand was a slender-
waisted maid, as she were a willow-wand. No sooner did I set
eyes on her than love gat hold upon my heart and I saluted the
youth, who returned my greeting. Then said I, " O my brother,
tell me who thou art and what to thee is this damsel sitting by thy
1 These are th signs of a Shaykh's tent.
The Tale of Hammad the BadawL 105
side ? W1 Thereupon the youth bent his head groundwards awhile,
then raised it and replied, " Tell me first who thou art and what
are these horsemen with thee ? " Answered I, " I am Hammad
son of al-Fazdri, the renowned knight, who is reckoned among the
Arabs as five hundred horse. We went forth from our place this
morning to sport and chase and were overcome by thirst ; so I
came to the door of this tent, thinking haply to get of thee a
draught of water." When he heard these my words, he turned to
the fair maiden and said, " Bring this man water and what food
there is ready." So she arose trailing her skirts, whilst the golden
bangles tinkled on her ankles and her feet stumbled in her long
locks, and she disappeared for a little while. Presently she returned
bearing in her right hand a silver vessel full of cold water and in
her left hand a bowl brimming with milk and dates, together with
some flesh of wild cattle. But I could take of her nor meat nor
drink for the excess of my passion, and I applied to her these two
couplets, saying :
It was as though the sable dye 2 upon her palms, o Were raven perching on a
swathe of freshest snow ;
Thou seest Sun and Moon conjoined in her face, e While Sun fear-dimmed and
Moon fright-pallid show.
After I had eaten and drunk I said to the youth, " Know thou, O
Chief of the Arabs, that I have told thee in all truth who and
what I am, and now I would fain have thee do the like by me and
tell me the truth of thy case/' Replied the young man, " As for
this damsel she is my sister." Quoth I, " It is my desire that thou
give me her to wife of thy free will : else will I slay thee and take
her by force." Upon this, he bowed his head groundwards awhile,
then he raised his eyes to me and answered, " Thou sayest sooth
in avouching thyself a renowned knight and famed in fight and
verily thou art the lion of the desert ; but if ye all attack me
treacherously and slay me in your wrath and take my sister by
force, it will be a stain upon your honour. An you be, as ye aver,
cavaliers who are counted among the Champions and reck not the
1 These questions, indiscreet in Europe, are the rale throughout Arabia, as they were
in the United States of the last generation.
8 Arab. " Khizab" a paste of quicklime and lamp-black kneaded with linseed oil
which turns the Henna to a dark olive. It is hideously ugly to unaccustomed eyes aiaJ
held to be remarkably beautiful in Egypt.
!06 A If Laylak wa Laylak.
shock of foray and fray, give me a little time to don my armour
and sling on my sword and set lance in rest and mount war-steed.
Then will we go forth into the field of fight, I and you ; and, if I
conquer you, I will kill you to the last man ; but if you overcome
me and slay me, this damsel, my sister, is yours." Hearing such
Words I replied, " This is only just, and we oppose it not." Then I
turned back my horse's head (for my love for the damsel waxed
hotter and hotter) and returned to my companions, to whom I set
forth her beauty and loveliness as also the comeliness of the young
man who was with her, together with his valour and strength of
soul and how he had avouched himself a match for a thousand
horse. Moreover, I described to my company the tent and all the
riches and rarities therein and said to them, " Know ye that this
youth would not have cut himself off from society and have taken
up his abode alone in this place, were he not a man of great
prowess : so I propose that whoso slayeth the younker shall take
his sister." And they said, " This contenteth us." Then my
company armed themselves and mounting, rode to the tent, where
we found that the young man had donned his gear and backed his
steed ; but his sister ran up to him (her veil being drenched with
tears), and took hold of his stirrup and cried out, saying, " Alas ! "
and, " Woe worth the day ! " in her fear for her brother, and recited
these couplets :
To Allah will I make my moan of travail and of woe j o Maybe Ilah of Arsh 1
will smite their faces with affright :
Fain would they slay thee, brother mine, with purpose felon-fell ; o Albe no
cause of vengeance was, nor fault forewent the fight.
Yet for a rider art thou known to those who back the steed, o And twixt the
East and West of knights thou art the prowest knight :
Thy sister's honour thou shalt guard though little might be hers, o For thou'rt
her brother and for thee she sueth Allah's might :
Then let not enemy possess my soul nor 'thrall my frame, o And work on me
their will and treat thy sister with despight.
ill ne'er abide, by Allah's truth, in any land or home o Where thou art not, 1
though dight it be with joyance and delight :
For love and yearning after thee myself I fain will slay, o And in the gloomy
darksome tomb spread bed upon the clay.
But when her brother heard her verse he wept with sore weeping
. the God of the Empyrean.
The Tale of Hammad the Badawi. 107
and turned his horse's head towards his sister and made this answer
to her poetry :
Stand by and see the derring-do which I to-day will show, o When meet we
and I deal them blows that rend and cleave and split ;
E'en though rush out to seek a bout the lion of the war, o The stoutest
hearted brave of all and eke the best in wit ;
To him I'll deal without delay a Sa'alabiyan blow,* o And dye my
cane-spear's joint in blood by wound of foe bespit :
If all I beat not off from thee, O sister, may this frame o Be slain, and
cast my corpse to birds, for so it would befit :
Yes, for thy dearest sake I'll strike my blows with might and main, o And when
we're gone shall this event in many a book be writ.
And when he had ended his verse, he said, " O my sister, give ear
to what I shall enjoin on thee "; whereto she replied, " Hearkening
and obedience." Quoth he, "If I fall, let none possess thy
person;" and thereupon she buffeted her face and said, " Allah
forbid, O my brother, that I should see thee laid low and yield
myself to thy foe ! " With this the youth put out his hand to her
and withdrew her veil from her face, whereupon it shone forth as
the sun shineth out from the white clouds. Then he kissed her
between the eyes and bade her farewell ; after which he turned to
us and said, " Holla, Knights ! Come ye as guests or crave ye cuts
and thrusts ? If ye come to us as your hosts, rejoice ye in the
guest-rite ; and, if ye covet the shining moon, come ye out against
me, knight by knight, into this plain and place of fight." There-
upon rushed out to him a doughty rider and the young man said
to him, " Tell me thy name and thy father's name, for I am under
an oath not to slay any whose name tallies with mine and whose
father's name is that of my father ; and if this be the case with
thee, I will give thee up the maid." Quoth the horseman, " My
name is Bildl ;" J and the young man answered him, saying :
1 A blow worthy of the Sa'alabah tribe to which he belonged.
8 i.e. "benefits"; also the name of Mohammed's Mu'ezzin, or crier to prayer, who
is buried outside the Jabiah gate of Damascus. Hence amongst Moslems Abyssinian*
were preferred as mosque-criers in the early ages of Al- Islam. Egypt chose blind men
because they were abundant and cheap; moreover they cannot take note of what is
doing on the adjoining roof- terraces where women and children love to pass the cool
hours that begin and end the day. Stories are told of men who counterfeited blindness
for years in order to keep the employment. In Moslem cities the stranger required to
be careful how he appeared at a window or on the gallery of a minaret : the people
kate to be overlooked aad the whizzing of a bullet was the warning to be off. Pilgrim*
age Hi. 185.
io8 A If Laylak wa Laylah.
Thou liest when speaking of " benefits," while Thou comest to front with
thine evillest will :
An of prowess thou'rt prow, to my words give ear, Tm he who makes cham-
pions in battle-field reel
With keen blade, like the horn of the cusped moon, So 'ware thrust that shall
drill through the durest hill !
Then they charged down, each at each, and the youth thrust his
adversary in the breast so that the lance-head issued from his
back. With this, another came out, and the youth cried :
Ho thou hound, who art rotten with foulness in grain, 1 * What high meed i$
there easy for warrior to gain ?
*Tis none save the lion of strain purest pure * Who uncareth for life
in the battle-plain !
Nor was it long before the youth left him drowned in his blood
and cried out, " Who will come forth to me ? " So a third horse-
man rushed out upon the youth and began saying :
To thee come I forth with my heart a-flame, And summon my friends
and my comrades by name :
When thou slewest the chief of the Arabs this day, # This day thou remainest
jthe pledge of my claim.
Now when the youth heard this he answered him in these words :
Thou liest, O foulest of Satans that are, * And with leasings calum-
nious thou comest to war :
This day thou shalt fall by a death-dealing point o Where the lances lunge and
the scymitars jar !
Then he so foined him in the breast that the spear-point issued
from his back and he cried out, saying, " Ho ! will none come
out ? " So a fourth fared forwards and the youth asked him his
name and he answered, " My name is Hildl, the New Moon." And
the youth began repeating :
Thou hast failed who would sink me in ruin-sea, o Thou who earnest in malice
with perfidy :
I) whose verses hast heard from the mouth of me, o Will ravish thy soul though
unknown to thee.
Then they drave at each other and delivered two cuts, but
the youth's stroke devanced that of the rider his adversary and
1 His instinct probably told him that this opponent was a low fellow ; but such insults
Arc common when " renowning U."
The Tale of Hammad the Badawi. 109
slew him : and thus he went on to kill all who sallied out against
him. Now when I saw my comrades slain, I said to myself, " If I
go down to fight with him, I shall not be able to prevail against
him ; and, if I flee, I shall become a byword of shame among the
Arabs." But the youth gave me no time to think, for he ran
at me and dragged me from my saddle and hurled me to the
ground. I fainted at the fall and he raised his sword designing to
cut off my head ; but I clung to his skirts, and he lifted me in his
hand as though I were a sparrow. When the maiden saw this, she
rejoiced in her brother's prowess and coming up to him, kissed
him between the eyes. Then he delivered me to her, saying,
" Take him and look to him and entreat him hospitably, for he
is come under our rule." So she took hold of the collar of my
hauberk l and led me away by it as one would lead a dog. Then
she did off her brother's coat of mail and clad him in a robe, and
set for him a stool of ivory, on which he sat down ; and she said
to him, " Allah whiten thy honour and prevent from thee the
shifts of fortune ! " And he answered her with these couplets :
My sister said, as saw she how I stood o In fight, when sun-rays lit my
knightlihood,
" Allah assain thee for a Brave of braves o To whom in vale bow lions
howso wood ! "
Quoth I, " Go ask the champions of my case, o When feared the Lords of war
my warrior-mood !
My name is famed for fortune and for force, o And soared my spirit to such
altitude ; "
Ho thou, Hamma'd, a lion hast upstirred, o Shall show thee speedy death
like viper-brood !
1 Arab. " Dara 1 " or " Dira'," a habergeon, a coat of ring-mail, sometimes worn in
pairs. During the wretched " Sudan " campaigns much naive astonishment was
expressed by the English Press to hear of warriors armed cap-a-pie in this armour like
medieval knights. They did not know that every great tribe has preserved, possibly from
Crusading times, a number of hauberks, even to hundreds. I have heard of only one
English traveller who had a mail-jacket made by Wilkinson of Pall Mall, imitating in
this point Napoleon III. and (according to the Banker-poet, Rogers) the Duke of Wel-
lington. That of Napoleon is said to have been made of platinum-wire, the work of a
Pole who received his money and an order to quit Paris. The late Sir Robert Clifton
(they say) tried its value with a Colt after placing it upon one of his coat-models or
mannequins. It is easy to make these hauberks arrow-proof or sword-proof, even
bullet-proof if Arab gunpowder be used : but against a modern rifle-cone they are
worse than worthless as the fragments would be carried into the wound. The British
Serjeant was right in saying that he would prefer to enter battle in his shirt : and he
might even doff that to advantage and return to the primitive custom of man gym-
nomachy.
HO A If Laylak wa Layfak.
Now when I heard his verse, I was perplexed as to my case and,
considering my condition and how I was become a captive, I was
lowered in my own esteem. Then I looked at the damsel, his
sister, and seeing her beauty I said to myself, " 'Tis she who caused
all this trouble ; and I fell a-marvelling at her loveliness till the
tears streamed from my eyes and I recited these couplets :
Dear friend ! ah leave thy loud reproach and blame ; o Such blame but irks
me yet may not alarm :
I'm clean distraught for one whom saw I not o Without her winning
me by winsome charm :
Yestreen her brother crossed me in her love, o A Brave stout-hearted
and right long of arm.
Then the maiden set food before her brother and he bade me eat
with him, whereat I rejoiced and felt assured that I should not be
slain. And when he had ended eating, she brought him a flagon
of pure wine and he applied him to it till the fumes of the drink
mounted to his head and his face flushed red. Then he turned to
me and said, " Woe to thee, O Hammad ! dost thou know me
or not ? " Replied I, " By thy life, I am rich in naught save
ignorance ! " Quoth he " O Hammad, I am 'Abbad bin Tamfm
bin 'Sa'labah and indeed Allah giveth thee thy liberty and leadeth
thee to a happy bride and spareth thee confusion." Then he
drank to my long life and gave me a cup of wine and I drank it
off; and presently he filled me a second and a third and a fourth,
and I drained them all ; while he made merry with me and swore
me never to betray him. So I sware to him one thousand five
hundred oaths that I would never deal perfidiously with him at
any time, but that I would be a friend and a helper to him.
Thereupon he bade his sister bring me ten suits of silk ; so she
brought them and laid them on my person, and this dress I have
on my body is one of them. Moreover, he made bring one of
the best of his she-dromedaries > carrying stuffs and provaunt, he
1 Arab." Jamal " (by Badawin pronounced " Gamal " like the Hebrew) is the generic
term for " Camel " through the Gr. Kaju^Ao? : " Ibl " is also the camel-species but not so
commonly used. " Hajin " is the dromedary (in Egypt, " Dalul" in Arabia), not the
one-humped camel of the zoologist (C. dromedarius) as opposed to the two-humped
(C. Bactrianus)) but a running i.e. a riding camel. The feminine is Nakah, for like
mules females are preferred. " Bakr " (masc.) and "Bakrah" (fern.) are camel-colts.
There are hosts of special names besides those which are general. Mr. Ensor is singular
when he states (p. 40) " the male (of the camel) is much the safer animal to choose ; "
and the custom of the universal East disproves his assertion. Mr. McCoan (" Egypt as
it is") tells his readers that the Egyptian camel has two humps ; in.fact, he describes the
camel as it is not.
The Tale vf Hammad the Badawi. ill
bade her also bring a sorrel horse, and when they were brought he
gave the whole of them to me. I abode with them three days,
eating and drinking, and what he gave me of gifts is with me to
this present. At the end of the three days he said to me, " O
Hammad, O my brother, I would sleep awhile and take my rest
and verily I trust my life to thee ; but, if thou see horsemen making
hither, fear not, for know that they are of the Banu Sa'labah,
seeking to wage war on me. Then he laid his sword under his
head-pillow and slept ; and when he was drowned in slumber Iblis
tempted me to slay him ; so I arose in haste, and drawing the
sword from under his head, dealt him a blow that made his head
fall from his body. But his sister knew what I had done, and
rushing out from within the tent, threw herself on his corpse,
rending her raiment and repeating these couplets :
To kith and kin bear thou sad tidings of our plight ; o From doom th* All-
wise decreed shall none of men take flight :
Low art thou laid, O brother ! strewn upon the stones, o With face that mirrors
moon when shining brightest bright !
Good sooth, it is a day accurst, thy slaughter-day o Shivering thy spear
that won the day in many a fight !
Now thou be slain no rider shall delight in steed, o Nor man-child shall
the breeding woman bring to light.
This morn Hamma'd uprose and foully murthered thee, o Falsing his oath and
troth with foulest perjury.
When she had ended her verse she said to me, " O thou of accursed
forefathers, wherefore didst thou play my brother false and slay him
when he purposed returning thee to thy native land with provisions ;
and it was his intent also to marry thee to me at the first of the
month ? " Then she drew a sword she had with her, and planting
the hilt in the earth, with the point set to her breast, she bent
over it and threw herself thereon till the blade issued from her
back and she fell to the ground, dead. I mourned for her and
wept and repented when repentance availed me naught. Then I
arose in haste and went to the tent and, taking whatever was light
of load and weighty of worth, went my way ; but in my haste and
horror I took no heed of my dead comrades, nor did I bury the
maiden and the youth. And this my tale is still more wondrous
than the story of the serving-girl I kidnapped from the Holy City,
Jerusalem. But when Nuzhat al-Zaman heard these words from
the Badawi, the light was changed in her eyes to night And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
H2 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Noto fojen it foas tfje f^utrtrefc antj jfortg-fiftt) TSTigirt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Nuzhat al-Zaman heard these words from the Badawi, the light
was changed in her eyes to night, and she rose and drawing the
sword, smote Hammad the Arab between the shoulder-blades
so that the point issued from the apple of his throat. 1 And when
all present asked her, " Why hast thou made haste to slay him ; "
she answered, " Praised be Allah who hath granted me in my life-
tide to avenge myself with mine own hand ! " And she bade the
slaves drag the body out by the feet and cast it to the dogs.
Thereupon they turned to the two prisoners who remained of the
three ; and one of them was a black slave, so they said to him,
" What is thy name, fellow ? Tell us the truth of thy case." He
replied, " As for me my name is Al-Ghazban," and acquainted
them what had passed between himself and Queen Abrizah,
daughter of King Hardub, Lord of Greece, and how he had slain
her and fled. Hardly had the negro made an end of his story,
when King Rumzan struck off his head with his scymitar, saying,
Praise to Allah who gave me life ! I have avenged my mother
with my own hand." Then he repeated to them what his nurse
Marjanah had told him of this same slave whose name was Al-
Ghazban ; after which they turned to the third prisoner. Now
this was the very camel-driver 2 whom the people of the Holy
City, Jerusalem, hired to carry Zau al-Makan and lodge him in the
hospital at Damascus of Syria ; but he threw him down on the
ashes-midden and went his way. And they said to him, "Acquaint
us with thy case and tell the truth." So he related to them all
that had happened to him with Sultan Zau al-Makan ; how he had
been carried from the Holy City, at the time when he was sick,
till they made Damascus and he had been thrown into the hospital ;
how also the Jerusalem folk had paid the cameleer money to
transport the stranger to Damascus, and he had taken it and fled
after casting his charge upon the midden by the side of the ash-
heap of the Hammam. But when he ended his words, Sultan
1 So, in the Romance of Dalhamah (Zat al-Himmah, the heroine) the hero Al-Gundubah
(" one locust-man") smites off the head of his mother's servile murderer and cries, " I
have taken my blood-revenge upon this traitor slave !'' (Lane, M. E. chapt. xxiii.).
2 This gathering all the persons upon the stage before the curtain drops is highly
artistic and improbable*
Tale of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman and his Sons. 1 1 3
Kanmakan took his sword forthright and cut off his head, saying,
" Praised be Allah who hath given me life, that I might requite
this traitor what he did with my father, for I have heard this very
story from King Zau al-Makan himself." Then the Kings said
each to other, "It remaineth only for us to wreak our revenge
upon the old woman Shawahi, yclept Zat al-Dawahi, because she]
is the prime cause of all these calamities and cast us into adversity
on this wise. Who will deliver her into our hands that we may
avenge ourselves upon her and wipe out our dishonour ? " And
King Rumzan said, " Needs must we bring her hither." So without
stay or delay he wrote a letter to his grandmother, the aforesaid
ancient woman, giving her to know therein that he had subdued
the kingdoms of Damascus and Mosul and Irak, and had broken
up the host of the Moslems and captured their princes, adding,
" I desire thee of all urgency to come to me, bringing with thee
Queen Sophia, daughter of King Afridun, and whom thou wilt of
the Nazarene chiefs, but no armies ; for the country is quiet and
wholly under our hand." And when she read the letter and
recognised the writing of King Rumzan, she rejoiced with great
joy and forthright equipping herself and Queen Sophia, set out
with their attendants and journeyed, without stopping, till they
drew near Baghdad. Then she foresent a messenger to acquaint
the King of her arrival, whereupon quoth Rumzan, "We should
do well to don the habit of the Franks and fare forth to meet the
old woman, to the intent that we may be assured against her
craft and perfidy." Whereto Kanmakan replied, " Hearing is
consenting." So they clad themselves in Prankish clothes and,
when Kuzia Fakan saw them, she exclaimed, " By the truth of
the Lord of Worship, did I not know you, I should take you to
be indeed Franks!" Then they sallied forth with a thousand
horse, King Rumzan riding on before them, to meet the old
woman. As soon as his eyes fell on hers, he dismounted and
walked towards her and she, recognizing him, dismounted also and
embraced him ; but he pressed her ribs with his hands, till he well
nigh broke them. Quoth she, "What is this, O my son ?" But
before she had done speaking, up came Kanmakan and Dandan ;
and the horsemen with them cried out at the women and slaves
and took them all prisoners. Then the two Kings returned to
Baghdad, with their captives, and Rumzan bade them decorate the
city which they did for three days, at the end of which they
brought out the old woman Shawahi, hight Zat al-Dawahi, with a
VOL. III. H
H4 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
peaked red turband of palm-leaves on her head, diademed with
asses'-dung and preceded by a herald proclaiming aloud, " This is
the reward of those who presume to lay hands on Kings and the
sons of Kings ! " Then they crucified her on one of the gates of
Baghdad ; and, when her companions saw what befel her, all
embraced in a body the faith of Al-Islam. As for Kanmakan and
his uncle Rumzan and his aunt Nuzhat al-Zaman and the Wazir
Dandan, they marvelled at the wonderful events that had betided
them and bade the scribes chronicle them in books that those who
came after might read. Then they all abode for the remainder of
their days in the enjoyment of every solace and comfort of life,
till there overtook them the Destroyer of all delights and the
Sunderer of all societies. And this is the whole that hath come
down to us of the dealings of fortune with King Omar bin al-
Nu'uman and his sons Sharrkan and Zau al-Makan and his son's
son Kanmakan and his daughter Nuzhat al-Zaman and her
daughter Kuzia Fakan. Thereupon quoth Shahryar to Shahrazad,
" I desire that thou tell me somewhat about birds ;" and hearing
this Dunyazad said to her sister, " I have never seen the Sultan
light at heart all this while till the present night ; and his pleasure
garreth me hope that the issue for thee with him may be a happy
issue." Then drowsiness overcame the Sultan, so he slept j 1 -
And Shahrazad perceived the approach of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
Jiofo fofjw ft foas tfje 3untoeto aitt jfortg^fxtft
Shahrazad began to relate, in these words,
THE TALE OF THE BIRDS AND BEASTS AND THE
CARPENTER. 2
QUOTH she, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that in times
of yore and in ages long gone before, a peacock abode with his
wife on the sea-shore. Now the place was infested with lions
1 He oxight to have said his dawn prayers.
2 Here begins what I hold to be the oldest subject-matter in The Nights, the apologues
or fables proper ; but I reserve further remarks for the terminal Essay. Lane has most
objectionably thrown this and sundry of the following stories into a note (vol. ii.,
PP. S3-69)-
The TaU of the Birds and Beasts and the Carpenter. 1 1 5
and all manner wild beasts, withal it abounded in trees and
streams. So cock and hen were wont to roost by night upon one
of the trees, being in fear of the beasts, and went forth by day
questing food. And they ceased not thus to do till their fear
increased on them and they searched for some place wherein to
dwell other than their old dwelling-place; and in the course of their
search behold, they happened ort an island abounding in streams
and trees. So they alighted there and ate of its fruits and drank
of its waters. But whilst they were thus engaged, lo ! up came to
them a duck in a state of extreme terror, and stayed not faring
forwards till she reached the tree whereon were perched the two
peafowl, when she seemed re-assured in mind. The peacock
doubted not but that she had some rare story ; so he asked her of
her case and the cause of her concern, whereto she answered, " I
am sick for sorrow, and my horror of the son of Adam i 1 so beware,
and again I say beware of the sons of Adam ! " Rejoined the
peacock, "Fear not now that thou hast won our protection."
Cried the duck, " Alhamdolillah ! glory to God, who hath done
away my cark and care by means of you being near ! For indeed
I come of friendship fain with you twain " And when she had
ended her speech the peacock's wife came down to her and said,
" Well come and welcome and fair cheer ! No harm shall hurt
thee : how can son of Adam come to us and we in this isle which
lieth amiddlemost of the sea ? From the land he cannot reach
us neither can he come against us from the water. So be of good
cheer and tell us what hath betided thee from the child of Adam."
Answered the duck, " Know, then, O thou peahen, that of a truth
I have dwelt all my life in this island safely and peacefully, nor
have I seen any disquieting thing, till one night, as I was asleep,
I sighted in my dream the semblance of a son of Adam, who
talked with me and I with him. Then I heard a voice say to me:
i O thou duck, beware of the son of Adam and be not imposed on
[ by his words nor by that he may suggest to thee ; for he aboundeth
in wiles and guiles ; so beware with all wariness of his perfidy, for
again I say, he is crafty and right cunning even as singeth of him
the poet :
He'll offer sweetmeats with his edged tongue, o And fox thee with the foxy
guile of fox.
In beast stories generally when man appears he shows to disadvantage.
II 6 A If Lay I ak wa Laylak.
And know thou that the son of Adam circumventeth the fishes
and draweth them forth of the seas ; and he shooteth the birds
with a pellet of clay, 1 and trappeth the elephant with his craft.
None is safe from his mischief and neither bird nor beast escapetb
him ; and on this wise have I told thee what I have heard con-
cerning the son of Adam. So I awoke, fearful and trembling,
and from that hour to this my heart hath not known gladness, for
dread of the son of Adam, lest he surprise me unawares by his
wile or trap me in his snares. By the time the end of the day
overtook me, my strength was grown weak and my spunk failed
me ; so, desiring to eat and drink, I went forth walking, troubled
in spirit and with a heart ill at ease. Now when I reached yonder
mountain I saw a tawny lion-whelp at the door of a cave ; and
sighting me he joyed in me with great joy, for my colour pleased
him and my gracious shape ; so he cried out to me saying : Draw
nigh unto me. I went up to him and he asked me, What is thy
name, and what is thy nature ? Answered I, My name is Duck,
and I am of the bird-kind ; and I added, But thou, why tarriest
thou in this place till this time ? Answered the whelp, My father
the lion hath for many a day warned me against the son of Adam,
and it came to pass this night that I saw in my sleep the semblance
of a son of Adam. And he went on to tell me the like of that I
have told you. When I heard these words, I said to him, O lion,
I take asylum with thee, that thou mayest kill the son of Adam
and be steadfast in resolve to his slaughter ; verily I fear him for
myself with extreme fear and to my fright affright is added for that
thou also dreadest the son of Adam, albeit thou art Sultan of
savage beasts. Then I ceased not, O my sister, to bid the young
lion beware of the son of Adam and urge him to slay him, till he
rose of a sudden and at once from his stead and went out and he
fared on, and I after him and I noted him lashing flanks with tail.
We advanced in the same order till we came to a place where the
roads forked and saw a cloud of dust arise which, presently clear-
ing away, discovered below it a runaway naked ass, now galloping
and running at speed and now rolling in the dust. When the lion
saw the ass, he cried out to him, and he came up to him in all hu-
mility. Then said the lion : Harkye, crack-brain brute ! What is
thy kind and what be the cause of thy coming hither ? He replied,
1 Shakespeare's "stone bow" not Lane's "cross-bow" (ii. 53).
The Tale of the Birds and Beasts and tke Carpenter. 117
O son of the Sultan ! 1 am by kind an ass Asinus Caballus
and the cause of my coming to this place is that I am fleeing from
the son of Adam. Asked the lion-whelp, Dost thou fear then that
he will kill thee ? Answered the ass, Not so, O son of the Sultan,
but I dread lest he put a cheat on me and mount upon me ; for he
hath a thing called Pack-saddle, which he setteth on my back ;
also a thing called Girths which he bindeth about my belly ; and a
thing called Crupper which he putteth under my tail, and a thing
called Bit which he placeth in my mouth : and he fashioneth me a
goad ] and goadeth me with it and maketh me run more than my
strength. If I stumble he curseth me, and if I bray, he revilcth
me ; 2 and at last when I grow old and can no longer run, he
putteth on me a pannel 3 of wood and delivereth me to the water-
carriers, who load my back with water from the river in skins and
other vessels, such as jars, and I cease not to wone in misery and
abasement and fatigue till I die, when they cast me on the rubbish-
heaps to the dogs. So what grief can surpass this grief and what
calamities can be greater than these calamities ? Now when I heard,
O peahen, the ass's words, my skin shuddered, and became as
gooseflesh at the son of Adam ; and I said to the lion-whelp, O my
lord, the ass of a verity hath excuse and his words add terror to my~
terror. Then quoth the young lion to the ass, Whither goest thou ?"
Quoth he, Before sunrise I espied the son of Adam afar off, and
fled from him ; and now I am minded to flee forth and runjvithout
ceasing for the greatness of my fear of him, so haply I may find me
a place of shelter from the perfidious son of Adam. Whilst the
ass was thus discoursing with the lion-whelp, seeking the while to
1 The goad still used by the rascally Egyptian donkey-boy is a sharp nail at the end of
ft stick ; and claims the special attention of societies for the protection of animals.
8 "The most ungrateful of all voices surely is the voice of asses " (Koran xxxi. 18) ;
and hence the "braying of hell" (Koran Ixvii. 7). The vulgar still believe that the
donkey brays when seeing the Devil. " The last animal which entered the Ark with Noah
was the Ass to whose tail Iblis was clinging. At the threshold the ass seemed troubled
and could enter no further when Noah said to him : Fie upon thee ! come in. But as
the ass was still troubled and did not advance Noah cried : Come in, though the Devil
be with thee!; so the ass entered and with him Iblis. Thereupon Noah asked: O
enemy of Allah who brought thee into the Ark ?; and Iblis answered : Thou art the
man, for thou saidest to the ass, come in though the Devil be with thee ! (Kitab al-
Unwan fi Makaid al-Niswan quoted by Lane ii. 54).
3 Arab. Rihl," a wooden saddle stuffed with straw and matting. In Europe the ass
might complain that his latter end is the sausage. In England they say no man sees a
dead donkey : I have seen dozens and, unfortunately, my own.
Ii8 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
take leave of us and go away, behold, appeared to us another cloud
of dust, whereat the ass brayed and cried out and looked hard and
let fly a loud fart. 1 After a while the dust lifted and discovered a
black steed finely dight with a blaze on the forehead like a dirham
round and bright ; 2 handsomely marked about the hoof with white
and with firm strong legs pleasing to sight and he neighed with
affright. This horse ceased not running till he stood before the
whelp, the son of the lion who, when he saw him, marvelled and
made much of him and said, What is thy kind, O majestic wild
beast and wherefore fleest thou into this desert wide and vast ? He
replied, O lord of wild beasts, I am a steed of the horse-kind, and
the cause of my running is that I am fleeing from the son of Adam.
The lion-whelp wondered at the horse's speech and cried to him :
Speak not such words for it is shame to thee, seeing that thou art
tall and stout. And how cometh it that thou fearest the son of
Adam, thou, with thy bulk of body and thy swiftness of running,
when I, for all my littleness of stature am resolved to encounter
the son of Adam and, rushing on him, eat his flesh, that I may allay
the affright of this poor duck and make her dwell in peace in her
1 The English reader will not forget Sterne's old mare. Even Al-Hariri, the prince of
Arab rhetoricians, does not disdain to use "pepedit," the effect being put for the cause
terror. But Mr Preston (p. 285) and polite men translate by "fled in haste" the
Arabic " farted for fear."
2 This is one of the lucky signs and adds to the value of the beast. There are some
fifty of these marks, some of them (like a spiral of hair in the breast which denotes that
the rider is a cuckold) so ill-omened that the animal can be bought for almost nothing.
Of course great attention is paid to colours, the best being the dark rich bay ("red " of
Arabs) with black points, or the flea-bitten grey (termed Azrak = blue or Akhzar = green)
which whitens with age The worst are dun, cream coloured, piebald and black, which
last are very rare. Yet according to the Mishkat al-Masabih (Lane 2, 54) Mohammed
said, "The best horses are black (dark brown?) with white blazes (Arab. "Ghurrah")
and upper lips ; next, black with blaze aqd three white legs (bad, because white-hoofs
are brittle) : next, bay with white blaze and white fore and hind legs." He also said,
" Prosperity is with sorrel horses j" and praised a sorrel with white forehead and
legs ; but he dispraised the " Shikal " which has white stockings (Arab. " Muhajjil") on
alternate hoofs (e.g. right hind and left fore). The curious reader will consult Lady Anne
Blunt's " Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates, with some Account of the Arabs and their
Horses " (1879) ; but he must remember that it treats of the frontier tribes. The late
Major Upton also left a book, " Gleanings from the Desert of Arabia " (1881) ; but it is!
a marvellous production deriving e.g. Khayl (a horse generically) from Kohl or antimony J
(p. 275). What the Editor was dreaming of I cannot imagine. I have given some
details concerning the Arab horse especially in Al-Yaman, among the Zu Mohammed,
the Zu Husayn and the Banu Yam in Pilgrimage iii. 270. As late as Marco Polo's day
they supplied the Indian market vi& Aden - r but the "Eye of Al-Yaman " has totally lost
the habit of exporting horses.
The Tale of the Birds and Beasts and the Carpenter. 119
own place ? But now thou hast come here and thou hast wrung my
heart with thy talk and turned me back from what I had resolved to
do, seeing that, for all thy bulk, the son of Adam hath mastered thee
and hath feared neither thy height nor thy breadth, albeit, wert
thou to kick him with one hoof thou wouldst kill him, nor could
he prevail against thee, but thou wouldst make him drink the cup of
death. The horse laughed when he heard the whelp's words and
replied, Far, far is it from my power to overcome him, O Prince,
Let not my length and my breadth nor yet my bulk delude thee with
respect to the son of Adam ; for that he, of the excess of his guile
and his wiles, fashioneth me a thing called Hobble and applieth to
my four legs a pair of ropes made of palm-fibres bound with felt,
and gibbeteth me by the head to a high peg, so that I being tied
up remain standing and can neither sit nor lie down. And when,
he is minded to ride me, he bindeth on his feet a thing of iron
called Stirrup 1 and layeth on my back another thing called Saddle,
which he fasteneth by two Girths passed under my armpits. Then
he setteth in my mouth a thing of iron he calleth Bit, to which he
tieth a thing of leather called Rein ; and, when he sitteth in the
saddle on my back, he taketh the rein in his hand and guideth me
with it, goading my flanks the while with the shovel-stirrups till
he maketh them bleed. So do not ask, O son of our Sultan, the
hardships I endure from the son of Adam. And when I grow old
and lean and can no longer run swiftly, he selleth me to the miller
who maketh me turn in the mill, and I cease not from turning
night and day till I grow decrepit. Then he in turn vendeth me
to the knacker who cutteth my throat and flayeth off my hide and
plucketh out my tail, which he selleth to the sieve-maker ; and he
melteth down my fat for tallow-candles. When the young lion
heard the horse's words, his rage and vexation redoubled and he
said, When didst thou leave the son of Adam ? Replied the horse,
At mid-day and he is upon my track. Whilst the whelp was thus
conversing with the horse lo ! there rose a cloud of dust and,
presently opening out, discovered below it a furious camel gurgling
and pawing the earth with his feet and never ceasing so to do till
he came up with us. Now when the lion-whelp saw how big and
buxom he was, he took him to be the son of Adam and was about
to spring upon him when I said to him, O Prince, of a truth this
is not the son of Adam, this be a camel, and he seemeth to be
1 The shovel-iron which is the only form of spur.
I2O A If Laylah wa Laylak.
fleeing from the son of Adam. As I was thus conversing, O my
sister, with the lion-whelp, the camel came up and saluted him ;
whereupon he returned the greeting and said : What bringeth
thee hither? Replied he, I came here fleeing from the son of
Adam. Quoth the whelp, And thou, with thy huge frame and
length and breadth, how cometh it that thou fearest the son of
Adam, seeing that with one kick of thy foot thou wouldst kill him ?
Quoth the camel, O son of the Sultan, know that the son of Adam
hath subtleties and wiles, which none can withstand nor can any
prevail against him, save only Death ; for he putteth into my
nostrils a twine of goat's hair he calleth Nose-ring, 1 and over my
head a thing he calleth Halter; then he delivereth me to the least
of his little children, and the youngling draweth me along by the
nose-ring, my size and strength notwithstanding. Then they load
me with the heaviest of burdens and go long journeys with me
and put me to hard labour through the hours of the night and the
day. When I grow old and stricken in years and disabled from
working, my master keepeth me not with him, but selleth me to
the knacker who cutteth my throat and vendeth my hide to the
tanners and my flesh to the cooks : so do not ask the hardships I
suffer from the son of Adam. When didst thou leave the son of
Adam ? asked the young lion ; and he answered, At sundown,
and I suppose that coming to my place after my departure and
not finding me there, he is now in search of me : wherefore let me
go, O son of the Sultan, that I may flee into the wolds and the
wilds. Said the whelp, Wait awhile, O camel, till thou see how
I will tear him, and give thee to eat of his flesh, whilst I craunch
his bones and drink his blood. Replied the camel, O King's son,
I fear for thee from the child of Adam, for he is wily and guile-
full. And he began repeating these verses :
When the tyrant enters the lieges' land, o Naught remains for the lieges but
quick remove!
Now whilst the- camel was speaking with the lion-whelp, behold,
there rose a cloud of dust which, after a time, opened and showed an
old man scanty of stature and lean of limb; and he bore on his shoul-
der a basket of carpenter's tools and on his head a branch of a tree
and eight planks. He led little children by the hand and came on
1 Used for the dromedary : the baggage-camel is haltered.
The Tale of the Birds and Beasts and the Carpenter. 121
at a trotting pace, 1 never stopping till he drew near the whelp.
When I saw him, O my sister, I fell down for excess of fear ; but the
young lion rose and walked forward to meet the carpenter and
when he came up to him, the man smiled in his face and said to
him, with a glib tongue and in courtly terms: O King who defendeth
from harm and lord of the long arm, Allah prosper thine evening
and thine endeavouring and increase thy valiancy and strengthen
thee ! Protect me from that which hath distressed me and with its
mischief hath oppressed me, for I have found no helper save only
thyself. And the carpenter stood in his presence weeping and
wailing and complaining. When the whelp heard his sighing and
his crying he said, I will succour thee from that thou fearest. Who
hath done thee wrong and what art thou, O wild beast, whose like
in my life I never saw, nor ever espied one goodlier of form or
more eloquent of tongue than thou ? What is thy case ? Replied
the man, O lord of wild beasts, as to myself I am a carpenter ; but
as to who hath wronged me, verily he is a son of Adam, and by
break of dawn after this coming night 2 he will be with thee in this
place. When the lion-whelp heard these words of the carpenter,
the light was changed to night before his sight and he snorted and
roared with ire and his eyes cast forth sparks of fire. Then he cried
out saying, By Allah, I will assuredly watch through this coming
night till dawn, nor will I return to my father till I have won my
will. Then he turned to the carpenter and asked, Of a truth I see
thou art short of step and I would not hurt thy feelings for that I
am generous of heart ; yet do I deem thee unable to keep pace
with the wild beasts : tell me then whither thou goest ? Answered
the carpenter, Know that I am on my way to thy father's Wazir,
the lynx ; for when he heard that the son of Adam had set foot in
this country he feared greatly for himself and sent one of the wild
beasts on a message for me, to make him a house wherein he
should dwell, that it might shelter him and fend off his enemy from
hirrij so not one of the sons of Adam should come at him. Ac-
cordingly I took up these planks and set forth to find him. Now
when the young lion heard these words he envied the lynx and
said to the carpenter, By my life there is no help for it but thou
1 Arab. " Harwalah," the pas gymnastique affected when circumambulating tb
Ka'abah (Pilgrimage iii. 208).
2 "This night" would be our "last night": the Arabs, I repeat, say "night and
day," not *' day and night."
122 A If Laylah wa Laylak*
make me a house with these planks ere thou make one for Sir
Lynx ! When thou hast done my work, go to him and make him
whatso he wisheth. The carpenter replied, O lord of wild beasts,
I cannot make thee aught till I have made the lynx what he
desireth : then will I return to thy service and build thee a house
as a fort to ward thee from thy foe. Exclaimed the lion-whelp,
By Allah, I will not let thee leave this place till thou build me a
house of planks. So saying he made for the carpenter and sprang
upon him, thinking to jest with him, and cuffed him with his paw,
knocking the basket off his shoulder ; and threw him down in a
fainting fit, wliereupon the young lion laughed at him and said,
Woe to thee, O carpenter, of a truth thou art feeble and hast no
force ; so it is excusable in thee to fear the son of Adam. Now
when the carpenter fell on his back, he waxed exceeding wroth ;
but he dissembled his wrath for fear of the whelp and sat up and
smiled in his face, saying, Well, I will make for thee the house.
With this he took the planks he had brought and nailed together
the house, which he made in the form of a chest after the measure
of the young lion. And he left the door open, for he had cut in
the box a large aperture, to which he made a stout cover and bored
many holes therein. Then he took out some newly wrought nails
and a hammer and said to the young lion, Enter the house through
this opening, that I may fit it to thy measure. Thereat the whelp
rejoiced and went up to the opening, but saw that it was strait ;
and the carpenter said to him, Enter and crouch down on thy legs
and arms ! So the whelp did thus and entered the chest, but his
tail remained outside. Then he would have drawn back and come
out ; but the carpenter said to him, Wait patiently a while till I
see if there be room for thy tail with thee. The young lion did as
he was bid when the carpenter twisted up his tail and, stuffing it
into the chest, whipped the lid on to the opening and nailed it
down ; whereat the whelp cried out and said, O carpenter, what is
this narrow house thou hast made me ? y Let me out, sirrah ! But
the carpenter answered, Far be it, far be it from thy thought!
Repentance for past avails naught, and indeed of this place thou
shalt not come out. He then laughed and resumed, Verily thou,
art fallen into the trap and from thy duresse there is no escape, O
vilest of wild beasts! Rejoined the whelp, O my brother, what
manner of words are these thou addresses! to me ? The carpenter
replied Know, O dog of the desert ! that thou hast fallen into that
which thou fearedst : Fate hath upset thee, nor. shall caution set
The Tale of the Birds and Beasts and the Carpenter. \ 23
thee up. When the whelp heard these words, O my sister, he knew
that this was indeed the very son of Adam, against whom he had
been warned by his sire in waking state and by the mysterious
Voice in sleeping while ; and I also was certified that this was
indeed he without doubt ; wherefore great fear of him for myself
seized me and I withdrew a little apart from him and waited to see
what he would do with the young lion. Then I saw, O my sister,
the son of Adam dig a pit in that place hard by the chest which
held the whelp and, throwing the box into the hole, heap dry wood
upon it and burn the young lion with fire. At this sight, O sister
mine, my fear of the son of Adam redoubled and in my affright I
have been these two days fleeing from him." But when the pea-
hen heard from the duck this story, -- And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo fofjen ft teas tjje f^untfrelr anto JFottB-sebenti) Nfc$t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
peahen heard from the duck this story, she wondered with exceed-
ing wonder and said to her, " O my sister, here thou art safe from
the son of Adam, for we are in one of the islands of the sea
whither there is no way for the son of Adam ; so do thou take up
thine abode with us till Allah make easy thy case and our case."
Quoth the duck, " I fear lest some calamity come upon me by
night, for no runaway can rid him of fate by flight." Rejoined the
peahen, " Abide with us, and be like unto us ; " and ceased not to
persuade her, till she yielded, saying, " O my sister, thou knowest
how weak is my resistance ; but verily had I not seen thee here, I
had not remained. 1 ' Said the peahen, " That which is on our
foreheads 1 we must indeed fulfil, and when our doomed day
draweth near, who shall deliver us ? But not a soul departeth
except it have accomplished its predestined livelihood and term."
Now the while they talked thus, a cloud of dust appeared and
approached them, at sight of which the duck shrieked aloud and
ran down into the sea, crying out, " Beware ! beware ! though flight
there is not from Fate and Lot ! " 2 After awhile, the dust opened
out and discovered under it an antelope ; whereat the duck and
the peahen were reassured and the peacock's wife said to her com-
1 The vulgar belief is that man's fate is written upon his skull, the sutures being the
writing.
9 Koran ii. 191.
124 Alj Laylah wa Luylah.
panion, " O my sister, this thou seest and wouldst have me beware
of is an antelope, and here he is, making for us. He will do us no
hurt, for the antelope feedeth upon the herbs of the earth and, even
as thou art of the bird-kind, so is he of the beast-kind. Be there-
fore of good cheer and cease care-taking ; for care-taking wasteth
the body." Hardly had the peahen done speaking, when the ante-
lope came up to them, thinking to shelter him under the shade of
the tree ; and, sighting the peahen and the duck, saluted them and
said, " I came to this island to-day and I have seen none richer in
herbage nor pleasanter for habitation." * Then he besought them
for company, and amity and, when they saw his friendly behaviour
to them, they welcomed him and gladly accepted his offer. So
they struck up a sincere friendship and sware thereto ; and they
slept in one place and they ate and drank together ; nor did they
cease dwelling in safety, eating and drinking their fill, till one day
there came thither a ship which had strayed from her course in the
sea. She cast anchor near them and the crew came forth and
dispersed about the island. They soon caught sight of the three
friends, antelope, peahen and duck, and made for them ; whereupon
the peahen flew up into the tree and thence winged her way
through air ; and the antelope fled into the desert, but the duck
abode paralysed by fear. So they chased her till they caught her
and she cried out and said, " Caution availed me naught against
Fate and Lot ! "; and they bore her off to the ship. Now when the
peahen saw what had betided the duck, she removed from the
island, saying, " I see that misfortunes lie in ambush for all. But
for yonder ship, parting had not befallen between me and this
duck, because she was one of the truest of friends." Then she
flew off and rejoined the antelope, who saluted her and gave her
joy of her safety and asked for the duck, to which she replied,
" The enemy hath taken her, and I loathe the sojourn of this
island after her." Then she wept for the loss of the duck and
began repeating :
The day of parting cut my heart in twain : o In twain may Allah cut the parting-
day !
And she spake also this couplet :
I pray some day that we re-union gain, o So may I tell him Parting's ugly way.
The antelope sorrowed with great sorrow, but dissuaded the
peahen from her resolve to remove from the island. So they
abode there together with him, eating and drinking, in peace and
The Hermits. 125
safety, except that they ceased not to mourn for the loss of the
duck; and the antelope said to the peahen, " O my sister, thou
seest how the folk who came forth of the ship were the cause
of our severance from the duck and of her destruction ; so do thou
beware of them and guard thyself from them and from the wile of
the son of Adam and his guile." But the peahen replied, " I am
assured that nought caused her death save her neglecting to say
Subhan' Allah, glory to God ; indeed I often said to her :
Exclaim thou, Praised be Allah, and verily I fear for thee, because
thou neglectest to laud the Almighty ; for all things created by
Allah glorify Him on this wise, and whoso neglecteth the formula
of praise l him destruction waylays." When the antelope heard
the peahen's words he exclaimed, "Allah make fair thy face!"
and betook himself to repeating the formula of praise, and ceased
not therefrom a single hour. And it is said that his form of adora-
tion was as follows : " Praise be to the Requiter of every good
and evil thing, the Lord of Majesty and of Kings the King ! "
And a tale is also told on this wise of
THE HERMITS.
A CERTAIN hermit worshipped on a certain mountain, whither
resorted a pair of pigeons ; and the worshipper was wont to make
two parts of his daily bread, - And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Noto to&m tt teas t$e $^un&tE& an&
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
worshipper was wont to make two parts of his daily bread, eating
one half himself and giving the other to the pigeon pair. He also
prayed for them both that they might be blest with issue : so they
increased and multiplied greatly. Now they resorted only to that
mountain where the hermit was, and the reason of their fore-
gathering with the holy man was their assiduity in repeating
1 Arab."Tasbih" = saying, " Subhan' Allah." It also means a rosary (Egypt.
Sebhah for Subhah) a string of 99 beads divided by a longer item into sets of three and
much fingered by the would-appear pious. The professional devotee carries a string of
wooden balls the size of pigeons* eggs.
126 A If Laylah wa Laylah,
" Praised be Allah ! " for it is recounted that the pigeon ! sayeth
in praise. " Praised be the Creator of all Creatures, the Distributor
of daily bread, the Builder of the heavens and Dispreader of the
earths ! " And that couple ceased not to dwell together in the
happiest of life, they and their brood till the holy man died, when
the company of the pigeons was broken up and they dispersed
among the towns and villages and mountains. Now it is told that
on a certain other mountain there dwelt a shepherd, a man of piety
and good sense and chastity ; and he had flocks of sheep which he
tended, and he made his living by their milk and wool. The
mountain which gave him a home abounded in trees and pasturage
and also in wild beasts, but these had no power over his flocks ; so
he ceased not to dwell upon that highland in full security, taking
no thought to the things of the world, by reason of his beatitude
and his assiduity in prayer and devotion, till Allah ordained that
he should fall sick with exceeding sickness. Thereupon he betook
himself to a cavern in the mountain and his sheep used to go
out in the morning to the pasturage and take refuge at night in
the cave. But Allah Almighty, being minded to try him and
prove his patience and his obedience, sent him one of His angels,
who came in to him in the semblance of a fair woman and sat down
before him. When the shepherd saw that woman seated before
him, his flesh shuddered at her with horripilation 2 and he said to
her, "O thou woman, what was it invited thee to this my retreat?
I have no peed of thee, nor is there aught betwixt me and thee
which calleth for thy coming in to me." Quoth she, " O man, dost
thou -not behold my beauty and loveliness and the fragrance of my
breath ; and knowest thou not the need women have of men and
men of women ? So who-sham forbid thee from me when 1 have
chosen to be near thee and^clesire to enjoy thy company ? Indeed,
I come to thee willingly and do not withhold myself from thee, and
near us there is none whom we need fear; and I wish to abide
1 The pigeon is usually made to say, "Wahhidu Rabba-kumu 'llazi khalaka-kum,
yaghfiru lakum zamba-kum":^" Unify (Assert the Unity of) your Lord who created
you ; so shall He forgive your sin ! " As might be expected this " language " is
differently interpreted. Pigeon-superstitions are found in all religions and I have noted
(Pilgrimage Hi. -218) how the Hindu deity of Destruction-reproduction, the third Person
of their Triad, Shiva and his Spouse (or active Energy), are supposed to have dwelt at
Meccah, under the titles of Kapoteshwara (Pigeon-god) and Kapoteshi (Pigeon-goddess^.
2 I have seen this absolute horror of women amongst the Monks of the Coptic
Convents.
The Hermits. 127
with thee as long as thou sojournest in this mountain, and be thy
companion and thy true friend. I offer myself to thee, for thou
needest the service of woman : and if thou have carnal connection
with me and know me, thy sickness shall be turned from thee and
health return to thee ; and thou wilt repent thee of the past for
having foresworn the company of women during the days that are
now no more. In very sooth, I give thee good advice: so incline
to my counsel and approach me." Quoth the shepherd, " Go out
from me, O woman deceitful and perfidious ! I will not incline to
thee nor approach thee. I want not thy company nor wish for
union with thee ; he who coveteth the coming life renounceth thee,
for thou seducest mankind, those of past time and those of present
time. Allah the Most High lieth in wait for His servants and woe
unto him who is cursed with thy company!" Answered she, "O
thou that errest from the truth and wanderest from the way,
of reason, turn thy face to me and look upon my charms and
take thy full of my nearness, as did the wise who have gone
before thee. Indeed, they were richer than thou in experience
and sharper of wit; withal they rejected not, as thou rejectest,
the enjoyment of women ; nay, they took their pleasure of them
and their company even as thou renouncest them, and it did
them no hurt in things temporal or things spiritual. Wherefore
do thou recede from thy resolve and thou shalt praise the issue
of thy case." Rejoined the shepherd, " All thou sayest I deny
and abhor, and all thou offerest I reject : for thou art cunning and
perfidious and there is no honesty in thee nor is there honour.
How much of foulness hidest thou under thy beauty, and how
many a pious man hast thou seduced from his duty and made his
end penitence and perdition ? Avaunt from me, O thou who de-
votest thyself to corrupt others ! " Thereupon, he threw his goat's-
hair cloak over his head that he might not see her face, and betook
himself to calling upon the name of his Lord. And when the
angel saw the excellence of his submission to the Divine Will, he
went out from him and ascended to heaven. Now hard by the
hermit's hill was a village wherein dwelt a pious man, who knew
not ihe other's station, till one night he heard in a dream a Voice
saying to him, " In such a place near to thee is a devout man : go
thou to him and be at his command ! " So when morning dawned
he set out to wend thither, and what time the heat was grievous
upon him, he came to a tree which grew beside a spring of running
water. So he sat down to rest in the shadow of that tree and
128 t Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
behold, he saw beasts and birds coming to that fount to drink ;
but when they caught sight of the devotee sitting there, they took
fright and fled from before his face. Then said he, " There is no
Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah ! I rest not here but
to the hurt of these beasts and fowls." So he arose, blaming him-
self and saying, " Verily my tarrying here this day hath wronged
these animals, and what excuse have I towards my Creator and
the Creator of these birds and beasts for that I was the cause of
their flight from their drink and their daily food and their place of
pasturage ? Alas for my shame before my Lord on the day when
He shall avenge the. hornless sheep on the sheep with horns!" 1
And he wept and began repeating these couplets :
Now an, by Allah, unto man were fully known o Why he is made, in careless
sleep he ne'er would wone :
First Death, then cometh Wake and dreadful Day of Doom o Reproof with
threats, sore terror, frightful malison.
Bid we or else forbid we, all of us are like o The Cave-companions 2 when at
length their sleep was done.
1 After the Day of Doom, when men's actions are registered, that of mutual retali-
ation will follow and all creatures (brutes included) will take vengeance on one another,
2 The Comrades of the Cave, famous in the Middle Ages of Christianity (Gibbon
chapt. xxxiii.)> is an article of faith with Moslems, being part subject of chapter xviiu,
the Koranic Surah termed the Cave. These Ripp Van Winkle-tales begin with
Endymion so famous amongst the Classics and Epimenides of Crete who slept fifty-seven
years; and they extend to modern days as La Belle au Bois dormant. The Seven
Sleepers are as many youths of Ephesus (six royal councillors and a shepherd, whose
names are given on the authority of Ali) ; and, accompanied by their dog, they fled the
persecutions of Dakianus (the Emperor Decius) to a cave near Tarsus in Natolia where
they slept for centuries. The Caliph Mu'awiyah when passing the cave sent into !t
some explorers who were all killed by a burning wind. The number of the sleepers
remains uncertain, according to the Koran (ibid. v. 21) three, five or seven; and their
sleep lasted either three hundred or three hundred and nine years. The dog (ibid. v. 17)
slept at the cave-entrance with paws outstretched and, according to the general, was
called *' Katmir " or " Kitmir ; " but Al-Rakim (v. 8) is also applied to it by some. Others
hold this to be the name of the valley or mountain and others of a stone or leaden tablet
on which their names were engraved by their countrymen who built a chapel on the
spot (v. 20). Others again make the Men of Al-Rakim distinct from the Cave-men, and
believe (with Bayzawi; that they were three youths who were shut up in a grotto by a
rock-slip. Each prayed for help through the merits of some good deed : when the first
had adjured Allah the mountain cracked till light appeared ; at the second petition it split
so that they saw one another and after the third it opened. However that may be,
Kitmir is one of the seven favoured animals ; the others being the Hudhud (hoopoe) of
Solomon (Koran xxii. 20) ; the she-camel of Salih (chapt. Ixxxvii.) ; the cow of Moses
which named the Second Surah ; the fish of Jonah ; the serpent of Eve, and the peacock
of Paradise. For Koranic revelations of the Cave see the late Thomas Chenery (p. 414
The Assemblies of Al-Hariri : Williams and Norgate, 1870) who borrows from the
historian Tabari.^
Tale of the Water-Fowl and the Tortoise. 129
Then he again wept for that he had driven the birds and beasts
from the spring by sitting down under the tree, and he fared on
till he came to the shepherd's dwelling and going in, saluted him.
The shepherd returned his salutation and embraced him, weeping
and saying, " What hath brought thee to this place where no man
hath ever yet come to me." Quoth the other devotee, " I saw in
my sleep one who described to me this thy stead and bade me
repair to thee and salute thee : so I came, in obedience to the
commandment/' The shepherd welcomed him, rejoicing in his
company and the twain abode upon that mountain, worshipping
Allah with the best of worship ; and they ceased not serving their
Lord in the cavern and living upon the flesh and milk of their
sheep, having clean put away from them riches and children and
what not, till the Certain, the Inevitable became their lot. And
this is the end of their story. Then said King Shahyrar, " O
Shahrazad, thou wouldst cause me to renounce my kingdom and
thou makest me repent of having slain so many women and
maidens. Hast thou any bird-stories ? " " Yes," replied she, and
began to tell the
TALE OF THE WATER-FOWL AND THE TORTOISE.
IT is related by truthful men, O King, that a certain bird flew high
up firmament-wards and presently lit on a rock in the midst
of water which was running, And as he sat there, behold, the
current carried to him the carcass of a man, and lodged it against
the rock, for being swollen it floated. The bird, which was a
water-fowl, drew near and examining it, found that it was the
dead body of a son of Adam and saw in it sign of spear and stroke
of sword. So he said to himself, "I presume that this man who
hath been slain was some evil-doer, and that a company banded
themselves together against him and put him to death and were
at peace from him and his evil-doing." And as he continued
marvelling at this, suddenly the vultures and kites came down
upon the carcass from all sides and gat round it ; which when the
water-fowl saw, he feared with sore affright and said, " I cannot
abide here any longer." So he flew away in quest of a place where
he might wone, till that carcass should come to an end and the
birds of prey leave it ; and he stayed not in his flight, till he found
VOL. IIL I
13 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
a river with a tree in its midst. So he alighted on the tree, troubled
and distraught and sore grieved for departing from his birth-place,
and said to himself, "Verily sorrows cease not to follow me : I was
at my ease when I saw that carcass, and rejoiced therein with
much joy, saying, " This is a gift of daily bread which Allah hath
dealt to me : but my joy became annoy and my gladness turned
to sadness, for the ravenous birds, which are like lions, seized
upon it and tare it to pieces and came between me and my prize.
So how can I hope to be secure from misfortune in this world ; or
put any trust therein ? Indeed, the proverb saith : The world
is the dwelling of him who hath no dwelling: he who hath no
Wits is cozened by it and entrusteth it with his wealth and his
child and his family and his folk ; and whoso is cozened ceaseth
not to rely upon it, pacing proudly upon earth until he is laid
under earth and the dust is cast over his corpse by him who of all
men was dearest to him and nearest. But naught is better for
generous youth than patience under its cares and miseries. I have
left my native place and it is abhorrent to me to quit my brethren
and friends and loved ones." Now whilst he was thus musing
io ! a male-tortoise descended into the river and, approaching the
water-fowl, saluted him, saying, " O my lord, what hath exiled
thee and driven thee so far from thy place ? " Replied the water-
fowl, " The descent of enemies thereon ; for the wise brooketh not
the neighbourhood of his foe ; and how well saith the poet :
Whenas on any land the oppressor doth alight, o There's nothing left for those,
that dwell therein, but flight. 1
Quoth the tortoise, "If the matter be as thou sayest and the case
as thou describest, I will not leave thee nor cease to stand before
thee, that I may do thy need and fulfil thy service ; for it is said
that there is no sorer desolation than that of him who is an exile,
cut off from friends and home ; and it is also said that no calamity
equalleth that of severance from the good ; but the best solace for
men of understanding is to seek companionship in strangerhood
and be patient under sorrows and adversity. Wherefore I hope
that thou wilt approve of my company, for I will be to thee a
servant and a helper." Now when the water-fowl heard the
tortoise's words he answered, " Verily, thou art right in what thou
1 These lines have occurred in Night cxlvi. : I quote Mr. Payne by way of variety.
Tale of the Water-Fowl and the Tortoise. \ 3 1
sayest for, by my life, I have found grief and pain in separation,
what while I have been parted from my place and sundered from
my brethren and friends ; seeing that in severance is an admonition
to him who will be admonished and matter of thought for him who
will take thought. If the generous youth find not a companion to
console him, weal is for ever cut off from him and ill is eternally
established with him ; and there is nothing for the sage but to
solace himself in every event with brethren and be constant in
patience and endurance : indeed these two are praiseworthy quali-
ties, and both uphold one under calamities and vicissitudes of the
world and ward off startling sorrows and harrowing cares, come
what will." Rejoined the tortoise, " Beware of sorrow, for it will
spoil thy life and waste thy manliness." And the two gave not
over conversing till the bird said, " Never shall I cease fearing the
shifts of time and vicissitudes of events." When the tortoise heard
this, he came up to him and, kissing him between the eyes, said to
him, " Never may the company of the birds cease to be blest in
thee and through thee, and find wisdom in thy good counsel ! How
shalt thou be burdened with care and harm ? " And he went on
to comfort the water-fowl and soothe his terrors till he became
re-assured. Then he flew to the place where the carcass was and
found on arriving there the birds of prey gone, and they had left
nothing of the body but bones ; whereupon he returned to the
tortoise and acquainted him with the fact that the foe had dis-
appeared from his place, saying, " Know that of a truth I long for
return homewards to enjoy the society of my friends ; for the sage
cannot endure separation from his native place." So they both
went thither and found naught to affright them ; whereupon the
water- fowl began repeating:
And haply whenas strait descends on lot of generous youth s Right sore,
with Allah only lies his issue from annoy :
He's straitened, but full oft when rings and meshes straitest clip, o He 'scapes
his strait and joyance finds, albe I see no joy.
So the twain abode in that island ; and while the water-fowl was
enjoying a life of peace and gladness, suddenly Fate led thither a
hungry falcon, which drove its talons into the bird's belly and
killed him, nor did caution avail him when his term of life was
ended. Now the cause of his death was that he neglected to use
the formula of praise, and it is said that his form of adoration
was as follows, " Praised be our Lord in that He ordereth and
dtf Laylah wa Laylah.
ordaineth ; and praised be our Lord in that He enricheth and im-
poverisheth ! " Such was the water-fowl's end and the tale of the
ravenous birds. And when it was finished quoth the Sultan, " O
Shahrazad, verily thou overwhelmest me with admonitions and
salutary instances. Hast thou any stories of beasts ? " " Yes.'*
answered she ; and began to tell the
TALE OF THE WOLF AND THE FOX. 1
KNOW, O King, that a fox and a wolf once cohabited in the same
den, harbouring therein together by day and resorting thither by
night ; but the wolf was cruel and oppressive to the fox. They
abode thus awhile, till it so befel that the fox exhorted the wolf
to use gentle dealing and leave off his ill deeds, saying^ " If thou
persist in thine arrogance, belike Allah will give the son of Adam
power over thee, for he is past master in guile and wile ; and by his
artifice he bringeth down the birds from the firmament and he
haleth the mighty fish forth of the flood-waters ; and he cutteth the
mountain and transporteth it from place to place. All this is of
his craft and wiliness : wherefore do thou betake thyself to equity
and fair dealing and leave frowardness and tyranny ; and thou
shalt fare all the better for it." But the wolf would not accept his
counsel- and answered him roughly, saying, " What right hast thou
to speak of matters of weight and importance ? " And he dealt
the fox a cuff that laid him senseless ; but, when he revived, he
smiled in the wolf's face and, excusing himself for his unseemly
speech, repeated these two couplets :
If any sin I sinned, or did I aught o In love of you, which hateful mischief
wrought ;
My sm I sore repent and pardon sue ; o So give the sinner gift of pardon
sought.
1 The wolf (truly enough to nature) is the wicked man without redeeming traits ; the
Ibx of Arab folk-lore is the cunning man who can do good on occasion. Here the latter
fs called " Sa'alab " which may, I have noted, mean the jackal ; but further on " Father
Of a Fortlet " refers especially to the fox. Herodotus refers to the gregarious Canis
Aureus when he describes Egyptian wolves as being "not much bigger than foxes"
(ii. 67). Canon Rawlinson, in his unhappy version, does not perceive that the Halicar*
means the jackal and blunders about the hyena.
Tale of the Wolf and the Fox. 133
The wolf accepted his excuse and held his hand from further ill-
treatment, saying, " Speak not of whatso concerneth thee not, lest
thou hear what will please thee not/' Answered the fox, " To
hear is to obey ! " And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say
Hoto tojen tt toaa tfje ^untafc anfc Jportg^ntntJ Jligftt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth the
wolf to the fox, " Speak not of whatso concerneth thee not,
lest thou hear what will please thee not ! " Answered the fox,
"To hear is to obey! I will abstain henceforth from what
pleaseth thee not; for the sage saith: Have a care that thou
speak not of that whereof thou art not asked ; leave that which
concerneth thee not for that which concerneth thee, and by no
means lavish good counsel on the wrongous, for they will repay
it to thee with wrong." And reflecting on the words of the wolf
he smiled in his face, but in his heart he meditated treachery
against him and privily said, " There is no help but that I compass
the destruction of this wolf." So he bore with his injurious usage,
saying to himself, " Verily insolence and evil-speaking are causes
of perdition and cast into confusion, and it is said : The insolent
is shent and the ignorant doth repent ; and whoso feareth, to him
safety is sent : moderation marketh the noble and gentle manners*
are of gains the grandest. It behoveth me to dissemble with this
tyrant and needs must he be cast down." Then quoth he to th
wolf, " Verily, the Lord pardoneth his erring servant and relenteth
towards him, if he confess his offences ; and I am a weak slave and
have offended in presuming to counsel thee. If thou knewest the
pain that befel me by thy buffet, thou wouldst ken that even the
elephant could not stand against it nor endure it : but I complain
not of this blow's hurt, because of the joy and gladness that hath
betided me through it ; for though it was to me exceeding sore yet
was its issue of the happiest. And with sooth saith the sage :
The blow of the teacher is at first right hurtful, but the end of it 19
sweeter than strained honey. Quoth the wolf, " I pardon thine
offence and I cancel thy fault ; but beware of my force and avow
thyself my thrall ; for thou hast learned my severity unto him who
showeth his hostility ! " Thereupon the fox prostrated himself
before the wolf, saying, " Allah lengthen thy life and mayst thou
never cease to overthrow thy foes ! " And he stinted not to fear
134 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
the wolf and to wheedle him and dissemble with him. Now it
came to pass that one day, the fox went to a vineyard and saw a
breach in its walls; but he mistrusted it and said to himself,
" Verily, for this breach there must be some cause and the old saw
saith : Whoso seeth a cleft in the earth and shunneth it not and
is not wary in approaching it, the same is self-deluded and ex-
poseth himself to danger and destruction. Indeed, it is well known
that some folk make the figure of a fox in their vineyards ; nay,
they even set before the semblance grapes in plates, that foxes
may see it and come to it and fall into perdition. In very sooth I
regard this breach as a snare and the proverb saith : Caution is
one half of cleverness. Now prudence requireth that I examine
this breach and see if there be aught therein which may lead to
perdition ; and coveting shall not make me cast myself into
destruction." So he went up to the hole and walked round it
right warily, and lo ! it was a deep pit, which the owner of the
vineyard had dug to trap therein the wild beasts which laid waste
his vines. Then he said to himself, " Thou hast gained, for that
thou hast refrained ! " ; and he looked and saw that the hole was
lightly covered with dust and matting. So he drew back from it
saying, " Praised be Allah that I was wary of it ! I hope that my
enemy, the wolf, who maketh my life miserable, will fall into it ;
so will the vineyard be left to me and I shall enjoy it alone and
dwell therein at peace." Saying thus, he shook his head and
laughed a loud laugh and began versifying :
Would Heaven I saw at this hour o The Wolf fallen down in this
well,
He who anguisht my heart for so long, o And garred me drain eisel and
fel!
Heaven grant after this I may live o Free of Wolf for long fortunate
spell,
When I've rid grapes and vineyard of him, o And in bunch -spoiling happily
dwell.
His verse being finished he returned in haste to the wolf and said
to him, " Allah hath made plain for thee the way into the vineyard
without toil and moil. This is of thine auspicious fortune; so
good luck to thee and mayest thou enjoy the plentiful plunder and
the profuse provaunt which Allah hath opened up to thee without
trouble ! " Asked the wolf, " What proof hast thou of what thou
assertest ? " : and the fox answered, " I went up to the vineyard
Tale of the Wolf and the Fox. 135
and found that the owner was dead, having been torn to pieces by
wolves : so I entered the orchard and saw the fruit shining upon
the trees." The wolf doubted not the fox's report and his gluttony
gat hold of him ; so he arose and repaired to the cleft, for that
greed blinded him ; whilst the fox falling behind him lay as one
dead, quoting to the case the following couplet :
For Layla's J favour dost thou greed ? But, bear in mind o Greed is a yoke of
harmful weight on neck of man.
And when the wolf had reached the breach the fox said, " Enter
the vineyard : thou art spared the trouble of climbing a ladder, for
the garden-wall is broken down, and with Allah it resteth to fulfil
the benefit." So the wolf went on walking and thought to enter
the vineyard ; but when he came to the middle of the pit-covering
he fell through ; whereupon the fox shook for joy and gladness ;
his care and concern left him and he sang out for delight and
improvised these couplets :
Fortune had mercy on the soul of me, o And for my torments now shows
clemency,
Granting whatever gift my heart desired, o And far removing what I feared to
see :
I will, good sooth, excuse her all her sins o She sinned in days gone by and
much sinned she :
Yea, her injustice she hath shown in this, o She whitened locks that were so
black of blee:
But now for this same wolf escape there's none, o Of death and doom he. hath
full certainty.
Then all the vineyard conies beneath my rule, o I'll brook no partner who's so
fond a fool.
Then the fox looked into the cleft and, seeing the wolf weeping in
repentance and sorrow for himself, wept with him ; whereupon the
wolf raised his head to him and asked, " Is it of pity for me thou
weepest, O Father of the Fortlet 2 ? " Answered the fox, " No, by
Him who cast thee into this pit ! I weep for the length of thy
past life and for regret that thou didst not fall into the pit before
1 The older "Leila" or "Leyla*': it is a common name and is here applied to
Voman in general. The root is evidently "layl"=nox, with, probably, the idea,
**She walks in beauty like the night."
* Arab. Abu 'l-Hosayn ; his hole being his fort (Unexplored Syria, ii. 18).
136 Alf Laylak wa Laylak*.
this day ; for hadst thou done so before I foregathered with thee,
I had rested and enjoyed repose : but thou wast spared till the
fulfilment of thine allotted term and thy destined time. 1 * Then
the wolf said to him as one jesting, " O evil-doer, go to my mother
and tell her what hath befallen me ; haply she may devise some
device for my release." Replied the fox, " Of a truth thou hast
been brought to destruction by the excess of thy greed and thine
exceeding gluttony, since thou art fallen into a pit whence thou
wilt never escape. Knowest thou not the common proverb, O
thou witless wolf: Whoso taketh no thought as to how things
end, him shall Fate never befriend nor shall he safe from perils
wend." " O Reynard," quoth the wolf, " thou wast wont to show
me fondness and covet my friendliness and fear the greatness of
my strength. Hate me not rancorously because of that I did with
thee; for he who hath power and forgiveth, his reward Allah
giveth ; even as saith the poet :
Sow kindness-seed in the unfittest stead ; o Twill not be wasted whereso thou
shalt sow :
For kindness albe buried long, yet none o Shall reap the crop save sower who
garred it grow."
Rejoined the fox, " O witlessest of beasts of prey and stupidest of
the wild brutes which the wolds overstray ! Hast thou forgotten
thine arrogance and insolence and tyranny, and thy disregarding
the due of goodfellowship and thy refusing to be advised by what
the poet saith ?
Wrong not thy neighbour e'en if thou have power ; The wronger alway
vengeance-harvest reaps :
Thine eyes shall sleep, while bides the wronged on wake o A-cursing thee ; and
Allah's eye ne'er sleeps."
" O Abu '1-Hosayn," replied the wolf, " twit me not with my past
sins ; for forgiveness is expected of the generous and doing kind
deeds is the truest of treasures. How well saith the poet :
Haste to do kindness while thou hast much power, * For at all seasons thou
hast not such power."
And he ceased not to humble himself before the fox and say,
" Haply, thou canst do somewhat to deliver me from destruction."
Replied the fox, " O thou wolf, thou witless, deluded, deceitful
trickster ! hope not for deliverance, for this is but the just reward
Tale of the Wolf and the Fox. 137
of thy foul dealing and its due retaliation." Then he laughed with
chops wide open and repeated these two couplets :
No longer beguile me, o Thou'lt fail of thy will !
What can't be thou seekest ; o Thou hast sown so reap 111 I
Quoth the wolf, " O gentlest of ravenous beasts, I fain hold thee
too faithful to leave me in this pit." Then he wept and com-
plained and, with tears streaming from his eyes, recited these two
couplets :
O thou whose favours have been out of compt, o Whose gifts are more than
may be numbered !
Never mischance befel me yet from time o But that I found thy hand
right fain to aid.
"0 thou ninny foe," quoth the fox, "how art thou reduced to
humiliation and prostration and abjection and submission, after
insolence and pride and tyranny and arrogance ! Verily, I kept
company with thee only for fear of thy fury and I cajoled thee
without one hope of fair treatment from thee : but now trembling
is come upon thee and vengeance hath overtaken thee." And he
repeated these two couplets :
O thou who seekest innocence to 'guile, o Thou'rt caught in trap of
thine intentions vile :
Now drain the draught of shamefullest mischance, e And be with other wolves
cut off, thou scroyle !
Replied the wolf, " O thou clement one, speak not with the tongue
of enemies nor look with their eyes ; but fulfil the covenant of
fellowship with me, ere the time of applying remedy cease to
be. Rise and make ready to get me a rope and tie one end of it
to a tree ; then let the other down to me, that I may lay hold of it,
so haply I shall from this my strait win free, and I will give thee
all my hand possesseth of wealth and fee." Quoth the fox, " Thou
persistest in conversation concerning what will not procure thy
liberation. Hope not for this, for thou shalt never, never get of me
wherewithal to set thee at liberty ; but call to mind thy past mis-
deeds and the craft and perfidy thou didst imagine against me and
bethink thee how near thou art to being stoned to death. For
know that thy soul is about the world to quit and cease in it and
depart from it ; so shalt thou to destruction hie and ill is true
abiding-place thou shalt aby ! " J Rejoined the wolf, " O Father of
1 A Koranic phrase often occurring.
I $8 Alf Laylah wa Laylak.
the Fortlet, hasten to return to amity and persist not in this ran-
corous enmity. Know that whoso from ruin saveth a soul, is as
if he had quickened it and made it whole; and whoso saveth a soul
alive, is as if he had saved all mankind. 1 Follow not frowardness,
for the wise forbid it : and it were most manifest frowardness to
leave me in this pit draining the agony of death and dight to look
upon mine own doom, whenas it lieth in thy power to deliver me
from my stowre. So do thy best to release me and deal with me
benevolently." Answered the fox, "O thou base and barbarous
wretch, I compare thee, because of the fairness of thy professions
and expressions, and the foulness of thy intentions and thy inven-
tions to the Falcon and the Partridge." Asked the wolf, " How
so ?"; and the fox began to tell the
TALE OF THE FALCON* AND THE PARTRIDGE?
ONCE upon a time I entered a vineyard to eat of its grapes ; and,
whilst so doing behold, I saw a falcon stoop upon a partridge and
seize him ; but the partridge escaped from the seizer and, entering
his nest, hid himself there. The falcon followed apace and called
out to him, saying, " O imbecile, I saw thee an-hungered in the
wold and took pity on thee ; so I picked up for thee some grain
and took hold of thee that thou mightest eat ; but thou fleddest
from me ; and I wot not the cause of thy flight, except it were
to put upon me a slight. Come out, then, and take the grain I
have brought thee to eat and much good may it do thee, and with
1 Koran v. 35.
2 Arab. "Bazf," Pers. " Baz" (here Richardson is wrong s. v.) ; a term to a certain
extent generic, but specially used for the noble Peregrine (F. Peregrinator} whose tiercel
is the Shahfn (or "Royal Bird"'). It is sometimes applied to the goshawk (Astur
palumbarius} whose proper title, however, is Shah-baz (King-hawk). The Peregrine
extends from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin and the best come from the colder parts :
in Iceland I found that the splendid white bird was sometimes trapped for sending ta
India. In Egypt " Bazi " is applied to the kite or buzzard and " Hidyah" (a kite) to
the falcon (Burckhardt's Prov. 159, 581 and 602). Burckhardt translates "Hidayah,"
the Egyptian corruption, by "an ash-grey falcon of the. smaller species common through-
out Egypt and Syria."
3 Arafc. " Hijl," the bird is not much prized in India because it feeds on the roads.
For the Shinnar (caccabis) or magnificent partridge of Midian as large as a pheasant, see
Midian Revisited " ii. 18.
Tale of the Falcon and the Partridge* 1 39
thy health agree." When the partridge heard these words, he
believed and came out to him, whereupon the falcon struck his
talons into him and seized him. Cried the partridge, " Is this that
which thou toldest me thou hadst brought me from the wold, and
whereof thou badest me eat, saying : Much good may it do thee,
and with thy health agree ? Thou hast lied to me, and may Allah
cause what thou eatest of my flesh to be a killing poison in thy
maw ! " So when the falcon had eaten the partridge, his feathers
fell off and his strength failed and he died on the spot. Know,
then, O wolf! (pursued the fox), "that he who diggeth for his
brother a pit himself soon falleth into it, and thou first deceivedst
me in mode unfit." Quoth the wolf, " Spare me this discourse nor
saws and tales enforce, and remind me not of my former ill course,
for sufficeth me the sorry plight I endure perforce, seeing that I
am fallen into a place, in which even my foe would pity me, much
more a true friend. Rather find some trick to deliver me and be
thou thereby my saviour. If this cause thee trouble, remember
that a true friend will undertake the sorest travail for his true
friend's sake and will risk his life to deliver him from evil ; and
indeed it hath been said : A leal friend is better than a real
brother. So if thou stir thyself to save me and I be saved, I
will forsure gather thee such store as shall be a provision for thee
against want however sore ; and truly I will teach thee rare tricks,
whereby to open whatso bounteous vineyards thou please and strip
the fruit-laden trees." Rejoined the fox, laughing, " How excellent
is what the learned say of him who aboundeth in ignorance like
unto thee!" Asked the wolf, "What do the wise men say?"
And the fox answered, "They have observed that the gross of
body are gross of mind, far from intelligence and nigh unto
ignorance. As for thy saying, O thou stupid, cunning idiot ! that
a true friend should undertake sore travail for his true friend's
sake, it is sooth as thou sayest, but tell me, of thine ignorance
and poverty of intelligence, how can I be a true friend to
thee, considering thy treachery. Dost thou count me thy true
friend ? Nay, I am thy foe who joyeth in thy woe ; and couldst
thou trow it, this word were sorer to thee than slaughter by shot
of shaft. As for thy promise to provide me a store against
want however sore and teach me tricks, to plunder whatso
bounteous vineyards I please, and spoil fruit-laden trees, how
cometh it, O guileful traitor, that thou knowest not a wile to
save thyself from destruction ? How far art thou from profiting
*4 Alf Laylah wa Laylak.
thyself and how far am I from accepting thy counsel ! If thou
have any tricks, make shift for thyself to save thee from the
risk, wherefrom I pray Allah to make thine escape far distant !
So look, O fool, if there be any trick with thee ; and therewith
save thyself from death ere thou lavish instruction upon thy
neighbours. But thou art like a certain man attacked by a
disease, who went to another diseased with the same disease,
and said to him : Shall I heal thee of thy disease ? Replied
the sick man, Why dost thou not begin by healing thyself? So
he left him and went his way. And thou, O ignorant wolf, art
like this ; so stay where thou art and under what hath befallen
thee be of good heart ! " When the wolf heard what the fox said,
he knew that from him he had no hope of favour ; so he wept for
himself, saying, " Verily, I have been heedless of my weal ; but if
Allah deliver me from this ill I will assuredly repent of my
arrogance towards those who are weaker than I, and will wear
woollens 1 and go upon the mountains, celebrating the praises of
Almighty Allah and fearing His punishment. And I will with-
draw from the company of other wild beasts and forsure will I feed
the poor fighters for the Faith." Then he wept and wailed, till
the heart of the fox softened when he heard his humble words and
his professions of penitence for his past insolence and arrogance.
So he took pity upon him and sprang up joyfully and, going to the
brink of the breach, squatted down on his hind quarters and let his
tail hang in the hole ; whereupon the wolf arose and putting out
his paw, pulled the fox's tail, so that he fell down in the pit with
him. Then said the wolf, " O fox of little mercy, why didst thou
exult in my misery, thou that wast my companion and under
my dominion ? Now thou art fallen into the pit with me and
retribution hath soon overtaken thee. Verily, the sages have
said : If one of you reproach his brother with sucking the dugs
1 Arab. " Suf ; " hence " Sufi," = (etymologically) one who wears woollen garments
a devotee, a Santon ; from crowds r= wise ; from era^wjs = pure, or from Sate = he was
pure. This is not the place to enter upon such a subject as ' Tasawwuf," or Sufyism ;
that singular reaction from arid Moslem realism and materialism, that immense develop-
ment of gnostic and Neo-platonic transcendentalism which is found only germinating in
the Jewish and Christian creeds. The poetry of Omar-i- Khayyam, now familar to English
readers, is a fair specimen ; and the student will consult the last chapter of the Dabistan
* On the religion of the Sufiahs.'' The first Moslem Sufi was Abu Hashim of Kufah, ob.
A. H. 150 = 767, and the first Convent of Sufis called " Takiyah " (Pilgrimage i. 124)
was founded in Egypt by Saladin the Great.
Tale of the Wolf and the Fox. 141
of a bitch, he also shall suck her. And how well quoth the
poet:
When Fortune weighs heavy on some of us, o And makes camel kneel by
some other one, 1
Say to those who rejoice in our ills : Awake ! o The rejoicer shall suffer as
we have done !
And death in company is the best of things ; 2 wherefore I will
certainly and assuredly hasten to slay thee ere thou see me slain/'
Said the fox to himself, " Ah ! Ah ! I am fallen into the snare with
this tyrant, and my case calleth for the use of craft and cunning ;
for indeed it is said that a woman fashioneth her jewellery for the
day of display, and quoth the proverb : I have not kept thee, O
my tear, save for the time when distress draweth near. And unless
I make haste to circumvent this prepotent beast I am lost without
recourse ; and how well saith the poet :
Make thy game by guile, for thou 'rt born in a Time o Whose sons are lions
in forest lain ;
And turn on the leat 3 of thy knavery * That the mill of subsistence may
grind thy grain ;
And pluck the fruits or, if out of reach, * Why, cram thy maw with the grass
on plain."
Then said the fox to the wolf, " Hasten not to slay me, for that is
not the way to pay me and thou wouldst repent it, O thou valiant
wild beast, lord of force and exceeding prowess ! An thou accord
delay and consider what I shall say, thou wilt ken what purpose I
proposed ; but if thou hasten to kill me it will profit thee naught
and we shall both die in this very place." Answered the wolf
" O thou wily trickster, what garreth thee hope to work my deliver-
ance and thine own, that thou prayest me to grant thee delay ?
Speak and propound to me thy purpose." Replied the fox, " As
for the purpose I proposed, it was one which deserveth that thou
guerdon me handsomely for it ; for when I heard thy promises and
1 i.e. when she encamps with a favourite for the night.
8 The Persian proverb is " Marg-i-amboh jashni darad "death in a crowd is asgoocl
as a feast.
3 Arab. " Kandt," the subterranean water-course called in Persia " Kya"riz." Lane
(ii. 66) translates it ' brandish around the spear (Kan&t is also a cane-lance) of artifice,"
thus making rank nonsense of the line. Al- Hariri uses the term in the Ass, of the Banu
Haram where " Kandt " may be a pipe or bamboo laid underground.
142 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
thy confessions of thy past misdeeds and regrets for not having
earlier repented and done good ; and when I heard thee vowing,
shouldst thou escape from this strait, to leave harming thy fellows
and others ; forswear the eating of grapes and of all manner fruits ;
devote thyself to humility ; cut thy claws and break thy dog-teeth ;
don woollens and offer thyself as an offering to Almighty Allah,,
then indeed I had pity upon thee, for true words are the best words*
And although before I had been anxious for thy destruction, whenas
I heard thy repenting and thy vows of amending should Allah
vouchsafe to save thee, I felt bound to free thee from this thy
present plight. So I let down my tail, that thou mightest grasp it
and be saved. Yet wouldest thou not quit thy wonted violence
and habit of brutality ; nor soughtest thou to save thyself by fair,
means, but thou gavest me a tug which I thought would sever
body from soul, so that thou and I are fallen into the same place,
of distress and death. And now there is but one thing can save
us and, if thou accept it of me, we shall both escape ; and after
it behoveth thee to fulfil the vows thou hast made and I will be thy,
veritable friend." Asked the wolf, " What is it thou proposest for
mine acceptance ? n Answered the fox, " It is that thou stand up at
full height till I come nigh on a level with the surface of the earth.
Then will I give a spring and reach the ground ; and, when out
of the pit, I will bring thee what thou mayst lay hold of, and thus
shalt thou make thine escape/* Rejoined the wolf, " I have no
faith in thy word, for sages have said : Whoso practiseth trust in;
the place of hate, erreth ; and : Whoso trusteth in the untrust-
worthy is a dupe ; he who re-trieth him who hath been tried shall
reap repentance and his days shall go waste ; and he who cannot
distinguish between case and case, giving each its due, and as-
signeth all the weight to one side, his luck shall be little and his
miseries shall be many. How well saith the poet :
Let thy thought be ill and none else but ill; o For suspicion is best of the world-
ling's skill :
Naught casteth a man into parlous place o But good opinion and (worse)
good-will !
And the saying of another :
Be sure all are villains and so bide safe j o Who lives wide awake on
few Ills shall light :
Meet thy foe with smiles and a smooth fair brow, o And in heart raise a host
for the battle dight I
Tale of the Wolf and the Fox. 143
And that of yet another i 1
He thou trusted most is thy worst unfriend ; o 'Ware all and take heed with
whom thou wend :
Fair opinion of Fortune is feeble sign ; o So believe her ill and her Ills
perpend ! "
Quoth the fox, "Verily mistrust and ill opinion of others are not to
be commended in every case ; nay trust and confidence are the
characteristics of a noble nature and the issue thereof is freedom
from stress of fear. Now it behoveth thee, O thou wolf, to devise
some device for thy deliverance from this thou art in, and our escape
will be better to us both than our death : so quit thy distrust and
rancour ; for if thou trust in me one of two things will happen ;
either I shall bring thee something whereof to lay hold and escape
from this case, or I shall abandon thee to thy doom. But this thing
may not be, for I am not safe from falling into some such strait as
this thou art in, which, indeed, would be fitting punishment of
perfidy. Of a truth the adage saith: Faith is fair and faithless-
ness is foul. 2 So it behoveth thee to trust in me, for I am not
ignorant of the haps and mishaps of the world ; and delay not to
contrive some device for our deliverance, as the case is too close to
allow further talk." Replied the wolf, " For all my want of confi-
dence in thy fidelity, verily I knew what was in thy mind and that
thou wast moved to deliver me whenas thou heardest my repent-
ance, and I said to myself : If what he asserteth be true, he will
have repaired the ill he did ; and if false, it resteth with the Lord
to requite him. So, look'ee, I have accepted thy proposal and, if
thou betray me, may thy traitorous deed be the cause of thy des-
truction ! " Then the wolf stood bolt upright in the pit and, taking
the fox upon his shoulders, raised him to the level of the ground,
1 From Al-Tughrai, the author of the Lamiyat al-Ajam, the " Lay of the Outlander ;"
a Kasidah (Ode) rhyming in Lam (the letter " 1 " being the rawi or binder). The student
will find a new translation of it by Mr. J. W. Redhouse and Dr. Carlyle's old version
(No. liii.) in Mr. Clouston's "Arabian Poetry." Muyid al-Din al-Hasan Abu Ismail (nat.
Ispahan ob. Baghdad A.H. 182) derived his surname from the Tughra, cypher or flourish
(over the *' Bismillah " in royal and official papers) containing the name of the prince*
There is an older "Lamiyat al-Arab" a pre-Islamitic L-poem by the " brigand -poet"
Shanfara, of whom Mr. W. G. Palgrave has given a most appreciative account in his
Essays on Eastern Questions," noting the indomitable self-reliance and the absolute
individualism of a mind defying its age and all around it. Al- Hariri quotes from
both.
2 The wotds of the unfortunate Azizah, vol. ii., p. 323.
144 >Alf Laylak wa Layiak.,
whereupon Reynard gave a spring from his back and lighted on
the surface of the earth. When he found himself safely out of the
cleft he fell down senseless and the wolf said to him, " O my friend !
neglect not my case and delay not to deliver me." The fox laughed
with a loud haw-haw and replied, " O dupe, naught threw me into
thy hands save my laughing at thee and making mock of thee ; for
in good sooth when I heard thee profess repentance, mirth and
gladness seized me and I frisked about and made merry and danced,
so that my tail hung low into the pit and thou caughtest hold of it
and draggedst me down with thee. And the end was that Allah
Almighty delivered me from thy power. Then why should I be
other than a helper in thy destruction, seeing that thou art of
Satan's host ? I dreamt yesterday that I danced at thy wedding
and I told my dream to an interpreter who said to me : Verily
thou shalt fall into imminent deadly danger and thou shalt escape
therefrom. So now I know that my falling into thy hand and my
escape are the fulfilment of my dream, and thou, O imbecile,
knowest me for thy foe ; so how couldest thou, of thine ignorance
and unintelligence, nurse desire of deliverance at my hands, after
all thou hast heard of harsh words from me ; and wherefore should
I attempt thy salvation whenas the sages have said : In the
death of the wicked is rest for mankind and a purge for the earth ?
But, were it not that I fear to bear more affliction by keeping faith
with thee than the sufferings which follow perfidy, I had done mine
endeavour to save thee." When the wolf heard this, he bit his
forehand for repentance. And Shahrazad perceived the clawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Noto tofjm it toaa tfie ^untrrrtr anti Jptftt'etf)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
wolf heard the fox's words he bit his forehand for repentance.
Then he gave the fox fair words, but this availed naught and he
was at his wits' end for what to do ; so he said to him in soft, low
accents, " Verily, you tribe of foxes are the most pleasant people in
point of tongue and the subtlest in jest, and this is but a joke of
thine ; but all times are not good for funning and jesting." The
fox replied, "O ignoramus, in good sooth jesting hath a limit
which the jester must not overpass ; and deem not that Allah will
Tale of the Wolf and the Fox. 145
again give thee possession of me after having once delivered me
from thy hand." Quoth the wolf, " It behoveth thee to compass
my release, by reason of our brotherhood and good fellowship ;
and, if thou release me, I will assuredly make fair thy recompense."
Quoth the fox, " Wise men say : Take not to brother the wicked
fool, for he will disgrace thee in lieu of gracing thee ; nor take to
brother the liar for, if thou do good, he will conceal it ; and if thou
do ill he will reveal it. And again, the sages have said : There is
help for everything but death : all may be warded off, except Fate.
As for the reward thou declarest to be my due from thee > I com-
pare thee herein with the serpent which fled from the charmer. 1 A
man saw her affrighted and said to her : What aileth thee, O thou
serpent ? Replied she, I am fleeing from the snake-charmer, for he
seeketh to trap me and, if thou wilt save me and hide me with
thee, I will make fair thy reward and do thee all manner of kind-
ness. So he took her, incited thereto by lust for the recompense
and eager to find favour with Heaven, and set her in his breast-
pocket. Now when the charmer had passed and had wended his
way and the serpent had no longer any cause to fear, he said to
her : Where is the reward thou didst promise me ? Behold, I
have saved thee from that thou fearedest and soughtest to fly.
Replied she : Tell me in what limb or in what place shall I strike
thee with my fangs, for thou knowest we exceed not that recom-
pense. So saying, she gave him a bite whereof he died. And I
liken thee, O dullard, to the serpent in her dealings with that man.
Hast thou not heard what the poet saith ?
Trust not to man when thou hast raised his spleen o And wrath, nor that 'twijl
cool do thou misween :
Smooth feels the viper to the touch and glides o With grace, yet hides she
deadliest venene."
Quoth the wolf, " O thou glib of gab and fair of face, ignore not
my case and men's fear of me ; and well thou weetest how I assault
the strongly walled place and uproot the vines from base. Where-
fore, do as I bid thee, and stand before me even as the thrall
standeth before his lord." Quoth the fox, " O stupid dullard who
1 Arab. " Hiwf " = a juggler who plays tricks with snakes : he is mostly a Gypsy.
The "recompense" the man expects is the golden treasure which the ensorcelled
snake is supposed to guard. This idea is as old as the Dragon in the Garden of the
Hesperides and older.
VOL. III. K
146 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
seekest a vain thing, I marvel at thy folly and thy front of brass in
that thou biddest me serve thee and stand up before thee as I were
a slave bought with thy silver ; but soon shalt thou see what is in
store for thee, in the way of cracking thy sconce with stones and
knocking out thy traitorous dog-teeth." So saying the fox clomb
a hill overlooking the vineyard and standing there, shouted out to
the vintagers ; nor did he give over shouting till he woke them and
they, seeing him, all came up to him in haste. He stood his
ground till they drew near him and close to the pit wherein was
the wolf ; and then he turned and fled. So the folk looked into the
cleft and, spying the wolf, set to pelting him with heavy stones,
and they stinted not smiting him with stones and sticks, and stab-
bing him with spears, till they killed him and went away. There-
upon the fox returned to that cleft and, standing over the spot
where his foe had been slain, saw the wolf dead : so he wagged his
head for very joyance and began to recite these couplets :
Fate the Wolfs soul snatched up from wordly stead ; o Far be from bliss his
soul that perished !
Abu Sirhdn ! l how sore thou sought'st my death ; o Thou, burnt this day
in fire of sorrow dread :
Thou'rt fallen into pit, where all who fall o Are blown by Death*
blast down among the dead.
Thenceforward the aforesaid fox abode alone in the vineyard unto
the hour of his death secure and fearing no hurt. And such are
the adventures of the wolf and the fox. But men also tell a
1 The "Father of going out (to prey) by morning"; for dawn is called Zanab Sirhdn,
the Persian Dum-i-gurg = wolfs tail, i.e. the first brush of light ; the Zodiacal Light
shown in morning. Sirhan is a nickname of the wolf Gaunt Grim or Gaffer Grim, the
German Isengrin or Eisengrinus (icy grim or iron grim) whose wife is Hersent, as
Richent or Hermeline is Mrs. Fox. In French we have lopez, luppe, leu, e.g.
Venant a la queue, leu, leu,
i.e. going in Indian file. Hence the names D'Urfe and Saint-Loup. In Scandinavian,
the elder sister of German, Ulf and in German (where the Jews were forced to adopt the
name) Wolff whence " Guelph." He is also known to the Arabs as the " sire of a she-
lamb," the figure metonymy called "Kunyat bi '1-Zidd " (lucus a non lucendo), a patro-
nymic or by-name given for opposition and another specimen of ' inverted speech."
Tale of the Mouse and the Ichneumon. 147
TALE OF THE MOUSE AND THE ICHNEUMON. 1
A MOUSE and an ichneumon once dwelt in the house of a peasant
who was very poor ; and when one of his friends sickened, the
doctor prescribed him husked sesame. So the hind sought of one
of his comrades sesame to be husked by way of healing the sick
man ; and, when a measure thereof was given to him, he carried it
home to his wife and bade her dress it. So she steeped it and
husked it and spread it out to dry. Now when the ichneumon
saw the grain, she went up to it and fell to carrying it away to her
hole, and she toiled all day, till she had borne off the most of it.
Presently, in came the peasant's wife and, seeing much of the
grain gone, stood awhile wondering ; after which she sat down to
watch and find out who might be the intruder and make him
account for her loss. After a while, out crept the ichneumon to
carry off the grain as was her wont, but spying the woman seated
there, knew that she was on the watch for her and said in her
mind, " Verily, this affair is like to end blameably ; and sore I fear
me this woman is on the look-out for me, and Fortune is no friend
to who attend not to issue and end : so there is no help for it but
that I do a fair deed, whereby I may manifest my innocence and
wash out all the ill-doings I have done." So saying, she began to
1 Arab. Bint 'Ariis = daughter of the bridegroom, the Hindustani Mungus (vulg.
Mongoose) ; a well-known weasel-like rodent often kept tame in the house to clear it of
vermin. It is supposed to know an antidote against snake-poison, as the weasel eats
rue before battle (Pliny x. 84; xx. 13) In Modern Egypt this viverra is called " Kitt
(or Katt) Far'aun " = Pharaoh's cat : so the Percnopter becomes Pharaoh's hen and the
unfortunate (?) King has named a host of things, alive and dead. It was worshipped
and mummified in parts of Ancient Egypt e.g. Heracleopolis, on account of its antipathy
to serpents and because it was supposed to destroy the crocodile, a feat which ^Elian and
others have overloaded with fable. It has also a distinct antipathy to cats. The
ichneumon as a pet becomes too tame and will not leave its master : when enraged it
emits an offensive stench. I brought home for the Zoological Gardens a Central Africao
pecimen prettily barred. Burckhardt (Prov. 455) quotes a line :
Rakas 'Ibn Irsin wa zamzama '1-Nimsu,
(Danceth Ibn Irs whileas Nims doth sing)
and explains Nims by ichneumon and Ibn Irs as a " species of small weasel, or ferret, very
common in Egypt : it comes into the houses, feeds upon meat, is of gentle disposition.
although not domesticated and full of gambols and frolic."
148 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
take the sesame out of her hole and carry it forth and lay it back
upon the rest. The woman stood by and, seeing the ichneumon
do thus, said to herself, " Verily this is not the cause of our loss,
for she bringeth it back from the hole of him who stole it and
returneth it to its place ; and of a truth she hath done us a kind-
ness in restoring us the sesame, and the reward of those who do
us good is that we do them the like good. It is clear that it is not
she who stole the grain ; but I will not cease my watching till he
fall into my hands and I find out who is the thief." The ichneu-
mon guessed what was in her mind, so she went to the mouse and
said to her, " O my sister, there is no good in one who observeth
not the claims of neighbourship and who showeth no constancy in
friendship." The mouse replied, " Even so, O my friend, and I
delight in thee and in thy neighbourhood ; but what be the motive
of this speech ? " Quoth the ichneumon, " The house-master hath
brought home sesame and hath eaten his fill of it, he and his
family, and hath left much ; every living being hath eaten of it
and, if thou take of it in thy turn, thou art worthier thereof than
any other." This pleased the mouse and she squeaked for joy and
danced and frisked her ears and tail, and greed for the grain
deluded her; so she rose at once and issuing forth of her home,
saw the sesame husked and dry, shining with whiteness, and the
woman sitting at watch and ward. The mouse, taking no thought
to the issue of the affair (for the woman had armed herself with a
cudgel), and unable to contain herself, ran up to the sesame and
began turning it over and eating of it; whereupon the woman
smote her with that club and cleft her head : so the cause of her
destruction were her greed and heedlessness of consequences.
Then said the Sultan, " O Shahrazad, by Allah ! this be a goodly
parable ! Say me, hast thou any story bearing upon the beauty
of true friendship and the observance of its duty in time of distress
and rescuing from destruction ? " Answered she : Yes, it hath
reached me that they tell a tale of
The Cat and the Crow. 1.49
THE CAT 1 AND THE CROW.
ONCE upon a time, a crow and a cat lived in brotherhood ; and
one day as they were together under a tree, behold, they spied a
leopard making towards them, and they were not aware of his
approach till he was close upon them. The crow at once flew up
to the tree-top ; but the cat abode confounded and said to the
crow, " O my friend, hast thou no device to save me, even as all
my hope is in thee?" Replied the crow, "Of very truth it
behoveth brethren, in case of need, to cast about for a device
when peril overtaketh them, and how well saith the poet !
A friend in need is he who, ever true, o For thy well-doing would himself
undo :
One who when Fortune gars us parting rue o Vktimeth self reunion to
Now hard by that tree were shepherds with their dogs ; so the
crow flew towards them and smote the face of the earth with his
wings, cawing and crying out. Furthermore he went up to one of
the dogs and flapped his wings in his face and flew up a little way,
whilst the dog ran after him thinking to catch him. Presently, 4
one of the shepherds raised his head and saw the bird flying near
the ground and lighting alternately ; so he followed him, and the
crow ceased not flying just high enough to save himself and to
1 Arab. "Sinnaur" (also meaning a prince). The common name is Kitt which is
pronounced Katt or Gatt ; and which Ibn Dorayd pronounces a foreign word (Syriac ?).
Hence, despite Freitag, Catus (which Isidore derives from catare, to look for) Karra or
Tara, gatto, chat, cat, an animal unknown to the Classics of Europe who used the
mustela, or putorius vulgaris and different species of viverrae. The Egyptians, who kept
the cat to destroy vermin, especially snakes, called it Mau, Mai, Miao (onomatopoetic) :
this descendant of the Felis maniculata originated in Nubia ; and we know from the
tnummy pits and Herodotus that it was the same in species as ours. The first portraits
of the cat are on the monuments of " Beni Hasan," B.C. 2500. I have ventured to
derive the familiar " Puss" from the Arab. " Biss" (fern. "Bissah"), which is a con-
gener "of Pasht (Diana), the cat-faced goddess of Bubastis (Pi-Pasht), now Zaga"ztg.
Laslly " tabby (brindled) -cat ," is derived from the Attabi (Prince Attab's) quarter at
Baghdad where watered silks were made. It is usually attributed to the Tibbie, Tibalt,
Tybalt, Thibert or Tybert (who is also executioner), various forms of Theobald in the
old Beast Epic; as opposed to Gilbert the gib-cat, either a tom-cat or a gibbed
(castrated) cat.
150 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
throw out the dogs ; and yet tempting them to follow for the
purpose of tearing him to pieces. But as soon as they came near
him, he would fly up a little ; and so at last he brought them to
the tree, under which was the leopard. And when the dogs saw
him they rushed upon him and he turned and fled. Now the
leopard thought to eat the cat who was saved by the craft of his
friend the crow. This story, O King, showeth that the friendship
of the Brothers of Purity * delivereth and sayeth from difficulties
and from falling into mortal dangers. And they also tell a
tale of
THE FOX AND THE CROW.
A Fox once dwelt in a cave of a certain mountain and, as often as
a cub was born to him and grew stout, he would eat the young one,
for he had died of hunger, had he instead of so doing left the cub
alive and bred it by his side and preserved and cherished his issue.
Yet was this very grievous to him. Now on the crest of the same
mountain a crow had made his nest, and the fox said to himself,
" I have a mind to set up a friendship with this crow and make a
comrade of him, that he may help me to my daily bread ; for he
can do in such matters what I cannot." So he drew near the
crow's home and, when he came within sound of speech, he saluted
him and said, " O my neighbour, verily a true-believer hath two
claims upon his true-believing neighbour, the right of neighbour-
liness and the right of Al-Islam, our common faith ; and know,
O my friend, that thou art my neighbour and thou hast a claim
upon me which it behoveth me to observe, the more that I
have long been thy neighbour. Also, there be implanted in my
breast a store of love to thee, which biddeth me speak thee fair
and obligeth me to solicit thy brothership. What sayest thou in
reply? " Answered the crow, " Verily, the truest speech is the best
speech ; and haply thou speakest with thy tongue that which is not
in thy heart ; so I fear lest thy brotherhood be only of the tongue,
1 Arab. " Ikhwan al-Safa," a popular term for virtuous friends who perfectly love each
other in all purity: it has also a mystic meaning. Some translate it "Brethren of
Sincerity," and hold this brotherhood to be Moslem Freemasons, a mere fancy (see the
Mesnevi of Mr. Redhouse, Trubner 1881). There is a well-known Hindustani book of
this name printed by Prof. Forbes in Persian character and translated by Platts and.
Eastwick.
The Flea and the Mouse. 151
outward, and thy enmity be in the heart, inward ; for that thou art
the Eater and I the Eaten, and faring apart were apter to us than
friendship and fellowship. What, then, maketh thee seek that
which thou mayst not gain and desire what may not be done,
seeing that I be of the bird-kind and thou be of the beast-kind ?
Verily, this thy proffered brotherhood 1 may not be made, neither
were it seemly to make it." Rejoined the fox, " Of a truth whoso,
knoweth the abiding- place of excellent things, maketh better choice
in what he chooseth therefrom, so perchance he may advantage
his brethren ; and indeed I should love to wone near thee and I
have sued for thine intimacy, to the end that we may help each
other to our several objects ; and success shall surely wait upon
our amity. I have a many tales of the goodliness of true friend-
ship, which I will relate to thee if thou wish the relating."
Answered the crow, "Thou hast my leave to let me hear thy
communication ; so tell thy tale, and relate it to me that I may
hearken to it and weigh it and judge of thine intent thereby."
Rejoined the fox," Hear then, O my friend, that which is told of a
flea and a mouse and which beareth out what I have said to thee."
Asked the crow, " How so ? " and the fox answered : They tell
this tale of
THE FLEA AND THE MOUSE.
ONCE upon a time a mouse dwelt in the house of a merchant who
owned much merchandise and great store of monies. One night,
a flea took shelter in the merchant's carpet-bed and, finding his
body soft, and being thirsty drank of his blood. The merchant
was awakened by the smart of the bite and sitting up called to
his slave-girls and serving men. So they hastened to him and,
tucking up their sleeves, fell to searching for the flea ; but as soon
as the bloodsucker was aware of the search, he turned to flee and
Doming on the mouse's home, entered it. When the mouse saw
1 Among Eastern men there are especial forms for " making brotherhood." The
" Munh-bola-bhai " (mouth-named brother) of India is well-known. The intense
" associativeness " of these races renders isolation terrible to them, and being defence-
less in a wild state of society has special horrors. Hence the origin of Caste for which
see Pilgrimage (i. 52). Moslems, however, cannot practise the African rite of drinking
a few drops of each other's blood. This, by the by, was also affected io Europe, as we
see in the Gesta Romanorum, Tale Ixvii., of the wise and foolish knights who "drew
blood (to drink) from the right arm."
152 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
him, she said to him, " What bringeth thee in to me, thou who art
not of my nature nor of my kind, and who canst not be assured of
safety from violence or of not being expelled with roughness and
ill usage ? " Answered the flea, " Of a truth, I took refuge in thy
dwelling to save me from slaughter; and I have come to thee
seeking thy protection and on nowise coveting thy house ; nor
shall any mischief betide thee from me to make thee leave thy
home. Nay, I hope right soon to repay thy favours to me
with all good and then shalt thou see and praise the issue of
my words." And when the mouse heard the speech of the flea,
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Jiofo fo&en it foas tfje J&utf&rrti anto jptftg^first
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
mouse heard the words of the flea, she said, "If the case be as thou
dost relate and describe, then be at thine ease here ; for naught
shall befal thee save the rain of peace and safety ; nor shall aught
betide thee but what shall joy thee and shall not annoy thee, nor
shall it annoy me. I will lavish on thee my affections without
stint ; and do not thou regret having lost the merchant's blood nor
lament for thy subsistence from him, but be content with what
sustenance thou canst obtain ; for indeed that is the safer for thee.
And I have heard, O flea, that one of the gnomic poets saith as
follows in these couplets :
I have fared content in my solitude o With whate'er befel, and led life of
ease,
On a water-draught and a bite of bread, o Coarse salt and a gown of tattered
frieze :
Allah might, an He pleased, give me easiest life, o But with whatso pleaseth
Him self I please."
Now when the flea heard these words of the mouse, he rejoined, " I
hearken to thy charge and I submit myself to obey thee, nor have
I power to gainsay thee, till life be fulfilled in this righteous inten-
tion." Replied the mouse, " Pure intention sufficeth to sincere
affection. So the tie of love arose and was knitted between them
twain and, after this, the flea used to visit the merchant's bed by
night and not exceed in his diet, and house him by day in the hole
of the mouse. Now it came to pass one night, the merchant
The Flea and the Mouse. 153
brought home great store of dinars and began to turn them over.
When the mouse heard the chink of the coin, she put her head out
of her hole and fell to gazing at it, till the merchant laid it under
his pillow and went to sleep, when she said to the flea, " Seest thou
not the proffered occasion and the great good fortune ? Hast thou
any device to bring us to our desire of yonder dinars ? " Quoth the
flea, " Verily, it is not good that one strive for aught, unless he be
able to win his will ; because, if he lack ability thereto, he falleth
into that which he should avoid and he attaineth not his wish by
reason of his weakness, albeit he use all power of cunning, like
the sparrow which picketh up grain and falleth into the net and
is caught by the fowler. Thou hast no strength to take the
dinars and to transport them out of this house, nor have I force
sufficient to do this ; on the contrary, I could not carry a single
ducat of them ; so what hast thou to do with them ? " Quoth
the mouse, " I have made me for my house these seventy open-
ings, whence I may go out at my desire, and I have set apart
a place strong and safe, for things of price ; and, if thou can
contrive to get the merchant out of the house, I doubt not of
success, an so be that Fate aid me." Answered the flea, " I will
engage to get him out of the house for thee ; " and, going to
the merchant's bed, bit him a fearful bite, such as he had never
before felt, then fled to a place of safety, where he had no fear
of the man. So the merchant awoke and sought for the flea,
but finding him not, lay down again on his other side. Then the
flea bit him a second time more painfully than before. So he
lost patience and, leaving his bed, went out and lay down on
the bench before his door and slept there and awoke not till
the morning. Meanwhile the mouse came out and fell to carrying
the dinars into her hole, till she left not a single one ; and when
day dawned the merchant began to suspect the folk and fancy
all manner of fancies. And (continued the fox) know thou, O
wise and experienced crow with the clear-seeing eyes, that I
tell thee this only to the intent that thou mayst reap the recom-
pense of thy kindness to me, even as the mouse reaped the
reward of her kindness to the flea ; for see how he repaid her
and requited her with the goodliest of requitals. Said the crow,
" It lies with the benefactor to show benevolence or not to show
it ; nor is it incumbent on us to entreat kindly one who seeketh
a connection that entaileth separation from kith and kin. If I
show thee favour who art my foe by kind, I am the cause of
154 Alf Laylak wa Laylak.
cutting myself off from the world ; and thou, O fox, art full of
wiles and guiles. Now those whose characteristics are craft and
cunning, must not be trusted upon oath; and whoso is not to be
trusted upon oath, in him there is no good faith. The tidings
lately reached me of thy treacherous dealing with one of thy com-
rades, which was a wolf; and how thou didst deceive him until
thou leddest him into destruction by thy perfidy and stratagems ;
and this thou diddest after he was of thine own kind and thou
hadst long consorted with him ; yet didst thou not spare him ;
and if thou couldst deal thus with thy fellow which was of thine
own kind, how can I have trust in thy truth and what would be
thy dealing with thy foe of other kind than thy kind ? Nor can
I compare thee and me but with the saker and the birds." " How
so ? " asked the fox. Answered the crow : They relate this tale of
THE SAKER* AND THE BIRDS.
THERE was once a saker who was a cruel tyrant -- And Shah-
razad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her per-
mitted say.
jLoto tofjm it toaa tfie Jun*ret> an*
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the crow
pursued, " They relate that there was once a saker who was a
cruel tyrant in the days of his youth, so that the raveners of
the air and the scavengers of the earth feared him, none being
safe from his mischief; and many were the haps and mishaps of
his tyranny and his violence, for this saker was ever in the habit
of oppressing and injuring all the other birds. As the years passed
over him, he grew feeble and his force failed him, so that he was
1 The F. Sacer in India is called " Laghar " and her tiercel " Jaghar." Mr. T. E.
Jordan (catalogue of Indian Birds, 1839) says it is rare; but I found it the contrary.
According to Mr. R. Thompson it is flown at kites and antelope ; in Sind it is used upon
night-heron (tiyctardea nycticorax)^ floriken or Hobara (Otis auritd) t quail, partridge,
curlew and sometimes hare : it gives excellent sport with crows but requires to be defended.
Indian sportsmen, like ourselves, divide hawks into two orders : the " Siyah-chasm," or
black-eyed birds, long- winged and noble; the " Gulabi-chasra " or yellow-eyed (like
the goshawk) round-winged and ignoble/
The Sparrow and the Eagle. 155
often famished ; but his cunning waxed stronger with the waning
of his strength and he redoubled in his endeavour and determined
to be present at the general assembly of the birds, that he might
eat of their orts and leavings ; so in this manner he fed by fraud
instead of feeding by fierceness and force. And thou, O fox, art
like this : if thy might fail thee, thy sleight faileth thee not ; and I
doubt not that thy seeking my society is a fraud to get thy food ;
but I am none of those who fall to thee and put fist into thy fist ; l
for that Allah hath vouchsafed force to my wings and caution to
my mind and sharp sight to my eyes ; and I know that whoso
apeth a stronger than he, wearieth himself and haply cometh to
ruin. Wherefore I fear for thee lest, if thou ape a stronger than
thyself, there befal thee what befel the sparrow." Asked the fox,
41 What befel the sparrow ? Allah upon thee, tell me his tale."
And the crow began to relate the story of
THE SPARROW AND THE EAGLE.
I HAVE heard that a sparrow was once flitting over a sheep-fold,
when he looked at it carefully and behold, he saw a great eagle
swoop down upon a newly yeaned lamb and carry it off in his
claws and fly away. Thereupon the sparrow clapped his wings
and said, " I will do even as this one did ;" and he waxed proud
in his own conceit and mimicked a greater than he. So he flew
down forthright and lighted on the back of a fat ram with a thick
fleece, that was become matted by his lying in his dung and stale
till it was like woollen felt. As soon as the sparrow pounced upon
the sheep's back he flapped his wings to fly away, but his feet
became tangled in the wool and, however hard he tried, he could
not set himself free. While all this was doing the shepherd was
looking on, haying seen what happened first with the eagle and
afterwards with the sparrow ; so he came up to the wee birdie in a
rage and seized him. Then he plucked out his wing-feathers and,
tying his feet with a twine, carried him to his children and threw
him to them. " What is this ? " asked, one of them ; and he
answered, " This is he that aped a greater than himself and came
to grief." Now thou, O fox, art like this and I would have thee
1 &*. put themselves at thy mercy.
1 56 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
beware of aping a greater than thou, lest thou perish. This is all
I have to say to thee ; so fare from me in peace ! When the fox
despaired of the crow's friendship, he turned away, groaning for
sorrow and gnashing teeth upon teeth in his disappointment ; and
the crow, hearing the sound of weeping and seeing his grief and
profound melancholy, said to him, " O fox, what dole and dolour
make thee gnash thy canines ? " Answered the fox, " I gnash my
canines because I find thee a greater rascal than myself;" and so
saying he made off to his house and ceased not to fare till he
reached his home. Quoth the Sultan, "O Shahrazad, how ex*
<;ellent are these thy stories, and how delightsome ! Hast thou
more of such edifying tales?" Answered she: They tell this
legend concerning
THE HEDGEHOG AND THE WOOD-PIGEONS.
A HEDGEHOG once took up his abode by the side of a date-palm,
whereon roosted a wood-pigeon and his wife that had built their
nest there and lived a life of ease and enjoyment. So he said to
himself, " This pigeon-pair eateth of the fruit of the date 'tree and
I have no means of getting at it ; but needs must I find some
fashion of tricking them." Upon this he dug a hole at the foot of
the palm-tree and took up his lodging there, he and his wife;
moreover, he built an oratory beside the hole and went into
retreat there and made a show of devotion and edification and
renunciation of the world. The male pigeon saw him praying and
worshipping, and his heart was softened towards him for his excess
of devoutness ; so he said to him, " How many years hast thou
been thus ? " Replied the hedgehog, " During the last thirty
years." " What is thy food ? " " That which falleth from the
palm-tree." " And what is thy clothing ? " " Prickles ! and I
profit by their roughness." " And why hast thou chosen this for
place rather than another ? " " I chose it and preferred it to all
others that I might guide the erring into the right way and teach
the ignorant ! " "I had fancied thy case," quoth the wood-pigeon,
" other than this, but now I yearn for that which is with thee."
Quoth the hedgehog, " I fear lest thy deed contradict thy word and
thou be even as the husbandman who, when the seed- season came,
neglected to sow, say ing, Verily I dread lest the days bring me not to
The Hedgehog and the Wood-Pigeons*
my desire, and by making haste to sow I shall only waste my sub-
stance ! When harvest-time came and he saw the folk earing their
crops, he repented him of what he had lost by his tardiness and he
died of chagrin and vexation." Asked the wood-pigeon, " What
then shall I do that I may be freed from the bonds of the world
and cut myself loose from all things save the service of my Lord ? "
Answered the hedgehog, " Betake thee to preparing for the next
world and content thyself with a pittance of provision/* Quoth
the pigeon, " How can I do this, I that am a bird and unable to go
beyond the date -tree whereon is my daily bread ? And even could
I do so, I know of no other place wherein I may wone." Quoth
the hedgehog, " Thou canst shake down of the fruit of the date-
tree what shall suffice thee and thy wife for a year's provaunt ;
then do ye take up your abode in a nest under the trunk, that
ye may prayerfully seek to be guided in the right way, and then
turn thou to what thou hast shaken down and transport it all
to thy home and store it up against what time the dates fail ; and
when the fruits are spent and the delay is longsome upon you,
address thyself to total abstinence." Exclaimed the pigeon,
** Allah requite thee with good for the righteous intention where-
with thou hast reminded me of the world to come and hast
directed me into the right way ! " Then he and his wife worked
hard at knocking down the dates, till nothing was left on the
palm-tree, whilst the hedgehog, finding whereof to eat, rejoiced
and filled his den with the fruit, storing it up for his subsistence
and saying in his mind, " When the pigeon and his wife have
need of their provision, they will seek it of me and covet what
I have, relying upon my devoutness and abstinence ; and, from
what they have heard of my counsels and admonitions, they will
draw near unto me. Then will I make them my prey and eat
them, after which I shall have the place and all that drops from
the date-tree to suffice me." Presently, having shaken down
the fruits, the pigeon and his wife descended from the tree-top
and finding that the hedgehog had removed all the dates to his
own place, said to him, " O hedgehog ! thou pious preacher and
of good counsel, we can find no sign of the dates and know not
on what else we shall feed." Replied the hedgehog, " Probably
the winds have carried them away ; but the turning from the
provisions to the Provider is of the essence of salvation, and
He who the mouth-corners cleft, the mouth without victual hath
never left." And he gave not over improving the occasion to them
158 Alf Laylah wa LaylaJi.
on this wise, and making a show of piety and cozening them with
fine words and false till they put faith in him and accepted him
and entered his den and had no suspicion of his deceit. There-
upon he sprang to the door and gnashed his teeth, and the wood-
pigeon, seeing his perfidy manifested, said to him, " What hath
to-night to do with yester-night ? Knowest thou not that there is
a Helper for the oppressed ? Beware of craft and treachery, lest
that mishap befal thee which befel the sharpers who plotted
against the merchant." " What was that ? " asked the hedgehog.
Answered the pigeon : I have heard tell this tale of
THE MERCHANT AND THE TWO SHARPERS.
IN a city called Sindah there was once a very wealthy merchant,
who made ready his camel-loads and equipped himself with goods
and set out with his outfit for such a city, purposing to sell it there.
Now he was followed by two sharpers, who had made up into bales
what merchandise they could get ; and, giving out to the merchant
that they also were merchants, wended with him by the way. So
halting at the first halting-place they agreed to play him false* and
take all he had ; but at the same time, each inwardly plotted foul
play to the other, saying in his mind, " If I can cheat my comrade,
times will go well with me and I shall have all these goods to
myself." So after planning this perfidy, one of them took food and
putting therein poison, brought it to his fellow ; the other did the
same and they both ate of the poisoned mess and they both died.
Now they had been sitting with the merchant ; so when they left
him and were long absent from him, he sought for tidings of them
and found the twain lying dead ; whereby he knew that they were
sharpers who had plotted to play him foul, but their foul play had
recoiled upon themselves, So the merchant was preserved and
took what they had. Then quoth the Sultan, " O Shahrazad, verily
thou hast aroused me to all whereof I was negligent ! So continue
to edify me with these fables." Quoth she : It hath reached me r
O King, that men tell this tak of
The Thief and his Monkey. 159
THE THIEF AND HIS MONKEY. 1
A CERTAIN man had a monkey and that man was a thief, who
never entered any of the street-markets of the city wherein he
dwelt, but he made off with great profit. Now it came to pass
one day that he saw a man offering for sale worn clothes, and
he went calling them in the market, but none bid for them and all
to whom he showed them refused to buy of him. Presently the
thief who had the monkey saw the man with the ragged clothes set
them in a wrapper and sit down to rest for weariness ; so he made
the ape sport before him to catch his eye and, whilst he was busy
gazing at it, stole the parcel from him. Then he took the ape and
made off to a lonely place, where he opened the wrapper and,
taking out the old clothes, folded them in a piece of costly stuff.
This he carried to another bazar and exposed for sale together
with what was therein, making it a condition that it should not be
opened, and tempting the folk with the lowness of the price he set
on it. A certain man saw the wrapper and its beauty pleased
him ; so he bought the parcel on these terms and carried it home,
doubting not that he had done well. When his wife saw it she
asked, " What is this ?" and he answered, " It is costly stuff, which
I have bought at lowest price, meaning to sell it again and take
the profit." Rejoined she, " O dupe, would this stuff be sold under
its value, unless it had been stolen ? Dost thou not know that
whoso buyeth aught without examining it, falleth into error, and
becometh like unto the weaver ? " Quoth he, " And what is the
story of the weaver ? "; and quoth she : I have heard this tale of
THE FOOLISH WEAVER.
THERE was once in a certain village a weaver who worked hard but
could not earn his living save by overwork. Now it chanced that
one of the richards of the neighbourhood made a marriage feast
* I have remarked (Pilgrimage iii. 307) that all the popular ape-names in Arabic and
Persian, Sa'adan, Maymun, Shadi, etc., express propitiousness probably euphemistically
applied to our " poor relation."
i6o A If Laylah wa Laylah.
and invited the folk thereto: the weaver also was present and
found the guests, who wore rich gear, served with delicate viands
and made much of by the house-master for what he saw of their
fine clothes. So he said in his mind, " If I change this my craft
for another craft easier to compass and better considered and more
highly paid, I shall amass great store of money and I shall buy
splendid attire, so I may rise in rank and be exalted in men's
eyes and become even with these " Presently, he beheld one of
the mountebanks, who was present at the feast, climbing up to the
top of a high and towering wall and throwing himself down to the
ground and alighting on his feet. Whereupon the weaver said to
himself, " Needs must I do as this one hath done, for surely I shall
not fail of it." So he arose and swarmed up the wall and casting-
himself down, broke his neck against the ground and died forth-
right. Now I tell thee this that thou mayst get thy living by what
way thou knowest and thoroughly understandest, lest peradventure
greed enter into thee and thou lust after what is not of thy condi-
tion." Quoth the woman's husband, " Not every wise man is saved
by his wisdom, nor is every fool lost by his folly. I have seen it
happen to a skilful charmer, well versed in the ways of serpents, to
be struck by the fangs of a snake 1 and killed, and others prevail
over serpents who had no skill in them and no knowledge of their
ways." And he went contrary to his wife and persisted in buying
stolen goods below their value till he fell under suspicion and
perished therefor : even as perished the sparrow in the tale of
1 The serpent does not "sting" nor does it "bite;" it strikes with the poison-teeth
like a downward stab with a dagger. These fangs are always drawn by the jugglers but
they grow again and thus many lives are lost. The popular way of extracting the crochets
is to grasp the snake firmly behind the neck with one hand and with the other to tantalise
it by offering and withdrawing a red rag. At last the animal is allowed to strike it and
a sharp jerk tears out both eye-teeth as rustics used to do by slamming a door. The
head is then held downwards and the venom drains from its bag in the shape of a few
drops of slightly yellowish fluid which, as conjurers know, may be drunk without danger.
The patient looks faint and dazed, but recovers after a few hours and feeds as if nothing
had happened. In India I took lessons from a snake-charmer but soon gave up the
practice as too dangerous,
The Sparrow and the Peacock. 161
THE SPARROW AND THE PEACOCK,
THERE was once upon a time a sparrow, that used every day to
visit a certain king of the birds and ceased not to wait upon him
in the mornings and not to leave him till the evenings, being the
first to go in and the last to go out. One day, a company of birds
chanced to assemble on a high mountain and one of them said to
another, "Verily, we are waxed many, and many are the differences
between us, and there is no help for it but we have a king to look
into our affairs ; so shall we all be at one and our differences will
disappear." Thereupon up came that sparrow and counselled them
to choose for King the peacock (that is, the prince he used to visit).
So they chose the peacock to their King and he, become their
sovereign, bestowed largesse on them and made the sparrow his
secretary and Prime Minister. Now the sparrow was wont by-
times to quit his assiduous service in the presence and look into
matters in general. So one day he absented himself at the usual
time, whereat the peacock was sore troubled ; and, while things
stood thus, he returned and the peacock said to him, " What hath
delayed thee, and thou the nearest to me of all my servants and
the dearest of all my dependents ? " Replied the sparrow, " I have
seen a thing which is doubtful to me and whereat I am affrighted."
Asked the peacock, " What was it thou savvest ? " ; and the sparrow
answered, " I saw a man set up a net, hard by my nest, peg down
its pegs, strew grain in its midst and withdraw afar off. And I sat
watching what he would do when behold, fate and fortune drave
thither a crane and his wife, which fell into the midst of the net
and began to cry out ; whereupon the fowler rose up and took
them. This troubled me, and such is the reason of my absence
from thee, O King of the Age, but never again will I abide in that
nest for fear of the net." Rejoined the peacock, "Depart not
thy dwelling, for against fate and lot forethought will avail thee
naught." And the sparrow obeyed his bidding and said, " I will
forthwith arm myself with patience and forbear to depart in
obedience to the King." So he ceased not taking care of himself,
and carrying food to his sovereign, who would eat what sufficed
him and after feeding drink his water and dismiss the sparrow.-
Now one day as he was looking into matters, lo and behold ! he
saw two sparrows fighting on the ground and said in his mind,
VOL. III. L
1 62 Atf Laylah wa Laylah*
" How can I, who am the King's Wazir, look on and see sparrow^
fighting in my neighbourhood ? By Allah, I must make peace
between them !" So he flew down to reconcile them ; but the fowler
cast the net over the whole number and the sparrow happened to
be in their very midst. Then the fowler arose and took him and
gave him to his comrade, saying, " Take care of him, I never saw
fatter or finer." But the sparrow said to himself" I have fallen into
that which 1 feared and none but the peacock inspired me with
false confidence. It availed me naught to beware of the stroke of
fate and fortune, since even he who taketh precaution may never
flee from destiny. And how well said the poet in this poetry :
Whatso is not to be shall ne'er become ; o No wise ! and that to be must come
to pass ;
Yea, it shall come to pass at time ordained, o And th> Ignoramus 1 aye shall cry
"Alas!"
Whereupon quoth the King, " O Shahrazad, recount me other of
these tales ! "; and quoth she, " I will do so during the coming
night, if life be granted to me by the King whom Allah bring to
honour !" -- And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Jloto toljen it toa* tfje l^iuftrett an*
She said : I will relate the
TALE OF ALI BIN BAKKAR AND OF SHAMS AL-NAHAR.
IT hath reached me, O august King, that in days of yore and in
times and ages long gone before, during the Caliphate of Harun
al-Rashid, there was a merchant who named his son Abu al-Hasan 2
1 Arab/'Akh al-Jahalah " = brother of ignorance, an Ignorantin ; one "really and
truly" ignorant; which is the value of " Akh " in such phrases as "a brother of
poverty," or, "of purity."
2 Lane (ii. i) writes "Abu-1- Hasan ;" Payne (Hi. 49) "Aboulhusn" which would
mean " Father of Beauty (Husn) " and is not a Moslem name. Hasan (beautiful) and
its dimin. Husayn, names now so common, were (it is said), unknown to the Arabs,
although Hassan was that of a Tobba King, before the days of Mohammed who so called
his two only grandsons. In Anglo-India they have become " Hobson and Jobson."
The Bresl. Edit. (ii. 305) entitles this story Tale of Abu '1 Hasan the Attar (druggist
and perfumer) with Ali ibn Bakkar and what befel them with the handmaid (=jariyab)
Shams al-Naha* .**
Tale of Ali bin Bakkar and of Shams al-Nahar. 163
AH bin Tahir ; and the same was great of goods and grace, while
his son was fair of form and face and held in favour by all folk.
He used to enter the royal palace without asking leave, for all the
Caliph's concubines and slave-girls loved him, and he was wont to
be companion with Al-Rashid in his cups and recite verses to him
and tell him curious tales and witty. Withal he sold and bought
in the merchants' bazar, and there used to sit in his shop a youth
named Ali bin Bakkdr, of the sons of the Persian Kings 1 who was for-
mous of form and symmetrical of shape and perfect of figure, with
cheeks red as roses and joined eyebrows ; sweet of speech, laugh-
ing-lipped and delighting in mirth and gaiety. Now it chanced
one day, as the two sat talking and laughing behold, there came up
ten damsels like moons, every one of them complete in beauty and
loveliness^ and elegance and grace; and amongst them was a young
lady riding on a she-mule with a saddle of brocade and stirrups of
gold. She wore an outer veil of fine stuff, and her waist was girt
with a girdle of gold-embroidered silk ; and she was even as saith
the poet :
Silky her skin and silk that zon&d waist ; o Sweet voice ; words not o'er
many nor too few :
Two eyes quoth Allah " Be," and they became ; o And work like wine on hearts
they make to rue :
O love I feel ! grow greater every night : o O solace ! Doom-day bring
our interview.
And when the cortege reached Abu al-Hasan's shop, she alighted
from her mule, and sitting down on the front board, 2 saluted him,
and he returned her salam. When Ali bin Bakkar saw her, she
ravished his understanding and he rose to go away ; but she said to
him, " Sit in thy place. We came to thee and thou goest away :
this is not fair! " Replied he, " O my lady, by Allah, I flee from
what I see ; for the tongue of the case saith :
She is a sun which towereth high a-sky ; o So ease thy heart with cure by
Patience lent :
Thou to her skyey height shalt fail to fly ; a Nor she from skyey height can
make descent."
When she heard this, she smiled and asked Abu al-Hasan, " What
1 i.e. a descendant, not a Prince.
2 The Arab shop is a kind of hole in the wall and buyers sit upon Us outer edge,
(Pilgrimage i. 99).
*4 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
is the name of this young man ? "; who answered, " He is a
stranger ;" and she enquired, " What countryman is he ? "; whereto
the merchant replied, <f He is a descendant of the Persian Kings ;
his name is Ali son of Bakkar and the stranger deserveth honour."
Rejoined she, "When my damsel comes to thee, come thou at once
to us and bring him with thee, that we may entertain him in our
abode, lest he blame us and say : There is no hospitality in the
people of Baghdad ; for niggardliness is the worst fault a man can
have. Thou hearest what I say to thee and, if thou disobey me,
thou wilt incur my displeasure and I will never again visit thee or
salute thee." Quoth Abu al-Hasan, " On my head and my eyes :
Allah preserve me from thy displeasure, fair lady !" Then she rose
and went her way. Such was her case ; but as regards Ali bin
Bakkar he remained in a state of bewilderment. Now after an hour
the damsel came to Abu al-Hasan and said to him, " Of a truth my
lady Shams al-Nahdr, the favourite of the Commander of the Faith-
ful, Harun al-Rashid, biddeth thee to her, thee and thy friend, my
lord Ali bin Bakkar." So he rose and, taking Ali with him, followed
the girl to the Caliph's palace, where she carried them into a
chamber and made them sit down. They talked together awhile,
when behold, trays of food were set before them, and they ate and
-washed their hands. Then she brought them wine, and they drank
deep and made merry ; after which she bade them rise and carried
them into another chamber, vaulted upon four* columns, furnished
after the goodliest fashion with various kinds of furniture, and
adorned with decorations as it were one of the pavilions of Para-
dise. They were amazed at the rarities they saw ; and, as they were
enjoying a review of these marvels, suddenly up came ten slave-
girls, like moons, swaying and swimming in beauty's pride, dazzling
the sight and confounding the sprite ; and they ranged themselves
hi two ranks as if they were of the black-eyed Brides of Paradise.
And after a while in came other ten damsels, bearing in their
hands lutes and divers instruments of mirth and music ; and these,
having saluted the two guests, sat down and fell to tuning their
lute-strings. Then they rose and standing before them, played and
sang and recited verses : and indeed each one of them was a seduc-
tion to the servants of the Lord. Whilst they were thus busied
there entered other ten damsels like unto them, high-bosomed
maids and of an equal age, with black eyes and cheeks like the
rose, joined eyebrows and looks languorous ; a, very fascination to
every faithful wight and to all who looked upon them a delight ;
Tale of AH bin Bakkar and of Shams al-Nafiar. 165
clad in various kinds of coloured silks, with ornaments that amazed
man's intelligence. They took up their station at the door, and
there succeeded them yet other ten damsels even fairer than they,
clad in gorgeous array, such as no tongue can say ; and they also
stationed themselves by the doorway. Then in came a band of
twenty damsels and amongst' them the lady, Shams al-Nahar
hight, as she were the moon among the stars swaying from side to
side, with luring gait and in beauty's pride. And she was veiled
to the middle with the luxuriance of her locks, and clad in a robe
of azure blue and a mantilla of silk embroidered with gold and
gems of price ; and her waist was girt with a zone set with various
kinds of precious stones. She ceased not to advance with her
graceful and coquettish swaying, till she came to tftfe couch that
stood at the upper end of the chamber and seated herself thereon.
But when Ali bin Bakkar saw her, he versified with these verses : fc
Source of mine evils, truly, she alone *s, o Of long love-longing and my
groans and moans ;
Near her I find my soul in melting mood, o For love of her and wasting of my
bones.
And finishing his poetry he said to Abu al-Hasan, " Hadst thou
dealt more kindly with me thou haddest forewarned me of these
things ere I came hither, that I might have made up my mind and
taken patience to support what hath befallen me." And he wept
and groaned and complained. Replied Abu al-Hasan, " O my
brother, I meant thee naught but good ; but I feared to tell thee
this, lest such transport should betide thee as might hinder thee
from foregathering with her, and be a stumbling-block between
thee and her. But be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and
clear j 1 for she to thee inclineth and to favour thee designeth."
Asked Ali bin Bakkar, "What is this young lady's name?"
Answered Abu al Hasan, " She is hight Shams al-Nahar, one of
the favourites of the Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid,
and this is the palace of the Caliphate." Then Shams al-Nahar
sat gazing upon the charms of Ali bin Bakkar and he upon hers, till
both were engrossed with love for each other. Presently she com*
manded the damsels, one and all, to be seated, each in her rank
1 By a similar image the chamaeleon. is called Abu Kurrat = Father of coolness J
because it is said to have the "coldest" eye of all animals and insensible to heat and
light, since it always looks at the sun.
Atf Laylah wa LaylaH.
and place, and all sat on a couch before one of the windows, and
she bade them sing ; whereupon one of them took up the lute and
began carolling :
Give thou my message twice o Bring clear reply in trice !
To thee, O Prince of Beau o -ty * with complaint I rise :
My lord, as heart-blood dear o And Life's most precious prize I
Give me one kiss in gift > Or loan, if thou devise :
And if thou crave for more o Take all that satisfies. 2
Thou donn'st me sickness-dress o Thee with health's weed I bless.
Her singing charmed AH bin Bakkar, and he said to her, " Sing
me more of the like of these verses." So she struck the strings
and began to chaunt these lines :
By stress of parting. O beloved one, o Thou mad'st these eyelids
torrent-race to run :
Oh gladness of my sight and dear desire, o Goal of my wishes, my reli-
gion !
Pity the youth whose eyne are drowned in tears o Of lover gone distraught and
clean undone.
When she had finished her verses, Shams al-Nahar said to another
damsel, " Let us hear something from thee ! " So she played a
lively measure and began these couplets :
His 3 looks have made me drunken, not his wine ; o His grace of gait disgraced
sleep to these eyne:
Dazed me no cup, but cop with curly crop; o His gifts overcame me not
the gifts of vine :
His winding locks my patience-clue unwound : o His robed beauties robbed
all wits of mine.
When Shams Al-Nahar heard this recital from the damsel, she
sighed heavily and the song pleased her. Then she bade another
damsel sing ; so she took the lute and began chanting :
1 This dividing the hemistich words is characteristic of certain tales; so I have
retained it although inevitably suggesting :
I left Matilda at the U-
niversity of Gottingen.
3 These naive offers in Eastern tales mostly come from the true seducer Eve. Europe;
and England especially, still talks endless absurdity upon the subject. A man of this
World may "seduce" an utterly innocent (which means an ignorant) girl. But to
'* seduce " a married woman ! What a farce t
3 Masculine again for feminine : the lines are as full of word-plays, vulgarly called
.puns, as Sanskrit verses.
Tale of All bin Bakkar and of Shams al-Nahar. 167
Face that with Sol in Heaven lamping vies ; o Youth-tide's fair fountain which
begins to rise ;
Whose curly side-beard writeth writ of love, o And in each curl concealeth
mysteries :
Cried Beauty, " When I met this youth I knew o Tis Allah's loom such gor-
geous robe supplies."
When she had finished her song, AH bin Bakkar said to the slave-
maiden nearest him, " Sing us somewhat, thou O damsel." So she
took the lute and began singing :
" Our trysting-time is all too short o For this long coyish coquetry:
How long this * Nay, Nay ! ' and ' Wait, wait ? ' o This is not old nobility!
And now that Time deigns lend delight o Profit of th' opportunity."
When she ended, Ali bin Bakkar followed up her song with flowing
tears ; and, as Shams al-Nahar saw him weeping and groaning
and complaining, she burned with love-longing and desire; and
passion and transport consumed her. So she rose from the sofa
and came to the door of the alcove, where Ali met her and they
embraced with arms round the neck, and fell down fainting in the
doorway; whereupon the damsels came to them and carrying
them into the alcove, sprinkled rose-water upon them both. When
they recovered, they found not Abu al-Hasan who had hidden
himself by the side of a couch, and the young lady said, " Where
is Abu al-Hasan ? " So he showed himself to her from beside the
couch and she saluted him, saying, '* 1 pray Allah to give me the
means of requiting thee, O kindest of men ! " Then she turned
to Ali bin Bakkar and said to him, " O my lord, passion hath not
reached this extreme pass with thee without my feeling the like ;
but we have nothing to do save to bear patiently what calamity
hath befallen us." Replied he, " By Allah, O my lady, union with
thee may not content me nor gazing upon thee assuage the fire
thou hast lighted, nor shall leave me the love of thee which hath
mastered my heart but with the leaving of my life." So saying,
he wept and the tears ran down upon his cheeks like thridded
pearls ; and when Shams al-Nahar saw him weep, she wept for
his weeping. But Abu al-Hasan exclaimed, " By Allah, 1 wonder
at your case and am confounded at your condition ; of a truth, your
affair is amazing and your chance dazing. What ! this weeping
while ye are yet together : then how will it be what time ye are
parted and far separated ? " And he continued, " Indeed, this is
no tide for weeping and wailing, but a season for meeting and
1 68 A If Laylak wa Laylah.
merry-making ; rejoice, therefore, and take your pleasure and shed
no more tears!" Then Shams al-Nahar signed to a slave-girlt
who arose and presently returned with handmaids bearing a table,
whose dishes of silver were full of various rich viands. They set
the table before the pair and Shams al-Nahar began to eat 1 and
to place tid-bits in the mouth of Ali bin Bakkar ; and they ceased
not so doing till they were satisfied, when the table was removed
and they washed their hands. Then the waiting-women fetched
censers with all manner of incense, aloe-wood and ambergris and
mixed scents; and sprinkling- flasks full of rose-water were also
brought and they were fumigated and perfumed. After this the
slaves set on vessels of graven gold, containing all kinds of sherbets,
besides fruits fresh and dried, that heart can desire and eye delight
in ; and lastly one brought a flagon of carnelion full of old wine.
, Then Shams al-Nahar chose out ten handmaids to attend on them
and ten singing women ; and, dismissing the rest to their apart-
ments, bade some of those who remained strike the lute. They
did as she bade them and one of them began to sing :
My soul to him who smiled back my salute, o In breast reviving hopes thai
were no mo'e :
The hand o' Love my secrel brought to light, o And censor's tongues what lies
my ribs below : a
My tear-drops ever pres.s twixt me and him, As though my tear-drops show*
ing love would flow.
When she had finished her singing, Shams al-Nahar rose and,
filling a goblet, drank it off, then crowned it again and handed
it to Ali bin Bakkar; And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased saying her permitted say.
forfjen Ct foa* t&e f^un&rrt* an* JpiftHourtf)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Shams
al-Nahar filled a goblet and handed it to Ali bin Bakkar ; after
which she bade another damsel sing ; and she began singing these
couplets :
1 The Eastern heroine always has a good appetite and eats well. The sensible
Oriental would in6nitely despise that maladive Parisienne in whom our neighbours delight,,
and whom I long to send to the Hospital.
2 i.e. her rivals have discovered the secrel of her heart.
Tale of AH bin Bakkar and of Shams al-Nahar. 169
My tears thus flowing rival with my wine, o Pouring the like of what fills cup
to brink i 1
By Allah wot I not an run these eyne o Wi' wine, or else it is of tears I
drink.
And when she ended her recitation, Ali bin Bakkar drained his
cup and returned it to Shams al-Nahar. She filled it again and
gave it to Abu al-Hasan who tossed it off. Then she took the
lute, saying, " None shall sing over my cup save myself ; " so she
screwed up the strings and intoned these verses :
The tears run down his cheeks in double row, o And in his breast high flameth
lover-lowe :
He weeps when near, a-fearing to be far ; o And, whether far or near, his
tear-drops flow.
And the words of another :
Our life to thee, O cup-boy Beauty-dight ! o From parted hair to calves ;
from black to white :
Sol beameth from thy hands, and from thy lips o Pleiads, and full Moon through
thy collar's night, 2
Good sooth the cups, which made our heads fly round, o Are those thine eyes
pass round to daze the sight :
No wonder lovers hail thee as full moon o Waning to them, for self e'er
waxing bright :
Art thou a deity to kill and quicken, o Bidding this fere, forbidding
other wight ?
Allah from model of thy form made Beau o -ty and the Zephyr scented
with thy sprite.
Thou art not of this order of human o -ity but angel lent by Heave*
to man.
When Ali bin Bakkar and Abu al-Hasan and those present heard
Shams al-Nahar's song, they were like to fly for joy, and sported
and laughed ; but while they were thus enjoying themselves lo !
up came a damsel, trembling for fear and said, " O my lady, the
Commander of the Faithful's eunuchs are at the door, Afff and
Masrur and Marjan 3 and others whom wot I not." When they
1 i.e. blood as red as wine.
2 The wine-cup (sun-like) shines in thy hand ; thy teeth are bright as the Pleiads
and thy face rises like a moon from the darkness of thy dress-collar.
3 The masculine of Marjanah (Morgiana) " the she coral-branch ;" and like this a
name generally given to negroes. We have seen white applied to a blackamoor by way
of metonomy and red is also connected with black skins by way of fun. A Persian verse
says:
" If a black wear red, e'en an ass would grin.'*
Laylah wa Laylah.
heard this they were like to die with fright, but Shams al-Nahar
laughed and said, " Have no fear ! " Then quoth she to the damsel,
" Keep answering them whilst we remove hence." And she caused
the doors of the alcove to be closed upon Ali and Abu al-Hasan,
and let down the curtains over the entrance (they being still
within) ; after which she shut the door of the saloon and went out
by the privy wicket into the flower-garden, where she seated her-!
self on a couch she had there and made one of the damsels knead]
her feet. 1 Then she dismissed the rest of her women to their
rooms and bade the portress admit those who were at the door ;
whereupon Masrur entered, he and his company of twenty with
drawn swords. And when they saluted her, she asked, "Wherefore
come ye ? "; whereto they answered, " The Commander of the
Faithful saluteth thee. Indeed he is desolated for want of thy
sight ; he letteth thee know that this be to him a day of joy and
great gladness and he wisheth to seal his day and complete his
pleasure with thy company at this very hour. So say, wilt go to
him or shall he come to thee ? " Upon this she rose and, kissing
the earth, replied, " I hear and I obey the commandment of the
Prince of True Believers ! " Then she summoned the women
guards of her household and other slave-damsels, who lost no time
in attending upon her and made a show of obeying the Caliph's
orders. And albeit everything about the place was in readiness,
she said to the eunuchs, "Go to the Commander of the Faithful
and tell him that I await him after a little space, that I may make
ready for him a place with carpets and other matters." So they
returned in haste to the Caliph, whilst Shams al-Nahar, doffing her
outer gear, repaired to her lover, Ali bin Bakkar, and drew him to
her bosom and bade him farewell, whereat he wept sore and said,
" O my lady, this leave-taking will cause the ruin of my very self
and the loss of my very soul ; but I pray Allah grant me patience
to support the passion wherewith he hath afflicted me ! " Replied
she, " By Allah, none shall suffer perdition save I ; for thou wilt
fare forth to the bazar and consort with those that shall divert
thee, and thy life will be sound and thy love hidden forsure ; but I
shall fall into trouble and tristesse nor find any to console me,
more by token that I have given the Caliph a tryst, wherein haply
great peril shall betide me by reason of my love for thee and my
longing for thee and my grief at being parted from thee. For with
1 Suggesting that she had been sleeping.
Tale of All bin Bakkar and of Shams al-Nahar. 171
what tongue shall I sing and with what heart shall I present my-
self before the Caliph ? and with what speech shall I company the
Commander of the Faithful in his cups ? and with what eyes shall
I look upon a place where thou art absent ? and with what taste
shall I drink wine of which thou drinkest not ? " Quoth Abu al-
Hasan, " Be not troubled but take patience and be not remiss in
entertaining the Commander of the Faithful this night, neither
show him any neglect, but be of good heart." Now at this junc-
ture, behold, up came a damsel, who said to Shams al-Nahar, " O
my lady, the Caliph's pages are come." So she hastily rose to her
feet and said to the maid, " Take Abu al-Hasan and his friend and
carry them to the upper balcony 1 giving upon the garden and there
leave them till darkness came on ; when do thou contrive to carry
them forth. Accordingly the girl led them up to the balcony
and, locking the door upon them both, went her way. As they sat
looking on the garden lo ! the Caliph appeared escorted by near
an hundred eunuchs, with drawn swords in hand and girt about
with a score of damsels, as they were moons, all clad in the richest
of raiment and on each one's head was a crown set with jewels and
rubies ; while each carried a lighted flambeau. The Caliph walked
in their midst, they encompassing him about on all sides, and
Masrur and Afi'f and Wasff 2 went before him and he bore himself
with a graceful gait. So Shams al-Nahar and her maidens rose to
receive him and, meeting him at the garden-door, kissed ground
between his hands ; nor did they cease to go before him till they
brought him to the couch whereon he sat down, whilst all the
waiting-women who were in the garden and the eunuchs stood
before him and there came fair handmaids and concubines holding:
in hand lighted candles and perfumes and incense and instruments
of mirth and music. Then the Sovereign bade the singers sit
down, each in her place, and Shams al-Nahar came up and, seating
herself on a stool by the side of the Caliph's couch, began to con-
verse with him ; all this happening whilst Abu al-Hasan and All
bin Bakkar looked on and listened, unseen of the King. Presently
the Caliph fell to jesting and toying with Shams al-Nahar and
1 Arab. "Raushan," a window projecting and latticed : the word is orig. Persian: so
Raushand (splendour) = Roxana. It appears to me that this beautiful name gains beauty
by being understood.
* The word means any servant, but here becomes a proper name* "Wasifah*
usually = a concubine.
172 .Alf Laylah wa Laylak,
both were in the highest spirits, glad and gay, when he bade them
throw open the garden pavilion. So they opened the doors and
windows and lighted the tapers till the place shone in the season
of darkness even as the day. Then the eunuchs removed thither
the wine-service and (quoth Abu al-Hasan) "I saw drinking-
vessels and rarities whose like mine eyes never beheld, vases of
gold and silver and all manner of noble metals and precious stones,
such as no power of description can describe, till indeed it seemed
to me I was dreaming, for excess of amazement at what I saw ! "
But as for Ali bin Bakkar, from the moment Shams al-Nahar left
him, he lay strown on the ground for stress of love and desire ;
and, when he revived, he fell to gazing upon these things that had
not their like and saying to Abu al-Hasan, " O my brother, I fear
lest the Caliph see us or come to know of our case ; but the most
of my fear is for thee. For myself, of a truth I know that I am
about to be lost past recourse, and the cause of my destruction is
naught but love and longing and excess of desire and distraction,
and disunion from my beloved after union with her ; but I beseech
Allah to deliver us from this perilous predicament." And they
ceased not to look out of the balcony on the Caliph who was
taking his pleasure, till the banquet was spread before him, when
he turned to one of the damsels and said to her, " O Ghardm, 1 let
us hear some of thine enchanting songs." So she took the lute
and tuning it, began singing :
The longing of a Bedouin maid, whose folks are far away, o Who yearns after
the willow of the Hejaz and the bay, 2
Whose tears, when she on travellers lights, might for their water serve o And
eke her her passion, with its heat, their bivouc-fire purvey,
Is not more fierce nor ardent than my longing for my love, o Who deems that
I commit a crime in loving him alway.*
Now when Shams al-Nahar heard these verses she slipped off the
stool whereon she sat and fell to the earth fainting and became
insensible to the world around her ; upon which the damsels came
and lifted her up. And when Ali Bin Bakkar saw this from the
balcony he also slipped down senseless, and Abu al-Hasan said,
J i.e. eagerness, desire, love-longing.
2 Arab. "Rind," which may mean willow (oriental), bay or aloes wood : Al-Asma'i
denies that it ever signifies myrtle.
s These lines occur in Night cxiv : by way of variety I give (with permission) Mr.
Payne's version (iii. 59).
Tale of AH fan Bakkar and of Shams al-Nakar. 173
" Verily Fate hath divided love-desire equally upon you twain ! " !
As he spoke lo ! in came the damsel who had led them up to the
balcony and said to him, " O Abu al-Hasan, arise thou and thy
friend and come down, for of a truth the world hath waxed strait
upon us and I fear lest our case be discovered or the Caliph
become aware of you ; unless you descend at once we are dead
ones." Quoth he, "And how shall this youth descend with me
seeing that he hath no strength to rise ? " Thereupon the damsel
began sprinkling rose-water on Ali bin Bakkar till he came to his
senses, when Abu al-Hasan lifted him up and the damsel made
him lean upon her. So they went down from the balcony and
walked on awhile till the damsel opened a little iron door, and
made the two friends pass through it, and they came upon a bench
by the Tigris' bank. Thereupon the slave-girl clapped her hands 2
and there came up a man with a little boat to whom said she,
" Take up these two young men and land them on the opposite
side." So both entered the boat and, as the man rowed off with
them and they left the garden behind them, Ali bin Bakkar looked
back towards the Caliph's palace and the pavilion and the grounds ;
and bade them farewell with these two couplets :
I offered this weak hand as last farewell, * While to heart-burning fire that
hand is guided :
O let not this end union ! Let not this Be last provision for long road
provided !
Thereupon the damsel said to the boatman, " Make haste with
them both.'* So he plied his oars deftly (the slave-girl being still
with them) ; And Shahrazad perceived the dawning day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
tofjett it toas tfje J^unteUr anfc Jfiftg-fiftfi Nt
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the boatman
rowed them towards the other bank till they reached it and landed,
whereupon she took leave of them, saying, " It were my wish not
to abandon you, but I can go no farther than this." Then she
1 Referring to the proverb " AI-Kliauf maksum " = fear (cowardice) is equaHy appor
tioned : i.e. if I fear you, you fear me.
* The fingers of the right hand are struck upon the palm of the left
174 ^ If Laylak wa Laylah.
turned back, whilst Ali bin Bakkar lay prostrate on the ground
before Abu al-Hasan and by no manner of means could he rise, till
his friend said to him, " Indeed this place is not sure and I fear
lest we lose our lives in this very spot, by reason of the lewd
fellows who infest it and highwaymen and men of lawlessness."
Upon this Ali bin Bakkar arose and walked a little but could not
continue walking. Now Abu al-Hasan had friends in that quarter ;
so he made search for one of them, in whom he trusted, and who
was of his intimates, and knocked at the door. The man came
out quickly and seeing them, bade them welcome and brought
them into his house, where he seated them and talked with them
and asked them whence they came. Quoth Abu al-Hasan, " We
came out but now, being obliged thereto by a person with whom
I had dealings and who hath in his hands dirhams of mine. And
it reached me that he designed to flee into foreign parts with my
monies ; so I fared forth to-night in quest of him, taking with
me for company this youth, Ali bin Bakkar ; but, when we came
hoping to see the debtor, he hid from us and we could get no sight
of him. Accordingly we turned back, empty-handed without a
doit, but it was irksome to us to return home at this hour of the
night ; so weeting not whither to go, we came to thee, well
knowing thy kindness and wonted courtesy." u Ye are welcome
ancJ well come ! " answered the host, and studied to do them
honour ; so the twain abode with him the rest of their night and
as soon as the daylight dawned, they left him and made their
way back without aught of delay to the city. When they came
to the house of Abu al-Hasan, he conjured his comrade to enter ;
so they went in and lying down on the bed, slept awhile. As
soon as they awoke, Abu al-Hasan bade his servants spread the
house with rich carpets, saying in his mind, " Needs must I divert
this youth and distract him from thinking of his affliction, for I
know his case better than another." Then he called for water for
Ali bin Bakkar who, when it was brought, rose up from his bed
and making his ablutions, prayed the obligatory prayers which he
had omitted for the past day and night 1 ; after which he sat down
and began to solace himself by talking with his friend. When
Abu al-Hasan saw this, he turned to him and said, " O my lord, it
were fitter for thy case that thou abide with me this night, so thy
1 There are intricate rules for ' joining " the prayers ; but this is hardly the place for a
subject discussed in all religious treatises. (Pilgrimage iii. 239.)
Tale of Ali bin Bakkar and of Shams al-Nahar. 17$
breast may be broadened and the distress of love-longing that is
upon thee be dispelled and thou make merry with us, so haply
the fire of thy heart may thus be quenched." Ali replied, " O my
brother, do what seemeth good to thee ; for I may not on any
wise escape from what calamity hath befallen me ; so act as
thou wilt." Accordingly, Abu al-Hasan arose and bade his
servants summon some of the choicest of his friends and sent
for singers and musicians who came ; and meanwhile he made
ready meat and drink for them ; so they sat eating and drinking
and making merry through the rest of the day till nightfall.
Then they lit the candles, and the cups of friendship and good
fellowship went round amongst them and the time passed
pleasantly with them. Presently, a singing-woman took the lute
and began singing :
I've been shot by Fortune, and shaft of eye * Down struck me and parted
from fondest friend :
Time has proved him foe and my patience failed, * Yet I ever expected it thus
would end.
When Ali bin Bakkar heard her words, he fell to the earth in a
swoon and ceased not lying in his fainting fit till day-break ; and
Abu al-Hasan despaired of him. But, with the dawning, he came
to himself and sought to go home ; nor could his friend hinder
him, for fear of the issue of his affair. So he made his servants
bring a she-mule and, mounting Ali thereon, carried him to his
lodgings, he and one of his men. When he was safe at home;
Abu al-Hasan thanked Allah for his deliverance from that sore
peril and sat awhile with him, comforting him ; but Ali could
not contain himself, for the violence of his love and longing.
So Abu al-Hasan rose to take leave of him and return to his
own place. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
JJofo fo&en ft foas tje $^unfcrc& anU JFfftg^fxtJ Jifg&t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Abu
al-Hasan rose to take leave of him, Ali son of Bakkar exclaimed,
" O my brother, leave me not without news." " I hear and obey,"
replied the other ; and forthwith went away and, repairing to his
shop, opened it and sat there all day, expecting news of Shams
176 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
al^Nahar. But none came. He passed the night in his own house
and, when dawned the day, he walked to Ali bin Bakkar's lodging
and went in and found him thrown on his bed, with his friends
about him and physicians around him prescribing something or
other, and the doctors feeling his pulse. When he saw Abu al-
Hasan enter he smiled, and the visitor, after saluting him, enquired
how he did and sat with him till the folk withdrew, when he said
to him, " What plight is this ? " Quoth Ali bin Bakkar, " It was
bruited abroad that I was ill and my comrades heard the report ;
and I have no strength to rise and walk so as to give him the lie
who noised abroad my sickness, but continue lying strown here a*
thou seest. So my friends came to visit me ; say, however, O my
brother, hast thou seen the slave-girl or heard any news of her ? "
He replied, " I have not seen her, since the day we parted from her
on Tigris' bank ; " and he presently added, " O my brother, beware
thou of scandal and leave this weeping." Rejoined Ali, " O my
brother, indeed, I have no control over myself;" and he sighed
and began reciting :
She gives her woman's hand a force that fails the hand of me, * And with red
dye on wrist she gars my patience fail and flee :
And for her hand she fears so sore what shafts her eyes discharge, * She's fain
to clothe and guard her hand with mail-ring panoply : !
The leach in ignorance felt my pulse the while to him I cried, * " Sick is my
heart, so quit my hand which hath no malady : "
Quoth she to that fair nightly vision favoured me and fled, * " By Allah picture
him nor add nor 'bate in least degree ! "
Replied the Dream, " I leave him though he die of thirst," I cry, * " Stand off
from water-pit and say why this persistency."
Rained tear-pearls her Narcissus-eyes, and rose on cheek belit * She made my
sherbet, and the lote with bits of hail she bit. 2
And when his recital was ended he said, " O Abu al-Hasan, I am
smitten with an affliction from which I deemed myself in perfect
surety, and there is no greater ease for me than death." Replied
he, " Be patient, haply Allah will heal thee ! " Then he went out
from him and repairing to his shop opened it, nor had he sat long,
when suddenly up came the handmaid who saluted him. He
1 The hands being stained with Henna and perhaps indigo in stripes are like the ring-
rows of chain armour. See Lane's illustration (Mod. Egypt, chapt. i.)
2 She made rose-water of her cheeks for my drink and she bit with teeth like grains of
hail those lips like the lotus-fruit, or jujube : Arab. "Unnab" or "Nabk," the plum of
the Sidr or Zizyphus lotus.
Tale of All bin Bakkar and of Shams al-Nahar. 177
returned her salam and looking at her, saw that her heart was
palpitating and that she was in sore trouble and showed signs of
great affliction : so he said to her, "Thou art welcome and well come !
How is it with Shams al-Nahar ? " She answered, " I will presently
tell thee, but first let me know how doth Ali bin Bakkar." So he told
her all that had passed and how his case stood, whereat she grieved
and sighed and lamented and marvelled at his condition. Then said
she, " My lady's case is still stranger than this ; for when you went
away and fared homewards, I turned back, my heart beating hard on
your account and hardly crediting your escape. On entering I found
her lying prostrate in the pavilion, speaking not nor answering any,
whilst the Commander of the Faithful sat by her head not knowing
what ailed her and finding none who could make known to him
aught of her ailment. She ceased not from her swoon till miid^
night, when she recovered and the Prince of the Faithful said tt>
her, What harm hath happened to thee, O Shams al-Nahar, and
what hath befallen thee this night? Now when she heard the
Caliph's words she kissed his feet and said, Allah make me thy
ransom, O Prince of True Believers ! Verily a sourness of stomach
lighted a fire in my body, so that I lost my senses for excess of
pain, and I know no more of my condition. Asked the Caliph,
What hast thou eaten to-day ? ; and she answered, I broke my fast
on something I had never tasted before. Then she feigned to be
recovered and calling for a something of wine, drank it, and begged
the Sovereign to resume his diversion. So he sat down again on
his couch in the pavilion and the sitting was resumed ; but when
she saw me, she asked me how you fared. I told her what I had
done with you both and repeated to her the verses which Ali bin
Bakkar had composed at parting-tide, whereat she wept secretly,
but presently held her peace. After awhile, the Commander of
the Faithful ordered a damsel to sing, and she began reciting :
Life has no sweet for me since forth ye fared ; * Would Heaven I wot howr
fare ye who forsake :
'Twere only fit my tears were tears of blood, * Since you are weeping for
mine absence sake.
But when my lady heard this verse she fell back on the sofa in a
swoon," And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
VOL. III. M
Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
Nofo fojm ( foas tfje f^unfcreD an*
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the slave-girl
continued to Abu al-Hasan, " But when my lady heard this verse,
she fell back on the sofa in a swoon, and I seized her hand and
sprinkled rose-water on her face, till she revived, when I said to
her: O my lady, expose not thyself and all thy palace containeth.
By the life of thy beloved, be thou patient ! She replied : Can
aught befal me worse than death which indeed I seek, for by Allah,
my ease is therein ? Whilst we were thus talking, another damsel
sang these words of the poet :
Quoth they, " Maybe that Patience lend thee ease ! " o Quoth I, " Since fared
he where is Patience' place ?"
Covenant he made 'twixt me and him, to cut o The cords of Patience
at our last embrace ! l
And as soon as she had finished her verse Shams al-Nahar swooned
away once more, which when the Caliph saw, he came to her in
haste and commanded the wine to be removed and each damsel to
return to her chamber. He abode with her the rest of the night,
and when dawned the day, he sent for chirurgeons and leaches
,and bade them medicine her, knowing not that her sickness
arose from love and longing. I tarried with her till I deemed
her in a way of recovery, and this is what kept me from thee. I
have now left her with a number of her body-women, who were
greatly concerned for her, when she bade me go to you two and
bring her news of AH bin Bakkar and return to her with the
tidings." When Abu al-Hasan heard her story, he marvelled and
said, " By Allah, I have acquainted thee with his whole case ; so
now return to thy mistress ; and salute her for me and diligently
exhort her to have patience and say to her: Keep thy secret !;
and tell her that I know all her case which is indeed hard and one
which calleth for nice conduct," She thanked him and taking
leave of him, returned to her mistress. So far concerning her ;
but as regards Abu al-Hasan, he ceased not to abide in his shop
till the end of the day, when he arose and shut it and locked it and
betaking himself to Ali bin Bakkar's house knocked at the door.
One of the servants came out and admitted him ; and when
Ali saw him, he smiled and congratulated himself on his coming,
1 Meaning^to let Patience run away like an untethered cameL
Tale of Ali_bin Bakkar and of Shams al-Ndliar. 179
saying, " O Abu al -Hasan, thou hast desolated me by thine
absence this day ; for indeed my soul is pledged to thee during
the rest of my time." Answered the other, " Leave (his talk !
Were thy healing at the price of my hand, I would cut it off ere
thou couldst ask me ; and, could I ransom thee with my life, I
had already laid it down for thee. Now this very day, Shams al-
Nahar's handmaid hath been with me and told mVlhat what
hindered her coming ere this was the Caliph's sojourn with her^
mistress ; and she acquainted me with everything which had
betided her." And he went on to repeat to him all that the girt
had told him of Shams al-Nahar ; at which AH bin Bakkar lamented
sore and wept and said to him, " Allah upon thee, O my brother,
help me in this affliction and teach me what course I shall take.
Moreover, I beg thee of thy grace to abide with me this night,
that I may have the solace of thy society." Abu al-Hasan agreed
to this request, replying that he would readily night there ; so they
talked together till even-tide darkened, when AH bin Bakkar
groaned aloud and lamented and wept copious tears, reciting these
couplets :
Thine image in these eyne, a-lip thy name, _o My heart thy home; how
couldst thou disappear?
How sore I grieve for life which comes to end, o Nor see I boon of union far/
or near.
And these the words of another :
She split my casque of courage with eye-swords that sorely smite ; o She pierced
my patience' ring-mail with her shape like cane-spear light :
Patched by the musky mole on cheek was to our sight displayed o Camphor set
round with ambergris, light dawning through the night. 1
Her soul was sorrowed and she bit carnelion stone with pearls o Whose unions
in a sugred tank ever to lurk unite : 2
Restless she sighed and smote with palm the siflows that clothe her breast, o And!
left a mark whereon I looked and ne'er beheld such sight.
Pens, fashioned of her coral nails with ambergris for ink, o Five lines on,
crystal page of breast did cruelly indite :
1 i.e. her fair face shining through the black hair. "Camphor" is a favourite with
Arab poets the Persians hate it because connected in their minds with death ; being
used for purifying the corpse. We read in Burckhardt (Prov. 464) " Singing without
siller is like a corpse without Hanut " this being a mixture of camphor and rose-water,
sprinkled over the face of the dead before shrouded. Similarly Persians avoid speaking
>of coffee, because they drink it at funerals and use tea at other times.
8 i.e. she is angry and bites her carnelion lips with pearly teeth.
180 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
O swordsmen armed with trusty steel ! I bid you all beware o When she on
you bends deadly glance which fascinates the sprite :
And guard thyself, O thou of spear ! whenas she draweth near o To tilt with
slender quivering shape, likest the nut-brown spear.
And when AH bin Bakkar ended his verse, he cried out with a
great cry and fell down in a fit. Abu al-Hasan thought that his
soul had fled his body and he ceased not from his swoon till day-
break, when he came to himself and talked with his friend, who
continued to sit with him till the forenoon. Then he left him and
repaired to his shop ; and hardly had he opened it, when lo ! the
damsel came and stood by his side. As soon as he saw her, she
made him a sign of salutation which he returned ; and she delivered
to him the greeting message of her mistress and asked, " How
doth Ali bin Bakkar ? " Answered he, " O handmaid of good, ask
me not of his case nor what he suffered! for excess of love-longing ;
he sleepeth not by night neither resteth he by day ; wakeful ness
wasteth him and care hath conquered him and his condition is a
consternation to his friend." Quoth she, " My lady saluteth thee
and him, and she hath written him a letter, for indeed she is in
worse case than he ; and she entrusted the same to me, saying :
Do not return save with the answer ; and do thou obey my bidding.
Here now is the letter, so say, wilt thou wend with me to him that
we may get his reply?" " I hear and obey," answered Abu al-
Hasan, and locking his shop and taking with him the girl he went,
by a way different from that whereby he came, to Ali bin Bakkar's
house, where he left her standing at the door and walked in --
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Noto tofjen it toas tfje l^untorti an* JFiftj^efg&t?) Nigfjt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abu al-
Hasan went with the girl to the house of Ali son of Bakkar, where
he left her standing at the door and walked in to his great joy.
And Abu al-Hasan said to him, " The reason of my coming is that
such an one hath sent his handmaid to thee with a letter, contain-
ing his greeting to thee and mentioning therein that the cause of
his not coming to thee was a matter that hath betided him. The
girl standeth even now at the door : shall she have leave to
enter?"; and he signed to him that it was Shams al-Nahar's slave-
girl. Ali understood his signal and answered, " Bring her in,"
Tale of Ali bin Bakkar and of Shams al-Nahar. 181
and when he saw her, he shook for joy and signed to her, " How
doth thy lord ? ; Allah grant him health and healing ! " " He is
well/' answered she and pulling out the letter gave it to him. He
took it and kissing it, opened and read it ; after which he handed
it to Abu al- Hasan, who found these verses written therein :
This messenger shall give my news to thee ; o Patience what while my sight
thou canst not see :
A lover leav'st in love's insanity, o Whose eyne abide on wake
incessantly :
I suffer patience-pangs in woes that none Of men can medicine ; such
my destiny !
Keep cool thine eyes ; ne'er shall my heart forget, o Nor without dream of thee
one day shall be.
Look what befel thy wasted frame, and thence o Argue what I am doomed
for love to dree !
"And afterwards 1 : Without fingers * I have written to thee, and
without tongue I have spoken to thee * to resume my case, I have
an eye wherefrom sleeplessness departeth not * and a heart
whence sorrowful thought stirreth not * It is with me as though
health I had never known * nor in sadness ever ceased to wone *
nor spent an hour in pleasant place * but it is as if I were made*
up of pine and of the pain of passion and chagrin * Sickness
unceasingly troubleth # and my yearning ever redoubleth # desire
still groweth * and longing in my heart still gloweth * I pray
Allah to hasten our union * and dispel of my mind the con-
fusion # And I would fain thou favour me * with some words of
thine * that I may cheer my heart in pain and repine # More-
over, I would have thee put on a patience lief, until Allah vouch-
safe relief * And His peace be with thee." 3 When Ali bin Bakkar
had read this letter he said in weak accents and feeble voice,
" With what hand shall I write and with what tongue shall I make
moan and lament ? Indeed she addeth sickness to my sickness
and draweth death upon my death ! " Then he sat up and taking
1 Arab. "Wa ba'ad ; " the formula which follows " Bismillah " In the name of
Allah. The French translate it or sus t etc. I have noticed the legend about its having
been first used by the eloquent Koss, Bishop of Najran.
8 i.e. Her mind is so troubled she cannot answer for what she writest
3 The Bui. Edit. (i. 329) and the Mac. Edit. (i. 780) give to Shams al-Nahar the
greater part of Ali's answer, as is shown by the Calc. Edit. (230 ft seq.) and the BresJ.
Edit. (ii. 366 et seq.). Lane mentions this (ii. 74) but in his usual perfunctory way gives
no paginal references to the Calc. or Bresl. ; so that those who would veri/y the text may
have the displeasure of hunting for it.
A If Laylah wa Laylak.
in hand ink-case and paper, wrote the following reply : " In the
name of Allah, the Compassionating, the Compassionate I 1 Thy
letter hath reached me, O my lady, and hath given ease to a sprite
worn out with passion and love-longing, and hath brought healing
to a wounded heart cankered with languishment and sickness ; for
indeed I am become even as saith the poet :
Straitened bosom ; reveries dispread ; o Slumberless eyelids ; body
wearied ;
Patience cut short ; disunion longsomest ; o Reason deranged and hearf
whose life is fled !
And know that complaining is unavailing ; but it easeth him
whom love-longing disordereth and separation destroyeth and,
with repeating : Union, I keep myself comforted and how fine is
the saying of the poet who said :
Did not in love-plight joys and sorrows meet, o How would the message or the
writ be sweet ? "
When he had made an end of this letter, he handed it to Abu al
Hasan, saying, " Read it and give it to the damsel." So he took it
and read it and its words stirred his soul and its meaning wounded
his vitals. Then he committed it to the girl, and when she took it
AH bin Bakkar said to her, " Salute thy lady for me and acquaint
her with my love and longing and how passion is blended with
my flesh and my bones ; and say to her that in very deed I need a
woman who shall snatch me from the sea of destruction and save
me from this dilemma ; for of a truth Fortune oppresseth me with
her vicissitudes ; and is there any helper to free me from her turpi-
1 Arab. "Bi'smi 'llahi' r-Rahmani'r-Rahfm." This auspicatory formula was bor-
rowed by Al-Islam not from the Jews but from the Guebre " Ba ndm-i-Yezdan bakh-
shaishgar-i-dadar !" (in the name of Yezdan God All-generous, All-just !) The Jews
have, " In the name of the Great God ;" and the Christians, " In the name of the
Father, etc.*' The so-called Sir John Mandeville begins his book, In the name of God,
Glorious and Almighty. The sentence forms the first of the Koran and heads every
chapter except only the ninth, an exception for which recondite reasons are adduced.
Hence even in the present day it begins all books, letters and writings in general ; and
it would be a sign of Infidelity (i.e. non-Islamism) to omit it. The difference between
" Rahmdn" and " Rahim" is that the former represents an accidental (compassionat-
ing), the latter a constant quality (compassionate). Sale therefore renders it very imper-
fectly by " In the name of the most merciful God ; " the Latinists better, " In nomine
Dei misericordis, clementissimi (Gottwaldt in Hamza Ispahanensis) ; Mr. Badger much
better, " In the name of God, the Pitiful, the Compassionate "-whose only fault is not
preserving the assonance : and Maracci best, " In nomine Dei miseratoris, misericordis."
Tale of All bin Bakkar and of Stiams al-Nakar.
tudes?" And he wept and the damsel wept for his weeping.
Then she took leave of him and went forth and Abu al-Hasan
went out with her and farewelled her. So she ganged her gait
and he returned to his shop, which he opened and sat down there,
as was his wont ; And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
Jloto toftm ft toas tlje $^un&re& arfo Jpfftg^ntntJ Jfcfgfit,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abu
al-Hasan farewelled the slave-girl and returned to his shop
which he opened and sat down there according to his custom ;
but as he tarried, he found his heart oppressed and his breast
straitened, and he was perplexed about his case. So he ceased
not from melancholy the rest of that day and night, and on the
morrow he betook himself to Ali bin Bakkar, with whom he sat
till the folk withdrew, when he asked him how he did. Ali began
to complain of desire and to descant upon the longing and dis-
traction which possessed him, and repeated these words of the
poet :
Men. have 'plained of pining before my time, o Live and dead by parting
been terrified :
But such feelings as those which my ribs immure o 1 have never heard ofc
nor ever espied.
And these of another poet :
1 have borne for thy love what -never bore * For his fair, Kays the
"Daftone" l hightofold:
Yet I chase not the wildlings of wold and wild o Like Kays, for madness
is manifold.
1 Arab. Majnun (i.e. one possessed by a Jinni) the well-known model lover of Layla, a
fictitious personage for whom see D'Herbetot (s. v. Megnoun). She was celebrated
by Abu Mohammed Nizam al-Din of Ganjah (ob. A.H. 597 == 1200) pop* known as
Nizdmi, the caustic and austere poet who wrote :
The weals of this world are the ass's meed !
Would Nizami were of the ass's breed.
The series in the East begins chronologically with Yusuf and Zulaykhsi (Potiphar's wife)
sung by Jdmi (nat. A.H. 817 = 1414) ; the next in date is Khusraw and Shirin (also
by Nizami) ; Farhad and Shirin ; and Layla and Majnun (the Night-black maid and the
Maniac-man) are the last. We are obliged to compare the lovers with " Romeo and
Juliet," having no corresponding instances in modern days : the classics of Europe
supply a host as Hero and Leander, Theagenes and Cbaricleia, etc. etc.
184 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Thereupon quoth Abu al-Hasan, " Never did I see or hear of one
like unto thee in thy love ! When thou sufferest all this transport
and sickness and trouble being enamoured of one who returneth
thy passion, how would it be with thee if she whom thou lovest
were contrary and contumelious, and thy case were discovered
through her perfidy ? " And All the son of Bakkar (says Abu
al-Hasan) was pleased with my words and he relied upon them
and he thanked me for what I had said and done. I had a friend
(continued Abu al-Hasan), to whom I discovered my affair and
that of All and who knew that we were intimates ; but none other
than he was acquainted with what was betwixt us. He was wont
to come to me and enquire how Ali did and after a little, he began
to ask me about the damsel ; but I fenced him off, saying, " She
invited him to her and there was between him and her as much
as can possibly take place, and this is the end of their affair;
but I have devised me a plan and an idea which I would submit
to thee." Asked his friend, " And what is that ? " Answered
Abu al-Hasan, " I am a person well known to have much dealing
among men and women, and I fear, O my brother, lest the affair of
these twain come to light and this lead to my death and the
seizure of my goods and the rending of my repute and that of
my family. Wherefore I have resolved to get together my monies
and make ready forthright and repair to the city of Bassorah
and there abide, till I see what cometh of their case, that none
may know of me ; for love hath lorded over both and correspon-
dence passeth between them. At this present their go-between
and confidante is a slave-girl who hath till now kept their counsel,
but 1 fear lest haply anxiety get the better of her and she dis-
cover their secret to some one and the matter, being bruited
abroad, might bring me to great grief and prove the cause of my
ruin ; for I have no excuse to offer my accusers." Rejoined his
friend, " Thou hast acquainted me with a parlous affair, from the
like of which the wise and understanding will shrink with fear.
Allah avert from thee the evil thou dreadest with such dread and
save thee from the consequences thou apprehendest ! Assuredly
thy recking is aright." So Abu al-Hasan returned to his place
and began ordering his affairs and preparing for his travel ; nor
had three days passed ere he made an end of his business and
fared forth Bassorah-wards. His friend came to visit him three
days after but finding him not, asked of him from the neighbours
who answered, "He set out for Bassorah three days ago, for he had
Tale of All lin Bakkar and of Shams al-Nahar. 185
dealings with its merchants and he is gone thither to collect
monies from his debtors; but he will soon return." The young
man was confounded at the news and knew not whither to wend ;
and he said in his mind, "Would I had not parted from Abu
al-Hasan ! " Then he bethought him of some plan whereby
he should gain access to All. bin Bakkar ; so he went to his
lodging, and said to one of his servants, " Ask leave for me
of thy lord that I may go in and salute him." The servant
entered and told his master and presently returning, invited the
man to walk in. So he entered and found Ali bin Bakkar
thrown back on the pillow and saluted him. Ali returned his
greeting and bade him welcome; whereupon the young man
began to excuse himself for having held aloof from him all that
while and added, " O my lord, between Abu al- Hasan and myself
there was close friendship, so that I used to trust him with my
secrets and could not sever myself from him an hour. Now it
so chanced that I was absent three days' space on certain busi-
ness with a company of my friends ; and, when I came back and
went to him, I found his shop locked up ; so I asked the neigh-
bours about him and they replied: He is gone to Bassorah.
Now I know he had no surer friend than thou ; so, by Allah,
tell me what thou knowest of him." When Ali bin Bakkar heard
this, his colour changed and he was troubled and answered, "I
never heard till this day of his departure and, if the case be as
thou sayest, weariness is come upon me." And he began re-
peating :
For joys that are no more I wont to weep, o While friends and lovers stood by
me unscattered ;
This day when disunited me and them o Fortune, I weep lost loves and friend*
ship shattered.
Then he hung his head ground-wards in thought awhile and pre-
sently raising it and looking to one of his servants, said, " Go to
Abu al-Hasan's house and enquire anent him whether he be at home
or journeying abroad. If they say: He is abroad ; ask whither
he be gone." The servant went out and returning after a while
said to his master, u When I asked for Abu al-Hasan, his people
told me that he was gone on a journey to Bassorah ; but I saw a
damsel standing at the door who, knowing me by sight, though I
knew her not, said to me: Art thou not servant to Ali bin
Bakkar ? Even so, answered I ; and she rejoined ; I bear a
Alf Laylak wa Laylak.
(message for him from one who is the dearest of all folk to him.
So she came with me and she is now standing at the door." Quoth
Ali bin Bakkar, " Bring her in." The servant went out to her and
brought her in, and the man who was with Ali looked at her and
found her pretty. Then she advanced to the son of Bakkar and
saluted him And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
fojen it foas tje ^imbrrti anto gbfxtfetj
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
slave-girl came in to Ali bin Bakkar, she advanced to him and
saluted him and spake with him secretly ; and from time to time
during the dialogue he exclaimed with an oath and swore that he
had not talked and tattled of it. Then she took leave of him and
went away. Now Abu al-Hasan's friend was a jeweller, 1 and
when she was gone, he found a place for speech and said to Ali
bin Bakkar, " Doubtless and assuredly the Caliph's household have
some demand upon thee or thou hast dealings therewith ? " " Who
told thee of this ? " asked Ali ; and the jeweller answered, " I know
it by yonder damsel who is Shams al-Nahar's slave-girl ; for she
came to me a while since with a note wherein was written that
she wanted a necklace of jewels ; and I sent her a costly collar."
But when Ali bin Bakkar heard this, he was greatly troubled, so
that the jeweller feared to see him give up the ghost, yet after a
while he recovered himself and said, " O my brother, I conjure thee
by Allah to tell me truly how thou knowest her." Replied he,
" Do not press this question upon me ; " and Ali rejoined, " Indeed^
I will not turn from thee till thou tell me the whole truth." Quoth
the jeweller, " I will tell thee all, on condition that thou distrust
me not, and that my words cause thee no restraint ; nor will I
conceal aught from thee by way of secret but will discover to thee
the truth of the affair, provided that thou acquaint me with the
true state of thy case and the cause of thy sickness." Then he
told him all that had passed from first to last between Abu
al-Hasan and himself, adding, " I acted thus only out of friend-
1 The jeweller of Eastern tales from Marocco to Calcutta, is almost invariably a rascal
here we have an exception.
Tale of AH bin Bakkar and of Shams al-Nahar. 187
ship for thee and of my desire to serve thee ;" and assured him that
he would keep his secret and venture life and good in his service.
So Ali in turn told him his story and added, " By Allah, O my
brother, naught moved me to keep my case secret from thee and
from others but my fear lest folk should lift the veils of protection
from certain persons." Rejoined the jeweller, " And I desired not
to foregather with thee but of the great affection I bear thee and
my zeal for thee in every case, and my compassion for the anguish
thy heart endureth from severance. Haply I may be a comforter
to thee in the room of my friend, Abu al-Hasan, during the length
of his absence : so be thou of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool
and clear." Thereupon Ali thanked him and repeated these
couplets :
** An say I : Patient I can bear his faring, o My tears and sighings g ; ve my
say the lie ;
How can I hide these tears that course adown o This plain, my cheek, for
friend too fain to fly?"
Then he was silent awhile, and presently said to the jeweller
" Knowest thou what secret the girl whispered to me ?" Answered
he, "Not I, by Allah, O my lord!" Quoth Ali, " She fancied
that I directed Abu al-Hasan to go to Bassorah and that I had
devised this device to put a stop to our correspondence and con-
sorting. I swore to her that this was on nowise so ; but she would
not credit me and went away to her mistress, persisting in her
injurious suspicions ; for she inclined to Abu al-Hasan and gave
ear to his word." Answered the young jeweller, " O my brother,
I understood as much from the girl's manner ; but I will win for
thee thy wish, Inshallah !" Rejoined Ali bin Bakkar, "Who can
be with me in this and how wilt thou do with her, when she shies
and flies like a wildling of the wold ? " Cried the jeweller " By
Allah, needs must I do my utmost to help thee and contrive to
scrape acquaintance with her without exposure or mischief!"
Then he asked leave to depart and Ali bin Bakkar said, " O my
brother, mind thou keep my counsel ; " and he looked at him and
wept. The jeweller bade him good-bye and fared forth And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her per-
mitted say.
188 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Nofo fo&en ft foas t&r juntos* an* >fxtj|*fir0t
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the jeweller
bade him good-bye and fared forth not knowing what he should
do to win for him his wishes ; and he ceased not walking, while
over-musing the matter, till he spied a letter lying in the road. He
took it up and looked at its direction and superscription, then read
it and behold, it ran : " From the least worthy of lovers to the
most worthy of beloveds." So he opened it and found these words
written therein :
u A messenger from thee came bringing union-hope, o But that he erred some-
how with me the thought prevailed ;
So I rejoiced not ; rather grew my grief still more ; Weeting my messenger
of wits and wit had failed.
" But afterwards : Know, O my lord ! that I ken not the reason
why our correspondence between thee and me hath been broken
off : but, if the cruelty arise from thy part, I will requite it with
fidelity, and if thy love have departed, I will remain constant to
my love of the parted, for I am with thee even as says the poet :
Be proud; I'll crouch! Bully; I'll bear! Despise; 111 pray! o Go; I will
come I Speak : I will hear ! Bid ; I'll obey ! "
As he was reading lo ! up came the slave-girl, looking right and
left, and seeing the paper in the jeweller's hand, said to him, " O
my master, this letter is one I let fall." He made her no answer,
but walked on, and she walked behind him, till he came to his
house, when he entered and she after him, saying, " O my master,
give me back this letter, for it fell from me." Thereupon he turned
to her and said, " O handmaid of good, fear not neither grieve, for
verily Allah the Protector loveth those who protect ; but tell me in
truthful way thy case, as I am one who keepeth counsel. I conjure
thee by an oath not to hide from me aught of thy lady's affairs ;
for haply Allah shall help me to further her wishes and make easy
by my hand that which is hard." When the slave-girl heard these
words she said, " O my lord, indeed a secret is not lost whereof
thou art the secretist ; nor shall any affair come to naught for
which thou strivest. Know that my heart inclineth to thee and
would interest thee with my tidings, but do thou give me the
letter." Then she told him the whole story, adding, " Allah is
Tale of All bin Bakkar and of Shams al-Nahar.
witness to whatso I say." Quoth he, " Thou hast spoken truly, for
I am acquainted with the root of the matter." Then he told her
his tale of Ali bin Bakkar and how he had learned his state of
mind ; and related to her all that had passed from first to last,
whereat she rejoiced ; and they two agreed that she should take
the letter and carry it to Ali and return and acquaint the jeweller
with all that happened. So he gave her the letter and she took it
and sealed it up as it was before, saying, " My mistress Shams
al-Nahar gave it to me sealed ; and when he hath read it and given
me its reply, I will bring it to thee." Then she took leave and
repaired to Ali bin Bakkar, whom she found waiting, and gave him
the letter. He read it and writing a paper by way of reply, gave
it to her ; and she carried it to the jeweller, who tore asunder the
seal l and read it and found written therein these two couplets :
** The messenger, who kept our commerce hid, o Hath failed, and showeth
wrath without disguise ; 2
Choose one more leal from your many friends o Who, truth approving, dis-
approves of lies.
To proceed : Verily, I have not entered upon perfidy * nor have
I abandoned fidelity * I have not used cruelty * neither have I
put off lealty * no covenant hath been broken by me * nor hath
love-tie been severed by me * I have not parted from penitence *
nor have I found aught but misery and ruin after severance * I
know nothing of that thou avouchest * nor do I love aught but
that which thou lovest * By Him who knoweth the secret of
hidden things none discover * I have no desire save union with
tny lover * and my one business is my passion to conceal * albeit
with sore sickness I ail * This is the exposition of my case and
now all hail ! " When the jeweller read this letter and learnt its
1 This must not be understood of sealing-wax, which, however, is of ancient date.
The Egyptians (Herod, ii. 38) used " sealing earth " (y? trg/iairpis) probably clay,
impressed with a signet (SaKrvXtov) ; the Greeks mud-clay (TnjAos) ; and the Romans
first cretula and then wax (Beckmann). Mediaeval Europe had bees-wax tempered
with Venice turpentine and coloured with cinnabar or similar material. The modern
sealing-wax, whose distinctive is shell-lac, was brought by the Dutch from India to
Europe; and the earliest seals date from about A.D. 1560. They called it Ziegel-lak,
whence the German Siegel-lack, the French preferring cire-a-cathetcr, as distinguished
from cire-a-sceller^ the softer material. The use of sealing-wax in India dates from old
times and the material, though coarse and unsightly, is still preferred by Anglo-Indians
because it resists heat whereas the best English softens like pitch.
8 Evidently referring to the runaway Abu al- Hasan, not to the she- Mercury.
A If Laylah wa Laylak.
contents he wept with sore weeping, and the slave-girl said to him,
w Leave not this place till I return to thee ; for he suspecteth me
of such and such things, in which he is excusable ; so it is my
desire to bring about a meeting between thee and my mistress,
Shams al-Nahar, howsoever I may trick you to it. For the present
I left her prostrate, awaiting my return with the reply." Then
she went away and the jeweller passed the night with a troubled
mind. And when day dawned he prayed his dawn-prayer and
sat expecting the girl's coming ; and behold, she came in to
him rejoicing with much joy and he asked her, "What news, O
damsel ? " She answered, " After leaving thee I went to my mis-
tress and gave her the letter written by Ali bin Bakkar; and, when
she read it and understood it, she was troubled and confounded ;
but I said to her : O my lady, have no fear of your affair being
frustrated by Abu al-Hasan's disappearance, for I have found one
to take his place, better than he and more of worth and a good
man to keep secrets. Then I told her what was between thyself
and Abu al-Hasan and how thou earnest by his confidence and
that of Ali bin Bakkar and how that note ^vas dropped and thou
earnest by it ; and I also showed her how we arranged matters
betwixt me and thee." The jeweller marvelled with much wonder,
when she resumed, "And now my mistress would hear whatso
thou sayest, that she may be assured by thy speech of the
covenants between thee and him ; so get thee ready to go with me
to her forthwith." When the jeweller heard the slave-girl's words,
he saw that the proposed affair was grave and a great peril to
brave, not lightly to be undertaken or suddenly entered upon, and
he said to her, " O my sister, verily, I am of the ordinary and not
like unto Abu al-Hasan ; for he being of high rank and of well-
known repute, was wont to frequent the Caliph's household,
because of their need of his merchandise. As for me, he used to
talk with me and I trembled before him the while. So, if thy
mistress would speak with me, our meeting must be in some place
other than the Caliph's palace and far from the abode of the Com-
mander of the Faithful ; for my common sense will not let me
consent to what thou proposest." On this wise he refused to go
with her and she went on to say that she would be surety for his
safety, adding, " Take heart and fear no harm ! " and pressed him
to courage till he consented to accompany her ; withal, his legs
bent and shivered and his hands quivered and he exclaimed,
" Allah forbid that I should go with thee ! Indeed, J have not
Tale of Ali bin Bakkar and of Shams al-Nahar. 191
strength to do this thing! " Replied she, " Hearten thy heart, if
It be hard for thee to go to the Caliph's palace and thou canst not
muster up courage to accompany me, I will make her come to
thee ; so budge not from thy place till I return- to thee with her."
Then the slave-girl went away and was absent for a while, but a
short while, after which she returned to the jeweller and said to
him, " Take thou care that there be with thee none save thyself,
neither man-slave nor girl-slave." Quoth he, "I have but a negress,
who is in years and who waiteth on me." 1 So she arose and locked
the door between his negress and the jeweller and sent his man-
servants out of the place ; after which she fared forth and presently
returned, followed by a lady who, entering the house, filled it with
the sweet scent of her perfumes. When the jeweller saw her, he
sprang up and set her a couch and a cushion ; and she sat down while
he seated himself before her. She abode awhile without speaking
till she had rested herself, when she unveiled her face and it
seemed to the jeweller's fancy as if the sun had risen in his home.
Then she asked her slave-girl, " Is this the man of whom thou
spakest to me ? " u Yes," answered she ; whereupon the lady
turned to the jeweller and said to him, " How is it with thee ? J>
Replied he, " Right well ! I pray Allah for thy preservation and
that of the Commander of the Faithful." Quoth she, " Thou hast
moved us to come to thee and possess thee with what we hold se-
cret." Then she questioned him of his household and family ; and
he disclosed to her all his circumstance and his condition and said
to her, " I have a house other than this; and I have set it apart
for gathering together my friends and brethren ; and there is none
there save the old negress, of whom I spoke to thy handmaid."
She asked him on what wise he came first to know how the affair
began and the matter of Abu al-Hasan and the cause of his way-
faring : accordingly he told her all he knew and how he had
advised the journey. Thereupon she bewailed the loss of Abu al-
Hasan and said to the jeweller, " Know, O such an one, 1 that
men's souls are active in their lusts and that men are still men ;
and that deeds are not done without words nor is end ever reached
1 An unmarried man is not allowed to live in a respectable quarter of a Moslem city
unless he takes such precaution. Lane (Mod. Egypt, passim) has much to say on this
point ; and my excellent friend the late Professor Spitta at Cairo found the native
prejudice very troublesome.
8 Arab. "Yd fulln " = O certain person (fulano in Span, and Port.) a somewhat
contemptuous address.
1 92 A If Laylah wa LaylaJi.
without endeavour. Rest is won only by work" -- And Shah-?
razad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitte4
say.
Jioto fofjen it foas t&e ffymtan an& gbfatg-secontt
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Shams al*
Nahar thus addressed the jeweller, u Rest is gained only by work
and success is gendered only by help of the generous. Now I have
acquainted thee with our affair and it is in thy hand to expose us
or to shield us ; I say no more, because thy generosity requireth
naught. Thou knowest that this my handmaiden keepeth my
counsel and therefore occupieth high place in my favour ; and I
have selected her to transact my affairs of importance. So let
none be worthier in thy sight than she and acquaint her with thine
affair; and be of good cheer, for on her account thou art safe from
all fear, and there is no place shut upon thee but she shall open it
to thee. She shall bring thee my messages to AH bin Bakkar and
thou shalt be our intermediary." So saying, she rose, scarcely-
able to rise, and fared forth, the jeweller faring before her to the
door of her house, after which he returned and sat down again in
his place, having seen of her beauty and heard of her speech what
dazzled him and dazed his wit, and having witnessed of her grace
and courtesy what bewitched his sprite. He sat musing on her
perfections till his mind waxed tranquil, when he called for food
and ate enough to keep soul and body together. Then he changed
his clothes and went out ; and, repairing to the house of the youth
AH bin Bakkar, knocked at the door. The servants hastened to
admit him and walked before him till they had brought him to
their master, whom he found strown upon his bed. Now when he
saw the jeweller, he said to him, " Thou hast tarried long from me,
and that hath heaped care upon my care." Then he dismissed his
servants and bade the doors be shut ; after which he said to the
jeweller, "By Allah, O my brother, I have not closed my eyes
since the day I saw thee last ; for the slave-girl came to me yester-
day with a sealed letter from her mistress Shams al-Nahar ; " and
went on to tell him all that had passed with her, adding, " By the
Lord, I am indeed perplexed concerning mine affair and my
patience faileth me : for Abu al- Hasan was a comforter who
cheered me because he knew the slave-girl." When the jeweller
beard his words, he laughed ; and AH said, "Why dost thou laugh
Tale of Alt bin Bakkar and of Shams al-Nahar. 193
at my words, thou on whose coming I congratulated myself and to
whom I looked for provision against the shifts of fortune ? " Then
he sighed and wept and repeated these couplets : l
Full many laugh at tears they see me shed * Who had shed tears an bore
they what I bore ;
None feeleth pity for th' affiicted's woe, * Save one as anxious and in woe
galore :
My passion, yearning, sighing, thought, repine * Are for me cornered in my
heart's deep core :
He made a home there which he never quits, * Yet rare our meetings, not as
heretofore :
No friend to stablish in his place I see; * No intimate but only he and
he.
Now when the jeweller heard these lines and understood their
significance, he wept also and told him all that had passed betwixt
himself and the slave-girl and her mistress since he left him. And
Ali bin Bakkar gave ear to his speech, and at every word he heard
his colour shifted from white to red and his body grew now stronger
and then weaker till the tale came to an end, when he wept and
said, " O my brother, I am a lost man in any case : would mine
end were nigh, that I might be at rest from all this ! But I beg
thee, of thy favour, to be my helper and comforter in all my affairs
till Allah fulfil whatso be His will ; and I will not gainsay thee
with a single word*" Quoth the jeweller, " Nothing will quench
thy fire save union with her whom thou lovest ; and the meeting
must be in other than this perilous place. Better it were in a
house of mine where the girl and her mistress met me; which
place she chose for herself, to the intent that ye twain may there
meet and complain each to other of what you have suffered from
the pangs of love." Quoth Ali bin Bakkar, " O good Sir, do as
thou wilt and with Allah be thy reward ! ; and what thou deemest
is right do it forthright : but be not long in doing it, lest I perish
of this anguish." So I abode with him (said the jeweller) that
night conversing with him till the morning morrowed, And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
1 Mr. Payne remarks, " These verses apparently relate to Aboulhusn, but it is possible
that they may be meant to refer to Shemsennehar." (iii. 80.)
VOL. III. N
A If Laylak wa Laylah.
Jloto to&m ft toa* tfjc JQuntJreti anft Sbixtp-tljhfo Jltg&t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the jeweller
continued : So I abode with him that night conversing with him
till the morning morrowed, when I prayed the dawn-prayers and,
going out from him, returned to my house. Hardly had I settled
down when the damsel came up and saluted me ; and I returned
her salutation and told her what had passed between myself and
Ali bin Bakkar, and she said, " Know that the Caliph hath left us
and there is no one in our place and it is safer for us and better."
Replied I, " Sooth thou sayest ; yet is it not like my other house
which is both fitter and surer for us ; " and the slave-girl rejoined,
41 Be it as thou seest fit. I am now going to my lady and will tell
her what thou sayest and acquaint her with all thou hast men-
tioned." So she went away and sought her mistress and laid the
project before her, and presently returned and said to me, " It is
to be as thou sayest : so make us ready the place and expect us."
Then she took out of her breast-pocket a purse of dinars and gave
this message, " My lady saluteth thee and saith to theer Take
this and provide therewith what the case requireth." But I swore
that I would accept naught of it ; so she took the purse and
returning to her mistress, told her, "He would not receive the
money, but gave it back to me." " No matter," answered Shams
al-Nahar. As soon as the slave-girl was gone (continued the
jeweller), I arose and betook myself to my other house and trans-
ported thither all that was needful, by way of vessels and furniture
and rich carpets ; and I did not forget china vases and cups of
glass and gold and silver; and I made ready meat and drink
required for the occasion. When the damsel came and saw what
I had done, it pleased her and she bade me fetch Ali bin Bakkar ;
but I said, " None shall bring him save thou." Accordingly she
went to him and brought him back perfectly dressed and looking
his best. I met him and greeted him and then seated him upon a
divan befitting his condition, and set before him sweet-scented
flowers in vases of china and vari-coloured glass. 1 Then I set on
a tray of many-tinted meats such as broaden the breast with their
1 Arab, and Pers. "Bulur" (vulg. billaur) retaining the venerable tradition of the
Belus-river, In Al- Hariri (Ass. of Halwan) it means crystal and there is no need of pro-
posing to translate it by onyx or to identify it with the Greek ^puXAos, the beryl.
Tale of AH bin Bakkar and of Shams al-Nahar. 195
sight, and sat talking with him and diverting him, whilst the slave-
girl went away and was absent till after sundown-prayers, when
she returned with Shams al-Nahar, attended by two maids and
none else. Now as soon as she saw Ali bin Bakkar and he saw
her, he rose and embraced her, and she on her side embraced him
and both fell in a fit to the ground. They lay for a whole hour
insensible ; then, coming to themselves, they began mutually to
complain of the pains of separation. Thereupon they drew near
to each other and sat talking charmingly, softly, tenderly ; after
which they somewhat perfumed themselves and fell to thanking
me for what I had done for them. Quoth I, " Have ye a mind for
food ? " " Yes," quoth they. So I set before them a small matter of
food and they ate till they were satisfied and then washed their
hands ; after which I led them to another sitting-room and brought
them wine. So they drank and drank deep and inclined to each
other ; and presently Shams al-Nahar said to me, " O my master,
complete thy kindness by bringing us a lute or other instrument of
mirth and music that the measure of our joy may be fully filled."
I replied, " On my head and eyes ! " and rising brought her a lute,
which she took and tuned ; then laying it in her lap she touched
it with a masterly touch, at once exciting to sadness and changing
sorrow to gladness ; after which she sang these two couplets :
"My sleeplessness would show I love to bide on wake ; o And would my lean-
ness prove that sickness is my make :
And tear-floods course adown the cheeks they only scald; o Would I knew
union shall disunion overtake !
Then she went on to sing the choicest and most affecting poesy
to many and various modes, till our senses were bewitched and
the very room danced with excess of delight and surprise at her
sweet singing ; and neither thought nor reason was left in us.
When we had sat awhile and the cup had gone round amongst
us, the damsel took the lute and sang to a lively measure these
couplets :
My love a meeting promised me and kept it faithfully, o One night as many 1
shall count in number and degree :
O Night of joyance Fate vouchsafed to faithful lovers tway, o Uncaring for the
railer loon and all his company !
My lover lay the Night with me and dipt me with his right, o While I with
left embraced him, a-faint for ecstasy ;
And hugged him to my breast and sucked the sweet wine of his lips, o Full
savouring the honey-draught the honey-man sold to me.
A If Laylak wa Laylah.
Whilst we were thus drowned in the sea of gladness (continued the
jeweller) behold, there came in to us a little maid trembling and
said, " O my lady, look how you may go away for the folk have
found you out and have surrounded the house ; and we know not
the cause of this !" When I heard her words, I arose startled and
lo ! in rushed a slave-girl who cried, " Calamity hath come upon
you." At the same moment the door was burst open and there
rushed in upon us ten men masked in kerchiefs with hangers in
their hands and swords by their sides, and as many more behind
them. When I saw this, the world was straitened on me for all its
wideness, and I looked to the door but saw no issue ; so I sprang
from the terrace into the house of one of my neighbours and there
hid myself. Thence I found that folk had entered my lodgings
and were making a mighty hubbub ; and I concluded that the
Caliph had got wind of us and had sent his Chief of the Watch to
seize us and bring us before him. So I abode confounded and
ceased not remaining in my place, without any possibility of
quitting it till midnight. And presently the house-master arose,
for he had heard me moving, and he feared with exceeding great
fear of me ; so he came forth from his room with drawn brand in
hand and made at me, saying, " Who is this in my house ? " Quoth
I, " I am thy neighbour the jeweller ;" and he knew me and re-
tired. Then he fetched a light and coming up to me, said, " O my
brother, indeed that which hath befallen thee this night is no light
matter to me/' I replied, " O my brother, tell me who was in
my house and entered it breaking in my door ; for I fled to thee
not knowing what was to do." He answered, " Of a truth the
robbers who attacked our neighbours yesterday and slew such an
one and took his goods, saw thee on the same day bringing furni-
ture into this house ; so they broke in upon thee and stole thy
goods and slew thy guests." Then we arose (pursued the jeweller),
I and he, and repaired to my house, which we found empty without
a stick remaining in it ; so I was confounded at the case and said
to myself, " As for the gear I care naught about its loss, albeit I
borrowed part of the stuff from my friends and it hath come to
grief; yet is there is no harm in that, for they know my excuse in
the plunder of my property and the pillage of my place. But as
for Ali bin Bakkar and the Caliph's favourite concubine, I fear lest
their case get bruited abroad and this cause the loss of my life." So
I turned to my neighbour and said to him, " Thou art my brother
and my neighbour and wilt cover my nakedness ; what then dost
Tale of All bin Bakkar and of SJuims al-Nahar. 197
thou advise me to do ?" The man answered, " What I counsel thee
to do is to keep quiet and wait ; for they who entered thy house
and took thy goods have murdered the best men of a party from
the palace of the Caliphate and have killed not a few of the
watchmen : the government officers and guards are now in quest
of them on every road and haply they will hit upon them, where-
by thy wish will come about without effort of thine." The jeweller
hearing these words returned to his other house, that wherein he
dwelt, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.
Koto to&en it toas tie f^uirtfrefc anto Sbixtg^fourt!) Nt'fi&t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the jeweller heard these words he returned to his other house
wherein he dwelt, and said to himself, " Indeed this that hath
befallen me is what Abu al-Hasan feared and from which he
fled to Bassorah. And now I have fallen into it." Presently
the pillage of his pleasure-house was noised abroad among the
folk, and they came to him from all sides and places, some
exulting in his misfortune and others excusing him and con-
doling with his sorrow; whilst he bewailed himself to them
and for grief neither ate meat nor drank drink. And as he
sat, repenting him of what he had done, behold one of his
servants came in to him and said, "There is a person at the
door who asketh for thee; and I know him not." The jeweller
went forth to him and saluted him who was a stranger; and
the man whispered to him, " I have somewhat to say between
our two selves." Thereupon he brought him in and asked him,
"What hast thou to tell me ?'" Quoth the man, "Come with me
to thine other house ;" and the jeweller enquired, " Dost thou then
know my other house ?" Replied the other, " I know all about thee
and I know that also whereby Allah will dispel thy dolours." So I
said to myself (continued the jeweller) " I will go with him whither
he will ;" and went out and walked on till we came to my second
house ; and when the man saw it he said to me, " It is without
door or doorkeeper, and we cannot possibly sit in it ; so come thou
with me to another place." Then the man continued passing from
stead to stead (and I with him) till night overtook us. Yet I put
no question to him of the matter in hand and we ceased not to
walk on, till we reached the open country. He kept saying, " Follow
198 A If Laylah wa Layl&k.
me," and quickened his pace to a trot, whilst I trotted after him
heartening my heart to go on, until we reached the river, where he
took boat with me, and the boatman rowed us over to the other
bank. Then he landed from the boat and I landed after him ;
and he took my hand and led me to a street which I had never
entered in all my days, nor do I know in what quarter it was.
Presently the man stopped at the door of a house, and opening it
entered and made me enter with him ; after which he locked the
door with an iron padlock, 1 and led me along the vestibule, till he
brought me in the presence of ten men who were as though they
were one and the same man ; they being brothers. We saluted
them (continued the jeweller) and they returned our greeting and
bade us be seated ; so we sat down. Now I was like to die for
excess of weariness ; but they brought me rose-water and sprinkled
it on my face ; after which they gave me a sherbet to drink and set
before me food whereof some of them ate with me. Quoth I to
myself, " Were there aught harmful in the food, they would not eat
with me." So I ate, and when we had washed our hands, each of
us returned to his place. Then they asked me, " Dost thou know
us ? " and I answered, " No ! nor in my life have I ever seen you ;
nay, I know not even him who brought me hither." Said they,
* Tell us thy tidings and lie not at all/' Replied I, " Know then
that. my case is wondrous and my affair marvellous; but wot ye
anything about me ? " They rejoined, " Yes ! it was we took thy
goods yesternight and carried off thy friend and her who was
singing to him." Quoth I, " Allah let down His veil over you t
Where be my friend and she wno was singing to him ? " They
pointed with their hands to one side and replied, " Yonder, but, by
Allah, O our brother, the secret of their case is known to none save
to thee, for from the time we brought the twain hither up to this
day, we have not looked upon them nor questioned them of their
condition, seeing them to be persons of rank and dignity. Now
this and this only it was that hindered our killing them : so tell
us the truth of their case and thou shalt be assured of thy safety
and of theirs." When I heard this (continued the jeweller) I
almost died of fright and horror, and I said to them, " Know ye, O
my brethren, that if generosity were lost, it would not be found
save with you ; and had I a secret which I feared to reveal, none
but your breasts would conceal it." And I went on exaggerating
1 The door is usually shut with a wooden bolt.
Tale of Alt bin Bakkar and of Shams al-Nahar. 199
their praises in this fashion, till I saw that frankness and readiness
to speak out would profit me more than concealing facts ; so I told
them all that had betided me to the very end of the tale. When
they heard it, they said, " And is this young man AH Bakkar-son
and this lady Shams al-Nahar ? " I replied " Yes." Now this was
grievous to them and they rose and made their excuses to the
two and then they said to me, " Of what we took from thy house
part is spent, but here is what is left of it." So speaking, they
gave me back most of my goods and they engaged to return them
to their places in my house, and to restore me the rest as soon as
they could. My heart was set at ease till they split into two par-
ties, one with me and the other against me ; and we fared forth
from that house and such was my case. But as regards AH bin
Bakkar and Shams al-Nahar ; they were well-nigh dying for excess
of fear, when I went up to them and saluting them, asked, " What
happened to the damsel and the two maids, and where be they
gone ? "; and they answered only, " We know nothing of them/'
Then we walked on and stinted not till we came to the river-bank
where the barque lay ; and we all boarded it, for it was the same
which had brought me over on the day before. The boatman
rowed us to the other side ; but hardly had we landed and taken
seat on the bank to rest, when a troop of horse swooped down on
us like eagles and surrounded us on all sides and places, where-
upon the robbers with us sprang up in haste like vultures, and the
boat put back for them and took them in and the boatman pushed
off into mid-stream, leaving us on the river bank, unable to move
or to stand still. Then the chief horseman said to us, " Whence be
ye ! " ; and we were perplexed for an answer, but I said (continued
the jeweller), " Those ye saw with us are rogues ; we know them
not. As for us, we are singers, and they intended taking us to
sing for them, nor could we get free of them, save by subtlety and
soft words ; so on this occasion they let us go, their works being
such as you have seen." But they looked at Shams al-Nahar and
Ali bin Bakkar and said to me, " Thou hast not spoken sooth but,
if thy tale be true, tell us who ye are and v/hence ye are ; and what
be your place and in what quarter you dwell." I knew not what
to answer them, but Shams al-Nahar sprang up and approaching
the Captain of the horsemen spoke with him privily, where-
upon he dismounted from his steed and, setting her on horse-back,
took the bridle and began to lead his beast. And two of his men
did the like with the youth, Ali bin Bakkar, and it was the same
2QO Alf Laylah wa Laylak.
with myself. The Commandant of the troop ceased not faring on
with us, till they reached a certain part of the river bank, when he
sang out in some barbarous jargon 1 and there came to us a
number of men with two boats. Then the Captain embarked us
in one of them (and he with us) whilst the rest of his men put off
in the other, and rowed on with us till we arrived at the palace of
the Caliphate where Shams al-Nahar landed. And all the while
we endured the agonies of death for excess of fear, and they ceased
not faring till they came to a place whence there was a way to our
quarter. Here we landed and walked on, escorted by some of the
horsemen, till we came to AH bin Bakkar's house ; and when we
entered it, our escort took leave of us and went their way. We
abode there, unable to stir from the place and not knowing the
difference between morning and evening ; and in such case we
continued till the dawn of the next day. And when it was again
nightfall, I came to myself and saw Ali bin Bakkar and the women
and men of his household weeping over him, for he was stretched
out without sense or motion. Some of them came to me and
thoroughly arousing me said, " Tell us what hath befallen our son
and say how came he in this plight ? " Replied I, " O folk,
hearken to me " " And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
tofim it toas tfce ^untaeU anfc Sixtg^fiftf)
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the jeweller
answered them, " O folk, hearken to my words and give me no
trouble and annoyance ! but be patient and he will come to and
tell you his tale for himself." And I was hard upon them and
made them afraid of a scandal between me and them, but as we
were thus, behold, Ali bin Bakkar mov 
